"What do you mean, he won't come?"
"I'm sorry, sir. The Count de Godric's Hollow, refuses your gracious invitation to dine with him." Ducking the hexes that began flying out of Draco's wand, the hapless servant scurried out of the room towards safety.
"Draco, why is my favourite manservant running down the hallway with the seat of his breeches on fire?" questioned Lucius Malfoy, entering the drawing room of Malfoy Manor after a brisk early morning horse ride, as was his custom.
"That damnable Count de Godric's Hollow, he still refuses my offer of dinner. How will I have him, father, if he will not permit me an audience? And I simply must have him, I must!"
"Draco, calm yourself, stress can only lead to wrinkles and what have I told you about Malfoy men, mmm?"
"That it's 'very unbecoming to have any expression other that superiority on a Malfoy man's face', yes, I i know /i , father. But if all the rumours are true, the Count is richer than we – "
"- Impossible!" cut in Lucius, "I positively will not have it, somebody even richer than me…"
Draco knew just which of his father's buttons to push to affect the desired result, of having Lucius help in his quest for the company of this most elusive count.
"OANIS," screamed the head of the house Malfoy to his manservant. The same young man as before entered the room, keeping a cautious distance away from Draco.
"Yes, your grace."
"This Count de Godric's what's his face. Tell me what you know of him!"
Answering in his smooth Welsh valleys accent, Oanis replied. "Begging your pardon, Lord Malfoy, but I have never seen the Count. What little I know of him has been passed to me by means of gossip and hearsay."
"Then tell me toad, what you have heard." Oanis shrunk back a step at the approaching aristocrat, knowing that when ordered to speak by a Malfoy, it was not wise to keep them waiting.
"Yes sir, I have heard that the Count lives in a big mansion at Godric's Hollow. It is impossible to get past the wards of the mansion and nobody seems to have actually seen what it looks like. Any letters that get sent to the count are intercepted outside the wards by one of the many house elves that work for him.
"I have also heard that he is very rich, overly generous, and kind to those in his employment." Oanis decided to embellish the last statement, he longed for a kind employer, a small cough from Draco got him talking again.
"The count's identity is a mystery. Nobody seems to remember what he looks like, even only minutes after seeing him, but those who have heard detail of his appearance say that he is the most magnificent man that you could hope to see." Draco's look turned to mild rage now, how dare a fellow wizarding family turn down an invitation from a wizard with such impeccable social standing as he.
"Where, have your gossipmongers informed you, did this count arrive from? Only last month there was no mention of the count de –"
"Godric's Hollow, father," Draco offered helpfully.
"Godric's Hollow, that name seems very familiar in some way to me, I can't place how I know the name so well… Argh, it will come to me. Oanis, fetch my best parchment, I think it's about time that I write a letter to the mysterious count."
"I have not heard, my lord. Some say that he is a Prince of Persia, some say he doesn't really exist and that he is an elaborate hoax, nobody seems to know."
Lucius dismissed the servant with a slap across his bottom as he left the room, telling him to prepare a bath, and himself, for Lucius' later pleasure. Lord Malfoy then sat at his Davenport writing desk and using the most expensive gold ink and platinum trimmed paper money could buy, started to write. He was interrupted by Draco who had left his place on the chaise longes, and was now anxiously peering over his father's shoulder.
"Father, what will you write? Demand that he attend a luncheon in my honour. Please, father."
"Draco, really, what is so special that you are getting in such a state about this count? Haven't I provided ample entertainment for you?" Draco mused that point, his father had indeed supplied him with all the 'entertainment' a sex-mad aristocratic teenager could ever hope for; Draco was however strangely drawn to this man.
"He refused me, nobody refuses me, I must possess him, show him that he is a fool to deny my calling."
"But Draco, this man may be all 'but' what we have heard, he may be fat, or bald, or just plain ugly. Or Merlin forbid, POOR…How will you react if, when you do meet him, you don't find him attractive, or he just isn't suitable?"
Draco didn't even need to think about the answer to this one, "If he is not suitable as a bed mate then I shall simply tease him even more to show him what he will never have, now please, father, write!"
Lucius was just as intrigued as his son as to the identity of the count; he was even mildly aroused by the thought of possessing the count for his own self. After all, rule number two in the Malfoy guide 'How to keep your head, when all those around you are losing theirs' (written by one of Lucius's ancestors around the time of the French revolution) was, 'Never allow an opportunity to pass you by' Lucius saw this as an opportunity, and a possible healthy contest with his son all rolled into one.
"Draco, I will write as you ask, but will invite the count to dine with us both. I am, am I not, the most dashing man you have ever seen?" Cocking an eyebrow at Draco whose reply was almost automatic,
"Yes, father." Lucius set to with his trusted quill.
center i My dear Count de Godric 's Hollow,
May I take this opportunity to welcome you to our shores? I find myself in a rather embarrassing place, not knowing a fellow aristocratic family is not a practise we Malfoy's frequent.
To this end, I would be honoured if you would do me the supreme courtesy of dining with my son and me, at Malfoy Manor this evening at 7 O'clock.
With utmost regard,
Lucius Malfoy /i /center
Lucius clicked his fingers and his large eagle owl swooped into the room and plopped down in front of Lucius on the desk. "Nicodemus, take this to the Count of Godric's Hollow, and I require a reply, do I make myself clear?"
Nicodemus hooted his understanding and took off out of the open window to deliver the missive; Draco became re-animated at the prospect of their dinner guest, confident that he wouldn't be rude enough to refuse a direct invitation from his father. Kissing his father on the forehead he bounded off towards his own private suite of rooms as Lucius, following suit, left the room heading for his bath and the added comfort he would receive from his own personal bather, Oanis.
center 0 /center
Meanwhile, outside the wards of Godric' s Hollow, somewhere in the Welsh mountains, a rather large eagle owl was sat patiently awaiting entry, denying the attempts of the frustrated team of house elves to relieve him of his master's letter. The noise and commotion that they made was such that the Count's butler came to the boundary to see what all the fuss was about.
"Elf, what is that bird doing with its wings, and why are you trying to stun it?" The house elf stopped attempting a stupefy spell as soon as he heared the snarky voice of the middle aged man, knowing that he would suffer more than a tongue lashing if he didn't.
"I is trying to rescue the letter for master, but birdie, is refusing to hand it over, says he has to receive a reply to take back to his lordly."
"Stand aside, worm," commanded the butler, all the house elves complied. "Enter bird, and wait here."
The butler bent down to retrieve the scroll from the owl's outstretched foot and instructing the house elves to stand guard until he returned, headed up towards his master's house, Godric Manor.
"It's Malfoy Senior this time. What would you like me to do, ignore it?"
"No, Severus, I think we have kept the good Malfoy's waiting long enough, let me see it would you please?"
Severus Snape, butler to the count, handed the scroll over to his young dark haired master whose emerald green eyes surveyed the invitation within with much interest and no little amusement.
"Harry, sir. Do you think it wise to mingle so freely with the Malfoy family; they are after all involved in the darker side of life."
"I know what I am doing old friend, now come help me. I have a dinner date to attend."
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