With Poise [D. Malfoy]

Chapter 3

"Fratello, I love you and how you wish to care for me all these years. It's always been you and I vs the world, so I understand your need to protect me, but look at me. I'm damn near the spitting image of our mother and we didn't get 9 stepfathers from her being unattractive," Bella laughed causing Blaise to chuckle.

"Yes well, let's hope you have better a track record than that," Theo stated leaning on the doorframe smiling at the siblings.

"Theo! Join us!" Bella smiled gesturing to the seat next to her. He strode over to Bella kissing the back of her hand she offered then clapped Blaise on the back.

"I take it you heard the 'no dating' lecture I was enduring?" Bella raised an eyebrow at him smirking into her cup of coffee.

"I didn't say not to date at all..." Blaise trailed off.

"Just men you approve of, vetted, interrogated, and had followed?" she finished looking him dead in the eye. Blaise had the sense to look a bit sheepish.

"If you were my sister, you would be getting the same if not more restrictive treatment," Theo said softly smiling.

"Men," she muttered rolling her eyes then smiled at Theo. The three of them were soon joined by the others and they all felt the familiar twirling of using the portkey as it activated exactly at 1.

Draco immediately went to Bella to escort her up the stairs to the private box they would be sitting in. She smiled up at him only making it to below his shoulders in flat shoes. He could smell the soft rose and vanilla scent wafting off her and immediately loved the feeling of having her close to his side.

"You look beautiful today Bella," he said softly to her placing his hand over hers that was holding onto his arm.

"Thank you, Draco. You look handsome as ever," she beamed then blushed looking away from his steady gaze.

"Hermione?" Bella says letting go of his arm. She walked towards the bushy-haired witch and engulfed her in a hug.

"Bella! How lovely to see you again! You're here with some snakes I see," she laughed raising an eyebrow at Bella.

"Well, when my brother is a Slytherin you become accustomed to living in a snake pit," Bella laughed looping her arm through Hermione's. The group of Slytherins watched Bella interact with the Gryffindors they went to school with.

"Harry this is Bella, my best friend. Bella this is Harry, my other best friend," Hermione laughed again. Bella shook Harry's hand as he blushed being around a beautiful witch.

"Best friend?" Blaise asked Bella looking at her intently. The others could tell they were silently communicating, he then smiled at Hermione holding out his hand.

"Let our old-school houses not interfere with new friendships, yeah?" he said hoping that the animosity would die down between his friends and apparently, his sister's friends.

"We'd like that," Hermione smiled shaking his hand then nudged Harry with her elbow so that he also shook his hand.

"Well, now that that's all settled. Why are you here? You despise Quidditch," Bella said raising an eyebrow smirking at Hermione's expression that went from smiling to annoyed.

"Ginny's playing therefore Hermione is cheering her on in place of her brother who had to work," Harry laughed seeing Hermione dejectedly taking her seat.

"Would have never figured you one for getting forced into anything Granger," Draco smirked taking Bella's coat for her skimming the tops of her shoulder with his fingers tips causing Bella to shiver that wasn't due to the cold. She inhaled his scent of chai and felt the heat from his close body. Bella smiled through the tension taking a seat next to Hermione as Draco handed their jackets to an elf.