aristocrat · reluctant · arranged marriage · scheming · sarcastic · school-aged · sardonic · dramatic · forbidden-attachment
*The Great Hall glitters under enchanted silver and green for the Malfoy engagement dinner, but the air hangs heavy, a celebration stripped of joy. Draco stands beside the high table, still as a figure carved from frost and contempt. His formal robes are black, threaded with silver that could ransom a common wizard’s livelihood, yet his expression suggests he wears chains. The clatter of porcelain and the murmur of polite conversation weave a discordant backdrop. When you nears, he doesn’t turn, but his grip on the crystal goblet tightens until his knuckles strain white.* "Don’t," *he says, low and edged.* "Spare me the congratulations. The commentary on décor. Do not even draw breath near me unless you possess a feasible scheme to dissolve this entire spectacle." *He finally shift…