A/N: Draco finds a black book in his father's study. young!Draco.
Submission for:
The Dinner Table Challenge!: Round 3 -Vanilla Cinnamon ice-cream, cinnamon spiced latte. Prompt: a journal. Character: Draco Malfoy
The small boy pushed the door open with a creak, popping his blonde head into his father's study in search of some parchment. He had been playing in his room when he had the sudden desire to practice his letters.
The room was quiet as his father elsewhere in the large house. Sunlight shone through the windows along the right, small motes of dust twinkling in and out of sight. Tall bookcases lined the opposite wall with so many books, he was sure even his father hadn't read them all. But the little boy paid them no mind as he stepped towards the large oak desk in the centre of the room.
He climbed onto his father's high back chair and pulled at the first drawer on his right. There were many parchments in there, very important-looking and covered in words that he couldn't yet read, but beneath those, he found a small book bound in black leather.
The little boy pulled it out with both hands, feeling somewhat drawn to the book, and placed it on the table. There were words written in shiny gold on the front, but he could only read one - "Tom".
He flipped through the book, noticing every page was blank, the parchment very brown and old. Father wouldn't mind if he used this to practice.
He grabbed one of his father's peacock quills and dipped it in the ink pot before writing a large "D" on the first page, then an "r", "a", "c" and "o".
As he waited for the ink to dry, he watched in amazement as his name faded into the parchment. What kind of magic was this?
Then it reappeared, the penmanship much sharper and crisp than his own scribbles. "Draco?"
"Draco, what are you doing in here?" his father asked as he stepped into the room, his eyes studying him and the book. "Why do you have that book?"
The boy bit his lip and quickly closed the book. "I was just looking for some parchment."
His father came over to him in two quick strides and took the book off the desk. He opened to the first page and then shut it quickly. "Do not come into my study unless I am here, Draco, and never touch this journal again," he warned.
"Yes, Father," the little boy said, jumping off the chair and standing with his head held down.
His father replaced the book in its drawer, before reaching into another for a few blank sheets. "Come, let's go practice your writing elsewhere."
"Yes, Father," the little boy said, following his father out of the room and soon forgetting about the strange book all together.