Before anyone complains I'm making muggle tech integratable with magic so suck it. In this chapter Draco moves in to his new apartment and Blaise organises a house warming party for him.
Blaise set the box he was carrying down and propped himself against the breakfast island. "That's the last one." He said wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "It's kind of satisfying doing things the muggle way right?"
"If someone had told me you'd even have been able to say the work muggle without sneering two years ago I'd have laughed in their face."
"Oh you're one to talk Draco, less than 12 months ago you were heir to the Malfoy fortune and a member of one of the proudest pureblood families in history."
"I still am, it's just that's not all I am anymore."
"No I guess not. Who'd've thought you'd have the balls to leave mummy and move out into the big bad world and into a muggle area no less!"
"Shut up Blaise." He laughed chucking a stray bit of packing material at his friend.
The taller friend slid onto a barstool and took the mug of coffee that Draco offered him before fixing him with a concerned look. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"
"Yes!" Draco said exasperatedly, he'd lost count of the number of people that had asked him that.
"I mean it Draco. I get it, I really do, the whole moving out, wiping the slate clean starting anew I understand. But did you really have to up sticks and move away from everyone you've ever known? I'm worried about you being alone."
"Be careful Blaise that almost sounded like genuine concern. And you're forgetting two very important things, firstly we're bloody wizards. It's not exactly going to be hard to visit each other is it? I made sure the apartment had a fireplace so I could use the floo network before I bought the place."
"And the second thing?" Blaise asked clearly not convinced.
"I'm bloody Draco Malfoy aka the most charming person ever, if I can't use my wits and wiles to make new friends then what help does anyone else have, eh?"
Blaise put his mug down and clasped Draco's hands between his own. "I know you're trying to reassure me but you totally just made me way more nervous for you." His voice was slightly patronising and Draco wondered how much damage his coffee would do if he chucked it at Blaise; clearly the other wizard knew Draco far too well and released his hand so he could move the beverage out of range. "But fear not for today is your lucky day!"
Draco rubbed his temples gently not liking where this was going. "Blaise, no, no, don't you dare say it it's not happening-"
"WE'RE HAVING A PARTY!"
"Oh I hate you." Draco grumbled but he couldn't help smiling slightly, once Blaise had his mind set on a party you could guarantee it was going to happen and they were notoriously messy affairs, Draco only hoped he wouldn't piss the neighbours off or wreck his furniture in the first week.
…
Seeing as Draco couldn't drive and Blaise had the car he agreed to go and pick Ursa while Draco waited for the removal men to deliver the larger pieces of furniture. By the time Blaise returned the furniture was all in place and Draco had begun unpacking some of his boxes. Blaise came into the apartment swinging a pet carrier in one hand and a bag in the other.
"Blaise!" Draco snapped snatching the box from his friend, an offended yowl issued from inside and he set the box down gently on the worktop.
"Yeesh sorry." Blaise said, completely not caring that he had just been swinging Draco's cat around.
"Evil git." Draco muttered under his breath as he reached his hand into the cage to stroke his pet reassuringly. "I'll let you scratch him later Ursa don't you worry" he crooned to her.
Blaise gave him a disgusted look then flounced over to the new sofa. "Come on Draco!" he said patting the seat next to him.
"Wait let me get her settled first ok?" His sighed loudly but didn't hassle him further. When Draco returned Blaise shoved a piece of parchment in to Draco's face and looked at him expectantly.
"What's this meant to be?"
"The beginnings of the guest list for this Friday."
"This Friday? No Blaise!" Draco whined.
"Yes this Friday. If we wait any longer you'll put it off for good. Plus a ton of people who missed their seventh year will be going back in September to finish their education so it has to be before then. And everyone loves a good summer house party."
Draco was clearly unconvinced but he looked at the list anyway. "I don't even know who half these people are Blaise. And why are there so many men?"
"Well it's not exactly like you're going to invite Goyle and Flint is it so yeah the Slytherin pickings are pretty low, but Pansy's on there, Terence Higgs, Vaisey, Adrian Pucey, Tracey Davis, the Carrow twins. And pretty much everyone else you don't know which is fine. You'll be fine."
"You didn't answer why there were so many men?" Draco said fixing his friend with a pointed look.
"Well, I mean I just think it'd be good to see if ya know you clicked with any of them. Oh yeah we need to specify no magic cos I may have invited a few muggle friends, no biggy, come to think of it maybe we shouldn't invite Pansy?"
Draco sighed long and deep. "She'll be fine but will you please stop trying to set me up with people! I'm fine without a boyfriend."
"Oh don't be bitter Draco, it never would've worked between us, you couldn't've bared being the least attractive in the relationship." Draco gasped offended.
"You're so bloody full of yourself Zabini." But he carried on down the list without looking at his friend. "Neville, Dean, Seamus? They're never going to come. Romilda Vane and Cormac Mclaggen I don't want them there!"
Blaise sighed. "Draco we have to invite as many people as possible, especially those from other houses or people you've wronged, it shows you're turning over a new leaf. It's not like people are going to expect prime conversation and a five course meal, just keep the booze flowing and the tunes pumping. Plus, I kinda already sent out the invites."
"Blaise you arsehole!" Draco shouted hitting him hard on the arm. "Oh I fucking hate you! How am I meant to unpack and sort a party out in four days?!"
"Look don't worry about the party I'll sort it all out, I started getting provisions already." He said winking and pulling an unbelievable amount of bottles from the same bag that had held the list. "I'm thinking with the muggle peeps butterbeer and firewhiskey will be fine but no giggle water. I'll grab a couple of cases from mum and dads cellar as well, plus I said BYO on the invite so they'll be plenty to go round."
Draco rolled his eyes back into his head and thumped the sofa. Blaise smirked, squeezed Draco's face between his hands and kissed him loudly on the forehead. "Stop stressing my love it'll be fine. I've got to dash but I'll take some of these empty boxes with me on the way, I'll text you tonight, if I forget I'll send you an owl in the morning with more deets."
He picked a stack of boxes up and placed them under his arms, leaving with a wave but he dipped back straight after.
"Oh and Draco, I invited the trio too." He closing the door behind him so that he couldn't hear his friends cursed response.
Draco let out a deep sigh and sunk into the coach before getting straight back up and heading to his bedroom where he had settled the cat.
"Hey Ursa." He greeted the long haired white cat as he took her in his arms. "What have I signed myself up for? And your nasty uncle Blaise invited the trio, how about that hey girl you might get to meet the famous Harry Potter." The cat squirmed to be released and he let it go before sighing yet again. "Who knew moving out would be so stressful, I've been here for a whole three hours and I've already become a crazy cat lady."
Blaise had made him restless so he paced back to the living room, ensuring the cat was shut in the room. He paced his new apartment letting it sink in that this was all his. Sure the Malfoy fortune had paid for it but he'd pay it off eventually.
All the walls were painted an off-white. The floors were hardwood and the rugs and soft furnishings were all white too. The coffee table was an oversized clock topped with glass and the sideboards and tables were mirrored. The only black thing in the room was the oversized fireplace. He had spent ages with Blaise picking out the furniture and apart from his clothes pretty much everything else was brand new. Malfoy manor had been full of dark curtains, wallpaper and wood. Despite the vast size of the rooms they had felt closed in and claustrophobic full of ancient antiques and dark secrets, the polar opposite of how he intended to live from now on. It seemed silly that something as simple as a colour change would make such a difference but the transition from dark to light was symbolic of his change in mentality.
Draco looked at the list Blaise had left on the coffee table yet again and raked his hand through his hair, if Friday didn't come for another month it would still be too soon.