Star-Crossed (COMPLETED 11.27.08)

- - -

"Are you out of your mind?" Draco shouted angrily.

"Don't take that tone with me, Draco." his father scowled.

"How can you do this to me? Why would you do this to me?" Draco pleaded.

"Because Voldemort is getting too close to you. I refuse to allow you to fall into his clutches. This way, I can keep you safe." Lucius replied, gentling his voice.

"Safe! You call this keeping me safe? Marrying me off to a fucking Gryffindor!"

"Draco, language." his mother chided. "Besides, the Prince is perfect for you."

"Mother! How can you condone this? It's beyond wrong!" Draco shouted at her.

"Lower your voice this instant!" Lucius scowled darkly, voice hard. Draco gulped. His father was well and truly angry now, but Draco wasn't going down without a fight.

"Father, be reasonable. Gryffindor is everything Slytherin is not. How can you just marry me off to one of them without my consent?"

"It's not as if I'm marrying you off to a commoner, Draco. What the hell do you take me for?"

"I've never even seen the man! What makes you think I want to marry him?"

"Because I said you will and that is final!" Lucius barked. There was silence in the room for a moment.

"I really hate you right now." Draco whispered before turning on his heel and stalking out of the room.

"Well, that went well." Narcissa chuckled. Lucius only arched an eyebrow at her before joining in her laughter.

"Am I truly doing the right thing for him, Cissa?" Lucius sighed, sitting beside his wife. She reached up and gently caressed his cheek.

"In the long run, he will see that you were right. We know what Voldemort is like. Draco would have been dead inside of a week at that monster's hands. This is the best for everyone involved."

"I can only hope the Prince of Gryffindor takes this news better then our own son has." Lucius sighed, kissing her palm.

- - -

Draco stormed into his room and began pulling things from his wardrobe, tossing them into his traveling bag.

"Going somewhere?" came a soft voice behind him. He looked over his shoulder at his personal aide and bodyguard, Remus.

"Yes. I'm getting the hell out of this mad house."

"I heard about the betrothal. I'm assuming that's what this is about."

"I refuse to marry a Gryffindor, Remus."

"That's ridiculous, Draco."

"Why?"

"You've never met the man. How can you hate someone you've never met."

"Easy. He's a Gryffindor. How many times must I say it?"

"What exactly do you have against Gryffindor anyway?" Remus asked.

"Nothing, other than the fact that I came in third behind two of them at school." Draco scowled.

"So you're just upset that they're better than you at something."

"Precisely."

"Precisely stupid if you ask me."

"No one did so shut it" Draco resumed his packing.

"You're being very childish right now."

"I don't care, Remus. I refuse to be shuffled between enemies like a – like a...oh I don't know what but I don't like it!" Draco stamped his foot in anger, very much resembling a petulant child. Remus wondered why no one took a hand to the willful brat. He sighed and tried to placate his charge.

"Well, there's nothing for it then. Guess I'll have to go with you to keep you out of trouble." Remus shrugged. Draco grunted in reply as he decided which boots to take. Remus headed to his own room to pack a bag.

He met Draco twenty minutes later in the docking bay.

They climbed aboard Draco's personal starship, Pride of Slytherin, and began their pre-flight checklist.

Ignoring the hails to return to the docking bay, Draco shot out of the hangar and into the stars, unaware that he was being followed...

- - -

"Lucius, Draco's run away!" Narcissa shouted, running into the room.

"Damn that boy!" he growled. "I'm calling The Retrievers."

"Are you sure that's wise, Lucius?"

"If I know Voldemort, he's got someone following Draco as we speak. It's the only way, Cissa."

She nodded in reply and Lucius headed for the Communications Center.


TBC...

And I warn you now...Pleas of "Update soon" will be summarily ignored.