Visiting an old friend
Characters: Blaise Zabini and Tracey Davis
Rating: PG
Summary: A bored Tracey pops into The Vale for a visit.
Because her father had decided to spend a week golfing in Aruba, Tracey wasn't expected in the office at all. She knew that if she'd asked Greg to spend the week with her he wouldn't have gone into work at all but she hated being selfish like that so instead she promised him she'd be fine with Blaise.
After lunch, she poked her head through the Floo and called out his name. "Are you home, B? Can I come through?"
Blaise looked up from the file he was perusing with a grin. "Of course you can, Trace."
Smiling widely, she stepped into the grate and ended up in the sitting room at The Vale. He was lounged back on the sofa reading and she promptly sat down next to her friend, grateful that he automatically wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"What'cha reading?" she asked, her curly head resting on his shoulder as she peered into the paperwork in his hands.
"The myriad of ways those Greengrass bints screwed themselves when they decided to keep harassing Asteria."
"Ooh, please say I get to help with the said screwing. I could make it look like an accident. I've got years of imagining clever ways to torture Daphne," Tracey said with wicked delight.
"So long as it can't be traced back to any of us and most especially Asteria. She asked me," he said, his voice dropping low, "To make them leave her alone. So I will."
Tracey nodded, grateful that she'd had them all for as long as she could remember. Asteria was still new to this 'family protecting you' thing. "You don't mind me interrupting then, do you? I didn't want to stay home and Daddy's not at the office today."
"I never mind you visiting." Blaise shook his head at the idea. "Did you have something planned for us?"
"Oh I'd probably suggest something fun and Val would pout that I sent him on to work," she laughed. "I was just thinking more along the lines of not wanting to put anyone out by being a layabout. Besides, I haven't seen you in ages and I wanted to ask you how your new job was going. You're not stuck in a stuffy office with a bunch of sour-pusses are you?"
"I deal directly with the sexiest blonde in Britain."
"Don't let Draco hear you say that," Tracey said with a laugh. "So... bird or bloke? And really? You find a Ministry employee sexy? They aren't drugging you over there are they?"
Blaise chuckled. "I won't tell him if you won't. Signe Fawcett and no she's not drugging me," he offered, knowing she would keep asking until he gave over.
"Fawcett? As in blonde Hufflepuff in our year? Didn't you already fuck her when we were at Hogwarts?" Tracey asked, trying to remember but failing. School hadn't been much more than killing time until she could be with Greg all the time again.
"No," he said glumly. "I never managed it then and I'd sure like to now but I don't think she'd let me."
Tracey looked up at him and frowned, utterly indignant for her friend. "Why ever not? You're fabulous. She'd be a fool not to."
He laughed, kissing her brow. "You're a doll, Trace. Good for my ego too."
If she was one to preen, she'd be doing it then. "I try." Tracey practically giggled.
"Anyway, I hope you'll not pine for long. If she's the typical Hufflepuff then no matter how pretty she is you don't want her anyway and if she's your direct contact at the Ministry then you could bugger up your position there by fraternizing. Not that that has ever stopped you before," she added with a smirk of her own.
"I don't think she's typical at all," he mused. Shaking his head, he smiled brightly. "We clearly need to go do something or else I'll be mistaken for a girl."
"Well that would be the worst thing ever! Talking about your feelings!" she said with a grin still on her face. She knew exactly what he was thinking. She'd rebuked herself enough for behaving like a 'girl' when it came to her own feelings. "Now, when you say 'go do something' you usually mean shopping... and you know how I am about shopping. Though, I did have fun when Asteria and I went shopping for pretty knickers."
"Oh good, one store off our list. They look at me oddly when I go in there," he said, trying to get a giggle out of her.
And giggle she did. "Only because they think you're looking for yourself."
"I only tried a corset on once and it was a dare anyway," he retorted with mock indignation.
"And as I recall you looked better in it than I did. Thank you for reminding me that I'm as flat as a floorboard," Tracey said wryly. "Come on then. I may even let you buy me some shoes. Greg always goes batty when I'm wearing something you picked out for me."
That only spurned him on. Neither had figured out that the only reason he bought clothes for Tracey- well other than he enjoyed spoiling his friend- was in hope of poking Greg into to saying or doing something to out how he really felt about Tracey. "A whole new outfit it is."
"Or we could go round the Ministry and you could introduce me to your new friend... that sounds much more fun."
He stood and gently pulled her to her feet. "Ahh, no. Sorry, but let me woo her a bit first, yeah?"
Tracey's eyebrows hit her hairline. She'd never known B to ever woo anyone. That was something worth filing away for later.
With a mock pout she acquiesced. "Fine, fine. New clothes it is. We'll have to find Greg a present too. I think he was frowny that I told him he ought to go to work today. It'll make him feel better."
"Not Armani." If he pouted then he'd deny it until his last breath but seriously, Greg was delusional about what made a good designer.
Rolling her eyes, Tracey stood up and tugged him along with her. "Now, who's being a girl. Just for that I should buy you something from Stella McCartney or something. See! Look who just pulled a designer's name out of a hat. Maybe you and Val will have to keep me after all."
Blaise laughed out loud. "Will you Apparate just this once? We can side-along."
Tracey nodded slowly. She hated Apparition but she was sensible enough to know that it was illogical to drive all over London when she didn't have to. Besides, Blaise always took care of her - she knew Greg would kill him otherwise. "I'll close my eyes and think of England, shall I?" she said with a laugh. "If we're going into Muggle London we'll need to stop at Gringott's too. I haven't any Muggle money on me."
"All right. Hold on tight and we'll stop by Gringotts first."
Tracey hid her face in his chest and closed her eyes until they were on solid ground again in the entrance to the big Wizard's bank.
"Thanks," she murmured as she stepped back and felt herself to make sure nothing had been splinched.
"You're welcome. Are we sticking together inside or splitting up?" He escorted her towards the area where people of their status were taken care of.
"Either works for me. I'm just going to have them withdraw money from my vault to exchange. Did you need to go down to yours?"
"Not particularly but I didn't know if you wanted me tagging along or not."
Tracey rolled her eyes but smiled just the same. "It's not like my changing money is a secret - besides, even if it was you'd be one of the few who'd I'd share it with."
She tugged him along with her to one of the private counters and slipped her arm in his while the goblins did their work and brought her several hundred pounds worth of Muggle money. She tucked it into her bag and gave Blaise a wink. "I'm ready if you are."
"I'm always ready," he retorted cheekily.
Once again she let him Apparate her to the designated Apparition point down Bond street.
"Where should we start?" she asked, tucking a long curl behind her ear.
"With a new dress. One short enough to make Greg's eye pop out but long enough that he doesn't pitch a fit about you going out in public."
"So not like the last black cocktail dress you insisted on buying me," she said with a laugh. "He called it a dishcloth. I assured him it was silk and far nicer than any dishcloth I'd ever seen. Still, he pouted so much that I've never worn it anywhere."
"I think I'll be having a dinner party soon that I insist you wear it to," he said, deciding then and there. "You and Greg, Draco and Asteria, and Theo."
"You'll certainly need more witches," Tracey said with a needling smile. "Maybe Fawcett could join us."
"Possibly," was all he'd allow, opening the shop door and ushering her in first.
"It was just a thought," she said lightly, following him into a rather smart looking shop. "Though it's not like it'd be a couple thing or anything - Malfoys notwithstanding. I haven't seen Theo in ages. He's a shite owl writer."
"So we track his sorry arse down after shopping and you can tell him that," Blaise said wickedly. "I've not heard from the hermit for an age either."
"We'll see how long we are. Greg'll be home by five," Tracey said with a smile and a nod when one of the clerks approached them and asked if they needed help.
Blaise indicated the dresses he thought Tracey should try. "Go on, try those on, Trace."
She mentally groaned. She hated fitting rooms but they'd had the argument about buying things that looked like they'd fit and then, once she was home, putting them away in the closet without ever actually wearing them. "You know, someday I'm going to insist you try on the dresses too," she muttered, dutifully following the girl to the back of the shop to the private shopper's suite.
The blonde clerk bit her lip in amusement as Tracey muttered the whole way back before turning to Blaise. "Would you like to pick anything else for the Miss to try on?"
Blaise grinned with unholy glee, spending the next five minutes pointing out things he wanted for himself and loading her arms with items for Tracey to try on. Plopping down in one of the overstuffed chairs by the triple mirror, he chuckled at the dark look he garnered from the clerk. "Come on, Trace, lets see the first dress."
It was ghastly but she dutifully stepped out to show him. "I don't think yellow's my colour, B." Nevermind the fact that her already flatter chest looked even worse with the dark orange threads throughout.
"The style looks good though," he pointed out.
Tracey eyed him. "You're awfully randy to get me to buy a halter, B," she said dryly. "You know Greg would have kittens if I showed up in something like this."
"It'll be good for him." He ushered her back into the dressing room. "Try the dark purple, Trace."
Her eyes narrowed but she did as he asked her to. he was trying to be sneaky - he knew she always looked good in purple - just like he always looked good in white or Greg always looked good in black. He had a point though. The dark purple halter dress had silver threads throughout and with some pretty bracelets and a hair circlet even she could admit that she'd look pretty damn hot.
"I like this one," she admitted begrudgingly when she stepped out to show him. "I'd need some silver strappy shoes though I think."
"Excellent! Will you trust me to pick a couple of things from the pile here and save you the hassle of trying all of it on while you change?"
She sighed dramatically but nodded just the same. They were destined to leave the very first shop with more bags than they could carry.
"Just think, Greg will bring home bags and bags of things that you didn't have to try on after he sees our haul today."
"More clothes are the last thing I need, B," Tracey said with a good-natured swat at her friend. What she needed was a best friend who saw her the way that she saw him.
It didn't take her long to change back into her own clothes and when she came out she had to stifle her laugh when she saw the pile of clothes and accessories Blaise had piled up on the counter. "Are you planning on buying the shop out, B?"
"Of course, I got you here once and it may be six months before it happens again," he said teasingly.
Tracey rolled her eyes but laughed just the same, sliding her arm in his as the clerks packed everything up. "Please tell me we can go somewhere I can get a drink before you force me into more shops," she said wryly.
"Sure," he said, snickering. "Liquor you up for shoe shopping, sounds like a plan to me."
"Lead the way then, mate," she said with a smirk. "Get me drunk enough and I'll even let you buy me a purse."
Rating: PG
Summary: A bored Tracey pops into The Vale for a visit.
Because her father had decided to spend a week golfing in Aruba, Tracey wasn't expected in the office at all. She knew that if she'd asked Greg to spend the week with her he wouldn't have gone into work at all but she hated being selfish like that so instead she promised him she'd be fine with Blaise.
After lunch, she poked her head through the Floo and called out his name. "Are you home, B? Can I come through?"
Blaise looked up from the file he was perusing with a grin. "Of course you can, Trace."
Smiling widely, she stepped into the grate and ended up in the sitting room at The Vale. He was lounged back on the sofa reading and she promptly sat down next to her friend, grateful that he automatically wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"What'cha reading?" she asked, her curly head resting on his shoulder as she peered into the paperwork in his hands.
"The myriad of ways those Greengrass bints screwed themselves when they decided to keep harassing Asteria."
"Ooh, please say I get to help with the said screwing. I could make it look like an accident. I've got years of imagining clever ways to torture Daphne," Tracey said with wicked delight.
"So long as it can't be traced back to any of us and most especially Asteria. She asked me," he said, his voice dropping low, "To make them leave her alone. So I will."
Tracey nodded, grateful that she'd had them all for as long as she could remember. Asteria was still new to this 'family protecting you' thing. "You don't mind me interrupting then, do you? I didn't want to stay home and Daddy's not at the office today."
"I never mind you visiting." Blaise shook his head at the idea. "Did you have something planned for us?"
"Oh I'd probably suggest something fun and Val would pout that I sent him on to work," she laughed. "I was just thinking more along the lines of not wanting to put anyone out by being a layabout. Besides, I haven't seen you in ages and I wanted to ask you how your new job was going. You're not stuck in a stuffy office with a bunch of sour-pusses are you?"
"I deal directly with the sexiest blonde in Britain."
"Don't let Draco hear you say that," Tracey said with a laugh. "So... bird or bloke? And really? You find a Ministry employee sexy? They aren't drugging you over there are they?"
Blaise chuckled. "I won't tell him if you won't. Signe Fawcett and no she's not drugging me," he offered, knowing she would keep asking until he gave over.
"Fawcett? As in blonde Hufflepuff in our year? Didn't you already fuck her when we were at Hogwarts?" Tracey asked, trying to remember but failing. School hadn't been much more than killing time until she could be with Greg all the time again.
"No," he said glumly. "I never managed it then and I'd sure like to now but I don't think she'd let me."
Tracey looked up at him and frowned, utterly indignant for her friend. "Why ever not? You're fabulous. She'd be a fool not to."
He laughed, kissing her brow. "You're a doll, Trace. Good for my ego too."
If she was one to preen, she'd be doing it then. "I try." Tracey practically giggled.
"Anyway, I hope you'll not pine for long. If she's the typical Hufflepuff then no matter how pretty she is you don't want her anyway and if she's your direct contact at the Ministry then you could bugger up your position there by fraternizing. Not that that has ever stopped you before," she added with a smirk of her own.
"I don't think she's typical at all," he mused. Shaking his head, he smiled brightly. "We clearly need to go do something or else I'll be mistaken for a girl."
"Well that would be the worst thing ever! Talking about your feelings!" she said with a grin still on her face. She knew exactly what he was thinking. She'd rebuked herself enough for behaving like a 'girl' when it came to her own feelings. "Now, when you say 'go do something' you usually mean shopping... and you know how I am about shopping. Though, I did have fun when Asteria and I went shopping for pretty knickers."
"Oh good, one store off our list. They look at me oddly when I go in there," he said, trying to get a giggle out of her.
And giggle she did. "Only because they think you're looking for yourself."
"I only tried a corset on once and it was a dare anyway," he retorted with mock indignation.
"And as I recall you looked better in it than I did. Thank you for reminding me that I'm as flat as a floorboard," Tracey said wryly. "Come on then. I may even let you buy me some shoes. Greg always goes batty when I'm wearing something you picked out for me."
That only spurned him on. Neither had figured out that the only reason he bought clothes for Tracey- well other than he enjoyed spoiling his friend- was in hope of poking Greg into to saying or doing something to out how he really felt about Tracey. "A whole new outfit it is."
"Or we could go round the Ministry and you could introduce me to your new friend... that sounds much more fun."
He stood and gently pulled her to her feet. "Ahh, no. Sorry, but let me woo her a bit first, yeah?"
Tracey's eyebrows hit her hairline. She'd never known B to ever woo anyone. That was something worth filing away for later.
With a mock pout she acquiesced. "Fine, fine. New clothes it is. We'll have to find Greg a present too. I think he was frowny that I told him he ought to go to work today. It'll make him feel better."
"Not Armani." If he pouted then he'd deny it until his last breath but seriously, Greg was delusional about what made a good designer.
Rolling her eyes, Tracey stood up and tugged him along with her. "Now, who's being a girl. Just for that I should buy you something from Stella McCartney or something. See! Look who just pulled a designer's name out of a hat. Maybe you and Val will have to keep me after all."
Blaise laughed out loud. "Will you Apparate just this once? We can side-along."
Tracey nodded slowly. She hated Apparition but she was sensible enough to know that it was illogical to drive all over London when she didn't have to. Besides, Blaise always took care of her - she knew Greg would kill him otherwise. "I'll close my eyes and think of England, shall I?" she said with a laugh. "If we're going into Muggle London we'll need to stop at Gringott's too. I haven't any Muggle money on me."
"All right. Hold on tight and we'll stop by Gringotts first."
Tracey hid her face in his chest and closed her eyes until they were on solid ground again in the entrance to the big Wizard's bank.
"Thanks," she murmured as she stepped back and felt herself to make sure nothing had been splinched.
"You're welcome. Are we sticking together inside or splitting up?" He escorted her towards the area where people of their status were taken care of.
"Either works for me. I'm just going to have them withdraw money from my vault to exchange. Did you need to go down to yours?"
"Not particularly but I didn't know if you wanted me tagging along or not."
Tracey rolled her eyes but smiled just the same. "It's not like my changing money is a secret - besides, even if it was you'd be one of the few who'd I'd share it with."
She tugged him along with her to one of the private counters and slipped her arm in his while the goblins did their work and brought her several hundred pounds worth of Muggle money. She tucked it into her bag and gave Blaise a wink. "I'm ready if you are."
"I'm always ready," he retorted cheekily.
Once again she let him Apparate her to the designated Apparition point down Bond street.
"Where should we start?" she asked, tucking a long curl behind her ear.
"With a new dress. One short enough to make Greg's eye pop out but long enough that he doesn't pitch a fit about you going out in public."
"So not like the last black cocktail dress you insisted on buying me," she said with a laugh. "He called it a dishcloth. I assured him it was silk and far nicer than any dishcloth I'd ever seen. Still, he pouted so much that I've never worn it anywhere."
"I think I'll be having a dinner party soon that I insist you wear it to," he said, deciding then and there. "You and Greg, Draco and Asteria, and Theo."
"You'll certainly need more witches," Tracey said with a needling smile. "Maybe Fawcett could join us."
"Possibly," was all he'd allow, opening the shop door and ushering her in first.
"It was just a thought," she said lightly, following him into a rather smart looking shop. "Though it's not like it'd be a couple thing or anything - Malfoys notwithstanding. I haven't seen Theo in ages. He's a shite owl writer."
"So we track his sorry arse down after shopping and you can tell him that," Blaise said wickedly. "I've not heard from the hermit for an age either."
"We'll see how long we are. Greg'll be home by five," Tracey said with a smile and a nod when one of the clerks approached them and asked if they needed help.
Blaise indicated the dresses he thought Tracey should try. "Go on, try those on, Trace."
She mentally groaned. She hated fitting rooms but they'd had the argument about buying things that looked like they'd fit and then, once she was home, putting them away in the closet without ever actually wearing them. "You know, someday I'm going to insist you try on the dresses too," she muttered, dutifully following the girl to the back of the shop to the private shopper's suite.
The blonde clerk bit her lip in amusement as Tracey muttered the whole way back before turning to Blaise. "Would you like to pick anything else for the Miss to try on?"
Blaise grinned with unholy glee, spending the next five minutes pointing out things he wanted for himself and loading her arms with items for Tracey to try on. Plopping down in one of the overstuffed chairs by the triple mirror, he chuckled at the dark look he garnered from the clerk. "Come on, Trace, lets see the first dress."
It was ghastly but she dutifully stepped out to show him. "I don't think yellow's my colour, B." Nevermind the fact that her already flatter chest looked even worse with the dark orange threads throughout.
"The style looks good though," he pointed out.
Tracey eyed him. "You're awfully randy to get me to buy a halter, B," she said dryly. "You know Greg would have kittens if I showed up in something like this."
"It'll be good for him." He ushered her back into the dressing room. "Try the dark purple, Trace."
Her eyes narrowed but she did as he asked her to. he was trying to be sneaky - he knew she always looked good in purple - just like he always looked good in white or Greg always looked good in black. He had a point though. The dark purple halter dress had silver threads throughout and with some pretty bracelets and a hair circlet even she could admit that she'd look pretty damn hot.
"I like this one," she admitted begrudgingly when she stepped out to show him. "I'd need some silver strappy shoes though I think."
"Excellent! Will you trust me to pick a couple of things from the pile here and save you the hassle of trying all of it on while you change?"
She sighed dramatically but nodded just the same. They were destined to leave the very first shop with more bags than they could carry.
"Just think, Greg will bring home bags and bags of things that you didn't have to try on after he sees our haul today."
"More clothes are the last thing I need, B," Tracey said with a good-natured swat at her friend. What she needed was a best friend who saw her the way that she saw him.
It didn't take her long to change back into her own clothes and when she came out she had to stifle her laugh when she saw the pile of clothes and accessories Blaise had piled up on the counter. "Are you planning on buying the shop out, B?"
"Of course, I got you here once and it may be six months before it happens again," he said teasingly.
Tracey rolled her eyes but laughed just the same, sliding her arm in his as the clerks packed everything up. "Please tell me we can go somewhere I can get a drink before you force me into more shops," she said wryly.
"Sure," he said, snickering. "Liquor you up for shoe shopping, sounds like a plan to me."
"Lead the way then, mate," she said with a smirk. "Get me drunk enough and I'll even let you buy me a purse."