Games & Elf Wine
Chapter 3: Games & Elf Wine
As the summer holiday began to dwindle, the three teenagers grew closer and closer. It was rare that Narcissa ever found one without the other two aside from sleeping, and she often caught Theo snoring loudly on the couch in Draco’s room. She had given him numerous lectures about the kinks and creaks he would put in his spine if he didn’t sleep in a proper bed, but the boy hated to be alone and she understood that.
Lucius had not returned to Malfoy Manor as promised, but he did write to Draco two days following the escapade at the Nott Estate.
Draco,
Ted and I spoke recently, and he knew very little of Miss Wilhemina Wiggins, except that she is a graduate of Ilvermorny in the states. She is a newer trainee at St. Mungo’s but very bright and promising. Her first year out of school was spent interning in the infirmary at Durmstrang, so I expect she is proficient in both the Dark Arts and discretion. I am more than willing to continue to vet her if you wish.
Son, please forgive me for my transgressions this summer. I never thought my actions, or lack thereof, would cause you harm or pain. I implore you to speak to your mother on my behalf, and if the two of you could ever forgive me, I would like to come back home.
Sanctimonia Vincet Semper,
Lucius A. Malfoy
Draco was taken aback by his father’s letter—he apologized yet again and it seemed sincere. He even signed it so personally compared to just using the family motto. He didn’t know what to make of it, but what he was sure of was that his mother’s resolve was cracking. She didn’t like to be alone and as the end of summer drew nearer, he could see that she was afraid for him and his friends to leave her. He knew he couldn’t just tell his father to come home, but maybe he could talk to his mother while they were out shopping at Diagon.
The little group of four Floo’ed to the Leaky Cauldron where they received tight, nervous smiles from Tom, the barkeep, and the regulars sitting around the pub.
“Good afternoon, Tom,” Narcissa said politely as she passed the grungy man.
“Madam Malfoy,” he said tersely with a slight bow of his head, lip attempting to curl into a bit of a sneer. The man kept up just enough of a pretense so as not to be impolite, but had an air of accusation in his words.
His mother took no notice of the man’s, or anyone else’s, behavior as they left the pub—at least not openly. Pansy, being the most trained in polite society rules, was overly offended at the show the man had made toward her mother-figure and role model.
“Mrs. Malfoy, why didn’t you hex him into next week? He may have said it politely, but he was clearly disgusted with us!” She nearly shrieked in anger and frustration.
“Pansy, dear, why do you think that man was less than pleasant toward me?” She calmly inquired, and Draco recognized that she would use this as a teaching moment for them all.
“I—I don’t know—because he thinks Sirius is a murderer?” Pansy stumbled through her thoughts.
“Yes. Not only that, but he is believed to be a Death Eater. Who is the only known Death Eater currently outside of Azkaban?” His mother nudged.
“Mr. Malfoy,” Pansy answered hesitantly. “So they think you and Mr. Malfoy helped Sirius to escape Azkaban because he’s your cousin and a Death Eater?”
“Precisely,” the elder witch said with a pleased look.
“But none of those things are true…” the girl said quietly.
“Again, you are correct, dear. Being a Slytherin and from a prominent pureblood family, as we all are, means many of those not in our inner circle will attempt to tear us down instead of understand us,” Narcissa responded, straightening herself up with poise.
“So we’ll just be treated like this forever?” Pansy’s righteous anger flared at the notion, and Draco could nearly see sparks of magic crackling at the ends of her hair.
“No. We maintain our posture. We stay polite,” she nodded in Theo’s direction. “We sit quietly,” she gave a pointed look at Pansy, raising her hand up to quiet the girl’s retort before she even opened her mouth. “Then we strike,” she swung down her fist, eyes focused on Draco with a look of fierce determination.
All three of the teenagers inwardly trembled at how formidable the witch before them truly was. “Yes, mother,” Draco said in turn. He had no doubt his mother would slash the throat of someone who dared to threaten her family, or disembowel anyone or anything that even tried. She would walk silent steps, giving no warning to the enemy, then strike them down in one blow.
Narcissa took Pansy’s hand and led her toward Twillfit & Tatting’s for their ‘ladies shopping’ whatever that was. The two boys rolled their eyes and grinned.
“Race you to Quality Quidditch !” Draco shouted and took off down the alley, weaving and ducking through the small crowds of witches and wizards.
“Hey! No fair!” Theo yelled back as he chased the blonde through the milling shoppers.
Draco made it to the front display window first but only by a few short seconds. Theo shoved him in the shoulder, both boys huffing and puffing to catch their breath while nearly crying with laughter.
The bell chimed over the door as they pushed their way into the shop. Both Slytherins were immediately drawn to the newest broom on display—the Firebolt. If one looked hard enough, they would spot a few strings of drool dripping from the corners of their gawking mouths.
“Ellerby & Spudmore really outdid themselves this time,” Theo whispered in awe.
“Look at the Goblin-made iron! It’s non-slip, and an unbreakable braking charm? Theo, mate, I’m in love!” Draco declared.
“Let’s not forget, chaps, the most important feature! It can race to speeds over one hundred and fifty miles per hour!” The salesman clapped them both on the shoulders, clearly having recognized Draco by his distinct Malfoy features. “Would either of you care to take it for a test drive?”
“Oh would I!” Theo grinned like a Cheshire cat, before Draco slapped his hand away.
“Don’t think we didn’t see the sign at the entrance there, ‘ you ride it, you buy it ’,” Draco scoffed at the man who skunk away embarrassed at being caught using such a tactic, and by a thirteen year old, no less.
“Good call, Draco, I didn’t even see it,” Theo grumbled, reaching a hand out to stroke the glass case longingly.
“That git tried to use the same trick on me last year when I was trying to decide which broom I wanted for Quidditch,” the blonde growled. “Nearly had me, but luckily father walked into the shop just before I put my hand on it. I could’ve ended up with a Comet!” Draco sneered at the thought.
“Yikes, that would’ve been embarrassing,” Theo chortled.
“I need a new pair of gloves for this season, let’s go see if they have any dragonhide pairs,” Draco pointed to a stand of gloves and pads at the back of the store. They meandered around the shop for nearly an hour when Draco finally grabbed the pair of gloves he’d found and the color-changing Snitch he had been eyeing for the last twenty minutes, and checked out at the counter.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a head of messy black hair also drooling over the new Firebolt display from outside the storefront. He must have been standing there for nearly the whole time the two boys had been in the shop because he dropped his head and dragged his feet as he walked away, and no thirteen year old Quidditch player could’ve just walked away from it after only a few minutes.
The boys wandered outside, pointedly moving in the opposite direction as Potter. For once in his life, Draco actually wanted to avoid conflict. What his mother had said really resonated with him. “Then we strike” .
Theo and Draco walked past shop after shop, waiting patiently for Narcissa and Pansy to be done with whatever it was they were doing. The pair ended up at Florean’s and helped themselves to two giant bowls of every flavor in the case. They piled as many toppings on as would fit, and greedily stuffed their faces full of ice cream. Both boys earned themselves a stabbing brain freeze, but once it rescinded, they resumed their race to finish every spoonful.
That was how the two ladies found them—rubbing their temples and stomachs, torn between the overfull feeling in their guts and the ice pick digging into their brains. “Overindulging I see,” Narcissa laughed at them. “I hope you maintained your table manners as we are in public, I’m sure you remember?”
Theo’s and Draco’s eyes dropped involuntarily admitting they had not kept up with their proper etiquette. Pansy’s smirk told them it was obvious anyway.
“Up you get, we’re going to Flourish & Blott’s for your books. Honestly, you two should’ve spent your time better and gotten fitted for new robes with Madam Malkin,” Narcissa playfully scolded.
The rest of their shopping trip went without incident, and none of the other shopkeepers so much as batted an eyelash at the group. When they returned to the Leaky to use the public Floo, Tom was nowhere in sight.
“Go and put your new books and things away in your trunks, which should already be somewhat packed,” she gave each of them a knowing look before continuing, “then you three will be having dinner on your own tonight. I have some business in Dufftown that may run over into the evening.”
As her heels clicked away down the halls of the Manor, echoing off of the marble, the three teenagers looked at each other, perplexed as to why Narcissa Malfoy of all people would go to Dufftown.
…
“Have you guys talked to anyone besides us this summer?” Pansy asked, picking at a perfectly manicured nail.
“No?” Theo and Draco both shook their heads and shrugged before stuffing another full bite of chicken parmigiana into their mouths.
“Ugh you two have disgusting eating habits. Control yourselves!” She scowled at the boys, pushing her plate away from her. They slowed only slightly. Draco cut a few bites a little smaller before continuing to eat, but Theo mostly ignored her.
Theo looked up quickly, as if a thought suddenly struck him. “Have you talked to Daph at all?” He asked frantically.
Pansy face dropped at the mention of her ex-best friend. “No.”
“Oh…” Theo said softly, his voice hanging in the air around them.
Draco had nearly forgotten the events that had transpired at the end of the previous year, and he was eager to change topics. While he hadn’t originally been made a pariah, the fact that Pansy and Theo basically moved in with him would. At least Greg and Vince would stand by him either way.
Poor Pansy. She’s not gonna have any girl friends when we go back. Daphne and occasionally Tracey were the only ones who could even stand to be around her for more than a few minutes to begin with…she’s not so bad though…she acts like one of the guys most of the time…or was that just because she was dating Blaise…?
“Anyone want to break out some elf wine?” Draco offered in a misguided attempt to cheer his friends up.
“YES!” Theo slapped his hands down on the tabletop grinning. “Best idea you’ve had all day!”
Pansy didn’t speak but nodded eagerly with the start of a smile.
Mippy begrudgingly brought them a dusty bottle of elf wine, and Theo unstoppered the cork. Pansy snatched the bottle, blew the dust off the top and poured three hefty glasses, passing them around before gulping down half her glass.
“What was that about table manners?” Theo mumbled to Draco so that the clearly angry female in front of them didn’t hear. Unfortunately for the brunette, she heard his comment anyway, and her piercing eyes shot him a warning glare—the alcohol in her hand being more important for the time being.
The two boys sipped from their glasses in awkward silence, waiting for Pansy to lead the discussion. Once her glass was sufficiently drained, she filled it back up and cleared her throat. Her dark brown eyes slightly glazed over.
“Wanna play a game?” She asked a little too sweetly.
“Like what?” Draco asked, suspicion creeping in. Pansy was never sweet without a motive especially with no parents present.
“Veritaserum or Dare?” She chuckled darkly and Theo winced at the reference. She shook her head and winked playfully, “no, better not. Poker?”
“What, and lose every hand because you’re already pissed?” Draco rolled his eyes.
“Yesss,” she hissed back.
“Not a chance, Parkinson,” Theo growled, “we’re playing Never Have I Ever.”
She rolled her eyes but gave in instantly, clapping her hands in excitement, “Goody! Let’s go play in Draco’s room in case Narcissa comes home early—“
“I don’t know, Pans, wouldn’t that make you, like, compromised or something? Alone in a bedroom with two blokes?” Draco scratched nervously at the back of his neck.
“Oh, come on, Draco! Don’t be such a prude, I’ve been alone with both of you in a bedroom I can’t even count how many times!” She scoffed at the idea.
“Yeah, but that was different, Pansy. We were kids—now we’re…not?” Theo said, unsure of what they should actually do.
“We can play in the library. We’ll have plenty of notice if mum comes home early, and it’s a safe, open space. Fair?” Draco offered.
Pansy rolled her eyes, but reluctantly agreed. She snatched the bottle off the table and twisted her now empty glass between pinched fingers. The two boys shared a look as she skipped and twirled down the hall toward the library.
“Weird, right?” Theo commented, brows raised.
“Very.”
“Are you two coming or what?” Pansy shouted back to them before bursting into a fit of giggles.
By the time they entered the library’s large ornate glass doors, Pansy had already shifted the furniture to her liking—an oversized, grey wingback linen chair and two tan, leather club chairs equally set around a small, round coffee table. Mippy had apparently brought more wine, and Pansy’s glass was suspiciously missing.
“Theo, be a dear, would you?” The girl smiled innocently up at him, gesturing to the bottles.
“ All of them?” He asked, sputtering.
“We’re playing a drinking game, Theo, did you not want to drink alcohol?” She asked bluntly.
“Well, of course I do—“
“Good. Open,” she commanded, plopping down in the large wingback, tilting sideways so her neck lay on one armrest and her legs dangling off the other. Draco handed her a bottle as Theo opened them each their own.
“Pansy, are you sure you should drink this much?” Draco asked worriedly. She can’t weigh more than
“Shut it, Malfoy. Mind your own damn business,” she snipped, then took a swig straight from her bottle.
“So who’s starting then?” Draco asked, ignoring her jab.
“ You,” his friends pointed back at him at nearly the same time.
“Uhhhh, okay—never have I ever…worn girls’ clothing,” he said, smirking at Pansy.
“Oh, very original, wonderful job, you,” Pansy said as she rolled her eyes and took another drink. “Me next. Never have I ever thought a girl was cute,” she said smugly, motioning for both boys to drink up.
“My turn, I guess,” Theo said, trying to think on his feet. “Never have I ever……..” he froze for a solid two minutes with nothing coming to mind.
“Salazar’s tits, Theo, just pick something!” Pansy tried to slap at his knee but he was just out of reach.
“Okay, okay! Never have I ever had a vagina!” Theo snorted, laughing so hard he nearly dropped his bottle of wine.
“You two are pathetic,” Pansy groaned, taking a long drink. “Spice it up a bit, yeah?” She looked at Draco trying to urge him to get a little risqué.
“Right—spice it up—okay, never have I ever french kissed a girl,” he said, awkwardly avoiding Pansy’s stare. Both Pansy and Theo drank deeply from their bottles.
“You’ve never kissed—“ Theo began, looking at Draco, shocked by the confession, before he processed what he just saw, “—Pansy did you ju—“
“Yes, Theodore, I kissed a girl,” Pansy winked.
“When?!” Draco asked.
“WHO?!” Theo shouted over him.
“A lady never tells,” she smirked as she twirled a strand of raven hair around her fingers. “Hannah Abbott. After working in the greenhouses-es together all year, she invite’ me to one of the Hufflepuff parties, and lemme tell you what— crazy !” She giggled and took another long drink while they processed what she had said.
“Wait a minute, you said a lady never tells,” Draco called her out with a less than sober pout.
“Who said I was a lady?” Pansy fell into another fit of laughter and nearly flipped off the chair. She was now hanging rather precariously, her head nearly upside down and feet rising higher in the air.
“Wow. Mmkay, then, we gonna get any details?” Theo questioned, leaning forward in anticipation with his chin resting on his fists and elbows propped on his legs.
“Maybe if you’ve never done th’ righ’ thiiings,” she struggled to sit up enough to take another drink.
Draco chugged half of his bottle to swallow what he had just learned about one of his best friends. Was that why she and Blaise actually broke up? Is Pansy a lesbian?! How would I not have noticed that?
Pansy flipped back upright into the chair, sitting ramrod straight. All humor gone from her face she said, “nev’r ‘ave I ev’r made it to second bassse.” When neither boy responded, she looked pointedly at Theo and cleared her throat. His cheeks flushed and averted his eyes as he took a quick gulp.
“So Da’ne wasn’t lyin’!” Pansy cheered, causing Theo to turn an even darker shade of violet, and Draco chuckled along.
“S’you didn’t know we did that? It wasn’t even on purpose, it was an accident!” Theo looked at Pansy in mock betrayal. “Y-you sssnake woman!”
“Uh yeah, tha’s the p-point—we’re Ssslytherinsss, Theodore,” she giggled, hissing on her ‘s’ sounds. “Draco, deearyy, your turn!”
“Com’on Pans, we’re all smashed,” Draco tried to wave her off as he slid further down into the club chair so he could rest his neck on the backrest. They had all kept drinking between turns and their bottles were relatively close to being empty.
“Las’ one! Make it a good’n!” She squealed, eyes drooping closed, with a silly grin on her lips.
Theo snored lightly, and his bottle made a soft thunk as it dropped the two or three inches to the floor from where it had been dangling in his fingers.
“Nev’r ‘ave I e’er—“ his eyes drifted shut and he forgot what he was trying to say. Everything was so fuzzy and spinning. Pansy clumsily flopped down to the floor after shifting around in her chair, and she fell into a fit of giggles. The sound startled Draco and he too slid out of his chair onto the rug. The pair laughed, eyes still closed lazily as they tried to re-situate themselves, evidently unable to make the steep climb back into their chairs.
Pansy rolled to Draco’s side and put her hand on his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. “Draco,” she murmured.
He grunted in response, he was awake, but not formulating any real words. The change from vertical to horizontal had sent his head spinning. She reached across the other side of his face and tucked her hand into his soft, platinum hair. Her fingers curled around the base of his neck and yanked him to his side. His eyes flew open in surprise, just as she tipped her chin up, her lips meeting his—this time for much longer than half a second.
She pressed herself closer to him, as if trying to meld their two separate selves into one. He gasped a little at her ferocity and she slid her tongue against his lower lip. He wasn’t sure why, but he let her deepen the kiss—it felt like it was what she wanted, needed in that moment. His arm wrapped around her waist and he just held her, letting her take whatever she thought she needed, offering up small nips and squeezes in return.
When she finally broke the kiss, both of their cheeks had flushed crimson, and she rolled away, her back to him, seemingly embarassed. “Pansy?” He whispered, touching a finger to his swollen lips. “Pansy, is’kay,” he slurred softly, placing his hand on her shoulder.
The dark-haired witch turned her head slightly, just enough to see the sincerity in his eyes. She smiled weakly and turned back away, “g’nigh’ Draco.”
“Nigh’ Pans.” So definitely not a lesbian, then.
…
“Where the bloody hell did she learn to drink like that? Twowhole bottles of elf wine, Draco! Elf wine! We each barely finished one bottle and we were off our faces!” Theo was grumbling at breakfast. He and Draco had come down somewhere near half eleven, but Pansy had yet to leave her room.
At some point in the early morning, Mippy had popped each of them into their beds, and cleaned up their empty bottles. Draco had yet to run into his mother, but the elf would’ve certainly informed her of what had occurred in her absence. They’d all be beaten within an inch of their lives, he was sure of it—especially if anyone ever found out how he basically snogged one of his best mate’s ex-girlfriend.
I was kinda hoping to forget that little tidbit. I’m sure she didn’t mean to, she was just upset that Blaise and Daphne still aren’t talking to her or Theo. She would’ve done the same thing to Theo if I had passed out first.
“She’s probably just sick like last summer at Blaise’s,” Draco offered with a non-committal shrug.
“Well I’m not waiting to eat anymore. If she doesn’t come down, then she can wait ‘til the next meal,” Theo grunted before shoveling a bite of eggs into his mouth.
“Theodore, that’s quite rude of you. I’m a bit appalled at your lack of manners and self-control,” a soft, cold voice rang through the dining room.
Theo’s fork clattered to his plate, splattering a few drops of egg onto his sleeve, which he promptly swiped away with his napkin. “Mrs. Malfoy,” Theo choked out.
“Mr. Nott,” she snapped back at him, “Draco. I thought the two of you had more sense than what you showed last night. You were given the responsibility to protect and care for a friend last night and you both chose, instead, to take advantage of a young girl.” Narcissa scolded her two boys.
“T-take advantage?!” Draco stammered. “Mother, if anyone took advantage of the other, Pansy took advantage of us !”
“Mippy informed me that the three of you were intent on sleeping in the library with no less than four fully-consumed bottles of aged elf wine. You,” she paused to point at Draco, “were found in compromising positions early this morning when she took you to your rooms!” Her voice raised in pitch with each accusation.
“Mum! Nothing happened! Pansy all but forced us to play a drinking game—“ he argued.
Theo interrupted, “yeah, and she wanted to do it in Draco’s room too! We had to talk her into playing in the library!” He paused, seeing the cringe on Draco’s face and shock on Narcissa’s, he quickly amended his phrasing, “not do it but play the drinking game!” He sighed and covered his beer red face with his hands.
“I will be corroborating that with Miss Parkinson when she wakes up,” the woman huffed and stormed out of the dining room.
“That went better than expected,” Draco let out a breath.
“ Better ?!” Theo nearly shrieked. “How is that better ? She basically accused us of drugging and raping her!”
“I expected to be physically beaten. Mother doesn’t joke about her society rules. Pansy may not care, but if she’s gonna stay here, she needs to either go along with them or get sneakier,” Draco shrugged.
“I guess…” Theo shoved another bite of food in his mouth. “She’ll just get sneakier—Pansy I mean.”
Draco nodded, focusing on his own plate of breakfast food.
“Your mum’s scary,” Theo mumbled between mouthfuls.
“You’re not wrong there,” the blonde agreed. The two teenagers scarfed down two full plates each, and drank nearly a gallon and a half of water between the two of them.
…
Draco had spent the remainder of the afternoon both napping and being reprimanded by his mother. It wasn’t much more than he had anticipated: “Draco, she’s a proper pureblood lady and should be treated as such!” and “You should never have been in such a compromised state, any of you!” But his favorite had been “what about Miss Granger? I thought you two were rather attached?”
Narcissa Malfoy loved to meddle in affairs of the heart, and as his mother and a skilled Legilimens, she knew all about his feelings for her , even if he couldn’t quite distinguish them himself yet. Draco tried not to speak unless she absolutely required it, and when she seemed to have run out of steam, he skulked back to his room.
Upon entering, he found another envelope on his nightstand. It matched the one sent from his father previously, and he tore it open. Lucius had spoken directly with Wilhemina Wiggins, and seemed to support her theory. Father usually knows best—well except when Severus tried to kill me—but really, he would know if we could trust her, I’m sure…
Draco gathered his stationary and penned a response: he would join her study. If anything, she could give them all answers—maybe even get rid of whatever secondary magical signature was in him. They couldn’t be sure it was the Dark Lord’s but what else would be plausible? It certainly fits.
He called for Aquila and the owl hooted cheerily at seeing him. Apparently the bird preferred the Manor to the Hogwarts Owlery. “Sorry, mate, but we’ve got to go back to school soon, enjoy it while you can.” He nipped Draco’s finger, drawing a drop of blood. Draco stuck the bleeding finger in his mouth, shooing the bird off with his other after handing her the letter.
…
Pansy didn’t emerge from her room until dinner. The mismatched family all met in the dining room, Narcissa and Draco being the first to arrive. There was no wine served with the meal, and each of the three teenagers were given nothing but water to drink.
“Draco, Theodore, I have spoken with Pansy and it seems that I owe you both an apology for my presumptions. I expect all three of you to behave more properly going forward, and we will leave it at that, understood?” Narcissa said in a stately manner.
“Yes ma’am,” Theo and Pansy said quietly, eyes downcast.
“Yes, mother,” Draco answered as well.
“Good, now I have news from Dufftown,” she began. “One of the society ladies let it slip to another that Sirius was in hiding there, or at least, heading in that direction.”
“So that was the business you went on last night?” Draco asked excitedly. He had never met his cousin, but he hoped he soon would, especially after finding out how close Sirius and his mother had been.
“Yes, darling, I believe he’s heading toward Hogwarts,” she smiled at her son impishly.
“Hogwarts?! What’s a murderer going to Hogwarts for?” Theo asked nervously.
“Theo, he’s not actually a murderer, remember?” Pansy rolled her eyes at the boy’s theatrics.
“Right, sorry,” he replied sheepishly.
“So he’s moving toward Hogwarts, and we leave in two days time for Hogwarts…so you want me to find him when I get there,” Draco said unenthusiastically.
“Oh, would you? That would be lovely, Draco!” She grinned brightly at her son.
“Sure, I guess what’s one more year of secret missions that I can’t tell anyone about, and every one thinks I’m up to something, which technically I am, but it’s not as bad as everyone makes it out to be—“ he spouted off before stopping at Narcissa’s reproaching glare.
“Don’t be so melodramatic, Draco, it’s unbecoming. Sirius is family, and we take care of family,” she scolded.
“Yes, mother.”