Smirks, Books and, Dirty Looks

Firewiskey Lakes

It was half past 11 in the morning and Draco was at the Leaky Cauldron having a glass of fire whiskey. "Bloody hell mate, having a little glass of consolation so early in the morning?" Came the all to familiar voice of Blaise. "Come off it Zabini." Draco sighed. Blaise sat next to him looking him up and down. He could clearly see that something was wrong with Draco. "What's wrong? You seem.." He let the thought die. "Hey! I know what we can do. Common." he nudged his friend and waited until he begrudgingly downed the liquid in one gulp. "This better be good Zabini or else, your head is going to be looking like the troll inside your hideous body." Zabini just chuckled, "Bugger off Draco. No one wants to look like you all the time, jeez." He said while rolling his eyes. Draco just glared at him. 

They left the Leaky Cauldron and apperated to a lake. Draco looked around confused. Blaise was staring forward with a small smile on his lips. He could hear the sound of the wind blowing the leaves in the tall willow tree near the water. The air was cool but soft at the same time. A calming sensation fell over both men, a sense that doesn't come by too often. Draco took a deep breathe and stretched his arms and felt his muscular body beginning to relax. Blaise walked forward without saying a word and sat on a sizable bolder at the lake edge. He heard his friend walk towards him as well and quietly sat down besides him. 

Looking at the way the water glistened against the mid morning sky made Draco smile. As he stared at the water he asked his best friend, "Why here?" Blaise just chuckled and said, "I know you're worried about how this will affect you. Meeting the therapist and all." He got quiet and continued to stare off before speaking again. "I came here the first time I was supposed to have my first meeting. Luna had suggested I take a walk. So I did but, when it was time to head back I felt like I couldn't. I felt scared. Shit Draco, I was." Looking back at Draco his eyes were glassy filled with a lot of unspoken emotion. "How did you know I was scared to actually face everything?" Draco looked away, his eyes were too much to keep looking at. "Because Draco, even though we never really hung out until The War, I could see you trying to keep your calm demeanor. Most importantly, I could hear  you crying every night." Draco felt his shoulders tense up and felt himself go red in the face, "S-sodd off." Blaise just smiled faintly and looked away. 

He could tell that his friend was embarrassed. His mind was back to those days where everything was always uncertain. No one knew who was going to be next to join the DeathEaters. When his father came to him and said that he was going to be joining he could feel his blood go cold with fear. Draco was already in that was a known fact amongst the purebloods. It was only natural he was present when Blaise got marked. Disdain written all over his chiseled face, he felt so heavy and just sad to look at. After that every day became a blur, to stay alive, to keep from being a target yourself. It was you before everyone else, but not for Draco, he got the worst of it. Blaise could hear him cry when he thought everyone was asleep. He heard the pain and saw him wither into a fragment of himself in mere months trying to please his father, keep his mother from being hurt, and appeal to the Dark Lord on behalf of his family. 

It was then that Blaise knew this soft hearted git, was going to be the best friend he ever had. Funny how despair brings people together. "Blaise, is it really going to help?" He heard Draco ask bringing him back to reality. Sighing he sat back on his hands. "Really hope it does bloke. Just remember, be nice and open up." Draco looked at him confused. Be nice?

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"Your next appointment should be coming at 12:30, Hermione." Lavender said while waving goodbye at Luna. "Thanks Lav. I'm going to go get some fresh air before I see them." She nodded while Hermione went to grab her coat and walked back out. She went around the corner towards her favorite shop, the bookstore across the way. Nothing like the smell of paper and ink to keep the mind from wandering. Hermione opened the door and immediately went to the romance novels towards the back, she really was a hopeless romantic. "Ah! Mrs. Weasley, 'tis nice to see you finally have a break to come and visit us poor lonely folk." The kind old bookstore lady called out smiling at her friend. 

"Of course how could I not, you have all the good books here Ms. Mod." He waved her hands toward the shelves of books. "Aye dear, but you know we never sell as much as we should. Poor old Felix thinks I should just sell the place and go to the Americas with him." Hermione smiled faintly and nodded her head. Ms. Mod had lost her son Felix in the war, sadly she created this delusion in her mind to cope with the fact that her only kin had perished. "Oh, Ms. Mod how will I ever cope?" The little old lady just laughed. "Go on dear, read away." She shooed her away and walked off. Hermione had once again found herself walking towards the back. Her favorite spot was vacant as always awaiting her arrival. 

She picked out her recent favorite. It was about a girl who was in an unstable bind with the one she loved and the one who loved her, a love triangle based book. How crude, Hermione thought if only her peers could see her now. Relaxed enjoying an adulterous romance novel instead of lost in potion books. She felt it was exciting and unpredictable. Honestly the thought of having a love triangle at all made her jump with excitement. She opened her book and began to read, her rosy colored lips puffed out in concentration. Hermione was almost lost completely when she remembered to set a timer on her watch so she could be back in time for her next appointment. As she began to flip the page again she felt her mind start to lose itself in the delicious words and her body relaxed.

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