Diamonds

1. Become One

"They changed the marriage laws, don't you know."

"Yes, Narcissa, I have been in informed."

The children didn't look up from where they sat neatly on the floor as the dark-haired woman with the unusually masculine face patronised the elegant Lady Malfoy. Each child was eight years old and had been trained by experts to behave perfectly, and neither of them would move until Pansy's mother stood up to leave. And this was fine by Draco; for as far as he could tell, Pansy Parkinson was a vile brat who didn't deserve the respect granted by the Malfoys. That he wasn't technically supposed to talk to her was just another reason he was so proud of the Malfoy name. It saved him from awful things, like not being the first to read a new book or to own a new toy. He turned a page in the book he was pretending to read, trying not to look as though he was eavesdropping on his mother's words.

"I suppose this means the Parkinson and Malfoy lines will never cross."

"Such a shame," Narcissa murmured. Even Pansy, silly, ignorant Pansy, rise her eyebrows when she heard the obvious mockery in the woman's tone. "But of course. We could never defy the Ministry."

"I seem to remember you doing exactly that in the past." Mrs Parkinson's tone was sickly sweet, and Draco felt his loose tooth throb as he grimaced at his book. "Or have you forgotten Lucius' crimes?"

"My husband was cleared, Prudence. Yours was not, however unfortunate that may be for your charming daughters."

The Parkinsons' didn't remain at the Manor for long after that. Draco and Narcissa watched them go from the doorway, both silent for a long while before the mother placed her hand on her beloved sons' shoulder. "Draco," she began.

"Yes, mother?" The boy's voice was still practically a squeak, though this was because he didn't try to sound more mature. He never did, not when only Narcissa was around to hear him.

"Tomorrow there is an important meeting. There will be a collection of muggle-born and half-blood girls there for you to meet. One of these girls will be your wife in the future."

"I thought that was Pansy." He hadn't yet learned to keep the disgust from his voice when he spoke of the girl he was supposed to wed. Narcissa fixed him with a disapproving stare. "Besides, father says that muggle-borns are filthy."

"Don't be rude, Draco!" She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath in an attempt to steady herself before kneeling, her dark eyes now level with his pale ones. "I'm sure they'll be charming."

"But mother, what if I don't like the one you choose?"

"I'm not going to be choosing, Draco."

He stamped his foot, crying out in an attempt to voice his own disappointment. "Father, then? He'll choose someone evil, I know he will!"

"Don't speak of your father like that!" The sharp tone startled the child, who flinched in response to the order. Narcissa instantly felt terrible, and she reached for him, caressing his face between her hands. "My little dragon. Your father isn't to choose your partner. You are to select the young lady yourself."

Surprised by the responsibility, he stared at her for almost a full minute before loosening the tight fists he'd curled his hands into. "What if someone picks the same one as me?" He was picturing greedy Gregory Goyle and selfish Theodore Nott, boys that always wanted what he had. "They're bigger than me. They'll take her instead."

"No, Draco, no they won't. Only you get to choose. Only you will be there to see the mu-young ladies. I expect the other boys don't yet know what they're in for."

"What does that mean?"

She looked at him, surprised, as she often was, by his curious nature and desire to understand everything. She dreaded the day a proper upbringing would force that out of him, make him into the perfect little pureblood heir. "It doesn't matter what it means, not today, and not tomorrow. Draco, my little dragon, you will look at the girls and you will choose one. I expect they won't behave as well as Pansy," something Draco privately thought was a rather brilliant thing, actually, because Pansy was rather boring, "and they won't have nearly the level of education you've had," which meant they might be thick and he might look better for being a know-it-all, "and of course they won't have the same pedigree as our family, the Malfoys and Blacks and all the purebloods."