Forever Home | Draco Malfoy

Chapter 4-9: The Practice

The next morning Desiree awoke to the feeling of the cold air moving through the castle. She decided that she would try to stay away from Draco today and rather study in the library for most of the day. As she made her way down to the Great Hall she found Draco sitting with Pansy and Blaise. Desiree stopped in her tracks and turned around in hopes that they hadn't seen her.

"Ally wait!" Draco called out. Desiree however just kept walking. In fact, she kept walking all the way to the library without saying a word to anyone. This was quite unusual for her, for she would usually find a way to speak to other students while walking in the corridors. But Draco wasn't the only thing on her mind; Cedric seemed to stay in her mind. More specifically the fact that he hadn't asked her to the ball yet. The more she thought about it the more angry she grew. After a few hours of distracted studying Desiree finally decided to go on a walk around the castle.

"Hey Desiree," Hermione called out.

"What?" Desiree snapped, not knowing who was calling her. "Oh sorry."

"Bloody hell Desiree. All we said was hey," said Ron.

"I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind right now," Desiree looked to the two of them then to Harry.

"I heard about the courtyard yesterday. Are you alright?" asked Hermione.

"I'm fine, really I am," she paused. "I'm just going to go on a walk. I'll catch up with you guys later."

And so Desiree began walking again. She made it to an abandoned corridor when she heard a voice call her.

"Desiree!" Cedric shouted. She stopped walking and slowly turned to him.

"What Cedric?" she looked to him her bright green eyes.

"I've been meaning to ask you something. And I'm sure you've been wondering why I haven't but the truth is that I was scared to," said Cedric. Desiree began to feel the anger she had felt towards him throughout the day slightly calm.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Look I'm sure you've been trying to think of reasons why I haven't asked you and the only thing that would come up is that I'm a complete arse," he paused, "but what I want to know now is, would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

"Well it's about time," she smiled before the two shared a gentle kiss. Butterflies had formed in her stomach. They then spent the next two hours together. They walked around the Black Lake just as they had before they started dating over a year ago.

"Now I have to go write mum and tell her to send me a dress," she smiled as they stood just outside of the castle doors.

"I'm sure you'll look beautiful even if she sends you something that's Pixie's," Cedric smiled.

"Oh now you're just sucking up," she laughed.

"Maybe a little," he smiled as she gave Desiree on last kiss.

After writing her mother Desiree made her way to back to her room. Pansy was already sitting on her bed in their room.

"Desiree, where have you been?" she stood up.

"I was out studying and then I went on a walk," she laid down on her bed.

"Desiree look, I know you may not want to hear this but I've talked to Draco today," she paused.

"You're right I don't want to hear it," she stood up and began to move towards the door.

"Desiree he hates himself for making you cry," said Pansy. Desiree stopped walking and turned her head to face Pansy. She looked to Pansy's eyes and knew she was telling the truth.

"Well I hope he doesn't think I'm going to forgive him without coming to me himself and apologizing," Desiree sat back down. She knew deep down that she hated being angry at Draco.

"He was trying to apologize earlier this morning but you walked out before he could," said Pansy.

"I won't walk away next time," said Desiree.

The next morning as Desiree was walking down to the Great Hall for breakfast she was stopped. A cold hand gently grabbed the back of her wrist.

"Ally can I talk to you," Draco paused. "Please?" a sense of yearning was present in his eyes.

"I suppose," Desiree turned her body to face him.

"I want to apologize. I was completely out of line and I would never try to hurt you on purpose," he looked to Desiree.

"Then why'd you do it?" she looked into his cool grey eyes.

"I-" he paused as if to make sure he said the right thing. "I don't know. But can you please accept my apology?"

She exhaled deeply, "This may come back to bite me later on but I suppose I can."

He smiled, "Now let's not tell anyone about this."

"Oh yeah, definitely wouldn't want to ruin your reputation," she laughed. "Though Pansy already knows."

"We really don't give Pansy credit for the amount of things she figures out," he laughed.

"We really don't," she laughed again.

* * *

The next Wednesday, just three days before the ball, Desiree began to feel slight panic because her dress had not yet come. Though her mother did say it would arrive the next morning Desiree still felt anxious that it wouldn't arrive in time. Desiree now walked into the common room after spending some time reading in the library.

"Where have you been? Pansy, Blaise, and nearly everyone else went to sleep ages ago," Draco stashed a book under the couch pillow.

"I was reading in the library," said Desiree. She acted as though she hadn't seen him stash the book.

"Only you read on winter holiday," Draco playfully rolled his eyes.

"Oh, so that's not a book that you just stashed under the pillow there?" she pointed to the pillow she knew to be covering his book.

"Well- that was-" he seemed to be at a loss for words.

"I'm only joking," she smiled. "Now you are required by law to show me what you're reading," as she sat down next to him.

"Oh alright," he pulled the book from under the pillow and handed it to her.

"Pride and Prejudice, this is one of the muggle books I was talking about a few weeks ago. You're actually reading a muggle book?" her eyes were filled with amazement.

"It's nothing," he grabbed the book from Desiree and stashed it back under the pillow.

"I don't think it's nothing," she looked to him. Silence lingered once more before Desiree finally spoke again. "I should be getting ready for bed."

Just as Desiree stood up and began to walk away she was stopped. "Ally?"

"Yes Draco?" she turned.

"This might seem odd but I was wondering if you could help me practice my dancing?" he stood up nervously.

"Draco you're a great dancer. Remember when we danced at your family's party?"

"I just don't want to embarass Emma at the ball, you know?" he shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay," she smiled. "Come one."

And just like that the two of them began dancing. Though the dancing was the same as it had been at Malfoy Manor something was different. The air around them seemed different. Desiree and Draco shared many giggles while dancing. It seemed like everything in the world had just vanished around them. As Draco twirled Desiree and pulled her back in she began to feel that warmth she felt those nights in the library. It was strange it didn't happen often but when it did it was always when she was with him.