Draco and I sat on the nearest bench to figure out what to do next. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him calculating, his fingers pointed together bouncing his elbows over his knees. It was an odd hour past midnight where anything felt possible and time appeared suspended. I shivered in my tiny black dress in the crisp air until he reached around me and tugged me next to him, rubbing my arm. I rested my head on his shoulder and he pulled his hood over his hair. I bit my lip to try and hide my teeth chattering.
Cars were fighting in the lanes ahead of us to gain orderly entry into the EuroChannel. A boy no older than five was plastered against a glass window, pointing to us with curiosity. Draco narrowed his eyes at the young child as though it was a mysterious demon.
"One of two things needs to happen," Draco held out two long fingers with a deep voice, "We need to go back to the Manor. We have get what we need for the weekend. The other, more complicated thing, is I have to explain why you and I are trying to go to France again. It won't look good." He pushed his hands into his face with a groan of dread, slipping his warm grip away from my shoulder.
I could tell that he was nervous about what he had to do in order for us to go to France without trouble from the dark lord. The last thing I wanted was to put his life at risk. Narcissa's words came to mind, the day she'd dressed me for the rain;
I hope you realize he would withhold no expense for you.
You will not be the cause of his death, nor his heartbreak.
"Draco? Wouldn't et just be safer for me to go alone? Would dey even know?" I asked, tugging at his knee. It wasn't as though I had a dark mark that could be traced.
He lowered his hands so that I could just see his tired eyes as he turned to look at me, "They'll kill you. For desertion. Either the minute you return to England, or once they get across. They are watching my memories for your weekly reports." He slumped forward with one arm propped up, pushing his palm into his forehead. His long fingers fanned out around the arc of his hood. I heard him sigh loudly. "And I can't just take you without a reason. They've strengthened the marks. This time if we cross over they can still track me there, and they will."
"Can my parents meet us in a different country?" I asked in a tiny voice.
He sat up and rolled his eyes at me, "And what fucking reason do we have to be travelling to other countries at all? It's not like people fighting in wars usually take a break to go backpacking." I averted my eyes from his angry glare and looked at my lap.
"Dere's also 'arry who will be wondering where I 'ave gone to," I moaned.
Draco snorted, "Potter accused me of keeping you as a prisoner. If he has any objections to your freedom then he's just a hypocrite." I could feel him continuing to scan me like a computer as I pulled my sleeves down over my icy fingers and leaned into him, blinking from fatigue. It felt like eons before he spoke again and my body was stiff.
"Wait - your father, he's fairly distinguished amongst the French Ministry of Magical Affairs right?" When I didn't respond he pushed me off of him, "Madeleine, you can sleep later. Think."
I raised half opened eyes to his impatient gaze and nodded my heavy head. His breath was coming out in a cloud of cold air and his nose was pink. "Yes, of course 'e is silly, 'e is the Ministre. How could you not know dis?" I peered at him in confusion as he gaped back at me.
"Are you joking?" He demanded with full eyes, "The fucking Minister of Magical Affairs?"
"Why would I joke about dat'?" I retorted contemptuously.
His eyes darted back and forth as he considered if I was being truthful, "If he finds out I'm a Death Eater he'll have me executed. France has not accepted the rise of the dark lord, you know that, right?" He stood from the bench in a flash and kicked violently at a pop can that had been abandoned near the legs of the bench. It soared so far away I didn't even hear it land. I turned from nonchalantly watching it disappear into the ditch to where he was pacing again, his hands in his hair.
"Fuck! Madeleine how could you not mention this?" He swiveled to give me an absolutely lethal look and it was as though I'd just downed five espressos. My heart started to panic instantly with how black his eyes had become. He was looking at me like I was an insolent child who'd just driven the car through the back of the garage.
I shook my sleeves back down over my fingers, "Well, what? 'ow did you not know?" He wasn't being very fair, all things considered. I had been obliviated all the way back to basically before I'd even attended Hogwarts. I had to assume he already knew everything about my personal life.
We just stared at each other. Another two pedestrians roughly our age took a large gap around Draco on the pavement. The girl stopped still for a moment, her eyes flicking between Draco who was fuming like a maniac, and me on the bench underdressed for the chilly weather looking confused and starved. "Est-ce que ça va?" she asked me in a hushed voice, and I saw her partner stare at the stars like he didn't want to be involved.
"Get lost," Draco growled through barred teeth, probably unable to understand what she'd said. For a moment it looked like he would punch her and everyone winced. Her partner tugged at her with a look of concern in his eyes as he evaluated Draco's hostility. She reluctantly went, staring back at me with sympathetic eyes.
"My parents never thought to mention such paramount information," Draco stated in a rough, resentful voice once the couple had moved far enough. "I was going to suggest we frame it as though you were trying to persuade him to the dark lord's side. But he's far too central - it could draw massive attention to the outcome."
I shook my head sucking my cheeks in, "'E would never, Draco. Et is just not who 'e is. 'e will do whatever et takes to keep France independent." I folded entirely in half on the bench in my state of frigid exhaustion. My arms were wrapped underneath my knees and my hair fell down in front of me. I spoke through my clothing in defeat, "Just forget et. I'll learn to cope."
He waited there a long time as I partially drifted off again. Eventually, I heard his shoes on the hardscape in front of me and then he was kneeling down, lifting my chin with his fingers. His eyebrows were pushed together in worry, "No. We could still try. We could suggest that we are just going to attempt persuading him, and start the conversation." He laughed sadly, looking down at his sleeve, "I can't guarantee I'll come back alive though, if he sees this mark on my arm." He was likely comprehending that my family would never accept him once they knew the full truth.
I hope you realize he would withhold no expense for you.
"We won't let 'im see it," I said and threw my arms around his neck, kissing his cheek hard. He lifted me up to stand and then we had disapparated back into the Manor, in the darkness of my old room.
"Oh mon dieu!" I cried in joy as the plush room welcomed us. I spun out of his arms and threw my dirty cloak off, followed by unzipping my dress and running to my bed half naked. I got under the heavy covers and pulled them right up to my chin, thrilled to be back in a normal and clean bed.
He was still standing where we've arrived, staring at the carpet depressively. "Draco, come to bed?" I asked. I sat up on my elbows as his eyes lifted to me, pale in the moonlight. He tugged off his sweater and jeans wordlessly and slowly then he laid down next to me, pulling me into his chest. He looked completely despaired in his silence, his eyes fixed on nothing in particular at the foot of my bed.
I pawed at his cheek to look directly into his stony grey eyes. He seemed to guess that I was perturbed because he grumbled, "Don't worry. Just go to sleep. Let me talk to my parents in the morning." With that we drifted off into anxious dreams; having both just realized how precariously arranged our marriage was.
My resting thoughts were a disturbing mixture of images from the farm, and I wasn't at all annoyed when Draco pulled me out of them in the morning. He was leaning over me in formal clothing, his hair perfectly tufted. He'd sat on the side of the bed and shook my shoulder, calling my name.
My eyes opened on him in adoration and I bit my lip, stretching. He smiled down at me, "It's time to get up." His eyes looked aqua blue in the brightness of the sunlight streaming in through the panel of windows.
I indeed sat straight up giggling at the dark blue suspenders over his white collared shirt. I snapped one childishly and watched as it slapped back against him, laughing in amusement, "Ah, you 'ave suspenders! Dis is so cute." I pulled both straps so he was now leaning over me, our faces close.
He raised his eyebrows and looked down, fighting a smile, "If I have to meet your father, I'm not going to show up inappropriately." He had a smug grin on his flawless face, staring down into the comforter.
My fingers played in his suspenders as reality hit. I gasped, "We can go to France?"
He nodded, "My parents feel the trip is justified, but risky. My mother is quite worried...but, we're going to go. We'll have to make it seem like we tried our best and hope the Death Eaters appreciate the effort to start the conversation abroad. You'll be seen as an asset to the dark lord, at least. In fact, it's a major connection." He fidgeted with bedding as he spoke, but I could tell he was pleased with himself for arranging it.
"Yes!" I cried gleefully, realizing I would finally see my family that day after two full years. I yanked him in to kiss me by his suspenders, and he slid his hand further on the bed to lean in even more. His kisses were sweet and warm, and I felt my heart flutter with his familiar taste. "I love you so much for dis Draco," I whispered against his lips.
He pushed over me further and my head hit my pillow again. He had me pinned in my bed, his arm above my head. "And I love you, no matter what you do," he said mockingly. My cheeks blushed as his flirty eyes met mine and I came to the conclusion that he'd watched his memories again. The softness and kindness was back in his eyes. Then he sat back grinning and straightened the cuffs of his sleeves. I shoved past him giddily and started jamming things into a pervenche bag I found in the armoire.
"Our families are International enemies. Talk about redefining Romeo and Juliet," he snorted, fiddling with his bowtie on the edge of my bed where I'd left him. "Not that your parents are aware that my family are Death Eaters. This is...ridiculous." I pulled on a dusty-blue colored dress with a huge bow on the back in my tall mirror, and I watched him shake his head behind me with incredulity at what we were about to do. He shut his eyes momentarily with the same fear and dread as the night before.
I ran to the bathroom to brush my hair and do my makeup and I shouted out the door, "You 'ad to meet dem sometime. Right?" I was electrified by anticipation as I bounced in front of the mirror. The sun was still rising and the golden rays were exaggerated by the matching tiles in my bathroom, and I realized it must have been quite fresh into the morning hours. Everything around me was a dazzling, glittery reflection of the sunshine glowing outside.
"I hadn't really considered it," I heard him say dryly from the bedroom. I stuck my head out of the doorway with a frown and he raised an eyebrow at me. "Don't look at me like that. You must've known it would be near impossible for me to meet them," he defended, rolling his neck away from my gaze.
Ten minutes later I was ready and I held my hand out to disapparate. He shook his head, "We're not using magic. The last thing I want is to be traced easily. We'll have to disapparate multiple times if we do it that way anyways, and one of us could get seriously injured. Unless they feel betrayed the Death Eaters won't check my location, but Potter or something worse might have a stake in finding your family residence. We can't leave trails of disapparation all across the continent." Potter or something worse...it sounded absurd when compared to Death Eaters. I shrugged, forcing myself not to argue with the statement.
He held the bedroom door open for me and we went out into the hallway. "Are-are we taking a carriage or something?" I inquired as we ran down the stone stairs.
"Merlin no, do you want to spend three days getting to the border alone?" He barked. I inhaled, trying to ignore the frequent sense of indignation he ignited in me. More often than not he left me feeling moronic for asking basic questions.
On the second floor landing he slowed and stopped to acknowledge Narcissa and Lucius who were chatting quietly in front of the family tree. They silenced quickly as we approached and I forgot how to breathe when Lucius' eyes glinted in my direction menacingly. Draco's hand found mine and he held me close, partially behind him.
Narcissa's blue eyes roamed over us, dressed in formal attire as though we were on our way to a royal ceremony, "I see that the French Minister will be greeted adequately. I'm sure the union will be successful." She seemed to pause as though to continue on with another sentence, but Lucius cut her off.
"Don't misrepresent our legacy, boy." He looked stern and testy, the cane resting in his hand like a weapon. "This is a critical alliance. Although," his icy penetrating eyes fell to me, and his voice was melodic in a sickening way, "I have to commend you on aligning our family with the Minister of France. You may yet have something to prove of your usefulness, Madeleine." I winced as he spat my name with frothy disgust.
"She has plenty of inherent worth," Draco argued darkly. Lucius raised an eyebrow as his face began to twist.
Narcissa sighed loudly from where she was between them, obviously fearing a fight, "You won't be taking one of those awful, fuel-based machines in the sanctuary will you?" She had notes of fear in her voice, and I recalled suddenly that Draco and I had already been in an earth-shattering car accident.
Draco straightened his navy-blue suit, his voice sarcastic as he replied, "We don't have an alternative, we have to avoid magic. Would you recommend we fly there?"
When no one responded, he reached forward and pulled his mother into a stiff hug. Then he was guiding me away from them without acknowledging Lucius, who stood there staring at the ceiling looking detached and irritated, like an angry blonde Jesus.
I followed Draco through the now familiar hallways and towards the abandoned wing. He pushed open the double doors which were no longer locked and I narrowed my eyes in spite that they had only locked them to prevent my access while at the Manor. He walked down the hallway and I tugged on his hand, pointing at the painting that looked eerily identical to him holding the sword. "Is dis you?" I taunted him and his eyes rested on the young man who was once again, swinging the sword around challengingly. The chainmail on his thin figure produced metallic rustling sounds.
Draco gave me a sly grin, cocking his head to the side, "Never heard that one before. This bloke was a menace. Diablo Malfoy; slaughtered thousands in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms." He quirked his eyebrows at me and then kept going. I stared at the painting who was grinning wickedly, pointing the sword at my throat. He made a slicing motion across his neck with his pointy finger and I gaped at his rudeness.
Draco stopped before an expanse of blank wall, shut his eyes and waved his hand. A brick doorway arch began to blend into actuality, and he pushed through the newly formed entryway.
Beyond was an incredible cathedral affixed to the Manor. Massive stone pillars with slight pink hues within the granite lined the room on either side, supporting an immense arched stone ceiling with odd paintings on the spandrels. Stained-glass windows were filtering light in from the east and west glazing. Evidently once an ancient religious gathering space, it now was filled with shiny automobiles where the pews would have previously been. What an odd conversion of space, I pondered, running my hands along the glittery metal of a turquoise Oldsmobile from the 1950's.
The echoes of even the most minute movement vibrated back from the ceiling. I could hear Draco's footsteps somewhere ahead of me where he'd weaved between cars and my giddy cry sharply sliced through the air as I jumped into a neon yellow Jeep. "Can we take dis?" I yelled unnecessarily. There was no way he couldn't hear me if I was whispering even from the farthest corner. The Wrangler was high off of the ground, with a flashy interior and huge wheels.
"You want to roll up to the French Minister's estate in a Jeep?" I heard him scoff from somewhere nearby. I rolled my eyes; to me the French Minister was just my papa, a parent who had raised me with the same level of intimacy and casualness as anyone else's. I couldn't care less what he saw us "roll up" in.
His face appeared in the open window and he maneuvered the heavy door open, ushering me out by my elbow. "Who's cars are dese?" I asked, shutting the door with an earsplitting bang and tugging my arm free from his grasp.
"Watch it," Draco warned darkly, eyeing the vehicle's integrity as he escorted me forward into the aisle with his finger tips on my back. "They're mine. I already told you; it's a hobby. I collect them."
He shepherded me towards a bright green car with doors high in the air. I'd never been in a muggle vehicle before (that I could recall, obviously) and I stared up at the expensive supercar's form. He was packing bags into the back and watching me with a smirk. I reached my hand up towards the vertical door in awe, running my fingers down the metal and looking for the handle. "Do not try to shut that door, I'll close it," he threatened as he approached my side, gesturing for me to get inside.
The interior was like a cockpit and I lowered myself in cautiously. It felt odd being so deeply declined from where the glass was at the front. He shut my door and went around to his side. He smiled at me genuinely and put his arm around the back of my chair, whispering in my ear, "Buckle up, gorgeous."