"It's better to get something worthwhile done using deception, than to fail to get something worthwhile done using truth." Carlos Castaneda (1925- 1998)

22/06/2010, 08:45, Ministry of Magic, Level 1, 117 Euston Road, London

Draco stepped through the fireplace in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic and brushed the ash off his robes. He was fifteen minutes early for his appointment to meet the head of the Department of Business and Finance but he had it on good authority that Mr Lufkin particularly detested those who were late and so coming a few minutes early might put Draco in his good books.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the looks he was getting and he revelled at the attention. He knew that even though out loud they were sneering and looking down their noses at him, internally they were wondering what they'd have to do to be him or go out with him. He pushed his chest out slightly and walked towards the lifts. The crowd of people waiting there moved out of his way; no-one wanted to be in a confined space with an ex Death Eater. Draco (in a dignified manner) snorted quietly at the way they were acting and even though he told himself that the way they were behaving held no matter to him, he knew he was lying.

The doors pinged in front of him and as they opened he walked in and turned back around to face the doors. The others who had been waiting, looked away or pretended to be in conversation with those around them making it seem as if they weren't waiting for the lift. Draco smiled in deprecation before pressing the button for Level 3.

As he waited for the doors to close, his gaze swept over the Atrium and they doubled back when they passed over a familiar face. Blaise Zabini had just apparated into the designated area at the side of the Atrium. It wasn't the fact that Draco was seeing the face of his once school friend that surprised him and caused his eyebrows to rise by a millimetre; it was the woman who had apparated in after him and with whom he was now happily holding conversation with. One curly haired Hermione Granger.

Of course. How he had not thought of this sooner was beyond him. It was perfect. He knew Granger and the Ravenclaw worked together and he vaguely remembered that Blaise had decided to play house with her a few years ago. By the way his arm was wrapped possessively around the Ravenclaw's waist, he assumed they were still together. This surely meant he had a fairly good relationship with Granger. He hadn't talked to Blaise in many years. As the doors to the lift closed, Draco thought it might be time to arrange a little reunion.

ooo

22/06/2010, 08:48, Ministry of Magic, Level 1, 117 Euston Road, London

"So I'll meet you here at twelve-thirty?" Blaise asked Padma as Hermione walked away leaving them to say goodbye.

"Twelve-thirty?" Padma said, her forehead creasing slightly at his words.

Blaise chuckled at her expression and kissed the crinkle between her eyebrows lightly. Beneath his lips it smoothed away. "I'm taking you out for lunch. Don't you think I realise you've been skipping lunch lately?" He said before dropping his voice into a whisper. "I've worshipped your body every night for years. I've memorised every single lovely curve. Don't you think I'd notice a change in it?"

Padma felt the heat flush her cheeks at his words and looked around to make sure no-one else had heard him. Blaise chuckled slightly, it always amused him that even though she had tan skin you could still see the red staining her cheeks.

"Non preoccuparti amore mio. No one heard me." Blaise said, his breath tickling Padma's ear. "So, I'll see you at twelve-thirty?"

Padma tried to voice her agreement but her throat was so dry she could only simply nod her head mutely. Blaise smiled, kissed her lips and apparated away.

ooo

22/06/2010, 12:27, Ministry of Magic, Level 1, 117 Euston Road, London

Blaise apparated into the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. It was just as, if not even more so, busy than this morning. All kinds of people and creatures bustled around, trying to get on with their business. He quickly moved out of the Apparation spot so it was ready for someone else to use and looked around to see if he could spot Padma in the throng. Checking his watch, he saw she still had a few minutes and made his way to one of the marble benches at the side of the room.

As he approached the only bench with spare room on it, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. People all around were looking for a place to sit and yet this bench was completely free. As he moved closer to it, his eyes fell on a lone witch sitting there on one side. Her head was positioned in such a way that her hair was partially hiding her face and Blaise couldn't make it out. He came to a stop a few feet away from her.

"Excuse me. Is this seat free?" he asked indicating towards the rest of the bench. The witch's head flew upwards in surprise and Blaise stepped backwards in shock. She kind of looked like, "Pansy?" he said disbelievingly.

ooo

Pansy Parkinson looked up into the face of her once Slytherin housemate and gave him a dry smile as she saw the astonishment across his face.

"Hello Blaise." She said, before waiting to see what his response would be. It was just that morning that she had been wondering when it would be that she would see a face from the past. She was half surprised that it had taken her two weeks but then again, with the whole wizarding world ignoring her should she have been surprised?

"What are you doing here?" Blaise said. Pansy raised a carefully plucked eyebrow at his question and was about to answer defensively when he quickly backtracked.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I'm just surprised to see you is all. I thought you and your mother were still in France?"

"I moved back to London two weeks ago." Pansy informed him.

"What are you doing at the Ministry?" Blaise asked.

Pansy looked down at the half eaten sandwich on her lap. "I'm eating lunch." She answered obviously.

Blaise grinned slightly in a way that revealed his charming smile. It wasn't until that moment that Pansy realised that she had missed him.

ooo

Blaise moved to sit down next to her and he saw her turn slightly so she was facing him.

"Do you often come to eat lunch at the Ministry?"

Pansy smiled at his question. "I work here. Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Auror Office."

Blaise's eyebrows lifted. She worked in the same department as Harry? That was surprising. He had very little knowledge of what had occurred during the Final Battle of Hogwarts but it had been a well publicised fact that Pansy Parkinson had offered to trade Harry Potter for the school's (and he probably believed that it was more for her own) safety. When the war had been won and the Death Eaters rounded up, Pansy though not being a Death Eater herself, had been put in the same bandwagon. It had meant she had practically been forced out of the country to get away from the ridicule and slander being thrown at her from every direction.

"The same department as Harry?" he asked softly.

Pansy eyed Blaise with question. "You call him Harry?"

"Yes, we've become friends." Blaise replied. "Padma knows him fairly well and so I see him from time to time."

"Padma Patil?" she asked.

Blaise smiled and nodded in response. He had forgotten that Padma had known Pansy before they'd all started Hogwarts. Both being daughters from Pureblood families meant they had spent many an occasion in each other's company when they were younger. He knew Padma had been confused at the change in Pansy when they'd started Hogwarts but at the time, she and him had never even spoken to each other and he wasn't about to tell a non Slytherin on why people changed when they entered his house.

After the war and Pansy's departure, he didn't feel like there was any point in informing Padma of anything. Her and Pansy's once friendship, if you could call it that, was firmly in the past. When he and Padma had started dating, Pansy was a distant memory. Only she wasn't so distant anymore and as Blaise looked around the Atrium and saw people staring at her with hate in their eyes, he felt slightly ashamed that he hadn't done more for her.

"Yes, I forgot you knew each other."

"We don't." Pansy replied, her voice hardening slightly. "It was a long time ago." she added quietly, her eyes looking away from his and falling back down on her sandwich.

Blaise registered the move. It was a common Slytherin trait. Look away so as not to show any weakness.

"Padma and I are having a small dinner party at our home on Friday. You should come, it'd be nice to have you there." Blaise invited.

Pansy looked up at him in shock before quickly shaking her head. "Oh no, I can't. I-I think I have other plans."

Blaise was interrupted in his reply by Padma calling his name as she made her way to him.

ooo

Padma spotted Blaise and moved towards him. Once she was within hearing distance she called out his name before coming to a halt as she saw who he was talking to. She looked into Pansy's eyes, shocked.

"Parkinson?" she said.

She watched as something in Pansy's eyes fell at being addressed by her surname before she turned back to glance at Blaise. Padma too, turned to look at Blaise.

Blaise stood from his position and moved towards her. Padma felt his warm mouth peck her lips lightly before his arm moved to its usual position around her waist. There was a moment of silence as the three regarded each other.

"Look who I bumped into." Blaise said jovially and Padma snapped out of her daze. She offered Pansy a small smile and was surprised when it was returned.

Padma couldn't believe how different Pansy looked. Yes she looked older but it had been so long since she'd seen her without that customary sneer she'd picked up in Hogwarts, she'd momentarily forgotten just how pretty her features looked when she smiled.

"I just invited her to come on Friday." Blaise said to her.

Padma turned from Pansy to look at Blaise in alarm. He'd invited her? She didn't think that would be the best idea.

ooo

Pansy saw the look of alarm cross over Padma's face and knew that if she could have, she would have reneged the invitation. Pansy pushed the feeling of sadness that washed over her away. She knew that this was the way they would have acted. After all, it had been her who had treated them like Hippogriff dung throughout their time at Hogwarts.

"Unfortunately I don't think I can make it. I have other plans."

She saw the two of them look at her, one in surprise and the other in suspicion.

"What other plans?" Blaise asked.

"I'm actually going to be working late that day. There's a mission that Auror Shacklebolt wants to start preparation for." Pansy knew she'd been rumbled when the lie came out of her mouth.

"Really? That's strange. Harry is going to attend. He hasn't mentioned anything about working late that day. Maybe you have your days mixed up?" Blaise said.

Pansy looked helplessly at him before her gaze flicked to Padma, her mouth once again opening and ready to form some other lie to get them and her off the hook.

"I-" she started to say but she was cut off by Padma.

"No, Blaise is right. It would be good if you could come. I'll owl you with our address and the other details. It's all very informal so you don't need to go shopping or anything."

Pansy snapped her mouth shut in surprise. Immediately gratitude filled her. Maybe, just maybe she had a chance to get her old friends back. She quickly smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

"Great." Blaise said. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have a lunch date. We'll see you on Friday night."

"Goodbye." Pansy said softly as she watched them walk away. She took in a deep breath and her chest felt lighter than it had in a long time. She smiled and resumed eating her cheese sandwich.

ooo

22/06/2010 18:32 Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire

Draco Malfoy watched as his black eagle Archimedes flew out of his library window and started its journey. If what he remembered of Blaise's house was still true, it meant he could expect a reply within the hour.

Draco moved back down to sit at his desk and picked up the business contracts he had organised at the Minsitry this morning. He was just about to read them once more before signing when a knock on the door pulled his attention away.

"Come in." he said and the door opened to reveal his father.

"Did you send the letter Draco?" Lucius asked his son.

Draco nodded. "Yes father, Archimedes just left."

"And you expect Zabini to accept your invitation?"

"He has no reason not to. It's only a few drinks with an old friend. There is no reason he should suspect anything."

"He isn't Goyle, Draco. This is the first time you have contacted him for drinks in years. Of course he will doubt you; he was a Slytherin after all." Lucius said.

Draco scoffed. "Zabini may have been put in the Slytherin house but he was always a tad soft. Even if he does suspect me, he'll still agree to the meeting before making up his mind on my intentions."

"You will have to make sure that you do not slip up at the meeting."

Draco narrowed his eyes at his father. Lucius had started annoying him more than usual recently. The first thing he planned to do with the profits from his business was move out.

"It's my money on the line father." Draco said, "I assure you that I won't slip up. If that will be all, I have some business papers to look over."

ooo

Lucius stiffened at his son's words, a sneer forming at his lips. He wanted to remind the boy just who exactly he was talking to. A crucio or two would put him right back into line but Lucius knew he had to restrain himself. He needed the money. He needed his son.

Lucius closed the door to Draco's private library and walked away, ruing the day he decided to have children.

ooo

22/06/2010 18:53, 3 St James Wood, London

Blaise watched affectionately as Padma and Benji laughed and giggled from where they were sat on the living room floor, painting and having fun. He wanted to join them but the restaurant books needed to be done and he forced his eyes back to them.

As much as he tried to concentrate, his mind just wasn't on it; the words and numbers were spinning on the page before his very eyes.

"Daddy, look at the big owl!" Benji squealed.

Both Blaise and Padma turned to look at where his hand was pointing and Blaise heard Padma gasp at the size of the bird. He however narrowed his eyes.

"Whose bird is that? Is that even an owl?" Padma asked.

"It's an African Black Eagle." Blaise answered. Padma's brow furrowed as to how he would know this. "It's Draco's bird." He added in explanation.

Padma's forehead smoothed out but her eyes grew wide. "Draco Malfoy? I didn't realise you were still in contact with him?"

"I'm not." Blaise answered as he let the eagle in and moved to take the letter from its talons. He heard Padma stand up and make her way to him.

Blaise looked at the letter in his hands cautiously. He and Malfoy had never been friends per se in Hogwarts; more like close acquaintances. However it was only after he moved to Italy, came back and met Padma that he realised what having real friends was actually like. Even though Draco and he had not had any contact in the years since the war, Blaise had a feeling that Draco regarded him as a friend even though the feeling was not reciprocated.

"Aren't you going to open it and see what he wants?" Padma asked softly.

Blaise nodded and tore through the Malfoy wax seal and took out the letter. He scanned its contents briefly whilst Padma watched his eyebrows climb with each passing second. Finally the suspense got too much for her.

"Well?" she asked.

Blaise turned towards her and passed her the letter silently. Padma took it from his hands and read through it.

"Drinks?" she asked confused. "He wants to meet you for drinks? Why?"

"Exactly, why? After so many years I find it strange that he wants to suddenly meet out of the blue."

There was a period of silence as the two remembered when they had last seen Draco Malfoy.

"Are you going to go?" Padma asked him quietly.

Blaise grabbed his wand and scourgified her hands before wrapping her in his arms. "What do you think?" he asked as he ran his hands through her thick hair.

Padma thought for a while before answering. "You decided to give Pansy a second chance today. Maybe you should do the same for Malfoy. Agree to meet up with him and see what he wants. See whether he's changed."

She felt Blaise's sigh rather than hearing it. "Draco is a lot different to Pansy and we both know it. There's a reason Pansy acted the way she did at Hogwarts. Draco was a bastard because he's always been a bastard."

"He was your friend wasn't he?"

Blaise shook his head. "I don't think you could consider us friends, at least not in the way I consider Dean or even Harry to be my friend. He was more of an acquaintance and even then it was only when he wanted something."

"If he's writing to you it means he's reaching out. He might have changed. The only way you'll know is by meeting with him." Padma reasoned.

Blaise chuckled. "My clever Ravenclaw. I suppose I should meet with him."

"Good." Padma smiled as she pulled back slightly. "Now to more important things; we need your handprint on our family handprint picture, don't we Benji?"

Benji nodded eagerly and pointed to the white page at his feet. Blaise looked at the picture and smiled. There were three boxes there. In two of the boxes were Benji and Padma's handprints and there was an empty box with Daddy painted underneath.

Blaise quickly moved to the table and replied to Draco's letter with a simple date and time, before handing his reply to the eagle. His eyes fell on the work he needed to do but he simply closed the books and put them away before moving to join Benji and Padma on the floor.

ooo

22/06/2010 19:25 Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire

Draco opened Blaise's reply and his eyes fell on the few words written on the page. It wasn't much but it was all Draco needed to set his plan into motion.


Author's Note: Until next time, Curiositykils