During dinner, Draco Malfoy's short legs swung back and fourth, as they were too small to reach the dark hardwood floor. It was something that had always annoyed him, ever since he'd learned to sit in an actual chair. And he was a fast learner.
"Guess what, mommy?" he said to Narcissa Malfoy, slurping a spaghetti noodle through a rounded mouth.
"What, Draco?" she had a kind, warm, and loving face, and her smile seemed to light up the whole room.
"I made a new friend today."
Her smile seemed to vanish. She looked at Draco in a bit of alarm. Then her smile was replaced by a less warm... more pretend one. "That's wonderful, Draco. Who is he?"
"She. Her name is Hermione. She's six, like me."
"Oh, really?" some of Narcissa's real smile seemed to return. Draco nodded. "Today, when some mean bully knocked her books out of her hand, I picked them up for her." Narcissa was glad that her son was learning to be a gentleman. "Well, that was nice of you."
Suddenly, the door burst open. Lucius Malfoy was in the doorway. His face was a bit redder than usual, and he slammed his magical briefcase down on the table.
"Dammit! After all I did to prevent it!" Draco and Narcissa looked up at him quickly.
"Daddy, do you want to-"
"Not now, Draco, I have a splitting headache."
Narcissa jumped up and began clearing away dishes. She hastily threw them in the sink for the house elf, grabbed Draco by the arm, and began dragging him upstairs. Though he didn't know exactly what was wrong, and he was still hungry, Draco didn't resist. 'There's no telling what he might do in this mood,' Narcissa thought sadly.
After Draco ws in bed, she returned downstairs, finding Lucius scanning an article in the Daily Prophet titled 'Deadly Elf-Pocks Begins to Wipe Out Europe' by some journalist named Rita Skeeter. "Woman doesn't know what she's talking about," he scoffed.
Narcissa sat down next to her husband. Even though he could be a little rough around the edges, she still loved him.
"Lucius? Is there a reason you banged in the room, almost scaring our son out of his wits?"
He looked at her. "I can't believe it! Just proposterous. Aurthur Weasley, the ministry's janitor, just got 'noticed' and given a job in the bewitched artifacts line!"
She looked back at him. "So what's wrong with that? The man has a wife and seven kids. He needs a job to support his family!"
Lucius was still angry. "So? He is a disgrace to wizardry! A complete muggle lover. He needs to go back to the dump where he belongs!"
Narcissa sighed. "Oh, Lucius, it's not that bad. I have some more news. Draco made himself a friend at school today. A little girl named Hermione."
"A-a friend? A GIRL friend? Wonderful! Just wonderful! I bet she's a muggle too! She's probably going to get our little boy accustomed to her muggle tendencies, and then they're going to elope and ruin everything we've taught him."
"Lucius! Draco is six years old! He's not about to elope! We should be happy that he at least made a friend. He'll make more when he goes off to wizarding school, and this Hermione will only be a memory."
How wrong they were.
"Guess what, mommy?" he said to Narcissa Malfoy, slurping a spaghetti noodle through a rounded mouth.
"What, Draco?" she had a kind, warm, and loving face, and her smile seemed to light up the whole room.
"I made a new friend today."
Her smile seemed to vanish. She looked at Draco in a bit of alarm. Then her smile was replaced by a less warm... more pretend one. "That's wonderful, Draco. Who is he?"
"She. Her name is Hermione. She's six, like me."
"Oh, really?" some of Narcissa's real smile seemed to return. Draco nodded. "Today, when some mean bully knocked her books out of her hand, I picked them up for her." Narcissa was glad that her son was learning to be a gentleman. "Well, that was nice of you."
Suddenly, the door burst open. Lucius Malfoy was in the doorway. His face was a bit redder than usual, and he slammed his magical briefcase down on the table.
"Dammit! After all I did to prevent it!" Draco and Narcissa looked up at him quickly.
"Daddy, do you want to-"
"Not now, Draco, I have a splitting headache."
Narcissa jumped up and began clearing away dishes. She hastily threw them in the sink for the house elf, grabbed Draco by the arm, and began dragging him upstairs. Though he didn't know exactly what was wrong, and he was still hungry, Draco didn't resist. 'There's no telling what he might do in this mood,' Narcissa thought sadly.
After Draco ws in bed, she returned downstairs, finding Lucius scanning an article in the Daily Prophet titled 'Deadly Elf-Pocks Begins to Wipe Out Europe' by some journalist named Rita Skeeter. "Woman doesn't know what she's talking about," he scoffed.
Narcissa sat down next to her husband. Even though he could be a little rough around the edges, she still loved him.
"Lucius? Is there a reason you banged in the room, almost scaring our son out of his wits?"
He looked at her. "I can't believe it! Just proposterous. Aurthur Weasley, the ministry's janitor, just got 'noticed' and given a job in the bewitched artifacts line!"
She looked back at him. "So what's wrong with that? The man has a wife and seven kids. He needs a job to support his family!"
Lucius was still angry. "So? He is a disgrace to wizardry! A complete muggle lover. He needs to go back to the dump where he belongs!"
Narcissa sighed. "Oh, Lucius, it's not that bad. I have some more news. Draco made himself a friend at school today. A little girl named Hermione."
"A-a friend? A GIRL friend? Wonderful! Just wonderful! I bet she's a muggle too! She's probably going to get our little boy accustomed to her muggle tendencies, and then they're going to elope and ruin everything we've taught him."
"Lucius! Draco is six years old! He's not about to elope! We should be happy that he at least made a friend. He'll make more when he goes off to wizarding school, and this Hermione will only be a memory."
How wrong they were.