The Siren's Call (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

35. What's Unsaid

Even Dioleh, who was a bit bitter about Quidditch since she had quit, couldn't help but feel excited at the buzz of growing energy about the match coming up in the next hour.

They had begun walking toward the stadium and began to climb the many stairs to get to the Top Box. Dioleh had just settled down between Hermione and Bill when she heard. "Ah, and here's Lucius." Turning, she spotted Mr. and, who she presumed to be, Mrs. Malfoy and Draco. They were making their way to the three empty seats right behind the Weasleys and company.

"Ah, Fudge," Lucius greeted, shaking hands with him. "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?"

"How do you do, how do you do?" Fudge replied. "And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk - Obalonsk - Mr. - well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else - you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?"

"Good lord, Arthur," Lucius remarked quietly. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?" Dioleh's jaw clenched. Draco, who had spotted this, bit his lip, looking away from his father.

Fudge, who had been paying attention to something else, said, "Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungos's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest."

"How - how nice," Mr. Weasley replied tensely as Lucius looked at Hermione, his lip curling.

Easily seeing this, Dioleh interrupted, "Dray, hi."

"Hello, love," he replied, trying as hard as she was to break the tension. "Mum, this is Dioleh."

"Lovely to meet you," Narcissa said, shaking Dioleh's hand.

"You too," Dioleh said, although she didn't mean it. To spite Mr. Malfoy, she added, "This is my sister, Hermione." Lucius' eyes darted over to Draco who mentally flinched at the look.

"Yeah, how long since you got adopted now?" Draco asked quickly, sending a worried look at his father. While Lucius' stare lost some of its intensity, Dioleh started glaring at Draco, instantly realizing he was trying to distance her from Hermione's 'shameful' status.

Looking between father and son, Dioleh replied dryly, "Feels like forever."

Now that tensity had risen between everyone, Harry said awkwardly, "We should, er, sit. They're about to start." Quickly, they did so, all of them glad for a reason to end the conversation.

Ludo Bagman began talking about the different teams, but Dioleh wasn't listening. "And now, without further ado," Bagman's voice said, breaking into her thoughts. "Allow me to introduce...the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

"I wonder what they've brought," Mr. Weasley remarked. "Ah, Veela." Instantly he took off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on his robes.

"What are veel-" Harry began, but he broke off as a hundred of them streamed on the field. Bill quickly plugged his ears and shut his eyes, blocking out the music and sight of the dancing women. Veela had the same kind of magical, dazzling beauty that sirens do but, contrary to Dioleh and other sirens, their looks had something magical about it while sirens' appearance was merely a result of genetics and the fact that they rarely had children with people from the land. Glancing over, Dioleh saw that Draco had his eyes shut and his ears plugged while Harry, Ron, and the other male Weasleys appeared to be in some sort of trance.

"Merlin," Dioleh muttered, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Hermione asked as he stood, putting his foot on the edge of the Top Box. The music stopped and Harry blinked. Rolling her eyes, Hermione pulled Harry back down to sit.

"And now," Ludo said, "kindly put your wands in the air for the Irish Team Mascots!" Instantly, a large green and gold form swirled over the field before a rainbow streamed across it. Next, a great, shimmering Shamrock appeared over the field and what seemed to be gold showered the crowd. Once they were gone, Ludo said, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you Dimitrov! Ivanova! Zolgraf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! And Krum!"

With each name, a red streak sped on the field. "That's that's him!" Ron yelled.

"And now, please greet the Irish National Team! Presenting Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! And Lynch!" Seven green streaks appeared. "And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"

"Here we go," Dioleh said anxiously, rubbing her hands together and sitting up with a smile. Draco, who was sitting behind her, smiled as he saw her eyes light up in anticipation.

"They're off!" Ludo cried.