The day of the wedding was strange and bustling. Witches and Wizards alike all passed by Draco so quickly that none of them took a moment to notice the strange Malfoy that seemed to have wandered into a Weasley wedding. Harry had been given ample doses of Polyjuice potion to give him the likeness of a local muggle boy (who just happened to be a redhead) and Draco's own mother had also had her appearance transfigured in case of being recognized. Draco, however, had been spared this precaution by agreeing to have his hair temporarily dyed the same color red as the rest of the Weasley family. This, the Weasley's had assured him, would make it so that no one would recognize him as a Malfoy.
Draco, along with other Weasley boys, was helping seat guests in the backyard of the burrow while the girls were nowhere to be found.
"When I get married," Fred began, "I won't be bothering with any of this nonsense. You can all wear what you like, and I'll put a full Body-Bind Curse on Mum until it's over."
Draco took a moment to consider his own wedding. It had been common knowledge in his family that he was to marry Pansy Parkinson when they both became of age, but now that plan had changed and Draco was faced with the daunting uncertainty of his future. Before the department of mysteries, before he'd been branded with the dark mark, before he had switched to the side of good, Draco had had his entire life planned for him. He knew that after he graduated Hogwarts he would work an internship in the ministry. He knew that once he had secured a full-time career he would ask Pansy for her hand and she would accept. He knew that he and Pansy would produce an heir, preferably male, and they would live out the rest of their lives in Malfoy Manor just as his father had done.
But now all of those ideas seemed so far away. There was no cozy job waiting for him at the ministry, there was no pre-ordained bride-to be, there was no countryside manor already set for him to live in. Draco's life was left up to fate, and for the first time he felt it.
Draco was brought out of his trance by a wild looking man in bright yellow shaking hands with Ron.
"Xenophilius Lovegood," He said jovially, "my daughter and I live just over the hill, so kind of the good Weasleys to invite us. But I think you know my Luna?"
Draco chuckled a bit to himself. He certainly knew of Luna Lovegood. She was a thing of legends at Hogwarts. Pansy used to make quite a show of making fun of the strange blonde who always seemed to have her head in a magazine and her eyes to the stars. He knew now, though, that Luna Lovegood was far from the dreamy idiot that he had pegged her for. She, and though he hated to admit it, Neville Longbottom had been apart of the ministry battle that had revealed his father as a Death Eater and subsequently turned him from pureblood prince to marked man whose days seemed woefully numbered.
Luna entered behind her father and to Draco's surprise said, "Hello, Harry!"
"Er—my name's Barny," Harry answered quickly.
"Oh, have you changed that too?" She asked. Draco held back a laugh.
"Draco Malfoy!" She cried. "Well, I didn't expect to see you here. Are you a guest of Fleur's?"
Draco was taken aback. He had no idea that Luna had known his name, and the fact that he recognized her was astounding.
"How—How did you?"
"Oh is it a secret then?" She asked in response to his whisper. "I suppose Harry is too, alright, I'll play along, what's your name to be?"
"J—Jeffrey," He stammered, giving her the alias Mr. Weasley had given him.
Just then a sour looking French woman tapped Draco on the shoulder and began speaking in rapid French.
"Err—sorry?" He responded.
"Oh, anuzzer eenglishman," She huffed. "Could you be so kind az to tell me where iz my seat?"
"A guest of the bride's, I presume?" Draco asked, falling back into his usual drawl.
"You guessed right," She said, giving Draco an approving look. "My name iz Charlotte Lorette De Mola and I should be seated wiz my muzzer and fazzur Francois and a Julie."
Draco looked at the list in his hand to check the seating arrangements. After a moments search he saw Charlotte's name neatly written in Mrs. Weasley's handwriting next to a Mr. and Mrs. Francois De Mola.
"Right this way," He said, catching an angry stare from Ron as he was showing an agitated elderly woman to her seat on the other side of the garden. Draco took a moment to realize that this relative of Fleur's must surely be one of her Veela cousins. She had the same silvery hair and alluring glow that Fleur gave off whenever she entered the room and Draco couldn't resist the urge to stand up just a little bit straighter.
"Here you are, Miss De Mola," Draco purred pulling out a chair for her.
"Please," She smiled, "Call me Charlotte."
Draco, remembering the manners he had been taught by his mother years ago took Charlotte's hand in his and gently brushed his lips against it.
"A pleasure," He said.
"Always the gentleman, Jeffrey," A cool female voice said from behind him.
Draco turned and all thoughts of Fleur's French relative slipped from his mind instantly as he laid eyes on Addie White. Her shoulder length black hair had been pulled back into a bun though curls were still falling into her face. She was wearing a dress that seemed to be made of the air itself. It was a pale blue and made of light, flowing fabric. Her eyes seemed to glimmer in the sun and the dress itself made her look as though she had descended from heaven, right into Draco's path. The expression on her face however, did not reflect the beauty of her gown. Her eyes were narrowed in dislike as she stared at the woman past Draco's shoulder, and Draco could almost be certain she was receiving a similar stare from Charlotte.
"How about we go over and see Ron and Hermione?" Draco interjected.
"I don't want you to leave your new friend," Addie said scathingly.
"Oh it's no trouble," Draco assured her, "I'll see you around, Charlotte."
"Save a dance for me?" She called after him as he rushed Addie toward a more amiable group.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the two Weasley twins were gathered together in a circle with another young man who looked familiar, though Draco couldn't quite make out who he was.
Draco gasped once the dark hair and harsh profile of Viktor Krum finally came into view.
"Is that—?" Addie began.
"It is," Draco said.
"Fleur invited me," Viktor was saying as Addie and Draco moved into the group. His eyes immediately shot from the flustered Hermione to Addie who was positively beaming on Draco's left.
"Hermione," Addie smiled, her voice high and fake, "You didn't tell me you were friends with Viktor Krum."
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "I'm sure I did. I used to write him all the time, remember?"
Addie stuck out her hand, "Addie White," She smiled.
Viktor, in a gesture similar to Draco's, took Addie's hand to his lips, "Charmed."
Draco felt his heart start beating faster and his blood boil, and in an instant he knew that he was giving Viktor the same look that he had seen Addie give Charlotte.
Harry, or in this case Barny, found it prudent to step in at this point and remove Viktor from the vicinity under the pretense of showing him to his seat. As Harry shuffled Viktor off to his seat Ron, Hermione, Addie, and Draco all watched, the girls in awe, and the boys in anger.
"I can't believe she invited him," Ron spat.
Music began to play so suddenly that Draco jumped out of fright and he, Ron, Hermione, the twins, and Harry all rushed to take their seats before Fleur began her journey down the aisle.
Bill and what appeared to be another Weasley boy took their places at the front of the marquee while Mr. and Mrs. Weasley strode up the aisle themselves. The crowd fell silent as the music swelled and the bride finally appeared.
Draco took a moment to notice the collection of people who had gathered together to celebrate Bill and Fleur's union. Draco, for the first time, felt a pang of envy toward Ron. At all family gatherings he had attended he had been stuffed in a small dark room filled with dark wizards who muttered darkly in dark corners. This event seemed to be the exact opposite. The Sun shone on all of the guests who seemed jovial and warm. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves for the first times with their minds far from Voldemort and his rise to power. Draco had never been in the presence of so much love. He had never sensed such camaraderie. He felt, for the first time, as though he had never really lived at all. He felt as though all the moments in his life that had brought him to this point had meant nothing. They were so loveless, so hollow compared to what Draco now knew. He felt empty.
As the ceremony ended the twins led a round of applause and Draco could not help but feel euphoric as the bride and groom shared their first kiss as husband and wife. Draco followed Addie as they all searched to find seats finally settling next to Luna Lovegood at an empty table. Luna left shortly after they sat down to dance alone to the waltz that was slowly playing in the background.
"Who is that man in yellow?" A gruff voice asked. Draco turned to see Viktor Krum had reappeared and he couldn't help but feel less than ecstatic.
"That's Xenophilius Lovegood, he's the father of a friend of ours," Ron said harshly. "Come and dance," He added to Hermione, removing him from Viktor before he could get the chance to ask her himself.
Draco almost laughed at Ron's lack of tact but decided against it, no matter how comfortable he was beginning to feel he could not forget whose company he was in.
"Ah, they are together now?" Krum asked.
"Yes," Addie interjected. "Adorable, aren't they?" She battered her eyelashes sweetly in Krum's direction and he took his eyes off Hermione almost instantly.
"Have you met everyone?" She asked. "This Barney and this is Jeffrey Weasley. Relatives of the groom, you know?"
"And you all know this man Lovegood vell?" Krum asked.
"No, we only just met him. Why?" Harry asked.
Draco allowed himself to be distracted from the ensuing conversation. He turned his attention to the dance floor where Ron Weasley had just placed a hand on Hermione's waist and they were swaying slowly to a soft ballad. Draco wondered how long it had taken Ron to finally strike up the courage to do what so many of the Slytherins had joked about for so long, the blood traitor and the mudblood, together at last.
They're bound to have filthy common children. Draco thought, once again regretting his upbringing the moment the thought had passed through his mind, but he couldn't shake the feeling of revulsion as he watched them.
I suppose I have not yet been truly reformed…He thought sadly.
"This girl is very nice-looking," Krum said, indicating Ginny. "She is also a relative of yours?"
"Yeah," Harry said irritably, "and she's seeing someone. Jealous type. Big bloke. You wouldn't want to cross him."
Addie choked on her butterbeer in laughet and Draco couldn't help but smile a bit.
"Vot," Krum began, "is the point of being an internation Quidditch player if all the good-looking girls are taken? I am assuming, Miss Addie, that you are his?"
Krum indicated Draco with a nod of his head.
"No," Addie said before Draco could respond, "no, I'm completely available."
She shot Harry a significant look.
"Ah," Krum smiled, "Then vould you be so kind as to dance vith me?"
Addie flashed a winning smile and said, "I would be delighted."
The two exited to the dance floor and Draco and Harry sat awkwardly for a moment.
"I'm going to—"
"Just go," Harry cut in.
Draco nodded and made his way toward the end of the dance floor. He leaned up against a tall golden column and watched Krum and Addie revolve around the dance floor. As a server passed he grabbed a tall wine-glass and drank heartily before placing it on another empty tray. He felt as though he would have liked nothing better than to, at that moment, march right up to the dance floor and hex Krum into oblivion.
"I know how you feel, mate," A deep voice said from behind him.
Draco turned to see that Ron Weasley had clapped him on the shoulder, also glowering at the dance floor as Krum made animated conversation with Hermione.
"We were just walking off to get a drink," Ron huffed. "And then he comes up and says 'can I borrow your partner vor just a moment?' Well, she's dying to talk to him of course so—here I am waiting for them to stop their little chat."
"He's not even good-looking!" Draco exclaimed, dropping his second glass of wine to the floor.
"Exactly! And he has that stupid little beard!"
"And that ridiculous accent!"
"And he's not funny!"
"Or charismatic!"
"Or anything at all really, aside from a good Quidditch player!"
"And Simon George leagues better anyway!"
"Yeah!"
"Yeah!"
The two boys paused for a moment, realizing that in their fervor of hate for Krum they had both shared in what had turned out to be a civilized conversation, and more over, appeared to be acting as though they were friends. An awkward pause ensued in which Ron, who had clapped his hand on Draco's shoulder again, quickly removed it and Draco leaned back up against the column.
"Right, well, I'm going to er—I'm going to go get Hermione back then—" Ron stammered, clearly looking for an excuse to leave.
"You do that," Draco drawled.
"Right," Ron hurried off to the dance floor where he quickly stole Hermione back to Viktor and began to dance again.
Draco, who was watching the scene, quickly made eye contact with Addie who seemed to be laughing at someone uproariously funny that Viktor had said.
"If you are going to ask her," George Weasley said, stepping out of the shadows, "You might as well do it now."
"And you're not going to?" Draco asked, and eyebrow raised. "What makes you think that I want to?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Malfoy," George spat. "You can't keep your eyes off her."
"Mind your business, Weasley," Draco spat.
"You know, I can't decide who I'd want to have her less, you or Krum," George began scathingly, "But seeing as I can't, and seeing as I'm supposed to make nice with you, I suggest you go and ask her to dance."
"And why can't you?" Draco asked. "You've had her before."
"I'm not going to discuss this with you, Malfoy," George said. "Though I'm sure you need some tips on how to pick up beautiful women. Who is it that you were with again? That Pansy Parkinson girl right? She was alright I suppose, if you like fat little—"
"I'm leaving," Draco said storming off to the dance floor before the Weasley twin could continue.
"May I cut in?" He said casually, tapping Viktor on the shoulder.
Viktor looked surly and disappointed, "Vell I suppose…"
"It was lovely, Viktor," Addie smiled, releasing herself from his grasp.
"Vhy thank you," He smiled awkwardly, "I vill see you again, I hope?"
"Yes," She smiled, "I'm sure you will."
"Ahem," Draco coughed bringing Addie's attention back to him.
She smiled and put her arms around his neck as he placed his hands on her waist.
"Keep 'em there," She winked as a new song began to play.
"Contrary to popular belief, Miss White, I am a gentleman," Draco responded casually.
Just then a large silver animal came falling through the sky above Draco and Addie and the two had to jump out the way as a slivery-white lynx landed at their feet. It spoke in a deep voice that Draco felt as though he'd heard before.
"The Ministry is fallen. Scrimegour is dead. They are coming."