Wayward Wonderings
Title: Wayward Wonderings
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Draco, Harry, Narcissa
Rating: PG13
Warning(s): Angst
Word count: 1015
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This fic/drabble was written for fun, not for profit.
Written for: Belated birthday gift for dayday1223 who requested more of Club Coquette
Summary: Best to get this conversation over with.
"I don't believe we can go back."
As soon as Draco uttered the words, Potter's expression closed down. He stood up slowly, his movements precise and contained.
"I understand," he said in a flat voice. "If you change your mind you know where to find me. Feel free to Apparate from here, or you may use the Floo in the parlor across the hall. Good night."
Potter strode out of the study without a backward glance. It was just as well; Draco knew his expression must be quite stricken. Draco stood up with the same slow care as Potter had. He'd imbibed too much, although drinking the extra water the bartender fobbed off on him, along with the time he'd spent not drinking had helped restore his equilibrium. His physical equilibrium, that was. Draco's mind was reeling, and his emotions were a flighty mess.
He drew his wand and Disapparated.
It was mid-morning when Draco woke up, alone in his own bed. However, he didn't venture downstairs unil after noon. He was not looking forward to the interrogation he was certain his mother would subject him to, and he knew she would. Narcissa Malfoy could be relentless.
Draco asked one of the house-elves to prepare some tea and toast for him and deliver it to the parlor. He planned to fortify himself and then slink back to the privacy of his suite. With any luck, his mother was elsewhere in the manor or perhaps even gone entirely. She did have an active social life. Draco managed to eat half of the toast and sip at his tea before he was found out.
"Darling, how are you feeling?"
Draco managed not to groan out loud when his fervent wish to be left alone went unanswered. "I do feel a tad peaky," he admitted, hoping it would spare him the wrath of Narcissa Malfoy.
She took a seat at the table across from him and folded her hands atop it. "I'm not surprised, considering how much you imbibed last night."
And here we go, thought Draco. "It was not my finest moment," he said aloud. He'd known this conversation was coming. Perhaps it was best to endure it now and get it over with.
"Todd told me you left with Mr Potter." Her tone carried the hint of sharp rebuke.
Draco wanted to lay his head on the table in hopes of staving off his mother and his expanding headache. He took a fortifying breath and said, "Potter took pity on me and sobered me up."
"He took pity on you for drinking too much?" his mother asked, disapproval clear in her voice as well as her expression.
Draco's nerves were already raw, and his control on his temper slipped. "He took pity on me for having Todd the Troll fobbed off on me."
"How can you say that?" gasped his mother. "Todd comes from a fine, pureblood family."
"He is an odious boor, and I swear to Merlin, Mother, that I will not spend another moment in his company," snapped Draco.
Narcissa's lips thinned and her eyes flashed fire. "I beg your pardon for caring about your well-being and your future, Draco."
Her stiff comment left Draco feeling both exasperated and embarrassed. He knew his mother had only his best interests at heart, but she had never bothered to ask him what he wanted. Draco strove to placate her.
"I know you want what you think is best for me, but I'm an adult, mother. It's time for me to make that choice."
His mother dropped her gaze. "Forgive me, Draco. I've spent so long taking care of you that it's difficult to stop."
"Mum, I don't want you to stop," said Draco, reaching out to cover one of her hands with his own. "All I ask is that you quit trying to manipulate my love life. If I meet someone I'd like to spend my life with, I want to do it on my own terms."
"Someone like Mr Potter?"
"I, but...sorry?"
"You left the gala with him last night, Draco."
"I did, yes," Draco admitted, "but I promise you we did nothing but talk. It was not a romantic tryst by any means, if that's what you were wondering."
His mother studied him for a long moment before saying, "I have wondered, Draco. The two of you have always gravitated to one another."
Draco attempted to steady the shaky ground he was on. "I was tasked with keeping an eye on him at Hogwarts, remember? Since then, we have primarily encountered one another at events like last night." And in sordid sex clubs.
Narcissa dipped her chin. "You could do worse than cultivating a relationship with Mr Potter--"
"Mum!"
"...as a friend, if nothing else," she finished.
Draco frowned. "Shall I invite him to tea?"
"That would be splendid."
"I was being facetious!" he exclaimed.
His mother favored him with a small smile as she stood up. "At least he isn't an odious boor."
Draco spent the remainder of the day brooding in his suite. He was restless and unsettled, and his skin felt prickly and too tight. A shag might go a long way towards calming his nerves, but the thought of hooking up again with one of his previous affairs did not appeal. He'd sooner swallow a flobberworm as to let Todd the Troll anywhere near him. Just thinking about it caused Draco to shudder.
He couldn't even don a new costume and go to Club Coquette for an anonymous fling, because Potter would know the instant he stepped from the Floo.
Potter. It all came back to Potter.
As much as he'd like to blame Potter for his current predicament, Draco knew that was the coward's way out. No one had forced him to go to the club. He could have rejected Potter's initial advances. Draco spared a moment to wonder if he would have, had he known then who was behind that mask. The fact that he couldn't answer that question, even within his own mind, was terrifying.
Naughty Nights
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Draco, Harry, Narcissa
Rating: PG13
Warning(s): Angst
Word count: 1015
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This fic/drabble was written for fun, not for profit.
Written for: Belated birthday gift for dayday1223 who requested more of Club Coquette
Summary: Best to get this conversation over with.
"I don't believe we can go back."
As soon as Draco uttered the words, Potter's expression closed down. He stood up slowly, his movements precise and contained.
"I understand," he said in a flat voice. "If you change your mind you know where to find me. Feel free to Apparate from here, or you may use the Floo in the parlor across the hall. Good night."
Potter strode out of the study without a backward glance. It was just as well; Draco knew his expression must be quite stricken. Draco stood up with the same slow care as Potter had. He'd imbibed too much, although drinking the extra water the bartender fobbed off on him, along with the time he'd spent not drinking had helped restore his equilibrium. His physical equilibrium, that was. Draco's mind was reeling, and his emotions were a flighty mess.
He drew his wand and Disapparated.
It was mid-morning when Draco woke up, alone in his own bed. However, he didn't venture downstairs unil after noon. He was not looking forward to the interrogation he was certain his mother would subject him to, and he knew she would. Narcissa Malfoy could be relentless.
Draco asked one of the house-elves to prepare some tea and toast for him and deliver it to the parlor. He planned to fortify himself and then slink back to the privacy of his suite. With any luck, his mother was elsewhere in the manor or perhaps even gone entirely. She did have an active social life. Draco managed to eat half of the toast and sip at his tea before he was found out.
"Darling, how are you feeling?"
Draco managed not to groan out loud when his fervent wish to be left alone went unanswered. "I do feel a tad peaky," he admitted, hoping it would spare him the wrath of Narcissa Malfoy.
She took a seat at the table across from him and folded her hands atop it. "I'm not surprised, considering how much you imbibed last night."
And here we go, thought Draco. "It was not my finest moment," he said aloud. He'd known this conversation was coming. Perhaps it was best to endure it now and get it over with.
"Todd told me you left with Mr Potter." Her tone carried the hint of sharp rebuke.
Draco wanted to lay his head on the table in hopes of staving off his mother and his expanding headache. He took a fortifying breath and said, "Potter took pity on me and sobered me up."
"He took pity on you for drinking too much?" his mother asked, disapproval clear in her voice as well as her expression.
Draco's nerves were already raw, and his control on his temper slipped. "He took pity on me for having Todd the Troll fobbed off on me."
"How can you say that?" gasped his mother. "Todd comes from a fine, pureblood family."
"He is an odious boor, and I swear to Merlin, Mother, that I will not spend another moment in his company," snapped Draco.
Narcissa's lips thinned and her eyes flashed fire. "I beg your pardon for caring about your well-being and your future, Draco."
Her stiff comment left Draco feeling both exasperated and embarrassed. He knew his mother had only his best interests at heart, but she had never bothered to ask him what he wanted. Draco strove to placate her.
"I know you want what you think is best for me, but I'm an adult, mother. It's time for me to make that choice."
His mother dropped her gaze. "Forgive me, Draco. I've spent so long taking care of you that it's difficult to stop."
"Mum, I don't want you to stop," said Draco, reaching out to cover one of her hands with his own. "All I ask is that you quit trying to manipulate my love life. If I meet someone I'd like to spend my life with, I want to do it on my own terms."
"Someone like Mr Potter?"
"I, but...sorry?"
"You left the gala with him last night, Draco."
"I did, yes," Draco admitted, "but I promise you we did nothing but talk. It was not a romantic tryst by any means, if that's what you were wondering."
His mother studied him for a long moment before saying, "I have wondered, Draco. The two of you have always gravitated to one another."
Draco attempted to steady the shaky ground he was on. "I was tasked with keeping an eye on him at Hogwarts, remember? Since then, we have primarily encountered one another at events like last night." And in sordid sex clubs.
Narcissa dipped her chin. "You could do worse than cultivating a relationship with Mr Potter--"
"Mum!"
"...as a friend, if nothing else," she finished.
Draco frowned. "Shall I invite him to tea?"
"That would be splendid."
"I was being facetious!" he exclaimed.
His mother favored him with a small smile as she stood up. "At least he isn't an odious boor."
Draco spent the remainder of the day brooding in his suite. He was restless and unsettled, and his skin felt prickly and too tight. A shag might go a long way towards calming his nerves, but the thought of hooking up again with one of his previous affairs did not appeal. He'd sooner swallow a flobberworm as to let Todd the Troll anywhere near him. Just thinking about it caused Draco to shudder.
He couldn't even don a new costume and go to Club Coquette for an anonymous fling, because Potter would know the instant he stepped from the Floo.
Potter. It all came back to Potter.
As much as he'd like to blame Potter for his current predicament, Draco knew that was the coward's way out. No one had forced him to go to the club. He could have rejected Potter's initial advances. Draco spared a moment to wonder if he would have, had he known then who was behind that mask. The fact that he couldn't answer that question, even within his own mind, was terrifying.
Naughty Nights