Draco has summoned Potter and Granger. He keeps pacing the room, carving a straight line into the floor just ahead of the fireplace.
A mess of black hair over green eyes, shielded by glasses, makes it through green erupting flames. The man tries to do something with his hair, but it's no good.
"Potter... One would think you'd be able to use a certain potion to fix that." He needs his help, but that doesn't mean he cannot indulge in banter. It's the only way they can relate.
"Draco, what happened? All you had to do was cover for us until she goes to Hogwarts. Don't you have the space? How did Skeeter find out about her?"
"Apparently it wasn't you." Potter tosses a look that says bite my, but doesn't utter a word. "I'm not sure. Can we just wait for Granger? So that I only have to deal with your flabbergasted faces once?"
"Friendly as always I see." Comes a voice from another burst of green flames. Her hair has been coerced into a proper work-place hairdo, but brown curls still pop out here and there. "How did this happen? The Ministry is going crazy with that article, Draco!"
He lets them in on as much as he knows. He is still not sure of the method Rita used to gather information, but Granger promptly informs him, and reminds Potter, that she happens to be an unregistered Animagus. They all knew that this secret of theirs would come to light, but they all hoped it would only happen when Delphini hopped on the Hogwarts Express for the first time.
Then he talks them through what is so far the worst morning in Delphini's life. At that their eyes change in different ways. Potter seems to be dwelling in his memories, but Granger is obviously calculating a course through this storm. She has her own children now, and he hopes that is enough to keep any thoughts to take his girl away well at bay.
"So, she killed the house-elf? Using magic?" Her eyes tell him that she is desperately trying to make sense of her own sentence. "And you still think you can keep her from being anything but what she is supposed to?"
"Hermione! Come on! You know what I went through! That's not fair on her." And at that, a small sample of the chaos that must be the conversations outside his house is delivered personally to Draco. He manages to divert them by proposing they examine Wabby. Maybe they can find out how a not-yet-eight magical prodigy of a girl managed to take out a house-elf. Without a wand or proper knowledge of magic.
Whatever it was, it's dark and meaningful, but not controlled. That much they can establish. There was no true intention in her actions. They ask to see her, and he simply has to tell them of her reaction. Potter and Granger exchange a wary look of "I'm not trying my luck with those doors again". The three of them debate possibilities for what feels like an eternity, just like the first time. Draco is protective; Potter is the soft-hearted boy-who's-been-through-it-all making a case for family ties and love, and Granger is her usual rational self. Except, this time, they are all parents. They are all very aware of the war the Malfoys will declare should they even consider taking Delphini away. But mostly, they are mindful of the power of such bonds and of the damage breaking them will cause.
Draco assures them that he can get to his cousin. That he can fix his little bird's heart, explain it all to her and keep her safe. Keep her from darkness, they understand without ever mentioning it.
Potter and Granger decide they will take the worst of the heat upon themselves. They will head back to the Ministry, gather the Aurors that didn't already know, explain themselves to them, and then make public statements condemning Rita's article for the pile of lies it is, exposing the truth. Well, the truth they can expose. They will stand for her once more. Delphini is to be kept a Lestrange, by any means necessary, and to remain a ward of the Malfoys. They promise to try, but they cannot vow for the other Aurors and Ministry workers that no one will come barging in Malfoy Manor.
"You have to keep them away! If she feels scared again in the following days…" Draco doesn't dare think of what would happen if she were to unleash her magic on an unsuspecting Auror. There would be a new record for the youngest incarcerated witch in Azkaban, that's what would happen.
When they walk through the green flames again, he lets himself crumble to the floor. He just sits there for a while. His task has just begun. He needs to warn Astoria that all is under control. I can't very well tell her that everything is fine! He needs to order Narkey to keep away from Delphini's quarters. And he needs, desperately needs, to talk to her. He needs to fix his precious girl, to get her world back to its proper course. Except he doesn't have a clue on how to do just that if she won't let him in.
He gathers some joy out of the knowledge that his Mother is handling Rita Skeeter just now. Then he pushes himself off the floor, walking towards his own wing, jostling the pieces of what he hopes is just one puzzle, but is all too aware may be half a dozen piled together in the same box of his mind.
X
His parents make it back through the doors of the Manor. He can feel it in the wards of the house, the way that magic welcomes them. He leans against a wall, greeting them. He fills them in on his meeting with Potter and Granger. He notices the slight distaste in both their faces at the mention of the Muggle-born, but he can't bring himself to care.
His Mother excuses herself, she wants to try and talk to Delphini. Draco sights. All his attempts have resulted in nothing but panic in her voice, ordering him away from her again and again. No magical outburst though. He asks his Father, the moment she leaves:
"How afraid of Mother is Skeeter?"
There is true pride in his Father's voice and demeanour as he answers, with a low grumble in the back of his throat. "She will never write of us. Delphini can go and become Minister of Magic, she still won't dare write her name ever again. I'm considerably sure she is still not capable of standing from her chair."
That is one more thing off his to-do list. He has explained everything to Astoria. There was a distinct moment during which she absolutely wanted to take their son and run, but just like years before, when a war raged, she took her fear and made something stronger of it. She was positively furious when he forbade her of approaching Delphini for the time being, but there was understanding in her eyes at the sadness in his. She remains weak. I can't let her exhaust herself because of a choice my family made. But just like she could read his mind, her fingers found their way to his chin and raised his eyes to her. I chose this family, I chose you, and I chose Delphini, she told him wordlessly.
"Father, there is one more thing I need to know." They both know what he means and Lucius confides in him the truth of his feelings in those minutes he spent at the bottom of an abyss they all thought they had escaped.
X
He finds himself back before Delphini's chambers. His Mother is there, sitting primly on a chair just next to the doors. She has all the sorrow of the world in her eyes. I can't lose anyone else, her soul screams through her eyes. He rubs her shoulder, trying to comfort her. He tells her to get some rest. He will keep watch. He will reach his little bird this time.
Narcissa looks back, over her shoulder, from the end of the corridor. The dragon is back in his place. She wants to stay, to help, to nurture her little star, but her heart aches unbearably. This feels like losing Bella to darkness all over again, like losing Andromeda to light all over again, like being left alone in this grey patch where she has lived for most of her life yet again. Never taking clear sides, so that she can rescue her family. Endangering herself before her eldest sister and their Master, diminishing herself to her own family, all for the sake of keeping a family of her own safe. That scared girl behind the door and the young man before it are her only true choices, and the mere possibility of living without one of them has drained her of all energy.
X
She can feel Draco's presence outside her doors. She has managed to take hold of the darkness and supress it.
She is still scared of what could have happened. Sitting in front of a mirror, looking at herself, trying to assure her mind that she is still her and not some dark creature she feels took over for a while that morning. She is so angry at her actions that her eyes shimmer red in the mirror. She takes a gulp of air at that. She cannot place it, but there is a memory lurking there, in that red shimmer. She stares into them, but nothing comes forward and her green comes back before she can control it.
What if the red is the creature? What if that is who I am, truly? She panics at that possibility. That she could be evil from the start and never escape it. She sobs again and she misses comfort, and family, and love, and care. And it is all so overwhelming she gives up on her isolation and calls for her dragon.
He runs inside. He is not afraid of me, her mind gathers from the look in his eyes, he is worried about me. And the gapping whole in her small-but-too-big of a heart brings whatever remains right and proper down.
He holds her tight, cradling her on his arms, sitting on the floor, humming nonsense in her ears. She doesn't really hear it as much as she feels the vibration of his voice making it through her sobs and wails. She is afraid again, but not of Uncle Lucius or of what the newspaper said. She is afraid of not belonging, of not being right for them. Of being dark, like her parents. Of hurting people, like her parents. Of liking it, like her parents.
She doesn't know how long she has been like this, but she feels so good and warm here. There is dampness by her cheek, where it meets his chest. She is very still now, no longer crying, or sobbing, or thinking, or fearing. Just feeling. He angles his head and smiles down at her. She can see the glistening of tears in his eyes, and the paths they made down his face, unto her curls. She gives him a shy little smile.
Draco messes up her curls at that. The wild messy mane is now tangled beyond most spell work.
"What did you do that for?" She is absolutely indignant, glaring at him, her hands holding her hair down by her neck, moving it all to the opposing side, out of his reach.
"To prove a point." His smile is wider. And mischievous, like he knows something she doesn't. "You hate it when people touch your hair. It makes you absolutely furious that I dare messing it all up. You are mad at me right now-"
"Yes, I am! Very much so! What is your point?"
There is no Him in her, just a very Aunt Bella way of demanding explanations, he realizes. He has made it through, he knows.
"You didn't hurt me." He tucks his smile to the corner of his mouth. He looks at his feisty cousin and waits for realization to dawn upon her.
She understands. She lunges for his neck and wraps her arms about it. She holds tight, like she is holding on for dear life, until her dragon's wings are back around her, shielding her from the darkness once more. From the world outside. From whatever it is that lurks inside her.
And she feels safe and loved again. And she knows she is not the red eyed creature.
And his chest is not heavy anymore. And he knows she is not the red eyed creature.
Author's Notes: Thank you guest(s) that left reviews on this, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate them.
EmeraldFire your reviews on this work and the one-shots made my day
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