Chapter Fourteen: Mirova

When I went over my stats, I was so happy to see that 'My Hero' had reached 100 (!) reviews, almost 200 (!) followers and almost 100 favourites! You guys are all so amazing, I love you all! So yeah, to celebrate the 100 reached reviews, here's chapter fourteen. So that's basically to thank you for faithfully reviewing and following this story. Really this story wouldn't be the same without you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Draco had not come back here since his mother's death. She had been the last person to dwell in this place and the memory hurt him. Also, he didn't want to be reminded of the horrible things that had happened inside these walls. Standing in front of the impressive and intimidating building that was Malfoy Manor, Draco couldn't help but shiver when he heard a raven croak in a nearby tree. It was already dark and the Manor looked more like an abandoned house that was haunted by the spirits of the past. Scorpius' small hand tightened around his and Draco picked his son up, as if to protect him from the darkness that surrounded them.

"Daddy, I'm scared"

"Shh" was Draco's answer. He soothingly passed a hand through his son's blonde hair before walking up the long alley. When he was about Scorpius' age, Draco would always play with the peacocks in the gardens. Poor beasts must have starved or been killed by now. His mother's garden looked more like a jungle, not at all resembling the colourful place it had once been. Draco remembered that his mother used to plant mostly lilies and white roses, for they were her favourite flowers. Malfoy Manor's gardens had been of Victorian style: refined and romantic. Draco had always enjoyed walking through them and stopping near a fountain and simply listen to the rustling of the leaves. Autumn had been his favourite season in Malfoy Manor, although he recalled it to be more… jovial? Could you really qualify this place of jovial?

When Draco reached the front door, he took out his wand and found the door already unlocked. Surely no one had bothered to sell this house that reminded the population of one of the most disgraced Wizarding families in England. Ironic, wasn't it, how the Malfoys turned out to be the greatest joke in English history when they had been so powerful in the past? What must Draco's ancestors think of him right now? A disgrace or a failure maybe, but he couldn't blame them. He knew too well what had become of him and it had been his own fault. He would stop protecting Marcus now, there was nothing that could possibly excuse him anymore. Draco had been blind for far too long, now it was time for change.

Draco pushed the door open only to find the foyer dark and most certainly dusty. Scorpius was shaking in his daddy's arms, looking around the place in utter confusion. He must certainly wonder why Draco had brought him in such a dark place, but there was no time for explanations. Soon, Marcus would figure out that Draco had come to find refuge here and by then, the blonde wanted to be gone or at least wanted Scorpius to be in a safe place. He could always take him to Blaise's, but that would be the first place Marcus would go to. Maybe if Blaise refused to help Draco because of their fight, then maybe the blonde would have to ask Potter for his generous help. But there would be a time for thinking, first Draco had to be sure that there was no one in this place.

"Repelle Hostium" (1), he said. His heart raced in his chest and his fingers grabbed his wand tightly, ready to defend his son from a possible enemy. But to his relief, nothing happened. Draco waved his wand and suddenly, the crystal chandeliers hanging over them lit and it was only then that Draco realized just how filthy the Manor actually was. Frowning in disapproval, he casted a cleaning spell and in no time, the foyer looked the way it used to look like several years ago: pompous, luxurious and sophisticated. Draco found himself smiling at the sight. It woke in him the memory of cosy autumn evenings at the Manor when he was younger.

"See Scorpius, this is the place I grew up in. It's called Malfoy Manor, for it has been my family's property for centuries, can you believe it?" Looking at his son, Draco saw that the small child was gaping at the sight. His eyes shone in excitement and all questions about why they had come here vanished.

"It's huge" Scorpius said, looking everywhere as if looking for a hidden treasure. Draco smiled at his son's eagerness.

"Do you want to see more?" When Scorpius nodded, Draco tried to remember which way led to the music room, where Draco had kept his piano. If he remembered well, the piano had been the only inhabitant of the room for as long as Draco could remember. There had never been anything else but the instrument. Every time Draco would play, the melody would echo in the large room for minutes even after he had finished playing a song. It had always relaxed Draco to play the piano, although he doubted that after so many years of musical inactivity he would manage to play Mozart's "Rondo Alla Turca" or Vivaldi's "Four Seasons". Now that he thought about it, that room wasn't important anyway.

"Let's go up and see my bedroom, would you like that?" When Scorpius showed his eagerness, Draco went upstairs, where his bedroom was situated next to the large library. Once he had reached the hallway leading to his room, Draco waved his wand and the lights hanging on the wall lit, showing very old, dusty paintings. Represented were most often Malfoys, from every gender and every age. Draco didn't know most of them and he didn't care to be honest. Yet Scorpius had never seen the paintings before and he was amazed when he saw the people inside the frames move and speak.

"Eventually" said an elderly man, whose white hair had reached the small of his back, "I thought they had truly abandoned us. What of the Malfoy dynasty, has it taken an end?"

"Bertie, we've long ago stopped being a dynasty. Now, the Malfoy's are known to be a wealthy family, one among the wealthiest in the United Kingdom I dare say" A young and rather beautiful blonde woman said. Draco almost burst out into ironic laughter.

"A wealthy family, oh please Alyssa don't be so naïve. The Malfoys have become the greatest scums in humanity there is no honour left in our family name anymore. There is only shame and treachery. How many have joined the enemy, I dare not ask. Far too many blood traitors, shall I say squibs? It pains me to say that the Malfoy family is not what is used to be anymore"

Luckily for Draco, none of the portraits asked for his name and he was happy about it. The last thing he needed was to be questioned by his ancestors. There was nothing he dreaded more than the memories of what his father had made him go through. Eventually, he and Scorpius reached the door leading to his bedroom. Draco felt melancholic when opening the door and walking inside the large room. It seemed to him as though nothing had changed, except maybe that the furniture (like the rest of the Manor he was sure) was covered in thick layers of dust. Another wave of his wand and the room looked like new. Draco let Scorpius down and smiled when he saw his son roam over the room, looking inside drawers and inside cupboards. Draco himself let his eyes wander over the room that had once been his sanctuary, when Malfoy Manor had been You-Know-Who's headquarter. Shaking the nasty thoughts away, Draco looked out of the balcony door. Outside, one could see the remaining of Narcissa's Victorian garden.

"Daddy, what's this?" Scorpius asked, pulling out a heavy looking trunk from under the bed. Draco looked at it closely. Scorpius blew the dust off the trunk (the cleaning spell truly was superficial, Draco thought) and tried to read the engraved words on it.

"Hog-w-art-s" The Scorpius looked at the inscription on the side of the trunk, "Draco Lu-cius Malfoy"

Draco smiled incredulously, wondering why his mother had not thrown the dusty thing away. Scorpius' eyes shone in excitement and a pleading look at his daddy told Draco that the child craved to open the trunk.

"Go on" Draco said, allowing Scorpius to open the suitcase and have a look at the items. Inside the trunk, there were empty packages of chocolate frogs, Draco's old leather wallet (that looked as though a werewolf had torn it into pieces), some letters and writing feathers. Nothing terribly exciting, yet Scorpius was so in awe that it warmed Draco's heart. They continued exploring the room when suddenly Draco thought he heard a noise come from downstairs. Reflexively, the blonde grabbed his concealed wand and noiselessly left the bedroom as to not scare Scorpius.

On his way down, Draco cursed himself for not turning the lights off. He had not been very careful and if Marcus had found his hiding place, he would have to drag Scorpius away once again. There was no way the poor child was going to understand why his daddy kept apparating from one place to another. Still holding his wand firmly in one hand, Draco took the last steps down and stood motionless in the foyer. There he waited for the intruder to show himself, although he didn't understand why the spell had not worked. Crack!

With a start, Draco looked at the door leading to the music room. Had someone been hiding there? How stupid not to have checked it earlier. Slowly, Draco walked to the door on his right and quickly revised the different spells he could use against enemies. When he stood right in front of the door, Draco took a deep breath and kicked the door open with his foot, holding his wand protectively in front of him. A squeak greeted him, followed by small whimpers and broken sobs. To say that Draco was confused was an understatement for in front of him, there stood no armed Auror or enemy, but a small and miserable looking house-elf.

"Please sir, don't kill Mirova, sir!" the small creature begged, holding her hands up in a protective gesture. Not sure if all of this was not a trick, Draco hesitated to lower his wand.

"What the… how happen the Intruder Charm didn't work?" The little elf looked up at Draco in fear.

"Such charms don't… don't work on… house-elves, sir! Your magic has no effect on house-elves, sir. Or at least, most of your magic hasn't. Please sir, don't kill me!" Draco eventually lowered his arm, still holding his wand tightly just in case someone was still hiding in the room.

"How long have you been living here, Mirova?" he asked, wondering why this creature had not fled after Narcissa's death.

"Oh well sir, I…"

"Just tell me what happened, I won't hurt you I promise" The elf nodded and tried to control her ragged breathing before saying in a shaky and high-pitched voice:

"Mirova has never left Malfoy Manor, sir. Mirova is a good elf, she would never do that. Mirova knew that the Malfoy's would return, there was no place for doubt in her mind. She knew that one day a Malfoy would come to the Manor and claim Mirova as his legitimate servant. Therefor Mirova didn't leave, sir! Mistress Narcissa told her not to. Oh sir" she said, her eyes wet and filled in admiration for Draco. The latter felt a little bit uneasy.

"I don't need a house-elf, but thank you for… oh no Mirova, don't!" Draco said when the little creature started sobbing and hitting her head against the wall. Nothing Draco did could bring the small elf to calm down, until the solution suddenly came to his mind.

"Mirova stop this immediately!" Hearing the order, Mirova instantly stopped hitting her head and looked at Draco. A crooked smile was on her lips. "Thank you, master thank you for ordering Mirova to stop. I shall serve you forever!" Draco passed a hand over his face, wondering why on earth he had to deal with an admiring house-elf now! And as if to worsen the matter, he heard Scorpius run down the stairs.

"Scorpius, no running down the…"

"What's that, daddy?" the small child asked before his daddy could finish. Draco bit his tongue and mentally counted to ten before explaining to his son that Mirova was a house-elf.

"We have a house-elf?" Scorpius asked, smiling at the little creature. It was the first time the child saw such a creature and the wonder in his eyes never failed to amaze Draco. Also the friendly smile on Scorpius' face seemed to confuse the poor elf even more than she already was.

"No we…" but when Draco met Mirova's teary eyes, he quickly corrected himself, "yes… yes boy, we have a house-elf. A very obedient house-elf I should say, she has done her job very well. She stayed here until somebody came to get her. She was a very good elf" Mirova beamed and bowed to her newly-found master.

"I live only to serve, Master" she said before also bowing to Scorpius. The child looked at his father in wonder, not understanding why a small creature was bowing to him.

"Daddy, am I a prince?" the child asked, his eyebrows lifted in confusion. Draco tried not to chuckle.

"Not yet, my son, but who knows what you'll turn out to be" When the silence became most awkward, Draco looked again at Mirova and decided that if he had to put up with a house-elf, he would make good use of it.

"Mirova I need you to do something for me!" he said and almost immediately had the small elf's attention.

"Anything, master"

"I want you to apparate to 4, Oxford Street in London. Once you're there, I want you to ask to see Blaise Zabini. You will deliver this message to him and to him only: We have found refuge in Wiltshire and we have not much time. Tell him that the message comes from Draco Malfoy. If he's in presence of other people, keep your mouth shut! He's the only one who's allowed to know our hiding place, do you understand?" The house-elf nodded solemnly before snipping and disappearing. Draco felt a certain relief overwhelm him, although it lasted only a brief second.

"Daddy, why did we have to leave father?"

How much he wished he didn't have to answer that question.

(1) I checked for an Intruder charm on the Internet, but there was no known incantation for it, so I made one up. Repelle Hostium is the Latin translation for "chase the enemy away", or "avert enemies". This spell doesn't work on house-elf because they have a more powerful magic than wizards. (That's why Dobby could apparate inside the cellars of Malfoy Manor in DH part 1). But I believe you already know that, it was just to avoid confusions.

TBC…