My plans for the evening had been simple, Baz and I were going to go have a couple of drinks, and do a little dancing- I was going to find some hot guy to dance with and pretend like my whole world hadn't been turned completely upside down.

But that was all ruined when Theodore showed up and demanded I go with him like the pig he is.

I wouldn't have done it if not for Baz. Because now I was spending my evening sitting at a table full of Theodore's friends, with no Theodore. I had watched him run off to the bathroom and also saw Daphne try to sneak off behind him as if we weren't all sitting at the world's smallest table. I glanced at my brother's watch before picking up the menu to decide what I wanted.

After five minutes I was tired of it.

"Excuse me," I said in my sweetest voice, scooting my chair back. Baz caught my wrist.

"Coco. Be good." He warned. I smiled and pulled my wrist free.

"Of course," I responded, grabbing my clutch and heading for the bathrooms. The restaurant was one I'd only been to a few times, but it was nice and I knew the food was great. Good enough that I was near tempted to just- let whatever was happening happen so that I could eat but I knew if I didn't nip this in the bud then I would be dealing with Daphne Greengrass for the rest of this farce of an engagement.

I headed for the men's room and went to carefully pull the door- but it was locked. I tested the door to the lady's room and it opened with no problem.

Oh hell no. I quietly muttered the unlocking spell- the one that got me in this trouble in the first place- and cracked the door just a tiny bit.

"We could get married," Daphne said. I paused- I waited. I was capable of thinking before I acted- I just usually didn't go for it.

"Daphne-"

"No just- hear me out- we can go now- we can get married and- people will recognize the romance in marrying in a fit of passion. Everyone thought we would- and no one would blame you for wanting out of this- situation with her."

Yeah, I was done. I pushed the door open, letting it close behind me. Daphne jumped, at least having the decency to look ashamed of being caught trying to run off with Theodore.

"You're right, I mean once everyone realizes you've made it seven months without having a baby they will know it was some sort of stupidity that some might label as love and passion but more than that they'll see it as the Nott's inability to keep their word and Greengrasses as the snakes they've always been." I leaned against the door, not bothering with the lock.

"Shut the hell up, Coco," Theodore ordered. "The Greengrass family are not snakes."

"Maybe not, but think of how easy it would be to run with that narrative."

"You don't even want this marriage."

"No, but I'll be damned before I let you and yours embarrass my family."

"Your family is a joke." Daphne snapped.

"A joke that your man is marrying into." I rolled my eyes. "Look I don't want this anymore than you do, Theodore but I am not going to be a laughing stock- I am not my mother and I am not going to be the dutiful wife who is at home with the screaming brats while her husband is out banging whoever he can get." I pushed away from the door, moving closer to Theodore. "This- whatever you two have been doing- it's done. Got it?"

Daphne looked away, her eyes on Theodore, who was brushing at his sleeves, smoothing them down over his arms.

"Do not." Theodore stepped up closer to me, "presume that you can tell me what to do." He continued, his journey forward continuing until we were nearly chest to chest. "If I am unlucky enough to actually have to marry you- I'm not under your thumb."

I smiled sweetly- just as sweetly as I had at the table.

"We'll see about that." I turned- my hair actually smacking him but before I could make a move towards the door, his arms slipped around me, one around my waist, the other at my throat- not squeezing yet, his arm was the thing holding me to him- his hand was just- a presence on my neck- his thumb cold against my pulse point.

"We won't." He promised- his breath hot against my neck. I hated how fucking hot this way- I hated how it turned me on. If it was anyone else it'd be fine but- this was Theodore. "I don't know what kind of husband you thought I was going to be, Cordelia- but I am not going to let you walk all over me just because you have a big fucking mouth." His hand squeezed just for a second before he let me go.

I stepped away, clearing my throat as if I wasn't so fucking turned on it hurt. Daphne was looking back and forth between us- terrified.

"I'm going to make your life a living hell," I warned. He grinned at me for what felt like the first time ever-

"It already is."

—-

The rest of the dinner was- awkward. We sat back down and ate in relative silence. Everyone else happily talked but I kept my mouth shut and so did Theodore. Daphne kept blushing every time someone would talk to her- but finally, the hell that was dinner was over and we were able to escape.

"Where are you two going?" Blaise asked as Baz and I started to make our exit.

"Nowhere." We responded in sync.

"I hate that." Pansy wrinkled her nose as if we cared what she liked.

"A club." Baz shrugged one shoulder.

"Yeah?" That got Mulciber's attention. "What club?"

"You're not invited." I shook my head and grabbed Baz's wrist, going to pull him away, He didn't move.

"Would you guys like to come?"

"No." I answered for them

"Coco. They are Theodore's friends- obviously this-" He gestured to all of us as a group- "is going to be the new normal, so maybe just- embrace it."

"He has a point." Draco nodded, examining his nails. I looked back and forth between Baz and Draco- waiting for someone to say just kidding. "However, instead of going to whatever club you two had in mind. We go somewhere with a little more… class?"

I narrowed my eyes at Malfoy, he didn't even know what club we'd had in mind.

"Like where?" Baz asked. I clenched my jaw, when we got home I would be having a conversation with him about being nice to them. It was completely unacceptable. If I thought I could do it without getting caught I'd reach out and pinch him.

"Follow," Draco answered, I felt a hand grip my arm and saw Mulciber grabbing Baz's before feeling the tug of Apperation.

—-

The Dragon's Den was a members-only style lounge. There was literally no reason for Draco to act like it was some well-kept secret, we knew of the place. Typically membership was passed from father to son, and often to the daughters as well but that wasn't treated as something special, however, that wasn't something we'd experienced.

Living in a society that put such a huge emphasis on family tradition was a bitch when one's father died in disgrace.

The Serpents claimed a large white leather couch and dramatically spread themselves out over it. Daphne looked wildly uncomfortable, something that made me immeasurably happy. I wasn't thrilled about this arrangement but I wasn't about to let history repeat itself. Baz and I had suffered the consequences of our parents' actions our entire lives.

Baz and I had been eight when it happened. We woke up to the sound of someone at the door. We had hidden in the hall as the Auror told Genevieve what happened. That our father had been murdered by Octavius Lestrange, the father of Death Eaters Rodolphus and Rebastan Lestrange. Octavius had found our father sneaking out of Contessa Lestrange's bedroom. Octavius supposedly thought our father had been a burglar and he killed him for that. Definitely not because he had been sleeping with Octavius's wife.

Regardless our father was dead and there was no containing the story.

Now, ten years later I would be damned before I would let my spouse do some shit like that to me.

Genevieve had been devastated. She had actually, apparently, loved that idiot man, and he had left her alone to deal with two kids and a world of judgment and cruel rumors. All so he could shtupp some cougar.

I sat next to my brother, trying to stay as far away from Theodore as humanly possible, something he seemed pretty okay with.

"I'll be right back," Baz muttered, getting up and heading over to the bar.

"So have you started planning?" Broderick asked. It took a moment for any of us to realize what he was talking about.

"She doesn't even have a ring. Obviously, they haven't started planning." Daphne snapped. I quirked an eyebrow and glanced down at my ringless hands. She made a good point.

"No, we haven't," I confirmed, Baz came back and handed me a glass, sitting back down between me and the rest of the group. Probably a smart idea.

The others continued to discuss the wedding stuff, but my eyes were focused on the dance floor. It wasn't like a club where the dance floor took up most of the space. It was fairly small, the music was contained to just the dance floor so it wouldn't interrupt conversations in the rest of the lounge. I lifted the glass to my lips and tipped my head back, downing the drink- coughing as I realized it was straight whiskey.

"You seemed like you needed it." Baz shrugged. I placed the glass down and stood, smoothing my dress down over my hips.

"Where are you going?" Theodore asked automatically, sitting up a little straighter. He held a drink in his hand as well though I wasn't sure when he'd gone to get it.

"I want to dance," I informed him, I waited a moment, as if he would offer to go with me but he sank back into the couch.

"No." He said simply. I scoffed, leaning down close to him, my hair falling forward to curtain us.

"Do not presume that you can tell me what to do," I growled before standing upright and walking off to the dance floor.

The moment I crossed over to the dance floor, the music filled my ears and I relaxed. This, I liked this. this was normal and it wasn't tense like sitting around with a group of people who were probably talking shit about me right now. Was it wrong of me to leave Baz to the sharks? Maybe but he wanted to come here with them.

Sometimes I worried that Baz could have been one of the Serpents. That in another life, without me there to run my mouth, that maybe he would have been popular. Maybe he would have been more accepted by our peers if not for me. He seemed to be getting along with them now.

I ran a hand through my hair and started to move to the music. It wasn't long before I ended up almost unintentionally joining a group of girls who were dancing together. from where I moved I couldn't see the couch- but I could see Theodore. He had apparently decided that I couldn't be left to myself, as he was currently leaning against a pillar, a drink in hand, watching as I danced.

His dark gaze was intense as he glowered at me, and only got darker. I was a little unsure why until I felt the hands on my hips, turning my body.

"Hey, Selwyn."

Tate Fawley, eldest son of the Fawley family. He was a couple of years older than me and he'd always been a generally nice guy.

"Fawley." I relaxed a little, moving with him. One of his hands moved from my hip to my lower back and the other dropped from my body completely.

"You okay?" he asked.

"What?"

"Nott looks like he's ready to commit murder." I looked over my shoulder at Theodore who was no longer leaning against the pillar but standing upright.

"I am of the mindset that Theodore Nott is always ready to commit murder," I answered finally.

"That is not really the answer I was hoping for."

"I'm fine." I shrugged. "We are betrothed."

"Con-"

"Nope." I stopped his congratulations. "Definitely not that."

"Then- my condolences." I grinned up at him and the two of us went back to dancing. Tate was a good dancer, his body moving fluidly against mine and my hands moved up his chest. The man grinned, his teeth were perfectly straight and white- that seemed to be the general vibe of Tate Fawley, perfection in a single man, from his perfectly messy golden blonde hair to the seemingly practiced upturn of his smirk, Tate oozed with perfection.

"Fawley." I whirled in Tate's arms, finding Theodore now standing in front of us. "Get your hands off my fiance." He ordered. Tate hesitated a moment before holding up his hands and backing away.

"Whatever you say, man. Good luck, Coco." Tate winked, Theodore's eyes narrowed as Tate moved away from us, heading for the bar. Maybe not so perfect if he was so willing to throw me back into the arms of The Devil I opened my mouth to snap at the man but before anything could come out, Theodore moved closer, his body pressing to mine, one hand replacing Tate's on my lower back the other gripping my chin- firmly but not painfully so.

"What makes you think that I'd be willing to put up with infidelity if you're not?" Theodore asked. I reached up and slapped his hand away.

"You're being dramatic."

"I'm being dramatic?" he scoffed.

"Yes." I turned so my back was to him, if we were going to be out on the dance floor then we were going to dance, otherwise it just looked weird. "There is a massive difference between me dancing with Tate- his hands in completely appropriate places, and you running off to the bathroom with your girlfriend who is trying to talk you into humiliating me and my family by eloping."

Theodore didn't respond right away, but his body did move with mine, his large hand moving to my stomach, holding me against him as we danced.

"Fine. There is a small difference I suppose. However, I am also well aware that Tate Fawley cannot be trusted."

"I have no reason to need to trust Tate, Nott." I pointed out. "It was simply a dance. Not even a full dance as we were so rudely interrupted." Theodore simply grunted in response. The sound changed- turning to something more up-tempo, something I could much more easily dance to.

I let my body move to the rhythm of the music, grinding my ass back against him, I could feel his fingers flexing on my stomach, the tips digging in a little.

"Enjoying yourself?" He growled into my ear, grinding his hips up against me. I swallowed hard as I felt it- as I felt him hard against the dip above my ass.

"I am," I answered simply. "And if you think you can scare me with that, you are about to be sorely disappointed." I wasn't afraid of sex, I wasn't afraid of my own sexuality. If Theodore was hoping for a proper girl who blushed at the idea of his cock he was in for a shock.

"Oh, I know you're not afraid of it." He replied. I paused- unsure if that was meant as an insult or not. "Not yet at least, you haven't seen it." I felt a sudden shock of cool air as Theodore let me go so he could walk away.

It was rare I was left speechless but that was a good one.