Pariah: The Other Malfoy

Chapter 37: A Muggleborn?

"This is mad. At this rate, we'll be the only ones in our year without dates," Ron muttered during study hall the next day, "Well, us and Neville."

"Then again, he can take himself," Harry snickered, and I rolled my eyes at them.

At that point, Snape came over and hit Ron over the head, having heard him speaking instead of studying, before walking away again.

"Nice," Hermione said disapprovingly, "But it might interest you two to know Neville's got someone."

"Now I'm really depressed," Ron grumbled.

At that, Fred passed a note over to Ron, who read it before glaring over at him.

"Who are you going with then?" He questioned.

Fred glanced over to see where Snape was, before balling up a bit of paper and throwing it at Angelina. She looked over, watched him mime asking her to the dance, and nodded in agreement.

I snorted as Fred turned back to the boys, winking at them. Ron glanced at me, then Hermione, and cleared his throat.

"Hermione," he said, "You're a girl."

"Well spotted," Hermione said scathingly.

"Come on. It's one thing for a bloke to show up alone," Ron continued, "For a girl, it's just sad."

"I won't be going alone because, believe it or not, someone's asked me," she stood up and marched over to Snape, handing him her exercise book before grabbing her stuff at the table, "And I said yes."

I glanced at the two boys wordlessly as Hermione stormed out.

"She's lying, right?" Ron glanced between Harry and I.

"If you say so," I shrugged, going back to my work.

"Look. We've just got to grit our teeth and do it. Tonight, when we both get back to the common room, we'll both have partners," I was looking behind Ron, a small grin on my face, "Agreed?"

Before Harry could respond, Snape had forced both of their heads down towards their work, cutting off further conversation. I shook my head in exasperation - they really were something.

I was waiting for Tobias by the lake that evening, wrapped tightly in a jacket, looking at the snowfall around the frozen water. I had to talk to him about my parents, and I wanted to do it privately.

"Hey, sorry I'm late!" He popped up suddenly, grinning at me, "I got held up. Ron asked out Fleur Delacour."

"What?" My eyes widened, "What happened?"

"Well, he sort of just... yelled at her as she walked past," he scratched his eyebrow, "Then he legged it. Nobody was quite sure how to react."

"Well..." I shook my head, laughing slightly.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" He collapsed on a snow pile, looking up at me expectantly.

I sat down next to him, fumbling with my hands as I thought about it. This was so stupid! Why couldn't my family be normal?

"Hey, what is it?" He grabbed my hands, looking at me in concern.

"It's stupid really... my parents are asking who I'm going with," I sighed, and he looked visibly relieved, "I don't want to tell them without speaking to you first. I don't know how they'll react, and I just..."

He shushed me, smiling slightly.

"Tell them," he said softly, "If they accept your lycanthropy, I think they'll be okay with you dating a mudblood. It seems very mild on the scale in comparison, does it not?"

"You're not a—" I began.

"I know," he laughed, "I'm just saying. In your father's eyes, from what I've heard about him, something like lycanthropy would be the final straw, if he was really going to go back to how he was. Tell them, and if it does cause issues, you can come stay with me over summer."

"I swear, you're the best thing to happen to me," I smiled back at him, squeezing his hands back.

"You'd be lost without me," he winked, when suddenly —

WHACK

I was blinded by snow. I blinked a few times, shaking the wet slush out of my hair and face, before turning to Tobias with a dark look.

"Now you've asked for it," I growled, scooping up my own pile of snow and launching it at him.

He yelped in surprise, leaping out of the way just in time, but while he did that I launched another attack. I hit him square in the face, causing him to stumble in surprise, and I doubled over in laughter.

I was suddenly knocked to the ground, a heavy weight on top of me as snow was piled over my face again. I laughed wildly, struggling against him as he continued to torment me.

"Alright, you win!" I laughed, shaking the snow from my hair again.

"Giving up so easily, Malfoy?" He laughed, his face inches from mine as he pinned me down on the snowbank.

I stared into his eyes, my smile falling to a more serious look. He followed suit, his eyes wandering to my lips as he leaned closer and closer —

WHACK

I used my legs to catch him off guard, flipping him to he was below me now. His face turned into a look of shock before he laughed loudly, groaning as I shook my wet hair over his face.

"Damn, you win!" He conceded, and I fell back on the snow, laughing myself.

"I'm a Malfoy, I always have a trick up my sleeve," I winked at him.

"Come on, let's go inside," he shook his head as he stood up, helping me to my feet.

We walked together back to the castle, he slung his arm over my shoulder and held me against him, laughing and joking the whole way. Nothing could ruin this moment for me, not even the dread of the letter I was about to draft.

Dear Lyra,
Tobias Roberts is the muggleborn, correct? He seemed a nice boy, and if you're happy, I am happy for you. I hope to meet him properly over summer.
Your mother is glad you like the dress, she had it custom made.
My only hope for your partner is that he can dance, for I would hate for your lessons to have gone to waste on a partner who has two left feet. That would look awful for the family if people thought you couldn't dance.
I'm glad you have been safe this first term. Draco informed me of the incident with Mad-Eye Moody, so I was concerned you might have had similar treatment. Dumbledore told me he has been dealt with already, but if you encounter anything, if he does anything, let Severus know immediately.
Regards,
Father

"What did he say?" Tobias made me jump, standing on the other side of the breakfast table.

"Jesus," I whispered, clutching my chest, "This isn't the treatment I need this early in the morning."

"Stop being a baby," he laughed, sitting across from me and grabbing a cauldron cake from the pack supplied by my parents, "What was the reply?"

"His main concern is whether or not you can dance, because it would look awful for the family if people believed that I had two left feet," I rolled my eyes, passing over the letter to allow him to read it, "Also, those are mine."

"Well, lucky for you I also got lessons when I was younger," he grinned, ignoring my comment and taking another cake, "Everyone else did martial arts, I got sent to ballroom dancing lessons. But, your father mentioned here about Moody... aren't you going to tell him?"

"No," I took the letter from him, folding it up and sliding it into my pocket, "He'd just kick up a huge fuss, it isn't worth it. Snape knows and told Dumbledore, so I'm sure it'll be fine from now on."

"I don't know, it all seems a bit.. suspect," Tobias dropped his toast down, "If he hated your father for being a Death Eater, surely the fact you're a Gryffindor who is mates with muggleborns and Harry Potter would mean you get a free pass. Your brother I get, but you?"

"He is called Mad-Eye Moody," I shrugged, "We'll keep an eye on things, its cool."