Disclaimer: The only thing I own is a laptop and a dream.
Authors Note: Hey guys, I'm back and I'm here with yet another re-vised chapter of Rebirth. I just kept starting it all wrong and I just couldn't fix it because of writers block, so here we go, I hope you guys enjoy.
Draco tried his best not to scream, from his place in the very back in the darkest corner of a large underground chamber beneath the Ministry, where auctions were held for confiscated possessions. An armoire, of patent italian leather, straight from Sicily, one of his mothers most prized possession in her bed chamber; sold for less then a thousand dollars to some greasy haired lush, who'd sell it in a heart beat for even less. Good God, there was no end to his misery; since the Ministry came crashing through his home, to Fudges personal vendetta against all Malfoy's for being made a fool of, to the confiscation of all their worldly possessions, and the emptying of every Malfoy volt that ever existed. There wasn't even a bronze knut to the Malfoy name after Fudge, publicly unlocked every volt and had Aurors, ship cash but the cart-ful, to pay for the damaged caused by Potter and his friends little escapade through the Ministry the summer before.
There was no way to save any of it, as Lucius had managed to sink them into debt so deeply that there was no visibly way for them to crawl their way back out of it. And there was no way they could turn to family for financial support; they were all either dead or in debt themselves. Almost ever Malfoy had died, from either mass suicide, murder, or life sentences in Azkaban where they received the kiss, and those cases they were better off dead. All in the name of their great leader, Lord Voldermort, and the 'righteous' cause to purify the wizarding race of impurities. Every contact, that had stayed friendly over the years cut off any association with them as soon as the word got out about Lucius' arrest and Narcissa suicide, so now all hope for Draco was lost, it was all over.
The very thought of not being able to live in the luxury she was accustomed to drove Narcissa to commit suicide, after barricading herself in her apartments and surrounding herself with all her personal staff of house-elves and worldly possessions. Draco hadn't been surprised, when he opened a black envelop delivered by his mother raven, Nehi, one morning during breakfast to find that his mother was died, in fact he had been expecting something like that to happen as soon as Lucius was arrested. Though a small part of him did mourn her death, she was after all his mother, a poor one, but his mother all the same, and made sure to give her a proper burial in the Black family tomb.
A wave of pure agony washed over Draco's half bent over body as the next item for auction was placed on center stage; his mothers cherry wood grand piano, and stool set. Countless childhood memoirs were had on the very piano, ones with his father playing little songs to him, as his mother rocked him back and forth in her arms, on those nights when he just couldn't get to sleep. In those days when Daddy still loved, and Mommy still cared. A single choked whimper passed his lips, before he turned away from this, from the swarms of people all wanting to get a piece of the once great Malfoy fortune. He couldn't take it anymore, it felt as if the walls were closing in on him, he had to breathe; he never noticed the set of eyes that followed him as he walked out of the auction room.
Draco sat quietly facing his large bay windows of his almost empty bed- former bed chambers, as the remaining house elves trudged about silently from room to room in his private apartments; shifting through the remains of his wardrobe, packing things away and sorting things out for their final night in Malfoy manor. All the other elves had fled like mice in blind panic upon hearing the horrible news, taking whatever they could carry, except for a handful of faithful ones who considered it their life duty to care for the youngest Malfoy.
"Mipsy," the elf stopped her packing, her little hands twisting her little dress, a habit formed over the years, since childhood. She watched, wide eyed and curious as Draco, placed a box that he had been carrying in his pocket in front of her, it was a very pretty box covered in colorful painting depicting peacocks and grassy fields on lacquered wood.
"There are some pearls and necklaces of mothers that I managed to keep, after the raid. I want you to take it and see how much you can get for it. It should be able to hold you and the others over for a while, until you can find some work."
Mipsy impossibly wide eyes, widened even further at her young master, in both horror and amazement.
"Oh no, Mips-" with out a word Draco pressed the small box into the elves tiny hand, and closed it around the box with his own.
"Not a word." following his statement he turned from her, and toward the window; it had begun to rain again, he wondered how long it would take before the thunder started as well. "Just take it." he mumbled, before falling silent again, his eyes never straying from the fogging glass.
"Master Malfoy."
Draco answered with out turning, his attention still wholly focused on the now pounding rain.
"Oh Xavier, I thought you would have left by now."
Xavier was a proud house elf, unlike his other lower ranking companions, who had been with Draco since he was a babe. He had been the only elf in the house hold to receive an education that matched any noble; Lucius wouldn't except nothing lower from someone who was meant to help raise his only heir. He had been a strict teacher, and caring companion for Draco, and never excepted anything that wasn't the boys best; for this Draco considered him a dear friend.
"I would never My Lord." a small sad lopsided smile played across Draco's lips, before they pressed themselves together again.
"No you wouldn't, you never could." he said not unkindly, causing the dignified elf to bow his head humbly. "Did you need something?"
"Oh no, young master. I just wanted to inform you that you carriage is waiting down stairs. Would you like me to have a few elves to take your bags down."
Draco looked up, startled, from the window and focused on the short form of his butler. That couldn't be right, all the carriages and horses had been sold to pay off a few of Lucius' debts.
"We don't have the carriages anymore Xavier, you know that."
The elf paid little attention to Draco comment, as he was already ushering the elves with the luggage to the door, while gathering Draco's cloak and boots.
"Yes I know. Its your friend here to take you home."
"What?" there were no 'friends' left that cared enough to 'take him home', what ever that meant.
The echo of his foot stepped seemed intensified, as he walked through the now empty corridors of the Manor, toward the front entrance, with Xavier and his bags trailing after him. A young man stood waiting at the front gate beside a black carriage, and upon seeing them began to usher the luggage into the carriage, his face was just visible enough to be identified under his heavy hood.
"Blaise?" said young man looked up from his careful instructing of the house-elves, to smile brightly at his bemused friend; Draco continued to gawk.
"Blaise what are you doing here? You should be in Columbia with your family, its not safe to be here now."
"That's why I'm here." Blaise finally turned to him as the last bag was packed safely into the trunk, and gestured toward the open door of the carriage. "Well come on now love, before you get soaked."
Draco refused to move from his place on the doorway, he could not except this charity no matter how sincere and heartfelt it was intended to be.
"Oh, Blaise, I can't-" he began, before Blaise cut him off.
"Don't. Now get in." when the other refused to move, he took a step forward. "You will come with me Draco, whether I have to stupfey you and drag out, or you come on your own free will. Either way it doesn't matter, because you will come." the look in his eyes promised he'd do exactly that if that's what it came down to.
Draco knew he could protest for so long before the inevitable immobilizing curse came streaming his way, so he bowed his head in defeat, and took his friends offered hand before stepping out into the rain. Warm, peony scented air wafted over him, as he seated himself against the plush squabs of the carriage, and was followed by Blaise, who immediately started with his comforting maunder.
"Vinny couldn't make it, he's still stuck in Scotts on holiday. He'll be here in about a week, in time for school shopping, and Pansy can't make it either but sends her love..."
Draco had long since tuned out his friends light chatter, as the carriage was pulled along down the long winding cobblestones leading to the tall front gates of Malfoy Manor. He watched almost mournfully as his childhood home, no not home, it could never be called that; it was a house, a dead cell filled with imported furniture. A separate, smaller carriage was being sent in a day for the remainder house-elves, except for Xavier, who was riding with them in the carriage, by request from Draco. Draco sat in the carriage, knees folded underneath him, eyes vacant and mind fogged, as Blaise's stream of incessant chatter slowed to a soft hum, then finally stopped, as he watched contemplative friend in the fogged over glass. Blaise knew Draco had stopped listening, but he wasn't mad, in fact he had hoped that his talking would serve as a distraction for the distressed youth, when it hadn't he quieted and just took to observing, in hopes that he could be of some use when the time came. But until then he would have to do what he had been doing for twelve years; wait, and pray that whatever came he could fix it, while at the same time shielding his Dragon from the brunt of it.
DestineysMistake: And here is the very first chapter, I hope you enjoyed reading it, and I also hope that you will take the time to read and review. Thank you.