He'd waited over an hour for her at the airport. So long that he almost missed his plane. And after everything they said the night before, Blaise was still surprised when Ginny didn't show up to tell him goodbye.
It was tradition. She would always see him off – she said it was because she was terrified he'd never return, he used to think that maybe it was just to see him one last time. But, apparently, he'd been wrong. Whether she was really terrified or not, he didn't know. He just knew Ginny never went out of her way to see him one last time. Or any other time.
She saw him as a friend.
A friend.
Ginny Malfoy saw him in a completely plutonic, friendly sort of way. And now that she knew he saw her exactly the opposite, she'd probably never let him within ten feet of her again.
What was worse was that he'd broken the only rule of friendship: never fall for your best friend's girl (or guy, depending on the situation). Both he and Draco broke the rule because of Ginny Weasley, but this was an entirely different situation.
For starters, they were no longer at Hogwarts. This was real life. And Draco… well, one would think Blaise might have an unfair advantage over his missing friend, but he knew better. While Draco was missing physically, he was always in the marriage.
They'd never talked about it, but Blaise assumed Ginny thought Draco to be captured, held by former Death Eaters in a torture chamber somewhere. Of course, that would be the only reason he'd leave her.
Unfortunately, Blaise knew better. He knew his (former) friend was living it up in New York City, under the alias of Nathan Hall. He lived in a high-rise apartment off Fifth Avenue, and worked on Wall Street. According to the information he'd collected, Draco was recruited six years ago by Richard Worth – a wizard – and invited to join a Muggle investment firm.
Four years after joining the firm, Draco was promoted to vice-president, where he was being groomed to take over for Worth. And that's where he was now. Living as a Muggle, completely ignoring his wife and two children on the other side of the ocean.
Draco Malfoy was more like his father than he ever realized.
"Attention passengers, please fasten your seat belts, we'll be beginning our descent into New York in ten minutes."
Blaise tugged at the lap belt, secure in the fact that it was secure. This was the part he hated: landing. He could have Apparated, of course. Except he'd have to explain to the Americans what he was doing there. No, it was much easier to walk into Worth Investment as a businessman with an appointment. He'd even left his wand at home. Along with the picture of Ginny he always carried with him.
He always knew she didn't love him. Or at least he thought he knew. Still, he hadn't been expecting her reaction from yesterday. She'd shut him down before the words were out of his mouth.
Blaise sighed heavily and jerked on his seat belt again. This would be over soon. That's all he could tell himself. It would be over soon.
***
He took the elevator to the seventy-fifth floor. Blaise shook his head. Of course, executive offices. Why wasn't he surprised? Stepping out, he saw a plush waiting area for the investment giant. Whatever Draco was doing here, he'd been doing it well.
The secretary looked up from her computer and smiled politely. "May I help you?"
"Yes, I have an eleven o'clock appointment with Mr. Hall. Please tell him Blaise Zabini has arrived."
After a few clicks on the computer, the secretary frowned at him. "I'm afraid that Mr. Hall is out of the country at the moment. It says here that he went to negotiate a merger, which is strange…" She paused and shook her head. "I'm sorry. You'll be meeting with Mr. Worth instead."
Damn. "That's fine. Is he ready to see me?"
Standing, she went around the desk. "Let me announce you."
Blaise found himself lingering behind her, studying the gentle sway of her hips, and the shape of her long legs as she went ahead of him. After seven years, it felt like he'd finally woken from the stupor he'd been in. If Ginny didn't want him, there were sure as hell plenty of women who did. He'd been in New York for another five days, if he was lucky, the secretary would be free for all five of them. If not… well, someone would be free.
Richard Worth was standing behind a large, solid cherry desk when Blaise entered. The businessman was talking quietly to his secretary, before he finally nodded and sent her away. Blaise took a minute to take in the office. It exuded wealth and power, but also that Worth was a family man. The picture of his wife (Blaise guessed) was sitting on the corner of his desk, while pictures of his children (?) sat behind him on a bookshelf. "Mr. Worth, thank you for meeting with me."
Worth waited until he was seated, before he took his own seat. "Mr. Zabini, is it?" At Blaise's nod, he continued, "I understand from Anna you requested to meet with my associate Mr. Hall."
"Yes sir, I have some business to discuss with him."
"Really?" Richard eyed him warily.
"Yes sir."
"I find this odd, because Nathan Hall rarely agrees to personal meetings. He's very much a behind-the-scenes kind of person."
"I knew Nathan as a child, and I can see that he's drastically changed. When he did something, he wanted the entire world to know it."
Richard leaned back in his chair, holding his hands out in front of him. "The man is different from the child, Mr. Zabini. Now why don't you tell me why you're really here? My protégé can't have been so interesting that you'd fly all the way over from England to discuss his childhood habits."
Blaise shook his head. Time to get down to business. "Mr. Worth, I know you're a wizard."
"So?" the older man countered. "I don't see how it really makes a difference."
"I didn't think you would, seeing that you do nothing to hide the fact. I know that the Muggles here aren't… well, as terrified of magic as those in Britain."
"It isn't something I advertise, if that's what you're wondering. But anyone who does a bit of digging into my history can easily find the information."
"You're smart as well, Mr. Worth. But I have to wonder why you worry yourself with these Muggle things."
"'Muggle things'?" Richard repeated. "I don't think you understand, Mr. Zabini. I choose to live as a Muggle. I received my standard education from Salem Academy, and my parents brought me up as a wizard, but I was the one who pursued Muggle education at Columbia University. I was allowed to be what I want to be, do what I want to do. It's part of the 'American dream' as so many others put it."
"I see. Although, I didn't think it was the same life Nathan would choose for himself."
"You know him as Draco Malfoy, so refer to him as that. And why do you think he chose this life?"
"He's not back in Bath with his wife, is he? He hasn't been there for the past seven years as she has struggled to raise his children, has he?"
The other gentleman leaned forward and glared at Blaise. "You don't understand what you're talking about."
"No?" Blaise questioned. "I understand that I've been doing it for him for seven years."
"Did he ask you to?"
"He did–"
"So he gave you permission to fall in love with his wife?" Richard questioned. "Really. That's not anything like the man I know."
"Who said anything about love?"
"It's written all over your face."
It was quiet for a long time, each man glaring at the other. When Blaise finally muttered something under his breath and stood to leave. "This was pointless. I apologize for coming here."
"Malfoy left for England a few days ago."
"What? He's going back?"
Richard nodded. "He's known his identity for less than a week. He's always known he had a wife, just never knew who she was, or where she was, until then."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because when Nathan asked me to do research on Draco and Virginia Malfoy, he also asked me to cross-reference them with Blaise Zabini."
Blaise sat down again. "You said he's starting to remember. Remember what?"
"His life," Richard answered. "When I met him six years ago, he was haunted. I knew that right away. What I didn't know was that he couldn't remember the previous twenty-odd years of his life. As I got to know him, I found that out. When he asked me to research Draco Malfoy, I found out that's who he was. And that Virginia was his wife."
"He went to Britain?"
Richard nodded.
"Bloody hell. Gin's gonna be a mess."
"Don't worry so much about Virginia," Richard instructed. "Draco loves her still. Even if he says he can't remember the feelings, I know him well enough to know he loves her."
"How can you be so sure?"
"For as long as I've known him, he's worn his wedding ring like a married man. Completely faithful to someone he couldn't remember. When he's feeling particularly bad, he'll put her wedding band from his pocket and stare at it. It's not that he hasn’t tried to remember, because he has. He just couldn't.
"And as soon as he realized she was out there, he boarded the first plane we could get him on and he was gone. I doubt I'll ever see him again."
Blaise sat there silently, taking in the information Worth had given him. Was it true? Did Draco really not remember what happened to him? Who he was before he came to America? It didn't make sense…
"Sir, I think you should probably go now."
He looked up, startled. "Why?"
"The next plane to Heathrow leaves in an hour. Don't you want to make it?"
Numbly, Blaise stood and gathered his briefcase and cloak. "Thank you for meeting with me."
Richard nodded, then went back to work at his computer.
Outside, Blaise stopped at the door, contemplating his next move. He could get on the plane and return to Britain. He could stand on the sidelines and watch the reunion between the two, or he could stay here and finish up his business.
The secretary looked up, her brown eyes sparkling at him. Blaise smiled, making up his mind.
"Say, I'm only going to be in town for a few more days, and I was wondering if you're busy for dinner tonight?"
Anna – Richard Worth had called her – shook her head no. "I'd love to join you."
Ginny and Draco could wait. It was time for Blaise to come out and play.
It was tradition. She would always see him off – she said it was because she was terrified he'd never return, he used to think that maybe it was just to see him one last time. But, apparently, he'd been wrong. Whether she was really terrified or not, he didn't know. He just knew Ginny never went out of her way to see him one last time. Or any other time.
She saw him as a friend.
A friend.
Ginny Malfoy saw him in a completely plutonic, friendly sort of way. And now that she knew he saw her exactly the opposite, she'd probably never let him within ten feet of her again.
What was worse was that he'd broken the only rule of friendship: never fall for your best friend's girl (or guy, depending on the situation). Both he and Draco broke the rule because of Ginny Weasley, but this was an entirely different situation.
For starters, they were no longer at Hogwarts. This was real life. And Draco… well, one would think Blaise might have an unfair advantage over his missing friend, but he knew better. While Draco was missing physically, he was always in the marriage.
They'd never talked about it, but Blaise assumed Ginny thought Draco to be captured, held by former Death Eaters in a torture chamber somewhere. Of course, that would be the only reason he'd leave her.
Unfortunately, Blaise knew better. He knew his (former) friend was living it up in New York City, under the alias of Nathan Hall. He lived in a high-rise apartment off Fifth Avenue, and worked on Wall Street. According to the information he'd collected, Draco was recruited six years ago by Richard Worth – a wizard – and invited to join a Muggle investment firm.
Four years after joining the firm, Draco was promoted to vice-president, where he was being groomed to take over for Worth. And that's where he was now. Living as a Muggle, completely ignoring his wife and two children on the other side of the ocean.
Draco Malfoy was more like his father than he ever realized.
"Attention passengers, please fasten your seat belts, we'll be beginning our descent into New York in ten minutes."
Blaise tugged at the lap belt, secure in the fact that it was secure. This was the part he hated: landing. He could have Apparated, of course. Except he'd have to explain to the Americans what he was doing there. No, it was much easier to walk into Worth Investment as a businessman with an appointment. He'd even left his wand at home. Along with the picture of Ginny he always carried with him.
He always knew she didn't love him. Or at least he thought he knew. Still, he hadn't been expecting her reaction from yesterday. She'd shut him down before the words were out of his mouth.
Blaise sighed heavily and jerked on his seat belt again. This would be over soon. That's all he could tell himself. It would be over soon.
He took the elevator to the seventy-fifth floor. Blaise shook his head. Of course, executive offices. Why wasn't he surprised? Stepping out, he saw a plush waiting area for the investment giant. Whatever Draco was doing here, he'd been doing it well.
The secretary looked up from her computer and smiled politely. "May I help you?"
"Yes, I have an eleven o'clock appointment with Mr. Hall. Please tell him Blaise Zabini has arrived."
After a few clicks on the computer, the secretary frowned at him. "I'm afraid that Mr. Hall is out of the country at the moment. It says here that he went to negotiate a merger, which is strange…" She paused and shook her head. "I'm sorry. You'll be meeting with Mr. Worth instead."
Damn. "That's fine. Is he ready to see me?"
Standing, she went around the desk. "Let me announce you."
Blaise found himself lingering behind her, studying the gentle sway of her hips, and the shape of her long legs as she went ahead of him. After seven years, it felt like he'd finally woken from the stupor he'd been in. If Ginny didn't want him, there were sure as hell plenty of women who did. He'd been in New York for another five days, if he was lucky, the secretary would be free for all five of them. If not… well, someone would be free.
Richard Worth was standing behind a large, solid cherry desk when Blaise entered. The businessman was talking quietly to his secretary, before he finally nodded and sent her away. Blaise took a minute to take in the office. It exuded wealth and power, but also that Worth was a family man. The picture of his wife (Blaise guessed) was sitting on the corner of his desk, while pictures of his children (?) sat behind him on a bookshelf. "Mr. Worth, thank you for meeting with me."
Worth waited until he was seated, before he took his own seat. "Mr. Zabini, is it?" At Blaise's nod, he continued, "I understand from Anna you requested to meet with my associate Mr. Hall."
"Yes sir, I have some business to discuss with him."
"Really?" Richard eyed him warily.
"Yes sir."
"I find this odd, because Nathan Hall rarely agrees to personal meetings. He's very much a behind-the-scenes kind of person."
"I knew Nathan as a child, and I can see that he's drastically changed. When he did something, he wanted the entire world to know it."
Richard leaned back in his chair, holding his hands out in front of him. "The man is different from the child, Mr. Zabini. Now why don't you tell me why you're really here? My protégé can't have been so interesting that you'd fly all the way over from England to discuss his childhood habits."
Blaise shook his head. Time to get down to business. "Mr. Worth, I know you're a wizard."
"So?" the older man countered. "I don't see how it really makes a difference."
"I didn't think you would, seeing that you do nothing to hide the fact. I know that the Muggles here aren't… well, as terrified of magic as those in Britain."
"It isn't something I advertise, if that's what you're wondering. But anyone who does a bit of digging into my history can easily find the information."
"You're smart as well, Mr. Worth. But I have to wonder why you worry yourself with these Muggle things."
"'Muggle things'?" Richard repeated. "I don't think you understand, Mr. Zabini. I choose to live as a Muggle. I received my standard education from Salem Academy, and my parents brought me up as a wizard, but I was the one who pursued Muggle education at Columbia University. I was allowed to be what I want to be, do what I want to do. It's part of the 'American dream' as so many others put it."
"I see. Although, I didn't think it was the same life Nathan would choose for himself."
"You know him as Draco Malfoy, so refer to him as that. And why do you think he chose this life?"
"He's not back in Bath with his wife, is he? He hasn't been there for the past seven years as she has struggled to raise his children, has he?"
The other gentleman leaned forward and glared at Blaise. "You don't understand what you're talking about."
"No?" Blaise questioned. "I understand that I've been doing it for him for seven years."
"Did he ask you to?"
"He did–"
"So he gave you permission to fall in love with his wife?" Richard questioned. "Really. That's not anything like the man I know."
"Who said anything about love?"
"It's written all over your face."
It was quiet for a long time, each man glaring at the other. When Blaise finally muttered something under his breath and stood to leave. "This was pointless. I apologize for coming here."
"Malfoy left for England a few days ago."
"What? He's going back?"
Richard nodded. "He's known his identity for less than a week. He's always known he had a wife, just never knew who she was, or where she was, until then."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because when Nathan asked me to do research on Draco and Virginia Malfoy, he also asked me to cross-reference them with Blaise Zabini."
Blaise sat down again. "You said he's starting to remember. Remember what?"
"His life," Richard answered. "When I met him six years ago, he was haunted. I knew that right away. What I didn't know was that he couldn't remember the previous twenty-odd years of his life. As I got to know him, I found that out. When he asked me to research Draco Malfoy, I found out that's who he was. And that Virginia was his wife."
"He went to Britain?"
Richard nodded.
"Bloody hell. Gin's gonna be a mess."
"Don't worry so much about Virginia," Richard instructed. "Draco loves her still. Even if he says he can't remember the feelings, I know him well enough to know he loves her."
"How can you be so sure?"
"For as long as I've known him, he's worn his wedding ring like a married man. Completely faithful to someone he couldn't remember. When he's feeling particularly bad, he'll put her wedding band from his pocket and stare at it. It's not that he hasn’t tried to remember, because he has. He just couldn't.
"And as soon as he realized she was out there, he boarded the first plane we could get him on and he was gone. I doubt I'll ever see him again."
Blaise sat there silently, taking in the information Worth had given him. Was it true? Did Draco really not remember what happened to him? Who he was before he came to America? It didn't make sense…
"Sir, I think you should probably go now."
He looked up, startled. "Why?"
"The next plane to Heathrow leaves in an hour. Don't you want to make it?"
Numbly, Blaise stood and gathered his briefcase and cloak. "Thank you for meeting with me."
Richard nodded, then went back to work at his computer.
Outside, Blaise stopped at the door, contemplating his next move. He could get on the plane and return to Britain. He could stand on the sidelines and watch the reunion between the two, or he could stay here and finish up his business.
The secretary looked up, her brown eyes sparkling at him. Blaise smiled, making up his mind.
"Say, I'm only going to be in town for a few more days, and I was wondering if you're busy for dinner tonight?"
Anna – Richard Worth had called her – shook her head no. "I'd love to join you."
Ginny and Draco could wait. It was time for Blaise to come out and play.
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