A Business Affair

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Chapter Three: Surprise Surprise


Harry awoke the next morning at 8 AM. He had an hour to get ready and be at the stadium for practice. He rolled out of bed, glancing once over at Ginny's sleeping form. He turned away from the sight and padded into the bathroom for a shower.

Once he was clean and fully dressed, he walked barefoot out and into the kitchen. He grabbed a box of cereal and filled a bowl. Then he remembered the lack of milk. He grumbled and searched around for his wand. He waved it once and a gallon of milk appeared.

He stopped and looked at it. Why didn't I think of this yesterday? he thought. He shook his head at his stupidity and poured the milk in the bowl. While he was eating, the Daily Prophet arrived. He paid the owl and shook open the front page.

There was the picture of the newly elected Minister. Scrimgeour hadn't lasted long once the public figured out he'd been using celebrities to fabricate good publicity. Harry threw the page aside, looking for the editorials.

He smiled as he saw the letter from the editor. It read, "'Integrity of Journalism, Not a Thing of the Past' by Hermione Granger." Harry was proud that his friend had managed to turn the paper around and make it into a respectable journal.

He started reading and became so involved that he didn't realize the time. When he looked up, he jumped up. It was ten past nine. Harry grabbed his coat and bolted out the door, making his way to the Apparition point.

He had wards on his apartment nowadays to prevent people from just coming in. Harry Apparated quickly and ended up near the locker rooms of the team. He rushed in to find the team sitting around.

Wood looked incredibly relieved to find him there. "Harry! Finally, you're here!"

Harry scowled. "Yes, I'm here. So where's the new owner?"

The team looked around at each other, then back at Harry. They shrugged and Harry rolled his eyes.

"So he buys a team then doesn't bother to show up? What kind of good business is that?"

"That would be my way of doing business, Potter, and I expect you to respect that,"

Harry closed his eyes and tried not to groan. He heard it in the voice and saw it in the faces of his teammates. He knew who it was. He turned around slowly, biting his lip to keep from saying anything disrespectful.

"Malfoy," he said forcibly.

Draco gave him a withering look and then directed his attention to the team. "I am your new owner. I expect you to play well and to win. No exceptions will be given. I will attend a few practices every month to monitor and I will also attend the games. If I see something I don't like, be warned. I am not afraid of change, and I will change you out if necessary."

The team was speechless after his speech. None of them had ever expected that Draco Malfoy would be the new owner.

Wood stood up briskly and reached out to shake Draco's hand. "Hello, Malfoy. I hope we can put past differences behind us and start anew."

Draco nodded, his eyes trailing over Harry and his teammates, lingering slightly on Harry, who was still chewing his lip to stop from saying something inappropriate. Draco tore his eyes from Harry and gave Wood a quick smile. "Of course."

"Great, would you like to stay and watch the practice?" Wood offered.

Draco took a quick look around the locker room then shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I have some other business to take care of," he said politely. Harry listened to him in quiet shock. This Malfoy was much more pleasant than he had ever seen him. He was actually being nice, granted his speech hadn't been that encouraging, but he was being gracious to Wood at least.

"Well, perhaps another time. We have practices five times a week, for four hours. You're more than welcome to come to any."

"I'll keep that in mind," Draco said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another appointment. I wouldn't want to be late," he said, directing this at Harry. Harry scowled slightly at him but still restrained himself.

Draco nodded to the rest of the team and left the locker room. The team said nothing, just stared, dumbstruck, at the door.

Finally, Wood roused them from their stupor. "Come on, it won't be that bad. He seemed pleasant enough."

That shook Harry out of his thoughts. "Pleasant?" he repeated. "Oliver, don't you remember what he was like in school? He is not pleasant!"

Wood gave Harry a withering look. "Maybe he's changed. That can happen, you know."

"No, I saw him yesterday, and he wasn't pleasant at all! He hasn't changed, I tell you!"

Wood just shook his head and rolled his eyes. He gathered the rest of the team and they left to practice. Harry followed slowly, digesting it all.

So Draco Malfoy was the new owner of his Quidditch team. His message yesterday was not so cryptic anymore. And now he was stuck with having to see him a couple times a month, and more when there were games.

Harry groaned at the thoughts as he walked out onto the pitch. He took a deep breath and breathed in the smell of the grass. This was where he belonged. He felt at home when he was on a broom, flying above the Earth, free from all his problems.

Harry mounted his broom and whooshed off to join his teammates in practice.

***

"And you are absolutely sure you want to do this?"

Draco and Pansy glanced at each other then turned to the lawyer.

"Yes," Pansy said firmly.

"Alright, then sign here and you are good to go," he said, pushing forward a piece of paper. They had divided the estate equally. Pansy had decided she didn't want the house or really anything in it besides her personal possessions.

She had been graciously compensated and had bought a small house a few miles away. She and Draco had agreed to remain friends. There had never been much romance anyway, so the transition hadn't been that difficult.

After the papers were signed, they walked out of the office. There was a small hesitation as they stood there awkwardly.

"Well, I guess this is it," Pansy said.

"Yeah," Draco said quietly. He almost felt as though he was losing a part of himself, despite the fact that he would still see her often.

"Don't worry! I'll stop by later and you can give me all the details of your 'business meeting' this morning."

"Okay, Pans," Draco said, laughing. She kissed him quickly on the cheek and walked out the door. Draco saw her look around and disappear. He followed her and quickly Apparated away.

He appeared in an alley of a busy Muggle street. He looked around carefully, before unnecessarily smoothing down his shirt and stepping out. He walked casually down the street until he came to a small cafe.

He went inside and the waitress seated him near the window. Draco looked outside and watched the happy couples go by. He almost wished that he and Pansy could have had that, but he knew better. Something had been wrong the entire time he'd been with her.

Draco pushed the thought away as someone sat down at the table with him. Draco smiled at the handsome Italian.

Blaise smiled happily at Draco as he sat down. "Hey there, Draco," he said.

"Blaise," Draco said in greeting.

"So, how is the new team?" Blaise asked interestedly.

"Eh, it's a team," Draco said indifferently.

"Isn't Potter on that team?" Blaise asked with a sly smile.

"So?" Draco asked.

"No reason," Blaise said evasively.

Draco was suspicious but decided not to pursue the subject. "How's the wife?" he drawled. He still didn't quite understand what Blaise saw in Hermione.

Blaise smiled happily at him. "She's doing great. What about your little Mrs.?"

"Not my Mrs.," Draco replied.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. That was today, wasn't it?"

Draco paused as the waitress set down their food. He thanked her quickly and waited for her to leave before answering Blaise.

"Yes, it was today. It just feels weird, knowing that when I go home today, she won't be there."

"Well, divorce is hard. I just hope me and Hermione never have that problem."

"You probably won't. She's so smart; she could fix any problem you two have in a second."

"Yeah," Blaise said dreamily. "Oh, did I tell you? Jamie said his first word today! It was 'tentlacin' which Hermione thinks is 'tentacula' but I'm not sure..."

Draco sat there watching his friend ramble about his son and couldn't stop himself from laughing.

Blaise stopped and looked at him. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just I never imagined that you would have a son and be obsessed with him."

"Why not?" Blaise asked, annoyed.

"No, I just meant I never pictured you with kids. Hell, you were a Death Eater."

"And Death Eaters can't have kids? You were one, your father was one, your mother was one, are you saying you won't have kids?"

"Personally, I don't want kids, and I'm not a Death Eater anymore."

"Right, sorry," Blaise apologized, hearing the note of dejection in his voice.

"It's fine. I know what I did. People have forgiven me, and I've brought the family name back up to where it once was. All is good in the world."

Blaise laughed slightly and sighed. "So, tell me about this new team of yours."

"Well, not much to tell. But I have this sinking feeling that Potter is going to be a problem..."


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A/N: I know Blaise is black not Italian, but that's not how I wrote him, 'kay? I'm sorry you aren't enjoying this fic as much as I'd like, but I love it.

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