My Father's Only Rule {DRACO MALFOY X SNAPE'S DAUGHTER}

Chapter Seventeen: Can't Handle A Challenge

December 1997 - Hogwarts

Dear Grace,

I'm sorry to deliver this news, but publishing your book is proving to be much more difficult than I thought. The publishers just don't seem to believe in the story. But don't worry. I won't give up. With any luck, I believe Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone will be in bookstores this time next year.

I just finished The Prisoner of Azkaban. I absolutely love the characterization you've done on Draco. It's very obvious that Voldemort is the bad guy, but it's good to have someone to dislike until you bring him into the picture. Not to mention he is such a weasel. I was not expecting the plot twist with Sirius. I do hope Harry can leave the Dursleys and stay with him.

That's all for now. I know you're probably busy with school. Good luck.

Sincerely,

Joanne

Publishing my book was certainly proving to be a challenge.

"What's that?" Draco asked as he stared over my shoulder. I quickly folded it up.

"Nothing," I said. I was surprised he was talking to me. He hadn't really spoken to

me since that awkward interaction in the great hall. Both Jane and I were having problems reading him. "Where have you been?" He took a seat across from Jane and me in a secluded corner of the common room.

"Nowhere," he said. Then there was a brief moment of silence where I didn't know what to do. And neither did Jane. And seemingly, neither did Draco. "Jane, would you give us a minute alone, please?" Jane and I were both shocked at this. I had no idea where it was going.

"Sure," she said as she stood up. Draco and I stared at each other.

"What's up?" I asked, attempting to break the silence.

"Do you like me?" he asked. What?

"What?"

"Do you like me?" he asked again.

"Draco," I said. "I don't even know what to make of that. Do I like you? Why

would you ask such a question?"

"Why did you make me the bad guy in your story?" he asked.

"What? You're not the bad guy. Voldemort is the bad guy."

"But he's not even in the story," Draco said. "Not really. I'm the one everyone hates. You made me a bully."

"Well, come on, Draco," I said. "You have to admit that you haven't exactly been

nice to Harry. Or Ron and Hermione, for that matter. They're the heroes of the story. Writers have to exaggerate for the sake of entertainment."

"So where are Blaise and Jane in all of this?"

"Well, I'm writing the stories the way Harry told them. He never mentioned Blaise and Jane. And Jane is too likable, she won't fit the group."

"What do you mean she's too likable?" he asked. "Too likable to hang out with the likes of me? Am I unlikeable?"

"No," I said. "Draco, the book is through Harry's eyes."

"That doesn't matter, Grace," he said. "You wrote it. You wrote me as a bully."

"Because Harry sees you as a bully."

"I didn't think you would see me that way,"

"I don't. Draco, it's a story. It's dramatized. It's not real."

"But it is real," he said. "These are real people and real events."

"What does it matter? Nobody is ever going to read it."

"That's bullshit," he said.

"No, I'm serious," I said back. "I wanted to publish it in the muggle world until I found out that I'd get, like, banished for revealing the secret."

"Well, I'm serious, too," he said. "I've read the letters between you and this muggle Joanne." Busted. "And I don't care, Grace. I don't care at all that you're going to publish them. Your writing is good. But you've taken my name and run it through the dirt. And I've already done enough. I don't need both worlds to hate me. Maybe this was a mistake."

"Mistake?" I asked. "Draco, if it means that much to you, I won't publish the books. I'll stop writing them."

"I don't mean the books," he said. "I mean us."

Us? We're the mistake?

"What?" I asked. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"No," he said. "Of course not. But, Grace, I don't know if I can marry someone who sees me like this. Maybe we should..." he was struggling to finish the sentence. But I knew what it was. And I had to agree.

"Call off our engagement," I said sadly.

"I'm not saying I want to break up," he said.

"I know."

"But maybe we're too young to be getting married," he said.

"I agree," I said. It felt like the right thing to do. But I cried, regardless. "I mean, what were we thinking?" I was trying to push it off like it didn't matter. But it was so obvious that it did.

"We were thinking we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together," he said. "But the rest of our lives don't need to start immediately. Or be rushed."

"I guess I can stay with Jane for Christmas," I said

"Don't be stupid," he said. "We're still together. You can stay with me."

"This isn't forever, right?" I asked. "You're not just trying to break up with me slowly? You do want to marry me, right?"

"Of course I do," he said. "But having a girlfriend is way easier than having a fiance. And we don't need a challenge right now."

And so the challenge was over. We had given up. But we'd circle back to it eventually, right?