Title: Beautiful Disaster
Author: ashleyfanfic
Disclaimer: In its use of intellectual property and characters belonging to JK Rowling, Warner Bros, Bloomsbury Publishing, et cetera, this work of fiction is intended to be transformative commentary on the original. No profit is being made from this work.
Chapter: 1
Author's Notes: Thanks go to Inell for encouraging this fic...Love ya, babe!

He sat in a chair, examining his nails as he waited for his turn with the seer. He put no thought into such a practice, finding the whole thing ridiculous that he would have to go through such a thing on his birthday of all days, but he'd rather do something like this than have his father shouting at him for disgracing the Malfoy name.

He could have been home in his bed, that little blonde beside him. What was her name again? Kimberly? Kimmy? Tasha? He furrowed his brow, and added a casual shrug to his thoughts. Her name didn't matter. She'd left five minutes before he had, thanks to Lucius tossing her out. He found it odd that his father had done the same things as a teenager, and yet he was being treated as if him 'whoring around' was any different.

He blamed it on being completely irresistible to women. He couldn't really help it. If it was anyone's fault, it was Lucius'. He was the one that was Veela enough to make his own son the same. In truth, Draco enjoyed having such power over women. They had no idea what they were doing when he was around. When he'd turned fifteen, it had fully kicked in and no woman, old or young, could turn him down if he wanted something.

He smiled as he remembered his mother telling him how she always thought his father smelled like chocolate cake, just coming out of the oven. Only, Draco knew that was one of the effects he had over women. He smelled like their favorite desserts. It sounded ludicrous to him as well, at first, but he'd overheard the Patil twins discussing it one day. He smelled of chocolate covered strawberries to one and cotton candy to the other. He remembered the looks on their faces when he'd started humming behind them and soon had taken them both in a corridor on the seventh floor. He looked at his nails again, smirking as he recalled their various attempts afterwards to make it into his bed.

"Mr. Malfoy?" He looked up at the nonexistent person calling his name. "She'll see you now."

He stood, his robe billowing behind him as he walked behind the black velvet curtain and found an old crone sitting behind a round table, a crystal ball in the middle. He took a seat in the chair across from her. She smiled at him, missing several of her teeth, and Draco turned away in disgust, glancing at the rest of the room.

"You have my payment."

"You get paid afterwards...if I'm satisfied with what I hear."

She narrowed her eyes. "I'd hate to curse you, boy. Payment first."

He sighed, knowing that Lucius would be rather unhappy with him if he was removed from the seer's place before his palm had been read. He tossed a small pouch of coins onto the table and the crone opened it, counting each one with delight. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" he said gruffly. He held out his perfectly manicured hand, palm upwards as the crone tucked the money into her pocket. She took hold of his hand, his lip curling into a sneer as she used her dirty, disgusting hands to touch his own. He'd need a shower when this was all said and done.

"Ahh, yeah. You shall have a long life, Mr. Malfoy. Full of wealth and...happiness."

Draco merely raised an eyebrow at her. He didn't believe much of anything if he couldn't see it or touch it, so trusting this woman's word was something he wasn't willing to do so easily.

"Yes...but before all of that...there is much sadness ahead for you. A large betrayal on your part."

He raised an eyebrow. "I betray someone? Who?"

She shook her head, smiling at him as she waved a hand over the crystal ball that began to billow with smoke as she spoke again, "The who isn't nearly as important as the why. For your mate brings about great changes in your life. Changes you are very reluctant to make, even though you are near the edge of going mad for her."

"Who's my mate?"

She smiled. "Take a gander into the crystal ball, my boy."

He rolled his eyes and sat forward a bit. He jumped out of his chair so quickly that it thumped over backwards behind him. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"

She shook her head. "It is no joke. She's yours and no one else's. You'll turn against everything you've ever known for that girl. She's in your blood, Mr. Malfoy, and you can not purge yourself of it."

He sneered at her. "This is a trick!" he spat at her.

"I assure you it is true."

His breathing was coming in short pants as he realized he'd have to betray his father. His head shot up. "My father?"

She shrugged. "I'm only to predict your future."

"Tell me, what of my father?"

"It all depends on you what happens to your sire. If you inform him of what's to transpire or you don't will all determine how much time he will have left."

He lowered his head. "If I tell him?"

"What do you think will happen?"

He sighed. "I have no idea." He looked up at her. "Tell no one of this."

"Of course."

He gave her a nod before he walked out of the little hole in the back and Apparated back to Malfoy Manor. He walked up the few steps through the front doors. A house elf appeared at his side. "Master Malfoy."

He turned on the house elf. "What?" he barked.

"Your father is in his study and would like to see you."

He frowned. He hoped he could avoid a conversation with the man until he figured out what he was going to do. But he knew that Lucius would be livid if he ignored his request, and made his way up the grand staircase to his father's study. He knocked a few times and heard a voice tell him to enter.

He opened the door and slipped inside, closing it behind him as he made his way over to his father. "Have a seat, Draco." He did as he was told and took a seat in one of the high-backed chairs in front of his father's desk. Various rolls of parchment decorated the top of it, and he saw a map or two as well. "What did the seer say?" he asked in a very cool voice.

He sighed. "The good news or the bad news?"

Lucius raised his eyebrow. "Bad new first."

Draco shook his head. "The Dark Lord's side isn't going to win the war, Father." He spoke softly, slowly, afraid of the other man's reaction. "She told me that."

Lucius held his head high as his eyes narrowed. "What?"

He sighed. "The Dark Lord isn't going to come out of this and...and it looks as if all those with him won't either."

"You mean..."

He nodded. "Yes."

"Why would she tell you this?"

He frowned. "Because I'm to betray someone due to who my mate is."

"Betray...you're to betray me?"

He shook his head. "She didn't say who. When I asked, she said it wasn't as important as the why." Lucius took a seat across from his son, seemingly deep in thought. "This is bad, isn't it?"

Lucius said nothing as he stared at his hands. "So it's all...for nothing?"

Draco frowned. He knew partially what his father was feeling. He'd been destined to become a Death Eater since the day he was born, and to now find out that they were both backing a losing team was...devastating.

Lucius raised his head and stared at his son, who seemed just as lost as he was. "Who did she see as your mate?"

He rolled his eyes, a look Lucius thought was most unbecoming on his son. "Hermione Granger."

"The Mudblood?" he bellowed as he stood, slamming his hand onto the table.

Draco only nodded. "I don't know what you're so unhappy about. I'm the one she's destined for," he said with malice dripping from his tone.

"Our...our bloodlines are going to be marred by that...that..."

"Bushy haired, bucktoothed, Gryffindor, know-it-all, yeah."

He shook his head as he sat back in his chair, his jaw set in a straight line as he stared at his son. He furrowed his brow. "You could have taken this with you and used it to your advantage, and yet you brought it to me."

"I was hoping you could see a way around it."

"Which part?"

"My being destined for Granger."

"And the other?"

"I care nothing about war, Father."

He shook his head a sneer on his lip. "This is most disturbing news."

"I know."

"What was the good news?"

He smirked. "I have a long and healthy life ahead of me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Everything's about you, is it?"

"No, but at least something good came from such a horrible day."

Lucius stared at his son. "The Dark Lord will be defeated by Harry Potter." He shook his head. "The fool. I knew after the first time he honestly had no chance, and the boy was just a baby then." Lucius sighed. "To think that Dumbledore," he nearly growled the name, "is going to win this whole thing. He'll protect his precious Mudbloods and Muggles..." He sighed as he glanced up at his son. "You understand what this means, don't you?"

"No."

"Malfoys aren't losers. We do not get defeated."

"Meaning?"

"When you go to school, you'll take a note to your Headmaster from me. We'll sort this out and we will be on the winning side, no matter how much the thought detests me."

Draco watched his father with wonder. The man was willing to hold back all his beliefs about Muggles and half-breeds in order to be on the side that won. People often thought of Lucius Malfoy as being cold and calculating. He was cold to some people, most of whom he thought were beneath himself, and he was certainly calculating, but in actuality, the man was a genius. There was rarely a person that could out think him on any occasion, and when it came to plotting something, anything, there wasn't a person around that could be more skillful than his sire.

"As for the Granger girl," he sighed and gave a look of loathing as he thought about it, "you aren't to inform her of our change, at least not mine. You might have to make nice with her to get her on your side. Your charms won't work against her."

"Why not?"

"She's your mate. You can't trick her into it. It's destiny. She's yours by right, which means you have to fight for her. Something our ancestors thought was a brilliant idea."

"Did you have to fight for Mother?"

A slight smile formed on his lips as he nodded. "Yes. A great giant fellow." He shook his head, "Your mother was quite the...vixen in her younger days. Just by walking into a room she could make the hair stand up on the back of my neck. You should really pity those that aren't part Veela, Draco. They'll never know such a connection to a person."

"Does she feel the same for me?"

"Yes, but she mistakes hers for loathing. But as for your history there's no reason she shouldn't mistake it for such." Lucius stood. "She's not going to fall prey to the smell or the humming. She's above it. But a touch...well, let's just say that a touch is far more effective than humming is on others."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

Lucius nodded. "Oh yes. It's usually only a caress that will cause them to practically buckle at the knees. But you have a problem, my boy."

"What's that?"

"Her two...bodyguards, I believe you'd call them."

"Potter and Weasel."

"They won't let you anywhere near her, will they?"

Draco smirked. "Sometimes they'll have no choice."

"Meaning?"

"I have Double Potions and Arithmancy with her."

Lucius smirked. "I better not get a report of any inappropriate behavior from you, Draco. It would be best if you kept your...plans to woo Granger to yourself. And don't discuss anything with Crabbe and Goyle. The less they know, the better off we all are."

"I don't think we ever have to worry about Crabbe and Goyle knowing much of anything, Father."

"Good." He cleared his throat. "I must discuss our upcoming plans with your mother." Draco knew that was his cue to leave and he stood, and as Draco reached the door, Lucius called back to him, "Thank you for telling me, Draco."

He gave his father a nod as he exited the room.