Chapter Six: Dance of Bitterness

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Disclaimer: I disclaim everything. Except Gemini, OC's and the storyline.

I know that Draco was just in a happy place, but I can't help but steer him back to pain and cynicalism. I love writing with him so hurt.

Draco: Stop hurting me!!! : ' (

Me: But it helps the story!!

Draco: But IT HURTS! ' ' _' '

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I hope you'll forgive me, but I am in a rather bad mood, and have reverted to my old, contemptuous, mocking, pessimistic self. Bloody well sod off if you can't deal with it, as I could not care any less right now.

Well, here I am, at the yearly Yuletide Ball, and I don't have a blasted date. Go on, scoff and laugh at the infamous Malfoy that couldn't get a date. Just you remember that I can make any girl melt on the spot with a smirk. I just don't want to. The only girl that I want went off and came with her bloody best friend. She was trying to get me to give up everything that I had to risk a relationship with her, and she goes and pulls this blasted stunt. I have nothing now. Nothing.

I'm sitting near the balcony, listening to Pansy, simpering pathetic Pansy, moaning on an on about how much better I am without Gemini. She thinks that I didn't ask Gemini to the ball. What's more, she thinks I asked her, Pansy Parkins to the ball!

Is she bloody well blind? Well I don't really care any more…things are too damn confusing for me to think straight. Oh, what is the prat going on about now? She wants to dance? Oh yes, I'll dance…dance to the bittersweet sound of violins and cellos. How painfully fun. Why did I even come to this Ball? I must be out of my bloody mind, not in full possession of my faculties, two aces short of a deck, losing my – what do muggles call them - marbles…

"Oops, sorry there."

Yes, yes, make it all that much better and bump into me while I dance to my seething heart's content, and –

Heartstrings. Of all the pairs to knock into… "Why hello, Evans and Weasel. If you'll excuse me, there's at least half a song left." Turning away without another word, I spun Pansy into a dip and then glided in the whole opposite direction. I think that I handled that brilliantly if you ask me. My heart didn't bleed too much when I saw Gemini. The glass in my belly didn't slide around too much, causing too much pain when I saw Gemini in his arms. Oh no…

It'll be a miracle if I don't burst into flames by the end of the night. I really shouldn't have come. But…I just wanted to see…to see if she was telling me the truth…that she really did drop me in the dirt for…for him. I just wanted to see the girl that I would have risked everything for. That I did risk everything for. Gods, I bared my soul to her…I thought that…

She knew I was a Death Eater, and she didn't care. What changed?

"Draco…" Pansy sighed, resting her head on my chest. Oh, heartstrings. I really have to leave. This is getting too…ugh. I knew that riding on the moment would be a bad idea. Blast it all. How can Potter do that all the time?

Well, speak of the devil.

"Excuse me…" Potter said pleasantly, sweeping Pansy aside with one arm. Hanging that same arm around my shoulders, he smiled at her. "I need to talk with your friend here."

Smooth talking sonovabi-

"What is wrong with you?" Potter said, dropping his arm as we entered the garden outside. "How many times are you going to hurt Gemini?"

Me? Hurt her? "What in blazes are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about?" Potter leaned against a nearby lawn chair. "Did you even listen to why she came with Ron?"

Well, no I didn't, but what business is it of his? "Why is it that you live to torment me?" Whoa. Where did that come from? If anything, it's the other way around…but not lately, I guess.

Potter sighed heavily. "You just answered your own question, Malfoy, but I am willing to declare a truce."

"A truce. Why in blazes would I want that?" Is this another piece of the puzzle in their sick little game? I can't tell anymore. Things are so blurry.

"We'll have a ceasefire. No more bickering. Nothing. I'll stop being such a bloody prick to you if you'll get back together with Gemini."

"What the hell do you think I'm trying to do?" I burst out. My seams are splitting, and I am sure that any moment I'm going to explode. Gods kill me now… "I've given up everything! I barely have my pride, which I almost lost when I asked her to the ball! But, no, she was already going with Weasley! I know this is only a bloody dance, but I can't help but…" I broke off, turning away. Dammit, I'm spilling my thoughts to Potter. Potter, the Golden child.

"You aren't listening." Potter sighed frustrated. "You probably don't even know why she's with Ron right now."

"And I suppose you're going to enlighten me."

"You are such a bloody prat, you know?" Potter spun me around, fingers digging into my arms as he forced me to face him. "You have no idea what happens around the school unless it includes you, do you?"

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" I jerked away from him. "Get on with it, will you?"

Potter drew in a claming breath. Hmm, seems that I'm getting him to burst too. Yay for me. "Whether or not you may have noticed it, which I can tell you probably had not, but Ron and Gemini were once…closer than friends."

Gods. I think my heart stopped. "What?"

"During the entirety of fourth and fifth year they were an exclusive couple. They were dating, they were holding hands, they were kissing." Hard emeralds appeared in my vision, and I realized that Potter's eyes were gauging my reactions.

"I see…" I staggered backwards, bumping up against a tall window arch of the castle. "But what does that…"

Potter pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "They broke it off just before the beginning of last summer. They both realized that they just didn't love each other That Way. The only thing that they kept was to go to the Yule Ball together each year. Now do you understand, Malfoy?"

Heartstrings…I can hear my heartbeat again… "It took them two years to figure that out?"

Potter rolled his eyes, throwing his hands into the air. "It figures that you would focus on that." He extended his hand to me. "Do we have a deal or not?"

Me, a Malfoy, shaking hands with a Potter in the name of a truce? My father would have hated the very notion. "Indeed." I shook his hand. Might as well blow it all off.

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There. He's all better now and he's going to stay that way. This was becoming too much of an 'on-again, off-again' thing going on here. Eesh.

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