An Eye for an Eye Makes the Whole World Blind
Hey everybody here is chapter two! Woooooo
Note: if I owned Harry Potter I truly do not think that I would hang around
and write fan fiction.... But that's just me.
Okay I know that Draco would probably never be like this but I like to tell
myself that everyone is nice, so I don't want any complains about out of
characterization. Or anything like that. Well anyways enjoy the happy-
about-ready-to-hum-in-the-streets Draco.
(Draco)
Chapter Two:
"Draco! Come in here right now!" I hit my head against the wall several times before getting up and following my father's voice to his office. Or rather, his private office where all the 'dark activities' were planned. He had another office for his Ministry duties.
"Yes father?" I leaned against the doorway and looked at the man in front of me. I could faintly remember a time when I looked up to him, when he was the kind of dad that would pick me up and put me over his shoulders and play air plane with me. We went to toy stores and spent hours playing with them, until we bought one or two just to appease the store owner. We laughed together and when the house elves would call us to dinner, he'd pick me up and run me into the dining room, where he'd hug my mother and set me down in a chair. But that was a long time ago.
"I will tell you when I am ready! You disgrace me with your impatience!" He glared at me with his cold, empty eyes.
I knew I wasn't supposed to say anything so I kept silent and watched what he was doing. I leaned onto the other side of the door so I could see the parchment more clearly.
It had a picture of a tall house with loads of rooms that must be held on my magic, one which had a small balcony and there were little pens of chickens right passed the garden on the back of the house. I looked at before a dawning realization came over me. This must be the Weasley's house! I knew the Death Eaters were planning an attack on the Weasley's but was it happening right now? Only a few days before Christmas?
"Yes, this is the Weasley's house and no, the attack is on Christmas." My father didn't know me in the way he used to but he sure did know me well.
"Oh. Just wondering." I felt genuinely bad for the Weasley's and I hoped my father's cronies didn't hurt any of them. I made an attempt to bring back the past a little bit, something I did often. "What are we doing for Christmas?"
"For Christmas?" He looked at me for a moment like I was trying to trick him. "Oh! Well I suppose you and your mother and sister will open presents." He went back to his work and I could tell the conversation was over, even though I didn't really see the point of it in the first place except to rub in the fact that his family meant nothing to him.
My older sister Cerise had left when she was 16, and when I was 9. So 9 years ago, half my life time. I turned eighteen on November 17th, and Hogwarts had ended in June. My father had paid almost no attention when my sister had left, and still talked as if she was here, something which bothered me and my mother greatly.
I was sitting in my room again packing a small bag. I was moving into a small flat in Hogsmeade, and my dad had almost had an aneurism when I had told him. After ranting about how I disgraced the family, and casting the Crucio spell on me several times he decided it would be good for someone from our family to be more out in the world, especially around Hogwarts where Dumbledore still taught.
I wanted to leave as soon as possible, but the one thing that bothered me was I was leaving my mother. She was still almost the same as she was way back in the day when our family was halfway normal, and got picked on constantly by my horrid father. I shook my head, she wanted me to leave and I could always come back if I thought something was going to happen.
It was incredibly weird that I wasn't going back to Hogwarts like I had ever year for the past seven years. I wouldn't have Potter and Weasley close by to fight with, which wasn't really that bad, as I never even really disliked them that much anyways. I disliked them by reputation only, on command and opinion of my father. My father did though so therefore, I was expected to dislike them. I'd have to find a job. Well in all honesty I didn't actually have to find a job, the family fortune was plenty for a long time but I wasn't about to sit around my whole life and do nothing.
A funny thought came to my head; I could qualify for auror training! I had gotten almost as good as grades as Granger, except I had never done well in Divination, it was pointless. But you didn't need divination to be an auror, and I had taken all the N.E.W.T. classes required for training. I pushed the thought away; my father would kill me if I ever entered auror training. Get a job that stands against everything the Dark Lord stands for? No, I tended to value my life.
I could probably find a teaching job, but Dumbledore probably wouldn't trust me. I guess one of my only options for now was something at the Ministry or at a store of some kind, probably in Diagon Alley.
"Draco! Come here!" Maybe my father had remembered what the original point of the conversation was.
I walked back to the Dark Arts office and stood in the doorway once again. I decided not to speak until he told me to.
"You may sit down." He motioned towards a small loveseat in front of his desk that was black suede. Oh no. The black couch. Father only ever told me to sit on the black couch when he was going to curse me, or tell me something that was incredibly important. I sat down anyways; not obeying would only make it worse. "You are now eighteen, Draco, and I think it is time for you to take the final vow as a Death Eater."
I stared at him. I didn't know what to think. I had been sort of expecting this since fourth year, but hadn't really imagined it ever happening. Me? A Death Eater? I'd become accustomed to being surrounded by them, but I'd never actually thought about myself being one. Now that I really thought about it, I had no desire to kill anybody. Muggle borns were people too, after all and I didn't have anything against any of the people my dad was after. Sure, I thought Dumbledore was pretty crazy but I didn't want to kill him!
But somehow I didn't think mentioning any of that to my father was good for my health... "Um.... Why now?"
"Because you're of age, and aren't stuck in school anymore. You can come with us on raids, and get information to us." He was glaring at me, like he knew I didn't really want to be one. And I didn't. I wasn't to looking forward to getting an ugly tattoo on my arm that would bind me to some guy that barely had a body and was out to kill people he'd never even met before.
"Oh... um, okay. When will this happen?" My stomach dropped when Lucius smiled. This wasn't going to be good.
"Next month on the 27th, at Tom Riddle's gravestone at midnight." He already had an exact date? Whoa he must be pretty serious about this; I didn't see how I could get out of it. I didn't know what to say so I just stood there, dumbfounded.
"I see. Well, I'm giving you until the 20th to answer me, and we all know what answer I had better get. Leave now and know that the Dark Lord doesn't take traitors lightly."
I walked out. Shit! I didn't know what to do oh no oh no oh no!!! Okay, I have barely a month to figure out the course I'm going to take through the rest of my life, what side I was on... whoa. Another funny thought just came to my head. Most people would think it weird that I'd never thought about it before but when you grow up with a father like mine, it just never comes up. Anyways, I could just as easily decide to be against Voldemort. I could contact Dumbledore, and tell him my situation; he'd probably help me, he helped Snape when Snape hadn't wanted to be a Death Eater any more.
That's what I'll do! I was determined to owl him as soon as I got to my flat!
~*~
Two hours later I was just finishing unpacking my bag.
I looked around my small but somehow comforting apartment. It had almost no personal effect what so ever except the table, some food in the kitchen and the clothes in the dresser in the main bedroom (there were two).
I sighed. I decided to go to Diagon Alley and get some new robes and possible look for a job, I couldn't wear my Hogwarts robes normally, plus they were too small and worn out. I walked out of the apartment, down the stairs (I lived on the second floor), and out the front gate. This is where the aparation block ended. A moment later I was in the middle of the Leaky Cauldron, surrounded by clouds of smoke and the smell of beer.
I walked through the crowds of people and into the back alley. I tapped the brick and the way melted away into a graceful stone archway, leading into the bustling streets of Diagon Alley.
I had always loved Diagon Alley because I could almost always disappear into the crowds, no would normally notice me, even that damned scary stalker, Pansy Parkinson. I shivered. What a tramp.
The first store I went to was a small specialty robes store, where I started searching the racks for something for work. Or the work I hoped to have soon. There were blues and blacks and reds and greens and silvers and golds and pinks and oranges, but I kept to the blues and blacks mainly. And some of the green ones were reasonable.
I finally decided on a black satin one, a blue cotton feeling one and a black one that was almost the same as our Hogwarts robes, minus the crest and house colored scarf. For some reason I was an exceptionally good mood and by the time I had purchased my robes and walked out the door, I was almost humming. Almost. Humming didn't fit me, someone would probably hear me and lock me up for possessing Malfoy.
I had little time to think about this though, for I ran into something short with fiery red hair. The woman looked up at me and I knew who it was immediately.
"Weasley." Whoa! I didn't mean to say it like that! Is that how I'd sounded to them for seven years? She glared at me. Evidently.
"Malfoy. Excuse me." She was still glaring at me as she walked by and I opened my mouth to say something.
"Weasley-" I didn't even get past her name.
"No, Malfoy! I'm not going to put up with this shit! I leave Hogwarts where you were an ass hole then I come here and there you are! Just leave me alone!"
"But-"
"No! Enough! I'm not inferior to you, you don't scare me and just... I don't want to ever talk to you again!" She stormed off and quickly disappeared into the crowds. I just stood there. Wow. I knew I deserved that, actually I knew I deserved a lot more than that but it still kinda hurt. The only reason I'd ever been a prat to them was because my father believed Potter shouldn't have blown me off like he did in first year and the Weasley's were disgraces to the name of wizardry.
I shrugged, they'd probably never forgive me and it was to late now. I started forward to start looking for any jobs there may have been in Diagon Alley. Flourish and Blot's, no there was only one counter and he was sure they had plenty of work. The owlery? No. Book store? Possibly.
The bookstore I had in mind was a smaller one and supplied books that were older, and never on the Hogwarts list. The front was small and I saw hardly saw how a bookstore could fit in there. As I opened the door a cluster of small bells tinkled and danced on the inside of the door knob.
"How may I help you my good sir?" A short, fat and slightly balding man appeared before him, he looked exactly like the sort that would own a book shop.
"Well actually I was wondering if I could work in your store, or if you knew any where that might need my help." I crossed my fingers behind my back and hoped he would say he needed me.
"Really?!" the man looked as if he was about to go into a fit of happiness. "I've been looking all over the place! No one seems to want to work in a store like this, I have one young man just out of Hogwarts but two people can't run it during all hours! It's too much for him and me and I have had to stay home more because my wife is having some problems. When can you start?!"
"Well, if you needed me I could start right now." The man grinned.
"Fabulous! Well I'll have you start right after Christmas and I'll tell McMillan that he won't have to work as much! Could I have some information about you please?" He whipped some parchment out form behind the counter and filled up his quill.
"Sure."
"Name?"
"Draco Malfoy." I was sure I'd get something, a weird look or even a suspicious look from this but he just wrote it down and went on."
"Current address where I could reach you?"
"1812 N. Hillock St., Hogsmeade."
He wrote it down and pinned it to a small board to the side of the counter. "Thank you so much, you can contact me here most of the time, my name is Gerald Fitter, and you can floo here from your house. Just say 'Fitter Books' and off you'll be, straight to here!"
This was great! I had my own job, a way to avoid my father, and I didn't have to rely on my father for money or anything else! I held out my hand. "Thank you so much! This is a relief; I didn't think I could find a job that easily."
"Anytime, m'boy, anytime. Have a great day!"
I nodded and strode out the door. "YES!" I did a little mini victory dance in the middle of the busy street. Several people gave me oh-my- goodness-where-did-he-escape-from looks but I didn't really pay attention. I apperated to my flat and flung myself on my bed, sighing in content. I hadn't been this happy in a long time. Actually I hadn't really been myself in along time. Sure I could get tetchy and really mad but if it wasn't for my father I'd never have been a particularly hateful person. I knew half of Hogwarts hated me or feared me, and the only real friend I'd had in Hogwarts was Blaise Zabini, he was okay.
What was all this pureblood nonsense about too? They all obviously got into Hogwarts for being able to do magic, and that's what counts. ANYWAYS! I was ravenously hungry and I expelled some boiling water from my wand and into the pot, afterwards I put pasta and eventually Alfredo sauce. Mmmmmm. I didn't really know how to cook with magic so I was stuck making it the muggle way. In all the charms we'd learned in school, I couldn't remember even one that could prepare a meal, I'd have to find my old charms books.
It wasn't that late by the time I went to bed, maybe only seven, but I was still tired all the same. It was probably more of a mental exhaustion than a physical exhaustion and I fell asleep almost immediately.
~*~
Ahhhhhhh. I rolled over and sighed. Pale sunlight was playing on my face, slightly warming it up. Most of my covers were on the floor and I shivered, it was rather cold.
I slipped on a shirt and sweater over my boxers and padded into the hallway down to the living room. The large window leading out to the balcony was curtained in snow, falling softly and muffling the sounds from the streets outside. Ahhh, Christmas. I never really enjoyed Christmas, probably because it was another thing that rubbed into my face the fact that my family had fallen apart. I hadn't talked to my sister in nine years and my father didn't like anything in the least bit emotional, besides anger and hate. My mother was really the only reason Christmas had ever been good to me.
But this year it was different. I didn't have to spend it with my father; I could just invite my mother over, and maybe even find someone else to share it with me. As in a girlfriend. Naw, I thought, that's preposterous. I decided to floo to the manor and invite mother over on Christmas, which was in two days.
I threw on some pants, strode over the fireplace and said clearly, "Malfoy Manor," I threw the sparkling powder past the hearth and stepped in. The familiar feeling of spinning out of control came back, and a whirl of colors shined through my closed eyelids.
"Draco? What's wrong?! Why are you back here so soon?!" My mother looked terrified; a rather common facial expression these days after my dad had gotten even worse.
"Nothing mum! Calm down, I just wanted to invite you over to my place for Christmas. Just the two of us. Because father seems to think that Cerise is still here and I think he's planning an attack anyways."
Mum laughed bitterly. "I doubt he'll notice, hun. But sure1 I'd love to come! I'd love to get away from this horrid, unfestive house." She gave me a hug. "But you had better leave; I don't want you to be here when your father comes home."
My temper flared up. "He isn't doing anything to you is he? 'Cause if he is I'll-" she cut me off.
"No! It's more... what he hasn't done in these past years. But none of that now, go on, decorate your house!" She bustled me back to the fireplace and with a final hug, I returned home in another whirl of spinning colors.
As I looked around the living room, I decided my mum was right. It needed much more Christmas cheer, something the manor hadn't had since well before my Hogwarts days. I started with a tree. I conjured one up, one just tall enough to leave some space for a star at the top.
One by one, I added glittering ornaments of silver and gold and red and green and ones that sparkled and ones that had little, no-heat flames inside. There were little tiny lights, all over the tree that were meant to look like fairy lights, and I did a pretty good job of them, if I do say so myself. I put little bursts of tinsel around the tree and a wreath of popcorn, like the ones we used to string the muggle way before my dad... well anyways.
Finally, after the rest of the tree was done I added a huge, sparkling five pointed star at the very top. I enchanted it to hover just above the top and spin slowly, reflecting little orbs of colored lights on its surface. Even though I'd been alone, that had been great fun, my mum would love it I knew. The house elves hadn't decorated the manor for years.
By the time I went to bed that night I was toasty warm and I decided to leave the decorations on all night, something to wake up to. As I laid there I started to think about my father's plans to attack the Weasley's. I truly, sincerely hoped that none of them got hurt. And I actually didn't think any of them would. My father's attacks and raids seldom had much effect on anyone, except maybe to scare them. The only one that had killed anyone was all the way back in fifth year when that Sirius man died. Somehow I think that that man meant a whole lot to Potter though, he'd been almost silent after that had happened in fifth year and seemed kind of sad at random times throughout the last two years of our schooling.
Maybe he wouldn't even go through with it... that was just about my last conscious thought before I fell asleep.
~*~
I woke up. It was Christmas Eve!!!!!!! I felt like a five year old on Christmas Eve and I ran flat out towards the living room, but my socks had other ideas for me and wouldn't stop on the smooth hard wood floors. I crashed into the wall and got up clumsily, brushing myself off. These were the kinds of moments not very many people got to see, the excited me, the clumsy me, the nerd me, the singing in the shower me, and so on. There! Sure enough, my fabulous creation of a tree was still bright and shining, reminding me silently about the next day.
$#%$#^&^^&&(**&&^*$%^@$@#@%$&(*&)*&_)()(*_&*^$%@$$@!$#@%$#^$
Okay! I love reviews! So you have to click the little box that's just about directly below this and select review then says something about my story! Preferably something nice but ya know beggars can't be choosers.
(Draco)
Chapter Two:
"Draco! Come in here right now!" I hit my head against the wall several times before getting up and following my father's voice to his office. Or rather, his private office where all the 'dark activities' were planned. He had another office for his Ministry duties.
"Yes father?" I leaned against the doorway and looked at the man in front of me. I could faintly remember a time when I looked up to him, when he was the kind of dad that would pick me up and put me over his shoulders and play air plane with me. We went to toy stores and spent hours playing with them, until we bought one or two just to appease the store owner. We laughed together and when the house elves would call us to dinner, he'd pick me up and run me into the dining room, where he'd hug my mother and set me down in a chair. But that was a long time ago.
"I will tell you when I am ready! You disgrace me with your impatience!" He glared at me with his cold, empty eyes.
I knew I wasn't supposed to say anything so I kept silent and watched what he was doing. I leaned onto the other side of the door so I could see the parchment more clearly.
It had a picture of a tall house with loads of rooms that must be held on my magic, one which had a small balcony and there were little pens of chickens right passed the garden on the back of the house. I looked at before a dawning realization came over me. This must be the Weasley's house! I knew the Death Eaters were planning an attack on the Weasley's but was it happening right now? Only a few days before Christmas?
"Yes, this is the Weasley's house and no, the attack is on Christmas." My father didn't know me in the way he used to but he sure did know me well.
"Oh. Just wondering." I felt genuinely bad for the Weasley's and I hoped my father's cronies didn't hurt any of them. I made an attempt to bring back the past a little bit, something I did often. "What are we doing for Christmas?"
"For Christmas?" He looked at me for a moment like I was trying to trick him. "Oh! Well I suppose you and your mother and sister will open presents." He went back to his work and I could tell the conversation was over, even though I didn't really see the point of it in the first place except to rub in the fact that his family meant nothing to him.
My older sister Cerise had left when she was 16, and when I was 9. So 9 years ago, half my life time. I turned eighteen on November 17th, and Hogwarts had ended in June. My father had paid almost no attention when my sister had left, and still talked as if she was here, something which bothered me and my mother greatly.
I was sitting in my room again packing a small bag. I was moving into a small flat in Hogsmeade, and my dad had almost had an aneurism when I had told him. After ranting about how I disgraced the family, and casting the Crucio spell on me several times he decided it would be good for someone from our family to be more out in the world, especially around Hogwarts where Dumbledore still taught.
I wanted to leave as soon as possible, but the one thing that bothered me was I was leaving my mother. She was still almost the same as she was way back in the day when our family was halfway normal, and got picked on constantly by my horrid father. I shook my head, she wanted me to leave and I could always come back if I thought something was going to happen.
It was incredibly weird that I wasn't going back to Hogwarts like I had ever year for the past seven years. I wouldn't have Potter and Weasley close by to fight with, which wasn't really that bad, as I never even really disliked them that much anyways. I disliked them by reputation only, on command and opinion of my father. My father did though so therefore, I was expected to dislike them. I'd have to find a job. Well in all honesty I didn't actually have to find a job, the family fortune was plenty for a long time but I wasn't about to sit around my whole life and do nothing.
A funny thought came to my head; I could qualify for auror training! I had gotten almost as good as grades as Granger, except I had never done well in Divination, it was pointless. But you didn't need divination to be an auror, and I had taken all the N.E.W.T. classes required for training. I pushed the thought away; my father would kill me if I ever entered auror training. Get a job that stands against everything the Dark Lord stands for? No, I tended to value my life.
I could probably find a teaching job, but Dumbledore probably wouldn't trust me. I guess one of my only options for now was something at the Ministry or at a store of some kind, probably in Diagon Alley.
"Draco! Come here!" Maybe my father had remembered what the original point of the conversation was.
I walked back to the Dark Arts office and stood in the doorway once again. I decided not to speak until he told me to.
"You may sit down." He motioned towards a small loveseat in front of his desk that was black suede. Oh no. The black couch. Father only ever told me to sit on the black couch when he was going to curse me, or tell me something that was incredibly important. I sat down anyways; not obeying would only make it worse. "You are now eighteen, Draco, and I think it is time for you to take the final vow as a Death Eater."
I stared at him. I didn't know what to think. I had been sort of expecting this since fourth year, but hadn't really imagined it ever happening. Me? A Death Eater? I'd become accustomed to being surrounded by them, but I'd never actually thought about myself being one. Now that I really thought about it, I had no desire to kill anybody. Muggle borns were people too, after all and I didn't have anything against any of the people my dad was after. Sure, I thought Dumbledore was pretty crazy but I didn't want to kill him!
But somehow I didn't think mentioning any of that to my father was good for my health... "Um.... Why now?"
"Because you're of age, and aren't stuck in school anymore. You can come with us on raids, and get information to us." He was glaring at me, like he knew I didn't really want to be one. And I didn't. I wasn't to looking forward to getting an ugly tattoo on my arm that would bind me to some guy that barely had a body and was out to kill people he'd never even met before.
"Oh... um, okay. When will this happen?" My stomach dropped when Lucius smiled. This wasn't going to be good.
"Next month on the 27th, at Tom Riddle's gravestone at midnight." He already had an exact date? Whoa he must be pretty serious about this; I didn't see how I could get out of it. I didn't know what to say so I just stood there, dumbfounded.
"I see. Well, I'm giving you until the 20th to answer me, and we all know what answer I had better get. Leave now and know that the Dark Lord doesn't take traitors lightly."
I walked out. Shit! I didn't know what to do oh no oh no oh no!!! Okay, I have barely a month to figure out the course I'm going to take through the rest of my life, what side I was on... whoa. Another funny thought just came to my head. Most people would think it weird that I'd never thought about it before but when you grow up with a father like mine, it just never comes up. Anyways, I could just as easily decide to be against Voldemort. I could contact Dumbledore, and tell him my situation; he'd probably help me, he helped Snape when Snape hadn't wanted to be a Death Eater any more.
That's what I'll do! I was determined to owl him as soon as I got to my flat!
~*~
Two hours later I was just finishing unpacking my bag.
I looked around my small but somehow comforting apartment. It had almost no personal effect what so ever except the table, some food in the kitchen and the clothes in the dresser in the main bedroom (there were two).
I sighed. I decided to go to Diagon Alley and get some new robes and possible look for a job, I couldn't wear my Hogwarts robes normally, plus they were too small and worn out. I walked out of the apartment, down the stairs (I lived on the second floor), and out the front gate. This is where the aparation block ended. A moment later I was in the middle of the Leaky Cauldron, surrounded by clouds of smoke and the smell of beer.
I walked through the crowds of people and into the back alley. I tapped the brick and the way melted away into a graceful stone archway, leading into the bustling streets of Diagon Alley.
I had always loved Diagon Alley because I could almost always disappear into the crowds, no would normally notice me, even that damned scary stalker, Pansy Parkinson. I shivered. What a tramp.
The first store I went to was a small specialty robes store, where I started searching the racks for something for work. Or the work I hoped to have soon. There were blues and blacks and reds and greens and silvers and golds and pinks and oranges, but I kept to the blues and blacks mainly. And some of the green ones were reasonable.
I finally decided on a black satin one, a blue cotton feeling one and a black one that was almost the same as our Hogwarts robes, minus the crest and house colored scarf. For some reason I was an exceptionally good mood and by the time I had purchased my robes and walked out the door, I was almost humming. Almost. Humming didn't fit me, someone would probably hear me and lock me up for possessing Malfoy.
I had little time to think about this though, for I ran into something short with fiery red hair. The woman looked up at me and I knew who it was immediately.
"Weasley." Whoa! I didn't mean to say it like that! Is that how I'd sounded to them for seven years? She glared at me. Evidently.
"Malfoy. Excuse me." She was still glaring at me as she walked by and I opened my mouth to say something.
"Weasley-" I didn't even get past her name.
"No, Malfoy! I'm not going to put up with this shit! I leave Hogwarts where you were an ass hole then I come here and there you are! Just leave me alone!"
"But-"
"No! Enough! I'm not inferior to you, you don't scare me and just... I don't want to ever talk to you again!" She stormed off and quickly disappeared into the crowds. I just stood there. Wow. I knew I deserved that, actually I knew I deserved a lot more than that but it still kinda hurt. The only reason I'd ever been a prat to them was because my father believed Potter shouldn't have blown me off like he did in first year and the Weasley's were disgraces to the name of wizardry.
I shrugged, they'd probably never forgive me and it was to late now. I started forward to start looking for any jobs there may have been in Diagon Alley. Flourish and Blot's, no there was only one counter and he was sure they had plenty of work. The owlery? No. Book store? Possibly.
The bookstore I had in mind was a smaller one and supplied books that were older, and never on the Hogwarts list. The front was small and I saw hardly saw how a bookstore could fit in there. As I opened the door a cluster of small bells tinkled and danced on the inside of the door knob.
"How may I help you my good sir?" A short, fat and slightly balding man appeared before him, he looked exactly like the sort that would own a book shop.
"Well actually I was wondering if I could work in your store, or if you knew any where that might need my help." I crossed my fingers behind my back and hoped he would say he needed me.
"Really?!" the man looked as if he was about to go into a fit of happiness. "I've been looking all over the place! No one seems to want to work in a store like this, I have one young man just out of Hogwarts but two people can't run it during all hours! It's too much for him and me and I have had to stay home more because my wife is having some problems. When can you start?!"
"Well, if you needed me I could start right now." The man grinned.
"Fabulous! Well I'll have you start right after Christmas and I'll tell McMillan that he won't have to work as much! Could I have some information about you please?" He whipped some parchment out form behind the counter and filled up his quill.
"Sure."
"Name?"
"Draco Malfoy." I was sure I'd get something, a weird look or even a suspicious look from this but he just wrote it down and went on."
"Current address where I could reach you?"
"1812 N. Hillock St., Hogsmeade."
He wrote it down and pinned it to a small board to the side of the counter. "Thank you so much, you can contact me here most of the time, my name is Gerald Fitter, and you can floo here from your house. Just say 'Fitter Books' and off you'll be, straight to here!"
This was great! I had my own job, a way to avoid my father, and I didn't have to rely on my father for money or anything else! I held out my hand. "Thank you so much! This is a relief; I didn't think I could find a job that easily."
"Anytime, m'boy, anytime. Have a great day!"
I nodded and strode out the door. "YES!" I did a little mini victory dance in the middle of the busy street. Several people gave me oh-my- goodness-where-did-he-escape-from looks but I didn't really pay attention. I apperated to my flat and flung myself on my bed, sighing in content. I hadn't been this happy in a long time. Actually I hadn't really been myself in along time. Sure I could get tetchy and really mad but if it wasn't for my father I'd never have been a particularly hateful person. I knew half of Hogwarts hated me or feared me, and the only real friend I'd had in Hogwarts was Blaise Zabini, he was okay.
What was all this pureblood nonsense about too? They all obviously got into Hogwarts for being able to do magic, and that's what counts. ANYWAYS! I was ravenously hungry and I expelled some boiling water from my wand and into the pot, afterwards I put pasta and eventually Alfredo sauce. Mmmmmm. I didn't really know how to cook with magic so I was stuck making it the muggle way. In all the charms we'd learned in school, I couldn't remember even one that could prepare a meal, I'd have to find my old charms books.
It wasn't that late by the time I went to bed, maybe only seven, but I was still tired all the same. It was probably more of a mental exhaustion than a physical exhaustion and I fell asleep almost immediately.
~*~
Ahhhhhhh. I rolled over and sighed. Pale sunlight was playing on my face, slightly warming it up. Most of my covers were on the floor and I shivered, it was rather cold.
I slipped on a shirt and sweater over my boxers and padded into the hallway down to the living room. The large window leading out to the balcony was curtained in snow, falling softly and muffling the sounds from the streets outside. Ahhh, Christmas. I never really enjoyed Christmas, probably because it was another thing that rubbed into my face the fact that my family had fallen apart. I hadn't talked to my sister in nine years and my father didn't like anything in the least bit emotional, besides anger and hate. My mother was really the only reason Christmas had ever been good to me.
But this year it was different. I didn't have to spend it with my father; I could just invite my mother over, and maybe even find someone else to share it with me. As in a girlfriend. Naw, I thought, that's preposterous. I decided to floo to the manor and invite mother over on Christmas, which was in two days.
I threw on some pants, strode over the fireplace and said clearly, "Malfoy Manor," I threw the sparkling powder past the hearth and stepped in. The familiar feeling of spinning out of control came back, and a whirl of colors shined through my closed eyelids.
"Draco? What's wrong?! Why are you back here so soon?!" My mother looked terrified; a rather common facial expression these days after my dad had gotten even worse.
"Nothing mum! Calm down, I just wanted to invite you over to my place for Christmas. Just the two of us. Because father seems to think that Cerise is still here and I think he's planning an attack anyways."
Mum laughed bitterly. "I doubt he'll notice, hun. But sure1 I'd love to come! I'd love to get away from this horrid, unfestive house." She gave me a hug. "But you had better leave; I don't want you to be here when your father comes home."
My temper flared up. "He isn't doing anything to you is he? 'Cause if he is I'll-" she cut me off.
"No! It's more... what he hasn't done in these past years. But none of that now, go on, decorate your house!" She bustled me back to the fireplace and with a final hug, I returned home in another whirl of spinning colors.
As I looked around the living room, I decided my mum was right. It needed much more Christmas cheer, something the manor hadn't had since well before my Hogwarts days. I started with a tree. I conjured one up, one just tall enough to leave some space for a star at the top.
One by one, I added glittering ornaments of silver and gold and red and green and ones that sparkled and ones that had little, no-heat flames inside. There were little tiny lights, all over the tree that were meant to look like fairy lights, and I did a pretty good job of them, if I do say so myself. I put little bursts of tinsel around the tree and a wreath of popcorn, like the ones we used to string the muggle way before my dad... well anyways.
Finally, after the rest of the tree was done I added a huge, sparkling five pointed star at the very top. I enchanted it to hover just above the top and spin slowly, reflecting little orbs of colored lights on its surface. Even though I'd been alone, that had been great fun, my mum would love it I knew. The house elves hadn't decorated the manor for years.
By the time I went to bed that night I was toasty warm and I decided to leave the decorations on all night, something to wake up to. As I laid there I started to think about my father's plans to attack the Weasley's. I truly, sincerely hoped that none of them got hurt. And I actually didn't think any of them would. My father's attacks and raids seldom had much effect on anyone, except maybe to scare them. The only one that had killed anyone was all the way back in fifth year when that Sirius man died. Somehow I think that that man meant a whole lot to Potter though, he'd been almost silent after that had happened in fifth year and seemed kind of sad at random times throughout the last two years of our schooling.
Maybe he wouldn't even go through with it... that was just about my last conscious thought before I fell asleep.
~*~
I woke up. It was Christmas Eve!!!!!!! I felt like a five year old on Christmas Eve and I ran flat out towards the living room, but my socks had other ideas for me and wouldn't stop on the smooth hard wood floors. I crashed into the wall and got up clumsily, brushing myself off. These were the kinds of moments not very many people got to see, the excited me, the clumsy me, the nerd me, the singing in the shower me, and so on. There! Sure enough, my fabulous creation of a tree was still bright and shining, reminding me silently about the next day.
$#%$#^&^^&&(**&&^*$%^@$@#@%$&(*&)*&_)()(*_&*^$%@$$@!$#@%$#^$
Okay! I love reviews! So you have to click the little box that's just about directly below this and select review then says something about my story! Preferably something nice but ya know beggars can't be choosers.