I cannot believe I am back in Britain. The accent that I worked so hard to
cover up has come back, thick and full. The magic that I suppressed so long
I forgot it has come back with the placement of a wand in my hands. Despite
the return to the wizarding world, we are riding in a train. I think Seamus
likes the movement. He could never keep still as a child, I remember, nor,
I think, as he tells me that my children are quite beautiful, as they look
nthing like me, could he keep his mouth shut. A handsome young man with
dark hair and two small, thin girls wrapped in a bundle in his arms boards
the train.
"They couldn't keep their eyes open past Manchester. Ron'll get on at the next stop." I have just realised that this is Harry Potter. He looks nothing like the scrawny, small boy I specs that I used to know. I suddenly realise that Seamus looks different as well. Everyone does. Harry lays the girls down and looks at me carefully.
"I'm not going to pull anything Harry." I say. I am exhausted. I do not want to go through the same treatment I received before I left Britain.
"I don't expect you to Draco." Harry says calmly, and I feel heat rising to my face. Harry of all people should know that I have no intent of causing trouble.
"Why am I here?" I ask. Harry will know.
"Wait till everyone else get's here." Seamus says. He enjoys being in control. He enjoys treating me like a child. I say nothing, only nod.
The train slows to a stop again and Ron Weasley boards. He too, has children with him, a boy and a girl, they walk behind him, rubbing their eyes and yawning. They are barely older than Jessica, but they are so much smaller. They stumble over to where the other two girls are sleeping and fall asleep themselves. "How's life Malfoy?" He asks, not looking at me. He does not seem surprised to see me again, and he does not seem to notice the effect half a decade has had on me.
"Doesn't appear to be getting better." I say, trying not to feel out of place amongst thse people.
"I'd not assume that if I were you. Hasn't Hermione got here yet?" He asks. He is done with me, so I turn back to the window. I look down, a small girl is tugging at my pants.
"Mister?" She says softly. "Mister can you get me a drink?" I look around and spot a cup. I give her a drink and she goes back to sleep. We do not stop again for almost half an hour. Harry, Ron and Seamus are talking quietly amonst themselves. They look at me occasionally, and then talk some more. Are they talking about me? I don't care.
Finally the train stops. Hermione boards, and two small children. My children. My wife. She looks at me and stands very still. I rise and walk over to her, expecting perhaps a slap across the face. I get nothing. "How are you?" She asks.
"How should I be?" I do not mean to be rude. I want to know how I should feel, and I will feel that way. That is how I am now. I wait until someone tells me to feel something before I feel it.
Hermione shrugs and places the children down. I look at them, so small, so pale. They are their mothers children, and they always will be. I look back at the adults. "Why am I here?" I ask. They are ready to tell me now.
"It goes like this..."
"They couldn't keep their eyes open past Manchester. Ron'll get on at the next stop." I have just realised that this is Harry Potter. He looks nothing like the scrawny, small boy I specs that I used to know. I suddenly realise that Seamus looks different as well. Everyone does. Harry lays the girls down and looks at me carefully.
"I'm not going to pull anything Harry." I say. I am exhausted. I do not want to go through the same treatment I received before I left Britain.
"I don't expect you to Draco." Harry says calmly, and I feel heat rising to my face. Harry of all people should know that I have no intent of causing trouble.
"Why am I here?" I ask. Harry will know.
"Wait till everyone else get's here." Seamus says. He enjoys being in control. He enjoys treating me like a child. I say nothing, only nod.
The train slows to a stop again and Ron Weasley boards. He too, has children with him, a boy and a girl, they walk behind him, rubbing their eyes and yawning. They are barely older than Jessica, but they are so much smaller. They stumble over to where the other two girls are sleeping and fall asleep themselves. "How's life Malfoy?" He asks, not looking at me. He does not seem surprised to see me again, and he does not seem to notice the effect half a decade has had on me.
"Doesn't appear to be getting better." I say, trying not to feel out of place amongst thse people.
"I'd not assume that if I were you. Hasn't Hermione got here yet?" He asks. He is done with me, so I turn back to the window. I look down, a small girl is tugging at my pants.
"Mister?" She says softly. "Mister can you get me a drink?" I look around and spot a cup. I give her a drink and she goes back to sleep. We do not stop again for almost half an hour. Harry, Ron and Seamus are talking quietly amonst themselves. They look at me occasionally, and then talk some more. Are they talking about me? I don't care.
Finally the train stops. Hermione boards, and two small children. My children. My wife. She looks at me and stands very still. I rise and walk over to her, expecting perhaps a slap across the face. I get nothing. "How are you?" She asks.
"How should I be?" I do not mean to be rude. I want to know how I should feel, and I will feel that way. That is how I am now. I wait until someone tells me to feel something before I feel it.
Hermione shrugs and places the children down. I look at them, so small, so pale. They are their mothers children, and they always will be. I look back at the adults. "Why am I here?" I ask. They are ready to tell me now.
"It goes like this..."