Stirring Senses
Title: Stirring Senses
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Draco, Harry, Narcissa
Rating: PG13
Warning(s): None
Word count: 1000
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This fic/drabble was written for fun, not for profit.
Written for: Birthday gift for xchubbycheeks who requested more of Club Coquette
Summary: Draco is determined to survive tea with Potter.
Draco lost his grip on the chair he was pulling out from under the table, and it fell to the floor with a loud clatter.
"Draco!" his mother cried.
He picked the chair up and righted it once again. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
His mum stared at him for a long moment before replying. "I said, I invited Mr Potter to tea."
Draco slumped onto the chair and massaged his forehead. "Why?" he muttered. He wasn't sure if he was questioning his mother's choices or the fates that seemed to continue throwing Potter in his path.
"Forgive me, Draco, but I thought you and Mr Potter had set aside your childhood rivalry."
Stifling a sigh, Draco raised his head to look at his mother. "It's fine, Mum," he said. "I shall be on my best behavior, and I'm sure Potter will be as well."
"I expect so," his mother responded with a dainty sniff. "The two of you are far too old to be acting like school boys."
If she only knew, thought Draco. He wisely held his tongue. Draco pushed his chair back and stood. "Allow me to make myself presentable, and I'll be back downstairs to perform my duties as a host."
Draco nearly jogged up the steps and into his suite. There, he closed the door and slumped back against it. Sweet Salazar, how was he going to survive an entire afternoon in Potter's company? After allowing himself a moment to angst over his fate, Draco straightened and squared his shoulders. He was a Malfoy. He would get through this torturous tea. Besides, Potter wouldn't dare misbehave in front of his mother. Would he?
By the time one of the house-elves showed Harry Potter into the parlor, Draco had pulled his dignity around himself like a mantle. His mum was lovely in a rose colored dress, while Draco had opted for a gray cashmere jumper paired with black trousers. He stepped forward and shook Potter's hand.
"Potter."
Potter nodded to him. "Draco. Mrs Malfoy. You look lovely today. Thank you for inviting me to your home."
"Won't you please have a seat, Mr Potter," Narcissa said graciously.
Potter sat down and bestowed a smile on her. "Please, call me Harry," he requested.
An elf came in, bearing a tea service. She snapped her fingers, and a tiered tray of nibbles appeared on the table. As Narcissa poured the tea, she said, "Draco tells me you assisted him at the gala the other night."
"I merely provided a listening ear and some sobering coffee," said Potter. "Both of us were hiding from admirers."
Draco's mother smiled. "May I ask whom you were hiding from?"
"Romilda Vane," Potter replied. "She's had her cap set for me since Hogwarts, but I am not interested. I find her too much of a coquette."
Draco's tea cup rattled as he set it in its saucer.
His mother gave him a sharp look. "Is something wrong, dear?"
Before Draco could formulate a reply, Potter leaned close to him, stirring Draco's senses with the subtle scent of his familiar cologne. "You don't look as if you've been sleeping well, Malfoy. I confess I haven't slept well recently, either."
"Why is that, Harry?" asked Narcissa. "That is, if you don't mind my inquiry?"
Potter sighed and said, "A promising relationship ended rather abruptly, I'm afraid. The other party was intimidated by my fame and wished to keep things secretive, anonymous even. He wasn't sure if his family would approve of me, either."
"Why, that's absurd," Narcissa tutted. "Any family would be thrilled if you were courting their son or daughter."
Potter's answering smile was more of a smirk, the bastard. "You wouldn't mind if I were to ask your son to dinner?"
Draco stiffened. "I say, Potter--"
"No, I would not mind," his mum cut in, "but Draco has made it abundantly clear that he does not appreciate my input in his personal life."
"Mum, that's not--"
"Ah, yes," Potter interjected, ignoring Draco completely. "I have heard rumors of Todd the Troll."
Narcissa paused in the act of spreading lemon curd on a scone. "You've heard of him?"
"I reckon everyone has heard of him," Potter said with an airy wave of his hand. "He's a bounder, trying to elevate his social status via an advantageous marriage."
Draco wondered if it was possible to crawl under the table, especially when his mother shot him a faintly guilty look. Before either of them could address the topic, Potter spoke again.
"I'm not certain inviting your son to dinner is a good idea, Mrs Malfoy," he said. "I've had my heart broken, and he's done the breaking."
While Draco could only sputter in response, his mum's gaze sharpened. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"I didn't mean to imply anything," said Potter. "It's just that I've recently had my heart broken, while Draco here broke Todd's heart."
It was three full seconds before Draco could even breathe again, let alone speak. "I am quite certain I did not break his heart, Potter."
He was immediately pinned by Potter's intent green gaze. "Are you?"
Draco got the distinct impression that they were no longer discussing Todd. As he scrambled for something to say, Potter sat back and smiled at him.
"What do you say, Malfoy? Draco? Would you like to have dinner with me?"
"Oh, ahem..."
"It would go a long way towards healing my broken heart," Potter cajoled.
I reckon it would, you conniving git.
"I'll even treat," said Potter.
Draco risked a glance at his mum, but she was very pointedly not looking at him. Apparently, she meant it when she promised to no longer interfere in his personal life. That alone was worth going to dinner with Zee, er, Potter. Aside from that, they would be in a public place. What was the worst that could happen?
Draco mustered a smile and bowed to the inevitable. "Yes, I'll have dinner with you."
Cherished Chemistry
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Draco, Harry, Narcissa
Rating: PG13
Warning(s): None
Word count: 1000
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This fic/drabble was written for fun, not for profit.
Written for: Birthday gift for xchubbycheeks who requested more of Club Coquette
Summary: Draco is determined to survive tea with Potter.
Draco lost his grip on the chair he was pulling out from under the table, and it fell to the floor with a loud clatter.
"Draco!" his mother cried.
He picked the chair up and righted it once again. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
His mum stared at him for a long moment before replying. "I said, I invited Mr Potter to tea."
Draco slumped onto the chair and massaged his forehead. "Why?" he muttered. He wasn't sure if he was questioning his mother's choices or the fates that seemed to continue throwing Potter in his path.
"Forgive me, Draco, but I thought you and Mr Potter had set aside your childhood rivalry."
Stifling a sigh, Draco raised his head to look at his mother. "It's fine, Mum," he said. "I shall be on my best behavior, and I'm sure Potter will be as well."
"I expect so," his mother responded with a dainty sniff. "The two of you are far too old to be acting like school boys."
If she only knew, thought Draco. He wisely held his tongue. Draco pushed his chair back and stood. "Allow me to make myself presentable, and I'll be back downstairs to perform my duties as a host."
Draco nearly jogged up the steps and into his suite. There, he closed the door and slumped back against it. Sweet Salazar, how was he going to survive an entire afternoon in Potter's company? After allowing himself a moment to angst over his fate, Draco straightened and squared his shoulders. He was a Malfoy. He would get through this torturous tea. Besides, Potter wouldn't dare misbehave in front of his mother. Would he?
By the time one of the house-elves showed Harry Potter into the parlor, Draco had pulled his dignity around himself like a mantle. His mum was lovely in a rose colored dress, while Draco had opted for a gray cashmere jumper paired with black trousers. He stepped forward and shook Potter's hand.
"Potter."
Potter nodded to him. "Draco. Mrs Malfoy. You look lovely today. Thank you for inviting me to your home."
"Won't you please have a seat, Mr Potter," Narcissa said graciously.
Potter sat down and bestowed a smile on her. "Please, call me Harry," he requested.
An elf came in, bearing a tea service. She snapped her fingers, and a tiered tray of nibbles appeared on the table. As Narcissa poured the tea, she said, "Draco tells me you assisted him at the gala the other night."
"I merely provided a listening ear and some sobering coffee," said Potter. "Both of us were hiding from admirers."
Draco's mother smiled. "May I ask whom you were hiding from?"
"Romilda Vane," Potter replied. "She's had her cap set for me since Hogwarts, but I am not interested. I find her too much of a coquette."
Draco's tea cup rattled as he set it in its saucer.
His mother gave him a sharp look. "Is something wrong, dear?"
Before Draco could formulate a reply, Potter leaned close to him, stirring Draco's senses with the subtle scent of his familiar cologne. "You don't look as if you've been sleeping well, Malfoy. I confess I haven't slept well recently, either."
"Why is that, Harry?" asked Narcissa. "That is, if you don't mind my inquiry?"
Potter sighed and said, "A promising relationship ended rather abruptly, I'm afraid. The other party was intimidated by my fame and wished to keep things secretive, anonymous even. He wasn't sure if his family would approve of me, either."
"Why, that's absurd," Narcissa tutted. "Any family would be thrilled if you were courting their son or daughter."
Potter's answering smile was more of a smirk, the bastard. "You wouldn't mind if I were to ask your son to dinner?"
Draco stiffened. "I say, Potter--"
"No, I would not mind," his mum cut in, "but Draco has made it abundantly clear that he does not appreciate my input in his personal life."
"Mum, that's not--"
"Ah, yes," Potter interjected, ignoring Draco completely. "I have heard rumors of Todd the Troll."
Narcissa paused in the act of spreading lemon curd on a scone. "You've heard of him?"
"I reckon everyone has heard of him," Potter said with an airy wave of his hand. "He's a bounder, trying to elevate his social status via an advantageous marriage."
Draco wondered if it was possible to crawl under the table, especially when his mother shot him a faintly guilty look. Before either of them could address the topic, Potter spoke again.
"I'm not certain inviting your son to dinner is a good idea, Mrs Malfoy," he said. "I've had my heart broken, and he's done the breaking."
While Draco could only sputter in response, his mum's gaze sharpened. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"I didn't mean to imply anything," said Potter. "It's just that I've recently had my heart broken, while Draco here broke Todd's heart."
It was three full seconds before Draco could even breathe again, let alone speak. "I am quite certain I did not break his heart, Potter."
He was immediately pinned by Potter's intent green gaze. "Are you?"
Draco got the distinct impression that they were no longer discussing Todd. As he scrambled for something to say, Potter sat back and smiled at him.
"What do you say, Malfoy? Draco? Would you like to have dinner with me?"
"Oh, ahem..."
"It would go a long way towards healing my broken heart," Potter cajoled.
I reckon it would, you conniving git.
"I'll even treat," said Potter.
Draco risked a glance at his mum, but she was very pointedly not looking at him. Apparently, she meant it when she promised to no longer interfere in his personal life. That alone was worth going to dinner with Zee, er, Potter. Aside from that, they would be in a public place. What was the worst that could happen?
Draco mustered a smile and bowed to the inevitable. "Yes, I'll have dinner with you."
Cherished Chemistry