& me see that,” malfoy whispered in his ear, and harry pratially jumped. he hadn’t notied him ome up behind him. he handed malfoy the paper ahe grey eyes fous ohe froarius santi named ruhe miss wizarding weant—breaks reord for oldest oant and first ever male runner-up. harry reoghe middle-aged man pitured in an alluring pose in a fushia ball gown. “that’s the top most unspeakable!”
malfoy shot him a gre. “when you rammed into me, you sent us iure, potter.”
“oh,” was all harry ould think to say ihe the photo. “how is that your first reation to santi ping seoy ompetition?” malfoy shoved the paper into harry’s hest a of the hotel mutterihing about “bloody narissus”.
sighing, harry went after him. , malfoy was tuimepiee, adjustis of arrows o dials o. his lips were parted, as if baited and waitiiohiive. “grab ahold of me, potter.”
“what?” harry burst.
“last time you had barrelled into me,” malfoy smirked. “i’m sure if you treat it like a side-along, it’ll work just fine.”
harry stepped up and grasped malfoy’s upper arm, the slight touh warm ari.
“e going?” harry stammered, still taken abak by the tingle in his hand.
malfoy’s smirk deepened and his eyes rinkled. “bak,” he said.
“bak whely?” harry said. malfoy wihen harry was overwhelmed by the familiar feeling of falling with his feet pnted firmly on the ground.
there was only so muh ohat one ould have with a goddaughter whose soul ed in a kneazle’s body. pansy had waited almost twenty minutes for drao ao ome up to the room. she’d spent half of that time hanging ihing more appropriate for a ransom drop off and iigative trekking aross s at herself in the mirror, she smoothed the li amel trenh oat ahe olr over the white silk blouse. thik, bk wool trousers ompleted the look, topped with a bk fedora. if she was going to experiene her undoi least look amazing.
&he time. they still had almost four hours until everyone osed to be bak. pansy’s nerves were making her sik. what if hermioually aquired all of the ransom demands? would they take everythihe dam irie? how would they swith them bak? she was going to talk herself into a oblivio on.
pah the books longbottom gave them. she read about the history of inquollis aniorpus. apparently at some poih entury, a terrible wizard, alexandr the hler, tried to take over russia usiher. his attempt to get ivan iii almost sueeded but ed when one of his vitims attaked him. the text was vague about who the vitim was, merely stating that alexao injuries from a ede.
“a drink,” she said as bertie slid against pansy’s boots. she losed the book and stood. “i need a drink.”
pansy fouel bar just as rowded as it had been that afternoon. she maeal a seat and order a finisterial camité, her favorite driender had just brought her the delightful green onotiohe seat &ed and another warm body shimmied up into it.
“hello, pansy,” lovegood’s musial v aross the bar.
turook i of the ravenw woman. lovegood had tamed her hair bak into a bun, but otherwise looked exatly the same as when pa, whih had beehan ho. “hello, lovegood.” pansy raised an eyebrow. “e to hek me fnats?”
“i didn’t bring any gold dust,” lovegood put her hand on pansy’s arm. “why? does your sweat smell like eggnog?”
pansy snorted. “lovegood, what are you doing here?”
the blonde looked away, stariion of alohol bottles agaihe bar. “i sehing ere all in nev’s offie. i know most people o of a whimsial ariature of a with, but i aher deisive, even useful.” she turo pansy a smile. pansy took a sip from her drink ainued, “i ould tell yreat emotional distress a ompelled to help in any way that i an.”
pansy ouldhe bitter taste ih was the liquor or her body’s reatioher member of potter’s lique assistahe very idea of someohat side of the ;&o pansy t the golden trio had bent over bakrobably broken a thousand ministry rules i to firie. now lovegood? paed on rare oasions lovegood dispyed her dry and subtle sense of humor, but for the most part, the blonde erson ay. pansy took another sip and sighed.
“alright, lovegood,” she deided. “you an help by keepied uhers get bak.” lovegood smiled, and pansy briefly wondered hoerson ould be real. most of their ssmates would sooner see pahe giant squid than help her, or sazar, omfort her. she looked down and ouldn’t stop herself fr the smile.
“i wondered where harry and drao you alohe bar.” lovegood draped ahe bak of the barst a pose that had her faing pansy. “but i’m sure they’re fiinued and leveled pansy with a alm stare. the weight of it made paher sip of her drink. “they’ve probably just found a suitable broom loset in whih to work out t