Sanctuary
They were arguing again.
The scene was a familiar one and was occurring at a greater frequency. When the arguments first started, his parents attempted to hide their disagreements from him by sending him to his room. Another method they used were charms to muffle the sounds of their screaming, yelling, of things being thrown. That was in the beginning. Now, when the arguments started, they didn't care he was in the room. Now, the house elves took it upon themselves to take him away before wands were drawn and the spells started being thrown around the room.
He knew that his family wasn't normal by anyone's standards. His father seemed like he wouldn't know the definition of 'happy' even if a dictionary was handed to him opened on the proper page. His mother was only happy when she was with him. Although he knew that his mother and father – well, he knew his mother loved him, he knew something was missing. He saw it every time he saw a family when he visited Diagon Alley. And despite having the best of everything, what he wanted most couldn't be conjured by magic or bought. What he wanted were parents who didn't constantly yell at each other, or throw things at each other. Simply put, he wanted parents that loved one another.
He was seven years old when he came to this conclusion.
Two years later and nothing had changed for Draco Malfoy. He could tell that this latest argument between his parents was worse than usual. He couldn't clearly hear it, because of the usual shattering of delicate things, but what he did hear shook the foundation of his young world.
". . . should've let the Aurors take you and let you rot in Azkaban along with my gods' forsaken sister!"
". . . not betray my Lord and when he is ready, MY son will join me at his side!"
". . . Blacks do not bow and no son of MINE will either!"
The voices fades in the background as Draco huddles in a corner of his room, wishing he had somewhere to go, somewhere he can hide from his parents for a while. He wishes he go to his godfather, but he knows it isn't possible, as he is aware that his Uncle Severus is preparing for the upcoming term at Hogwarts. Besides, he wanted a family member, an aunt or uncle who knew his mother and would commiserate. He wishes this with all of his heart, all the while thinking that he is too old for wish magic to come true.
Besides, I would need an aunt not currently incarcerated in Azkaban for it to come true first, he thinks to himself. With the argument downstairs not sounding like it was going to end any time soon, Draco falls into a fitful sleep.
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He's suddenly awakened by a voice yelling –
"Mum! There's a blond kid in the middle of our living room! He appeared out of nowhere!" The voice sounds young, feminine and he wonders who it is.
Draco opens his eyes and as his eyes adjust, he realizes he's no longer in the manor. He looks at his surroundings and he can just tell this is a home.
"Mum! The blond kid is awake," the owner of the voice, who is currently not in his line of sight, yells again.
"Nymphadora, lower your voice. You're probably scaring the poor child," another unidentified female voice says as she enters the living room from the kitchen.
"I'm not scared," Draco refutes, crossing his arms across his chest and pouting in a manner that those under the age of ten are allowed to get away with.
"Of course not," the lady says, kneeling in front of Draco. "You're a brave little lion. What's your name?" She looks at Draco intently. There is something familiar about him, from his mannerisms to his eyes, especially his mercury colored eyes. She knows there is a connection between them, or otherwise he would have never gotten past the wards surrounding her home.
"I'm not a lion, I'm a dragon. Mother says so," Draco says, refraining from giving his name. The lady smiles at this.
Definitely a Slytherin in the making, she thinks.
"My name is Andromeda, young dragon. What's –"
"You're named after the constellation, right? I am too! My mother named me after a constellation, although her first name isn't one. She says that she always been jealous of her sisters because their first names are stars and she was named after a flower that means 'selfish' or something like that. I'm Draco."
The lady named Andromeda gasps as she finally realizes who this little boy is. As her daughter (who is unnaturally subdued) watches this exchange, a tear slips down Andromeda's right cheek.
"You're Narcissa's son? Cissy's son?" She hugs the little boy tightly and tentatively, although he is confused, he returns it. "I'm your mother's sister, your Aunt Andromeda."
"You're my Aunt Andi? I thought you were lost," Draco says, his words muffled in his aunt's shoulder.
"It's a long story, one that is better left for another time. Nymphadora, come downstairs and meet your cousin."
A girl with bubblegum pink hair starts down the stairs but trips before she reaches the next to last step. She recovers quickly and tilts her head to one side as she examines Draco. Seemingly satisfied with what she sees she greets her cousin.
"Wrotcher, Draco. I'm Tonks."
"Tonks? I thought Aunt Andi said your name is Nymphadora."
"It is, but she prefers her last name," Andromeda answers.
"Why? Nymphadora is a pretty name." Switching his attention to his new found cousin he asks –
"Is that really the color of your hair?"
"My hair can be any color I want it to be," she answers and her hair changes from its bubble gum pink color to the same platinum blonde color of Draco's hair. His eyes widens in amazement and he says –
"I thought I was the only one who could do that," and with those words, Draco's hair color changes from its blond color to match Andromeda's brown hair down to the last curl.
"If you can change your hair color, why is it a normal color then," Tonks asks, her hair shifting back to the pink color she preferred.
A sad look flitters across his face and his hair fluctuates from its brown color to a blue before settling on its usual blond color.
"Because Mother says Father wouldn't approve."
Both Andromeda and Tonks could hear the sadness in Draco's voice and Andromeda felt there was more to the story. Receiving the message from a look from her mother that stated, 'we'll talk about this later,' Tonks ruffles Draco's hair before leaving the room.
"I'll see you later, little cousin. I have to go finish my summer homework from Hogwarts."
Draco waves to his cousin as she goes up the stairs and hopes that he will see her again.
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"Now since it's just the two of us, would you like to explain what happened leading up to waking up in my home," Andromeda asks.
Surprising even himself, Draco explains to his aunt how his mother and father fought all the time. He tells Andromeda how he feels that only his mother loves him, how he feels that his father seems to disapprove of him, and how he wishes he had parents that love each other.
". . . and I was in my room when Father said I will be taking my place beside him and some 'lord' and it has to be bad because Mother said that Blacks bow down to no one and I won't be either and then something smashed and I was in my room in a corner wishing I had an aunt or uncle I could go to and I must have fell asleep because the next thing I remember is waking up here."
Several emotions flash across Andromeda's face, too fast for Draco to distinguish one from another. He focuses on the last emotions Andromeda allows herself to show – concern and love for him.
"It's ok – your magic sensed your need to be safe with family, so it brought you here. You have done nothing wrong."
Draco gives a sigh of relief, yet worry crosses his face.
"I have to go," he exclaims and panic replaces the relief almost immediately.
"I'll take you home," Andromeda says, trying to calm Draco.
"No, you'll get in trouble. Father doesn't like it when people come over unannounced. Bad things happen when they do. Dobby!"
"Yes, little master?"
"Have my parents noticed that I'm missing? Has Mother come to my room?"
"No, little master. Master Malfoy has shut himself in his study and Mistress Malfoy is currently in her garden."
"Okay," Draco whispers, obviously disappointed that neither of his parents thought to check on him. "Take me home before either one of them notices I am gone and we're both punished as a result. Good-bye, Aunt Andi," he says and before she can protest, Draco is gone.
~~**~~**~~ Page Break ~~**~~**~~
Three hours late, Andromeda watches her owl fly away from her home and towards the direction of Malfoy Manor with a missive to the younger sister she used to know.
It has been years since she has last spoken to Narcissa or attempted to contact her in any way, but she couldn't let her hurt stand in the way doing what is best for the little blond boy with the mercury eyes that reminds her so much of her cousin, Sirius.
It is her memory of Sirius, of the boy she used to know (not the man in Azkaban, never him), that has prompted her to write her sister. Physically Draco may be well taken care of, but she recognizes that his emotional needs are not being met in his house, a house where a little boy hides away in his room so he doesn't have to witness his parents fight in front of him. A house that is occupied by a mother who doesn't recognize the impact her arguing has on her son, a house where a son does not feel loved by his father.
Andromeda hopes that her sister heeds the first line of her letter –
I am writing this to you to offer you and your son sanctuary . . .
