Disclaimer- The characters etcetera are not mine, they belong to JK Rowling. So please, please, please don't sue me!
Decisions
A HP Fan-fiction by HobbitGirlForever
Chapter One- A Rude Awakening
I groaned and rolled over onto my side as the early morning sunlight streamed through a gap in my emerald colored curtains. Rubbing my eyes, I struggled to remember the importance of today. Then it came to me. Today was my last day of freedom before I returned to my prison, a wonderful place called school. True, school was less of a prison than the manor, but here, at least I didn't have to bother with all of the professors and students that thought they were better than me. Unfortunately, I did not get to spend my last day of freedom in the way of my choosing. This was the day I that I had been recruited to help mother sort through her many trunks which were filled with junk that she had accumulated over the years.
"Curse the inability to find good servants these days!" I cried out in disgust as I rolled from my bed and set my feet upon the cold marble floor of my bedroom. "No," I decided "curse Hermione Granger and her damn house-elf rebellion! It is all her fault that the Ministry of Magic came and liberated them, leaving me to do all of this work!"
I quickly dressed before leaving my room and headed towards the kitchen; another thing I have had to do since the house-elf liberation was to make my own breakfast. Sure my mother had made it and put it in the icebox the night before, but it was the mere concept that wizards have to do the work that was designed for house-elves that annoyed me.
I sat down at the kitchen counter, raised my wand, and declared, "Accio Breakfast!" It flew across the room and landed gently on the table. After completing a warming charm on it to make it edible, I ate it quickly and set my breakfast dishes in the kitchen sink.
"Draco darling! Where are you?" My mother called from the other room.
"I am in the kitchen," I replied groaning.
My mother entered the room, her sapphire colored robes billowing as she walked. Her long, shiny blonde hair was tied into a complicated knot on the top of her head and her gray eyes shone as she spoke.
"Good Morning Draco," she greeted me cheerfully as she kissed me on the cheek. "Are you ready to start helping me sort though my trunks in the attic?"
"I 'spose so." I replied grimacing as I followed her from the kitchen and towards the large stone steps that led upstairs. We ascended the many flights of stairs, leading to the attic. I really wished then that I was old enough to be able to apparate, it would make life so much easier.
The portraits that lined the walls stared down at us, whispering to each other as we passed. All of the Malfoys that had ever been had paintings on the wall, minus blood traitors and traitors to the cause of Lord Voldemort. All cunning and dark, they were the guardians of this passage, alerting us of those who are not welcome; muggles, mud-bloods and traitors.
Finally, we reached the top landing where there are a great walnut door leading to the attic. Mother yanked the door opened and lit the candles on the walls with her wand. The flickering golden lights cast an eerie glow on the ceiling of the attic. She made her way across the room to the stained glass window, opposite the door and opened it. A green serpent was wound around a "M" in magnificent black script. I was grateful for the fresh-air and natural light because, quite honestly, this place has always given me the creeps.
Mother led me to a series of trunks that lined the far wall, beneath the window. The first trunk was a large rosewood trunk with the Slytherin crest upon it. On the side, in flowing script, was carved the name Narcissa Black inlaid with silver. On the other side of the window, was a blackened trunk with the initials "LM" emblazoned upon the top in harsh red letters. Even from their Hogwarts trunks, I could see the how different my parents were. My mother, kind, gentle, and sweet. The only time she yelled or displayed any form of anger was towards my father, in my defense. However, my father has always been a very angry, hateful man. His only soft spot was when it came to his wife, my mother.
Between the two trunks and directly beneath the window sat a third trunk. Larger and more decorative than the others, it was made of Walnut and grand carvings covered the sides and top of the trunk. In the center of the lid were two names, "Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black".
Mother walked over to her trunk, which was on the left-hand side of the window, and began to trace her name gingerly with her fingertips. She knelt next to it and opened it slowly as she pushed a stray lock of platinum blonde hair behind her ear.
"This brings back so many memories." She sighed as she pulled out a worn scrapbook and dusted off it's cover. "Come sit by me," she said patting the floor next to her.
I hesitantly sat down, mother-son moments, such as these, were quite a rarity so when the did happen I was not altogether comfortable. She pulled open the book and laughed.
"Some things never change," she laughed as she pointed to the picture on the open page.
I snorted as a looked at the picture. It was of my mother and father seated on the stands by the quidditch pitch. My mother was smiling brightly and the camera while father was sitting next to her with an arm protectively around her shoulders, while looking off towards the pitch with a scowl on his face.
It was as though a cold wall of remembrance hit her, for in an instant she snapped the book shut and returned it gently to it's place.
"Well enough of that," she stated firmly "Draco why don't you start sorting through one of the other trunks." She suggested before removing her old Hogwarts robes from her trunk.
"Yes mother." I said as I approached my father's trunk and extended a hand towards it. The second I touched it, I knew that it was a mistake. I could feel a current of what felt like ice coursing through my body. Before I knew what was happening I found myself hitting the wall opposite the trunk, all of my limbs numb.
"Oh Draco! I am so sorry darling! I forgot that you father had hexed his trunk years ago, back in second year, to keep people out of it." She whispered an incantation, and I felt my limbs grow warm again and feeling return to them. I shook out my legs before standing and combed my fingers through my hair before approaching the middle trunk.
"Is this one hexed too?" I asked cautiously
"No." She said plainly, clearly absorbed in her memories.
"Alright then, lets give this one a shot." I whispered to my self as I pushed back the lid. Inside, there were several odd wedding pictures which I hastily put aside along with two sets of ceremonial dress robes. Beneath some miscellaneous objects, I saw a silver glinting in the sunlight. I pushed aside everything that was on top of it and lifted it from the trunk to discover that it was another box.
On its shining lid, was my name in black gothic letters. The second I placed my hand on its lid, the box opened and inside were baby pictures. The top picture was one of my father holding me, I was probably only a couple hours old but my ice blue eyes were wide open and I was looking up at father who I could swear was smiling…slightly. On the wall behind him was a mirror, off to the right a bit. In it I could see my mother sitting in a bed at St. Mungos'. It was then that something hit me, she was holding another bundle in her arms and tears were flowing down her cheeks. I reached back into the box with trembling hands to remove a birth certificate.
St. Mungo's Certificate of Birth
Multiple Birth
Father's Name- Lucius Aldregard Malfoy
Mother's Name- Narcissa Michaela Black-Malfoy
Date- February 2nd 1985 Time- midnight
Children's Names-
Draco Brian Malfoy
Hermione Michaela Malfoy