Discovery
Chapter One: The Not so Friendly Push
Narcissa Malfoy was nervously pacing back and forth in a dark corridor of the Malfoy Manor. This particular corridor housed the room of Draco Malfoy, who had scarcely left the room in the three months since the trials ended. And like any mother, Narcissa was worried. She was worried about her son's health and his wellbeing, but mostly she was worried about being able to save face.
She had decided that enough was enough and abruptly stopped pacing in front of Draco's door. She rapped forcefully at the door, but after a full minute there was no answer, and so she was flooded with worry once again. "Draco?" She called out, but there was no answer. "Draco!" She called again a bit more sternly and still there was no answer. At this she was beginning to get frustrated so she shouted, "Draco Lucius Malfoy! If you don't open this door right this second I'll—" She stopped, realizing that any attempts to pull Draco out of his catatonic state were futile. So she took a breath to compose herself and then gingerly opened the door to find a very much conscious and very much disheveled Draco. "Draco?" She asked softly. No response. "Draco?" She tried again. Finally she was fed up with his excessive moping and grabbed him by the disgustingly bony shoulders and shook with all her might in hopes of breaking him away from his daze.
"What?" He finally asked irritably.
"We need to talk." She answered curtly.
"I gathered as much, why else would you pester me so much? Oh and can we just avoid whatever conversation this is going to be? Whatever it is mother, I do not give a damn." He replied rudely.
"It's not avoidable I'm afraid." She said with a heavy sigh.
"Alright then, what is it?" He asked.
"You need to leave and get on with your life." She answered.
"You're joking." He laughed humorlessly.
"I don't joke Draco." She replied seriously.
"How then? How the bloody hell am I supposed to leave and move on with my life when there is clearly no way to do so!" He shouted, agony evident in his voice.
"But there is a way for you to do so Draco." Narcissa answered quietly.
"Oh do tell mother, what way is that?" Draco asked.
"You have to carry on our family name." She answered.
"It's been ruined by this war. There is nothing worth passing on." He replied sadly.
"Well maybe not yet Draco, but you still have a future ahead of you. You can change the way people view our family, you could do better."
"And just how do you suppose I'll do that mother?" Draco questioned.
"Well there are two options, you could get out of the house and start playing an active role in society to show that you've been reformed—"
"That's not likely." Draco interrupts.
"Or you could get married to a woman who supported the winning side in this war." She finished.
"Mother you've gone absolutely mad." Draco replies in shock.
"No, I'm trying to save face." She retorted.
"So now that you're attempting to arrange a marriage for me, would you tell me who you have in mind? Oh and also keep in mind that there is not a single woman, save for Pansy Parkinson that would ever want to be wed to myself."
"Astoria Greengrass." Narcissa answered.
"Daphne's younger sister? Why?" He asked.
"Because Astoria's family remained neutral while she fully supported Potter and his friends. And because blood purity is still important to your father." She answered.
"But not to you?" He questioned.
"No, I realize now that all we fought for was pointless, it was wrong, and antiquated beliefs such as those have no place in the modern world, I like to think that I'm peace with this new world order, but I also know that my prejudices won't be entirely erased, but I will do my damnedest to erase them." She replied honestly.
"How can you so easily change your beliefs, mother? Your entire life, hell my entire life was spent believing that mudbloods are worthless." He replied.
"But they are not worthless, and for Merlin's sake Draco stop using that word!" She scolded him.
t"Will I ever be able to stop? Will I ever really be able to take up a more tolerant view, or will it just be a façade?" He questioned.
"Well dear that's up to you." She replied.
"But about Astoria? Why would she want to marry me?" He asked, suddenly feeling very curious.
"Oh she doesn't, in fact I think she quite despises you. But there is a fine line between love and hate, and think that perhaps the two of you would be a good match." She replied hopefully.
"No. No mother, I will not even consider it." He replied angrily now.
"Well that's too bad because you have a date with her tomorrow at noon in muggle London at a place called Starbucks." She replied with an air of smugness.
"I have what in where?" He asked incredulously.
"A date in muggle London at a place called Starbucks." She replied.
"What the bloody hell is a Starbuck?" He asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"Starbucks, and it's a place like Madam Puddifoot's, only a bit more professional and appropriate for someone your age." She replied.
"And how would you know that?" He asked.
"Because Astoria told me so." She answered.
"Did it ever occur to you that she could be lying and that such a place doesn't even exist?" He pressed further.
"Yes it did, so I asked her to verify for me that this place was real and so we flew there and had a cup of coffee." She answered.
"And so what? You two just had casual chat about the future of the Malfoy line over coffee?" He asked.
"No actually, we had a chat about her university studies. She plans to become a lawyer and attend a law school in America called Harvard, it's the most prestigious law school in the world, and only the best and brightest get accepted there. She didn't tell me all of that, I had to do my research you see." She answered.
"She wants to attend a muggle university in America?" He asked incredulously.
"Yes, that's what I just said." Narcissa replied.
"But why?" He asked.
"Because she wants to be a lawyer." Narcissa answered smugly.
"Why do you keep doing that?!" He asked.
"Doing what?" She asked.
"That! Answering my questions but not giving me proper answers!" Draco frustratedly replied.
"I am giving proper answers, you're just not asking proper questions." She said simply.
"Ugh! Fine." He pouted.
"Do I have to go on this date with Astoria?" He asked hopeful that the answer would be no.
"Yes, absolutely yes. It is imperative that you go on this date."
"I expect you'll do as I say and be at this address at noon tomorrow." He says as she hands him a slip of paper with the address to the Starbucks.