Two months rolled by as Draco once again lost himself to the rhythm of school—from Quidditch practice and O.W.L. prep to prefect duties and Inquisitorial Squad hunts. And while he mostly ignored Grey's existence, he thought of her every time he mounted his broom for a Quidditch match, wondering whether she had kept her promise to cheer for him.
And then the sudden discovery of Dumbledore's Army changed the rhythm of the school year. Draco's catching of Harry Potter was a point of pride for him, resulting in Dumbledore leaving Hogwarts, Umbridge taking over, and a good portion of Draco's most hated fellow students being stuck in endless detentions. It was as though everything was falling neatly into place.
Draco had honestly been surprised to find that Grey hadn't been among the listed DA members, but he had to admit that he was relieved. It would not have been a secret he could keep from his mother, and Easter was fast-approaching.
When Draco arrived home for the holiday, he did so with a spring in his step. He and his father had discussed the situation at Hogwarts the whole trip home, and there was pride in his father's eyes when he told him how he was the one to catch Potter.
"You did well, Draco," his father told him. "Soon, Mr. Potter will find himself in over his head."
Draco didn't really know what that meant, but he knew better than to press his father for details. Soon, they moved on to other topics, like what his parents had been busying themselves with while he was away and what plans they had while he was home.
"Your mother has decided on a quiet holiday this year," his father told him, "although she did organize an Easter dinner, as usual. The guest list is small, as I understand."
Draco knew exactly what that meant. Once he and his father arrived home, he did not wait to be surprised by his mother's antics. He went straight to the solarium where she was reaching for the teapot and, removing any eagerness or curiosity from his voice and leaving only accusation, he asked, "Did you invite her again?"
He did not have to specify who.
"I did," his mother replied, pouring herself a cup of tea.
"And who else?" he asked, wondering who he might be metaphorically wrestling against at the gathering.
"No one else."
Draco blinked at her.
"Sagun has business," his mother continued, spooning one cube of sugar into the cup and slowly stirring it around the steaming liquid. "I didn't think it right that Amaris should be left alone for the day, so, of course, I invited her to celebrate with us."
Draco just stared at her, unable to formulate a response. They were going to be spending a whole afternoon…just the four of them? Suddenly this matching nonsense seemed more real to him than ever before. So why was he suddenly nervous? He should be panicked. Outraged. He should be telling his mother the truth about Grey. Instead, he stood there like an idiot, thinking of how striking they looked together in that photograph, of the smile they shared over such a silly joke, of how it would just be him and her and his parents for a whole afternoon. At his home. With no witnesses.
At his long silence, his mother rested her cup on her knee and tilted her head at him, the most elegant display of frustration he'd ever seen.
"Are you going to ask me to uninvite her again?" she asked calmly, but he could detect the hint of exasperation in her tone.
"No," his mouth answered before his brain approved the word.
She smiled. "I thought so."
Draco bristled. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Her shoulder lifted in a delicate shrug. "You did kiss the girl at Christmas," she reminded him.
"I—" Draco flushed scarlet, grasping for a response. He had intentionally given her that impression, but he hadn't expected her to bring it up so bluntly. It was thoroughly embarrassing. Of course, he had imagined kissing Grey plenty of times, and doing much more intimate things with her, if he was being honest with himself, but something about his mother actually believing they were spending their private time snogging was mortifying.
While he stood there gaping, his mother sighed wistfully.
"I promised you I wouldn't match you unless you wanted it, but I must admit that you look so wonderful together."
He thought so, too, but he would never tell her that.
"Did you ever look through the photos I sent?"
He did. Often. He would never admit that, either.
"You were so handsome," she continued, "and she looked so elegant beside you." She took a small sip of her tea. "It reminded me of your father and I when we were young."
He knew the picture she was referring to. They were in their seventh year, posed together so properly, small smiles hinting at a greater joy. There were similarities between them and he and Grey—their heights, the blond hair, his father's hand on his mother's waist. The difference was that his parents had been in love, even then. He and Grey weren't even friends.
"She likes you, you know," his mother said and Draco's stomach flipped, his eyes zeroing in on her. "Oh, I shouldn't give away a girl's secrets, but it's true."
"How do you know?" he demanded.
"A woman can always tell when another woman is in love," she said. "It's in their eyes."
Draco was on the verge of panic. "She is not in love with me."
His mother smiled before taking another sip. "Perhaps love is too strong a word for a person so young." She gingerly set her cup back on its saucer. "Let us say instead that she is interested."
Draco's jaw clenched. He was certain his mother was seeing what she wanted to see. She blushed when you complimented her. But that didn't mean it was his compliment that did it. It could be that Grey wasn't used to receiving any compliments. But what if it's more than that? Maybe Grey was attracted to him, same as he was to her, but that had to be the end of it. She had never said or done anything to indicate otherwise.
Damn it, now he was questioning everything.
"Draco?" his mother called to him, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Are you all right?"
"Fine," was all he managed to choke out.
"Would you like a cup of tea?" she asked.
"No, thank you."
She tapped the cushion next to her, indicating he should sit. "Come join me. Tell me about school."
Draco took a single step toward the door. "Later," he said. He needed to think. "I need to change." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the real reason he wanted to be alone, and from the look in his mother's eyes, she knew it, too. But she just smiled and nodded, and Draco rushed out of the room.
Author's Note: I think Narcissa is trying to plant ideas in Draco's head. Also, I wrote this entire scene in the kitchen with Narcissa making tea before I realized she has a house elf and probably wouldn't make her own tea... Oops.
