Part III

Blaise set his drink down and sighed deeply.

Cassius raised an eyebrow at his raven-haired companion. "Something on your mind Zabini?"

Blaise shook his head slightly. "Nothing particular... Just enjoying the drink and the peace and quiet... That was until you had to go and open your gob." Blaise laughed at Cassius.

"Blessed silence now that the fiancé is off to the continent?"

Blaise sighed. Cassius was all too correct. "You're right and you know it I don't know why you bother to ask." Blaise raised a hand before Cassius could interrupt. "I know... I know... I'm the one marrying her. She's really not that bad as long as you know how to make her happy. Something you wouldn't even begin to know how to do!" He finished smugly.

"Really now Zabini... I'm not sure that you want to make that claim. Lavender would have a great deal to say on the subject and you know how she is once you get her started."

Blaise laughed as he downed a gulp of whiskey. "I certainly don't want to broach that topic with your wife... I am smarter than that!"

A wry grin crossed Cassius's face as he raised his own glass and sipped the amber liquid. "What do you plan to do with your last few months of freedom so to speak?"

Blaise closed his eyes momentarily. It really was his last few months of freedom. He didn't harbor any delusions as to what a life married to Daphne Greengrass would entail. It wasn't a love match on his part by any means. He didn't dislike Daphne. She was fantastic in bed, he couldn't deny that. She shut up if you made sure her neck was well-adorned and her figure well-clothed. Plus she would shore up the loose-ends in his life that his father reminded him of on a daily basis. But... it wasn't more than an arrangement no matter how he looked at it.

"Not sure yet... enjoy it I'm sure." He flashed a grin. "What did you do with your time?"

Cassius laughed. "I'm afraid I wasn't in quite the same position you are mate. I rather enjoyed the prospect of my marriage so I sought to prevent the bride-to-be from leaving my bedroom... a noble undertaking from my point of view."

Blaise nodded. "Too true. I'm sure I can think of a few wild oats that have yet to be sown - not that Daphne hasn't fulfilled most of those fantasies," Blaise smirked at the slight blanching of Warrington's face.

Taking another sip, Blaise's eyes followed the glass down and he was silent for a few moments. A thought nagged at the back of his mind. "Are Lavender and Millicent still friends?"

Cassius paused at the sudden change in topic. "I think so. She hasn't been by in..." he cocked his head to the side. "In years now that I think about it. In fact I don't think she's been by since the wedding."

Blaise wrinkled his brow. He'd spent several years after graduation in Italy, working in the family business and generally being the philandering rake that his father had always said he was. He'd missed the weddings of both Cassius and Pansy; Draco seemed more than content to remain living in sin for the time being. "I saw her at the graduation of Daphne's sister. I'd forgotten that her younger brother was the same age.... in fact," he smiled softly, "Angela and Wes are dating apparently."

Cassius stilled the hand that was raising his nearly finished glass of whiskey. He nodded imperceptibly. "Ah yes her younger brother... I've caught snippets of news about her lately. Apparently she's brought her family's business up quite admirably. I didn't realize that she'd taken an interest in the magical creature trade."

"She hadn't..." Blaise shook his head as he recalled a quiet hushed conversation by the lake mere hours before their own graduation. "She knew she needed to support Wes and she couldn't let all her parent's work just fade away." He ran a finger along the edge of his cup. "I'm glad she's succeeded at it though."

Cassius watched Blaise closely. "You two were good friends weren't you?"

Blaise nodded. "Until I disappeared into my own debauchery in Italy – I lost contact with her and a great deal of others."

Blaise raised his head, a new light had entered his eyes. "I do believe I know what I'll do with my "freedom" now."

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Wes draped himself over the arm of the burgundy leather chair and gave a loud sigh. He stared pointedly at his sister.

Millicent could feel his eyes on her. She slowly raised her head from the stack of parchments that she was diligently going over. "Yes?"

Wes sighed again. "Are you going to be at that all day? It's Saturday for Godric's sake."

Millicent sighed and placed the small pair of glasses that had been perched on her nose onto the mahogany desk. "I'll ask that you don't use that phrase anymore... and yes I'll be at it all day. It's called work Wes, I suggest you try it."

Wes made a face. "I have the rest of my life for that. Come on lets go do something."

Millicent rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry Wes, but I've got a meeting on Monday morning and I've got to get through these proposals. Why don't you owl one of your friends from school... or Angela I'm sure she'd love to come over."

Wes shook his head a pout on his face. "She's on holiday with her family for the month and you can't tell me that you honestly want the house overrun with Gryffindors. Therefore you're stuck with me unfortunately."

Millicent stood up from the desk. "You have to know I'm glad that you're back." She ruffled his hair. "I can't tell you how quiet this house is when you are at school."

"Millie..." Wes began quietly. "Why did you stay here?"

Her hand stilled on his hair. "Why did I stay here..." she repeated slowly. "Where would I go?"

Wes smiled sadly. "I don't know... London, France anywhere. Did you stay here because you wanted to Millie?"

"Of course!" Millicent's mouth formed an 'o' of surprise. "Of course I wanted to stay here and make sure that you would have someplace to come home to... someplace for the both of use to call home." She corrected herself.

"You didn't have to, you know... I'm sorry you thought you had to stay here because of me."

"Don't be silly." Millicent smiled down at her brother. "I'm perfectly happy. I didn't stay here just because of you." She turned back toward her desk. "If you give me an hour I'll see if I can get through the proposal I'm working on, then I'll think about heading to Diagon Alley for lunch."

Wes unfolded himself from the chair with a smile. "Sounds perfect Millie. Oh, by the way this owl came for you this morning."

Wes dropped a small square of parchment on her desk before he headed out of the room. "I'll be back in an hour."

Millicent nodded as she took her seat and donned her glasses. Her name was boldly scrawled across the cream parchment. She slowly unfolded the square, her eyes straying to the signature at the bottom.

Blaise Zabini

Her stomach clenched painfully. Why in Merlin's name was he sending her a letter now?

She quickly scanned the contents of the letter, her hand crinkling the parchment slightly.

Millie,

I know I have been remiss in being your friend. For that I hope you can forgive me. As an olive branch I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me Monday?

Your prat, Blaise Zabini