Chapter 21
It rained on the first of June. Draco tried to reschedule the picnic, but Luna said, “but it’s so romantic,” and breezily walked away, already pulling out an umbrella as if she’d planned for the weather all along. Which is how Draco ended up here, stuffed into a gazebo with twelve other people willing to picnic in the rain.
It was Luna’s picnic, but it was at Grimmauld Place so George insisted Draco should co-host. Why did George have a say in that? Draco didn’t quite catch when that happened. One day he was exchanging testy letters with Luna demanding he have a say in the guest list, and the next Luna was visiting to taste test the menu and George was just there. Likely he’d been at the manor visiting his brother, Ronald, who King Harry had assigned to be Teddy’s personal guard.
“Draco is helping me with very serious business,” Luna said to shoo him off.
George peered over the shoulder at the menu. “There’s nothing I take more seriously than pie.” They couldn’t shake him. Luna never did show Draco the guest list, but George had gotten his hands on it. George read it carefully, grinning from ear to ear. “Who knew you were such a schemer,” he said, “I am coming to this picnic.”
“You can’t come, we must only have thirteen, it’s a lucky number,” Luna had insisted.
George shrugged, “Kick out Percy, he’s such a bore.”
“You will not!” Draco refused.
George had looked at Draco for the first time since joining the rendezvous. He tilted his head quizzically, and narrow eyes flickered across Draco’s face. The stare lingered too long but Draco’s resolve didn’t falter. George raised both eyebrows in surprise, then shrugged it off. “Fine, invite the stiff. But the rest of this list needs reworking. You know as well as I he’ll never find a husband on his own. This will have to be perfect!”
That was when Draco had learned that all the work he was putting into making Luna happy for this picnic was actually about the king. Draco sulked as Luna and George hashed out the details.
Day of, Luna and George took command of three of Andromeda’s servants to implement the plan they’d so meticulously crafted. Draco was commanded as well. His role was to stand outside and greet guests. Luna had supplied a crate of pastel umbrellas so guests could stay dry when they took the garden path to their meal.
Draco continued his sulking in the rain. He spent his time waiting for guests getting soggy and wondering about his quality of friends.
It wasn’t long before the guests came. The Weasleys were first, Percy and Audrey, and their younger sister Ginny. Ginny gave Draco the stink eye. He responded with a thin smile and one of Luna’s umbrellas. Separately, three young men came next. Each was sharply dressed and looking to make quite the impression, but none managed to leave a positive one on Draco, seeing how they clearly thought Draco a servant. The Longbottoms followed. They greeted Draco awkwardly, but Hannah cooed at the pattern on her umbrella and remarked kindly on the garden Narcissa kept. The next was a shock. Colton Slughorn was a face Draco recognized from his childhood, and arguably from a family with ties as dubious as Draco’s own. Colton’s eyes narrowed at Draco, but he said all the gracious words one should. It forced Draco into being equally gracious back. Even if Colton arrived in a carriage with his family’s seal and wearing a summer suit clearly commissioned in the latest fashion. Draco was left to make unkind comparisons about his own lot in life.
It left Draco feeling uncharitable. His dour mood sank further with each minute he had to wait for the final guest.
One final, unmarked carriage did eventually arrive. There was nothing to mark it as more special than any other. Except, of course, for the king climbing out of it. He dressed casually in the same style of high-quality working clothes as he would if he was visiting to play with Teddy, rather than being present for a courtly party. It wasn’t cut to show off his figure, but anyone could see strength and grace in the king’s movements. As Draco watched the king step deftly climb down into the rain, he was struck with the memory that he had seen this man naked. He had touched the man’s skin, and felt his muscles ripple under his hands.
Draco mostly at least tried not to think about it any more. Yet for one moment he thought it would be alright to remember.
Then, the king ruined it. He noticed it was Draco waiting and he didn’t walk forward to collect his umbrella. Instead, his forehead creased and his brows furrowed, and his eyes squinted more than was polite when staring at another. He looked at Draco from head to toe, then back up again before clearing his throat and looking away, his face once again impassive.
“You’re to tell me where to go, then?” the king said in lieu of greeting.
Draco said a bit sharply, “Welcome, you royal highness. It’s so kind of you to join us for this picnic.”
The king sighed and waved Draco on. “Yes, so nice to be invited. Now, where’s the food?”
Draco let the king see him roll his eyes, but also provided the final umbrella. “Through the garden and to the back. We’ve been waiting for all the guests to arrive to start. Fortunately, for you, you won’t have any delays.”
“I hate it when they do that,” King Harry muttered. The king snapped open his umbrella and plodded forward. Draco was right on his heels. The king glanced back over his shoulder. “I won’t get lost.”
Draco made sure his suffering sigh was loud so the king could hear it. “Neither will I. It seems we’ll both make it to lunch in one piece.”
Another backwards glance from the king. “You can’t mean you’re joining us?” he asked.
Draco clenched his jaw down to avoid speaking his first thought, and his second. They were almost round the house before he settled on words almost appropriate enough to growl out and decided that was good enough. “You’re attending a picnic at my house. Of course I’ll be at it.”
The king had the audacity to disagree with him. “It’s not your house, it’s Andromeda’s, and she’s letting Luna have use of it.”
Draco didn’t stop his first thought this time round. “What an important distinction. I suppose they may not welcome my attendance at the picnic I’m hosting. I’ll be sure to let Luna know the event is off, but don’t worry, she has use of all the space.” The king paused to sputter at Draco, but Draco strode past him instead of listening.
Everyone else was already seated round a table underneath what should have been a large gazebo, except it wasn’t designed to seat a table of thirteen. Two places had been left open right in the middle. Draco suppressed a groan and plopped down next to Luna, leaving the king to take the seat between Draco and Colton. Draco didn’t look at King Harry, or at any of the guests who had mistaken him for a servant. His glare was only for Luna, who arranged the seating. “I hate you,” he whispered in her ear.
Luna smiled at Draco as if he’d expressed his most earnest love. “You’ll feel better once you’ve eaten. And your timing is exceptional, lunch is served!” The servants were just then setting small baskets in front of each guest. Draco knew what would be inside them. He and Kreacher had prepared it all that morning in the kitchen. It soothed him a bit to hear everyone exclaim so positively at the meat pies, rhubarb scones, and fresh strawberries.
Draco practically held a hand between himself and the king to block the king from sight. He devoted his entire attention on Luna, and Neville Longbottom beside her. Draco would be endlessly fascinated with agriculture if that kept Neville talking so he didn’t need to overhear King Harry.
Not that King Harry was saying much. The four solo men, and Draco, were sat to surround him in every direction. It gave the king no out when he realized that all four of them had attended for the sole purpose of making the King’s acquaintance. It must have been truly horrendous, because the king went so far as tapping on Draco’s hand to get his attention, and claiming Draco must have a thought on the subject.
“What subject?” Draco asked sweetly.
The king gestured at one of the three strangers Draco still hadn’t been introduced to. “Gerald was just talking about royal expenditures.”
Draco raised one eyebrow. The king looked flustered and was grasping at straws to steer clear of conversation with this Gerald. Draco grinned wickedly. “You know how uneducated I am, your majesty. But thankfully one of your most dependable staff is here with us today. Percy! Oh, Percy! His majesty has a question about expenditures.” Draco adored Percy, but he knew instantly from the king’s panicked expression that King Harry was wise enough to fear Percy lessons on accounting. Draco turned away immediately and made an inquiry to the Longbottoms on the process for harvesting wheat.
The rain let up shortly after everyone ate their fill, and all parties were eager to stretch their legs. Luna insisted everyone participate in lawn games. Draco hung back to begin stacking dishes. Angie would scold him, but it was to his own benefit to embrace a moment of quiet. It took only a moment to realize George was still there, too. George kicked out another chair from the table and waved Draco over to sit in it. Draco did, and they watched the other picnickers together. Draco smirked a bit at the king’s continued struggled to evade his suitors.
“I’m afraid you and Luna weren’t able to find him a match,” Draco drawled.
George winked at him. “It’s a long game. Today we’re seeing if we can get him to lower his expectations.”
“Seems a bit cruel,” Draco admitted.
George shrugged. “Just watch, he’ll still be taking one of them home to shag.”
Draco’s eyes shot up in surprise. He looked at the king again, examining his behavior around the men. He looked like he’d like nothing more than to run away and hide. It was nothing like the king’s seduction of Draco.
Only, when the picnic came to a close and Draco and Luna collected umbrellas and wished all the guests farewell, there was a change in the king’s demeanor. He had stepped in close to Colton and was speaking softly enough that the two men had to lean close together to be heard. Draco saw the moment King Harry flashed his charming smile. Draco watched the king’s hand caress Colton’s forearm. They left in their separate carriages, but Draco believed George’s assessment of where the evening was headed.
Luna was frowning after the men as well. “I don’t see that ending up a love match,” she remarked.
George was suddenly there at her side. “Nah, it’s just another of the king’s pretty boys. He shouldn’t last a week.”
Draco frowned after the carriages, his stomach twisted in knots that he wasn’t prepared to untangle. He shared, “Colton’s clever. He won’t let his chance go easily.” Why was Draco getting tied up in who the king would end up marrying?
George grunted assent. “Not to worry. It’s all part of the plan. Just leave it to me, friends. I’ll make sure Harry gets exactly what he deserves.”