Chapter 1
Theodore felt a sinking sensation settle in his stomach after his conversation with his house-elf. A slow-spreading unease that crept through his limbs and settled in his bones, solidifying with Iggy’s final remark:
“But Master needs female company.”
He should have sacked the elf on the spot. Who gave him the right to decide who stayed at the manor—much less to have opinions about Theo’s dating life? Cringe wasn’t quite the right word for it. No, it was something worse. A tangled mix of anger, disdain, disbelief, mild horror, and, against his better judgment, curiosity.
He’d gathered this much: Someone had lingered at the manor after Pansy’s party. Not that Theo would have known—he hadn’t even been there. He’d been busy working, thank you very much. Generous as ever, he’d let Pansy host her little soirée at the manor, as she had many times before. But this was the first time there had been a hiccup. That he knew of, anyway.
His house-elf, Iggy, had apparently taken pity on this uninvited guest. And with an audacity that rivaled Potter himself, he had decided to let the stranger stay. Not just anywhere, but in his home. In the best guest room, no less. The one with the grand canopy bed and the west-facing windows. The one Draco always used.
Theo could already picture Draco’s sneer when he found out about Iggy’s wayward hospitality.
Best not to linger on that room - or whatever Draco was prone to doing in it.
Theo let out a loud sigh, drawing a pointedly arched eyebrow from the witch at the desk across from his. Great. Another thing to add to his increasingly long to-do list: wrangling his rogue house-elf’s latest act of charity. Merlin, when was he ever going to get a break?
By the time he’d finished three reports, reviewed a fifty-page legislative proposal, and declined four funding applications, he decided he’d done enough for one day. When he finally looked up from his desk, he realized he was the only one left in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Even Eyebrow Witch had gone home. Curious. She usually managed to outlast him.
Theo checked his pocket watch. Nearly eight. He exhaled, long and slow.
He stood by his desk, contemplating his next move for longer than necessary. Did he really have options? Well, technically, yes. He could ignore the guest a little longer and risk her stealing or destroying something valuable. Or he could return to his London flat, let Iggy serve up the curry soup he’d mentioned, and enjoy a quiet evening with his book. His stomach rumbled at the thought. That would be nice.
But no.
Theo was an adult man. A manly, capableadult man who could absolutely muster the courage to deal with this… this intruder.
The audacity. Squatting in his home.
Why, he never.