Draco woke up the next morning with a distinct feeling of dread pitted in his stomach. He had ignored his task for an entire day. He was one day behind in his quest to find a way to kill Albus Dumbledore. The task had been weighing on his mind ever since he had first arrived home from school. His mother had wasted no time telling him of what he was to do; she gave him no rest between the humiliating train ride home after finding out that his father had been arrested, and his arrival through the front door. Ever since the announcement that Draco would be fulfilling Lord Voldemort's ultimate request (aside from killing Harry Potter) he had been consumed with thoughts of how to do it. If he failed, he would die, if he succeeded he would be glorified more highly than any of Voldemorts other followers.
The arrival of his new bride-to-be was not a welcome intrusion into his world. Any other year he would have been delighted to have such a beautiful young woman staying in his house, only two doors down from his room. Showering, drying off, dressing, and undressing right within eyeshot of his binoculars (able to see through four layers of wall, the ultimate tool for peeping Toms). But for right now, Adelina Maria Castillo, was a distraction, a very pretty, obnoxious, rude, sarcastic, curvaceous, distraction. Draco woke up much earlier than he usually liked to, to get a head start on trying to figure out his task. He had gone through several ideas, researched in numerous books, and thought of just about everything.
I could send him a cursed hat. Draco thought. No, It's much too risky.
Draco stayed cooped up in his room for another hour and a half before his house elf arrived telling him that it was time to come down for breakfast, he left no closer to his final goal than before.
When Draco arrived in the dining hall Adelina was the only other person at the table.
"Good Morning Mr.Malfoy." She said over her porridge, "Did you sleep well?"
"Err…" Draco was taken aback by this sudden show of kindness, "Yes, and yourself?"
"It was terrible." Adelina replied. "Its much to cold on your silly little island, and I cannot stand the sheets on the bed. My sheets at home were made of the finest unicorn hairs, and my delicate skin itches when it touches any lesser fabric."
Draco cringed, "Well, I'm sorry we didn't take your delicate skin into account. I guess you'll just have to make do with the sheets we gave you."
"Make do?" Adelina laughed. "I don't 'make do' I make arrangements, my sheets shall be arriving this afternoon."
"Well, if you're so good at making arrangements why don't you arrange us out of this marriage?" Draco sneered.
Little die he know, he'd hit a nerve.
Adelina's eyes narrowed as she stared at Draco. She put down her spoon and tossed her long brown curls behind her ear.
"Do you think that I had any say in this, particular, arrangement? No, I did not. And let us not forget that it is not you, Mr. Malfoy, who is marrying lower than yourself, but I that is suffering."
With those final, piercing words Adelina left the table and stormed out of the room, leaving Draco fuming with anger.
Mrs. Malfoy entered at that exact moment and Draco, noticing her arrival, slammed his hands down on the table.
"I WILL NOT HAVE HER." He bellowed. "I CANNOT DEAL WITH SUCH AN...AN UNPLEASANT PERSON."
Mrs. Malfoy remained calm, "Do you realize the state of our family. Not one good thing has been written about us in the papers lately, but this match, this match will get us back on top. Our families' survival rests with you. With a powerful family like the Castillos linked with ours the ministry wouldn't dare touch us."
"But she's so…so…dreadful!" He stammered. "Even more so than I can take."
"You know, my sister Bellatrix was that way." Narcissa reflected. "But then our parents arranged her marriage to that Lestrang boy, and he took charge of her. Girls like Adelina just want to have a man that can control them. She's testing you for strength darling, so show her you have some."
Draco smiled at his mother, resolving to march right up to Adelina's room as soon as he was finished with his breakfast.
Adelina's room, appalled her. The rusty looking furniture, the Arthurian bedding, it was enough to make her vomit. She sat in front of the old, ornate mirror, and pulled her hair back with a pink ribbon.
How dare that Malfoy boy. She steamed. How dare he act as though this was an inconvenience to him when it was her name that was being dragged through the mud.
Still, Adelina mused. He is a rather good-looking boy. Classically handsome.
But he is so displeasing to listen to! She thought. No wonder he couldn't find a wife amongst his classmates. All of his stupid formalities, he's his parents puppet that's what he is. A little dog that they can command and teach tricks. It's pathetic really.
Just then there was a knock at her door.
"Who is it?" She said exasperatedly, "I'm busy."
Draco Malfoy threw open the door. "We need to talk."
"About what?" She asked, applying lipstick, "I thought I made myself perfectly clear."
"Well you stormed off before I could make mine." Draco steamed. "Do you realize who you are looking at? My father may be in jail but the Malfoy family still has some powerful contacts in very, very important places."
"The Dark Lord?" Adelina laughed. "Are you threatening me with The Dark Lord?"
Draco was taken aback by her laughter. "The Dark Lord has appointed me my father's successor."
Adelina burst out with laughter, "You? The Dark Lord has appointed a sixteen year old boy, not even out of school to take over one of the highest positions in his circle? Es ridiculoso!"
Adelina continued laughing, only making Draco more angry. "For your information, I have been sent on a mission. A task coming from the Dark Lord himself."
"What?" She said, her voice suddenly becoming more subdued, "A task? From the Lord Voldemort?"
"Yes, the most important task he has given anyone since—"
"Since your fathers…" Adelina trailed off.
There was an awkward pause and Adelina abruptly changed the subject. "So what do you do at this, Hogwarts?" She asked.
"My friends Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and I usually just stay in the common room. Sometimes we make fun of Potter, Weasley, and Granger, I'm a prefect and so is Pansy so I hold a pretty high position in the school."
"And by Potter you mean Harry Potter, no?" She asked.
"Yes, the golden boy Potter and his mudblood and weasel." Draco spat.
"Sounds like an interesting little group. I'll get to know them when I arrive at school."
"What?" Draco asked, astonished. "Why would you ever—a mudblood—?"
"Sometimes, you will find that very lovely people come from all walks of life, all different families even." Adelina said looking over at Draco. "It would be wise for you to learn that."
Draco was flabbergasted and didn't know what to say, so he once again changed the subject, "What did you do at your old school?"
"My friends Laurita, Maritza, and Felix used to get into all sorts of trouble." She laughed. "I didn't like any of them very much, but they followed me around so I made good use of them. Felix was particularly fond of me, it was rather annoying."
"It's the same with my friend Pansy." Draco said, "She loves me."
"Once Laurita and Maritza found this vanishing cabinet in our dormitory so we put this little gordita in there, and she came out in the kitchen, so from then on we used to go in there and steal food." Adelina laughed.
"We have one of those at Hogwarts." Draco said. "My friend got stuck in it once, he didn't come back for about a week. Said he heard footsteps and people talking while he was in there."
"Then he was probably in the second cabinet, the stupid boy, he stayed in there for a week he could have walked right out. What a silly thing for your school to allow to be lying about it some shop! Anyone could walk in and be transported right into the school, a common criminal could to it, maybe even a muggle!" Adelina fumed.
Just then, and idea hit Draco, and suddenly he knew exactly how he was going to kill Albus Dumbledore.
"I've got to run." He said anxiously, "but I will take you out tonight, for dinner, does that sound nice?"
"I suppose." Adelina replied, "hopefully there are some decent restaurants around here."
Draco, however didn't hear her. He was running out of the house about to leave for Knockturn Ally.