Blaise couldn't help it. Since the dinner began, he'd been tapping his fingertips on the dining table, shaking his leg and biting his lip. He could feel his wife's heavy, irritated gaze on him, but it wasn't enough to make him stop.
Silent and immersed in his thoughts, he reflected again on his meeting with the Minister of Magic–something he'd been doing almost obsessively for days.
He couldn't stop thinking about it.
He repeated every word the Minister had said to him, looking for a loophole in his vicious plan. Blaise hated politics and endeavoured to stay away from it as much as possible. Sadly, it was inevitable in this situation. He needed information that would serve his cause without complicating the situation or the Minister noticing.
He did not...
"Right, what's the matter?" said Pansy suddenly, dropping her fork noisily back onto her plate.
If Blaise was to be honest, he was surprised that his wife hadn't asked him sooner,unbearable as he had been since the meeting. Unable to sleep through the night, his abrupt movements in bed had woken her up several times.
"Nothing," he lied, nevertheless.
He wasn't ready to tell her everything yet. He still needed time to think about it and allow his thoughts rest in order to conceive the perfect plan.
"Don't lie to me, Blaise Imogene Zabini!"
The traitor! he thought. Pansy had promised never to use the middle name he was so ashamed of. According to his mother, his biological father had chosen it because he considered it very noble.
Rubbish!
He grimaced, then sighed and put down his fork as well.
"The minister made me an offer three days ago," he announced darkly.
Pansy frowned, a worried expression crossed her face as she put her hand over her husband's. She knew just as well as he did what had become of Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"He's offered me a place in the Wizengamot," he continued, tugging anxiously at the collar of his shirt. "On the condition that I support him in all his proposed legislation."
Pansy didn't hide her surprise, eyebrows skyrocketing into her bangs and her face flushing in anger.
"What an asshole!" she growled through clenched teeth. "You can't let him manipulate you like that, Blaise! We could lose a lot!"
"I know," he replied with a sigh. "That's why it took me so long to tell you. I needed to think of a solution."
Pansy raised an eyebrow to invite him to continue. Blaise swallowed. He hoped this idea would work. It was the only one he had in mind.
"I'm going to use this opportunity to move up the ladder," he announced, looking into his wife's eyes. "I'm going to give everything I have to acquire more than a place in the Wizengamot."
Pansy's proud smile was all he needed to jump into such a quagmire.
oOo
Harry,
I never thought I'd be sending you a letter like this. I've fallen off the wagon.
How are you? How is it going with Theo? I miss you very much, I hope to see you and the one who makes your heart beat as soon as possible.
I'm sorry it took me so long to get in touch with you, to check up on you. I'm the only one at fault in this, I screwed up and I'm terribly sorry. I hope you will forgive me.
Things aren't going so well on my end anymore, Harry. Astoria and I... I think it's over. I think we've crossed a line that we shouldn't cross. She left our flat two days ago and she hasn't come back. She doesn't answer my calls, my letters or my patronus. I am alone.
We have been fighting so much the last few weeks and I think this was the last time. I'm so angry with her. I don't really know anymore...
I've been the worst friend to you, Harry. I'm coming back to you after months without news to tell you about me, but I assure you it's not what you think. I've been planning for a long time to come back to England to see my parents and to come to France. That's where our arguments with Ria started.
But, she doesn't want to go back, she doesn't want to return home. She doesn't understand how terribly I need to. She would have liked me to go alone, but I didn't want to. We've been living together constantly for over two years, and I can't see myself leaving her like this. Obviously now, I won't have a choice.
I know this letter will seem cheeky, even disrespectful, but you are all I have left, Harry. I miss my family and I love them more than anything, but between my irritation with Ron and Percy and the tendency of my parents to hoard me away whenever I'm home, you are the only one I can turn to.
I'll understand if you refuse, I will, I promise. But please, can you put me up when I come? I'll be discreet! I won't interfere in your daily life! I'll stay away, I promise you. I beg you, you are my only hope.
Forgive me, Harry, for this long silence. You are my best friend. My only friend, really.
Ginny
Harry put the letter down with a heavy heart.
Despite it being his second read through, he could hardly believe what he had just read.
Ginny Weasley was calling for help. He never thought that such a thing could happen. Ginny, who was so independent, often claiming she didn't need anyone to help her get by, was now begging him to take her in.
But, it was the announcement of her separation with Astoria that disturbed Harry so much. How could such a thing have happened? Although he had only spent a short time with them, he'd listened to Ginny talk about her lover for hours before they left England together. He knew how much she cared about her.
Had it all come from a simple argument? He found that hard to believe. If Astoria hadn't wanted to go back, why stop Ginny from doing so?
He ran a hand over his face and sighed. The specifics weren't his business to sort out or worry himself over. He just needed to decide how he could support his friend.
The door to his office suddenly opened, which brought him out of his thoughts. He met his husband's brown eyes and could not prevent a smile from stretching his lips.
Merlin, he loved being able to call him his husband!
"Am I disturbing you?" Theo asked, hovering in the doorway.
It was as if he didn't dare go any further. Although Harry thought the hesitancy was cute, at first, he couldn't help but wince inwardly. Theo was still afraid of disturbing people, something that would never have crossed his mind years earlier. He was more withdrawn, more reserved, more fearful than the version of him he originally fell in love with.
Theo was wearing one of his usual suits, this time grey, his watch was in one of the pockets, his shoes, which he was carefully shining with his wand, shone in the light of the room and his hands were clasped behind his back. His long hair, which he had not wanted to cut since his arrival in France, was tied up in a meticulous bun. A perfect stature, always.
"Never," Harry smiled as he put Ginny's letter down. "Going out?"
He had just noticed that he was holding a beret behind his back.
"I wanted to suggest we go for a walk in the forest," Theo explained. "But I can go alone if you're working."
Harry stood up silently and approached his husband without taking his eyes off him. Theo's were emotionless, there was no more apprehension, no more... anything. Theo seemed to have swept everything away, as if to protect himself.
But from what? Harry still found it hard to understand.
"Is everything all right?" he worried, placing his hand on his cheek.
He immediately saw his nostrils flaring slightly, a sign that his husband was under stress. He made no comment, however, and waited for Theo to respond.
"I need some air," he admitted, closing his eyes at the touch of his hand.
"I'll get my coat," Harry replied.
October was coming to an end and the temperature was approaching ten degrees. The grass had frozen from the morning dew, turning the usually green estate into a vast expanse of white as far as the eye could see.
The Isle, which ran beneath the stone cliff on which the manor house had been built, reflected the morning sun. Harry loved this time of year, it was his favourite. He could enjoy the sunshine without getting too hot and put on winter clothes when the clouds covered the sky. He loved being able to choose a whole bunch of jumpers and other layers of warm clothes to protect himself from the cold. He felt like he was snuggled under the covers of his bed all day without being frozen in place.
That morning he'd chosen one of the jumpers Molly had made for him, with a large Golden Snitch. It was his favourite.
Theo's hand intertwining with his brought him back to reality. He hadn't realised he'd stopped, staring off into the horizon. He was so grateful to live in a region like this, so vast and beautiful.
"I think Bulle is finally getting used to Oscar's presence," Theo said in an amused voice.
Bulle was the first white cat they had taken in after weeks of consideration. Only three weeks after that, Harry had found a little kitten on a street in Lyon after a mission to the city's Quidditch Stadium for work. He hadn't been able to resist taking it home, knowing how much his husband dreamed of a hairless cat. Harry had never really understood what he saw in Sphynx until he got one. It was such an affectionate and calm kitten and he fell in love with it quickly.
"That's good," smiled Harry. "I was afraid she wouldn't like him."
"I think she's just as sociable as you are," Theo chuckled, bumping his shoulder gently in teasing. "She's incapable of hating anyone."
Harry grinned. He couldn't argue with that.
"Speaking of which," he began uncertainly. "I got a letter from Ginny."
Theo turned his head towards him, one eyebrow raised in puzzlement.
"You mean she remembered you existed?" he quipped.
If he had missed his husband's derision, that didn't stop Harry from feeling his heart clench as he heard it.
"Theo, you know that-"
"You're not going to change my mind about her, love," he cut him off as he turned his gaze ahead of them. "She's been awful to you, she doesn't deserve your answer."
Harry frowned and stopped. He squeezed his husband's hand to make him look at him.
"You're being harsh, Theo. I haven't been around more for her, you know. We've both more or less cut ourselves off. We've drifted apart unconsciously. I have no reason to blame her."
"She ran away from her responsibilities," Theo accused, releasing his hand to cross his arms over his chest. "She left and abandoned you all to your fate."
"You're not being fair. We've all dealt with our grief differently. I don't blame her for leaving."
"You took care of her brother alone. You've..."
"Theo!" snapped Harry.
His husband looked away and clenched his jaws, exhaling loudly.
"What does she want?" he asked coldly.
Harry sighed, but resigned himself to answering him. He hated seeing him like this, so closed off, so annoyed with him. He felt like he was about to lose everything, to lose him.
"She's separated from Astoria," he explained, looking down at his feet, playing with a stone that was lying around. "She wants to come back to Europe and asked me to take her in."
"And what do you plan to say?" Theo asked through clenched teeth.
Harry closed his eyes for a few seconds, his shoulders drooping. He hated this situation. He couldn't stand the idea of being in conflict with his husband.
"Theo..."
"What do you plan to say to that, Harry?" he repeated without letting him speak.
Harry looked up at him and saw by his posture that he would not flinch.
"I don't know," he sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I've been waiting to talk to you about it. I won't do anything you won't agree with, you know that."
"That's not what I'm asking, Harry," Theo replied more wearily, "I don't want you to make concessions for my sake. You have the right to-"
"I'm not," Harry cut him off, shaking his head. "We live together. It's only fair that I ask your opinion."
Theo sighed, but nodded. He remained silent, however, and turned his back to Harry to watch the Isle flowing beneath them. He hadn't released his arms and his posture was as tense as ever.
It made Harry uneasy. He was terrified that he had done something wrong, that he had ruined something between them. What if Theo decided to break up with him? What if his opinion of him changed? What if he disappointed him? It terrified him.
"I need to think about it," he said after what seemed like an eternity. "It's not a no, I just need-"
"To take time to think about it," Harry finished for him.
Theo turned and nodded, before opening his arms to invite his husband to join him. Harry didn't wait a second to do so and tucked his hands under the flaps of his coat to hold him close. He nestled his face in his neck and closed his eyes.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, Harry," Theo replied, running his hand through his wild hair. "I'm sorry I blew up."
"It's already forgotten."
And it was. Harry promised himself.
oOo
Pansy had asked that her portkey arrive in France as soon as possible. She didn't want to waste a single second to enjoy her afternoon as it should be. She had been dreaming about this day for a whole week and looked forward to finally returning to Granger's house.
On her last visit, Hermione had suggested that they watch a 'film'. Pansy had to admit she never thought she would say she was excited about doing something so muggle.
Yet here she was on the sofa in her friend's living room, under a blanket, watching colourful pictures move and a funny woman sing and fly with an umbrella.
She hadn't even visited Draco, preferring to wait until the end of the film for that. It warmed Pansy's heart to witness Hermione's excitement over sharing something she loved with a friend.
"Suffragettes? What is that?" she questioned suddenly, turning to Granger.
"A Muggle feminist organisation from the early twentieth century," Hermione explained before biting into a biscuit.
Pansy held back a wince at the sight of her stuffing her face like that. She'd seen her do it since the beginning of the film, she'd almost completely devoured the packet she'd brought from the kitchen. Crumbs were tumbling from her chin to the sofa cushions and the sound of her mouth was making Pansy's ears bleed.
But Pansy said nothing. She felt uncomfortable, disturbed by her friend's actions. She didn't recognise her. Hermione, who two weeks earlier had looked like an inferius, already seemed to have gained weight. It was so sudden. Her dark circles were still in place and she still looked as fragile, even sick, but... she had changed.
It gripped Pansy's heart and she didn't know how to act. She didn't feel competent. It reminded her of Millicent Bulstrode's behaviour during their years at Hogwarts, something she had reacted terribly to, she realised later.
But now that she understood that Hermione was not acting of her own free will, Pansy found herself lost. It wasn't her place to tell her, and besides, what could she say?
Especially since she knew that her friend would strictly refuse to be helped by anyone. She still remembered Potter's words as he returned from a visit to France.
She refuses to see a healer. She refuses to accept her condition. She just wants to be left alone. But I'm afraid for her.
And Pansy was afraid too. From the looks of it, Hermione was just swallowing muggle biscuits whole, but Pansy knew it was much more than that. She knew it was just a matter of psychological state.
Just as she was about to respond to her friend's remark, Pansy was startled to hear a noise behind them.
She turned towards the kitchen door and saw Draco there, who seemed to be trying to sneak in. Pansy raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips in surprise. She couldn't believe it. He was standing in front of them, looking as if he had been caught in the act.
But that wasn't what surprised her most. It was the first time she had seen him on the ground floor. She couldn't believe it.
"Draco?" she said in a surprised voice.
"I didn't want to disturb you," he replied at once, scratching the back of his head. "I didn't know you were coming today."
And he spoke naturally! It was unbelievable, Pansy was in shock. How had she not noticed? She who had been content to see him in his room for weeks, months, now understood that he was no longer restricted to it! She knew that he had made great progress, but not to this extent!
"You're not disturbing us," she replied disbelievingly.
She was still speechless.
Draco nodded and was about to enter the kitchen, but he froze, his hand on the handle. She saw him take a deep breath before he turned to them again.
"Would you like some hot chocolates?"
This time Pansy thought she was going to faint.
*Bulle = Bubble
There will be an illustration in the next chapter! Any idea of what it could be?
And that's it! See you next Thursday! Thanks to Acciobraincells and rapunzerelli for their amazing work and help! Don't forget to comment and follow the story to support me ;)