Wicked Ways

While Tuardae took all of five seconds to decide who to take with her back to America (Harry, of course, who was shocked and surprised, and of course the team was very excited and wanted to call another meeting to set things up with Harry so it wouldn’t be as hard but he eventually talked them out of it) but Avari sat in a Slytherin bed (Draco’s, not her own, as his was bigger) with the ticket floating above the bed. She didn’t know where Draco was, but she’d figured in how to break into his room.

Blaze was off studying with some of the boys from the Quidditch team so they didn’t fail Herbology (as they were prone to just lighting things on fire while in class and not paying attention).

“I don’t have class for two hours,” she said simply, staring up at the tickets, trying to ignore the decision floating in front of her face. “ . . . his bed is fluffy. Why the hell don’t I have a bed like this?” she said.

She glared at the tickets which quivered in front of her, reminding of her that one of them needed a name on the “passenger” line. Sighing with disgust (she hated it when her parents put spells on things like this … so what if she procrastinated?) she sat up just as the door opened, snatching the tickets out of the air and shoving them in her pocket.

Draco walked in, his jacket already thrown on the foot of the bed and his shirt half-ripped off. He looked like he’d had a bad day. Maybe she could cure him of that. “Hey there,” she purred out gently.

His head snapped up and he snarled. Yes. Certainly in a bad mood. A different approach maybe? She pouted slightly and sat up a little. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

He slumped down on the bed, growling again while he ripped off his shoes. “That stupid Potter again.”

Avari’s interest perked. While she like Harry … not like that … she thought that the drama between Draco and Harry was a little more interesting. At some point she wanted to pick and prod at the fine details between their relationship but was always uncertain of where the lines were. Her mind snapped together as she thought, moving on all fours to the corner of the bed where Malfoy was clenching and unclenching his fists, grinding his teeth.

“Awww, sweetie, don’t do that,” she said, kissing his cheek in an uncharacteristic way. “You’ll hurt your teeth.”

The kiss worked and his neck snapped around so he could stare at her, a platinum eyebrow raised as he studied her. “ . . . what’s wrong with you today?”

She tired to look innocent again, her head tilted to the side and her hair trailing off of her shoulder. Inwardly she was giggling with delight. She’d never caught him off guard before, so this was deliciously fun for her. Wondering how long she could draw it out, because putting him on edge was always fun (putting anyone on edge was fun for Avari). Slipping her arms around his waist she purred lightly, opening her mouth to say something when she was pushed roughly back onto the bed.

“I’m not in the mood,” he said, tiredly.

Avari frowned and tried not to growl nastily. This was a first. He’d never refused her before. Never. Something must truly be wrong.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve a headache,” he said dully.

Rolling her eyes she called him all kinds of American curse-words in her mind but moved to sit next to him, leaning down to put her elbow on a knee and her chin in her palm to look at him. “That’s not true,” she said dryly. “I’m only allowed to get headaches when you’re horny. Not the other way around.”

“Bitch.”

“Sweet-talker.”

“Shut up.”

“Tell me what’s wrong,” she said simply, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if demanding him not to answer.

He turned to look at her, sighing and rolling his eyes before falling back on the bed, groaning. “I don’t want to go home for Easter,” he mumbled.

Avari sat up and looked down at him, her head cocked to the side but no longer innocent-looking. She was generally interested now. She slapped her pocket quietly where the tickets were fluttering, a little reminder. Wrinkling her nose, hoping he didn’t notice her motion she asked. “Why? I mean, don’t you miss home? People who you can boss around and they actually listen and stuff like that?”

“Unlike you, you mean?”

She grinned happily. “Very unlike me,” she said simply.

He sighed and continued. “My dad’s been in a shitty mood as of late.”

Avari didn’t want to point it out to Draco, but she knew his father. She’d been in the customs office when she was 16 when her parents were working with AMBLE, trying to spread it to Europe over the summer. She’d been caught with illegal wizarding fireworks in her backpack and her father had left her with the customs man to get yelled at. After he was done scolding her she had to wait for her mother and sister to come back.

She’d been approached by a tall man with platinum blonde hair that matched Draco’s own. Of course, Lucious’ hair hadn’t been as long as it was back then, but it was still distinguished. Quite sexy as she recalled. Anyway. He’d walked over and talked to the man in hushed whispers before almost turning away completely. But Avari, in her bored and slightly sinister (because when she was bored she usually started pulling pranks on poor, unsuspecting people) profile didn’t notice him right away.

“What are you doing here?” he drawled out slowly.

“Standing,” she replied waspishly, turning her head to look at him. They did the same thing at the same time: they looked each other up and down and grinned like the cat-who-ate-the-canary. “And what are you doing?” she said, a little softer.

He grinned and leaned on his cane, looking over the details on her face a little more closely. “Looking at the newest import. It seems to be quite expensive,” he said with a simple shrug.

Avari cocked an eyebrow and prodded. “What do you seem to be looking at? Merchandise of what kind? Jewels? Books?”

He grinned, revealing sharp fangs that sent a delighted shiver up Avari’s spine. “Something more in the flesh,” he said, drawling out the ‘s’ sound.

Fluttering her eyelashes she nodded, trying to look a little meek. “Sir,” she said quietly, turning on the school-girl charm. “Do you know that I’m only sixteen?”

His face had drained of color a little. “You have a wonderful trip here in Europe,” he spat. He nodded curtly and turned on his heel, walking off.

Thinking back on it Avari wondered what would have happened if she hadn’t of said anything. Well … she knew what would have happened. She was wondering what would have happened had she been a bit older and not such a pathetic trouble-causing age. It had been a problem back in school for the elder students. Well it had been. When she was a bit younger. She’d taught them that age and experience were two different things.

Snapping back to reality she focused her eyes back on Draco. “Why is your father in such a foul disposition?” she queried, wondering herself why Lucious would be in a bad mood. She didn’t open her mouth but she was wondering if Narsissa was putting out.

He shrugged and looked a little uncomfortable. “Just business I suppose,” he said sighing softly.

Avari frowning, thinking quickly. “Wanna go to America for Easter?” she asked suddenly.

He opened an eyd lod looked at her. “What the fuck did you just say?”

She smiled, sweetly of course, trying to keep up with the same type of attitude. “Come to America for Easter! Daddy sent me this extra ticket, and I get to bring a friend and since you don’t want to go home because Lucious is being all pissy then why don’t you just come on and hop over the pond with – ”

“What?!” he said, sitting up, staring at her wide-eyed.

“It’s slang for the Atlantic Ocean, honestly Draco,” she said. “But seriously you should come, I think it would be a different kind of experience – ”

“No,” Draco said quietly. “You want me to go to America? Why?”

“Well,” she said, slightly exasperated. “I think you’d enjoy it. It’s completely different from this dusty old country and – ”

Draco pushed his hand over her mouth, rolling his eyes. “Not that you ninny,” he said, ignoring her eyes which narrowed instantly. “Why do you want me to go? Why not that stupid boyfriend of yours?” he said.

Avari’s eyebrow raised a little as she thought. After Draco slowly lowered his hand she thought for a moment, looking away and slightly distant. “I’ll have to rectify that,” she said simply, shrugging. “Do you want to go or not? Tuardae and I can get away with everything except murder. I tried once. Don’t ask.”

Draco looked at her for a moment, considering before nodding. “All right. I’ll do it.”

“Excellent!” Avari explaimed. She pulled the tickets out of her pocket which were fluttering happily at Draco’s words and wrote his name down on the other set of tickets. Once his name was written on the topmost it moved and copied itself (neater than her hand-writing) to the other tickets in the pile. With a happy grin she put them back in her pocket, telling him that she would give him the tickets once they got to the train station back in London.

As she got up to leave, sexual intentions forgotten, her mind set on writing her mother and letting her know that she would be bringing a friend – heh, a friend – after all. Draco’s voice stopped her.

“Wait. If you get to bring someone, doesn’t that mean Tuardae does too?” he asked suspiciously.

Avari tried not to look sheepish. “Yeah.”

“Who is she bringing?” he snapped, narrowing his eyes at her.

Avari shrugged. “I haven’t the faintest idea.” She let the door close, hoping he bought it.