Kindred

~Chapter 8~

Arianna stood in the middle of the potions classroom, digging through her bag frantically. "Something wrong Princess?" She heard a voice drawl in her ear.

She glanced up at Draco "Yes! My essay is missing!" She whispered flipping the pages of her book before going back to rummaging through her bag.

"Is that a fact Miss Huntington?" She heard another voice approaching them.

She turned to face Professor Snape "Yes Professor, I wrote it this weekend. Now it's gone."

Professor Snape cocked an eyebrow "Well maybe if you weren't trysting with young Malfoy here you would have been able to finish your homework Miss Huntington. Fifty points from Gryffindor! Now take your seats!"

Arianna sat next to Hermione and could hear the snickering around the room from assorted Slytherins as her ears burned with anger. She knew that she had completed the assignment and placed it in her book on Saturday night.

The essay never appeared and Arianna spent the evening rewriting it for half the grade she would have received has it been turned in on time.

It was three days later when in transfiguration, a vial of ink flew from Arianna's desk and poured itself all over Harry and Ron. Professor McGonagall could not be convinced that Arianna was not playing a prank on her friends. With a flick of her wand she cleaned the mess and deducted twenty-five points from Gryffindor.

Arianna and Hermione were walking along the lake discussing the mishaps when they ran into Pansy and Millicent. "Well if it isn't the perfect little princess!" Pansy hissed.

Arianna rolled her eyes as Hermione glared at the pair. "Go away Pansy." Hermione mumbled.

"Shut up mudblood!" Pansy said nastily.

Arianna had her wand in her hand in the blink of an eye. "You're just jealous!" Hermione returned.

"Of what?" Pansy said, acting like she had no idea what the otehr girl was talking about.

"Of Arianna."

"No, I am not." she huffed "I have no reason to be jealous of that little Transylvanian slut."

"Except the fact that Draco picked her over you!"

Pansy's eyes blazed with fury "Well, that is only temporary I assure you! Once he comes to his senses he'll see that dallying with the likes of you is not befitting a great wizard you'll be yesterday's news and I will be Mistress Malfoy."

"Draco loves me!" Arianna shot back. She'd had enough of Pany's nastiness.

"No dear, Draco wants to bed you, nothing less nothing more." Pansy sniffed and whirled around. Embarrassed and furious she strode to the castle fighting back the tears of frustration. It was clear her patience was running out.

Things would get worse before they got better...if they ever got better.

Arianna sat on her bed, staring numbly down at the parchment in her hand. The tears wouldn't even come as she stared blankly at the Royal letterhead of Transylvania. She hadn't gotten past "Miss Huntington."

When Arianna didn't appear for breakfast Hermione went looking for her friend. She found her, sitting there unspeaking clutching a piece of paper in her fingers. "Arianna...are you okay?" she asked from the doorway.

Turning to the sound, the tears began to slid down her cheeks. The soundless wracking of her body by the sobs broke Hermione's heart. Moving to the bed she gathered the other girl in her arms and let her cry.

Halfway across the continent Narcissa Malfoy was clutching a similar piece of paper from her contact in the Transylvanian Ministry of Magic. Disappointment washed over the woman as she screamed at her house elves to prepare her bags for a trip. She had to see her son at once, and no owl could carry this message. He needed to hear it from her, and she needed to hear his assurances from his lips.

Draco was sitting in his final class of the day when a harried Peeves brought a message that he was to report to the headmaster's office at once. The Slytherin Prince felt a chill creep up his spine. Only bad news could accompany such a request. He gathered his books and slunk from the room, studiously avoiding the questioning gazes of the other students.

He knocked on the door and stood waiting to be granted entry. When the door swung open and he saw his mother sitting in the chair directly in front of Dumbledore's desk he took a deep breath. "I will leave you alone." The old wizard murmured.

Draco stepped inside and waited until the door shut. "Mother," he said carefully.

She gave him a weak, sympathetic smile. "I am sorry Draco."

The young man knitted his eyebrows together "For what Mother?"

Wordlessly she produced the sheaf of paper and handed it to him. He couldn't explain the trembling of his fingers as he unfolded it and read the words that would change his life forever. Another deep breath proceeded his next words. "Is there a point?" he asked carefully.

Narcissa stood "Obviously this relationship will have to be ended immediately."

Draco's eyebrows disappeared into his hair "It will?"

"Draco please, don't be obstinate. I will contact the Parkinson's and begin wedding preparations for the week after graduation," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"The bloody hell you will!" Draco's voice rose in anger. "I will not be marrying Pansy."

"But Draco, really...it's the only suitable arrangement."

"I said no!" His voice continued to rise.

"Son, we have to be realistic. She's not a pureblood, and therefore beneath you."

Draco's eyes blazed with a slivery fire "I. Don't. Care! What part of that do you not understand? I love Arianna and if she'll have me, when we graduate she will be my wife."

"If you graduate!" Narcissa yelled back "If you don't break this off and accept a suitable wife, I will disinherit you!" she screamed.

"Suitable? Suitable? What is suitable mother? That awful Pansy? She's a cow! Do you really want her producing the heirs to the Malfoy name?" he screamed back.

"At least she is a pureblood!" Narcissa thundered.

"And what has being pureblood ever gotten me?" He spit back. "Nothing but pain, torture and humiliation. Voldemort has used this family for his evil ends and you have ate it up like candy! I will not end up like you, or father! My children will not endure the things I have! Arianna loves me, for me. She doesn't care about my money, or my blood! She loves me!" His voice was trembling with rage.

Narcissa was taken aback. "I mean it Draco, not another cent." She hissed.

"Fine!" He hissed turning, his emerald robes swishing around his long legs as he strode from the room. When he made the landing he glared at the conglomeration of students staring up at him. "What?" he yelled. Everyone pretended not to have heard the exchange as they cleared the foyer.