(HP Đồng nhân Eng) Seven Years Too Late

Chap 10 (H)

Later, Draco could hardly recall any details of the reception. It was a blur of sparkling lights and music and voices. And at the center of it was Harry.

Harry, who kept Draco locked in his arms at they'd danced just long enough to drive the blond slightly insane before he'd surrendered him back to reality. After the cake and toasts there had been more dancing, during which the magnetic focus of the Slytherin's compass had been called away on some police matter.

Harry's departure had been just as well. Things were getting just too foggy where he was concerned. "Distance is a good thing," Draco said aloud, then laughed a little at his own absurdity. The blond flipped on the radio station which was promising that another snowfall was on the way.

The familiar road swept out before him in an unending lazy arc and Draco reached out with one hand to turn up the heater a notch. Suddenly the car lurched and he jerked the wheel, sucking in a gasp as he bumped over the shoulder. The car rocked to a jolting halt and Draco winced as his seatbelt forcibly restrained his rocking as well.

Draco pressed his head back against the headrest, catching his breath. The engine was still running; a jazzy sax was crooning on the radio; the heater was blowing out warm air; the headlights were beaming out over the road, albeit at a lopsided angle thanks to the car's position.

The blond unclipped his safety belt and climbed out of the car after shutting it off and the cause of his problem was immediately apparent in the sight of his tire, laying in pieces still on the highway. "Great," Draco complained, pulling his jacket closer around himself and climbing back into the warmth of the car.

He had a spare in the trunk, of course, but the idea of changing it held about as much appeal as sticking his head in a container of Bulbadox Powder. Calling a road service would be fine, only it was about two in the morning. By the time somebody made it out to assist him, he could have the spare on himself.

Grumbling under his breath at his own stupidity of not bringing his wand with him, Draco turned the steering wheel until the tires were straight again and hit the button to pop open the trunk. He got back out on the shoulder, zipping up his jacket, and went to the rear of the car to unearth the jack and lug wrench.

He had the lug nuts loosened and the car up on the jack when headlights swept over him. He squinted into them, unable to see beyond the glare, but wasn't surprised when the vehicle pulled over to the side of the road behind his. That's what people did in these parts.

Draco lifted his hand in acknowledgment as the driver climbed from the vehicle, and kept twisting the jack, lifting the car another inch.

"Now there's a sight," a familiar voice teased.

Draco squinted into the light again, surprised. "Brody? Is that you?"

"In the flesh." The man walked up beside the blond and crouched down next to the car. "Having fun?"

Draco snorted softly. "Barrels of it."

"Here." Brody nudged Draco's hands out of the way on the jack.

Draco was happy enough to scoot out of the way. "Where's Megan?"

"Sound asleep in her bed," he assured as he slipped his wand out of his pocket and flicked it towards the car, causing the old tire to roll off of its own volition and the spare to jump onto the rim. "I had to take care of another matter this evening. An associate of ours is with her."

An associate. Draco rolled his eyes at the term.

"So, you always get dressed up to change tires on the highway in the dead of night?" Brody asked with a quirk of an eyebrow.