The Blackbird
Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, so I own nothing. That which is bolded and italicized is the song lyrics to Blackbird by the Beatles, which is the inspiration for this story.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night…
Draco never liked the chaos that came with war. However, after it ended, he felt that there were things much worse than chaos. Much worse than the chaos was the silence in Malfoy Manor. Day in and day out, he was forced to sit solitary, reading his way through the library while his mother occupied her time learning cooking from the house elves.
House arrest for Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. Lucius had a life sentence in Azkaban. Draco wondered if he really was lucky, not being with his father. The lawyer had said he was lucky because he was not legally of age when he took the Dark Mark and was thus given only temporary house arrest, five years.
Malfoy Manor was the silent prison of the young man and his mother, accompanied only by Narcissa's Eagle owl, Andy, and the two house elves they had purchased, Blinky and Flitter. On occasion, they would have a visitor but mostly, they were alone.
In any case, the visitors never brought anything good. They told them news about their lives, sure, but the main reason visitors would come was to hear what the two caged birds were singing. After all, pureblooded society ran, as Hogwarts had, on good gossip. Draco had long since stopped entertaining the visitors. He was not there for their entertainment, and had no intention of becoming their toy.
Take these broken wings and learn to fly…
The monotony of the days at Malfoy manor was suffocating. Every day was the same, and Draco became a hollow shell of his old self. When he was young, he was full of life. Now, he walked like a man who had seen too much, not even comfortable in his own home.
He and his mother were caged birds, never let out to fly. They were damaged in the eyes of pureblood society, belonging neither with those who sided with the Order or those who sided with the Dark Lord. They simply were there, broken, left to the cage to look pretty and perform the part of the evangelized villains.
Draco wandered aimlessly through the mansion many times, and one day about two years into his confinement he stumbled into the drawing room he had not entered (for obvious reason) in all that time. Sitting in the middle was a baby grand piano. When he pressed a key, it was perfectly in tune.
Like all high society boys, Draco had learned to play at a young age on this very instrument. However, it had been hidden away in the attic. He was startled from his musings by a little thump beside him. Flitter had vacated the piano seat and was hurrying away.
"Master Draco must be so upset that Flitter was disturbing the quiet," she apologized. "It won't happen again, Master. Flitter promises."
"No, wait Flitter," said Draco quickly. The man was so tired, so exhausted constantly. But he remembered times when he felt love. They were almost always at this piano. "Would you sing while I play?"
Flitter cocked her head to the side before walking back to stand beside the piano bench. "If Master Draco wishes, Flitter will sing." Draco smiled (something he hadn't done in a long time) and sat on the bench. He then surprised even himself by patting the space beside him for Flitter to sit. Then, he played.
All your life…
Days melded into weeks. Every day, Draco made his way to the drawing room and to the piano. He would call for Flitter and the two would fill the silent, cavernous home with music until his fingers were numb and her voice could stand no more. Draco could not remember a time he had been so content after the Dark Lord had reappeared that night many years ago.
The visitors still came and went, but Draco was never to be seen on their visits. Instead, they could hear the piano and soft voice echoing through the household. No one knew where it came from, and frankly no one cared.
You were only waiting for this moment to arise…
After four years of house arrest, a Ministry official by the name of Weasley came to their home. Draco was at the piano, as always, with Flitter at his side, when a knock came at the drawing room door. He looked up to see the woman from the Department of Magical Law, Hermione Weasley.
Draco's fingers stilled on the piano keys as he looked at the mudblood he had once despised and called countless names. However, looking at her now, he felt no malice. In fact, he felt only indifference. Her face also showed indifference to the man.
"May we talk in the parlor, Mr. Malfoy?" asked Hermione, speaking as though it were an order. Draco stood from the piano and smoothed his jeans before leading her out of the drawing room.
He could tell Hermione was taking in his appearance, but he did not care. Not having left the house in four years, he did not care what he wore any more. These were simply clothes Flitter had bought him on her last shopping trip.
"That was very good, you know," Hermione commented. Draco shrugged, causing the woman to sigh. Once they got to the parlor, Narcissa was already setting up the table for tea. Hermione gratefully took a cup. Looking at each Malfoy in turn, Hermione gave them an analyzing look.
"The Ministry is considering the two of you for a parole period."
Blackbird singing in the dead of night…
The night after Hermione's visit, Draco did not sleep at all. He sat at the baby grand piano and played. He sang for himself rather than having Flitter sing, not wanting to think about the great opportunity.
Not being able to handle it.
Narcissa walked into the drawing room and sat beside him at the stool. "You are truly talented, my son."
"Mother, why are you here?" Draco asked, stopping in his singing but allowing his fingers to continue to roam the keys.
"Just think, to leave the house again."
"Yes, while being babysat by a Ministry official, not even able to carry our own wands with us. I won't endure that shame and embarrassment."
"Draco, Mrs. Weasley told you that word has gotten out about you and the piano and you've been invited to play for the Ministry memorial celebration. It is an honor!"
At this, Draco stopped playing and turned to his mother sincerely. "I'll not be their performing puppet, their prize owl to be shown. Everything I need is right here, and here I will stay."
Narcissa shook her head. "At least consider taking on the parole, Draco. For my sake. We must go together to Diagon Alley, do something mundane, and get out of this house." Narcissa stood and patted her son's head before turning to leave.
"People don't change, mother," Draco called after her. Narcissa paused in the doorway and turned back.
"We have been in here for four years, the world out there has changed. Now we just need to see it for ourselves."
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see…
Draco put on his nicest dress robes, a sleek black that felt like velvet to the touch. His escort would be there to pick him up for the Ministry event commemorating the Battle of Hogwarts and the subsequent rebuilding of the castle. He anticipated hoots, hollers, and yells upon his arrival.
Both Ron and Hermione Weasley appeared in the Malfoy fireplace a few minutes later. Ron began to glare, but his wife hit him and he assumed an indifferent expression. "Are you ready, Narcissa, Draco?" Hermione asked. Draco stared straight ahead at the fireplace. Narcissa nodded.
Hermione held out a portkey and the four took hold. Narcissa grasped her son's hand, and they were teleported to the Ministry of Magic. Draco closed his eyes and anticipated the outrage at his presence.
But it never came. The crowd milled about, multitudes of people of different blood status, ethnicities, even species, were all conversing. Draco noted a few house elves speaking with a centaur chief, and Harry Potter himself speaking with the head of Goblin parliament and the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. No one paid him any mind.
"Do behave, and they will call you up when you are to sing. Ron and myself will find you when it is time for you to return home," Hermione informed them before walking off with her husband to his brother Percy's side.
"It is lovely to see you alive and well, Mr. Malfoy," came a voice behind Draco. He and his mother turned and faced Professor McGonagall, the current Hogwarts Headmistress.
"It's good to be out of the house, Professor," he replied cautiously. Narcissa smiled and headed off in another direction. Watching her walk away from him, he noticed a woman hurrying to embrace his mother who looked an awful lot like his Aunt Bellatrix.
"You're 22, I think you've earned the right to call me Ms. McGonagall instead of professor," replied Draco's old teacher. "Tell me, what have you been up to?"
"I play piano to pass the time, though I have read most all of the books in our home's library," Draco replied.
"Oh, so you must be the surprise guest performer for the evening," deduced McGonagall. "Marvelous!" Draco couldn't help but smile.
All your life…
And so his conversations went with multiple people, especially those from the Battle. Old rivals greeted him like old friends and his mother introduced him to his aunt Andromeda and little five year old second cousin, Teddy.
The world outside of Malfoy Manor was changing and becoming a place of tolerance, with everyone greeting everyone with only hospitality. Draco had missed out on so much of the world in four long years. But he would make it up to the world and make it a better place.
He made this decision when the Minister of Magic called him to the center of the grand ballroom. There was a large black grand piano set in the middle. Draco sat and played. He forgot about his past and the darkness he had sided with. He only felt the music and the acceptance of the people around him.
You were only waiting for this moment to be free…
A year passed after that Ministry ball. Draco and Narcissa were seen together around magical London, Diagon Alley, and Hogsmead several times a week. People would comment on how well the two had immersed themselves in the "light" and how great it was to know people can find their way to the light from the darkness.
But the day finally came where their house arrest had ended. Five long years of constantly being watched, guarded, and isolated. Now, they were allowed to go. Draco sat at his baby grand and played softly. Flitter wandered in and sat next to him, as she had many times over the past three years. Together, they created their music. Draco was never a caged bird when he created music.
Blackbird fly…
Narcissa poked her head into the drawing room and saw the two immersed in their music. She left a message with Blinky that she would be back in a while, that she was getting carryout from a muggle Chinese food restaurant down the street for dinner.
"But why, Mistress?" asked Blinky, the poor elf nearly in tears.
"Simply because I can," Narcissa replied with a smile. "I need no permission to leave my house, so I will go down the street and enter that restaurant and I will order their food and I will return home. I am free."
Blackbird fly…
"Is Master Draco ready to leave the Manor?" asked Flitter once Draco's fingers had stopped. The man turned to his best friend with a frown.
"Can I face the world alone, Flitter? What will I do?"
Flitter patted his hand. "Flitter thinks Master Draco should go to the music store. There are wonderful things there that Flitter knows Master Draco would like."
Draco thought for a moment and smiled. He stood from the piano. "I suppose it is time for a new batch of sheet music," he mused. Flitter beamed.
Into the light of the dark black night…
Staring at the door, Draco made his final decision. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and strode out into the sunset. He walked out through the gates and apparated to the nearest town. Draco expected to be stopped, to be told what he could and could not do.
That night, Draco returned with a large stack of blank sheet music, a package of muggle pens, and a cheeseburger from McDonalds (simply because he could).
Sitting at the piano, Draco finished his burger, wiped his fingers on his blue jeans, and pulled out a pen from the pack. He set the pen and paper on the piano's music stand and let his fingers run free.
He was no longer playing someone else's song, as it was dictated that he should.
Draco created his own.
A/N
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