Harry Potter is created and owned by J.K. Rowling - unfortunately.

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Two Door Cinema Club - 'Something Good Can Work'

A Toe in the Water

Six blissful weeks had past, the summer now ending as the cool of autumn took over and the couple had gained traction in their relationship, more than Vela had ever seen coming. But James had been vastly different, confident and open, unlike many of the people she had been with. She had to tamper the feelings down a few notches, not wanting to get her hopes up, and he had surpassed her expectations upon meeting several points of potential issues. He held her hand without second thought and showed her more affection than she had known a straight man to be comfortable with.

Sure, this had all been in the Muggle part of London, but Vela was relieved to know there hadn't been any push to take a date somewhere more to James' comfort. Not to say he wasn't particularly uncomfortable in the muggle world. There was an occasional moment where he was lost, but he preferred the idea that basically no one knew who he was and therefore wouldn't pester him or her.

Vela was satisfied that it was his position in the Wizarding World that put him off the idea, and not who she was or the fact that if someone asked where she went to school, she would have to say the Mayfield School for Girls, and no, it's not a school of magic. Yes, you heard right, I'm a Malfoy.

James didn't often remember she was a Malfoy until that time Scorpius came around out of the blue for a visit and he was forced to hide in Naima's room for a full hour with the highly amused roommate being awful at keeping it cool.

In all honesty, she would have to tell her beleaguered brother soon, but that moment would have been quite embarrassing and may have ended in a fight in the worst-case scenario, as James was half dressed and she had just finished giving him head. It wouldn't have been wise to mention she was a giver to a guy who happened to be relentless on Scorpius back in his school years.

When she found him chilling out on Naima's bed with the aforementioned roommate as she gave him a full education on why the film Mean Girls was more than just a Chick Flick as the same film played on her small television set, Vela got him away to her room. While he had been genuinely invested in the film and what Naima had to say, and not because he was just being polite, Vela managed to bring his attention back to the fact that her little brother had nearly caught them.

James shoulders sunk at this recollection. 'You're still not ready to tell them, are you?'

'You wanted me to tell my brother that the fresh smell of penis was James Potter, oh and I'm seeing him and have been for a few weeks now?' Vela asked sardonically.

James put his hands up defensively, 'No – I mean, do you want more time?'

Vela frowned at this question. Surely, he could see the benefits of not bringing in the complication of her family into the mix. But she could see something that said the opposite in James' eyes.

She sighed as she wanted to approach this gently and said, 'I would like to tell my family. Do I want to tell them now? Not necessarily, only because I know what they're like.'

For once, their normal back and forth conversation style wasn't happening, as James intently listened to her and she continued, quite uncomfortable.

'You know what Scorpius is like. You weren't exactly his idol in school…and you haven't really spoken about your family, but I can't imagine they will be thrilled.'

James bit his lip, his eyes downcast momentarily. He couldn't lie to her no matter how much he tried, even with white lies. 'Dad's known for ages…'

Vela's eyes widened as she said, 'What?!'

'He noticed I was in a chipper mood a couple of weeks back and asked, and it just sort of slipped out-'

'James!'

'I know, I know! We said we'd keep it to ourselves, but he's very observant when he wants to be.'

'Yes, I know, my father has a history with him,' Vela bit out.

James smiled but his eyes were the most apologetic she had ever seen them, and so she reverted back to being calm. 'And he didn't cast you out of the family when he found out?'

'We're not the type to do that, Vel,' James said dismayed, 'Would your parents?'

Vela snorted, 'Rose pretty much undid a lot of the issues as far as prospective long-term partners go for Malfoys…I just don't know how he'll go when he finds out a Potter is bonking his daughter.'

James couldn't help but allow himself a chuckle as he recognised that outside their little world things were a little more complicated than he wished them to be. She swallowed as she broached the second question. 'Does anyone else in your family know?'

'No,' James said certainly. 'Dad said he would wait for me to inform the family, since it was clear that I probably shouldn't have told him in the first place.'

Vela nodded and said, 'I suppose as long as he's discreet…'

James held out his hands to her and pulled her in once he got a hold of hers, toppling over his body and Vela felt herself absolutely folding to his ways, as she often did when he offered his affection. As they lay back on her bed, James stroked her hair and kissed her cheek. 'I don't want to make you feel like you have to do anything…but it could be nice if maybe you met my friends.'

Vela tilted her head at this suggestion, 'Ryan and Alice?'

'Believe it or not, I have more friends than Ryan and Alice…although Alice would be there. More my Hogwarts friends, the ones I graduated with.'

'Oh,' she surmised, 'I guess there wouldn't be any harm in that.'

James eyes were hopeful before she stopped him.

'But no wizard places.'

He nodded slowly. 'Actually, I was thinking of the Devil's Rosebud, the one we went to the first time.'

Vela was caught in a whirlwind of thoughts, likely from this suggestion, checking any potential issues that could arise or possible outcomes, both good and disastrously bad. She was still very hesitant though had to concede when no obvious problems became clear to her. 'Alright. I'll meet them.'

'Wonderful,' James said before placing a gentle kiss on her face and repeating the word over and over again, with little kisses peppered over her face, until she eventually started to smile again.

Teddy took a seat opposite his old school chums Kenneth and Ali, the two being a Ravenclaw and Slytherin respectively through their years and having far too much in common as kids from families who were devastated by the War, with Teddy being the one Gryffindor able to look past the ridiculous house rivalry and the expected first child of the war heroes to make the change for the better, and to set the right examples for those who would follow after him. The metamorphmagus just grabbed a round from the unassuming bar not far from Diagon Alley, packed with Muggles and feeling cheated as the two old friends clearly took the opportunity during Teddy's post honeymoon daze to allow him to forget they owed him twice over when it came to drinks. Neither were an ounce apologetic, only laughing at his expense.

'And what happened to the bubblegum pink?' Ali enquired of Teddy's now dull brown hair with his drinking hand.

Teddy waved it off. 'Honestly, Skeeter's been hunting for an opportunity to take some photos since we got back. Vic's still ill at home, and without her I'm not exactly the smoothest around the press.'

'Best be careful, she might say you two are already on the rocks,' Kenneth mentioned before tipping his pint into his mouth.

'She's been saying that since before we even got together,' Teddy rolled his eyes and Ali, after a quick look over at the bar had surmised, 'Suppose that's why we aren't at Yax Tax?'

Teddy shrugged as he also quickly eyed the bar around them, 'Cassie showed me this place ages ago, and it's a safe bet every time…didn't think it would be this busy really, but no one looks familiar.'

'Chances are pretty low for Skeeter to blend in here,' Ali mentioned honestly, 'And the tap stuff isn't half bad either.'

The three conversed as easily as they had from their first time bonding in a detention, having to clean the Potions classroom with toothbrushes. They had all but drained their pint glasses with mere dregs left in Teddy's when Ali passed his muggle credit card over, Teddy looked rather unimpressed.

'You've done nothing but lie on a beach with your part Veela wife-'

'God, I hope they didn't just lie on the beach,' Kenneth joked sardonically. Ali ignored his quip.

'And we're locked into this booth so you're the best to get the drinks. You can even leave the card behind the bar and keep it on a tab,' Ali insisted, not wanting to move from his position.

Teddy groaned loudly and eventually got up to get another round, at least no longer concerned about his financial losses for the rest of the evening. When Victoire learned about online banking from her Aunt Hermione, Teddy couldn't get away with spending a lot at the pub, especially when she fervently reminded him that they had a pretty nice stash at home to drink too. Ali had been doing well in his career, and Kenneth was an absolute cheat, so Teddy was happy that at least one of his friends would allow him to be fiscally responsible while also getting comfortable with the beer tap of this particular London pub.

'What kind of name is the Devil's Rosebud anyway?' Kenneth said reading into the unfortunate title from the creased and overused coaster advertising the joint with a bunch of tags for online accounts to follow.

'The owner must have your sense of humour,' Ali jibed his friend.

Kenneth scoffed, 'Even I wouldn't be that filthy.'

Ali shook his head, refusing to believe that to be the case when his eyes caught on to a blonde woman who walked into the bar. Having thought that it might be Victoire ready to berate Teddy on his overspending, he put on his glasses to double check and was surprised to see that the blonde woman was in fact Teddy's cousin Cassiopeia, wearing a floral wrap dress to just above her knee, a pair of heels and the required raincoat for London's unpredictable miserable weather. With Teddy's back to her, the family members missed each other and the two wizards sitting in a booth as she moved to the packed outdoor area's entrance. She was on her phone looking rather nervous.

Ali nudged Kenneth and when he received a disgruntled response, pointed out the young Squib to his friend but would find himself regretting doing so when she was approached by another person they recognised from Teddy's life.

'Hang on,' Kenneth said with particular interest in the image before them.

James Potter walked just inside the pub from the top-level beer garden and kissed the young woman they knew to be Teddy's cousin, very deliberately. Kenneth and Ali were mostly surprised that she didn't push him off like he was a ruffian, instead responding incandescently to his physical affection for her.

'Oh shit,' Kenneth continued to commentate with shock. Ali's jaw had dropped. The two eyed Teddy at the bar, who was none the wiser of the display.

'You reckon he knows?' Ali asked quietly.

'They were pretty chatty at the reception,' Kenneth reasoned.

Before they could discuss the matter before them further, Teddy had turned back to them and had three fresh pints in hand, balanced carefully in his two hands. The couple had thankfully stopped kissing, but they were very much in view of the booth when Teddy had placed the drinks down. James seemed to comment on her attire which she briefly looked down and seemed to explain to him and his eyes portrayed something akin to encouragement as he kissed her again, much briefer this time.

Ali shut his mouth at the inquisitive brow on Teddy's face and smiled as though he hadn't seen that interesting development before him. Kenneth didn't seem all too bothered.

That was of course, before Ali began to ask Teddy about Cassiopeia post wedding reception.

'Trust me, Ali, she's not your type,' Teddy responded without hesitation. 'She's got a thing for muggle men.'

'Oh, I didn't think I was her type necessarily,' Ali mentioned knowingly while Kenneth tried not to look amazed by Teddy's quite inaccurate assessment of his squib cousin.

'Regardless, she did take a tumble at the wedding. I was more wondering of her wellbeing.'

Teddy sighed and said, 'I haven't had much of a chance to catch up with her yet.'

'So, you don't know if she's currently seeing anyone?' Kenneth tacked on.

Teddy pointed severely at Kenneth, 'I would jump in front of an Avada for you, but if you ever-'

'Jesus Teddy,' Kenneth said defensively, 'Bit of an overreaction.'

'Just keep your paws to yourself,' Teddy said dangerously, 'She has her own thing going on in the muggle world and wizards have wasted her time in the past-'

'Well I think that she may have gotten over whatever that issue might have been,' Ali interrupted seriously as he pointed over Teddy's shoulder.

Teddy looked over his shoulder and could have fainted.

Cassiopeia, quite dolled up and ready for an evening out had her hand in James larger one, looking quite comfortable in his more appropriate muggle attire as he had seen the guy dress rather ridiculously previously based on some poor fashion advice from other family members. His Godbrother's other hand was brushing her cheek, seeming to say sweet nothings to her with a warm smile on his face.

What Teddy didn't realise was that she was anxious, partially dressed in a uniform more suitable to her Cassiopeia identity and less of her Vela one. James had managed to pick up on it and was reassuring her that she could be who she was comfortable being with him and his friends and family because it was all he wanted for her. She smiled appreciative of his gesture and quickly pecked him before he had confirmed she was ready, the latter nodding affirmatively and the two went into the beer garden up the stairs.

The colour had drained from Teddy's face.

'Wh…what the fuck?'

'So, you didn't know?' Kenneth asked.

'How have you such little common sense for the top Ravenclaw student of our graduating year?' Ali thought aloud.

James had his arm wrapped around Vela, with Alice Longbottom on his other side, and Danny Bui, a British-Vietnamese muggleborn that the two befriended early on after his sorting into Gryffindor who worked a rather weird job in Wireless advertising and had a way with words which he used on Vela to James' dismay and Vela's amusement. Their other Gryffindor friend, Cliff Piles arrived with his long-term girlfriend, a Hufflepuff in their graduating class named Ebony Duncan, also a muggleborn.

When she was introduced by James, both seemed to blanch at her full name. This did not bode well for Vela.

James however, thought to make a point early on.

'Yes, I was a little asshole to her brother. How I ever managed to convince her to go on a date with me is beyond my luck.'

Both Cliff and Ebony seemed to redden immensely at James' underlying suggestion.

'While I'm sure it would have been far more interesting to have such a beautiful woman as you at school with us, I'm sure you had a much more well-rounded education,' Danny commented, amused by his own experience and how horrified his parents had been.

'Things are a little more restrictive in freedom in muggle schools and very carefully analysed in the learning spectrum anyway. I hadn't realised how much Scorpius could do and got away with until he told me he was taught by a ghost who let people sleep in his core class.'

Cliff, with the easiness of Danny's socialising skills seemed to pick up on Vela's life being vastly different for a Malfoy and seemed to get over the previous dark past of her family name when he understood that she was a Squib. She didn't love that this was what made people warm to her, with a feeling of pity for her lack of magic, but she had to take what she could get for the first meeting. Ebony didn't seem any more comfortable after James' warning, but was too unafraid of coming off as the annoying tag along to air her problems with this coupling. She had, after all, grown up detesting some of the Slytherins who still lauded the ideals of the upper class and how being pureblood was considered royalty. Alice seemed to shut down any awkward questions that came Vela's way by jumping in with a different topic. Vela had left to get another drink with James when Ebony's discomfort was made transparent for the other guests at the table.

'What's the problem Ebony?' Danny asked bored.

'What's the problem? What do you mean what's the problem?' she asked horrified by Danny's casual attitude.

'Babe,' Cliff tried to endear to her.

'No, how can you entertain this?' she argued with Cliff.

Cliff seemed to stumble over his words when Alice cut through. 'James likes her, and she clearly reciprocates those feelings.'

Ebony shook her head and looked particularly at Alice. 'Alice, you can't be okay with this –'

'Why wouldn't I be? I actively encouraged James to pursue her,' Alice said as though it were the most obvious thing for her to do.

'But she's – she's –'

'A squib?' Danny asked concerned of her issue being bias.

'I don't care about that!' Ebony harshly whispered. 'She's a Malfoy!

Danny's head lolled back at how little he cared of either point and Alice cleared her throat, Cliff feeling like his issues with her parentage resurfacing at his girlfriend's aired concerns.

'As a muggleborn, I'm not sure why you are all comfortable with this. Her family were death eaters!'

Before Alice could defend her, Danny seemed pretty nonplussed in his response.

'She's not a death eater though,' Danny reasoned. 'Besides, her brother never gave anyone a problem in school – in fact I'm pretty sure he copped it quite a bit and was still a decent bloke.'

'He did,' Alice reaffirmed before turning to the other couple in this group, 'And we shouldn't resort to the past for any reason to be against this relationship now.'

Ebony scoffed and said, 'I would be happy to believe that if it weren't for the fact that the people she grew up with considered me not worth existing in school, and I find it heartless that you would – would belittle my feelings about that.'

Danny shook his head again and Alice turned with sharp eyes on Ebony. 'Since you are concerned about the past, Cliff's Dad tipped off the Death Eaters when Harry Potter was escaping the ministry with his friends during the war. Very cowardly behaviour that could have cost a lot regarding the rights of Muggleborns.'

At Cliff's sudden redness at this confession, Alice looked to him and asked sarcastically, 'You didn't tell her?'

Ebony looked surprised by this revelation as Cliff refused to look at her, before Alice turned back on the other witch of the group. 'But that doesn't affect your relationship, because you wouldn't judge Cliff based on the actions of his father. Just like I don't blame Vela for the actions of her previous family members, because we would be stuck in the vicious cycle that led to the last war.'

Alice sat back in her seat, as Ebony looked humiliated. The brunette witch concluded, 'So, if you would like to play the victim card regarding Vela Malfoy who has also probably copped her own fair share of crap for her name alone, need I not remind you of the many occasions people stood up for you and made it clear that such ideology was full of crap, and you didn't have the same energy to do so for others in your life. Like the time Debbie Hinky acted like I would assault her after I came out of the closet and made jokes at my expense in front of you, which conveniently didn't make you jump to my defence.'

Ebony and Cliff were zipped quiet after this mention.

Satisfied, Alice clinked glasses with Danny who also was content with his old friend's response.

'Sorry we took so long,' James announced their return with a few drinks in hand, 'Vela got us a round.' The young blonde followed James with three drinks balanced in her own hands.

'Thank you, Vela,' Cliff said suddenly from his spot, accepting both the drink and that the attention was off him.

'Not a problem,' she said kindly as she slid back next to James. Ebony still looked shamefaced, which caused James to frown in immediate question and Alice waved it off.

'So, did you do tertiary after sixth form?' Danny immediately plunged into a new topic.

Upon the new subject, Ebony listened with vast focus and was quite surprised to find out that the Malfoy Squib lived with a muggle girl who she claimed to be her best friend and that she worked in a bookshop. Ebony's shoulders had sunk when she showed photos of her travels and the friend previously mentioned attached to her hip in the desert with the correct clothing for such an ordeal of travel. She even found herself saying, 'I think it's a shame that they don't encourage travelling prior to a career at Hogwarts. I missed out with my old friends, in a way.'

'It was the one thing my parents weren't too keen on when my consultant suggested it when I became of age in the muggle world,' Vela admitted, 'but it's a rite of passage that I think is an advantage for everyone.'

'What was Peru like?' Ebony asked intrigued.

Alice was rather calm when she saw that Ebony had found herself warming to Vela, whether she liked it or not. James had also felt the tension easing once Vela was able to showcase her life from her phone. Cliff had been quite less confident from his understanding, but was clearly trying all the same. Danny needed no further rallying from James' perspective as he unashamedly complimented her at any chance. Vela didn't take the bait, as she understood the two were as bad as each other when it came to teasing each other in this manner.

By the time the night was coming to its end, Ebony had decided to invest a bit more in her life outside the Wizarding world and Cliff had humbled himself from Alice's comments. Danny seemed sold on Vela and Alice felt like she had proven her point when the subject itself had showed she was no funeral chic pureblood with high worries for the calibre of those who practiced magic.

'Has James told you about his new place?' Alice asked Vela when the two were finally able to chat properly.

'You got approved?' she turned momentarily to James.

'Yes, I'm finally off Alice's couch as of Monday,' James responded proudly.

'Oh, thank God,' Vela noted, 'It would be nice to have a little privacy. I love Naima but the walls are thin in our flat.'

Alice chuckled at the insinuation and said, 'I wouldn't be surprised if it's partly competition between James and Ryan, they're little sex pests, trying to one up the other. Your place just made it convenient.'

Vela shuddered and firmly suggested to him, 'If that's the case we are never staying at my place again.'

'It's not, Alice is just being a dick.'

'Hardly,' Alice complained, 'We did share a flat prior to his old flat and you conveniently seemed to forget both concealment and muffling charms. He also had an affinity for being topless twenty-four seven.'

'No different to back in the dorms, then?' Danny brought up.

'Oh yeah, absolutely loved himself silly when he discovered the word "cum gutter" and that he had a set,' Cliff recalled.

James was caught in the crossfire. 'Sorry, when did this become "gang up on James" day?'

'I do remember you running starkers through the Entrance Hall in seventh year after a particularly rousing rendition of "God Save the Queen" – I think you were about half a bottle of Firewhiskey deep during Alice's birthday –'

'Standard,' Danny commented.

'That was when you pissed in Greenhouse three!' Alice snapped her fingers. 'Dad lost his shit when he found you –'

'It was one of the plants that did drink human urine,' said James with a prickly defensiveness.

'Yeah, about two drops from a tincture bottle,' Alice spoke to his inaccuracy, 'You practically drowned those third-year projects! Dad could never get the image of you, pants around your ankles out of his head.'

'I was academically sound in school,' James spoke only to Vela and her rather large, scandalised eyes at these stories, covering her mouth as she had clearly broken out into an astonished grin, not giving him the best image. 'I just had some habits that came with my many, many first drinking experiences that can't be erased and outshine how clever and normal I am.'

'You also did sing "We are the Champions" shortly after declaring Freddie Mercury the only true queen worthy of respect,' Ebony also recollected.

'Oh yeah, he'd just been recruited as a reserve for Puddlemere United once he graduated Hogwarts – smuggled in four cases of Butterbeer into the common room and stole Professor Genslinger's boomslang stash for us to experiment with,' Cliff said with a warm familiarity. 'Ah, you were a riot, James.'

'I am the perfect man to bring back to meet parents,' James reiterated after this damning statement, stone faced to Vela's amusement.

'We all mucked around in school, James,' Vela reassured softly. 'You just did it for the equivalent of ten of the most chaotic teenagers combined.'

The rest of the group found this to be an apt description of James' behaviour in school when things turned wild.

'Right,' James said suddenly, 'You lot have done nothing for my reputation.'

Thanks for reading, please review if you can.

Fadinggx