Chapter 148:
Safe House
The floo bell chimed, causing Draco to jerk the quill in his hand across the parchment. Scowling briefly at the ruined sentence, he rose, as the bell chimed again. Faster, with more urgency.
Rising, he brushed his hands against his thighs before moving quickly towards the floo. Wand hidden in his sleeve, ready if need be at a moment's notice, as he let in whomever was urgently trying to gain access into his home.
He was pleasantly surprised to find it was (thankfully) not Potter or Longbottom, but Astoria who came through his fireplace. A frown quickly appeared as he noted her expression.
"Astoria? What's wrong?"
"I – I'm sorry for barging in, but I wasn't sure where else I could go and I – "
" – slow down. You're always welcome here."
"Thank you, but I – "
" – but nothing. I'll change the floo settings later. But first, what's wrong? What brought you here?"
"I wasn't sure where…"
" – what's wrong?" he asked, taking a tone he usually reserved for Ariella as he guided his girlfriend into the sitting room.
"I received a letter from the Ministry of Magic."
"What about?"
"A job. I was offered a job as a junior analyst. I would be working with a combination of the Departments of Education and Research."
"Congratulations."
"My parents saw the letter."
"I take it it didn't go well?"
"No. Mother especially is furious."
"I – I'm sorry."
"I want to take the job. But I don't…even with all the stuff they pushed on us, I still want them to support me."
Draco slowly nodded, summoning tea for them and carefully pouring her a cup. "I can understand that. It's a hard change to make." Taking a sip of his own tea, he continued. "What do you want?"
She glanced up.
"Sorry?"
"What do you want?"
"I – I don't know. I want to take the job but I don't want to disappoint them."
"What if you took the position, but promised to continue the…social obligations. For now, at least."
"That's…"
" – and, you could explain, like you did to me, that it's about preserving heritage. Play that angle up if you need to."
Slowly, she nodded, gripping the teacup. It was a nervous tick, he'd noticed. Like Ariella's fidgeting with the corners of cloths.
"You deserve this. I know it's hard, but if they don't approve, you…you can walk away."
"From my family?"
He nodded seriously. "Defy them. Walk away. If that's what will make you happy in the long run."
"Have you considered it?" she asked slowly.
He swallowed hard, but nodded. "I've defied my father," he confided. "Not in large ways, not really, but I've done it all the if walking away is what it will take to secure my future safety, then I'll do it." Granted, it was more complicated than that, but she needn't be burdened yet. He drank more tea before continuing. "I haven't made the decision fully yet, but if I need to, I will."
"Are you – I hate to ask this, but I…I think we need to talk about it…"
"…talk about what?"
"Where are we going?"
"Pardon?"
"Us. Our relationship. Are we still going forward?"
Draco's brow furrowed. He crossed his legs. "Has something happened I don't know about? Have I done something?"
"NO! Merlin, Draco, no. I promise. I just…I thought, given we're starting different parts of our lives now, I thought we should just…"
He leaned forward, suddenly grateful for the years of…'practice' he'd had with Ariella. He felt better equipped now than he otherwise would have been if she hadn't been around all these years.
" – it's fine. Astoria, I'm not planning on going anywhere. I'll be finishing my exams shortly. I do still need to figure out what I'll be doing next, and you'll hopefully be adjusting to a new position, but I don't see why that needs to change our relationship much."
She took a few visible breaths. "Thank you," she murmured, smiling weakly at him.
Leaning forward, he lowered his voice, despite being alone. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Thank you," she repeated, placing her tea aside and leaning forward to kiss him.
"Would you like to stay for dinner?" he asked as they broke apart.
"I'd like that."
Rising, he held out his hand and led her to the small dining room.
"Anything in particular you'd like?"
"I'm fine with anything. I just need to – "
" – to stay away for now," he finished. She nodded.
"Wait here. I'll only be a few minutes."
Ducking into the kitchen, he made sure Astoria wouldn't overhear him before summoning Ariella. As she landed with a dull thud at his feet, he put out his hand. Speaking in a low tone, he quickly explained, "Astoria came to visit. She's upset and staying for dinner. I need your help, but now isn't the time to formally introduce you."
"Prepare dinner, but don't serve," she summarized concisely. Draco nodded. "Is she okay?"
"She will be," he paused as he watched his servant begin pulling out various ingredients. "Thank you."
"Of course."
"Just…request me through the bond."
"Yes, Sir."
Draco ducked backed out into the dining room.
"Feeling any better?"
"A little."
"Dinner should be ready soon."
"Thank you for having me."
"Always. You are always welcome here."
"That's sweet of you. I – don't you get lonely? Cooped up in this large house?"
He shrugged noncommittally. "I see Nott for a visit and my mother lives here, too, but I suppose from time to time it can be…daunting. Certainly will be once I don't have schoolwork to keep me busy."
"How is that going? Almost done, yeah?"
He nodded. "We're obviously a bit behind the school year, or I am at any rate, but I'll be taking my exams soon. Had to complete a few extra classes, considering how my sixth year went."
She smiled, nodding in understanding; the smile quickly turned into a frown of concern as he jerked away from the table.
"I'm just going to check on dinner."
"Do you need help?"
"You are my guest. I'll be back."
Turning back into the kitchen, he saw two plates with small salads and slices of Welsh rarebit.
"I figured if she's upset, she could use some comfort," Ariella explained, gesturing to the food as she continued to stir the pot on the stove.
"Brillant. Thank you."
"Of course, Sir. By the time you've finished eating, dessert will be ready and waiting." She paused for a moment. "I hope she feels better."
"Thanks," he repeated, lifting the two dishes and returning to his girlfriend.
She looked up in surprise. "What? Do you have a secret chef back there?"
"Something like that," he answered evasively. "Another time. Dig in."
Taking a few bites, she commented, "This is perfect. Thank you."
"My pleasure. Now, I did have a…suggestion."
Astoria looked up expectantly.
"What if…I formally came over to dinner with your parents? Not tonight, of course, but soon."
She looked up at him. "You'd do that?"
"Certainly. It would be good for me to officially meet them. Especially given how long we've already been dating and that we're moving into…well, moving away from being students."
"That would be wonderful. Truly."
"And I know my name may not be what it used to be, but it still holds some regard and certainly has tradition attached to it. It could help your case – "
" – Draco! I've already said yes. You needn't convince me further, though I do agree with you."
"Right. You let me know when is best then, yeah?"
She nodded. "Thank you, Draco."
"Certainly."
"I'm serious. Thank you."
Gently, he leaned over, kissing her. "Any time."
