Author's Note: I am floored by all the positive feedback! Talk about motivation. Did Harry recognize her? We shall see . . .
Chapter Two: Clouds
I just had one terrible night. I couldn't sleep. I took an hour-long shower just replaying ever bit of the night's encounter in my head. Surely he recognized me. I didn't want him to but for some reason the idea of Harry not knowing who I was made me clench my jaw. Hate to admit it but a part of me wanted him to recognize me. But then again, that was hypocritical; I can move on but he can't.
I had tried to sleep but that didn't work. I just went out on the balcony and smoked cigarettes, making sure Charlie was well asleep. What was he doing with that Weasley girl? Hadn't Draco been shagging her last?
I was beginning to regret all my years of abscence. It wasn't fair. I wasn't supposed to regret leaving this cloudy country. I have a new company, why should my father's leftovers cause me any concern. I hadn't heard from my uncles in years. Come to think of it--I didn't know which members of my family were alive and which were deceased. Why did that make me sad?
When Charlie woke up, I was having an internal argument with myself in the bathroom. "Guess what I found out last night," he called while searching for a shirt.
"What?"
"You know that since Harry has been playing for the Chudley Canons they have become one of the best teams in the league?"
"That isn't really news, now is it?"
"Well, someone's looking to buy them."
"Someone I know?"
"Well . . . no, actually but that's not important. Just thatone of those pureblood rich types is looking to buy them. Some guy by the name of Malfoy." I froze. "Everyone at the Burrow is up in arms."
"Oh really?" I squeaked.
"Do you know him?" as innocent as his question was, I believe Inearly busted a vein trying to stay calm.
"Saw his name on letterhead a couple times."
"His son from what I've seen of his is a real tosser. Not to mention the way he treated my father at the Ministry. Can you just imagine someone owning you like that? For Harry's sake, I hope he doesn't get them."
Oh but Charlie didn't know how well I could imagine it. So well that I left the room five minutes later in the clothesI had on. I felt like more of a faker than ever. I nodded and agreed with what Charlie said but ran shamelessly back to the fragments of what had once been my identity.
"It's not about bloody identity," I told myself while popping into the corner shop for some cigarettes. "It's about tying up loose ends." Yes, that was it. Did you notice how I have started to talk to myself again? Bad sign.
I winked at the secretary in ME and took a brief tour of all 47 floors. Alright so maybe I spent the better part of my day there but it was necessary. I needed the address to Draco's office not his fireplace.
"Good God," Draco Malfoy groaned, tossing a couple dossiers aside. He put his feet up on the edge of his desk and clasped his hands behind his head. Life being the must-have lawyer to society was hard. He had just helped one of his latest clients rob her husband blind during their divorce and consouling her emotionally took the better part of his evening.
It was pouring outside and he was just about to nod off when someone entered his office."Can't you read, Nott?" he snapped, opening his eyes. Only that wanker ever came around in the afternoon.
"He did go to the finest school of witchcraft and wizarding so I am confident in his ability."
"What?" Draco took his feet off the table and brushed his blond locks out his eyes. "Name?" he demanded.
"Come on, Draco," I said, walking towards him. "You know me."
He squinted and as though not believing it, squinted harder. "You've got to be fucking joking . . . Marlow? What the fuck happened to you?" At first I interpreted that as a friendly, caring remark but as I should have guessed, it wasn't. "You look like bloody Tarzan!"
"Excuse me?" Fuck me for not using water-resistent charms on my hair.
He stood up and walked around his desk towards me. "You know, everyone thought you fell off the face of earth and . . . christ, you look like it."
"I didn't come here for you to berate my appearance," I growled.
"What were you expecting after five years? Flowers?" he cocked an eyebrow.
"At least pretend you're happy to see me," I forgot for a brief moment that I wasn't here on pleasure but business.
He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. He started to pace his well-furnished office. "It's unexpected, Marlow. I mean--" he turned to me, arm outstretched as though to say something but quickly changed his mind. "Are you out of money or something? What happened to Blaise? Come to his senses?"
"Actually I am here to talk about money," I said scrambling to retain some sort of dignity. I couldn't remember a time where I felt uncomfortable around this prat but low and behold, hereI am, a bloody mess next to him. The worst part was, for all my years of trouble to distance myself from him, for a brief moment I wished I hadn't.
"You see, Draco," I said beginning to circle him. "Your father holds a large part of Marlow Enterprises and coveniently--"
"My father doesn't hold it, I do," he interjected harshly.
My eyes narrowed, "Even more convenient." I was smirking. Smirking! It felt good consideringmy other lifewas much more of a smile-causer. "You see Draco, Marlow Enterprises is going to collapse in a matter of quarters."
He stopped moving and stared at me. "I hate to break it to you, Alexandra but I dare say your business sense is worse than ever after living god-knows how long in the wilderness. ME is a stable holder."
"It's going to collapse, Draco."
Now it was his turn to smirk. "I could just take my money out."
"You'd lose it everything all the faster."
"You mean you'll lose everything."
I sneered. "I am not the one with my inheritance tied up."
"No, that is your inheritance, Marlow." He smirked triumphantly. "Welcome back to the dark side."
"Oi, Malfoy!" Someone shoved open the door. Thunder crashed and the rain came downwith even more force. I turned to see an older but ever recognizable Theodore Nott drenched from head to toe.
"Bloody hell," he said.
Have you ever run into someone you knew a long time ago? You ask them how they are and they reply, "Fine." Then when they ask you the same question, you say the same thing. So much has happened but yet you have nothing to say. That was what happened between Theo, Draco and I. We ignored all the questions and instead focused on the present. That is to say, our money.
"So, assuming what you are saying is true and we are all in the shitter," Theo said using impeccible vocabulary as always. "How did this happen?"
"The same way it always happens," I rolled my eyes. "It doesn't take a genius to ruin a company. Or an idiot for that matter."
"Well, Miss Outback," he snapped. "What's your big plan?"
Yesterday, I would have said 'run away to my other company' but today I said, "It's about time to have a chat with my fourth cousin and see if we understand eachother."
Draco and Theo looked at eachother before bursting into laughing. Not the funny kind, the ridiculous and mocking kind. "Marlow," Draco said wiping his face. "You could almost pass for someone honest."
"Have you been living in Pleasantville, Xan?" Theo said, slowly but surely getting his composure back. "That would never work in a million years."
Xan . . .the name was a blast from the past. I had just been sorted into slytherin and sat next to some idiot whothought my short hair made me look like a boy. That idiot was named Theodore Nott and while I grew my hair out, the name stuck.
"And just why not?" I pushed the memory out of my mind.
"You've been living off the radar for how long?" Draco raised his eyebrow at me. "Honestly, no one knows who you are, nor do they care."
"But when I left I had all the legal--"
"And that makes you all the more responsible for this situation," Draco cut me off.
My world fell calm, like the ocean before a storm. "What do I have to do?"
Once again Draco and Theo shared a hopeless glance. "Stand up," Theo said while Draco sighed. I did as he asked but sneered to show my distaste. "Well first of all you look like Tarzan."
"Already noted," I snarled, shooting a glare at Draco.
"Second of all you don't have any contacts. Who do you know in London?"
"No one and that's a good thing." Honestly, where were they going with this.
"It isn't if you want to take over a company."
Oh no . . . Merlin, no . . . "You can't be serious."
Theo's stomach growled and I checked the time. "Bloody hell!" I cursed, grabbing my cloak.
"Late for someone?" Draco asked nonchalantly.
"Yes!" I was halfway out the door when Theo caught my arm.
"Tomorrow same time?" he looked at Draco and then back at me.
I smacked his arm away. "I am not some bloody parcel."
"Marlow?" I turned towards the smirking blond. "Try to learn how to use a brush before tomorrow."
The problem with rain is that not only does it mess up your hair but you can't light a cigarette in it. So in order to avoid the reality of my actions, I went into a pub. I don't remembermy line of reasoning but blurring reality seemed like a good idea at the time.
When I got back tothe Three Broomsticks, I was just a little tipsy and thinking about Charlie.
I had just gotten back from seeing a certain ship captain on the Georgian coast when I found hand written note tacked on my office door. "Check your watch and if it's eight o'clock, close your eyes, spin around and count to ten." I checked my watch. It was indead eight o'clock. I didn't see the harm in playing the came.
When I got to nine, I was so dizzy that I fell over. I opened my eyes to stare upside down at a certain redhead. "Tut, tut, can't even follow the simplest instructions can you?"
"Guess not."
"Can you get up?"
"No. I think you will have to carry me."
He feigned a sigh and picked me up. "Women."
"Oh so now I'm a woman? What was it you called me before I left--too man-ish?"
"I don't know how I ever came to that conclusion. You should go away more often."
He never asked questions when I left. Of course, I kind of called it business. Which it was but he never asked questions. Ever. Except perhaps how the trip was.Memories like that put me on fluffy clouds and I could never bring myself to tarnish them with even one bad though.Which was why mychesttightened and my stomach felt sick when I found him staring at me from his side of the bed.
"We need to talk," he said.