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Chapter Thirty-Five

Narcissa was livid. It was the first time since before the war that Theo had seen the blonde witch in such a state. Not even a few moments after Pansy had immbolized the trio, Narcissa came marching in. Her long, blonde hair was pulled into a low ponytail, her wine-coloured robes surprisingly snug against her slim figure. Her silk witch's robe ended at the middle of her shins, pulled firm against her, and the top half of the robes a keyline design, exposing her shoulders. She wore high, black stilettos; she only wore pearl earrings and the classic wedding ring on her left hand. It was the most casual Theo had seen the Malfoy matriarch. Theo instantly dropped his gaze from embarrassment. Narcissa Malfoy nee Black and Gaia Nott nee Rosier had been close friends, from the stories Theo heard; she was also his godmother. Being scold by Narcissa was just as bad as being scold by his own mother. Theo could have handled his father's abuse, but never Narcissa's disapproval. The feeling of shame that rained over Theo put him in a state of discomfort.

"For children who had to fight in a war, you're all behaving foolishly immature."

The older witch snapped. Theo physically winced at her words and he saw from his peripheral that Draco did the same.

"Not you, Pansy, dear."

Narcissa added. Theodore internally rolled his eyes at her statement; to Narcissa, Pansy could do no wrong – not that Narcissa was wrong. The two witches formed a tight bond when the Dark Lord was coming back into power as Pansy's father had wanted Pansy to take the mark shortly after Draco took his. Narcissa disagreed. Pansy was grateful to have someone on her corner that wasn't her peer. Theo was envious of Pansy when Narcissa got her father to delay her marking. He remembered snapping at Pansy in the common room, demanding of Draco if Narcissa was his godparent or not. It wasn't Theo's proudest moment.

"What has occurred that has the Malfoy elves in a state of frenzy and the familial magic in a panic?"

Narcissa asked, her tone short. Leave it to the Malfoys to have some artefact that relayed impending death, Theo thought to himself. Then he let his thoughts drift to see if his family had anything of the sort as well. Pansy had dropped the immobilization spell so they could speak but it was Blaise who spoke, he nor Draco dared to talk.

"Draco had an accident and called us to help. My sincerest apologies for upsetting the Malfoy magic, Signora Malfoy."

Blaise's easy way with words was a trait Theo envied, but not at the moment. He knew that they weren't going to bullshit out of this situation. Narcissa knew something was amiss that require her attention. Three seconds past, then five, and finally ten when Theo heard Narcissa release an exhale.

"Is everyone okay?"

She finally asked. Pansy and Blaise gave a firm 'yes', while Draco mumbled his out, and Theo nodded dumbly. He was taken aback that she had let Blaise's words appease her, but then again, it wasn't their actions that had set a fire underneath Narcissa's robes. A few more seconds passed before the matriarch said,

"Then you could all leave me to speak with my son."

Pansy and Blaise didn't make a noise of disagreement and walked out without a word. Of course, she knew it was Draco's actions that had caused their familial magic to go bonkers, but that didn't make Theo feel better. The same feeling of unease was still over his person and he didn't like it. He had just saved Draco, he wasn't going to let his mother kill him for his stupid decisions – even if he deserved it. Theo was the last one out and didn't look at Draco as he passed him. However, he did stop in front of Narcissa. Finally making eye contact with her and trying his best at occluding, blue met blue.

"He didn't mean it… mon marraine."

He whispered, adding the affectionate term he called Narcissa when he was younger. Before Narcissa could respond, he swiftly left the room to join the others outside. The door closed and a silencing charm was cast, Theo was sure of it. Exhaling, he expected some peace now that Draco's mother could give him a piece of her mind, but he caught the glare of Pansy. Bugger, he silently thought. He wasn't going to relent though. Theo stared indifferently at her, making sure his shields were up as he made his way to the floo room, passing both she and Blaise. While had come when Dally had shown up, that didn't mean he wanted to stay after he had gotten his work done. He had in the heat of the moment dueled Draco, but he wanted to leave as soon as he could. He didn't want to argue or discuss whatever Pansy had in plan. Theo wanted to go home and get sloshed by himself. The situation Draco had placed him caused ugly memories to resurface; he'd rather deal with those alone then in the presence of his best mates.

"Theo."

Blaise's voice stopped him halfway across the hall. He didn't turn.

"Pansy wants us over for dinner. Coming?"

He heard his friend asked. Before he could turn them down, there was a sudden grip on his hand and he looked to his left to see Pansy's lovely face looking up at him. His walls crumbled. Pansy rarely looked at him with the softness in her eyes as she was now. Theo resisted the urge to gulp, his throat suddenly dry.

"Please?"

She whispered. He pretended not to notice the shine in her eyes. It seems like I'm not the only one with mixed feelings,he thought to himself. He only nodded once and let himself be directed by Pansy, Blaise close behind. While he wanted differently, Theo knew better than to succumb to his bad coping mechanisms; he had just yelled at Draco for doing it and Theo hated being a hypocrite. Theo sighed. He squeezed Pansy's hand as they neared the fireplace. It's good to have friends, he thought.

.

.

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After Draco's, Pansy had not expected a visitor knocking on her door. Pansy had not expected said unannounced visitor to be Hermione Granger. She glared at the witch.

"Look who comes knocking after weeks of disappearance. You're lucky we work at the same place otherwise Potter would have gotten a Howler from me, and the ministry would have gotten a missing witch report."

Pansy snapped. She was placated to see the curly headed witch shrink at her words. Gryffindor's Princess was dressed more casually than Pansy had seen her last – at Harry Potter's birthday party. The green tee engulfed the witch making her appear less defined which Pansy was not a fan of. She rose her arched eyebrow at her despite being nearly the same height. Pansy was not going to let off so soon against a witch she recently started calling her friend.

"Pansy I'm sorry, really, I – "

She didn't get to finish because then Theo and Blaise had heard who was speaking and decided to interrupt.

"Look what the cat dragged in."

Blaise drawled, his teasing tone slipping in easily. Theo stayed silent but Pansy could see from her peripheral that he wasn't far behind. Eons ago, one could assume that the Slytherin trio were ganging up on Hermione Granger; now she was there apologizing on behalf of her shitty friendship skills. Pansy watched in gratification how the witch's cheeks darkened in hue. It was hard to notice if one didn't watch for the signs but being around her and Draco, Pansy studied the curly-headed witch more than she thought.

"I didn't mean to interrupt."

Hermione finally said after moments of twiddling with her hands. After a few silent seconds, Pansy relented and stepped aside, the wizards around her following suit.

"Close the door behind you, Granger."

She instructed as she turned around and headed to her kitchen to make another drink. After dinner, the trio decided to stay in and have a couple of drinks. She was currently drinking a mango margarita – marvelous invention, Pansy thought – while Blaise stuck to Blishen's and Theo had opted for a smooth sangria. Pansy was monitoring the brunet wizard closely; the evening they had was as unexpected as her current visitor. Pansy began making another margarita for Hermione while the wizards spoke with her. So far, Pansy could only hear Hermione and Blaise's voices, Theo had remained silent. Finishing up on the salt rim on the large margarita glass, Pansy walked back towards her living room. Blaise and Hermione occupied one loveseat while Theo sat opposite of them, nursing his own drink as he watched the pair like a hawk. Pansy stepped towards Hermione, offering her the drink, and with a stern look, Hermione accepted without remark. Flashing her a smile and sitting beside Theo, Pansy crossed her leg over the other. Before Pansy could ask what topic, Blaise and Hermione were conversing about, Theo finally exploded. Pansy kept her disdain over the theatrics that were Theodore Nott. Under normal circumstances, she would tell him to pipe down, but they all had a long day.

"You know you're a shite friend, Granger."

He all but yelled. Pansy could see Hermione tense up, resting the large glass on her knee that had almost came to her lips. Blaise side-eyed Theo but didn't say a word while Pansy lowered her gaze. She was offering a subtle apology on behalf of her childhood friend, but Hermione was in this one on her own; she did owe them an explanation for why she iced them all at.

"I… I am sorry, Theo."

Hermione offered, her tone soft, her stare downward. Theo wasn't having it.

"Care to explain why you deemed us less than friends for the past two weeks?"

Theo asked. Blaise took a drink of his Blishen's while Pansy followed suit.

"That wasn't my intention. I had a lot on my plate."

Hermione whispered, lamely. Theo scoffed, downing his sangria in three, giant gulps before slamming the cocktail glass on the table before him.

"Theodore!"

Pansy finally snapped while Hermione jumped at the sound. Blue clashed with brown.

"That's an even shitter excuse, Granger."

Theo snapped. Finally, the inner lion came out and Hermione's stare turned into a glare. She took a healthy sip from her glass before placing it on the table. Internally, Pansy was pleased; she didn't like the fiery Gryffindor working herself in to a pathetic state – even if she did deserve some of the shite Theo was dishing out.

"I'm entitled to my privacy, Nott."

She replied frostily. Theo opened his mouth to ague but Hermione wasn't done.

"But if you must know, I spoke with Ministere Auclair and for the most part, she advised there was very little – if anything – that could be done for my parents' memory recovery."

Hermione stated. Even though she put on a brave front, Pansy could see the cracks in Hermione. Her nose scrunched up ever so slightly, her fists clenched tightly. Pansy's eyebrows furrowed as she looked towards Blaise but he appeared to look equally confused; the only one that didn't appear so was Theo who had softened at the mention of Hermione's parents.

"On top of the prejudices of the lycanthropy bill I am trying to pass, my new friendships to navigate, my best friend's dissolved romantic relationship, I've also had to deal with complicated, untimely feelings towards – "

Hermione stopped her rant, mid-pant as Pansy tried to put her wide eyes back to normal. Blaise was grinning into his cup like the cat that caught the cream while Theo stared at her as if he had never seen her before. Men, Pansy internally scoffed. Always pushing one to one's limit and acting as if they did not see the emotional volcano forming and finally exploding. Hermione grabbed onto the margarita glass before drinking another healthy amount; Pansy assumed she was trying to keep her mouth occupied or less she continued talking about her 'untimely' feelings of a certain blond wizard. The room was asphyxiating until Theo finally cleared his throat. Pansy watched as Theo thawed in a matter of moments of being around Hermione Granger. Pansy had only known for Theo to switch his sometimes-insufferable attitude for his closest of friends; she had to keep the surprise off her face.

"Apology accepted."

He said, a ghost of a smile on his lips. Hermione threw a glare at him before she too softened and for a moment, Pansy let her imagination wonder. She wondered if Theodore and Hermione would make a better match than Draco and Hermione; they certainly get along smoother, Pansy thought to herself. Before Pansy could ponder longer, her fireplace roared to life. Draco Malfoy stepped out of the green flames and the sought-after easy mirth on everyone's faces left. Fuck, Pansy thought.

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Astoria eyed her sister wearily. She was tired. Astoria didn't know if Daphne was pressing for a betrothal between her and Draco because she genuinely cared about her future or because Daphne would reap benefits from being a Malfoy in-law. Lately her elder sister had become obsessive with the pending betrothal between her and Draco – an endeavor she solely sought out. Astoria reminded Daphne there was nothing ever officially discussed between her and Narcissa Malfoy. Astoria knew Narcissa had chosen her to become her betrothal option once Draco came around to choosing, but that was it. She hadn't heard from the Malfoy matriarch since the disastrous night when Daphne and she showed their faces at Malfoy Manor uninvited. Frankly, she didn't think she would considering Daphne's rash behaviors and words. Narcissa Malfoy's face had turned into a blank slate as soon as Daphne mentioned Draco and Hermione Granger. Then she asked them to leave which Astoria complied easily and left with her fuming sister. After that, there was no communication between Narcissa Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass. Astoria watched from the corner of her round vanity as her sister paced back in forth in her room. Her sister had barged in moments before and demanded what was happening between her and Draco. As much as Astoria would have love to kick her out and contemplate her own future in peace, Daphne had the upper hand. Their parents were equally pressed and interested in the alleged betrothal between her and Draco. Astoria's room was large enough to house a sitting area below while the upper part of her room oversaw the sitting area. The room was a neutral tone of coffee colors except for the dark green vanity and the light blue canopy covering her bed. The ground beneath her was covered in a cinnamon-colored rug. The small steps leading to her bedroom area were a light wood as was the rest of the floors. There was a brown loveseat with a toffee, short, rectangular table in front of it. There was a lively green Chinese evergreen in the middle of the table. There were three, white doors – one leading to the rest of the house, one to her private bath, and the other leading to her closet. Astoria had converted the attic into her bedchambers while Daphne was away at Hogwarts, but Daphne did not seem to mind because that meant she did not have to live in proximity with her baby sister at the time. They gave each other space. Space Astoria desperately needed from her sister at the current moment.

"You have got to be around them more, Tori."

Daphne said out loud, more to herself than to Astoria, breaking Astoria's trance from staring at herself in her mirror. Astoria blinked once before she focused on the image before her – herself. She saw her smooth porcelain skin, her straight dark brown hair, her lips tinted a soft pink, the blush applied to her cheeks, and the little but dark eye makeup she applied. I look nothing like her, Astoria couldn't help but to think.

"Draco doesn't fancy me, Daph."

Astoria responded, almost whispering to herself. Daphne rolled her eyes at her before walking towards to place her hands on her shoulders. Her sister gripped onto her, pressing her fingers into Astoria's skin. Astoria resisted the urge to wince.

"Don't be silly, Tori. This isn't a love match. We must get you into the friend group and with Narcissa too."

Daphne said to her. Astoria stared at her sister before getting up. She brushed off any wandering hairs off her dark trousers and adjusted the baby blue satin, halter styled top tucked into her pants.

"Do let me know when this plan comes into fruition."

She said, leaving her sister behind in her room and leaving to more enjoyable company. Her tall, nude stilettos made a clacking noise against the wooden floor. She was dressed to go out and was on the verge of leaving before her sister came interrupting.

"Tori! Wait."

Daphne demanded, appearing out of her room and into the hallway. Astoria chose to ignore her sister and quickened her pace

"Astoria!"

Daphne yelled as soon as she turned the corner that led downstairs. She gripped onto the metal railing that she knew of her ancestral home. Just a few more steps, Astoria thought to herself as she sped walk towards the front of the home. Her father and mother were the only two that could apparate within anywhere in their home because they were the master and mistress of the home, not her or Daphne. Astoria pulled her wand out from her pants' pocket when Daphne gripped onto her wand hand. Her sister's hazel eyes burned into her own and Astoria glared at her. The younger Greengrass sister was at the end of her patient streak.

"Daphne, I'm leaving."

She stated.

"Where?"

Daphne asked, tilting her head mockingly as her straight, dark blond hair shifted.

"Out."

Astoria responded. Daphne pulled her closer, the bodies touching as Astoria forced herself not to squirm under the scrutiny and closeness. Astoria could count on one hand how many times Daphne had held her or touched her out of affection – this moment wasn't one of them.

"Instead of wasting your time on Pucey, you should be going to see what Blaise and Theo are getting into."

Daphne whispered. Astoria hid her surprise, not knowing how her sister found out about her semi-relationship with Adrian Pucey and pushed her sister away. Daphne didn't hide the shock of her sister's force.

"Don't tell me what to do, Daph."

Astoria snapped before disapparting.