The Unity of Opposites
Chapter Forty Three
almost a month apart
Week Two
He couldn't remember when was the last time they were the three of them together, heads full of silly talking, lungs filled with smoke from the old cigars Adrian's stepfather used to bring from Cuba, stomachs choking in firewhiskey, eyes watery from laughter. If felt familiar and for a moment he thought he could live his life without Hermione Granger, only to listen to his heart calling her. Who could he kid? There wasn't a life if she wasn't part of it.
Adrian wrapped his arms around the two of them, mumbling something about them being his brothers from another mother and laughed out loud when Blaise asked him who is he been fucking for like the fifth time this evening.
They turned left at the next street, watching some younger girls ogling them. Blaise might have mentioned how lucky they are being with him and earn some glances from other girls now that his ring practically made him invisible. They laughed at him, not for the true to his words, but for his loyalty to his wife, even if his eyes were appreciating the good quality in certain women - aren't the eyes good like this? he used to say to them when one might complain about his extra unique gaze to the opposite sex.
They were going to the teacup, which it wasn't the actual name of the bar, but they named it as such when they had to drink firewhiskey from teacups because Adrian's stepfather was some tables away from them with a Ministry Official. They must have been seventeen? Maybe eighteen? Draco couldn't remember, but the way the waiter asked them if they were hiding from the intimidating man in the front booth was the highlighter of his whole year - no, he was sixteen, and it was some days before he has been given a task. His heart skipped a beat at the reminding of his older self and his jaw tightened. The heavy doors of teacup opened and as if it was a person, he felt its warmth overwhelming him at once. It was their own favourite place in the whole Wizarding World, mostly because the people there didn't seem to mind who they were.
Draco made them promise it would be the last stop to their nightout, but he knew them better to know they didn't mean it.
''You are our baby!'' Adrian said when Draco warned them not to treat him as such. The found their seats in their usual booth and Draco was left alone to sit and stare at his two close friends sitting aside, arguing about something silly that Draco didn't want to care about at the moment. Adrian gasped and looked at him with surprised,''Look! I framed you!'' he spoke with amusement and took out of his pocket a single key with a keychain holding a small photo of a Weasley-look-alike Draco inside. ''Young Weasley.'' he and Blaise laughed and Draco grabbed it, watching the photo Blaise took when he was lying unconscious on his table.
''Fuck off!'' Draco laughed after a hot minute, shaking his head and turning the plastic frame around to see the disappointed face of Blaise. ''Merlin, I had forgotten about it!'' he pointed the other side of the frame at Adrian, who couldn't even breath from laughing.
''Why you have me?'' he grabbed it to see his young face pouting and his eyes looking rather depressed.
''What was her name?'' Draco asked Adrian, his eyes wet, his abs hurt, his voice couldn't even be used. ''You thought you were in love with her, but she had poisoned your little Blaise to not raise and shine - ''
''Hey!''
''Anna - Anna something - '' Adrian tried to talk between gasps.
''Why would you do that?'' Blaise punched his shoulder making him laugh more. ''I was scared about little Blaise.'' he looked his young self in the photo, and grabbed his manhood, remembering how much he had cried before talking to his then step-father about it and found the potion in his blood. ''Ha-ha, keep laughing you gits, I want to see who will heal you when - ''
''Hello.'' a kind voice sounded, but no one paid the worthy attention to the beautiful girl with the hazel eyes and the rather exposed cleavage. ''What can I get you gentlemen - ''
''Winston's Firewhiskey, the oldest bottle you have, three glasses, and a bottle of Captain Morgan with three shots.'' Draco said to her, feeling her hungry gaze on his face the moment she understood who he was.
''We are doing shots now.'' Blaise laughed with Adrian, hitting his leg under the table to make him notice the woman's desired eyes on their unimpressed friend.
''Of course, Mr Malfoy.'' she spoke with a rather seductive way, her eyes never leaving him alone. ''I will go bring your order.'' she spoke again, but Draco's attention was on the keychain holding the single key, and not her. She put her hands in front of her, pressing her breasts together even more, giving the impression of a much bigger set of boobs than the one she owned and cleared her throat two whole times, wanting to catch his attention before she leaves.
Blaise hit his calf with his foot. ''Why would you do that, you moron?'' he set his hand free, reaching under the table to wipe his slacks clean. ''What?'' he asked again when Blaise's dark eyes were widened and his head pointed at the standing woman in front next to him. He frowned, ''Can I help you?'' he asked rather bothered with her gazing, fixing his shirt on top of his body and thanking Merlin he didn't take his blazer with him.
''I am so sorry about your injury, Mr Malfoy.'' she said with a calm voice, her hand rose and rested on top of his wounded shoulder, her eyes never leaving his. He kept looking at her, never blinking uninterested eyes slowly starting to gain a much older dangerous shade, reminding the smug little boy he used to walk around Hogwarts with pride on top of his high horse. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her hand fell to her sides, her cheeks burned and she left at once.
''Damn.'' Blaise covered his face as he laughed, knowing what it's like to be looked like this from Draco Malfoy.
''Granger changed you!'' Adrian teased and rested his one arm on Blaise's shoulder.
''Those are Muggle's house key!'' he rose his hand with excitement written all over his face, throwing the key to Blaise, who acted fast and grabbed it in the air. Adrian rushed to take them back and Draco grabbed his extended hand, turned it around to reveal a rather expensive Muggle watch around his wrist, named ROLEX. ''Since when are you wearing watches?'' he teased, remembering how much hate he gave him when he was walking around with his grandfather's pocket watch.
''You wanker!'' Blaise laughed, examining the watch before looking at they key, ''Hold on. This is not just Muggle's, it's Wizarding Muggle's!'' he examined it further, telling to Draco all the differences until his lips sealed at the sight of the young waitress walking towards them with their order.
She smiled to them all, until her eyes rested to Draco again, ''1701 Winston's Firewhiskey, three glasses,'' she said and opened the bottle with a professional look on her face before allowing her eyes to roar of his handsome face and offer him a smile he didn't see. She poured them the right amount of firewhiskey, ''and Captain Morgan.'' she placed the shots in line, but it was four not three. She poured the rum, watching them all taking a small glass. ''Cheers.'' she smiled and did the shot with them, her tongue licked her lips with a rather sexual way, remembering every single article she read about him in Witch Weekly and thinking she succeed what she needed to earn his attention. ''My shift ends at two.'' she said with a longing voice.
Draco nodded and extended his hand to grab Adrian's, his watch pointed at eleven thirty. He offered a charismatic smile and she did the same, her heartbeat fasten more when he made himself much more comfortable in the booth. She rested her hands on top of their table, her arms pushing her breasts together more and he smiled at her in a way that should alarm her, but it didn't. ''If I threw a stick you would leave, right?'' his gaze poisoned hers and her whole face fell.
''The Hermione Granger effect everybody!'' Adrian rose his glass with amusement, the grin on his face matched Blaise's.
''Please, like I would have settled with her provoked self-throwing exposition and slutty - ''
''You have been settled with less!'' Blaise said, making Adrian choke on his own drink. He extended his hand, patting him on the back.
''You know what, Adrian was the issue here, not me! He is wearing Muggle's accessories!'' he pointed out, Blaise's gaze following his doings.
''I am sorry, am I not a Pureblood wizard?'' he looked at the offended, ''I have galleons that needs to be spent and I do not intend to buy yet another Gini-Gini car I won't use - '' Blaise laughed and covered his face with his hand, his wedding ring shone every single corner of the bar.
Draco gasped and pointed at him with his glass. ''I never hid my need to show off to Granger!'' he rose his hand like he was making a toast.
''Say Hermione! Her-mi-one.'' Blaise teased and they both laughed, ''I have never heard you calling her by her given name!''
''Me either!'' Adrian smirked, knowing they will forget about his love life and focus on Draco's. ''It's such a delight name, isn't it.''
''Hermione, Hermione, Hermione.'' they spoke it at the same time, laughing at how they synchronized their voices.
''Like a melody to my ears - ''
''Alright, alright, you git!'' Draco punched Blaise's forearm, watching their smug faces with amusement. He poured them more rum, laughing at Adrian's mean comment about getting them drunk and refilled them the moment they drank it, not knowing if he should say what was on his mind the past days. Blaise teased Adrian about the keys again, and his lips fell apart, feeding his ego with great courage to say - ''I think I know why she left.'' he spoke and Blaise opened his mouth to congratulate him, thinking he finally understood how she might have felt holding him while dying - ''I might have dark-dracoed before she left.'' he confessed with a fast heartbeat and a bit redness in his cheeks that was not from the alcohol. He emptied his firewhiskey and poured more, watching Blaise's blank expression and Adrian's shocked one.
He could remember the days he had spoken those words to them again - their expressions were the same, both of those times.
''Shit.''
''Fuck.''
''What do you mean dark - ''
''Thought that was you.'' Astoria's amused voice made Adrian shut his lips and offered a kind smile. She kissed everyone and looked at Draco's sling with a bit of disgust. ''What is that.'' she wrinkled her nose and she tried to touch it, but thought otherwise.
''I had a small accident.'' he said to her and she looked at Blaise, disapproving his skills.
''Next week he will be fine!'' his eyes rolled, ''He will not have to wear it - ''
''Splendid.'' she smiled, not wanting to hear Blaise Zabini's voice right this second. ''How is your girlfriend?'' she asked with actual care and calmness in her voice, not seeing through his pained eyes.
''She is alright. How is Weasley?'' he carefully asked and she laughed, throwing her hair to the other side of her neck.
''Gods, I am not seeing Ronald.'' she shrugged with a certain blush on her cheeks, remembering how many times they slag, making Draco promise himself for never revealing who she was actually fucking. ''I told you I am with someone my father don't approve.'' she pointed at the bar where a handsome man was raising his glass to them. ''Neville.'' she smiled at him and he winked, ''We have been seeing each other for some months now, but he was kind of engaged - '' she cleared her throat, wanting to forget the awful previous status of his life, and focus on their future, ''Anyway. We are together now.'' her eyes fell at the extra shot. ''Disgusting.'' he looked at the them all and left, her eyes never leaving Neville's.
''What did you mean how was Weasley?''
''Who fucking cares about a Weasley, what did you mean dark-dracoed?'' Adrian asked, watching Draco's eyes lowering and his cheeks blushing worse than before. ''Like - like the Hufflepuff girl in six year?''
''Or like that witch you fucked in Rome - Draconis!'' Blaise's eyes closed in defeat, remembering the story about them two. His body shivered and looked at him, his eyes were trying to be apologetic, but didn't make it.
''Granger doesn't look like this kind of girl, mate - '' Adrian whispered to him, but Draco's cheeks blushed more remembering how red her skin was when they cum, how beautiful she was moaning in his ear, how blushed she was, how she was telling him to keep going, how she was purring his name.
''It just happened - and,'' now he wished he had his blazer - his hand rubbed his erected manhood as even the thought of Hermione managed to fluster his whole body while screaming for her, ''you gave me all those potions - ''
''Don't blame my potions for your dominant nature!'' Blaise eyes looked at him sarcastic, ''My potions are great you are the issued one!'' he drank his shot, watching them do the same.
''Maybe, maybe she left because of it.'' Draco's hand curled around his small glass and emptied it again, allowing Blaise to pour more rum inside. He drank it again and then took a sip from his firewhiskey, wanting to forget about it.
Blaise caught himself with the need to keep him at ease and tell him how wrong he is, but he guessed Hermione might want to do it herself. ''I doubt it.'' Blaise put some sense at him, with a single gaze - a gaze Draco had seen multiple times, mostly when his best mate saw something Draco couldn't. ''She loves you mate.'' he smirked when Draco blushed. ''She will come back.''
ΛVΛ
He could feel her touch burning his exposed skin. A smile curved his face and he welcomed the familiar electricity reaching places in his body he never thought possible. ''Draco.'' her voice vibrated his whole mind, feeling his fingertips searching for her body next to him, ''Draco.'' she spoke his name with care, like a promise for an endless, infinite love, ''Wake up.'' he felt small kisses from the middle of his back, going upwards to his nape. ''Don't leave me alone.'' she ran her hands along his extended ones, feeling his abs tightening against the mattress of his bed. ''Draco, I miss you.'' she laid on top of him, placing a kiss to his cheek.
''I've missed you, Hermione.'' he mumbled and opened his eyes to see the empty side of the bed, his skin still shivering, his manhood burning with desire.
ΛVΛ
He could still not believe he wasn't wearing his sling. He had named it Patrick, because it was a ridiculous name and he hated it. Small doses of pain were electrifying his body when he was moving too fast, but he was not complaining. He wanted to feel something, anything, at this point.
The sun was shining above his head and he might have wished for those sunglasses Blaise was bragging about. He had bought him a pair, a perfectly black with gold rounds pair, that were named Aviator Square or something like it, and actually looked good on him, but he wouldn't come here with those in hand, would he?
Not that he will ever admit it, but he might be standing in front of the Potter residence, which was as frightened as standing next to Snape when giving you one of his favourite speeches - and Draco had heard a lot of those speeches, mostly because he might be the one causing him to speak them, or be part of the gang that did something to cause him to speak them.
He knocked the door and hid his hands inside his pockets. There was a high pitch noise in the back, and he turned around to see no one and nothing. He frowned and heard it again, this time understanding that it was coming from inside the house. His good hand rose to touch his wand, thinking someone might be murdering them - what is with this man and problems? Isn't his banal sense of fashion enough to burden him for the rest of his life? That isn't screaming, he told himself and placed an ear on the wooden door, hearing the high pitch noise coming closer and closer - ''Fuck.'' he closed his eyes in defeat, understanding it was a baby crying. A loud thud heard and Draco widened his eyes, before meeting tired, worn off green eyes behind crooked glasses filled with fingertips and food residue, hair messy, curled and covered in glitch, a beard much longer than Draco's - well, his clothes are clean at least. ''Does he not like you?'' Draco asked amused, his ears already burning from the crying.
Harry's dead eyes were not amused, ''What do you want Malfoy?'' he started to bounce, wishing to any living or dead Gob to make his son stop crying.
''Why is he crying?'' he frowned, his eyes started to match the resemblance with Harry Potter, the hair, the eyes, the shape of his face, even the voice was as irritating as his. He wanted to say something bitter about it, but he knew he shouldn't, Hermione will be proud.
''I don't know Malfoy, ask him.'' he tiredly sighed, the distance sound of boiled water made Harry close his eyes in defeat. ''Come on in.'' he ordered with no room of talk-back and walked inside the house, expecting Draco to close the door behind him.
''Where's Mrs Potter?'' he asked, his feet leading him towards his old wanna-be enemy - his eyes widened and he looked at his feet. He stepped on something and broke it. He looked around him, making sure no one was watching and talked a repair spell under his breath.
''Sick for the past week and he can't stop crying!'' Harry sighed, not paying attention to what Draco was doing in his house. He too stepped on something and he cursed out loud, but to Draco's surprise, the bad word covered by a duck sound. He rose his brow, never noticing that spell before. ''I had to silence the top floor differently that this floor so she could rest, I have to sleep in days and he cannot stop crying!'' Harry's let out a desperate sigh and his jealous eyes rose to the top floor. He was tired, he needed a break. ''Molly cannot leave from Ron's side as he's been pretending he needs care and Malfoy, he doesn't, alright, he doesn't? He is fine, he just cannot remember the last months and eats non stop!'' The steam from the tea he made her reached his nose, how much he needed to relax. His son yelled in his ear, making Draco jump, but Harry stayed on foot, serving the soup he made her in the bowl she loved eating it from.
''Aren't you a wizard? Make him stop.'' he shrugged and Harry covered his son's head with his hand.
''We can't do that to a baby - ''
''We?''
''Are you *ducknoise* insane?'' he actually looked offended, and his mouth dropped when Draco rolled his eyes.
''Why? Isn't the boy a wizard Harry?" he was mocking, he could tell, but the smile appeared unbothered in his face. ''What?'' he frowned and took a step back, the now bouncing body managed to dizzy him a little.
"You called me Harry." he smiled again, turning around to put the soup on the plate, next to the hot mug of freshly boiled tea with honey.
"Don't read much into it, Potter!'' he used his old, dangerous voice and followed him out of the kitchen, not wanting to be left alone in the room surrounded by hundreds of thousands of toys and baby stuff he couldn't even name.
"And the *ducknoise* returned." Harry made a hard turn to take the healing potion Molly sent two days ago, hitting his little toe and starting to curse under his breath.
"Make him stop already, it's absurd!'' his head started to pound like never before, wishing to Merlin to shush him.
"He's a baby!'' he looked offended again and rest his upper body against the wall, feeling his back hurting. ''He is too little and weak to accept magic floating inside of - Ginny don't let me, okay? She says I have to parenting.'' a duck noise sounded again and Draco narrowed his eyes, starting to hate ducks now.
''Bossing you much?'' he mocked and tried to sit in one of the chairs in the dining room, only to feel something in his ass. ''What the *ducknoise* is that?'' he asked and looked at Harry, who laughed and rushed to take the noisy toy from his hand.
''Here, hold him for a second - ''
''What? No! Why would I want to do that?'' he looked at the crying baby, then Harry, then the baby again. ''I don't want to do that.''
''I have to give Ginny her tea and check her temperature.'' he extended his arms more, offering his son to Draco, his eyes begging him for a small help.
''No, I don't want to hold him, he is crying - I'm - I am wounded!'' he seriously protested and looked at Harry's narrowed eyes.
''Use your other hand!'' Harry made him raise his hand and Draco looked horrified at the crying baby in his arms - sure his goddaughter cried as well, but not as deafening as him, and she looked cuter than this red-head-Potter-offspring baby. He looked at Harry taking the plate and starting to walk away from him.
''No, no, don't leave!'' he pleaded as Harry walked to the kitchen forgetting the glass of water, ''What if I dropped him, can't he stand on his own - ''
''Act responsible Malfoy!'' Harry came back and grabbed the plate, ''Don't do anything Hermione wouldn't have done!'' his eyes closed in defeat. '' *ducknoise* ''
''You know she is gone?'' he asked with a much more horrified expression that before, his whole face wrinkled and his eyes sparkled with concern.
''Just - I will be right back!'' he disappeared in the staircase and Draco left to stare around the dining room, half of his mind wondering why Hermione will say to him where she is going, the other half screaming back at the crying baby. Fuck he wasn't ready to be a father yet.
''Alright, alright!'' he calmly spoke and his nose wrinkled at his small body. ''You have my attention!'' he sighed and without noticing it, he was bouncing. ''What can we do together, you whining Potter?'' he started to walk around the table, his head mimicked the spinning movement, ''I can tell you your father's doings, but I bet you will like them.'' his eyes scanned the place to see a rocking chair in front of the big window in the living room. He smiled and awkwardly looked around him, ''I know, I know,'' he spoke to him again, his crying was making his ears bleed, ''I am far more interesting than him,'' he sat in the rocking chair, making a pained expression as his arm muscles stretched and letting out a much more painful groan. ''no, no, it's not your fault! Don't worry.'' he kindly smiled at him and let out deep breaths, his feet instinctively started to move them.
He looked down at him and wrinkled his nose again, ''Why do you have to look like Potter?'' he actually asked him as if he waited for an answer, ''Let's all hope to Merlin you will not dress like him as well.'' he laughed, never noticing the missing cry, ''Don't look at me with your father's judging eyes, young Potter! I am a Malfoy, find the courage and strength to your petite heart to hate me.'' he joked and his small hand grabbed his shirt as if he wanted to tell him something. ''I bet you were crying for your nameless status, weren't you.'' his lips curled a little when his face relaxed in his hug, but once again, he didn't notice it, ''Well, whatever name they will choose, better this than that, am I right?'' he laughed with his own joke and cleared his throat, realizing how his image there might look to someone passing by the house. His little hand curled tighter around his shirt and Draco looked at him with a small frown.
''I am telling you, he is not crying - ''Ginny rushed to go downstairs, her hair messier than ever, her nose red, but her fever gone. ''Harry.'' she called him in a way that meant trouble, ''Is that Malfoy holding my son?'' Ginny stopped Harry from entering the living room and they both frowned at his sight.
''People's beliefs are certain with the idea of having you in their lives is equal to fullness.'' he snorted and his other hand curled around his long finger, ''But hear the wise, highly better looking than anyone else in the World, both Muggle and Wizarding, Malfoy, before you rush to find your way into my cold heart, will you?'' he sighed, feeling his heart beating faster than before, ''There is not such thing as completeness when she is not here, do you understand?'' he sighed again, ''Do you know that she left me? She left me.'' his heartbeat fastened and his mind brought back an image of her smiling face in his hug.
''Wait, your son?'' Harry shockingly asked, his glasses finally resting properly on his face.
''What am I going to do, nameless one?'' he asked him and felt his heart aching, ''I cannot sleep, I cannot eat, I cannot concentrate, the other day the Snitch came and landed in my hand on its own,'' he looked at him smiling and he frowned again, can babies smile? ''And I am so mad at her, so furious.'' he licked his lips at the thinking of her, ''How can I have a life when she is nowhere to be found? How can I feel whole again when I cannot sense her! How can I offer her my life when she is not here to accept it?'' he caressed the back of his little hand as he used to do with his goddaughter when she was pulling his hair, ''This is cashmere, nameless one! We have a serious conversation here, do not mess with perfection!'' he talked a bit offended and the baby grabbed his finger again. ''Was it me? Did I push her away?'' he carefully asked and sighed as the last time he saw her filled his mind, ''I do not want to lose her - ''
''Stop whining you big baby!'' Ginny walked to him and gasped adorably at the sight of her son's finally sleepy face. She smiled to him and extended her arms to take him, only to hear him complaining again, ''What did you do to my baby?'' she seriously asked and let him hold him for a second more.
''You know where she is?'' Draco asked and looked at her with desperate eyes, ''Well? Do you?'' he felt his heart ready to tear his flesh apart and escape in a search of one Hermione Granger.
Ginny looked at him and then Harry, fighting with herself if she should say something to him or not. ''She just needed time to think, and I don't believe I am going to say this but,'' the image of her son in his arms made her close her eyes in defeat, ''not her feelings about you, but what happened - whatever that was.'' she took her son in her hug, only to hear him complaining again. ''Great, you took my best friend, now you took my son as well!'' she fired back and let him hold the baby for a second more.
''She wanted to calm herself, to find herself, far from here.'' Harry said from the other side of the room, finally enjoying the silence in the house.
''Why didn't she told me? I would have booked a hotel on an island and be with her - ''
''You would?'' Ginny asked surprised and looked at Harry with a bit of jealousy decorating her eyes, not for the gesture, but for the with her part. ''Some things we have to deal with ourselves and only ourselves, Malfoy.'' she said at last and sighed when his face fell.
''Will she come back?'' he asked in a whisper and she nodded, finally taking her son back, without a protest. She smiled at him and gave him a small kiss, before looking at Harry's sleepy eyes, knowing he was too tired to tell him about Hermione.
''After the war, she left for the whole summer.'' Ginny whispered, ''Merlin only knew where she was. We couldn't find her either.'' she told Harry to go to sleep and Draco to follow her to the kitchen. ''She will come back, Malfoy.'' she told him to make them tea and to his surprise, he did it.
ΛVΛ
Saturday morning came rather rushed and painfully as he had slept on top of his right arm and now he was hurting again. Blaise had made him a buttery-cream healing liniment, dittany based, and it supposed to help him with the pain and the scars. To his surprise, it worked. The long cut across his collarbones had a tone darker than his skin shade, the same was starting to appear around his shoulder as well.
He should have taken the sling with him, but now it was too late to go back home. Pansy's anxious voice was giving orders to the people around her, all of them having different tasks to complete till the end of the day. It made him frown how much of a hard work it took to make a wedding and he might have told her when he came to the Parkinson Manor this morning.
The gift he had brought her some months ago was hanging perfectly in the dining room where the meeting was taking place and he smiled remembering the slap she gave him. ''Are you hungry?'' she asked him and he looked up at her.
She had lost too much weight and it must have been from the anxiety. Theo was not in England the past month and he wouldn't return till the end of the following. He knew she was nervous about him missing. The table was filled with food, sweets and whatever cake she had ordered the elves to make, blaming her constant hunger to the coming wedding. ''I wouldn't mind some cake, but you ate it all.'' he joked and looked at her taking some pancakes in a napkin, waving him to follow.
''Why did you come in the first place? Blaise said you were still not fully recovered.'' she walked next to him to the second floor where they had set a fitting room for her dress.
''Theo owled me yesterday. He said he is worried about you.'' he took a magazine in his hands, regretting it. ''Why are you so nervous?'' he left it aside, not wanting to see wedding dresses all of the sudden.
''Because he is not here.'' she spoke with food in her mouth, reminding him of Ron Weasley. ''I am sorry Draco, I should be visiting you, not the other way around.'' she licked her lips and watched the rest of the pancake with a bit of disgust. She threw it away, walking to him. ''Are you alright?'' she asked and gave him a sympathetic smile, some chocolate had left on her left cheek. Draco gave her his handkerchief.
''I am fine.'' he used the words he had used too many times before and she sighed, sitting back to the sofa. ''Are you sure not pregnant?'' he asked, hearing her laugh.
''Don't mock me.'' her voice was low and she put a hand on his back, caressing him a little. ''Did you tell Narcissa what happened?'' his tension raised higher than ever. ''Draco - ''
''What should I tell her?'' he looked at her over his shoulder and she sat closer to him, her cheek rested on him. ''I don't want her to be scared. Everyone else was, why should her too?'' he whispered and felt her nod. Her hands found his forearm and she caressed him a little.
''Just say half of the truth.'' she advised, ''Draco, you have to see her for so long. We cannot keep telling her you are busy at work.'' there was a bother in her voice, but it sure meant nothing, right?
He knew she was right - of course she is, he said to himself and tried to look further than the obvious answer of his cowardice.
ΛVΛ
''She is not pregnant, is she?'' Hector Parkinson asked the moment the door of his office opened and Draco's tall body shown. ''I am telling you Draco, she will send me to my deathbed earlier that crazy girl.'' he joked, folding the newspaper he was reading to fully see him.
''She is just anxious for being away from Theo.'' Draco closed the door and walked to him, extended his hand. ''Hello sir.'' he greeted and sat at the offered seat. ''I would like to apologize for the previous time I was - ''
''Someone from the Ministry contacted me the other day.'' he took a piece of parchment and opened it, his eyes scanning the words he had read too many times already. ''They wanted to inform me about the sudden death of my daughter's murderer.'' he let a breathy laugh and raised his eyes to see Draco. ''Do you know anything about it?'' he extended his hand to give him the parchment, but Draco had already seen it.
He didn't know what to say to him. It wasn't something to brag about. It wasn't an accomplishment or a charity to get credit for. He gave the parchment back and looked at the old wizard, his eyes furiously taking in every detail of the man that had nothing to do with his father, but they were so much alike.
''Why did you quit from the Hall of Prophecy?'' Draco asked him and he smiled, his eyes now looking at him with relief.
''For this.'' he took a chain around his neck, holding a key - a key Draco had seen before in one of the memories his father left him. ''Do you wish to know what it is?'' he asked him not waiting for an answer. He took it out of the chain, placing it in his hand. ''Revelio.'' he cast and it turned to a Prophecy ball.
Draco moved closer at once, feeling his whole body magnetized by the powerful orb inside the hand of the old wizard - The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies..the Dark Lord will mark him as equal, but will have power he knows not..and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..
''I don't understand. Why - why you have this?'' he angrily asked and stood up from his seat, his eyes scanning the face of the man he knew all his life now simply look like a stranger, ''This is why I got punished!'' he touched his forearm, feeling the fading away scar.
''I quit my place because of you.'' he answered his previous question and looked at Draco through kind, fatherly eyes. ''A prophecy about you and - '' his lips sealed, measuring up his words for what he will say next, ''Your relationship with Miss Granger had been foretold.'' he said and Draco's face paled. ''Your father did not know how the relationship will form, he couldn't see it in any of his,'' his lips touched each other only to be pressed together as the word came out of them, ''travels, but there was a Prophecy about you two.'' he softly talked, watching him sit back in the chair, his eyes still blanked, his mind working at full speed to linked the dots and finally see the whole picture. ''Your father, Draconis, chose to destroy the Prophecy, and keep you and Miss Granger safe than give the Dark Lord what he asked, not even knowing if it will end up to be a valid one or not.''
''What - what was the Prophecy about?'' he knew he couldn't tell him, but he smiled and that meant something, no?
''It was about a fallen dragon and its Princess, ruling the words as equals, one holding books, the other the world.'' Hector Parkinson said and looked at Draco's confused expression.
''I do not hold the world - ''
''Are you sure?'' he asked him and Draco frowned. ''What about the bonds Abraxas left you? The trust funds? The estates both in Wizarding and Muggle World?'' Draco rose his brows, he had forgotten about what was in the trunk.
''What are you doing?'' he slightly yelled at him, but the ball had already been broken against the floor.
''I promised your father to do as such, as I promised by help to destroy your foretold future to keep you safe.'' he sadly smiled at him, rushing to take his eyes away from the familiar face.
''So everything that happened was because of me and Granger?''
Hector Parkinson laughed, ''No, Draco, everything your father did, was to protect Calluna from the hands of Damien Nehone and the consequences of his actions. Everything else was just your fate tangled with Miss Granger's.'' he offered him a drink, but Draco politely declined.
''I came here asking for your help - ''
''And Lucius had warned me about your arrival, as well as your part in the case. It sorrowed me watching you getting involved, but your father told me it will be just fine.'' he spoke sadder than before and Draco frowned, ''He had even asked the help of the Fairies - ''
''Fairies?'' he laughed, ''There are no fairies in Wizarding England Mr Parkinson!'' his grin gone when his serious eyes never left his, ''Are there?'' he asked and he clenched his jaw, feeling his heart in his chest pounding hard.
''Fatum Loquentium Faries.'' his eyes looked around him as if he was waiting to see if there is one of them here, offering them an illusion, ''Guarding the grounds of our Ministry. Kingsley calls them Vaults.'' his eyes lost inside his liquid, ''Any other question?'' he asked him through tired eyes, as his mind had brought back memories of a different time.
''What was he like?'' Draco whispered, not wanting to hear his shaking voice. Hector smiled. He looked just like a young Lucius with his head deep inside power lust and heavy desire to rule the world. Who could have told him it would be his son to make it happen?
''Ask Narcissa, she knew him better than anyone.''
