Love Bites (Harry Potter: Official Dragon Tamer, Part One)

Samhain

Saturday Evening
31 October 2009
Draco's POV

Well, this certainly hadn't been how I'd envisioned spending the holiday, following Harry, Molly, and Aunt Andromeda towards the tent with Mum and Father trailing uncertainly behind me.

While I understood their concerns about leaving Mum alone with someone as devious as my father, I certainly didn't think it merited dragging him along to ruin a perfectly wonderful Samhain celebration.

Harry had returned to the Manor mere minutes, it had seemed after he had left, Aunt Andromeda and Molly in tow, both of them absolutely adamant that Mum and I return to the Burrow where we could all take turns keeping an eye on Father.

I should have known, given all seven Weasley children's fiery dispositions, that Molly herself would be a force to be reckoned with, and by the time Mum and I had tried offering our feeble arguments, I understood why Ron, a full-grown man standing well near two metres tall, still cowered at the mention of his mother when she was angry.

As for Aunt Andromeda.

Well, I'd already known not to counter her.

So here we were, less than twenty minutes later, crossing the Weasley's garden, watching as the guests twirled and danced beneath the tent, sipping on cider and mulled wine, eating canapés, and, altogether, enjoying their evening.

I was waiting for the moment when they would notice us, and the thinly disguised disdain would appear on their faces — the accusing stares in my direction, seeing as it was basically my fault Lucius Malfoy was there to ruin their celebration.

A nasty thought kept circling, telling me some would even find the time to pull Harry aside and urge him to reconsider our relationship once they were faced with this unpleasant ghost of my past, and it managed to lodge itself as a nagging little whisper somewhere at the back of my brain.

"Narcissa, we've just absolutely enjoyed getting to know Draco," Molly was saying. "He's been such a help with preparing for tonight, not to mention anyone who can make our Harry smile the way he does is always welcome here."

And, fuck Merlin, but what was this ridiculous Hufflepuff-nonsense feeling of joy and elation swelling in my chest as Molly's eyes sought both Harry's and mine, giving us a warm smile.

"He's been enjoying himself as well, no doubt", Mum replied with a knowing smile of her own.

"Draco always wanted siblings when he was younger, and I imagine he's experienced what that might have been like these past few days."

"What's this? You've always wanted siblings, Malfoy?"

George suddenly grabbed me from behind and dragged me down into a headlock.

"Well, why didn't you say so? We could've given you the deluxe Weasley-Sibling-Weekend package!"

He ruffled my hair as he held my head to his side, Charlie jumping in to tickle me as I struggled, shrieking and laughing in the most un-Malfoy-like way you could imagine, and, had I not been so preoccupied with retaliating against the two older Weasleys, I would have made it a point to catch Father's expression.

"Maybe it's all for the better you didn't have any brothers or sisters," Harry was saying, nearly doubled over in laughter as Charlie and George finally released me.

"There's no way you could have ever kept your hair or clothing as neat as you do if you'd had."

"Don't be stupid, Potter," I replied, straightening my coat and smoothing my hair, trying and failing to glare haughtily at Charlie and George. "I would've been the eldest, which, everyone knows, gives you extra clout.