Chapter 2: It's My Party
Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction based on the Harry Potter universe by J.K. Rowling. We do not own anything, except the plot and a few characters created by us to further the plot line in the future.
"Mother!" Draco called as he went down the steps of the Grand Staircase. He ran into dozens of interior designers that plagued the manor; preparing it for the party this evening. Draco finally found his mother in the parlor where she was discussing lights with three brightly dressed witches.
"Ah, mother, there you are." Draco said looking at her.
"Excuse us," Narcissa said to the three, dismissing them, "Yes, darling?"
"Why is-," Draco stopped mid sentence when he saw the ice sculpture behind his mother.
"Is... Is... That me carved in ice?" Draco asked in horror.
Narcissa turned around and admired the sculpture, "What? Is it too much?" She asked innocently.
"Yes! People think I am conceited enough, I don't need to give them another reason."
"Ugh, very well." She said, "Ladies, change of plans. No life sized ice sculpture. I'm thinking we can replace it with flowers? Or a fondue fountain?"
"Mother!" Draco said impatiently.
"What is it Draco?" Narcissa asked frazzled trying to focus on the decor as well as her son.
"What is this?" Draco said holding up the guest list, "Why are we inviting the mud-"
"Draco!" Narcissa warned.
"Ugh, I mean, Granger." He said correctly.
"I don't know why this is such a surprise to you. I told you to double check the guest list and you approved it a month ago, before I sent out the invitations." Draco looked in surprised remember when she gave it to him,
"I didn't actually look at it!" He stated honestly.
"Well that's your fault and before you ask, I am not uninviting her." Narcissa said as she walked off. "Maria, no! I said silver not gold!" She called into the distance hysterically.
Draco stared at his mother in utter disbelief, "How can she honestly expect me to look over a list with more than a hundred people on it. I think that mother is just throwing this party because it will give her the perfect opportunity to find me a bride." Draco walked into the kitchen to find hundreds of house elves in the kitchen preparing food. A house elf walked by, with a large tray with what Draco assumes is tonight's dinner.
"You," Draco says pointing at the house elf, "what's your name?"
"Pipsy, sir."
"Okay, Pipsy, I want you to bring a bottle of Superior Red from the cellar, I am going to need it to make it through the party."
"Yes, sir. Right away." Pipsy handed the tray to another house elf, and proceeded to the cellar.
"Wait!" Draco called, "On second thought, bring a whole case. I want it to be served at the party."
"But, Sir, Mistress Narcissa said no one was to interfere with the dinner plans." The house elf said in a worried tone.
"This party is in honor of me. Therefore, I can change what I want." Draco commanded, "Now go!" The house elf trembled and scurried to the cellar under the house as fast as he could.
"Draco!" He heard his mother call, "Draco!" Before he could answer she had found him.
"Oh, there you are darling." Narcissa paused and looked around, "What in Merlin's name are you doing in here?" She asked repulsed by her surroundings.
"Just look at the menu, mother, just wanted to see what you were serving." Draco lied.
"Well, enough party talk. Come with me, were are going have lunch in the garden before the party starts. I want to spend sometime with my son, on his birthday."
"Very well mother, I will join you in a moment." Narcissa nodded leaving the kitchen.
The house elf came back from the cellar with the case of wine. "Now listen here, do not tell my mother that I told you to get that, she is not to know."
"Yes, sir."
"Now go set that aside and continue on with what you were doing."
Pipsy nodded and went off to finish off dinner.
"Draco, darling, are you ready to go?" Draco heard his mother's voice from the other room.
"Yes mother." Draco went to meet up with his mother. Once he found his mother they walked out to the garden to enjoy quality time together. Draco led his mother into the garden filled with bright flowers and fountains that she planted herself to brighten the Manor. Draco found the white furniture placed underneath violet flower vines that woven themselves around the manor. Draco pulled a chair back and led his mother sit down, before talking his own chair.
"Ah, like a true gentlemen," His mother complemented. "I always knew those lessons would come in handy." She chimed.
"Indeed they did, a perfect gentlemen." Draco commented. Three house elves walked in, upon Draco finishing his sentence. All carry serving items.
"I was able to pull these three aside from catering to serve us lunch instead." Narcissa chuckled as they placed the food in front of them. Draco looked down to see part of a grilled salmon with potatoes and in a different bowl, was an autumn salad.
"Thank you." Narcissa said setting her napkin on her lap.
"I don't know why you insist on thanking the help."
"Draco, they do so much for us, a simple thank you isn't that bad."
"Ha, next you're going to start giving them wages." Draco commented.
"To be honest, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. Good thinking, Draco."
Draco sighed, "I meant that sarcastically. You're starting to sound like the mud-
"Draco! Stop using that word." Narcissa warned, " If there was one thing I could change about our past, it would be your father influence on your behavior."
"I am nothing like him!" Draco voiced angrily.
"You are when you act like that. Being prejudice towards muggleborns won't get you anywhere in this day in age. Times have changed Draco. If you keep believing how you do, you'll find yourself lower in society than we already are."
"If we are so lower in society, why are you throwing this stupid party."
"Oh, that's nice to say to someone who has literally been spending the two months on something she cares about." Narcissa said. "I'm doing this for you. I've stripped the entire manor down and refilled it with good wholesome things. I've done a great deal of effort to get to this point and it's all for you. It's not just some party Draco. This will be the first time we've had guests besides our normal handle of Slytherins. This party has every house: Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor."
"Yuck." Draco said, as she mentioned the last house.
Narcissa proceeded on, "Purebloods, Halfbloods, Squibs, and yes, Muggleborns will be there. It might be too late for your father and I too change our image, but yours is still malleable."
"Hardly. Apart from Blaise, and the Greengrass' everyone hates me."
"Then tell me why they would attend your birthday party if they hate you so much?"
Draco held his silence.
"Oh, Draco, I know you think the world is against you, but they aren't and if you look… I am positive there is a girl out there that will make you very happy one day… hopefully soon."
"Mother!" Draco warned in annoyance, "I am perfectly capable of finding someone, I do not need your help."
"Then when will I get my grandchildren?"
"Mother!" Draco said again.
"I am getting old Draco. I do not want to wait forever. I want to be young enough to spend quality time with them. "
Draco wanted to bang his head on the table repeatedly.
"Mother, please let this conversation be over already."
"Might I remind you Draco, that in order to inherit the Manor you need to have a legitimate heir."
"Yes, mother I am well aware."
"I want you to try to find someone tonight." She said finally.
"Mother!" Draco said in alarm.
"At least dance with every girl there. One dance each. It give you a chance to meet all of them."
"Mother, I am not going to do that."
"Fine, just all the single women."
"Mother when I am ready to marry then I will."
"Draco I am being completely serious. If you do not find potential brides tonight, I will not hesitate to interfere and look for them myself. I do not want to force you into an unwanted marriage."
"Then don't make me! Father is not controlling you anymore-"
"This has nothing to do with your father, leave him out of this." She warned.
"Yes, yes he does! He's the one who passed on this stupid contract. He's the one forcing me. Have you given any thought about how I feel about this?"
"Draco, I've always put you first and I still am. Believe it or not, I am doing this for your own good. If you fail to meet the contract's requirements you lose everything. You lose your wealth, your title, your home! I am giving you the option now, to choose for yourself before it comes to that. I am giving you the option to find love."
"Finding love isn't that easy, mother. Have you forgotten that I am ex-deatheater? I am branded for life, no one is going to want to marry me because of the choice I was forced into choosing."
"Excuse me Lady Malfoy, you have a visitor. Should I send him in?"
"Yes, if that is all then thank you." Narcissa ended the conversation between the two.
Narcissa calmed herself and exhaled when she saw Snape walk through the door to the garden.
"Oh, Severus! What a lovely, surprise. Come, join us."
"Hello, Snape." Draco drawled.
"You will call me, Professor." Snape warned. Draco rolled his eyes at being told what to do.
"Pipsy!" Narcissa called, "Come bring us another chair for our guest." Snape raised his hand to stop her, "Please, don't bother, I've only come to give my gift to your son."
"Oh, how nice!" Draco couldn't have cared less what his godfather had gotten him. It was always some potion book or something he'd never use.
"I am offering lessons in Occlumency"
Draco sighed, "I already know, Occlumency."
"Yes. You can defend your own mind, but I never taught you how to enter others. A technique called, Legilimency."
"Draco, isn't that a lovely gift!" Narcissa added, smiling.
"Yes," Draco said in a somewhat sarcastic tone, "quite lovely indeed."
"Well then, Mr. Malfoy, your lessons will start Monday morning. I will stop by at dawn and practice until dusk."
"You must be mad, there is no bloody way in hell."
"Draco," his mother scolded, "manners! You will respect your Godfather."
"I am not getting up at-"
"If you want to learn. You will be up at dawn on Monday morning." Snape hissed.
Draco sighed, "Fine."
"Severus, you will stay for the party, won't you?" Narcissa asked.
"Only for a little while." He commented solemnly.
"Oh good, I will have some accompany my own age," Narcissa chuckled, "All the people attending are around Draco's age."
"I would be honored to be in your company, Narcissa. If you will excuse me, I will return home to change to a more... proper attire." He said addressing his school robes.
"Of course, Draco and I have to get ready as well. The party starts in a few hours."
Snape nodded, kissed Narcissa's hand and walked off. A crack from apparition came from the inside of the manor, signaling he was gone.
"That was nice of him to offer you lessons, Draco." Narcissa said, "They might come in handy one day."
"I suppose." Draco said with a bored expression. Narcissa rose from her chair and looked at her son.
"I have a few more details to attend to before the party starts. I've had the house elves lay out your clothes for this evening on your bed. Be careful not to wrinkle them. Also fix your hair. It's dreadfully unruly."
Draco nodded, "Yes mother." Narcissa smiled at her son and gave her son a kiss on the cheek. Draco walked up the stairs to the West wing of the manor. The whole wing was his. His parents inhabited the East and the North was used as guest bedrooms. He walked down to the farthest room and was greeted by a mahogany door. He opened the door to reveal his room. Dark woods with green bedding and curtains that matched the walls. "Okay, now the party starts in 3 hours so what should I do until then." He looked around his bedroom. In a corner of the room was his broomstick from his quidditch days at Hogwarts. "Ah, what the hell, I have sometime to kill." Draco apparated outside near a beautiful lake. He sat steadily on his broomstick. "It's been awhile since I have last done this." His broom levitated off the ground, and with that he was off. He loved flying and flew on his broom until he grew weary, then went to sit near the lake. Draco just stared at his reflection through the water, he looked at himself with no confidence at all. "How?" He says to himself. "How could anyone want to marry me? Let alone have a child with me." He continued to stare at his reflection with nothing but disgust towards himself. His reflection distorted and turned into his father. Draco was taken back. "I am never going to be like you!" He shouts. "You are the one who has disgraced the Malfoy name, Father. Because of you and what you forced me into, no one is going to ever going to want me. Hell, I would not even marry me. Maybe I should just let my mother chose my bride, but I do not want to give her the pleasure of doing so." Lucius' image in the lake disappeared and Draco's reflection became visible again. Draco apparated back to his bedroom putting his broom back into the corner it was previously. Draco took of his robes and shirt and walked into his bathroom. "Aguamenti." He conjured. Sparkling water filled the tub that was the size of the prefects bathroom at Hogwarts. Draco removed the rest of his clothes and stepped inside the tub. He let the steam rise, making his hair frizz. He doused his head with shampoo and cleaned his blonde hair. He rinsed it and then got out to dry himself. Draco walked out of the bathroom with nothing, but a white towel wrapped around his waist and a comb in hand. He slick his hair back and looked in the mirror. "Wow, that brings back memories." He thought looking at himself. His slicked back hair reminded of himself when he was a first and second year. Draco then ruffled his hair and parted it like he always does nowadays.
Obeying his mother's orders on not wrinkling his clothes for tonight's party, Draco puts on a black dress shirt and black slacks. "Pipsy!" There is a small poof, and the house elf appeared.
"Yes, sir? Did you need anything?"
"The wine, my mother has not discovered it has she?"
"No, I put it away until the party begins."
"Okay, I want you to bring me a wine bottle up here for me personally."
"Mister Malfoy, are you sure?"
"Yes I am sure. But do not let my mother catch you."
"Yes sir."
Pipsy left the room, only to come back minutes later with a bottle of Superior Red.
"Thank you. That is all now go away." Pipsy disappeared. Draco checked the time. "Bloody hell, look at the time, need to get cleaned up and look presentable for the guests."
Author's Note: Hello everyone! We would like to thank you for reading chapter 2 and for all of those who followed either us or our story! This fanfiction is a collaboration written by AmateurWriter98 and AnonymousMaknae if you want to check out either of our separate accounts. This fanfiction will be updated every Tuesday if you want to see more. Please follow and favorite us as authors or the story in general if you liked. We would also really appreciate it if you would review. We do read them and really like hearing feedback, good or bad. Thanks again for reading and tune in next Tuesday for Chapter 3... The Party ;).
~ AmateurWriter98 and AnonymousMaknae