The darkness softened, allowing Draco Malfoy to think again for the first time in days. *Where am I?* he thought, opening his eyes slowly, adjusting to the light. *Where am I?* This time he said it aloud in a voice so weak, he could scarcely believe it to be his own. "Save your energy and go back to sleep, dear" said a warm, motherly voice above him. *Where have I heard that voice before?* wondered Draco. "You need your rest if you are going to get better" came the voice again. Draco closed his eyes once more, catching the barest glimpse of red. *I am safe here, I am free*, he thought, before drifting off into a dreamless sleep once more.
After assuring herself that he had, in fact, returned to his slumber, Molly Weasley made her way down the rickety old stairs to the kitchen of The Burrow. Waiting there for her was a wise looking old man, with a long silvery beard, who sat there drinking some tea. "He's asleep again, the poor dear." she stated when the man looked up from his cup. "How was your tea, Albus?" she asked him. "Wonderful, Molly, wonderful." replied Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "It was good of you and Arthur to take him in." "It wasn't any problem at all." answered Mrs. Weasley. "After all, the poor dear has no family left anymore."
Up at the other end of those old stairs, in a small, violently orange room, sat Mrs. Weasley's youngest son, Ron, and his friends ,Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Hermione was in Ron's arms, crying softly as he stroked her soft, but bushy, hair. "Don't worry Hermione, he'll be all right." he whispered to her. "My mum and Professor Dumbledore will make sure of that." "I hope so," she was able to squeak out between sobs, "he risked his life to save ours!" "He was braver than any of us could have thought." said Harry in a hushed tone. "His sacrifice allowed us to finally defeat Voldemort one and for all."
In a room one floor below, Draco awoke once more.
~~*~~
Opening his eyes again, Draco sat up, examining his surroundings. *Where in the world am I?* he wondered once more, looking at the odd little room he was now in. *This most certainly is not in the manor!* Slowly he swung his feet off of old wooden bed he was in, and on to the rough wooden floor. Wincing at the pain he felt, he arose, making his way across the room. "The manor never seemed this, well, *warm*." he whispered to himself. A ray of sunlight glinted off of a mirror that was next to him, notifying him of its presence for the first time. Draco gazed, open mouthed, into it. He had a long scar across his left cheek, and his silvery hair was mostly hidden beneath a great amount of bandages, white in some places, red in others. *What happened to me!* he chastized himself, *Why can't I remember!*
He made his way to the door, and slowly turned the doorknob, trying not to make any noise. Limping out of the room, he saw a long, thin staircase in front of him. *BOOM!* a loud explosion below him made him jump; he caught the banister just in time to keep himself from plummeting down the stairs. *I'll go down, that will bring me outside, and then I can figure out where I am.*
Creeping down stairs he thought would last forever, two voices became clearer to him. One he recognised as the motherly voice he had heard before. The other one he recognised as well, as he has heared it every year at school. Getting to the bottom of the stairs, he saw the owner of that voice. "Professor Dumbledore?" he weakly asked.
~~*~~
Professor Dumbledore looked at Draco with a smile. "Your family has always shown great strengh. If you feel you are strong enough, you may join us." Mrs. Weasley looked at Dumbledore with concern. "He really should be resting, you know." Draco looked a her with curiosity. *That's the voice I heard! That hair, though...* He glanced at her, and realized, "You're Weasley's mother!" "Yes, I am." she answered, with a small laugh. "Now come on, dear, have a seat, and I'll get you some soup, it will make you feel better." Very reluctuntly, he let her help him to the chair across from Dumbledore. "We've been worried about you, Draco." he said, noting the look of confusion on his face. "You've been unconcious for days."
"I want to go home." Draco said calmly. "And where are *my* parents?" he asked, watching Mrs. Weasley bustle about the kitchen. "There is a lot we must tell you, but I do not feel you are ready for it yet." replied Dumbledore. "I *am* ready!" he hissed back. "Well then, there is no point delaying, then. Your parents are dead." "WHAT!" Draco cried, standing up from the table. "They can't be! It's a lie!" Dumbledore looked at Draco, who sat down once more as he saw the sadness in his eyes. "I prefer the truth to lies, so I will be honest with you, Voldemort killed them before he was destroyed." "No..." he whispered, tears clouding his stormy grey eyes.
"After you stopped Voldemort from killing Mr. Potter, he preformed the killing curse on them as punishment for your rebellion. "I stopped Voldemort from killing Harry?" Draco asked, genuinely confused. "You really do not remember, do you?" asked Dumbledore in return. "If you want to know more, there is a spell I can place you under, a rememberance spell." "Yes!" stated Draco, excitingly. "But first you eat and get your strength up, dear" Mrs. Weasley interjected. "The spell can wait until tomorrow, can't it Albus?" "But...." started Draco, looking sour, but Dumbledore intervened. "She's right Mr. Malfoy. You need to get better before I can risk putting the spell on you. However, I believe Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and young Mr. Weasley can answer some of your questions."
Draco sighed as he began to eat the steaming soup in front of him, which he had to admit, did make him feel better. *How can I possibly face Harry again?* he thought, remembering their last night together in Hogwarts Castle. (A/N - See my story *Seperate Lives*, It explains the meaning of this) Draco sighed again, staring at what was left of the thick, warm broth in his bowl. "I'll go upstairs and check on the others, if you don't mind." said Dumbledore, rising from his chair on the other side of the scrubbed wooden table. Draco almost protested, but Mrs. Weasley promptly refilled his bowl, adding a plate of warm buttered bread as well. He couldn't resist smiling as he dug in, oblivious to the fact Dumbledore was now heading up the stairs he himself just decended.
~~*~~
Harry looked up from the floor when he heard the footsteps on the stairs. Slowly and quietly he arose from the chair he was sitting in, as not to awaken Ron and Hermione. They had fallen into a deep and peaceful sleep on Ron's bed, arms intwined, and hid didn't want to disturb them. He made his way to the door, amazed when he was able to open the door without it's usual squeak. Just as nimbly, he closed it behind him. "You truly are one of the best seekers I have ever met." came a voice behind him, with a chuckle. "Your skills show in other things as well!" stated Dumbledore as he reached the landing.
Harry spun around, suprised at the voice. "You'll be pleased to know Mr. Malfoy is awake, and doing well." continued Dumbledore, answering the question before Harry could ask it. "How are Miss Granger and Mr Weasley faring?" "They fell asleep awhile ago," responded Harry, "but they are holding up."
"I came up here, not only to check on the three of you, but to also ask you to do something for me. I trust you will relay this to you friends." At this, Harry just nodded. "Young Mr. Malfoy semms to have no recollection of your battle with Voldemort. As he is still to weak to place under a rememberance spell safely, I must ask the three of you to answer his questions as truthfully as possible. Do not leave any thing out, you may think you are protecting him by doing so, but it will just hurt him more in the long run." "Ok." replied Harry, somberly. "If you go to the room below us, Mr. Malfoy will be up as soon as he has finished eating." Again, Harry simply nodded, following Dumbledore down the stairs.
~~*~~
Leaving Harry in what was now Draco's room, Dumbledore continued down the stairs back to the kitchen. Draco, having finished eating, was watching Mrs. Weasley clean the kitchen with fasination. His interest in her routine faded, however, when Dumbledore reappeard in the room. "Mr. Potter is waiting for you upstairs." Dumbledore stated, and watched with bemusement whan Draco practicaly leapt up from his seat and dashed up the stairs.
After assuring herself that he had, in fact, returned to his slumber, Molly Weasley made her way down the rickety old stairs to the kitchen of The Burrow. Waiting there for her was a wise looking old man, with a long silvery beard, who sat there drinking some tea. "He's asleep again, the poor dear." she stated when the man looked up from his cup. "How was your tea, Albus?" she asked him. "Wonderful, Molly, wonderful." replied Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "It was good of you and Arthur to take him in." "It wasn't any problem at all." answered Mrs. Weasley. "After all, the poor dear has no family left anymore."
Up at the other end of those old stairs, in a small, violently orange room, sat Mrs. Weasley's youngest son, Ron, and his friends ,Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Hermione was in Ron's arms, crying softly as he stroked her soft, but bushy, hair. "Don't worry Hermione, he'll be all right." he whispered to her. "My mum and Professor Dumbledore will make sure of that." "I hope so," she was able to squeak out between sobs, "he risked his life to save ours!" "He was braver than any of us could have thought." said Harry in a hushed tone. "His sacrifice allowed us to finally defeat Voldemort one and for all."
In a room one floor below, Draco awoke once more.
~~*~~
Opening his eyes again, Draco sat up, examining his surroundings. *Where in the world am I?* he wondered once more, looking at the odd little room he was now in. *This most certainly is not in the manor!* Slowly he swung his feet off of old wooden bed he was in, and on to the rough wooden floor. Wincing at the pain he felt, he arose, making his way across the room. "The manor never seemed this, well, *warm*." he whispered to himself. A ray of sunlight glinted off of a mirror that was next to him, notifying him of its presence for the first time. Draco gazed, open mouthed, into it. He had a long scar across his left cheek, and his silvery hair was mostly hidden beneath a great amount of bandages, white in some places, red in others. *What happened to me!* he chastized himself, *Why can't I remember!*
He made his way to the door, and slowly turned the doorknob, trying not to make any noise. Limping out of the room, he saw a long, thin staircase in front of him. *BOOM!* a loud explosion below him made him jump; he caught the banister just in time to keep himself from plummeting down the stairs. *I'll go down, that will bring me outside, and then I can figure out where I am.*
Creeping down stairs he thought would last forever, two voices became clearer to him. One he recognised as the motherly voice he had heard before. The other one he recognised as well, as he has heared it every year at school. Getting to the bottom of the stairs, he saw the owner of that voice. "Professor Dumbledore?" he weakly asked.
~~*~~
Professor Dumbledore looked at Draco with a smile. "Your family has always shown great strengh. If you feel you are strong enough, you may join us." Mrs. Weasley looked at Dumbledore with concern. "He really should be resting, you know." Draco looked a her with curiosity. *That's the voice I heard! That hair, though...* He glanced at her, and realized, "You're Weasley's mother!" "Yes, I am." she answered, with a small laugh. "Now come on, dear, have a seat, and I'll get you some soup, it will make you feel better." Very reluctuntly, he let her help him to the chair across from Dumbledore. "We've been worried about you, Draco." he said, noting the look of confusion on his face. "You've been unconcious for days."
"I want to go home." Draco said calmly. "And where are *my* parents?" he asked, watching Mrs. Weasley bustle about the kitchen. "There is a lot we must tell you, but I do not feel you are ready for it yet." replied Dumbledore. "I *am* ready!" he hissed back. "Well then, there is no point delaying, then. Your parents are dead." "WHAT!" Draco cried, standing up from the table. "They can't be! It's a lie!" Dumbledore looked at Draco, who sat down once more as he saw the sadness in his eyes. "I prefer the truth to lies, so I will be honest with you, Voldemort killed them before he was destroyed." "No..." he whispered, tears clouding his stormy grey eyes.
"After you stopped Voldemort from killing Mr. Potter, he preformed the killing curse on them as punishment for your rebellion. "I stopped Voldemort from killing Harry?" Draco asked, genuinely confused. "You really do not remember, do you?" asked Dumbledore in return. "If you want to know more, there is a spell I can place you under, a rememberance spell." "Yes!" stated Draco, excitingly. "But first you eat and get your strength up, dear" Mrs. Weasley interjected. "The spell can wait until tomorrow, can't it Albus?" "But...." started Draco, looking sour, but Dumbledore intervened. "She's right Mr. Malfoy. You need to get better before I can risk putting the spell on you. However, I believe Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and young Mr. Weasley can answer some of your questions."
Draco sighed as he began to eat the steaming soup in front of him, which he had to admit, did make him feel better. *How can I possibly face Harry again?* he thought, remembering their last night together in Hogwarts Castle. (A/N - See my story *Seperate Lives*, It explains the meaning of this) Draco sighed again, staring at what was left of the thick, warm broth in his bowl. "I'll go upstairs and check on the others, if you don't mind." said Dumbledore, rising from his chair on the other side of the scrubbed wooden table. Draco almost protested, but Mrs. Weasley promptly refilled his bowl, adding a plate of warm buttered bread as well. He couldn't resist smiling as he dug in, oblivious to the fact Dumbledore was now heading up the stairs he himself just decended.
~~*~~
Harry looked up from the floor when he heard the footsteps on the stairs. Slowly and quietly he arose from the chair he was sitting in, as not to awaken Ron and Hermione. They had fallen into a deep and peaceful sleep on Ron's bed, arms intwined, and hid didn't want to disturb them. He made his way to the door, amazed when he was able to open the door without it's usual squeak. Just as nimbly, he closed it behind him. "You truly are one of the best seekers I have ever met." came a voice behind him, with a chuckle. "Your skills show in other things as well!" stated Dumbledore as he reached the landing.
Harry spun around, suprised at the voice. "You'll be pleased to know Mr. Malfoy is awake, and doing well." continued Dumbledore, answering the question before Harry could ask it. "How are Miss Granger and Mr Weasley faring?" "They fell asleep awhile ago," responded Harry, "but they are holding up."
"I came up here, not only to check on the three of you, but to also ask you to do something for me. I trust you will relay this to you friends." At this, Harry just nodded. "Young Mr. Malfoy semms to have no recollection of your battle with Voldemort. As he is still to weak to place under a rememberance spell safely, I must ask the three of you to answer his questions as truthfully as possible. Do not leave any thing out, you may think you are protecting him by doing so, but it will just hurt him more in the long run." "Ok." replied Harry, somberly. "If you go to the room below us, Mr. Malfoy will be up as soon as he has finished eating." Again, Harry simply nodded, following Dumbledore down the stairs.
~~*~~
Leaving Harry in what was now Draco's room, Dumbledore continued down the stairs back to the kitchen. Draco, having finished eating, was watching Mrs. Weasley clean the kitchen with fasination. His interest in her routine faded, however, when Dumbledore reappeard in the room. "Mr. Potter is waiting for you upstairs." Dumbledore stated, and watched with bemusement whan Draco practicaly leapt up from his seat and dashed up the stairs.