⧏ ▴ ⧐
April 16th, 1996
"To review, your plan is that we act as though we're just pretending to be infatuated with each other but really secretly hate each other?" My hands are on my hips, circling around my bedroom, fussing over the gown my Mother insisted I wear. Draco appeared— unprompted— via floo an hour ago, insisting we 'prep' for tonight (I have to find a way to bar my floo from unexpected entries).
"Precisely," Draco nods, finishing his tie in my bathroom mirror.
"This is mad," I sigh, dropping down onto the edge of my bed and placing my head in my hands. My parents' Gala is tonight– apparently not even taking place on actual Easter, Hermione informed me. "You do realize how fucked that sounds— right?"
"I think it will work fine."
"Of course you do," I roll my eyes. "We haven't even gotten downstairs and I'm already certain this is an awful plan. I should just pretend to be sick–"
"Guinevere would be furious–"
"Merlin's sake, can you not be on a first-name basis with my Mother?" I pinch my eyes shut, my hands tangling in the front of my hair.
My thoughts are quieted by hands on my shoulders, running back and forth soothingly. I open my eyes to find Draco kneeling before me, his head tilted.
"It'll be fine, Violet," he says softly. "It shouldn't be that hard to act as though you're infatuated with me." He smirks, biting on his tongue.
"You're an arse," I groan, leaning my forehead down against his.
"I know," he answers simply, his hand weaving its way into the hair at the base of my neck.
"You have to get back to the Manor," I smirk at him, tilting my head disapprovingly. "So you can arrive with your parents."
"They can wait– just a moment." His eyes fall closed as his neck stretches, catching my lips lightly. I lean into him, my hands leaving my lap to cup his cheeks, the tips of my fingers curling in his hair. His lips turn up in a smile, pressing against me a final time before pulling back as he settles into a kneel again. "One night. Then we'll be back at Hogwarts and their eyes will be off us."
"One night," I confirm with a nod, keeping his eyes focused on mine.
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I lean against the wall with Daphne, my arms crossed as we observe couples dancing in the ballroom. She picks at a mini quiche on her plate, separating out any bits with tomato.
I'm staring across the room at Draco, who smiles at me conspiratorially before turning back to his conversation with Theo.
"Oggle more, please," Daphne moans, glaring at me in her peripheral.
I roll my eyes. "Sorry," I pout my lip, breaking a cookie on her plate in two and popping it in my mouth. "After all these dreadful forced dances at these stupid Gala's, of course, now all I want to do is dance with him— but we agreed on just one dance. To make it look forced."
"Now you know how I feel, every fucking ball where I can't dance with Padma."
"Fuck, Daph, I'm sorry— I didn't even think—"
"S'Alright," she shrugs, nicking the other half of the cookie. "I'll allow it— but only because you're in that annoying, 'All I Can Think About Is My New Boyfriend Phase." That pass will last for the next month, so use it wisely."
"Month—? Daphne, he isn't my boyfriend. We're just—"
"Going to be engaged in three months and also shagging?" She raises her eyebrow.
YOU ARE READING
For Better, For Worse
Fanfiction"I take you, Draco Malfoy, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part." Since the time we were children, being betrothed to the Malf...
