3. In which things begin to get Very Bad
Shit, what do I do now, Ron screamed inside his head. He had stiffened immediately and
knew that he had to play it cool if he was even going to make it to the stupid estate. Ron
knew that he would never live through the embarrassment of going through all this and
failing miserably in his mission. So he tried to relax and kiss back, as, he was sure, an
actual girlfriend would do. (He said he was still extremely limited in his experience.)
While this was probably the right thing to do this was also definitely the wrong thing to
do because it was right then that Ron noticed something terrible, aside from Draco's
hand, which was once again creeping down his side. Damn, but Draco was a good
kisser. With this realization Ron just about panicked. What a betraying body he was
wearing that could inspire such thoughts about Draco, his sworn and usually most hated
enemy! (Sometimes he had to hate Voldemort most for Harry's sake.)
Ron knew he had to do something quick to break away from this terrible situation. And
then genius struck. When Draco pulled away Ron whined in his best -- which was still
pretty bad -- and most winning voice. "Not now, ok Draco, I've got a terrible headache
that my best charms can't seem to get rid of."
"I was wondering why you were being so quiet," said Draco almost regretfully, but
moved a bit away giving Ron a chance to breathe a little more freely.
"Oh no," Ron thought to himself. "This has gotten VERY BAD." He rubbed his temples
with a look of pain that was not entirely feigned and promptly pretended to fall asleep.
Because he was pretending to be Blaise Zabini pretending to have a headache to avoid
the all-too-skillful lips of Draco Malfoy (how often do you get to say that, he wondered),
Ron couldn't say exactly how long the coach ride to Malfoy Manor took or what sort of
scenery they passed. In his mind, he imagined scenery that Draco's father would pick out.
Twisted black trees that dripped slime. Smoking pits of sulpher. Red-eyed vultures. Yeah,
lots of vultures.
"We're here," Draco said and gently shook Ron "awake."
"Wha…what?" Ron asked in mock puzzlement, batting his eyes for good measure.
"Heavens me, I must have fallen asleep!"
Draco gave him a strange look, then shrugged and hopped out of the coach. Girls, even
girlfriends, could be weird.
Ron allowed Draco to assist him out of the coach, flatly ignoring the large hands that
wrapped around his (slim, sexy…oh shut up brain!) waist and lifted him from the
vehicle. He took a look around. Malfoy Mansion, an imposing edifice of incredibly
ancient looking stone, was much as he had imagined it (without the vultures and
screaming Muggles on torture devices). However, it did look a bit…dangerous. The
architecture was a mixture of Romanesque and Late Gothic, though Ron wondered how
he knew that. Enchantment crackled and sparked in the very air, and although the sky
was blue and sunny, several storm clouds were gathered about the highest tower,
threatening rain. Lightning shot from one of them, striking the tower itself. The electricity
traveled down the tower, snaked its way along the stone wall of the building, and hit the
ground, exploding into a shower of hissing snakes and small lizards.
Ron's mouth dropped open. Draco reached over and nudged it back into place, grinning
lewdly.
The entrance to Malfoy Manor was guarded by twin black marble snakes, rendered a
little too lifelike for Ron's comfort. One of them flicked his tongue out at Ron as Draco
led him in, and Ron could see a glint of wary intelligence in its eyes. Ron broke out in a
cold sweat, sure that something in the mansion would see him for what he was. He had a
vision of himself tied to the tower awaiting a lightning strike and screaming, while Draco
and the real Blaise Zabini cackled evilly below, dancing about and waving sticks.
The doors swung open. Ron blinked, getting his first view of the inside of famous Malfoy
Manor. As he understood it, not just anybody got to walk through these doors. They had
to be led in by a member of the family, or Bad Things happened. So he had heard,
anyway. Who knew with a nutty bunch like the Malfoys.
They stepped inside, Ron's heels clattering loudly on the marble floor. The entrance hall
was large and vaulted, and the ceiling was enchanted to give the impression of being
impossibly tall. Several suits of armor stood along the sides, and a snooty-looking man
with dusty brown hair and a tuxedo stepped out and somehow materialized their coats
into his arms, then disappeared.
Draco looked at him, amusement twinkling in his stormy gray eyes. "Isn't it great?" he
asked."
"It's…" Ron searched for words. "Bloody weird, is what it is. I mean, beautiful.
Charming. Cute."
Draco looked at Ron searchingly, then shrugged. "My mom doesn't like it much either.
But Dad and I do." He smiled again. Why is he smiling so much, Ron wondered.
Lovesick fop.
He glanced around again and caught a look at himself in a large, floor-to-ceiling mirror
that was outlined with silver and gold writhing goblins. He had to admit that he had
always thought Blaise was pretty, but given that she was in Slytherin and hung around
with Draco Malfoy, he had never looked at her very closely and tried to avoid her at all
costs. Oh, he was looking now. Slim but curvy body. Average height and build. Shiny
black hair that cascaded over his shoulders in soft waves. Large blue eyes framed by
thick black lashes. A soft, perfectly shaped mouth and – oh god – full, round breasts, the
tops of which he could see peeking out beneath his low-cut white blouse. No wonder
Draco couldn't keep his hands to himself. Ron was having a hard time keeping his own
hands to himself.
"Draco," a low, gravelly voice came from the top of the long, sweeping staircase.
"Introduce me to your friend."
Ron turned around and saw a slim, aristocratic man with long white hair descending the
stairs. In his hand he carried a silver cane topped with a snake head, and he wore black
robes with a scarlet velvet cape that attached with a silver pin shaped like an M. Lucius
Malfoy. Ron stifled his natural urge to pull out his wand and hex Lucius into the next
century. The stupid pin he was wearing probably cost more than his family's house.
Lucius smiled and roughly clapped Draco on the back. Draco narrowed his eyes a bit, but
recovered himself and spoke.
"Dad, this is Blaise Zabini. Blaise, this is my Father, Lucius Malfoy."
"Charmed," Lucius pronounced, and held out his hand. Ron extended his own, unsure of
what to do. Lucius swooped down and brushed his lips across Ron's knuckles, gazing up
at him with a strange, unreadable expression. Ron didn't know how girls were supposed
to react to such things, so he covered his mouth with his other hand and twittered.
"Nice to meet you," he said in a high voice.
"Draco," said Lucius, "I just saw another carriage pull in. Why don't you show Blaise up
to her room and then go greet your other guests?"
Shit, what do I do now, Ron screamed inside his head. He had stiffened immediately and
knew that he had to play it cool if he was even going to make it to the stupid estate. Ron
knew that he would never live through the embarrassment of going through all this and
failing miserably in his mission. So he tried to relax and kiss back, as, he was sure, an
actual girlfriend would do. (He said he was still extremely limited in his experience.)
While this was probably the right thing to do this was also definitely the wrong thing to
do because it was right then that Ron noticed something terrible, aside from Draco's
hand, which was once again creeping down his side. Damn, but Draco was a good
kisser. With this realization Ron just about panicked. What a betraying body he was
wearing that could inspire such thoughts about Draco, his sworn and usually most hated
enemy! (Sometimes he had to hate Voldemort most for Harry's sake.)
Ron knew he had to do something quick to break away from this terrible situation. And
then genius struck. When Draco pulled away Ron whined in his best -- which was still
pretty bad -- and most winning voice. "Not now, ok Draco, I've got a terrible headache
that my best charms can't seem to get rid of."
"I was wondering why you were being so quiet," said Draco almost regretfully, but
moved a bit away giving Ron a chance to breathe a little more freely.
"Oh no," Ron thought to himself. "This has gotten VERY BAD." He rubbed his temples
with a look of pain that was not entirely feigned and promptly pretended to fall asleep.
Because he was pretending to be Blaise Zabini pretending to have a headache to avoid
the all-too-skillful lips of Draco Malfoy (how often do you get to say that, he wondered),
Ron couldn't say exactly how long the coach ride to Malfoy Manor took or what sort of
scenery they passed. In his mind, he imagined scenery that Draco's father would pick out.
Twisted black trees that dripped slime. Smoking pits of sulpher. Red-eyed vultures. Yeah,
lots of vultures.
"We're here," Draco said and gently shook Ron "awake."
"Wha…what?" Ron asked in mock puzzlement, batting his eyes for good measure.
"Heavens me, I must have fallen asleep!"
Draco gave him a strange look, then shrugged and hopped out of the coach. Girls, even
girlfriends, could be weird.
Ron allowed Draco to assist him out of the coach, flatly ignoring the large hands that
wrapped around his (slim, sexy…oh shut up brain!) waist and lifted him from the
vehicle. He took a look around. Malfoy Mansion, an imposing edifice of incredibly
ancient looking stone, was much as he had imagined it (without the vultures and
screaming Muggles on torture devices). However, it did look a bit…dangerous. The
architecture was a mixture of Romanesque and Late Gothic, though Ron wondered how
he knew that. Enchantment crackled and sparked in the very air, and although the sky
was blue and sunny, several storm clouds were gathered about the highest tower,
threatening rain. Lightning shot from one of them, striking the tower itself. The electricity
traveled down the tower, snaked its way along the stone wall of the building, and hit the
ground, exploding into a shower of hissing snakes and small lizards.
Ron's mouth dropped open. Draco reached over and nudged it back into place, grinning
lewdly.
The entrance to Malfoy Manor was guarded by twin black marble snakes, rendered a
little too lifelike for Ron's comfort. One of them flicked his tongue out at Ron as Draco
led him in, and Ron could see a glint of wary intelligence in its eyes. Ron broke out in a
cold sweat, sure that something in the mansion would see him for what he was. He had a
vision of himself tied to the tower awaiting a lightning strike and screaming, while Draco
and the real Blaise Zabini cackled evilly below, dancing about and waving sticks.
The doors swung open. Ron blinked, getting his first view of the inside of famous Malfoy
Manor. As he understood it, not just anybody got to walk through these doors. They had
to be led in by a member of the family, or Bad Things happened. So he had heard,
anyway. Who knew with a nutty bunch like the Malfoys.
They stepped inside, Ron's heels clattering loudly on the marble floor. The entrance hall
was large and vaulted, and the ceiling was enchanted to give the impression of being
impossibly tall. Several suits of armor stood along the sides, and a snooty-looking man
with dusty brown hair and a tuxedo stepped out and somehow materialized their coats
into his arms, then disappeared.
Draco looked at him, amusement twinkling in his stormy gray eyes. "Isn't it great?" he
asked."
"It's…" Ron searched for words. "Bloody weird, is what it is. I mean, beautiful.
Charming. Cute."
Draco looked at Ron searchingly, then shrugged. "My mom doesn't like it much either.
But Dad and I do." He smiled again. Why is he smiling so much, Ron wondered.
Lovesick fop.
He glanced around again and caught a look at himself in a large, floor-to-ceiling mirror
that was outlined with silver and gold writhing goblins. He had to admit that he had
always thought Blaise was pretty, but given that she was in Slytherin and hung around
with Draco Malfoy, he had never looked at her very closely and tried to avoid her at all
costs. Oh, he was looking now. Slim but curvy body. Average height and build. Shiny
black hair that cascaded over his shoulders in soft waves. Large blue eyes framed by
thick black lashes. A soft, perfectly shaped mouth and – oh god – full, round breasts, the
tops of which he could see peeking out beneath his low-cut white blouse. No wonder
Draco couldn't keep his hands to himself. Ron was having a hard time keeping his own
hands to himself.
"Draco," a low, gravelly voice came from the top of the long, sweeping staircase.
"Introduce me to your friend."
Ron turned around and saw a slim, aristocratic man with long white hair descending the
stairs. In his hand he carried a silver cane topped with a snake head, and he wore black
robes with a scarlet velvet cape that attached with a silver pin shaped like an M. Lucius
Malfoy. Ron stifled his natural urge to pull out his wand and hex Lucius into the next
century. The stupid pin he was wearing probably cost more than his family's house.
Lucius smiled and roughly clapped Draco on the back. Draco narrowed his eyes a bit, but
recovered himself and spoke.
"Dad, this is Blaise Zabini. Blaise, this is my Father, Lucius Malfoy."
"Charmed," Lucius pronounced, and held out his hand. Ron extended his own, unsure of
what to do. Lucius swooped down and brushed his lips across Ron's knuckles, gazing up
at him with a strange, unreadable expression. Ron didn't know how girls were supposed
to react to such things, so he covered his mouth with his other hand and twittered.
"Nice to meet you," he said in a high voice.
"Draco," said Lucius, "I just saw another carriage pull in. Why don't you show Blaise up
to her room and then go greet your other guests?"