Chapter 2: Draco's Dilemma Chapter 2: Draco's Dilemma
One week after the Battle of Hogwarts
Draco glared down at the Daily Prophet, now partially crumbled, scowling deeply at the hateful headline and picture that glimmered up at him. 'The True Love Life of Harry Potter,' and under the heading sat an enlarged close-up of Harry Potter, with Ginny Weasley wrapped in his arms, both smiling at the camera.
Jumping off his bed, Draco crossed his room and headed toward his bathroom. "Stupid Bloody Potter!" He raved. "Why is it you get under my skin? Argh!!" He continued his self rant as he brushed out his hair. Within a few minutes, he had calmed down enough to finish his morning routine to get ready for the day ahead.
As he exited the bathroom and was headed over to the armoire, he noticed the house elf, Mixy, standing in the doorway. "Sorrys to intruded master, but yous have a letter sirs, from the ministry sirs." The house elf said, bowing quickly. Draco paused mid-stride and changed direction over towards the elf. He removed the mail from the elf's outstretched hand and dismissed her. "Go about your work."
Tossing the letter onto his bed, next the paper, Draco continued his journey to the armoire. Opening the double oak doors wide, his eyes swiped across the multitudes of clothing that hung inside. He finally decided on a dark, midnight blue silk shirt and a pair of black pants. After dressing and then re-brushing his hair, he walked over to the bed and picked up the letter. It was from the ministry. Heart thudding, Draco opened the letter with trepidation.
Dear Mr. Malfoy,
Your presence is required for your hearing tomorrow, at 9 o'clock in the morning. A ministry-approved escort will arrive at you place or residence at 8 o'clock. Further official action will be decided at that time.
With Regards
Gawain Robards
Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Ministy of Magic
With a deep sigh, Draco folded the letter and stuffed in back in its envelope. Striding towards his bedroom door, he flung it open and left to go find his mother. He found Narcissa sitting in the lounge, drinking tea and looking out the windows to the gardens.
"Morning, Mother," Draco greeted, a bit formally due to his now rising stress. Narcissa turned around to see her son and even though on the outside he appeared calm, she knew he was troubled. With a nod of her head, she gestured to the seat next to hers. Draco sat down, staring out the windows but seeing nothing as he was lost in thought. Narcissa waited patiently for her son to speak, meanwhile quietly sipping her tea.
Finally Draco looked over at her and handed her the envelope that contained the letter from the ministry. Narcissa took the envelope, and removed the letter which she then promptly scanned over.
After finishing the letter, she leaned over to stroke her son's hair ever so slightly to sooth him. "Fear not, my dragon, the ministry will be fair. You are still young and they will take that into account."
"Yes, but," Draco started to protest.
"Shhh," his mother chided. "Enough. What will be, will be. We must not worry on the future. It is no longer as any of us thought." Narcissa gave a sad smile and Draco knew she was thinking of his father, Lucius , who was now sitting in the re-formed Azkaban Prison.
For several moments they sat in companiable silence, both lost in their own thoughts and feelings. Finally, Draco sat up and turned back to his mother. "That reminds me; what happened with your hearing, Mother?"
Narcissa, startled at the sudden and rare outburst from her son, stared at him for a few seconds before answering. "It was not as horrid as I thought, which is why I tell you not to worry. They asked me several questions under Veritaserum and went over the evidence both for and against me. Harry Potter's testimony for my case during the last battle is, I am sure, what has kept me from joining your father in Azkaban. As it is, I am under magical probation for the next five years, and surveillence for the next ten. It is a much lighter sentence than I was expecting."
Draco listened to his mother, but when he heard Harry's name his heart sped up ever so slightly and his eyes brightened. Little did Draco know, but his mother had noticed the slight change in his features. 'For now,' she thought, 'I will keep quiet, but I must pay attention to this reaction.'
"So what does this probation and surveillence entail?" Draco enquired.
"The probation is that I am not allowed to use any owl other than ones designated by the ministy, all mail will go through them first. My wand is blocked from using any Dark or offensive magic. Their surveillance monitors my wand for every spell I cast. I have also been placed under a charm so that I am unable to use any wand besides my own for any reason. Also, periodic inspections will be made of any residence I own or am at," Narcissa coolly explained to her son.
Nodding to his mother, Draco once again turned his head to look out the windows. Together they sat there for hours, neither speaking, for neither had anything to say.
HARRYPOTTERHARRYPOTTERHARRYPOTTERHARRYPOTTER
The next evening Draco entered the dinning hall to join his mother for supper. A large spread of all his favorites lay before him. He smiled slightly; trust his mother to comfort him in any way possible. She knew this was a very stressful and frustrating day for him.
"So," she began once he had sat down. "I see you are not in Azkaban."
"No," he replied. "My 'sentence' was similar to yours, but a bit lighter. Two years magic probation and 5 years surveillence. My probation is excused in school only for the next year, and only for the spells designated by the teachers. I have a follow-up hearing next summer, when I have finished my education. At that time I have the possibility to be re-evaluated."
Arching one perfectly groomed eyebrow, Narcissa smiled at her son. She had known he would not go to Azkaban, nor really have much of a sentence at all. Draco, after all, had very little choice in the matter, with Lucius as his father. Even though Draco was his son, she knew he was not above killing family. After all, he had killed his firstborn.
As soon as that thought entered her mind she banished it away. She had left those memories behind for a reason. Not even Draco knew about it.
They finished the remainder of the meal in relative silence.
HARRYPOTTERHARRYPOTTERHARRYPOTTERHARRYPOTTER
Over the next several weeks following his hearing, Draco paid close attention to the happenings mentioned in the Prophet. The reconstruction of Hogwarts, the election for Kingsley Shacklebolt as minister and the re-establishment of the ministry. But mostly, he looked for articles that mentioned Harry Potter.
Each article he saw, he read, over and over and spent an unnatural amount of time staring at any pictures of him. But each time they mentioned or showed Ginny Weasley, he could feel his face heating up in anger.
He wouldn't dare admit it to anyone, but he had taken an interest in Harry back in their sixth year when he noticed the 'Gryffindor Golden Boy' had taken to stalking him. Of course, little did Potter know that Draco, upon noticing his follower, had turned the tables on him. It had caused him a great deal of conflicting emotions over the last year and a half. On one side he had his father, whom he wanted to please more than anything, even though he didn't agree with him on everything. On the other hand was the boy he had a crush on. The problem was that ever since the Battle of Hogwarts, as it was now known, when Harry had saved his life, those feelings had started to grow stronger.
Several times he thought about how he wished Harry was not with Ginny, or even better, if Harry liked him in return. But Draco knew that would never happen. Knowing the Golden Boy, he would marry the Weasley girl when she finished school.
One thing Draco noticed, however, was that in almost every picture Harry was in, he seemed sad, tired or worn-down. Draco didn't know how to describe how Harry looked, but it was not healthy and it made Draco's heart ache.
Upon seeing the latest picture, in which Harry looked truly horrible, Draco grabbed a quill and parchment and started to write. At first he told Harry off, then he started over telling him he looked like crap. Realizing neither letter would get good results, he crumbled them up and threw them on the ground.
As his gaze flickered across the desk, he saw something that caught his eye. Grabbing the Prophet yet once again, he noticed that it mentioned Harry Potter's birthday was coming up in a few days. With that thought in mind he started over…
Finishing his letter, Draco put down the quill, and placed the letter in an envelope, wrote Harry's name on it and sealed it with the Malfoy crest. For several long minutes, he stared at the letter. 'I can't send this,' he thought to himself.
He stood up and opened a nearby window for some fresh air. Breathing deeply several times, he relaxed.
"Mixy," he called out; and within a second, Mixy appeared with a soft 'pop.'
"Yes, sirs?" Mixy asked.
"Dispose of these letters at once," he said, gesturing a hand back towards the crumbled letters and also the one he had sealed that was sitting on his desk. "I will not be sending them"
"Begging masters forgiveness, but…" Mixy trailed off, pointing behind him. Draco turned around toward the desk and window only to see one of the Ministry owls the Malfoy's were loaned, flying out the window, with the letter to Harry clamped in its beak.
Draco's eyes widened and his heart turned cold with dread. 'Oh no,' was his only thought as he watched the owl soar off into the distance.
Author's Notes:
Just so everyone is aware, the letter that the owl took off with is the one Harry receives in Chap 1.
Also, I know this story starts off as Harry/Ginny, but it is only temporary. It's going to take a while but this will be Harry/Draco.