ANOTHER TRADITION
"𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗒 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍, 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍?"

—DRINKING TEA WITH HIS MOTHER, DRACO LOOKED UP WHEN HIS FATHER WALKED INTO THE ROOM. The seventeen-year-old anxiously looked at his parents, noticing the way his mother was avoiding eye contact. "What's going on?"

"Draco," started Lucius, sitting down next to his wife. "you're seventeen now."

"I believe I know that, father.." frowned Draco in confusion.

"Which means you've got to carry on the pureblood tradition."

"Which one, exactly?"

"You've got to be betrothed soon."

Draco's breath hitched. "What?"

"Draco," Narcissa finally joined in. "there's going to be a ball soon, and it's the betrothal traditional ball. Every seventeen year old purebloods will have to attend and look for someone they want to get betrothed to."

"They get betrothed in that night?" asked her son in horror.

"No," she shook her head. "The ball is just for searching for someone. You get betrothed in a few months. And get married whenever you're both ready."

"And if I do not find someone?"

"We'll have to pick someone for you," replied Lucius.

Draco felt sick at that idea. "And if I do not attend?"

Lucius frowned dangerously. "The Malfoy name would be ridiculed and out of the Sacred 28. I'm sure you do not want that, do you?"

"No," his son shook his head. "Of course not, father."

♡

"Mother, I do not want to get betrothed—" tried Draco as soon as his father left the room.

"I cannot stop this, Draco." She cut him off softly. "This is a tradition. And I'm sure you'll find someone wonderful."

"But that's the thing. I've already—" he stopped and swallowed. "Never mind."

"I'm sorry, darling," Narcissa stood up, ruffling his hair slightly. "It's going to be okay."

"Can't I just have a regular engagement to someone I love?" He suggested hopefully.

"That only is allowed to happen if you've already found someone. Otherwise, a betrothal is supposed to happen. Have you already found someone?"

Not even knowing if Alexandria was ready for an engagement, he shook his head. "No, mother."

♡

"What?" asked Alexandria when Tom had given her the same news.

Tom took a sip from the glass of alcohol in his hands. "You've got to get betrothed."

"And if I don't want to? If I'm not ready?"

"I'm not going to force you, Lex. I don't even want you getting betrothed. A boy is supposed to ask for your hand in marriage, so you've got nothing to worry about. Just scare them away. That should work."

She let out a chuckle.

"However, if you're bisexual, a lesbian, aromantic, or anything like that. It's best for me to know now."

"Why?" frowned Alexandria in confusion.

"Everyone's supposed to be outed by the time of the betrothal ball. But if you are and you're not ready to tell me, that's alright—"

"I'm bisexual."

"Alright, well you'll be having to scare the girls away, too."

"Would they ask for my hand in marriage?" She asked, not knowing much about the subject. "How does that work exactly?"

"Well, a pureblood betrothal is different. Not only do the boy and girl— or girl and girl or boy and boy— have to agree, so do the parents. The parents have to agree for the two to get betrothed. Then, it's blood magic. But that's not important right now. The boy— or well, girl if she's betrothing a girl— asks the person they want to get betrothed to. If they agree, the boy has to tell his parents— who then will tell the other one's parents."

"That seems like a lot of work."

"It seems like it, but it hardly is. I'm sure nobody would be brave enough to ask the dark lord for his daughter's hand in marriage, though, so we've got nothing to worry about."

"Yeah," she mumbled, avoiding eye contact with him. "Nothing to worry about."

Tom looked at her in suspicion, but stayed quiet.

"What's the difference between an engagement and a betrothal?" She asked suddenly. "Isn't a betrothal just an engagement with more work?"

"A betrothal is more formal and is the traditional one. An engagement happens between two people who love each other. A betrothal is also a blood-binding engagement. You usually cannot break it off once you agree. An engagement— you can break it off anytime."

"Oh," she nodded, standing up. "Nothing to worry about, right?"