Chapter Two
1995
"DRACO!"
"WHAT?"
"YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE!"
"STOP SHOUTING!"
Draco came running down the stairs, to be greeted with the sight of his mother, Narcissa, standing in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor, tapping the banister of the marble staircase impatiently.
"Have you packed everything?"
"Yes."
"Said goodbye to everyone?"
"Everyone except Uncle Rodulphus and Aunt Bellatrix."
"Right. Well, you're going to have to write to them."
She looked at her watch, then stared back at her son in despair.
"Oh, no! Draco, we're going to have to Apparate."
"I'm only 16."
"I'll take you, now grab your things and come on!"
Draco reached for his trunk and owl, bundled his broomstick under one arm and grabbed his mother's hand, who then turned and exclaimed 'King's Cross Station, platform 9 3/4' before disappearing, still clutching Draco's hand.
They then appeared on platform 9 3/4, which was barely visable in the clouds of smoke pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Draco gave his mother a quick peck on the cheek, then bolted for the train, not noticing the fact that, when he was on board, his mother's eyes were not on the Slytherin carriages, but rather focused on the carriages where the Gryffindors sat. One carriage in particular caught her eye. In the carriage, six people sat laughing. The Potter and Weasley boys caught her eye slightly and she completely ignored Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood and Ginevra Weasley. But the girl in the corner mesmorised her, she didn't know why. She knew this girl to be Hermione Granger from Lucius, Draco spoke of her often, but only addressed her as her surname 'Granger' or as 'Mudblood', which she had always thought to be a rather crude name, though she never admitted so to Lucius or to her son. Narcissa shook her head as the train began to pull away and waved as her son chugged out of sight. It couldn't be.
