Belle of the Ball

Draco could tell his father was furious simply because never in all his years of growing up around the man, had he ever seen him consume alcohol at such an early hour. This didn’t bode well for Draco at all.

They had only just finished breakfast at around 8:30 this morning when the two Malfoy men adjourned to Lucius’ study, to discuss how Draco’s first attempt had gone at wooing Miss Granger.

Draco startled in surprise when his father abruptly lobbed his crystal glass at the fireplace, which was followed closely by a string of rather colourful expletives. He watched on as Lucius rose from behind his desk lifting another crystal glass from the tray before he re-filled it from the decanter of whisky that sat along side it. His father then threw his head back swallowing the liquid in one ungraceful gulp before squaring his shoulders placing his hands behind his back and starting to pace in front of the fire.

Draco had definitely never seen his father behave like this before. He’d only ever seen him angry in rage, extremely irritated, maliciously happy and coldly calculating. Which was a far cry from what he was witnessing now, he’d never seen his father furious and frustrated looking for all the the gold in Gringotts, as if he were backed into a corner.

There was something else that came to mind about last night as Draco sat watching his father, maybe he would be able to make something of it. So by a means of garnering his attention, Draco cleared his throat and watched as Lucius spun on his heel fixing upon him with narrowed eyes an eyebrow raised in question.

“Yess.” Lucius hissed, a sneer forming on his features at his son’s interruption from his musings.

Draco cleared his throat again before continuing it wouldn’t do him any good to stutter like a Hufflepuff in front of his father. “There was something else last night that I thought was a little… off.” He paused hoping he wasn’t about to make a fool of himself.

“Well?” Came Lucius’ impatient interruption.

Holding his fathers gaze while he proceeded to speak he said. “It was uncle Severus father. He was a little… odd.”

“Mmmmm, in what way?” Lucius’ voice had taken on a light air of interest at his son’s last statement.

Inwardly Draco allowed himself to relax it looked like there might a chance that his father could shed some light on this, as well as place him in a better mood.

“It wasn’t just uncle Severus though.” He chanced a glance at the fireplace before continuing and noted when looking back to his father, that he was seated across from him now with a cup of tea waiting for him to proceed. This was obviously something his father had been waiting for, as now he was looking a cross between calculating and gleeful.

“When I arrived to pick up Granger uncle Severus met me in the entrance hall and after exchanging the usual pleasantries. He became really interested. In a Slytherin way.” Here he exchanged a look with his father, for Severus making light enquiries was equal to being bound and interrogated by a room full of Aurora’s. “About my interest in Granger and what you thought about it, her being a supposed mudblood and all.”

“Yes, yes.” Lucius waved his hand impatiently at his son. “I know all of this. Severus came to see me last night along those lines… as well as others.” He finished in an undertone and took a sip from his tea before he inquired with a voice full of knowing. “Was there anything else?”

“Well… There was actually.” Draco noted that his father’ mood had brightened considerably as he sipped upon his own tea and took a slight pause knowing that Lucius would indulge him.

“When Granger finally came down from her virginal Gryffindor tower. Uncle Severus behaved very chivalrous and extremely polite. Well at first I didn’t think much of it, after all she looked like a very tasty morsel indeed and had cleaned up better than I would’ve thought she could, way beyond those simpering fools mother insists on throwing parties for…”

“And??” Lucius asked knowing that there had to be more to his son’s vocal musings.

“And… well that’s just it. I’ve seen uncle Severus at those parties and he has never done anything but fold his arms, look down his nose and sneer at any female that dared look in his direction. But I never really noticed any of this until after ‘the moment’.”

“Moment. What moment?”

Draco loved this feeling. He had managed to bait his father into showing his eagerness through the entire conversation and he realised that this must be the kind of elation his father felt when he knew he was getting his own way.

“There was this moment.” He continued. “It didn’t last long, only the blink of an eye. But it spoke volumes and nothing at all, all at the same time.”

Lucius was getting impatient with his sons over indulgence and briskly snapped out. “Well, what was it boy?”

Draco sat up straight at his fathers demanding enquiry, one didn’t ignore that brisk tone to often. So he cleared his throat and gave up his dominance of the conversation, giving his father the answers he required.

“It was a look. As quick as a glance only holding much, much more and when they looked away, they were both blushing. Bushing!”

Draco rose from his chair and was now taking his turn at knocking back a whisky and pacing in front of the fire.

“Uncle Severus blushing. Uncle Severus doesn’t blush! I have barely seen the man bat an eyelash at anything father. Hell he even managed to fool Voldemort for years as a spy and that takes a carriage full of self-control as it is, not to mention he’s managed to keep Slytherin house under his tight control for years. And there he was plain as day with red stained cheeks after exchanging a mere glance with Granger, there’s just something so… wrong with that.”

Lucius settled back into his comfortable leather chair, he had his elbows resting upon its arms tapping the pads of his fingers against one another in concession, with a knowing malicious smirk across his face lips like the cat that got the cream. He narrowed his eyes slightly and they held a shiny gleam of triumph sparkling within there depth. He looked at Draco and was amused to see his son shudder when he viewed his stance, schooling his features into boredom he said. “That will be all Draco. Go do … what ever it is you do and leave me in peace.”

Draco didn’t need to be dismissed twice by his father and with a small nod to Lucius he swiftly made his retreat out of his fathers study.

Oh Lucius was elated. He had been suspicious of course but now. Now he knew without a doubt that Severus had more than an academic interest in the girl, he may not have realised it yet but it was there.

For his oldest friend to come and inquire about the interest or intention towards another, well it was definitely something you sat up and took notice of. The man cared little for no one but himself and not only that, but to then be subtly told in no uncertain terms that he didn’t want her dating was another thing all together.

“She would only come to be resentful”

‘Resentful indeed’ Lucius thought as he replayed Severus’ words in his mind. What Draco had brought to the table was solid confirmation of his suspicions. Lucius laughed out loud with genuine humour, causing all the house elves in the manor to shiver. He would have paid a fair amount of galleons to see Severus Snape blush like a first year.

What in Merlins name was going on there anyway. It could have simply been that they were unused to seeing each other in courtly roles. But Lucius new there was more to it than that, Draco was right about Severus’ behaviour at parties and towards other people in general. Something just wasn’t sitting right.

All of a sudden Lucius sat up straight and stiff in his chair as if he’d been stunned.

Why would Snape be blushing? Mores the point. Why had Granger been blushing? He scowled then and sat back in his chair narrowing his eyes at the fire.

POWER.

Severus could probably smell it, feel it… taste it even. Especially since he stored his own in great wealths, it had probably helped him in sensing hers. Which meant she was coming into all her gifts. Shit! He wouldn’t be surprised if wizards from all over started flocking to her side from the sheer force of it. Merlin this was not going as smoothly as he anticipated. He had to get Draco in there as a permanent fixture, to make sure he was definitely a forerunner. Time to send out some owls and hand over some gold.


A/N: Please review, tell me what you think and if you\'re reading it!
Alicat ox