Disclaimer: We've been through this, people. I don't own Harry Potter and
all related things. JK Rowling does.
Chapter 13- Daddy Dearest
Draco's POV
I was just returning to my common room for my Charms book when the owl came. It was a rather small, stone gray owl, with spots of black on it's head. When I saw it, I froze, and my eyes widened.
With shaking hands, I retrieved the letter it had for me, and quickly sent it away. The envelope was simple, with DRACO spelled out on the front in tidy handwriting. I put it on the table and sat there staring at it, afraid to open it.
I finally got up the guts, decided I had to open it sooner or later. I slid my finger under the flap, breaking the seal, and unfolded the parchment:
Draco,
I was disappointed not to hear from you after my last letter. It's a pity you didn't reply, really. Your mother was in the hospital for a week because of it. I assume you will be accompanying me to the meeting on December 12th? I sincerely hope so. For your mother's sake. If something happens to her, remember, it will be your fault. See you then. - Lucius Malfoy
God help him. I would kill him. He put my mother in the hospital. He was so dead. More pressing matters at that moment, how was I going get out of that meeting?
Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit... I was in such deep trouble. My father was expecting me to go to the deatheater meeting on December 15th, and it didn't sound like I had much of a chance to get out of it. If he hurt my mother again because of me, I would never forgive him. Or myself.
I must have been so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice when Hermione slipped quietly into the room and lay down on her couch. "Hey," I said, puzzled as to what she was doing here.
Apparently she hadn't noticed me either, because when I spoke she jumped, startled. "Oh, Draco, it's you," she cried. "I didn't see you." She lied back down and closed her eyes.
"What's wrong now?" I asked absently, and she sighed. She told me the whole story of how Harry had told her he wanted to get back together, and seemed to expect her to take him back.
Now was my turn to sigh. "I wish my problems were that simple."
She glared at me. "You think this is simple?" she snapped.
"Oh, Hermione, you have no idea," I said sadly. Then I climbed the stairs to my room, and gently shut the door. Without realizing I had left the letter downstairs on my couch.
Hermione's POV
How dare he think this is no big deal! My problems were a big deal, to me at least. I glared at his back as he walked sullenly up the stairs and heard his bedroom door click softly. What was his problem anyway? What was that stupid letter he had been reading?
I noticed he had left it on his couch, so I went over and picked it up. My eyes widened as I read it, and I realized the mistake I had just made. His problems were more complicated than mine. They were MUCH worse.
I walked slowly up the stairs to his bedroom, and knocked gently on the door. "Draco?" I whispered. No answer. I pushed the door open, and saw him, sitting on the edge of his bed, with his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. Cautiously, I went over and sat down next to him. He made no recognition of me being there.
Tentatively, I slid him the letter. He grabbed it, crumpled it into a ball with one fist, and tossed it behind him, where it landed on the floor on the other side of the bed. He groaned and flopped onto his back, his eyes closed, rubbing his temples. "What am I gonna do, Mione?" he asked weakly. "I HAVE to go to that meeting. He'll kill my mother if I don't."
"Do you really think he would?" I breathed softly.
"I sure wouldn't put it past him," he said harshly. "He killed Slade, remember?" I winced.
"Well maybe we could just go to Dumbledore, and-"
"NO!" he sat bolt upright at that. "You can not tell ANYone about this. Including Dumbledore. Alright?" I nodded slowly, and realized how delicate the situation was. Do anything other than what Lucius Malfoy wanted, and someone would end up dead. I just hoped it wouldn't be Draco.
Draco's POV again
Half an hour later, Hermione and I were on our way to the DADA classroom. We had missed our second class, but that was okay. I wasn't in any mood or condition to go back to class, and Hermione wasn't exactly eager to face Harry again, either.
About halfway there, we ran into Professor Dumbledore. "Hello," he smiled warmly at us, then his expression changed to a more serious one. "You two both missed your second class."
Hermione's eyes widened and she began to sputter an apology, but Dumbledore stopped her with a hand. "It's alright, Miss Granger. I presume you have your reasons." He was looking at me now, and I was studying the pattern on the floor. "I would just like to remind you that I am always here if you need to talk about something. Anything. Remember that." I risked a glance up into his eyes, and returned quickly to the floor. Yup, his gaze was still fixed on me. "Now, I suggest you hurry to Defense Against the Dark Arts so we don't have a repeat of last class." And with that, he continued down the hall on his way, and we on ours.
When we walked into the room, I noticed we were the last ones there. This was right before a very pissed-looking Ginny came up and shoved me into a wall.
A/N: I was gonna combine this chap with the next one, but it would be really long so I decided to make you wait. *evil grin* You can expect it to be up by tomorrow, and I have ch. 16 written now, and I'm working on getting it typed out. (Should get done by today.) Enjoy, and please review. Hehe. I LOOOOOVE reviews.
P.S. To anyone who may be an avid Ginny lover, don't worry, like the thing with Harry, it will all be explained in ch.16, so please don't stop reading.
Chapter 13- Daddy Dearest
Draco's POV
I was just returning to my common room for my Charms book when the owl came. It was a rather small, stone gray owl, with spots of black on it's head. When I saw it, I froze, and my eyes widened.
With shaking hands, I retrieved the letter it had for me, and quickly sent it away. The envelope was simple, with DRACO spelled out on the front in tidy handwriting. I put it on the table and sat there staring at it, afraid to open it.
I finally got up the guts, decided I had to open it sooner or later. I slid my finger under the flap, breaking the seal, and unfolded the parchment:
Draco,
I was disappointed not to hear from you after my last letter. It's a pity you didn't reply, really. Your mother was in the hospital for a week because of it. I assume you will be accompanying me to the meeting on December 12th? I sincerely hope so. For your mother's sake. If something happens to her, remember, it will be your fault. See you then. - Lucius Malfoy
God help him. I would kill him. He put my mother in the hospital. He was so dead. More pressing matters at that moment, how was I going get out of that meeting?
Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit... I was in such deep trouble. My father was expecting me to go to the deatheater meeting on December 15th, and it didn't sound like I had much of a chance to get out of it. If he hurt my mother again because of me, I would never forgive him. Or myself.
I must have been so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice when Hermione slipped quietly into the room and lay down on her couch. "Hey," I said, puzzled as to what she was doing here.
Apparently she hadn't noticed me either, because when I spoke she jumped, startled. "Oh, Draco, it's you," she cried. "I didn't see you." She lied back down and closed her eyes.
"What's wrong now?" I asked absently, and she sighed. She told me the whole story of how Harry had told her he wanted to get back together, and seemed to expect her to take him back.
Now was my turn to sigh. "I wish my problems were that simple."
She glared at me. "You think this is simple?" she snapped.
"Oh, Hermione, you have no idea," I said sadly. Then I climbed the stairs to my room, and gently shut the door. Without realizing I had left the letter downstairs on my couch.
Hermione's POV
How dare he think this is no big deal! My problems were a big deal, to me at least. I glared at his back as he walked sullenly up the stairs and heard his bedroom door click softly. What was his problem anyway? What was that stupid letter he had been reading?
I noticed he had left it on his couch, so I went over and picked it up. My eyes widened as I read it, and I realized the mistake I had just made. His problems were more complicated than mine. They were MUCH worse.
I walked slowly up the stairs to his bedroom, and knocked gently on the door. "Draco?" I whispered. No answer. I pushed the door open, and saw him, sitting on the edge of his bed, with his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. Cautiously, I went over and sat down next to him. He made no recognition of me being there.
Tentatively, I slid him the letter. He grabbed it, crumpled it into a ball with one fist, and tossed it behind him, where it landed on the floor on the other side of the bed. He groaned and flopped onto his back, his eyes closed, rubbing his temples. "What am I gonna do, Mione?" he asked weakly. "I HAVE to go to that meeting. He'll kill my mother if I don't."
"Do you really think he would?" I breathed softly.
"I sure wouldn't put it past him," he said harshly. "He killed Slade, remember?" I winced.
"Well maybe we could just go to Dumbledore, and-"
"NO!" he sat bolt upright at that. "You can not tell ANYone about this. Including Dumbledore. Alright?" I nodded slowly, and realized how delicate the situation was. Do anything other than what Lucius Malfoy wanted, and someone would end up dead. I just hoped it wouldn't be Draco.
Draco's POV again
Half an hour later, Hermione and I were on our way to the DADA classroom. We had missed our second class, but that was okay. I wasn't in any mood or condition to go back to class, and Hermione wasn't exactly eager to face Harry again, either.
About halfway there, we ran into Professor Dumbledore. "Hello," he smiled warmly at us, then his expression changed to a more serious one. "You two both missed your second class."
Hermione's eyes widened and she began to sputter an apology, but Dumbledore stopped her with a hand. "It's alright, Miss Granger. I presume you have your reasons." He was looking at me now, and I was studying the pattern on the floor. "I would just like to remind you that I am always here if you need to talk about something. Anything. Remember that." I risked a glance up into his eyes, and returned quickly to the floor. Yup, his gaze was still fixed on me. "Now, I suggest you hurry to Defense Against the Dark Arts so we don't have a repeat of last class." And with that, he continued down the hall on his way, and we on ours.
When we walked into the room, I noticed we were the last ones there. This was right before a very pissed-looking Ginny came up and shoved me into a wall.
A/N: I was gonna combine this chap with the next one, but it would be really long so I decided to make you wait. *evil grin* You can expect it to be up by tomorrow, and I have ch. 16 written now, and I'm working on getting it typed out. (Should get done by today.) Enjoy, and please review. Hehe. I LOOOOOVE reviews.
P.S. To anyone who may be an avid Ginny lover, don't worry, like the thing with Harry, it will all be explained in ch.16, so please don't stop reading.