The fireplace sprang to life as the dashing wizard that was Theo Nott stepped out into the receiving room of Malfoy Manor. Exhaling a lazy stretch and brushing the Floo powder from his robes, he set off to find his unpleasant comrade.
"Dra-co," he sing-songed as he strode down the narrow hallway leading to the atrium.
He glanced around at the heavy velvet curtains adorning the portrait-lined walls. Strange, he thought, not remembering that particular gaudy adornment the last time he was there.
"Dra-co," he called again, a bit louder. "It's no use pretending like you have a life, I know you're here." Craning his neck to look into the study and then across the hall into the solarium, he was struck with surprise when Draco appeared out of nowhere from the drawing room. "Merlin, what are you doing sneaking around like that? You're lucky I didn't hex you."
"I could ask the same of you," he clipped, glaring at him with narrowed eyes and brusquely closing the door behind him. "What are you doing here, Nott? Isn't there some place else you could be?"
Theo feigned offense while continuing to scrutinize the hallway. "You wound, Draco. Is it so wrong that I missed my best mate and thought I'd come by for a kip? By the way, what's with the curtains? Grew tired of gossiping with all your ancestors?"
"I don't have time for your inane interrogations, Nott. Did you need something? Otherwise, I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"In a hurry to do what, mull over the misdeeds of your youth while downing a bottle of Ogden's and then passing out on your sofa by 8:30? No, wait." He gave several short sniffs into the air. "Is that eau de cologne I smell?" Realization swiftly dawned on him. "Ohhhh, I get it now. You want me out of here because you have a date with a lady friend."
Draco turned away in annoyance and stalked off, but Theo continued undeterred, following closely on his heels.
"Is it with another one of those vapid Pureblood witches mommy dearest sets you up with? What's this one's name? Priscilla? Anastasia? Gwendolyn?"
"Shut it, Theo!" Draco scoffed, rounding the corner to enter the library. "I don't have a date!" His low and threatening voice exploded with opposition. "If you must know, I have a work engagement regarding the case you and your girlfriend Potter all but forced me into taking on."
"A work appointment?" Theo questioned doubtfully. "What kind of a work engagement occurs on a Saturday night and requires an obscenely clean house and three spritzes of your finest oud and bergamot?"
He ran a finger along the credenza, pausing to examine what dust particles collected on his pad. He chuckled to himself when he found none.
"Are you quite finished?" Draco snapped.
"I don't know, am I? Let me see." His eyes traveled the length of Draco's lithe frame. "Italian leather oxfords, fitted black jeans, stylish button-down shirt opened at the collar...along with the infamous wind-swept hair all the witches fancy. Yup, I'd say it's definitely a date." His taunting smile stretched mercilessly from ear to ear.
"You're ridiculous," Draco spat, skirting Theo's scrutiny by reaching across the fully-stocked liquor cart and pouring himself a finger of whisky, downing it with little effort.
The frustratingly perceptive Theo pressed on. "So, who's the lucky witch?" He drummed his fingers on the credenza with feigned concentration. "Please tell me it's not the Gryffindor princess you've sworn to despise."
He made quick work of searching Draco's face for confirmation, but the schooled features of his well-trained companion revealed nothing.
Draco poured himself another finger of whisky and swallowed it in one go.
"If you must know, I have a work appointment with Granger to begin our research on the MacNair case. It is about the farthest thing from a date you could possibly imagine. The fact that you would even imply as much is absurd."
"Is that why you're guzzling whisky to settle your nerves?" he asked, still continuing to smile as Draco squirmed under his watchful glare.
"For fuck's sake," he hissed, "why don't you..."
But before he could finish, Draco's house-elf Baron arrived with a pop.
"Master Draco," Baron squealed. "Baron is nearly finished with the preparations for dinner. Will yous and Miss Granger be taking your meal in the dining room?"
His house-elf hopped from one foot to the other much like a child at Christmastime, eager anticipation of his impending house guest on full-display.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Draco answered with as much patience as he could muster. "No, Baron. I've already told you. We will be taking our meal in the library."
He could feel Theo's triumphant eyes boring into the side of his head and fought not to make eye contact with him.
"But Master Draco said..."
"That will be all, Baron. I will call for you when Miss Granger arrives."
"Will Master Nott be joining you and the missus?" he quickly added.
"No, he will not. In fact, he was just leaving. If you would kindly show Mister Nott to the Floo..."
Theo sniffed. "I see how it is. Two is a couple, three is a crowd."
His final attempt at antagonism saw Draco's irritation reach a crescendo.
He plunged his hand into his wand pocket causing Theo to throw up his hands in surrender.
"Just don't do anything I wouldn't do, mate," he added with a smirk before being abruptly Apparated away to the receiving room by the house-elf.
