arranged / dm

09

January 1st

Pansy sat across from Amara and Draco at the dinner table, the only noises being the clinking of utensils on plates as the group ate. Her eyes darted between the girl and boy, narrowing her eyes slightly. Astoria glared at Amara, her gaze boring into her soul and ripping everything up. Astoria wanted answers. She wanted to know why Draco had cut her off after telling her Amara didn't matter. She wanted to know if he had fallen for her.

Amara noticed the new found tension, her gaze moving upward to lock with Pansy's. Pansy raised an eyebrow and winked, a smirk plastered on her lips. Amara knew Astoria was shooting daggers at her and she tried to avoid meeting her gaze in order to not deal with the angry girl. She didn't fully know why Astoria hated her in the first place. If Draco had promised to keep talking to her and not fall for Amara, why had Astoria begun to hate her? Amara's brain was now constantly working to find out answers to every little detail. She was desperate to make everything make sense. But, nothing was.

Narcissa cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention. 

"I need to know who is going to be involved in the wedding. I had assumed Blaise and Theodore but could not assume the rest. I know Pansy had been given permission to be involved but no one else. I wish to have lists from the both of you by Friday evening." She locked eyes with Amara and studied the distance between her and Draco. The two sat fairly close together, their arms nearly touching.

Draco nodded and turned to face forward, squinting at Pansy. Her eyes were still fixed on the pair in attempts to decipher their relationship. Draco furrowed his eyebrows and stared back at her, his mind racing. Pansy nodded to Amara and smiled at him. His panic levels rose as he shook his head frantically. His eyebrows furrowed as the girl held in laughter at his panic. She finally removed her gaze from him and looked at Narcissa. 

"I can take Amara to Diagon Alley soon to finalize that, if that's alright." Pansy smiled softly.

Amara met eyes with her and nodded. "I need to head into Diagon Alley anyway so that is fine with me." She shot a glance over her shoulder at Draco, her mind buzzing with things to say to him. 

He cleared his throat and nodded to her, easing her mind only slightly. "I will also go into Diagon Alley. I'll meet with Zabini and Nott to discuss." His hands rested on the table, his long sleeves covering the mark on his left arm. 

Amara's eyes fell onto his arms, actively tuning into her thoughts. She actively let the questions sprint in her mind.

Draco looked over at her briefly wishing to explain what was running through his mind at the very moment. His gaze moved slowly from her and onto his father, who gave him a scornful glare before rising to his feet and leaving the room in silence. 

"Well, we may split now. I will see you all in the morning." Narcissa was the next to leave, providing permission for the others to leave. Amara stood and left the room as well, Pansy following close behind her.

The two girls sat outside in a garden, picking flowers from the ground in silence. 

"Parkinson! I can't believe you'd still hang out with her!" Astoria's voice ruptured the peace and her footsteps came closer. 

"Amara did nothing wrong, I told you that." Pansy scoffed, turning to face the pissed off girl. 

"No. Only turn my boyfriend against me. She's a whore." 

Amara looked back at her, rolling her eyes. "I haven't turned your boyfriend against you, Greengrass." 

Astoria only glared at her in pure anger and hatred. "Oh sure, play innocent. I get it, you don't want to ruin your family's line and when shit fell through with James you turned to Draco. You're the biggest slut I know, Blackwood. Sleeping around while we were in school."

Amara rose to her feet and stepped closer to Astoria. "I haven't done shit to or with Draco. I don't want to marry him, genius. Get your head out of your ass." 

Astoria raised her hand, swinging hard and making contact with Amara's face. Amara grabbed the side of her face, staring in shock at Astoria. 

"What the fuck?" She yelled, shoving Astoria away from her. 

"If you're so innocent then why did Draco write to me and tell me to stop contacting him? Why did he tell me that we were done?"

Pansy was standing now, too, her eyebrows raised in shock. 

"He what?" Amara asked, looking back at Pansy. 

"Yeah. No explanation either. But don't try to lie now. I know it was you and the way you kept looking at him confirmed it. Amara Blackwood, I used to not have an issue with you. But now you've messed with my personal life." Pansy grabbed Amara's arm and defensively pulled her back in fear. 

"I don't think Amara had anything to do with this, Astoria." Pansy's voice was calm and assertive, though it didn't get through to Astoria. 

"No, I think she has everything to do with this." She was yelling now, pointing at Amara angrily. 

"Ask him then! God if you think I'm sleeping with him fucking ask him, Astoria! Not everyone is out to get you, you aren't that important." Amara yelled back, storming inside.

She threw her door open and slammed it shut, locking it tightly behind her. The thought of talking with anyone made her more angry. The quiet quickly took over her senses and soothed her as she laid onto her bed. Astoria's angered tone played like a broken record in her mind--the assumption that Amara was the reason Draco cut ties with her pissed her off. Draco cut ties with her. The last she knew about the two was they were still together and she assumed they remained talking. He hadn't seemed phased when Astoria showed up, though.

Amara thought long and hard about it. Draco not talking to Astoria, their plan. Life continued to get confusing and it never seemed to have an end. She ran a hand through her hair, sighing harshly. The darkness of the room encased her entirely. Every breath she took felt like a wave of relief before being diminished by stress again. Her mind never stopped working now and it exhausted her. Nothing made sense and her world was flipping upside down in the matter of months. 

"Fuck," She sighed to herself. ""What has my life become?"