Disclaimer: I own nothing but a laptop and a lot of candy

Chapter 6:

The Party

She had been stressing all morning about the final touches that simply had to be done before the guests arrived. Step by step Aurora meticulously looked over each piece of decoration in the room making sure that everything was absolutely perfect. After an hour of staring at the walls to make sure there was no dust Narcissa became impatient.

"Aurora, sweetie, don't you think you should be getting ready for your party. I mean really dear, you have less than an hour to prepare."

With the realization that her hair alone would take forty-five minutes Aurora quickly rushed up to her room while screaming for Molly her house elf to come help her get ready.

She curled, fluffed, sprayed and glittered her hair until it stood on its own accord. Draco stood back in awe as he watched the once sane girl lose her mind when she thought she lost her eye liner, only to find it thirty seconds later in the opposite hand she was looking in. The madness continued for another half an hour and they were already twenty minutes late for the party when Draco started getting annoyed.

"You know love, if you put on any more makeup no one is going to know it's you when we finally get to the party." He huffed as she put on yet another coat of mascara. He never understood how she could destroy a house with the flick of her wrists, yet when it came to her looks everything had to be done by hand. "If you aren't done soon I will have to go down there and tell everyone to leave and then you won't get any of the presents they have brought you."

Aurora huffed at her friend's reflection as she finally stood from her now very glittery makeup table. "Well if you're in such a rush then just go without me! When they ask where I am tell them I'm crying in my room because you made me feel bad on my birthday."

Draco rolled his eyes as he watched the beauty walk into their closet and slam the door. Normally he would play along with her little games and go begging to her to forgive him but tonight he was in no mood. He had been waiting for a month to give her the gift and every second she stalled the more difficult it became for him to keep it from her.

"Aurora, my love, if you don't get your ass out here right now I will go down there and tell everyone that you are being a spoiled little brat and you refuse to come out of your…" Draco's hand slipped from where it had been resting on the fireplace mantle as he saw the amazing girl emerge from the closet. Carefully hooking the last clasp of her dress Aurora noticed Draco had stopped talking and looked up to see his shocked face.

Throughout their years growing up together there had been dozens of balls and galas at the manor, all of which celebrating some accomplishment they had nothing to do with. However in the past few years there had only been Aurora's small birthday parties to bring the family together. Because of this it had been a very long time since Draco had seen her in a gown, not some simple summer dress like she wore when they went on walks. No, this was a gown.

The silky material flowed over her pale skin like water over a polished stone. The baby blue color made her eyes seem as though they were glowing and the small jewels around her throat reflected stars in her hair. She had always been beautiful to him, but tonight there were no words to express how she looked to him.

Aurora smiled to herself. This dress was his favorite color; it had been ever since they were young. When she asked him why he like that color so much he would always tell her it was because that was the color of her eyes. She always smiled when she thought of that and knew when picking out her dress it would mean the world to him if she wore this dress tonight. She carefully took his arm as he walked her down the stairs to the grand ballroom. All eyes were on them as Draco brought her to their table for dinner. Once everyone was seated Marcus rose and gave a short speech on how he could not believe his daughter had grown up so fast and into such a beautiful young woman. At the end of his speech he looked at the two teens sitting next to him and smiled. "I hope that everything you wish for in this life comes to you, for it is obvious you have already found the one you were destined to be with."

The two teens froze as the rest of the guests clapped for their great leader. Aurora snapped her head to her father once he had finally sat down and stared awe struck at the smirking man. "Close your mouth dear, it is not polite to show everyone your tonsils before dinner is served." Marcus chuckled to himself as his daughter forcefully closed her mouth and continued to stare at her father.

Knowing it would be at least another five minutes before the girl beside him could talk again Draco decided to speak up. "How did you know? I mean… no one knew." He stated with utter doubt in his voice.

"Oh don't be so naïve my boy! Everyone knew, especially me. Really did you think I wouldn't notice that you are the only person she allows to touch her besides myself? Even to this day I still have to ask before I take her hand or give her a hug. No one has been able to connect with her like that since her mother died." At the mention of her mother Aurora snapped back to life and began to hyperventilate, oblivious to what her father had said before.

"You, you know? Why didn't you say anything?" she screeched causing everyone in the hall to look at the small battle going on between the birthday girl and her powerful father. Marcus smiled politely and nodded that they should all go back to what they were doing, and they all did exactly that.

He looked back to the two nervous teens. Draco seemed to be debating whether to run and hide or to play dead on the floor, whereas Aurora couldn't seem to decide if she wanted to scream or cry. Both of them stared at Marcus as if waiting for a cue from him what to do.

"Breathe you two; there is nothing to be worried about. I know you two are together and I am glad." Aurora's mouth dropped again but she quickly closed it as her father continued, "I don't pretend to know everything but when something happens under my roof I know about it, especially when my daughter is involved. Now why have you waited so long to tell me about it? I had hoped you would have told me right away so we could celebrate, but to keep it hidden from our family, from me? Why would you do that?"

Draco was shocked by the sadness in the older man's voice; he honestly thought they had kept it from him to hurt him, that was insane! "We didn't mean to hurt you Marcus; we just wanted to wait until the right time. I had planned on talking to Aurora tonight about it actually and I had a gift to go along with it, but it seems now the surprise is ruined."

Aurora was stunned to say the least. Her father approved of her and Draco? Draco had a surprise for her? What was going on here had the men in her life lost their minds?

"Ok stop!" Aurora spat as she began to grasp what had been said while she was in her daze, "You're ok with this then" she said pointing to her and Draco. Marcus simply nodded his head, too scared that if he talked his daughter's head might implode, "and you have a surprise for me?" now staring at Draco. Having the same thought Marcus had he simply nodded in response. "Well, alright then. Daddy is ok with us, Draco has a present for me and I have hundreds of people here to celebrate my birthday." The two men stared on as the witch babbled to herself like a crazy person, both wondering if they should take her to St. Mungo's for treatment. Suddenly she snapped back to reality and looked at both of the men. "Well? What are we doing sitting here staring at each other when there is a party to be had!" and with that the boisterous witch dragged her stunned date on to the dance floor to start celebrating her birthday.