Disclaimer: Not Mine.
Notes: Originally written for aoifene's cancelled Seven Deadly Sins Angst collection. The prompt I chose was Envy. Thanks to aoifene, weasleywench and nocturnali for their unwavering support and encouragement. The title is a line from Dante's The Divine Comedy: Purgatory, Canto XIII. Translated by The Rev. H. F. Cary, M.A.

Enjoy

jamie

xxxx

Draco left the men's room, Blaise by his side and his two Auror guards following. He paused upon re-entering the ballroom, looking around for Theo. It had been several years since he'd seen him; the boy had been sweet enough looking back in school, but a touch too clingy for Draco's tastes. And the last time he'd seen Theo was in the Hogwarts Infirmary, where he'd been recovering from the severe Stinging Hex Draco had cast on him for trying to molest him in the corridor outside the common room.

Draco had been on his way to a rendezvous with Blaise, finally, and had no time for the clumsy attempt at seduction from a Theo he'd already warned off several times. That was a mere few days prior to the end of sixth year, Draco reminded himself with a mixture of shame and remorse. It had been an awful time, only his celebration at repairing the Vanishing cabinet giving him the confidence to finally put the hard word on Blaise.

Then Theo had not returned for their ill-fated seventh year, and Draco hadn't seen him since. It would be interesting to see how he'd turned out and Draco's stomach was buzzing with anticipatory nerves.

'What are we standing here for?' Blaise asked.

'I thought seeing as Theo is here, I should find him and say hello.'

'Ah, I see.' Blaise grinned at Draco. 'And this would have nothing to do with the fact that he probably still can't keep his hands off you?'

'Of course not.' Draco sniffed. 'I'm sure he's outgrown that by now. He's probably happily married with a fat wife and seven children.'

'Theo?' Blaise laughed heartily. 'He's gayer than you, Draco, and that's saying something.'

Draco whacked Blaise's arm playfully. 'Shut up and find him for me.'

They continued looking among the guests for Theo, but it was made difficult by not being able to see past some of those on the dance floor to the tables beyond.

'What's Theo doing now, anyway?' Draco asked as they looked.

'Last I heard he'd found work as an assistant team manager for the Montrose Magpies. Looks after all the players' equipment and assists the medical team when they're on tour. A cousin or someone put in a good word for him.'

'That's a pretty low-paying job for someone of Theo's background.'

'Not everyone was as lucky as you and I, Draco. We had money and were lucky enough not to lose it after the war. Theo's parents weren't as fortunate, and with their history, he's found it hard to get work.'

'How do you know all this?'

'I still see Daphne from time to time and she filled me in.'

Draco looked at Blaise. 'By seeing Daphne you mean sleeping with her?'

Blaise laughed and loosened his collar. 'That, too, but not often.'

'You'd think a best friend would keep his best friend updated on all his old school mates, if he were still seeing them,' Draco said.

'I would have if you'd been in the slightest bit interested in their fates. Sixth year you barely spoke to anyone, apart from begging me to fuck you or shooting hexes at Theo. I didn't think you cared about any of them. Especially after you lost Vince the next year. And the less said about seventh year the better.'

Draco frowned. 'Point taken. Now where is Theo?'

Eventually, Draco spotted Theo standing by the bar, nursing a brightly coloured drink in a cocktail glass. He nudged Blaise and said, 'I get what you mean about being gayer than me.' He pointed out Theo to Blaise and then crossed the room, cataloguing the changes since last he'd seen him.

The curly blond hair hadn't changed much, though it looked less well-cared for. Draco could see he could do with a hair cut. There were more lines on Theo's face and it had lost any traces of youthful baby fat. His eyes, when they met Draco's, were still clear blue, but they seemed careworn. Theo's whole demeanour projected a downtrodden man who'd seen too much of the world.

'Theo,' he said warmly, smiling and holding his hand out.

Draco saw a flash of what looked like yearning in Theo's eyes as he reached out, clasped Draco's hand and shook it for longer than would normally be deemed appropriate.

'Draco! So good to see you again after all these years. You still look incredible.'

'Now, now, Theo.' Draco grinned playfully at him, carefully extracting his hand from Theo's. 'You'll give me a big head and make me hope you still haven't got over that crush you had on me back in school.'

'Oh! I don't think anyone could get over something like that, Draco,' Theo replied seriously. Draco felt Blaise's hand sitting at the small of his back and was grateful for it, because there was something rather creepy about the way Theo's eyes shone in adoration. Still. After all these years.

But that was what he intended to play with in order to secure Potter's jealous rage, so he stepped closer to Theo, relieving himself of the feel of Blaise's calm hand.

'I am very glad to hear that, Theo. How about you buy me a drink and we become reacquainted?'

Draco was careful not to look in Ron's direction; wary of the expression he might see on his face.

Theo almost fell over himself as he ordered Draco a drink, stammering to the bartender and fumbling for the money when the drink came. Draco smiled and leaned close.

'There's no need to be nervous, Theo; we have all night.'

Theo took a deep breath and turned to smile at Draco. He looked so pathetic that Draco almost felt sorry for him.

Draco turned to Blaise and drew him close to whisper in his ear. 'Your job, my friend, is to go and find Potter and make sure he sees.'

Blaise gave Draco an enigmatic look as if debating whether or not to dispute the request. Luckily, he decided to acquiesce, and shook his head as he left, muttering about people who bit off more than they could chew.

'You still see Blaise, then?' Theo asked while he sipped nervously at the straw in his drink.

Draco nodded. 'Blaise is one of my best friends.'

'Lucky Blaise.'

Draco smiled and reached out and took the straw from between Theo's lips and bent closer to suck on it himself, keeping his eyes on Theo and making it as suggestive as he could. Poor Theo's eyes widened so far Draco wondered if his eyeballs would fall out.

He smirked and wondered if he should have left the really obvious flirting until Potter was close enough to see it. Theo looked as though he would probably combust if Draco laid on the charm too heavily all at once. Draco returned to his own drink, carefully sipping at the straw while he watched Theo.

'So, tell me what you've been up to all these years?' Draco asked. 'And do you still draw people in towels?'

He feigned interest in the response, keeping one eye out for Blaise and Potter. Theo's life since school appeared mainly to consist of several short-lived periods of employment interspersed with severe episodes of boring inactivity overlaid with copious amounts of self-pity.

Draco had some understanding of Theo's life, seeing as he'd found it hard to adapt to post-war life himself, so he felt some sympathy, but honestly, as Draco listened to the list of woes that were always someone else's fault, he saw that Theo had become a whiny, self-involved prat with a huge chip on his shoulder who thought that the world owed him a living.

Suddenly, Draco suspected that he'd picked the wrong person to flirt with, discovering once more why he could never stand Theo at school, nor had he ever seriously considered him a suitable partner. On the surface, Theo had always given the impression that he was a decent catch with his pretty eyes and blond hair, but his underlying personality left so much to be desired that it put Draco off entirely.

As Theo prattled on about a work colleague who insisted on making Theo do all the purchasing for the team when they were overseas, ensuring that Theo had to navigate wizarding quarters in foreign cities, and deal with dubious traders in languages he couldn't even understand let alone appreciate, Draco managed to insert the required sounds of agreement or the appropriate expression of shock and pity. The man was an incredible bore.

Draco plotted, wondering how soon he could escape. Perhaps having to put up with playing up to Theo Nott and possibly having to endure touching him, and even worse, having Theo touch Draco in return, was too much of an ask just to be able to experience Potter's jealousy. Draco was sure he could manage to raise Potter's anger all on his own. At home. In a place where Potter could not possibly continue to put him off. And where there would be no interruptions.

'Draco?'

Draco blinked, Theo's voice interrupting a very pleasant picture of Potter having shoved Draco into a wall and pinning him there with his body. He sighed and reverted his attention to his companion, who was looking at him with a hopeful expression.

'Sorry, I missed that,' he said unapologetically, not caring any more if he hurt Theo's feelings.

'I was saying that I'd really like to see you again. I catch up with a few of the old crew from time to time and they all miss you.'

Privately, Draco wondered what any Slytherin worth their salt was doing admitting they missed anyone, but outwardly he smiled. The words of the speech he'd given earlier returned to him and he'd said he believed them, so why not make that step forward and possibly help his fellow housemates to do the same and regain at least some of their dignity and confidence so they could behave like proper Slytherins again.

'I'd like that, Theo.' He smiled and placed his hand on Theo's arm, not surprised that the man blushed. 'In fact, I'm having a bit of a do for my birthday in a few weeks; why don't you and anyone else you still see from school all come along? It would be good to see them all again.'

'You mean it?' Theo's adoring blue eyes caught Draco's and there was something like triumph written in them. Draco understood that. Securing an invite to this function was like a passport to respectability in the wizarding world at the current time. Any of his old school mates that were still being hounded by the public for being on the wrong side of the war would be able to hold their heads up after attending Draco's ball and being seen to have Draco's patronage. Just like Pansy and Blaise had benefitted.

'Of course. What sort of friend would I be if I couldn't help out a friend now and then?' He smiled warmly at Theo, who took advantage of the situation to twist in his chair and lean over to kiss Draco square on the lips.

Of course, Potter had to walk up at that moment.

Draco wasn't even aware of it until he'd managed to push Theo away, which had taken a few seconds, as he was so shocked that Theo would just attack him like that.

When Draco saw Potter his stomach dropped like lead to his knees. The eyes that he'd so recently found himself floundering in looked hurt and confused.

'It's not–'

'Don't even try and tell me that wasn't what it looked like, Draco,' Potter replied. Beside Potter, Blaise looked disappointed.

'Don't interrupt me.' Draco stood and glared at Potter. 'And don't jump to conclusions. I'm telling you that wasn't what it looked like. Ask Ron if you don't believe me!'

'No point asking me. All I saw was you flirting with him. Wasn't close enough to hear what was going on.'

'Fuck me dead, Weasley, now you fall down on the job?' Draco was exasperated. Fine, he'd take the consequences of any act he actually committed, but when he'd already made up his mind not to lead Theo on, it was completely unfair that this was happening anyway. 'Theo, you tell him it wasn't what it looked like,' Draco demanded.

'Y-you're with him?' Theo asked incredulously.

'Well, no, not yet,' Draco replied honestly. 'But I want to be, so just tell him the truth!' And it was still true; no matter how much of a cock tease Potter was, Draco still wanted him. But unless someone managed to get Potter to see that Draco had nothing to do with that kiss, then the likelihood of that happening were quickly reducing down to nothing. Draco could have stamped his feet in anger.

'B-but you–'

'That's all right, Theo,' Potter interrupted. 'You can have him.' Potter turned to his own Auror guard. 'I'm done for the night; I'm going home,' he said softly before giving Draco one final glare and leaving.

Draco stood there fighting the instinct to hex Theo to within an inch of his life. But then he directed his anger where it belonged and wanted to throw this glass at Potter's head and hoped he hurt him. What claim did Potter have on the way Draco behaved? It wasn't like he owned Draco or something! He growled.

'Well, what are you waiting for, you idiot? Go after him!' Blaise jabbed him in the ribs. 'And hurry up about it, or I might hex you myself.'

'What are you talking about?'

'Look, whatever you had planned obviously backfired. He's not jealous and angry; he's hurt, Draco, and unless you want to blow your chances entirely with him, I suggest you go and do something about it.'

'Hurt? What sort of pansy is he anyway to be hurt by a simple kiss that meant nothing at all?' Draco didn't miss the sigh of disappointment from Theo beside him.

'He's one of the good guys and he really likes you,' Blaise continued. 'He thought you liked him, too, and now it looks like you were stringing him along.'

'But–'

'The longer you leave it the more hurt he is going to be.'

Fuck it all, the man was infuriating. Instead of dealing with a jealous rage, Draco was going to have to deal with an emotional, sappy… Gryffindor.

'Fine. Come along, Ronald,' he snarled as he walked away.