First attempt at a multichapter fic! Hope you all enjoy!
"Embezzlement?" He asked. "Father how on earth could you allow this to happen?"
Draco Malfoy was in awe as workers moved all around his home, taking away priceless art pieces and expensive items.
It had just been revealed that the senior Malfoy had been involved in a fraud scheme, rendering the family penniless. Narcissa was beside herself, looks of worry etched upon her face as her favorite collectibles were being taken out of the house.
"Please, do be careful with that," she exclaimed as the men handled a specific painting roughly. "That is an original Picasso." She was just about ready to faint. She looked around worriedly as all of their belongings were packed up and taken away, one by one.
As soon as everything was gone, the doors slammed shut, leaving the three Malfoys, and Charles Greengrass, the family lawyer, dumbstruck in the foyer.
"Ahem," Charles cleared his throat. "I'm afraid you'll have to vacate the premises within 24 hours, as it now belongs to the bank. Seeing as all you're left with are your clothes, it shouldn't take too long to evacuate." Lucius looked around furiously. He had put all his trust in the CEO of that wretched company. He was just going to kill Tom Riddle. "Where do you suppose we go? We have nothing to our names!" He shouted angrily.
"Surely, there must be family you can turn to at this time of need," Charles supplied. Unfortunately, this was the understatement of the century. Lucius, an only child, had no family to turn to, as his mother and father had passed years before. Narcissa, on the other hand, did have some family, though they hadn't spoken in years, and she wasn't sure if she could face them after the falling out they'd had 12 years earlier.
"What are we going to do?" Draco asked, somewhat nervously. He was 24 years old, and one of the most eligible bachelors in London. If news broke out that his family was broke, he wasn't sure how much longer he would keep that title.
"Well," Narcissa began. "I suppose I could get in contact with Bella or Andromeda." Lucius looked uncomfortable at the thought, but nodded his head reluctantly. They didn't have any other choice. "Very well," he said, "But please leave Bella out of this. I can't deal with that deranged husband of hers. He always did think he was better than me."
It was true, Rodolphus Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy were bitter enemies since Rodolphus had been passed on for that promotion many years prior. Since then, it had always been a competition of who had more money. Lucius would do anything, even ask his other sister-in-law for help, if that meant he didn't have to deal with the Lestranges.
Narcissa and her sisters had come from English high society, but her sister, Andromeda, had decided to marry some commoner, and was quickly disowned by her family.
"Well, Andromeda says they have a two bedroom apartment in London we can stay at. They've paid it off years ago, and it belongs to her daughter, Nymphadora. It's not being used at the time, as she recently moved in with her boyfriend. They were going to sell it, but they've allowed us to stay there for as long as we need."
Sighing heavily, the family conceded to their fate, moving up the stairs of the grand manor to pack the little belongings they had left.
Draco made his way into his room. Everything had been taken away, save for the wardrobe. He opened it and quickly packed up his things, before heading downstairs. He still hadn't uttered more than a few words since the news broke.
"How will we get to this apartment?" He asked. Without cars or drivers, he shuddered at the thought of taking a taxi, or worse, the tube.
"Charles has so graciously offered us a ride, son," Lucius said tightly. They took their suitcases to the car, and all climbed in. The drive was a short and quiet one, and after about 25 minutes, they pulled up to an old apartment building. It didn't look terrible on the outside, but it was still nowhere near as luxurious as what they were used to. At the top of the building, Draco could make out the words, "Willowbrook Pines".
"The apartment is on the 13th floor, and she said there should be a key underneath the doormat."
They took their belongings out of the car and made their way inside. There was a small lobby area, and off to the right there were mailboxes lined up. They all looked out of place in this dingy complex waiting for the elevator. When it arrived, they got on it, and Draco turned his nose up in disgust with a look of disdain on his face. This was going to be the worst time of his life. He simply didn't know if he could get through it.
"Please hold the elevator!" A sweet voice called. A few seconds later, a little pretty young thing ran into the elevator, saying, "Thank you."
She had long brown, curled hair, which reached just below her shoulders. She was wearing a floral dress that ended just above her knees, a pair of flats, and a loose jean jacket. She stood just in front of Draco, and was about a whole head shorter than him. Her hair smelled like vanilla and Draco was intoxicated.
When the doors opened on the 13th floor, they all made their way out. It wasn't until she had reached her door that the young woman realized these must be her new neighbors. "I didn't know Tonks sold this place," she said to the Malfoys. "Well, I guess I'm your new neighbor, Hermione Granger," she said to them with a small wave.
"Lucius, my wife Narcissa, and my son, Draco," Lucius responded, somewhat coldly. Hermione nodded her head and with a wave goodbye entered her apartment. Lucius had just found the appropriate key and turned the knob. With a deep breath, all three Malfoys stepped into what would be their home for an indefinite amount of time. Closing the door behind him, Draco thought about the pretty girl next door, and how maybe moving here wasn't the worst that could have happened to him.
Not sure if this story will take off, but I'd love to hear some thoughts.