Chapitre 32: Birthday Party
The day of the party had arrived, and I woke up to the soft, golden light of dawn just starting to filter through the curtains of my bedroom. I rubbed my eyes and began my stretching routine. Today was the day Draco and I would have our first public birthday party, and I wanted everything to be perfect. I was more nervous than I thought I would be. I don't know if my social battery would be able to handle multiple hours of what might just be a small army of Dracos. I had all the information about being tactful drilled into my head already; I knew which fork and spoon to use and how to act like a young woman from the Malfoy family, but I would still need to make some form of mistake. Everything socially is complicated.
Looking back at my past life, I had never really been the most social individual. When I was a child, I participated in a science fair. I had spent months developing a project on nuclear relations, something way ahead of the middle school curriculum (no kidding). On the day of the fair, while explaining my project to the judges, I made an offhand comment about how simple and elementary the other projects were in comparison. I hadn't meant to insult anyone, but the looks on the faces of my peers told me I had stepped into a social landmine. I won first prize, but not many people were in any mood to congratulate me.
I never really grew out of it. I recalled one time in particular during a group project in high school. We were assigned to work on a presentation about economic theories, and while I was excited about the topic, my enthusiasm wasn't shared by my group. I ended up doing most of the work, my frustration mounting as my classmates slacked off. During the presentation, I didn't hold back my criticism of their lack of effort, calling out each of their shortcomings in front of the entire class. Looking back, I may have overreacted at the moment. The room had gone silent, and the teacher had to step in to smooth things over. I was allowed to work on my own in further presentations to avoid such incidents, and the awkwardness between me and my classmates only grew.
I believe that some of my issues had improved in college, but I honestly was more nervous that I would fail in this pursuit than any other one. It is quite funny how someone who can do such advanced things in the magical world despite only a few years of practice is unable to make basic conversation with other kids my age. I spent all morning mentally preparing myself for this challenge.
Dobby and Narcissa took turns running between Draco and me, making sure that we had showered and the picked-out clothing was perfect. Eventually, the time of the party had arrived. Draco was instantly the center of attention. I envied his natural ability to charm and engage with people. The other children outside of a certain redhead seemed to positively interact with his "noble" attitude. Despite his occasional bratty behavior, he had a way of making others like him. I took a deep breath, resolving to channel some of that Malfoy confidence. If Draco could do it, so could I.
Most of the guests were around Draco's and my age—three-year-olds with bright eyes and curious expressions. There was no sign of any deeper knowledge or any others who were similar to me. They were, of course, accompanied by their parents, who were more interested in discussing the latest gossip and showing off their children's budding magical abilities. The atmosphere was lively, filled with the sound of children's laughter and the occasional burst of accidental magic.
I found myself surrounded by a group of children who were more interested in playing with the enchanted toys scattered around the room than in having a conversation. It was a relief, in a way, to not have to engage in deep discussions. Instead, I joined them in their games, letting my guard down a bit. We played with miniature broomsticks that hovered a few inches off the ground, enchanted animals that performed tricks, and magical building blocks that assembled themselves into intricate structures. I had spent so much time preparing for dealing with a bunch of bullcrap, and here I was just watching a group of magical heirs falling over themselves and mentioning how much they love the family owl. I had lied to myself about how hard this was going to be.
There was a moment when Pansy, a little girl with a penchant for bossiness and heiress to the Parkinson family, tried to take charge. She declared that only she could play with the enchanted unicorn because it was "the best toy." Draco proceeded to go over there and take the unicorn before declaring that it wasn't the best toy and he brought a small stuffed animal that he said was better to her. She surprisingly took it and declared, "Draco can play with this too." My brother had already secured the heart of a classmate. The small ginger kid tried to come over to play too, but my brother stopped him. There was a small squabble before the boy retreated, and Pansy seemed to see this as a positive.
After a bit, most of the children were brought to a long table for food. Draco was sat between two strange-looking boys, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe. These boys seemed to be developing a lot slower mentally than some of the other children but were larger than almost anyone else. My brother and these two conversed about Quidditch with all the grace of children arguing, but they were all in relative agreement. Draco decided to try and sneak away from the table followed by these two. They were able to make it all the way to a dessert table before being retrieved by the parents. After securing sweets, the two larger boys declared Draco their intrepid leader. While I had just sat on my hands and tried my best to stay as neutral as possible, my brother had gained two cronies, a possible future girlfriend, and a rival. I had been bested by him during this event.
The party finally finished after the meal and a bit more time playing. I was proud of myself for not "accidentally" using gravity to trip any of my peers. Maybe I'll try and find someone to be friends with in a few years when their personalities are a bit more defined. But for now, I had to sleep. In the morning, I would leave for my first trip to Project Ambrosia. I did my nightly workout (as gains wait for nothing) and fell asleep.
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
Joebiden_Biden
Joebiden_Biden Not Dead, Just insanely busy. I forget how much catching up on work sucks everytime I get sick.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone