“you’re doing that thing again,” potter said with a sigh
“what thing?” drao sned
“the thing you used to do in shool” he leaned against the bar, oking his head to the side “not everything i say to you is meant as an insult well, not anymore”
“i’m so relieved,” drao said, rolling his eyes potter seemed to be ign his omment, his eyes roaming the room
“do you know who anised this?” he asked
drao stiffened “why do you want to know?”
potter shrugged “arently this person anised a bunh of things before, but this is the first time they invited me i’m just uus to know why”
“right, beause people need a reason to invite the most famous wizard alive,” drao snorted
potter made a fae “i just think it’s strange, being here without knowing who invited me”
“i’ve been told the host wants to stay anonymous,” drao said, trying to keep his voie even
“why, though?” potter said with a frown “if they’re doing something good, don’t they want to be reognised for it?”
drao ould feel beads of sweat f on the bak of his nek “oh, potter,” he said with a dramati sigh “not everyone is keen on rushing into the spotlight as you are”
“you know that’s bolloks, right?” potter said, his frown deepening “i’d gdly exhange all the ‘famous harry potter’ rubbish for a b, normal life”
drao gave him an raising look “normal isn’t exatly the first word that omes to mind when you’re onerned” or b, drao added in his mind
“exatly,” potter said with a loud exhale he propped up his elbow on the bar, leaning his head against his hand “but do tell me, what is the first word that omes to mind when i’m onerned?” his seus expresn turned into a teasing one, athing drao off guard what was potter doing? he looked at drao expetantly, the orner of his mouth twithing it was the wrong night to hallenge drao two ould py at this game
“a few ome to mind, atually,” he said in his poshest voie “awful, unouth, dowdy, dense…” …handsome, mind-blowing…“…irritating…do you want me to go on?”
potter’s grin didn’t fade at drao’s insults, but he waved a dismissive hand in the air “that’s alright,” he said “even though that’s the most eaining thing anyone has said to me all night”
“why did you ome, then? why not deline? don’t tell me you’re suddenly a fan of pretenus pure-bloods?” he smirked
“you realise you’re a pretenus pure-blood, right?” potter retorted he arhed an eyebrow when drao burst out ughing
“who would have thought, out of the two of us, you would beome the prejudied one?”
it felt good, seeing potter stare at him in astonishment it took the edge off the heat that was spreading in drao’s hest
“fair enough,” potter said “i’m looking forward to having my mind hanged”
and just like that, the heat was bak, tenfold, dev drao from the inside
“tell me what you’ve been up to,” potter said, and it didn’t esape drao’s notie he moved a bit loser
no no! this was exatly what drao hadn’t wanted to hen, even though he hadn’t thought he’d atually have to worry about it he ouldn’t have potter snooping around… right in front of him
“not muh,” he said evenly, keeping his fae impassive “just…living my life, i guess” he piked up the wine the bartender had left for him and took a sip
“what is your life like these days?” potter asked drao ouldn’t detet an uone he sounded genuinely uus however, drao didn’t want to disuss that with him he didn’t want to disuss anything with potter right now he was short of breath and, surely, potter would notie his gaze darted to his left and, ating as though someone had just waved him over, he put on an almost onvining smile
“so sorry to ut this short, but it seems i’m needed elsewhere”
without waiting for a reply, drao hurried through the rowd, until he felt like he put enough distane between them he bumped into a group of middle-aged withes who were quik to engage him in n drao did his best to ugh at their jokes and to seem ied in their wittering, but ultimately exused himself again when one of the withes started ompining about how exhausting redeorating her parlour was
where the hell was pansy, drao asked himself for the umpteenth time she’d probably be able to keep potter away with just a gne but, unfortunately, she was nowhere to be seen what was even more unfortunate was the fat that drao was so lost in thought, he didn’t realise who was standing in front of him until it was too te
“hey,” potter simply said
didn’t he have any other words in his repertoire? he said it in suh a nonhant way, too as if they were old friends it was too asual it was infuriating drao kept his fae ral while his insides boiled
“you know, i was w if—”
“oh, look at that,” drao said, gesturing to potter’s empty hands “you don’t have a drink i’ll get you one”
before potter ould say anything else, drao strutted away, his hin held high he’d rather be dead than let potter know what he was doing to him he told one of the waiters to get harry freaking potter a drink, who, in turn, looked mortified at having ed the unoffiial guest of honour
drao grabbed yet another gss of wine himself before he spotted bise near the balony
“are we behaving tonight, or are we getting pissed?” bise asked in a seemingly i tone
“we’re behaving,” drao said, emphatially
“really? beause you look like you’re already halfway there” bise nodded at his fae, making drao frown “you’re flushed it’s quite dinky”
“shut up,” drao sned, almost gulping down the whole gss but bise was right his fae was too warm and his tongue felt a little heavy he quikly sanned the room
