"Listen up", Snape sneered. "The cotillion is this weekend and every year, I have to remind you imbeciles what is appropriate and what isn't"
"What's Snape's ass this morning", I whispered to Draco.
"Isn't there always something", he chuckled in a low voice.
"Something you need to say Malfoy and Blackwood?", Snape asked us, making all the Slytherin sixth years turn to look at the Draco and I.
"No, sir", Draco replied, looking down at the ground, trying to refrain from laughing.
"Very well then", Snape glared. "Absolutely no drinking, smoking, or any kind of drug related activities. This is a classy event held at the Malfoy Manor, not a speakeasy"
"Damn, I wish it was", Blaise muttered to himself. "Drunk girls dancing on tables and poles"
"Don't be an ass, B", Alex said elbowing Blaise's arm.
"Ouch", Blaise yelped. "Take a fucking joke, Black"
Alex scoffed and rolled his eyes at Blaise.
"... You will arrive at the Malfoy Manor not later than seven", Snape continued, "and you will come prepared and dressed"
"What are your plans for summer holiday?", Draco asked me.
"Probably Paris with Stass, why?"
"Just wanted to know if you would want to go to Italy with me"
"Yeah, I would love to", I said kissing him on the cheek.
"Since your grandparents are throwing their annual brunch in Tuscany, we could spend-"
"Blackwood, Malfoy", Snape called cutting Draco off and gaining both of our attention. "I want you two to lead your classmates upstairs for rehearsals"
"Yes, sir", I nodded.
Draco and I gathered all thirty-six of out classmates and lead them upstairs through the shortcut from the Slytherin common room to the Entrance Hall. We guided everyone into the Great Hall where all of the sixth years from the three other Hogwarts houses were gathered. In the Great Hall, there was a large recorded player at the front of the room and the room was split up, girls on the left side and boys on the right.
I separated from Draco and walked over to the left side of the room, standing in between Stass and Luna Lovegood. Standing right across from was Draco, who was rubbing the top of Neville Longbottom's head with his knuckles, messing his hair up. Neville swatted Draco's hand away from his head and took a few steps away from Draco. He grabbed onto his right arm with his left and and looked down at the floor.
"Everyone ready?", asked Professor McGonagall. She then played the music and we all bowed at each other.
As the music played, all of the sixth year wizards and witches waltzed across the Great Hall floor. Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs struggled with the steps and trying to keep up with the pace of the music while Slytherin and Ravenclaw were on beat. Slytherins snickered at the Gryffindors as they danced passed them.
Most, if not all Slytherins has had some form of training in ballroom dance, typically the waltz since most of us have to attend balls like my family's annual Snowflake Ball. It's one of those pretentious "right of passages" that everyone who comes from Pureblood families have to do. Learning how to waltz and horseback riding around our grounds at twelve just happened to be some of those "right of passages". That and knowing which fork to use at fancy dinners with Ministry officials.
When the music stopped, we all let go of our partners and the Gryffindors let out a sigh of relief.
"Okay, now we will work on the introductions", McGonagall said clapping her hands to get everyone's attention. "Ladies, line up on my left and gentlemen, line up on my right", she instructed. I let go of Draco's hand and lined up in the same order I was in for the dance, Luna in front of me and Stass right behind me. "Alright, now when I present the debutant, you will descend the stairs and then meet with your escort at the bottom. Once you've met with your escort, you will line up on the dance floor in formation"
"Have you written your introduction yet?", Stass whispered in my ear behind me.
"Yeah"
"What'd you write? I'm stuck"
"I just wrote that I want to graduate top of the class and plan on working for the Ministry after uni"
"Gross", she cringed. "You sound like your father"
"That's kind of the whole point... You know how he can be. He wants me to conquer the Wizarding World"
"Do you mind if I copy you?"
"No, but my father might"
"Fuck", she groaned. "What am I supposed to write?"
"I don't know. Just say that you want to be apart of the Cotillion Committee and support the Ministry"
"Hmm, that's not too bad"
"... Miss Stella Cordelia Blackwood", McGonagall called.
I walked down the aisle and met with Draco. He held his arm out and I hooked my arm around his. We walked down the aisle together and then separated at the "dance floor". Once all the girls were "introduced", McGonagall played the music again and we all ran the dance one last time.
After cotillion rehearsals, the group and I walked downstairs to the dungeons and hung out in the boys' dorm room. Blaise took out his joints and lit one while we all sat in a circle, passing it around. I curled up next to Draco and let him shot gun the smoke into my mouth.
"Before Snape interrupted us, I was going to say that since we're going to be at your grandfather's for his little party, we could stay in Florence for a few days before heading down to Tuscany", Draco said letting out his smoke.
"Alone?", I asked taking the joint from his hands and pressing it against my lips.
"Yeah, my family has a place out there. Is being alone a problem?", he smirked.
"Nope. I just need to figure out what to tell my father. He won't like the idea of the two of us in Florence alone"
"Leave that to me, I can sweet talk him into letting you stay with me?"
"Sweet talk? I would love to see how that goes down"
"I can be very persuasive"
Draco leaned towards me and wrapped his hands around my waist. He placed his lips on mine, smiling as he kissed me.
"Not here", Alex groaned, throwing a pillowing at my head. "If you're going to be snogging each other, at least do it in the privacy of your own room"
"Fine", Draco sighed. He got up from the ground and held his hands out to me. I held onto them and he helped me up from the ground.
Draco held onto my hand and lead me from his dorm room over to mine.
When we got to my empty dorm room, I shut the door behind me and followed Draco over to my bed. I laid down in it with him and rested my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.
"Do you think the group hates seeing us together because of my past relationship with Theo?", I asked. "I don't remember getting pillows thrown at me for kissing him"
Here I go again, talking about Theo. I should just shut up every once and awhile.
"You mention him a lot", Draco sighed.
"I know, and I'm sorry. It's probably getting really annoying", I said playing with my hair in between my finger tips.
"I get it. You dated him for half of your life and is still getting used to not having him around, everybody is. The boys still don't know what to say when it comes to you. We all used to be able to have casual conversations with Theo about you and now it's just... awkward"
I hate knowing that I am an uncomfortable topic between the boys.
"Well", I sighed. "After this weekend, we will have all summer to forget about the events of this school year. I just want everything to go back to normal and for everything to stop being so weird. I hate that the boys feel uncomfortable talking about me"
"It's not all your fault, Stell", he said kissing the top of my head. "It's just so fucking obvious that Theo isn't over you so it's weird bringing you up around him sometimes"
"Does that bother you?"
"It's just not the same anymore. Theo and I used to be able to talk about girlfriends with no problem, but now, I have to keep it to myself"
I never really understood how taxing I am on Draco's relationship with Theo until now. Before everything that had happened, we were all able to casually speak to each other and I'm sure it was difficult for Draco sometimes when he saw Theo and I together but everything just flowed naturally. A big difference between Draco and Theo is that, Draco likes to be a lot more closed with his feelings whereas Theo is more vocal. When he is bothered by something, Theo makes it so fucking obvious compared to Draco waiting to be alone before letting his emotions run free.
Talking to Theo and asking him to stop being so fucking annoying isn't even an option. I don't want him thinking I'm trying to cheat on Draco again. Keeping my distance from him is the only thing that is going to keep my relationship with Draco from falling apart like it almost did a few weeks ago. I'm just hoping that by the end of summer, Theo would just get over me so that I can with Draco and not worry whether or not I am hurting his feelings.
author's notes:
I'm sorry I've been so m.i.a. and taking so long to update. I've been drowning in school work and life so please be patient with me.