Harry, Guy, and Draco flew across the green forest and made the way to the shared cabin. The three of them landed with ease facing the house. Draco noticed Charlie's broom
was leaned up against the wall on the front porch, which meant he was home. A tiny bit of anxiety left Draco, knowing Charlie was here.
"Alright" said Guy, "Lets get in."
Draco went up the the door and opened it for the two.
As they walked in, the first thing Draco noticed was the smell, which meant Charlie was cooking up dinner. "Hey Draco!" Charlie voice rang out from the kitchen.
"Hey Charlie, Guy and Potter are here." Draco said as he walked into the kitchen.
Charlie turned around, "Huh?" He took notice of Guy and Harry following in behind Draco, "What's up guys? Care to stay for dinner?"
"That'd be great Charlie, thanks, I'll never deny food from the best cook on the reserve." Guy agreed, then he turned towards Draco,
"And Draco, get all the letters, we will look over them while we eat."
Guy and Harry took a seat at the kitchen table. Charlie brought over a steaming pot of Chili and used his magic to place the bowls. While Draco was leaving the kitchen, Charlie asked him to get Leo for dinner.
Draco walked over to Leo's door, knocked and told him dinner was ready. "Thanks, coming!" Leo said.
Draco climbed the ladder and when he reached the top he heard Leo emerge from his room and heard his loud voice chatter with the guests. Draco felt such a rush of nerves getting all the letters together. Each one was still unopened.
Opening the letters would feel like opening up a festering wound. He was about to let Guy and Potter of all people to read them. He knew it was the right choice, he knew maybe they'd believe Lucius did have something to do with these break ins at the reserve.
Drac'os breathing hitched as he gathered over forty letters. He felt embarrassment and dread. Running a hand through his slick blonde hair he looked out the now dark trees, took a deep breath and gathered the little but of courage he could muster.
Making his was downstairs with his armful of letters, he placed them all on the kitchen table. The four men let out a gasp looking at the amount.
Draco let out a dry laugh, "Yeah, and their were ones I tore up."
"Alright Draco, lets get this over with." Guy said finishing up his bowl of food, "Leo and Charlie how about you two go into the living room while we sort through these."
"No problem, sir," Charlie said.
Leo gave out a little pout, but still agreed, and walked out of the kitchen.
As Charlie left he gave Draco's shoulder a little squeeze, picking up on his anxiety. "It'll be alright, Draco."
Harry let out a small cough and picked began ripping into the first letter.
The time passed by slow as he watched Guy and Harry read the letters. Draco noticed Guys faces kept looking disgusted and would glance up towards Draco with a look of concern. Potter kept his normal serious Aurora face on and kept to the reading.
Draco sat there awkwardly and he felt out of place. He couldn't control his constant shaking due to his dark harassing father being on full display.
Finally Guy sat down the last letter, and he looked at Draco, "I'm glad you asked us to look at these.. This has raised some major red flags, your father is definitely a suspect." He rubbed his head, looking stressed.
Harry began speaking, "I mean Lucius has been on watch since the war, but who's to say he doesn't have people working for him? I can't understand with him wanting Draco off the reserve so badly a dragon would need to be slaughtered?"
Guy backed his chair up and stood up stretching, "Maybe it was a diversion?" He bit his bottom lip, "Anyway Draco, your father does not like you being here."
It came as no shock to Draco, but being blissful ignorant this whole time in pretending it wasn't true kept him sane, until now. Now it was real. Draco sat in silence saying nothing and listening.
"He's stated numerous time he want's you out of here and at home. Said he'll do anything and break any law to get you back to your manor... I'm afraid to go into to much detail." Guy said as he paced around the kitchen.
"Draco," Potter said, "We will be taking these with us for evidence. In the meantime if you get anymore had them in, and be on high alert." He started to gather some of the letters.
In a fleeting moment Draco grabbed a few and began looking over them. "Maybe you shouldn't read those!" Potters voice rang out.
To late.
"Disowned-"
"Betrayal- Disgusted with you-"
"A failure on a dragon reserve-"
"ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC-"
"You won't survive."
"Think you can survive without ME?"
"will get you back here, will do anything and everything."
"kicking and screaming you will come home."
"disgrace to our name"
"will destroy-"
Draco's throat felt tight. His body was quivering with shock. He felt he couldn't breathe, the blood left his face. He stood up and the room began spinning. Draco breathes came out in rasps.
He needed to get out of this kitchen with all the eyes on him.
"Charlie!" Harry called, "Come in here!" Draco heard as he bolted out the back door into the shadowed backyard.
He climbed over the railing off the back porch and jumped down off the back of it. Running over to the small branch, he fell on his knees, and began heavily sobbing while he fisted his hands in his hair.
Draco's head fell to the ground as his body let out all of his despair. Suddenly he felt a large hand rubbing his back. Draco knew it was Charlie through his squinty, tearful eyes.
Charlie said nothing, and embraced Draco in a giant bear hug. "Shh, it's going to be okay, I'm here."
Draco still had a few more tears to shed on Charlie's shirt. He took some deep breathes and tried to speak, his voice coming out unfamiliar, "He said the w-worst things, Charlie." Draco cried and pulled on Charlies shirt,
"How can he be so cruel to m-me? All I want it this. Is to be happy!" Draco buried his face in Charlies shoulder.
Charlie rubbed circles on Draco's back, "Look at me Draco." Draco obliged, as he looked up to Charlie. "I don't want to know how he can say such things to you. He doesn't have a good soul, Draco." Charlie wiped off Draco's tears.
"What I do know is you aren't to believe one word of what he says about you. You are good, strong, and you take care of yourself on your own." Charlie pulled him in close. "And know I will always be here for you, Draco. I love you."
The branch let off it's familiar serene sound in the darkness, as Draco let out a sniffled, "I love you too, Charlie."
They held each other for a long while, on the midnight grass. They listened to the stream and the creeper bugs playing their tune. Charlie sat there with Draco, he would as long as he needed him to, even ignoring the Branch Walker, watching them from inside the darkened forest.
