A/N Ummm... hey everyone. Sorry for the longer than normal wait. I'm at the end of the semester so everything is hectic right now. Yay finals... I'm updating now even though I haven't finished ch 51 yet. The chapters are now becoming harder than normal to write, probably because it's nearing the end - there's going to be more than ten, maybe more than twenty chapters... I have no idea... but I know it's coming. :)
When I had first written this chapter, it was only about 3,000 words long. Then some things came up and some characters demanded that I do certain things and the word count kept going higher and higher. So here you guys go, an extremely long chapter - at least extremely long compared to my other chapters. :)
Draco was sitting in the shower. The water pounded down harshly from the showerhead. The temperature was scorching. His skin was bright red. His own tears mixed with the fat drops of water from his shower. His knees were pressed against his chest. His arms were wrapped around his legs. His forehead pressed against his knee caps as he sobbed.
Even though the temperature was hot, his body trembled and shook. Draco rubbed his skin raw to rid himself of the blood of his father that didn't exist. He scratched his scalp until it bled to rid him of the memory of the look on his father's face when he realized what Draco had done. He tore at his ears leaving red welts on his pale skin to stop his mother's cries for a husband who wouldn't be coming home. No matter how hard he had tried to rub, scratch or tear at his body the memory of what happened wouldn't leave him be.
He could see his father's crazy smile. He could see his father raising his wand with the killing curse on the man's lip as he aimed for Fred. He could feel his heartbeat stop as it had at that moment. He could feel his emotions as he thought, "Not him. Not him." He could remember throwing out his hand with the shout of his spell. He could see the wall crumbling and the surprised look on his father's face; he could see his father, not the mask that had taken hold. Then his father was buried. But he could see his mother. He could hear her shouts over and over again. They haunted him as she cried out in denial.
His father was dead. He killed his father. It was his fault.
He gripped his hair as his sobs refused to relent. No matter how many tears he shed, more kept coming. His stomach clenched and he constantly felt sick. He rocked himself back and forth, back and forth.
He killed his father. He killed his father. He killed his father.
How was he supposed to live with that? How was he supposed to survive the guilt? How was he supposed to forgive himself when all he could hear was his mother's screams?
It was all his fault. He hadn't needed to go. He hadn't needed the money. He could have depended on the hellions. But he wanted to be in control of something.
How he wished he had jumped off the Astronomy Tower his second year. His father would still be alive. Harry - though most likely Hermione - probably would have figured out the horcruxes or the old man would have told him eventually. He was just a pawn in the grand scheme. He wasn't necessary. He knew that - before anyone else died because of him - he had to leave.
The water cut off, but Draco refused to move. His drenched, naked body began to shake in the humid room. Yet without the scalding water on, his body felt frigid.
A towel wrapped itself around him, but he still didn't move. He didn't care who was there. All he wanted was to be left alone.
He killed his father.
Tears continued falling down his cheeks as something warm rushed over him. It made him light, but it did nothing to make him feel differently. Someone bent down and picked him up. Draco struggled weakly before he just gave up.
His eyes were still squeezed shut as he was put on the bed. Seconds passed before he felt the softness of his pajama bottoms and the towel disappearing. He finally opened his eyes to look at the person standing over him.
Fred.
He killed his father to save Fred.
He saved Fred by killing his father.
His father was dead because Draco broke the most important rule that had been ingrained into him since birth.
Family apparently wasn't everything.
Unable to keep looking at the other boy, Draco curled into a ball with his back to Fred. More tears fell and he could feel Fred run his fingers through Draco's drenched hair. He wanted to push the hand away, but he just whimpered and curled tighter into himself. He didn't want to be petted, but just couldn't find the strength to move away.
Overwhelmed by his emotions, Draco transformed into Pup. In his animagus form, his despair decreased slightly and his human mind marginally retreated. The small animal took comfort in the nearest thing he could.
Pup crawled his way onto Fred's lap, a high pitch cry leaving his tiny mouth. His ears were completely flat and his tail dragged behind him. He curled into a tight ball, his fluffy tail slowly wrapping around his body.
Another pitiful cry left Pup. His diminutive body shook. He flinched the first time Fred trailed a finger down his head. The second time wasn't so bad.
The Fennec Fox closed his eyes and fell asleep, hoping everything would just end.
Pup hadn't changed his form for the past five days. He ate nothing and drank when Fred forced him to. The tiny animal constantly stayed with Fred. When the teen had to go to work, Pup was curled up on his head with the sticking charm on him so he wouldn't fall off. When they were in the apartment, Pup trotted behind him or just laid on his lap.
He was almost always sleeping. He could feel the despair coming from the boy who shared his body, but Pup didn't understand what caused the depth of it. Instead, he tried to make the days go by slowly so that the boy could mourn.
Pup sighed heavily, his breath making the hair in front of him move. Fred was heading back into the loud building, doing whatever it was that he did. Pup could hear the loud squeals coming from the store and his body tensed in agitation. When everything became quiet Pup was able to relax again, thankful for the thing called magic.
However, before Fred could leave the stairwell from his flat above the store, Pup felt the magic in him stir and knew the boy was coming. He gave a yip, causing Fred to reach up and remove the fox from his head. He just continued to hold onto Pup so the tiny animal nipped his hand and jumped to the floor. When he landed, Draco was there.
The blonde was exhausted. His shoulders were slumped, his hair everywhere, his clothes crumpled and his eyes bloodshot with bags underneath. He turned empty eyes towards Fred, but he said nothing. Instead he slowly climbed back up the stairs towards the flat.
He didn't want to see the store again. He didn't want to be near anyone. He didn't want anything but to be alone.
"Draco! Wait!"
Turning, Draco blinked at Fred before shaking his head. He pointed at the door that lead to the store. Not giving Fred another glance, the boy made his way back up staircase and slowly made his way into his room.
Collapsing on the mattress, Draco breathed deeply into the quilts. Before he had any time to think or fall asleep, the door to the flat banged open. Groaning, Draco enfolded his head with his arms and hoped the intruders wouldn't enter his room. Only a group of people ever entered in that manner.
"Oi, Malfoy! We know you're not in Pup form! We need to talk to you!"
"Honestly, Ronald. Draco, we had an idea on how to destroy the horcruxes. Sirius thinks it might work, but we wanted a second opinion."
"Brat, where are you? Harry has to tell you what he did a few days ago!" There was a pounding on his door before it was yanked open.
Draco refused to move for a second. He stayed on his stomach. It took longer than he anticipated obtaining the strength to sit up. Carefully pushing himself upwards, Draco sat before he turned, his legs crossing in front of him.
He knew he looked a mess, but he hardly cared. What surprised him was when Sirius strode forward, knelt on the floor and asked, "What happened?" with sincerity dripping from his voice.
There wasn't any way for him to answer. He couldn't think of anything. His eyes, which had widened in shock, dropped to his lap. His fingers clenched onto his pant legs as he tried to ruthlessly reign in his emotions.
"What the hell are you doing in here?"
Draco's head popped up at Fred's words. He was standing behind the trio who were barely through Draco's door. The three of them whipped around and stammered out an apology to the infuriated Weasley, but Sirius said, "George said to head up and do research. We saw you come down without Pup so we figured we could talk to Draco."
Draco forced himself to stand. Sirius stood next to him. For a moment, Draco just stayed put, but a small, pained smile peeked through. He tried to speak, but his throat tightened choking the words back. Draco settled for giving Sirius a nod and hoped that was enough.
Apparently Sirius understood because he gave his own nod. "Alright, then let's go hang out at the Burrow."
Draco shook his head and had to grab Sirius' arm to keep him from bounding away. When the older man looked down at him, Draco gestured to Harry. Distracting himself seemed to be the best option at that moment.
"Or we'll talk in the living room." Sirius lead the way to the room that was just mentioned as soon as Draco released his hold on the other wizard. The golden trio followed quickly, leaving Fred at the doorway and Draco standing by his bed.
Fred walked over and held Draco's face between his hands, his thumbs gently pressing into the other boys cheeks. Draco flinched and tried to pull away, but Fred shook his head and stayed firm. "No, Draco. Don't run away again. I was there even if I didn't see it, and maybe I don't understand how you feel, but you did what you had to do. That I'm sure of." His voice was low, causing Draco to squeeze his eyes shut to stop the tears from falling.
"Not now," Draco finally croaked out. He couldn't say anything more. The blonde just knew he couldn't talk about it at that moment. Fred sighed before he pecked Draco on the nose, a self deprecating smile in place when Draco flinched a little again.
"Alright, lets go see what the others want."
Draco nodded and let Fred lead the way into the living room. Once there, Draco saw that Hermione sat on one armchair with Ron on one armrest and Harry on the other. Sirius sat on the floor in front of Harry.
Without a word or a glance, Fred sat down, his shoulders tense. The younger teen knew he could sit either on the armchair and away from the twin or on the couch next to the other boy. Draco knew he should have sat on the armchair, but he didn't want to. It wouldn't be long until he had to go back to Hogwarts and leave Fred behind. It would be easier to separate if he just did it now.
Yet he felt his feet take him over to Fred. He sat without looking over at the twin, but he could feel Fred relax seconds before he focused all of his attention on the people in front of him.
"Are you sure you're ok, Draco?" Hermione asked quietly.
Draco didn't reply. He couldn't reply. Instead he kept his eyes on Sirius, hoping he would move the conversation away from him and towards the topic they came for.
"Harry, you go first. Tell him what you were up to."
Hermione cast a look towards Ron, confusion and something else that Draco couldn't discern etched on her face. He supposed she didn't want him to see it, but if so she should have known that he was used to paying attention. His father had…
Blue-gray eyes slowly shifted over to the wall. It was rather plain. It hadn't been gold or ruby as he had first thought it would be. It was an ocean green color that was anything but smooth. There were splotches of blue plastered over it.
His father would have hated it.
His hand gripping the seam of his pants, Draco had to clench his jaw and order himself to breathe calmly. It wasn't the time to fall apart.
A hand on his own had him flinching and turning to look at Fred. "If you want I can make them leave," the words Fred spoke were too soft for the others to hear.
With a shake of his head, Draco once again faced the other four and made a motioning movement at Harry to get him to speak.
"Umm… it wasn't a few days ago. It was a while ago, actually. Dumbledore had me go talk to one of his old friends. Someone named Horace Slughorn. I think he's going to be the new D.A.D.A. professor. It was confusing, really."
Not understanding what that had to do with him, Draco forced the words out of his mouth, "The point?"
"Thought you'd like to know."
Refusing to rub his head, Draco nodded. His hand didn't obey and went to his forehead and started to place pressure there. At first his brain didn't want to work correctly. Horace Slughorn sounded vaguely familiar.
After thinking on it for a minute the memory clicked into place. "Potions Master," he hated it, but his voice sounded tired and strained.
"What?" Ron asked, finally speaking up. "Snape's the potion master."
"He was the Potions professor," Draco sighed and looked at Sirius. "The mutt should remember."
When the golden trio looked at Harry's godfather Sirius shrugged without repentance. "What? I hated potions and didn't pay attention. Not only that, but some things are still a bit... fuzzy after my time with the dementors."
His throat felt sore from speaking as much as he had which was irritating seeing as Draco had barely talked.
"Sirius, how did you even become an Auror?"
Sirius grinned at Hermione and winked, "I'm not revealing all my secrets. You're turn, Hermione."
"It was actually Ron who thought of it."
Looking over at Ron, Draco tried to force himself to raise his eyebrow, but it failed so he just stared at the red head.
There was something that looked like a blush on his ears. "Well, I just asked if the fang would have been enough to destroy the horcrux. You guys said that it couldn't be destroyed by normal means, so why would a fang make a difference? Hermione was the one who came up with the idea."
"Alright, you all thought of it, awesome. What was it?" Fred asked, his voice tinged with anger.
"The poison," Harry threw in. "Hermione figures that since it's so potent, it was enough to destroy the horcrux."
"Harry can take us down into the chamber and we can extract some of the poison."
Draco shook his head. When the four looked at him in confusion, Draco sighed and whispered, "It would have dried up after a year. Poison does not last long after a creature dies, including magical creatures."
"Why not make a basilisk so we can have the poison?" Fred asked.
Draco turned with a bland expression, but it wasn't him who answered.
"Freddie, would you seriously want a pet that could kill us?" George's voice came from the door before he walked over and wormed himself on the other side of Draco, squishing the blonde between the two of them.
"Think of what we can do with it, though!"
"True, but I don't want to die."
Fred grinned while Draco shook his head at the two. He squirmed a little bit, crossing his legs and placing his clammy hands on his legs. There was movement from Fred and there was a palm pressing into Draco's back, rubbing into the knots.
Refraining from sighing, Draco leaned back minutely while staring at Hermione who said. "Well, do you know anything that's as potent as Basilisk poison?"
Before Draco could shake his head, Ron held up a hand, "Do you hear something?"
Sirius cocked his head to the side, "It's coming from Draco's room. Sounds like an owl at the window."
Fred and Draco stood at the same time. The blonde blinked at the auburn haired boy before shrugging and leading the way into his room as conversation picked up again.
"Would he really create a Basilisk?"
"It's Freddie, he might."
Grinning, Fred opened the door and both he and Draco entered the blonde's room. Draco walked right up to the window on the far wall and opened it. Apollo, his Eagle Owl, soared in and landed on Draco's shoulder. The owl held his leg out and waited for Draco to remove the thick package.
Once it was removed, Apollo nudged Draco's head before flying to the dresser and landing on top of it. With a shrug, Draco sat on his bed with Fred beside him. For a moment the blonde shifted the package back and forth, feeling the weight of it.
He opened the package and set the book behind him, not really looking at it. Instead he looked at the folded, heavy parchment. After a nudge from Fred, Draco unfolded the paper and began to read.
Mr. Draco,
The following document is a set of legal citations that detail your-
The parchment fell from his hands, the pages scattering around his floor. He kept staring at his fingers, working at keeping his breathing calm. He didn't focus on the tightening of his stomach, the itchiness of his eyes, the trembling of his body. He didn't.
When arms wrapped around his shoulders, Draco just caved. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn't handling this emotional roller coaster on his own. He brought his legs to himself and let Fred hold him. Draco buried his head in Fred's chest, trying to keep his sobs quiet.
When he finally grew silent, Draco kept his grip on Fred's shirt and couldn't stop his shaking. "She disowned me," he whispered brokenly. He fought the urge to change into Pup. Instead he kept his eyes squeezed shut.
Words weren't spoken. Fred kept his arm around Draco with his chin resting on top of the blonde's head. He pressed his fingers into Draco's back, once again slowly massaging the knots he found.
Draco finally pulled away when his tears stopped falling. He scooted to the head of the bed and wiped his eyes. His wand was lying on the bedside table where it would stay until he absolutely had to pick it up. After Draco pulled his hand away from his face and it was dry, he found Fred sitting next to him. A blush threatened to grow, but Draco pointed to the door to take the attention away from himself.
Understanding dawned on Fred's face, quickly followed by annoyance and a scowl plastered itself on his features. Fred wrapped an arm around the younger wizard and Draco did nothing to stop him. Draco waved his hand and the papers shuffled back in order, folding neatly and landed on the book, out of sight. Once the papers were in place, Fred drew his wand and the door quickly opened, causing three people to fall into the room.
George stood up from his spot on the couch and walked over while Hermione stayed in her seat on the armchair. George smirked as he said, "Told you that you would be caught." His smirk fell when he saw Draco and he jumped over the pile of limbs hurrying to Draco's side. He didn't ask what was wrong, he just knelt on the ground and joined Fred in glaring at the other three.
Sirius looked appalled - which was probably from overhearing that Draco was disowned - while Harry and Ron simply looked confused. Draco could feel himself start to hyperventilate when he finally heard Malfoy.
Let me take care of them.
No... I can't... No...
I'll just get them to leave us alone.
Too tired to argue, Draco allowed it happen. Malfoy soon had control and he straightened. He pushed the twin's arm away from him and stood up. He would have stepped on the other twin if he hadn't moved out of the way.
"What are you all gawking at?"
"Malfoy."
Malfoy looked over his shoulder and winked at Weasley Twin One. "In the flesh. Pray tell, why are you lingering? Do you believe yourself worthy of knowing the details surrounding our disownment? Even the mudblood has enough manners not to speak of things beyond her capacity."
"Oi!" The younger Weasley shouted out, taking a step forward.
"What? Baby Weasel doesn't like it when I call the mudblood Mudblood?" Malfoy snickered, held out his hand and his wand flew into it. "Now, if you would all disappear from view the kid would appreciate it." His smile turned into a grimace when he caught sight of his reflection in a nearby mirror. He flicked his wand to straighten his hair and clean his robes while he ran a finger across his neck as he waited for his appearance to be put to rights.
"Why are you here?"
Malfoy turned to Weasley Twin Two, but turned to first address Black who was staring at him with his mouth wide open. "Close your mouth, Black, you give us purebloods a bad name. It's no wonder you were disowned." With a sniff Malfoy went back to face Weasley Twin Two. "Obviously he wished for me to disperse of this... rabble."
"I thought you were kidding."
"No, Black, I rarely kid. I really do want you all to disappear so I don't have to stare at your faces longer than necessary."
"No, not that," Sirius finally croaked out. "I thought Harry was kidding when he said you were... real."
With a scoff Malfoy walked out of the room and into the living room so he could sit on the couch. As he sat, the couch turned into a plush chair that was larger than necessary. Yet Malfoy threw his legs over an armrest and leaned against the other. "Of course I'm real. Now leave so I can rest in peace."
"You said that... he was disowned," Ron muttered.
The mudblood stood while she glared at Baby Weasel. It was obvious that she didn't want to sit near him, which was perfectly fine with Malfoy. He didn't want to be anywhere near her presence.
"He was. Well, he is being disowned. He has yet to sign on the dotted line, become emancipated and receive access to his personal vault, but that's all simple semantics." Malfoy stretched out and grinned at the four flabbergasted people. The twins were standing behind the armchairs and glaring at him, as if that would stop him from speaking.
"Was he found out?" Potter asked. "How was he found out?"
"Worried he can't help you anymore?" Planting his feet on the floor, Malfoy could feel Draco's annoyance, but he pushed on anyway. "He shouldn't help you, Potter. He gains nothing from it." Striding towards the boy with glasses, Malfoy grabbed a fistful of Potter's shirt and pointed his wand at the other boy's chest, a sneer in place.
"Umm... that's what he said he wanted to do."
Malfoy barked out a laugh before pushing Potter away from him and into the wall. He couldn't hex the other boy, his wand would be traced. Punching was just too plebeian. He would suffice with a verbal assault. And he could watch with glee when they heard what he had to say.
He waited until Potter straightened and joined Baby Weasle, the mudblood, and Black before he said, "He was disowned because he killed his father."
Draco shied away when Malfoy saw the looks of horror on the others faces. Oh, it was glorious. A grin spread across his face as he continued, "He used bombarda to do it."
"That's enough." Twin Number One was standing in front of Malfoy with a scowl in place.
Malfoy cocked his head to the side with a small smirk, "What? Does it bother you that he was disowned because of you? That he chose you over his father?"
The room was silent and Fred blinked stupidly at Malfoy for a moment.
"Did you honestly think that he would kill his father was simply because he had no other choice?" Malfoy waved his wand in the air, dismissing the thought. "If it was that simple, then he would have let his father take him in."
"But his father -"
"Obviously you can't listen." Turning, Malfoy found that the others were listening raptly. "The fool could have had power and an... easier life if he just did what I said and actually joined the Dark Lord."
"So you want us to fail?" Baby Weasel spoke up. "You would take us to Voldemort as soon as you had the chance."
"What is up with you Weasleys and jumping to conclusions? Doing so would mean that we were caught and killed by the Dark Lord."
"But you would turn us over?"
"In a heartbeat." Malfoy grinned at the mudblood. "That won't be possible unless Potter dies. And seeing as he has been denying the Dark Lord that boon for the past sixteen years, I see no end to the trend. I gain nothing for turning you in without a way to guarantee Potter's demise. He has this irritating ability to get away." Malfoy tilted his head and added in as an afterthought, "Though if Potter manages to win, I won't have to kneel to anyone."
"That still doesn't explain why... Draco..."
"You can't even say his name," Malfoy snickered at Potter, leaning against the wall he had pushed the boy into moments ago. "He doesn't do anything because he wants to. Just think about how much easier our life would have been."
"It wouldn't have."
Malfoy once again turned his attention to Twin Number One. "It would have. There would have been no need for lying, just omission. Well, mostly omission with some lying. The old fool would believe anyone who said that they renounce the choices of the father. You asinine Gryffindors would have been forced to muddle your way through something you didn't understand. Black would have most likely died; that wouldn't have been a problem. He wouldn't have been forced to kill his own father. He would have power and not this... disaster of a life. And if you and your brother hadn't gotten in the way that's the life we would have lived." Malfoy pushed himself off the wall and stood toe to toe with Twin Number One.
"However, this life is more... entertaining." Malfoy dragged a finger down the twin's shirt and his grin stretched when the other flinched. "Far, far more entertaining." He felt Draco pushing him aside and he whispered for only the twin to hear, "Next time this will be more interesting."
"He won't let you."
"Are you so sure of that?"
Draco stumbled back, holding his head. He should have cared about what Malfoy had said, but he didn't. Instead, he weaved his way back into his room and went to his bed. He ignored the papers, knowing what was contained within them. He had read enough law books to know what he was entitled to and what would soon be stripped from him, if they hadn't already been.
He was still the Lestrange heir since his aunt hadn't disowned him from her entitlements - which wasn't much except for her money and property she had left in her vaults. She had no reason to disown him because she would not have minded if Lucius was dead.
He still had access to his own vault, which his mother and father had opened for him when he was born. Every year, they transferred a hundred galleons for each holiday and a few special occasions that his mother created at a whim. He could last many years on these funds if he spent the coins wisely.
What was taken away from him was his last name. Everything that had, and still did, bear his name would automatically remove his last name and leaving it to read Draco Lucius. At the stroke of midnight, Draco's tie to the Malfoy family would be severed.
Anything that required Malfoy blood to enter would no longer register him as a part of the Malfoy family. The place he had taken the twins wouldn't let him enter the room where the money was stored. The painting wouldn't open for him any longer.
Wards around his family home wouldn't grant him entrance unless it was approved by his mother.
Draco set the papers aside and reached for the book. He moved it from side to side, looking at the cover, the back and the spine to find any indication of what the book was about. He found nothing. The cover was completely blank. Sighing, he opened it up and nearly dropped the journal back on the bed.
The Property of Aquila Malfoy
Taking a deep breath, Draco flipped to the next page where his mother might have left him a missive. When he found nothing, he flipped to the very back to see if a note was there. Upon finding nothing, he slowly turned the pages backwards until he found writing. It wasn't his mother's handwriting, but the end of a journal entry. However, before he could close the journal, the last words on the page caught his attention and stole his breath away.
Quickly, he turned back to the top of the last entry and began to read. The handwriting was looping and elegant. Each letter was exactly where it was supposed to be and the spaces between words were perfect. Yet he could see the small tremors in the straight letters and the crookedness in the round ones.
This will be my last entry in this journal. I have been writing sporadically for the last three years and I have no desire to keep writing about painful memories. I had been told that it would be therapeutic, but all it has done is dig those thorns deeper into my wounds.
I miss my best friend. I miss her smiles and her laugh. I miss her humor and her naivety. I miss her anger and her quick temper. It was a breath of fresh air.
I just miss her.
Many told me the pain will ease, but it's been four years and it has not gone away. My son has been born. My heir. My only child. He looks like a Malfoy. Pale eyes and light hair. Perhaps every generation is destined to look like one another as well. I have no desire to find out.
However, I will live on until my heir comes into his inheritance. I will help him through his life and perhaps we will find that the curse was a hoax. I doubt it will be, but Madalina hopes differently.
The healers said to put all my thoughts and feelings down in here, and I have complied. Mostly. I decided to wait until my last entry to put my last thought of the incident down on paper.
There is a quote in my family that has been passed down for many generations. I have no knowledge of when it first began. All I know is that my father and mother spoke of it often. However, it isn't until now that I understand it.
Family is what makes us. It teaches us the basics in life: how to act, how to talk, how to eat, how to care - or not care, depending on the family. It teaches us everything that we need to survive.
However, family is not only considered by blood. Aurora was my best friend, my closest confidant and no one has been able to take her place. I doubt any will. She was my family outside of my family.
If she had waited a few more minutes before her final act, I would have told her I forgive her, that I would have still agreed to be with her even if it would have meant my banishment from my family.
I may not have loved her as many romantics write about. But I wanted her happy and free from strife. I would have protected her. She was my family.
And family is everything.
Draco stood in the field and had his arms crossed. It was the day before the train left for Hogwarts. He hadn't talked since the day he was disowned.
"Well, it's a good way to test it," George muttered. "Plus we already told Mum we're bringing a friend."
Slowly he turned his eyes to glare at Fred; Fred crossed his own arms and glared right back. "What?"
"She and everyone might flip..."
"... when you first enter, but...
"... it'll be fine after..."
"... we explain."
"We swear." The two spoke the last sentence together and looked so sure that Draco couldn't find it in himself to argue. He just sighed and nodded.
The three trudged down the well worn path. As they walked, Draco had to wonder if the Golden Trio had been working on their training as they should have been. Both with their mind and their physical training. He hoped so.
It didn't take very long for them to reach the wards. The two continued on without stopping, obviously not realizing exactly where the barrier actually was. Draco froze and held up his left hand, studying the burns on it.
Fred was the first to notice his absence. He turned back around and walked over to Draco and studied the scarred flesh of the blonde's hand. "Is that how you got that burn?"
Draco merely nodded and held it out to where the barrier should have been. His hand passed right through it and the last bit of hope that he had held onto burnt to ashes. The hope that his disownment had been a fluke.
Carefully Draco took a step forward. Nothing happened. George and Fred smiled gently at the blonde, warmth and... something else that Draco couldn't describe in their eyes. Both hooked their arms through his and gently led him forward to the leaning house where he could hear shouts and laughter.
He understood why they were bringing him. They wanted to distract him from his thoughts. The best way was to throw him into the midst of their family, apparently. Draco brought a finger to his necklace without thinking about it, rubbing it gently.
By the time Draco realized they had walked into the front door, George yelled, "Mum! We're here!"
George gave Draco's arm a squeeze before he detached himself and went jogging around the house. Fred removed himself and Draco turned wide eyed at the twin, not wanting to be alone in the mess they made. But Fred just grinned and draped an arm over the blonde and whispered, "I'm not gonna leave you. It'll be fine."
"Oh, who is this friend you keep talking about?" Molly Weasley's voice asked, moving closer to the two still standing in the doorway.
Draco's eyes flicked to and from the two passages that connected to the foyer. The farthest ended in sunlight. The closest showed a crowded living room. There was a door near the two of them which Draco assumed was a closet.
"We call him Blondie."
When he began to shift away to go back outside Fred tightened his arm around the boy and gave him a look that plainly said: stay put.
"Oh, dear, I don't suppose he likes it."
"I don't suppose he does."
Draco rolled his eyes, but froze when he saw Molly Weasley and George step into the short corridor. His breathing began to accelerate and his heart picked up pace and he would have taken a step back if Fred hadn't had a hold on him.
"Well then, why do you call the dear -" Mrs. Weasley halted, her body unmoving as she caught sight of Draco. The two stared at each other until the twins gently nudged them forward.
"Mum, this is Draco."
"Blondie, this is our mum."
Draco quickly got his emotions under check and thrust them under his mask before he gave her a slight bow, "Mrs. Weasley." His voice was quiet and he wondered for a moment if she even heard him.
Mrs. Weasley blinked a few times before saying, "Um... hello, dear... how did... I mean... the wards... the feud..."
Draco interrupted quietly, not wanting the woman to be confused, "Are still in effect, ma'am. However, they do not work on me."
"Why ever not, dear?"
Tensing, Draco looked over Mrs. Weasley's shoulder so he wouldn't have to stare into her brown eyes. "The wards are meant to keep Malfoy's out. Since I have been..." His voice got quieter and quieter with every word until he just tapered off and couldn't continue.
"Mum, Draco defected and his mother disowned him," George finished for him.
"Oh, you poor dear. But surely you heard of the feud."
"I would rather not think of the feud. It was long ago."
As if sensing he didn't want to speak about it, Mrs. Weasley gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Very well, dear. I'm sure you're famished. Let's get introductions out of the way so we won't have any confusion."
She turned and led the way forward with George and Fred on either side of Draco again. George leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "See, we told you Mum wouldn't make a big deal of it."
"What of everyone else?"
"Eh, Bill and Fleur are off on their honeymoon. Charlie left a few days ago. We don't talk to Percy anymore. The only people left are Dad and Gin."
"Since Sirius, Harry, Ron and Hermione know about you, it'll be fine." Fred leaned down and kissed Draco on the cheek before straightening and the three began to walk into the living room.
The day had been long and exhausting. Draco was glad that the twins had talked him into going to their home, just to give him a few minutes away from his own thoughts. It had been strangely easy for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to accept him. Ginny had been the opposite and had sent him glares the entire night.
Yet when he walked into the flat, that annoying feeling he had popped up when he thought of the possible horcruxes. It always happened when Hufflepuff's cup entered the forefront of his mind. The thought had bugged him constantly for the hours that followed.
Draco had enough. He knew something was there, but he just couldn't get to it. When he couldn't come up with another option, he turned to Fred who was sitting on Draco's bed next to the blonde. "I need you to find something for me."
"Alright. Where am I supposed to look?"
"In my mind."
"What?"
"I need you to cast legilimens on me."
A/N after this:
To Oh my God (visitor): Thank you. :) And yes to your question, Lucius was not in control when he confronted Draco and the twins.
To A Fan (visitor): Yeah, I usually tend to update faster than I have :/ I totally blame collage and finals. lol.
So, I hadn't known that Aquila wrote in a diary about the incident. I hadn't known how he felt about it until I just let my fingers type. The whole incident about the disownment? Yep, didn't see Narcissa doing that, but she insisted. So there you go, Ch. 49. Hope you guys all enjoyed it!
And thank you for all the reviews! They always make my day!
Oh, and the wedding thing? Yes, the wedding happened, obviously, but the attack didn't. It seems idiotic to me for the Weasley's to not have the place under heavier security because Harry stayed with them, so I pretended everything happened without a hitch. And Scrimgeour? He'll probably die later *shrug*. Another thing, I swear they're going onto the Hogwarts Express next chapter. Promise!
ALSO: I absolutely love my second mommy (who is editing this) because she is absolutely amazing. Ahem, anyway, this had me giggling like mad because she said something like this when Draco flinched away from Fred: "But Draco likes having Fred touching him... WAIT, not like that... Well, maybe."
P.S. ALSO: If you guys want to know something random: When my mommy is reading this, she looks at me like I'm crazy because of the little mistakes I make. Not only that, but you should see how much is highlighted because I end up writing how I say things, which does not always make sense... it's called Felicianese and it makes everyone's head hurt - at least everyone that I know. It's quite funny 'cause when I'm over at her house we're giggling constantly about what I've written and some of the time I'm like "... uh... yeah... I have no idea what I meant..."
And the reason for writing those random things? I have no idea... This is now the end of my rambling A/N :)
