La Vie En Rose [Draco Malfoy]

🌠 Chapter Nine 🌠

St. Mungo's was bustling with people as Melantha arrived in the Floo Network Chamber, lost in her thoughts. And she was grateful to have the crowd cover her.

Appleton seemed to be busy talking away with none other than Damien Sutherland, and Melantha took the chance to just head straight up to her office. She glanced around for Dulcinea and saw her missing from the counter as she would be busy with work on another floor.

Melantha pulled out her keys and walked over to the office door, quietly opening and closing it after she had gotten inside. She glanced to her left toward Draco's desk.

"Oh, it's you," Draco said, his hand over his chest a bit too dramatically in Melantha's liking. "I thought it was that Sutherland, do you know how many times he 'stopped by'?"

"Was it anything important?" Melantha inquired.

"No, it was stupid," Draco replied and Melantha gave him a mindful look even though she would be lying if she did not think similarly. "Ignore him – what brought you here?"

"Needed to pick up some files before lunch," Melantha responded. She paused and glanced at him. "Have you had lunch yet? You can join me so we can talk about how your work has been going,"

"Of course," Draco answered rather earnestly. "Let me get my coat, wait,"

Melantha nodded, figuring that this was a good way to get Draco out of here so they could talk. She was admittedly a proud person but even she knew that she needed to make sure that there were no ill-feelings in a workplace. That was extremely important to her.

"The flowers," Draco spoke up, pulling on his dark coat. "The ones you had on your desk? I put them away because they were starting to rot, you don't mind, do you?"

"No," Melantha replied, too busy looking into her cabinet.

"Okay," Draco said, pretty stoked. "Do you want me to replace them with something better?"

"No, it's alright," Melantha said as she turned to look at him, putting away her files into her bag. "However, if you'd like flowers in the office for yourself, you may do so,"

"Are you ready to go?" Draco asked and Melantha nodded.

Draco hurried over to the door and held it open. Melantha quietly thanked him, walking outside first and looked at him as locked the door. She nodded approvingly at him before the two of them headed for the stairs that led them down to the ground floor.

"Where are we going?" Draco inquired. "The same café?"

"Yes," Melantha replied. "Put your scarf on properly – you shouldn't be catching colds. That would have an adverse impact on you, especially when you are still working on your alcoholism,"

"Don't bring that up so randomly," Draco muttered, glancing around. "And here, I thought you were actually worried about me all of a sudden,"

"Is that so?" Melantha inquired, raising her eyebrow up at him but then looking away. "I told you to fix your scarf. It is snowing outside,"

"Alright," Draco replied, reaching up to fix the scarf around his neck. "Should we go?"

Draco walked over to the door and quickly opened it, allowing Melantha to walk out ahead of him. He quickly followed after her once he was finished locking up, eagerly following down the steps. There wasn't much to say right now and he hoped Dulcinea saw him leave with her – and he would be especially happy if that meddlesome Sutherland got what was coming at him.

"You shouldn't be rushing down the stairs," Melantha warned him, looking at him in inquiry at his pace. "This is a hospital, what if you run into someone?"