Stillness

Chapter 14

Topsy appeared with 2 baskets of food. Draco grabbed one and immediately began pulling stuff out.

"Thank you." Hermione said to the elf.

Topsy's wide eyes turned to Hermione, looking her up and down.

"Manners." Draco barked, making the elf jump.

"Of course, miss." The elf bowed before disappearing again.

"Retraining them has been awful." Draco muttered. "Wanna start a fire, Granger? I think I lost my wand."

"I have it, you lousy drunk." Pansy said.

"Your boyfriend loves drunk me." Draco said, scrunching his nose at her again.

"Draco, that's supposed to be a secret!" Theo said in a fake scandalized tone.

"Psh. About as much of a secret as my.." he stopped, glancing at Hermione before laughing. "What is wrong with me?"

"We do not have time for that conversation." Ginny muttered, tilting Draco's flask back.

Draco tried to glare at her but he couldn't muster any animosity into it. Hermione shivered as the cold seeped into all of them. Ron and Harry got a small fire burning as everyone passed around the food and flask.

"Pansy, hex me if I talk again." Draco muttered as he watched the dancing flames.

"Oh, you're in one of those moods." Pansy said cheerfully.

"What moods?" Harry asked.

"Draco has 3 drunk moods. Moody and self-loathing, sarcastic and snippy, or chatty." Blaise explained, counting them out on his fingers.

"Malfoy? Chatty?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrow at Blaise.

"It never ends well." Draco mumbled, grabbing Pansy's wand as she raised it. "Do it and die."

"I was only following instructions." Pansy said, plastering an innocent look on her face.

"Remember the summer after third year?" Theo asked.

"Draco told his father he was pathetic." Pansy laughed.

"Shut up, my head still hurts from his fucking cane." Draco said, shoving Blaise who was laughing.

"How about Easter, fourth year?" Blaise asked and Draco actually laughed.

"That was funny." Draco agreed.

"What happened?" Ginny asked.

"Draco overheard Narcissa and my mother discussing a possible match between us." Pansy told them. "Then during dinner, the boy would not shut up about how he couldn't wait for marriage."

"Mother, wouldn't it be nice to have another woman around the house? Mother, aren't you excited to have grandchildren filling these halls?" Draco mocked.

"As long as they're legitimate, Draco." Theo mimicked Narcissa's voice.

"Oh mother, don't fret. I know the contraceptive charms." Blaise mimicked Draco's haughty tone.

"You did not!" Ginny said, laughing.

"My mother was horrified." Pansy said with a cackle. "I wasn't allowed back to the manor until summer after 5th year."

Hermione took a long swig from the flask at the mention of the manor. Noticing her unease at the topic, Draco leaned closer to her.

"What about you, Granger? What kind of drunk are you?" He asked.