Pansy Thorndike (botanicalbeauty) wrote in afic, @ 2011-03-15 14:32:00 |
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Entry tags: | !completed, character: draco malfoy, character: pansy parkinson, player: deb, player: kori |
Who: Pansy & Draco (and small children passing through)
When: Tuesday, 15 March, tea time
What: tea!
Where: Draco’s townhouse
Rating: PG/PG13 - there are children about..
Status: Started in Gdocs, continued in thread
Draco was supposed to be writing, but at the moment, he was lying on the floor with three small children, trying to see if he could manage to tickle all three at once, while the children tried to pin him down and tickle him back. Alyssa sat on one of his arms while Draco laughed, trying to pull free. He managed to wriggle loose, swinging up and grabbing his daughter to plunk her down between the twins, tickling until her laughter rang out.
He liked that all three of them were smiling. It seemed a small thing, but was well worth taking the break from his work. Caught up as he was in the fun, he didn’t even notice the Floo in the next room fire up, and someone step out.
Pansy wasn’t surprised to hear giggling coming from Draco’s townhouse - but it seemed like there were a few extra voices. Virginia Rose gripped Pansy’s hand harder and Pansy called out.
“Draco? Am I interrupting something?” she asked, adjusting a squirming Jonquil on her hip and trying to reassure Virginia Rose that there wasn’t anything scary and they were just here for tea with Uncle Draco and Alyssa.
“Tante Pansy!” Alyssa shrieked and pulled away from Draco, running into the next room to throw her arms around Pansy’s knees. She immediately started babbling in French, reaching out for Virginia Rose to try to bring her back to meet her friends.
Draco noticed how the twins immediately became wary of the intrusion, and he assured them, “Pansy is a friend of mine, just here for a visit. You and Alyssa--” he glanced over, hearing Alyssa’s chatter, and amended, “And Virginia Rose can all go upstairs to play for a bit.”
He stood and walked into the other room, his manner still relaxed from playing with the children, arms open to give Pansy a hug and a kiss on both cheeks. “Hello, my dear. I didn’t know you were going to come by.”
Pansy crouched down to give Alyssa a kiss and greet her. Virginia Rose waited for Pansy’s nod of approval and reassuring handsqueeze before grabbing onto Alyssa’s hand and following her.
Pansy chuckled as she returned Draco’s greeting, now that she had one hand free.
“Dare I ask what has happened that caused you to forget we were having tea today?” she asked.
Alyssa dragged Virginia Rose with her straight back to the twins, and started cheerily introducing them, all still in French. Draco watched, waiting to see if there was going to be trouble. As wary as Alex looked, it seemed as if they would all at least head up the stairs shortly. He’d simply need to activate the monitor spell to listen for any further difficulties.
With one arched eyebrow, he returned his attention to Pansy. “A surprise guest in the wee hours, and two small children at the house today.” His smile turned up one corner of his mouth. “It’s been eventful.”
Pansy set Jonquil down and watched as her youngest toddled, clinging to her hand on her unsteady legs before sitting down on the floor. A quick survey of the room satisfied Pansy that Jonquil would be alright on the floor and so she turned her attention back to Draco.
“What sort of guest shows up with two small children. Apart from family and housemates? And I believe I’m the only one with more than one. It seems you’ve been keeping secrets from me, Draco,” she teased.
“Nothing so exciting, darling, merely haven’t had time to tell you all the latest.” He motioned towards the kitchen. “Come, sit, and I’ll get the kettle on. Unfortunately, I’ve no pastries to offer as someone decided to feed her friends the remainder of the pain au chocolat this morning.”
He pulled out a chair as he went in, then busied himself getting down glasses and setting the water to boiling. “The children are the Boot twins. Their father was taken by the Ministry last night, and Mandy came here after they let her and the children finally go.” He glanced over at Pansy, expression mild as he added, “They’ll be staying here for a time, as the Ministry has seized their home.”
Pansy took Jonquil’s hands and helped her toddle into the kitchen, handing her a wooden spoon to play with before taking a seat, one eye on the child and one on Draco.
“I had no idea you were so... close.. with the mother,” Pansy commented, believing there was plenty Draco wasn’t telling her.
“Although if I’d known you were hosting child care services, I’d of dropped all four of mine off and spent a day on my own,” she commented, half-serious. The girls had been much more clingy since their father’s passing and the fact that she was sharing a house with her parents made everyone more tense.
Draco gave her a look, half amusement, half wry. “I’m hardly a child care service. I still have my writing, which has fallen by the wayside today.” He got the tea set, and brought the steeping pot to the table so he could sit as well. “As for Mandy, oui, we have become friends. I believe I may have mentioned her in passing; she is the one I ran into in the cafe, the day I was branded. Her children distracted me when I needed a distraction, and we have spoken often since. She trusted me enough to come here last night, when she needed a place to go. And in turn, I made certain she rested, and stayed safe.”
It was far from all of the story, but Draco wasn’t entirely certain how to explain the complications of the friendship. At times he wasn’t even entirely certain he understood them himself.
The look Pansy gave Draco made it quite clear that she suspected there was more.
“People you mention in passing and people you trust and allow to spend the night in your home wiht your children are not always the same,” Pansy challenged.
“Though if this was a child care service, I could leave all the girls with you, and actually have some more time to go look at properties,” she commented.
“Perhaps we could share a nanny for a time, or I could take them for a few hours, but not today.” Draco glanced down the hall, head canted as he listened for the monitoring spell. He heard nothing but gentle chatter, and hopefully it remained that way. “The twins have had a rough time, and I’m concerned it may not get simpler.”
His jaw set; the timer for the tea going off gave him a distraction, and he poured cups for both of them to give himself a moment to consider his words. “She is a friend, Pansy. A close one, oui, surprisingly so for someone I could barely remember from our school years. In some ways she reminds me of Amelia, perhaps, but I do know I trust her. Her husband, on the other hand, does not trust me one bit.” One eyebrow arched. “Even after I’ve assured him that I’m not sleeping with his wife.”
Pansy chuckled.
“Surely you don’t find it hard to understand why a husband would feel like that about you? Particularly one who happens to be a father. You’re good looking, excellent with children - it’d be easy enough to connect the dots in such a manner.”
She took a sip of her tea, allowing the passing thought of a marriage of convenience to Draco to flitter through her mind. She couldn’t even consider it now. She’d married for love and anything else would just feel false right now, even if she didn’t look forward to bringing the girls up without a father.
“And not more than a friend? It seems rather sudden, how quickly all of this has developed with someone you ‘barely remember’. I am simply wondering what is going on in that head of yours. Though I can only imagine what it must be like for the children and their mother.”
Her heart went out to the woman, regardless of who she was.
“I am fond of her,” Draco admitted carefully. He trusted Pansy, but he was also afraid of what words became when they were placed in others’ hearing. “And her husband is concerned about my reputation, not that I might have sex with his wife; they have an open marriage. She has offered and I have declined. However, I cannot deny that waking with her in my bed was a pleasant experience.” Disturbingly so, as was seeing Mandy wearing his clothes, or working in his kitchen. His reaction was ill-timed and inappropriate, not to mention highly unfeasible.
He took a sip of his tea, and considered what was going on in his own mind, only to determine he had no idea. “I cannot possibly explain it. But I worry for her and the twins. I should thank you for bringing them another distraction. I am hoping we shall be able to return their lives to normal soon, so it does not get worse.”
“Do you have any reason to believe her connection with you led to her husband’s arrest?” Pansy asked, concern evident in her voice as she sipped her tea.
“That almost seems to be more than just fondness, Draco. Be careful - woman can be particularly vulnerable in such situations,” she said. “It seems incredibly complicated, whatever you are doing with her.”
One eyebrow arched slowly, Draco’s lips set in a thin line. “I would hardly take advantage of any woman in such a situation, I assure you. I am well aware of the vulnerabilities of grief and fear. And no, I do not believe Boot’s arrest has anything to do with Mandy’s friendship with me.” That it might have something to do with a suggestion he made to Hermione was something else entirely, and Pansy was not yet involved in that aspect of his life, so Draco remained silent on that point.
“The Ministry has gone mad, and destroys our freedoms.” Draco looked across at Pansy, concern in his expression. “Are you quite certain returning to Britain is in your best interest? Not that I should like to see you leave again, of course.”
“You misunderstand me, Draco. I do not think you would do anything untoward, but I worry she might take your kindness as proof of something more. Emotions.. are unpredictable.”
That was an understatement, of course, but Pansy didn’t necessarily want to get into all of that right at this moment.
“What else am I to do? I couldn’t stay there, Draco. I can barely make it through the nights when one of the girls starts crying for Daddy. Maybe it makes me a coward or selfish, but I needed to be with my friends and family. Besides, to some extent, I will always be a foreigner there in the States. The girls would do alright, I’m sure, but it was easier with Tommy around. I may still send them to Salem.”
She took a long sip of tea to gather her thoughts.
“I could ask the same of you? Would it not be better and safer for you and Alys to go to France?” she asked.
“Ah, but you see, there I am safe: Mandy is not interested in something more.” A small smile at that, and Draco turned his attention to Pansy’s question.
“Our situations are different, Pans. You’re free; I’m not. In fact, I’m considered one of the most wanted supposedly free wizards in Britain, by virtue of my status as a former Death Eater, and my involvement in the end of the war.” A sip of his tea, and a shrug. “When I first traveled to France, I found I had a follower, ensuring my good behaviour and funnelling information back to the British Ministry. While the French Ministry was happy to let me be as long as they had Amelia following me, they also kept the British Ministry informed. And had I chosen not to return to Britain as required by my sentence, they would have forcibly returned me. As a criminal, I am reduced to travel for vacation purposes only, or else leave in the night and live out my days underground, which I assure you, does not appeal.”
He smiled tightly. “Besides. This is my home, and I will reclaim it.”
She smiled and reached over to squeeze his hand.
“Exactly. This is home.” On some level, it was all that needed to be said.
“Have you heard about any properties opening up anywhere? I hope to go looking this week because I am not sure how long we can stay at the farm house - it is roomy enough for my parents, but with me and the girls, it is a bit cramped.”
“When I first brought Alyssa home, I wondered how long it would be before I was looking myself; this place is good for a father and daughter, or a mother and son, but not three generations,” Draco admitted. “But my mother left before I started looking, so no, unfortunately, I’m not aware of anything. Mandy recently bought her home; I could ask who she worked with if you’d like a referral to someone reputable. I assume you’ll be looking for a place with a proper Floo and connections to the Wizarding world.”
Pansy made a mental note that many things in Draco’s life seemed to connect back to Mandy.
“That would be preferable, but they can be installed if the perfect place opens up. Father sold the estate when the new Ministry took over and gave most of the profits to the Muggleborn education fund. The slippery fish doing his best to keep his way of life. Unfortunately, he did not account for me returning without a husband and with four children. Neither did I, for that matter.”
She took another long sip of tea.
Seeing that Jonquil was trying to climb into her lap, she pulled her youngest onto her lap and pushed the hot teacup closer to the middle of the table and away from Jonquil.
“Someplace to make a home. Where the girls can run around and maybe even have their own rooms again and hopefully where I could set up a greenhouse.”
“Better to sell than see it burned with him inside,” Draco said dryly. “It sounds as if you’re looking for someplace in the country. There are several good wizarding communities, of course, and if you find something Muggle you could always convert. The advantage of someplace Muggle is the opportunity to disappear in plain sight if needed. Also electricity.” Something Draco still missed from France, only having installed it on the one floor of this townhouse. He considered asking if she were shopping for a husband with the house, but it was too soon, even if it might be the practical move, with four daughters involved. “What will you be doing to live on?”
“Will they even let me buy land in this situation?” Pansy asked, “Or is this something I ought to do through a proxy? I certainly don’t want to end up like your friend Mandy because of who I’m related to.”
She let Jonquil play with her necklace so she’s stay entertained. She snuggled her daughter closer at the change of topic.
“There’s some money from Tommy’s work and family inheritance. The girls have trust funds set up already which are being managed, but that’s for much later. I’m getting some funds from his life insurance, thank Merlin. If I find a place that isn’t too expensive, then I should be able to make do. I’m not sure it’ll cover a nanny though. I may see if there’s something I can do part time or while I’m watching the girls. I.. It is a rather large mess. If Morgan had been a boy, this would be a different situation.”
Draco lifted one finger, pressing it to his lips. If Morgan were a boy, it would be different, which implied that the other three were not wanted. “Perhaps, and perhaps not. Fate deals your hand as it will, sometimes.” He nudged his cup away, folding his hands on the table. “If it isn’t already, put your money into Muggle funds to ensure it remains safe. Hermione Granger works for an accounting firm which has done well for me over the years. That way if, for some reason, you are tarred with the brush of your family’s history, they cannot remove your funding. As for purchasing a home, as long as you are not branded an ST yourself, you should be able to do so.”
“As of yet, they have not come knocking on my door, but who’s to say they won’t come tomorrow. Considering how things are, it may be best to buy via proxy. So that they can’t take it away for any reason. I do not know if the fact that Tommy was American will count in my favour or not. There are people here who remember it was me who wanted to turn Potter over to Him before the battle,” Pansy said quietly.
“Tommy’s money is mostly in muggle off-shore accounts with some of it in investments. It’s.. complicated, but only some of it was in Gringotts. The Thorndikes tended to trust the muggle Swiss more than the goblins. Perhaps it was also not wanting everything in one place.”
“Good.” Draco paused as he heard footsteps thundering down the stairs, holding one finger up. He rose, moving to the cabinets to take down a tin. Opening it, he set it on the table as the children came into the kitchen. “Biscuits, if you don’t mind your daughters having one? Shortbread.”
Alyssa reached into the tin, handing biscuits all around.
“Biscuits are perfectly all right by me,” Pansy said, nodding her approval with a smile.
“Could I have one as well, Alyssa?” she asked with a smile while Jonquil held her hands out.
“Momma, can Jonqui have a cookie too?” Virginia Rose asked. “I’ll share mine with her.”
“I think she can, but I’ll share mine with her so you can have all of yours,” Pansy said with a smile, giving Virginia Rose a kiss on the forehead.
Pansy watched with a smile as Alyssa dragged the children off to her bedroom again before returning her attention to Draco.
“Are you doing alright financially with the writing?” she asked, wanting to make sure he was taken care of.
“Oui, if I don’t miss my deadlines.” Draco took a biscuit from the tin, then nudged it closer to Pansy. “I have a Wiggleschwarm draft due at the end of May, and the outline for the third Dentremonte due in two weeks. I’ve been working on the former. The latter eludes me, and likely will continue to do so as Amelia was a driving force behind that series.” And without Amelia he found it difficult to return to the world, and the characters, as if their stories faltered without her to help nudge them along.
“The Dentremontes will not become film material, but they are popular. The Wiggleschwarms do very well, which is why the aggressive schedule. They have been keeping me with a roof overhead, and food on the table.” If he lived frugally in some small manners, that was his own business, and not for others to hear.
Pansy took the biscuit and broke off a piece to feed to Jonquil.
“I’m glad you’ve been able to find something that brings in money that you seem to enjoy,” Pansy said honestly.
“It’s rare that happens. I’m not sure there’s much money to be made in flower arranging or that sort of thing. I’ve very little idea of how one goes about getting a job without having many skills.”
Draco considered that. “Do you need to earn enough to live on, or do you simply need to supplement the moneys you already have so that you do not go through your savings? If you’ve invested, perhaps doing something you enjoy -- working with flowers -- could match with the interest on your investments to provide your living expenses.”
“I suppose that depends on the level of living,” Pansy said plainly. “Finding a home is the first priority. And a cook or an elf so that I don’t burn the place down.”
Draco smirked. “You could learn to cook. It’s not entirely difficult, and you did make good marks in Potions, if I recall.”
Pansy chuckled.
“When taught by Snape, yes. But stirring under his eye is different than cooking with toddlers underfoot,” Pansy explained.
“Do you have any milk?” she asked as she fed Jonquil the second half of the biscuit.
“I’ll admit, I learned to cook before I had Alyssa with me,” Draco said. He rose to get milk from the fridge, and a child appropriate cup from the cupboard, assuming the milk was for Jonquil, and set both on the table for Pansy. “And I’ve only the one child trying to help when I do so. But I’d be more than willing to help you learn. It’s the housekeeping that’s painful without a house elf about, but I’m not certain there are many left in Britain to be had.”
“My parents elf returned to them, so I may see about sharing her. I think she’s a bit overwhelmed by four little girls though,” Pansy explained, pouring some milk into the cup for Jonquil.
“Somehow, even if I had the funds for a fully staffed house here, I don’t think the current Ministry would look too kindly on it.”