Draco Malfoy had exchanged a decent amount of correspondence with Luna Lovegood, over the summer before his fourth year. Naturally, she had her sylphs (whatever they were pretending to be today, they liked delivering mail)... It was an enjoyable preoccupation, that he rather ungratefully set aside whenever Pansy would come to visit, which was often - or with significantly more alacrity when Blaise came over. Blaise, after all, was well aware that Draco had a new friend, and the knowledge was driving him batty.
Draco didn't mind driving his friend around the bend. This was the friend who actually approved of his engagement to Pansy.
"Drackey-poo!" Pansy called, and Draco shifted out of his bed, making a face at the grating sound of her voice. He remember when he'd liked to spend time with her. That was before.
Now she wanted to spend all her time with him (parents permitting), and Draco Malfoy was discovering that he was actually addicted to being alone. It'd never really come up before. Greg and Vince were fine to accompany him, but they knew how to be quiet when Draco wanted it.
"Let's have tea, Drakey!" Pansy said, her rose sundress looking magnificent on her. Draco didn't compliment her, there were limits to his good manners.
Draco forced a genuine smile, thinking of Hagrid's lesson on unicorns. They'd been shy, but inquisitive beasts, and he'd snuck back with some alfalfa afterwards just to get a better look at them. Hagrid had known, of course, but he'd forbore to say a word. They weren't friends, under any circumstances.
Tea was what it usually was with Pansy Parkinson - an engaging debate about Serious Matters, disguised as talking about the weather.
"Do you think it might rain?" Pansy asked, looking up at the bright blue sky.
"Rain's inevitable. Look at how cloudy it's been lately."
"Better put up an umbrella."
"Better still to be in a holdfast."
"True enough."
All in all, there were worse people Draco could have been engaged to. Like Millicent, who actually liked talking about hemlines. It was the male's duty to entertain the female with her fatuous conversation, so said his Mum and his Governess. Draco couldn't have cared less, but incurring his mother's wrath for no reason was just... pointless.
So was this engagement, really.
[a/n: Poor Draco. Can't even see Hermione for months! Leave a review?]