The Zabinis
The next morning came and went, and soon the sun had fallen out of the sky and the first of the cars began to arrive.
Draco recognised most of the guests — there went the Patils, those were the Bulstrodes, and that was the sleek car of the Chang family — and any he couldn't recall he assumed was a lesser politician that worked with his father or a plus one.
He didn't typically wait at the door and greet the guests but he didn't want to look for Harry later, so he would have to put up with shaking hands and pretending not to notice the judgemental looks of his father's patrons. It was to be expected. It hadn't even been a year since the scandal.
“Draco!”
Draco smiled as he noticed Blaise and Ms Zabini walking up the stairs towards him. He waited until they were right in front of him to answer.
“Ms Zabini, Blaise, welcome,” he greeted them. He turned to Ms Zabini, gently took her hand, and raised it to his lips to kiss. “Ms Zabini, you look absolutely enchanting, as always.”
She waved off the comment with a laugh, her fan pushing a rush of air towards Draco’s face. “Please, dear, you mustn't flatter me.” She smiled that dazzling smile that even Draco couldn't quite withstand the charm of and he felt a heat in his cheeks. “And I've insisted you call me Celeste. ‘Ms’ makes me feel far too old.”
“Mother, please,” Blaise said, rolling his eyes. “Stop telling my friends that. It's weird.”
“But Blaise, mio caro—”
“Mother.”
“Oh fine. Ms Zabini it is.” She turned back to Draco. “You heard the man.”
That was when Dobbs appeared at the door and he bowed his head at Ms Zabini. “Ah, Ms Zabini, my apologies for keeping you waiting,” he said. “I was attending to some of the other guests inside.”
“Surely none as important as me, Dobbs?” Ms Zabini lulled, placing her hand on her chest.
Dobbs seemed amused by her reaction and he reached his hand out for her to take. “Not nearly, my lady. I would find it entirely impossible for anything to take my attention off you.”
Ms Zabini fanned herself as she accepted his gloved hand. “Mr Dobbs!” she said and Draco saw his friend roll his eyes again.
Personally, he found Ms Zabini quite charming though he understood having her as his mother might quickly become annoying.
“I'll see you inside, Ms Zabini,” Draco said as Dobbs led her inside.
She waved at the two of them before walking into the manor.
“She is so embarrassing,” Blaise said with a sigh. “When will she realise she's not 20 anymore?”
“She's just having fun, Blaise,” Draco said. “The cameras love it anyway.”
“Only because she's attractive,” Blaise scoffed.
“There are worse things to be in the spotlight for.”
Blaise's gaze softened at that. “You're not wrong,” he said. “Have you seen Theodore yet?”
Draco shook his head. “No. Why?”
“I don't suppose you're waiting for him?”
“For Theodore?”
“Not him. The other one.”
Draco just managed to refrain from rolling his eyes. “You can say his name, you know.”
“I know.”
At that, Draco couldn't help it. “What point are you trying to make with this exactly? I don't see any glaring issues with Harry.”
“Exactly. Someone needs to remain vigilant and you've proven that it won't be you,” Blaise said. “I don't understand what you see in him.”
“I don't see anything in him. He's only trying his best,” Draco said. “Speaking of Harry, did you find out anything from your mother?”
Blaise shook his head. “She'd heard the news about his parents, but had only recently moved from Italy when it happened. You?”
“I did, actually.” Draco paused to smile at a couple that walked past them. He grabbed Blaise’s hand and pulled him away from the manor's entrance and behind a nearby tree, away from prying ears. “Apparently, the Potters were inventors. They made nice with our families and gained prestige. Father even went to school with Harry's father.”
“So. . . the Potters were gold-diggers?”
Draco was unamused. “I don't think you of all people should be saying that.”
“My mother's sins are not my own,” Blaise said. “And she already had money back in Italy, she’s just—”
“Greedy?”
To Draco's surprise, Blaise let out a rather disquieting laugh. “I was going to say psychotic, but that works too.”
Draco didn't quite know how to reply to that but it also felt wrong to brush past it. “Blaise. . . if you ever wish to talk or—”
“I'm perfectly fine, Draco,” Blaise said, placing his hand on his shoulder and smiling quite gently at him. “You'd know if I wasn't.”
Draco would. In fact, Blaise had been feeling perfectly fine for some time now.
“There's Pansy,” Blaise said, looking up past Draco’s head to the landing above. “And him.”
“Not even Potter?” Draco said, glancing back at him as they began their way to the pair.
“We’ll see.”
Draco sighed and led them back to the landing. It seemed as though Pansy had already spotted them and was waiting for them to catch up.
“Blaisey, Dracey, you both look so handsome!” Pansy said, her arm hooked around Harry’s. “Don't they, Harry?”
Harry shrugged, barely sparing them a glance. “They look okay,” he said.
Blaise raised his eyebrow at Draco as Pansy slapped Harry's arm, making him huff quietly and meet Draco's eyes.
“I mean, you look nice,” he said and Pansy seemed pleased with that.
“You look very nice as well, Harry,” Draco replied. He felt sort of bad. Between Fleur, Blaise, and his father, he'd completely forgotten about his conversation with Harry. If he was going to keep Harry close to his family, it would do good to apologise.
Harry frowned at his compliment and he looked down, mumbling what Draco assumed was a thank you.
He moved his attention back to Pansy. “And Pansy, you look incredible.”
Pansy bristled at that. “Thank you, Dracey,” she said. “Do you think Fleur will think so too?”
“Don't push your luck, Pansy,” Draco said, shaking his head. “We should join everyone inside though.”
“I'm going to wait for Theo,” Blaise said. “I'll find you later.”
They all agreed to that though it left Draco wondering when Blaise and Nott had become so close. The two had been friends since their third year but Draco didn't see them around each other all that much so he found it odd for Blaise to go out of his way to wait outside for him.
Draco didn't let himself think too hard about it. He already had Harry to deal with and he preferred to handle one situation at a time.