Chapter 3 : Choice
A small group of wizards walked inside the restaurant, receiving a warm welcoming from the waiter who scouted them towards a large table able to fit the whole group. A dark skinned man chuckled lightly at his friend's joke while taking a sit around the table.
"Blaise, what are you getting?" A brunet asked and Zabini's attention focused on the menu before looking elsewhere.
"Something exotic would do." Zabini responded. "And a bottle of wine." He simply added, not bothering to look into the menu. His amused expression seemed to drop once he spotted two familiar faces sitting not so far from his table.
A faint smirk traced upon Zabini's lips and his eyes focused back on his partners who seemed to be in the middle of a conversation about the latest Quidditch match of the season.
At the other side of the restaurant, an uncomfortably awkward mood has been setting up for the previous thirteen minutes.
Harry has just finished his plate of Lasagna rolls and black bean soup and was now drinking silently his wine. His eyes seemed to set on anything else other than the man in front of him who, on the other hand, was in the middle of dessert.
Of all possibilities out there, and of all people the Wizarding world held, why did it have to be him?
Harry still couldn't process the fact that he was having dinner at a fancy restaurant with the one and only person Harry have always hated with passion, Draco Malfoy.
The fact hit them both so hard that other than pronouncing each other's names with a horrified expression, no single word has been spoken since.
Harry could feel Malfoy's gaze upon him now and then. Malfoy would take a sip from his glass of wine and stare intensely at Harry who refused entirely to make eye contact and ate as slow as possible.
The silence started getting unbearable, and with their plates getting empty and soon their bottles, Harry decided to take a deep breath, gather his courage and—
"What is the meaning of this, Potter?" Malfoy's voice caught him off-guard and Harry had to lift up his eyes and meet his gaze.
Now that he finally managed to look at his old enemy's face, Harry could notice certain details. Malfoy seemed to have slightly changed from back then. His blond hair was a bit longer, combed behind as usual, with few straps of hair falling over his eyes. His face looked a lot more, how could Harry describe it, clean, smooth-looking…Handsome?
Harry quickly shook his head. There was no way in hell he would find his old bully handsome.
With a frown, Harry sipped from his glass of wine and set the glass down on the table.
"Does it look like I know either?" Harry responded rather calmly.
Malfoy's grey eyes pierced Harry with a stare and Harry wondered if that was his way of intimidating people. If so, it worked perfectly and now Harry was getting extremely self-conscious.
"Out of all people…" Malfoy let out a long sigh, finally breaking eye-contact and focusing back on his glass. "I thought of many scenarios but never expected it to turn out the worst."
Malfoy seemed disappointed and Harry felt slight annoyance poke his chest. It was kind of nostalgic, and Harry remembered feeling as annoyed and angry as he was back at Hogwarts whenever he would run into Malfoy at the corner of a hall.
"Don't make it sound as if I saw this coming, Malfoy." Harry dryly spoke. "You know perfectly that I would've tried all kind of burning spells on that letter of yours if only I knew."
Malfoy opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He narrowed his eyes, his fingers clenching around the glass.
"Way to speak to the man you desperately asked for help, Potter." Malfoy muttered, throwing a challenging look towards Harry.
Harry's body stiffened and joined his hands over his chest, taking the defensive.
"I did not ask you for help. You suggested it." Harry corrected him, speaking in a lower, clearly displeased tone.
Malfoy ignored his answer and continued.
"What was it about again? Oh right, seeking a boyfriend to lie to the Mudblood and the Weasel about your sexuality. What a healthy friendship and lifestyle you maintain, Potter. Funny, how not surprised I am." Malfoy mocked and a fine small grin appeared on his face.
Harry clenched his fists, his eyebrows joining in a frown. He would lie to himself if he denied what Malfoy just said, because it was regretfully true. But Harry refused to let Malfoy have it his way just like the old days.
"You're one to talk, Malfoy." Harry's green eyes burned with annoyance. "Suggesting on helping a total stranger you have never met and even insisting to be the respectful candidate. Are you that desperate?"
"Desperate? I'm not like you, Potter." Malfoy gritted his teeth and muttered in anger.
"Shut up, Malfoy. You know nothing about me." Harry growled.
"I know that you're desperate enough to make up a whole story just to get yourself a man." Malfoy stated with a smirk.
"I'm not desperate! And I don't need a man!" Harry shouted, forgetting about his surroundings. He started to pant faintly from the boiling anger that resided inside him, ready to burst out at any second.
Malfoy was utterly annoying and Harry knew this wasn't going to work out the moment he had set his eyes on him. He never regretted acting on a whim as much as he did today. Accepting to meet a total stranger was never a good choice, especially when that stranger turns out being your worst enemy.
Harry took in a deep breath, exhaled, then opened his mouth.
"All I need is someone smart enough to act as my lover for few days and that's it." Harry explained calmly.
"If you think I'm going to be that man, then you must be kidding yourself, Potter." Malfoy spat.
Harry slammed his hand against the surface of the table in anger.
"Then why the fuck am I loosing my time with you?" Harry shouted in pure anger, no longer able to hold it back.
Harry could feel his whole body tremble and if it wasn't for them being in a public area, he wouldn't have hesitated to hex Malfoy right at the moment.
Malfoy sipped silently his wine,silver eyes staring intensely at Harry who stood up immediately and fished for his wallet. He took out few pieces of money and put them on the table when a hand landed on his shoulder, pulling him out of his anger state.
Harry looked over his shoulder to notice a familiar face.
"Zabini?" Harry simply called the man's name in surprise.
"Blaise?" Malfoy announced in a rather unpleasant tone and Harry knew he was not the slightest bit glad to see him.
"Good evening, gentlemen." Zabini greeted the two with a warm smile. His eyes traveled from Malfoy to Harry in a blink.
"I wouldn't call it eavesdropping since your voices were loud enough for half of the restaurant to hear, but if I'm not wrong, Potter is looking for a fake lover for some kind of reason. Am I right?" Zabini's eyes fixed Harry's and Harry felt so ashamed, he wished he could bury himself alive right at the moment.
Now that Zabini knows about the plan, god knows what would happen. He'll probably start off by telling every single Slytherin friend he has, and end up spreading the word to the press. And maybe even use the information to blackmail Harry, who knows. Zabini was a Slytherin after all. He was capable of anything.
Harry directly blamed it on Malfoy. The man had always been ruining his life since Harry was eleven and after all these years, he was clearly not planning to stop.
Zabini stared at Harry whose eyes were set on Malfoy who was giving Zabini the nastiest looks. The tension between the three men sent a scary aura all around the place and they could only hope it doesn't end up with a hexing battle.
"What are you doing here, Blaise?" Malfoy spoke. "Get back to your table and stop putting your nose in matters that don't concern you."
Zabini raised an eyebrow, a faint chuckle left his mouth. His face showed calmness and a hint of seduction. Zabini was good at keeping his cool.
"Well, I could say I was worried about my friend over here, you see." Zabini waved his hand towards Harry and Harry blinked at the statement.
"Friend?" Malfoy repeated. "You, friends with Potter? You must be kidding me. I never thought you'd be aiming that low, Blaise." Malfoy rolled his eyes in disgust.
Harry sucked his teeth, eyes narrowing. His body was trembling with anger.
"Malfoy…" He muttered, but Zabini's hand squeezed his shoulder.
"You see, Malfoy, Potter and I had a drink last time and things worked pretty well between us, I'd say." Zabini showed a wide grin and his hazel eyes fell back on Harry. "I guess it is time to put the past behind and start over again, don't you think?"
Harry shivered as he felt Zabini's cold fingers brush over his hand, he quickly pulled it back.
Malfoy stared at the two with a displeased glare, pouring himself some more of his favorite wine and deciding to simply ignore them.
"Listen, Zabini." Harry whispered, noticing he was still standing in the middle of the restaurant and people's attention was dragged towards their table. "I don't think this will work, I mean, this is a bit complicated and…"
"Don't worry, Potter. I know as much as I need to and I would be more than willing to play the role of the lover you're seeking." Zabini suggested with a wide seductive smile that put Harry in an uncomfortable state. Yet, Zabini's suggestion took him by surprise.
"Really?" Harry asked with wide eyes, slight hope appearing in them.
"Are you two done with being disgustingly nice to each other? You give me the urge to vomit." Malfoy's voice reached their ears and Harry and Zabini's attention focused back on Malfoy.
Malfoy put carefully the white tissue aside, the empty glass and stood up elegantly. He scooted right in between the two close men, put his hands on each of their almost touching shoulders and pushed them aside with a disgusted stare.
"Potter has already chosen the proper candidate for his little plan." Malfoy declared, his silver eyes piercing Zabini's with a cold stare. "And that is certainly not you, Blaise."
Zabini's eyes slightly widened at Malfoy's statement. Malfoy faced back Harry's confused face.
"I expect a full detailed report about this plan by tomorrow morning." He spoke in a tone full of authority, before looking down at the few pieces of money Harry put on the table.
"And I already paid. Keep your money to make yourself look more …decent." Malfoy's eyes stared up and down Harry's body, scanning briefly his old suit. "If I'm going to be playing the role of your lover in front of many people, you might as well show a minimum sense of elegance and manners. Although I guess I will have to teach you those as well, since you clearly lack them."
Harry's mouth dropped open yet no word came out.
Malfoy stared at Zabini one last time.
"See you around, Blaise." He dryly spoke, throwing him one piercing glare before heading out of the restaurant.
Harry's eyes fixed the door for a long while, his mind not completely processing what just happened. He jolted out of his thoughts when a gentle hand landed on his back and Harry remembered Zabini's presence.
Zabini didn't speak a word yet his face and expression showed it all. He was waiting for an explanation and Harry didn't have any.
Harry opened his mouth to say something but soon got interrupted.
"Whether what Malfoy said is true or not, my offer is still valid, Potter." Zabini suggested with a warm smile. "And if you're worried about secrecy, then rest assured. No one other than myself would know about this."
Zabini's hand stroked all the way up to Harry's shoulder sending a shiver down his spine. He then leaned over to whisper close to his ear.
"I'll see you around, Harry." Zabini purred in a smooth seductive tone and Harry shivered at the hearing of his name being called in such a way.
At Harry's reaction, a clear smirk traced upon Zabini's lips before he walked out of Harry's vision.
Harry stood in the middle of the restaurant, dumbfounded. It wasn't until he noticed all of the eyes were set on him that he decided to grab his coat and head out.
The door of the apartment opened and slammed shut. Harry walked in, put the unused umbrella aside and hanged his coat by the door.
Harry stepped towards his couch and let his body fall on top of it. It was only 8 p.m. and he was already exhausted.
As soon as he closed his tired eyes the whole events from earlier came back to haunt him. The whole conversation with Malfoy and Zabini repeated in his mind. All of the anger, frustration, confusion he felt, Harry could clearly remember it all.
And something else.
Something strange that made Harry's body jolt whenever he came in touch with any of the two men.
When Zabini touched his hand and back, whispered into his ear, when Malfoy squeezed his shoulder, it all made Harry's body react in a strange way and Harry hated admitting liking it.
"It's definitely one of those evil Slytherin tricks." Harry breathed out, the palm of his hands rubbing his tired eyes. "Yes, must be it. I'm also tired."
Harry's hands placed behind his head, fixed the ceiling and thought about his situation.
After giving it some deep thought, Harry came to the conclusion that there was no way he'd tell Hermione the truth. He never lied to his best friend and he had no idea if she would even forgive him.
After meeting with Malfoy, Harry knew there was no turning back.
But to Harry's surprise, things seemed to have sorted out better than expected.
Zabini promised he wouldn't be telling anyone about Harry's plan and him and Malfoy were willing to help. Well, Malfoy wasn't but with his attitude, Harry understood that was his way of accepting the offer.
Now that he thought about it, Zabini's presence pushed Malfoy to change his mind when only a second before he had utterly disagreed. Harry wondered why.
Most importantly, the question that needed to be answered right now was: Who will Harry choose?
Harry never believed that one day he'd have to choose between two total assholes, Slytherins and enemies he hated with passion.
Zabini doesn't seem trustworthy yet turned out to be strangely kind to Harry. His flirting, on the other hand, makes Harry feel unbelievably awkward and he wishes he could just quit it.
Unlike Zabini, Malfoy doesn't seem to have a single interest in men. The man seems to find all kind of human contact disgusting which explains his overly hygienic attitude Harry didn't fail to notice at dinner. But Harry cannot simply put aside the fact that Malfoy was his purest enemy. He also enjoys ticking Harry off and angering him whenever he found the opportunity.
If Harry could, he'd choose neither.
"But it has to be one." Harry reminded himself, sighing heavily at the thought.
Harry heard some tapping on his window and quickly jumped off the couch. He soon felt relieved at the sight of a small brown owl behind the glass.
"Hermione's?" Harry concluded then opened the window to let the owl in.
He picked the note the owl brought and read through.
Hello Harry,
I heard from Ron you're going to the Christmas party next week. Why haven't you told me? Could it be you're too busy spending time with your boyfriend? If so, I totally understand. Anyway, I just wanted to invite you over for dinner this Sunday, I have a little announcement to make, it's a surprise! George, Neville, Luna and many others are going to be there.
Ps: It would be lovely if you could ask your lover to come as well.
Until Sunday,
Hermione.
Harry didn't bother reading the letter twice as he simply nodded at the owl and it flew away. He looked out of the window and a gentle freezing wind caressed his face. Harry's eyes lift up to the night sky. It was a clear dark sea of stars, not a single cloud in sight, and no single sign of rain.
Only a week ago, Harry's life was calm and peaceful. He would spend his days alone outside or at home and he would be more than pleased with what he had. Hermione would send him to parties and he would still enjoy them better than his actual situation.
With a small lie, Harry's life turned upside down and there was no way out of it.
"It's too late to regret now." Harry sighed and shivered slightly at the cold weather. "It's going to be alright. I'm sure of it." He nodded at the thought and rubbed his arms, seeking some warmth.
That night, Harry ended up watching the night sky for longer than planned. Before he could notice, it was already late and he headed straight to bed. His mind pushed all the events of the day aside and Harry was finally able to get some sleep.
Morning came and Harry rushed out of bed, took a shower, put on some clothes and headed out. He arrived at the Auror Department in time and greeted Ron on his way to his office. The man was suspiciously happier than usual.
"Harry, you're coming for dinner this Sunday right?" Ron asked before Harry could step into his office.
Harry turned back to face Ron and simply nodded. "An announcement, was it? What is it this time? Hermione got promoted for the third time this month?" Harry guessed with a small laugh.
"Better than that!" Ron quickly replied, his mouth never breaking that wide idiotic smile of his. "I wish I could tell you, but Hermione insisted on not telling anyone until Sunday. Oh mate, you have no idea how excited I am!" Ron's eyes sparkled with excitement and Harry wondered what was all this about.
"Well, until Sunday then." Harry smiled and was about to head in when Ron's voice stopped him once again.
"So, are you going to…You know, you and… Is he going to…" Ron stuttered and Harry knew what he was trying to ask.
"I'm not sure if he's going to come, I haven't asked him yet." Harry answered, which was true since he didn't even choose yet who his partner is going to be, let alone ask him about this meeting. Harry knew that both Zabini and Malfoy would be against the idea, but that again is another story.
Ron's smile widened once again and quickly nodded. "Alright. See you at lunch, mate." He said before rushing back to his office.
For the rest of the morning, Harry kept spacing out in the middle of work. He thought about all the valuable reasons to choose between the two candidates and came to no conclusion whatsoever.
Someone knocked at the door and Harry snapped out of his thoughts. His eyes set on the clock to notice it was noon.
"Already break time?" Harry stated in surprise, putting aside the reports he was working on.
Harry grabbed his coat and headed towards the door, opening it in a rush.
"Sorry, Ron, I haven't notic—"
Harry's eyes shot open at the sight of the person in front of him who was nothing like Ron.
"Were you expecting the Weasel to drop by?" Malfoy's familiar voice spoke. "He looked in quite a rush when I passed him by. He must've totally forgotten about your existence."
Malfoy was standing right in front of Harry, wearing the usual challenging expression on his face. He had put a grey suit on that matched perfectly his eye colors, as well as an olive green tie topped by a black coat. He was as elegant as usual.
A frown instantly formed over Harry's eyebrows.
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" He asked, not a single bit pleased by his presence.
"Not happy to see me?" Malfoy arched an eyebrow. "I came to get the report I demanded yesterday by myself, since you're apparently too stupid to get yourself a proper owl." He explained.
"A report?" Harry repeated. His annoyed expression turned into a completely confused one.
"I expect a full detailed report about this plan by tomorrow morning."
Harry immediately remembered Malfoy's words and cursed himself. He totally forgot about it.
"From the look on your face, I get that you completely forgot." Malfoy sighed. "How unprofessional."
"Look, I had a lot of work I didn't even have time to think about anything else." Harry quickly responded. A lot of work as in watching the night sky for two hours straight, Harry bit his lip at the obvious lie.
Malfoy ignored him and stepped into his office, his eyes traveling around. Harry could clearly see him judging the place.
"No wonder the Weaslette left you. A forgetful husband is nothing but a burden." Malfoy spoke calmly those hurtful words and Harry flinched.
Malfoy arrived by Harry's desk, his hand landing on the wooden surface before he decided to lean against it, facing Harry.
"Seriously, Potter. For the Boy-who-lived, you aren't that special." He spoke in clear challenge and Harry frowned.
"If insulting me is all you're here for, then politely get out." Harry muttered, his patience coming to an end.
Malfoy fixed his stormy grey eyes on Harry who was standing by the open door. He noticed Harry's hand clenching around the handle and his body tensing up.
"Although insulting you is one of my favorite things to do, it isn't what brought me here today." Malfoy cleared up.
Harry's hand released the handle and faced Malfoy.
"I hate to admit it, and I hate that out of all people it had to be you who helped Raff that day, but I still owe you one." Malfoy stated, clearly displeased by the sound of his own words.
Harry raised an eyebrow at Malfoy's words. So this was the reason behind Malfoy's sudden change of mind the day before. It explains it all now.
"I didn't help you, Malfoy. I helped your owl. If I owe anyone it would be Raff." Harry responded. "Now if that was enough to help you keep your pride, you can leave."
Harry mentally crossed Malfoy's name out of his list. He couldn't stand him at all. Zabini's flirting was nothing compared to Malfoy's bad attitude.
Malfoy fixed Harry intensely and Harry started getting tired of waiting by the door, wishing for Malfoy to simply leave.
"So, the thing between you and Blaise was true, after all." Malfoy finally spoke, smirking at the sight of Harry's wide eyes.
"Mine and Zabini's relationship has nothing to do with you, Malfoy. Now, get out."Harry gritted his teeth.
Malfoy kept calm, his smirk tracing widely. He pushed himself away from the wooden desk and stepped back towards the door, only to stop right in front of Harry whose glare never left his face.
"You do realize that you're putting yourself in his little trap, don't you? I knew you were stupid but I didn't think you'd be blind." Malfoy whispered in a low tone and Harry got caught off-guard by the man's closeness.
"What does that mean?" Harry muttered.
"By that, I mean that you're going to be his next toy, Potter. And just like his past ones, he'll be tossing you aside once he's done with you." Malfoy's words sent Harry's mind in a haze. "Friendly reminder, don't make him your partner. You will painfully regret."
Harry raised an eyebrow at Malfoy's last words.
"And why in hell do you think I would choose you over him, Malfoy?"
Another smirk traced upon his lips and Harry swallowed dryly.
"Do you even listen when people talk to you, Potter, or did your dumbness eat out all of your senses?" Malfoy breathed out harshly. "You're Blaise's next target. If you've read enough articles you'd know that he'd been sleeping around with famous wizards to get his name known."
"And how would I know you aren't after the same thing, Malfoy?" Harry blurted out.
Malfoy's expression changed into one that communicated pure disgust at the simple thought, Harry quickly regretted asking.
"Do you think I would want to sleep with you, Potter?" Malfoy asked with a frown and Harry blinked, surprised by the sudden question.
Malfoy rolled his eyes.
"God, the man killed the Dark Lord and now he thinks he can get anyone in his bed." Malfoy shook his head hopelessly and Harry bit his lip in both embarrassment and anger.
"Sometimes, I feel like hexing myself for showing compassion towards you, Potter. You're such a hopeless case." Malfoy added one last time before heading out of the office and disappearing into the corridor.
Harry slammed the door shut and sighed deeply.
"What the fuck is his problem?" He muttered in anger, sitting back on his chair and resuming his work. His stomach growled but he had no appetite.
Few hours later, Harry still couldn't fully concentrate on his task. Malfoy's words repeated on his mind over and over again.
"What an asshole." Harry sighed.
He wanted to believe that Malfoy was only talking bad about Zabini because he hated him, but a part of him wanted to believe that what Malfoy said was true.
Harry did read many articles about Zabini lately, and they were strangely all on the same matter. Him being a playboy and switching men like shoes.
But Harry didn't care. Zabini was only going to help him with the plan as a fake lover anyway. It wasn't like he was going sleep with him, Harry thought.
"…He'd been sleeping around with famous wizards to get his name known."
These words flashed in Harry's mind like a revelation and Harry hated feeling concerned. Zabini indeed was flirty around Harry, and would pull out seductive smiles whenever he'd speak to him. But Harry wasn't dumb enough to let himself get dragged into something he doesn't want, and if Zabini tries any dirty tricks, Harry won't hesitate to hex him.
A small white owl made its way into the office and Harry left up his head. The owl flied all around the room before landing on the desk safely, dropping a small parchment right in front of Harry.
Harry wondered who would send him a personal letter at work and picked up the parchment. The owl immediately fled away before Harry could give it an answer. Harry later understood that there was no need for one.
Harry quickly stood up and checked his clock that showed 5 p.m. He hurriedly put on his coat and rushed out of the office.
A strong wind stormed into the office and the small parchment landed on the floor. The written message was short, clear and direct.
I have some news for you,
Meet me at the same pub, 5 p.m.
It's urgent,
Zabini.
The 3rd chapter came in early this week! I'd like to thank everyone for the beautiful reviews that motivate me to write more. I hope that everyone is enjoying this fanfic as much as I am enjoying writing it. Have a nice week and keep the reviews coming!