𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓

Chapter 25

Previously:

Back at school and under the surprisingly insightful guidance of Seamus, Draco resolved to put his new plan into action, which led to not-as-fun-as-it-should've-been jealousy, a delightfully suspicious Zach, and unexpected gift-giving. Oliver revealed certain feelings he'd been harboring for Draco and TDP revealed new information regarding the death of Harry's parents.

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Mother Knows Best

Chapter Twenty-Five

Dead Ends

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It was a busy night at the bar on the corner of Eighth Street and Railroad Avenue. The alcohol was flowing, the speakers were reverberating with the music coming from the stage -another struggling, talented band with a pseudo-creative, ironically long name and an affinity for acoustic rock- and the patrons were drinking and having a good time. Among these patrons, the only one in the bar not getting wasted was also the only one drinking espresso. For you see, this patron was a Malfoy, and a Malfoy always had a plan.

Long term, this plan involved winning the heart of a particularly frustrating boy with a jaded past and a hero complex. Short-term, well, he didn't want to spend the night getting slobbering drunk, making a fool of himself, and end up saying something he'd regret. Things involving spontaneous proclamations of undying love, for instance.

The target of his undying love didn't seem to have the same inhibitions, however, as he was currently on his second drink, chatting up a bartender and going for a third, which would undoubtedly be free of charge. Among his many talents, Harry made friends fast, which meant he almost never had to pay for drinks.

"Careful, Malfoy," Ron slurred in his vicinity. "Any more envy aimed in their direction could make them spontaneously combust."

"Ron," Hermione chided from beside him. It was one of the very few times she'd let herself be dragged along instead of staying cooped up in the girls' dorm, going over everything she already knew.

"What? It's not anything that everybody doesn't already know," the redhead proclaimed. "Except maybe Harry. Though I do have my subscriptions… prescriptions…" The redhead stared dizzily up at the ceiling, going a little cross-eyed in forced concentration. "Descriptions?"

Hermione's expression was a monument to a girlfriend's exasperation. "Suspicions?"

Ron snapped his fingers in her direction, but didn't look down from the ceiling. "Exactly."

"Okay," his better half gamely stated, "but you're being incredibly insensitive right now, so you can tell me all about your suspicions on the way back, alright? It's almost curfew, anyway."

"Aw, c'mon, it's Friday!" Ron complained before staring contemplatively in Draco's vague direction. "And Malfoy doesn't have feelings… He has evil. He's just- He's just chock full of evil. Every time you think the spiteful little bastard can't get any more evil…" He paused to clap his hands together before dropping them limping in his lap and staring at them as if he was trying to figure out where they came from. "Out pops some more evil."

By now, Seamus was laughing so hard he was practically crying into Dean's shoulder, which was also shaking with laughter. Draco seethed silenty.

"Sorry, Malfoy," Hermione said grudgingly, actually managing to make it sound genuine, before punching the still-laughing Seamus in the arm, ignoring his yelp. "Watch him while I get the car."