Quenched by Love
By Trephinia Cealyn
Chapter 1 | The Many, Many Ways In Which Draco Malfoy Can Use a Wand
"My fourth year," Flute whispered to no one in particular swirling the clear liquid in her cup, "I can't believe it's my fourth year." So much had happened in the past two years, mainly her on and off relationship with Seymour was finally off he was moving to Romania. Flute hadn't cried while saying goodbye but just thinking about it now brought a few tears to her eyes. It wasn't even the attraction between them, it was more the friendship. He knew practically everything about her except for the few things that only Tom and Talon knew and now he was gone. "Seymour," she said quietly and brushed the tears away from her eyes. It wouldn't do any good for him to see her cry. In fact he was probably late.
Flute glanced at her watch; sighing and reverting her eyes to the door she silently willed it to open. After a few seconds Flute found the various drunks around the Cauldron more interesting than the door. She still paid enough attention to hear the tinkling of bells from the door signaling someone entered the Cauldron. Flute snapped her attention away from one of the more rowdier drunks and over to the door.
"Father!" she said sharply. She took a deep breath and waited while he progressed through the room at an infuriatingly slow pace, "What took you so long?" She asked in normal tone of voice sprinkled with a little impatience.
Draco's eyes turned stony and he looked down at her over the edge of his nose; it immediately crushed all of Flute's comments that she had carefully agonized over for the past hour. "Let's go." He said gruffly leading the way towards Diagon Alley. Flute sighed. It went a little better than she had planned. He hadn't started yelling or acting crazy yet.
"Where's Talon?" She asked once they had stepped into Diagon Alley.
Draco paused by one of the various Quidditch shops; "He went to Potter's early this morning we'll be meeting him later." Draco moved closer to look at the handle of the newest model, "Would you like a new broom?" He asked in a slightly happier tone. Flute held back a sigh.
"Father I got a new broom in second year when I tried for the house team." Flute didn't want to ruin his happy mood but she was quite attached to her broom. Draco's face fell slightly, "Although a new broom couldn't hurt the old one's starting to slow down a bit." Flute said hurriedly. Draco's eyes immediately lit up and calmly walked into the shop.
"I'd like to take a look at one of those models out in the window," Draco said in a more genial tone to one of the shopkeepers.
"Be with you in a moment sir," the shopkeeper replied. She hadn't even looked up from arranging the brooms and probably didn't realize whom she was talking to.
Draco's expression didn't change as he put his hand out and pushed ever so slightly on the broom handle nearest him. That little touch sent all of the brooms in that particular display crashing down. The shopkeeper let out a wail of disappointment and turned to face Draco.
"Now go fetch me one of those models," Draco waved a hand in dismissal and the shopkeeper stood shocked for a second blinked and ran away to do his bidding. She returned quickly carrying a Firebolt3* and handed it reverently to Draco. "It'll do," Draco, said after hefting it and looking it over meticulously, "Now go get me a new one that your grubby paws haven't touched."
Flute was currently hiding her face in shame. Almost everyone in the shop had his or her eyes locked on Draco. Flute tilted her chin up a little and gave a very chilly glare to a tiny child who stared at her with a gaping mouth. After Draco had paid for the broom she smirked and gave a mocking little curtsy while following her father out into the alley.
"Do you have to be so incorrigible?" she yelled and snatched the broom away from her father, "Why is it that everywhere we go you have to cause a scene?"
Draco's face fell a little but his eyes soon returned to their cold, harsh, reflective quality, "We are Malfoy's Flute. We were born in the spotlight, we live in the spotlight…"
"…And we will die in the spotlight." Flute interrupted, "I know this, get some new material father." Flute sighed heavily and then shoved the broom back at her father, "On second thought, I don't really need a new broom." With that she turned and walked quickly away.
"Flute Sephrenia Malfoy don't you walk away from me!" Draco yelled with vehemence.
Flute glanced back over her shoulder and judging from the angle decided he was a safe distance away, "Maybe you shouldn't have walked away first," she shouted back angrily.
Draco's eyes lit up and he strode purposefully across the sea of people towards her. Grabbing her by the elbow he said in a low, calm tone, "Never pull a stunt like that again unless you want to see me really angry."
Flute wrenched her elbow away from him and said just as calmly, "I'll try to remember that, Father." Flute turned and scanned the street, "If you don't mind I think I'll try and find Talon and Tom now."
"And if I said I did mind?" Draco asked coldly.
Flute flipped her hair back so the ends hit his face, "It would be unfortunate but I would have to leave you father. I'm sure you understand. Besides, you can always 'chill' with Mr. Potter."
Draco took a sharp intake of breath, which made Flute look up sharply, as he saw Harry Potter approach with his son and Talon. Flute smiled and made to walk towards them but Draco placed his hand possessively on her shoulder and glared at Harry. Tom spotted them and pointed to Flute while tapping Harry on the shoulder. Harry smiled at Flute who smiled and waved back but Harry's smile faded when he saw Draco looking grim and holding onto her shoulder.
"Malfoy." Harry said when he reached them Draco responded with a nod and loosened his grip on his daughter's shoulder, "What are you doing here?"
Draco's gaze never left Harry as he replied in a completely serious voice, "Chillin' care to join me?"
Harry blinked and spluttered a bit, "Sorry, what did you just say?" he asked very confused.
"I am going to walk around and window shop would you like to join me," Draco spoke very slowly and sneered, "Do you speak English or would you like for me to talk in Parseltounge?"
"It might help but I think I got the basic concept of what you were saying," Harry said with a slight smile fully knowing Draco was insulting him, "Kids meet us back here at five," he briefly glanced at Draco who nodded. Harry then handed Tom a plump bag of coins and they were off. Flute suppressed a giggle when she saw her father 'accidentally' trip Harry into a stack of cauldrons and let out a whoop of joy when she saw Harry throw a punch at Draco.
"Let's go." Tom said tugging on her sleeve.
They trooped into Madame Malkin's and Flute made a beeline for the dress robes. Tom and Talon, taking their time, sauntered over to her. Talon picked out a frilly pink robe and held it up to himself.
"Does it go with the color of my eyes?" he asked Tom in a high-pitched imitation of Flute. "Do you think Seymour will like it?"
Flute narrowed her eyes and pulled out a dress with a low neckline in her best Talon impression she said, "Dude, a girl would look like totally hot in this man."
Talon narrowed his eyes right back, "Nice try, but that dress doesn't cut it." He said trying to save face.
Flute raised her eyebrow and smiled at him, "We'll see about that," she turned around to the dressing room and shut the curtain. A few seconds later she peeked out, "No peeking," she closed the curtain again. They heard a few rustling sounds and then, "Damn zipper."
"Need any help," Tom yelled laughing with Talon.
"No," Flute replied and stepped out, the dress was a silver color and it was made of a very clingy fabric. The neckline was very low and the back was nonexistent. She twirled around and the dress fanned out sweeping at Tom's feet. "Doesn't cut it eh? Why don't you take a look at boy wonder's face?" She signaled a shopkeeper and had the dress rung up.
Talon waved his hand in front of Tom's face, "That should be illegal," Tom said in a flat voice. Flute had walked back over to them carrying a few bags.
"Is that a wand in your pocket Tom or are you just happy to see me?" She asked and then broke off into a giggle while Tom blushed, "Let's go get our books."
"That is my sister," Talon whispered to Tom in a very angry voice.
Tom blinked, "That's to bad." He said and ran to catch up with Flute, "Here let me help you with those bags."
"No that's okay I can handle…" Flute started to say but Tom had already taken the bags and handed them to Talon, "…it. That's very nice of you Tom." She said smiling and giving Talon one of those twin looks that only a twin would understand, he sneered and gave her the look right back.
"No problem," he replied smoothly, "What are you doing later tonight Flute?"
"I don't have any plans," she replied her voice suddenly shifting tone into a shy, unsure quality but laced with a coy, knowing air about it.
Tom gave her a half smile, "Dad has reservations to a really classy wizard restaurant tonight but he can't go because mom's got a class to go to or something so he offered them to me."
"That's nice," Flute, said innocently, "Who are you going with?"
They had reached the bookshop by now and Flute was leaning against the wall next to the door of the bookshop. Tom put his hand beside her head and leaned in, "Well I was hoping you would want to come."
Flute giggled, "I'd have to ask my father but I'm sure he'll say yes."
"ABSOLUTLY NOT!" Draco yelled more to Harry than to Tom or Flute, "My daughter dating? At fourteen?!"
Harry sighed, "I wouldn't call it a date."
"What would you call it Potter?" Draco asked in a very quiet voice. Harry was silent, "Exactly."
"Mr. Malfoy," Tom said quietly Draco glared at him, "Wouldn't you rather have her go with me, someone you know, than a common Hufflepuff?"
"Please daddy!" Flute pleaded with her puppy dog eyes.
Flute backed away as what looked like steam came out of Draco's ears, "The answer is tentatively a maybe. You," he said pointing to Tom, "be at my house by seven, if she's going you'll know and if not you'll stay for dinner and we'll have a very, very long chat about my wand and the many curses I know that I will use on you if you so much as breath on my daughter in the wrong way."