Chapter Nineteen
November bled into December, and along with it, the beautiful Shanghai autumn faded inevitably into dreary winter weather. Draco woke up every afternoon to see grey skies and drizzling rain, and though it was far from freezing, the Shanghai cold had a way of seeping deeply into the bones. Even if he wrapped himself up like a fucking marshmallow or downed a dozen mugs of cider before going to work, he would stumble home every morning shivering and miserable.
Admittedly, the weather was worse in England, with its snowstorms and sleet. But at least there was Christmas. Closing his eyes, Draco could still remember the golden lights and the carols on the streets and the aroma of roasts and pastries, which did wonders in making one feel warm despite the cold.
But in Shanghai? Well. Turned out that China doesn't really celebrate Christmas. Yes, there are a few Christmas trees here and there, and Taobao sales did go up since it is an opportunity for people to get each other gifts, but for the most part, life went on as normal. Likewise, Draco honestly didn't care, since it wasn't as if he had anyone to celebrate the festivities with, anyway. Now, however…
"Do you see them?" Harry asked, craning his neck to see the stream of people heading out from the airport exit.
"They're probably late." Draco answered. He scanned the faces of the crowd briefly, and sure enough, neither of their friends were there. "The arrival times are lies. The flights here at Pudong are always late."
"True that. But when it comes to lying, nobody can compare to you." Harry teased. He laughed and shoved Draco playfully. "Cedric and I are still pissed at what you did to us."
Despite himself, Draco found his lips quirking into a smile as he retorted, "Fuck off, Potter. You know I prefer working alone because I'm always more successful like that."
"I'd hardly call getting your name on Bellatrix Lestrange's hit list 'successful.'" Harry said dryly, and this time, Draco couldn't say anything to defend himself, because goddammit, Potter had a point.
When Harry and Cedric learned about Draco meeting up with his aunt and getting the target painted on his back as the only blotch in an otherwise incredibly successful mission, they lost their shit. Draco bore the first hour of yelling and shouting well enough, since he probably deserved it. However, three hours later, Draco was getting really tired, not to mention the fact that he really needed to get back to work, but the two of them showed no signs of stopping, and it was only after a covert text to Hyun to fake an emergency when he could finally get the hell out of there.
Though… there was a catch. Harry and Cedric did not forget that Bellatrix Lestrange was coming after him, so before he hightailed out, they insisted on having Draco have a security detail. But since the MI6 didn't technically know that Draco was working with them, they couldn't exactly assign him an official secret service agent. Thus, at the end of the day, it was decided that Draco's security detail would be Harry.
Which was fine! Really, it was! The only thing he had to put up with was Harry's constant yammering in his ear about how his little catch-up with his dear Aunt Bella was stupid and reckless and how he was a raging idiot for doing it. So, yes. Draco was completely and absolutely fine with having Harry follow him around from dawn to dusk. It was great.
Fortunately, one week later, Draco's salvation came from the most spirited woman he had and will ever met in his life, a force of nature that could not be reckoned with, which was - of course – the one and only Ginny Weasley.
Since Harry was still stuck on the Dragon Killer case and wouldn't be able to make it home for Christmas with the Weasleys, Ginny decided to bring Christmas to Harry. Though the actual festivities on the week of Christmas itself would still be in England, Ginny decided to round up a few friends and make a trip to China a few weeks earlier to have a smaller celebration in Shanghai.
When Harry finally stopped ranting about the Bellatrix Lestrange incident and told Draco excitedly about these plans, Draco had felt genuinely happy for him and wished him happy holidays. However, nothing could have prepared him for when Harry invited him to join them.
"I can't." Draco shook his head.
"Why not?" Harry had fired back. "Cedric and Cho will be there too, and… what the hell. Invite Pansy and Blaise! It's been a while since I've seen those two anyway."
"Are you sure?" Draco was in disbelief.
"Yes." Harry said firmly. Then, his expression wavered, and he said hurriedly, "Hurry up and call them, Draco. I'm already having second thoughts about this."
Laughing, Draco picked up his phone and called his friends for the first time in years.
That was how Draco and Harry found themselves at the Pudong International Airport surrounded by crowds of people moving about hauling their luggage and drivers hurrying around looking for customers. Coincidentally enough, all of their friends were taking the same flight flying in from England. Draco glanced at his watch again. They were twenty minutes late. Just as he was seriously considering the possibility that their friends might have blown up the plane in a firefight or something, he caught a glimpse of a familiar ginger head and nothing could stop the smile from blooming across his face.
"Weasley!" he exclaimed.
"Draco!" Ginny bounded up to him and threw her arms around him in a hug. He staggered back from the force of the blow, laughing. Seeing that he was about to fall over, she pulled apart and grinned. "How's the case been? Has Harry been behaving himself?"
Draco was about to say something nice, but after remembering the shit Harry's been giving him for the last few weeks, decided to be cruel. "It's been awful. Harry's insufferable."
Looking outraged, Ginny whirled to inflict her wrath upon poor, unsuspecting Potter. Chuckling, Draco turned to the rest of their friends. The slender blond girl looking dreamily at the bustling cityscape before them must be Luna. He'd seen Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, who were now high-ranking government officials, often enough on the news to recognize them immediately. They were certainly a little older and wiser than the bold brash youths they once were, but against Ginny Weasley? Nothing had changed. Both of them were frantically and failing to protect Harry from the wrath of their younger sister.
And standing by the side, watching the commotion with expressions torn between embarrassment and awkwardness…
Ah. Pansy and Blaise.
Draco stepped up to them, and couldn't help but to feel a little self-conscious. It's been years. The last time he saw them in person had been right after the Fallout, fleeing from England and their past. Of course, they kept in touch from their corners of the world, but it was difficult to maintain contact over long distances, and it had been months since the last time they texted. When Draco called them to invite them over for an early Christmas, he had felt really quite nervous and was more than ready to hear their polite rejections. But to his immense surprise, they agreed to come.
Pansy looked just as striking as ever, her dark hair still cut stylishly short and makeup immaculate even after a ten-hour flight, but something had changed. She seemed a lot more… humble. Harry and his friends were really loud, and the Pansy of the past would probably have been openly disdainful of such ridiculous and childish behavior, but now… was that bemusement that flickered in those eyes? Draco might be so incredibly wrong, but he swore it almost seemed as if Pansy would be down to join the chaos.
Blaise, on the other hand, seemed to have grown colder. He had always been aloof, but now, he seemed positively frigid, standing beside Pansy and watching the commotion with a stony expression. Draco knew that Blaise still worked in the underworld as an independent contractor, which is really just a nicer way of saying freelance assassin. Perhaps it was the fact that there were government officials and an MI6 agent right beside him that made him frostier than usual?
For a moment, the three of them just stood there in silence, taking each other in.
"Hey," Draco broke the silence. He smiled wryly. "Damn, it's been ten years since we've last seen each other. But first things first. Out of the three of us, I'd say I aged the best, don't you think?"
"Not as much as me!" Pansy shot back, grinning. "I'm gorgeous."
With that, the tension broke, and they burst into laughter. Something in Draco's heart unclenched. Their friendship could be rather dysfunctional at times and most definitely far from perfect, but in that moment, it was almost as if they were once again in the hallways of Hogwarts, nothing more than three best friends without a care in the world.
Poor Harry was finally able to explain that no, he had not been mistreating Draco whatsoever, and it was only after Draco's affirmation when Ginny finally stopped raging at him. Now that the chaos was over, everyone was at long last able to calm down and release a quick breath.
"Alright!" Draco clapped his hands. "We've been way too loud, so let's get out of here before the we get kicked out by the police. Three cabs should be more than enough…"
Then, he saw the trolleys stacked with massive trunks and overstuffed suitcases practically bursting at the seams.
"… Actually, four cabs sound about right."
Of all the locations one might think that the Christmas celebration might be in, the winning candidate would likely be Harry's apartment, since the majority of attendees were his friends, or perhaps Cedric's place, since neutral ground is always a safe option. However, it turned out that Harry's apartment was an irredeemable junkyard, and Cedric's next-door neighbor was undergoing a particularly noisy construction, so the only place left… was Draco's apartment.
Well, why the hell not? Childhood enemies who now happen to be government officials or MI6 agents or freelance assassins or nightclub owners with a shady past. Gathering in his home for a wholesome Christmas party. What could possibly go wrong?
On the day of the festivities, the doorbell rang nonstop. First, in the morning when Cedric and Cho came in bearing bags of groceries before dominating his kitchen to start working on their dinner. Again, in the afternoon, when Harry arrived to help them with the decorations. And finally, during the evening, when their friends arrived from their hotels.
"Hey," Draco greeted them.
"Draco!" Ginny, who looked beautiful in a red cashmere sweater, grinned and threw her arms around him. Draco laughed as he hugged her back. Then, she caught sight of the apartment behind him and pulled apart, exclaiming, "This is the most beautiful apartment I've ever seen in my life!"
"It definitely is," Draco agreed. He held open the door, and their friends entered his home.
Streamers of holly decked on walls, the crimson of the berries contrasting beautifully with the dark green wallpaper, and a small Christmas tree strung with soft golden lights glimmered in the corner. The curtains had been pulled back to reveal the glittering cityscape before them, and a fire burned in the hearth, chasing away the Shanghai chill. The air was fragrant with the smell of roasts and spices and pine, and every inch of the room radiated warmth and welcome, as if it were a place that was regularly filled with friends and family, laughter and love. It was almost impossible to imagine that its inhabitants were, in actuality, only a sleep-deprived, caffeine-addicted nightclub manager.
Draco couldn't stop the smile from forming on his lips as he watched his guests make their way around his apartment, eyes wide with wonder and singing their praises. Pansy, who was stunning in an emerald cheongsam, was in love with the green and gold décor, and Luna adored the row of crooked little cactus plants he had on his windowsill. Hermione was trying to hide it, but he knew that she was really impressed by his collection of books, and even Ron was looking enviously at the antique chess set on the mantle.
Laughing, he answered their questions and accepted their compliments, but at the same time… there was a rather strange feeling in his heart. He knew he had a really lovely apartment, but he had long since grown used to its design, and didn't nearly have enough guests over to remind him of that. However, now that there were so many people here, in such open approval of his taste… Draco knew that they were being sincere. Every comment was truly genuine. But at the same time, a part of him hesitated. Were they complimenting him because they were simply being polite? Or were they complimenting him as a way to thank him for his services for the MI6?
A flicker of movement caught his eye. It was Blaise, reaching to open his closed bedroom door.
"Are you looking for the restrooms?" Draco asked quickly, snapping out of his thoughts. His paintings were in his bedroom. Even though they were tucked away or covered, he didn't want anyone seeing them. However, Blaise didn't have time to respond.
"Draco, get over here!" Cedric yelled. "We need your help with the drinks!"
"Everyone else, take a seat at the dining table!" Cho instructed, emerging from the kitchen with a platter that smelled delicious. "Let's get ready for dinner!"
Draco could do nothing but smile awkwardly, indicate the restrooms, and hurry to work.
With a cheer, everyone moved to surround his little dining table, which was practically buckling from the weight of all the food placed on it. Looking at the feast spread out before them… Cedric and Cho had truly outdone themselves. Cedric had taken care of cooking the more traditional Christmas foods, from the ham glazed with honey to the steaming bread rolls to the grilled vegetables, while Cho was in charge of the Asian twist. Instead of having a roasted turkey, Cho had prepared a Peking duck, the skin caramelized into a glistening golden brown, along with a big plate of fried dumplings and an impressive display of dim sum.
While everybody settled down, Draco emerged from the kitchen, passing around mugs of Hyun's cider along with flutes of champagne, intending for the lighter notes of the sparkling wine to balance out the richness of the cider. Once he was done, he quickly took a seat at the only empty chair left, which just so happened to be beside Harry, who flashed him a grin.
"Who's going to say grace?" Hermione asked.
"Do we need to?" Ron complained. "It's not as if Mum's here to enforce it, anyway."
Everyone burst into laughter, firing the duty back and forth before it finally landed on Cedric, who accepted it graciously enough. But the moment he finished speaking, there was not a single moment of hesitation whatsoever as everyone tore into the food.
Cho took care of the duck, carving it into thin slivers of meat so tender that it melted like butter on the tongue, while Cedric attacked the ham, slicing it into thick, generous pieces still steaming hot. However, as the meat, vegetables, and dumplings were passed around, Draco suddenly realized that he had made a grave and terrible mistake. Rather than placing knives and forks at every seat, he had placed chopsticks instead.
Those who were staying in Shanghai, along with Pansy, who was half Cantonese, used them well enough. But for the rest of them? Oh god. Watching them fumbling around, Draco didn't know whether to burst out laughing or to cry from second-hand embarrassment.
"Dammit, Draco! Where the hell are your knives and forks?" Ginny demanded as she tried to pick up a dumpling for the fifth time in a row before it slipped from her grasp and landed on the table with a splat.
"You'd better have some lying around," Ron threatened as he chased a piece of carrot around his plate. "I'm bloody starving, and I intend to eat tonight."
"Do you just not use western cutlery anymore or what?" Hermione asked, laughing.
"It's been a while," Draco admitted ruefully. He really couldn't remember the last time he'd used a knife and fork. Hurrying to the kitchen, he dug up some cutlery from the bottom of the drawer, but they were dusty from the lack of use, so he was forced to spend a few extra minutes washing them. However, when he stepped back into the dining area, he was astonished.
Pansy was engrossed in teaching Hermione on the proper way to hold a pair of chopsticks, while under Cho's tutelage, Ginny and Luna were able to successfully pick up and place several pieces of grilled zucchini on their plates. Cedric was in charge of instructing Blaise, while Harry was laughing openly at Ron's struggles. With a bit more practice, everyone had more or less mastered the basics, and Draco supposed that they didn't need the knives and forks after all.
Initially, Draco had been worried. Like how he and Harry had been enemies for the longest time, so had their respective friends. Them being in the same hallway was already sure to result in a brawl, not to mention being in the same room. From the moment they stepped off the plane, Draco had already braced himself, expecting their friends to start quipping at each other and was more than ready to play peacemaker, but to his surprise… everyone was surprisingly civil. Yes, they were tense and wary, and a few pointed comments had been tossed around, but it wasn't enough to start a fight. And now, seeing them help each other out…
It was as if a barrier had been broken, tension and hostility replaced by amity and perhaps even a little bit of trust. Ginny, that beautiful wonderful soul, was the first to share, telling them about a hilarious incident about running into a stingray while scuba diving. Harry spoke next, recalling the time when he got so severely lost on the West Nanjing Road metro station it took him two hours before he finally managed to figure it out with his broken Chinese. And Pansy shared a terrifying story about high heels and storm grates.
As the night progressed, it would be difficult to say that their childhood enmity had been completely washed away, but at the same time, they were no longer the bitter rivals they once were. Pansy and Hermione bonded over their passion for k-drama, and Draco discovered that Ron was actually an incredible chess player, picking up a few tricks in the process. Even Blaise cracked a rare smile in his long conversation with Cedric about weapons and machinery.
Draco's apartment wasn't very big, but it had always seemed more than enough, since he was the only one there. Now, it was rather cramped, ringing with laughter and noise that was definitely going to result in a neighbor's complaint, and getting rather stuffy from the ten people crammed inside, but Draco didn't mind. He liked it. His chest ached from laughing so hard, and his face was getting exhausted from all that smiling, but he liked it. He truly did.
From the corner of his eye, Draco caught a glimpse of Harry. Those clear green eyes flashed with humor as he grinned at him, and despite himself, Draco's lips quirked, and he returned the smile.
Draco knew that he must be careful. Even though the suspicion of him being the Dragon Killer to the MI6 must be extremely slim by now, he still had to watch his step around them. He knew he shouldn't trust them. He really knew that. But at the same time… god. His head was screaming at him, calling him the biggest fool to have ever existed in the universe, but he couldn't deny it. Deep down in his heart and soul, he couldn't help but to trust them.