A/N: Sorry for the delay with this chapter, with the holidays and such things have been busy in my house, not much time to write sadly. :(
Beta-ed by Inspiration Lives On, thanks so much for the patience and help!
Chapter 9: Friday Nightmares
It was really odd how his nightmares were always just flashes of various scenarios. He was in the past, completely, while in his dream. But it was only just a few moments, or so it felt, before it switched to a different situation.
His left arm outstretched, while his old Lord bent over him and burned the Dark Mark forever into his skin. He was still screaming when the man walked away with a laugh, though he couldn't see. All he saw was black, pain.
It switched once his voice broke from screaming minutes later.
Now he saw his wand, shakily pointing at Dumbledore. The old man didn't look scared, or upset, that his student had the killing curse on the tip of his tongue. The man just smiled kindly at him...
His wand was just lowering when the scene changed once again.
It was hot, impossibly so. Fire was spreading throughout the room, but he was safe. There was no danger for him. Though he couldn't move away... not while staring straight at someone who he once would've considered a friend, Vincent Crabbe, as he burned to death via cursed fire.
A hand landed on his shoulder and he was literally jerked straight into the next scene.
The last scene, he knew the second he began running on a long and narrow, straight path.
Running towards a man who had his back turned toward him, casually walking away as if he didn't know someone was chasing after him. Draco cried, chasing the man with all his might, yelling his name as loud as he could when his formal title wouldn't cause any reaction. Tears blurred his vision, but that straight, broad back never truly left his sight. He tripped then, and looked up at the man from the ground, desperately reaching out for him... the man just kept walking away without even a single glance behind him...
Draco woke with a start. It was very early morning, he could tell, light was just barely shining in his window. He was laying on his side, and his arm was outstretched, just as in the dream. Tears were rolling down his face.
That last scene ran over in his head again. It was the only scene in his nightmare that wasn't a flashback... yet even so, it hurt worse than the others. It brought up all his feelings... it showed how he truly felt about what happened those few years ago... how he still feels now about it.
Quickly, he pulled his arm back against his body, turning his head and burying himself into the pillows and sheets. Even though he tried to hold it back with all his might, the sob still broke between his lips. More followed.
He knew the wine wasn't enough... why didn't he have more after Potter left? Draco sighed, sniffling into his pillow softly.
Hearing a soft pop, almost as if his elf was trying to sneak in, Draco lifted his head slightly to reveal a reddened eye, just enough to see what the elf was doing.
Misty was carefully setting a glass of water and package of tissues on top of his bedside table. Draco was going to smile at her, but another sob broke through of its own accord. He didn't even care about being embarrassed, Misty had seen him like this many times the past few years.
"M-Morning, sirs," Misty said quietly, "Misty thought Master would be liking this," She reached into her cloth, pulling out a letter. "It be arriving earlier."
Draco reached out shakily, taking the letter. His eyes widened only slightly when he saw just "Malfoy" in a scratchy type of writing. When he saw a grease stain on the corner of the envelope, he reached back over and placed it down on the bedside table. The Weasley's surely could wait a moment.
Tears ran freely down his face, and instead of being dignified and grabbing a tissue, he just turned his head back into his pillow, wiping his face of the salty liquid.
Misty stayed silent, and didn't apparate away, obviously not wanting to leave her Master alone in this state. Draco didn't care though. His mind was too filled with that man and his nightmare.
Though Draco tried to stop his tears, they kept flowing. The sobs grew louder and his breathing was less even. In the end, he was having a full-blown attack, gasping for breath any time the sobs would let him, screaming into his hands, the pillow, even screaming without a muffler. Though his elf handed him a calming draught, Draco didn't have an opportunity to take it. He held it tightly clenched in his hands the entire time, impatiently waiting for his moment.
It was nearly an hour later when Draco was finally able to choke down the potion. By then, there was a large dark spot made from his tears on a pillow where he'd lay in the beginning, the blanket and most of the sheets were on the floor, his magic went out of control and threw the books off his shelf, making them scatter all around his bedroom floor, and there were large tears in his shirt along with cuts in his skin where he'd grabbed at his chest trying to get to the source of his pain.
Draco felt the potion take effect almost immediately, taking large breaths of air now that sobs weren't getting in his way. He looked to the side of the bed, where Misty was watching him with watery eyes.
He moved to get off the bed, and the elf took a step back to give him room. Standing shakily, Draco cleared his throat. "Thank you," His voice sounded hoarse, but that wasn't surprising. He patted her softly on the head, and she smiled sadly at him. Draco shed his ruined clothes and walked into the bathroom, still breathing heavily when he stepped into the shower.
Standing under the head of the shower, Draco turned the water on as hot as it would go. He didn't have even a second of cold water. Hissing softly, Draco let the water get rid of the knots in his shoulders, relaxing his tense muscles. It washed away the disgusting traces of tears, blood and sweat.
Deciding not to stay in the shower too long this morning, he stepped out from under the water twenty minutes later. Wrapping a towel around his waist, Draco opened the door to see not his elf waiting for him like he half expected, but Pansy Parkinson sitting on the edge of his now-bare bed. She had her legs crossed and was folding her arms across her chest.
"Dray," Pansy greeted him with a smallest hint of a smile, not even raising an eyebrow at his lack of clothing state.
Draco sighed, stepping over the books still on the floor and began walking to his closet, closing the door and changing into the first things he laid hands on. Luckily, he stashed all of Misty's 'presents' in the back of his closet, so the white dress shirt and black slacks he picked out didn't look like a muggle clown had thrown up on him.
He straightened his clothes and walked out, tossing the towel in the hamper before addressing the woman. "When did you get here? I thought you and Blaise weren't getting back for another couple of weeks." Draco frowned when he realized how scratchy his voice was, it'd probably be that way the entire day.
"Hawaii had too many insects for my liking," She said with slightly narrowed eyes, "I also got a letter from Theodore, pertaining to you to be exact."
Draco then swore to himself not to let Theo know about anything else related to his debts or past. He hoped this time he could keep that promise, this after all isn't the first time the man ran to Pansy with information about him. "Pans, it's none of your business. You're free to leave now." He gestured to the door.
Pansy shook her head, "I'd prefer to stay, actually. I have a letter to read." She reached behind her and pulled out the letter Misty handed to him earlier, from the Weasley's (or so he assumed).
Draco quickly moved to grab it from her, but she hid it behind her back. "Dammit, Pansy, give it here!"
"Absolutely not. Tell me what foolish idea brought this on, first." She raised her eyebrows, looking perfectly content to stay in that position until Draco told her everything.
Shaking his head, Draco headed to the door. "Come on, then. If you're going to be stubborn, at least do it in my office so I can get work done." With that, he left the room, satisfied when he heard soft footsteps following him a couple moments later.
Draco sat down behind his desk, and Pansy made herself comfortable after spelling the couch a few feet away from his desk to face him. A tray of tea appeared and he helped himself, adding a bit more sugar than he generally did.
Pansy sighed from across the room, but he didn't look up from adding a fourth teaspoon of sugar. "You're going to get fat, you know," Draco shrugged, and she sighed again. "Why didn't you tell me about this? I haven't heard you mention it for a year, thought you'd given up on it."
After the fifth teaspoon of sugar was stirred into his cup and Draco took a sip, loving the taste, did he reply, "You nearly hexed my head off a year ago, hence why I haven't mentioned it since," Draco took another drink of the tea before setting the cup gently on his desk, finally looking up at Pansy. "It's already done, Pans, so what do you want?"
Pansy shook her head, tapping the letter against her knees - which told Draco she was extremely annoyed - "I want to know why the hell you did it!" Pansy exclaimed loudly, "Especially without letting anyone know, dammit! I knew you were mental, but to think you'd be this daft." she sighed and sat back further on the couch, increasing the pace of the letter-tapping.
Draco glared half-heartedly at Pansy. "I already got the speech from Nott, thanks." He shook his head, "Look, it was my decision, and so far they haven't requested any of the things we feared. I wasn't completely mental when invoking the debt, Pans. They won't be able to ask for the worst."
She narrowed her eyes, "I assume you must've changed the spell some to make that possible. What did you do?"
He shrugged, picking up his cup and taking another small sip of the liquid, "I found evidence a previous Malfoy did the same once, I just had to dig around to find how he changed the spell." Draco saw her eyes narrow even further, so he rolled his eyes and continued, "It simply required a potion, Pansy, nothing that puts any extra strain on the spell itself."
Pansy sighed and nodded her head, though she looked reluctant. "I've always hated that spell... what has it done to you so far?"
"No harm at all, actually." Draco leaned back further in his chair, "They've given me things to do, so I assume it's content as long as I continue."
"I see." Pansy stopped her letter-tapping at last, leaning over and setting the letter on the edge of Draco's desk. "So what did you ask them not to do?"
Draco lightly tapped his chin, feigning thought. Of course he knew off the top of his head every single aspect of the debt and it's rules, but Pansy knew him too well. She'd know how anxious he was if he'd answered automatically. "They wouldn't be able to ask for the entire Malfoy fortune, couldn't ask for the death of any Malfoy, nor the loss of our magic, no sex," he said that part quickly, hoping she'd overlook it, though of course she raised an eyebrow as soon as the words left his mouth, "and they couldn't ask me to do anything illegal."
Pansy crossed her arms over her chest, and Draco could just barely hear her foot tapping on the floor. "I see you didn't put anything in there about torture." She sighed, obviously upset, but she shook her head and pressed on, "You really are daft, Draco. What have they asked for so far?"
"I made Hagrid a pen for a new pet of his. Luna wanted a pair of the new Swedish Short-Snout gloves, so I gave her my own." Pansy nodded her head at each of the requests Draco listed, not seeming too surprised, "Longbottom needed Potions lessons so he can get a mastery in Herbology, so I'll be teaching him until February."
Pansy sat up, smiling brightly for the first time - as far as Draco saw - that day, "Helping him for so long? That should definitely help any backlash the spell would send." She sighed softly, seeming relieved, then turned serious again, "Anyone else?"
Draco finished his cup of tea and, after setting it back down on his desk, replied, "I'm assuming that letter," he gestured to the one at the corner of his desk, "will be from the Weasley's, but nothing from Granger yet."
She nodded, narrowing her eyes once again at Draco, "What about Harry Potter? I'm not a fool, Dray, I know you gave him one, too." Pansy's eyes widened after a moment and she jumped out of her seat, "Did he request that?! I'll kill him! I don't give a damn if he's-"
Draco quickly cut her off, "Pans, it wasn't torture, relax." He sat up further in his seat, resting his arms folded on the edge of his desk. His eyes flickered to behind Pansy, where he and Potter were sitting the previous night. "I'm sure you'll find out Monday morning, so I may as well tell you now. Potter asked me to date him."
Pansy fell back into her seat, staring at Draco in complete disbelief. Draco silently wondered if he'd looked like that last night, it really is a very unattractive look, though it was indeed an amusing one.
She didn't seem to be able to speak with her mouth hanging wide open, so Draco sighed softly and began telling her about what Potter requested last night. By the time he was finished, there was a slight tingling sensation in his right shoulder. Assuming he was putting too much weight where he was leaning on his arms, Draco leaned back and folded his arms instead in his lap.
Pansy recovered herself by the end of his little speech. She softly set down an empty tea cup – which Draco made for her at the beginning of his explanation – and spoke, "I suppose I can see why he went to you. How do you feel about it?"
Draco raised an eyebrow, "It's not what I feared, so I guess I'm grateful," Draco shrugged, still confused by her question, "why?"
"I meant how you feel about dating him, not the debt." She replied evenly.
Draco frowned slightly, "I don't have any particular feelings pertaining to it. It's what he asked for, so-" He was cut off with a loud sigh, but a few moments later, Pansy still hadn't spoke. "What?"
Pansy huffed softly, "Never mind, dear. I guess you really hadn't thought about it." She shook her head and stood up. "I must be off though, I'm sure Blaise is wondering where I'd gone off to. I sneaked out of bed before he woke." She laughed softly, and Draco dropped his frown and smiled as well, "I suppose we'll be seeing you at the ball, then."
Pansy turned to his fireplace, and Draco stood up. "You're going to it?"
She looked over her shoulder, "Well, I'd gotten the invitation a month ago, didn't see the point of attending until now though." Laughing softly, Pansy waved over her shoulder and threw Floo powder into the fireplace in his office, calling out her home and leaving before Draco could answer.
Draco sighed softly, falling back into his seat and wincing when his tingling shoulder protested the movement with an electric spark of pain running through his muscle.
He didn't spare it much thought though, as he reached over to grab the grease-stained letter on his desk.
Malfoy,
Think we've figured something out. Could you come to the burrow tomorrow? 'round Noon would be best, I know about your appointments with Neville and so you'd be back by then.
Ron W.
Reading the short letter once more, Draco set it in a drawer with all the other letters he'd kept from the ones he'd given debts to.
Writing a quick and graceful reply saying he'd be there at Noon, Draco called Misty and she took it to the Owlery without another word.
Draco's eyes once again ran over the letters on the corner of his desk from the Pureblood families, but he stood up after telling himself once again that he'd get to it the next day, and he summoned his robe before Flooing to the Orphanage. He really wanted to relax, and lately the only way he'd been able to do so was when playing like a child with the kids.
He ignored Nott's apologetic looks and questions about his scratchy voice from the man all day long, instead he focused completely on bonding further with the children. Draco made friends with the newest child, Elizabeth, though she was shy and didn't speak much about herself. He played quite a few muggle board games with the younger ones, while enjoying games of Quidditch with the older kids who he feared would be here much longer than the smaller children.
Though no families came by to adopt that day, he still thought it was a rather successful day for the Orphanage. He only left once every child was asleep, and though Theodore walked him to the door, even he seemed to sense he serene mood Draco was in and didn't interrupt it with speech.
As soon as he got home, he drank. More so then he had in weeks. Visions of the nightmares ran through his mind whenever he thought he hadn't drunk enough, so he had another glass. Then more.. and more...
Misty didn't speak a word to him to object his behavior, though he had to get the bottles himself. In the end, he just stayed in the kitchen with a novel he held up to his eyes, but barely skimmed, too busy trying to get more of the burning liquid into his system.
Draco fell asleep on top of the kitchen counter shortly after Midnight, but he wasn't afraid of other house elves seeing him that way; he knew Misty would be bringing him to his rooms as soon as unconsciousness hit him as she always did.
He had no nightmares that night, and he was too intoxicated to care about the ache in his right shoulder.
Hehe, few more bad things done to poor Draco in this chapter. Harry will be appearing again soon, promise! Perhaps sooner with the help of a few reviews? Perhaps, perhaps.. :D
