Bloodlines || A Draco Malfoy Romance Fanfiction

First Date - 59

The next day, I got up and got ready, choosing a light blue cotton dress and putting my hair in a low ponytail at the nape of my neck.

I crossed the threshold of my room to head to breakfast at the same time as Draco crossed his.

"Aphrodite," Draco said flatly, taking a couple of slow steps toward me. "Good Morning."

I gave him a small smile, "Good Morning, Draco. Did you sleep well?"

His eyebrows rose as if surprised by my question. "Would you like the polite answer? Or the truth?"

Pursing my lips and clasping my hands together in front of me, I tilted my head to look at him. "The polite answer is usually reserved for acquaintances. Have I been demoted as your best friend for some reason?" I couldn't believe that he was taking this out on me like this. Other people, of course, but not me.

He was silent for a moment, staring down at me. "I slept like shit." He lifted a hand to point a finger at me. "And don't you start playing hostess by asking me if the sheets were soft enough, or I need a different type of pillow..."

"I know," I said softly, lifting my hands in surrender to stop him. "I know this is hard for you, Draco... I just don't want you to drift away and our relationship to dissolve." I knew, to some degree, our connection made it impossible but was genuinely concerned for our friendship regardless of the vow.

He sighed, lowering his head and bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Aphrodite, I'm not going anywhere."

"But I feel like you are, emotionally at least. You've been cold to me since Dimitri walked into this house."

His hands went on his hips, looking past me to the walls of the corridor. "I know... This is just going to take some time to get used to."

I heard the sound of the door opening behind me, and turned just as Dmitri walked into the corridor. He looked between the two of us, pausing for a moment before looking me in the eye with a smile. "Good Morning, Malfoy. Aphrodite. Are you heading to breakfast?"

Forcing a bright smile back at him, I took a couple of steps in his direction. "Good Morning, Dimitri. Yes, we were just heading down." He offered his arm, and I placed my hand in the crook of his elbow. My necklace tingled faintly, and I knew it probably displeased Draco immensely, but I knew this was for both of our benefits.

"How did you sleep?" I asked Dimitri politely as we walked to the end of the corridor.

"Very well," he said pleasantly. "My room is very comfortable."

A smiled again, genuinely this time. "Wonderful. Please let us know if you ever need anything to make you feel at home."

"Thank you very much." By this time, we had left the corridor. We approach the main staircase and began descending. "If you're up for it, Aphrodite, I was hoping you'd take me on a tour of Diagon Alley today."

I am pretty sure I was just asked on a date, and though I wasn't really up for going out, I'm sure Mr. Malfoy and Father would not be happy with me if I refused. "Absolutely, Dimitri! Would you mind waiting until the afternoon? I want to see the Malfoy's off before they head home." 

Dimitri nodded with a light smile. "Of course. We'll get some afternoon tea at a shop while we're out."

The Malfoys left shortly after lunch. I made Draco promise to write me since we would likely not see each other until the quidditch world cup.

After an hour, Dimitri and I headed off to Diagon Alley. I took him down the road, and he insisted we go to my favorite shops.

"Are you on the Slytherin quidditch team?" he asked as I eyed a Firebolt at Quality Quidditch Supplies.

I smiled. "Oh, no! I am not a strong quidditch player at all. Fantastic spectator though." He laughed, which caused me to laugh as well. We moved on through the store. "I'm afraid even if I did have a chance, our captain doesn't seem to recruit girls. And the team plays a bit rough for my liking... How about you? Do you play?"

He looked away from me as he smiled a little bit more, almost seeming embarrassed. "We have a small league at Durmstrang. I play keeper."

"Oh?" I said raising my brow in surprise. "Well, tell me. Are you any good?"

He shrugs with a sheepish smile. "I'm fair. We've won the league cup the last few years."

"Really? Sounds a bit better than fair." We approached the display of bludgers, contained within their locks and buzzing angrily. "Bludgers, though, I am not particularly fond of."

"Here, let me protect you," he said joking with a chuckle, blocking them from my view. I laughed as well as we entered the section with professional team merchandise.

We looked at the selection: Holyhead Harpies, Chudley Cannons, and the many other teams. "Do you have a favored team for the cup?" He asked. 

I shook my head. "While I am excited and love going to games, I don't have a favorite team."

He picked up a small pin. Red and black enamel pin with a gold Snitch charmed to flutter delicately behind the name 'Bulgaria.' "Well, I am partial to Bulgaria. Would you mind cheering for them with me if they make the cup?"

Remembering Narcissa's advice on fashion diplomacy, I thought it best to accept. We went to the counter, where he purchased the pin for me, and we exited the shop.

We headed to the tea shop next. As we drank our tea, we started asking about each other's schools, comparing and contrasting in detail the curriculum, the grounds, and the teachers.

The conversation fell into a brief lull, and I took a sip of my tea.

Dimitri took a deep breath and looked out the window before saying, "Aphrodite, there's.... something I have been meaning to ask you about."

I furrow my brow in confusion and a bit of anxiety at the apprehension in his tone. "Yes, Dimitri, what is it?"

He looked at me, brow furrowed over his green eye in conflict. "The article in the Prophet last year.... with you and Draco Malfoy."

I became more anxious at the mention of that topic. "I'm assuming that you're talking about the kiss?"

Dmitri nodded, looking down at his cup as his fingertip ran up and down the handle. "Is there something going on between the two of you?"

How do you tell someone who's arranged to be your future husband that it's complicated? I shook my head. "No. Nothing's happened since the kiss. My father forbade me from dating him all last year, and now you and I are arranged to be married."

Nodding again, he looked back into my eyes intensely. "Aphrodite, I know that we have not chosen this relationship, and I know how some in this position have their... leniencies. However, I do not plan on dishonoring you. I hope that you will extend the same courtesy to me."

To be honest, I respected him for his honesty and thought the virtue behind it was chivalrous. I reached over the table and placed my hand over his, noticing the sapphires in the ring he gave me glittering in the summer sunlight. "Over course! I would not put you in that position. Also, I have no taste for attracting unnecessary scandal."

He smiled then, flipping his hand over to hold mine. "Thank you. I appreciate that."