The Right Thing To Do

Chapter 33

"Miss Granger will not be able to finish her lesson today."

She swallowed.

"Oh," Monsieur DuBois pouted, looking back and forth between them. "I do hope everything is alright."

He turned his eyes on her, hot and aggressive. "I'm afraid not."

She took a shaky inhale, and began moving her napkin off her lap. Draco placed a handful of galleons on the table, apologizing to Monsieur DuBois, and promising to say hello to his mother.

As she stood from the table, gathering her notes, Draco's hand came up to guide her elbow around the gate, and onto the sidewalk. He waved a jaunty hand at the interior design teacher before escorting her in the direction of the nearest Apparition point.

They had eight blocks. There were storm clouds in the sky.

He dropped her elbow after the first block. She struggled to match his pace.

He started popping knuckles and cracking his neck after the second block, narrowly missing getting hit by a cab.

"Draco -"

"How long have you been plotting with my father."

She looked up at him as they stopped at a busy corner. His eyes were hot, scanning the streets, and darting around her.

"You say it like we're working together," she said.

"Aren't you?" He heaved a breath in. Then walked when the signal turned.

It took her a moment to comprehend. He left her on the curb, and she struggled to catch up.

"What did he tell you? If he defines it as anything other than blackmail then he lied to you –"

"You're not the only one who had a deal with him, Granger." She heard his voice shake. She watched him swallow as they darted around a group of children. "You shouldn't have gotten involved in this."

She skipped over a few curbs to catch up to him as he powered through the street.

"How did you find me there?" She tried sticking to the easy questions.

"I asked Madame Michele for your schedule."

She looked down at her quickly moving feet. He'd gone to Madame Michele first, disturbed her morning, and then tracked her down. She wanted to touch him. She wanted to calm him.

She heard him chuckle, and watched him shake his head at something running through his mind.

"You're done with those classes," he hissed.

She reached for him, but stopped herself. They were on the seventh block. One more before they could Apparate. The crowd thinned as the Muggle-Repelling Charm shivered over them.

"What about the money, Draco? The next three installments?"

"I told him to shove them up his ass," he snarled.

They approached a small alleyway before the end of the block. If she could get him to calm down before they Apparated...

"We need that money, Draco. Malfoy Consulting is barely afloat as it is. I need to keep going to those classes -"

"No!" He grabbed her elbow and brought her into the small alley, just shy of the Apparition point. The rest of the Muggles continued on with their day, pulling out umbrellas. He pointed a finger in her face. "You are not to step foot in that tea room again, do you hear me, Granger?"

His eyes were burning into her.

"The business is more important than some insane classes, Draco!"