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Chapter 9: The Birthday

Writer's note:

Sirius Black is in this, and he has a daughter and a wife, but he doesn't have dialogue. By now you must be aware that I am NOWHERE NEAR taking this the route of 'HP CANON" and I am probably mucking up JK's life's work but what she is going to do? Sue me? Haha. I have no money... Seriously though, don't sue me JK please I am fucking poor. As always, sorry for shitty grammar.

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It took at least 20 minutes before Mara could walk back to the castle. She did not understand a thing. What had just happened? Apart from the fact that her head was spinning, and her body seemed to be on fire collectively, her total bewilderment was the worst feeling to endure.

Once Mara had come to her senses again, she concluded that this must have been another cruel joke of his to continue fooling around with her. But... something in his eyes seemed to tell her that this was not the case, that his question was serious. Why was that? Why did he want her so badly to care about him when he had not given him a chance in six months to have any kind of understanding with him?

She lied and it was a miracle that her nose had not grown 10 centimetres because she didn't mean anything she said. She did care about him and had so from the moment she'd seen him.

She was such an idiot. She never expected to become one of those women who ... would get feelings for somebody who treats her as if she was worthless, yet she had them. She didn't understand a thing. What was wrong with her? She had always trusted mind head instead of heart but now the latter seemed to overrule she several times and rendering her helpless. She hated it. She hated feeling like that, feeling helpless and uncertain.

Ugh, she remembered something else from that eventful afternoon. Yet another unpleasant evening was ahead where she and Draco had to perform as doting husband and wife, under the watchful eye of his family. Friday the 27th...

What were the odds to share a birthday with Lucius, of all people. This year, of course, she had not intended to celebrate her birthday; without family and friends (although Hermione had sent her a beautiful necklace) it would not have been a nice birthday anyway. What was there to celebrate in the first place.

No, nobody needed to know when her birthday was, and she wanted to keep it that way. When she arrived at the castle Mara did not see Draco anywhere, not even at dinner (not that the two ate to get her, he often chose to take his meal in his study or earlier than Mara in the dining hall). After making enquiries she had heard that he had gone to Arvendon, at the king's request.

Mara didn't expect him back as the travel time was considerable, so she had, for the umpteenth time, an evening alone ahead of her. After dinner she went faithfully back to the library and continued with the book, she was reading but she noticed several times that her concentration was weak, and her mind wandered off to the 'incident' in the afternoon.

He came back on Tuesday morning and, as usual, she had not seen him until noon. After lunch she were planning to go for a brisk walk on the beach. She walked ignorantly through the corridors; not knowing what was about to happen. She was still at the beginning of the hall, but a door suddenly opened, and a crying Kat ran outside, followed by an incredibly angry looking Parkinson.

Mara was confused. What on earth was going on?

Pansy waited there for a moment, apparently feeling Mara's eyes her eyes on her, and looking in her direction. Slowly she began to walk towards Mara, who started to frown. What would Pansy want to say to her? They were not talking to each other, nor did she seen Pansy because the darling Draco was kind enough not to rub his escapades in his wife's nose as much.