Trying To Relax (Open to Vacation People)

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This was a vacation, and being a vacation the point was to relax and forget about one's problems back home. Draco tried to keep that in mind, despite the weight of such problems. The Ministry had been on full alert after all with all the dark happenings going on. Draco feared that while he was away, something terrible was going to happen and the Order was going to get involved. Draco had nothing against the Order of the Phoenix, but he wanted the people to know that the Ministry was strong and could handle the situation. If the Order got involved, that told people the Ministry had failed in its efforts.

Draco decided he needed some fresh air and went to visit his favorite site in Greece. There was something powerful about the Parthenon. He could feel the might of the Ancient Greek Gods. He knew the Notts had a history of worshiping such gods, and perhaps there was something to it all. Draco was not a religious man by ay means, but he knew he was standing where immortality once tread. The feeling made him strong and confident again. He wanted to return to London a warrior in a sense, and perhaps this was the place to inspire that.

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Blaise was hardly a religious man, he grew up being taught to worship power, wealth, and beauty not gods who sat upon a mountain controlling the lives of those below them.  Who knew these greek gods might have been nothing more the wizards who had no fear of putting muggles in their place.  But Blaise could recall the teachings of one of his step-fathers, he taught him that there was much to learn from the myths of the gods and they should not be so easily disregarded.  But no myths saved him from an early grave.

Still there was beauty to the gods and to the Parthenon. As Blaise walked the stones and admired he spotted Draco from afar, it came as no surprise after all they were on holiday together and it was little secret that there was much going on in Draco's life. The man had always been terrible about wearing his emotions so openly. Blaise approached his old friend, his hands behind his back as he walked, his stride was even and he held himself high he never had been one to slouch but it always gave him an uptight look. "Come in hopes the Goddess of wisdom might guide you?" A faint smile was on his lips as he spoke. It'd been some time since just the two of them had been alone, they both had rather important jobs and families to attended to after all.

@dracomalfoy

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If Draco was startled by hearing the sudden voice of his friend Blaise in the otherwise quiet area, he didn't show it. Hearing the question, he turned and smirked.

"Perhaps I seek the strength and skill of Ares to prepare me for a potential war back home," he said. "Good morning, Blaise. I didn't expect to see you out here, but I'm actually glad you are here. Sometimes being alone with one's thoughts makes one soon desire to share them. I know you, I, and everyone else is supposed to be enjoying this little trip, but I can't get my mind off of all the happenings back home."

Draco then looked about.

"Magnificent place, isn't it?" he said. "Many believe the control and performance magic as we know it originated in Ancient Greece. I'm certain there is some truth to that. A great deal of things and ideas of our world originated here. I can only imagine what power one could have unlocking the secret of Ancient Greek Wizards. Perhaps given what is happening as of late, it might be better that we haven't. Could you imagine dark magic users obtaining the power of the gods? Quite an unsettling thought."


@blaise

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"I'm not sure the temple of Athena is the place to seek such strength, lest you tempt the wrath of the godess herself." Blaise gave a dry laugh with his statement. "Wisdom is hardly something to over look when it comes to war, Draco, even the ancient Greeks praised Athena for her divine insight in battles, after all it was she who helped the Greeks triumphed over Ares in the Trojan war." Blaise would had to have been blind, deaf, and dumb to be unaware of the discord that plagued Draco. "As the minster I fear it is your job to constantly devote your thoughts to the state of affairs back home." Both men were in high ministry positions, positions that no matter how far away you went still managed to follow you around. After all, since when did a war stop simply because someone left for a holiday?

"There is much to admire." He agreed simply before listening to Darco's words. There were plenty of theories about where magic originated. The far north among the Nordics, the far east among the Asians, the middle east among the true first beings, but it was all just speculation in the end. But it was the end of what Draco said that drew Blaise's attention away from the stone work. Blaise did not often look at the world in terms of dark and light, there was a spectrum. He'd frowned upon Darco's involvement with the death eaters in their youth though there were things about their cause he found himself supporting of. But was genocide the way to go about purifying their world? "Would it be any less unsettling if it where someone who had never used dark magic? Power of that magnitude can be corrupting I fear, even the gods themselves had their downfalls, their pride and envy has been the base of many tales....never the less, Pandora's box has already been opened, so to say. The real question is, what do we do about it?" Darco dealt with matters close to home, Blaise dealt with those around the world, or aided in them at least. But even he was finding matters close to home to be somewhat, unsettling.

@dracomalfoy

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Draco smirked a bit when Blaise told him it was not wise to seek Ares' help in Athena's temple. Then again, Draco tended to test the waters quite often.

"Perhaps I seek Athena's wisdom as well," he said. He then had to agree with his friend that as Minister, it was understandable that he be concerned for what was going on back home. After all, he might have to take a portkey from Athens to London at a moment's notice.

"Let us hope that nothing occurs while I'm here, though I feel I left everything in good hands," he said. "Daniel Lloyd is as trustworthy an undersecretary as one could hope for. And he'll alert me if something is wrong." Draco made it sound like he was convincing himself more than Blaise.

Once again, Draco agreed with Blaise. A wise man, his friend.

"You're right," he said. "Such power belongs with the gods, and not to us. We've already been gifted with the magic we can use. Why ask for more?"

Draco then sighed about what to do about the Pandora's Box that had been opened in London.

"It's been opened before, and Voldemort stepped out of it," he said. "And like before it will be shut again. That is a promise." Draco them smiled at Blaise. "I say we go back into town for a drink. Perhaps spirits will calm my mind more than ancient temples."

@blaise

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Blaise contemplated naming the other countless dark wizards and witches that had rose through out history such as Herpo the Foul, Morgan le Fay, Emeric the Evil, Gellert Grindelwald, and Rasputin but to point out it was futile to think dark forces could ever truly be stopped would no doubt just cause Draco more distress over the matter. Perhaps Draco would be able to find a way to put an end to this latest threat and perhaps it would be the last they saw in their life time, but Blaise was a skeptic. Instead he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, their views on life differed but their goals were similar enough and that was reason enough to hold his tongue.

"A drink can do wonders." He said as he offered a faint grin, before working to steer his friend towards the exit. He removed his hand once they started walking and held both his hands behind his back as they did so. "Has Astoria enjoy this holiday thus far?" Blaise figured a change in subject would be welcomed and he was curious about Astoria, after all they were so close they might as well have been family.

@dracomalfoy

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With Blaise accepting the suggestion to get a drink, Draco began walking back to ward town. He said nothing until his friend asked him if Astoria was enjoying the vacation.

"Oh she's having a wonderful time," he said. "You know how she is when she gets together with Daphne and your own wife. They've probably purchased everything in the marketplace by now." Draco gave a smirk at that. "I wish we men were a bit younger though. We used to really enjoy this place- the late night excursions, the drinking until the early hours of the morning. When the bloody hell did you and I get old and responsible, Blaise?"

Draco then stepped into a familiar pub. Every year, he visited it and visited it often. He ordered the same drink and sat at the same table. He didn't even have to ask for the drink. The bartender knew.

"Your Raki, Mr. Malfoy," said the waiter. "And your usual as well, Mr. Zabini. Anything else, gentlemen?"

"No thank you, Zorba," said Draco. "The drinks will do for today." Draco took a sip of his Raki, then looked at Blaise again. "I thought while we were sitting over drinks, I'd inform you that you've been chosen to takeover Theodore's position as Supreme Mugwump."

@blaise

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Blaise recalled with fondness their more youthful excursions in Greece. Even though he had always been one to show restraint he had tended to be more laid back on these occasions. "I do believe it was when we made the irrational decision to become fathers." It was a joke, mostly. Fatherhood had been a bit of a struggle for Blaise at first having never had a dad that lived more than a few years, he knew what a mother did but he had to learn for himself how to be a father. "I do miss those days, Draco, back when we had so much less to care about." Blaise didn't consider himself overwhelmed by any means but being here in Greece made him feel nostalgic.

It was of little surprise what bar they walked into, it was their usual go to when they came to visit. He was brought a glass of Ouzo, a milky looking beverage with ice. Although it was traditionally drank before or after a meal Blaise had a fondness for the anise flavor. He took a sip as Draco began to speak and slowly lowered the glass from his lips when his words stopped. Blaise had been after the position of Supreme Mugwump. He had been working towards it for years, but of course it was hard to take a position that was already held. "Is that so?" It was clear Blaise was going over Draco's words in his head, a faint smile tugged at his lips, "That's a shame, but I'm sure Pansy will be pleased to hear the news." He raised his glass to his old friend looking very pleased about this news.

@dracomalfoy

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Draco smiled when Blaise said they had became responsible when fatherhood came into play. Of course Scorpius and what a remarkable young man he had become came to mind.

"Hard to believe my son is already out of Hogwarts, and playing on a Professional Quidditch team," he said. "I'm glad he's done well, and didn't have to face any of the dark trials you and I did."

Draco then nodded about the old days.

"I miss them too, old friend," he said. "I miss them too."

Draco then smirked back at Blaise's reaction to his new position. He took a sip of his drink before replying.

"I've sure the press will have a field day over me giving the job to my best friend," he said. "But as always, we have Imani from the Daily Prophet on our side, and as far as I'm concerned, the Prophet is the only credible newspaper out there. But that's beside the point. I do feel you've earned it, Blaise. Your dedication to your former position and to the Ministry itself has been more than admirable. I know the department will be in good hands under your guidance." He then offered a toast. "To we wily ex-Slytherins continuing to piss off others by taking over the Ministry."

@blaise