Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do I make any money.
Random Act of Kindness
Witnessing unspeakable atrocities had shaped Draco Malfoy into the man he now was: hard, cautious, lacking in empathy, and willing to take everything a person had just to make sure he was ahead. He had watched: his aunt torture and kill, his father extort, and his mother seduce. Nothing surprised him, chilled him, or phased him anymore. Yet, looking at Hugo Weasley's eyes, Draco found a horror he had never believed could exist or should exist -the vacant stare in the eleven-year-old's brightly coloured eyes.
The cold, distant stare of those eyes, the ones that were looking but Draco doubted were seeing, hurt him. Moved him. Caused him to want to reach out for the boy -to protect him, comfort him, save him.
In their pools of blue, Draco saw himself.
He had been perplexed when Scorpius explained that Rose's little brother would be coming with her and Al Potter for their visit; that it was the only way Rose would come and Al wouldn't come without her. Draco may not have had siblings growing up, so he couldn't fathom why anyone would want their sibling around at their friend's home. However, he wanted his son to have a childhood different than his own -one full of summer days being a children with his school friends, instead of pouring over dusty books and sleeping (with his eyes open) through social lessons like he had- leading him to relent to the strange demands.
He had found himself hurting, his throat clogged with emotions and his chest aching, when he had been introduced to Weasley's youngest that he made one of the quickest escapes ever. Ever since that day, he had left Asteria in charge of the children when they were at the Manor and he kept to his library.
But just because he kept his distance, didn't mean he wasn't watching.
Like now.
From one of the many library windows, he eyes kept towards the gardens where the children were playing. Draco could see the three older children scampering through the formal English garden in some bizarre game that entailed them chasing one another on foot but he didn't see Hugo. Panic began to rise within him, as he thought of all the ways that Weasley would kill him for anything that happened to his son especially after losing his wife so tragically last year under very bizarre circumstances. Draco pressed his body and face closer to the pane of glass looking for the smaller version of Weasley: bright red hair and long, lanky limbs. It didn't take long to find Hugo, sitting on a bench looking in the opposite direction of the other children playing; appearing to be lost in his own little world as he stared out over the Manor grounds.
The father in him caused his chest to swell with concern; his fingers touching the glass wanting to comfort the boy who had been cast aside. No one knew what that felt like better than Draco, though he wouldn't admit that to a soul.
He just didn't know what to make of the scene moments later as it unfolded. Draco watched as Hugo got to his feet and start to move towards the pastures where he kept a small Thestral herd. The boy hadn't taken two steps before Rose and Al were running after him with Scorpius at their feet, their game immediately forgotten, and though he could see Rose talking gently towards Hugo while Al stroked his back and Scorpius appeared helpless. Several moments passed before, Draco saw relieved looks cross the older children's faces as Hugo simply hung his head and returned to his seat on the bench while the other children returned to their play.
Slamming his fist against the glass in anger, Draco knew he would have a conversation with Scorpius later about this.
"They're Thestrals."
Draco spoke gently as not to spook the boy who was cautiously feeding the newest foal, one he hadn't named yet. He softly smiled, impressed that the boy appeared to know instinctively that the Thestral foals didn't become carnivores until fully matured.
Mainly though, he was surprised to find the boy out by the herd and their stables by himself when the other three children where flying their brooms at the pitch his father had built him since Draco had become so accustomed to Rose, Al, and Scorpius, collectively, refusing to allow the younger Weasley out of their sight for the slightest of moments.
He hadn't liked the behaviour at all; feeling like the older children were treating Hugo unfairly - not letting him play with them or do his own thing. Draco couldn't count the number of times he had tried to talk to Scorpius about the way the three of them treated him, but all he ever got out of his son was - 'Father, I just do what Rose asks when it comes to Hugo. Please just follow my lead.'
So he had; it just didn't mean he liked it or had stopped Draco from bringing it up every time he witnessed the slightest incident of injustice towards Hugo. Over time, it had gotten to the point that Scorpius could see the lecture coming a kilometre away and would roll his eyes before saying -as he cut Draco off- 'I know. Please just let it be'.
"What do they do?" Hugo's voice quiet, his complete attention on the animal who was noisy chomping at the apple in his outstretched hand.
There was something so genuinely beautiful to Draco with how taken Hugo appeared to be with the foal and likewise. Though the foal's mother kept an eye on the two, Draco could see that she was content to let her foal stay so close to Hugo. The herd he had started shortly after the last war as a way to cope with his notoriety had always been skittish around humans -only accepting of him- which he preferred; it had given him a built in excuse to escape the Manor because there was always something they needed done.
Smiling softly at the young man who was clearly as fascinated with the creatures as Draco had always been. He gently answered, "They are great for flying. Unfortunately, they aren't well liked by most people believe Thestrals are believed to be bad luck."
"Why?"
Draco carefully leaned against the fence between the boy and the foal and said, "Because not everyone can see them." He watched for Hugo's own reaction to that bit of news since it was clear that the boy could actually see his herd.
While he waited for Hugo's response, Draco's mind raced as to why someone so young could see them. He had noticed time and time again that the boy seemed drawn to the animals but had never thought anything about it. When Scorpius had been younger, he had been drawn to the herd to even though he couldn't see it. Scorpius' explanation had always been that he could feel them (though none of the literature or experts had ever heard of that experience, they hadn't discounted completely either), so Draco had assumed that was the source of Hugo's own draw to the herd.
About the time, he started wondering what exactly hadn't been made public about Granger's death, and if it didn't have something to do with Hugo's ghost-like behaviour as well as his ability to see the Thestrals, Hugo's soft voice brought him back. "So I'm not crazy then like Scorpius tried to tell Rose and Al."
Taken aback, Draco shook his head, "No, you aren't crazy. I see them too. In fact, only people who have seen death can see them. That's why people think they are unlucky; that they are an omen of death."
Draco watched as the apple that had been in Hugo's hand fall to the ground just out of reach of the foal's straining head as Hugo scrambled to his feet and away from the Thestral. Quickly, Draco continued, trying to placate the obviously upset teenager who had started to shake, "It's not a bad thing Hugo."
"It's not?"
"Not at all. I wasn't much older than you are now when I first saw them."
"Does Scorpius see them?" Hugo's voice for such a tall, lanky teenager sounded so small. To Draco, it was almost like though his body was aging, Hugo himself had remained a child.
"No he doesn't. He knows they are out here though...He says he can feel them."
"Who did you see die?"
"Too many people Hugo," Draco whispered, picking up the fallen apple and giving it to the foal. Petting the foal affectionately on her head as she took the rest of the apple from him, he reiterated, "Too many people."
"Anyone you loved?"
Swallowing hard at the reality of the answer, he slowly got to his feet and turned to face the boy. "Yes."
"Does it still hurt?"
Reaching out to the young man, Draco rested his hand on the boy's trembling shoulder. "Yes and it always will; some days worse than others. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
"So I'll never escape it?"
"No. But you can learn to live with it."
"Is that what you do?" Hugo's vacant blue eyes met his own. A year of seeing the boy constantly over Hogwarts breaks, still had done nothing to ease the pain and hurt Draco felt every time those blue eyes found his.
"Everyday."
Draco watched as the young man turned his attention to the Thestral foal. He allowed his hand to fall from Hugo's shoulder as the teenager walked back towards the foal and knelt down in front of it.
"What's her name?" Hugo asked softly, his hand starting to stroke the top of the foal's head. To which the foal responded with nuzzling affection against the hand.
"I haven't named him yet," Draco replied, stepping closer to the fence again; wanting the beautiful moment in front of him to last forever. "Would you like to have the honour?"
"Can I name him Thanatos?"
Tears welled up in his eyes and clogged his throat causing Draco to nod. Realising the boy couldn't see his response (Hugo's eyes still attached to the foal), Draco managed to choke out, "Yes," before hurrying away without another word.
At that very moment, he couldn't bring himself to ask the boy why he named the foal as he had; such a beautiful creature to have such an ominous name and from a boy who shouldn't know who Thanatos even was. Instead, once in the safety of his library, Draco started drinking until he passed out with a drink in his hand, wondering what exactly had happened in the boy's short life.
"Weasley, do you have a moment?"
The stunned look on Weasley's face caused Draco to smirk as he thought about how some things never changed, though Weasley's children spent as much of their school breaks as the Manor as Scorpius spent at Weasley's place.
"Sure. Sorry about the mess," Weasley spoke hurriedly, having apparently recovered from his initial shock of seeing Draco at his office door on a Wednesday during the school year. "What can I help you with?"
"It's about Hugo," Draco replied, stepping into Weasley's office and taking a seat.
Weasley, having blanched at the mention of his son, intrigued Draco. He watched as Weasley tentatively ask, "What about him?"
"Well his Thestral-"
"What Thestral?"
"The one he tends to at the Manor."
"You gave him a Thestral?"
"No," Draco said sharply -what did Weasley take him for an idiot? "I've had a herd since after the war, he took to a foal last year during one of his visits. Since the other children don't let him play with them while they are there, he spends most of his time with the herd. Hugo knows that while he's there he is responsible for Thanatos' care so I consider Thanatos his."
"Thanatos?"
"I know. But Hugo named him. Didn't he tell you about him?"
Draco watched as Weasley folded into himself; leaning back into his chair. Rubbing his face, Weasley quietly said, "He doesn't speak much; he just stares out into nothing, mainly keeping to himself. Rose keeps him glued to her side to try and get him involved in anything. She just misses her littler brother so much. He just has been this way ever since Hermione...um...well she... you see...she, um...died."
"Oh." Draco found himself saying stupidly. Three years of him and Weasley exchanging children every school holiday and this amounted to the first time they actually talked about the children and specifically Hugo. The one it was clear, they were both concerned about. He just wasn't sure what to say now.
After several quiet moments, Weasley asked with a shake of his head as if he was trying to clear it. "So what about this Thestral?"
"Thanatos is fully matured now and I need to start flying him. Seeing as he's Hugo's, it only seems fair that he fly him first and I wanted to see if it was okay with you, since a Thestral isn't exactly a broom."
Draco half expected Weasley to say no out right, as such he couldn't hold back his surprise when Weasley asked, tears affecting his normally booming voice, "Do you mind if I watch Ma-Draco?"
"...Let me see if I understand you correctly - you, Scorpius, Hugo and Ron together take the Thestral herd flying on Saturdays when Hogwarts isn't in session."
Huffing at his ex-wife's silly 'playing thick' act, he growled as he laced up his boots, "That is exactly what I said."
"So this is a father-son thing, seeing as Rose and Al aren't a part of this recent tradition."
"Not at all," Draco replied, still strapping up his boots. "It just worked out like this."
"Why? Those four are hardly apart."
Draco sighed. "Well, Rose is a bit overbearing when it comes to Hugo; it's just better if she's not here. She means well don't get me wrong, it's that when she's around, Hugo reverts back into his shell."
"And how does Scorpius feel about this new development?"
"Hasn't said a word other than a passing comment of getting a break from Rose."
"I'm surprised."
"You aren't the only one. I'm still waiting for the two of them to get around to telling us they are romantically involved as they appear to live in each other's pockets."
Draco wasn't sure what he expected his ex-wife to do or for that matter say, but he didn't expect her to laugh. "Oh, Draco. There are times that I forget how much like your father you truly are."
"What is that suppose to mean?"
"Nothing. I know you hate to be spoken to like a child so I shan't bother explaining it to you now. Anyway, I'm more interested in you and Weasley."
"Why do you say that?" Draco narrowed his eyes at his wife who still had a shite-eating grin on her face.
"I've watched you and Weasley barely speak three words towards each other since Scorpius became friends with Rose and Al and now after I have been out of your life, for the better part of the last year, you two are suddenly friends...spending time together..."
He knew she was trying to be cute and sly about commenting on a possible romantic development. Just because she had managed to find a loving relationship, now that their sham of a marriage was over, didn't mean she had to work on his. His happy ending had died during the war; nothing would change that. "Now look who's being absurd. This whole Saturday thing is about about Hugo; nothing more." Hating the way his wife's eyebrows arched and the smirk, he knew damn well she learned from him, Draco snarled, "What?" as he stood up.
"Nothing," Asteria smirked. "Just thinking about your preferences and the Weasleys' irritating habit of having no preference."
Though he knew exactly where she was getting with one half of her comment, for the life of him he couldn't figure out the other. Not wanting to continue this conversation though, because heaven forbid his ex-wife should win yet another argument with him, Draco stormed out of his quarters.
"It's about time you found someone. I'm tired of you being alone in this house."
"Leave it Asteria."
"Draco-"
"I said leave it." Draco yelled, pulling the door hard behind him. He kept his eyes averted though because he didn't want to see her pity or admit to her that he actually was tired of being alone.
Though the day he touched Weasley in that way would be his last. He'd make sure of it.
A part of his mind kept telling him, that even after a year, that these Saturday flies shouldn't feel this normal; nor should Draco actually enjoy Weasley's company. Yet, here he was again walking to the paddock as he did when Hogwarts wasn't in session.
In the distance, Draco could see Scorpius had already beaten him down there, like always, and with Weasley and Hugo were prepping the first four Thestrals to be flown today. Asteria had found the whole Saturday routine more than mildly amusing when she discovered it for herself upon returning to the Manor for Scorpius' summer holiday. For the life of him, he couldn't fathom why she kept bringing up Weasley when Scorpius wasn't around, especially as he had put it to her in very clear words that he had never been, wasn't now, and would never be interested in Weasley.
The thought still sent a chill of disgust down his spine as he watched Hugo jump onto Thanatos. The sight of Hugo happy and excited about anything still moved Draco deeply. A glance towards where Weasley still stood next to Scorpius said he wasn't alone though watching his son gently rub his former classmate's back as the man cried as typical for their Saturday morning flies.
Draco couldn't help but wonder when his son had become a man.
This was the worst part about having a herd -sometimes you had to put an animal down. Zeus had been his first Theastral and some pesky wolf had left the once magnificent creature hurt beyond repair but still alive.
Closing his eyes, Draco took a deep breath and brought his rifle to his shoulder. It took several steadying breaths with the rifle ready to fire before he could bring himself to open his eyes. Zeus shaking on the ground covered in blood with badly broken legs and a missing wing caused tears to run down his face.
Quietly he whispered, "I'm so sorry you had to suffer," and pulled the trigger.
He never saw Zeus' body go still with death. Draco couldn't bring himself to actually watch something else he loved died. When all he could hear was the rustling of the trees, he opened his eyes and turned to lay the spent rifle on the ground.
"You killed him."
Hugo's whisper as Draco set the rifle on the ground sent Draco straightening up quickly with the rifle still in his hand. He stared wide-eyed at the teenager who shouldn't have had to see what he just did, let alone shouldn't have been there.
"You killed him." Hugo said again. This time his voice louder and more firm; his eyes full of accusations and something close to hate. "Why?"
Speaking the truth that no one ever wants to hear, Draco gently said, "I had to."
"Why did you have to?"
"Because he was going to die." Draco looked every where he could instead of at Hugo. "Thestrals, like horses...well, a simple broken leg -if it's bad enough- can kill them. When they can't get around in the air and on the ground, their intestines get all twisted and it kills them very slowly and painfully. He was going to die Hugo; I just made it happen sooner."
"You killed him."
Draco nodded his head, unable to answer the young man who stood before him if he had actually asked a question. Yes, he had killed his favourite Thestral but how was he supposed to explain to a young man that it actually was the humane thing to do: to kill an animal who would die eventually now, instead of nature taking its course and killing the animal slowly and more painfully.
"You're just like me."
His head whipped towards the young man in shock. Draco felt his jaw drop and his grip on the rifle tighten. Horrified at the now obvious reasoning for the vacant blue eyes that had become a regular part of his life, he breathlessly whispered, "What?"
"I killed her. Didn't Dad tell you? The surprise on Hugo's face manged to somehow shock Draco more. "My mum's dead because of me."
"No he didn't tell me anything," Draco replied, quietly; his eyes unable to leave the young man who was moving to Zeus' body.
"Why not?"
"You would have to ask him."
"Weren't you curious about how mum died?"
Shaking his head, he watched Hugo kneel in the blood at the head of Zeus and start to gently rub his nose like the animal had once liked. Draco took a seat on the ground, his legs, body and mind unable to support him anymore. He suddenly wished he knew what to say at this moment, but he was at a complete loss of words though his mind focused on just want Weasley would do to him when he found out that Hugo had watched him put an animal down.
"I didn't mean too," Hugo suddenly said quietly. When Draco looked up from the still body of his favourite Thestral, he found the young man's bright blue eyes boring into his body. "Dad was out with Uncle Harry and Rose was somewhere. Mum had been sick for a couple of weeks so she stayed home with me. Some screaming woke me up. When I went to her room, I couldn't find her. I crawled into her bed to wait for her and the next thing I knew a wolf was leaping to me...I don't know how it happened but suddenly there was a wand in my hand, and the wolf falling dead in front of me...I watched as the wolf disappeared and revealed my mum. I remember sitting there on the bed staring at her; realising I had done that. I had killed my mum. My mum."
Even if Draco knew what to say to the boy before -now looking so young as he moved towards where Draco sat- he surely didn't know now.
"I didn't know it was her," Hugo whispered fiercely taking a seat next to Draco. Wrapping his arm around the young man, he pulled him as close as possible as Hugo kept whispering over and over again - 'I didn't know it was her.'
And when Draco felt hot tears come in contact with his skin several long minutes later, he wasn't sure if they were his own or Hugo's.
Draco had known this day would arrive sooner than later but now it was here he couldn't explain the growing hole in his chest. Looking out of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the morning room, Draco had a perfect view of the large Thestral paddock and supporting structures for the now quite sizable herd. He had been planning for the day that he himself would care for the herd, now that Scorpius was full grown and moving out of the Manor. For there was no reason that Hugo's visits would continue.
That sole thought bothered him more than his only child moving out and moving on with his life. Draco just couldn't understand why that was.
The thud of two doors banging against the centuries old walls and frames caused his head to snap from the view outside towards the entrance to the morning room. There standing in the doorway was his abnormally disheveled son breathing heavily two pieces of parchment clutched in his hand. This was the day Scorpius' NEWT scores should have arrived; Draco couldn't understand what had clearly gotten under his unflappable son's skin.
"Scorpius..." Draco asked carefully, his voice trailing off as he moved to his son who was still breathing heavily.
"I know we were to have breakfast together this morning but something has happened with Hugo. I need to go see Ro-Rose and Mr. Weasley."
Draco felt the blood rush from his face. His mind racing as to everything that might have happened to the young man as his son's face and posture evolved first from confusion to something that bordered on relief. Only then did Scorpius gently ask, "Would you like to come with me?"
He found himself unable to do anything but nod in response to Scorpius' question. When Scorpius turned and walked away without another word, Draco was quickly on his heels following him out of the morning room.
When he followed Scorpius through the Floo into Weasley's home, Draco was taken aback by how still the house was. Looking around, he quickly found Hugo who was sitting on a window seat staring outside. Draco sighed in relief that the young man looked unharmed. He was about to ask Scorpius what all the heyday had been about seeing that Hugo was fine, but all he caught was his son's back disappearing through a swinging door.
With a shrug of his shoulders, he moved towards Hugo. Draco carefully took a seat in the small area available to him on the bench. There were so many things he wanted to ask, or for that matter say, but Draco could only remember one moment where he had initiated conversation or contact with Hugo. Something told him that this time, shouldn't be the second.
After several long quiet moments, Hugo finally whispered, "So you heard too?"
"Honestly, I have no idea what you are talking about," Draco admitted, leaning forward to rest elbows on his legs as he clutched his hands together.
"Really?" The incredulous tone in Hugo's voice caused him to turn his head. "I mean Scorpius is here. I figured D-Rose told him and he told you."
"No," Draco started with a shake of his head. "All he told me was that something happened to you."
"So he didn't tell you that I didn't get a single OWL?"
In all the possibilities of what had happened with Hugo, Draco had never envisioned that one for a second. Besides it being obvious that Hugo was quite a bright young man every time he aided Draco with the Thestrals, there was the glaring point -at least to him- that even Crabbe and Goyle got a handful; and they were absolutely no where near as bright as he believed Hugo to be.
Draco's mouth flapped in a very unbecoming and plebeian manner several times before he was not only able to gather his wits but find his voice. Gathering what little dignity he had left, Draco wisely shut his mouth and turned to look at his hands again. It didn't take him long to think of a solution to Hugo's situation and one that Weasley might agree to.
Quietly -towards his hands more than to Hugo- Draco tentatively asked, "You know the Thestral herd has gotten quite large. In fact, it's really too big for just me anymore. What if I hire you on to help care for them? I'll pay you fair wages for the work while you live at home and once you turn of age, if you want to continue, we'll add room and board to your pay package...What do you think about that?"
Devastation started to overtake Draco -for reasons he couldn't explain- the longer the room remained deathly quiet. It wasn't until Hugo choked out, "Do you mean it?", did the impending doom evaporate instantaneously.
The smile on Hugo's face when he silently nodded? Well, Draco wasn't sure if it was thator Weasley's silent show of gratitude later that lent Draco to believe he could be the man that Dumbledore swore he could be.
He just wish it hadn't taken so long for him to get here.
There was no way possible that Hugo managed to get zero OWLS. Draco hadn't believed it that fateful day; and after a year of the young man working with him day-in-and-day-out he believed it even less.
After two months of greasing the right palms he had been able to finally get his hands on the documents sealed in a discrete envelope: Hugo's actual OWL exams and the accompanying score sheets. Staring at the nondescript envelope, he swirled the glass of Firewhiskey wondering if he was really doing the right thing for Hugo by violating his privacy as well as circumventing several laws and rules.
The longer he sat there staring at the envelope, the more he convinced himself that he was doing the right thing. Draco knew he would have been a fool to think he would always be around and without even a single OWL, Hugo's options for employment -no mattered how gifted he was with Thestrals- would be limited. Part of him knew he could set aside enough money for Hugo to live off of if something should happen to him, but he couldn't bring himself to do that. He had always encouraged Scorpius to have a life and career outside of the Manor. Mainly in hopes of that portion of the Malfoy legacy would die with him, but if he expected his son to do more than live off what was left of the Malfoy heritage, then he knew he should expect the same thing of Hugo.
Cursing himself, he set the empty glass down and grabbed the envelope quickly before he could stop himself. Within five minutes, Draco wished it hadn't taken him so long to decide to look into why Hugo hadn't received any OWLS.
Now he just wanted to know why Potter and Weasley hadn't.
Draco wasn't exactly sure why he had been voted to give Hugo the news regarding his OWLS. He had figured that Potter -who had actually gotten the head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority and four other employees fired in response- or Ron -as Hugo's father- would want to give the young man the good news; however, both of his former classmates were determined to have Draco do the honours.
Which brought him to where he was now: sitting next to Hugo on one of the sofa's in his library with Potter and Ron nearby. Hugo's true OWL results now burning the hand he held the envelope they were enclosed in. Investigating Hugo's OWL scores had been for him a search for the truth of why a bright young man could fail all his OWLS and now that he had the truth, the realisation that the young man would probably leave him hit him hard. Hugo had become such an integral part of his life, that if he left Draco knew that he would truly be alone: his parents preferring the Continent, his wife enjoying her new life in South Africa, and his son busy with his career at the Ministry as well as in a relationship with someone he wasn't prepared for Draco to meet yet.
It took several long minutes before Draco could gather his courage enough to wave the envelope in front of Hugo, silently imploring the young man to take the envelope before he gave up and just kept the young man by his side for the rest of his life.
"What is it?" Hugo whispered. Much to Draco's disappointment, the young man didn't take the envelope.
Staring steadfastly at the jade Dragon statue that sat upon the coffee table he whispered, "Your OWL scores."
"But I know-"
"They were wrong," Draco said as firmly and unemotionally as possible, shaking the envelope in front of Hugo again. Pushing down the emotion that filled his throat by swallowing hard, he continued, "Very wrong."
"I don't understand."
Hugo's voice sounded so small and unsure. For the life of him, Draco couldn't understand why the young man wasn't grabbing the envelope with his hand, ripping it open, and finding out he could have any career in the Wizarding world he wanted, instead of wasting his youth in an aging and empty Manor with an equally aging and empty man.
"Your initial scores were wrong," Draco whispered, his eyes still on the statue. "They should have re-evaluated your exams due to the inconsistency between your high scores in the practical portions and the poor marks in the written exams, but they didn't. They just marked them as 'Troll' and moved on."
"Why?"
Feeling heart broken, Draco finally turned and looked at the young man. His eyes took in the obviously scared young man whose own eyes were full of horror as he stared at the envelope still in Draco's hand. Confused at Hugo's reactions, he asked, "Don't you want to do more than take care of a random herd of Thestrals here? The world is now at your finger tips."
He watched as Hugo finally turned and looked at him. Draco was taken aback by the glassy sheen in Hugo's blue eyes; the ones that had gradually grown lighter and brighter over the last year had instantly shifted back to once vacant look.
"Hugo." Draco whispered, his hand holding the offending envelope finally falling to his own lap. "This gives you a future that tending my herd simply cannot. I won't be around forever and I've pushed Scorpius to have more in his life than this Manor. Please understand that I can not let you hide away here for the long term."
"But what about..."
Hugo's voice trailed off and for the life of him Draco couldn't figure out where Hugo was going with his statement. Meaning it only to be a quick glance, hoping that Potter and Ron could verbally help him out, Draco found himself utterly dumbstruck at the way his two former classmates were holding themselves: Potter's anger seething, his hands curled into tight fists, and Ron anxiously wringing his hands together. It was clear to Draco that they knew something he didn't and it had to do with the young man sitting by him.
Draco softly started to speak as he turned his head. "Hugo, I apologise but I'm unclear-"
"You're just like them." The fierceness coupled with the anger in Hugo's voice cause Draco to physically pull back. He had never witnessed either in the six years he had known the boy. "I thought you were different but you aren't. You just want me to be what youwant me to be.
"Why can't I just be happy here? With you."
Wide-eyed Draco stared at Hugo as the young man got to his feet and tore from the room. He just watched dumbfounded as Potter glared at him and Ron went after Hugo.
"You know Asteria and Scorpius claimed you were thick but I didn't believe it." The cold stare Potter affixed him, chilled Draco's soul, freezing him in his place on the sofa though his mind kept screaming at him to go after Hugo. "How could I? You're the one who figured out how to break into Hogwarts but somehow you couldn't see this?...I never once thought you were a fool, until now Malfoy."
Draco, overwhelmed in shame, hung his head from where he sat. The soft click of Potter's shoes on the wooden floors the only sound in his library. He assumed that Potter was heading after Weasley and Hugo, so when he felt the nearby cushion on the sofa his head jerked towards the side to see Potter had taken a seat next to him. His former classmate leaning against the sofa so his head could rest on the top of the back.
He had no idea what to say to Potter still entirely confused about the situation at hand. Fortunately, it didn't matter as Potter hadn't finished yet, "Have you always been this short-sighted?"
"According to my ex-wife -yes." Draco heaved a heavy sigh and fell back against the sofa in a position that mimicked Potters. "Especially since I have no idea what is going on."
"Really?" Potter exclaimed, sitting up and turning to face Draco. Looking down at him with amazement on his face, he continued, "Even after this past year with Hugo spending all his time here?"
Rolling his eyes in frustration, Draco sighed, "You know that still tells me nothing Potter."
"So you are telling me you haven't realised that Hugo is arse over tits for you? That whatever he feels for you has kept him alive?"
"What are you blabbering-"
Suddenly it hit him what Potter was telling him. Within seconds, Draco had leapt off the couch, fallen over the coffee table, broken the Dragon stature and was trying to get to his feet with as much distance between him and Potter possible. His mouth flapped up and down as he wildly gesticulated with his hands trying to tell Potter that he had it all wrong; that Hugo didn't...couldn't have romantic feelings for him; that he himself was too broken, too old, too celibate to be anything to the young man -a beautiful young man who deserved the world at his feet after the unspeakable horrors he had had to experience and most importantly, survived.
Giving up on his voice actually working, Draco collapsed onto the floor where he stood and buried his hands as his mind floated back several lifetimes ago to the day he had buried Adrian - the light of his life. As the images of the lonely funeral played across his mind -like they had just occurred yesterday- all he could think about was that was the same day he gave up living his life. All his dreams, hopes, and desires went into the ground with Adrian; making all his father's dreams come true - Draco taking over the Manor, marrying a beautiful young woman from a good and pure blooded family, siring the next Malfoy heir.
Draco jumped when he felt a gentle touch come to rest on his back. Recoiling from the comfort, he turned his head to see who dared offer him something he didn't deserve. When he did, he saw Asteria's dark brown eyes glassy and softly looking at him. Draco wondered just where the hell she came from. In his surprise, she took the opportunity to approach him and gently, like she had when they had been students years ago, touched his cheek as she whispered, single tears started to trail down her face:
"Adrian's gone Draco. Please let him go...he's not coming back...Please Draco, I'm begging you; stop living in the past and move on. This isn't about you anymore; it's about Hugo too. Let him heal you...like you've healed him."
The early morning rays of sun were beyond unwelcome. With a grumble, Draco turned his head to bury his face in the combination of a pillow and his long hair. That grumble though didn't last long before it turned into a moan of pleasure as calloused fingers, ones that he knew entirely too well softly ran up his spine.
"Wake up Sleeping Beauty." Hugo's voice gently teased him and instead of waking him up more, soothed him back towards sleep. "There's work to be done."
"Don't wanna."
Draco knew he sounded like a petulant child but he didn't care. He was old and it was Saturday and after the late night following Ron and Scorpius' bonding ceremony Draco was determined to stay in bed until he was damn good and ready.
The sound of laughter though woke him immediately. Abruptly he went up on his elbows and turned his head towards Hugo's direction. He watched in awe as the young man laughed with carefree abandon -something Draco had never seen before in all the time that Hugo had been a part of his life.
And something he couldn't wait to see again.
And again.
And again.
But until then, Draco had other things on his mind he wanted to do. Leaning over, he silenced the obviously happy young man with a kiss.
Fin.