Chapter 5: Friends and Aftershocks
Theodore Nott was bored. He was bored and nauseated. He was seated across one of his best mates, Blaise Zabini, and his girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson, who were so immersed in their own little world that they seemed to have completely forgotten that he was even there with them. For fuck's sake, the two were flirting like there was no tomorrow! They acted like they weren't together, as a couple, when literally they always were together! Every time Theo saw one of them, the other was always be somewhere nearby. Always!
With all the necking and petting they were doing, he was surprised they haven't been asked to leave yet. He turned to look at the staff of the bar, then he shook his head in disapproval. Not one of these people had the balls to bother them, or was foolish enough to ask them to leave.
Why?
Simple.
They were rich, famous and influential people.
Pansy Parkinson was the owner and designer of one of the most famous clothing line. After the war, Pansy and her mum came out from their hiding. Her father had been a Death Eater and was killed in the Final Battle. She finished her last year of education with a private tutor and went on to do what she had always wanted. She designed dress robes for women and men. Although not known for her intellect, she was known for her good eye for fashion. The clothes she designed were incredibly expensive but they were extremely stunning. She even went as far as using Muggle designs of clothing as an inspiration for her own personal designs. "Yes, I still dislike them but they really have beautiful dresses," she would say. She was quickly known as "The Princess of Fashion" in the whole wizarding community.
Blaise Zabini was the most sought-after investor by different businesses. He inherited his riches from his dead step-fathers when he turned the legal age of 18. He then invested his money in various businesses in both Britain and Italy. And when he invested, he always bought up to 50% of the shares in the company. He was very careful about his investments and was very picky about the businesses he chose to invest. He never handled the businesses directly but he became their unofficial endorser. For example, he invested money in Pansy's clothing line business so, he would wear only clothes that were designed by her. He was loyal to their products and services, and that was what made him the most sought-after investor by a variety of businesses. He was also known because of his influence and connections. He attended all the right events and talk to the all the right people.
Theodore Nott owned and made potions for the biggest branch of Apothecary shop in various wizarding towns. He was always known to be good at Potions. He opened a shop that sold the rarest potion ingredients and the hardest potions to make. He also experimented with making new potions as well. He had already made five potions that were now used in wizarding hospitals all around the world. Easily enough he had quickly established a name for himself in the Potions business, and was even offered a job as a Potions professor in both Hogwarts and Beauxbatons. But, he didn't see himself as the teaching kind and declined their both their offers. He was, however, occasionally invited and handsomely paid, by different hospitals to teach them how to make his potions.
They had gone such a long way from being snotty, spoiled little brats to being successful, money-making adults.
He shook his head out of his thoughts and was once more subjected to the nauseating scene before him. He sighed and turned his dark, hopeful eyes to the entrance of the club, hoping his friend could save him from fighting down his meal's re-appearance. As if on cue, he did.
"Draco!" he called and waved him over to their booth.
The blond arrived at their booth and smirked at the scene before him.
"Thank you for finally showing up. I was seriously considering leaving those two to their sickening displays," he said and scooted over to make room for his friend. Draco waved over the waiter and ordered them two glasses of Firewhiskey.
"How long do you reckon before they notice I'm here?" Draco asked his friend, amused by the obliviousness of the people across from them.
"The whole damn place could go up in flames and still they wouldn't notice a single damn thing," Theo answered. The disgust was evident in his voice.
"Yeah, those two look as if they're in their own world," Draco chuckled, echoing Theo's earlier thoughts.
"Anyway, enough of 'the many ways to make your best mate want to poke his eyes out'. Where have you been? We were supposed to meet here fifteen minutes ago," Theo said, eyeing Draco suspiciously. Draco was never one to make other people wait.
Draco shrugged. "I had some things I needed to do."
Theo sighed. He could honestly see the word 'STRESS' written all over his friend's face. He knew Draco was a busy man. He became a junior partner at the young age of 23, the youngest to have attained such a high position. And with that high praise there was also high demand. Draco was sought after by big businesses to have him work on their cases, and it was no piece of cake.
Theo respected him. He knew what kind of demons Draco had to overcome to get to where he was. He knew because Theo had been with Draco when he went through all of the bullshit life had thrown at him.
Their fathers had been friends, and that was how they had come to know each other. Even before they went to Hogwarts and befriended Blaise, they were already the best of mates.
Lucius loved his family, whereas Alastair saw them as an obligation.
Draco had been spoiled rotten by his parents, whereas Theo hadn't been. Yes, he was well-provided for, but he never dared asked them for things he wanted. Especially not his father.
His father was an aristocrat with a heart of stone. Ever since he was a child, that was how he saw his father. He would hear his father praise other children about this and that, and in his mind, Theo would think that he had to be perfect for his father. He had to somehow be as good, or even better, than the other children to be worthy of his father's praise.
His mother had been his only source of joy and comfort as a child. His mother would always say that he was perfect just the way he was and he took great comfort in the thought that at least one if his parents thought highly of him.
Both Theo's and Draco's father had been the same in their expectations of their sons and teachings that they drilled into them. And both children embraced those beliefs whole-heartedly.
However, everything changed as their fathers' old master returned.
Both Draco and Theo would be punished, or more accurately, tortured, by their fathers whenever they had failed at something or brought shame on the family name. They differ however in their methods of discipline.
Luscius Malfoy would punish Draco, be it with the Cruciatus curse or any other pain-inducing hex that didn't leave any marks or signs. It just wouldn't do if a blemish were to be put on their family heir, even if this kind of discipline was already common knowledge.
Alastair Nott wasn't much different either. However, where as Lucius used curses that didn't leave any marks, Alastair's curses did. His father's teachings and lessons were written on his body in the form of ghastly marks and faded scars. His father thought that it was the best reminder for Theo. His mother and her personal house-elf would heal his scars as soon as his father left but his father didn't like their healing of him one bit.
When his father caught his mother healing him, he Crucio'd his mother until she passed out. He tried to stop his father and disarm him, but still being too weak from his previous beating, he failed miserably and his father slashed a long scar on Theo's chest. From then on his mother and her house-elf would heal him bit by bit, cleverly making it look like Theo's body was healing itself.
Both children were never the same again.
Draco became even more ruthless and wicked to his schoolmates. Taunting and humiliating them. He showed them that he was their superior, therefore never to be challenged. He wanted to prove to his father that he wasn't as weak and shameful as he had claimed Draco to be. He wanted his father to be proud of him, so he became his father's son.
Theo closed off. He isolated himself from everyone around him. He snubbed and was cold to everyone around him. The only company he kept were the ones that he trusted, namely, Draco and Blaise. He had given up pleasing his father. He had learned that no matter what he did, his father would never love him. His father would never care about him. To him, Theo was merely an heir that would continue the Nott name. Nothing more. He stopped caring about others and cared only for himself. Because caring about other people would only bring unnecessary pain.
Then one night during the summer before his sixth year, his father came home in a foul mood. He called for Theo and questioned him about joining the Dark Lord's ranks and becoming a Death Eater. By then Theo wasn't afraid of his father anymore, thinking he already had the worst of his father's beatings before, so Theo told his father the truth that he knew his father wouldn't be pleased to hear, that he had no intention in becoming a Death Eater. After he answered, his father sent him a nasty hex that caused him to crumple to the floor and to lose a massive amount of blood. His mother came in, having heard Theo's cry of pain, and healed him quickly. Outraged, ropes shot out of his father's wand and wrapped around his mother's neck, strangling her. Then he lifted her off the ground.
"No! Stop!" Theo cried.
His deranged father chuckled. "You want to see her live? Well, than can be arranged. Just join the Death Eaters, Theodore. I'll let her live if you join the Dark Lord's ranks. Simple as that. "
Theo wanted to scream at him. It wasn't as simple as that. It was his life he was putting at the mercy of a psychopath like his father. He had promised himself and his mother that as soon as he graduated, they would run away from his murderous father and stay safe. He promised her he would keep her safe.
His mother struggled against the ropes, and then they vanished. She picked up her wand and stood between Theo and her husband.
Theo's eyes widened. His mother had never stood up to his father. Never. And now here she was, standing in between him and his father, shielding Theo from him.
"No! He will not join you and become mindless slave and a killer! " she cried and pointed her wand at his chest. "I have had enough! You did nothing but cause pain and misery our entire lives. He will not be a cold-blooded killer like you! He will not become a Death Eater. "
Theo slowly sat up from his position on the floor, still fresh from being healed by his mother. He stared wide-eyed at his mother. She had defended him. His mother who had always been afraid of even talking back to his husband. The one who had always covered her ears and looked away when his father tortured her son. She was defending him.
The bastard chuckled. "Well, well, well. I never thought I'd see the day when our dear old Lorraine would finally stand up for herself." He clapped his hands mockingly. "Congratulations, Darling! Really! Now you won't have any regrets," his father continued.
He raised his wand and pointed it at her.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A flash of green light flew towards his mum but she deflected it. She then cast her own curse towards him. And the duel began.
Stunned, he watched his mother and father shoot spells at the other. Both dueling to kill. He looked at his mother and felt pride swell up in his chest for his mum. No more standing on the sidelines. No more blind eyes, deaf ears or mute voice. No more. She was finally standing up for herself and her child.
He felt his mum back up and saw that she was getting weak with all the defending, but his father didn't seem affected at all. Weak as he was, he wasn't going to let her mum defend them both. Theo took his wand and stood up beside her mum. His father was a powerful wizard; he wouldn't be easy to beat but maybe with the two of them, there would still be chance to rid the world of one more bastard.
Green light flew out of his wand and toward his father.
His father chuckled. "Two against one? Now, it's going to be fun."
He fired another killing curse towards Theo. Although he was able to dodge it, Theo felt that his father's curse felt stronger.
Nott Sr. shot another, but this time toward his mother. She backed up again. He looked up at his father. He had a demented smile and a crazed look in his eyes. The eyes of a true cold-blooded killer.
He grabbed his mother's arm and tried to Disapparate, but nothing happened. Panic was starting to course through his veins now, and he tried again, and again, and again. Nothing. They were still standing there in front of his father who wanted them dead.
His father laughed. "Do you think you can escape me that easily? I cast Anti-Disapparition Jinx while I was dueling with your mother. You have nowhere to go."
He shot another curse at them and the duel continued. The intensity of each spell his father shot at them made them back up a step until they hit the tall windows of the living room. His mother clung on to him, her grip weakening.
Then his mother's wand flew out of her hand. She stared in horror as her maniac of a husband twirled it between his fingers. She couldn't do non-verbal spells anymore, dueling alone with a powerful wizard like his father had greatly drained all of her energy.
She looked at her son and placed her hands on either side of his face and turned him to face her. He turned to look at her and saw not panic and fear in her eyes, but sadness and guilt. She was saying sorry. She was asking him for his forgiveness. She embraced her son tight and whispered in his ear, "I'm so sorry, my little Teddy. I was too weak and scared. I love you. I love you will all my heart. Stay safe, my son," she pulled back looked at him straight in the eye, "Be happy."
She kissed his cheek. Tears fell down her cheeks but she wore a warm smile that was only for him. A stray tear escaped his eye and before he knew what was happening, before he could smile back at her, the window behind them smashed and he was pushed outside. He landed on the glass covered ground and saw a blinding flash of green light.
He staggered up and looked inside the window. He saw his mother lying dead on the floor. He then turned his eyes to the person responsible for her death. He looked at his torturer, his father, her husband, her killer. He raised his wand and aimed it straight at his chest. He felt his heart pound harder and faster. He could hear the rush of his blood. He could feel the anger boil in his blood.
Then his psychopathic father, chuckled. "What? You're going to kill me, Theodore? Kill your old man? You didn't have the guts to defend yourself and your pathetic mother for sixteen years of your life. What makes you think you can do it now?"
Theo saw red.
He bound his father with ropes that shot out of Theo's wand. They wrapped around his father's body and neck, immobilizing and strangling him. Outraged, his father struggled against the ropes, but his struggling only made them squeeze him harder.
"Crucio!" he screamed. He wanted his worthless father to feel what it felt. He wanted to give him the pain that he caused Theo his whole life. But only after the sixth Crucio he cast upon his father did he finally realize: he could never inflict the same pain that his father caused him.
Whenever Theo Crucio'd him, it was only momentary physical pain. His father would never really know what it felt like. It would never compare to the pain his father had caused him. Theodore Nott could have been a happy, caring and wonderful person. But he had taken that away from him. He had taken away his chance to be happy, and normal and loved. And he had taken away the only person who ever made him feel loved. He took everything away from him. No amount of the Cruciatus curse could mount to that.
Still, even then the fool still had it in him to chuckle. "Feels good doesn't it, Theodore? To feel other people writhe in pain under your wand? To feel that power over other people? It's the most amazing feeling in the whole universe," Nott Sr. said.
His son narrowed his eyes at him. "All I feel is the need to kill you, father."
"Still think you can kill me, eh, boy?" he answered.
Theo aimed his wand straight at his father's chest.
His father sneered at him. "You don't have it in you. I know you don't."
"You don't know me, you fucking bastard," he retorted scornfully.
His father looked him straight in eye and said, "You won't kill me."
"You tortured me and my mother for years. You left me on the brink of death countless of times, you took many innocent lives," he looked at his mother, "you killed the only person who ever showed me love."
He turned back to him. "I'd be doing humanity a favor by killing you."
"You wouldn't. If you had wanted to, why haven't you done it yet?" His father actually looked smug when he said this, as if he knew he was right all along.
"I was giving you a chance. Waiting for you to see what was in front of you. What was really important. I was waiting for you," he paused and looked deep into his father's eyes, "Dad."
His father's eyes widened and his face softened. But in a split second, his face turned to one of disgust. "You idiot, you've wasted your time. You're waiting for nothing."
Theo stared at his father a moment longer and shook his head. "You're right."
A flash of green shot from his wand and hit his father square on the chest.
He turned away from his father and crossed the room to where his mother lay. He knelt down beside her and scooped her up in his arms. He hugged her close and wept into her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, mum. I'm sorry, I couldn't protect you. I love you too, mum. I hope you'll be happy now too. He's gone now. He won't hurt you anymore," he whispered.
Coming from a family with money and influence, Theo was never charged for killing his father. It was claimed as an act of self-defense.
The funeral was short and numb for Theo. There were people he knew as acquaintances of his parents, mostly of his father, that gave him their condolences. After everyone left, Theo stayed behind. He stood before the newly placed tombstone for his mother. He felt someone stand beside him, and sure enough it was Draco.
Draco put a hand on his shoulder and only said one word. "Cry"
Theo did; he cried.
Theo had been released from the prison that held him down and made him cold all those years. Draco wasn't as lucky.
Theo saw Draco's change in demeanor and saw the light dull in his eyes. He knew that Draco had been forced to take the Dark Mark. Although, Draco didn't tell anyone of this, Theo knew. He didn't push Draco to tell him or ask him if he needed help. He knew how dangerous Draco's position was, and he knew that he might endanger Draco if he showed any signs that he knew of Draco's new rank. So, he stayed quiet, helped him in any way that he could and prayed to Merlin that he'd keep his friend safe.
After the war and trials, Draco and Narcissa Malfoy weren't charged because of Narcissa deceived the Dark Lord to saved Harry Potter's life, but were forced to give half of the sum of all of the money the Malfoy family had, assets and all. After that had been settled, Draco escaped with his mother to France. The two Malfoys wanted to escape the accusing and hateful stares that they had to endure in the aftermath of the war.
Theo helped Draco and his mother move to their new home, and lived the life he wanted. He had the Nott Mansion destroyed and built a new one. He had been reluctant at first to destroy the place he had once called his home because if he destroyed it, he would also destroy the memories he and his mother had shared. But it reminded him so much of his past that he couldn't stomach to live in such a haunted place. He knew his mother understood because this was what made him happy.
Now, both boys that were scarred by the past lived the life they had made for themselves. Each fought their own demons and won the freedom and happiness both deserved.
But now, Theo looked at Draco, and knew that something was troubling him.
"What is it?" Theo asked.
When it came to his friends, he didn't need to beat around the bush.
He was going to make Draco tell him anyway, one way or another.
"What's what?" Draco asked.
"Something happened. What is it?" he persisted.
Draco sighed. He knew Theo was going to catch on it sometime soon, he just didn't expect him to catch it soon. Nothing ever escaped Theodore Nott. If his friend didn't have to ask questions like what or how, he could have sworn his friend was using Legilimency on him.
His curiosity had been bugging him, big time. Ever since he left that party, he had so many questions he wanted answered. He knew it was wrong on so many levels, to be curious about Granger, her daughter and their life. It was just wrong. But her evasive answers weren't helping put out the growing flame.
Whenever he would ask her about Potter or Weasley, she would find a way to avoid answering by looking busy or calling him on his curiosity. More than once she even questioned his sexuality because he was being so curious about her friends. The stuck-up bitch dared question his sexuality! Twice!
He really didn't have much time to question her either. The red-head fireball was always by his side and dragging him after her to meet guests and explain things in lightning-fast speech. Most of the time he didn't even know what she was talking about and was just being dragged around like a pet.
Suffice it to say, he was exhausted. From being dragged around by a five-year-old girl, from trying to satisfy his curiosity and from trying to get rid of his stupid curiosity.
He looked at Theo and saw that he was still expecting an answer.
Great. He gets his answers and I can't. That's so unfair.
"I saw Granger today," he said. No point lying; Theo would know anyway. Theo always knew and it really freaked him out sometimes.
Theo raised an eyebrow. "Really? The Daily Prophet hasn't said anything about her for a while. Where'd you see her?"
"Maybe the Prophet didn't have anything on her because she's in France," Draco said, sipping his drink.
"France? What's she doing there?" Theo asked, not bothering to hide that his curiosity had been piqued.
"I don't know. I just bumped into her on the street," Draco said with a shrug.
More like saved her daughter from getting hit by a damn car and got invited to her daughter's party, but Theo doesn't need to know that.
"Just her?"
Draco nodded.
"Huh. Intriguing. I always thought those three went everywhere together. Like some conjoined trio," Theo said.
"Have you heard anything about the Wonder-Boy and his Brain-Dead side-kick?" Draco asked, trying to conceal his curiosity.
"No, not really. Nothing new anyway, always the same: hero Auror caught this and arrested that and his side-kick's Quidditch team, surprisingly, made it to semi-finals."
Draco thought for a moment and then asked, "What about Granger? Any rumors on why she's in France?"
Theo narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously.
"No. no, I haven't. Why the twenty questions, Draco?" he asked slowly.
Draco shrugged and tried to look uncaring. "Just curious is all."
But his friend didn't believe him one bit.
"Now why would Slytherin Prince, Draco Malfoy, be curious about bushy-haired—" Theo was stopped from his questioning, much to Draco's relief, by a tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw a waiter looking very annoyed and a bit disturbed.
"Yes?" Theo asked politely.
"I am sorry to interupt your evening, sir, but I need to ask you to tell your companions to stop their…disturbing display," he said, eyeing Pansy and Blaise.
"Trust me, I've been trying to make them stop for the past hour. And if you were in my position, you would be more than disturbed," he answered him matter-of-factly.
"Well then, I may have to ask your companions to leave," the waiter said sternly.
Theo scoffed.
"Be my guest," he said, and motioned his hand towards his companions.
Maybe someone was foolish enough after all, Theo thought.
"We'll tell them to stop," Draco chimed in. The poor sap didn't know who he was up against.
The last time someone told Pansy to do something, or in this case stop doing something, she got really mad and melodramatic, and started yelling things in a shrill voice that would make his ears throb for hours.
The waiter nodded and left them to their task.
Draco looked at his other two friends and wondered how they could keep kissing without needing to break free for oxygen. From the way they were going, he was surprised their lips hadn't turned blue yet.
"So, how do we go about doing this?" Draco asked. He was never sure of how to stop Pansy without having her scream his ears off.
Theo grinned mischievously. He placed his empty glass on the table, pulled out his wand and transfigured it into a small white mouse. He then levitated it and placed it on Pansy's lap. After that, he leaned back and waited for his plan to unfold.
They saw the little white mouse scurry around on Pansy's skirt before climbing up her blouse.
Her reaction was instantaneous.
Pansy immediately pulled back and lifted herself onto her seat, and started frantically patting her midsection, screaming, "Get-it-out! Get-it-out! Get-it-out! Get-it-OUT!"
Theo was laughing loudly at the reaction his "way of separation" got. Pansy's screams echoed in the now silent room. Everyone turned to watch the "Get-it-out!" scene.
Finally, the small mouse fell from her clothing and ran out of sight.
Pansy stared wide eyed at it, and her gaze turned to the two men, his boyfriend and her blond friend, who were trying to stifle their laughter, and to the dark-haired young man who was laughing boisterously. Realization hit Pansy, her face grew bright red and her scowl was positively deadly. She pulled out her wand and cast, in half-scream, "Silencio", on her companions. But that only made it worse, seeing as the two who were trying to stifle their laughter were now openly laughing, and the mischievous cretin who made the whole mess was clutching his
sides in laughter.
She glared at them, not that they noticed, and then turned to glare at the other patrons of the bar. The whole restaurant turned back around in fear and resumed their previous engagements, trying to act as if the "Get-it-out!" scene never happened.
Pansy sat back at her seat with a loud thump and glared at the children she was with. Honestly, you'd think they would have been more mature than to pull off a stupid prank like that.
After their laughter died down, Theo lifted the spell and was now wiping the corners of his eyes. Occasional chuckles still escaped his lips.
"Well, that went well," Theo said before the three burst out laughing again.
Pansy, wand still in hand, glared at them and transfigured all of the glasses at the table into white mice and levitated each one on the men's heads.
Their laughter was immediately replaced by screams as each one patted their head to get the mouse off. It was now Pansy's turn to laugh and she did, whole-heartedly.
After Pansy's laughter died down and the mice were gone, they all looked at each other and laughed again. And if you were to look at them from a third person's point of view, you'd think they were all nutters.
Finally, their laugher died down and Draco stared at his friends who were still smiling happily at each other, and realize how much he missed these moments with his friends, moments of pure fun and harmless teasing.
Pansy was the first one to break the happy silence.
"What that really necessary, Theo? Really?" she said.
"I was asked to separate you two. So I did," Theo stated matter-of-factly.
"You could have just said something, you know! Not conjure up a freaking mouse to explore the inside of my blouse!" she half-screamed.
"Aww. But Pansy, where's the fun in that?" he answered with a boyish grin.
Pansy proceeded to scowl at him and turned to face Draco instead, wanting to ignore the presence of one annoying git.
"Draco! Where have you been? You're so hard to get a hold of anymore!" said Pansy and pouted at Draco. "And you're not wearing my design," she added as an afterthought.
"I've been busy. Why do you need to get a hold of me anyway? We get together every weekend. You can't miss me that much," Draco answered with a smirk. Then he held up a finger when Pansy was about to answer. "And just because you're my friend doesn't mean I can't wear any other design. Besides, your other friends don't always wear your design as well."
"Draco, I have a lot of friends, it's a must in the industry, but you're one my really close friends. I'd like to see some support you know," Pansy said with her left eyebrow raised.
"Anyway, I wanted to know about you and Astoria. She's going to be visiting you, isn't she? She owled me and told me so," said Pansy.
Draco sighed. "Yeah, she owled me three times this week already."
"So?"
" So, what, Pansy?"
"Well, you've been dating for months now, and she visits you often. Why don't you ask her to move in with you? You know she wants to live with you, anyway. It's not nice to make a girl your sleeping with travel just to have them stay at a hotel. "
Exasperated, Draco sighed. "Because, I don't want her to live with me. I don't want her there when I get home because women get needy and I can't always give her my attention. I have work too."
"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Work-always-comes-first. You know that rule of yours is going to bite you in the arse someday."
"And women are not needy!" she added as an afterthought.
"You've said that so many times, and I'm still waiting for your proverbial bite," Draco said with a smirk.
"Are you quiet through with your gossiping, ladies?" Theo interrupted whatever it was Pansy was going to retort.
The four former Slytherins continued to share stories and news of each other's lives. Draco sent a thankful glance toward Theo, for not telling them about his 'bump' into Granger. However, he didn't miss the look Theo sent him. Draco knew this wasn't going to be the last time they spoke of Hermione Granger.
Hermione collapsed on her sofa. She wanted nothing more than to take a long bath and relax on her bed. The party had ended later than expected and the clean up took longer. After that, she had ordered pizza for dinner and, together with Emily, they listened to their sugar-rushed kids talk about how much fun they had at the party.
Now, both children were clean and tucked safely in bed in Sophie's room. The two mothers had agreed that Adrien could stay over since it was Friday and there were no classes tomorrow.
Emily sat beside Hermione and sighed deeply. Hermione looked over at her friend and saw the she was looking thoughtful.
"Em? What is it?" Hermione asked.
Her friend looked over at her.
"I am so tired, you owe me big time."
Hermione laughed, despite feeling exhausted and hugged her friend.
"Oh, I know. Thank you so much for helping me out," Hermione said.
When she pulled away, Emily looked her straight in eye and said, with a serious face, "Why didn't you tell me he was so handsome?"
Confused, Hermione raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who was?"
"The blond guy!" Emily answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh."
"Oh? That's all you have to say?"
Hermione shrugged.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Dévoiler! " Emily demanded, sounding like a school girl asking a friend about her first date.
Hermione stood up and picked up the dishes they had used for dinner and walked toward the kitchen, saying,
"There's nothing to spill, Em."
Her friend followed her and sat herself on one of the chairs.
"What do you mean 'there's nothing to spill'? He was following you and conversing with you. What did he say?"
Hermione sighed. She turned on the faucet and started washing the dishes.
"He just asked me about some stuff."
"Stuff? Such as 'are you single?' stuff or something else stuff?
"He asked where Sophie's father was."
Emily fell silent. She knew that this topic was still a sore and sensitive topic for Hermione and they tended to avoid it as much as possible.
"What did you say?" Emily asked quietly.
"I told him he wasn't here. What else could I have said?"
"That's all he asked?"
"Mostly, yeah."
"Are all British males stupid?" she asked. Then she gasped and asked, "Est-il gay?"
"What?" Hermione asked, confused by her friend's response,
"He didn't even ask if he could see you again? Or maybe even visit Sophie? Nothing at all? How come all the men you've met are either blind or gay? There's a beautiful single woman in front of them and they don't even ask her out?" Emily asked incredulously.
Hermione wiped her hands on the towel hanging by the sink and turned to face her friend. She opened her mouth to answer her but Emily cut her off.
"Etienne does not count. He's stupid," Emily said.
She crossed her arms across her chest and stared at her friend with an eyebrow raised.
"Well, when it comes to women he is," Emily said with a shrug.
Hermione merely shook her head
"I do remember you being there when I explained our hostile history to you," she said and tapped her chin with her forefinger. "Yup, I distinctly remember you being there."
Hermione turned back to her plates and went to put them away.
She heard Emily scoff. "Please. That was in the past. You know, let bygones be bygones. Besides, he did show up at your little girl's party. And he even brought you flowers. Flowers!"
She laughed at that.
"Right, flowers. Anyway, isn't it about time you went home? It's late and your husband's going to start worrying where you are."
Hermione was still puzzled as to why Draco showed up at all. She was pretty sure his mother had something to do with it, if the flowers were anything to go by. It's not like his royal arse-ness would have willingly come to the party. Still, he could have thought of a way out of it. He was a Slytherin and he wasn't like his stupid cronies. He was clever, that much she knew.
Hermione frowned. All this thinking was giving her a headache, and she wanted to be alone to think about it in peace. Without her friend nagging her about how handsome and gorgeous he was. Not!
"Okay, okay. But before I go, I just wanted to ask if my two bébé and I could stay with you next Saturday? There's going to be a Quidditch game that day and, you know men, who by the way act like over-grown children when it comes to Quidditch. Honestly, if they could, they would marry the damn sport," Emily huffed. "And now I shall leave you to fantasize about him in peace," Emily waggled her eyes at her suggestively and winked, for good measure.
Hermione made a disgusted face and said, "Eiwww. I think my dinner wants to visit the bathroom."
Emily just laughed and was escorted by Hermione to her living room to see Emily off. She thanked Emily once more and hugged her before her friend vanished through the green flames.
Hermione made her way toward her room, but checked on her little darling and her friend first, before she began her nightly routine of pampering herself before settling in for bed.
As she settled in beneath the covers, her mind whirled back to a certain blond man.
He went to her daughter's party and patiently put up with Sophie's high sugar-rush running about, introducing and playing. She smiled fondly at that. He was still a prat, of that she was certain, but he seemed different.
Oh, he was different alright; he was wearing Muggle clothes for crying out loud! His body had filled out from its skinny form, and his face lost some of its pointed-ness. He wasn't bulky and muscular but lean and firm, and it was accentuated by the black polo shirt he was wearing earlier today. And his hair wasn't overflowing with gel and slicked back anymore, but hung loosely. His eyes weren't the same anymore either. She had always known them to be the color of steel, cold and hard, but now, even when he was glaring and sneering at her, they seemed to have softened, even if it was just a tiny fraction. They didn't seem cold and hard, but like molten silver, intense and deep. She felt like she could lose herself in them. And then found herself agreeing with her friend. He was handsome.
Hermione shook her head. Draco Malfoy? Handsome? Ha! What a laugh! He wasn't handsome. He was gorgeous.
Wait, what?
What am I thinking?
She sighed and thought that it was time to get some rest. Her brain wasn't functioning well anymore. Enough thinking about Draco Malfoy and his different-ness. He was out of her hair and out of their lives. His interlude was over. She wouldn't be seeing him anytime soon, no sir, and that thought comforted her.
Good bye, Draco sodding Malfoy!
A/N: Please give this girl a smile and leave a review! :)
I forgot to mention, I got the inspiration for Theo's past from the Dramoine fanfiction: The Laws of Attraction by EndlessDaydreaming. ( s/6878853/5/The-Laws-Of-Attraction)
