It was finally December 23rd.

Blaise, Pansy and I all gathered our belongings and placed it all in front of the dull, glass door to grab before our departure. Just us three were sitting in the kitchen, munching on some cereal and laughing. Ms. Zabini hobbled into the kitchen and took a seat at the cushioned bar stool.

"You kids ready?" she asked.

"Yes, mum," Blaise responded.

"Paul is going to take you in a couple minutes and it should only be about an hour drive."

We all nodded and finished off our bowls of cereal. Once they were all empty, we set them in the sink and walked over to the door where Paul was waiting.

"I hired a ministry driver to take us to the mnnor," Paul said.

None of us had anything to say so we just hopped in the back seat, squished together tightly, while Paul was grinning at us from the passenger seat.

Throughout the ride in the small car, the experienced Muggle ministry driver held conversation and took directions from Paul to Malfoy Manor.

I drifted off onto Pansy's shoulder, as she was in the middle of Blaise and I, and she tapped me awake after what felt like hours. I yawned, sat upright and stared outside of the car window.

A large black gate opened and the driver zoomed through. A large sign was perched up against the gate reading: Malfoy Manor: No Trespassing. Hedges were barricading the view of the woods ahead and we were on a narrow driving path.

As the hedges disappeared from our view, a large garden presented itself with thousands of vibrant flowers in pots and on the ground within the dirt. I gawked at the view. On the contrary, Pansy and Blaise had been here, therefore they were already adjusted to the beautiful garden and the grand manor straight ahead.

Once we drove through the large garden, which had a beautiful fountain sculpture, we arrived in the roundabout where the front door begged us to open it.

We all hopped out eagerly and pulled our trunks out of the boot of the car. I took in every detail of the manor before my eyes. The enormous house looked elegant and extremely expensive. Blaise and Pansy giggled at my widened eyes and all around flabbergasted expression.

"Just wait until you see the inside," Blaise told me.

I scooped up my trunk and hauled it to the front door while waving at Paul and the driver, who were now heading back towards the garden.

Blaise rung the doorbell and it gave a small, fancy jingle. A women with black hair and small, white streaks blended in smiled as she took in the view of three teenagers standing on her doorstep.

"Ah lovely! Did you get here okay?" she softly, yet kindly spoke.

"Yes, Mrs. Malfoy," Blaise politely replied.

"No, you guys — please — just call me Narcissa," she urged.

"Hello, Narcissa, I'm Y/n," I introduced myself.

"Hi, Draco has told me a little about you."

I nodded, wondering what he has said before she turned to Pansy.

"Hey, Pansy. How are your parents?"

Pansy smiled. "They are good. Thanks for letting us stay."

"No problem, come on in," Narcissa said, gesturing for us to enter the house.

"Lucious they're here!" she called, though after closing the door behind us.

A tall man with long blonde hair emerged from the top of the stairs. As he walked over, he examined us and stopped right next to his delightful wife.

"Blaise, Pansy," Lucious greeted.

"Afternoon," Blaise replied.

"And who might you be?" Lucious questioned.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Y/n L/n. I'm not sure if Draco has mentioned me to you," I said as nicely as possible, sort of intimated by him.

"Blaise and Pansy please make your way up to Draco's room," Lucious motioned for them to leave.

My heart sped up and I suddenly felt nervous as Blaise and Pansy dragged their trunks up the stairs, leaving me alone in Draco's dads presence.

"Y/n, are you a pureblood?" Lucious interrogated.

"Yes, sir."

"Who are your parents?"

"Oh — M/n and D/n L/n. You probably aren't familiar with them, they keep to themselves," I said, feeling the urge to grimace just thinking of them.

"Very well, have you ever dated?"

"Oh — um —," I stuttered.

"Lucious don't ask weird questions to the poor girl," Narcissa interrupted.

"I'm just getting to know her," he assured.

"Well — yes. I mean, I have dated."

"Draco?" he asked curiously.

I held in a giggle. "No, sir."

"Have you ever considered it?"

"Well, no. We didn't really become friends until recently," I explained.

"Hm — you seem like a nice girl. Run along now."

I gripped my trunk and scurried up the steps, heart still pounding rapidly, to attempt and find Draco's room. I walked down the long hallway, stepping on a emerald rug all the while, and noticed a snake statue on the door. I guessed that was Draco's room and walked in hesitatingly. I became pleased; Blaise, Pansy, and Draco were all chatting normally on his bed.

Draco smirked. "Well well, look who decided to come."

"Nice to see you too," I replied, throwing down my trunk and plopping down on his bed next to him.

"What took you so long to come up here anyway?" he questioned.

"Other than your dad asking me if I'd date you?"

"Ahh — sorry about that. What'd you say?"

"Oh y'know just that I fancy you loads and that if I ever had a chance with you I would instantly take it."

"Very funny."

"I thought so."

"Draco, we need to tell you about George!" Pansy squealed.

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"The weasel?" Draco groaned.

"No," Blaise quickly said.

"Tell me about it then."

"Well, over break we visited another Muggle city because we were bored. So, we decided to go to a fancy steak Muggle restaurant. We met some muggles and they were cool — at least the George and Ace guy. That's besides the point. Anyways, we were talking to them and they were pretty nice. George and Y/n were flirting the whole —," Blaise began the story.

"I was not!" I interrupted.

Draco nudged me and let out a light laugh and I shook my head, making sure he knew that Blaise was speaking falsely.

"Into the George's, are you?"

"Absolutely not." He raised his eyebrows. "Malfoy, quit looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you know something about me."

"I know that you liked George Weasley while dating his brother," Draco stated.

"I did not! Can you please continue, Blaise?" I begged while Draco kept glancing at me in an attempt to get me to admit it.

"Basically, we all talked, ate, and laughed the whole time until we all were about to head out of the place. Ace, one of the guys, asked us if we wanted to go to golf place next door and we obviously agreed. The couple that sat with them left and so it was just us three and the two single guys: George and Ace. George taught us how to play but him and Y/n were flirting the whole time so it was a bit awkward. Anyways, we had to leave them after that and it was kind of sad," Blaise finalized.

"How eventful," Draco sarcastically responded then turned his gaze over to me. "I didn't know you could flirt."

"You don't know much about me at all," I replied shortly.

"Oh really?"

"What do you know, Malfoy?"

"I know that you like chocolate. I know you liked having purple hair. I also know that you like stealing Blaise's hoodies." He shrugged nonchalantly.

I gasped. "Stalker."

"I'm not a stalker! Just observant." Draco insisted. "I bet you know stuff about me too."

"Hm — I know that you like cotton candy. I know that you are scared to tell your father that your in love with a Muggle. Ooh, I know that you can't swim!"

"I can swim," he said, clearly annoyed.

"Sure you can."

"Sorry to break up— whatever this is — but Draco you should show us to our rooms," Blaise intruded our small argument.

"Oh, right."

Draco gestured for the three of us to follow him. We all grabbed our trunks that had been on his bedroom floor and walked out into the hallway.

"Blaise and Pansy you can stay in here together," Draco shortly said, pointing to the room right next to his door.

I jokingly coughed to get his attention.

"You stay in there," he said, acknowledging me and pointing to the door right across from his.

I nodded and walked in the room. It looked similar to Draco's but not as nearly decorated as much as his. It was filled with emerald sheets, a large rug, and a couple of dusty portraits. I set my trunk at the end of the bed and unpacked only a couple of outfits into the drawers. Once I finished, I opened the door to the bathroom and observed the white marble floors with Slytherin green walls, contrasting it drastically.

"Is it to your standards?" Draco asked, peeking his head in the door.

"It's perfect."

"It used to be my room," he explained. "I moved into the other one a couple years ago because it's bigger."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I don't know," he replied truthfully.

"Weird."

"What?" He grinned, stepping closer to me.

"You're weird," I repeated, though visibly louder.

"This is why nobody likes you."

"That's not what Lucious said last night."

His eyes widened vastly. "I'm done," he groaned, leaving the room quickly.

I bursted into laughter and closed the bathroom door. I took one last look around the fancy, green room and headed into Blaise and Pansy's similar room.

"Draco is all freaked out now," I overheard Blaise say as I walked in the room.

"Did he tell you what I said?" I asked, laughing while bursting into the room uninvited.

Blaise shook his head, disappointed. "Unfortunately."

"It was brilliant," Pansy whispered to me.

I giggled again and Draco walked in.

"Oh no you're in here."

"That excited to see me?"

"Opposite actually."

I was about to respond but a short house elf walked in with a letter.

"Mrs. Malfoy said lunch is ready," the house elf squeaked.

Blaise and Pansy jumped off of their bed and we all followed Draco into the dining room.

Lucious sat on one the end and Narcissa sat on the other. Draco sat on one of the side seats, closest to his father. Blaise sat to his right and Pansy across from his. Lucious pointed at me and then the seat close to him, and across from Draco.

I reluctantly took the seat and he began an unusual, but entertaining conversation.

"What are your plans for the future?" he questioned as Draco held in a laugh.

"I was thinking about working at the ministry or even becoming a professor," I answered honestly.

"Staying in the wizarding world?" he questioned more to himself than me.

I nodded and began eating the hot soup that the house elf just served to the table. Narcissa sent an apologetic smile to me and I slightly smiled back at her.

Blaise and Pansy began a conversation about their classes with her. Draco, on the other hand, coughed to hide his laughter every time his father asked me a new question.

"Draco, are you sick?" Lucious annoyingly questioned.

"No, just a slight cough," Draco croaked.

"Eat your soup," Lucious replied and then turned back to me. "Anyways, do you plan on marrying and having children?"

I was the one to cough this time. Once I stopped choking on my soup, I replied hoarsely, "Er — I suppose I would like to get married eventually. Kids could be nice as well, I guess."

Draco had a coughing fit on his side of the table, causing Blaise to vigorously pat him on the back.

Lucious completely ignored him and absorbed what I had just said. "I suggest you finish your studies, get the job you desire, and then settle down with a pureblood family to keep the wizarding world fresh and pure."

"Thank you for the advice," I kindly said, though slightly upset that he only approved of pureblood families.

"I could even train you at the ministry," Lucious suggested.

"That's enough," Narcissa sternly stated. "She is still young."

"Very well." Lucious sighed at his wife's assertiveness.

Once Lucious dismissed us from the dining room table, Draco led us all back to his bedroom.

"Merlin, I've never seen your dad that interested in anyone," Blaise said.

"Neither have I." Draco chuckled.

"That was new. Your parents care more about me than my own," I said to Draco.

"Don't say that!" Pansy screeched, visibly tightening her grip on Blaise's hand in hers.

I shrugged. "It's true."

"Blaise and Pansy go make out in your room, I need to talk to Y/n," Draco unexpectedly said.

I laughed out loud but they obeyed and closed the door behind them.

"I really didn't know he was going to do that. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable here but I —," Draco stammered.

"It's fine. You can't do anything about it. Honestly it gave you a good laugh and it got me thinking about my future."

"Was it all true then?"

"Yes," I replied while wandering around his room. I noticed a baby picture of him in floaties on his dresser. "I knew you couldn't swim."

"I was two years old! What makes you think I can't swim?" he defended himself.

I ignored him and glanced at the other frames on his dresser. There were all sorts of pictures: Baby Draco riding a broomstick; toddler Draco on Christmas morning; kid Draco helping his dad at work; and teen Draco in a black suit at a ball.

"You go to balls?" I questioned.

He walked over to where I was looking and stood right behind me. "My family holds random balls throughout the years that I'm forced to go to," he replied and I could feel his breath lingering on my neck.

"Sorry." I shook my head and backed out of the room with a weird feeling fluttering about in my stomach.

I crossed the hallway into my room and laid flat on my face, wondering why I couldn't spend time with my family and why my stomach felt so weird when Draco spoke to me.

I laid down for what felt like hours but could've been just a few minutes when I heard the door creak open. I continued shoving my head in the pillow and ignoring whoever walked in.

"What's wrong, L/n?"

I immediately recognized the voice as the blonde boy who was probably very confused as to why I stormed out of his room.

All I did was groan which caused him to lightly chuckle but become serious once again.

"Don't make me ask again."

"I'm fine," my muffled voice spoke from underneath the pillow.

"Please?" Draco asked.

I sensed the strain in his voice as he said that one word. His pleading tone caused me to sit up and face him.

"You look rough."

"Thanks," I replied sarcastically.

"So?"

"I wish I had parents that took pictures of me and made me frame them on my dresser even if I was embarrassed. I wish I had parents that gave me a sentimental gift at Christmas instead of a card and some rotted candy. I wish I had parents that remotely acknowledged me," I finally said, my shoulders lightening up as I stated what was bothering me.

"I understand, but I want you to know that Mum is the only thing keeping me going. My father judges every concept of my life and he's not the one to take those pictures. Mum is the only one that cares about me in this world and I would be dead right now if she wasn't here."

"I'm sorry," I said while hugging him.

"Me too," he replied, a single tear slowly falling down his face and onto my shoulder, vulnerability and intimacy soaring through the air at that moment.