She ran away from the great hall, sobbing. How could he do this to her? How could she be so blindingly oblivious? She ran away from everything she had witnessed, ran anywhere that she knew he wouldn't follow. She ran to the dungeons.
Draco had missed breakfast, not wanting to feel the glares on his back or the hatred on his spine. He sat in his favourite corner of the hallway, confident he would not be disturbed. That was why he had left the common room. He wasn't welcome there any more.
That was who hated him. Not the bloody Gryffindors, well not the majority anyway. It was the hatred of his fellow housemates that set his teeth on edge. So what he had turned from the Dark? He didn't want to be a blind follower of the Dark Lord; he wanted to have his own life. He knew the Dark Lord would fall, and he didn't want to be tied up in the events. He was brought up by a follower, but Draco Malfoy was most certainly not one himself. He cut off ties with his father, and renounced his claim on the Dark Lord, and now spent his whole year in Hogwarts. He didn't have a home to go to, no friends he could burden with the possibility of an attack. He was safer, everyone was safer, if he just stayed, cowering in these halls.
Ginny shot through the corridors of the Slytherin haunts, trying to calm herself down. It didn't work. Every time she did Harry's face would just come floating back into her mind, grinning as he moved in too kiss Romilda Vane. He didn't have any thought for her, poor Ginny, just a libido completely insatiable. Suddenly she stumbled over something, sending her sprawling to the floor.
Draco hated his life. He hated what he had become. He hated himself, his school, his family, what they stood for; he just wanted it all to end. His arms itched from last night's session. He knew he had to change the bandages soon, he knew he had to steal Sev's healing balm if he was to go to potions tomorrow. Today he just couldn't give a damn.
Then there was a blur of red hitting his legs and flying through the air, landing in an undignified heap on the ground. He was shocked to see it was an extremely distressed Ginny Weasley. He had seen that look before, it was heartbreak.
"Weasley, are you okay?" he asked before he could stop himself. He had always admired the fiery woman, always thought she was admirable. . She looked so very lost, so very alone. But then she realised who it was that was taking to her and her face hardened into a mask.
"Malfoy. What are you doing, sitting in a hallway for anyone to trip over you?" she sneered in a way that would make Sev proud.
"I sit in this darkened corner of the hall, minding my own business when you run into my legs!" he felt himself growing angry so started listing potions in his mind, a trick his godfather taught him. It worked and he turned once more to the poor sixth year. "Look I just wanted to know whether you were okay. You hit the floor pretty hard there and something's gotta hurt… sorry for being concerned." He got up, yanked her to her feet and walked off. Of course the whole storming off effect was rather ruined by the fact he had been a gentleman to her by giving her a hand up, but he would never turn away from the good sense of propriety his mother gave him. Oh, how he missed his mother. He could not believe she was gone forever, one of the only anchors in his life. He wandered aimlessly towards the astronomy tower, debating whether to jump off. Sev wouldn't like it, father would be most disgraced, and Professor Dumbledore would be… disconcerted. And there would be a lot of blood. He sighed, instead deciding just to have a quick nap up there. Just a short rest, he had potions third. The one lesson he didn't want to miss, aside from charms. He hoped that somewhere in the world there was a Charms Master willing to take him on as apprentice or he'd be stuck working for the grumpy git he called godfather. No, that was unfair. Severus, despite his grumbling and complaints, was a better father figure than Lucius had ever been. He had healed Draco's cuts, fixed broken bones, taught him how to deal with his father and most importantly taught him the defensive spells that had saved his life and that of his mother's several times over. Just that one time when he wasn't fast enough…
No. Sev told him not to blame himself for something he had no control over. He just lay, curled up in the corner of the Tower, and fell slowly to sleep.
She had followed his fast pace away from her, wondering where the poor, haunted boy would go. She heard the Gryffindor teasing, she listened to the rumours that Draco Malfoy was an outcast but until today she had never seen proof. He really was alone.
She knew she had been cruel when she fell over him. She knew she had to apologise. She just hoped she could catch him before she had to go to lessons.
She followed him all the way to the Astronomy Tower, worried he was going to jump off and for one moment, it looked as though he was going to. But then, from where Ginny was standing in the shadows, she saw his shoulders slump… tears start streaming unnoticed down his face, and she saw him curl up in the dank corner of the tower and fall asleep. It was in no way restful. He twisted and turned, thrashed and yelled. But Ginny approached regardless, trying to calm the tormented soul. Once she had reached him she tentatively placed a hand on his arm, and he quieted. She Summoned a thick cloak from her room and draped it over him; no cold should torment him further. He had enough on his plate without having to deal with sickness/. She then left, making her way to her favourite lesson; Charms.
A woman approached him from the mist. She was dressed in white dress robes, her platinum hair cascading down her back. She had flint blue eyes and an aristocratic face, her posture tall and proud. Draco gasped and fell to his knees when he realised who it was.
"Mother?" he choked. Tears fell, unbidden, down his face. When Narcissa reached him she pulled him into her arms and held him close.
"My darling Draco. I have missed you so very much." Her musical voice caressed his ears, his mind, his soul. It calmed him down until he stopped struggling for breath.
""Mother, what are you doing in my dream? Am I dead?" he asked, looking around him. He saw they were at crossroads, in a beautiful picturesque countryside covered in snow. It was just like his mother to be in a heaven of snow; she loved it.
"No, my dear, you are not dead. I have rejoined my sisters in the Have, a place of Oracle's and Seers. You must visit there with me; we have a great prophecy for you."
"But, mother… I got you killed. I…"
"No, Draco, you saved me for far longer than I expected. It was a miracle that I had lived for so long with that Tyrant but whatever you do, my love, do not blame yourself for my passing. I am happier here, with my family, making prophecies like I was born to do. I prefer my ethereal form to that ghastly human body; so clumsy and awkward. I don't have to hide what I am and what I do here, and I can still watch over and protect you. But let us go, we have little time. I can see Severus getting worried that you're not in Potions already." They quickly moved away from the crossroads, Narcissa leading the way. It was not long before they arrived in front of a massive ornate cathedral. They stepped inside.
The beauty was none like Draco had ever seen. There were angelic women dotted around the enormous hall, reading or talking to each other quietly. It was so… peaceful. So Pure. Draco suddenly felt very dirty, very evil in his black suit and robes. He self consciously smoothed his hair and straightened his back. They glided through the ladies, looking at them in greeting. To his surprise they all rose and kissed him on the cheek. They all told him how god it was to finally meet the one who had sacrificed so much for the good of the people. He was blushing tomato red by the end of the ordeal.
As they moved to the centre of the room a pillar started to appear. It held a single milky ball and Draco inhaled sharply. His father had told him what these were. His father had almost been killed for failing to get one. It was a prophecy.
"Open it, Draco," The women whispered. The young man looked to his mother for guidance and she simply smiled. It was her 'Do what you think is right in your heart' smile. So he took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and touched the globe.
"Draco Malfoy," The prophecy announced. "Son of Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Whyte. You are destined for great and powerful things. You will find your true love in the house whose traits you have most yet still most desire, a woman of passion and ambition but beware; she has a delicate, fractured heart. One false move and it will shatter completely. There is one condition; you must find her and make her love you or you will perish. You will help the Three defeat the one most hated and in return gain their respect. Make no mistake, son of darkness, your life will not be any easier than it is now, but you will have your soul mate with you to strengthen you. Keep the father of your heart and mind close for he may need you this year, more than ever. Fare well, son of truth."
There was silence in the room before it broke out in applause. Narcissa held her weeping son to her chest, soothing him and rubbing his back. He had such a burden to bear but she knew he would bear it well. She also knew he had to leave now as Severus was coming to look for him in the Tower. Potions was very much over and he was worried. Narcissa smiled; at least her darling was being well looked after by someone.
"Draco? You must leave us now, my love, but stay strong for me, okay?" he nodded, stricken.
"Do I have to leave, mother? Can't I stay here with you? My life is so miserable without you; I don't want to go anywhere you are not. I don't understand why Lucius was allowed to live yet you had to die. It's not fair!" His shouts were muffled into his mother's shoulder as she held him.
"Dragon," she whispered his nickname. "You heard the prophecy; you have a true love and a destiny. And what was the first lesson I ever taught you?" She laughed as they repeated it in unison. "Never keep a woman waiting. Exactly, my sweet. If you keep this fragile girl waiting her heart will break and you will pass. You wouldn't be able to be here with me though Draco, you would pass on. So go and live your life, find your love and right the wrongs in the world. You may have been born in darkness, Draco Malfoy, but you are one hundred percent light."
"Thank you mother, for bringing me here and showing me my future. But there is one thing I don't understand; why did it call you Narcissa Whyte? You were a Black before a Malfoy..." His mother shook her head.
"I was never a Black. I am an Oracle and therefore my surname was my soul colour; in this case white however in the language of the Oracle its Whyte. As I was 'born' into the mortal world it just so happened that the surname given to me was Black. All is in the past now, Draco. Here. Take this symbol of the oracle and of my love to you." She took off her necklace and Draco started to protest.
"Mum, no! You never took that off and you shouldn't now! I don't deserve something so dear to you!"She hushed him gently and pushed the pendant into his hand.
"Draco, I need you to have it. It has a connection to me through it and it would mean so much to me if you would have it. I love you so much my son, and I want you to know that every second of every day. You must leave now, Draco, now! Remember, I love you!" There was no time to say anything for the next thing he knew, they were all gone.