Difficulties Will Arise
11. Two's Company, Three's A Crowd
Disclaimer: Yesterday, I bought the rights to Harry Potter. Oh, wait, that was a dream.
Author's Note: Wow! What is this, now? Three chapters in one week? I'm pretty surprised at myself. By the way, Mugglecast won the Podcast Awards in the Entertainment section! A round of applause to the best Potter Podcast on the net! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. I really enjoyed writing it.
As the house elves bustled around the kitchen, preparing breakfast, Aurelia was pacing the sitting room. Stephen finally entered the room with a wide yawn. Aurelia's head shot up at the noise and her eyes widened at his appearance.
"Is that what you're wearing today?" she snapped.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" he asked, looking down at his body. He was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a blue button-up shirt.
"Muggle clothes, darling!" she chastised. "You can not wear muggle clothes today!"
"Wha—Oh! Right, sorry. I'll change."
"No, that's alright," she shook her head, hoping to clear it. "Come have breakfast first."
With a slight hesitation and a weary look, Stephen followed his girlfriend into the kitchen. The house elves were just finishing setting the table with plates, cutlery and food. Aurelia took a seat without acknowledging them and stabbed a fork into her eggs.
"Are you alright, darling? You seem…anxious."
"Do I?" she grumbled sarcastically. Stephen raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, I'm just a little unnerved."
"It's alright. It'll be fine," he assured and Aurelia gave him a weak smile.
Aurelia said nothing to Stephen through the rest of breakfast. She was too busy trying to figure out how to cope with the meeting today. What if Lucius let something slip about Draco? Stephen had no idea who Draco was to her. What if Lucius wasn't coming on business at all? What if he was visiting for Draco's sake? Aurelia knew that he would never consider doing that but all reason and logic seemed lost in her frenzied state. So, though she knew better, she was afraid that maybe this was a social call. She didn't know what Stephen would say. Maybe he wouldn't be mad. Stephen was the kind of guy that would be able to understand Aurelia's reasoning behind some of the things she did. And, then again, was it fair to say that Stephen would overlook Aurelia's deceptions? Not that she had technically done anything wrong. She hadn't lied. She just didn't tell him the full truth.
There was still the possibility to consider that maybe Lucius really was coming on business. Maybe something was wrong. Could the Ministry have found something out? Could she possibly be in danger right as she sat there contemplating? Maybe something had happened to Draco. Maybe he had been found out. What if Draco was sitting in Azkaban right now? Would Lucius really wait this long to tell her? Aurelia didn't put it past him. She's known that man to do some cold-hearted things before. What if Draco wasn't in Azkaban? What if he was on the run? Or what if he was dead? What if he—
"Aurelia!" Stephen's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Aurelia snapped out of her stupor to look at Stephen. She noticed he was shaking. Not only him, but the entire kitchen was trembling. Aurelia wondered if it was an earthquake. She remembered the last time an earthquake hit. Draco had saved her life and they ended up taking refuge at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. It was the following day that they had started going out.
"Aurelia!" Stephen shouted again.
He didn't sound scared, only concerned. It was at that moment Aurelia realized it wasn't Stephen or the kitchen that was shaking, it was her. She was crying and shaking with uncontrollable sobs. She tried to pull herself together but it only made the shaking worse. She mumbled something under her breath to excuse herself from the table and sprinted to the attic. Aurelia pressed her back up against the door and tried taking deep breaths but they came out shaky and painful.
It was several hours later when Aurelia finally felt composed enough to leave the attic. She knocked lightly on her and Stephen's bedroom door. When she heard his voice faintly tell her to come in, she pushed the door open. Stephen sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. He looked up at her after she closed the door behind her.
"Aurelia?" he said, uncertain.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered and crossed the room slowly to him. "I honestly have no idea what came over me."
"Aurelia," he said and put his hand on her back as she sat down. "Maybe you shouldn't have this meeting today. Look at what's it's doing to you and he hasn't even gotten here yet."
"No, Stephen, I'm fine. I promise," she assured him.
"I'm worried about you, Reli," he said and kissed her temple. "I'm really worried."
"You don't need to be. I'm fine, really."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive," she said. "Now, why don't you go change into some robes; He'll be here soon."
Aurelia was once again pacing the sitting room when the doorbell rang. Her head snapped toward the noise and she inhaled a deep breath before proceeding into the entrance hall. Waving off a house elf, Aurelia opened the door for Lucius. He stood there with an air of importance. However, his well-tailored bottle green robes, loosely tied blond ponytail and rigid posture wasn't the first thing Aurelia's noticed. What she noticed first made her breath catch in her throat and then proceed in constricting further air flow. At the door, beside his father, stood Draco Malfoy.
"Good afternoon, Aurelia," Lucius smiled. "Are you going to invite us in?"
Without tearing her eyes off of Draco, or saying a word, Aurelia stepped aside to let in the two Malfoys. They stepped inside with familiarity yet professionalism. Like two business associates who've been to the house enough times to know their way around but not enough to feel comfortable there.
"Is that him?" Stephen called from the top of the stairs as he descended towards them. Aurelia forced herself to remove her stare from Draco and looked up at him. He walked up next to Aurelia, put one hand on her waist and the other outstretched to Lucius. "Good afternoon, sir."
"Hello," Lucius said without any tone of surprise.
"Reli, darling, I didn't know we were having two guests," he commented, looking at Draco.
"Neither did I," she managed to choke out. "Stephen this is Lucius and Draco Malfoy."
"Pleasure," Stephen smiled genuinely as he shook Draco's hand. The blond returned a loathing glare.
"This is Stephen Wheeler," Aurelia said, keeping her voice low. "My—"
When Aurelia couldn't manage to finish her sentence, Lucius cut in before either young gentleman could interfere. "Let's go into the sitting room, shall we?"
Aurelia nodded and walked into the next room with Stephen at her side. She motioned for them to sit and called for a house elf to bring them their refreshments. When everyone had their drink in hand, Aurelia looked to Lucius, purposely avoiding Draco's eyes. She could feel him staring as she talked.
"So, what brings you here, Lu—Mr. Malfoy?" she asked.
"Actually, I was wondering if maybe we can discuss this in private," he asked.
"This is private," Aurelia replied.
Lucius gave her a persuasive look. "What I had in mind is, I would appreciate it if Mr. Wheeler would step out of the room for a few minutes."
"And I would appreciate it if you didn't command me, Lucius," Aurelia said icily.
"I was not commanding you, my l—," he began but Aurelia cut him off with a look. "My lady," he amended. "I was simply making a request."
"I don't mind stepping out," Stephen said quietly but Aurelia waved him off.
"I personally don't remember asking for your opinion. Stephen can stay wherever he likes. This is his home and he will not be told when to leave a room by anyone, especially you," she clipped, her teeth clenched. Draco turned to look at Aurelia with wide eyes.
"Really, darling, I don't mind," he said.
"There, see? He doesn't mind," Lucius grinned smugly.
"Stephen, darling, you don't have to go anywhere," Aurelia whispered.
"It's okay. I'll just be in the kitchen. You'll do fine," he said. With a small kiss on the cheek, Stephen excused himself and went into the kitchen.
"Don't grind your teeth, Draco, it's unhealthy," Lucius said purposefully.
Aurelia was practically fuming. "What do you want from me, Lucius?"
"Well, I had hoped to come here and discuss a few important matters," he said. "For one, this man—"
"His name is Stephen."
"Stephen," he amended. "What is he to you?"
"I beg your pardon!"
"Voice down, darling, he can hear you," Lucius drawled with false sweetness. "I only mean, maybe it isn't so wise of you to be seeing him."
"And why the hell not!" she yelled in a hushed voice.
"Did you ever wonder what the Ministry might think of this arrangement?" he whispered, casting sidelong glances at the kitchen door.
"And what business is it of theirs? My personal life is my own business. There is nothing about this to suggest I'm doing anything illegal at all," she whispered back.
"Illegal, no. Suspicious, a little," he said.
"How is that?" she exclaimed than dropped her voice back down. "My being in a new relationship hardly links back to my being a Death Eater."
"You're much more than just a Death Eater now, my lord," he said.
"That's not the point, Lucius," she replied angrily. "The point is that it is none of your business what goes on in my personal life! Nor is it the Ministry's!"
"Does he know?"
"What?" she snapped.
"Does he—Stephen—know what you are? Who you are?" Lucius asked.
"No," Aurelia answered, her own bravado wavering. "Does it matter?"
"You don't think it does?" Lucius raised his eyebrows. "I think it very well does matter. How do you plan to explain to him why you'll be meeting with Death Eaters? How do you plan to explain to him why you'll be fighting on the opposing side in the war?"
"That's none of your business," Aurelia spat through clenched teeth.
"Oh, isn't it?" Lucius said. "I think it is very much my business, Aurelia. I think you need to think more about this man."
"You know what, Lucius? This has nothing to do with Stephen, does it?" she accused.
"Yes, it does. I know what you're insinuating but I'm going to ignore it and feign ignorance. If you want to continue dating this man, go ahead. If you want to continue living with this man, go ahead." Aurelia saw Draco clench his fists out of the corner of her eye but ignored him. "I strongly caution you, though, Aurelia, to be careful. I urge you to realize the gravity of the situation. We both know that you can't continue living like this forever."
"That's not true," she replied. "I can continue living like this forever. Whether I will or will not, is another story entirely."
"What are you saying? That you're give up?" Draco finally joined in. Both Aurelia and Lucius were surprised to hear him talk for the first time. "So, what? One minute you're practically jumping out of your seat to start this war, to go out there and fight and the next you're considering giving up? You'd rather sit at home with your Stephen?" he spit his name like acid. "You'd rather sit here, content with your low-class job and second-rate boyfriend while, meanwhile, we've got the Ministry breathing down our necks every day?"
"Don't you dare talk about Stephen that way!" Aurelia shouted as loud as her whispered voice allowed.
Draco ignore her and continued. "You would rather allow all the mudbloods and half-bloods out there to control everything? Our jobs, our schools, our government. Is that what you want, Aurelia? Is it?"
"I never said that!"
"No, you didn't but the intent is clear."
"You've no idea of my intentions, Draco!" she said, her voice rising above a whisper. "And, frankly, it's none of your damn business anymore! It isn't about you anymore, Draco! It's about me and my life which you're no longer a part of!"
Draco reclined his head and Aurelia winced at her own words. It was a low blow. Way below the belt. Inside, Aurelia knew this but she wouldn't dare take her words back now. Instead, she settled for glowering at him. The room fell instantly silent as Aurelia's words sunk in.
"I think it's time we left, father," Draco finally said, breaking the silence. Draco stood from his seat and Lucius followed suit. Lucius turned back to say something but seemingly decided against it and settled for striding out with a curt nod.
Once they were gone, Aurelia dropped her head into her hands and sighed. Two things happened that day which Aurelia did not expect. One, Draco showed up to her home with Lucius. She had been preparing herself all day to meet with Lucius. She had been pepping herself on how to behave and how to think in order to avoid conversation or thought to sway toward Draco. Of course, that entire plan was blown to bits as soon as the blond in question stepped over the threshold.
Second, she might have possibly uttered the worst mistake of her life. She practically told Draco that he was no longer a part of her life and that she wanted nothing to do with him. That he wasn't important. Did he think she had gotten over him? Did she think he was never on her mind anymore? It wasn't true. Aurelia didn't mean to say it. Then again, was it for the best? Would this finally put an end to it all? After all, she had Stephen in her life now and that meant there was no room for Draco. Isn't this what she wanted?
Wanted. That was when she remembered the real reason her and Draco split up. It wasn't because of a fight. It wasn't because he was the wrong man for her. It wasn't because they weren't compatible or because Draco was a terrible person. It was because she didn't know if she wanted him. She didn't know whether the love she felt for him was enough for her. That was the only reason they were no longer together. Her only goal had been to evaluate their relationship, spend some time apart and then get back together with a new found knowledge of desire for each other.
Of course, that was before she'd met Stephen. That was before she knew who Stephen was. Before she knew the good, kind-hearted man that didn't care about Aurelia's flaws, but wanted her for her. She knew now, that she loved Stephen and she wanted him. In the same way she had been trying to want Draco. So, maybe the split up really had served its purpose. She realized she didn't want Draco. And, instead, she found someone to fill that place. To fill it and reshape it to new dimensions. That man was Stephen.
So, then, why were her harsh words to Draco still ringing in her ears? Why was the look on his face permanently imprinted on the inside of her eyelids? Why was the mere thought of him ripping a whole in her chest? She guessed that some wounds simply took longer to heal than others. She just couldn't wait until this one was all closed up and gone with nothing but a faint scar to remind her that it once existed.
A/N: Like I said, I loved writing this chapter. The entire Aurelia-Malfoy exchange was just such a blast. I hope you enjoyed it, too. Feedback would be awesome. So, please, take advantage of the pretty new review button by using it! Thanks :D