Destined for Greatness
Chapter II
The Forgotten Legacy
Later on that evening, as Narcissa and Lucius conveyed their final goodbyes, Draco was slowly walking down the corridor towards his bed chambers.
It was exhausting to take on all the etiquette and manners which were required of him. How did his parents do it all the time? And…why? Those people were not worth it.
He had to pretend around them; he had to pretend he was pleased to see them, though all the while he was desperately trying to restrain himself from completely lashing out on one of them.
He, very unceremoniously, fell onto his bed and positioned his arms comfortably behind his head.
Suddenly he caught the sound of footsteps outside his door and quickly shifted his position to make himself appear asleep. He closed his eyes as the door opened and a flood of light poured in.
A figure swept over to him, or rather two, and observed his supposedly sleeping form.
"He is already asleep, my dear." He heard his mother whisper.
This was followed by a reply from his father, "yes, well I wad hoping to have had the privilege to talk to him about this evening."
"That can be resolved in the morning. Now, come Lucius, sleep."
Draco heard their footsteps depart from his room, and then opened his eyes when he heard the sound of the door being closed.
He had no desire for their questioning at the moment, so he congratulated himself for his cunningness on avoiding them.
Then, sighing, he turned on his side and looked out the open window, where the softest of spring breezes swept in.
His golden hair was gently danced about with it, and his storm-like eyes reflected the stars in the night sky. The moon cast an effervescent light upon his features, making his skin appear even more soft and smooth.
Now, as he eyed the stars with a wondrous glint, a flawless smile found its way across his face. His thoughts had averted to what his mother had always told him as a child.
"You see those stars?" she would ask him.
"I do mother."
"They stand out in the darkness; they are great in the heavens they reside in, just as you are great in the family you belong to."
"I am?"
"Yes. You see, Draco, you are named after those stars, because you are destined for greatness, just as they are great."
"Mother, when will I know when I am great?" would come his tiny innocent voice.
"Son, you will know when you are remembered in generations to come."
"How do I become great?"
"You will achieve greatness through honor, chivalry, loyalty, and respect."
….Draco blinked slowly as he continued to gaze up at the starry constellation from which he was named. He had always desired greatness, and dearly wished to achieve it.
He used to believe that because he was in the Malfoy family, that he would be great without having to obtain it. However, like most things, he learned that he had to earn it., and that it only depended on him, not his family.
"Draco, are you awake?"
Draco eyes widened as he heard the voce of his father. What was he doing in here? He had just left!
"Draco?" Lucius repeated as he stepped around the bed.
Draco quickly closed his eyes, but Lucius was not easily fooled.
"I know you are awake, son."
Draco sighed and opened his eyes to see the face of his father, peering down at him.
Lucius set the candle he was holding on the small table beside Draco's bed.
"Your mother told me what you said about attending the gathering this evening."
Draco nodded, "I don't understand how it's a matter of honor." He looked up at his father, "surely you are not pleasured by their company."
Lucius nodded to confirm Draco's accusation. "No, I am not pleasured by them, but, what you have to understand is that not all of them come here to ruin your reputation. Some can't be trusted, true, but some can."
"How can you tell who can be trusted?" Draco asked almost desperately.
Lucius smiled at his son's own ignorance, "You just can, and by the way they look at you, by their manner of speaking to you."
Draco shook his head, "but, they're all so…fake; as if wearing some invisible mask."
"Well, do you not act fake as well, Draco? Are you not also wearing a mask?" Lucius questioned.
Draco's mouth snapped shut as he was suddenly at a loss for words. He hadn't even thought of it in that light before. He had always been a bit self-absorbed, yes, and it blinded him from the truth.
Lucius knelt down and placed his hand firmly on Draco's shoulder, "You see, Draco, we are not the only ones concerned with honor."
"But…what does it have to do with honor?"
Lucius sighed, "You come from a great family, Draco, and we uphold our ancient honor by associating with those others in our class, even some of the less deserving people.
Draco nodded and lifted himself into a sitting position.
"What," he glanced up at his father, "were our ancestors like?"
Lucius nodded slowly, "It's probably time to tell you."
Draco rested his elbows on his knees and folded his hands out in front of him. He then listened to the man he had always looked up to.
"Well," Lucius began, "The Malfoy's ancestry dates way back, too far back for known records, but the earliest known family was part of a tribal people in Ireland. They were not only a family though, they soon became like their own origin of people.
It wasn't long 'til they began to discover their magical powers." He paused before continuing, as Draco listened with an unfaltering gaze.
"Other people noticed their so-called divine powers and even at one time worshiped them believing them to be some sort of gods and-"
"So we were the first Wizards then?" Draco interrupted.
"Yes, and we are supposedly the most powerful." Lucius said with a nod, "but, anyway, eventually the Malfoy merged into France, where the name "Malfoi" is originated from. They were accepted by the king, and he held them in the highest honor.
Then, on one fateful day, there was a conspiracy to have this king murdered, and it was the Malfoy who saved him. So, from that day on, the Malfoy swore themselves to the protection of the king, the country, and of the people.
They were knights, warriors, faithful guardians. We were a sacred race, put here to protect the innocent. It was once our duty to protect the poor and the weak.
We were there in every battle to fight off the evil that would spread. However, presently men, on their nature, had come to believe the false rumor that the Malfoys were meaning to overthrow them, and they became afraid of out power.
By this time, there were other less-powerful Wizarding families, but, they outnumbered greatly, so the Malfoys fled and went into hiding, where their legacy was lost to all others than themselves.
It went into mere legend, and not too long after, we were forgotten by most of the world. That's when the four founders of Hogwarts came in, and the Malfoys became part of their now-called Wizarding world."
Lucius finished and cast a glance at Draco's awed expression.
"Now you know the truth, son, about our past."
Draco nodded slowly, "So…we protected the muggles." He looked up at his father, "We defended the weak."
Lucius nodded, "Yes, we were their guardians."
Draco was confused; he had always been brought up to despise those beneath his bloodlines.
Lucius sensed his son's confusion, "Times have changed, Draco."
Draco looked to the floor beneath his bare feet and sighed silently, whilst he ran a hand through his smooth hair. He could his heart pounding within his chest.
"Goodnight, son." Lucius said as he slowly rose and left Draco to ponder over everything he had just divulged to him.
Draco found that he could not speak, so he listened until his father closed his door behind him.
He felt a sudden nostalgic longing for the past. He reminisced over what his family once was. How had such a chivalrous, self-sacrificing people, become so part of darkness?
Draco felt his eyes glaze over with tears that threatened to fall; he hated what they had become, servants to some one whose ancestors his family had once protected. Voldemort should be down on hand and knee thanking him for his own existence!
He didn't know why, but it bothered him that his father had changed. He had liked to think of the muggles and mudbloods being beneath him, but now it just seemed as if he was betraying his legacy.
However, he did not possess the need to ask why this change had occurred; he already knew the cause.
It was hate, and revenge. The people, whom his ancestors had given their lives to protect, had betrayed them. Perhaps, this was the reason his father despised the muggles so. Was this why he had been taught to hate them? What honor was there in hatred and revenge?
Draco couldn't believe his own thoughts, but, somehow he didn't find it right to blame people for the mistakes of their ancestors. The muggle-born had no had in the betrayal, and yet they were being punished for the faults of those who came before them.
"What is happening to me?" whispered Draco.
