Ch. 22

The second meeting with Draco's mom didn't happen, she wrote Draco the next day to say that she'd rather wait to meet up when they were done teaching for the semester and could spend more time together. Hermione saw this as a delay tactic, but Draco was looking forward to an activity that would allow them to spend more time together.

When the school year had ended neither Slytherin or Gryffindor won the house cup. Hufflepuff house for the first time in 20 years had the most points and pulled ahead of any other group to win the cup. Neville bragged about it at the end of term feast.

"We have to step up our game next year Hermione," Draco told her while Neville gloated.

"Definitely," she agreed. "Let's make a bet on the cup for next year," she offered.

"You're on. When Slytherin wins I want…" he started when she cut him off.

"Ha, did you say when? Gryffindor had won the house cup for the last several years, I'm going to make sure it stays that way," She added.

"Oh, like you made sure this year?" He raised his eyebrows at her, "like I said, when Slytherin wins I want you to give a speech about everything we did to earn and deserve it," Malfoy snickered.

"Okay, only if you do the same when Gryffindor wins. You'll see how those words taste," she laughed.

"Nope, that will be you, why not prepare now? I know how you like to get a head start…"

When the feast was over Hermione and Draco packed their belongings in their trunks and Draco moved their trunks to the carriage. He helped her inside as they rode down to the train and then boarded in a compartment by themselves.

"So, plans for this summer," Hermione began. "You said a few days at our family's houses and we could meet up?" She wanted to clarify the plan with him for what felt like the 10th time.

"Yeah, I'll meet you back at your house so we can head out for camping," he added.

"No magic though, I want you to have a true muggle experience," she smiled, wondering how he would do.

"I figured as much," he would have to depend on Hermione and her family to show him how to do everything.

This time when they left the compartment they left together, they didn't kiss or hold hands because of the students that were around.

"A few days is going to feel like a long time Draco," she gave him a sad look.

"Oh, almost forgot," he said as he reached into his bag and pulled out a package. "I made you another candle." He handed it over to her. She let her hands linger on his for a moment before he pulled them back.

"My parents are waiting in the car, I better go. Thank you," she added. He watched her walk out of the platform and then looked around for his mom.

Everyday that Draco wasn't with her, he wrote to Hermione and she wrote back. His father announced that he didn't like the interruption the owls caused at breakfast and asked to be served in his room. He hadn't spoken to his son since he had come back, and Draco didn't seem to mind. He walked around the house enjoying the quiet. A few times his father had walked past him, as if daring him to start conversation, but Draco never took him up on it.

The night before Draco was set to go camping with Hermione, his father finally came to dinner. Draco didn't pay him any attention as he took his seat.

"Here you are Draco, pass the potatoes please," his mother motioned to him. Draco passed them but didn't say anything. "So tomorrow is the big day," his mother asked him. She knew he was looking forward to going camping with Hermione. He mostly missed seeing her, he wasn't too sure how camping was going to go.

"Big day for what?" Lucious spat at his wife. He had been nasty to everyone ever since Draco's initial letter explaining about him and Hermione.

When Draco didn't answer Narcissa answered for him. "Draco is going camping tomorrow," she paused for a moment and added "with Hermione."

Lucious curled his lip and gave a disgusted look at his son.

"I've actually spoken with her Lucious, and she happens to be a nice girl. Draco seems to care for her," she added. She hated that her husband and son were fighting and wanted them to talk to one another again. She also felt like they both put her in the middle.

"When did you speak with her?" Lucious asked, a betrayed look showing on his face.

"You didn't tell him?" Draco asked, surprised. "Is this why you cancelled getting together again?"

"You were going to meet a few times?" Lucious gave her a cold look.

"Both of you!" She shouted. She exhaled and hung her head and her face was sad. "Lucious and Draco, you're both putting me in the middle of your disagreement and I don't care for it. Draco, I don't mind you wanting to introduce me, but knowing how your father felt about this it was something I couldn't tell him about. Lucious, I support our son and can talk to whomever I would like to." She stood up as if to leave.

"You're forgetting you're my wife Narcissa!" Lucious bellowed at her.

She walked over to him and spoke in a low tone, "I haven't forgotten anything Lucious," she said as she pulled up the sleeve on her left arm, exposing her dark mark. She then turned away from him and left. He was filled with shame and regret and wanted to reach out for her as soon as she left but he was paralyzed from the look on her face.

He looked over at Draco after a moment and hung his own head. The two people he loved the most in the world were at odds with him. He had made choices that subjected his son to fear of being killed and let countless people be tortured and murdered in front of him, he was sorry to the depths of his soul but didn't know how to make it up to his son. He could see a road to redemption with his son staring him in the face but wasn't sure if he was willing to take it. Was he just holding onto his beliefs because it was comfortable and ignoring those he loved? He still couldn't believe Draco, his own son, could be interested in a muggle born, least of all Hermione Granger.

"Draco," his father spoke.

Draco looked up from his food and at his father, but didn't answer.

"Your mother is right," he paused. "You shouldn't have asked her to meet Ms. Granger after knowing my feelings." He tried to say in a gentle voice, but still letting Draco know where the boundary was.

"I disagree with you," Draco answered flatly.

"I didn't ask your opinion," His father corrected.

"And that's the problem, you think this is about you. It's not about you!" Draco shouted at his father.

"I see you've picked up some new manners, I'll have Ms. Granger to thank for that I assume…" he was egging Draco on.

"You have no right to talk about her!" Draco shouted again, his voice sounded more like a warning.

"That sounded like a threat Draco?" His father remarked in a dangerous voice.

Draco took a deep breath and stood up and walked over to his father. "You think you intimidate me, father?" he said father with deep loathing and disgust in his tone.

His father stood up and faced his son eye to eye, "No, I don't believe I do," his father said, sizing him up. "But if you plan to duel me Draco, think it through carefully," he said placing his hand on his wand.

Draco took a few steps back and drew his wand, letting his father know that was his intention. Lucious raised his eyebrows and drew his wand as well.

As soon as Draco could utter a spell, his father had already hit him square in the chest and knocked him over and laughed at him. Draco got up and yelled "Crucio!"

His father doubled over and screamed as Draco moved closer. He thought of Hermione and the others that were tortured by his father. He looked at his father in the eyes as he tortured him and heard him scream. "You taught me this spell, remember?" he said to him.

His mother came into the room, hearing her husband's screams. "Draco!" she screamed at him.

"It was good enough for her, wasn't it? Wasn't it father?" He shouted while Narcissa stood there horrified. "You wanted me to be a monster, to watch as people were tortured?" Draco shouted and then he released the spell. He wanted to walk away but couldn't believe what he had just done.

Lucious picked himself up from the floor and looked at his son, not with a look of anger, but with a look full of hurt. If Lucious thought his heart was broken before by his son being with a muggle born, it was nothing to how he felt now.

Narcissa's eyes filled with tears as she stood next to her husband and supported him. They both looked at their son.

He turned his back on them, not wanting to see the accusing looks on their faces. "You should be proud father, I'm everything you raised me to be," he said as he walked out of the front door and into the garden. He waited a second and was preparing to apparate when his father joined him out in the garden.

"Wait Draco," he said with desperation as he walked toward his son.

Draco raised his wand again, not sure what his father was planning. His father shakily put his hands up to show he had no wand and didn't plan on using one and Draco slowly put his wand away, his own hand shaking.

Seeing his father in that weakened state made him feel guilty, tears were welling up and he turned to wipe his eyes and turned back to look at his father. He didn't know what to say to him.

"You…love her Draco?" His father asked him.

"More than anything," Draco answered.

His father took a few more steps toward his son and reached for his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around his son for the first time in a long time. "I'm sorry Draco," he said as tears fell out of his eyes. "You're a better man than I ever raised you to be."

Draco resisted the hug for a few moments and then hugged his father back when he started crying. It was the first time Draco had ever seen that side to his father.