Chapter 7: Can We Talk?
Christmas break came and the four new friends all sat in a compartment together. "McGonagall gave me a months worth of detention for pummeling Ron." Harry griped.
"Hey she let you off easy." Hermione snapped, "She could have easily expelled you but she knows you only snap when pushed so she cutting you some slack cause she knows Ron was probably running off at the mouth."
"Well at least I'll get a break from your shenanigans." Draco said. Harry simply gave Draco a knowing look, the blonde rolled his eyes, "Damn." He muttered causing Neville and Hermione to laugh.
"No rest for the weary." Hermione cheesed.
"Keep talking I'll tell Neville all Harry's moves and see how long you hold out." Draco retorted.
"Hey not a bad idea." Harry looked to Neville.
"Harry Potter! If you say one word and I'll tell Draco every embarrassing thing you've ever said about him." Hermione eyed him with a stern expression.
"You worried?" Draco asked waggling his eyebrows.
"Shut up." She snapped back.
The group laughed when the compartment door slide open, "Hey guys." Lavender Brown stood at the door with Pavarti right beside her.
"Hey." The four of them said in unison.
"Harry…we've been curious." Pavarti spoke up.
"Of course you have." Hermione mumbled and leaned back against Neville.
Lavender gave her a pouty face before turn back to Harry, "We wanna know what exactly made you wanna…you know…snog guys?"
Harry raised an eyebrow, "Seriously?"
"I mean our year is FILLED with pretty girls so…" Pavarti added, "Why Draco?"
Harry smirked, "Because Draco's ass is hotter than all the girls in school."
Draco hung his head in his hands, "Asshole." He mumbled.
The two girls gawked flabbergasted. Harry looked back to the girls, "Are we done?" he asked them.
"Yeaaa…." Lavender said as she slowly closed the door.
"I swear to god Potter if you say that too my mom I'll kill you." Draco said.
"I'd never." Harry said as he wrapped his arms around Draco's waist, "I'll tell her; her son is so adorable and cute I could help but want to gobble him up."
Hermione laughed, "I'll be praying for you Black."
"I'm going to need a miracle." He responded as Harry nuzzled his neck.
They arrived at the Platform hours later as soon as he stepped off the train he heard her. "Draco!" there she was. His loving mother smiling and waving at him as she stood beside Sirius and Remus. She waved her hand to tell him to come on.
He smiled and slowly walked over, "Hey mum." He said as she open hers arms when he got close. He closed the distance and hugged her tightly.
"I missed you baby." She whispered in his ear.
"Missed you too mum." He said.
"Hello Ms. Black." Hermione's voice came from around Draco.
His mother pulled away, "Hermione darling wonderful to see you again." She smile kindly. Draco looked on in shocked, "I do hope you'll visit us this holiday."
"Yes." Hermione smiled as the woman hugged her too, "Neville and I will be coming by on New Years eve."
"Excellent." The woman said as she walked over to hug Neville.
Draco leaned closer to Hermione, "When did you and Neville win over my mum like this?"
"All that time you were locked up in your room." Hermione said, "She needed someone to mother I was around and apparently she always wanted a daughter."
"Wooow." Draco said never saw his mother like this. She was so friendly and kind to those around her. The mother he remembered from his childhood was kind only to him. Everyone else was secondary. He smiled a little, "This is ok." He said as he watched his mother hug Harry lovingly.
After she hugged him Narcissa Black pulled away and swatted Harry's arm. "We are going to have a conversation when we get back young man." Draco paled a bit
"What?" Harry said looking to his godfather.
"She read the letter about what you did you Ron." Sirius said. Draco sighed in relief.
Harry grimace a bit, "I only did it because he said something vile about you and Draco."
Narcissa blinked, "Why would he talk to you about me and Draco."
Draco's eyes widened, Harry didn't have a filter…he knew that. 'Shit!' he thought
"He was yapping about me being on a date with Draco." Harry said.
Narcissa blinked again, "And?"
Harry bit his lip, "He said some shit about Draco only went on a date with me because you and him don't have access to Malfoy's money anymore…and I'm rich. Then he called Draco a slag."
"That little shit!" Narcissa spat, "Where is he?!" she said as she started looking around Harry. "I'll skin him alive."
"Miss Cissy easy… Harry already beat him black and blue." Neville said.
"I don't care! How dare he talk about my baby like that." The woman growled.
Draco stared. Harry just told her He and Harry went on a date and the only thing she was worried about was the dick who insulted him. "Mum?" he said getting his mother's attention.
"Yes dear?" she said.
"You're not mad at me?" He asked tearing up a little
"For what sweetie?" she said coming over to him with a look of concern on her face.
"Because…I…I'm dating Harry." He said shakily.
Narcissa mouth dropped open, "Oh baby no." she said as she in a soft sweet voice placing a hand on his cheek, "Darling as long as your happy and safe I don't care who you love." She smiled and kissed his forehead then turned to Harry, "So long as he makes you happy...I won't kill him." She said looking at Harry sternly. Draco had to hdol back a laugh and choked a bit.
"Hey!" Harry said holding up his hands in surrender, "Don't look at me I'm not that stupid."
"Good boy." Narcissa said with a grin, "Come on let go home." She said, "Kreacher has made a wonderful dinner."
Hermione met up with her parents outside the barrier, she introduced them to Neville who looked extremely nervous since her dad was staring him down with a look that basically said, 'You can't have my baby girl.'
The friends bid each other farewell and returned to their respective homes. As soon as they entered Grimmauld place Harry was led off by Remus and Sirius for what Draco assumed was to get the dirty details of their relationship. Narcissa walked up beside her son and place a hand on his back, "Draco…Can we talk?" she asked as she gestured towards the library.
Draco nods and makes his way to the library with his mother right behind him. He takes a seat on the couch in the middle of the room and his mother sits beside him. They were quiet for a moment when Draco finally spoke, "So…you're…you're not disappointed in me?" he asked quietly, "I thought you would be."
"Of course not!" his mother replied, "Why on earth would you think that?"
Draco gulped, "Cause I know if dad was around he'd might have killed me if he found out. Pureblood rule number one…continue your family line. I can't do that if I'm with a man, and I know you were raised the same way."
Narcissa sat there quietly for a moment, "You're right…my parents were just like your father. More than once did I experience the pain of the same curse your father used on you, but fortunately…I had a big sister." She said.
"Aunt Andy?" Draco asked.
Narcissa smiled and nodded, "Anytime I did something our parents didn't like she'd step in an take my punishment in my place. She is the one who taught me what a mother should be." Narcissa smiled then frowned, "You know…I wasn't supposed to marry your father." She said.
Draco's eyes widened, "What?"
"Yes…Lucius had a torch for Andromeda." She explained, "and when my sister learned he was planning to get a betrothal contract written up for the two of them. She ran away…her and your uncle Ted disappeared for nearly a year. When they returned they were married, and expecting. It was the first time Andy did anything for herself, but she didn't expect what your father did next. Since he couldn't have her he settled for the next best thing…me…her baby sister."
Draco stared at her, "You were her replacement."
His mother nodded tearing up a bit, "I had been dating Castor Greengrass up until the day my mother wrote me and told me the betrothal was set. I had no choice." She took a deep breath, "I protested at first but my mother told me if I wanted to blame someone I should blame my sister. So I did…I hated her for years." She growled, she looked angry but Draco was sure it was at herself rather than her sister. "I made myself believe my sister betrayed me…the one person who loved and protected me unconditionally, betrayed me. So I started conforming more to my parents wishes and ideology. I married your father and kept my mouth shut when he joined Voldemort's Death Eaters."
Draco flinched a little at his mother saying Voldemort's name, "What changed?" he asked.
"I got pregnant with you." She smiled and reached over and stroked his cheek. "My sister found out and she wrote me…begged me to take you and run…but I was afraid and still angry with her. Ignored her pleas and stayed. Then I found out what your father had been doing to you. I so furious after the fight I took to Andromeda's. The minute she opened the door and saw me there holding your hand…She hugged me so hard. Then I remembered everything she had ever done for me." She was now crying, "The punishments she took in my place, the stories she read me to sleep with and the promise we made to each other."
"What promise?" Draco asked.
His mother wiped her eyes a bit and looked at him, "We promised when we became mother's we would be better than our parents we would love our children unconditionally and support each other even if we had to go against our family's traditions. She took us in without question you were still recovering from the shit your father put you through so I stayed strong around you but when you were in bed and it was just me and my sister. I cried so much…I failed to protect you."
Draco was crying now a well. He hugged her tightly, "You got me away from him."
His mother cried in his arms for a bit, but slowly regained her composure, "Your just like your aunt." She said stroking his cheek to wipe away his tears, "So much love to give." She smiled and straightened herself up, "After that I vowed to do whatever I had to in order to protect you. So when Sirius escaped Azkaban…I went looking for him…He was the head of my birth family, albeit unwillingly…he had the authority to annul my marriage I needed him, and I knew who truly betrayed the Potter's…I had seen Pettigrew kissing Voldemort's feet." She clenched her fist, "But after everything settled and we moved in here you were so closed off you wouldn't speak to anyone but me and you ran anytime you saw Harry. I didn't now how to help you get past all that…but your aunt told me to just be there if you needed me and if you wanted to talk to listen without judgment. Then I had began to notice how you acted around Harry."
"I was that obvious huh?" he joked.
She chuckled a bit, "Anytime he caught you watching him you face would get so red and you'd scurry off. I talked with Sirius about it and he admitted to me that Harry had shown a romantic interest in you as well. So I saw it coming…and yes while I was not raised to condone such relationships." She looked to her son and stroked his cheek once again, "I just want you to be happy. I miss my smiling boy who just loved to read. If being with Harry even brings just a little of my old Draco back. Then I will hex anyone who tries to get between you."
Draco started chuckling a bit before he reached out and hugged his mother hard. "I love you so much mom." He whispered.
"I love you too baby." She whispered back.
Up Next: Draco seeks advise from Sirius, then put what he learns to use.