DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry that this update took so long. I got a little museless, but no worries it's back.
"Adrienne," he said as he pulled her towards him. "I have to go, or Snape'll have my head."
Music drifted down the corridor as they approached the party. The event seemed lively and bright. There were lots of people, more than the members of the Slug Club and their dates, in the classroom. An undetectable expansion charm had obviously been used on the room. Pink and yellow paper lanterns floated just put of arms reach in the corridor leading to the entrance to the party. Melanie though it was just the cutest thing, as she and Blaise walking away from the Malfoy and his betrothed. From their spot in the corridor they could see Slughorn greeting the couple warmly. Because of Adrienne's knack for lip reading, she was able to 'hear' the conversation between her brother and the professor. It was nothing new just Blaise reporting the news of their father's death, something that he nor Adrienne talked about, and telling of his mother. Slughorn had replied with something about their mother being a vixen, and Blaise and Adrienne made identical disgusted faces. Then when asked about the attendance of his sister, he replied that she was on her way. That had been five minutes ago.
Adrienne and her escort were still standing under the pink paper lantern that Blaise and Melanie had left them under. Adrienne started to fiddle with the ring on Draco's right ring finger, twisting it around and running her fingers over the engravings on the side. It was a habit that she'd developed a few weeks ago when Draco asked how she was feeling about the death of her father. They'd been sitting on the sofa under the window in the common room. His left arm was lying parallel with the arm of the sofa and his right arm around her waist. Not wanting to answer the question, then or ever, she looked away and around the room, for a distraction. When the emerald gem caught her eye, her fingers went straight to it, asking about the history of the engravings and such. Seeing her change the subject, Draco didn't mention the death of her father again. However, he found it amusing, how even after they didn't talk about the death, that she still did it. It was also kind of comforting in a way. Often times, when he was stressed with the pressures of the Dark Lord's task or school, he'd place his hand on the desk between them, an open invitation. One that Adrienne took more than not.
"I'll probably turn in early," Adrienne admitted, not looking away from the vivid green stone on his finger. "McLaggen has a thing for all things in a skirt, and smart people. He's here with Granger, but I hear he fancies me."
The young man sighed and rubbed a small circle on the back of her hand with his thumb. He felt terrible for lying to her, and debated on telling her his entire plan. He'd longed to tell her how he was going to kill Dumbledore. He'd wanted to tell her since he realized that the twin to the Cabinet in Borgin and Burke's stood at Hogwarts. He wanted to tell her that he'd been mending it since the beginning of term. That when he left her at night that's where he went. However, now wasn't the time to tell her that. She'd gotten all dressed up, and looked stunning, to attend this party, alone; what kind of person would he be if he didn't let her be seen looking this stunning? A selfish one is the kind of person he'd be.
He watched her playing with his ring for a moment longer, before pulling his hand and ring from her grasp and sighing. "This is where our paths fork," he kissed the back of her hand and bow slightly, a joke between them about their mother's love for the Victorian Era.
"Fine, off with you then, sir," she demanded, taking her dress and curtsying. "Shall I wait up for you?" she questioned looking at him from under her eyelashes.
"I don't think that will be necessary, my lady," Draco said backing away from her. "Surely, you'll attend the party for more than an hour. I shall be in the common room awaiting your arrival. Now, I don't wish to keep you from you party any longer, with that said I bid you a good evening, Ms. Zabini."
Adrienne shook her head and turned on her heel, expertly, and walked to the party. Where Slughorn must have been waiting on her to arrive, for be pounced on her like a starved lion on an antelope.
"Ms. Zabini!" he exclaimed loudly. For a moment, she was sure that everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and looked at her. "You must take a picture with me." Suddenly, she was pulled to a people-free backdrop and in front of a camera. "Smile," the Professor said through his large smile, and she did. "Now, I must have one with you and your brother." The professor searched the room for the other twin. "AH-HA! Mr. Zabini, come, come," he exclaimed, equally as loud as he'd greeted her, when he spotted the other twin.
"Hello, sister," Blaise greeted as he approached her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Smile," he muttered, and she did.
Why did they feel the need to tell her to smile; like she didn't know that when a picture was taken you were supposed to smile?
"Lovely," Slughorn said clapping his chubby hands together. "Enjoy the party," he said to them. "No date, Ms. Zabini?" Slughorn started again as the twin started to walk away.
The girl stopped and scoffed, silently as a gentle smirk graced her brother's lips. She turned to the Professor and smiled thinly, "No, sir."
"Mr. Malfoy…?" he questioned with a suggestive tone.
Adrienne resisted the urge to vomit, while Blaise stood beside her with his face twisted in disgust. "Unfortunately, he's in detention with the Head of our house."
"Oh, that is unfortunate," he cried. "Well, enjoy my dear. There are a few dateless students milling about," he said with a wink.
Again, Adrienne resisted the urge to vomit. Was he legally allowed to talk to say those things to her? "Thank you," Adrienne replied, unable to think of anything better to say.
"I offer my condolences about you father," Slughorn started somberly. "He was a great student, I taught him, as well as you mother. You remind me of her, actually."
Adrienne froze. Her muscles tensed all at one and her brown eyes burned. How dare he! Adrienne never wanted to be compared to her mother. Her mother was a whore. She married so that she could have money and then had them killed, of course to the general public; it just seemed that they disappeared. However, Adrienne and Blaise knew the truth. They'd known for a long time. How dare he compare her to that prancing whore that called herself a mother? How dare he compare her to that heartless woman that wrote a letter – a short curt letter- to tell her children that their father had died? Blaise kicked the back of her leg, trying to get her to snap out of her daze. The girl lowered her eyebrows and smiled thinly.
"Thank you," she replied curtly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think my brother and I will go get punch."
Adrienne pulled her brother away from the professor and through the crowd. She was fuming as she walked in the direction on the punch bowl. When Melanie approached the sibling pair, he waved her off letting her know that now wasn't the right time for whatever she wanted. Adrienne stopped walking and Blaise continued walking, pulling her behind a curtain and holding her face.
"Adrienne, Adrienne, calm down," he said. Her brown eyes were still on fire. "He didn't mean it. He didn't know. Adrienne," Blaise soothed, stroking his sisters face with his thumbs. She glared at him before pulling out of his grasp and sighing. "All better?" he questioned. She nodded, "Good."
Adrienne had calmed down since the insult that her Professor had bestowed upon her. She stood with her brother and best friend, along the back wall. A glass of punch was in her right hand and a Melanie was looking at the line on her palm on her unoccupied left hand. Melanie had decided that she was a fortune teller and that she could read the lines on people's hands. Blaise had asked that she just play along with Melanie and wait for her to figure out that she couldn't read palms.
"I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claim to have been invited to you party."
Adrienne turned her eyes away from her punch and to Filch. Adrienne's dark eyes widened as she spotted her betrothed standing in Filch's grasp. Lurking in an upstairs corridor? Snape did detention in the dungeons or in the trophy room. He liked to make people clean trophies and then smear something on them and make the student clean them again. But not his favorites. His favorites got the easy detentions, like cleaning cauldrons. Why was he upstairs?
"All right, I wasn't incited," Draco growled, pulling away from the Squib. "I was gate crashing, all right."
Adrienne stepped forward and brushed her hair from her dark eyes. "No, no, he's my date."
Something in Draco's eyes thanked her. Slughorn allowed him admittance to the party and Filch slinked out of the room, feeling defeated and embarrassed. Draco approached Adrienne, without a word he kissed her cheek and muttered a soft, "I'll tell you later," into her ear. Adrienne lowered her eyebrows and she sighed, accepting that she would have to wait.
"Draco, I'd like a word with you," Snape drawled as he approached them. "Good evening, Miss. Zabini, I'll be sure to return your date to the party."
"Evening, Professor," she replied. "Oh, and no worries; I was just leaving."
Snape bowed to her politely and Draco left with him.
"Are you really leaving?" Melanie asked, picking up her hand again. "I wasn't done."
"Yeah," she replied. "I'm really tired," she said with a forced yawn. "Night, you two; enjoy your night."
"Oh, Adrienne," Melanie shouted to her friend. Adrienne turned to face her, her right eyebrow arched. "I'm staying with you over break. So have a clean room."
Adrienne scoffed and shook her head. "My room is always clean, but if that's your way of asking, then that's fine."
"You're heart line starts in the middle of you palm, that means you fall in love easily, but your life line is straight and close to the edge of your palm , and that means that you're cautious when it comes to relationships," Melanie told her, tracing each line on her hand. "Then your fate line breaks and changes of direction, and that means that you are prone to many changes in life from external forces."
"Why are you telling me this?" Adrienne questioned.
"Just be careful. You're an emotional person, don't get hurt."
"Goodnight, Melanie," she said waving her off and walking out of the party before Slughorn could see her and stop her.
As soon as she exited the room, she saw Draco leaning against the wall across from the door. He looked up at her, his grey eyes angry and frustrated. Adrienne took a step back; the sheer emotion in his eyes startled her. He pushed himself off the wall and held his hand out to her. Slowly, the angry and frustration faded. "Come with me. We have to talk."