Chapter 16: Olaf Kyrre
Dagmar arrived at the hospital at eight for a pre-program meeting with Arne and the teaching Healers. The program was set up a lot differently than Dagmar was familiar with. Rather than take the same courses from September to June like how it worked at Hogwarts, she would be taking fewer courses at a time with shorter terms. Dagmar's first slew of final exams were scheduled the first week of December. Rinse and repeat from January to May. Instead of getting summer holidays, a half-term was shoved into June and July. After another set of fall and winter terms, Dagmar would graduate in June of 2000.
Before Dagmar really had a chance to absorb all that, her lectures began at nine o'clock with Anatomy and Physiology. At ten-thirty, Healer Nilsson left their classroom and was replaced by the much more stern Healer Hall, who would be teaching them Ethics. Saddled already with worksheets and an essay for homework, Dagmar accompanied Frida, Tora, Åke, and Leif to the cafeteria for lunch. She carved out thirty seconds to write a short note to Draco.
At quarter to one, Dagmar changed into her uniform and met Ingrid at the second-floor Healer station. Her head swam by the time the daily practicum session ended three hours later. Dagmar got easily turned around in all of Olaf Kyrre's similar-looking wards, and encountered a lot of maladies she hadn't even heard of before. After saying goodbye to Ingrid, Dagmar headed home, dropped her bag by the coffee table, and fell onto the couch.
What was meant to be a quick rest of the eyes turned into a decent kip. It was past six when Dagmar woke up. The later part of the day warmed up, turning Dagmar sweaty and even more uncomfortable than her period starting that morning had. A shower worked well to fix both fronts, although by then Dagmar was too lazy and hungry to actually cook for herself. She ended up dressing decently enough to head down to Den Sultne Jotunn and order something at the restaurant that she could bring back home.
Dagmar grabbed her messenger out of her bag and opened it while she ate at the kitchen island. Nostalgia hit hard as she read Draco's note about being in his old dorm. Being back in lessons had reminded Dagmar heavily of her old life at Hogwarts, and that feeling only grew more acute to think of Draco walking around their old stomping grounds.
Had some good nights in that dorm, Dagmar wrote back with a cheeky grin. I had a good first day overall but it was hectic. There's a bit too much to put here in writing. Hope you're having fun.
Dagmar kept a casual eye on her messenger as she finished dinner, and then moved to the living room with it to start on her homework. It wasn't too bad—at least not the kind that required a lot of research. The worksheets were starting points on learning the terminology associated with human anatomy. Healer Nilsson hinted strongly that they would be quizzed on it Wednesday morning when class reconvened. The essay wouldn't be too bad either, since the topic was what ethics personally meant to Dagmar. She figured she'd already answered that for herself by going through her Fitness to Practice module with Arne. All she needed to do was organize those thoughts into written word.
Fresh words appeared in Dagmar's messenger past eight o'clock: Plenty of fun. It's been a good day here too. We spent the better part of the afternoon making sure all the enclosures are comfortable for the firedrakes, although they've gotten fussy since term ended. Hagrid got to let them roam once everyone left for summer and they're not taking to being confined again. These enclosures are a lot smaller than they're used to too. It's going to be a slow trip back and I won't be surprised if we don't make it all the way tomorrow. We're leaving at first light so I think around 5
Going to bed soon? Dagmar wrote back.
We're all in the dorm again now. Going to have a shower and try, but I wanted to talk to you
Dagmar smiled anew. I'm still working on homework so if you want to have your shower I'll be here when you're done.
K
Endeared, Dagmar forced herself to focus on her work while Draco was doing that. She didn't mind staying up a little later to finish it, since she'd fallen asleep for the afternoon's dregs.
I'm back, he wrote twenty minutes later. Sure felt good after sweating all day. I think I'm out of shape.
Dagmar laughed to herself. Aw. Well the good news is one of my classes is about learning anatomy so I'm sure I'll be learning all the good pressure points if you ever want massages after work.
Won't lie, that sounds really good about now. Would anyway but you know what I mean.
Sore?
Yeah
The urge to touch Draco arose with slight frustration, since Dagmar couldn't right now. Draco's personality always came through clearly in his writing, and his physical absence was all the more obvious with a quiet cottage.
I'm sorry I can't do anything for you, Dagmar wrote.
Me too, Draco replied, making Dagmar laugh again. You were feeling a bit better today?
Didn't really have time to think about anything. I thought maybe it would distract me from my classes but it went the other way around. I went on the rag this morning which might explain some of why I was so down yesterday
That's still pretty upsetting stuff.
Yeah, Dagmar agreed. I start my program counselling tomorrow morning so I might get a chance to talk about it. We'll see. I'm sure the first session will be more about my counsellor just getting to know me. Family's a pretty big part of that I guess
Definitely. Are you looking forward to it?
Dagmar paused to think about it. Maybe. Annette seemed really nice when we met this morning. It wouldn't hurt to have somebody outside the situation to talk to. I know you don't mind and all that but I would rather not always be a mess at home. I'd rather be good/fun company
You'd still keep me in the loop though hey
Of course. You'll always be my #1
The heart Draco drew in response inflated Dagmar's chest with new endearment. Dagmar never really needed reminders that she was lucky with him, but Draco always delivered on those anyway. It left Dagmar a little dejected when she had to wish him good night. Yet again as Dagmar rode out the evening, her left ring finger felt bare with nothing on it. Dagmar's stomach flipped in a pleasant way when, while getting ready for bed, she took a peek in her jewelry box. The ring she'd lent Draco for her size had been quietly returned. That meant he'd gotten her engagement ring back.
It made it all the harder to fall asleep. Heimdall just didn't cut it on his own, even if he crowded Dagmar much the same way Draco sometimes did. Dagmar curled up around a pillow since she couldn't crowd Draco either, and an inability to burn off her affection for him through a good snog made Dagmar restless.
Dagmar checked her messenger in the morning, pleased to see that Draco had written to let her know he was on the move again. She replied, but doubted she would get much else from him today until he either updated her on his whereabouts that evening or made it home.
Annette waited for Dagmar by the water fountain in the hospital lobby. She smiled warmly when their gazes met. That Annette could still be so pleasant knowing that Dagmar had killed a cat and nearly did the same to a classmate was encouraging.
"Take a seat," she invited Dagmar in her office with a gesture at a comfy looking chair.
Dagmar set her bag down beside it. She played with her hands in her lap while Annette set up a piece of parchment and Quick-Quotes Quill on a small table beside her own chair. While the quill waited to get going on its own, quivering as it hovered over the parchment, Annette put her full focus on Dagmar.
She smiled anew, her brown eyes crinkling. "I believe Arne told you he would pass along your information to me, so that we would have a solid starting point in making these weekly sessions fruitful."
Dagmar nodded. "It was probably a bit easier than me having to say it all again."
"There was quite a lot in that form." Annette crossed her legs. "Was it cathartic to write it all down?"
"Sort of." Dagmar thought about it. "I was glad I did, in the end. While I was doing it, I was scared it would disqualify me from the program. Maybe it would have, if Arne didn't know enough to make the suggestion it all fit together in a way I couldn't see."
"While I would like to ask you more about it since it seems like an important part of your life, I wanted to get more of an overview of everything today," Annette told her. "Who are the most important people in your life?"
Dagmar was much happier to talk about that instead. She could've probably gone on for longer than the hour allotted just about Draco, but she limited herself to only half of it as she recounted how they came to be, and how it had affected Dagmar's life. She talked about her friends too, and the Tonks family.
"It sounds to me like you have an expansive support system, and that your relationship with Draco is healthy and stable," Annette commented. "Who modelled that for you?"
"Erm. . ." Dagmar's gaze wandered. "My mum and dad, I guess. They always seemed to have a good relationship. I never saw them fight—nothing big, anyway. Squabbles. If they had big fights, it had to have been out of my sight or when I was away at school."
"You didn't mention them. You weren't close?"
Dagmar had hoped to avoid talking about them too much, but she was well aware just how much of an impact parents had, good or bad, on their kids. Dagmar didn't want to open herself up to potentially crying before she headed to class.
"We all used to be." Dagmar looked out the window at the bay. "I really miss those days. I don't know why it affected me so much when Uncle Håkon told me I wasn't my dad's biological daughter. I guess it feels like it changes the way we all drifted apart. He picked me and my mum over his own blood, and then it was like he lost interest in me later on. I know he didn't, I know that, but when I just got brushed aside because he was busy serving Voldemort, I don't really feel it."
"You at least know the difference between knowing and feeling something," Annette replied. "It might not seem like much, but there can be a chasm between the two. It's only natural, after everything you've been through, to feel as you do. Your parents—your mum, even now—were not transparent with you. You mentioned they tried to keep you away from their business with Voldemort as best they could?"
"I think so." Dagmar paused. "I mean, I was always pretty close to it because Voldemort was literally in my home. My parents didn't talk to me much, but I guess I didn't talk to them either. I didn't want them to try and sell me on it. At the end of last summer, my mum and dad acted like they didn't think I was coming back home. They can't have known then how things were going to go in March, so I took it to mean they wanted me to get away."
"It sounds like they expected a hiatus," Annette said. "As if they wanted to handle whatever they were stuck in without their child having to be involved."
"Ja," Dagmar agreed, thinking hard again. "I guess I get it. That's how it was with my dad's family too. Uncle Håkon mentioned when we met on Sunday that he and my aunt Agneta didn't want me and my cousins to know they were all fighting. I certainly never realized until he told me. It hurt me enough to find out now. If I heard all that when I was younger, I don't know how I would feel. It might have been different if I could talk to my dad. I could've heard his side of things."
"It doesn't sound like you got much closure with his death."
"Even less then I thought, turns out." Dagmar swallowed hard. "I'm just trying to focus on what I had with him, and make peace with what we won't have. I had also thought that maybe if I managed to have a relationship with his side of the family, I could still feel close to him that way. I don't know what's going to happen with that now. I don't know if they want to know me—well, Uncle Håkon might, or maybe he just feels guilty. I'm honestly scared of my aunt Agneta. I think she might resent me for how my dad drifted away from them all, and I don't know if I can really blame her."
"Do you think you'll want to meet them, or at least your uncle again?"
"Sounds like I'll have to associate with them anyway, since I'm the de facto executor of my dad's estate." Dagmar shrugged. "I'm not sure, otherwise. I might need more time for things to settle emotionally. I need to process what my uncle told me."
"Of course."
At the end of the hour, Dagmar felt a little lighter. It certainly put her in a better place emotionally before she was expected to sit her first Pharmacology lecture. As a mixture of applied Herbology and Potions to the field, Dagmar certainly appreciated the ability to focus. Her head felt fuzzy by ten-thirty, when Assessment and Diagnostics I started. At noon when she was released for lunch, Dagmar concluded that her Tuesday and Thursday classes would be much more challenging than Monday and Wednesday's.
Dagmar checked her messenger over the lunch period, but Draco hadn't responded yet. Her afternoon tailing Ingrid flew by just like the previous day. Draco wasn't home when Dagmar got there, which didn't surprise her. He hadn't written yet, so Dagmar had no idea if that meant she should expect him later on. One thing she could be certain on was that when he did make it home, he would probably be beyond peckish. Dagmar had taken a beef roast out of the freezer, so set on making a stew. It would be easy to heat up whenever Draco came in.
Dagmar had eaten and made a dent in her homework when words finally showed up in her messenger: We set up camp for the night. Made it as far as Shetland. We wanted to go at crossing the sea fresh in the morning. It's a slow process. Had to take the long way through the highlands so that we could keep ground underneath us. None of us are looking forward to the next bit
Tough flight? Dagmar replied.
Kind of, yeah. The firedrakes don't want to be enclosed and they aren't used to flying as high as we need to go to avoid being spotted by Muggles. Then there's things like toilet breaks and we can't fly too fast anyway so that the enclosures stay secure on our brooms. If we go over where we can see Muggle roads the cars are moving quite a bit faster than we are
Makes for a long day.
Yeah. We set up the tent Andreja brought and had something to eat. Alex and Leo are already asleep and I probably won't be too far behind them. Did you have a good day?
I did, Dagmar wrote. In ways it was better than yesterday. I wasn't as lost during practicum, but the classes I sat are definitely harder than the other two. I had my first counselling session this morning and I think it went really well. I'll tell you about it when you get home
Sounds good. I'm glad to hear that. I was worried about going away and not being able to even say anything if you needed someone
It's okay. I'm just focusing on my homework and stuff for now. I made a big stew so whenever you get home it'll be in the ice box waiting for you
Cheers
The conversation didn't go on much longer. Dagmar could tell just from the way Draco's handwriting dragged that he was wiped. She told him to get some sleep, that she loved him, and that she hoped to see him tomorrow. That seemed enough to convince him to put his messenger away for the night.
Dagmar finished her homework not long after, although didn't feel totally confident about it. She kept on studying for Pharmacology while sitting out on the deck, and then called in Heimdall when her eyes grew too tired to keep on reading. Dagmar had an easier time sleeping than the night before, since she hadn't bothered with an afternoon kip. Dagmar sat out on the deck again with her coffee and reviewed her Anatomy worksheets. She was glad she did. Healer Nilsson indeed quizzed them on it before they moved on with their next lesson.
Other than when Draco left Shetland at daybreak, Dagmar didn't hear from him. She came home a little after four anticipating he might be there, but he wasn't. Dagmar hoped that Draco wouldn't be delayed another day. Although she was trying to be patient, she missed him.
Dagmar kept a constant eye on her messenger, heading into the evening. Another day without rain allowed her to keep on with her homework on the deck. She was thinking about asking Draco to go in with her on a proper outdoor table when she heard the telltale whoosh of the fireplace. Dagmar's head whipped around, and then her heart leapt in time with the straightening of her spine. She snapped her book shut, and headed for the garden door.
Draco was on his way toward it. He mirrored Dagmar's grin and pulled her into a tight hug. Dagmar buried her face in his neck and registered quite quickly that his head was as heavy as it could be on her shoulder. She pulled away and, sure enough, Draco looked about ready to fall where he stood.
"Oh, I'm so glad to see you," Dagmar said after kissing him. "I wasn't sure if you'd make it today or not."
"Me neither, to be honest." Draco stole another kiss. "We debated it when we reached this side of the sea, but decided just to push through. Thankfully once we got back to the reserve, the evening shift told us they could handle the firedrakes from there."
"That was nice of them."
Dagmar ran her fingers through Draco's hair as they kissed again. It had gone dry from all the wind.
"I'll heat you up some dinner, if you wanted to jump in the shower," Dagmar offered. "Or have you eaten yet?"
"Not since breakfast. I'm famished."
"I'm sure you are." Dagmar pat his bum. "It'll be ready for you when you come back down."
A little smirk pulled at the corner of Draco's mouth. "Not coming with?"
"Believe me, a shower together right now would not be as hot as you'd hope for."
He sighed. "All right, then."
While the stew reheated on the stovetop, Dagmar cut and drained some strawberries. Draco practically inhaled the first bowl of stew he scooped for himself, and went immediately for seconds despite a heads up that there was dessert as well. Draco made similar work on the strawberries covered in sweet whipped cream. He started to slow down when the amount of food caught up with him.
Showering had perked Draco up, but eating put him back into a sleepy mode. He rubbed his eyes as he sat at the island, digesting. Dagmar washed his dishes for him.
She draped herself over his back before kissing his cheek. "Are you heading to bed then?"
"Not if you're not." He rested his hand on her forearm. "What're you doing?"
"Just studying, but I could call it."
Draco grunted. "I don't want to interrupt you. I'll just come lay on the couch, if that's all right."
"Of course it is."
Dagmar had dropped her book on the stairs' corner landing when she came back inside. She grabbed it while Draco made himself comfortable on the couch. Once Dagmar had settled, Draco set a pillow against her thigh and curled up under the throw. Being in a vertical position seemed to be what finally pushed him toward sleep. Dagmar hadn't read more than a couple paragraphs in her Pharmacology textbook before Draco's breath evened out.
It took every ounce of self-control Dagmar possessed not to touch Draco and risk waking him back up. He'd gotten some sun while away, turning his hair nearly white. That he tanned a little only made the contrast more stark.
Coming up close to ten, it was too dark for Dagmar to read anymore without having to light up the living room torches. She figured she'd done enough anyway. Draco was like a rock when she shook his shoulder. He responded more to fresh fingers through his hair, followed by a caress of the cheek.
"Ready to move upstairs?" she asked him.
"Mhm."
Draco was a bit slower than Dagmar, getting ready for bed. She beat him there, pulling him in when he joined her. She couldn't help but groan in relief to hold him against her again.
"It's good to be home," Draco said.
"Mhm." Dagmar kissed him. "So what're you doing tomorrow at work, then? That trip pretty much ate up your entire first week."
"Maybe getting the firedrakes comfortable, and stuff. They weren't very happy when we landed."
"Nei?" Dagmar scratched Draco's back.
"Too much of a change all at once, and we couldn't really do anything to make it better for them," Draco replied. "They really didn't like the sea. We had to go so slow over it because they would thrash around and stuff. Like, do you want to fall in? Because that's what's going to happen if you keep on."
Dagmar laughed although it wasn't a very funny situation. "How's Jormundr doing?"
"He's being himself." Draco chuckled. "He was happy to see me when I got to Hogwarts. He's been grumpy ever since."
"Go figure."
Even after sleeping the evening away, Draco had a hard time keeping awake. He rolled over when Dagmar told him to, and Dagmar happily pressed herself up against his back. She kept on nuzzling Draco beyond his breath evening out, and woke up in the same position when Draco tried to slip out in the morning.
"Aren't you getting up?" he asked as he dressed.
"My day doesn't start until nine, except when I have counselling Tuesdays," Dagmar replied. "I'll probably get up, though. Are you hungry?"
"Are you?"
"Not really."
Draco just nodded, and Dagmar wasn't sure what he was up to. A telltale sizzle sounded from downstairs while she peed, and she caught a whiff of bacon from the loft.
"Why don't you let me take care of that?" Dagmar asked.
Draco pushed the bacon around in a pan. "You said you weren't hungry. I was just going to make breakfast for myself."
Dagmar shrugged and went to make him tea. "I don't know, that smells good."
"I'll add some for you. Do you want eggs?"
"Sure."
Since Dagmar was in the vicinity of it, she brought the bread down from the cupboard. Draco hadn't mentioned wanting any, but Dagmar doubted he would put up a fuss if she set some toast on his plate. She glanced over her shoulder at him, and her stomach fluttered to see Draco looking right back at her.
It was the kind of morning where, if neither of them had anywhere to be, Dagmar would've led Draco right back up to bed. The inability to blow off that steam would have to just carry them into their weekend. They had a good snog in front of the fireplace before Draco headed up to the reserve, and then Dagmar washed up and dressed for her own departure an hour later.
After being adjusted to a five-day schedule at Hogwarts, this week felt ridiculously short. Dagmar had Friday feelings all through her classes, and didn't mind a hefty load of work due for next Tuesday. Practicum flew as well, and it was quickly becoming Dagmar's favourite part of the program since it was always unpredictable. It pleased Dagmar that Draco beat her home, but only just. He was halfway up the stairs to their bedroom when Dagmar came in through the fireplace.
Dagmar laughed when Draco's gaze travelled over her in her uniform. "Stop."
"Nothing wrong with a little look," Draco replied.
"I want to be taken seriously, though." Dagmar set her bag at the bottom landing of the stairs and dug out the clothes she'd worn to class that morning. "I get those looks enough at the hospital."
"Oh, do you?" Draco's smirk slipped away.
"From the patients," Dagmar clarified. "Ingrid explained it like that since we're taking care of them, sometimes the patients don't feel like they have any personal power in the situation. They'll act ignorant to compensate."
"You have to put up with that?"
Dagmar joined him on the landing. "I haven't gotten more than looks yet, but Ingrid said that when we get a quiet moment during practicum, we'll talk more about how to handle it. For now I'm barely ever more than three feet away from her, so if something comes up she'll be there to help me. I can stand up for myself and all, but because it's a professional workplace, I can't just straight-up tell them to fuck off."
Draco snorted despite the topic at hand. The glimmer of humour quickly disappeared again. "Still, sorry. They're not even sexy uniforms. I'm just being. . .yeah."
"Aw, don't think you can't look at me just because of that," Dagmar said.
Still, Dagmar had debated her choice of a skirted uniform over pants the first time she saw a patient's gaze skim over her. When it came to patients like that, Ingrid had said, it would hardly matter if she wore a potato sack or if she was a gelatinous cube. They would find someway, whether with sexual undertones or just by being rude, to assert themselves at the hands of a caregiver.
"I dunno," Draco still said. He unclipped his travel cloak to remove it. "I just think you're lush all the time, but I don't want to start reminding you of gross people at work."
"I don't think you will. At the same time, if I'm coming home on a day that happened, I can't say I'd be very receptive to it."
"I'm just not going to risk it, then."
While that disappointed Dagmar in the moment, she knew of a quick and easy fix. She removed her component belt, and then slipped out of her uniform. Down to her bra and knickers, she watched Draco doff his armour. Since Dagmar sincerely doubted Draco would ever have to deal with sexual harassment from his charges at work, she saw no issue in admiring how the armour bulked him up and made him look a little wilder than his aristocratic background otherwise suggested.
"I'm going to hop in the shower," she said. "Care to join?"
"Sure, I'll be right behind you."
Dagmar hated to have spoiled what was just Draco being silly. She was more than eager to make up for it in other ways, especially since it had been just as long for her since some kind of relief. The last time they shagged was more about comfort than pleasure. Dagmar's skin tingled with the quickly emerging want for that.
She made room in the shower for Draco when he slid the door open. "You know what's sad?"
"What?" Draco asked.
"I've gotten so spoiled about how often we shag that it feels like a lifetime since we last got the chance."
Draco snorted. "It doesn't usually go any different when you're on the rag anyway."
"I know, but I can usually at least do something for you, or just get in a good snog."
Dagmar pressed herself up against Draco, holding him close around his middle. He was already half-hard. As they snogged, though, Dagmar could tell he wasn't fully into it. She rubbed his shoulders and smiled encouragingly.
"I really hope you're not taking what I said to heart," Dagmar told him. "You're a special case."
"I just don't want to be another creep."
"You're not."
"Then why'd you say you get enough looks like that when I was looking you over? To me that sounded like you didn't appreciate it, and I'm not going to push the line."
Dagmar pressed her fingers mindlessly into Draco's muscles, trying to think what really bothered her about it. She definitely didn't want to make Draco feel bad about finding her attractive, or make him do the math on when it was acceptable for him to express that. There was a line between the hospital and home. What Dagmar had meant as a throwaway comment that might open up a gripe about her day didn't exactly translate well. She'd nearly forgotten how sensitive Draco was about making her uncomfortable. It had been a very long time since she last felt intimidated by the discrepancy between their experience. No such gap existed anymore.
"Well, when it happens at work, it's just like everything I did to get where I am doesn't matter," Dagmar said. "Somebody sees I'm pretty, and that's all I am. It doesn't matter how smart I am. Doesn't matter I have a boyfriend. I don't like feeling like my only value is being a pleasant thing to look at. Maybe after everything with my family too, lately, I'm just a little sensitive and insecure."
Draco pressed his lips together before pulling her back up flush against him. All the skin contact was nice, further pushing Dagmar away from that mood. She melted just a little more when Draco kissed her cheek and nuzzled her neck afterward.
"I see your uniform for what it symbolizes," Draco told her. "I'm proud of you."
"Thank you." Dagmar's face grew warm. "I know you are, and that's how it's different to me. You know me, and we're sharing this life together."
"I honestly don't sexualize the uniform," Draco told her with a fresh smirk. "It's almost the opposite, sort of like our old school uniforms. I remember thinking once while watching you dress for class that you had no right looking that modest after you say such filthy things when we shag."
Dagmar burst out laughing, although clapped a hand to her mouth because of how loudly it echoed in the shower. She kept on grinning anyway, nibbling Draco's bottom lip while teasingly stroking him. His breathing grew deeper when Dagmar mentioned how much she'd missed having him.
He felt like velvet inside of her, when they made it back to the bed. Although Dagmar doubted Draco would last very long, he did his best to try. If he was getting close, he'd pull out and carry on briefly with his fingers. Dagmar was a little concerned about that since she wasn't sure how much blood might end up on his hand. Dagmar didn't see any until she headed back to the bathroom afterward to clean up. While she peed, Draco washed his hands and willy at the sink.
"Ah, ja," Dagmar said. "The hottest part of the whole thing, right here."
Draco snorted. "I don't know, there might be something to that. I like you're comfortable enough with me to no longer mind if I loiter around while you use the toilet."
"Hard to care after how much your face has been all up in there. I think the mystery is long gone."
Dagmar still bled a little bit, which at this point was just frustrating. She asked Draco to throw her a fresh pair of knickers when he dipped into the closet for pants. He leaned against the counter while Dagmar dressed her knickers for what was hopefully the last time this cycle.
"Thoughts on dinner?" Dagmar asked.
"I was thinking earlier I'd rather go out," Draco said. "You know, celebrate our first week."
"Sure."
Dagmar certainly didn't mind not cooking. She was hungry already, since they'd spent more time upstairs than expected. Taking a cue from Draco in how he dressed, Dagmar spent a little extra time making herself look like someone Draco deserved to be attached to. After a week wearing blouses and slacks in the morning and then her uniform in the afternoon, it was nice to slip into something as simple as a sundress.
Draco wore a nice shirt tucked into his slacks, although didn't bother doing more than running a comb through his hair. He'd taken lately to leaving some stubble on his face as well. A little smirk emerged when Draco noticed Dagmar eyeing him in the mirror, and she grinned when he did the same in return.
They ended up at a pub Draco had been recommended by his older coworkers called Dragehode. It was off Trollmannsgaten's main drag, down one of the side streets. Because it was a Thursday, it wasn't totally packed, although Dagmar got to meet Big Swede since he happened to be there with his wife Netta. They all chatted until Big Swede and Netta's food came.
"Let me get it," Draco said later, when the check arrived.
Dagmar opened her mouth to argue, but held back when she tried to think of it in a new way. "My turn next time, then."
"All right."
Since he agreed, Dagmar couldn't argue. She would've liked to know he intended to settle the bill before she ordered, even though fish and chips were among the least expensive items on the menu. With nothing worth fussing over, Dagmar just made an effort to let it go once she'd thanked him for dinner with a kiss on the cheek.
This weekend wasn't the time to get hung up on money. Since Theo and Daphne would be arriving Wednesday, Dagmar and Draco planned on getting the cottage ready for guests. Blaise and Luca accepted the offer of staying over the night of Dagmar's birthday (Milly could come for only the day), so both spare bedrooms needed to be sorted out. The amount of romer leaving Dagmar's purse was yet again more than she was used to, but it did feel a little different when she and Draco would be expecting their first paycheques in less than a week. A few days after that, Dagmar would be receiving her next entitlement payment from the family estate. She hadn't decided yet what to do with it, whether to leave it at Gringotts or move it up to Formue Bank in Bergen, but after getting a good sense of how money moved in and out of her account, Dagmar didn't feel as crippled with anxiety about it anymore. Draco seemed proud when Dagmar brought up the idea of buying a table for the deck.
Draco headed to work on Sunday morning, a little dejected that the weekend for him was over. Dagmar didn't do anything exciting enough for him to be missing out. She started right away on the homework she'd neglected, and spent the afternoon studying until Draco came home. She started dinner while he showered, and then they planned out what they would eat while Theo and Daphne were there. They decided to worry about Dagmar's birthday dinner closer to the time.
Monday and Tuesday flew by. Wednesday morning went slow because of Dagmar's anticipation. Daphne had sent them an owl the day before to let them know she and Theo were in Oslo, and Dagmar told them to come by the hospital during her lunch break so she could take them over to the cottage.
Dagmar grinned when she saw them sitting on the edge of the fountain with their bags at their feet. Daphne stood up just in time to catch a hug from Dagmar. Dagmar gave an equally tight one to Theo.
"Ahh, it's been too long," Dagmar said as she looked them over. Theo's hair was longer than he'd usually have it, and Daphne's green eyes stood out more with the darkening of her skin. Both dressed more like Muggles than wizards. "I can apparate you one at a time?"
With their agreement, Dagmar took Daphne and her things across the bay first, and then returned for Theo. She wished she had more time to spend with them than just the hour, but it was long enough to give them the tour, show them to the spare rooms so they could pick which one they wanted, and then change into her uniform.
"There's food in the ice box, if you want to help yourself," Dagmar told them on her way out. "See you after four."