A Dramione Onseshot to deal with my stupid writer's block.
He caught her looking at him before she could turn away.
A pale brow lifted in question to which brown eyes shied away and found solace in the sight of her raven haired-best friend and ginger head of a fiance.
Less than a minute later, he pulled his gaze away as well.
The Malfoy hall was now brimming with guests and he knew his mother would have a fit over the house-elves later for all the cleaning that was to be done.
He watched with unamusement at his own wife, pureblooded to mold perfectly well by his side to face the Wizarding world, throwing her black tresses back with maiden grace at a joke Blaise Zabini was passing on to her.
Why didn't that bloody git ever marry and stop hitting on married women?
He seemed to have a certain keenness to impress them by putting on the gallant gentleman guise. His favorite target of course was the young lady Malfoy of the family.
To be more specific, his best friend's wife.
He turned his well tousled platinum head away after being unable to stare at a giggling Astoria anymore and looked around once more. His own parents stood at the center, garnering the attention as they usually did with their regal charms and dress robes, emitting an aura of royalty.
It took 10 years for them to retain the dignity they lost immediately after the Second Wizarding War.
A long decade of working their way back to the top, be it by malpractices or just their immense fortune to buy back the power they had lost. Although there was no tolerance for racism between the different bloods now, people hadn't been brain-washed enough to forget that the Malfoys were once regal aristocrats.
And they would forever remain so.
The Charity Ball was really a publicity stunt pulled by them to enhance the good name they had bought for themselves. Despite the fact that the youngest Malfoy heir couldn't care less about a bloody ball that would be attended by Britain's finest, he couldn't back off for his parents' invariable fear of "What would people think?"
It had always been about the image.
Marrying into the Greengrass family had been for the image. Attending numerous balls together had been for the image. Signing contract deals with the Boy who Lived had been for the image. Hell even the hype surrounding his soon-to-be born child was for the image.
It had been solely done to finally shut down wagging tongues who were questioning if the daughter in law of the Malfoy family was actually infertile, for 5 damn years.
Come to think of it, he had spent most part of his life gracing Daily Prophet covers and being a source of inspiration to innumerable headlines and articles alike.
He took a long-arse sip of his Firewhiskey and leaned against the wall, a silent observer to the noisy happenings at his own Manor. He couldn't wait for it to end.
And suddenly...
Buggering hell, why was the Golden trio suddenly walking his way?
Brown eyes locked with grey again and he fought an unwelcome surge of memories to overwhelm his entire being. She didn't look away this time, as much as he had hoped she would.
Those brown doe-like eyes would be the death of him someday.
"Potter" he drawled, politely acknowledging his former archenemy as they neared in. "Weasley" he tried not to sneer.
"And Granger"
It was the first time he had acknowledged her as Granger at an event since his wedding.
"Hello Malfoy" Potter spoke, giving him a curt smile. Weasley, the forever loyal dog to the Chosen one offered him one of his own curt smiles.
Granger, for that matter, stood emotionless.
There was someone missing, he realized and quickly grabbed onto the opportunity to bring back the old school yard rivalry tension to the air.
"Where's the Weaselette?"
From the corner of his eye, he could see Granger's face morph into a disapproving expression.
"That's Mrs. Potter to you Malfoy"
Quick on the defense, this bespectacled scarface, Malfoy thought.
Before he could make another sniping remark, Potter added.
"She's at home since James has come down with a fever."
Malfoy only nodded, not daring to stray his eyes further to Potter's right side where she stood.
"I wanted to have a word with your wife since she seems most approachable among you all"
"Sorry, you may not"
"I haven't asked for permission. I'm merely informing you"
Draco was not in a mood to argue back, not matter how tempting it seemed at the moment.
"Sod off then Potter. She's right there." He nudged with his chin in his wife's direction and Harry obediently turned to follow the direction of the less than subtle glance he had thrown.
"Come on Ron, Hermione. Thank you Malfoy" And before he could react, Potter had begun to walk off with the ginger head in tow.
However, his no- more- bushy- haired best friend remained behind.
"I'll be in a minute Harry" she called back at him. When the Chosen one looked back at her, she mouthed "The loo" to him.
He only nodded with a light smile.
And in less than 3 minutes since the Golden trio had decided to approach the former Slytherin, they were gone again.
Except for the female third of their little gang.
She looked at him for only a moment before walking away.
When she had slipped out from the crowded Malfoy hall, nobody ever noticed the Malfoy heir disappear behind her as well.
"Granger"
This time, there was no emotion whatsoever in his husky drawl, be it politeness, anger, hurt or even lust.
There was nothing at all.
She stared at him again, her back pressed against the wall right across the loo located on an entirely other end of the Manor from where the party was being held.
In the dark hall, with nothing but specks of the radiant beam of moonlight filtering in through the French windows and upon her blood red evening gown and honey brown curls, she looked more breathtakingly beautiful than ever.
Even more than when she was lying underneath his sweaty body and moaning in pleasure in the throes of her orgasm.
He didn't need those memories to flood over when she was shooting bloody daggers at him with those brown eyes of hers.
"Hello...Malfoy" she spoke, and the feigned politeness in her tone almost balanced the dangerous glint she had in her eyes.
She had used his family name again.
They really were back to square one.
"Hello to you too" he murmured. "How have you been these days?"
"Content" she replied shortly
" With a Weasley? Well, that's a first"
" If you wish to bait me, it's not gonna work Malfoy. Although I'm relieved to see how you haven't changed at all. For a moment, I thought you had lost your marbles when you enquired about how I was doing"
They were bickering like they were at Hogwarts again.
"Must be the wife. She has induced a certain sense of politeness in me you see"
"Oh I see Malfoy. "
They stared at each other for a few seconds when she suddenly perked up.
"You just reminded me of something...I found a little something at my place while I was packing things up to move into Ron's place"
The last few words almost made him want to wince.
She reached into her purse with a dainty hand, ruffled through her belongings for a few seconds before finally pulling out a shiny silver rose pendant surrounded by thorns.
It was really a metaphor of the love they once had. He told her so himself a long time ago.
The rose symbolized how beautiful and deep it was and the thorns personified the many obstacles that would forever crowd over their love because it was forbidden to the world. To them, a former Gryffindor could never love a former Slytherin.
Especially if she was the Boy who Lived's best friend and he, the son of a Deatheater.
"This rose, it had your name on the back of it."
His heart almost stopped. Fuck, how could he miss that one detail?
When he realized she was examining it further by rolling it over on her palm, he reached out a strong hand out and snatched it away from her.
When she gave him a confused, albeit dazed look, he had to resist the sudden urge to grab her hard by the shoulders and press a brusing kiss over those bow-shaped lips.
He had Confunded her.
And had quickly transfigured the pendant into the Malfoy ring.
When she came to her senses, he was still sneering at her.
"How the hell did you get your hands on my Malfoy ring Granger?"
She glanced at the object in question lying on her palm before glaring back at him.
"If you're accusing me of stealing Malfoy, I'm gonna be tempted to break your nose like I did in Third Year."
"Then it must be your whiny freckle face of a boyfriend. I always knew he had a thing for my ring"
"How dare you accuse him?! Like he'd ever resort to pecking things from gits like you"
"Oh I wouldn't bet on it, love"
She suddenly stepped back from him, her eyes widening the tiniest bit.
She had heard him call her 'love', loud and clear.
Draco had to use the best of his acting skills and sneer hard at her, just to erase all traces of awkwardness that were sweeping ever so softly into the air between them.
"Keep your mouth shut on this Granger and then we can pretend it never happened."
He pocketed the ring, royally ignoring the hard stare he was being offered by the witch before him.
He suddenly had a dire urge to leave.
"I thought you had to use the loo Granger"
He meant for it to come as a sharp yet teasing remark but it was rather a half-heated attempt.
Granger still looked at him like she was trying to piece in missing pieces to a puzzle that had been bothering her for a damn long time.
He both loved and hated when he was under her intense scrutiny.
"Yes I did. I must be going then"
Although she still made no move to leave, he thanked Merlin for that response as he perceived it as an opening.
Without another word, he had turned on his heels and walked off in a steady swirl of his black robes, hoping she never heard the sound of his heart shatter once again.
He had his heart broken of its own accord 7 years ago when he Obliviated her of all their memories together so as to save her from his Father's wrath.
And now he had his heart broken again.
Because he still loved her.
And she could never accept it because she had no memory of those 2 years they had spent together after the war., of how much he loved her. And how much she loved him.
Two lost souls had once found solace in one another, despite knowing it was forbidden in the world they lived.
His Father had threatened to kill her when he'd had discovered her on his bed one night, until he made him promise he would obliviate her, deprive her of all those memories only he carried now.
Today, Astoria lay next to his bed.
But he would forever wish it was the girl who first stole his heart.
Hermione Granger.
I know, I know I'm overdue for a chappie In Her Equanimity but life was a little too busy these past few days. Moreover I had to deal with a minor case of writer's block because I had immersed myself into a lot of artwork. I promise to update soon! Your patience is highly appreciated:)