" Gabriel! " Narcissa yelled out into the manor. Her yells echoed down the hall. She frowned, tapping her foot impatiently when no reply came.
She turned, navigating through the twists and turns of the manor with ease. Stopping in front of two large oak doors, she balanced the moving bundle in her arms. Keeping one arm under him to nestle him over her hip securely, she rapped her right hand on the doors.
" Gabriel, darling, are you in here again? " Pushing through the doors, she walked past the seemingly empty library, straight to an alcove in the back of the room.
And there was Gabriel, sprawled across the floor surrounded by oil pastels. Narcissa smiled down at him fondly. " Gabriel, " she said softly, not wanting to disturb him. The four-year-old didn't even look at her, scribbling intensively on a parchment.
" What are you drawing? " She kneeled on the floor, balancing a bouncing three-year-old on her lap as she leaned closer. Narcissa squinted, wracking her brain for anything that could remotely resemble the squiggles of black and brown.
" A dog, "Gabriel mumbled, his brow furrowing as he added dots of blue. He set the pastel down and raised the parchment up. " Draco says he wants a doggie for his birthday. "
Draco clapped in agreement. " Dog! " He got up, ignoring his mother's attempts to guide him as he made his way to his older brother, almost tripping over an oil pastel. " I want a puppy! "
" Like this? " Gabriel pulled Draco into his lap. Draco frowned, managing to look a serious as a three-year-old could possibly be.
He shook his head. " I want a big dog, " he raised his arms over his head, a wide as he could. " A real one too. "
Gabriel nodded and patted Draco's head assuringly. " Once I get my wand I'll give you all the dogs you want. " He looked over to Narcissa, smiling hopefully, " Right, Mother? "
Narcissa smiled. " Of course, darling. "
Time Skip: 2 Years
Gabriel could feel every breath he took bubbling up in his throat, threatening to escape him. Frankly, sometimes he wished he could do the same—float up, higher and higher.
Like now.
Of course, most people wished that too when they were blanacing over the ledge of their window.
Gabriel took a deep breath, gripping the edges of his window sill and leaned forwards, just enough to peer over the edge.
He was a wizard. He wouldn't die. His magic would save him, he would be fine.
Perfectly fine.
He closed his eyes. If Harry Potter could defeat the Dark Lord as a baby, then surely he could do just one small act of magic. He was seven for crying out loud, late-bloomer or not it was time for him to do some magic. If he had to force it out, then so be it.
He looked down, and the ground seemed to stretch farther. He tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. Closing his eyes, he remembered the collection of books he had on his bookshelf. Tales of The-Boy-Who-Lived's greatest adventures. Draco borrowed them daily, his eyes always filled with awe and adoration even as he read the books for the twelfth time.
Just once, Gabriel wanted Draco to look up at him with those eyes.
Three stories, he decided, was not a very long fall. It would be over in a matter of seconds. A few moments later and he would be back on the ground.
The thought comforted him enough to take the first step, and let gravity do the rest.
The wind rushed up to meet him, whipping his robes around him almost painfully.
He clenched his gut, and waited. Eyes watering, he tried to imagine magic flowing through his body, making him as light as a feather.
Soon the adrenaline faded, and all he felt was anger.
Nothing was happening.
Why wasn't anything happening?
Gabriel forced himself to keep his eyes open even as the ground got closer and closer. He wanted to see his magic for himself.
He wanted to be able to tell Draco all about it later.
He gritted his teeth, and he could've sworn he felt his robes scrape the ground ever so slightly before he was swept up, and up, and up.
Joy spread through him like wildfire and he felt lighter than air. He laughed as he touched the ground gently.
And fell back down as a body tackled him to the ground.
Gabriel wrapped his arms around the figure tightly, realising that it was his mother, her hands running over his face as she checked for any injuries.
" I'm fine, Mother. I did it! I—"
" Gabriel Cygnus Malfoy! What were you thinking?!" His mother snapped at him, gripping his shoulders tightly. He frowned, did they not see what he just did?
" I would've been fine—"
" YOU COULD'VE DIED! " She shouted at him. Gabriel was momentarily stunned into silence. He couldn't remember the last time his mother had lost her composure. Even when the Dark Lord had died, and his father had locked himself in his study, she carried on as if nothing had changed.
" But I— " His voice died off, seeing his father pocket his wand over his mother's shoulder.
He pushed his mother away, staggering to stand in front of his father. " That was you? " His father nodded stiffly.
" That was a very foolish thing to do, you could've gotten hurt—"
" Why would you do that? " Gabriel cut him off. His father looked at him, puzzled. He wanted to laugh, he had never seen a clearer expression on his father's face.
Gabriel repeated, " Why would you do that? " His father frowned and opened his mouth to rebuke him. Gabriel didn't let him. " I could've done something! " He yelled.
He stared at him, chest heaving up and down. " I know you don't think I have magic but I do! " His mother rubbed his back in an attempt to comfort him, but he only shook her off.
Backing away from them, Gabriel shouted, " I could've saved myself! I'm not— I'm not a Squib! " He spat the word out. He wanted to scrub his mouth clean. The word felt dirty, and the possibility that he could be a— The mere thought of that left a disgusting aftertaste.
This time it wasn't his mother, but his father who put his hand on his shoulder and pulled him close. Gabriel didn't have the strength to pull away.
He always hated disappointing his father.
He choked at the thought that he, Gabriel Malfoy being a squib. A chorus of sobs erupted from his throat. Narcissa hugged him from behind, whispering a litany of apologies into his ear.
He wanted to shove them away—wanted to scream at them to stop because he wasn't a squib.
Instead he pulled them closer.
A/N: I loved writing this chapter. I love Gabriel in general he deserves the world. (If I could make a whole story about him I would just saying)
