Interstellar || Draco Malfoy

26 || The Yule Ball

Standing in front of the mirror was a challenge on most days for me, as I didn't really like what I saw looking back at me. My hair was especially unruly today, falling in abundantly wild curls over my shoulders. The spell I usually used to tame my hair was thrown out the window, as I was still stressed over who my dance partner would be in just a few minutes. I tried to fix the curls with my fingers, but it only encouraged them to grow wilder, making me sigh deeply.

"Almost ready, Littlesea?" Pansy shrilled from the dormitory doorway. "Draco refuses to leave without you."

"Just a minute." I called lightly, ignoring her as she stomped back into the bathroom across the hall.

I looked back at my reflection, running my hands over the fabric of the dress Narcissa Malfoy sent to me. The color was a rich, Slytherin green, which made my pale skin look paler and my grey eyes look stormier. The dress pooled slightly at my feet, leaving enough fabric at the bottom of the dress so that it remained floor length when I put on the heels that accompanied the dress. The expensive- and out of place- silver chain around my neck, adorned with emeralds, was a gift from Lucius Malfoy. He requested I wear it with the dress and matching emerald earrings Narcissa chose for me.

I sighed at the unfamiliar girl in the mirror, questioning how such exquisite clothing and jewels had found their way onto a lowly street kid. Of course, I understood that the Malfoy's wanted to take care of me since I spent the summer with them, but I hadn't expected them to go all out with the Yule Ball outfit. I looked and felt like Slytherin royalty- so far removed from my own reality that it would've been laughable had I not been so stressed.

Sitting proudly on my left wrist was the charm bracelet my friends had gotten for me. The charms clashed against the green of the dress, but I couldn't bear to take it off after looking in the mirror at the start of the night. The dragon charm, once representing Draco, now represented the Peruvian Vipertooth that had nearly taken my arm. Draco promised to get another charm for the bracelet, claiming he needed his own charm that wouldn't remind me of my near-death experience

"Hurry up!" Pansy snapped, clumsily heading for the stairs. I took a breath and placed my feet into the heels Narcissa sent, steadying myself before I reached for my wand. I tucked it safely into the sash around my waist, feeling much safer with it than leaving it in the dormitory like the other girls. I looked into the mirror one last time, giving myself a stern nod before heading out of the dormitory.

Carefully, I descended down the staircase, holding onto the guard rail tightly. I kept my eyes on my feet, but I felt three pairs of eyes on me the second the common room became visible. As my feet reached the last few steps, two pairs of hands reached out and helped me down the final steps.

"Thank you." I smiled, thanking Crabbe and Goyle.

"You look beautiful, Mona." Draco breathed, pulling me into a hug. I hugged him back, breathing in the familiar scent of his expensive cologne- which was always overpowered by the smell of green apples. I pulled away from him and smiled softly, fixing his slightly crooked tie.

"Shouldn't you be wearing gloves or something?" Pansy questioned, raising her note at me. "I mean, those scars are hideous."

"I'm actually quite fond of them." I shrugged at the snooty girl. It was the truth; I liked that the scars adorning my right arm served as a reminder that I had survived a deadly dragon and as a topic of conversation. At the very least, I had an interesting story to tell about the scars.

"Why would you be fond of scars?" Pansy asked, disgust dripping from her voice.

"They remind me that I was put up against a deadly dragon and won." I shrugged again. "Not that anything I tell you is going to carry much weight, seeing as you've already decided on hating me."