The Bench
There was a man called Howard working in the Ministry of Magic. No one knew whether he was a half-blood or a muggle because he kept avoiding the subject. He held a high position in the Ministry even though no one really understood how he achieved it.
“The rumour is that he slept his way to the top with the wife of the current prime minister,” Daphne explained. “Others said that Lucius Malfoy helped him to maintain power.”
“So, what’s the true story?” Story asked.
Daphne shrugged. “Nobody knows.”
The man, however, was famous for holding glamorous parties. The guests were no joke, either. He invited people that could amused him; wealth, social status, reputation and fame. Story could feel it the moment she entered the party for the first time in her life.
All thanks to Daphne whose promotion and performance as an Auror had caught Hawthorn’s attention.
“Story, I’m going to be with my friends from the Ministry,” Daphne told her sister after they picked up their drinks. “Take care of yourself, alright? I’ll be over there if you want to join me and my friends. Find Mum and Dad if something goes wrong.”
Story nodded. “Have fun!”
She looked around. Grandmother, as usual, was mingling with the rich. Dad and Mum were talking with some friends because both of them used to work in the Ministry of Magic. She didn’t know most of the guests because they were all from the Ministry. She had never worked there.
Her gaze then landed on Malfoy and his family on the right side of the party. Malfoy was wearing a black high neck shirt with a dark grey coat. His outfit wasn’t entirely black again. She smiled for a second before she realised that they were talking to another family with a daughter. Malfoy shook hands with her. His parents looked pleased with that.
Unlike when they discovered that their son was with her back in Grandmother’s party.
“Are you by yourself, Young Lady?”
A handsome and familiar man with black hair and in a tuxedo stood beside her while she was choosing what to drink. He picked up a red coloured drink and took a sip.
“No, I’m not,” she hurriedly replied.
He scanned his surroundings. “Where’s your date, then?”
“I’m here with my parents.”
She could feel his eyes raking over her before he asked, “What’s your name?”
“Astoria Greengrass. You can call me Story.” Somehow her name tasted bitter in her tongue again after a long time. It wasn’t as beautiful as she thought it was.
“Are you Dahlia’s granddaughter?”
Story glanced at her grandmother in wonder. One moment she wasn’t paying attention, the next moment she discovered that everyone in the room knew her grandmother’s name.
“Yes,” Story replied.
“Odd. She didn’t mention you when talking about her grandchildren.”
She finally decided what to drink—a blue coloured cold drink—and took a sip. “Maybe she forgot.”
“How could she forget her most beautiful granddaughter?”
Did he just flirt with her?
“I really meant it.” He kept going. “I might fall in love with you just now.”
“Thank you,” she managed a reply. Honestly, she had no idea what to do. Not when there was an alcohol to help her out. “You don’t look bad yourself.”
“Do I?” He smirked. Even his smirk was so sexy that women would go crazy over him. But oddly, even though she was also a woman, she didn’t feel the need to pounce on him.
It was as if another man had claimed her feeling for that. A man who had once got her excited with his burning gaze on her lips.
“What’s your name?” She asked.
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking so you know what to scream while I’m between your legs tonight?”
What the—
She pretended to get a snack to her far left so she could step away from him.
“I was just joking,” he chuckled. “Howard. My name is Amaury Howard.”
No wonder he looked very familiar!
He had delivered his thank you speech before the party started. However, she wasn’t interested so she didn’t really pay attention to what he had said, let alone his face. She talked to her parents for the rest of the speech about breakfast menu for the next day because it was her turn to cook.
“I’m sorry I didn’t know your name,” she hurriedly apologised.
“It’s alright,” he replied. “Do you want to accompany me getting some fresh air?”
She frowned. “You’re leaving your own party.”
“It’s just for a while,” he chuckled. “Besides, this is my party. I can do whatever I want.”
She was going to turn down his offer and walk away when she saw her grandmother watching them with her eyes glinting in excitement. “I’m sorry but I prefer to talk right here.”
Daphne had grilled Story once that she wasn’t supposed to be alone with a boy or a man whom she had just met for the first time. It was in her seventh year when a boy from Ravenclaw confessed to her out of nowhere and wished to bring her to his dorm.
And she didn’t want to be alone with someone who talked about her legs casually.
“Are you not comfortable with me?” Howard asked. “Is it because of my joke?”
She abruptly shook her head. “Please no offense. You’re a very wonderful man. I just want to be here.”
“I won’t get offended even if you admit that you are.”
You didn’t sound like you wouldn’t.
She tried to think of a way to coax him to stay in the party without actually offending him. But when she could think of nothing, she finally used her last weapon. “I… I’m sorry but I have to go to the powder—”
“Greengrass.”
Both of them turned around to see Draco Malfoy scowling at them. However, when he looked at Story in the eyes, she felt his gaze softened a little bit but still on guard.
“Your parents are looking for you,” Malfoy said.
She hurriedly looked away from Howard so she could breathe in relief. “Really? Why?”
“Do you think I can read minds?” Malfoy suddenly snapped.
Story picked up her drink and walked away from them. But something occurred in her mind. It was odd that Malfoy was the one who told her. Why couldn’t Mum and Dad just find her? Why did they have to tell Malfoy about it?
“Mum? Dad?” Story called when they finally saw them with Grandmother hanging out together. “Are you looking for me?”
Mum gave her a puzzling look. “No, we’re not. We thought you were with your sister.”
“Story! Why did you run away from Amaury Howard?” Grandmother scolded her. “That was your golden ticket to get a rich husband! What were you thinking?”
Story decided to ignore her. “Did any of you talk to Draco Malfoy?”
“No, we didn’t.” Dad frowned. “Why?”
“Story! Are you ignoring me?” Grandmother snapped.
“Mother, please! Let Story talk first!” Dad urged.
“I’m doing this for your daughter, Henry! Do you want Story to be an unmarried old hag for the rest of her life? And did she just mention Draco Malfoy?”
“We agreed not to meddle with my daughters’ love lives!”
“Story?” Mum called while Dad was still urging Grandmother to stop nagging his daughter. Her voice was filled with concern. “What’s wrong?”
To be honest, Story had no idea what was happening. She tried to piece everything together. First, she was alone. And then Howard talked to her with his creepy joke and put her in a very difficult situation. As if fate was looking out for her, Malfoy then approached her, crudely ushering her to Mum and Dad.
Wait a minute.
Mum frowned. “Story, why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Mum, I’m alright.” Story held her mother’s hands and squeezed them. “I’ll be right back.”
Story walked around the party to find Malfoy but he was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t with his parents or the lady that he had shaken hands with either. She almost bumped into some people before she apologised shortly and ran to the huge double door. Maybe he was outside. Parties bored him, didn’t they?
And she finally found him.
Malfoy was sitting alone on the bench in the garden beneath the yellow lamp post. The frown on his forehead deepened as if he was stressing over something. She looked around to make sure that no one was around. Then, she slowly walked to him.
He looked up before she could call him. “What are you doing here?”
“What about you?” She asked. “It’s odd not to see you in the middle of a party.”
“The party—”
“—bores you. I know.” She chuckled. She nodded at the space to his right. “May I sit next to you?”
He only nodded. She straightened her dress before taking a seat beside him. Not too close but close enough for their shoulders to brush against each other. They sat in silence for a while. The evening wind blew slowly against them.
She glanced at him. “You heard everything, didn’t you?”
“Heard what?” He sounded so mad that she thought not to talk about it. But that was the reason why she was sitting with him.
“Me and Amaury Howard talking.” She took a deep breath. Enough with beating around the bush. “Thank you for helping me out. I really needed it.”
Malfoy suddenly glared at her. “Why couldn’t you just tell him that you were uncomfortable?”
She quickly thought of a lie. “I didn’t want to offend him.”
“You care about his feeling even after he harassed you?”
She couldn’t find her guts to look at him after he raised his voice like that.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered.
He snickered. “What’s the point of apologising if you keep doing stupid stuff? First the groceries, and then this. What else are you going to do, especially when no one is there to help you?”
She just wished that she had had the courage to be honest with what she felt. But no matter where to look, she couldn’t seem to find it in her grandmother’s presence. The courage. The comfort in having it.
She got up from her seat. Malfoy looked so furious that she didn’t think it was a good idea to sit beside him. She was about to walk away when she suddenly felt his hand catching her wrist and held onto it tightly.
Her heart began to race. But before her mind could wander far and beyond, she reminded herself that he was currently mad at her.
She cautiously turned to him. “Malfoy?”
He finally let go. “I’m sorry.”
She blinked. What was he even sorry for? What was wrong with him?
He got up. “I’m returning to the party. Are you?”
She nodded.
“Use the front door,” he instructed. “I’ll use the back.”
“The back?”
“Yeah." He straightened his coat. "Good night, Greengrass."
Story decided to stay with her parents and endure her grandmother’s nagging for the rest of the party.