So, here is my second chapter, edited. I got a very helpful review, and decided to improve it strait away. So... here it is. The improved version of chapter 2. Please be nice, and please review. Constructive criticism is always very welcome! It seriously motivates me! And considering my inexperience, helps a lot too.
Anyway, i wont ramble on, so... yeah, enjoy :)
I don't own Harry Potter. If i did, I wouldn't have stopped at the 7th book.
Draco Malfoy woke up with a start. He sat up abruptly and stared around, in total confusion. It took him a moment to adjust to the dimly lit room and another to figure out where he was. These nightmares left him very disoriented. Grunting in frustration, Draco realised that his sheets were once again soaked in sweat. He ran his hands through his already dishevelled hair and slowly got out of bed. Lazily making his way over to the massive window that took up almost the entire east wall of his room Draco threw the curtains open and was greeted by the early rays of sunshine. The same cheery rays of light found their was into his dark and gloomy room. As expected, the whole Malfoy household generally followed the slithering colour scheme, Draco's in particular. He used to adore his room, and think that it made him seem more mysterious and dangerous. The girls he often brought back here over the years definitely seemed to think so.
However, a lot has happened since those days. A light frown crossed Draco's face as he remembered his nightmare. Always the same one. Shaking the lingering feelings of dread and pain away, Draco ran his hands over his face, as if physically erasing any sign of emotion crossing his pale face. Putting your emotions on display was certainly not tolerated in this house. It might not have mattered anymore, as his father didn't really have a say in his life anymore, but old habits die hard. Draco was trained his whole life to keep his thoughts and emotions private, always staying in control, and at this point it just came naturally. Of course, he got plenty of practise over the past couple of years since the Dark Lord, no he must stop calling him that. Since Voldemort came back to power. With that snake like man living in his house Draco had to learn pretty quickly how to erase any traces of fear or disgust from his face. If he didn't he would be punished. Fear was not an acceptable emotion for Voldemort's followers. Thinking about all of that brought back the memories of the weeks and months following the end of the wizarding war.
If at all possible, those weeks more more emotionally challenging for Draco than anything before. He had to fight his way out of numerous accusations, deal with hateful and disgusted glances from anyone he came across. Listen to insults to him and his family, and finally defend himself in front of the wizengamont. He was lucky, as they didn't have any substantial evidence again him. With the help of one of the most brilliant, and as a result most expensive, lawyers in the entire wizarding community, Draco has managed to walk free of Azkaban, on the basis of being a minor when he was forced to joint the death eater ranks. His lawyer argued pretty convincingly that Draco was the real victim in the whole situation, so convincingly intact, that he almost believed it himself. Almost. He couldn't, no matter how hard he tried, to shake off the feeling of guilt and kept wondering if there was anything he could have done differently.
What made the whole humiliating ordeal worse was his punishment. Going back to Hogwarts with all his former classmates to complete his studies. For another year. A whole bloody year. Draco exhale quickly to get rid of his anger and anxiety. At least all of his slitherin peers were forced to come back as well. He would just spend his time in the common room reading or sorting out the family business. Yes, that was another problem he had to face this year. His family, more specifically, his family business. despite their massive fortunes and immense influences in the financial world, the family business was failing. And quite spectacularly at that. The fact that the Malfoys have lost their social standing after the war certainly helped, but something as trivial as that couldn't have done real damage. Oh, no. The fault was entirely his fathers. The old fool, for that was what Lucius had become in his son's eyes, has somehow managed to escape Azkaban. Played on the fact that he was mentally disturbed by the horrors of the war and managed to acquire evidence of being under the imperious curse and subject to multiple crusiatus curses. Considering everything, he has somehow managed to come out with a shrewd of dignity, and even convinced some of the more naive wizards and witches that he was intact a victim. In short, the whole thing was set up in such a way as to make people feel sorry for the Malfoy's and ultimately forgive them. It is not even worth mentioning his mother as she has assisted Potter with defeating Voldemort, and was not even an official death eater anyway, so the court did not give Narcissa a second glance.
However, despite coming out of the court room almost unscathed, in terms of punishment, the Malfoy name has been tarnished by the whole situation and many businessmen refused to deal with them. The only ones still considering working with the Malfoy's were the developing businesses that opened after the war, as they themselves were desperate for some sort of financial support. However, most were owned by muggleborns, and Lucius' views on them have not changed, so that was not an option either. Even their own buisness was not going very well.
Despite owning almost half the shares in the entire company, the Malfoy name was quickly losing its authority and power. No one was scared of Lucius as they once were. That infuriated his father and made him all the more rude and unreasonable. It seemed as though he was going mad and all the other shareholders were beginning to unite in order to get rid of the Malfoy's once and for all. Draco knew that if that were to happen, his family would not have a source of income anymore, and even their vast fortunes in the Gringotts bank would not be able to sustain his parents lavish lifestyle. So, despite not having any real interest in anything to do with hi family anymore, Draco decided to take matters into their own hands, in order to look after his parents. Well more like his mother, as she was the one he cared about. Unfortunately she still cared for his father, so he had to take care of him as well.
So, a couple of weeks ago Draco took over all of the family business into his own hands and has been working hard to restore his family's name and fortune. He actually turned out to have quite a talent for business and persuasion. He also did some semi secret charity work. Just secret enough for the general public to have no idea, but for the people that mattered to know. As another way to improve his reputation in the newly reformed business world be has started helping out the small businesses that were starting all over the country. In fact, he was supposed to have a meeting later this morning with one of his classmates. Draco was due to meet Neville Longbottom at the Leaky Couldron in a little less than an hour. They have had a number of business meetings like that over the summer, and Draco has actually taken a genuine interest in his former classmates business. Neville wanted to open a Herbology shop, where one could find absolutely everything from text books to the rarest plants. Being keen on potion making himself, Draco couldn't deny that it was a brilliant idea. For some reason none has come up with it yet, and so all the wizards still often had to venture out on their own to collect different ingredients needed for their potions. Neville's plans were going great and with some financial help from Draco his shop was due to open next week, just in time for the Hogwarts students to start their school shopping. Over the summer, the two boys have somehow become friends, although Draco was still reluctant to say that out loud, and Neville insisted on Draco being his co-owner as he has done so much to ensure Neville's success.
As Draco realised that he didn't have much time until he was meeting Nevill, he finally turned away from the window and went to have a nice hot shower. It always helped him relax after a tiring nightmare. To be honest, he hadn't had a good nights sleep in over a year. And this was definitely starting to show. He looked much paler that usually and the dark circles under his eyes never seemed to go away. He couldn't however appear weak in front of his business associates who were all much older than him and often still saw him as inferior in both intellect and authority. So he covered his tiredness with a glamour every morning. But that didn't fool those people that knew him well. Neville has expressed his concern more than once during the summer, but Draco has just brushed it off. His mother did not even dare inquire after his health, too afraid of Lucius' interference. She knew how much Draco's father annoyed and nagged him.
As Draco stepped out of the shower and started his daily make up application (as he sarcastically called it in his head), he was already planning out his schedule for the day. It was really quite busy and he felt exhausted just thinking about it.
7:00 Meeting with Neville
7:30 inspecting the shop, and paying off the workers
8:00 receiving shipments of merchandise and checking everything thoroughly (the most tedious and boring bit)
9:00 appointment at Gringotts with his family's financial advisor (he was actually thinking of firing him. Something about that slime bag unnerved him, Plus he was pretty sure he was stealing money from them anyway)
10:30 board meeting at the main office of Malfoy Inc. The other shareholders have been thinking about changing the name of the company to something that didn't broadcast their involvement with the Malfoys. Something about the business suffering due to the connection to his family. Draco could just see that dragging on for hours.
13:00 lunch with parents. This one was perhaps even more distressing than the board meeting. Draco absolutely despised having family meals as it meant he had to actually interact with his father. It took every ounce of his self control to not curse the man on the spot.
15:00 a meeting with a charity fund for casualties of war that he was planning on donating a large sum of money to. In secret of course.
16:30 interview at the daily prophet, for the business section. He had arranged that, with great difficulty in order to announce to the business world, and the wizarding community in general that the Malfoy's were still in the game, more specifically that he, Draco was still in the game and his father was no longer in charge. He was also going to subtly let it slip that he was doing secret charity work and helping developing business. He would also mention Neville's shop as an additional advertisement for its opening next week. Trying to control and manipulate the interviewer in his favour was going to be hard , but if it went according to his plans it would also be highly beneficial.
17:00 he was visiting his god father, Severus Snape, at the hospital, as he did every other day. He couldn't come everyday, because since Snape became hero, and all, quite a lot of people were paying him visits. People Draco didn't want to face until he had to.
18:00 Draco was looking at muggle flats, as he was planning to by one for when he leaves school. He definitely wasn't planning on staying with his parents. He had found a number of prospects that were all relatively close to the Ministry and his main office building. Not to mention it was close to the muggle business area, and Draco has been forming a very risky and unexpected plan for the last week or so.
Anyway, by the time Draco had his whole day planned out and mulled over, he had finished with his glamour and almost looked as good as new. Realising that he was running a little late, he hastily put his clothes on and rushed downstairs to the kitchen to grab a piece of toast (he hated talking business on an empty stomach). As Draco made his way into the living room where their floo was situated he noticed that his Hogwarts letter was on the table. After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed the enveloped and stuffed in into his back pocket, resolving to read it later.