AUTHOR'S NOTE:
UNBETAED!
I'm getting my bearings now. I finally found the motivation to write fanfics again. Thank goodness!
DISCLAIMER: "Harry Potter" is the property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. This work of fiction/art was created entirely for fun, not for profit, and no copyright infringement is intended.
ENJOY! Thank you!
July 25, 2013
It's been awhile since Draco came back to London especially in the always-crowded Diagon Alley.
12 years to be exact and while he was dragged by his oh-so loving yet unbearable mother, without even a chance to open his mouth to object, he can't help but feel the nostalgia creeping up to his skin, going right through his currently mending, blood-pumping organ.
It is hitting him full-force and he had to sighed it out of his system to avoid reminiscing his not-so-beautiful past.
His mother had him by the neck…literally when he tried to apparate back to the manor to continue working on the stacks of paper works he left.
If his father ever have the sudden idea of following him back to London, and see that he left those important files and documents unattended, digging his own grave and laying his whole very-much alive body in there will still not be enough…well of course, unless his mother, jump to his rescue and use her power over Lucius which is, for the lack of better term, terrified of her. No one in their household, ever dared to counter Narcissa Malfoy. Not since the end of the war.
The strain between the three, due to the stupid mark on the arms of Lucius and Draco and their past beliefs, is yet to be mended but at least they're already on speaking terms and his mother can look straight to his father now without scowling…or glaring, which according to Lucius, is a start of getting their relationship on track again.
Draco strongly refused to know what the 'on track' means because by the look on his father's face, it sure meant something that will make him vomit.
Narcissa entered the 6th shop on the alley to find the handkerchief that she wanted for months now. A freaking handkerchief! Draco scowled but still followed the woman inside the store.
Just when he pushed the door open, Black hair clouded his vision, and he swear, he almost got drowned. The human with the thick black mane pulled back, revealing to be Pansy Parkinson.
"Draco!" Pansy exclaimed.
Great.
"Pansy." Pansy threw herself at him before dragging him to the couch.
Narcissa did not even glanced at them as she followed a lady upstairs. Draco examined the woman in front of him and noticed that she became a bit…voluptuous, not that it is a bad thing of course. It suits Pansy now and made her look good. Plus, she is wearing a very tight and very short red dress with plunging neckline. Curvy and sexy.
Draco likes curvy and sexy…except this one. She is one of his best friend.
"Guess what?" Pansy has that toothy grin plastered on her face that Draco can't help but grin back, meeting her eyes.
"What?"
"I'm engaged." She shrieked, shoving her fingers in his face. Draco rolled his eyes shoving the flapping hand away.
"and for the fourth time, congratulations." He said leaning back on the couch. "and an advance congratulations for your 5th child." This time Pansy scowled and stamped Draco's foot hard making him scream as he clutched his assaulted body part.
"You make it sound like I'm just a fucking baby maker!" Pansy accused shoving a finger on his shoulder.
"And an eminent galleon supplier." Draco lifts a cushion up as a shield when Pansy threw an unidentifiable object at him.
"That's rich coming from a 33 year-old hermit." Pansy smirked as Draco glared at her.
"I'm not a hermit, I'm a bachelor, learn the difference." Pansy rolled her eyes, humming.
"Really Draco, when will you settle down, I mean, almost everyone has a family already."
"Except Nott."
"Yes, except him, but he's a basta—"
"you married him—Hey!" Pansy threw another heavy object hitting him on the forehead.
"We divorced, three months later." She leaned back on the sofa but she smiled wickedly at him and Draco knew something is bound to be revealed that he will surely despise….or not.
"But…"
"But what?" He hates when she use that mystery tone on her sentences as if trying to make everything exciting.
"did you hear the latest gossip…"
"Get on with it."
"He's been on a sexual hiatus for 5 years now." Pansy whispered and smiled accomplishly as Draco's jaw dropped.
The earth must be nearing its destruction because Theodore Nott, shagger of the century, went in an all-out sexual fasting for 5 years.
5 years?
5 years!
"You must be kidding me." Draco said shaking his head.
"Oh, no Mister. Record breaking isn't it? The ministry should start making him a statue and declare a Theodore Nott official holiday. Seriously, he's an epitome of the redemption."
"That's not even possible."
"He told me himself."
"You said it's a rum—"
"Ever heard of Owl posts? We stay connected, past relationship aside."
"I should talk to him." Draco said still staring at Pansy's grinning face incredulously.
"You should and ask an advice on how to stop shagging-"
"I'm not even sexually active-"
"Talk to the hand Drakie." Draco almost strike her with the lamp as she laughed out loud.
Pansy then stood up running her palms on her now crumpled dress. Draco spotted Narcissa, holding 4 paper bags, thank heavens, beaming at the two of them.
"Oh, Pansy, you're still here. Come, Let's go have lunch. You're treat Draco." Draco grumbled following the two snickering ladies out of the store and to the restaurant four fucking blocks away.
Draco can't say that he is not surprised upon seeing the most famous wizard in the world running behind a toddler, of maybe 5 years of age, in an undignified manner. Harry Potter is in a fine dining restaurant stumbling behind his son while cameras around him flash continuously is rather a very funny sight that he can't stop himself from laughing. The youngest weasley is with him, Draco nodded at her and her eyes went wide looking hurriedly at Harry then back at him. Draco cocked an eyebrow in wonder as he trailed behind his mother, walking upstairs to a more peaceful dining setting.
12 years is enough to mend the rift between their families. The Malfoys, the Potters and the Weasleys are not exactly the best of friends though.
Few years after the war (if you could call '3 years' few), he worked for the ministry as a form of retribution to his and his father's mistake and because of that, he spends most of the time in the building, cutting some parchments and in some way or another he always…always…always run into Potter or any of the Weasleys.
Maybe due to that situation and the slow shift of his beliefs, they managed to learn how to tolerate each other's presence and soon became acquaintances.
To Draco's astonishment and to his father's disbelief, they even had a few dinners together. The female Weasley must've been surprised to see him after being gone for 12 years.
"I'm the one who designed Ginny's wedding gown, you know." Pansy said, looking almost smug, as they sit.
"and it looks absolutely elegant." Narcissa cooed, waving to the waiter for the menu.
What surprises Draco the most ever since he got back is the relationship between Pansy and his mother to the Weasleys. They became friends and based on the letters he is receiving every day, it sounded like they became really, really close.
Narcissa never really had the prejudiced outlook on blood traitors and muggle-borns, that Draco and his father once had, but Pansy, who was also once a firm believer that the Weasleys are poor as fuck and the Mudbloods are the foulest creature to walk on earth, to even kiss the cheeks of Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley and their children…It looks absolutely strange.
Even though she's changed and such, it still looks strange.
"They got married?"
"Yes, stupid, why else could they have children—Oh! You insolent—Divert the topic to my marriages and pregnancies again Draco, I will shove this goblet down your throat!" Pansy snarled making him and Narcissa laugh.
Draco knew about the Potter-Weasley marriage, The event was all over the papers, all over the world. It was actually the news of the year, posters are posted everywhere, Draco just have to turn his head a little and he can spot a moving picture of the newly-wed couple.
"OH!" Draco and Pansy jumped to the sudden outburst of Narcissa. They looked at each other before looking back to his mother.
"What is it?" Draco asked.
"I just remembered something, I'll go first. You and Pansy may…"
"Where will you go, mother?"
"I just have to meet someone. Pansy, show Draco around will you? I'll go now." She smiled warmly at the two of them before sliding out of the couch, walking elegantly to the door.
"Where do you want to go?" Pansy looked at him while finishing her tea. He noticed the small pouch sitting beside her, which he thinks, belongs to his mother. He reached out to grab it and Draco internally groaned as he felt the galleons inside.
"Let me give this to Mother first, then maybe we'll visit Nott" Pansy nods and Draco ran out of the restaurant, ignoring Potter's call.
He spotted Narcissa entering...the Flourish and Blotts. Draco's steps faltered for moment before shoving the people blocking his way. When he entered the shop, the woman behind the counter smiled at him and he scanned the room for his mother.
"Can I help you?" The counter woman asked.
"Where did the woman who entered here went?"
"Oh, upstairs."
Draco thanked her and headed for the stairs when he heard voices arguing. The owners of the voices, hidden by the stack of books beside him.
"I have no money!"
"Yes you have."
"Well yeah, but I'm saving for the holidays, and you're the one who wants this"
"You want it too, and I'm also saving up for the holidays."
"Let's buy it some other time then."
"Right."
"Right."
"But I'm having the feeling, that when I put this down, we will never be able to touch it again..."
"Yeah, me too, do you think, Grandma already paid for the books?"
"Yes?"
"You didn't put this on the list did you?"
"No, why would I?"
"Well, so that she'll buy it, of course."
"I...that's not right Drae."
"Don't act righteous on me now, you added some fiction book on your list a while ago."
"You noticed?"
"Nothing wicked goes beyond my eyes."
"Well, you also added additional-."
"We're derailing."
"Yeah, so should we buy this?"
"No."
"No?"
"No?"
"No." The voices said together, and he saw a blond and a brunette emerged from the pile, the two ran straight to the exit waving enthusiastically to the woman on the counter. There's a moment of silence before Draco even realized the he was listening to the conversation.
"Draco!" Draco turned around and saw his mother standing at the bottom of the stairs, holding two sets of wrapped packages, obviously books. "What are you doing here? Where's Pansy?"
"You forgot this." He held up the pouch and Narcissa glanced at it then at her wrist and smiled at him.
"How clumsy, thank you. You should go back."
"What about you?"
"I said I'm going to meet someone."
He nodded and Narcissa walked past him to the counter to pay for her purchases. He wanted to ask what those are for but he dropped it. His mother likes to read books so much it reminded him of someone so familiar.
"See you later, Son." Narcissa waved and he smiled.
He started to walk towards the exit too thinking of the impatient look Pansy must be having right now when he remembered something. He went around the tower of books, lifting the paperbacks up. He started looking for something he didn't really know before he felt how stupid that is.
He was just going to lift the book by his feet (Dragon Balls to Quidditch real quick) to put it back on the shelf when a hand snatched it out from him. Draco looked up and found himself staring at a small boy.
They stared at each other for a moment. Just staring, mouths hanging open.
He looks so fucking familiar.
Draco frowned and took a step towards the boy and the boy shook his head looking back at him with eyes almost jumping out of his eye sockets.
"I'm really really really sorry, but we really really really want this book." The boy said, smiling apologetically at him before turning around. "Drae, let me have your 150 galleons. I have retrieved the book!"
Draco did not move and just watched the two child pay for the book, grinning at each other before running out of the store again for the second time. He stood there stupidly until he saw Pansy standing outside tapping furiously on the window.
He walked out of the store feeling rather confused and…excited.
To be continued.