A Romeo\'s Nemesis

Chapter 4

Digressing in Drag

Draco\'s lanky hand brushed past the decorative headdresses with monumental reverence; Lucius groused to himself; if he\'d only treat the literary world with such esteem, he\'d be one step further to building an ounce of character. None the less, this picture perfect blithe Draco, obviously in his element of play pretend was something worth committing to memory and though the entire experience of admiring but never touching would o doubt portend to the rest of their evening, Lucius was slaked merely to spend some quality (albeit unconventional) time with his boy before their inevitable separation. Hooting excitedly but unconsciously, Draco ran off in the general direction of the huge Marquis gowns stacked high and invitingly in the back corner of the store with a
slightly bemused Cordelia the dress maker observing casually. Lucius ravished the immediately besotted woman with callous grace
and made to follow his offspring with full forbearing Malfoy stride. Still shaking off the cruel mocking stare of the storelady, Lucius
failed to notice Draco\'s warm absence from the changing rooms and already posing in front of three of the levitating 360 degree damascene mirrors; he was a vision. Blushing with obvious pleasure, Draco unknowingly swung the forest green frock around his
delicately boned male frame with torturous ease for senior Malfoy and pressed down upon the lacy sash while sighing longingly.

The gown fit him to a tee if it weren\'t for lack of trying to fill breast cups that were never meant to be filled; Lucius couldn\'t help himself and cachinnated menacingly, breaking Draco\'s zen like adulation and dropped his cane amidst a torrent of violent chokes
and splutters. Growling indignantly, Draco stormed off back into the change room and the ragged pulling and tearing of cloth could be heard from within aside from profanities left right and centre, all defaming his father\'s wretched sense of humour. Once
recovered, Lucius made to placate his sensitive child, disregarding the previous scurrilous comments made about his person for the time being.


\"Draco,\" Lucius whispered through the pink procured door, a sickly prissy valentine\'s inspired creation no doubt shipped in from layaway. Draco stopped moving while mute tears dripped past his chin resolutely.

\"Draco, my love-\" Lucius stopped at his own blunder and moved away from the door he was clutching to as if it were his last saving grace - as if he could be redeemed for his unholy ruminations. Draco stopped his calmative bawling and opened up the door to a

still mortified and stunned Lucius.
\"Yes father?\" Draco\'s red eyes blinked repeatedly, trying to clear themselves without much luck and encouraging Lucius to touch

their lashes. Inwardly groaning with guilt and uncharacteristic diurnal desire, Lucius pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it solemnly to his son. As Draco blew, Lucius found it easier to speak.


\"Draco, I\'m sorry - you were beautiful,\" Lucius smiled rather coquettishly and turned away, frenetically willing himself not to blush at his own son\'s prettiness. Draco smiled a little shyly.


\"Thank you, father,\" Draco paused uncertainly and turned to sit down while still shirtless and in his green motif ridden briefs on an equally disgustingly pink stool as the doors to the stalls.

\"I don\'t think the matron here really approves of me trying on her dresses...\" Draco\'s breath hitched and he quickly looked away from his father\'s insistent stare. A long silence followed as Lucius worked out how to repay the woman for irritating his son so
repugnantly and stalked out of the room with barely a hmph to say for himself.

\"Madam!\" Lucius bellowed as he stepped up to the counter with many a waver and swagger to his power-staff.

\"Yes, sir, Mr. Malfoy!\" Cordelia replied, startled and blushing. Lucius scowled, revolting against her superficial amicability.

\"How much for that green lace frock by the feather masks?\" Lucius tried to sound as harsh as he could but the words \"frock\" and \"feather\" wantonly resonated throughout the store\'s crevices as if they were amplifying his most inner desires.

\"Well, sir, let me check,\" Cordelia winced and turned slightly to her catalogue, \"ah, here it is - that would be 70 galleons; one of my more elaborate pieces.\"

There was an odd expression etched across her face beneath the plump cheery superfluous falsehood which Lucius was already privy to, being the one usually to issue it and having other barely catch on to his loathing. But it was piteous and undeserved once

Lucius thought more thoroughly on the matter; no, this woman needed instructing on how to treat her clientele.

\"Madam Cordelia,\" Lucius whispered dangerously low in his throat, \"are you at all acquainted with a man by the name of William

Shakespeare - a muggle my family once tried to enslave a few centuries ago but unfortunately, did not succeed?\"

Cordelia’s rouge-streaked cheeks twitched reflexively and she nodded curtly.

\"What you may not have been familiar with is his famous globe theatre and penchant for featuring all male actors, regardless of the gender their role possessed,\" Lucius paused with all the drama of Hamlet he could muster standing in a flowery made up candy-
fabric parlour. Cordelia hunched further behind the counter and began ringing up the item to try and busy her hands and cease Lucius’ predictable point.

\"Stop your fiddling, Madam, I\'m not through,\" he growled and clutched onto her wrist with the venom-laced fangs of his snake-

cane. Cordelia immediately became more passive and subdued and gawked at Lucius as if he was some spirit come to divest her of all logical precautions she may\'ve one time had concerning the pernicious Lucius Malfoy.


\"Therefore, I\'m positive that you\'ll no doubt be amenable in complimenting my son on his excellent taste as well as procuring more equipage - custom of course - for my son in the future. Regardless if they\'re frocks -\" Lucius spat vehemently, \"or to fit

cocks.\"

Releasing the quaking woman, Lucius felt it was his duty to return to his younger mate and tarry him along before tea as was

promised. Draco stared at the ground with the gown resting in between his thighs protectively while lacing his boots; Lucius drooled
and proceeded to drop his cane again. This time, Draco was the one to burst out in a fit of laughter while Lucius snorted indignantly
and tugged at the scrawny runt\'s elbow to shove him and the purchase in view of the now thoroughly disciplined bitch (sedately


venom still coursing through her veins of course). Draco immediately receded behind his father when accosted by the woman\'s

presence, but Lucius gently jerked him forward to stand directly beneath her now not-so-scrutinizing gaze. Draco cleared his throat

and placed the dress down irrespectively.

\"Just this,\" Draco stated in his best auspicious tone of voice thought it was quite inferior do to his lack of emotional suppression
today for some reason and faltered terribly. The woman slowly nodded, ran her wand over it to remove any theft-wards on it,
folded it neatly with tissue in a bag that was passed back to Draco. Lucius shoved the demanded cash into the woman\'s hand and
glared death from behind his son\'s flaxen corona. The woman quickly complied.


\"A fine choice, Mr. Malfoy - one of my finest works. May you enjoy it in all your artistic endeavours.\" Lucius’ menace weakened a bit
and Draco grew even more flustered by this woman\'s sudden change of heart.

\"Yes, well,\" no worthy castigation came to mind but the colour scheme of the place, \"perhaps you\'ll extend your apparent
expertise with a needle and thread to interior decorating, this shop is blinding.\"


Draco looked back and up to meet Lucius’ approving notice and both swept out the door with matching stride.


A few moments later when they were both seated and carrying warm cider to their apparation point, Draco managed to snuggle
into the poofiest part of Lucius’’ cloak without much notice and breathe in the mixture of sweat and soap still lingering beneath his


armpit. Draco must\'ve sighed a wee bit too loudly as Lucius turned to him with mild apprehension about being touched in one of

his more powerful erogenous zones without Draco\'s knowledge. Draco didn\'t flush this time but casually rested his arm around the

back of his minstrel\'s waist and nuzzled further into the cavernous depth so easily accessible to him in her present position. Lucius

nearly mewled with pleasure but quickly regained a semblance of public propriety and the time. Not wishing to dissuade Draco by

much, Lucius lifted his son\'s hand from around his back and pressed his lips to the palm in stark silence, Draco\'s breathing
becoming more haggard by the second. Even though Lucius was trying to expedite this blatant public display of affection, it was
precious none the less and he ignored several squeamish glances cast their way even though they were now in Knocturn Alley

where a Malfoy\'s presence was not questioned.

\"Sweet, perhaps your mother is waiting for us to join her,\" Lucius’ thoughts ran rampant, \"and you\'re emaciated enough as it is...\"


Draco\'s eyes dulled. \"Damned treacherous tongue!\" Lucius cried internally.

\"I mean to say, I can\'t afford to abhor my precious lovely before the show with lack of food. Can I?\" Lucius reaffirmed his rank as
promiscuous poetic genius and led his son off glowing with pride.


\"Well, Lucius, Draco - I see you\'ve both done well for yourselves today,\" Narcissa bit into her cucumber and crème cheese

sandwich with little enthusiasm but swallowed just the same. Lucius frowned, interpreting Narcissa\'s connotation just fine while
Draco looked befuddled. Lucius’ featured softened into mildly irritated tolerance and sipped some iced wine from Germany softly.

\"We merely went shopping, Narcissa, nothing to become too hyper-vigilant about, I can assure you,\" Lucius said steadily with

Draco beside him cautiously dissecting his mediocre sustenance. Lucius frowned again.

\"Draco, I think we should address your present eating habits and weight loss now,\" Narcissa\'s eyebrows raised and Draco

groaned, \"frankly, it\'s becoming alarming.\"


Draco remained silent while Narcissa examined her son with a discerning eye.
\"Are you certain he\'s not just a little weedy? He has a few more years to fill out you know,\" Narcissa munched on the patio sundeck
while Draco rubbed his spindly arm in distaste at being regarded like a squib at his own meal table. Lucius gave him a grim smile.

\"Although it\'s still summer and we usually eat light, you are becoming and have been since second year, more active in Quidditch
training and thus deserving of more nutrience...\" Draco was scraping the butter from his bread hypnotically, \"do you hear me,
boy?!\" Lucius boomed, recieving a slight jump and non-committal nod from his predecessor. Little shit.

\"You will have two more courses at tea from now until school begins where hopefully you might take some initiative for your own

well-being,\" Narcissa piped up, running her fingers along Draco\'s knarled knuckles to check the circulation. Draco pulled a face and
stuffed the rest of his now unsullied bread into his mouth before leaving the table in a huff with Lucius staring at his back worriedly -


perhaps he could force-feed him an alternative to traditionally served concoctions later than night.