I had no idea what my father had planned when he'd informed me that evening after work that we had dinner plans. I had been unhappy when we ended up in front of the Selwyn home. But there was no way I could have prepared myself for his announcement.

Betrothed, not to Daphne as we all expected but to the chaos demon that was Coco Selwyn.

When it was announced- I was saved from having to look at her- by her shattering the goblet in her hand. She and Baz ran off to handle that problem, apparently, the Selwyn house elves knew what they were doing because the mess of wine, glass, and presumably blood vanished almost before the twins were even out of the room.

There were a million questions running through my mind- the biggest one of course being Why in the hell did he think this was anything resembling a good idea? Coco was not an upstanding pureblood woman. She would not bring honor, joy, and well-behaved children to our family.

Fuck- I was going to be expected to procreate with her.

However, despite all of that- I knew better than to openly question my father when other people were around. Instead, I picked up my fork, I had no urge to eat- especially considering the mess that just happened across from me I didn't know how far that had spread. I wasn't willing to risk it but I wasn't sure was else to do.

It wasn't an issue. My father said our goodbyes before the food came out and a moment later we were back at the house.

"Why?" It felt good to finally let the word be spoken. "Why would you stick me with that- psychopath? She is going to be a black mark on our family name." I insisted. "She came to our house and-"

"I'm aware of what she did," Rochester responded, he walked away from me, removing his robes, they vanished- off to be cleaned and put back into his closet. "Do not question my decisions."

It was on the tip of my tongue to scream and shout- I should be able to question his decisions when it's my life they will be affecting. That he is choosing my wife I should be privy to the reasoning behind it. I shouldn't be forced to marry a woman who would smother me in my sleep- but chances were that was the reason why he picked her- to get rid of me quickly and easily, without getting his hands dirty. I swallowed all my arguments down, I could feel the acid burning in my chest as he walked away from me, not even looking back to say goodnight.

I stormed up to my room- my appetite had died the moment he made his announcement, so I had no qualms about grabbing the bottle of whiskey where it had been left earlier- taking a drink right out of the bottle.

"Son of a bitch." I paced back and forth- trying to get my anger under control. Rage was the only emotion I struggled to keep contained, everything else was easy to hide, to keep to myself but the anger was just so strong and present and sharp it cut its way out of any cover I managed to put over it, slicing and raging until it's blade eventually dulled

It was no good, I knew it wasn't going to be a quick running rage, this was going to last. I slammed the bottle back down on the table and apparated out, going to the Malfoy home.

Malfoy Manor had once been a glorious stronghold. I remembered coming here for parties- for the balls and Galas. Narcissa Malfoy was a brilliant woman and one of her many talents included knowing how to throw a party. Last year however turned the home into a shell of what it once was. A depressing reminder of everything the once powerful family had lost.

I did nothing to announce my presence and yet by the time I got up to Draco's room- he was waiting for me, two glasses of scotch waiting. I didn't like scotch but at this point, I'd take anything, I picked up the glass and downed it in one go- regretting not bringing the whiskey bottle with me.

"Yes?" Draco asked.

"I am betrothed."

That caught him off guard- I could see it in his eyes.

"I'm surprised Pansy didn't tell me- Daphne would have already-"

"Not to Daphne."

"No?" Draco slowly sipped the amber scotch and I refilled mine with a more than generous pour- I'd have to replace his bottle.

"Nope."

"Then who?" I laughed bitterly.

"You'll never guess." Draco frowned and leaned back in his seat- waiting for me to get the words out. It felt wrong to say it, to tell someone else. Like perhaps if I kept it to myself, if I left it a secret then it wasn't too late to take it back. That maybe the cursed cat could be stuffed back into the bag and tossed to the moon. When it became obvious Draco had no intention of continuing the conversation without me telling my secret, I sighed.

"Coco Selwyn."

Draco's blue eyes widened for only a moment, he brought the glass to his lips and took a long drink. Heaven forbid Draco ever let anyone know they managed to truly catch him off guard.

"Hmm. You're right, I never would have guessed that."

I paced, my brain working at a million miles a minute trying to figure out how in the hell to get out of this.

"I don't know what his game is."

"Perhaps it isn't one."

"There is always a game with Rochester Nott." I insisted.

"Theodore-" Draco sighed and put his glass down, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "Okay, then what are you going to do? Even if you figure out his game-"

"Then I beat him. Marrying Coco Selwyn is not an option." I shook my head. "She is- the worst."

"I don't know that I'd call her the worst," Draco argued, I whirled on him. "She's gorgeous. At least you have that, and the worst thing about her is the doesn't know how to shut her fucking mouth. That's something that can be taught." I laughed bitterly at that.

"Sure."

"Oh come on, it's not like you were all that excited to be marrying Daphne. You knew that it was going to be boring, you were dreading that too."

"Yes but at least Daphne doesn't make me want to claw my brain out of my head-"

"Yes, she does. And you know it." Draco stared me down.

"Shut up." I snarled and refilled my glass, draining it again.

"Theodore." Draco stood up- we were roughly the same height, just a little north of 6 feet. "Either you figure out how to deal with her- or you man up and stand up to your father."

It was on the tip of my tongue to point out that things would have gone a lot different if he had taken his own advice- but even now I wasn't that big of a dick. I bit down on my tongue and let out a sigh.

"Just wait until your mother finds you a match," I muttered.

"I do not see that happening any time soon." Of course, it had always been assumed that he would end up with Pansy but the last two years of our school careers had really deflated that. The two of them still got along but the interest in marriage that Pansy had once held proudly had fizzled out.

I huffed, my pacing continuing.

"You know what comes next right?" I could hear the amusement in Draco's voice and it was taking everything I had to not turn on him and wring his stupid neck

"What's that?" I asked from between clenched teeth.

"You have to tell our friends."

—

A week- I had been Coco Selwyn's betrothed for a whole week now and I hated it. I hated every second of it. I had told Draco but when I got home I had been told that we were not announcing it yet- and that gave me hope. If we weren't announcing it right away, it gave my father a chance to come to his senses and change his mind.

However, every day that passed- he didn't tell me that he'd realized what a terrible idea this was. We had yet to address important topics, such as the engagement party, or even the ring that I was supposed to give her. I had managed to avoid the twins this whole time, I worked in the ministry, as did her brother, but it was a huge administrative building, it was easy to avoid someone I wanted to avoid. And I was especially good at it.

Also, Baz worked for the minister directly while I worked for the Department of the Misuse of Magical Items.

I got home from the office on Friday and changed into something more appropriate for dinner, as I was set to meet with my friends, finishing up just as my father walked into my room. He did not feel he needed to knock in his own house- at this point, I was just used to it.

"Where are you going?" He asked, suspiciously.

"I am going to dinner with my friends," I answered, fixing my sleeve. I was dressed nicely- a cashmere sweater with a button-down underneath, perfectly pressed black slacks. I hated that I looked like him, when I looked in the mirror, all I saw in the outfit, in my everything, was Rochester Nott.

"Good, take your fiancé."

"N- Why?" I demanded. I knew better than to outright deny him.

"Because it's inappropriate for you to go gallivanting with others- including women- without your betrothed."

"It's not even announced."

"It will be in tomorrow's paper."

"What?"

"Your future wife works for the paper- I was able to use that to pull some strings and get it done faster. Now, hurry, it's rude not to give her any notice." I didn't miss the smirk as he headed out.

I could have just ignored the order, my father wouldn't know unless he followed us- though I honestly did not put that past him. I cursed under my breath and apparated over to the Selwyn home, knocking on the door.

"Yes- oh, you." Coco was the one to answer the door and the look she gave me- I could only assume- mirrored the one I gave her. She was already dressed, in a little white dress, she was clipping a gold hoop earring into her ear when she answered the door.

"You?"

"What do you want?"

"You already knew about dinner?" I asked, confused.

"Yes- I learned about it quite early on- it's the meal you eat between afternoon snack and midnight snack." She responded, rolling her eyes. I could feel an ache forming right between my eyebrows.

"No- Coco. Our dinner. Dinner with my friends."

"What?"

"Why are you dressed if not for dinner?"

"I am going out, not with you and your friends."

"Then who-"

"Coco, who is it?" Baz came out from the hall, pausing when he saw me.

"Karma for something terrible I did in a past life," she answered. "He thinks I'm going to dinner with him and the Serpents." She rolled her eyes. I wasn't sure who came up with the nickname, but it stuck, Alistair loved it, and the rest of us didn't care.

"Because you are."

"I told you, I have plans. I'm going out."

"With. Who?" I asked.

"Me," Baz answered.

"It'd be rude to cancel my plans, Theodore, surely you can understand that."

"He's your brother."

"Still plans- anyway bye-"

"He can come too." I could practically feel my father breathing down my neck. "But we have to hurry." Coco rolled her eyes and looked back at Baz.

"Fine." He answered.

"What?"

"I said fine, come on, Coco, I didn't even have reservations. where are we going?"

the second part was, presumably aimed at me.

"Coquette's," I answered. "It's where we always go."

"Oh boy," Coco muttered. "Fine, give me one minute, I need shoes." I glanced down and sure enough she was barefoot. She turned, nearly hitting me in the face with her hair, and walked off.

"Come in." Baz gestured. I stepped forward and into a cloud of Coco's perfume. It was very fitting- it was a spicy scent, like the baked apples we had at Christmas. It was warm and smooth. Under all that I could smell vanilla. It was intoxicating. I quickly shook my head, dissipating the scent and regaining my senses.

"I- sorry for the last-minute invite- I didn't-"

"Your father made you invite her." Baz interrupted.

"How did you know?"

"Why else would you be here?"

"Fair enough." I didn't know Baz that well, we had grown up in the same circles, hell we had even shared a dorm for seven years- but he had always been closer to his sister than anyone. From what I did know about him, he was a pretty okay guy. Just wildly protective of Coco, he got into a good number of fights in school just from Coco running her mouth.

I slipped my hands into my pockets and we stood in silence until the clack of heels down the hall caught our attention.

"Okay, let's go." She had changed her dress. Apparently, the question was written into our faces. "Last time I hung out with your friends I ended up soaked in punch. I'm not going to risk white silk." The new dress looked- honestly like the dress she'd changed out of- but this time a dark blue that brought out her blue eyes.

We apparated to the restaurant and I automatically reached out to take her elbow- sure enough the heels caused her to stumble back a bit- I glanced up and saw her brother at her other elbow. The look he gave me was unreadable as I quickly withdrew my hand.

She simply shook her hair back and headed into the restaurant leaving us to follow after her. The restaurant was busy, I felt my anxiety begin to rise as I looked for my friends-

It wasn't too difficult to spot them, Draco's white blonde hair practically glowed in the darkish restaurant.

"This way," I muttered. The two of them followed after me- My friends saw me first, Blaise standing to greet me, Daphne quickly following suit.

The smiles quickly melted away when they saw who was behind me.

"This is good for my ego," Coco muttered.

"Why are they here?" Daphne asked. I gestured to a waitress and asked for them to add a couple of chairs to the table, she nodded and conjured them up- the table adjusted to allow for two more people. "Theodore-"

"They're here with me," I muttered and took a seat, Coco pointed for her brother to take the seat next to mine, but he shook his head.

"Baz-"

"No, you sit there."

"Bastion-"

"Coco, sit," Baz ordered. Coco made a face at him before sitting down, a little pout on her lips.

"One more time, Nott, why are they here?" Mulciber asked, leaning his forearms on the table, his eyes narrowing at the pair.

"Because- they are my guests-"

"That's not an answer." Daphne interrupted.

"Because they're betrothed," Baz answered. "And his father has some idea that this means they should hang out."

"Excuse me?" Broderick laughed. "There is no way- there is no ring." He nodded to Coco's finger.

"He's messing with us," Mulciber concluded. "Funny, Theo, now send them away. I don't like them." Coco responded to that by flipping him the bird.

"It's not a joke." The words hurt to force out. "It will be in the paper tomorrow. We are-"

"How in the Hell did your mother manage to make that happen?" Daphne asked the twins. "She already ruined the Selwyn name and now she's going to help you ruin the Notts-"

I quickly reached out a hand, placing it on Coco's shoulder, stopping her from standing- which I knew would be coming

"Daphne." My voice was cold. "That was inappropriate, apologize." Her face was red- either from rage or embarrassment, I wasn't entirely sure which.

"They shouldn't be here-"

"But they are." Draco had remained quiet- his face passive when the ruckus started. "And it seems they will be sticking around for the foreseeable future. So perhaps we should act like the purebloods we were raised to be and not embarrass all our names."

Even I stared at him in shock for that one. It had been a long time since he'd been so controlling. One thing Draco Malfoy had excelled at when we were young- was commanding respect. It had wavered in the time that he was forced into the death eaters and hadn't returned- but it was nice to see he still had it in him.

Daphne did not apologize but she sat down, I knew I was going to need to deal with the Daphne situation eventually- tonight was not that night. I wasn't ready for it.

The others still didn't look thrilled but even Mulciber didn't open his mouth to fight about it.

"Thank you," Coco said after a weird silent moment.

"Is it true?" Broderick asked me. I picked up the menu, looking over the options.

"Yes." I finally said when I realized no one was going to stop fucking staring at me.

"When-"

"Last week."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Blaise asked I looked up at him, but I didn't answer- it would have been rude to say it out loud and while I normally would not have cared- It would have done me no good to yell at Daphne for being rude just for me to turn around and do the same.

"Are you ready to order?" The waitress asked.

"You are a blessing," Coco said to the woman before ordering her food.

"So- the announcement is going out tomorrow?" Pansy asked when the waitress had walked away with our orders.

"Apparently," Coco confirmed, toying with her fork.

"My father said he used your name to pull strings-"

"I'm like six weeks into the job, Theodore, what strings do you think my name pulls?" Coco asked, turning to look at me. It wasn't anger in her eyes- for once.

"I-" That hadn't occurred to me. He said it and I went with it.

"Your father is Rochester Nott, I imagine that was all they needed to run with the announcement. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I went in on Monday to find Rita Skeeter sitting on my damned desk ready for a scoop."

"a scoop?"

"That woman is a menace to society. I don't know how they can, in good conscience, still let her work there." Baz commented.

"Because she writes the headlines that get people to pick up the paper. Anyway, she would happily turn any kind of story into drama." Coco crossed her legs under the table, her foot brushing against my leg.

"We are not a story," I argued, moving my leg

"Of course not." Coco shook her head.

"'Excuse me." I stood up and headed for the restrooms, needing to get a bit of air.

I pushed the door of the restroom open and turned on the sink, running my hands under the water a few times, trying to calm down as the anxiety built higher and higher- I could feel it choking me-

"Theodore?" A small voice asked. I jumped and whirled, Daphne was peeking her head in.

"Daphne- I." I checked that no one else was in the room then gestured for her to come on in.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, stepping in and locking the door behind her. It wasn't a great way to keep people out but it would work.

"I didn't know how to say it- and I was really hoping my father would change his mind before it had to be said."

"But- how could he make you do this, she's terrible-"

"I know she is." I scrubbed my still-wet hands over my face. "I didn't want this, Daphne but- there isn't anything I can do."

"There is." Daphne's voice raised just a little as if the excitement of her idea couldn't be contained. "We could get married first."