August 26, 1992
It was the Wednesday before Iris was set to return to Hogwarts as she combed through the bookcases located on the landing of Flourish and Blotts. She sought a very specific type of book, one that provided information on the Centaur colony living within the Forbidden Forest.
Firenze, a Centaur that lived within the forest's depths, had saved Harry from the spirit of Lord Voldemort last term and she wanted to properly express her gratitude. She felt the Centaur's heroism had gotten swept under the rug in comparison to all else that had occurred in May.
That and she also needed a place to breathe apart from the crowd of Gilderoy Lockhart fans.
Iris had been at Harry's side when the newly appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had sighted him within the adoring crowd and she'd used the brief moment before the spotlight descended upon her friend to escape up the stairs.
Lockhart's voice carried throughout the bookshop, his boasting drawing an eyeroll from Iris as she continued browsing the section on Magical Creatures of the Humanoid Persuasion.
Hermione and Molly Weasley's fascination with the blond oaf was beyond her comprehension.
After perusing a chapter on Divination from Wizard and Witch Relations with our Hooved Counterparts, Iris settled on the title. The pages informed her of the various ways Centaurs used mallowsweet and sage to refine their stargazing skill and she decided upon purchasing a few bushels of the herbs for Firenze from Slug and Jigger's Apothecary.
She only just closed the leather cover of the book when the presence of someone else on the landing became overwhelmingly apparent.
"Sinclair." A voice sneered from directly behind her.
Iris groaned audibly as a wave of annoyance washed over her.
Speaking of blond oafs.
She spun around to meet the grey gaze of Draco Malfoy.
"Malfoy." She grumbled.
The menace of a boy had grown over the summer, he was a couple inches taller than her now. He was still slicking back his hair with copious amounts of hair gel and she wondered whether his hair would feel smooth or tacky to the touch.
Not that she wanted to touch Draco Malfoy's hair.
She was just curious.
"Got a magical creature stuffed in there somewhere?" He questioned, his eyes twinkling as he glanced over the oversized crimson sweatshirt she was wearing.
"No, thank Merlin." Iris shuddered at the memory of the bargain she made with him last October – her wrist had been sore for weeks after having to take double the notes. "Plan on continuing to take your own Transfiguration notes."
"That's a shame." He smirked. "You here with your Muggleparents?"
"No, not that it's any of your business, but I'm here with the Weasleys."
"That's even worse." Draco's face twisted in distaste and she resisted the urge to pummel him with the book in her hands.
Iris' parents were still wary of magic – Peter and Martha Sinclair had spent four decades ignorant of the existence of the Wizarding World and a year of awareness had not been enough time for her parents to adjust completely.
A dinner organized through various letters sent from Iris to Ron and so forth had brought her parents and Arthur and Molly Weasley together. Martha and Peter had been anxious to meet the family of one of Iris' dearest friends and Arthur and Molly had eased some of their worries.
The two couples had gotten on splendidly. Molly's charisma made it impossible for awkward silences to occur and her parents had seen Arthur's fascination with Muggle life as endearing.
Iris' parents had warmed significantly to her random splurges of magical facts afterwards. It was as if they could breathe easier with the knowledge that Arthur and Molly's skin wasn't green and covered in warts.
Last week, Molly had sent a letter offering to take Iris to Diagon Alley to shop for school supplies, and although she enjoyed spending time with the Weasleys, her feelings had been a little hurt at how easily her parents had relinquished the duty.
"Malfoy, this interaction has been thrilling but I have a feeling I'm missed downstairs."
Iris moved to sidestep Draco, but she was pushed back when he lashed out with his hand and gripped her wrist tightly.
"Be careful wandering the corridors at Hogwarts this year." The expression on his face had steeled. "You never know what could be slinking around the next corner."
"Is that a threat, Malfoy?" Iris accused. "I don't take well to threats."
"It's a warning."
"Here's a warning for you." Iris wrenched her wrist out of his grasp. "Touch me again and I'll cut off your hand."
"I'll hold you to that." Draco smirked before glancing over the railing of the landing. Iris followed his gaze and noticed the way his eyebrows quirked at the sight of Harry walking towards the entrance with Ginny Weasley.
"If you'll excuse me, I think Potter deserves a kick to that enormous ego of his, don't you?" He winked at her.
Iris' jaw went slack.
He brushed past her with a nudge to the shoulder and she glared at him as he made his way down the stairs. He stopped abruptly, halfway down, and made eye contact with her once more.
His lips curled in amusement as he chose a book at random, ripped out a page, and stuffed it in his pocket.
Iris' eyes widened in horror. "Malfoy, put that page back!"
Draco grinned cheekily and raced down the stairs towards Harry.
September 8, 2000
"Welcome Gryffindors to my humble abode." Pansy exclaimed enthusiastically as Iris, Hermione, and Ginny crossed the threshold into her flat.
Humble was the last word Iris would use to describe the place.
Pansy's flat was a converted warehouse designed to suit a witch with a taste for luxury. Twinkle lights hung from the high ceiling and twisted around the cement beams that supported it. The forest green wallpaper streaked with silver and the black marble flooring were less than subtle odes to Pansy's everlasting Slytherin pride.
The back wall was made entirely of glass allowing sunlight to flood the flat. French doors were built into the center of the glass wall, leading out to a small balcony that provided a spectacular view of the River Thames.
"The guest bathroom and bedroom are down that way." Pansy pointed to her left, past the glass dining table framed by black leather chairs, as the group of girls still hovered by the front door. "And the master is that way." She pointed in the opposite direction, the corridor to the master framed by the kitchen on the right and an array of bookshelves and a dark walnut wood desk on the left.
Iris gulped.
She was a lion in a snake pit.
The look on Ginny's face expressed a similar feeling but Hermione, as to be expected, was unabashedly fascinated by her surroundings.
"Pansy, the view is to die for." Hermione sighed.
"I used the last bit of my inheritance on this place." Pansy remarked as she surveyed the flat with pride. "The Ministry confiscated the rest of my parents' accounts and properties."
"Some would say with good reason." Ginny mumbled under her breath.
Pansy's eyes shot towards Ginny – her lips pursed as she held back the retort that had undoubtedly formed on her tongue.
Pansy had taunted Iris and Hermione at school, but Ginny had received the worst of it. The teasing had arisen out of the arrogance that seemed to go hand in hand with a Pureblood superiority complex, but Pansy's tactics turned vicious when she felt her territory being infringed upon by the redhead's beauty.
The poisonous history between the two was not going to be fixed over drinks – it was a nod to Hermione's skills of diplomacy that she'd convinced Ginny to tag along for such an odd evening.
Pansy leveled her gaze at Ginny and forced a smile. "Let's not waste another minute without a drink in our hands. I'm craving a martini, how about the rest of you?"
"I'll take a martini, with an extra olive." Hermione said thoughtlessly as she drifted towards the bookcases.
Ginny eyed Pansy suspiciously. "Firewhiskey, neat."
"Scotch on the rocks for me." Iris said.
"Coming right up! Let me change into something a bit more comfortable first." Pansy winked. Her stiletto heels clicked against the marble flooring as she headed towards the master bedroom. "Relax ladies! Slip off your heels, untuck your blouse, sink into the sofa!" Pansy yelled over her shoulder before disappearing.
"As if I could ever relax with Pansy Parkinson around." Ginny groaned as she and Iris walked over to Hermione. "Why is she trying so hard?"
Hermione paused her examination of Pansy's library and gave Ginny a slight nudge. "I know this is not your ideal situation but please be civil? I'll be working with her for the next few months and she's obviously in the need of friends."
"A Slytherin invasion was not what I had in mind when I suggested to Kingsley that the Ministry ease their hiring restrictions." Iris stated and she received a scolding slap on the arm from Hermione.
"You two are as bad as Ronald." Hermione stepped away from the bookcases. "Come on, let's sit by the fireplace."
Hermione urged Iris and Ginny towards a sitting area framed by a black marble fireplace. The flames roared silver as the women situated themselves around the white leather sectional and, while Hermione sat closest to Iris on her left, it was not lost on her that Ginny had sat as far away from her as possible.
Iris knew Harry well enough to know that he'd already sought Ginny's advice over their argument that afternoon, the same way she had with Hermione. She also knew Ginny well enough to know that the redhead was practicing severe self-restraint in her presence. If she hadn't been, Ginny would've torn Iris' head off the second she'd Apparated on her doorstep with Hermione and Pansy.
Maybe I should've asked for a double scotch. Iris thought.
Taking Pansy's advice, Iris let her pumps fall to the floor and folded her legs underneath her.
As they waited for their hostess to return, she broached a sensitive topic with Hermione.
"Hermione, did you get post from St. Mungo's today?"
Hermione inhaled deeply. "An appointment reminder for Sunday. Did you get yours?"
"Yes, this morning."
The post Iris received that morning had included the usual: requests from the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly for an interview with The Other Golden Girl, a letter from Molly Weasley asking over her well-being, and an update from Hagrid on how the newest batch of Third Years were adjusting to his teaching methods.
In contrast to the usual pile of sealed envelopes, an appointment reminder for her monthly visit to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries had also been included.
For the past two years, on every second Sunday of the month, Iris and Hermione brought their parents to St. Mungo's for memory retrieval and mind healing treatments. It would've been a painless experience for any wizard or witch, but as Iris and Hermione's parents were Muggles, their bodies reacted to the treatments with great discomfort.
The visits to St. Mungo's were a necessary evil brought upon by Iris and Hermione themselves. In July of 1997, the girls performed Obliviate, the Forgetfulness Charm, on their parents to protect them from the clutches of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The Grangers and the Sinclairs were made to forget their daughters entirely and new identities with false memories and false desires were planted within their minds.
The summer after the Battle of Hogwarts, Iris and Hermione tracked down their parents – the Grangers were traveling around Australia and Martha and Peter Sinclair had moved to the States.
The girls had been able to rid their parents' minds of the false information they had planted but the healers at St. Mungo's were the only ones able to recover their real memories. It had taken a three-month stay at the magical hospital, but, for the first time in over a year, the Sinclairs and the Grangers recognized their daughters with clarity.
Since that day, their parents had returned to the homes they had shared before the War, had resumed their careers, and were once again in contact with family and old friends. The only setback being that they had to visit St. Mungo's once a month to solidify the effects of the healing.
Unfortunately, although Martha and Peter Sinclair's memories had returned, their frustration with Iris had not faded. Their understanding of Iris' actions could not mask the violation they felt whenever they were reminded of the way their daughter had manipulated their minds.
Iris knew the Grangers felt similarly towards Hermione.
Hermione squeezed Iris' hand. "We'll get through it together, like always."
Iris squeezed Hermione's hand in return and the silent understanding that passed between the witches was broken at the sound of Pansy's bedroom door slamming shut.
Pansy padded over to the girls dressed in an oversized cream sweater and black joggers. Two martini glasses, one with an extra olive, a Firewhiskey, and a scotch floated in the air beside her and she waved the drinks to the correct witch with her wand.
"I tend to make my drinks a little strong." Pansy warned as she sat on Iris' right.
Hermione took a sip of her martini and promptly gagged as soon as the liquid slipped past her lips. "Yeah, you could say that." Hermione coughed and placed the martini on the glass coffee table in front of the sectional.
Ginny and Pansy, on the other hand, downed half of their glasses on the first go.
Iris sipped her scotch and could easily taste the difference between the rich flavor of the brand Pansy had stocked versus the bottle Iris purchased on her late-night runs to the corner store.
"Try this instead." Pansy waved her wand at Hermione's drink and it transformed into an amaretto sour.
Hermione grabbed the glass and hummed with delight after taking a sip. "Delicious, thank you."
"This is ridiculous." Ginny blurted out. "Cut the hostess act, Parkinson. You would've never invited us here if you weren't desperate."
Iris almost choked on her scotch and Hermione face-palmed at the outburst.
"To clarify, I didn't invite you Weasley, Sinclair and Granger did, and I agreed to it." Pansy toyed with the toothpick holding the olive of her martini. "As for your accusation of desperation, Sinclair stormed into my meeting with Granger, huffing and puffing over her fight with that tosser Potter, and I merely saw an opportunity."
"I was not huffing and puffing." Iris clarified, frowning at Pansy.
"You were huffing and puffing." Hermione whispered from next to her and Iris nudged Hermione sharply in the ribs.
"Talk about Harry like that again and you'll regret it." Ginny warned Pansy.
Pansy laughed and took another sip of her martini.
"Ginny." Hermione pleaded, shifting the redhead's gaze towards her.
A silent exchange passed between the two witches and then, as if a switch flipped within her, Ginny relaxed and sunk into the sectional.
"Can't we put old House hostilities behind us for one evening?" Hermione asked. "We're supposed to be adults for crying out loud."
Iris cringed at the use of the word adult.
Harry had used that word just hours earlier to insult her.
"Some of us were practicing Inter-House mingling long before we left Hogwarts anyhow." Pansy agreed with Hermione, meeting Iris' eyes over the rim of her glass. "I'm willing to let bygones be bygones if you are Weasley. Hell, if you'd been placed in Slytherin, we probably would've been friends."
"I seriously doubt that." Ginny remarked.
The tension in the room was suffocating.
"But—" Ginny sighed exasperatedly. "Sometimes, even enemies get drunk together."
Pansy's smile of victory was purely serpentine.
"We still have a lot to discuss, Parkinson." Ginny asserted.
Pansy nodded in agreement and Hermione arched an eyebrow at Iris as if to say I told you so.
"Shut up." Iris grumbled and Hermione snickered.
"Now that that's settled." Pansy raised her glass in the air. "Cheers, ladies!" Hermione met Pansy's glass and after a moment, Iris and Ginny reluctantly did as well.
The four women chugged their drinks and once they had finished, Pansy waved her wand and the glasses refilled to the brim.
Four hours had passed in the blink of an eye.
Four hours of drinking, gossiping about old classmates, and reminiscing over their years at Hogwarts. Never in her life did Iris think she would get wasted with Pansy Parkinson and enjoy herself.
"Granger, what's going on with Weasley? Are you still together?" Pansy asked as she drank from her glass of water.
Ginny had mentioned feeling the slightest bit nauseous and Pansy had waved her wand and replacing the girls' drinks with tall glasses of water—She was adamant that no one would be getting sick in her guest bathroom that night.
So far Iris had avoided the topic of Draco, but if Pansy was bringing up Hermione's relationship with Ron, she needed to steel herself for the discussion to soon focus on her own past discretions.
"We're friends, just friends." Hermione announced. "Adjusting to life after the War has been difficult enough individually and we were not prepared to face it as a couple. Our friendship was suffering, and I refuse to lose that most of all, so our paths are separate for now. It'll take time but I know they'll cross again once we're ready."
"And he feels the same way?" Pansy arched an eyebrow.
Hermione nodded, her cheeks pink from the alcohol in her veins and from talking about Ron.
"That's—" Pansy furrowed her brow. "Very mature. I didn't expect that from the Weasel."
"Watch it." Ginny slurred as she pointed a finger at Pansy and Iris hid a laugh from behind her hand.
"The downside is that since we're not together and we're trying to stay platonic until we're ready—" Hermione eyed Iris first and then Pansy. "We haven't you know in months."
"Are you trying to tell me you're horny, Hermione Granger?!" Pansy cackled.
Iris burst into laughter as Hermione's lips curled mischievously.
"A witch can only do so much on her own."
"Now I need details." Pansy's eyes widened. "What is Ron Weasley like in the sack?"
"Bloody hell that's my brother you're talking about." Ginny stood unsteadily and put her hands over her ears. "This conversation better be over by the time I get back from the toilet or I'm suing every single one of you for emotional distress."
"If you puke, you're dead Weaselette." Pansy warned.
"Sod off, snake." Ginny spat as she wobbled her way towards the guest bathroom.
Iris snorted loudly as the bathroom door slammed shut.
"Spill, Granger." Pansy demanded.
"Oh no, no, no." Hermione smirked. "That is for me to know and no one else."
Iris sighed with relief.
Unlike Pansy, she did not need details—Ron would forever be the boy that wiped boogers on her robes during First Year Charms class.
"No fun." Pansy pouted before turning to Iris. "What about you Sinclair? Slept with anyone interesting lately? My love life has been as dry as the Sahara, I need to vicariously live through someone else."
"Iris is still a virgin." Hermione hiccupped. "And she refuses to date."
"Hermione Jean Granger!" Iris shouted as she kicked Hermione in the shin with her bare foot. "Do tell Pansy fucking Parkinson all my secrets why don't you?"
"Not even Draco?" Pansy's eyes widened at the revelation. "Weren't you sneaking around all of Sixth Year?"
"Fifth Year too and we were not sneaking around." Iris clarified with a pointed finger. "And to answer your question, no, not even Draco. I wasn't too keen on losing my virginity in an empty classroom or behind the curtain of an empty alcove."
"But those were all the best spots!" Pansy squealed. "The close quarters, the secrecy, the risk of getting caught. I even tried out the Quidditch pitch with Theodore Nott once, bit chilly but the rush was to die for."
"Nott? Was that before or after Draco?" Iris hissed, the buzz from the scotch getting the better of her. "Wait, what I meant to ask was, did you and Draco ever stop sleeping together? Or was that just another one of his lies that I was foolish enough to believe?"
"Iris!" Hermione scolded from beside her.
Pansy's eyes narrowed as she met the fire within Iris' gaze.
Her lips parted with a reply just as a thunderous knock at the front door sent shockwaves through the flat.
"Who the fuck is that?!" Pansy shouted to no one in particular as she laid her glass on the coffee table.
She rushed towards the front door and Iris exhaled at her absence, silently ashamed of herself for the outburst. She wasn't ready to have that conversation with Pansy just yet, drunk or sober, and she was grateful to whoever had just interrupted the Slytherin's train of thought.
Pansy swung the door open with a flourish and immediately tried to slam it back shut. "NO! GO AWAY! YOU'LL RUIN EVERYTHING!"
Iris and Hermione's eyes darted towards Pansy at the sound of her shouting and the pair watched as she failed miserably to keep whoever was on the other side of the door from coming. The door was pushed back and forth between Pansy, who had ground her feet into the marble flooring to stay in place, and her opponent.
The door to the flat opened with a bang when Pansy cried in defeat and jumped backwards.
Blaise Zabini, with a twelve pack of ale floating in the air on his right and a bottle of Muggle whiskey on his left, stepped over the threshold grinning from ear to ear.
"Hello-o-o-o-o ladies!" Blaise exclaimed and Hermione giggled from next to Iris.
"Blaise, get the fuck out!" Pansy whined. "I'm trying to make friends that aren't washed up Death Eaters."
At the mention of washed-up Death Eaters, Draco's blond head crossed the threshold behind Blaise.
"Oh, fuck me." Iris face planted into the sofa and Hermione patted her back reassuringly.
"Calm down Pans. We heard you were collecting Gryffindors and Draco and I wanted to join in on the fun." Blaise winked before setting down the alcohol he brought on top of Pansy's dining table. "We brought two of our own as a welcome gift."
Harry and Ron entered the flat behind Draco.
"ONE NIGHT. I asked for ONE NIGHT away from the pair of you and your raging testosterone. You couldn't even give me that!" Pansy threw her hands in the air before stomping back over to Iris and Hermione.
Ginny had just exited the guest bathroom when she caught sight of Harry standing awkwardly near the front door.
"It's my boyfriend!" The redhead gushed before sprinting towards Harry and jumping into his arms. He nearly fell over as she wrapped her legs around his waist with a death lock grip, but he recovered quickly, gripping her thighs tightly to keep her held up.
"Hello to you too, Gin." Harry laughed. "How much have you had to drink tonight?"
Ginny rubbed her nose against his in response.
"I'm going to vomit." Ron genuinely looked sick watching Harry and Ginny. His eyes raked the flat for an opportunity to escape and he rushed over to Iris and Hermione when he spotted the girls on the sectional.
"I can understand Harry but how the hell did you get wrapped into this?" Iris laughed as Ron threw himself between her and Hermione.
"I have no fucking clue!" Pure astonishment crossed Ron's face. "Harry told me he still wanted to have drinks tonight after you and 'Mione canceled and next thing I know he's standing outside my flat with Malfoy and Zabini!"
By then, Harry had made his way to the sectional with Ginny still securely attached to him. When he sat down, he sat as far away as possible from Iris, and Ginny repositioned herself on his lap so she was facing everyone else.
Iris refused to meet Harry's eyes and he seemed to be intent on the same.
Harry and Ginny were followed by Blaise and Draco soon after. Blaise dramatically displayed himself in front the fireplace while Draco positioned himself against the glass wall with crossed arms.
Iris wasn't in control of herself as her eyes roamed Draco from head to toe.
He was still wearing the same clothes he'd been dressed in at work – a black cable knit sweater with a white, collared button down underneath and slim-fitting grey trousers. Only now, the sleeves of his sweater and the button down were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his Dark Mark as well as the corded muscle of his arms.
Iris' face warmed and he met her eyes for the first time since arriving.
If the less than perfect attire hadn't already been an indication, Iris took note of the flush of Draco's cheeks, his ruffled hair, and the glassy sheen of his piercing eyes – he was as drunk as the rest of them.
He, Blaise, and Harry must have started drinking long before they collected Ron.
"Ron, just grab a drink and enjoy yourself." Hermione crooned, placing a hand high on Ron's thigh.
His eyes darted towards her hand and his jaw went slack. "Mione, you're wasted!"
Hermione removed her hand from Ron's thigh and waved it in the air. "I am not drunk, Ronald."
"Iris?" Ron turned towards her, scrutinizing her.
"Yes Ronald?" Iris said innocently, tearing her eyes away from Draco and resting on Ron.
"Oh, for fuck's sake, you're pissed too." Ron shook his head in feigned disapproval. "I might as well catch up." He announced before retrieving his wand from a pocket of his trousers and floating three bottles of ale onto the coffee table.
Ron swiped one of the bottles, twisting off the cap with ease. Hermione's gaze was glued to his lips as he sipped from the bottle and Iris' eyes widened at the sight of her best friend's blatant longing.
I need some air. She thought.
Iris stood abruptly and wobbled – her lack of motor skills drawing Draco's eyes as his relaxed demeanor transformed into analytical concern.
Iris threw her arms out to steady herself and giggled. "Oops."
"You can't leave Sinclair!" Blaise protested. "The party just arrived!"
For the most part, Blaise looked similar to the way he did at Hogwarts. The only differences were that he had accumulated some muscle and his usual buzzcut had grown out into short, close-cropped curls.
"I'm just going to get some fresh air, Zabini." She explained as she maneuvered her way around Blaise's long, outstretched legs.
She drifted towards the balcony doors and swung one open—a warm gust of September night air enveloping her as stepped out onto the concrete. It was cold beneath her feet, but she welcomed the feeling as it calmed the fog of her mind.
She reached the edge of the railing and stared upward, her lips curling into a frown as not one single star could be seen. Iris loved living in London, but the pollution generated from a major city made it impossible for stargazing.
She closed her eyes, inhaled and exhaled deeply, and pretended she was leaning over the railing of the Astronomy Tower instead.
A few minutes passed before one of the doors to the balcony opened and closed behind her.
"Harry, I'm not in the mood to talk right now." She said, her eyes still shut.
"I've never been mistaken for Potter before." A familiar voice drawled. "I'm a bit offended."
Her eyes sprung open and spun around, losing her balance in the process.
Draco was at her side in a second.
He gently gripped her arms to steady her and she looked upwards with hesitation. They hadn't been this close to one another in years and the silver of his eyes made her heart ache.
"Isn't this the part where you threaten to cut off my hand?" He teased.