The Model Son
~ Chapter Ten: Money & Malarkeys ~
Dedication: Dedicated to sudden urges (they're the best kind of urges)
A/N: I don't think I've ever said this, but I really, really appreciate all of you readers' reviews. Some of them really touch me, others help me with the plot, but all of them are cherished. Having said that, I received this amazing review from DraconisScorpius: "You are very good. I really do love your characterization. I truly like the way you make Draco. I would love to see an evil side, but I would assume that is all coming in due time. I will just sit back and enjoy the show. Keep up the marvelous work."
I just wanted to clarify to everyone (especially to DraconisScorpius) that Draco has not gone soft in my story. I would hate it if Draco were out of character. My Draco has not gotten any more pleasant, nice or anything of that sort. He has just become smart enough to know that he can't always bully everyone, or he would never get what he wants. Hope that enlightens some people.
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Last time…
Draco had accepted Nott's proposal of cutting down his Auror training to 18 months. It is now almost one year since that day. Draco has completed 12 months of training, and has 6 months more to go.
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Draco stepped out of the warm bath, and wrapped the black Turkish towel around his waist. (A/N: That was for you TheRealSlytherinPrincess) He walked over to the full-length mirror opposite the tub. The heat of the water had created mist in the bathroom, and the mirror had fogged up. Draco wiped his hand over the mirror, near where his face should have been reflected. The fog cleared to reveal a Draco who was much different from the Draco of a year ago.
His body had gone through the most changes, he supposed. Last year, people would have mistaken him for an anorexic, what with his ribs sticking out, and his skinny stature. Now, after a year of demanding training and grueling work, he had finally gotten his old physique back. He had muscles now, but he "wasn't overly buff, like a wrestler" as Seamus Finnigan had put it. Draco didn't know what that was, but took it as a compliment. He couldn't fathom why Finnigan was examining his body in the first place.
He had grown his hair out. Although it wasn't as long as his father's, the platinum blonde hair, now healthy and soft instead of the previously dirty, matted locks, went down to his shoulders. When he was training at the Ministry, he would tie it up in a small ponytail. Draco now pushed the dripping locks away from his face.
His face had also changed. The bags under his eyes were now gone. His lips, which had been chapped and dry, were now full and pink. Even his eyes had changed. They had gone from a dull gray to a striking, sparkling gray. There was a small scar near his right eyebrow, the only reminder of that torture session in Diagon Alley from a year ago. Draco traced the small cut, thinking about all that had happened since that horrible fight. All that had changed…
oOoOoOo
The day he had gone back to the Ministry after that horrible fiasco, the other Aurors had been more forgiving of his presence. There were still some jabs at his position, and no one had come up to him for a chat, but when the training started, everything of that sort had stopped. Draco had shocked everyone, even Nott, with his magical abilities. He had been asked to combat with other Auror trainees. Word had spread fast about his ability to duel well, and the other Aurors had come to the training room during their breaks to watch the sessions. Even Potter himself had come to watch. It had annoyed him, being a guinea pig for their amusement, but he bore it well… anything to get it over with.
That first day, he had felt overwhelmed. He had still been aching a little from the fight in Diagon Alley, but he wasn't going to let anyone see that. He had dueled with everything he had, and that had impressed everyone. Harry had gone around to the other department heads, waxing lyrical about his new prodigy, and rubbing it in their faces that he had known it all along, making sure that Draco never heard about it. Heaven forbid a Potter being content with a Malfoy.
Draco knew that the praise was well-deserved, but felt annoyed by all the attention, and at some points, resentful of the people. They had all acted so surprised! He hadn't been that bad before, had he? Sure, he had been just a bit too busy trying to show up Potter and his clan back in school, but he always had this much power. Draco finally concluded that had he focused more on studies instead of Potter and Co., he probably could have topped Granger, but there was no use crying over spilt potion.
The next few months saw Draco's situation slowly, but surely, getting better. The tremendous expectation of an Auror trainee, especially one whose training period was shorter (thus, harder), had taken its effects, and Draco had found himself sleeping twelve hours a day and eating three helpings of everything. The strenuous work out provided an outlet for his stress, and Draco started to become more and more like a young man. During those few days when he didn't have training, he would go over to Blaise's house, making sure that Mrs. Zabini was not home. He slowly got back into touch with the rest of the world, but he avoided Pansy Parkinson at all costs. Fortunately, she had yet to see her since that ball.
He got back into touch with Goyle, who had been extremely surprised by Draco's maturity – he didn't get pissed at the smallest losses anymore. When Goyle realized that the change would be permanent, he had adjusted his mind along with Draco's. It was what he did… follow others. Draco didn't mind terribly, because he rarely saw Goyle anyway.
Nott had become quite close to Draco over the course of the year. Seeing each other everyday for their training sessions had in a way, forced them to bond, and both were surprised when they found that they had much in common. They had always respected each other while in school, and that respect turned into like.
Of course, being friends with Nott meant having to see Daphne almost every day. Draco wasn't complaining, though. Whereas the old Daphne might have bored him, the new Daphne had gained confidence that could only be found from a healthy relationship, and this ensured for interesting conversation.
As Draco's friends increased, the Wizarding world had also started to notice him. The Daily Prophet, when they received wind of the rumour that Draco Malfoy was now an Auror trainee, had published a front-page article, Draco's enlarged face sneering in the middle, trying to expose all his bad deeds. Potter had been furious, and he had immediately ordered a press conference with all the rival publishers of the Prophet, including The Quibbler. He had ordered articles contradicting the Prophet to be written, and the very next week, the Wizarding world read an exclusive interview with Draco Malfoy and a few other ex-Death Eaters, answering questions about what it was like to be living under the shadow of their past in the present world.
People had been touched by what Draco had said – but not everyone. Some other readers accused him of exaggerating in the interview, but when the article was published, many other former Death Eaters had come forward to back him up. Other magical folks, who witnessed acts of discrimination against Death Eaters, also admitted what they'd seen. This effectively put a stop to any unbelievers.
Draco's mother had been frightened at first, when she saw that the Wizarding world was in an uproar over her son. However, when she saw all the support some people offered, she relaxed. She'd started to venture out of her room more often. Now, she spent a lot more time in the Manor garden, tending to her roses, and feeding the peacocks and grooming the stable horses. They were her companions, and she was happier than she had been in a long time. Draco knew that she would never be the same confident woman she had been before, but he was happy with the minor changes that had occurred. After all, that had been his goal for all of this.
Lucius Malfoy had reacted similarly, but he had been much happier than his wife about this newfound popularity of the Malfoy family. He had immediately taken advantage of it, and hosted numerous balls and parties in the Manor. Draco didn't mind, because he was able to see his father enjoying himself again. Lucius, little by little, steered away from the alcohol and isolation in his study, towards entertaining the Wizarding world once more with his money. He had even started to regain his power over the Ministry, but unlike before, when he had been foolish enough to manipulate that power, Lucius now treated the position as a privilege. He wasn't going to lose his head again.
As the months passed by, and Draco found himself being more and more accepted in society, he also realized something. He actually enjoyed being an Auror. Even though he was still in training, Nott would send him on small missions that weren't too important, just to get him in practice, and he loved every one of them. There was a certain nice feeling that comes along with helping out others, although he would never admit that to any of his friends. And the pay wasn't too bad, either.
oOoOoOo
Draco traced the scar over and over. It was (ironically) dangerously close to the shape of Harry's scar. The blonde had been the brunt of many jokes for months; the jokes normally included the words 'Harry Potter' and 'idol worship'. Draco knew the spell to remove the scar, but he had decided to keep it there, as a reminder of how much he had achieved, and as a motivation. Potter had also told him to keep it there, as it made Draco lose the license to call anyone 'scar-head'.
A small movement near his waist caught Draco's eyes, and he watched a silver tail adorned with spiky horns moved its way across his ribs. Draco smiled as he thought about the tattoo he had acquired a few months ago. It was a magical tattoo of, in Draco's opinion, quite a magnificent dragon. The tattoo shop he'd gotten it from was run by a muggle-born, and some of the images he offered were rather extraordinary.
Draco didn't really know what species of dragon it was, but the image has impressed him when he'd seen it in the shop's window on Diagon Alley, and although the creature looked rather metallic, he had decided he wanted the tattoo. He had asked the artist to make the tattoo mobile, resulting in a rather unpredictable body image. The dragon had a mind of its own; some days, it would be on his back, where it was supposed to be, and other days, it would be furled around his shin, visible to everyone. Even worse, once it moved somewhere, it was very difficult for Draco to convince it to move.
It was on one such unfortunate day when Hermione Granger caught sight of it. She had burst into laughter, her mirth so much that she ended up crying. Draco had been annoyed, and he tried asking her what was so funny, but to no avail. The only explanation he got was a vague statement that his beloved dragon was a character in a muggles children cartoon. Not knowing what a cartoon was, Draco had been unruffled, and so continued on with his life in blissful ignorance. He still received some weird looks, especially when he was in muggle London, but they didn't bother him.
Draco walked into his room, and began preparing for a day in. It was Saturday, and he didn't have a training session today. He planned to make the most of it by relaxing at home. He'd invited Blaise over so they could play a game of quidditch. Blaise was supposed to bring whoever wanted to participate along. Draco knew that Nott would probably be one of them, and that ensured Daphne as well. It would be a great way to let lose. Then later that night, he would visit the Burrow, to attend Teddy's birthday party. He already had the perfect present, all wrapped and ready on his bed.
Looking out the window, he could see that it was a sunny day. He donned a white t-shirt and a pair of cut-off jeans (he refused to call them man-pris, although Zabini delighted in the term). The ensemble screamed muggle, but they were the comfiest clothes he had, and he didn't feel like riding a broom with robes on. It could be damned uncomfortable if he didn't have the proper protection. As Draco stretched his hand out to grab his wand, something nearby caught his attention. It was his ring… the heirloom ring, which he never wore anymore. He had stopped wearing it because it only served to remind him of someone that he didn't want to remember.
Astoria Greengrass.
He hadn't seen her since that embarrassing night at the ball. He'd thought that he would have seen her at the balls he attended, but he had learned from the gossip of the upper class that Tori had gone to France to finish her education there. Draco didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed. A large part of him was happy that he needn't deal with her again, at least, for the moment. But a small part of him was sad that he couldn't show her how much he had changed. And therein lay the problem.
Initially, Draco had been furious and humiliated by Tori, but his attitude towards her comments about him had changed. He never stopped thinking about what she had said. He found himself pondering his life choices more and more, and whenever he had to make a choice between doing the responsible thing, and doing the enjoyable thing, Draco thought back to what Tori had said, and that would anger him into choosing the more fun thing. He never regretted those choices though; they really had been fun. And now, there was nothing Draco wanted more than to show Tori how he had changed. He had admitted to himself: he really wanted to impress her. He'd convinced himself though that it had nothing to do with attraction, and everything to do with ego.
His pride had been hurt by her rude assumption, and he wanted nothing more than to redeem himself. That bothered Draco though. Normally, he didn't give a fig about what someone as inconsequential as Tori thought of him. He would only worry if someone's opinion was going to derail his chances at getting what he wanted (as was the case with the whole wizard society thinking he was a loon). But for some reason, he cared what Tori thought about him.
But that didn't mean he liked her though. No, not at all.
oOoOoOo
Draco pounded down the staircase to the manor, excited to start playing quidditch, when suddenly he saw that there were guests. That alone would have stopped him in his tracks, since they rarely ever received guests, but when he saw who it was, he stopped mid-step, and had to hold onto the railing in order to stop from tripping. Sitting across from his father was none other than Mr. Greengrass himself. Draco was surprised. He may have seen Daphne frequently, but he rarely ever saw her father. What could bring him here?
He slowly advanced toward the pair and he could see that Mr. Greengrass had his head in his hands. The only way Draco recognized him was by his tall stature and his salt and pepper hair. As Draco approached, Mr. Greengrass raised his head, and Draco had to stop his mouth from falling open. Mr. Greengrass had bags under his eyes, the sparkle in his eyes was gone, and his shoulders were slumped. He looked like he carried the worries of a thousand men.
"Mr. Greengrass?" Try as he might, Draco couldn't keep the shock out of his voice.
Mr. Greengrass turned his head at the sound of Draco's voice. He offered Draco a weak smile before speaking. "Hello, Draco, it's nice to see you again. You should start calling me Garryth now. How have you been, son?"
"Fine, sir." Draco looked to his father for more explanation, but Lucius wasn't paying attention. He seemed to be pondering something. Draco turned back to Mr. Greengrass, who had his head back in his hands. Draco pitied the man. Not long ago, he had looked much the same. He went and sat next to the older man, awkwardly patting his back. Dammit, what am I doing? I can't comfort anyone! I don't know how. "What's the matter, Mr.-er… Garryth?"
Mr. Greengrass let out a long sigh, and leaned back against the couch. "I don't know what to do anymore. I was so stupid!" At his vehement reply, Draco raised his eyebrows. "A couple of months ago, I invested heavily on this new product. It was a broom, supposed to be the fastest in the world; the best in the world. I was foolish, and I invested almost everything on it. The makers guaranteed good results, and I believed them. Turns out it was all for nothing. The broom was a mess. It had horrible response, and bucked madly. It didn't turn out well, and now, I've had to sell the house in order to keep even a little of the money. We have no home anymore. God, I was so foolish. Tomorrow, Tori is coming back, but she has no place to stay in. I don't have to worry about Daphne, because she has Theodore, but Tori… she's still a child. She shouldn't have to deal with this."
Draco sat in consternation next to the agonized man. The explanation was long and confusing, but he was sure he got the gist of it. It seemed that Garryth had been fooled by a sneaky malarkey. Draco knew about these trick deals. Sometimes even the smartest wizards couldn't help but fall for these promising products. The makers would pitch a product to interested investors and act as if it would be a good gamble. They would feed the investors lies but at the last minute, would bail with the money.
He also knew that there was no way to get the money back, not without having to pay for a lawyer. That would end up spending more money than Mr. Greengrass had. There really was no way…
"Mr. Greengrass, I assure you, whatever we can do, we will, to help you." Draco said, hoping to alleviate the look of doom from the older man's face. Whatever issues he may have had with Tori, Draco wasn't going to begrudge her father of that.
"That's very kind of you, my boy, but what can you do? I certainly can't ask you for your money." Seeing that Draco was about to argue, Mr. Greengrass continued. "No, no. I'm not asking for money. I just needed some advice."
Draco thought carefully, going through all aspects of Garryth's issues. If the man sued, the makers would undoubtedly find a way to sneak what little gold Garryth had out of his hands. If Garryth threatened them, the bastards would alert the authorities and somehow make it as if they were the victims. There was always the possibility of stealing the money back… it wouldn't be too hard…
Draco shook himself of the thought. He had just barely become good in the public's eye. He couldn't risk being caught stealing money; it would ruin everything that he had worked for. Sighing, Draco dragged his hand through his damp hair, ruffling the tidy locks. He couldn't think of anything at all. It was frustrating not getting what he wanted immediately, and even more frustrating that he couldn't do anything about it. And yes, he wanted to get that money back from those lying sneaks. It was now more about Draco's competitive nature, than anything else. He had all but forgotten the fact that the whole reason for getting back the money was for Mr. Greengrass.
Sighing heavily once more, Draco turned to Garryth. He didn't know if he was going to regret this or not, but it was the right thing to do. With that not so comforting thought in mind, Draco spoke the words that would most likely change his life for the next while. "Mr. Greengrass, I think the best thing for you to do now is to let things calm down before you do anything in retaliation. Having said that, I know you have no home, and I think that you should stay here at the Manor with us. We have more than enough room, and it will give us time to think about what you should do next." Draco sent a quick glance to his father to decipher his reaction. Lucius only nodded approvingly, giving his consent to Draco's plan.
Garryth Greengrass opened his mouth, his eyebrows furrowed, looking for all the world as if he were about to refuse the offer. He then chanced a look at Draco's face and promptly shut his mouth. Draco had his 'determined' face on; his jaw was set, his lips a thin line and his eyes narrowed, daring the older man to deny the invitation. Overall, it was a quite mulish expression.
The tired man sighed, and nodded his head. "Yes, of course. It would probably be the best thing I could do at the moment. But Draco, are you sure you want four extra people living in your manor? My family isn't exactly… easy to live with."
That last statement worried Draco slightly, but Malfoys do not take back what they said – ever. Besides… how hard could it be living with them? "That's not a problem, Mr. Greengrass. We would be delighted to play host to your family. I'm sure my mother could use some company around the house, especially when my father and I aren't home. And I assure you, we will do whatever we can to help you with your problem."
oOoOoOo
Draco knocked on the front door of the Burrow, a small smile lighting his face as he reminisced on all his previous visits to the dilapidated home of the Weasleys. (Draco hadn't failed to notice the irony in the fact that the Weasleys, who bred like rabbits, lived in a house titled the "Burrow"). It had become like a second home to him over the year. Of course, it hadn't always been like this. When he had come back to the house for the first time after his hazing session, it had been for an Order meeting. Harry had deemed it appropriate that Draco become a member seeing as he was such a promising Auror trainee. Draco couldn't care less, but hey – if it meant more trust, who was he to deny it?
The Order wasn't as busy as it had been five years ago, what with Voldemort gone and everything. However, there was still the worry of former Death Eaters who were trying to cause havoc among the reforming Wizarding community. Some of them were particularly nasty, victimizing helpless muggles, and eluding the Ministry's claws as easily as flies. There was also the added problem of lunatics who believed they could become the next Dark Lord. In short, the Order wasn't stupid enough to believe that just because Voldemort had been killed, all the evil in the world was gone. It was a never-ending cycle, the battle between good and evil. There was no good without evil, and although the Ministry of Magic may have relaxed in their efforts of capturing criminals, the Order had become as uptight as ever. Mad-Eye Moody may be dead, but "constant vigilance" echoed in the minds of all the members everyday.
And so, Harry had believed it would be best to have Draco join their ranks. Not only was he a good fighter, he had also been part of the dark side once, and he would know things that others didn't. Draco had been uneasy about it at first, not wanting to become a 'double-agent' as Snape had been. But then he realized something; who said he had to tell them everything he knew?
The Weasleys were uncomfortable having Draco in their house once more. It wasn't exactly a welcoming atmosphere for him. The disquietude was gone however, when the discussion between the Order members led to capturing former Death Eaters. Draco was eager to share his knowledge; of course, it wasn't for the "good of the people" exactly, but more for his own sake. The more the Order members stopped annoying him with the dirty looks, the better it was for his sanity.
He had taken out a map of the world, marked with many small, black 'X's'. The Xs stood for suspected Death Eater hideouts. The Ministry already suspected some of the places, but many were unheard of. Draco had gathered the secret information over the years just in case he needed to contact the fugitives when he needed help from old allies. Seeing that help from ex-Death Eaters wasn't going to be of use to him in the newly reformed Wizarding community, Draco had thought it would be of more use to turn the information in. He had made sure that Xs that hid the more important Death Eaters (important in that they were still of use to him) were hidden from the Order. No need to tell them everything, after all.
Three weeks after that one meeting, many of the Death Eaters still at large were caught and sentenced. Draco had been deemed "hero" by the Daily Prophet and although it had been worth it to see the sour expression on Ronald Weasley's face for a week, Draco really couldn't say that it was a good experience. It was incredibly annoying, having to answer the same questions repeatedly. Soon, the Daily Prophet reporters became tired of trying to weasel out any answers from the silent blonde, and they went on to bigger and better things. There were still the occasional outrageous articles (many of them exaggerated columns about Draco's female conquests), but nothing noteworthy.
Now standing before the familiar front door, Draco couldn't help but marvel at the differences from before and now. Of course, there were still some off moments, especially with Ronald and Percy Weasley, but he gets along well with the rest of the family. If Draco had to choose a favourite Weasley, it would probably be Ginny Weasley – make that Potter (he tried not to think about their marriage… in his mind, it was such a shame that a smart girl like Ginny had to go and get hitched to Potter-the-Prick.)
The female redhead shared his own sense of humour, and the two of them often delighted in making sarcastic remarks about the rest of the family, much to the disgruntlement of Ron who felt betrayed. Draco had to be very careful about how he acted around Ginny though. Harry had proven to be a very jealous and territorial husband. It was all rather amusing to Draco, who had never really cared about a woman enough to feel jealous.
The door opened and Draco didn't have any warning before two slim arms wrapped around his neck in a death grip that was probably meant to be a hug. His vision was blurred by blonde hair and he had to try hard not to topple over. A moment later, the hair left his vision to be replaced by the smiling face of Gabrielle Delacour. "Draco!"
"Gabrielle? What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I graduated Beauxbatons. I am now planning to work at the Owl Emporium in Diagon Alley."
"Wow, that's… nice." Not knowing what else to say, Draco sidestepped Gabrielle and walked into the house. What could you say to someone who voluntarily chose to scoop up owl droppings daily? He was confused momentarily when he saw no one in the house.
"Everyone's in the backyard. Come on." Draco let Gabrielle lead him outside. He frowned at her hand on his forearm. She always was a little bit bossy, just like her sister.
Entering the backyard, Draco saw Teddy Lupin laughing raucously and tumbling on the grass, at the mercy of Victoire's tickling hands. His head moved in Draco's direction and he froze. "Uncle Draco!" He escaped Victoire's clutches and ran into his uncle's open arms.
Draco noted how the boy had grown taller over the year, and that he was getting heavier to hold. Soon, it would be impossible for Draco to carry him. He had matured over the 'blue-hair' phase, and had changed to purple hair. It was what 'big boys do'. No one had the heart to tell him that purple was a rather feminine colour.
"Hey, Teddy!" The frown on Draco's face had been transformed into an affectionate smile. As much as he would deny it, he adored the little boy to no end. Something about the innocence of children was very endearing. For someone as cynical as Draco, it was nice not to have to wonder if Teddy was going to use him, or backstab him in any way. The little boy just wanted his fun, and yes, he could be difficult at times, but he knew no better. "So, what have you been up to?"
"Nothing," Teddy said, with as much an innocent face as he could muster up. Yeah… okay, buddy. "But Grandma isn't here today! She wasn't here last time, either!" The boy kicked his legs out in his frustration.
"Ah… that's too bad." Although secretly, Draco was very glad. He didn't know what he would do if he had to confront Andromeda any time soon. Too much awkwardness. "So… how's Vicky? You got anywhere with her yet?" Draco was immensely satisfied when he saw the blush spread across the boy's face.
"Uncle Draco! You know I don't like girls!"
"Yet." Draco cackled evilly. Oh, it was such fun to corrupt little ones. As long as a certain someone didn't find out about it.
"Draco Malfoy, what do you think you're doing?" a female voice shrieked behind him. Speak of the devil. Draco turned slowly to come face to face with Mrs. Weasley.
"What do you mean?" His innocence put Teddy's to shame.
"You know very well just what! You will stop adulterating the boy at once." Her voice turned into a conspiratorial whisper. "Just because you are a womanizer, it doesn't give you the right to turn Teddy into one." Her harsh words were softened by the twinkle in her eye. Draco smiled unashamedly at her and walked with her to the group of people congested around a small round table.
"Malfoy, come here. I'm having a debate with Hermione here, and she won't accept that the goblins are really up to something." Ginny Weasley gestured to him, the glint in her eyes suggesting that she was going to enjoy this next conversation. Draco agreed with the sentiment.
"Really, Granger," he admonished. "I knew you were naïve, but not that naïve. Haven't you heard all the rumours?" He joined in the conversation with his own remarks.
oOoOoOo
Draco sipped a warm cup of tea as the adults relaxed and chatted in low tones, glad to be rid of the younger ones. All but one of them. Teddy was currently sitting on Draco's lap, contently playing with the birthday present Draco had given him. It was an illustrated book about the second war, with surprising attention to detail. Molly had stared reprovingly at the book, but Teddy was immediately taken with it. He couldn't understand some of it, but the pictures were helpful.
Draco took the chance to peek over the little boy's shoulder to see what he was reading about now. He felt his heart wrench – something that did not happen often – when he saw that Teddy had turned to the page devoted to Remus and Nymphadora Lupin and their efforts in the war. The page contained a large picture of the couple in front of a small house, the woman holding a small baby with green hair. They were smiling blissfully, occasionally waving and mouthing hellos to their audience.
Draco watched as a small hand – Teddy's – traced over the silhouette of the woman. His heart went out to the little boy in his arms but he had no idea what to do. He couldn't offer words of comfort when he could barely comprehend this type of loss at such a young age. At that moment, Teddy let out a small, but noticeable yawn.
"Okay, buddy. I think that's enough for today." Draco was surprised to hear that his voice cracked the tiniest bit. Damn, he must be more tired than he'd thought. "Let's put this away." He gently pried the book out of unwilling but too-tired-to-argue hands, and set it down on the coffee table. "Now, I think it's time for you to get to bed."
"But I don't want to. I want to stay here with you," the boy's pleading was bordering on hysteria and Draco knew better than to push it. He shushed Teddy, and assured him that he could stay with the adults. As the boy settled into his temporary bed, Draco quelled the urge to sneeze as the purple hair tickled his nose. Finally, Teddy stopped his shuffling and let out a small snore that signaled a light sleep.
Draco smiled down tenderly – though he would be horrified if the words 'Draco' and 'tender' were in the same sentence – at his charge for the night. It was nice to have someone trust him so completely. His colleagues, his family, the whole magical community had preconceived notions of him because of his family, his job or his past actions. Teddy didn't have a clue about who Draco Malfoy was, other than his uncle, and he hadn't known Draco in the past. Yet he still accepted him… not for his money, nor for his social standing, but because of his personality. Draco had to admit, he didn't have much of one, but if it made Teddy happy, then he supposed it wasn't hopeless.
"You've been quiet all night, Malfoy. What have you been up to?" one of the Weasleys inquired. He couldn't figure out which one. They all looked so similar, with pale skin, red hair and a freckle count to rival that of the human population. But this one had tattoos… that was Charlie, right?
"Haven't been up to much of anything, actually. Just training…" he said in a semi-whisper so as not to wake Teddy. He debated if he should he tell them about the Greengrasses. They were bound to find about it soon. Heck, the Daily Prophet probably already knew. "Actually, Garryth Greengrass paid a visit this morning to the Manor."
"Oh really? I heard about the problems he's been having… the goblins are threatening to eradicate his account at Gringotts. It seems he can't pay for the extra securities that he has," the brother with the ponytail put in. Draco rather liked that one… must be the hairstyle. If anyone had the same taste as him, he was already deemed acceptable in his books.
"Why? What happened?" Granger asked. Suddenly Draco was the center of attention, everyone wanting in on the juicy details. Draco considered not telling them about it as it was none of his business, but news travelled fast, and they would probably hear about it in some way or other, probably in an unflattering manner as well.
"He got into some shady deal with broom creators. They tricked him out of all his money."
"Oh, you must be talking about that Selwyn case. Yeah… the ministry's been having a horrid time trying to solve it," Potter spoke up.
"Why would the Ministry involve themselves with it? From what I've heard, they didn't actually do anything illegal. The contract was written so that the blame wouldn't be on them."
"Too many people were affected by the deal for it to be ignored."
Draco didn't bother to point out that having the Ministry involved would only make things worse. Teddy shifted in his arms, his tiny hand clutching a fistful of Draco's shirt and choking him just a little bit. Draco gently pried the fingers away from him only to have them clinging to his hand. It was more comfortable at least. Teddy smiled in his sleep and Draco wondered suspiciously if the boy was just being difficult. Brat, he thought with a smile.
Granger spoke up again. "Why was he at your house? I would think he'd be too busy trying to get his money back."
"He and my father are pretty close," Draco said, ignoring the grimaces from half the Weasleys at the mention of Lucius. How immature. "He wanted some advice."
"And?"
"I volunteered for his family to stay with ours."
There were murmurs abound as the news sunk in. Draco caught a few of them.
"Wow. Houseguests in Malfoy Manor? Traumatizing…"
"I thought Malfoys weren't supposed to be gracious…"
"What's in it for you?" a very brave soul asked. Of course, it had to be Longbottom.
Draco considered the question more carefully than he normally would have. Really… what was in it for him? Immediately, a picture of a black-haired, blue-eyed someone came to mind, but Draco brushed that away. There were other reasons, to be sure. Not that she was a reason, of course. Maybe it was to assure his conscious. Draco dismissed that thought with a laugh. That was probably the least from the truth.
Potter saved him from having to find an answer. "Hold on. Wasn't Greengrass the one that sent you that recommendation?"
Draco nodded… he'd forgotten about that. "Yeah, it was. So you see, it's a matter of honour. Malfoys do not forget." He ignored that nagging feeling at the back of his mind calling him a liar. It was an acceptable excuse, and he'd take anything he could get.
"Oh. I see." Granger's solemn face was suspiciously tight… especially that twitch near her jaw – she was trying hard not to laugh, he could tell. Draco wisely chose to ignore it as well.
"Well, that's settled then. Everyone, tomorrow, we're off to Malfoy Manor!" a jubilant Molly Weasley announced.
"What?" Draco tried not to sound too harsh when he barked the question.
"Oh, Draco. You must realize, these poor people are probably in need of a good get-together! They've been through so much! We should all be there to welcome them, don't you think?!"
No… no, you shouldn't! Draco tried very hard to repress the shudder that went through him when he imagined the Weasleys at his beloved Manor. Oh my. He could just see it now. So many red heads… so little space. His house stood no chance. In his head, he saw the Weasleys assembled in his receiving room… all of them piled on top of each other in order to find a seat. He envisioned the younger ones hanging off the banisters and chandeliers, house-elves running around, trying to repair all the damage done. Oh dear, sweet God.
"Yeah, it would be fun!" Fred put in. Draco zeroed in on him, trying to figure out what he was up to. The way Fred's eyes gleamed and the way he exchanged glances with his twin let Draco knew exactly what type of fun would be happening tomorrow.
"Absolutely not!" he said firmly.
"But why?" George groaned.
"Yeah! Why? You have anything to hide, Malfoy? Any remaining dark objects the Ministry hasn't gotten a hold of yet?" Ronald, who had voiced the question, narrowed his eyes suspiciously, only serving to anger Draco.
"No. I have nothing to hide. I merely have trepidations about allowing so many people into my home."
"Really? Seems awfully fishy to me. Are you sure you have nothing to hide? Nothing at all?" Draco knew the The Weasley Prat was only trying to annoy him, and he knew he shouldn't fall for it, but he was pissed.
"You know what? Whatever. I don't care. Just come. Conduct a bloody search if you want! I don't give a damn." Teddy stirred in his arms, disturbed by the noise, and Draco worked hard to calm himself.
"Excellent! I've always wanted to see a Death Eater Manor." Fred grinned, satisfied for the moment.
Draco rolled his eyes at the immaturity surrounding him. Tomorrow was going to be hell.
oOoOoOo
5800 Hits - 69 Reviews
A/N: Okay, brace yourself, this is going to be long. If you don't want to read my moaning and droning, you don't have to. Just skip to the last three paragraphs. They're the only ones with any importance.
First of all, I would say sorry to have disappeared off the face of the planet for so long, but I'm not. I was supposed to start re-updating as soon as summer started, but I had virtual school, and even when I did have time, I wanted to enjoy my summer. I'm glad I did so, because I've finally got the chance to relax after one very stressful year.
Anyway, to make up for it, I'll updated two chapters in one day. This probably won't happen again, and seeing as I haven't written any of the others, the next one may take a while (not as long as this one, probably).
By the way, what did you guys think of HBP? I watched it in theatres with my friends, and thought it was fabulous. I got totally excited with all the hype over it, and nearly hyperventilated on the phone with Gotta-LOVE-Draco9 when I heard that Tom Felton was here in Toronto promoting it. To think, he was mere kilometers away from us! Oh my God, I could have died. xD He was here for only one day though, but he did three different shows. One of them aired live on MuchMusic, another one was for a small skit and the last was sort of a 'Movie Interview' thing that's been aired like ten times. The hilarious thing is that he's wearing the same clothes in all of them.
Sadly, I don't think he'd ever come back. On MuchMusic, some girls ambushed him, and all you could hear was "whoa!" amidst all the squeals for about ten seconds. Poor guy was probably traumatized. His first and last visit to Toronto. Maybe he'll visit some other province. Or maybe that's just wishful thing
Then I watched the movie, and I really liked it. It was honestly one of the few films that was as good as the book (then again, it's been a while since I read HBP). They added bits here and there, and they took out some major parts that I was excited to see, but the comedy was great. I have become a fan of Rupert Grint now. I should watch some of his other movies. Cherrybomb seems interesting. By the way, who things Freddy Stroma was too good-looking for Cormac McLaggen? It made me not want to hate him. xD Alan Rickman was AWESOME. "Yes… I AM THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE". =)
Sorry about that. I had all that vent up enthusiasm and had to release it somehow. Anyways, the night of the day I watched the movie, a new plot bunny came to me, and I've started a new story. It's not going to be up on fanfiction for a while. I want to wait until I have more of it written when I put it up. It's a Dracoria as well.
And finally, the one thing I have to add is that I'm going to sort of change my tact with writing this story. I've been taking myself waaaaay too seriously, and I've been too focused on trying to make it good (to make sure you guys would like it). That's probably not a good thing. That's why I've decided that I'm going to just start writing what I want to write and not worry about your reactions. Hopefully, some of you may still like it. =) That's all. Please don't hold it against me for taking so long.
I'll have the next chapter up shortly. I still have to tweak it a little bit. By the way, I am in big need of a beta. I went through like three betas and still haven't found anyone who has enough time to edit my chapters. Anyone interested?
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Thanks to…
OurLoveIsForever: I'm sorry for not reviewing your story for so long. I'm actually rather confused with all the twists in what I have read. So I'm going to wait until you finish the story and then read it all over again to clear up any confusions. Hope that's okay! I'll review every chapter, though!
emLILYEVANS: I did read your new story THE BRIDGE, and I did review it, but I don't know if you got it. I reviewed using my iPod touch, and I don't know if my wi-fi connection was good enough for it. Hopefully it was. If you don't have a review from me, please let me know, so that I can review again!
SweetEpiphany: Forget drawings! Have you seen all the pictures from the premiere? THEY'RE AWESOME! Plus, if you check out Tom Felton's twitter, he has pictures of himself from a photo shoot he did for GQ UK. He has brown hair in them, and he is hawtness (with an "aw") incarnate.
christy86
Green1Eyed1Angel
DraconisScorpius: Thank you for that wonderful review. You make me proud to write!
Ziva: God, you're making me blush! Thank you for that! Such a sweet review.
Gotta-LOVE-Draco9: Okay, are you like, on vacation? I've been calling for the past four days, and no one's picked up! I'm planning another Movie Day. We all want to see G. I. Joe this time. Are you coming or what? By the way, hope you're happy with this.
FYInichole: Oh dear. You don't like Tori, do you? She's coming back in the next chapter, and please don't hate her. It's just her personality. She'll mature a little bit.
ElaineAbbene
JennyMc
gt4good: I think he's on the right path too. Just hope he doesn't veer off it anytime soon.
TheRealSlytherinPrincess: Sweetheart, I am in love with you. Your reviews are the reason I came back to write. They're so amazing. You make me want to write because you remind me that there are other people waiting for me out there. Thank you so much for the inspiration. And I will never hate your reviews. Please continue to read my stories.
And since you took the time to review so well, I'll take the time to answer your questions. Thank you for telling me my stories are funny. I never thought of it that way. I was actually going for humour, but I didn't want to classify it as humour because what if it wasn't funny? Then I'd just look like an idiot.
And yes, it was MCR as in My Chemical Romance. Haven't really listened to them much, so I didn't know.
Manizer is an awesome word. I want to make it an actual word… =P I don't have a favourite Weasley. I'm stuck between Bill, Charlie, Fred, Ron and Ginny. They all have their merits.
I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU CALLED BLAISE A SEXY STALLION. That made my day! It was hilarious! Sorry for the un-hardcore Dracoria action, but you'll see a little bit next chapter. And don't worry about being a smutty fangirl. I am a closet smut fan myself. =P Not so closeted now, is it? YES, I ADMIT IT. I AM A SECRET SEX-ADDICT. Not really – far from it. I just really wanted to type that for the fun of it. More like smut-addict. You shall forget I said that.
I have the same problem with spelling names… I keep spelling Victoire as Victorie.
Since you seem so keen on envisioning Draco naked, that little bit at the beginning was for your enjoyment. You can forget the black towel, if you want to =D
"Or be square" is a stupid idiom – come to think of it, it's not even an idiom – is it? There are a lot of them out there, and none of them make any sense. If you want to figure them out, you could probably search it up on Google – under etymology, or something similar. P.S. stands for post script. That's self-explanatory enough, so I won't bore you with the detail.
Rachel: I didn't leave you hanging. Yaaaay!
