Welcome to my first fic! It was originally posted for the Dramione RomCom Fest on A03 ... can you guess the original movie already?
Enjoy the (broom)ride!
"Draco, mate … are you in?" Blaise steps through the floo and looks around the living room calling out for its owner. One may have called it a living room, while others would more aptly describe it as an obscene open space with sweeping views over central London and the meandering Thames down below.
Draco had scaled down in the years after the Second Wizarding War. A self proclaimed new leaf, he had happily moved out of the Manor in Wiltshire, and left it all to his parents' sole use. He set himself up in a modest place he purchased with his own vault, but it never failed to make Blaise chuckle at his expense: as if he would refer to his ancestral palazzo on the Grand Canal in Venezia as a 'little place in Italy', Draco modestly called his river-views loft apartment his 'flat'.
Not that Draco isn't aware of his good fortune. He enjoys his position in life immensely: he considers himself lucky to have survived the war and even luckier to be living in the new peace heralded by Potter and company. He lives a life of privilege, true - but an honest one. Of course he has his Malfoy vault to supplement his lifestyle and closet, but he also prides himself on his personal consultancy business. It doesn't have a name really, it is a one-man enterprise, but its business is roaring and keeping Draco engaged most evenings.
Tonight Blaise was stopping by Draco's place to settle their magical contract. He was on his way to a dinner party, hosted in his honour, in order to be formally introduced to the closest friends of his new girlfriend, Ginny Weasley. They had been dating for a few weeks now, but it had remained a secret known by only a few, until last week when Ginny decided it was time for them to become official.
And that was the clause on the magical contract that needed to be settled tonight: Blaise had indeed hired Draco to help him become Ginny Weasley's one and only a couple of months back. He worked as a Quidditch scout and she was the amazing, daring and beautiful star Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. He had been desperately trying to catch her eye over the years since her break-up with Harry Potter. But he could never quite get her to see him as anything other than a work relation. She was always distracted at Quidditch functions, others vying for her attention, surrounded by fans and Gryffindors friends alike, Blaise felt like there was an immeasurable chasm between them. Out of ideas and desperately pining for her, he turned to his friend and decided to hire his services. Low and behold, only a week into the endeavour, he found the words and right opportunity to ask Ginny out on their first date … and here he was tonight.
Blaise settles the bottle of Elf Wine he had brought with him ahead of the dinner party on a low table by the fireplace and decides to hunt his friend down.
"Malfoy, you peacock! Are you preening in front of the mirror again?" he hollers walking towards the master suite.
"Blaise, you sly fox … trying to get a glimpse of me in the shower again?" Draco answers back from his walk-in closet. "Sorry to disappoint you but I'm already dressed, come on in!"
Blaise walks in the master bedroom and is greeted by stunning views of St Paul's Cathedral from the floor-to-ceiling windows - and one Draco Malfoy artfully tying his tie in front of the mirror.
"Going out tonight?" Blaise asks, still admiring the sunset through the windows.
Sighing, Draco answers "Working I'm afraid. Not all of us have the pleasure of a gorgeous Quidditch player for company on Saturday nights." He finally turns towards his friend. "Speaking of which, aren't you supposed to have a big dinner tonight?"
"Indeed I do, and I don't want to be late but I have to fulfil the magical contract before I'm headed there - the pull of the magic was becoming too compelling". Blaise tells him, not able to reign in a wide grin.
"I'm sincerely happy for you mate!" Draco claps him on the back. "Come here, let's shake on it and you can be on your way to woo the lady's friends"
Blaise steps forward and clasps his friend's hand in his. Their grip starts to glow, brighter and brighter. Blaise stares at the light in awe of the crafty piece of magic Draco came up with and finally spoke the words they had agreed to when drafting their contract "Hail Draco Malfoy, best friend a man can get, ruler of the courtship game and master of my broom." Blaise's face scrunches up at that last bit. "You git, you really had to add this last bit? I can't believe I agreed to this nonsense!"
"Be thankful my dear friend," Draco answers with a wink "it gave you a discount on the romance package!". At which point the light emanating from their hands died down.
Blaise doesn't really want to let his friend see how impressed he is at that charm work. Draco had come up with it to facilitate the settlement of magical contracts with his clients. It is a modified unbreakable vow that affects both parties in different ways: Draco can't speak his clients' names, even under duress and his clients are compelled to settle the terms of the contract once it is deemed completed. In Blaise's case one thousand galleons for a date with one Ginny Weasley. That and an idiotic incantation. Absolutely worth it.
Blaise had always known that Draco had a way with people's emotions. A true Slytherin, he could always detect what made people tick, their fears and insecurities. Used to his advantage as a spoilt school bully, it had been at first off putting - but as Blaise grew up, so did Draco and his insight into people's psyche around them had become mesmerising: Draco could turn on the charm and woo anyone or become the most cutting opponent at will. Draco's prowess of manipulation was well known in the dungeons, and it added to why he was so popular with girls and boys alike. But outside of their House, others were only privy to the bully.
Fast forward a war later, Draco has grown into his gift of perception and rarely uses it to belittle others anymore. He had done enough grovelling in front of an egomaniacal dark wizard to enjoy the sight of others in a position of weakness. He actually takes pride and pleasure in propping up and helping the downtrodden.
Draco even specialises into helping desperate people in love woo their intended. And then above all, he considers it a victory to know his way around Gryffindors hearts. Not that he would brag - well technically he couldn't anyway - but he has a perfect track record for clients pining after oblivious Gryffindors. Salazar helps him but he has grown to love and despair at, in equal measures, the bunch of loud, brash and reckless people affiliated with the house - but he couldn't deny that he has a knack at understanding them. He often muses that the years of obsessing over Harry Potter, the poster child for all Gryffindor values, has given him an extra insight.
It had all come together one night, when Blaise came through his floo - half drunk and full on depressed at seeing Ginny leave a press conference on the arm of a seeker or a keeper or whoever that wasn't him yet again. Blaise couldn't keep it in anymore and his woes of pining after the gorgeous redhead all came out at once.
Draco listened patiently as a friend would, got up from the lounge to get them two glasses and poured his friend a dram of firewhiskey before exhaling softly. "I hope she's single, because I don't do breakups" he looked up and stared at Blaise. "So? Is she?"
Blaise wasn't really sure what his friend was on about, he had been so lost in his retelling and mental images of the witch to be really sure where he was in his monologue. So it took him longer than necessary to mumble "As far as I know, she's still single…".
"I've never told you what keeps me busy most evenings, have I?" Blaise frowned at Draco wondering where he was going with this. He knew his friend was out most nights and he didn't need to have his nose rubbed into Draco's popularity with women.
"I think I can help you, and let me tell you exactly how I know that for certain." Draco settled back after pouring himself a measure of whiskey. "Basic principles: no one wakes up saying, "Merlin, I hope I don't get swept off my feet today!" Now, they might say, "This is a really bad time for me," or something like, "I just need some space," or in your case, "I'm really into my flying right now." You believe that? Neither do they. You know why? Because they're lying to you, that's why. Do you understand me? Lying! It's not a bad time for them. They don't need any space. And they may be into their flying, but what they're really saying is, "Uh, get away from me now," or possibly, "Try harder, stupid." But which one is it? Sixty percent of all human communication is nonverbal, body language; thirty percent is your tone. So that means that ninety percent of what you're saying isn't coming out of your mouth. Of course they're going to lie to you! Gryffindors above all want to be nice people. They don't want to hurt your feelings. What else are they going to say? Take Weasley, she doesn't even know you... yet. Luckily, the fact is that just like the rest of us, even a Gryffindor doesn't know what they want until they see it, and that's where I come in. I can help you open her eyes. Basic principles: no matter what, no matter when, no matter who... anyone has a chance to sweep anyone off their feet. They just need the right broom." At which point he raised his glass in toast and drank deeply. Blaise had had a hard time closing his mouth.
"Off you go now, you don't want to miss your own party!" Draco tells Blaise as he exits his bedroom. "And I myself mustn't be late or I may scare tonight's prospect away. Remind me, where is this dinner party? Are you going out?"
"I wish! I hear Theo's cooking so I'm not sure I'll make it through the night" Blaise jokes to hide his nerves. "It's actually not far from here in London. I believe it's at Potter's house?"
Draco stops on his way and smiles at his friend. He doesn't need his talents to see Blaise is nervous, probably even more nervous than before his first date. "Remember Gryffindors, they posture a lot but they're kittens inside." Draco reminds him. "Besides if I know the group awaiting you, it's a fairly even split Slytherin/Gryffindor … you'll have backup".
Blaise rolls his eyes and grumbles "I'm not sure Pansy can count as backup..." Draco barks out a laugh and walks his friend to the fireplace. "Just focus on the beautiful witch who wants you to meet her friends and you'll do fine." He adds handing him the floo powder.
Blaise takes a deep breath "Right, kittens. Kittens with sharp claws and no sense of self-preservation, but just kittens" and calls out the address while waving at his friend and stepping through the green flames. As he disappears in the smoke, Draco's eyes land on the bottle of Elf Wine still on the table and instantly recognises Blaise's vintage. Not being familiar with Potter's house but knowing Blaise doesn't need an added reason to feel nervous, he takes the decision in a split second to grab the bottle and to follow behind his friend to hitch onto his floo journey and catch up with him.
Ten points to your House if you correctly guessed 'Hitch' starring Will Smith and Eva Mendes ...