Carpe Noctem (DRARRY)

Chapter 10- Draco Is Impulsive

Oh, and there they were. The eyes. Blue. Their eyes were a gentle sort of blue, like cornflowers and soft pillows.

"Ah! I've been waiting for you." The figure hopped off the table to land quite elegantly on their feet, effortlessly sliding into a slight bow with one foot crossed behind the other.

"A pleasure. Harry Potter, of course, and Draco Malfoy. Wonderful. Won't you sit down?" Their face was so very sweet, and their voice so unexpectedly smooth, that Draco had the very distinct impression that this person wanted nothing more than to sit with them. The impression that it really was a pleasure, and he was swept up in it.

The suited individual sat in the middle seat, crossing their legs at the ankle with practised grace and extracting a cigarette from their pocket and lighting it with the lazy gesturing of one finger. They took a long drag from it, breathing out the smoke slowly into the drowsy air. "Ah, I can hardly wait to meet you two personally. You're so very interesting." At this, they paused.

"Oh, I've forgotten to introduce myself! Where have my manners gone?" They smiled just slightly, the edge of their mouth raising in ashamed amusement.

"Kais Duciel at your service." Flicking ash from the end of their cigarette as if to underline the words. "He/they pronouns, if you would."

While Draco didn't recognise the name, Harry froze. There was something in his expression- was it the slight raising of the eyebrows, or the opening of his perfect lips in a perfect o that gave it away?

Kais picked this up, as was evident in the uncrossing of his ankles and the incensed look that came about his stony features. "Did you want to say something?" In his voice, there was a clippedness, as if he was clenching his jaw against something inevitable.

Harry mutely shook his head as Draco wondered. This is a dream, why does he know something I don't?

There was no movement. Just a type of chaotic silence in which the air molecules screamed for tension, for pure anger of this experience. No wind rustled the waters of the dream, and the fog did not wisp into the sky. Smoke rose from Kais' cigarette in curls of bitter nicotine, disappearing into the air and replacing the pleasant scent of mist with ashes.

"Well, I would invite you to have tea..." Chipped teacups suddenly appeared upon the table, lightly swaying on their saucers for a moment before settling. "But it seems you don't quite trust me." The tea began to nip out of each particular cup, forming shapes of animals that snarled or lunged at them. Harry nearly jumped out of his seat.

The tea collapsed back into their respective cups with a little splash, and Kais began to laugh; a deep, smooth type of chuckle that, insubstantial, melted into thin air. "Ah, right! I nearly forgot you come from a muggle family." He said muggle like an insult, a certain lilt in his voice that paired with the chuckle in a particular derogatory way. Draco couldn't quite bring himself to disagree, even though it was his Harry he was talking about... Because his voice was so smooth, and the cigarette looked so elegant in his fingers...

A quiet voice in the back of his head whispered, is this a charm? But Draco silenced it easily. Of course, it couldn't be a charm. This man's smile was so bright, eyes so kind and warm, admittedly handsome... As he was pulled into these thoughts, Harry grabbed his hand and drew him back into the real world.

Kais flicked the ash off of his cigarette, tiny smouldering cinders floating down; burning grey feathers down to their skeletons before dissolving into the smoky air. "As much as I'd like you to stay, it's time for you two to leave." He drawled out the last syllable, blinking slowly and taking a drag from his cigarette before breathing it out again in an almost-audible elegant curl of ghostly silver.