Draco Malfoy and his Unknown Fate:

Author's Notes: Nothing much to say. I've taken the liberty of making Blaise Zabini a male. I'm relatively certain Blaise is a masculine name, but if it's not… oh well.

Warnings for this chapter: Draco acts a bit bigoted about bloodlines, but you have to remember he's lived with Lucius for sixteen years. Some of it's bound to stick.

Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm merely borrowing them for the time being. This will be slash (eventually). Don't like it? Don't read it. Otherwise, enjoy.

When Draco finally crossed that bricked border and walked onto Platform 9 ¾ it was with a sense of homecoming, anticipation, and relief. The trip to the station on the Knight Bus hadn't been very pleasant, but it was worth it now that he was finally on his way to Hogwarts. He had managed to acquire all his school supplies with minimal fuss and had been delighted when his letter from Hogwarts had included a small, shining silver prefects badge. It was pinned to his robes proudly, gleaming in the afternoon light and between it and his arrogant saunter the first years scattered in his wake. It gave him a surge of satisfaction.

For the first time since his father had thrown him out on his ear he felt like his old self; confident, cock sure, and on top of everything. Even his saunter screamed aristocratic arrogance. They could take him out of the Malfoy family, but they couldn't take the Malfoy out of him.

He smirked at his fellow Slytherins, sneered at the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs that crossed his path, and paused to wink at his adoring fan girls who cooed over him. A few even fluttered their eyelashes at him. He was gay, but that didn't mean the attention he garnered from smitten third year girls was unwelcome. Pansy's little sister Peony feigned a fainting spell and simpered ridiculously up at Draco to mock her less than intelligent contemporaries. Draco was the equivalent of her big brother and she obviously didn't see the attraction of a boy who had spent most of his childhood changing her skin different colors and setting house elves on her. Her group of teeny-bopper Slytherin groupies sneered at the other fawning girls and then sneaked peeks at Draco from underneath coyly lowered eyelashes when Peony wasn't looking.

Draco simply winked at her and turned away, grinning at the squeals he had caused. Obviously his Veela blood was good for something. "It isn't nice to lead them on, Malfoy." Zabini said with a wry look. Blaise was handsome with the dark curls he had inherited from his Italian father and the black eyes and tan skin from his gypsy mother. Draco had fancied him for short period of time during fourth year, but he had outgrown the crush when he realized that while Zabini was good looking, there wasn't any spark to their relationship.

Blaise was nice enough bloke, but he was too mild mannered for Draco's tastes and he couldn't steer a broom properly to save his life. Also, while his family was pureblooded, the Zabini family wasn't really considered aristocratic. Even Potter had better bloodlines, mother not withstanding. After all, it was acceptable to marry a mudblood every tenth generation or so though the Malfoys had forgone the Muggle born for non-humans like Veela and Succubae to keep from inbreeding. At any rate, Zabini was just a good ally and nothing more and Draco liked it that way. What's more - he didn't mind that Draco preferred boys, though he did like to tease him about it.

"Oh, it's harmless. Not like the way you pant after that Chang girl. Why, I don't know. Merlin knows Potter's hot enough for her. Don't really see the attraction myself."

"Big surprise there, isn't it?" Said Blaise with a chummy shove. Draco sneered playfully in response and surveyed the platform akin to the way a general surveys his battlefield. Pansy was no where to be found. And the hulking forms of Crabbe and Goyle, usually easy to spot, weren't anywhere in sight either. Blaise, seeing his irritation, spoke up. "If you're wondering where the others are they've gone and claimed a compartment for us. I was elected to stand about and wait for you, seeing as how you're always fashionably late."

"It's all a part of my charm. Why don't you help me with my luggage and then we can go find them, hmm?"

"What do I look like, a house elf?" Zabini complained, but he helped out cheerfully enough.

"Well, there are those ears of yours." Draco murmured with a sideways glance towards the offending body parts. Zabini patted the parts in question self consciously and glared, knowing that they did stick out a bit from his head of unruly curls.

"This from the albino ferret." Draco sent a pained look Zabini's way.

"Don't remind me. Those Gryffindorks still won't let that rest." Laughing, Zabini shouldered a bag or two and led him onto the train and towards their compartment. Yes, it was good to finally be going home.

To be Continued

Comments and constructive criticism are more than welcome.