Chapter Two
Lucius paced up and down the green carpet of his study. His forehead knotted as the fragile threads of his temper frayed. He had not given permission for anyone to leave the grounds of the manor and what with him out of Azkaban on bail now more than ever he was employing the rule of being king in his own castle; and in his eyes the prince had gone against the king.
The sun was setting by the time Draco re-entered the manor and Lucius was waiting for him, having had a sufficient period in which to get very drunk on a rather fine bottle of whiskey. All the candles were out in Draco's room as he walked in with out giving it a second thought he waved his wand to light them only to be hit in the stomach by a rather powerful disarming curse. The candlelight illuminated the tall figure of his father as he stalked up to the teenager now lying on the floor.
"I won't ask you where you have been." Draco could smell the whiskey on his fathers breath as he bent down closer to his face." I will say only this, the next time you go gallivanting off without my permission you will be locked in your room for so long you will forget what its like to stand under an open sky!" He pulled Draco up by the hair so he could look him in the eye; "And Draco that is a promise!" Lucius walked over to the door, gave his son a sneering look and left leaving the room cold and empty.
Draco had wallowed in the dark all night; he had blown the candles out and curled up in a heap on the floor rather than get into bed. It wasn't until the sun crept over the mountains in the distance and birds began to sing in the far off trees that the silence of night was broken. His bedroom door slowly lifted of the latch. Draco went for his wand, he shouldn't really have bothered it was only Nadia.
"Are you okay?" She spoke softly; her voice reminded him of Narcissa's. Nadia even looked like the pictures of Narcissa at the age of thirteen that Draco had seen. Her hair still had the honey colour rather than the white blond infamous with the Malfoy name and all the puppy fat from when she was younger had melted away.
"I'm fine, really I'm good." Draco tried to smile but couldn't.
"You know Draco I would have thought you would have had more respect for me than that, if there is one person in the screwed up world you can't lie to Draco it's me!" She sat down beside him and curled under his blanket. "What made him like that?"
"Like what?" Draco could feel his eyes closing with the need to sleep.
"Totally insane!" Nadia had never really had a way with words and constantly said what ever it was she was thinking,
"It's a very long story Nadia one that I'm not inclined to tell you, lets just say the apple never falls far from the tree." They both giggled as the sun rose into the sky and gently they fell asleep.
By breakfast time Lucius had already left the manor to attend to some business. Narcissa was always happiest when he was away. Nadia and Draco were sat eating the breakfast when in came their mother, for once she did not have a hangover, in fact she was humming to herself. She buzzed around the dining room like a bee, fussing with the pictures and straitening up the flowers that perfumed the room. She took two roses out the vase and almost dancing made her way over to the children. Firstly she kissed Draco on the cheek and placed a rose behind his ear. She then repeated this with Nadia before sitting down to eat. Draco could barely believe it she hadn't eaten for months.
"Dibbles!" Narcissa called a house elf. "Take this order please, I'd like egg white omelette, wholemeal toast and an apple and would you please bring in some more pumpkin juice, that is all." The house elf scurried away with the order.
"So how long is dad gone this time then Mum?"
"Six months at least." Narcissa couldn't help but smile.
Draco frowned he was hoping to use the mirror in the next few weeks, or as soon as he and Blaise could figure out how do start the spell.
"I hope that is alright with you Draco?" Narcissa seemed surprised by this reaction.
"Yes its just that it's a long time..." Draco smirked at what he was saying "The longer the better!"
"Anyway while we are alone I have something I wish to tell the both of you. It cant have escaped you that me and father would rather choke ourselves on a Hippogriff's backside than spend anytime together, also I am ver aware that your loyalty to your father is less than absolute..." Nadia laughed Narcissa was putting it delicately. "I am having an affair!"
It was midday before Blaise arrived at the Clubhouse. Draco was standing at the window staring out over the view.
"Sorry I'm late my mum was bugging me about why I was taking so many books out of the library..." he trailed of seeing that Draco obviously disturbed. "What's the matter Draco?"
They both sat down on the sofa.
"My mum is having an affair..." Draco said it so monotonous that Blaise wasn't sure he had heard right.
"Do you mind me asking who with?" Blaise couldn't really think of anything else to say.
"Professor Snape...my dads best friend!" Draco wasn't even sure he believed it himself, he burst out laughing, "She's so happy, Nadia thinks its great she can't wait to go and live with him, mum is even transferring her to hogwarts so he can keep an eye on her."
Draco couldn't ever remember when he had been this happy or this hopeful, things may finally be looking up. Snape had always been there for him just like a father, in fact sometimes he was a better father than Lucius himself.
Severus Snape walked into Lucius' office, pulled up a chair and lit a cigar.
"Well how did it go?" Lucius looked up as Severus took his seat.
"She took the bate, all I need to do is set up a trap to record it and you have grounds for a divorce." Severus inhaled and breathed out a cloud of smoke. Lucius smiled at the news, he could divorce his ball and chain with out her getting a single Knut and then he was free to marry a pure blood witch of an even higher vintage, he was free to marry Nadia.
Lucius paced up and down the green carpet of his study. His forehead knotted as the fragile threads of his temper frayed. He had not given permission for anyone to leave the grounds of the manor and what with him out of Azkaban on bail now more than ever he was employing the rule of being king in his own castle; and in his eyes the prince had gone against the king.
The sun was setting by the time Draco re-entered the manor and Lucius was waiting for him, having had a sufficient period in which to get very drunk on a rather fine bottle of whiskey. All the candles were out in Draco's room as he walked in with out giving it a second thought he waved his wand to light them only to be hit in the stomach by a rather powerful disarming curse. The candlelight illuminated the tall figure of his father as he stalked up to the teenager now lying on the floor.
"I won't ask you where you have been." Draco could smell the whiskey on his fathers breath as he bent down closer to his face." I will say only this, the next time you go gallivanting off without my permission you will be locked in your room for so long you will forget what its like to stand under an open sky!" He pulled Draco up by the hair so he could look him in the eye; "And Draco that is a promise!" Lucius walked over to the door, gave his son a sneering look and left leaving the room cold and empty.
Draco had wallowed in the dark all night; he had blown the candles out and curled up in a heap on the floor rather than get into bed. It wasn't until the sun crept over the mountains in the distance and birds began to sing in the far off trees that the silence of night was broken. His bedroom door slowly lifted of the latch. Draco went for his wand, he shouldn't really have bothered it was only Nadia.
"Are you okay?" She spoke softly; her voice reminded him of Narcissa's. Nadia even looked like the pictures of Narcissa at the age of thirteen that Draco had seen. Her hair still had the honey colour rather than the white blond infamous with the Malfoy name and all the puppy fat from when she was younger had melted away.
"I'm fine, really I'm good." Draco tried to smile but couldn't.
"You know Draco I would have thought you would have had more respect for me than that, if there is one person in the screwed up world you can't lie to Draco it's me!" She sat down beside him and curled under his blanket. "What made him like that?"
"Like what?" Draco could feel his eyes closing with the need to sleep.
"Totally insane!" Nadia had never really had a way with words and constantly said what ever it was she was thinking,
"It's a very long story Nadia one that I'm not inclined to tell you, lets just say the apple never falls far from the tree." They both giggled as the sun rose into the sky and gently they fell asleep.
By breakfast time Lucius had already left the manor to attend to some business. Narcissa was always happiest when he was away. Nadia and Draco were sat eating the breakfast when in came their mother, for once she did not have a hangover, in fact she was humming to herself. She buzzed around the dining room like a bee, fussing with the pictures and straitening up the flowers that perfumed the room. She took two roses out the vase and almost dancing made her way over to the children. Firstly she kissed Draco on the cheek and placed a rose behind his ear. She then repeated this with Nadia before sitting down to eat. Draco could barely believe it she hadn't eaten for months.
"Dibbles!" Narcissa called a house elf. "Take this order please, I'd like egg white omelette, wholemeal toast and an apple and would you please bring in some more pumpkin juice, that is all." The house elf scurried away with the order.
"So how long is dad gone this time then Mum?"
"Six months at least." Narcissa couldn't help but smile.
Draco frowned he was hoping to use the mirror in the next few weeks, or as soon as he and Blaise could figure out how do start the spell.
"I hope that is alright with you Draco?" Narcissa seemed surprised by this reaction.
"Yes its just that it's a long time..." Draco smirked at what he was saying "The longer the better!"
"Anyway while we are alone I have something I wish to tell the both of you. It cant have escaped you that me and father would rather choke ourselves on a Hippogriff's backside than spend anytime together, also I am ver aware that your loyalty to your father is less than absolute..." Nadia laughed Narcissa was putting it delicately. "I am having an affair!"
It was midday before Blaise arrived at the Clubhouse. Draco was standing at the window staring out over the view.
"Sorry I'm late my mum was bugging me about why I was taking so many books out of the library..." he trailed of seeing that Draco obviously disturbed. "What's the matter Draco?"
They both sat down on the sofa.
"My mum is having an affair..." Draco said it so monotonous that Blaise wasn't sure he had heard right.
"Do you mind me asking who with?" Blaise couldn't really think of anything else to say.
"Professor Snape...my dads best friend!" Draco wasn't even sure he believed it himself, he burst out laughing, "She's so happy, Nadia thinks its great she can't wait to go and live with him, mum is even transferring her to hogwarts so he can keep an eye on her."
Draco couldn't ever remember when he had been this happy or this hopeful, things may finally be looking up. Snape had always been there for him just like a father, in fact sometimes he was a better father than Lucius himself.
Severus Snape walked into Lucius' office, pulled up a chair and lit a cigar.
"Well how did it go?" Lucius looked up as Severus took his seat.
"She took the bate, all I need to do is set up a trap to record it and you have grounds for a divorce." Severus inhaled and breathed out a cloud of smoke. Lucius smiled at the news, he could divorce his ball and chain with out her getting a single Knut and then he was free to marry a pure blood witch of an even higher vintage, he was free to marry Nadia.