Draco came courting on Valentine's Day, though he feigned ignorance of such a pedestrian Muggle event. His cheeks went blotchy red when Daphne mocked him for his romanticism, and Astoria flew to her beloved's rescue.
"Stop teasing, Daffy," she cried. She anchored herself to Draco's side like a remora in a puffed-up dress. "You're absolutely awful. Come on, Draco, Mother said we could have a cup of tea in the library. Father bought a first edition in Lyon, and oh! the section on Transfiguration..."
"Make sure Orkey sits with you," Daphne said cheerfully, and Draco turned even redder while Astoria tittered. "Can't have any wee Malfoys running around before you've usurped Narcissa's position, after all," Daphne added under her breath.
They disappeared round a corner, but Daphne could still hear Astoria prattling on about Animagi or some such. As if Draco gave a baboon's ruddy arse about a subject he'd nearly failed at Hogwarts. Daphne smiled widely, till her eyes scrunched up at the corners so she could see a blur, and wondered once again why her mother picked Astoria to shove at the eligible heir. Daphne had been the one in his year, after all.
---
"That was a marvelous spectacle," said Daphne. Draco jumped nearly out of his skin. "You should have asked for admission. I would gladly have payed a hundred Galleons to see Astoria slap the pureblood out of you. Phineas Nigellus probably felt that smack, don't you think?"
"Astoria's got an arm on her," Draco admitted slightly mournfully. The right side of his face glowed pink. He slumped against the trellis'd wall, his back crushing the small white flowers and shoulders down in defeat. Daphne's lips curled fondly. Oh, Draco. Really.
She said the words out loud. He looked up; something like surprise and hope blossomed in his face. Perhaps he'd expected her to avenge her sister and slam abuse at him as well. Daphne was above such theatrics. Besides, she knew the truth.
"You should have defended yourself," said Daphne. She stepped forward till eye-to-eye with Draco. Unlike tiny pixie Astoria, Daphne was fully-grown. "We both knew you wouldn't lower your standards to bloody Parkinson."
"We're only friends," Draco interjected. "She wanted to go shopping for robes in Diagon Alley... I didn't tell Astoria because she'd blow things out of proportion!"
"I know," said Daphne soothingly. "I know you, Draco. You weren't fooling around with Parkinson. Astoria got it wrong."
Her hand wrapped around Draco's elbow and she tugged him forward, so that he turned towards her and their noses brushed. Just a murmur of a touch, but their lips met in a wild crash till there was less touch and more force. It was an incomprehensible kiss. Daphne thought she might have licked his teeth.
daphne/draco, these webs are a mess (1/2), pg-13
"Stop teasing, Daffy," she cried. She anchored herself to Draco's side like a remora in a puffed-up dress. "You're absolutely awful. Come on, Draco, Mother said we could have a cup of tea in the library. Father bought a first edition in Lyon, and oh! the section on Transfiguration..."
"Make sure Orkey sits with you," Daphne said cheerfully, and Draco turned even redder while Astoria tittered. "Can't have any wee Malfoys running around before you've usurped Narcissa's position, after all," Daphne added under her breath.
They disappeared round a corner, but Daphne could still hear Astoria prattling on about Animagi or some such. As if Draco gave a baboon's ruddy arse about a subject he'd nearly failed at Hogwarts. Daphne smiled widely, till her eyes scrunched up at the corners so she could see a blur, and wondered once again why her mother picked Astoria to shove at the eligible heir. Daphne had been the one in his year, after all.
---
"That was a marvelous spectacle," said Daphne. Draco jumped nearly out of his skin. "You should have asked for admission. I would gladly have payed a hundred Galleons to see Astoria slap the pureblood out of you. Phineas Nigellus probably felt that smack, don't you think?"
"Astoria's got an arm on her," Draco admitted slightly mournfully. The right side of his face glowed pink. He slumped against the trellis'd wall, his back crushing the small white flowers and shoulders down in defeat. Daphne's lips curled fondly. Oh, Draco. Really.
She said the words out loud. He looked up; something like surprise and hope blossomed in his face. Perhaps he'd expected her to avenge her sister and slam abuse at him as well. Daphne was above such theatrics. Besides, she knew the truth.
"You should have defended yourself," said Daphne. She stepped forward till eye-to-eye with Draco. Unlike tiny pixie Astoria, Daphne was fully-grown. "We both knew you wouldn't lower your standards to bloody Parkinson."
"We're only friends," Draco interjected. "She wanted to go shopping for robes in Diagon Alley... I didn't tell Astoria because she'd blow things out of proportion!"
"I know," said Daphne soothingly. "I know you, Draco. You weren't fooling around with Parkinson. Astoria got it wrong."
Her hand wrapped around Draco's elbow and she tugged him forward, so that he turned towards her and their noses brushed. Just a murmur of a touch, but their lips met in a wild crash till there was less touch and more force. It was an incomprehensible kiss. Daphne thought she might have licked his teeth.