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12:37. Draco sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. Theo was late again. He loathed waiting for his friend in the Ministry’s atrium. He might have been pardoned by the Ministry for his involvement in the war, but he had not been forgiven by the public. His fellow Aurors had gotten used to his presence, and ignored him, where possible. Occasionally someone would even nod their head in greeting. Progress, Draco told himself. When they started Auror training his acceptance to the programme had understandably caused quite some uproar. Most found it unacceptable that an ex Death Eater, a Slytherin, a Malfoy would be accepted into the Auror training programme. They had collectively petitioned for his removal, questioning his true motive and intentions. That was until Saint Potter, always the bigger man, had given some sappy speech about forgiveness and second chances and all that nonsense Potter loved talking about. The others accepted, or rather, tolerated him after. Apparently not much had changed since school. They were still loyal to the chosen one.
The rest of the Ministry was a different story. Draco usually came in so early and left so late that he successfully avoided the sneering and muttered insults that witches and wizards uttered at the sight of him. But not today, because Theodore fucking Nott was late for their lunch date. Again. Theo had somehow miraculously been accepted as an Unspeakable at the Department of Mysteries, which was restricted to anyone else in the Ministry. So there was nothing left to do for Draco but to wait for him, exposed in the Ministry’s atrium, feeling like the pariah that he was.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
“Strawberry ice cream? Since when does Draco Malfoy eat strawberry ice cream?”
“Shut up, Nott.”
“Ever so charming! Anyway, Mr. Strawberry ice cream, what did you want to talk to me about that couldn’t wait until Friday? We are still on for Friday, aren’t we? Blaise has some imported firewhisky he kept going on about. You know mate, sometimes I think he might be even more pretentious than you.”
“Work.”
“Boring”, Theo interrupted rolling his eyes dramatically.
Draco pretended not to hear him. “They say there is a love chamber in the department of mysteries -”
“Urgh yeah mate, no one actually makes love there. Imagine my disappointment when I found out.”
“What exactly do they study there, Nott?”
“Wouldn’t be the Department of Mysteries if I told you now, would it?” Theo smirked and elbowed his friend. “Why you asking? Is the Draco Malfoy in love?” He added teasingly.
“Don’t be silly. Of course not.” Draco dismissed his joke. “Need to go Nott, I have a meeting with Granger about the case we have been assigned. She’ll be a nightmare if I’m late - even worse than usual.”
“We just got here! Can a man not even have some quality time with his best mate?”
“We would have had more time, had you not been so late.”
“A wizard is never late, Draco…”
But Draco disapparated with a loud crack before Theo could finish his sentence.
He was left standing in front of Florean Forterscue’s Ice Cream Parlour, a grin creeping up on his face. He had known his friend for years, seen his face more often than he cared for. But today was the first time Theodore Nott saw Draco Malfoy blushing.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
“Granger” He nodded.
“Malfoy” She gave him a polite smile and set down more paperwork than should be legally allowed on his desk. “I have been looking into old records.”
“Of course you have.”
“I found a number of similar cases, which I believe could help us.”
Of course she had. Draco’s left lip pulled up involuntarily. She was always prepared. Every single case they had been assigned, had been successfully solved in record time. Against all odds he had discovered that he enjoyed working with Hermione Granger. She was efficient, intelligent and sometimes even funny. She smells nice too, he thought to himself as he watched her explain her findings to him. When she was excited about newly acquired knowledge she always forgot to look at him, focused only on the information in front of her. She’d ask questions without expecting an answer, usually answering them herself. And by the end of it she always looked at him for validation. Hermione Granger was perfect. The perfect work partner for an auror that is.
‘Malfoy!” She knocked on the desk between them. “Are you listening?”
“Of course!” He lied. He had not heard a single word.
Hermione tilted her head sideways. Always to the left side Draco noted. She looked at him doubtfully. They both knew he wasn’t listening. She started to frown. When her eyebrows pulled together like that there were two tiny freckles that seemed to kiss each other, just above her right eyebrow. Draco was absentmindedly studying each one of her freckles, trying to find a pattern in them when he heard her voice coming through the speckles of dust dancing in the beams of sunlight that were flooding their office.
“What’s the problem, baby?”
His eyes snapped open. What did she say?
“W-what?” The office suddenly felt colder, he could swear the sunbeams had lost strength in mere seconds.
“I said: What’s the problem, Draco?”
“What’s the problem?” He repeated. “I don’t know.” Draco hesitated. “Well… maybe I’m… just too tired.”
Hermione’s expression softened. Her round brown eyes looked directly into his. It was nice to have someone look at him without hate in their eyes. But before he got to enjoy the feeling she stood up, grabbed her pile of papers and left for the door.
“We’ll continue another time. Get some rest, Malfoy.”
All he did was nod as inexplicable disappointment flooded his body. When she closed the door behind her he let out a sigh, his shoulders dropping. The office now felt simultaneously cold and stuffy, full of dust, which suddenly didn’t feel like dancing, twirling specs of magic anymore. He waved his wand casting a silent cleaning charm. That was one problem solved. He laid his wand down in front of him and pressed the palms of his hands into his eye sockets.
It was time to admit to himself: Draco Malfoy had a problem. A problem Theodore Nott would help him solve. Because if there was a whole department in the Ministry dedicated to researching love, they sure must know a way to cure it.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Draco did not need to look up to know that Theodore Nott had just walked into his office. He kept his eyes on the case file in front of him, the one he was trying to read for the third time today - unsuccessfully.
“What are you doing here?”
“It’s lovely to see you too.” Theo ignored his friends unenthusiastic welcome. “I just wanted to come sp-” he broke off his sentence when Potter, Weasley and Granger walked back into the office after their lunch, absorbed into lively chatter. Weasley seemed to be discussing a failed date, which had Potter frowning and Granger giggling into her cone of ice cream - strawberry ice cream.
Theo bowed dramatically towards the three Aurors and clapped his hands together. “What a pleasure to see some of my very favourite colleagues!” He turned his head slightly towards Draco and raised his eyebrows, shooting him a look that Draco did not like one bit and did his best to ignore.
“Theodore!” Granger exclaimed cheerfully. “Are you here for the time turner case? I’m afraid there is no more information than I have already given you.” She tilted her head slightly to the left again, as she always did. Her brown curls tumbling over her shoulder. Draco noticed he was staring and jerked his gaze from her, just in time to catch the mischievous smile on his friends face.
“I am indeed, Hermione, but not for information. In fact your brilliance-” he winked at her “has helped us figure out exactly what we needed. I am here to personally make sure your boss knows what an extraordinarily valuable employee you are, an asset to the Ministry, a-” Hermione interrupted him before he could go on.
“There is no need for that, Nott.” She feigned an annoyed look but was clearly pleased and humoured by him.
Judging by Weasleys face he was just as annoyed about this as Draco was.
“Well, you heard it, didn’t ya Potter?” Theo slapped Harry on his shoulder, who smiled. It was astounding how well Theo had integrated into the rest of the wizarding society. Like everyone had just forgotten that he too, was on the wrong side of the war at some point. Granted, he had not played the disastrous role Draco had, but still. He felt a bout of jealousy at the apparent ease his friend navigated through life with.
“Noted, Hermione Granger once again saves wizarding Britain.” Harry replied facetiously and quickly ducked to avoid Hermione’s punch.
“Enough you two!” She exclaimed and took another lick of her melting ice cream.
“We need to celebrate this excellent teamwork between our departments, Potter!” And before anyone could protest, Nott whistled loudly to catch every present Aurors attention before issuing a formal invitation to a party he had had decided on exactly 3 seconds ago.
“Next Saturday, 4pm at Nott Manor. Food and drinks will be plenty, but do bring a pretty witch if you so happen to know one.” He winked. Cormac McLaggen whistled in approval.
Theo turned back to the trio and continued in a quiet tone.
“Granger, I expect your presence! Don’t even think about saying no. You know I do not take no for an answer.”
“Oh I know. I will be there.” She laughed and walked towards her desk.
Draco cleared his throat and grabbed Theo’s arm a little more forcefully than necessary.
“Can I have a minute?” Without waiting for an answer he dragged him into a smaller side room and closed the door.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Theo ignored his question. “Soo, Granger?” He smirked at Draco.
“What about her?”
“You are in love with Granger?”
“What makes you think that?”
“You didn’t deny it.” He could not look anymore smug. “I’ll see you tomorrow”.
And with that he left an exasperated Draco behind.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
“How much longer will it take, Nott?”
“What is going on here?” Pansy Parkinson stepped out of the green flames of the floo, into Nott Manors drawing room, smoothing down her black hair with one hand, a bottle of red wine in the other. “Why are you turning Draco’s hair pink?” She asked as if she was inquiring about the weather.
“YOU ARE WHAT?”
Theo threw back his head in laughter. “Why did you have to tell him? I was going to do his eyebrows next.”
Draco rolled his eyes, huffed and dragged himself in front of the large mirror next to the fireplace where he started to carefully return his hair back to its pale blonde colour. It was on him for trusting Nott. He should have known he agreed to easily, seemed to happy. Theodore Nott being happy usually meant trouble.
“Mr strawberry ice cream is in love!”
Draco sighed.
“With someone other than himself?” Pansy sniggered and raised her eyebrows. “And this love interest is really into pink hair?” She looked at Draco, biting down on her lip to suppress her laughter.
Draco, now back to his blonde self, lazily walked towards them and sat back down in the armchair he recently vacated. He braced himself for the ridicule he was about to face. It was part of the deal of being friends with the Slytherins. It was their love language.
“Not so sure about that, she seems open to ginger, which isn’t far off.” Theo shrugged nonchalantly. “But what we do know is she likes strawberry ice cream. And so does Draco now.”
“Strawberry?” Pansy wrinkled her nose. “Your favourite flavour is lemon.”
“Well, he’s a changed man, Pans.” Theo wiggled his eyebrows teasingly.
Draco accepted his fate and sat in silence as the two went on about him. It was better to just let it go.
After what seemed a few minutes or hours - Draco couldn’t tell, he had zoned out, Pansy addressed him.
“I knew you were stupid, but not that bloody stupid! Cure you from being in love? Not even Goyle would come up with something this idiotic.”.
Draco rubbed his temples. He knew the idea was stupid. But he was desperate and desperation makes you do stupid things.
“What’s so bad about being in love anyway?” Pansy asked him while swirling around the deep crimson liquid in her glass.
“I don’t know anything about love!” Draco blurted out. He didn’t need to say the rest, his friends knew.
They looked at each other and then looked away. Pansy pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them. Theo sank back in the large Chesterfield armchair, his usual smile on his face, the one that never reaches his eyes. Draco absentmindedly ran his fingers through his hair. They sat in comfortable silence together, like only people with their bond could. The truth was: Love scared him. It scared them all. To them love was a weapon. The dark lord’s favourite one. It was dangerous to love, so none of them did. They locked it up and shoved it down, so no one could ever use it against them.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Draco arrived late. When he stepped out into the gardens of Nott manor the guests had already arrived. He had relied on everyone being too caught up in conversation to notice him. His plan had worked. He spotted Potter deep in discussion with Chang. Weasley, of course, had all his attention focused on the various offerings of food. Ginevra and Longbottom were kissing in a corner. He saw a witch he vaguely remembered from the Ministry rolling her eyes at McLaggen, which only seemed to fuel his spirits.
His lips pulled up into a soft melancholic smile as he thought of his younger self hearing about this new version of him. A Draco that purposefully chose the sidelines, who not only did not want the attention but actively avoided it. He used to believe that he deserved everything. He still did in a way. He believed that he deserved nothing and everything bad that had ever happened to him at the same time.
As he stood in the shadow of a magnolia tree and observed the guests mingling, approaching each other, laughing, drinks and smiles being shared, there was a hollowness in his stomach as he thought about what could have been in another life. If he had made different choices, would he too be offered a drink and a smile? Or was being born into the Malfoy name enough to shape your future? He would never know, because he had made his choices, all the wrong ones. And now he had to live with them.
“Would you like some ice cream? Theo mentioned strawberry is your favourite.”
Her voice caught him by surprise. He jerked his head to see Hermione Granger standing next to him, dressed in a loose sundress, her wild curls reflecting the sunlight falling through the branches of the magnolia tree, with two cones of strawberry ice cream in her hands.
“It is.” His answer was instinctive. He had not thought about it but he knew it was true. Strawberry was his favourite. He had changed. Maybe things could change.
With trembling fingers he reached towards the cone, deciding to accept it. Accept it, no matter how scary it felt. When his fingers brushed hers it felt like lines of lightning that travelled through his fingers into his body.
“Thank you, Hermione.”
She beamed at him. The world felt a little brighter.