It was a dark stormy night 3 years after the war. He knew something was not right but he was hoping that his senses were wrong. Walking up the walkway, he stopped and stared at the house that he had bought with his own money.
It was a smaller house with two floors containing 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. A lot had changed for him after the war ended. Losing his parent's beliefs was the hardest of them all. Looking back on the memory where he told them he did not think like them anymore - the look on his father's face made him laugh.
Walking to the door he turned the handle, an automatic sense of dread traveled through him. Looking around he saw clothing everywhere. Following the pieces, he ended up outside his and his fiancee's room.
Listening he could hear noises from the other side. Slowly, so he did not make a sound, he cracked open the door. What lay before him was something he wished he never saw.
His fiancee was wrapped in the arms of another man. Not just any man either, he was also supposed to be getting married to the war heroine.
All he saw was red.
He took out his wand and silently cast a transportation spell on the two of them and the bed. It was a childish thing to do but he did not feel like being the bigger person.
Everyone deserved to know that the red-headed war hero was a lowlife. He then went downstairs and sat in the chair in front of the fire and waited. He knew it would not be long before they showed up. He changed the wards so she could not get back into the house no matter what she tried. Now it was just a waiting game for him.
It took two hours. he had a bottle and a half of fire whisky down before the fireplace lit up green. He did not know who would come first but he should have suspected it would be the boy wonder who would come first.
The dark haired man did not say anything when he came in, just took the ouch to the left of him. Taking the bottle from him, he put it out of reach.
Draco did not know how it happened but he and the man sitting next to him had become pretty close friends. He still had his best friend, but the man sitting next to him was extremely close. He knew that it was better that he took the bottle.
"What happened, Draco?"
Draco looked over at the raven haired man and did not say a word, just waited. If he was here that means everyone knew about his spell and they would be showing up any second now. He was not off because 2 minutes later the fireplace lit up again and out stormed two people he had not seen in 2 months, maybe longer.
"WHAT THE HELL DRACO!"
"Good to see you, mother."
It was said with a slur but he did not react to her yelling. He had a long time of practice to not react.
"Answer me Draco. What happened with Astoria?"
"What? Did you not see? I am sure someone got some damn good pictures."
His mother was seething at him but he just looked at her with blank eyes. He was not going to let her get her way. If she did, he would still marry the whore.
He was not going to be like his father. He knew his mother was not always faithful to him but his father just turned a blind eye and let her do what she wanted because it was easier for him to do what he wanted to do.
There was no love between them, he saw that a long time ago. Draco had decided then that he would not be like his parents.
" Do you mind giving us some time with our son?"
It was directed towards Harry but he did not move. Draco looked straight at his father, face still blank.
"He is not going anywhere."
Mrs. Malfoy's face went red.
"DRACO, YOU WILL LET ASTORIA BACK INTO THIS HOUSE AND TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED! YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT TO HER! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT CAN DO TO HER REPUTATION?!"
That was the end of it. Draco's face contorted and he stood, making his parents step back because of the look that now took over his face.
They had only seen it once before and not long after half of his wing of the manor was destroyed in a burst of magic. This was when he was just 6 and did not get his way. There was no telling what would happen now.
"TAKE HER BACK?! NO MOTHER, I WILL NEVER MARRY A WHORE!"
His mother took a step back, surprised that he would yell at her like that. He looked to his father for support and for him to speak up. His father stepped forward but before he could speak again, Draco went on.
"Don't come to her defense, father. I know what happens between you two. It is no secret. I have caught both of you through the years with other people. I will not have a relationship like that. I will not drop to your standards."
Shocked even more by what he just said to them, his mother paled before going completely red in the face.
"You will fix this Draco. There is no debate about it. If you don't, you will be cut off until you do fix it. I refuse to let you do this to yourself."
Draco turned to harry and spoke,
"Would you look at that Potter, mother is showing her true colors."
Looking back at his mother his eyes were as hard as steel.
"I will do no such thing mother. Take your money, cut me off, burn my name on the family tree. I am done. I am not your pawn. I am going to be my own person and I will marry for love, not for status. I WILL NOT STAND DOWN AND BOW TO ANYONE ANYMORE! I WILL NOT LET MY KIDS GO THROUGH WHAT I DID BECAUSE OF SOME STUPID BELIEF!"
He then sat back in the chair he had vacated a couple of minutes ago. The shock was visible on his parent's faces. His father was the one to speak up this time.
"Draco, we have done everything for you. You will listen to your mother and fix this."
The laugh that came out of Draco's mouth was not human.
"You have done nothing but raise me to hate people who are just as important as me. You let a mad man into our house and I'm not even going to start about his followers. So forgive me 'father' if I ignore you and tell you to please leave. I am done."
His mother glared at Harry and then back at her son.
"Fine! But when you come to your senses we will be at the manor. Till that time you will get nothing from your father and me. You are stripped of your name and status. You are no longer a Malfoy."
They left and Potter handed Draco the bottle back. They sat there and remained silent. They were both waiting. They knew who would show up next. It might take a little more time for them though. They were going to have to deal with their own problems before they would come to the house.
It was about two hours past midnight when the fire came back to life. Out stepped Hermione, she was not the same as when they were in school. Her hair had gotten longer and was now more curly than frizzy. She was skinny, filled out, but still conservative enough to keep people wondering.
She had another side though, a dark one that if you did her wrong… oh boy, did you need to run and run far. She was a force to be reckoned with. She was not named the greatest witch for no reason. She earned that name and it stuck.
Stepping out of the fireplace, she looked at Harry and then Draco. She walked right up to him and in one quick motion he was in a hug. He had been doing good but as soon as she put her arms around him the walls broke.
The liquor took over his system and he broke down. The tears were flowing because he knew she was feeling the same. He knew that with the two people in the room that he was ok and safe. They would not tell anyone what was happening right now.
They had both seen more to him after the war than a lot of his other friends. There was only one other person that had seen him like that but he was not able to be there.
That was what he thought anyway. The fireplace lit up again and in walked Draco's best friend Blaise Zabini. Looking at Harry he nodded, then turned to Hermione and Draco.
Walking over he took his best friend in a tight hug and Draco's walls broke completely. He balled like a baby. He could not stand anymore so he moved to the floor. His friend went with him, telling him it was ok. That everything would get better, nothing was going to stand in his way anymore.
His friend knew him better than anyone; he knew everything that had happened to Draco in the war. Not just his task in 6th year, but everything that went on inside his house with the other death eaters living there.
They all knew Draco tried to be strong but so much had happened to him over the years. He closed everything out and when someone was allowed in, it was a privilege. They knew that this was something that was going to take some time to get over. He thought she had been different from the others that sought the Malfoy name.
They knew he was really in love with her but Draco also knew how pureblood women were and every hope he had was shattered there that night.