Be Our Guest [D. Malfoy]

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 2: 𝓕𝓲𝓻𝓮𝔀𝓱𝓲𝓼𝓴𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓕𝓸𝓾𝓵 𝓟𝓵𝓪𝔂

Eva felt lightheaded as she strolled into the lavish dining room, trailing after Draco. She watched as he sat himself at the head of the dark wooden table, interjecting himself into the conversation between Blaise and Theo. The three Slytherins looked right at home as they caught each other up on their lives. It felt natural, as if no time had passed since they last spoke. Perhaps it hadn't. The three were very close, after all.

"Eva, right here." Harry beckoned her over, motioning with his hand to the empty seat beside him. She quickly made her way towards him as he pulled the seat out for her. Eva shot him a smile that was reciprocated by another waggle of Harry's eyebrows. He leaned closer to her, lowering his voice. "So, what was that about? Did Malfoy kiss you?"

There was a playfulness in Harry's tone, but also a genuine curiosity. Eva couldn't help but to wonder why his mind would immediately jump to that conclusion. Her grip on the wine glass nearly gave out as she processed the sudden question.

"Shh! Why are you being so loud?! Do you want the entire table to hear you?" Eva snapped her head towards him, hissing through clenched teeth.

"Why are you being so secretive?" Harry whispered back, matching her harsh tone.

"I just got here! What do you—" Eva groaned, taking a quick sip of the sweet wine. There was no doubt in her mind that wine had been aged for at least a century, "—nevermind. We didn't kiss, we merely talked."

"About what?" Harry's smile grew at her irritation as she placed the wine glass back on the table.

"Work, Harry." Evangeline's voice clipped. She glanced back at Draco who was now speaking quietly to Pansy as she traced patterns on his arm with her manicured finger. She looked fondly upon him, listening intently to every word he said.

"So that's what they're calling it now?" Harry chuckled, leaning away from her as she felt a rush of heat creep up her jaw and flow through her cheeks. "Work. Interesting."

"That's not—"

Pansy cleared her throat, silencing the two mid-conversation. She stared pointedly at Harry and Eva, letting them know it was time to be quiet as everyone else looked towards the head of the table where Draco was now standing.

Draco held a coy smile on his lips, raising his wine glass towards the guests. Everyone followed suit, raising their own glasses in preparation of the toast that he was about to give. Eva watched as Draco held himself with the poise of a man who had made a thousand speeches just like this. She had always wondered what it would be like to be at one of the infamous Malfoy Manor parties. This was much more intimate of a setting than she had ever imagined, but just as intimidating as she had expected it to be.

"Welcome, esteemed guests, to Malfoy Manor." Draco began to speak as he glanced at each of his guests in turn. "I'm sure that you are all wondering what we have been invited for here tonight. I can assure you that it will all be revealed in due time. As for right now, let us eat and drink to our hearts' content. Please, indulge yourselves, and let us enjoy one another's company until we depart for the evening."

As soon as Draco sat down again, food immediately appeared on the table. It was almost as decadent as the Hogwarts' opening feast. Different exotic meats, exquisite sides, and an endless amount of wine. There was enough food to feed a crowd four times the size of the one present. The juxtaposition of opulence and excessive waste was not lost on Evangeline, even as she looked at everything hungrily.

Harry whistled, grinning like a child as he looked over at his childhood nemesis, "You're really showing off that Malfoy inheritance tonight, eh?"

Blaise and Theo both chuckled as Draco smirked at the comment, "Think of it as an experience, Potter. I'm sure you'll never be able to try something this luxurious on your measly salary."