Chapter 6- A Change of Heart
It took me all night to get back home again. When I got home in the early morning, I threw off my clothes and slipped into bed for a few hours sleep. When I woke up, yesterday's journey seemed a bit unreal. It took me a while to recall exactly what had happened. I put on my clothes and went down to the dining area to see my mother talking with one of the house elves. She always spoke so softly with them. I caught a bit of "Next time I would like to see-" and "We won't tell the master about this, ok?" before I reached the bottom of the stairs. Mum looked up to see me coming down the stairs.
"Good morning! You slept a while. How are you feeling?" she asked with a cheerful smile.
"I have a headache, but I'm ok." I answered.
" Oh! That's too bad." she said. Turning to the house elf she informed, "Could you get my Draco some peppermint tea?"
"But I don't like peppermint tea, Mum," I objected.
"It will be good for your headache." I decided not to argue and the house elf ran off to the kitchen. "Come sit down, Dear." I went and sat next to her. We talked over two cups of peppermint tea about plenty of things. School, Quidditch, Crabbe and Goyle, even my Muggle Studies class and about my get-together with Cho Chang. She quietly listened as I rambled on about the pranks we played on some of the kids at school and the difference between a regular computer and a laptop. I talked about all my classes, the last, of course, being Potions.
"…and Professor Snape says I still need to work on my Shrinking Solution. It's just not coming out correctly. I can make loads of other concoctions but I can't get the stupid Shrinking Solution right!"
"That's alright, Draco," she assured. "You don't have to be good at everything. But if you are that worried about it, why don't we try and make some today, hm? How about now? Do you have the ingredients?" I nodded, remembering my stop at Diagon Alley. "Well, you go grab your ingredients and meet me back down here. I'll grab a cauldron ok?"
I ran upstairs, grabbed the ingredients and threw them onto my bed. I took out my trunk and started to look though my books for the Shinking Solution instructions. After finding my book, and grabbing the other things I needed, I headed back down to the dining area where my mum was waiting for me. I threw the ingredients onto the table and tried to find the page about shrinking solutions.
"Draco, first calm down. It's not a rush to be first. It would be better to take your time and get it right then to be first and have it be sloppy." I rolled me eyes even though I knew she had a point.
We worked on the shrinking solution for two hours before testing it on a small mouse outside. It shrank smaller and smaller till it disappeared with a 'pop!'
"Mum! Did you see that?! It shrunk! It worked!" My mum smiled. "I think we gave it a bit too much……..but that doesn't matter! I'm going to go write Professor Snape." I darted for the stairs but stopped long enough to say, "Thanks Mum."
"Anytime! And tell Severus hi for me, will you?"
As I went up to my room to find parchment, I wondered if I should go back downstairs and tell her about what happened with Potter yesterday. I thought better of it. The Potters have always been a touchy subject and I really didn't feel like explaining everything anyway. 'If I still wanted to tell her later I will, but as for now I don't see a point' I told myself. I wrote Professor Snape a quick letter saying,
Professor,
Mum and I worked out my Shrinking Solution problem! I can't wait to show you. You'll be so proud. Hope things are well.
Draco
P.S. Mum says hi.
I sent my owl out on the journey towards Snape's house into a dark gray sky. The smell of rain was coming in through the cracks and I didn't realize how cold it was getting. I pulled on a sweater as I sat down and thought about Potter, and school, and Crabbe and Goyle, and Cho and my date with her. If no one was going to keep her safe I had to. I couldn't let anything horrible happen to her. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if my father or you-know-who or any of the death eaters came after her. I love her too much for any of that to happen.
A door shut from downstairs. I heard voices. My Dad was home.
AN: This is where it starts to get wierd, and scary, and just plain odd. Which means I really like it. Just a warning. Thanks to everyone who keeps on reading. We need more of you. Special thanks to Jamiebell, sarah-mason, and Leoking for always giving me great advice/ long reviews!