A/N: i was sick when i wrote this chapter and i'm not sure it's great but here it is anyway. i apologies in advance if it really sucks lol.
Disclaimer: the usual.
He is clutching to Potter's waist like a mad man, shouting in his ears to get to the fire is getting nearer, he can feel its breath on his back. Potter gets them out of the room of requirement and they crash on the floor. Draco's mind is numb: crabbe is dead. Burnt by his own spell.
"Draco?"
his mother is looking at him, shaking his shoulder to wake him up.
" what is it?"
" you were screaming."
" I had a nightmare. It is nothing. Do you want something?" he asked her when he saw her pacing back and forth in his room.
" I need to go in town today. And I was wondering if you would come with me?"
"where do you need to go?"
"Gringotts."
So they would have to go to Diagon Alley, a place crowded with people that hated them. What a trip that would be!
Narcissa saw that her son was going to refuse so she added:
" please, Draco. You haven't left the house for two weeks now."
" I thought you would be pleased by that."
" I can't go out there alone," she whispered.
Sighing, he nodded and stood up.
" fine. I'll come with you but we walk there. Last time I used magic to Appear in Diagon Alley, I was welcomed by hundred of spells."
Too happy that her son had agreed to accompany her, Narcissa didn't argue with him.
Thirty minutes later, mother and son left their manor and Disappeared.
" I understand you now," Narcissa said to his son, while they were walking.
He turned his head to her, mutely asking for more.
" no one knows who we are here."
" yes."
"Draco, I…why don't you want to come with me when I visit your father?"
" I don't want to talk about it."
" But…"
Reaching for her son, she bumped into a child and made him fall.
" watch where you're going, filthy mudblood," she whispered. Then stopped abruptly when she saw her son helping the child on his feet. And actually apologising to him.
" what's happened to you Draco?"
" What do you mean?" he asked, sighing.
" this boy was a muggle. How you could bare to touch him."
He stared at her, not able to say anything. Not knowing what to say.
" Draco, even if your father is in jail, we must not forget who we are."
" and what is that exactly?" he snapped.
She looked taken aback for a while, as if she hadn't expected him to reply.
" why, we are one of the last pure blood family. We are still rich, Draco. And some day, some day we will turn back to what we were."
"I'm not sure I want to. I'm not even sure I can. Mother, too much has happened."
Narcissa shook her head, not willing to understand him. She looked so sad that Draco felt a twinge of guilt and reached out for her hand.
"mother, I…"
He had to stop because someone bumped into him hard, pushing him aside.
"Hey, watch it damn it!" he yelled.
" I'm sorry, sir," said a familiar voice.
" Brianna?" he asked, stunned to see her there.
She looked up, looking both relieved and amazed.
That's when Draco realized that something was wrong: Brianna was out of breath, as if she had been running for a long time, or very fast. His gaze fell on her arm and he saw marks, like bruises.
"Brianna, what's going on?" he asked, strangely worried.
"i…I…" she began, then turned her head in the direction of a small street. In which three suspicious looking men had just appeared.
They seemed to be looking for something then spotted Brianna and Draco saw her stiffen. Something was definitely wrong. Still out of breath, Brianna began to walk away when he grabbed her by the hand. Why, he had no idea.
"wait. I'll accompany you to the Haven, alright?"
" you don't have to do this, Draco." But she sounded so relieved that he didn't even take the pain of answering her. He pulled her after him, glancing behind his shoulder. The three men had disappeared. When he realized he was still holding her hand, he let go and glanced at his mother. She looked like she had just seen Voldemort again. Great, now he would have to explain why he was holding hands with a muggle and why, instead of going to Gringotts, they had to take her to a bar.
After a few moments of walking in awkward silence, Brianna cleared her throat and said:
" so what have you been up to, these past two weeks?"
"Nothing much", Draco answered in a harsh tone. Not that he wanted to but he didn't want to talk to her in front of his mother. He already had enough to explain.
" I see." She glanced at his mother, as if she was expecting him to present her but he did nothing of the sort. He could very well imagine the thing happening.
"mother, this is Brianna, a muggle girl who helped me when I was being attacked. Again."
" a filthy muggle! How dare you talk to her. It is so degrading! Think of who you are!"
And then Brianna would do something weird as always. Maybe laugh or transform into a frog and hop out. Who knew, this girl was unpredictable. No, it was better to leave things where they were: he would accompany her to the bar, then leave, never to see her again. Never mind that strange yearning he had felt when he had recognized her.
They didn't talk again and when they got to the bar, he merely looked at her before leaving.
His mother exploded when they were three blocks away.
"What in Merlin's name has happened!" she yelled. " you were talking, actually talking to a muggle! How could you disgrace us so, Draco!"
Yep, that was pretty much what he had imagined only worse because people were staring at them.
"mother, we will talk about it at home." His tone was so cold that she stopped her yelling at once.
" very well," she said in a stiff tone, replacing a few hairs that had escaped from her sophisticated bun.
"do you still want to go to Gringotts?" he asked her, hoping she would say no. he had to many things to think about.
To his great happiness, or at least relief, she said that she didn't want to go anymore and they returned to the Malefoy manor.
Despite his expectations, his mother waited until they were into the living room, sitting each one at a end of the large table to speak.
" so, what have you to say, Draco?"
Taking in a deep breath, he began:
" I met Brianna, the muggle girl," he added when he saw her frown," at a bar, two and half weeks ago."
" that's it. That's your explanation."
"what do you want me to say mother?"
" this….girl" it looked as if it was very hard for her to think of Brianna as a girl," seemed to know you pretty well."
"we talked a little, but nothing really interesting." Could she tell he was lying? He didn't know anymore. He was so used to lying. And maybe she didn't want to really know the truth.
" but you will never see that muggle again, right?"
" I swear. I have no intention to."
She looked relieved and he wished he could feel the same. But she gave him no time to rest.
" Now that we have settled this little…problem, we need to talk about something else."
Might as well get it over with in one night thought Draco.
" what is it?"
"I…am worried about you, Draco."
"Really. I hadn't noticed," he said ironically.
"I don't understand why you are so…so…"
" so what?"
" depressed. I know we've been through rough times but…"
" have been? Have been! Mother, we still are in them. I can't even go out because people are waiting to cast spells at me. We had to protect the house from them. I can't even think of a future because there is no possibility for me to have one!"
" but…"
" not buts mother! It is time you face the reality. We rare finished."
She clasped her hand so hard on the table that he felt it vibrate.
" we…are…not…finished".
He shook his head. She was in total denial. Couldn't she see that there was no future for them? For him? He couldn't get a job because no one wanted him. He was a traitor to all, worse because he hadn't gone to jail like the others, so he hadn't been punished like he ought to. What was he to do with his life?
An idea popped into his head. An idea so absurd, so preposterous that he pushed it away. But it came back again and again until it didn't look that ridiculous. In fact, he wondered why he hadn't thought of it sooner. Because it was degrading, beneath him to have such an idea. To even consider it was taking him to the point of nausea and yet it was his only chance. His only hope really. He realized that he hadn't talk to his mother all this while and that she was still staring at him.
" I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
She closed her eyes and sighed heavily.
"very well. We will talk no more of it, understood?"
He nodded, to occupied by his plan to really pay attention to what she was saying next. Something about dinner.
He got to his room and sat on his chair, playing with the idea that had formed in his head. What is too crazy?
" I don't have any other choice anyway," he said out loud, trying to convince himself.
But would they agree to it?
A/N: ah ah so what is he thinking about? any idea? i don't think it is that hard to find out lol but i 'am writing this story so my judgement is clouded. see you next wesneday for the answer.