His parents were in the library that contained the fireplace he arrived in. Almost if they had known he was on his way, they probably did, after all they still had plenty of allies in the ministry. His mother got up from the chair she was sitting in and gave him a swift hug. What came next was expected. The yelling started, almost entirely from his father like normal. The questions of where he had been started off the tirade, followed swiftly by the questions of loyalty to the family, and ending with how idiotic his little speech had been. 'A Malfoy never admits anything; they play their cards to their advantage.'
Draco stood taking it with shoulders square and face blank. His mother stood in the background only watching. His father slowly got closer and closer. It finally ended with a hard shove from Lucius as he exited the library. It was quiet for a moment than his mother spoke very quietly, "So where were you?"
"Some little wizard hotel outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico." Draco replied just as quiet. He straightened his suit, before looking up to see his mother's reaction.
"New Mexico, as in America?" His mother sounded stunned. And if he was honest with himself defeated as well. She looked at Draco for conformation. He nodded. "How did you end up there?"
"Honestly I don't know. I just jumped in the floo network. Before I knew it I was landing in some innkeepers fireplace. Took me a minute to realize where I was. After I came back I stayed at the Leaky Caldron during my trial. But you probably knew that."
His mother nodded.
"If I was honest it was probably the farthest place I could think of at the time and the night before I had been reading an article in the prophet about some research being done there."
"Why did you run, Draco? You had your father and I worried." His mother sat down in one of the chairs facing the fireplace, Draco followed suit.
"I don't know."
He paused, wondering if he should tell his mother the truth. Of all the people in the world his mother was one of the few people who he trusted. But he knew she would tell his father. His father in turn would yell at him,
"I think it all just hit me. The consequences became real. Fathers endless lectures on how I had failed this family, how to act at the trials. So I ran."
'I'm going to be out of the manor for a while what did he have to lose' Draco thought to himself .
His mother was silent for a time. Something that wasn't uncommon for the Malfoy family. She walked over to a shelf with a couple of goblets and a bottle of wine. Pouring them both a glass she ask,
"Why did you come back? You were in America you could have hidden there. We have no ties, no one would have thought to look for you there. You could have started a new life."
"I was going to. I honestly had it all planned out. Then one morning a week ago I went for a walk in the nearby forest, honestly I don't know why. I stopped at this overlook, I had to have been there for an hour just staring off into space, deep in my thoughts. This girl just shows up"
Draco took a drink from the goblet his mother had contoured up. Narcissa arched her eyebrow,
"Not like that, she wasn't flirting. She said she saw me standing there looking a thousand miles away. She thought I might have been 'Some east coast lad who had come to see a girl and things had gone terribly wrong."
His mother burst out laughing, "Your joking right?"
Draco smiled just a bit, "I wish I was. I told her to 'Bugger off' but she just stood there. She started to talk about the valley below the overlook. Thinkers Ledge is what she called it, because the view was so ugly that no one but those deep in thought would stay there long. I hadn't noticed at first but it was an atrocious view."
Again he took a sip of his drink,
"She made up what I thought was a ridiculous story at the time of a wizards duel that had scarred the land."
His mother made a questioning sound
"I thought it was ridiculous because she looked like an ordinary muggle. After a time, the conversation stopped and we both were staring off into space till she spoke again. She started talking about tragedy and how she mourns for the survivors and attackers alike. Not to go to in depth about the conversation but basically said that that even the worst of the attackers have a backstory. That there was a reason they became the way they were. That the victims may never forgive the attacker but they may be able to reach an understanding. But the villain has to show some humility. Then I surprised myself, I told her I ran from my trial. She didn't ask what I had done she just asked me if I could live with myself if I didn't go back."
"That's why you came back?" His mother asked. "You didn't think you could live with yourself?"
"I don't know." The conversation petered off for a time. Then he thought about the rest of the conversation. "That's not the strangest of it though. She left but not before she got close enough to whisper in my ear."
His mother looked the most intrigued he had ever seen her. "What did she say?"
"She said and I quote, 'M.A.C.U.S.A don't take kindly to wizards exposing magical objects to no-maj's. And no-maj's here are harder to fool than their European counter parts.' Then she walked off. It took a moment for my brain to catch up but I realized what she meant. My wand was sticking out of my pocket since I had charmed my clothing to keep me warm. Then I realized she had been standing there in running tights and a sweatshirt, hardly clothing warm enough to keep you warm during an hour long conversation in 25 degree weather with snow on the ground."
"She was a witch." His mother concluded.
"That what I thought. Then I got confirmation today. She was at my trial, " Another drink from his goblet. His mother about spit out the sip she had just taken.
"What?!"
"No joke. There I was waiting for the trial to start this morning. In she walks with none other than Professor McGonagall. They sit down in the top row and stayed there for the whole day."
His mother seemed to be pondering the story Draco had just recounted,
"That sure is a strange story I have to admit. I just have one question for you."
For the first time in Draco's life he thought his mother look a bit impish.
"Did you get her name?"
The question caught Draco off guard, "Of course I did mother. You did teach me manners after all." He left out the part where he shouted after her as she jogged off.
"Well?" Mother prodded.
"Well what?"
"What was her name, silly?"
Draco felt foolish. His drink must be going to his head. "Anthea. Her name was Anthea."
Draco and his mother fell back into silence again. "I am sorry mother that I ran. I left you to fend for yourself at your trial."
His mother sigh, "There is no reason to apologize. You have been under a tremendous amount of pressure the last year and you were bound to crack eventually."
Not long after Draco retired to his room. Quickly falling into a restless sleep filled with haunting dreams.