Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.
Chapter Eight
"I've never done that before."
"Did you like it?"
Fred hesitated. "Yes."
Draco smirked. "So did I."
Draco was sitting up against the wall, smoking a cigarette, and Fred lay naked beneath the sheets, arms crossed behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. Draco loved Fred's body—surprisingly strong, strong enough to handle him, his hair dark red with the moisture of sex-smelling sweat. Fred sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, looking in the direction of the window.
"What is it?" Draco asked, putting out his cigarette.
"Owl," Fred said, standing up to open the window and to let the bird inside. "Hm. It looks rather familiar."
"Tilly?" Draco said. The bird cooed and cocked its head sideways at Draco, who took the parchment off its leg.
"Who's Tilly?"
"Pansy's owl," Draco replied gravely. Fred shot Draco a look but the blonde just shrugged and unrolled the parchment.
Urgent business. We need to meet. Today at the Leaky Cauldron, one o'clock. Signed Pansy in neat, loopy handwriting.
"I have to go," Draco groaned, looking up at Fred apologetically.
"Okay."
Draco liked that Fred didn't ask any questions, just handed him his boxers and shirt.
"Thanks," said Draco, pulling on his clothes. "Just tell Ron that…"
Fred's expression went sour at the mention of his youngest brother's name and Draco sighed. "Tell Ron that I'll meet him back at our apartment."
"Okay," Fred said. Draco turned to leave, wondering if Fred would say more. He didn't. Draco reluctantly turned around to face Fred, taking in his tall, naked body, his messy hair, his feral eyes.
"Can I see you again?" Fred asked suddenly.
"Yes," Draco said.
"From Parkinson, is it?" Fred asked, raising his eyebrows at the parchment.
"Yeah, why?"
Fred snorted. "Is it really urgent news, then?" He narrowed his eyes.
"Knowing Pansy, probably not," Draco admitted. "But I have a responsibility to make sure."
Fred nodded. "I'll be seeing you then, Malfoy."
"Likewise, Weasley." And Draco apparated out of the bedroom, leaving Fred behind, alone and naked.
---
Pansy sat on a bench outside the Leaky Cauldron, twiddling her thumbs anxiously.
"Alone, miss?" a tall man asked. Pansy looked up and sneered at the stranger.
"No."
"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be," he said, winking and making no move to get away. Pansy sighed—she hated this kind of unwanted attention. It seemed that she got attention from everyone except Draco. Except for now, she thought. If he even bothered showing up. Pansy had taken a great deal of time getting ready—wearing her best red dress, curling her hair, applying the shade of lipstick that tasted like cherries.
"Pansy?" Draco walked up, shoved past the man, and stood in front of Pansy. Pansy stood up quickly and shot the man a look, who glared at Draco as he dragged her away.
They got a table at the restaurant and sat down in the back. Pansy just noticed how casual Draco looked—wearing dark pants and a dark collared shirt, she had never seen him look this way. He was usually decked out in a suit or a robe. It was the weekend, she thought, studying him carefully.
"What is it then?" Draco asked, leaning forward. Pansy folded her arms over her menu.
"I'm not hungry, are you?" Pansy asked.
"I could eat—but really, what is it you need?" Draco asked. She realized that he sounded a bit agitated. He must have been with Ron, Pansy thought sadly. She lowered her voice.
"I really do have important things I need to discuss with you, Draco," she said, reaching her hand across the table and touching his arm. He looked down at the contact warily but made no move to move his arm away. "But we can't talk about it here."
"Why not?"
"Too public."
Draco looked around. It was a bit crowded.
"Fine. Your place, then?"
Pansy sat back, alarmed but content. He had made the first move in her plan without her even having to coax him. She stood up and held out her hand. Reluctantly, he took it.
"Let's go then," she said, smiling. Draco half-smiled back and together they went outside.
"You have to hold onto me," Pansy said.
"What? Why?"
"Because I have a charm on my house that only allows me to apparate into it. Which means you have to hold onto me if you want to get in."
"Oh…okay then."
Pansy let Draco drape his long arms around her waist and she leaned into his chest, smelling the cool fabric of his clothing and the soft aroma of his skin. She closed her eyes and smiled.
"Uh…Pansy?"
"Oh yeah, okay," she said, standing up straight and pivoting into thin air. When they stopped moving through the tight rubber tube of the apparation, Pansy and Draco were standing in the middle of their living room. She watched Draco take a look around at the leather couches, the minibar, the fireplace and the plush carpeting.
"Nice place," Draco finally said. Pansy smiled.
"Being in the Righteous pays well, you know," she walked over to the bar. "Care for a drink?"
"Some firewhiskey might be nice," he said. Pansy flicked her wand and poured a glass full of the smoking red liquid, then handed it to Draco.
"Thanks. Yeah, Ron and I have been talking about getting a bigger place. With our income we could afford it."
"Uh huh," Pansy said, taking a sip of her own drink. She had no intentions of discussing Ron tonight. She took off her shoes and motioned for the couch.
"Would you like to sit down?" she asked. Pansy sat down on the couch and watched Draco as he sat down beside her—closely beside her.
"So," he said, turning to her. "Can you tell me now?"
Pansy took another sip of her alcohol and crossed her legs up on the couch, turning toward Draco completely. She couldn't just come out and say what she needed to say, she knew. She had to bring him in somehow. She had to make him vulnerable, make him weak to persuasion…
"Don't be mad at me," Pansy said, not daring to look Draco directly in the eyes, but she saw his smile fade.
"No urgent business, then?"
"Well…yes…and no."
Draco raised an eyebrow at her.
"I miss you, Draco," Pansy heard herself say.
Draco groaned, but smiled into his whiskey.
"Pansy, Pansy, Pansy…" he said quietly. "Tsk, tsk."
"I'm sorry," Pansy said, but she was smiling now. "Don't you enjoy my company?" She moved her bare foot across his pant leg. He grabbed her foot and gently pushed it away.
"It's fine, Pansy."
"I just needed to see you," she whispered, leaning forward and placing her head on his shoulder. "You don't understand, Draco. Life isn't the same without you."
"Pansy," Draco said in a warning tone. Pansy shook her head and looked up, laughing gently.
"I'm sorry, Draco," she said, clearing her throat. "I just get a little carried away, that's all."
"It's okay," he said, his eyes sympathetic. "You know that…"
"What?"
"You know that I still care about you."
Pansy took a deep breath. "You do?"
Draco ran a hand through her hair. "Of course I do. You were my first…love…"
Pansy dared to touch his finger with hers—he did nothing to stop it.
"You never forget your first," she said, looking up at him seriously through long lashes.
"No," he whispered, leaning forward. "You don't."
Suddenly Pansy and Draco were kissing, his soft mouth pressed hard up against hers. Pansy set down her glass and fell into Draco's arms, his hands pressed against her back. Draco grabbed her wrist, pulled away from her kiss, and held it up.
"What are you looking at?" Pansy asked, Draco's eyes filled with fear. He shook his head and loosed his grip, resuming to stroking her hair.
"It just scared me…" he said. Pansy scooted closer and slowly removed his shirt, then held his own wrist up for them to see. Draco's Dark Mark clashed wildly against his paper-white skin.
"I do my best to ignore it," Draco said, lowering his eyes from his mark.
"You poor boy," Pansy said. "You know, I only joined because of you."
"Let's not speak of it, Pansy."
"And I only left…because of you…" she brought her lips to his ear. "But I still pledge my allegiance to the Dark Lord…"
"Pansy!" Draco yelled, sitting up and backing away from her. She looked up at him, clutching her wrist.
"I'm kidding, Draco," Pansy said, her lips curling into a smile.
"Jesus Christ," Draco said, sitting back down. "You think that's a funny joke?"
Pansy shrugged. "I just wanted to see your reaction." She put her arms around him and they kissed again.
"We're the same, Draco," Pansy said, running her lips across his. "You realize how easy this is? How comfortable this is?"
Draco hesitated only for a moment before giving in, like she knew he would. She didn't realize it would be this easy. Pansy knew that she would have to admit the truth some time. And soon, before she spoke to Narcissa, before she found Bellatrix. She would have to convince Draco that he truly belonged with her. She forced the thought out of her mind. She had no idea how she would do it, considering he had freaked out on her only a few moments ago when she tried. She would just have to try again, she thought, but as she felt Draco move a hand up her skirt, she smiled and gave into his touch. First things first, she thought. I get to have a little fun.
---
"Have a nice time?" Fred asked George, who had just apparated back into the bedroom. George grinned.
"You bet I did."
"You were gone a long time."
George just winked at his brother. Fred just grinned and shook his head. He wasn't the only one getting laid, Fred thought. But that would have to be his little secret.
"Are the others back yet?" George asked, opening the bedroom door. "I'm starved, I'm going to get some food."
Fred stood up, realizing that he was hungry, too.
"No, they're not back yet."
"Uh huh," George mumbled, scrambling down the stairs to the kitchen and grabbing a piece of bread and a jar of horserat jam.
"I think that's old," Fred said, grimacing at the green jam. George shrugged and opened the jar, taking a whiff.
"Blimey, it's bloody dreadful!" George laughed, holding the jar out to his twin. "Go ahead, sniff it!"
"No!" Fred yelled, but leaned forward and sniffed the horserat jam anyway. "Ugh! I'm never eating that stuff again!"
George laughed and threw it into the trash. The twins looked up in unison at the sound of the front door opening. George went back to digging through the fridge for something else to put on his bread but Fred was concentrating on avoiding looking guilty around Ron.
"You two missed a glorious day at Hogsmeade!" Fred's father said, hanging up his hat and putting his purchases on the dining room table. "I bought some wonderful things at Hobble Goblins!"
"Great, dad," said George.
"It's too bad Draco got sick," Arthur said. Fred stiffened at the sound of Draco's name.
"Hey you two," Ron said. "Did Draco come back here?"
Fred looked over at his brother.
"Yeah. He told me to tell you that he was waiting for you at your apartment."
"Oh," said Ron. "I guess I'd better go, then."
"Oh, please don't go yet, Ron," Charlie said. "You promised me a game of chess."
"And I'm making your favorite tonight," Molly said, frowning.
"But what if Draco's really sick—"
"He's a grown man," said Bill. "He can take care of himself for a couple of hours."
Ron sighed and sauntered upstairs, presumably going to the loo. Fred felt his stomach tighten with guilt. He hadn't even thought about how Draco got himself out of the Hogsmeade visit. However, one passing thought of Draco naked and all of Fred's guilt was replaced by sheer longing. Draco had told Fred that he could see him again—but how long would he have to wait?
Author's Note: Sorry that this chapter is so short, the plot with Bellatrix will resume in the next chapter and I promise it will be longer. Thanks you guys.
--Phoenix D.