Chapter 28

The next day, At Malfoy Manor, late afternoon

Draco paced the length of his sitting room. He knew it by heart. Thirty-two long strides from both walls straight, fifty and a half if he went diagonally. Today he was a little frustrated, so he was going diagonally.

Maybe the bra had been a mistake. Maybe he'd stepped over the line, got too clingy as opposed to cool. Maybe she was offended.

He counted paces to keep calm… ten… eleven…

Or maybe it was something else altogether. Maybe she'd gotten all she needed on Saturday, and she had merely been embarrassed by the gift.

Fifteen… sixteen…seventeen…

He clenched and unclenched his fists to try and calm himself. But he'd had no response, and he was craving her like a glass of cold water in the middle of a desert. He'd planned to take his time, bring her to the bed, and do it properly this time. And when she didn't respond…

twenty-seven… twenty-eight…

An amber glow filled the room, coming from the empty fireplace, " Drake, you here?"

" Blaise? How did your appointment go?" Draco grabbed something to pretend like he'd been doing something purposeful when he walked into view of the fireplace.

" Interestingly," Blaise interrupted himself, " Can I come over?"

" Yeah, sure-" Before Draco could finish his thought Blaise was standing in front of him, dusting off his expensive Italian suit.

" What are you so worked up about?" Blaise asked bluntly.

" I don't know what you mean, Blaise, I was just," Draco examined the throw pillow he had picked up in such a hurry, " Fluffing pillows. You know. Gotta have fluffed pillows."

" Ah, is Granger coming over?" Blaise nodded knowingly.

" No," Draco couldn't help the angry eyebrow twitch that had accompanied that simple word.

" So Granger isn't coming and that's… upset you?" Blaise ventured.

" She hasn't responded to a note I sent about tomorrow," Draco explained, putting the pillow down and giving it a generous fluffing to avoid Blaise's eye, " And I'm not upset, just a little horny. You know how it is."

Blaise snorted, " I told you, didn't I tell you this was a terrible idea?"

" I'm not upset over Granger," Draco ground out.

" I told you that trying to be fuck buddies with your soulmate was playing with fire. You've slept with her once and already- I mean, look at you," Blaise accused.

" Hey! Waiting for someone to respond to a booty call is normal, even expected. You're just overreacting because you want to be right," Draco countered.

" Yes, but most times the booty call isn't to your magic-chosen, all-bloody-powerful soulmate, right?" Blaise smirked.

Draco smirked right back, " I'm not going to fall for Hermione Granger. It's laughable to even say out loud. And since when do you even believe in soulmates? You're Blaise 'Shag it and Bag it' Zabini."

" Just because I get around doesn't mean I don't believe in soulmates. The Maritare charm isn't fucking around," Blaise rested elegantly on a velvet wingback chair, " Now that we've got that out of the way-"

" How is it out of the way?" Draco sat on his silver damask couch in a heap.

" Because you're going to develop feelings for Granger, and there's nothing you can do about it if you keep pacing the floor over her," Blaise declared, " Now can we have some tea?"

" Forgive me if I think you're full of shit," Draco responded, ringing for tea. A house elf appeared almost instantly with a cup of Draco's favorite Darjeeling, and Blaise's favorite jasmine tea.

" Forgive me if I say the same, Drake," Blaise grinned.

" Alright, stop fucking with me," Draco stirred some milk and sugar into his tea, " Who did you get on your charm then?"

" You'll never guess," Blaise sipped his tea and leaned back in his chair saucily.

" No, I won't."

Blaise paused, " Well, go on then, guess."

Draco rolled his eyes, " I hate when you gossip about yourself. Uh… Susan Bones."

" No, obviously."

" Ernie MacMillan."

" Eugh, no."

" Goyle."

" Getting much colder."

" Ah… Do I know them?"

Blaise leaned back in his chair luxuriously," Yes, you definitely know them."

Draco shook his head, " I don't fucking know… Hermione Granger."

" Bingo."

Draco felt a little flurry of what had to be confusion in his chest, " Really?"

" No, but what an interesting expression you have on," Blaise grinned, " You're much, much warmer now."

Draco almost choked on a laugh, " No. Fucking. Way."

" Did you guess it?"

" Well, Mr. Weasley, who knew?" Draco grinned and took a big sip of tea, " Just kidding, I knew."

" I didn't know," Blaise chuckled, " He seems so… I don't know."

" I only know because Potter let it slip," Draco explained, " So… what are you going to do about it?"

" I sent a letter," Blaise bit his lip, " And don't kill me but I asked if he might be interested in getting lunch."

" Lunch as in a date, or lunch as in a public humiliation of Weasley masquerading as a date?" Draco asked hopefully.

Blaise hesitated, " Look, it's not as if we're mortal enemies. We were just sorted into different houses at school."

" Are you kidding?" Draco raised both his eyebrows sky high, " You must be kidding."

" It's just lunch," Blaise defended.

Draco just shook his head, " The world has gone completely pear shaped. Just know this: if you try to date the weasel, you can't look down on me for Granger."

" I will agree to no such thing," Blaise laughed, " This 'fuck buddies' deal is going to come back to bite you in the arse, and I'm going to call you on it."

" I'm getting Granger out of my system, and, I might add, breaking my dry spell," Draco sipped his tea, " You don't have a reason to meet with Weasley."

" He's my soulmate. And don't give me that 'the war ruined my life and no one wants to fuck me' buisness. You might have broken that dry spell years ago with Loony Lovegood," Blaise rolled his eyes, " All I'm saying is that it's going to get complicated somehow."

" Lovegood is just a friend," Draco waved him off, " And Granger is an itch that needs to be scratched."

" Who's her soulmate?" Blaise asked conspiratorially.

" Lovegood's?"

" No, Salazar Slytherin's" Blaise snorted, " Of course Lovegood's."

An owl interrupted, scratching at the window. Draco felt his stomach give a little lurch, but set down his tea slowly, not giving Blaise the satisfaction of hopping up to get it in case it was from Grainger.

" Dean Thomas," Draco explained, rising and padding across the plush carpet to the window, " She's pretty broken up about it."

" He's on the Wimbourne Wasps, isn't he? Why is she upset about it?"

Draco knew that the only thing to keep Blaise off the subject of Granger was to introduce some juicy topic. He carefully retrieved the small roll of parchment from the nondescript owl and held it casually. His chest was a flurry of tension but he'd never let Blaise know.

" They had a one night stand years ago during the war, but they haven't seen each other since, really. But she's still in love with him," Draco explained, turning Grangers parchment over in his hands, " He's been in London for a few days now, and he had his appointment. She hasn't heard a peep."

" A peep huh? Like what you're holding?"

" I'll read it later," Draco said, closing the window.

" Oh, I see, you want to read it in private because it means so much to you," Blaise baited.

" No, I want to concentrate on my guest and not on a little piece of post," Draco countered.

" Methinks the lady doth protest too much," Blaise sipped his tea saucily.

Draco paused, and then tore into the neat seal on the parchment, " Sod it."

Malfoy-

I got your note as I was leaving work yesterday and only remembered that I hadn't responded until Ron's maritare charm results reminded me (! Must discuss). I would love to come tomorrow, if you still want to. Please write the best apparition point or floo connection on this paper when you get this.

Granger

Draco felt a heady little rush of anticipation. She was coming after all. He would have to plan something more special than their quickie in the kitchen, not that he was complaining. But he hadn't yet had the chance to really savor her.

Blaise raised an eyebrow imperiously, " Good news?"

" Not for you," Draco smirked, " Granger wants to discuss you and Weasley. For once, I'm not the one in trouble."

Blaise groaned, " Keep her distracted, will you?"

" I intend to," Draco laughed, " But Granger's the least of your worries."

Blaise snorted, " What, am I supposed to be afraid of Potter?"

Draco grinned, " I'm only saying that you've got a lot of angry redheads in your future."