AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this one took so long to get up. But here it is.

DISCLAIMER: I still down own Harry Potter.

"This is lovely," Adrienne heard Narcissa Malfoy comment to her mother.

Adrienne rolled her eyes and took another sip from her cup of wine. When she brought the glass away from her lips, the glass refilled itself. Adrienne wore a green thin strapped dress that came down to her knees when she was standing, and her thighs when sitting. Under her bust line, there was a band of silver sequins. Around her neck was a necklace of green ovals, each small than the first. Her feet were covered in silver satin peep toe kitten heels.

"And that's enough alcohol for you," her date mused from beside her. Adrienne shook her head and downed the rest of her glass, and watched it refill. Draco was dressed in a black suit and a black button down shirt. Around his neck was a tie that he'd matched with Adrienne's dress. He reached over and took the now full glass from her and sat it on the counter by their mothers. He kissed her cheek and smirked at her. "Don't over do it."

Adrienne rolled her eyes again, and took the glass of the counter before holding her hand out to him. Draco took her hand, knowing that she wasn't going to let him take her wine away from her on a night like this. The two walked through the crowd, stopping on the occasion to speak to someone they knew, before the exited the house and stepped on to the porch. All of the skin on Adrienne's body chilled. She'd forgotten that it was snowing, but she didn't mind it. She'd rather freeze than go back into her home with all of those people. Draco took of his jacket and handed it to her. Adrienne slipped her arms into the jacket and inhaled the citrus-y scent, before leaning on the railing of the porch. She sat her glass down on the railing and crossed her arms across her chest.

"You're going to have the flu by the time term starts," Draco mused as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind her.

She hummed in agreement. "I guess you'll just have to take care of me."

Draco chuckled and kissed the back of her neck. "I guess I will."

Adrienne looked up at the night sky and tried to find stars, but there was too much light coming from the Manor to see any stars. She lowered her eyebrows and sighed. Her mother was even ruining her safe haven. She used to come out to the back porch and look up at the stars when she was younger. It was her escape from reality.

"What are you thinking?" Draco drawled close her ear.

"Do you believe in love?" she questioned randomly. That hadn't been the first thought on her mind, but she said it anyway.

"I believe that there's a such thing as love," Draco mused. "I believe that it can be found. I believe that it exists."

"Have you ever been in love?" she asked looking up at the sky.

His hands tightened on her hips for a moment and he sighed. "Where is this conversation going, Adrienne?" he asked already knowing the answer.

"Do you love me?" she asked, her eyes still trained to the sky.

Draco sighed and turned her to face him. He'd been wondering when this conversation would come about. "Adrienne," he started slowly, "I might love you," he finished. "I can't be sure right now, I have other things on my mind right now. I know that sounds cruel, but I can't really think about love right now." He brushed her hair from her eyes. "I do know that I have a strong attachment to you. I do know that I feel something more for you than I felt for Pansy, but that's not much seeing as I never really had feelings for Pansy. I do know that you look lovely in my jumper than you still haven't given back." He cast her a mischievous smirk.

"So you might love me?" Adrienne asked.

"Maybe it's leaning towards a 'yes, I do love you'," Draco admitted before kissing her.

"So you do love me?"

"Adrienne," Draco groaned. "Yes," he muttered under his breath. "Yes, I do.'

"Really?"

Draco's heart stopped. Her brown eyes light up as if he'd given her everything that she'd ever wanted. She smiled a smile that could light the darkest cave. She looked happy with his declaration. So why did he feel like he was being selfish?

"Yes," Draco said once his heart started to beat in its usual rhythm.

Adrienne smirked and turned away from him. She looked back up at the pitch black night sky and exhaled, her breath left her in a small white cloud. "You know how I feel, of course." She'd figured that it would be obvious.

"Do I? Draco asked as he kissed the side of her neck.

"You should," she replied shivering lightly. She wasn't sure if it was because of his lips on her skin or the sudden cool breeze that fluttered between them.

"Should I?" he asked again, his lips hovering over the place he'd been kissing prior to his question.

Adrienne sighed and turned in his embrace to face him again. "You certainly should," she scolded. Draco looked very vulnerable, much like a child left alone without a parent. He'd just declared his love for Adrienne. He'd announced how he felt. He never announced how he felt about anyone. He never told his mother that he loved her, and he defiantly never told his father he loved him. Yet, here he was, age sixteen, declaring his love for Adrienne Zabini. And here she was, age sixteen, not declaring her love for him. Adrienne seemed to realize this because her smirk disappeared. "Draco Malfoy, don't doubt that I love you. Because I do."

Draco said nothing and the vulnerable look in his eyes disappeared and was replaced by his usual cool look. However, Adrienne, having known him for as long as she could remember, knew that he was glad that she'd returned his feelings. Adrienne turned away from him again and leaned back into his chest. Draco, off pure instinct, pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. Her fingers found the ring that she loved to play with, and unconsciously fiddled with it. She was content.

"Why?" Draco asked suddenly.

"Hmm?' she hummed in response.

"Why do you?"

"Why do I love you?" Adrienne shrugged. "Because I do."

Draco didn't want to accept that answer. He knew that she had a reason. However, he also knew Adrienne, and he knew that if she didn't want him to know her reason, then he never would. She'd tell him when she wanted him to know the answer. So he accepted it, because he had to.

"Adrienne," Melanie shouted as Adrienne and Draco walked back into the living room. "That jacket is hideous."

Adrienne shrugged out of it, and handed to Draco. "It's Draco's, and I'm sure that he doesn't appreciate you calling it hideous."

"No, it was hideous on you," Melanie clarified. "Baggy clothes don't generally look good on you."

"I thought you looked lovely," Draco mused in her ear before nipping the tip of it.

Blaise approached his sister and smirked at her. "What are you doing?" He knew his sister. She had that look in her eye, a glow, as if something wonderful had just happened to her. However, it was pre-war time. There was little, if any to smile about, so whatever she was happy about, she needed to share with him.

"I'll tell you later," she said. Blaise looked upset. "I'm serious, I'll tell you later."

Before Blaise could protest, their mother tapped on the wine glass in her hand. Everyone that occupied the room stopped their conversations. All eyes were on Mrs. Zabini, just liked she liked them. Adrienne scoffed and rolled her brown eyes. She then lay her head on Blaise's shoulder. Blaise looked down at her and pushed her off his blazer. Adrienne lowered her eyebrows and moved to Draco's shoulder, who willing allowed her head to stay there. She was drowning the sound of her mother's out by inhaling Draco's citrus-y scent. She would hate the day that she became immune to his scent. She'd hate that day with a passion. However, until then she'd inhale the scent as long as she could.

"Adrienne," Blaise hissed at her while holding his hand out to her. Adrienne looked up at him and arched her eyebrows. "Mum called us up."

"No," Adrienne said. "I'm not associating with her in public."

"Adrienne," her mother called to her.

Adrienne looked down at her brother's hand and the up to her mother. Then to her brother's hand, then to her mother. Draco pushed her away from him and she stumbled into her brother. Adrienne scoffed and walked hand in hand with her brother to their mother.

"Thank you for all the condolences that you offered in regards to my late husband," their mother continued as she took Adrienne's hand from Blaise. "However, on a more exciting note. For those of you that don't know. My daughter, Adrienne, has become engaged to Mr. Draco Malfoy in hopes of keeping the pureblood pure." The people in the room clapped for Adrienne. Adrienne looked up at the high ceilings and counted backwards from ten to calm herself. "We look forward to the union of the Malfoy and Zabini family." There was more polite applause. "Now, you may go back to you conversations. Dinner will be served shortly."

Adrienne pulled away from her mother and walked back to where Draco was standing. During her absence, he'd moved away from the center of the crowd and towards a door that lead to her mother's study. He pushed the door open and she entered angrily, he followed.

"It's not that big of a deal, Adrienne," Draco mused. He leaned down and kissed her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him closer as her lips moved against his. Draco smirked against her lips and then pulled away from her. "Adrienne, you can't use me as a distraction." Adrienne pouted and Draco kissed her again. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I'd rather live in a house with the Dark Lord than her," Adrienne said.

"You can't hate her that much."

"I can and I do." There was a knock at the door, so quiet that she barely heard it. "Come in," she said, waving her hand.

Her brother stepped into the room and crossed his arms. "Are you two coming to dinner?" Adrienne shook her head. "And why not?"

"As I told Draco, I would rather live with the Dark Lord than sit through dinner with her," Adrienne said.

"I think that the Dark Lord drinks blood, so you might be his dinner," Blaise mused trying to get his sister to smile. He was successful. "So you're going to hid out in here all night?"

"No," Adrienne said. "We'll wait until dinner, and then sneak into the kitchen and eat something there."

"Sounds like a sound plan."