Distractions
T.A. 3018
Draco spent every night in his bed since then wide awake, thinking.
Did he want to follow the fellowship? Not really no, but it couldn’t be denied that his magic would be helpful, different as it was to Gandalf’s.
Did he want to get in trouble with another Dark Lord? No he really didn’t want to.
Did he want to help bring peace to his new home? Maybe.
Could he survive out in the wilderness? He should be able to.
Did he want to leave the peaceful home that was Imladris? He really didn’t want to.
Would Imladris still be peaceful if he didn’t help and the Fellowship failed? No, it would not, all will fall into ruins if the Dark Lord were to rule.
Was he ready to go into another war? He didn’t know, he would have to review that later on.
And as all these questions whirled around in his mind, there was one niggling at the back of his brain that he tried his best not to visit, but alas, it refused to be suppressed and it always came to him the moment before he dropped into darkness, ‘Do I want to leave Lord Elrond?’ and in the morning he would always wake up with the answer in his mind, ‘No. I do not.’
‘He is just being nice to me.’ Draco thought to himself as he paced in his room one morning. ‘He is just treating me like any Lord would treat a guest.’ He continued pacing. ‘He has children for Merlin’s sake!’ He threw his hands up. ‘He probably treats me like another child.’
Draco frowned then paused. ‘Why should I care! I shouldn’t care, I should just be thankful!’ then the voice at the back of his mind was talking to him, ‘Don’t lie to yourself Draco, you like the way he puts his hands on your cheeks, the way he hugs you close when you wake up from a nightmare, the care he showers you with when he sees you struggling. You like him.’
Draco shook his head, ‘I do not! He is a father! He has a wife! I cannot possibly think about him like that!’ then the voice floated on the back of his mind, ‘Do not lie Draco, admit it, admit it…’
“I do not like him that way!” He shouted to himself in the quiet room. He splashed water from the wash basin onto his face to cool himself down, “It would only hurt me more…” He whispered to the wobbly reflection of himself in the water.
“Draco?” He froze when a voice called out to him followed by a knock.
“Come in.” He called out when he realised it was only Arwen.
“I heard shouting, is everything all right?” She walked in with a worried look upon her face.
“Yes yes, I was only talking to myself.” Draco understood how barmy he sounded when he said that.
“Anything I can help with?” She sat down on his bed. Usually when she does this, it was either because she had something to say, or it meant she would not leave until Draco confessed what was on his mind.
Draco sighed, “I doubt it.”
Draco stayed silent, hoping this one time she would let him end it there, but alas, it was not to be. He sighed and sat down beside her.
“How do you know when you like someone?” He asked her.
She cocked her head to one side, “Is it not that you feel that the person is pleasant company?”
Draco shook his head, that wasn’t what he meant. “I mean, how did you know you liked Estel? Does your heart beat faster when you think of him? Does your face flush as if under the hot sun when your eyes meet?”
Arwen blushed when she understood but smiled nonetheless at the thought of her Estel.
“It is different for everyone, there is no right way to ‘tell’ when your heart has chosen someone. With Estel and I, we fell in love when we first laid eyes on each other one fateful night.” Arwen looked off into the distance dreamily for a moment before coming back to herself, “Have you someone you love?”
Draco marveled at her, he didn’t think love at first sight was a real thing, but apparently the evidence was right in front of his eyes. But his own situation…
“Love is too strong of a word. I just, I like it when he take cares of me, when he hugs me I feel like I never want to leave his embrace. I want to spend every waking moment with him and the nights in his arms instead of alone in my bed. If I am not with him he is always on my mind, I’ve never felt like this before, it’s driving me mad!” He digs the heel of his palms into his closed eyelids as he shook his head.
“You should rejoice my friend for that is love! Who is the one that you speak of? Is he an elf?” Arwen sounded excited.
“I shouldn’t Arwen I really shouldn’t! He’s married.” Draco slumped his shoulders and placed his head in his hands, Arwen faltered in her excitement.
“Oh Draco, my poor Draco. Is it Gëldor? I have seen you become friendly with him, if I knew it would come to this I would have stopped you.” Arwen put her hands around him in comfort.
Draco shook his head, “No it’s not him, I would rather wish it was him, then I’d know that there was no hope. He is older Arwen, much older, granted that all elves are older than me, but still.”
Arwen recoiled at this, “Nonsense! Age is of no concern in the matter of love with elves, I am much older than Estel and we are just as much in love.”
Draco shook his head again, “There’s still the fact that he’s married and I don’t want to destroy his relationship with his family, it would surely be awkward! No, I will steel my heart and go on, perhaps I should join the Fellowship, sometime away would surely help me get over these feelings?” He pleadingly looked at Arwen, wanting her to agree with his foolish mindless thoughts.
Arwen frowned, “Do not follow the Fellowship merely because you wish to avoid facing your feelings, you may throw away your life in the process! Only follow the Fellowship if you truly wish to help.”
Arwen then grinned at him, “With that said, I will provide you distraction from your feelings. Today we shall stroll across Imladris and marvel at the beauty of everything and tonight we shall drown in the fine wines my father orders specially for celebrations.” With that, she patted him on the shoulder and dragged him off to breakfast.
And true to her words, Arwen forwent spending the day with Aragorn and helped Draco beg off his lessons for the day and they strolled all around Imladris. Watching the minstrels as they played, Arwen at one point even pulled him into a dance that he reluctantly joined but later found he quite enjoyed.
Then they went to the forge to admire as the blacksmiths worked their crafts handsomely. They also stared as the lean muscles of the blacksmiths flexed when their hammers came down on the glowing red swords. They then swam in one of the many fountains to cool themselves down from the overwhelming sight.
During lunch they giggled like school children as they suggested places to go after that. Arwen suggested the training grounds but Draco told her they should leave that to last else they might need another swim in a fountain. Aragorn looked on with amusement as he saw his love giggling like she was an elfling with Draco, wondering what she was doing the whole day when she had excused herself from their daily walks, he supposed it was only the two of them who would know.
They then went to visit the sewing room, where the elves made clothes for the royal family and to be sold in the market. They admired the way their hands weaved and the coordination as they operated the sewing machine. Next was the kitchen. There was an equal amount of male and female elves working the kitchen, baking bread, pastries, cakes, pummeling fruits for jams and juices. There was very little meat, Draco often wondered how the elves got their protein when all they ate was fruits and vegetables.
They moved on to the long awaited training grounds. Draco and Arwen laughed to themselves as the newer recruits stumbled when they looked over to see the Lady Arwen looking at them only to get scolded by Glorfindel who told them to concentrate. “And here is the runaway student.” Glorfindel grinned at Draco.
“I’m no runaway, you allowed me leave.”
Glorfindel laughed, “Aye, so I did. What have you been doing with your day?”
“Dear Draco had his heart broken, we were looking for a suitable replacement.” Arwen replied.
Glorfindel looked surprised for a moment, he hadn’t thought Draco had anyone in mind, but for someone to turn down such a beauty as Draco, he shook his head. “Hm well then, am I up for selection?”
Draco burst out laughing, “Do not jest, surely Erestor would have my head and then yours.”
Glorfindel grinned mischievously, “For you Draco we would gladly welcome you to our bed.”
That made Draco’s face flush and tongue tied, how did talks of dating turn into getting him into bed? But that line of thought made him pause. As far as dating went there was Pansy but they never really did anything, he was too focused on school and other… things. After he came here, it wasn’t to say there was no one but he just never felt the need to.
And now… to follow the fellowship would mean almost certain death, was he willing to throw his life on the line without even having experienced this aspect of life? It still made his face red to think about it but, he wanted to. He would prefer to have it be with a certain someone but, that wasn’t something he could think of.
“Are you seriously offering?” His timid voice cut through Arwen’s scolding of Glorfindel for trying to sully Draco. They both paused in their banter to look over at him, Arwen in shock and Glorfindel in mild delight.
“Yes, if you are willing.” Glorfindel reached out a hand to gently tuck a stray strand of Draco’s hair behind his ear, making Draco’s face flush at the close contact.
“O-Okay. Tomorrow night?”
Arwen stood there as the boys in front of her arranged a dalliance, wondering if this was a good idea. But if it was what Draco wanted then she couldn’t deny him this. After all who was she to talk when she herself has made a life altering choice against her father’s wishes?
“It seems I was right to have convinced you to spend the day with me.” Arwen smiled smugly at Draco after they had taken their leave of Glorfindel.
“Yes, I suppose I have you to thank for my extra…. lessons.” Draco smiled wryly, his sword fighting and academic teacher coming together to teach him a whole new lesson, how interesting.
They went their separate ways to bathe and spend some time alone before meeting up after dinner, heading to the winery to pick out a few bottles and bringing them to Draco’s room in open secrecy. They had passed by Lord Elrond with their hands full of wine as they giggled like school children at Elrond’s disapproving look, but he let them pass anyway, they will learn their lesson by morning. He did wonder why the excessive amount though, he made a note to ask them about it some other time.