Title: Of Champagne and Romance
Author: Austin Odd
Summary: When Harry Potter to a fancy Ministry Party because Hermione want's him to socialize more, he meets someone from his past. And Draco Malfoy looks just as beautiful as she did when they were seventeen. On an impulse Harry asks her out wondering was it from the Champagne or is it true Romance? Fem!Draco
Differences: It mostly follows the original story line, only exceptions are that Fred, Dobby, Severus, and Sirius are still alive.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I simply play in the mental garden that J. K. Rowling has created for the minds like us, to play.
Green eyes glazed over from boredom, inky black hair in its usual messy style, and circular glasses on his face, Harry Potter looked like he always had.
Harry was here because he needed to attend this high class Ministry party because Hermione had pulled some heart strings so that he would 'socialize'. He personally didn't believe that he needed any 'socializing' but when Hermione told him it was that or going on a blind date with a girlfriend of hers, Harry jumped into his dress robes faster than thought possible.
The savor of the Wizarding World could appreciate the beautiful scene that was laid out before him. The ballroom that had been chosen had been decorated in silver and white, with a large twinkling chandler flooding the place with blue light adding to the amazing scene.
The only problem was that everyone had wanted to talk to Harry. The new Auror, Randolf Claton, especially, the poor boy thought that Harry would help him through everything and had literally stuck to him like glue. Harry could see that while it was sweet of the boy to look up to him but he did not need to have a leech the entire night.
"Mr. Potter, sir, I need to pi- use the restroom. I'll be right back." Harry could barely thank Merlin before the younger boy was gone. Seeing his one chance at an escape Harry walked swiftly French glass balcony doors.
The cool spring air left a sense of ease at his face. He took a deep breath and let out a deep sigh then started to lean against the balcony's snow white columned guard rail. Staring out onto the city below him Harry couldn't help but close his eyes and carve this scene into his head forever.
"Champagne, Potter?" Green eyes snapped open to see a pale elegant hand outstretched and holding the curved glass that was filled with the sparkling liquid. Taking the glass with his own tanner hand he looked at the original owner with a look of astonishment on his face. There, Draco Malfoy was leaning against the railing like Harry had been doing only a few moments before, with the same elegant and graceful charm around her that Harry knew that hadn't been there before.
Draco Malfoy's hair was still the platinum blonde as it always had been, but instead of it flowing down her waist like it had been back at Hogwarts, it was now in an eloquent bun that had been either magically being held there, or many years of practice from the maker. She was wearing an eccentric dark blue gown that hung to her curves in a sophisticated attractiveness that would make most men drool at her feet.
"Thanks, Malfoy," Harry said returning to his original leaning position besides the woman. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"
She just hummed in the back of her throat in agreement or not, Harry wasn't quite sure. The sat there sipping their champagne and looking like something out of a poem.
"Why are you here, Potter?" Draco said still looking out on the scenery. Harry was about to rebut to the rude comment when she continued, "You don't really go to these old Ministry parties. You're too cool, right?"
She chuckled slightly finishing up here glass then setting it down onto the cooled ground. "I don't usually, Hermione told me that if I didn't she would start setting me up on blind dates." Harry replied.
"Got to hand it to her, Granger is creative." Draco replied.
"She's a Weasley, now, actually." Harry said, telling the blonde of the marriage of his best friends.
"Good for her. I probably heard that in the paper somewhere."
"Yeah." Silence insured after that, making Harry slightly uncomfortable. "So… What's new with you?"
"Nothing really. Broke it off with Blaise." She said leaning over the railing dangerously.
"Blaise?"
"Zabini."
"Ah." Harry started looking around as though a topic of conversation would magically appear. "He's the black guy that was in Slytherin right?"
"Yep."
"Always thought that you and him would make a good pair." Harry said, not quite thinking of what he was saying.
"Where you stalking me, Potter?" Grey eyes looking at him underneath a quirked eyebrow, questioning written across her face.
"Only in sixth year." Harry said honestly; ready to come clean about the whole stalking-you-because-I-think-you-are-up-to-no-good.
"What do you mean?" Draco asked flipping around so that her back was now pressed against the railing.
"I thought in sixth year that you were up to something. You were, by the way." All playful conversation over, grey eyes locked with green in an intimate battle of wills.
"They were going to kill my mother." Draco whispered, as though it was one of her deepest secrets. It probably was.
"I know." And Harry really did. He didn't believe that Draco would have done all she had without true cause.
"I never did get the mark though." She said, lifting up her left wrist so that he could see the smooth pale skin there.
Harry already knew that. After all he had vouched for her when the Ministry had been calling in all Death Eaters for a trial. He didn't tell her that though. But he just nodded to her, making her steely grey eyes calm down a bit.
"Did you ever get married to the Weaslette?" She asked suddenly not looking at him, but staring at the party still going on inside.
"No. She and Dean are engaged." His voice was hard and rough, remembering his fury when Ginny broke it off with him for his old roommate. He still loved Ginny, but instead of the full heart, it was now just a painful thud whenever Harry thought of her.
"You're not happy about that?" Draco asked.
"Not really, no."
"Why?"
It was such a simple question. Why. But it brought so many answers running through Harry's head that he couldn't decide which one he would tell her.
"Because." Was what he decided upon, already knowing that this would not drop unless Draco got a straight answer.
"You still love her." It wasn't a question and they both knew that, but both decided that they would ignore it. At his silence Draco made that noise in the back of her throat again. "Why aren't you two still together? Last I remember she was head over heels for you."
"Things change. People change." Harry replied green eyes downcast to the moonlit grass underneath the balcony.
"No. They don't."
"You did." This made Draco look at him again, this time however; there was an expression on her face that Harry had only ever seen on a curious child.
"You don't know that. Or me, for that matter."
"No I don't."
Silence.
"I want to though." Harry said genuinely. Because in all honest he truly wanted to know this insightful woman that he hadn't thought existed before this fateful night.
"Why?" There was that question again. It was a truly remarkable question this time. But he replied it with silence again. This made her look at him a half smile upon her face.
The silence that took them this time was a comfortable one, one that two people that were completely comfortable with each other had, one that lovers had. The thought though, as jolting as it was, didn't make him wish to take back what he said. It made something inside of him look at the beautiful woman in front of him differently than before.
"It's a beautiful night," Harry repeated, looking up at the growing clouds that hid Teddy's precious moon.
"It is, isn't it?" Draco flipped around again so now they were much closer than they were originally. "You can."
"Can what?" Harry asked, confused by her declaration.
"Get to know me, if you want." She looked away from him as though she was embarrassed that she had said that.
"Only," Harry started, making her look at him again, a question reason in her eyes. "If you get to know me."
"Alright then." She stuck her manicured hand out in a dramatic pose and said sarcastically, "Hello, my name is Draco. Draco Malfoy."
Seeing her like that gave him a sense of déjà vu from their first year, she was still as beautiful as she was at ten years old, still the same hair and eyes, there was something different this time around. But it was as though her soul has changed, been recreated somehow.
Taking her smaller hand in his, he shook it smiling his crooked smile, Harry returned her saying with his own. "I'm Harry. Harry Potter." Then he added, "It's going to be a pleasure to know you."
Harry got his own picturesque smile in return, it made his heart do a funny little dance within his chest, making it seem as though thousands of tiny fireworks were exploding inside of it.
Brushing a lose strand out of her hair, grey eyes looking at the night sky, most people would say that she looked like an angel. Harry had to agree.
"I should get going." Draco said after a minute, making Harry look away as fast as he could to not get caught. But Harry didn't think it worked as Draco ruby red lips twitched upward.
"Could I, uh… Firecall you or something?" Harry said looking sheepish again. He felt like he was asking a girl out for the first time again.
"Maybe." Draco said standing up to her height, which was still seven inches shorter than Harry. "Good luck to you, Potter."
"Call me Harry, Draco." It felt a bit foreign on his tongue, but when her grey eyes light up Harry knew that he would be using her first name on a day to day basis.
"Alright then, Harry." With that her high heels clicking as she walked to the French glass doors she had her hands literally on the door handle when Harry finally spoke up.
"When will I be able to see you again?"
"When do you want to?" Back still turned to Harry, his green eyes automatically looked the woman's sleek figure.
"How about tomorrow, for lunch? One o'clock, at Clockwhen's place?" Draco asked turning her head to him.
"Alright." Harry told her automatically even though he had no idea where Clockwhen's was. He would have to ask Hermione about it later.
"'Bye, Harry." Draco said one last time, door closing as she entered the slowly depleting party once more, leaving as mystery as she had come.
""Bye Draco," Harry replied to the wind. "See you tomorrow."
It was only late that night, shadows Harry only company in the quiet air in his room, did Harry realize that he had just asked his once nemesis, Draco Malfoy, out on an actual date. Holy Fucking Shit.
