Chapter Eight: Draco
Draco was drifting off to sleep in his chair, his hand holding his mothers and his forehead resting on her bed, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
'Malfoy?' a quiet voice spoke.
Draco jumped out of his chair and into the surprised arms of Harry Potter, the boy who Draco needed a hug from.
'Harry, you came!' he breathed, gripping the Gryffindor tightly. Harry gave a muffled laugh into Draco's ear, instantly making Draco feel better.
'Of course I did.' Harry said, gently letting Draco down. Harry leaned back and squinted at Draco.
'Have you eaten since breakfast yesterday?' Harry demanded. Draco didn't say anything, he just kept staring at Harry.
Harry shook his head.
'I'll go get you some food.' He said reassuringly. But Draco jumped forward and grabbed Harry's hand.
'Don't go!' he pleaded, 'You just got here!'
'I know,' Harry wasn't backing down, 'But you need to eat.'
The two were frozen, Draco with his pleading eyes and Harry with his concerned ones. Neither boy noticed Narcissa Malfoy's eyes were open and watching them.
'I'll be back before you know it,' Harry promised, taking both of Draco's hands and kissing his knuckles. 'I promise.'
Draco finally nodded and let Harry go, watching him walk out the door wistfully before turning back to his mother.
'Mother!' Draco gasped, rushing over. She didn't seem to be able to move, her head had flopped to one side and was shaking, her eyes darting all over the room in apparent panic.
'Mother, it's me, it's Draco! You're in St Mungo's, you're safe!' Draco said, lacing his fingers through his mothers and rubbing the back of her hand. It was the same action she had done for him when he was a little boy and had nightmares.
His mother's eyes met his, and she seemed to calm. Her head had stopped shaking, so Draco gently lifted and placed it, so she was resting on the pillow once again. He couldn't help but feel that his mother was trying to tell him something.
'Mother, is there something I need to know?' Draco asked quietly. His mother's eyes locked onto his, and a thin silver stream began to slide out of her nose.
Draco conjured a vial so he could catch his mother's memories.
'When I return to school tomorrow, I'll ask Professor Dumbledore to send me home so I can see.' Draco said. His mother responded by moving her eyes up and down and sighing happily.
'Are you dying?' he whispered fearfully. He sighed in relief when his mother moved her eyes from side.
No.
The door opened behind him, and Draco half turned to see Healer Aubrey and Harry coming back in. He looked to his mother, who's eyes had widened in panic, and she desperately moved her eyes side to side before closing them.
Who was Mother saying no to?
The rest of the night passed uneventfully. Draco's mother did not wake up again, but for the first time in over twenty-four hours, Draco ate and drank. He still couldn't sleep.
Harry stayed awake with him the whole night. They played Wizard Chess (Draco found out that Harry was terrible) and they talked about their classes.
They were sitting side by side on the spare bed next to Draco's mothers and watching the sun rise when Harry brought up Blaise.
'Why didn't you ask for Zabini to come keep you company?' he asked curiously.
'I was going to.' Draco admitted. 'But I realised, I didn't really want to see him.'
'Why not?' Harry whispered. Draco shrugged.
'You give better hugs.' Draco said simply, resting his head on Harry's shoulder. Harry picked up Draco's hand and started drawing random patterns on the back of it.
They stayed that way until a Healer came for them to take them to the fireplace where they could Floo back to school.
'Hello, boys.' Professor Dumbledore greeted the two soot-covered seventh years. With a flick of his wand he cleaned the soot.
'How is your mother, Draco?' Dumbledore asked gently.
'She's slowly recovering, thank you, Professor.' Draco said. 'Professor, might I ask you a favour?'
'Anything,'
'Could I use your fireplace to Floo home?' Draco asked, feeling Harry tense up next to him in surprise. Dumbledore gazed at Draco over his half-moon spectacles, and his old, but sharp eyes, saw the memory in Draco's hand.
'Is that from your mother?' the headmaster asked. Draco could only nod. Dumbledore gestured for the boys to follow him and led them to one side of his office. There sat the most intricately designed Pensieve Draco had ever seen.
'You may borrow my Pensieve, Draco, given the circumstances.' Dumbledore said. 'I assume Harry and I will wait out here?' he asked. Draco nodded slowly.
'Come, Harry, we have much to discuss.' Dumbledore placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and guided him away from Draco towards his desk at the far end of the room, giving Draco plenty of privacy.
Nervously, Draco emptied the vial into the Pensieve and watched it swirl for a few moments. Taking a deep breath, he leant forward and plunged into his mother's memory.
He was standing in Diagon Alley, just outside of Madam Malkin's. He scanned the busy shoppers faces, looking for his mother.
There!
She was inside the boutique, getting a new set of robes fitted. Next to her was a woman Draco had never met, but could guess who she was. His Aunt, Andromeda Tonks. She was the splitting image of his late aunt, Bellatrix, but with laugh lines around her much kinder eyes. He hadn't realised his mother still spoke to her, since she had gone off and married a muggle, effectively ruining the Black blood line.
The two paid for their new robes and left the shop together, whispering and giggling together like school girls. Draco felt his heart swell with happiness at the sight of his mother looking so carefree.
'Stupefy!'
'Aculeus!'
'Genu recurvatum!'
'GELATACEREBRUM!'
There were four spells, but almost double the amount of voices. Draco watched helplessly as the various spells hit his mother, and aunt, simultaneously and they crumpled to the floor.
One person out of the crowd approached the two sisters and bent down. Draco hurried over to see who this mystery person was.
Healer Audrey?
The healer was bending over his mother, with a look of hatred upon her face.
'This is for my parents.' She growled, so quietly Draco had to strain to hear her. Then Healer Audrey pulled out her wand and pointed it to his mother's temple.
'NO!' Draco screamed, knowing he was a ghost in his mothers' memory but trying to push the witch away anyway. He only just heard her utter the spell.
'Gelatacerebrum.'
