Claimed

Draco had a great deal of time on his hands in the next week. He spent most of it just sitting. Thinking about where his life was headed. He knew it's last stop, but he wasn't sure of the journey. He resented getting a life given to him, instead of being able to get his own. He realized how much of his time he wasted ridiculing others, and pushing to be better. He repented on not having those younger years back, when things were so simple. When he was eleven he didn't have to worry about marriage, or the 'real world' as his father so often referred to. His regret came from deep within him, and knowing that he missed out on a lot, stung him. His chance to be free was gone. He was now the property of some one else who thought they knew better than him, what life should be like. He felt imprisoned. A mere slave, claimed by his owner. Born into the world simply to carry out the wishes of another, who in turn, had no regard of his own wishes. His desires. His needs. His...freedom.

He also reflected on what Jessica had said. Her parents were obviously making her go through with this as well. Draco had gotten the impression from her parents, that she was willingly doing this. He realized she was giving up as much of a fight as he, and maybe a bit more. His mother had been hassling him more and more, pressing him for opinions of his future wife, as well as his future mother and father in law. He would purposely change the subject each time, not ready to comment about something he had to like. There was really no reason for his opinion. It didn't impact them anyhow, because maybe if it had, he wouldn't be living a planned life.

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"I can't believe what an utterly rude girl you are. It's a wonder that boy is doing this. Poor lad doesn't know what he's getting himself into," Mirabelle said harshly. Jessica sat, staring at the floor, not impacted by her mother's words.

"I'll have you know that neither of us want to do this. It's a stupid idea, and I'll wager he already hates me. I can tell he hates you and father already," Jessica said flatly.

"Don't take that tone!" her mother scolded.

"Narcissa isn't a bad woman. She seems nice. It's hard to tell. If I had met her, without being forced to live forever with her son, I might actually like her," Jessica said, her tone unwavering.

"Did you hear me? I just said..." her mother started, but she interrupted.

"Is it true you don't have to get married if you're a nun? I wonder what you have to do to become one. That's one option. That, and suicide," Jessica retorted.

"Jessica Amara Lenora Thurston! You are marrying Draco Malfoy, and you will do so without that attitude. I don't know why you're being so difficult!" her mother screamed before placing her hand on her chest and closing her eyes. Jessica got up, and left, unable to deal with her mother's exaggeration any longer.

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Before they had been given a chance to really interact, preparations were being made. The two families were pushing this more and more, causing Jessica and Draco to dread the event more and more.

"Jessica dear, get ready. We're going to Malfoy Manor. I have to speak with Narcissa, and I suppose you can come this time," Mirabelle said.

"I don't really feel like it. Maybe next time," Jessica said staring uninterestedly at a book.

"No, you're going. You need to spend some time with Draco," her mother insisted.

"No, really, I don't want to," Jessica said.

"I'm not asking your opinion. Now get ready," she said firmly.

"Why? You always went without me before. Why is now different?" Jessica demanded.

"Because, this time it's imperative that you attend," her mother said, taking her forcefully by her arm, and dragging her into her room.

"Draco? They'll be here any minute, come down here!" Narcissa shouted. Draco moped to where his mother sat, sitting down as Mirabelle rushed in, Jessica sauntering behind.

"Sorry Narcissa. Jessica was fussing today," Mirabelle said, her voice holding a pleasant air. Jessica frowned, hearing her mother talk about her as if she were an infant. She plopped onto a chair, Draco looking at her. She waved sarcastically, pretending to be interested in what was going on. He smirked, and returned the wave. She looked around at the medieval style of their house. Boredom began to get the best of her, as she let her mind wander away. She couldn't help but hope they had dungeons or something somewhere in their mansion home. Anything to provide amusement in the insipidness she was experiencing. She noticed Draco staring perplexedly at her as her mother and Narcissa discussed colors and patterns and such. He yawned, indicating he had better things to do, and better places to be.

"Psst..." she whispered, trying to gain his attention again. He looked to her, squinting his cloudy eyes in confusion. She didn't speak, she only nodded toward the door. Draco nodded, and they both stood, leaving, unbeknownst to their chatting mothers.

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"Thank Merlin," Jessica declared upon entering a long dark corridor. Draco raised an eyebrow, but led them, not really knowing where.

"Well, that was an incredibly interesting conversation. Wouldn't you say?" he said, trying desperately to fill in the quickly descending awkward silence. Jessica ignored his question, fully wrapped up in her surroundings.

"So, where exactly are we going?" she asked, looking around her. Draco shrugged, opening the door to his bedroom.

"There's really no place else to go," he said, showing her in. He caught sight of her face, and grinned. She looked around his sophisticatedly decorated bedroom, the green and silver giving it a distinctively proper, but uniquely mysterious effect. He discreetly kicked some dirty boxer shorts under his large canopy bed. He hadn't been expecting a trip to his room.

"You have a very interesting decorating pattern," she remarked, impressed.

"It was the colors of my house at Hogwarts. It's a Slytherin pride thing. A bit useless now, being that I've graduated. I'm thinking about changing it," he said, somewhat to himself.

"Don't. I really like it. Not like my opinion matters though..." she said, trailing off. He turned away, pretending to be interested in a point on the wall. Jessica sat on the edge of the bed, still admiring the color scheme. She wished she had been able to freely decorate her bedroom as he could. But there were a lot of things she had no voice in. Picking a husband, for instance, happened to be one of them. He crossed the room, dropping to sit, a bit far from her, on the bed. She looked to him, something inside her jumping. She quietly sucked in some air. She couldn't explain her sudden jolt, but it felt strange.

"I know this isn't the most interesting thing ever," Draco said, looking to the ground.

"It's ok. I got my chance to bore the hell out of you at my house the last time. It's your turn now," she said, her humor lightening the oncoming discomfort. She saw that he was looking at her out of the corner of her eye, and she looked back, unable to identify the strange jolting inside her. She moved slightly closer, as naturally as if she'd planned to, Draco not noticing. Their eyes met, gazes inseparable by any interference or disruption. Suddenly, she came crashing to a harsh reality and leapt off the end of the bed. Draco, shocked, jumped back, his breath uneven by a pounding heart. Jessica felt disgusted. She'd let her mother's pushing and annoyingly antagonizing encouragement drive her toward Draco. She looked at him, angry with herself, and him, in the chance he was feeling the same strange electric shudder as she. Draco shook his head, realizing he'd been very close to her at that previous moment. He blinked hard, forcing himself to straighten out his hormonal instinct. He couldn't, no, he didn't feel anything for her. At all. It was as simple as that. He couldn't love her...ever. He was being forced to marry her, but he would never feel anything for her. At least not willingly.

"Maybe we should go back," Jessica suggested, her tone taking a plunge from it's previously friendly one. Draco only nodded, guiding her back to the room where they had left their mothers only minutes ago. Jessica gritted her teeth upon entering the room. She hated her mother for ruining her life. She believed it her was her mother who was responsible for their little gaze. She didn't even want to look at him and think about love. But then, she wasn't sure she understood the definition of the word anymore.

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