Chapter 12 – Partings (Part 2)
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It was after two o'clock in the morning when Elizabeth awoke in Draco's arms. They had fallen asleep together on the sofa. Draco was smiling softly at her.
"Oh, crud! I'm sorry, Draco. I guess this must be the absolute least romantic date you've had! It's just that I felt so contented and at peace with you holding me."
Draco kissed her forehead. "Actually, I thought it was sweet sleeping cuddled next to you. Yes, I fell asleep, too! So you can think I'm a totally unromantic boor." He had a big grin on his face. Then Elizabeth started laughing, too, and Draco cupped her face in his hand and kissed her once more.
"Draco, I have the feeling I'd better go back to Grimmauld Place now"
"Why? Don't you like it here?"
She looked deeply into his eyes. "Yes, I like it very much. That's the problem."
Draco's face fell. "Am I rushing this too much?"
"No, but I still need to find out who I am before I can be comfortable with myself. You, I'm totally comfortable with."
He chuckled, "Ah, like an old shoe."
Her smiled belied the air of exasperation in her voice. "You know what I mean! I guess a better way to say what I feel is to just tell you that I trust you. Absolutely, totally, positively. I trust you more than I trust myself, in a way." Her face turned somber. "I mean, I don't know who—or what—I am. I need to find that out. If I am a witch, why did my parents keep it such a big secret? Why didn't anyone tell me? I know it sounds so dramatic, but can you try to understand how I feel, please?"
"I believe I do understand you. You know, when I was a kid I did everything my father dictated. I hung out with the biggest slimes in Slytherin, all because their fathers were Death Eaters and hung on every word that came out of my father's mouth. I followed Voldemort because I was told that he was going to rule the wizarding world, and ultimately take over the whole world, and that my family would be very powerful then. Lucius Malfoy had my life planned out for me. I was seventeen when the war came to a head. Like a damned fool, I followed my father and supported Voldemort. Then at the Battle of Hogwarts, one of my—let's just call them compatriots; God knows they weren't friends—cast a fiendfyre spell but didn't know how to control it. Even though it was aimed at Potter, Weasley and Granger, it got out of hand and we were all in danger of being killed. Potter pulled me up on his broom, Weasley and Granger pulled one of the others up. They got us away from the flames. The third, the one who cast the spell, was killed. After we were safe from the fire, they left me. A bit later, some of Voldemort's followers found me and thought I was one of the student's fighting against him. Ron Weasley rescued me then. After the war was over, the Death Eaters that were captured were placed on trial. Potter testified on my mother's behalf. You see, Voldemort cast a killing curse on him, and told my mother to make sure Potter was dead. But she realized he was alive, whispered in his ear and asked if I was okay. He whispered back, 'Yes.' She lied and told Voldemort that Potter was dead. At my parents' trial, Potter told the Wizengamot, the Wizard Court, that my mother had saved his life, that he believed that she had stayed with Voldemort out of fear and so asked for leniency. The court acquitted her. My wonderfully brave father told the Wizengamot that he had been influenced by an Imperious curse, and that later he stayed with Voldemort out of fear for his family. Like he really cared about us! Anyway, he was given a choice of going to Azkaban or exile. Part of the terms was that he had to give up his wand and would not be permitted to use magic for anything. He chose exile. My mother, bless her, stayed with him, and gave up her wand voluntarily. When my father died, she decided to stay away from Britain. She feels there are too many Death Eaters still running around, and she's afraid that they'd try to recruit her for another uprising. It's plausible, considering my father's status with Voldemort and the fact that most of my mother's family supported him, too."
"You were so young when that happened! What did you do?"
Well, I finished school, then sat on my rear for a while, trying to figure out what to do. I decided that as much as I love my mother, I was not following my father into exile. Then I realized that someone had to salvage the family business, since my father had lost any influence he had. Since I'm an only child, well… Anyway, I found that I had a good head for business, and there were muggle companies I could deal with. So I diversified the company, got some muggle clothes, an apartment in London, and learned how to fit in with the muggles. Apparently, I did something right, because the corporation prospered. After a while, my father decided it was time for me to settle down. Like with most of the old pure-blood families, it was an arranged marriage. Astoria was a good girl, from an old pure-blood family, but she didn't hold with most of their notions. She was kind, generous, and I learned to love her greatly. I believe she loved me, in spite of the fact that I could still be a total bastard at times. She was a good wife and an excellent mother. I was so afraid I'd make the same mistakes with my children that my father made with me, but she wouldn't let me. And she made me stand up to my father when he started treating the kids the way he had treated me as a child. We made sure he didn't see them much, although we arranged for my mother to see them pretty often. Anyway, Astoria died not long after my father. I was still struggling with building up the business, so when the kids weren't in school, they were with Mother. I see them more often now, but they still consider her house as 'home' rather than this house. I can't blame them. I was home so seldom when they were little. I only hope their memories of me aren't anything like mine of my father."
"Draco, you are such a good man! You know, you can make it up to them. You can still spend time with them. You just have to talk to them like you talk to me."
"Elizabeth, you are probably only the second person that ever felt that I was 'good.' The other was Professor Dumbledore.
"You're wrong, Draco. Harry and Ginny like you, and Molly and Arthur Weasley, well they weren't overly fond of your father, but you they like. And your mother, too."
"Thanks for telling me that. Elizabeth, you have no idea how much I love you."
She giggled, "How much, Draco?" as she hugged him.
"Enough to take you home now, before I do something we may regret later." He kissed her on the forehead, and after she picked up her purse, he took her arm and they disappeared.
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Elizabeth and Draco landed just inside the front door of 12 Grimmauld Place. He kissed her once more, and promised that he would write to her while she was at Hogwarts, and that he would see her soon. He then disapparated and she was left standing in the hallway alone.
As she tried to creep to her room undetected, she heard a little voice whisper behind her, "Is Miss Elizabeth down early for coffee? Or would she like some warm milk before she goes to bed?" She jumped as she turned around. It was Kreacher, giving her a disapproving look. She thought to herself, "Busted!" She just looked at him and asked, "Warm milk, please. Oh, and Kreacher? I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone."
"Of course, Miss. Kreacher would not say anything to Mistress Ginny or Master Harry."
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.
"Kreacher does not have to. Mistress Ginny and Master Harry just went to bed about an hour ago."
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Despite not getting to bed until such a beastly hour, Elizabeth was up early with everything packed. She went down to the kitchen to find Ginny sitting over a cup of coffee.
"And what time did the cat drag you in?" Ginny looked at Elizabeth with a concerned look.
"About an hour after y'all went to bed, according to Kreacher. We started talking and lost track of time. Then we both fell asleep sitting on the sofa in front of the fire."
"Yeah, been there. The Gryffindor Common Room saw many a couple, including Harry and me, do the same thing. Look, we just don't want to see you get hurt or anything. I know Malfoy's changed since we were kids, but…"
"I understand, Ginny, but I trust him. It was his idea for me to leave. To be honest, as much as I love you guys, I would have been tempted to stay if he'd asked me."
"Well, just so you know, if he turns out to be a total git, I'll hit him with a bat-bogey hex so bad, he'll be pulling bats out his nostrils for a year."
"Gross! Neat, but gross!" Elizabeth smiled, "But I don't think it'll be necessary."
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After breakfast, Elizabeth and Ginny left the kitchen to find Elizabeth's luggage stacked neatly in the hallway. Kreacher was standing next to it. "Is this everything that Miss Elizabeth needs to go to Hogwarts?" Elizabeth nodded. "Then Kreacher will make sure it arrives there safely." He snapped his fingers and both luggage and elk disappeared.
"That is so cool!" Elizabeth commented. "I wish I could do that."
"Well, to be honest, house-elves have a knack for that, better than most witches and wizards I know."
Ginny and Elizabeth sat around talking for a good while, Ginny telling stories of when she attended Hogwarts, Elizabeth of her days in high school and in college. Elizabeth especially wanted to know about Voldemort and the war. Elizabeth looked somberly at Ginny. "Now I know why Draco feels the way he does. It's really weird, you know? I think he feels like his father used him, betrayed him. Then Harry, whom his father had made out was the mortal enemy, saves his life. And so does Ron. I mean, his father always told him that he was better because your family were all blood traitors. "I guess it's like the song from a muggle musical, South Pacific. I may have the lyrics wrong, but they're something like, "You've got to be taught before it's too late, before you're six or seven or eight. You've got to be carefully taught." Basically, it's that children don't see differences. They learn bigotry and prejudice from adults."
Ginny looked at her thoughtfully. "The muggles who wrote that have it right. And it's a bloody shame!"
Just then there was a tap on the door. Kreacher opened it and brought the caller into the parlor. A tall man stood there holding a bulky item covered by a draping cloth in one hand. "Miss Brandon?" Elizabeth Said, "That's me." The man looked at her, "In that case, this is for you. May I put it on the table?" Ginny told him that would be fine. He then asked Elizabeth to sign for the delivery, handing her a new self-inking quill. She noticed the name on the delivery ticket—Eyelops or something like it. "Thank you, Miss. We hope you find it satisfactory," He then disapparated. Ginny handed Elizabeth a note, as she started to chuckle. "This was attached to the package." Elizabeth unfolded the card.
Dearest Elizabeth,
Now you don't have an excuse for not writing. He has instructions to bother you every day if you haven't written to me. I hope you like him. I made sure I didn't get one as obnoxious as Potter's.
I'm sorry I won't be able to see you off tomorrow, but I've been called away to Paris on business. I don't know how long I'll be, but if you give the owl a letter, he'll find me wherever I am.
Love,
Draco
Elizabeth lifted the cover to find a golden cage containing a beautiful gray owl. She looked at him intently, then said, "I do hope you're not like Horace. I'd hate to use you for a tennis ball!" She and Ginny looked at each other and laughed. "Well, Elizabeth, you're probably safe. It didn't come from George!"
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Saturday finally arrived. The few things Elizabeth had kept with her were in a gym bag. The only other thing left was the owl. Ginny assured her that all she had to do was sling the bag over her shoulder, and hold onto the owl cage with one hand, then grab onto the portkey with the other. She told Elizabeth that the portkey would be there at ten o'clock. It was almost time.
Ginny hugged her tightly, and told her that she would come see her and maybe they could go to Hogsmeade on a shopping trip. Harry told her that he had owled their friend Hagrid, who taught Care of Magical Creatures, that she would be coming, and that she should visit him. Elizabeth teared up. "Thank you for being so kind. I couldn't have asked for better friends." Harry put his hand on her shoulder. "You're not 'friend,' you're 'family.'"
All of a sudden, Elizabeth noticed a frilly pink parasol leaning against the chair. "Was that there before or am I imagining that it appeared from nowhere?" Ginny told her, "That's your portkey. When you're ready to leave, just pick it up and don't let go for anything. It will take you directly to Professor McGonagall's office at the school. Oh, and don't be afraid of the ghosts. Sir Nicholas is quite friendly. He's the Gryffindor ghost. The Baron stays mainly with the Slytherins. The Grey Lady is Ravenclaw's ghost, and the Fat Friar belongs to Hufflepuff."
Harry remembered to warn Elizabeth about Peeves. "He's a poltergeist and loves to aggravate everyone, but he's basically harmless. Now, don't forget, if you need us, just send us an owl." He added, "When you grab the portkey, you'll feel like you're being pulled by a cable from your midsection. Just go with it and you'll be okay."
Elizabeth slung her bag over her right shoulder and grabbed hold of the owl cage in her left hand. Then she reached out and grabbed the parasol. Harry was right. She felt as though a cord had sprouted from her navel and was pulling her through a bright light-grey cloud. "Right, Toto." she thought, "We are definitely not in Kansas anymore!"
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A/N: Sorry the chapter is shorter than usual, but we're under a mandatory evacuation for Hurricane Gustav, and I wanted to get this out before we leave. I'm taking my laptop with me, so I hope to be back up writing soon.
Thanks to all of you who are reading the story and a special thanks to all who have sent reviews. Hope you're enjoying the story.
