Chapter Seven
They arrived just before half six. Harry parked up in the drive way as he usually did and then didn't move. The house was lit up like a Christmas tree and it was obvious that someone besides Harry lived there.
"I need to tell you something." Harry said feeling only slight guilt at the fact he hadn't given Draco any warning about this whatsoever. "I don't live here on my own and even though you're probably going to laugh, I'm not ashamed of this but I live with my mum and my little sister."
"But you earn loads of money, you own an impressive amount of property, why would you want to live with your mum?" Draco asked in bemusement. He wasn't in the business of judging people but he couldn't help but feel slightly confused about the situation.
"My dad died a few years ago, shortly afterwards my mum found out she had breast cancer. She refuses to have any invasive treatments and she won't tell my sister about it either. She can't cope on her own with Sophie so I live here and help out."
"Wow, I can't believe you do that for your mum. You two must be close." Draco said, this he envied, Narcissa and he had never been close, not in this way. She had always been too busy with work to spend quality time with her son.
"Yeah, we are. I don't think you'll meet Sophie tonight but mum's cooked dinner for us. When she found out who you were she went into a panic about the food not being fancy enough." Harry said with a smile.
"Harry, I don't want to intrude on your life, do you really want me here?" Draco asked, unsure of himself for what was probably the first time in his life. Nothing had ever humbled him this much. To see the sacrifices Harry made to take care of his family, Draco didn't think that he would do that for his own family despite loving them with all his heart.
"Of course I want you here. I wouldn't have brought you if I didn't want you here. My mum and my sister are the two most important people in my life. If we're going to start dating I want you to meet them and for them to meet you. Besides I've already met your mum." Harry said, he had known that Draco wouldn't be entirely comfortable with the situation but it was something Harry felt strongly about and he was determined that even if tonight was the end of it he would get Draco to experience what life was like outside of the bubble he lived in.
In Harry's mind he lived his life constantly going between two worlds, the high society socialite world and the everyday world that was a harsh reality compared. Draco's world was a bubble that nothing could penetrate. Everything and everyone else outside of the bubble was inferior to those who existed within it and Harry hated it.
He took his common, everyday friends to swanky bars and paid the tab, he wanted to blur the lines and integrate the snotty rich aristocrats with the run of the mill public. Bringing Draco here to meet his mum wasn't just about their relationship it was part of an constant mission that Harry was on to blur the lines between the bubble world and reality.
"You met my mum because you work with her." Draco replied, "It's not the same!"
"I know but I still want you to meet her, she's an amazing woman." Harry said and finally Draco agreed that he'd go inside, more wanting to please Harry than anything else.
Harry used his key and let himself inside, calling out that he was here. Lily came rushing in from the kitchen, she was still wearing her frilly pink apron, her brilliantly red hair pulled up in a bun and her make-up non-existent.
"Mum, are you okay?" Harry asked, she was looking paler than usual.
"Don't fuss Harry, I'm fine. Aren't you going to introduce us?" She asked, waving off her son's fussing hands as she tried to right herself. Harry knew something wasn't right, she hadn't changed, she always wanted to look her best, mostly to hide the cancer but especially so when they had guests coming over. The fact that she wasn't wearing makeup and her air wasn't done was a major cause for concern.
"Mum this is my boyfriend, Draco Malfoy, Draco this is my mum, Lily." Harry said trying to be polite. He was staring at his mum as if doing so would force her to tell him what was wrong.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs Potter. I can see where Harry gets his beautiful eyes from." Draco said taking her hand within his own and kissing the back of it. Lily smiled and blushed, pleased to receive the compliment.
"Please call me Lily, come on through to the kitchen, I've made a feast for us tonight. Sophie and I will be eating left over's for weeks I'm sure of it. I'm sorry Sophie can't be here tonight, she had other plans." Lily said as she led the two young men into the kitchen which double as a dinning room. She motioned for them to sit down while she busied herself with food preparation.
"It's alright, I didn't expect any fuss. You have a lovely home here." Draco said, he had been raised exceptionally well and knew to use all his manors.
"Mum do you need any help?" Harry asked, he was concerned that his mum was over doing it and of course he was right. Lily, never one to back down or admit weakness continued on as if he hadn't said anything.
"Thank you dear, I'm afraid its fallen into slight disrepair since James died. Harry does what he can but he isn't much with tools I'm afraid. My boy's only flaw." Lily said fondly, Draco got the idea that they had been a very close family before James' drinking habits had taken over and he had been right.
The Potter's were your average middle class family. James however had a problem with certain liquids and when things were going well he had been able to control it but when things went bad the drinking worsened. When he lost his job that had pushed him over the edge and sent him on the binge that saw him rushed to hospital to have his stomach pumped, unfortunately they hadn't been able to resuscitate him and he had fallen into a coma. Lily had had to make the difficult decision to switch off the life support.
"Please let me help you mum, you should sit down, I can finish making the dinner." Harry said trying to guide his mum over to the table but she was having none of it. The strong willed woman had a determination in her sparkling emerald eyes. Harry had seen that determination before when she had decided not to tell Sophie about the cancer. It was a look not to be messed with.
"Harry James Potter, if I let you anywhere near this food it'll be ruined, you couldn't cook a meal to save your life. Stop fussing will you, if you want to help you should get the wine out of the fridge and pour us all a glass." She said sternly and Harry knew not to mess with her.
As Harry opened the fridge door and stuck his head inside in search of the mysterious bottle of wine that seemed lost in the fridge that was packed with items ready to be cooked and served for their dinner he heard a sickening crash that sounded like breaking glass followed by a thud.
Harry slammed the door closed so that he could see his mum. Draco sat frozen unsure of what to do. Lily had passed out, the glass mixing bowl she'd been tossing salad in now unrecognizable shards of glass all around her body.
Immediately Harry was on the floor next to his mother, he moved her into the recovery position, checking her vitals as he dialled emergency services on his mobile.
While on the phone to them, demanding an ambulance as quickly as possible he turned to Draco. "In the hallway there's a phone, Sophie's mobile number is there too, call her, tell her what's going on and tell her to go to St Mungos hospital and I'll meet her there."
Numbly Draco nodded and went to do as he was told still in shock at what had happened and utterly amazed that Harry had been able to keep such a calm and level head.
