Not Over By A Long Shot
"Decisions, Decisions, Decisions"
"Draco!" Lucius shouted, as he tapped his index finger on the railing of the grand staircase that led to the second floor of Malfoy Manor. He'd been calling Draco for nearly five minutes, and the boy still hadn't even acknowledged his presence. Lucius knew that there was a great deal of tension between him and his son, and quite frankly he couldn't blame the boy for being so angry. After all, technically it was his fault that Draco had gotten mixed up with the Dark Lord to begin with. "Damn it, Draco! I know you can hear me!"
"What are you yelling for?" Draco snapped, walking up behind his father. Instead of coming down the main staircase, Draco had used one of the hidden ones; that way he could pretend like he'd been downstairs all along and that his father had been yelling for no reason. "I'm right here."
"When did you... but your mother said you were still in bed?" Lucius asked, puzzled. Shrugging his shoulders, Lucius followed after Draco, who had already started towards the sitting room where he knew his mother was waiting for him. "Would you wait a minute!" Lucius barked. While he could understand why Draco arbored such animosity towards him, he simply wouldn't stand for such blatant disrespect. Huffing loudly, as only a true teenager could, Draco turned to face his father, a look of absolute boredom on his handsome face. "My study... now." Lucius said, trying to reign in his temper. Lucius couldn't believe that it had only taken a single year of his absence for Draco to completely disregard the years of discipline he had instilled upon him.
"What do you want?" Draco asked, sounding much like the spoiled brat that he was. The boy's emphasis on the word 'you' had not gone unnoticed.
"I realize that you're angry, and I don't even blame you for being angry with me, but I want to make it clear that I will not put up with this behavior."
"What behavior?" Draco asked, mockingly. The amount of disdain Lucius heard in his own son's voice shocked the older wizard. While Lucius hadn't much cared for his own father, he'd never been this angry with him before.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Lucius replied, careful not to lose his temper. "I've been home for nearly a week now, and you've probably spoken to me all of four times, and each time you've been more disrespectful then I ever imagined you could be. Knock it off."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco lied, rolling his eyes. It took all the strength Lucius could muster not to lean over his antique desk and knock some sense into that boy. Secretly, Draco was loving the way his father was reacting. Draco knew that his mother had spoken to him upon his return, and had told him to tread carefully when it came to their son. Even though Lucius had agreed with her, he wasn't able to completely hide his reactions to his son's angry and contemptuous words and glares, and Draco truly enjoyed even the slightest hint of anger his father revealed.
"You damn well know what I'm talking about, now stop these little games of your's immediately!" Lucius hissed, his hand aching to just grab his wand and hex the boy. 'That would teach him', Lucius thought, desperately wishing to revert back to his old self, but knowing that Narcissa would hold true to her word and divorce him if he so much as laid an angry hand on the boy. "I get it, okay. You're pissed. You've got every reason to be. But if I'm going to return this family to its former position of prestige within our realm, you're going to have to stop fighting me."
"Would you listen to yourself!" Draco shouted, his face twisting into an angry glare. "I'm me, which already makes me better than everyone else, and that's all I need. We don't need to be a cohesive unit, so why don't you just leave me the hell alone!" Standing, Draco stormed out of his fathers office, leaving his stunned father rooted to his chair. "BETTER YET, WHY DON'T YOU JUST GO BACK TO AZKABAN!" the young wizard shouted, as he dashed up the stairs towards his room.
"What did you say to him!" Narcissa shouted, storming into her husbands office. "I told you not to upset him any further."
"I can speak to my son without approving our topic of conversation with you first," Lucius snapped, still reeling from his son's lashing out at him. Narcissa looked like she too was ready to let him have it. "All I said was that I understood that he was angry with me, but that I needed him to start working with me instead of against me. More than anything, I need him to drop the attitude. I know he's angry but that doesn't give him right to be disrespectful."
"I'll talk to him," Narcissa said, softly, wondering if that was all that had been said. Granted, Draco wasn't the most rational teenager, and he was at that age where you really couldn't say anything that would make him happy, Narcissa still doubted that her son would take such a risk by being so rude to his father.
"Is he ever going to forgive me?" Lucius asked, just as his wife was turning to leave. Stopping her retreat, but not looking at him, Narcissa shrugged.
"I don't know," she whispered.
"And you?" he asked, not sure if he even wanted to know her answer.
"I don't know." Not waiting for his response, Narcissa headed up to her sons room to check and make sure that he was okay. Holding his head in his hands, Lucius sighed loudly. As much as it pained him to admit it, he knew that he'd really screwed things up between himself and his wife and son. While Lucius felt that everything he had ever done was for the betterment of his family's name, not even he could deny the fact that the two people who meant the most to him had suffered greatly for his actions.
When Lucius had first joined up with the Dark Lord, he'd never once considered the effect that it would have on his future loved ones. Now that he'd had to experience the consequences of his actions first hand, and see the seemingly irreversible damage it had caused, he wasn't quite sure if the prestige and notoriety he'd always hungered for was worth it. Not that it mattered, of course. What's done is done, and there's no going back. Lucius knew that all he could do now was try to fix what he'd so carelessly broken.
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While Lucius Malfoy was busy trying his best to not throttle his ill-tempered teenage son, the staff of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was busy readying themselves for the start of the school year. Summer was quickly drawing to a close and there was still so much to be done. Due to their troubles with the Dark Lord, their usual preparations were so far behind. School was to start in just a few days and they'd yet to even officially select a Head Boy and Girl. That was why the Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, had called an early morning meeting. She desperately hoped to tie up a few loose ends before it was too late.
"So, I'm pretty sure it's unanimous," Minerva said, happily. "Hermione Granger will be this years Head Girl?" Before she could even finish her sentence, the old witch heard a loud scoff to her right. Turning, she came face to face with a rather displeased looking Severus Snape. "Problem, Severus?" While no one at the school save for Minerva knew exactly how Severus had survived the Basilisk attack, after hearing Harry Potter clear Snape's name, they had all welcomed the very much alive wizard back with open arms. The Minister of Magic had completely cleared Snape of all charges, including Dumbledore's murder, and had even given him an Order of Merlin First Class.
"Do you really think its such a good idea to give that obnoxious twit so much authority over her classmates?" Severus asked, thinking that Hermione Granger as Head Girl would make for an unbearable year for not only the students but himself. "She's already convinced she knows everything, and giving her the power to make people listen to her, on threat of detention, seems like a terrible idea."
"Then who would we elect as Head Girl?" Minerva asked, huffily. "One of your precious Slytherins?"
"Anyone but her would suffice," Severus replied, tersely. Quite frankly, he'd rather there be no Head Girl than have to put up with Granger. Just the sound of her voice was enough to make him want to gouge out his eyes balls and stuff them into his ears in hopes of never having to see or hear her ever again.
"Severus," Minerva chuckled, realizing that not even a near death experience could change Snape's attitude, "Miss Granger is the most deserving witch at the school. The position of Head Girl is hers."
"Well, if you've already made up your mind, why did you even bother to ask?" Snape snapped, glaring at the older witch. She just laughed, shaking her head at the younger wizards unrelenting negativity.
"As for the Head Boy," McGonagall continued carefully, knowing that some of the professors would object to this decision. "I suggest that the position be given to Draco Malfoy."
"What!?" Hagrid gasped, unable to believe what he'd just heard. "You must be kidding!"
"Why?" Snape barked, annoyed that the huge oaf would dismiss one of his pupils so readily. "Draco has the best grades of any wizard at this school even after slacking off during his sixth year!"
"Did you forget about his sixth year? And what about last year?" Flitwick shouted. "He tried to kill Albus, if it wasn't for you..."
"Who hasn't tried to kill Albus," Snape replied, sarcastically. "Or at least thought about doing it?"
"I haven't," Minerva scoffed.
"Liar," Severus laughed. "I'm sure you thought about doing it at least twice a day," Severus joked, a grin on his face. "Draco Malfoy was trying to save the life of his mother. And as you said, he tried to kill Albus. He didn't actually do it. The Minister of Magic allowed all of you access to the pensieve memory I provided Potter. You know exactly what happened, so I'll spare you the details again. That boy suffered for his mistakes. I was given a second chance, the boy deserves the same."
"I'm going to have to ask you all to trust my judgment here," the Headmistress interrupted, doing her best to silence Severus and the others, which wasn't an easy thing to do. "I truly believe that he is deserving of this second chance. He has earned the position as Head Boy and therefore it will be given to him. I'm sure most of you would prefer Potter as our Head Boy, but there's no denying that his grades and test scores are not the best, and he's not exactly the poster boy for rule following."
"Minerva..." Hagrid began.
"That is my decision," she stated, closing the topic then and there, "and it's final. Draco Malfoy is this years Head Boy."
"But wait!" Flitwick shouted as loudly as anyone of his stature could, "what about the new seventh years. Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy aren't from the same class as the incoming seventh years. It's not fair to them to have to compete with those who are older and more experienced then they are."
"So, what are you suggesting?" Minerva asked, understanding why the goblin was making this argument.
"Two Head Girls and two Head Boys," Filius chimed in. "One pair from each year. It's the only fair way to do it. We would have to double the size of the Heads quarters so that they all had their own rooms, but it wouldn't be too much work for us."
After several long moments of contemplation, Minerva seemed to have reached a decision. "Any objections?" No one complained. Not even Severus, much to the Headmistresses shock. "Then who will be our Heads for the brand new seventh year class? Any suggestions?"
"I think Zacharias Smith will make a great Head Boy," Flitwick suggested. "His grades will definitely be able to compete with Malfoy's and I think he will be able to help control any conflicts that may arise due to Malfoy's presence."
"You don't know that Draco will cause problems," Snape interjected, his anger starting to build again.
"This is Draco Malfoy we're talking about," Hagrid laughed. "Of course he'll cause trouble."
"I think that Zacharias will be a wonderful addition to the Head household," the Headmistress quickly interjected. "Any objections?" When no one voiced their disapproval she continued, "It's settled then. Draco Malfoy and Zacharias Smith will be this years Head Boy's. Now, what about Head Girl."
"Luna Lovegood," Severus Snape offered, a sly grin on his face that worried those around him.
"She does have exceptional grades and she could prove to help the younger students a great deal, but what makes you suggest her, Severus?" Minerva asked, confused.
"I think she deserves it," Snape said, trying to play coy. "And I think she could teach a thing or two to your dear Miss Granger about thinking outside of the box... or rather the book." Minerva chose to bite her tongue instead of letting him have it.
"Any objections?" the Headmistress asked, glaring at Snape.
"No," Filius, said happily. Everyone else agreed. "How appropriate that each of our houses are now represented as Heads."
"You're right," Minerva said, smiling."Miss Granger is from Gryffindor, Mr. Malfoy from Slytherin, Mr. Smith is from Hufflepuff and Miss Lovegood is a Ravenclaw. How wonderful, they'll be a cohesive unit. Just as it was at Hogwarts' beginning."
"Not so long as that Malfoy brat's involved," Hagrid said, shaking his large shaggy head unhappily. "He shouldn't be a Head. He shouldn't even be at Hogwarts."
"Think of it this way, Hagrid," Severus said, sarcastically. "He'll have to share a common room with Miss Granger. Isn't that punishment enough?"
"Oh, just shut up, Severus," Minerva huffed. She knew that her decision to have Draco as the Head Boy wouldn't go over well with some of, or rather most of the Professors, but she was sure that this was the best choice. The Headmistress didn't doubt that Draco Malfoy was in for a hell of a seventh year. 'Everyone deserves a second chance,' she thought, as she half listened to Severus defend the decision of Draco as Head Boy to his fellow professors again. 'It is good to have him back.' Smiling, the Headmistress stood and headed for her office so she could write up the Head Boy and Girl announcements and get them sent off to their recipients.
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