Hey guys, sorry about the delay in updating. Um, I'm not to sure about this
chapter or the last one. I feel as if my writing is kind of off. I don't
know, maybe it's my imagination, but a I don't feel like they are anywhere
near as good as my previous chapter. Maybe, I've just got too much
dialogue. Please, let me know what you think, and if you have any
suggestions for improvement, PLEASE let me know. Happy reading.
Chapter Eight: Mother, I'm scared
"Mr. Winscourt is waiting for you in the parlor, sir."
Hamilton, a rather ancient looking butler, had greeted the Malfoys with the news of a visitor the moment that they had entered the manor. There was no mistaking the rather annoyed look that Lucius gave the butler at the news of being disturbed by an unwanted guest. For a brief moment, Draco could see a spark of the old Lucius flicker across his face. Hamilton had noticed this look as well and was prepared to receive the vicious anger that Lucius Malfoy usually presented after having received unwelcome news. But several moments had passed and there was nothing. The usual explosion didn't occur. The old man, looked almost nervously between his master and his mistress, unsure of what to make of Lucius' silence.
"Very well, Hammilton. That will be all." Lucius gave the butler a quick wave of dismissal.
"Very good, sir." Hammilton gave a stiff bow to Lucius and then gave a short nod to Draco and Narcissa before he turned to leave the entrance hall.
Lucius let out a sigh and turned to see his wife and son. "You two will have to excuse me I'm afraid. This shouldn't take long. My guess is that Mr. Winscourt is only here to ask for another sizable donation to St. Mungo's. As if I haven't given enough already." As Lucius continued to speak he began to sound more and more like himself; disgusted with the idea of giving money away in order to help people who didn't even know. "I swear, once you've donated one time those leeches attach themselves to you and aren't happy until they have sucked a you dry of every last Knut. I." He quickly stopped and shook himself out of his slight ranting. He then walked the two strides to his wife and, as he planted a kiss on her cheek, said, "I will be as quick as possible." With that he quickly made is way to the parlor.
Narcissa, who was once again very shocked by her husband's action, grabbed a hold of Draco's arm and began to usher him up the stairs, all the while keeping a wary eye on Lucius' retreating form as if he were a snake coiled and ready to strike. Mother and son rushed up the stairs and to their room. Draco quickly closed the doors behind him and leaned back against them. Narcissa sat down upon the overly-flowery couch, her slightly shaky hands folded in her lap.
"Mother, has Father gone crazy?"
"I..I'm not sure, dear."
Draco walked over and sat down on the couch next to his mother. "What's going on with him? He's been acting rather.um.well, odd today."
Narcissa just gave her son a look that said, "You think?!"
"Do you think he's just messing with us? You know, like a joke?"
"No, that's not something your Father would do. That would require a sense of humor."
"Maybe he's trying to freak us out."
"No." Narcissa replied as she shook her head, a look of bewilderment and concentration upon her face.
There were a few minutes of silence as the two of them were trying to figure out reasons for Lucius' sudden change of heart. Draco leaned back and laid his head on the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling.
"Mother," he began in a quiet tone, "do you think that this new behavior has something to do with the Dark Lord?"
There was a moment of silence as Narcissa thought about what Draco had suggested.
" For all I know it very well could be. Voldemort was rather angry last night and your Father was detained till very early this morning."
"Yeah, maybe Voldemort placed a curse upon Father."
"Yes, perhaps."
"A curse that makes Father act nice, and caring, and.and." Draco's voice trailed off as what he was saying began to sink in. Both him and his mother shook their heads at the same time and said, "Nah." After all, why would the Dark Lord, the personification of evil himself, make Lucius act loving towards his family? The idea was just too ridiculous.
"What could it be then?" Narcissa asked.
Draco's brow furrowed in deep concentration and after a few minutes of silent thinking, he snapped his fingers and shouted, making his mother jump. "I've got it! Aliens!"
Narcissa's look of interest on her face quickly changed to one of annoyance and she rolled her eyes at her son's ridiculous outcry.
"No, no, no, wait. Maybe he was abducted by aliens and the man downstairs is really an alien disguised as Father?! But why would they need to become Father?" Draco said more to himself. "Wait! I'll bet that they are trying to gain control of the ministry or the Death Eaters, huh! Or both! And who better to become than Father?!"
"Honey, I don't think.."
"Or maybe," Draco continued, ignoring his mother, "he's some kind of con man slash serial killer disguised as Father in order to knock us off and gain control of our money and the estate! No one would ever know the difference."
"Draco."
"Perhaps this whole "being nice and caring" thing is just a way to get us off our guard."
"Draco!"
"HUH!" Draco gasped, "Maybe he's possessed?!"
"Draco!!!!"
"What?"
"Honey, I think you've been watching far too many horror and alien movies. They've got you paranoid."
"Well then, how do you explain the odd behavior?"
"I don't know. But I am sure it is nothing like what you're thinking. Just let me handle him. I'll find out what's going on. Maybe he's just ill or hit his head last night, I don't know. But until I find out what exactly is going on, perhaps you should stay out of his way. You know, don't do or say anything that might provoke him."
"What? Provoke him into hugging me again?"
"He hugged you?!"
"Yes. This morning right when he got home he came into my room and hugged me." Draco gave an involuntary shudder.
"Oh, Draco, I'm sorry." Narcissa said as she placed an arm around her son's shoulders. "That must have been rather disturbing for you."
"It was." Draco nodded. "Just like this whole day has been."
"I know, but I promise I will find out what's going on. Just remember, try to stay out of his way. Everything will be fine though. I hope." She muttered the last part under her breath so that Draco could not hear.
Draco nodded his head slightly.
"Well," Narcissa said, "we should perhaps get ready."
"For what?"
"For the ride of course."
Draco looked at his mother as if she had suddenly gone completely insane and was doing cartwheels around the room.
"We're not seriously going out riding with that man are we?! Who knows what he'll do to us when we get out to the lake! It's a very secluded area and well, no one will be around to hear our screams should he decided to kill us. And what a perfect place to dispose of the bodies! They'd probably never find us!"
"That does it! No more horror movies for you. Now go and get yourself ready."
"But, Mother."
"Go!" Narcissa was standing and pointing towards the door. Draco reluctantly stood up and headed towards the door, closely followed by his mother. Just as he touched the handle with his hand he suddenly turned around to look at her.
"Mother, I know that good Malfoys are never supposed to show weakness, but I have to tell you that I'm, well, almost afraid. I've never seen Father like this. It's really unnerving you know."
Narcissa looked at her son compassionately. "I know, dear. I'm pretty nervous myself not knowing what to expect from him. But I promise it WILL be okay." She placed a reassuring hand on her son's shoulder and gave him a peck on the cheek.
Draco nodded and gave a weak smile. He then proceeded to open the doors. He allowed his mother to exit first and then followed, closing and locking the doors behind him.
"Now, we should hurry and get dressed. Your father might be upset if he finds us unready."
"Either that or, due to this really abnormal behavior, he may just grab us and give us a huge bear hug."
Narcissa laughed at what her son had said. Draco just smiled at his mother's amusement. These had been the first real smiles that they had displayed all day and it felt good.
Chapter Eight: Mother, I'm scared
"Mr. Winscourt is waiting for you in the parlor, sir."
Hamilton, a rather ancient looking butler, had greeted the Malfoys with the news of a visitor the moment that they had entered the manor. There was no mistaking the rather annoyed look that Lucius gave the butler at the news of being disturbed by an unwanted guest. For a brief moment, Draco could see a spark of the old Lucius flicker across his face. Hamilton had noticed this look as well and was prepared to receive the vicious anger that Lucius Malfoy usually presented after having received unwelcome news. But several moments had passed and there was nothing. The usual explosion didn't occur. The old man, looked almost nervously between his master and his mistress, unsure of what to make of Lucius' silence.
"Very well, Hammilton. That will be all." Lucius gave the butler a quick wave of dismissal.
"Very good, sir." Hammilton gave a stiff bow to Lucius and then gave a short nod to Draco and Narcissa before he turned to leave the entrance hall.
Lucius let out a sigh and turned to see his wife and son. "You two will have to excuse me I'm afraid. This shouldn't take long. My guess is that Mr. Winscourt is only here to ask for another sizable donation to St. Mungo's. As if I haven't given enough already." As Lucius continued to speak he began to sound more and more like himself; disgusted with the idea of giving money away in order to help people who didn't even know. "I swear, once you've donated one time those leeches attach themselves to you and aren't happy until they have sucked a you dry of every last Knut. I." He quickly stopped and shook himself out of his slight ranting. He then walked the two strides to his wife and, as he planted a kiss on her cheek, said, "I will be as quick as possible." With that he quickly made is way to the parlor.
Narcissa, who was once again very shocked by her husband's action, grabbed a hold of Draco's arm and began to usher him up the stairs, all the while keeping a wary eye on Lucius' retreating form as if he were a snake coiled and ready to strike. Mother and son rushed up the stairs and to their room. Draco quickly closed the doors behind him and leaned back against them. Narcissa sat down upon the overly-flowery couch, her slightly shaky hands folded in her lap.
"Mother, has Father gone crazy?"
"I..I'm not sure, dear."
Draco walked over and sat down on the couch next to his mother. "What's going on with him? He's been acting rather.um.well, odd today."
Narcissa just gave her son a look that said, "You think?!"
"Do you think he's just messing with us? You know, like a joke?"
"No, that's not something your Father would do. That would require a sense of humor."
"Maybe he's trying to freak us out."
"No." Narcissa replied as she shook her head, a look of bewilderment and concentration upon her face.
There were a few minutes of silence as the two of them were trying to figure out reasons for Lucius' sudden change of heart. Draco leaned back and laid his head on the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling.
"Mother," he began in a quiet tone, "do you think that this new behavior has something to do with the Dark Lord?"
There was a moment of silence as Narcissa thought about what Draco had suggested.
" For all I know it very well could be. Voldemort was rather angry last night and your Father was detained till very early this morning."
"Yeah, maybe Voldemort placed a curse upon Father."
"Yes, perhaps."
"A curse that makes Father act nice, and caring, and.and." Draco's voice trailed off as what he was saying began to sink in. Both him and his mother shook their heads at the same time and said, "Nah." After all, why would the Dark Lord, the personification of evil himself, make Lucius act loving towards his family? The idea was just too ridiculous.
"What could it be then?" Narcissa asked.
Draco's brow furrowed in deep concentration and after a few minutes of silent thinking, he snapped his fingers and shouted, making his mother jump. "I've got it! Aliens!"
Narcissa's look of interest on her face quickly changed to one of annoyance and she rolled her eyes at her son's ridiculous outcry.
"No, no, no, wait. Maybe he was abducted by aliens and the man downstairs is really an alien disguised as Father?! But why would they need to become Father?" Draco said more to himself. "Wait! I'll bet that they are trying to gain control of the ministry or the Death Eaters, huh! Or both! And who better to become than Father?!"
"Honey, I don't think.."
"Or maybe," Draco continued, ignoring his mother, "he's some kind of con man slash serial killer disguised as Father in order to knock us off and gain control of our money and the estate! No one would ever know the difference."
"Draco."
"Perhaps this whole "being nice and caring" thing is just a way to get us off our guard."
"Draco!"
"HUH!" Draco gasped, "Maybe he's possessed?!"
"Draco!!!!"
"What?"
"Honey, I think you've been watching far too many horror and alien movies. They've got you paranoid."
"Well then, how do you explain the odd behavior?"
"I don't know. But I am sure it is nothing like what you're thinking. Just let me handle him. I'll find out what's going on. Maybe he's just ill or hit his head last night, I don't know. But until I find out what exactly is going on, perhaps you should stay out of his way. You know, don't do or say anything that might provoke him."
"What? Provoke him into hugging me again?"
"He hugged you?!"
"Yes. This morning right when he got home he came into my room and hugged me." Draco gave an involuntary shudder.
"Oh, Draco, I'm sorry." Narcissa said as she placed an arm around her son's shoulders. "That must have been rather disturbing for you."
"It was." Draco nodded. "Just like this whole day has been."
"I know, but I promise I will find out what's going on. Just remember, try to stay out of his way. Everything will be fine though. I hope." She muttered the last part under her breath so that Draco could not hear.
Draco nodded his head slightly.
"Well," Narcissa said, "we should perhaps get ready."
"For what?"
"For the ride of course."
Draco looked at his mother as if she had suddenly gone completely insane and was doing cartwheels around the room.
"We're not seriously going out riding with that man are we?! Who knows what he'll do to us when we get out to the lake! It's a very secluded area and well, no one will be around to hear our screams should he decided to kill us. And what a perfect place to dispose of the bodies! They'd probably never find us!"
"That does it! No more horror movies for you. Now go and get yourself ready."
"But, Mother."
"Go!" Narcissa was standing and pointing towards the door. Draco reluctantly stood up and headed towards the door, closely followed by his mother. Just as he touched the handle with his hand he suddenly turned around to look at her.
"Mother, I know that good Malfoys are never supposed to show weakness, but I have to tell you that I'm, well, almost afraid. I've never seen Father like this. It's really unnerving you know."
Narcissa looked at her son compassionately. "I know, dear. I'm pretty nervous myself not knowing what to expect from him. But I promise it WILL be okay." She placed a reassuring hand on her son's shoulder and gave him a peck on the cheek.
Draco nodded and gave a weak smile. He then proceeded to open the doors. He allowed his mother to exit first and then followed, closing and locking the doors behind him.
"Now, we should hurry and get dressed. Your father might be upset if he finds us unready."
"Either that or, due to this really abnormal behavior, he may just grab us and give us a huge bear hug."
Narcissa laughed at what her son had said. Draco just smiled at his mother's amusement. These had been the first real smiles that they had displayed all day and it felt good.