Chapter 2
Rating: PG.-13, still
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Just this little side plot, sort of.
A black owl swooped down and dropped a letter at Diane de Chêne's place. She observed the unfamiliar owl. Who could this be, she wondered. Father does not send letters on Thursdays. She opened the scroll of parchment. Inside, in perfect, slanting handwriting said,
Hello Diane. Perhaps you remember me. My memory indeed has returned,
and I know who you are now. Maybe we could have a chat over old
times? Take a trip down memory lane? Meet me at eight in the front
hall. We'll take a walk and have a talk. Be on time, I don't
appreciate lateness.
D. Malfoy
The nerve of him! Well, Draco had certainly changed into one hell of a brat. Oh, she would be on time, all right. ***
It was 8:32, and Draco was still waiting in the entrance hall for Diane. He was seething mad. No one stood up Draco Malfoy! Just then, he heard voices coming in from outside. He turned and saw Diane de Chêne walking in holding hands and deep in conversation with a seventh-year Ravenclaw he did not know. The pair saw him and stopped. Diane turned towards the boy, said a few words and kissed him on the cheek. The boy glanced at Draco, turned back to her, said his good-byes, and left.
Oh, that bitch. She casually walked up to him and said, "Yes? Did you want something?"
"Well, at first, I wanted to slap you, but now I think a few scathing words and storming off will do just fine. I don't like who you have become." Draco turned and headed back towards the dungeons.
"Wait, Draco, wait," she called after him, running up and putting her hand on his shoulder. "Before you go you have to know something."
"Oh? And what's that," Draco said, stopping.
"I can't stand Ravenclaws."
"What? What on earth does that have to do with anything?"
"I can't stand Ravenclaws. They're too bookish, no sense of humor at all. And definitely not boyfriend material." Draco turned, looking at her curiously.
"You mean you weren't on a date with him?"
"No. That was merely a strategy to piss you off and teach you a lesson. You can't just go ordering people around if you want them to be civil with you. Didn't your mother ever teach you the words 'please', 'thank you', and 'I'm sorry'?"
"No," Draco retorted.
"Oh right, those were always beneath Narcissia." At that, Draco's temper snapped.
"Look, did you come here to humiliate me and insult my family or what?"
"Now that's the Draco I knew, I recognize that bad temper." "A lot has changed since we were children, Diane." "Yes, yes it has. In more ways than you know," she replied, looking at the floor. Draco abruptly looked at her startled. He knew that tone. He had learned that when Diane stopped speaking without any joy in her voice, things had gotten really bad. He led her to a stone bench and sat her down. Draco lifted her chin and forced her to look straight at him. "What happened, Diane? You need to tell me." She looked away briefly, and then sighed. "My mother is dead, Draco. And my father." Her voice faded off and her throat stopped up. She regained her composure and spoke, emotionlessly, "My father has gotten worse, if that is possible." He understood instantly what had happened. Narcissia Malfoy had once accidentally let slip that Lord de Chêne was a violent man. He also had once seen some scars on Diane that she had refused to speak about. Lord de Chêne had most likely killed her mother, and had taken to venting all of his anger on Diane now. He bowed his head. Lucius was not father of the year, but he had never laid a hand on Draco, only harsh words. Draco rested an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry." "Why? It has nothing to do with you." Her eyes were blank. "It has everything to do with me, Diane." He swallowed before continuing. "You were my best friend. My only true friend, and I want you to be that again." He paused, swallowed, and then spoke very quietly, "And maybe more." Diane stood up to leave. She turned back to him, slowly. "It has been too long for things to pick up where they left off. If you want me, you'll have to do more than just send me rude letters and pat me on the back. I am no longer as trusting as I used to be." She walked out, leaving a very surprised Draco. After all, she was the only girl to ever reject him.
A black owl swooped down and dropped a letter at Diane de Chêne's place. She observed the unfamiliar owl. Who could this be, she wondered. Father does not send letters on Thursdays. She opened the scroll of parchment. Inside, in perfect, slanting handwriting said,
Hello Diane. Perhaps you remember me. My memory indeed has returned,
and I know who you are now. Maybe we could have a chat over old
times? Take a trip down memory lane? Meet me at eight in the front
hall. We'll take a walk and have a talk. Be on time, I don't
appreciate lateness.
D. Malfoy
The nerve of him! Well, Draco had certainly changed into one hell of a brat. Oh, she would be on time, all right. ***
It was 8:32, and Draco was still waiting in the entrance hall for Diane. He was seething mad. No one stood up Draco Malfoy! Just then, he heard voices coming in from outside. He turned and saw Diane de Chêne walking in holding hands and deep in conversation with a seventh-year Ravenclaw he did not know. The pair saw him and stopped. Diane turned towards the boy, said a few words and kissed him on the cheek. The boy glanced at Draco, turned back to her, said his good-byes, and left.
Oh, that bitch. She casually walked up to him and said, "Yes? Did you want something?"
"Well, at first, I wanted to slap you, but now I think a few scathing words and storming off will do just fine. I don't like who you have become." Draco turned and headed back towards the dungeons.
"Wait, Draco, wait," she called after him, running up and putting her hand on his shoulder. "Before you go you have to know something."
"Oh? And what's that," Draco said, stopping.
"I can't stand Ravenclaws."
"What? What on earth does that have to do with anything?"
"I can't stand Ravenclaws. They're too bookish, no sense of humor at all. And definitely not boyfriend material." Draco turned, looking at her curiously.
"You mean you weren't on a date with him?"
"No. That was merely a strategy to piss you off and teach you a lesson. You can't just go ordering people around if you want them to be civil with you. Didn't your mother ever teach you the words 'please', 'thank you', and 'I'm sorry'?"
"No," Draco retorted.
"Oh right, those were always beneath Narcissia." At that, Draco's temper snapped.
"Look, did you come here to humiliate me and insult my family or what?"
"Now that's the Draco I knew, I recognize that bad temper." "A lot has changed since we were children, Diane." "Yes, yes it has. In more ways than you know," she replied, looking at the floor. Draco abruptly looked at her startled. He knew that tone. He had learned that when Diane stopped speaking without any joy in her voice, things had gotten really bad. He led her to a stone bench and sat her down. Draco lifted her chin and forced her to look straight at him. "What happened, Diane? You need to tell me." She looked away briefly, and then sighed. "My mother is dead, Draco. And my father." Her voice faded off and her throat stopped up. She regained her composure and spoke, emotionlessly, "My father has gotten worse, if that is possible." He understood instantly what had happened. Narcissia Malfoy had once accidentally let slip that Lord de Chêne was a violent man. He also had once seen some scars on Diane that she had refused to speak about. Lord de Chêne had most likely killed her mother, and had taken to venting all of his anger on Diane now. He bowed his head. Lucius was not father of the year, but he had never laid a hand on Draco, only harsh words. Draco rested an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry." "Why? It has nothing to do with you." Her eyes were blank. "It has everything to do with me, Diane." He swallowed before continuing. "You were my best friend. My only true friend, and I want you to be that again." He paused, swallowed, and then spoke very quietly, "And maybe more." Diane stood up to leave. She turned back to him, slowly. "It has been too long for things to pick up where they left off. If you want me, you'll have to do more than just send me rude letters and pat me on the back. I am no longer as trusting as I used to be." She walked out, leaving a very surprised Draco. After all, she was the only girl to ever reject him.
