The Years of Blue [2]

Chapter 20: The Worst Ending

"What do you want?" I snapped, gaining raised eyebrows from him.

"Still upset about earlier I see. Honestly Ava, you've got to get thicker skin. We were just joking around." He pushed himself off the doorway and walked up to the balcony railing where the fathers were coming back into the room and whisking their wives to the dance floor. Or at least, everyone but our fathers were.

"Don't you have anything better to do Malfoy? Or are you also hiding from your mother as a dance partner? I'd happily oblige except I have a dance partner already," My brother stated sarcastically causing Malfoy to give him a dry look.

"Your mother sent me up here to get you, actually. Something about expecting a dance." I turned to my brother with a knowing look before elbowing him along as he groaned.

"Go on and whisk Mamen off her feet. You've got this!" I joked as he waved me off before rushing down the steps.

I raced to the balcony in time to see Theo greet my mother with one of his silly bows before extending his arm out to her. She laughed and alongside Mrs. Malfoy who's cracked smile appeared to my surprise.

"Who knew your mother could smile," I stated icily as Draco came to join my side by the railing. I wish he wouldn't.

"She's strange around your family, my mother. Likes your mum a lot actually. Won't stop talking about her when the two of them are cooking something up."

This news surprised me. I always expected the Malfoys to be the using type. Not much for liking people outside of their own family and inner circle.

"What? Does that surprise you?" He asked, gaining my attention. Looking at him full on I could see him fully in his dress robes. Black velvet with silver lining, his cuffs were lined to fit him perfectly, though he still came off as trying too hard.

But I couldn't ignore how the silver matched his hair, his eyes brighter in dark colors as they waited for me to say something.

"Your family is cold to most people. I thought..."

"Oh and yours isn't? Look at yourselves," Malfoy shot back, nagging at me further. My annoyance was bubbling up again as I turned away from him with a huff. Draco gave me a bemused look as I watched the dancers bow to one another.

"What's with your attitude this week? Always so bipolar."

"I'm bipolar?" I exclaimed, turning back to him, baffled. "I wasn't the one who went from nicely showing me around to throwing wine on my clothes!"

I watched as Draco started to roll his eyes as that subject returned, obnoxious as ever.

"If I didn't do that my father would have killed me," He explained rationally. "And you know that. Which is why I thought you crying made it that much more real and got us out of any awkward questions about being there in the first place."

"Well then what was all that about blaming me?" I shot back, before turning stubbornly back to the dancers twirling about.

There was a brief silence where I saw out of the corner of my eye Draco shaking his head, nonplussed.

"Because it was," He said, annunciating every word arrogantly. I chuckled sarcastically before walking off to a different side of railing, hoping he'd go away.

But no, he followed me and stopped right by my side again.

"What's with all this about house elves, suddenly?" I knew my cheeks flushed at the question before I could turn my face away.

"Because I know you've heard me tell stories about my house elves in the common room. Everyone heard me," He went on.

"Well it's not like we had a choice," I said, cutting him off stubbornly. He gave me a challenged look that I glanced away from, biting down on my bottom lip.