Tainted Love

The Balcony

IRIS

The new house was cold. Someone had left a window on the second floor landing open, and even though Iris had closed it an hour ago there was still a chill in the air. Once cold settles in your body it's hard to get rid of it.

The constant opening and closing of the front door probably didn't help, but there wasn't much to do about that. The kitchen was covered in boxes and there were more to bring in.

It was mostly Iris's stuff. Draco brought a mirror and books and some alcohol and kitchen supplies. Iris had brought the rest - trinkets and useless decorations and charmed clothes hangers that she had never used but couldn't bear to part with.

Iris had always had a way of accumulating stuff. Draco had already done his bit of making fun of her earlier, and now he was hovering the rest of the boxes through the door while Iris stood in the kitchen and began to unpack them.

If she had any sense she would've labeled them, or at least put like things in the same box, but she had packed everything mostly the day before and didn't think to. They had all day to put everything up, though.

It felt like they had all the time in the world most days. Going back to America was a thought that rarely crossed Iris's mind. When Draco asked her to move in with him, she hadn't even considered how temporary the move would be until the next day.

Almost three months left. Less than the summer. They had wasted so much time hating each other and walking around each other. Time that they could've been spending like this.

It would be easy to blame that all on Draco. He was a dick to her, he was in love with Pansy, he was endlessly trying to prove himself to his mother, manifesting in cold shoulders and nights out with Astoria. He had confused Iris on purpose and even now he had his off days, he withdrew, he said something offhandedly terrible.

But Iris had a part in it as well. She never believed he would be good enough for her, not in any tangible way. Sometimes she still caught herself bracing for impact, waiting for him to direct his cruelty towards her.

But that fear was never at the forefront of her mind anymore. She barely thought about it at all.

"What time are they coming?" Draco asked from the doorway, a couple of boxes hovering through the air and touching down lightly on the kitchen floor. It would never cease to amaze Iris just how precise his charms could be while his attention was focused elsewhere.

Iris shrugged. "I didn't really give them a specific time. I'll just owl Tracey when they can come - I'm sure she'll have them all at hers, anyways. Or they'll be at Theo's."

Draco nodded. "Just a couple more boxes," he said, then turned and walked back into the brisk air. The door shut behind him, heavy on its hinges.

All her friends were coming over tonight for a housewarming party. It was Tracey's suggestion, appropriated by Iris. Draco hadn't been overly enthusiastic about it, but he hadn't put up any fight when Iris asked.

She ripped into one of the boxes on the counter. Filled with alcohol. The last of the stash in Draco's liquor cabinet.

The kitchen had a couple of suitable cabinets for holding bottles, and Iris gave each of them a lingering look before deciding to put the bottles in the one on the right. It was a very small decision but it felt nice. Making the place their own - giving it a little piece of her.

Draco came in after a while and began wordlessly helping her unpack. He cast a quick spell and a fire jumped up in the hearth, undisturbed by the cold air outside. With the door closed, the kitchen heated up quickly.