Eris sat alone at the Slytherin table, Valentine's Day, more like the man you love is in love with someone else and never told you awareness day she thought miserably. She was so absorbed in massacring a piece of omelette; she didn't notice Theo take the seat next to her. It wasn't until a sunflower fell across her plate she looked up. "Eris, you're fair to pretty to be spending Valentines alone. So I'm here to take you on a walk of the grounds and a lakeside picnic." She fingered the petals with a slight smile.
"That's really sweet of you Theo but I'm just not in the mood; shouldn't you be asking you know who anyway?"
"I had no intention of asking the Dark Lord." Eris swatted him with the flower, a smile threatening to break across her face. "Neither of us can spend today with who we want, so come on let's do something fun." He stood up and held his hand out to her.
"You're not going to give up are you?" as Theo shook his head, she rose, sliding her hand into his much larger one. "I'm all yours for the day then Mr Nott."
"Draco I'm not sure about this..."
"Gin look, if we can get my mother on side about this," he gestured between the two of them, "then between her and Eris, they'll get my father to come around." Pushing the hair out of her eyes Draco gave Ginny a soft look. "I want this Gin."
"Me too, let's go." Ginny gave him a smile as she summoned her courage and let Draco drag her up the steps to Malfoy manor.
Severus sat nursing what was either his fourth or fifth drink, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that as long as Lucius kept buying them he'd keep drinking them.
"Careful boy, I'm not about to levitate you back to Hogwarts. " Lucius eyed the younger man worriedly, Severus had never been one to look his age, but loosing Eris had seemed to age him even more so. "You should speak to her..."
Giving a bark like laugh Severus gave Lucius a dark look, "she's done with me Lucius, and I'm not throwing myself under the train for a woman again."
As lunch approached a tired Eris threw herself on the hard ground next to the lake, reclining back on her elbows her gazed at Theo. Eris aimed a light kick at Theo's chest, only to have him catch it and place it on his lap. "Do you want to talk about it?" she laid her head back against the cool soil with a sigh.
"He should have told me Theo, that's what hurts. After everything we've been though, after everything I gave up for him. He didn't tell me." She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest, "I mean, have you seen any photos of Lily Evans? She's stunning and so, light..." she didn't need to explain the last comment, Theo knew exactly what she meant.
"Oh Eris, yes you are the suspected love child of Bellatrix Lestrange and Lord Voldemort." He received a poke in the side for that comment. "But your also the prettiest witch at Hogwarts and smartest. She's his past, you're his future. Don't throw it away on this." Eris didn't reply instead she just rested her head against his shoulder.
"Things would have been easier if we fell in love Theo."
"Maybe, but your father scares the living daylights out of me. I'd never pass the intimidating stare down contest, required in order to court you." This comment caused Eris to break into laughter.
As Draco and Ginny walked around the grounds of the manor, Ginny had time to reflect over the lunch she had just endured with Draco and his mother. Admitting it had gone rather well but the memory of when Draco had left the room would stay with her for quite some time.
Flashback
Ginny sat holding onto her teacup desperately trying to remember all the etiquette Eris had drilled into her before Christmas.
"Seeing as Draco is clearly quite amorous with you." Ginny looked up from her cup to meet the cool glaze of Narcissa Malfoys, "I find myself unwilling to dissuade him from this path, however..." she paused to look at the younger girl carefully, "that does not mean I am condoning such activity which may cause him to lose standing."
Ginny may have misunderstood the woman but to her it sounded like Narcissa was giving them her almost blessing, "I understand Mrs Malfoy."
Back in the present she found herself being pulled into Draco embrace smiling up at the boy she found herself pressing her lips against his in a chase kiss.
"We survived." She commented as he led her on towards the small Quidditch pitch located towards the east side of the grounds.
"That we did Gin."
"Now see here Lucius." having argued the point to death with his old friend Severus was about to leave when Lucius stopped him in his tracks.
"You don't care about her do you?" Lucius gave him a disgusted look before carrying, "what you fail to realise is that Eris is my goddaughter, as well as Rodolphus' and neither of us where thrilled when Eris chose you over all over suitors, but I at least hoped that for all her love for you, you'd at least care for her in some way." Leaning back on his chair he signalled for another drink, "but evidently you don't."
"Don't...just don't Lucius, you have no idea about my feelings for Eris nor am I willing to bare my soul to you. But understand this, I cherish Eris, I dote on her." Severus buried his face in his palm before taking another swing of his drink. "Go home to your wife Lucius."
"So..."
"So what Miss Rowle?"
"Why didn't you ask Daphne to be your date for the day?" Eris enquired as they made their way back towards Hogwarts.
"Eris for the hundredth time..." holding a hand up to stop Theo, Eris gave him a patronising look.
"Don't you dare tell me you don't like the girl Theo, I've been lied to enough." Throwing his arm over Eris' shoulders Theo gave a defeated sigh,
"Daphne doesn't feel that away about me Eris, I'm just her friend." Eris turned to see the sad look pass across Theo's face before his usual neutral mask came over his features.
"Theo, I've seen the way she looks at you. It's not so dissimilar from the way Ginny looks at Draco or they way I...well you get the point darling." Wrapping her arm around her waist she gave Theo what she hoped was a comforting squeeze.
"Maybe after the war Eris."
"If we live that long." Eris muttered as they entered the great hall.
"Did you have a nice day? Because I found it most agreeable and generally enjoyable."
With a warm smile she took his face between her hands and kissed him.
"I had a great time, thank you Draco," she said. Her smile widened as she kissed him again, this time with lips open to invite his tongue. He greedily accepted her challenge and tasted the sweetness of her mouth. The kiss was long and erotic, their tongues dancing.
"We really need to head back..." sighing Ginny pulled herself out of his embraced. "Shall we?" Draco offered up his arm to her and she gladly lopped her arm though his before allowing him to pull her though the floo into the antechamber of Professor Snape's room.
Having been forced into taking a sobriety potion, Severus found himself storming along the corridors on his way to the great hall, his mood barely lifted by the torrent of points he was able to take off canoodling couples who thought they we're safe in the dungeons. Entering the main entrance hall Severus watched as the young Malfoy walked across the hallway with Miss Weasley, good luck to them, he thought before stopping dead in his tracks, the doors to the great hall though open and Eris walked out with Theodore Nott's arm wrapped around her waist.
He watched with dread as the young man spun Eris around causing her to throw her head back and laugh. Just as he was about to storm passed them he saw Eris reach up and place a kiss on Theodore's cheek before disappearing up towards the library.
Entering the library Draco found Eris with great ease, seeing as she was the only person in the room bar madam Pince who never seemed to leave. Approaching her, he noticed the smallest hint of a smile playing along her lips as her quill flew across the piece of parchment in front of her.
"Who you writing to?" Draco blurted out unable to hide his curiosity any longer.
"Leon." Eris replied not looking up from her letter, giving Eris an unreadable look Draco perched on the table next to her.
"The Durmstrang, not the one you attended the Yule ball with but the one you were quite taken with...?" throwing down her quill Eris gave Draco a dark look.
"What do you want Draco?"
"I want to know a few things, like why you're avoiding Ginny and me and why you came out of dinner wrapped around Theo." crossing his arms over his chest Draco proceeded to enter a stare down with Eris.
"I'm not avoiding you, I'm avoiding her and I'm in an all men are twats stage, and Theo took his appointment as twat very well."
"So would I."
"You're more of an arse than a twat Draco." Not able to fight the laughter bubbling up inside of him Draco clapped a hand over his mouth. "I've been avoiding you Draco, to make this break up believable..."
Although that sentiment made sense Draco got the feeling there was more coming, "and..." he prompted.
"Potter knew about Severus and his mother, as did Granger and Weasley. Which means..."
"Ginny must have known too." Draco finished for her; Eris nodded and buried her face in her palm. Placing a hand on her arm Draco gave Eris a somewhat understanding look. Resting her head on Draco's shoulder Eris found herself spilling her soul to him.
"You need to talk to him Eris..." Eris shook her head and extracted herself from Draco.
"At this moment, I don't think I can without it ending in tears and hexes." Draco sighed but knew Eris well enough to know what she wouldn't be persuaded otherwise. Standing up he pressed a kiss into Eris' hair, "I'll let you finish your letter, we're ok though?"
"We're just fine Draco; I'll see you in the common room."
After hearing what he'd had to say she sat down and penned a pleading note hoping it would be enough. Running up the Owlery steps she questioned whether she was doing the right thing but quickly pushed that thought out of her head. This was the only real option left. And as she selected the swiftest owl in the tower she prayed it would be quick enough to make a difference.
AN: we have nothing to say... so this is a pointless note, just like Valentines day is a pointless holiday!
Any comments? Reviews? Please? Pretty please?
Peace and Cake
xxx