Chapter 18

"Hi, Dorothea."

"Harry. You're doing well?"

"Yeah, I'm – yeah. I'm fine."

"Are you enjoying your holiday?"

"I am, actually."

"Good."

"So…"

"Was this an effort to touch base?"

"Sort of."

"You were given a handful of weeks, Harry. You don't have any need to contact the agency to let us know of your whereabouts. Or at least not for my peace of mind, though I do believe Von is distressed by your absence. He doesn't seem to know what to do with himself even though he is being torn between two alternative jobs at the moment."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologise to me. Apologise to him."

"I will. I'm… I'm going to call him in a bit. Just to tell him."

"Tell him?"

"I'm, um…"

"You're being remarkably cryptic. It's unlike you."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologise. You haven't done anything wrong."

"Yet."

"… Meaning?"

"I'm going away for a little bit. For – for probably more than a handful of weeks."

"…"

"With, um. With Draco."

"…"

"We were going to make a – a bit of a trip out of it, seeing as we're already practically holidaying. It's only one step beyond that, you know? And given the timing and circumstances in that London's basically Chosen One crazy at the moment – and I know I'm leaving you with the clean-up, and I feel kind of bad about that, but… but since I'm not really able to work without people cracking their shit, I just thought… And you know I've never really been away anywhere overseas so the opportunity is –"

"Harry."

" – almost too much to miss – sorry. Um, yes?"

"You're going abroad?"

"I mean, I technically already am –"

"Harry."

"Sorry. Yes. Yes, I am."

"With Draco Malfoy."

"Y-yes."

"Do you have any idea of how long you'll be gone?"

"Um… not… really?"

"…"

"If – if I can't do it, or I need to be back by a certain time, Dot, just let me know and I –"

"What have I told you about calling me Dot?"

"Right. Dorothea."

"I think this is a good thing."

"I'm… what?"

"Yes. Yes, it's probably good timing, though I'll admit a part of me begrudges the opportunities missed. But those opportunities will just as likely put you unfavourably in the spotlight and potentially lead to incidents that are better avoided. You're right; Chosen One Fever lingers at the moment."

"Wait, so you mean -?"

"Call Von. Let him know what's going on and keep him updated so he'd not poking his head through my door like a lost puppy every other minute asking if you've called. It's a little bit pathetic."

"So you're –"

"And keep me updated as well. I don't need to know where you're going or where you've been because I don't really care. Just make sure you're safe. And avoid publicity stunts. And don't act in any way that might reflect poorly upon the agency."

"Of… of course I won't."

"And let me know when you'll be returning. Ideally, after a while, when the interviews have all been published and the Wizarding world in particular has time to calm down, you will be able to return without having to look over your shoulder for potential harassment. We'll see about doing a follow-up series when the time comes."

"I…"

"What?"

"You really mean that? I can go?"

"I'm not your gaoler, Harry. Neither am I your mother, or your caretaker. You're a grown adult who has had little enough time to properly live in your life. Don't paint me as a more heartless person than I am."

"I didn't… I don't mean… It's just that work is –"

"Work will survive without you for a time."

"…"

"Is that all?"

"Is that…? Yeah. Um – yeah. That's all."

"Alright. Then enjoy your holiday. I'll expect semi-regular updates if you would."

"Right. Thanks, Dot."

"What did I just say to you about that name?"

"Sure. I'll remember for next time. See you later."

"Safe travels, Harry."

Dot wasn't the one to end the call. When intermittent beeps replaced Harry's voice, she stared at the desk for a long moment in thoughtful silence. The ticking of her analogue clock on the wall was a steady companion, the only disruption to her quietude.

Many thought Dot was a hard woman, and they would be right. Many thought she was career driven, merciless, and rigorous in her approach to life and her expectations of others. They were right too. Dot was hard, and demanding, and generally unapproachable even to those who knew her best. She had been an agent of Estallas en Ascenso for fifteen years and even her superiors skirted around her with wariness.

In many ways Dot appreciated their aversion. It was far easier to go about her day when those around her didn't interrupt her for inane conversation, or to share a joke. Dot knew that many within the agency doubted she even still had the facial muscles remaining to enable her to laugh.

But as Dot slowly hung up her phone, she allowed herself a smile. It didn't matter so much, because there was no one to catch her in the act.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, are you going deaf? I hadn't realised."

"Cut the crap, Draco. What do you mean you're going away?"

"I believe such a statement generally entails holidaying. Perhaps I'm mistaken?"

"So you're – you're going… on a holiday?"

"Yes."

"To where?"

"It hasn't been decided yet."

"And you're going with…?"

"With Harry, yes."

"With Harry…? You fucking bastard."

"Excuse me?"

"You didn't."

"What?"

"You didn't, you – Fuck, Draco, you did, didn't you?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're referring to when you speak so vaguely."

"You fucked him!"

"You're disgusting."

"I'm not – Blaise, fuck off, get out of my face. No, it's my phone. If you want to ask him something, call him yourself. No. No. Go away."

"Hello, Blaise."

"I'm not telling him that for you."

"Are you both having fun? Getting sloshed every night? Just how much of Blaise's cellars have you worked your way through, Pansy?"

"Don't try and distract me from the matter at hand."

"Are you perhaps drunk at the moment? It's a little early for that, isn't it? The time difference between Switzerland and Italy is non-existent, Pansy, so I can't say I approve of –"

"Oh, shut up. You did, didn't you?"

"…"

"Draco?"

"…"

"Your silence is very telling."

"Actually, it's telling you nothing."

"Don't be an asshole. Did you?"

"It worries me that the aspect of my relationship that you're most concerned about is my sex life. Shame on you, Pansy."

"What, that's not important to you?"

"I didn't say that. I only mean that there are more important things."

"Oh, Merlin."

"What?"

"You mean you…? God help us all."

"Are you having a stroke?"

"I mean, when you were so down and pining I suspected, but…"

"…"

"You fell really hard, huh?"

"I suppose you could say that."

"Should I begin organising the wedding already, or should I wait until you get back from your trip to Neverland?"

"You're hilarious."

"In which part, exactly? Because if the pair of you haven't killed one another in five years time –"

"Killed one another?"

"- then you'll be married. No doubt. And yes, killed one another. If you'll recall, you used to be at one another's throats back in our school days, and not in the kinky way."

"Yes, I do recall…"

"The fact that you sound so happy saying that is very disturbing, Draco."

"You know, I've heard it said that those on the outside of relationships are most aggressive predominantly because of their jealousy."

"Jealous? Me? Of your ability to go traipsing around willy-nilly, throwing money and caution to the wind –"

"How often in the past half a decade have I had enough money to throw to the wind?"

"And yet you decide to go on an intercontinental road trip?"

"Yes. I have priorities."

"You're pathetic."

"Thank you."

"I mean it. I don't even… I can't even start with you right now."

"Then please refrain from attempting. I'm hanging up now anyway."

"Of course you are. Okay, I'll let you go –"

"Let me?"

"- but only because you're promising to tell me absolutely everything when you get back. And to keep me updated. Make sure to call me at least every three days."

"I don't remember promising this."

"Yes, because you probably had your head in the clouds thinking about –"

"Again, please refrain. I'm really going now."

"Yeah, yeah. Go away, you prat. I can't stand to listen to you anymore anyway."

"Thank you. Your fondness pervades even your criticism."

"Shut up."

Draco hung up with only the barest chuckle chasing his words, leaving Pansy staring down at the earpiece in the full throes of a smirk. She shook her head, barely registering when Blaise reappeared behind her from where she'd elbowed him away and hooked his chin over her shoulder.

"You done?" he asked almost too eagerly. "Does this mean I can call him now?"

Pansy snorted, still staring at the phone. "Blaise, if you actually manage to get onto him in the state he's in, you're a better man than I."

"Never," Blaise said, and Pansy's sidelong glance saw him grinning toothily.

"He's so far gone," Pansy said, shaking her head again.

Blaise cocked his head. "Wasn't he always?"

When Pansy thought about it, she supposed Blaise was exactly right.