For the rest of the day, Val can't seem to keep her eyes off of Draco Malfoy.
If he or Harry notice, they don't mention it, but she knows she has to get it under control before her brother shows up because he most definitely will. In front of everyone.
It doesn't stop her mind from wondering how it would feel to be loved as completely by someone as Draco loves Harry. To be comfortable enough to put your life on hold just to be a part of theirs and for them to be a part of yours. To take the time to actually work on yourselves together.
Val and Harry had never done that. Especially not together. They had only been together for a year before Draco showed up the first time, but back then she'd thought that's what had made them work. The fact that they just clicked. She's starting to realize that that mindset only works when you plan on staying friends with someone. Relationships are built on trust and change and compromise and growth and before Draco'd showed up and turned her world upside down, they had gotten stuck in some sort of overly polite phase.
She wonders if Harry would have ever even said anything. Wonders if it was easier to love her because it wasn't as all consuming as his love for Draco. The thought hurts but she'd understand. They fill in each others broken bits because they've had time to figure out how, not just because they fit there.
She wonders how Draco and Harry had fit together in bed, what their more intimate relationship is like. Can't help but think about how handsome they both are. She's curious to know if Draco's moans sound like music. If he and Harry harmonize when they're together. She's biting her lip to keep from releasing a sound at the thought but she still can't keep her eyes off of them.
"Val?" a voice calls and when she blinks Draco is staring directly back at her, a smirk on his lips but ears tinged pink. She looks away clearing her throat and locking at her abused lip.
"Er...Yeah?"
"I said did you want to go change before we grab a bite to eat or are you fine with what you're in?" Harry asks with a small smile and she feels her heart thrum at the attention.
"I think I'll go wash up a bit. I feel all sticky from the flight." She stands up and stretches a bit then accidentally makes eye contact with Draco again and she can feel her cheeks heat up as she looks away quickly. "I'll peep in on the boys, say hello."
The door closes behind her with a soft click and she leans against it with her head in her hands trying to get her thoughts together.
Through the wood she can hear Harry's rumbly laugh and that too makes her heart swoon.
She's royally fucked.
--:--
Teddy is laid facedown on the bed, arms in front of him as he tries to hold James in the air with only his feet. He's trying not to laugh as hard as James is because he doesn't want him to topple over, but his brother's laughter is infectious.
"Jamesie, stop!" he says snorting out a laugh. "I don't want to drop you."
"I bet you it'd be easier if I stood up," James says seriously, cheeks still pink from laughing.
"On my feet?" He laughs again. "No, it wouldn't!"
"I wanna try it." Without any warning other than that, James rolls off of Teddy's feet before standing on the bed in his own sock clad feet and attempting to climb back up.
"I hate you so much," Teddy groans out when James steps on his butt in an attempt to get more leverage.
"Stop moving!"
"I'm just breathing."
"Well stop that. Wait til I get up there."
"You have the absolute worst ideas."
"This was your idea, ya tosser."
"No, it wasn't."
"Yeah, you were totally all like: 'Oi, Jamesie lemme see how strong my legs are; Lay on my feet'," he says with one foot firmly on Teddy's.
"I don't sound like that."
"But you admit you said it?" He pushes himself up but there's nothing to hold onto in order to find placement for his other foot. He stumbles off and onto the other king sized bed, flat on his back.
"I'll admit that you're a pain in my neck."
James climbs off the bed and places his hands on his waist.
"I can't grab hold of anything, I'm too tall," he says dejected, looking up at the ceiling.
"Oh, thank Merlin," Teddy says letting his legs flop back down onto the bed.
"It was your idea!" James says again while laughing. "You should work out more Mr. Hufflepuff-Chaser."
"You should mind your sodding business. I workout enough."
"Yeah, of course you do, that's why you could barely hold me up for 2 seconds."
"I can punch your teeth out in 2 seconds," Teddy threatens, but he doesn't move to get up from where he's laying.
There's a knocking on the door as James goes to whack him on the back of head with a pillow.
"Not it," Teddy says muffled into his arm and James drops the pillow on his head anyway before going to check the door.
"Holy hell," he murmurs looking through the peephole.
"Who is it?" Teddy says lifting his head up confused but ready to protect his brother. He swears he'll do better this time.
"Aunt Val," James whispers back slightly panicked. "You think she's here for Dad?"
"Why don't you open the sodding door and see what she's here for?" Realizing there's no real danger he plops his face back into a pillow, pulling the other one over his head.
The door opens with a rush of air and an excited but concerned Hi, Aunt Val.
"Hi, Jamesie. Hey, Teddy," she calls over to him.
"Ughh," he groans, his head back in the middle of the pillow sandwich.
"Understandable," she agrees and he chuckles because she almost always knows how to deal with the two of them. "I just came to say hi so I can go change for dinner. Get up, Tedward."
He snorts at the name and he can actually hear the smile in her voice when she keeps talking.
"Jamesie, be a dear and help him up. We gotta get some food in him before he withers away completely."
Teddy sits up indignant, but still on the verge of laughter.
"I'm not withering away; I'm all muscle!" He flexes his arms and Val really does laugh then.
"You're right," she says, the corners of her lips still upturned. She faces James who is on the floor tugging his shoes on. "James is clearly the one a moment away from starvation."
And Teddy can't help but laugh at James' agreement because although he was built lean yet lanky like his birth father, his brother was built tall and broad shouldered and now that he was heading into puberty he was eating quite a bit more too. The thought of him starving on his diet? Laughable.
"Well now that we're all up, wash your face, brush your hair, put your shoes on properly," she says looking down at James who was now wearing mix-matched vans with a playful grin, "and we'll meet in your Dads' room, alright?"
"Sir, yes, sir," Teddy says from his position on the bed giving her a lazy one-fingered salute and she laughs at them both before leaving almost as quickly as she'd come, closing the door softly behind her.
"D'ya think she's still after Dad," James says and Teddy doesn't want to agree but that interaction was almost...normal. It wasn't stained with parental love triangle drama and he doesn't know what to think about it anymore. He ignores it.
"Oh, give it a rest, Jamesie." He shoves his brother's shoulder as he makes his way to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his hair. Then as an afterthought: "And fix your shoes!"
-&-
hey futher muckers
no double updates today,
but i love theSE BOYS
James Lucius? Chaotic Dumbassery at it's finest
Teddy? Reluctant Dumbassery just like his father and I won't be swayed
Val fantasizing: normal brain
Val fantasizing about a threesome: galaxy brain
Val getting caught: and i— oop
this chappie was fun to write because i have brothers and they're just as full of fucking chaotic dumbass energy as me and these boys.
the foot lifting thing is something we actually do when we're bored, but i mean we also have "you so ugly-" contests so 🤡🤷🏽♀️
lemme know whatcha think?
how do we feel about Val+Drarry atm?
am curious...
and as always i hope you all enjoyed
love y'all💕
-- angel janeé xoxo 💋