Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
My computer has deleted this part three times. I'm about to give up. Haha.
I hurried through a shower, trying to let the water calm my frazzled nerves. Nothing had happened between Draco and I last night, spare a few stolen kisses. But that was it. We'd barely talked, even. We'd just laid there. Quietly. Dependently, yet independently. And completely in tune.
I pushed the thoughts from my mind, and focused on assembling an outfit in my head as I turned the water off, and wrapped myself in my bathrobe. Upon entering my room, I smelt the overpowering aroma of warm tea. The sight of the cup sitting in it's matching saucer on my vanity instantly soothed me. I grabbed the cup with shaky fingers, and took a rather large (and unladylike gulp). It was the same strange brew that Mother had the house elves brew for me as of late. There was just an herb I couldn't place. I wasn't too worried about it, whatever it was made this tea the most delicious tea I'd ever tasted.
Sitting at my vanity, I began ruggedly running my fingers through my hair, trying to get all the knots and kinks out of it as I pondered how to wear it for the day.
"Darling," I looked up dreamily, only in the mirror to see my mother standing in my doorway, "Please inform me why the car just pulled around for you?" She placed a hand on her hip, and I could tell. She knew all about last night.
"I'm going to eat brunch at Bella's today." I replied quietly.
"And after that?" She looked at me stonily.
"I don't know. I might hang out with Draco," I suggested, she didn't look very approving of me. I hoped she didn't know about last night, "You know, just to catch up—as old friends." I finished nervously.
"That's quite unacceptable!" She hissed, "We need to talk, Young Lady." She looked like she was made of stone—she had all the characteristics of a marble statue. And in this conversation I knew that her heart would be just that.
With the look she was giving me, I could tell that she new. Nervously, I twisted my hair into a bun at the nape of my neck, "What about last night, Mother? It meant nothing." I said, and somehow I believed that.
"Nothing?" She sounded infuriated, "Nothing?" She dramatically repeated for emphasis. "Darling, I would not call spending the night with another man—a man whom you are not betrothed to nothing!"
"I'm not betrothed to Victor, either." I pointed out, although it seemed like a weak argument, I hastily picked up the flowery tea cup, and took a rather large sip.
"You are in every sense. Your father and I have agreed—and in these matters your opinion means little. We thought that we would be fair, and nice, and let you fall in love with him on your own time. However, if you're going to act out in public—disgracing us with your behavior with Draco Malfoy, then we'll have to be less fair." I took another sip of tea, trying to imagine the herbs kicking in and soothing my frazzled nerves, "You need to be back here by at least five o'clock. You have plans, did you forget?"
I looked at her with a puzzled expression—my head felt funny. Yet I was somehow calm, "What plans?"
"The Flint's are hosting a cocktail party this evening. You are expected to be on Marcus' arm for the night." She looked over at me disapprovingly, "If you can muster getting back here by three-thirty at the latest, you can come with me to go shopping. You'll need something new." And with that, she stood up and left my room without any further comments. I sat at my vanity, frozen, trying to recount everything that she just said. I tried to remember what I wanted to argue back about—but as I sat there, sipping from my tea, I couldn't recall it.
She'd acted like she had to be so commanding for me to attach myself to Flint's arm. That was positively outrageous! Of course I'd be more than willing to do that. He was my soon to be betrothed.
I set my half drank cup back onto my vanity, applying some black winged eyeliner, before entering my closet. I slipped into a red silk dress, with an empire waist and a deep v neckline. I finished by slipping my feet into a pair of black gladiator sandals, and grabbing a pair of black, red, and silver bohemian styled earrings before running out the door.
I was barely five minutes late to Bella's, but she didn't seem to mind. We talked mostly about things of little to no importance during brunch, how we all were—about the weather, and such. After Rodolphus had left, and the fourth glass of orange juice I'd consumed, my head started feeling clearer. And that's when the feeling of panic came back to me.
"Are you alright?" Bella asked. I supposed I had gotten twitchy. I was spastically refolding and arranging my napkin.
"Yes, fine." I replied sweetly.
"Darling, I don't believe you." She honestly countered, placing a hand on top of my furiously tapping fingers, "Why are you so jittery?"
"A lot of reasons," I took a deep breath.
"Well, I understand if you don't want to talk about them with me. But, remember darling, I'm here if you need me."
"I do know that—I'm just, more confused than anything."
"Let me guess, it's about your mother?"
"Well, yes," I replied, "It does have quite a lot to do with her."
"It usually does. Let me guess—it also has to do with your recent very soon to be engaged status, doesn't it?" I stared at her questioningly. How did she know that? "We all go through that." She added lightly, "Do you like Marcus?"
"He's nice to me, he's smart, funny, handsome. My parents absolutely adore him. He'd be a really great match for me—he's what every girl; girls like me need."
"But?" She asked, "You've got the edge hesitance in your voice. What aren't you saying?"
"But, I always thought that as a little girl, when I'd pictured this moment—this moment where it got clearer to showing me the person that I was going to end up with," I took a breath, I couldn't say it—I couldn't tell her. I didn't even know that's what I meant—or what I felt, "I just didn't think it would happen so fast. I thought I'd have more time to mingle, and see the world for myself before I settled with that one person." I finished, trying to sum up how I was feeling without admitting to anything.
"I know how you feel. Draco and Lucius have been in love since they were five years old," I was suddenly imagining me, at five. A short girl, with round cheeks, untamable curly hair and a plethora of freckles. I imagined five year old me standing next to five year old Draco—the same Draco that he was now, with his hair slicked back, and an awkward smirk on his face that hadn't yet learned to master, "I wasn't so lucky. At least that's what I thought, then. Rodolphus and I met, he courted me and we quickly launched into an engagement. At the time, I was a little hesitant. But deep down, I knew. I knew that he was perfect for me in every way—he compliments the best and the worst of me."
"I guess it's just frustrating me because I don't know for sure yet." I responded, touched by her story. At the present, I thought she was trying to be encouraging of the relationship that was blooming with Flint. Showing me that, in due time I would learn to love him whole heartedly. It was a few moments later that I realized, that she was instead pushing that image of Draco and I, much like Narcissa and Lucius, as meant to be from the start.
"You will. One day, you'll wake up, and you'll know for sure." I could tell by the tone in her voice that she really wasn't trying to force a decision on me, "In the meantime, if your mother gets too much to handle, you know that your Grandmummy would only be too happy to intervene." She suggested.
"Bella!" I squealed, "You did not just suggest such!"
"Oh, I did. And you know that I'm right." She laughed lightly, "Don't let your Mother take you too far from what you really want—what you want for yourself. Remember your sister."
I was shocked that she was bringing up Emma. No one talked about her. It was as if she was permanently tabooed. Before I could question her further, Rodolphus re-entered the room, "Bella, sweetheart, our first assignment of the day is in the ready for us in the formal sitting room."
"Perfect," She stood up, smoothing out her long black skirt, "Follow me, Hayley. We need you, too."
I was no less than perplexed—I hadn't realized that we wouldn't be alone in these missions. Although, I supposed it made sense for us to be in a group. We could certainly be more persuasive that way.
Suddenly, I wasn't frustrated. My mind was reeling trying to figure everything out. The first was who I was partnered with—or perhaps, the group that I was working with. I wondered where I would be "stationed," to convince those to come with us…And finally, I imagined myself stealthily creeping around at night, in all black. With those eyeglasses the muggles wear to see in the dark.
I laughed when I saw who was sitting on Bella's green couch—and then couldn't help but smile in response to the smirk that greeted me. That smirk, too, turned into a smile of pure joy.