A/N: Thanks so much for reviews, favorites, alerts, and hits, everyone! It means a lot to me. :)
And… I seriously don't have an excuse for why this is so delayed. But, in two weeks I get all new classes, so I'm hoping the workload will be a little less. That means more updates. So, yay! On with the drabble!
Disclaimer: … Why would I have a disclaimer if I owned Harry Potter?
.:Live to Love:.
.x. vase .x.
Scorpius Malfoy always seemed like the untouchable type of guy.
The smooth planes of his pale skin, hair that was always slicked back against his head and not a strand out of place, the ironed Slytherin robes that never held a single stain. He gave off the aura of someone important, someone who turned heads, someone who everyone wanted to get to know.
That's probably why I noticed him in the first place, though. The way he carried himself, the way his gray eyes seemed to twinkle a little when he caught mine, the way he flew his broom around the Quidditch pitch in a heated match. It captured me, how he seemed unbreakable and indestructible, so sure and certain and just… perfect.
It's part of the reason I showed interest in him. Especially when we would sit on either side of a library table, doing homework. One day, he said in a crystal clear and honest voice, "You always seem to beat me in every class."
I shrugged and tried to keep my hand steady on my quill. Which proved to be quite difficult around him. "Well, I guess it's just inherited from my mother."
Scoripus put his quill down and stared at me with a faint smile on his face. "I don't think so."
He was so confident in his answer, as if it was right and none other was, that the famous Weasely blush rushed into my cheeks and threatened to burn off my face.
And at that moment, he could've made fun of me, like a low-life Slytherin would have. He could have taunted me, added to my embarrassment, or acted like a prat, which I knew my cousins would do in this situation like this.
But, instead of doing the predictable, he reached out a hand and stroked my flaming cheek. "You're prettier with that blush."
Which, of course, made me redden even more.
Scorpius Malfoy lured me into his life, ever so slowly. Telling me about his past, and asking about mine. Helping me with homework when I was stuck, and me returning the favor. Soon, I was wrapped up with this perfect guy that regular girls dreamed about in their sleep. So it wasn't a surprise I fell in love with him, and he became the most treasured person in my life.
But a few months after I had started dating him, I learned something when we were strolling the grounds.
"What do you want to do when you graduate?" Scorpius said. His hand was holding mine in a tender way, as if he wanted me to know I was safe with him. Or, it could've had something to do with the shivers and red nose that the bitter weather was causing, too.
I shrugged. "Something with Charms, maybe. Or St. Mungo's. Definitely not the Ministry. From what Mum says, it's a pretty corrupt place. How about you?"
Scorpius shrugged. "I don't know. My father puts so much expectation on me, to follow his footsteps and work at the Ministry."
I turned to face him, with my wild red hair and rosy face. "Why? Can't you be your own person?"
His expression got a little darker. It was the first time I had seen his face in a different construction than the usual smile and pale glow that radiated like the sun. "I wish. My father… he wants me to live up to Malfoy expectations. Which means working at the Ministry. My mum wants me to be my own person, but my father wants certain things to go certain ways for me."
"You don't have to do what he wants."
Scorpius looked torn between listening to what his conscience was telling him, or what his father was whispering in his ear. "I know. He wouldn't disown me or anything, but it'd be a secret kind of hate. My savings would be cut, or he and Mum wouldn't support me. I'd basically have no connection to him, especially if I married into a family he hated, such as yours."
And that was when I realized that he was not the indestructible being everyone always thought he was. He had insecurities, pressure, tons of force pushing down on his shoulders. I was afraid for him. And at that moment, he swooped me into his embrace and promised to marry me as soon as we were out of Hogwarts, despite whatever his father thought, because he loved me like a man ever could. I said yes in advance, just in case he would be afraid to ask in the future.
Because I could picture him on a pedestal. A fragile, delicate vase on a pedestal. One incredibly valuable one that had the most beautiful and intricate patterns on the outside and contained the sweetest smelling flowers in the world. A vase that I was undeniably in love with, one that I cherished and never wanted to let go.
And I pictured the pressure. He was balancing on that small platform, ready to topple in any direction at any minute. I could picture one wrong push, even by the tiniest weight, and he would be sent toppling, falling only to crash into a million tiny shards on the ground.
Good thing I would be there to catch him before he hit, forever and always.
A/N: Please review. It'd make me very happy!
