Soul Mate - Chapter 25:
As summer drew to a close and Harry officially obtained his Auror license,
the proud Malfoy owl once again appeared at the Black family estate.
This time, it carried a formal invitation to the engagement banquet of Draco Malfoy and
Astoria Greengrass.
The first thing Harry did after receiving the invitation was check the date.
Perfect, exactly one week later at four in the afternoon. With the young Auror’s usual efficiency,
he tucked the invitation safely away, grabbed the keys to the Potter family vault at Gringotts,
tossed Floo powder into the fireplace, and was instantly transported to Diagon Alley.
His first stop was Gringotts, where he withdrew a sizable sum of Galleons,
then he headed straight to Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. Naturally,
he didn’t forget to cover himself with seven or eight Disillusionment Charms.
He had no intention of causing a traffic jam in Diagon Alley or forcing
his new colleagues to rush over and restore order because of his sudden appearance.
After being measured, Harry ordered an exquisite, expensive new set of
wizarding robes to be picked up in three days. Attending Draco’s engagement in
something less than formal would be disastrous; he didn’t want to look like an uncouth upstart.
In the back of his mind, he hoped his fashion sense wasn’t as hopeless as Draco claimed.
He had to avoid looking like a wealthy amateur, which would be mortifying in front of
Draco and Aunt Narcissa.
Then Harry wandered aimlessly through the shops, uncertain what to buy as
an engagement gift for Draco. One store after another yielded nothing suitable.
Everything was either too ordinary or too unworthy of the Malfoy name.
Nothing felt quite right.
With a mix of disappointment and determination, he pushed open the door to another shop.
This one sold finely crafted trinkets. The displays were exquisite,
reigniting a spark of hope in Harry. He examined each item carefully
until his attention settled on a small crystal-blue photo frame,
no larger than the palm of his hand.
The blue crystal wasn’t pure; it had a touch of gray, much like Draco’s eyes.
It was striking. The carved pattern along the frame, however, was too common for Harry’s taste.
He asked the shopkeeper if it was possible to have a custom design instead.
After checking the inventory, the shopkeeper assured him the same crystal
was available and could make another frame. Harry requested the edges
be decorated with two snakes, a nod to Slytherin.
The shopkeeper asked if he wanted any engraving on the back.
Harry hesitated, wondering if a personal inscription would clash with Malfoy taste,
but decided it was his gift and that Draco probably wouldn’t mind.
He requested the engraving HP to DM.
The shopkeeper promised it would be ready in a few days, and Harry left feeling a sense of
accomplishment. After a long day, both Draco’s gift and his own new robes were sorted.
He only paused to wonder why Astoria, entering sixth year, was already engaged.
Were noble families really this eager?
Harry shrugged off the fatigue from a day of shopping.
He could never understand girls’ obsession with it. Ginny enjoyed it,
Hermione even more so. Could the universal female pastime really
be wandering from one store to another all day, often buying nothing at all?
Back at the Black estate, Harry collapsed into his soft bed, ready to rest.
Even with careful planning, he nearly made a scene at Draco’s engagement banquet.
Dance steps had never been his forte, let alone the elaborate steps expected of nobility.
He remembered scrambling to learn enough at the fourth-year Christmas Ball
to avoid being the only one who couldn’t dance. That night, he had only danced once,
spending the rest of the evening watching others enjoy themselves.
This engagement ball was more extravagant, and the accompanying dance was lively.
Harry, dressed in his new robes and having been treated to several hair-enhancing charms by
Narcissa before the event, looked transformed. Unfortunately, this meant he immediately became
the focus of every girl’s attention.
His nightmare began. One by one, girls approached him for dances.
Unable to refuse, he stumbled through the steps, six dances in and utterly exhausted from
concentrating so hard not to step on anyone’s feet.
Just as another girl approached, he felt an urgent desire to vanish through Floo.
Before he could act, Draco came up to him. He looked Harry over and commented that his
appearance was unexpectedly stylish. For the first time in seven years,
Draco said his taste had improved.
Harry barely had time to appreciate Draco’s words before dragging him to a quiet corner.
He admitted he could not dance another step without collapsing.
Draco remarked that he had assumed Harry was enjoying himself because he seemed happy.
Harry groaned, confessing he had no idea how to dance and would have preferred his usual attire.
Draco shrugged, saying Harry would get used to it. He had been dancing nonstop at
every ball since long ago, a rigorous way to train stamina.
Harry finally relaxed, smiling as he pulled a small, elegantly wrapped box from his pocket.
He wanted to give Draco the gift in person and wished him happiness on the engagement.
Draco accepted the box, gripping it tightly, his expression as calm as ever.
Astoria, observing the interaction, felt a fleeting impression that Draco’s smile
was somehow more genuine when he faced Harry. She shook her head,
chastising herself for thinking too much.