Bound by fate, sealed by love

Chapter 4

After peering around my new dimly lit bedroom for my cat, I end up slinking out of my bedroom and padding across the corridor, and because I wasn't eighteen yet, using lumos was out of the question. 

I call out for my cat, whispering her name trying to coax her out from her hiding spot to no avail, and I ended up being chastised by one of the family portraits hanging up in the corridor. Giving up, I start to head back to my room when I hear a door open. 

Holding my breath, I hope to merlin himself that it wasn't my parents because I did not want to get into any trouble for wandering around at night, and I let out a sigh of relief when light streams from Draco's room. I watch silently as he steps out into the corridor with my cat in his grasp before dropping her with a thump outside his room. 

"Draco!" I screech, almost letting out a laugh when he nearly jumps out of his skin, turning to me with a harsh glare that twisted up his features nastily. He goes to say something but I interupt, waving my hand around before bringing a finger up to my lips to silence him, and I head over, picking me cat up and wrapping her in a warm embrace. 

She lets out a soft mewl in return, making herself comfortable in my hold "You just threw my cat out of your room! Did you catnap her?!" I whisper, taking a step closer, my eyes narrowing on him. He just lets out a scoff, taking a step back in retreat into his room. 

"No, your stupid cat somehow got in" He grumbled, shifting his body weight from one foot to the other ever so slightly as he narrows his eyes on my cat "Keep your hairball away from my room"

"One, her name is blackberry, and two, she's not stupid!" I hiss, suddenly feeling angry as a wave of irritation washes over me. Though I can't help being nosey as I try to look into his room to see if the colours of his room reflect his dark soul! I mean, who throws a cat out of their room? Sure he barely dropped her a few feet off the ground, but it still wound me up. 

"Whatever" He notices my gaze on his room, and I barely even get to see his wall colours before he's shutting the door in my face. That irritation now floods into me, and I have the urge to bang on his door and give him a piece of my mind, but I'm too scared of being caught out of bed at this time, especially considering it's not my home. 

So I trudge back to my room, closing the door softly behind me and placing blackberry on the bed, sighing "How on earth did you even get in their, both our rooms were shut during that play" if I wasn't as tired as I was, I truly would have questioned it, but instead I curl up in bed after blowing out the candles. 

"Draco is kind of right" I think back to our conversation before, about arranged marriages, but instead that anger had come back ten fold from throwing my cat out of his room and then shutting the door in my face, and so I rant to my cat like the sane person I am "I mean come on, who throws a cat out of their room? Your perfectly cuddly, and seem to love laying towards the end of the bed near my feet and so you keep them all toasty and warm. Besides, you're cute, and not stupid, he really is ridiculous" 

Blackberry lets out a whining meow, and instead of taking it as a cue to let her sleep, I take it as an agreement to what I was saying "EXACTLY, that's my thoughts. He sucks" I turn over, closing my eyes to try to get some sleep, and after what felt like hours of tossing and turning, I finally slipped into a serene darkness. 

.....................

In the morning, after a long shower, I change into some comfy clothes and head out into the garden for a walk. The sun was streaming over the freshly cut grass, flowers of every kind blooming in immaculate rows, perfectly sculpted hedges created beautiful walkways. 

It was a large garden, with a maze at the very end, and the garden was filled with every coloured flower you could possibly think of. It seemed so colourful, so vibrant and not at all what you'd expect it to be when you'd seen how dull the inside of the manor was. Don't get me wrong, it was traditional and beautiful inside, but there was something so unnervingly un-alive in there. 

There was a massive sprawling pool off to the side, the water crystal clear and intricately carved snake sculptures lined the pools, some of them wrapping around beautiful marble columns that lined one side of the pool area, creating cover where a large table seating twelve lay. 

On the other side were beautiful sun lounger with metal flowers twisting up the edges of them, and I had decided if it was alright with the Malfoys, I would have to invite Pansy over, maybe even Millicent and Blaise too, for a day in the sun. 

Until then, I was going to get some breakfast and ask if my mother would join me by the pool, to read under the sun and maybe get a tan that seemed nearly impossible when we were at Hogwarts. Truly, how they had no sun loungers to get a tan was terrible during the summer term. 

Heading back in, I meander towards the dining room, hoping my detour hadn't made me too late. Thankfully, it was only Narcissa who was sat at the table, and she beckoned me over with a wave when she saw me. 

"Cass, I saw you head out earlier, did you like the garden?" She peered over the top of her teacup, a grin playing on her face as she stared at me. 

"It really was beautiful Narcissa, I was going to ask if one day I could bring a friend or two over to enjoy the pool? If not, I was considering going down for a swim and to read today, if you'd like to join?" She seemed to perk up, placing the cup down lightly, her eyes gleaming. 

"Oh, I haven't been to the pool in too long, yes! I shall ask Lucius and Draco to come too, and if your parents are free we must go down there!" She called out for two of the house elves, who pottered over with smiles when she saw Narcissas grin "Could you get the pool ready for us? Put the nice cushions on the sun loungers" They mustn't be old at all, the two young elves nodding their heads and disappearing from sight just as my parents had joined, followed shortly by Lucius and Draco. 

"A day by the pool, my love?" Narcissa greeted her husband with a peck on the cheek as he sat down, before she looked over at my parents, ignoring Draco completely "You must join us, if you're free? Cordelia? Gregory?"

"Oh that sounds wonderful" My mother answered, pouring herself a cup of tea with the flick of her wand, before placing the wand on the table and taking a sip. My father just frowned, staring at Lucius with an odd look, and Lucius sighs.

"I'm sorry my love, we have... work. Another day" Lucius answers for the both of them, and while Narcissa frowns, she doesn't look very surprised that they'd turned it down. That caused the rest of breakfast to be rather quiet, light small talk being made before both fathers disappeared from the table to work I suppose. 

"Well, they might not join Narcissa dear, but us four will have a great time. I can use an amplification spell, we can play music too" My mother states, looking positively giddy, and I look over at Draco who has realised by now that he has no way out of it. As if to further add to this, Narcissa looks over and smiles, adding "And you must send out owls to your friends Draco, Cass is bringing over some of her friends in a few days for the pool and you can bring yours" 

"She's doing what?" Draco bit out, only to correct himself at his mothers harsh glare "Sorry, of course I'll do that right away, for tomorrow?"

Narcissa looks at me and I frown "I'm so sorry, I promised Pansy that I'd go over to hers tomorrow for a girls day, we could meet the following day as long as that's ok with you, Narcissa?" I don't miss the bitter glare from Draco when I direct it completely at his mother and she smiles, nodding her head. 

"I've missed your friends coming over Draco, let's invite them all shall we? I'll owl them all at once, and you can owl anyone you want, Cass" She smiles, my mother thanking her for allowing me to do this all, but they seemed so bright and joyful at the whole thing I can't help but smile. 

"That sounds perfect" Draco said curtly, standing up "I'll go and get ready for the pool now, if that's ok?" And then he's gone, disappearing out of the room and leaving a half empty cup of tea, though I noticed he had eaten all of his food in that time.

After finishing off the rest of the food, I tell our two mothers that I was heading upstairs to get ready for the pool, though they pay no mind, gossiping between them about someone from their childhood days that I didn't know, who had divorced her husband. I noticed they both laughed about it, stating she was too good for this man in the first place, and I head upstairs to go and put some swim wear on. 

I loved how happy my mother seemed to be with her best friend, but it really was like being back at Hogwarts with the amount those two seemed to gossip.