36
"She's so beautiful."
"I think so too." Narcissa said with a dreamy smile. Draco rifled through the pictures two more times, each time allowing their faces to be etched in his mind. "How long has it been? These pictures must be years ago."
"Couple of years ago. The Owls have stopped right after it happened."
"Her eyes. Malfoy eyes." He held out a picture to her, but Narcissa shook her head. "Have you not seen them?"
Narcissa was silent.
"Mother, have you not seen your granddaughter?" He still held the picture out to her even after she refused to look at it.
"I can't do it, Draco." Narcissa whispered, and though she was smiling, her eyes unmasked the lie. "I can't bare to look at them any more."
Draco continued to stare at her, dumfounded.
"Once I see them, that will be the end of me. I'm too scared to fall in love. With her, with them. I know I will, but I can't do it." Draco took her hand gently and she squeezed it as though to pass the strength left in her.
"You have a family, mother. I am your family. They are your family." He stood then and closed the box, clamping it under his arm before moving to kiss her head. "Thank you."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to bring our family back."
"Stop thinking about him."
"I am not."
"Lies."
Leah glowered at her younger brother's remark. "I am not thinking about anyone."
"That's good. You shouldn't. He isn't good for you." Seth muttered and propped the book up to cover his face. Leah reached for another sweater to fold.
"How do you know who is and isn't good for me anyway?"
Seth didn't answer, but at that moment the front door flew open followed by the chatters of Jacob and Renesmee as they entered. Behind them were Olivia and Lyle, unusually quiet.
"Did you get everything you need?" Leah asked. Jacob threw himself on an armchair and sighed.
"More importantly, did you get what I asked for?"
"Uncle Seth, they ran out. But I did get you these." Lyle tossed a bag over to him.
"Doggie treats?"
"They are tastier than they look." Jacob said, pulling his own bag of treats from Renesmee's purse and started eating. Seth shook his head and looked over at his sister who was staring blankly at the floor with a smirk. "Leah, stop it."
"Stop what?" Nessie turned to look at her. By this time, Olivia, Lyle and Jacob were already in the other room fixed on the flat television screen.
"She's thinking about him."
"About who?"
"Nobody." Leah groaned as she resumed to packing. "Thinking about nobody."
"About who, Leah?" Nessie asked again ignoring Leah's response and moved closer to her.
"Tell her, Nessie. Tell her he's no good." Seth advised.
"There's nothing to tell me." Leah exhaled just as Renesmee put a palm to her cheek for a second. Leah flinched and backed away. "Ness, will you cut it out!"
"Blonde hair, blue eyes," Nessie breathed, "Draco Malfoy."
Leah blushed. "What? He's cute. You have to admit he's cute." She grinned. Nessie stared at her for a moment, remembering all that Draco had sacrificed to protect Leah and Olivia and how imperfectly perfect they were for each other. Night and day, East and West, sun and moon. The conversation in Leah's short memory with Draco stuck to Nessie's mind. Why was he looking for a wolf?
"Yes," Nessie said finally and calmly while backing away uninterestedly, "yes, he is cute. Too bad you met him on your last night."
"I have his number." Leah let the idea linger in the air. Seth peered from above the book and met Nessie's eyes of foreboding.
"Don't be silly, Leah. Think about Olivia." Nessie walked out of the room with that. Leah stopped folding and looked down at her filled luggage brushing her hand over the top wool sweater resembling her own fur. Memories of phasing, running fast and free, and breathing in each scent only her wolf side was accustomed to were all too vague in the present. It was hard thinking back on the last time she had been in her fur.
The glass teardrop resembled a pea on a pod in his palm. Draco dropped it in a small vial and wore it around his neck. Yellow and red burned the steady flame in the hearth, but a blaze of silvery green once Draco tossed in a handful of Floo Powder. He carried nothing except a piece of paper that he burned in the flame with a clasped hand. The number appeared etched in black on his arm following his disappearance as he stepped in the hollow wall, reappearing in a completely different location.
Wizards and witches walked passed him, some taking place of the portal he had came from to disappear in the same way. He breezed through the throng of people oblivious of the young witches whose eyes he had captured.
Herbert the secretary greeted him jovially the moment Draco came rushing in his office to rifle through his desk. "Herbert, I won't be in this morning. Expect me this afternoon otherwise don't expect me at all."
Herbert stared at him, doubtfully. "Y-yes sir. I might as well cancel your appointments-"
"Cancel them. Cancel everything you have for me today. There's something very important that I must attend to immediately."
"Yes sir."
"Thank you." Draco exhaled as he pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment from one of his drawers.
"I did get your drink today, sir." Herbert said, still watching Draco with surprise. Draco glanced at the mug and picked it up, stopping to look at it before taking a sip. Richly Purple Drink. Leah flooded his mind like wildfire. Her smile and the surprise in her eyes as she took her first sip despite how she disgusted was at first to be drinking something purple. His heart swelled with love, beating rapidly and anxiously at the thought of seeing her again very soon.
"Thank you, Herbert. See you later." Draco said quickly, swinging the door shut behind him. Herbert stared at the door, ears ringing in the now quiet room. An small envelope he had been holding since Draco arrived caught his attention, its front side was addressed to Draco from an unfamiliar name-Renesmee.