Visitations 11
Title: Visitations 11
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Harry/Draco, Neville, ofc
Rating: PG13
Warning(s): Strong suggestion
Word count: 1295
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 piratesmile331, who requested more of Visitations
Summary: Draco and Harry chaperone Neville's dinner date with Clarise.
Draco was in high spirits. Longbottom would be joining them for dinner that evening, and Clarise was positively a'twitter. She'd barely touched her lunch, and her eyes continually strayed to the clock in the small dining room. After Clarise patted her hair for the fourth time, Draco took pity on her.
"If you require assistance with your toilette for the evening, Hulda or one of the other elves can help you."
Clarise glanced up at him, her brown eyes wide with surprise. "They would do that for me?"
"They would be delighted," said Draco. "All of the elves are chuffed to have a lovely woman to look after, rather than two uncouth louts."
"Nonsense," scoffed Clarise. "You and Mr Potter are quite debonair."
"Be that as it may," said Draco, "we don't have hair that needs tending."
"I don't wish to take advantage," Clarise demurred.
"Trust me, the elves will be honored to assist you," Draco told her. "Especially when you tell them you wish to look your best to impress Auror Longbottom."
Clarise worried her lower lip and wound a lock of honey-colored hair around one finger. "If you're certain they won't mind?"
Draco took her hands in his. "Clarise, they would be overjoyed to be asked. Trust me."
She smiled shyly. "If you're sure?"
"I am," Draco smiled back.
Draco was pondering which cuff links to wear when a shift in the atmosphere alerted him he was no longer alone in his suite. He turned to ask Harry's opinion. "Which do you prefer?"
"I'd prefer you naked."
Heat streaked up Draco's spine. He cleared his throat. "There will be time for that later. Longbottom will be here at the top of the hour."
Harry smirked, displaying the tips of his fangs. "We have time for a quickie."
"We most certainly do not," huffed Draco. He took a step back when Harry prowled closer.
"Are you refusing me, my Consort?"
"Harry, Clarise will never forgive us if we are not there to provide moral support when Longbottom arrives," said Draco.
"You're wasting time arguing," said Harry. "Drop trou and bend over."
One quickie, several cleaning and freshening charms, and twenty-three minutes later, Draco and Harry strode down the stairs.
"Miss Clarise is being in the parlor," Hulda announced.
Draco led the way into the parlor, and both he and Harry paused to admire the vision of loveliness before them. Clarise was wearing a gown in deep burgundy. It had a modest neckline, but it clung to her curves in an enticing manner. Her hair had had been pinned in an elaborate up-do that showcased her slender neck.
"Do I look okay?" she asked, reaching towards her hair but halting the gesture before she ruined her coiffure.
"You are beyond lovely," said Draco, stepping forward to take her hand and press a kiss to the back of it. "Longbottom won't know what hit him."
Clarise blushed prettily. "Pippa helped me with my hair," she said.
"Your beauty brightens this gloomy mansion," Harry told her. "Have pity on Neville this evening." He turned his head, gaze sharpening. "Draco, will you escort Clarise to the dining room while I usher our guest in?"
Draco held his arm out and Clarise settled her hand in the crook of his elbow. They made their way to the dining room, where Draco gallantly pulled out a chair for Clarise. She sat with a murmured thank you, but it was clear to Draco that her attention was on the door.
Voices were audible from the foyer, although Draco couldn't make out what was being said. Simple greetings and small talk, he reckoned. A moment later, Harry strolled into the dining room with Longbottom in tow.
Longbottom had eschewed his Auror uniform and was wearing a suit and tie. Draco stood to shake his hand. "Longbottom, good to see you again."
"Malfoy," Longbottom greeted with a nod. His eyes strayed to Clarise, and he stepped forward to take her hand. "Miss Whitebread, it's a pleasure to see you again."
"Likewise, Mr Longbottom," she responded. A small frown creased her brow. "My apologies. Do you have a title?"
"It's Auror Longbottom," he said, "but since I am not here in any official capacity, that is unnecessary. In fact, I would prefer it if you called me Neville."
Clarise's cheeks pinkened. "In that case, I must insist you call me Clarise."
Draco caught Harry's eye, and the two of them shared matching sly grins.
Harry took his seat at the head of the table, while Draco sat to his right. Clarise sat beside Draco with Neville across the table from them, to Harry's left. Hulda and Pippa brought it the first course and disappeared again.
Draco found himself steering the conversation. Harry, as always, seemed content to sit back and listen, while Longbottom and Clarise flirted shyly and silently across the table from one another. It was almost adorable.
"I saw Hermione the other day," Neville announced. "She mentioned that she and Ron had dinner with you recently."
"Yes, it's been good to reconnect with old friends," said Harry. "Hermione, however, peppered me relentlessly with questions."
"She was concerned about you, mate," Neville said. "I think having dinner and catching up helped put her mind at ease."
"Mr Potter has been an exemplary host and a fine friend," Clarise opined.
"How did you come to be a guest here?" Neville asked her.
Clarise dropped her eyes and fidgeted with her serviette.
Draco noted how Longbottom stiffened in his chair. As he sought a tactful way to redirect the conversation, Harry stepped into the breach.
"Clarise traveled here as the Companion to a vampire," said Harry. "He became a casualty of the situation in France."
Draco froze, his attention fixed on the small drama playing out between Harry and Longbottom. Beside him, he could feel Clarise nearly vibrating with tension.
Longbottom's eyes shifted to Clarise. "You are here of your own free will, yeah?"
"Yes, of course," she replied quickly. "I had nowhere to turn and few options available to me after..." Her eyes darted to Harry. "After the situation in France. Mr Potter graciously opened his home to me."
"She appears rather hale, hearty, and lively for a prisoner, Nev." Harry's fangs showed in a slight smile, but there was an undercurrent of steel in his voice.
Longbottom exhaled heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Harry. I meant no offense."
Neither Harry's expression nor his voice changed when he replied, "I'd like to say none was taken."
It was time to de-esclate. Draco cleared his throat and addressed their guest. "Do you still dabble with plants in your spare time, Longbottom? Clarise is quite taken with Harry's gardens."
"Slytherin."
Draco snorted as he unknotted his tie. "What was I supposed to do?" he asked. "The change of subject was necessary, as I feared you and Longbottom were about to come to blows."
"I daresay I'd win a fist fight with Neville," said Harry. He toed off his shoes and went to work on his own tie.
"Not if Clarise threw her lot in with him," Draco pointed out. "She'd have had the element of surprise on her side, and you would have gone down like butterbeer at a dorm party."
Harry goggled at him for a moment and then threw his head back and laughed. "That was terrible," he said. "And who told you to stop undressing?"
Draco dropped his head to hide a smirk and removed his fussy cuff links. It was good to hear Harry laugh. "Will you host their wedding in your garden?"
"Only if their nuptials are at night," Harry replied. "Enough of that. Get on the bed and get your arse in the air."
Visitations 12
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Harry/Draco, Neville, ofc
Rating: PG13
Warning(s): Strong suggestion
Word count: 1295
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 piratesmile331, who requested more of Visitations
Summary: Draco and Harry chaperone Neville's dinner date with Clarise.
Draco was in high spirits. Longbottom would be joining them for dinner that evening, and Clarise was positively a'twitter. She'd barely touched her lunch, and her eyes continually strayed to the clock in the small dining room. After Clarise patted her hair for the fourth time, Draco took pity on her.
"If you require assistance with your toilette for the evening, Hulda or one of the other elves can help you."
Clarise glanced up at him, her brown eyes wide with surprise. "They would do that for me?"
"They would be delighted," said Draco. "All of the elves are chuffed to have a lovely woman to look after, rather than two uncouth louts."
"Nonsense," scoffed Clarise. "You and Mr Potter are quite debonair."
"Be that as it may," said Draco, "we don't have hair that needs tending."
"I don't wish to take advantage," Clarise demurred.
"Trust me, the elves will be honored to assist you," Draco told her. "Especially when you tell them you wish to look your best to impress Auror Longbottom."
Clarise worried her lower lip and wound a lock of honey-colored hair around one finger. "If you're certain they won't mind?"
Draco took her hands in his. "Clarise, they would be overjoyed to be asked. Trust me."
She smiled shyly. "If you're sure?"
"I am," Draco smiled back.
Draco was pondering which cuff links to wear when a shift in the atmosphere alerted him he was no longer alone in his suite. He turned to ask Harry's opinion. "Which do you prefer?"
"I'd prefer you naked."
Heat streaked up Draco's spine. He cleared his throat. "There will be time for that later. Longbottom will be here at the top of the hour."
Harry smirked, displaying the tips of his fangs. "We have time for a quickie."
"We most certainly do not," huffed Draco. He took a step back when Harry prowled closer.
"Are you refusing me, my Consort?"
"Harry, Clarise will never forgive us if we are not there to provide moral support when Longbottom arrives," said Draco.
"You're wasting time arguing," said Harry. "Drop trou and bend over."
One quickie, several cleaning and freshening charms, and twenty-three minutes later, Draco and Harry strode down the stairs.
"Miss Clarise is being in the parlor," Hulda announced.
Draco led the way into the parlor, and both he and Harry paused to admire the vision of loveliness before them. Clarise was wearing a gown in deep burgundy. It had a modest neckline, but it clung to her curves in an enticing manner. Her hair had had been pinned in an elaborate up-do that showcased her slender neck.
"Do I look okay?" she asked, reaching towards her hair but halting the gesture before she ruined her coiffure.
"You are beyond lovely," said Draco, stepping forward to take her hand and press a kiss to the back of it. "Longbottom won't know what hit him."
Clarise blushed prettily. "Pippa helped me with my hair," she said.
"Your beauty brightens this gloomy mansion," Harry told her. "Have pity on Neville this evening." He turned his head, gaze sharpening. "Draco, will you escort Clarise to the dining room while I usher our guest in?"
Draco held his arm out and Clarise settled her hand in the crook of his elbow. They made their way to the dining room, where Draco gallantly pulled out a chair for Clarise. She sat with a murmured thank you, but it was clear to Draco that her attention was on the door.
Voices were audible from the foyer, although Draco couldn't make out what was being said. Simple greetings and small talk, he reckoned. A moment later, Harry strolled into the dining room with Longbottom in tow.
Longbottom had eschewed his Auror uniform and was wearing a suit and tie. Draco stood to shake his hand. "Longbottom, good to see you again."
"Malfoy," Longbottom greeted with a nod. His eyes strayed to Clarise, and he stepped forward to take her hand. "Miss Whitebread, it's a pleasure to see you again."
"Likewise, Mr Longbottom," she responded. A small frown creased her brow. "My apologies. Do you have a title?"
"It's Auror Longbottom," he said, "but since I am not here in any official capacity, that is unnecessary. In fact, I would prefer it if you called me Neville."
Clarise's cheeks pinkened. "In that case, I must insist you call me Clarise."
Draco caught Harry's eye, and the two of them shared matching sly grins.
Harry took his seat at the head of the table, while Draco sat to his right. Clarise sat beside Draco with Neville across the table from them, to Harry's left. Hulda and Pippa brought it the first course and disappeared again.
Draco found himself steering the conversation. Harry, as always, seemed content to sit back and listen, while Longbottom and Clarise flirted shyly and silently across the table from one another. It was almost adorable.
"I saw Hermione the other day," Neville announced. "She mentioned that she and Ron had dinner with you recently."
"Yes, it's been good to reconnect with old friends," said Harry. "Hermione, however, peppered me relentlessly with questions."
"She was concerned about you, mate," Neville said. "I think having dinner and catching up helped put her mind at ease."
"Mr Potter has been an exemplary host and a fine friend," Clarise opined.
"How did you come to be a guest here?" Neville asked her.
Clarise dropped her eyes and fidgeted with her serviette.
Draco noted how Longbottom stiffened in his chair. As he sought a tactful way to redirect the conversation, Harry stepped into the breach.
"Clarise traveled here as the Companion to a vampire," said Harry. "He became a casualty of the situation in France."
Draco froze, his attention fixed on the small drama playing out between Harry and Longbottom. Beside him, he could feel Clarise nearly vibrating with tension.
Longbottom's eyes shifted to Clarise. "You are here of your own free will, yeah?"
"Yes, of course," she replied quickly. "I had nowhere to turn and few options available to me after..." Her eyes darted to Harry. "After the situation in France. Mr Potter graciously opened his home to me."
"She appears rather hale, hearty, and lively for a prisoner, Nev." Harry's fangs showed in a slight smile, but there was an undercurrent of steel in his voice.
Longbottom exhaled heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Harry. I meant no offense."
Neither Harry's expression nor his voice changed when he replied, "I'd like to say none was taken."
It was time to de-esclate. Draco cleared his throat and addressed their guest. "Do you still dabble with plants in your spare time, Longbottom? Clarise is quite taken with Harry's gardens."
"Slytherin."
Draco snorted as he unknotted his tie. "What was I supposed to do?" he asked. "The change of subject was necessary, as I feared you and Longbottom were about to come to blows."
"I daresay I'd win a fist fight with Neville," said Harry. He toed off his shoes and went to work on his own tie.
"Not if Clarise threw her lot in with him," Draco pointed out. "She'd have had the element of surprise on her side, and you would have gone down like butterbeer at a dorm party."
Harry goggled at him for a moment and then threw his head back and laughed. "That was terrible," he said. "And who told you to stop undressing?"
Draco dropped his head to hide a smirk and removed his fussy cuff links. It was good to hear Harry laugh. "Will you host their wedding in your garden?"
"Only if their nuptials are at night," Harry replied. "Enough of that. Get on the bed and get your arse in the air."
Visitations 12