AN: Very short chapter, will have more out in the next day or two but I felt like this needed to be it for this one. Next one's almost finished being written :)
Elodie woke up in an unfamiliar room, wrapped up in very familiar arms. Despite not recognizing the color scheme, the bed, or anything around her, she felt safe and comfortable. The smell of him lingered in the sheets and on her clothes, and in that alone she was content. She felt his grip on her hip stiffen at her slight movement, as if he was holding her in place, but she shifted anyway to look for him. His blonde locks hung across his eyes and his chest heaved up and down with his breaths. She smiled and reached a hand to his cheek to hold him more intimately than she had been in her sleep.
"You know," he started without opening his eyes, "it is quite creepy to stare at someone while they are asleep."
"Ah, yes, but you aren't sleeping now, are you?" She poked him in the chest, "Now up up, I'm in desperate need of some coffee."
The two pulled on jumpers and trudged down the stairs to the kitchen. Elodie smiled as she walked through the home and took in the decor. It was a beautiful estate, and even in her drunken state the night prior she appreciated it, but now that she was sober she was almost in awe.
"I truly cannot wait to see Malfoy manor," Elodie said, "If it even holds a candle to this I'll be speechless."
"I assure you, it's much more to one's liking than this estate," An unfamiliar female voice said from behind them, causing Draco to come to a dead stop.
"What are you doing here, mother?" He said casually as he turned to face the direction the voice came from.
Elodie nearly tripped mid stride at the words he spoke before stopping and staring dead straight, not wanting to turn. She was wearing one of Draco's jumpers, and one of his shirts underneath, but nothing else. Her hair was a complete mess, and she never took off her makeup from the night before, so that was likely a smudged mess as well. She froze, unable to even think of her next move, let alone make one. If what she had heard about Draco's mother from Daphne and Pansy had been true, this was neither the time nor place to be making first impressions with the woman. Especially not after the night she spent with Draco. Her cheeks heated, her voice was gone, and her mouth suddenly dry.
"Well, other than the fact that this is my vacation home, Pip popped over to us last night and informed us that you have chosen to play host to seven teenagers, and I wanted to make sure my home wasn't in disarray," Narcissa Malfoy said cooly.
"Everything is in order, mother, we were all just too drunk to take the portkey home," Draco said, taking steps toward his mother.
"I see," Narcissa said, "And who is this?"
Draco turned to see Elodie still in the spot he left her in, facing away. He rolled his eyes and walked back to her and put his hand on her elbow, gently tugging to turn here to face them. She obliged slowly and looked like she had been smacked in the face, she was so red.
"Calm yourself, love, she's a kind woman," He whispered to her, "Just be yourself and she'll love you."
"I am not wearing pants, Draco," Elodie said in a hushed tone, "She's automatically going to hate me for filthing up her son."
Draco laughed and shook his head, guiding her toward where his mother stood.
"Mother, this is Elodie Brodeur, Elodie, my mother, Narcissa," Draco said calmly, "Elodie is my girlfriend, mother."
"Well, I surely hope so, with her state of dress," Narcissa said, remaining poised, and extending her hand to shake it, which Elodie accepted, "I've heard wonderful things about you, Elodie, your family is well known in wizarding England."
"Oh, I'm happy to hear that," Elodie said shyly.
"Yes well, the house appears to be fine, I'm going to go back to the manor. I'd love to meet you more formally, maybe this week, if you have time," Narcissa said dryly.
"Elodie will be in Paris for her holiday, mum," Draco cut in.
"Oh, nonsense, Draco, I would love to, Mrs. Malfoy. I'll discuss it with my parents and owl you with a date," The socialite in Elodie came to the surface, as she finally dropped her embarrassment and straightened up her posture.
"Good, do remember to wear pants, dear," Narcissa said, turning to her son to give him a kiss on each cheek, "I love you, my son."
"Mother, be nice," He said, "I love you too, safe travels."
With that Narcissa walked the opposite direction down the hallway before disappearing down another. Elodies stomach felt like it had taken up residence in her throat. She was mortified.
"That went better than I thought it would," Draco said, taking Elodie's arm and guiding her back toward the kitchen.
"You said it would be great!" Elodie huffed.
"I lied, I thought she might cut you down where you stood for your lack of clothing," He said, chuckling.
"You what?" Elodie exclaimed, pulling her arm from him and smacking him playfully in the arm, "I handle aristocrats quite well thank you, I just wasn't prepared which leaves room for embarrassing stumbles."
The two arrived in the kitchen where Blaise, Pansy and Sabine sat having polite conversation, Sabine sitting between the couple. Elodie immediately scurried to the empty cups set out on the counter and as soon as she lifted it, the cup filled with coffee.
"That is impressive Mr. Malfoy," Elodie said, sipping the black coffee, letting a sound of satisfaction leave her lips, "Oh and it's marvelous."
"I'm glad you like it mademoiselle," Draco said, "They're charmed by Pip. House elves can do marvelous things."
"Parlent français?" Elodie questioned Draco quietly, motioning to Pansy and Blaise, too engorged in conversation to spare a glance in their direction.
"Oh, no, Italian for both of them," he said, picking up a charmed cup that filled with a beige colored coffee, "Pip knows what I like," He added at her confused look.
"Comment s'est passé votre nuit, Sabine?" Elodie said, fixing her gaze to Sabine.
"Oh, I don't know-" Sabine began.
"They don't speak french," Elodie cut her off, still speaking in french, "Did you fuck them?"
"Elodie, how vulgar," Sabine chuckled, "But oui, I did, lets talk later."
"I don't speak French, but I'm not an idiot," Pansy said, "We are plenty comfortable discussing our sex lives with you, Elodie."
"I just didn't want to embarrass Sabine, that's all love," Elodie chuckled.
"I'm happy to never hear what has gone on in my guest room, if you lot don't mind," Draco cut in, sitting across from Blaise, patting his lap for Elodie to sit.
"Fine, we will discuss it when we're getting ready later at Sabine's home," Elodie said plopping on his lap and sipping her coffee, "I just met Mrs. Malfoy in the hallway, wearing this. So if anyone wants to throw me to a dementor now would be the time."
"Oh Merlin, she was here? Bless your heart, she's a difficult one, and you're still alive so I'm sure you did well enough. Oh no, but no pants? Good luck with the next one, you'll be under a microscope," Pansy said.
They went on for a while, talking about Narcissa Malfoy and their plans for holiday. Eventually Astoria and Theo came down to join them, followed shortly after by Daphne popping in through the floo. She spent the night at the house of the cute guy who bought her a drink, but had nothing good to say about the evening other than the fact that his bed felt like she was laying on a cloud so she slept over. The group spent the whole day lounging about the Malfoy estate, enjoying their day in each other's company before going their separate ways to their homes.
Elodie walked into her new French summer home from the floo with Sabine at her side. They rushed up the stairs into what was now Elodie's room and flopped down onto the couch on the side of the room that doubles as a small lounge.
"What's your angle?" Elodie said before Sabine could try to derail conversation into something else.
"What are you talking about?" Sabine chuckled, "You're paranoid, there is no angle."
"You don't like complicated relationships, there is absolutely nothing on this planet more complicated than joining a relationship as a third partner. Also, you don't sleep around, so if you weren't going for an angle, I'd be quite confused as to what you're thinking," Elodie said, wordlessly accioing a bottle of wine and two glasses from the closet.
"I just really like them, Pansy's so alluring and Blaise is just so-"
"No, you're not that naive and neither am I," Elodie cut her off.
"I just-" Sabine paused, "I don't know why your parents haven't told you and I'm not sure if I should be the one to."
"Told me what?" Elodie sat up a little straighter.
"There is a rising in England, that's why your parents moved there," Sabine said, "Mine are holding down France as an English ally, which is why we haven't made any plans to move. They need a few people to remain at the ministry here."
"A rising? A new lord?" Elodie said, "But why wouldn't they tell me?"
"Oh, Elodie, I think they wanted your relationships with the pureblood circle in England to be organic," Sabine shook her head, "That's the only reason I could come up with."
"They're playing me? Are my friends playing me? I don't understand why they'd leave me out of this, I'm of age, I deserve to know things like this."
"No, I don't think anyone's playing you, Ellie, I think they just didn't want you to think they were trying to force you into relationships to play the game," Sabine retorted.
"Who is it?" She said, "Is it someone I know?"
Sabine fell silent and looked down at her glass, swirling the red wine around, swishing it back and forth as she thought of what to say.
"It is, isn't it? Who is rising, Sabine, tell me," She demanded.
"I think that you should go over to the Malfoy's in a few days and talk to Draco about all of this. He'll know better than me," Sabine sipped her wine.
"Draco knows all of this and has never said anything to me? Is it his father or something? I've heard that he's strong in his pureblood ideology," Elodie started ranting, "I don't think he'd be a very good lord though, he's too callous, makes for a good right hand. Oh is that it? Is he-"
"Elodie, just owl your boyfriend and tell him you want to arrange that date to meet his mother formally. For the love of all of the Gods I can't take it when you start going on like this."
"So," Elodie said, gears turning in her head, "You're building an alliance, that's what you're doing with Pansy and Blaise?"
"Well, that was the goal, but now I've come to realize I quite like their company. I orgasmed so many times I lost track," She said chuckling.
Elodie laughed in return and took the change in conversation to heart, and let the serious and dreadful idea of a new dark lord flit to the back of her head for now. She'll have to speak with her parents about when she can take the portkey back to England to see Draco as soon as possible. She hated being kept in the dark, and if her family, friends, and Draco were all doing that to her now, she needed answers.