CHAPTER SIX: MEMORIES


Draco picked up the phone. "Yeah?"

"Um," the voice said at the other end. "Who is this?"

"Malcolm," Draco said in a clearly annoyed voice. "Who wants to know?"

"Um? Malcolm."

"What?" Now Draco was really annoyed.

"No, I'm Malcolm. Who are you?"

"I told you."

"Is my mom there?"

"Hold on. MOM, Malcolm is on the phone."

"I'll get it on the extension, Malcolm," Lois called out. She picked up the phone. "Malcolm, where are you?"

"London. Mom, who was that."

"That was Draco pretending to be you. Didn't you recognize your own voice?"

[Draco's still there? It's been almost a month.]

"Mom, what is Draco doing there. Hasn't anybody noticed?"

"He's covering for you while you're gone. And no, nobody noticed. How are things going with your Olympic whatever?"

"We made the final round. It just us, the British kids and a bunch of kids from China."

"That's very good. You haven't been cheating?"

"Nooo, I just took Dumbledore's advice and put a happy face on everything, and it all seemed to work out."

"Well, try that at home sometime. I could do with seeing a few smiles around here. It's no picnic here, you know. You're off gallivanting around the globe while your father's starting a new job and I've got to work a Tesco's. Your schooling doesn't come cheap, you know. It's no free ride this year. Just remember that."

[She always does this. I called to say hi, and I'm getting the lecture again.]

"Mom, I know all that. You've been telling that since I was five."

"I've been telling you longer than that. You only started listening when you were five. You're getting as bad a Francis. Call me again when you get a chance."

"Bye, Mom."

Lois hung up the phone and grabbed her purse. "Malcolm, Reese, watch the other kids. I'm off to work."

The phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Master Malcolm. How are you doing?"

"Fine," Draco said. "Francis, is that you?"

"I arrived safe and sound, and I am industriously employed. Are the parental units around?"

"Mom just left for work, and Dad isn't home yet. Give him another hour."

"Just let them know I called. I don't have much time. I'll write a letter and tell you guys everything as soon as I find a bird to deliver it. I was hoping to spot a penguin."

"Are you at the South Pole?"

Frances sounded confused.. "No. Why would you say that?"

"Because that's where you find penguins."

"Are you sure?"

"Hermione Granger told me even though I didn't ask her."

"Oh, no wonder I haven't found one. Well, I'll get a letter to you somehow. Bye."

Draco hung up the phone. Then he remembered something he had almost forgotten.

[That's right. I'm Draco Malfoy. No wonder I was so confused when Malcolm called.]

*

"You did pretty good on the snow worms, Francis."

"Thanks, Ralph. I did feel kind of stupid."

"You'll get the hang of it."

"Ralph, can I ask a personal question?"

"Sure."

"If you're an Eskimo, why are you called Ralph?"

"Probably because I was born in Brooklyn."

"Is there a large Eskimo community in Brooklyn."

"Nope, just my mom and dad. They were one of the first property owners up here to find oil on their land. They decided to take a winter vacation somewhere warm and fell in love with the Big Apple. After they moved there, Dad put his money in a startup business that took off and he lives off the dividends."

"That's great. What's his business called?"

"Microsoft. He's only a minor partner so he isn't even in the top thousand of the richest men in the world list. He's close though. I think he's number 1006."

"Oh? Then why are you a shaman?"

"I found out I had a talent for it, not that there's much use for a shaman these days. Now, when people get sick they don't try to have the demons driven out, they go to the drugstore and get some aspirin. It's easier and cheaper."

"So what do you do."

"Teach when I get the chance. There's a lot to be said for learning for the pleasure of learning. It's not like I'm one of those fancy wizards or anything, or I really have to work for a living. I'm just a regular guy. I'm not even an Eskimo, anymore."

"What a minute, Ralph. I can follow everything else but why aren't you an Eskimo?"

"Government. Back in the 70's and 80's they got on this kick and we became Native Americans. Now, we're all called Indians. Sometimes they get fancy and call us Inuits. If you call me an Eskimo it's called Racial Profiling. Go figure."

Francis nodded his head and went back to work.

*

Dewey stopped in the course of his work. "Hermione?"

"Yes, Dewey?"

"Thanks for that book you gave me. It is interesting even though it didn't have any pictures."

"You're welcome," Hermione said with an amused smile.

"I'm curious," Dewey said pointing at the two piles of trash she and Ginny were carrying. "Why do you always carry more trash out? Is it because you're older."

"I hadn't noticed, but that is probably the right answer."

As Dewey went on his way, Hermione looked at the two piles they were carrying. "I do have more in my pile," she said in a serious tone.

"Are you accusing me of doing less work?" Ginny asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

"No, I wasn't," Hermione responded in a similar voice. "I was merely making a comment. Or are you feeling guilty about something?"

Oblivious to what was going on behind him, Dewey headed up the stairs and passed the twins wiping down the walls. "Thanks, George, for those great candies. I can't wait to try them out on people. Or should I be thanking Fred."

"You could thank either of us," Fred offered. "It doesn't matter."

"Oh," Dewey said thoughtfully. "I read somewhere that one twin usually takes charge and the other one just kind of follows along. I guess you two guys are different."

"No, we're pretty much the same," George laughed.

"That's why we're twins," Fred added.

Dewey headed down the hall and into the room he was assigned to clean.

"You missed a spot, George," Fred said mischievously.

"You're not trying to take charge?" George said with a touch of humor.

"Perhaps I should," Fred answered, casually. "Someone needs to see the job done correctly."

"Well," George said pointedly, "based upon your past record, it should be me."

"I see. You heard what Dewey said, and decided that you should be the boss."

"Maybe it's because I'm finally getting tired of you bossing me around all the time."

"ME? You're the one who's always insisting that he's right."

By the time Dewey passed by them on his way to throw out more trash, Fred and George were silently scowling at each other.

"Hi, guys."

"Hi, Dewey."

"You would have to say Hi, first."

"There's nothing stopping you from being polite, except maybe ignorance."

"Bye guys," Dewey said hastily as he walked quickly away. He hurried down the stairs to the next level when he heard yelling from the room ahead of him.

"Ginny, it is possible for you to do a little more around here."

"Now you're trying to claim that you do everything. I grab one less piece of paper one time . . . "

"One time? How about EVERY time."

"Take that back."

Dewey hurried past in fear and ran into Arthur Weasley running up the stairs.

"Dewey, do you know what is going on between those two girls?"

"No, Sir, but Fred and George are doing the same thing on the next floor. It's scaring me."

"Don't you worry. I'll sort this out in no time. Why don't you go to the kitchen and tell Molly you need a cookie break?"

"Thanks, Mr. Weasley," Dewey said with a genuine smile. The boy ran down the stairs as quietly as he could (because of the screaming portraits), put the load he was carrying into the trash pile and went to the kitchen.

"Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley said I needed a cookie break."

"And you're right on time," Molly said. "The gingerbread men have cooled off enough to eat."

Dewey caught one of the gingerbread men and took a glass of milk that Molly poured for him. "You have a real nice house, Mrs. Weasley. It'll look great once we finish cleaning it."

"Thank you, dear, but the house belongs to Sirius." Molly nodded to where the dark haired man was trying to prod something from under the floor boards. "Did you get it, Sirius."

"Fatty, Fatty, Fatso," a voice shouted.

"Almost," Sirius said. "I have no idea how a jarvey ended up here, but it explains why there aren't any gnomes.

"Watch it, buttbreath," The voice shouted as Sirius gave a cry of triumph. He pulled a ferret-like creature out from the floorboards and put it into a waiting cage.

"I'll ask Arthur to take it out to the country when he has a chance," Molly offered.

"I can ask him," Sirius said with amusement. "After all, it is my house."

"I was only trying to be helpful,"Molly said with a smile. "After all, I do know how to clean a house."

"Not that it's your house," Sirius said calmly.

"I've got to go," Dewey said quickly as he sat down his glass and the partially eaten gingerbread man and left the kitchen. The gingerbread man ran around aimlessly as his head had been bitten off until he came to the cage, and to the jarvey.

*

Lois walked into the house happy to be done with work only to see a problem at the kitchen table.

"Malcolm? Why didn't you go to the beach with your brothers? Are you feeling OK?"

Draco brushed her hand from his forehead. "I don't have a fever. I feel fine. That's not the problem."

"And the problem is?"

"The problem is that I've been forgetting who I am, who I really am."

Lois sat down across from Draco. "Then we'll solve that problem right now. Tell me about yourself."

"What?"

"Tell me about Draco Malfoy. Your oath won't stop you from doing that because I already know who you are. If you talk about yourself it will help to keep you from forgetting."

[Mom always does that. She never understands anything until it's really important. Then she seems to know what to do.]

"That's a great idea."

[Of course, after I spill my guts she's going to find a way to humiliate me with it.]

Lois smiled. "So, who are you?"

"I am Draco Malfoy." Draco laughed. "It feels strange saying that. It doesn't seem real."

Lois smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Draco. Do you go to school."

He laughed again. "You know I do. Hogwarts." This September I'll be a third year in Gry - No, that's Malcolm. I'm Draco. I'll be a fifth year in . . . Slytherin." He laughed again. "This is harder than I thought it would be."

"You've been thinking like Malcolm. After that, thinking like yourself should be almost impossible."

"It should."

"Tell me about your friends," Lois prodded.

"Friends? There's not much to talk about. There's Crabbe and Goyle. Everyone thinks they're dumb, but they've got good hearts. They're loyal friends." Draco frowned. "They're better than I deserve. The truth is, I deserve to have someone like Weasley as a friend. I'm not worth much more than that."

"They are my neighbors, and I am prejudiced," Lois pointed out, "but why do you think so little of yourself?"

"There isn't much to think about. Father refuses to admit it, but I'm a disappointment to him." Draco stifled a sob. "That's why I left home for the summer. Father wants everything to be perfect. He always wants a show of strength. He always hates it that Mudblood Granger gets better marks than I do. And he always acts as though it's my fault. He pushed me to become Seeker on our Quidditch team, because that Potter is a Seeker. I've always been a Chaser or a Keeper. I'm an excellent Keeper. And when I fail, he blames me."

"And when you do good?"

"I always get a loud harumph and 'What do you expect from me? Praise for doing what you are supposed to?'" Draco looked up at Lois as a tear escaped his eye. "He found out about Basil."

Lois quickly put her hand on his. "I'm sorry, Draco."

"He found out that I had been seeing him, and that Malcolm came along . . . and Ginny Weasley. He wouldn't stop yelling at me. He threatened to pull me out of school. Mother stopped him. I don't know why. She likes to keep me close, but she doesn't love me. I think she sees me as a tool for controlling Father. Her family always liked to be in control of things. So I left home."

"And you ran into this mess," Lois added.

"This mess?" Draco forced a smile. "This isn't a mess. This is Paradise. You asked about my friends. I didn't tell you about my best friend. He's younger than me, but he is smarter. He doesn't know what to do with a tenth of what he knows, but if he ever learns and takes something to heart, he'll make the world shake. Malcolm gave my world a light, and I can't explain why. When we first met and I talked with him, we actually talked. It was as though we had an instant bond. Something almost familiar that we shared. I once said that he was the brother I never had."

Lois had to laugh. "You think of Malcolm as a brother?"

Draco snorted. "YES. I do. Why is that so funny?"

"I've been trying to figure out why you got involved in all of this. Why you made that stupid Wizard's Oath to take Malcolm's place. Arthur Weasley was only doing that to try something out for his job with the government. It wasn't important."

"It wouldn't of worked anyway," Draco pointed out. "The guy they sent over looked nothing like Malcolm. He would have lasted a minute, maybe less."

"But you jumped at the chance to help Malcolm," Lois reminded him.

"It was Malcolm." Draco then pointed out, "and it was only supposed to be for an hour. I didn't plan on Nob's little trick, either."

"So you got more than you bargained for."

"With Malcolm, that usually happens." Draco gave an honest laugh, his earlier pain forgotten for a moment. "And I fell in love. With all of this. With the way you live, the yelling the fighting, everything. I fell in love with you, Mom . . . I mean . . ."

"Mom is fine, or call me Lois."

"Thanks, uh, Lo . . . uh, Mom."

Draco smiled sheepishly as Lois arched an eyebrow at his choice of address.

"Tell me, Draco. How did you manage to fall in love with us? Everyone thinks we're the original family from Hell."

"That would be mine, if you want to know the truth. You're only misunderstood, but I realized that's because you don't try to explain yourselves. You yell, you scream, you threaten us, and one more thing, you drop everything if one of us, even your fake son, has a problem. You loved me, even though I didn't belong to you." This time Draco reached out and took Lois's hand.

"Love is the easiest thing in the world to give, Draco. You don't have to thank me for that. The hard part is trying to make all of you appreciate it."

Lois and Draco smirked at each other.

"You're wrong, Mom," Draco said in a serious tone. "Love isn't easy. Not in my family. I don't think anyone loved anyone else. My mother and father married because of who their families were, and how much money they had." Draco looked up with a wry smile. "Would you like a perfect example of what my family is like?"

"Let's have it."

"I'll have to tell you about my Grandfather first. He was a philanderer. When he was younger he had affairs with anyone, even after he was married. When Father was born, Grandfather had a paternity spell cast to show who his father was. He figured that, since he was cheating on Grandmother, she was probably doing the same."

"Nice man," Lois said sarcastically. "He reminds me of people in my own family."

Draco laughed as he continued. "I remember when I was little how Grandfather would brag about his conquests, even if Grandmother was sitting there. And he'd always end the same way. He would become very serious and say, 'then my daughter was born, and I came back to my wife to raise my very own little girl.'"

[That's a funny look Mom just gave me.]

"You have an aunt?" Lois asked. "What is she like?"

"I had an aunt," Draco amended. "Grandfather spoiled her so much that no one else could stand her. When he died, he left everything to her. The money, Malfoy Mansion, EVERYTHING."

Lois was surprised. "The house we visited? I thought that belonged to your father."

"It does. Now. Father contested the will on the grounds that his sister was illegitimate, and not a full relation. Grandmother even presented proof that she had faked the results of a paternity spell, and swore that my Aunt's real father was the former gardener. The man acknowledged the affair and presented the results of a paternity spell as proof. My Aunt ended up with nothing. I don't even know what happened to her. It's been almost ten years."

"That is amazing! Your grandfather doted on this girl and she wasn't even his?"

"She was his," Draco informed her. "The proof of forging the spell results was from the analysis of the gardener's spell. The labels were exchanged somehow. The gardener and his wife retired to a wonderful country home that they were suddenly able to afford. And Grandmother has exclusive use of our Chateau near Marseilles, as well as a more than comfortable stipend to live on."

Draco looked at Lois and grinned. "What do you think of my loving family, now?"

"I think you do deserve a vacation," Lois told him. "It's still early enough. Why don't you go to the beach for a couple of hours anyway. We'll have Pizza when everybody gets back."

Draco readily agreed but stopped when he stood up. "Mom, thanks. For everything."

After Draco left, Lois walked out to the back yard and took the path that led to the Burrow. She knocked on the door several times, smiling in relief when the door opened.

"Hello. You must be the new neighbor. I'm Bill Weasley. I'm house sitting for my folks for a few days."

"Hi, I'm Lois, and I'm sorry to bother you. Molly told me you might be here, and I need a favor. Do you know how to cast a paternity spell?"

"Are you pregnant?" Bill asked with a confused smile. "Or is it for someone else?"

"No, and it's for me."

Bill paused. "Let me ask someone at St. Mungo's. I can only tell you what I've heard and most of that is from my schooldays. Why don't you come in?"

*

Lois was very calm during dinner, which made everyone nervous. As soon as possible, everyone left the table.

"Malcolm, I need to talk to you."

"Do you need me," Hal asked and ran out of the room when she told him no.

"I didn't do it."

"I didn't accuse you of anything. I said I wanted to talk to you. I need a favor from you."

[Do you see what she's doing? I spilled my guts and now she's going to embarrass me.]

"What favor?"

"I need you to go with me to the Burrow to talk to Bill Weasley and a friend of his."

"Why, I said I didn't do anything."

[She means it. I did do something.]

"Why?"

"I'll tell you on the way over."

While they walked over to the Burrow Draco listened carefully as Lois explained what she needed and why. Then he asked, "do you mean that?"

"I do. Will you do it?"

"Yeah. Now you've got me wondering."

*

"Draco?" Dr. Lydia Spencer asked. "You've changed."

"You know?"

"Lois and I talked about you, after Bill Weasley discreetly left. He took Dewey out for some Pizza."

"I should be thankful for small favors."

"Are you ready? This won't hurt and it won't take long. And I should tell you, Dewey already knows the results. He is another interesting problem I get to deal with."

"I thought Arthur Weasley was taking care of him?" Draco looked at Lois, who smiled, then back to Dr. Spencer.

"They had problems. Bill was going to watch him, but I talked Dewey into spending some time with me at the hospital until school begins. In exchange for doing some tests, we offered to buy his school supplies for his first year."

Draco laughed. "I don't believe Dewey agreed to that."

Lois laughed. "I agreed to that. Dewey cried for ten minutes, then gave up when he realized he had no choice."

"Are we ready," Lydia Spencer asked?

The spell was cast. The results were analyzed. Ten minutes later, Lois returned to her home with her nephew in tow. Draco was in a state of surprise.

[I told you she'd do something to embarrass me.]