AN- sorry! i had net troubles again, this would have been up yesterday. I'm trying to have this story be updated every WEDNESDAY, so we'll see how it goes. here you go! oh, and btw, Alsace is a province in France, in case you get confused. you know, when you're...reading...OKAY GO!

Draco ducked into the restaurant he would be meeting Gabrielle in. A man returned from showing a couple to their seats, and began his waiter's spiel in pleasant businesslike French but cut himself off when he realized who he was talking to.

"Draco! Hello!" he said, extending a hand.

"Hello, Greg. How've you been?" Draco responded, grinning and shaking his friend's hand.

"Very well, very well. How is life back home?"

"You know how it goes. We're managing."

"And your father?"

"Oh, he's fine."

"Poor devil."

"If he could have heard you say that…"

Gregory grinned good naturedly. He and Lucius were old friends, even if they hadn't seen each other in a few years. "Well, well. Are you on your own this evening?"

"No…well, father isn't with me. I mean to say, I have a guest coming."

"Am I to assume he doesn't know about this guest?"

"Ah, yes, actually, and I would prefer it to stay that way."

"Naturally. Any reason why?"

"It's our first real date. I suppose its one and a half now…we had lunch at a meeting and decided that we would have dinner together. But you know father."

"Yes. Well, my lips are sealed. Would you like to see Amalie? She's just upstairs."

Draco nodded. The couple was as close to a normal aunt and uncle he had. "Sure, for a second."

Draco, who was slightly taller than Gregory, had to stoop a bit on the stairs going up to the office. His fair hared companion tapped on the door. A feminine voice with a distinct accent called "I am coming!"

Gregory opened the door. "Look who's here!" He held out his arm to Draco.

Amalie cried out and stood up from her spot behind a desk, holding out her arms to Draco. Grinning, he walked into the room and gave the Alsatian woman a hug. "How are you, Draco?" she said, gripping his arms and taking a look at him.

"Fine. How are you?"

"I am always wonderful!" she said, beaming. "Except for we never see you. Are you here for a reason?"

"Oh, so I can't just be dropping in to see you?"

"Draco, I know you better." Amalie said, laughing. She was tall, only a few inches shorter than Draco, and she had shoulder length blond hair.

"You do, I admit. I'm meeting someone."

"Oh! Is she very pretty?" the woman said excitedly.

"I think so." Draco said, turning a little pink around the edges.

"Well, come, come, lets go down before she gets here!"

"Her name is Gabrielle." Gregory said, smiling at Draco.

"Ah! Gabrielle and Draco." His wife said, smiling triumphantly. "I like her."

"You haven't met her!" Draco cried.

"So? I like her."

"This is their first date, and Draco doesn't want Lucius to know."

"Wise boy. How do you plan to tell him you are getting married?"

"I am not getting married!"

"Don't pout, Draco."

"Amalie! Whatever. He will be unbearably smug when it happens. That's all I know."

"True. Well, here, I have just the table!"

Draco sighed and followed the couple to a table.

A few more minutes of chatter and they happily withdrew to their respective posts; Gregory seating customers and Amalie waiting by the door to catch a glimpse of Gabrielle. She didn't have to wait long.

Gabrielle walked in through the door, searching the tables a little nervously. Spotting Draco she smiled and relaxed a bit. Amalie, doing her job, stepped forward to take her coat. Gabrielle smiled, and Gregory leaned forward, asking about her seating arrangements.

Draco grinned before taking a sip of his water. Looking back at them, He saw Amalie appraising the girl and Gregory smiling in a very warm manner. He gestured to the table and led her to it, grinning at Draco.

Draco stood, smiling at Gabrielle. She looked amazing, wearing a deep blue dress and a headband of matching color. Draco was fast discovering she looked VERY good in blue. As she approached the table, smiling, he came around to her side and they kissed cheeks. "Hello, Gabrielle!"

"Hello, this is a very sweet restaurant."

"I know." Draco grinned at Gregory.

"I knew I would like her." Gregory said. "Your waiter will be here shortly."

"What?" Gabrielle said, smiling slightly.

"Gregory and Amalie are family friends, if you feel you are being watched don't worry, they won't bite."

"Ah…I think I see…"

"They're the closest thing I have to an aunt and uncle. Understand now?"

"Yes, I see." She said.

"You look lovely."

Gabrielle blushed slightly. "Thank you. You look nice yourself."

"Oh, please, you're making me blush!" Draco said, distractedly looking over the menu.

"Shut up! What do you recommend?"

"Well…anything really. This truly is a fantastic restaurant."

"Pascal's Agneau…is that man's last name Pascal?"

"Yes. Gregory Pascal, and his wife, Amalie. She is from Alsace and he is from England."

"And they are family friends?"

"Yes, Gregory and my father are close, but we haven't seen them in awhile."

"And you told them?" Gabrielle said, pausing her search for an entrée to arch her eyebrow at Draco amusedly.

"It's their restaurant! And they know me too well."

"I am sure. Did you tell your father?"

"No…"

Gabrielle closed her menu and looked up. "Why?"

Oh, no. Draco just wasn't there yet, he didn't want to go over the 'family dynamic' just yet. "Well…I don't know. It's not like I don't want to tell him…I just…don't want to tell him…"

"That makes sense!" Gabrielle said sarcastically.

"Sorry! Our…dynamic, I suppose, is different. Why, have you told someone?"

"My grandmother. I would have told my mother, but she is in Monaco with my father for the next few days. Oh, and my roommate, but she doesn't really count."

"Ah. Well, like I said, the Pascals are like relatives, so they're close enough."

"I think I understand. I didn't tell Fleur yet."

"There, see? Now, what are you getting?"

PAGE BREAK

After ordering, they chatted for awhile, making occasional jabs at one another, but something was preoccupying Gabrielle.

"Is something wrong?"

Gabrielle sat back, scrutinizing him, holding her wine glass in her hand. "I remember you said the Pascals didn't bite but…"

Draco looked at her confused, before his eyes flicked over to Amalie, peeking at them from the other side of the room. He grinned and gestured to her.

"Gabrielle, this is Amalie Pascal. Amalie, Gabrielle Delacour."

"Hello," Gabrielle said, standing and kissing the older woman's cheeks customarily, "It is nice to meet you."

"It is nice to meet you too, Gabrielle. We are always eager to meet Draco's friends." Amalie said, glancing at Draco and smiling. Draco rolled his eyes good naturedly.

"Can we resume eating please? I know you adore interrogating my 'friends' as you so politically put it, but her food is growing colder."

"You get more and more like your father every day. And I never put things 'politically'. That is an atrocity. I put things 'delicately'. And of course. I only wanted to meet your friend!"

Draco grinned again as the women finished. Resuming her seat, Gabrielle arched her eyebrow. "So you have lots of friends, do you? And you bring them here?"

"No, I don't have a harem of girlfriends waiting to throw themselves at my feet and ask 'When are you taking us back to Pascal's?' at home. In fact, I haven't brought any of my dates here."

"Hm. Well, then, Draco, I suppose you are off the hook."

"You really like those phrases, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. Some collect proverbs, I like to learn English sayings."

"To each his own."

Gabrielle grinned. "So far, you seem to be keeping me in steady supply of them."

"I try my best." Draco said modestly. Gabrielle laughed.

PAGE BREAK

As they finished their coffee, Gabrielle sat back, sighing.

"Is something the matter?"

"Well, it looks like you were right."

"Did you ever doubt me?"

"Do you know what I am speaking of?"

Draco grinned cheekily. "No."

"Of course!"

"What are you 'speaking of'?" he said, mimicking her accent.

Gabrielle stuck her tongue out at him. "You were right. Unless I am very much mistaken, you have been guaranteed another date."

"Lovely!" Draco said, sitting back. "Let's continue this delightful conversation about my charm, wit, and ability to ensnare your feminine intentions outside." He stood and walked around the table.

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes up at him. "You are so lucky I already said I would go with you. Otherwise you would be sitting at home nursing your wounds!"

Smirking, he held out his hand to her, which she delicately accepted, standing and walking to the door with him. Accepting their coats from the server, Amalie walked up to the pair. "Are you leaving so soon?"

"Soon? We have been here for hours!"

"Well, time flies. I'm the one working here. Gabrielle, it was lovely to meet you, and Draco, come and see us any time, please. And tell your father to come too!"

"Of course, Amalie."

"Gregory would be here, but I believe he has a business to run, he is solving some crisis somewhere. I will tell him you said goodbye."

"Thanks, oh, and the bill…"

"Nothing!" Amalie declared. "Not for your charming friend! And you," she added as an afterthought, "you must be kidding. Now go, go, go, before it gets too freezing to even move!"

As he tried to protest, Draco found himself and Gabrielle hustled out the door. "Well, now that's settled…" he said sarcastically. "Anyway, do you want me to walk you home?"

"Oh, it's too cold for that! I mean…we could walk halfway there…then we can both apparate."

"You just can't get enough of me." Draco said, comically.

"Hah!" they were walking briskly, Gabrielle tugging gloves onto her petite hands.

"So, when and what do you want to do next time?"

"Well…I have a family dinner at my grandmother's coming up…so I think this weekend is out…"

"Alright…"

"I mean to say that I would love for you to come, but it's still a bit early to take you home to meet my family, you know?"

"It's never too early to take me home!"

"…I am pretending to not have heard you."

"Good."

Gabrielle laughed. "Well, then what should we do?"

"I suppose I could always write you a note…" Draco said casually.

"Oh, no! Is that the only way?" she said, looking at him pitifully.

"Hey! All my notes weren't that bad."

"So?"

By now they had reached a bridge, one of the many in the city, and they stopped halfway through, leaning up against the concrete rail. "Alright then. I will write you, whether you like it or not, and we'll see what happens."

"Fine then. I have a busy day tomorrow, so I will talk to you later."

"Fine." Draco said cheekily. He leaned in a bit as if telling her a secret. "Goodnight Gabrielle."

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth, about to say something, when Draco apparated. Stomping her foot on the ground and making an impatient noise she apparated back to her flat.

AN- lolz! yay! okay, things are picking up, i swear! the plot will become more pronounced soon! HOORAY! until next Wednesday (hopefully), bye!