Authors Note: I'm Back!!!!!!!!! Hey guys, I am so sorry that it has taken
so long to get this chapter up but things were very busy at horse camp. I
hardly ever got time to just sit and write and when I did I was never happy
with what I had produced. I had to do a lot of re-writing, but now it is
finally done and I hope you enjoy it. The next chapter should be up
shortly.
Oh, and thanks to all who reviewed. I really appreciate them and hope that they will keep coming. I also appreciate your patience and so, without further adieu, here is the next chapter.
Chapter Ten: Bumps, Bruises, and Late Night Apologies
"Mum, are you sure that this is a good idea?" Draco said in a hushed voice as he and Narcissa approached Lucius' study. "I mean, he'll probably say 'no'. He always says 'no'. And what if he gets angry by my asking again?"
"Then we shall put all blame upon me as it was I who put you up to this."
Draco stopped short, his eyes wide. "No, Mother, I won't let you! There's no telling what that crazy man might do!"
Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Draco, your father is not crazy."
"Well he's definitely not sane."
Narcissa looked at her son for a moment trying to figure out what to say to him that would sound believable. "Draco, he's just been in a.well.a," Narcissa looked as is she were searching for the perfect word. "He's just in a good mood." She knew that Draco would not accept this explanation; in fact, she didn't even buy it herself.
"Exactly!" Draco exclaimed as if Narcissa had just figured out the solution to a very difficult problem. "He's been in a 'good mood'. Sure Father has been in good moods before. Like that time when he stole those ancient Dark Arts scrolls right from under Fudge's nose and the Ministry was completely baffled for weeks. And then there was the time at the Quidditch World Cup when the Death Eaters wreaked havoc upon those muggles. Of course, I think that the alcohol probably helped with that. Oh! And then there was the day that Father heard that Voldemort had come back; he was in a really good mood then. But there is no cause for the mood that he is in now. Why is he acting so..so..nice? Don't you find it rather strange and somewhat disturbing?"
"Of course I do, but what am I supposed to do about it? Even though we don't understand it he is in a good mood, so we might as well take advantage of it while it lasts. This is probably the best chance you'll get, so go in there and ask him."
Narcissa gave her son a slight push towards the door of the closed door of the study. Draco gave his mother one last unsure look, took a deep breath, and then knocked on the door. After a moment he heard his father's muffled 'come in' and then entered the room looking as if he were a man walking to his own execution and not a son going to ask his father for a favor.
Earlier that morning after breakfast Draco had received his monthly Quidditch magazine in the post. Within it Draco had found an advertisement for the most amazing racing broom he had ever laid eyes upon. The Viper 3000 was sleeker, faster, more easily maneuverable, and much more expensive than the Firebolt. The Viper was the perfect broom to replace his old Nimbus 2001. For years Draco had been trying to get his father to buy him a new broom, a broom with which he could finally beat Harry Potter to the Snitch. However, for some reason unknown to Draco, Lucius had continually denied all requests for a new broom. He would not offer any explanation, but simply said 'no' and would not tolerate any arguments.
Draco had given up on trying to get his father to allow him a new racing broom, but on this particular morning things were a bit different. He had shown his mother the ad and she had seen the longing in his eyes as he stared at the picture. It was Narcissa who had decided to chance asking Lucius once again for a replacement broom. Due to the fact that Lucius had continued his odd behavior, Narcissa thought that they should risk asking Lucius one more time. Draco was very reluctant as he was not sure how his father would react. Narcissa, a bit nervous herself, had eventually talked her son into it. So now, here they were. They had entered Lucius' study. There was no turning back now.
Lucius looked up from the mound of parchments that sat on his desk as he heard the door of his study being opened. He placed his quill upon the desk and waited as Draco slowly approached, looking back at his mother, who had stayed by the door, every now and then with rather nervous, almost pleading look. Lucius leaned back in his chair and waited. He was quite curious at what his son could possibly have to say that would make him look so apprehensive.
After what seemed like a very long time, Draco finally reached the front of his father's desk. He stared down at the parchments that were spread across the desk's top, not really wanting to look his father in the eye.
"Well?" Lucius asked bemusedly.
"Father," Draco looked up at his father. He then handed the magazine, folded so as to show the advertisement, to his father who took it. "Father, that's the new Viper 3000. If I could get that broom then I'd finally be able to beat that Harry Potter to the Snitch and win the House Cup for the Slytherins. The Vipers are faster than the Firebolts, which is what Potter has, and." Draco trailed off as he saw the frown that grew on his father's face.
Lucius looked at the picture of the Viper for several moments and then up at his son who had stopped talking. "So, you think that fast, expensive brooms are all that there is to winning at Quidditch? You think that just by getting a faster broom you'll be able to win every Quidditch game?"
"No." Draco said, shaking his head vehemently.
"Draco, there is a lot more to Quidditch than just fast brooms."
"I know." Draco replied almost desperately.
"Skill is involved. A truly skilled Seeker could catch the Snitch no matter what type of broom he was mounted on."
"Well then, I guess that I'm not a 'truly skilled Seeker' because no matter what I do I can never beat that Potter to the Snitch."
"But you always beat the other Seekers." Narcissa said as she came up beside her son to offer some aid.
Draco looked over at her. He appreciated the effort she made to help him but the comment that she made didn't exactly help him too much.
"Yes, Mother, but they're mounted on those pathetic Cleansweeps; any idiot could beat them if mounted on even a Nimbus 2000."
This was the wrong thing to say and Draco did not realize this until too late.
"Once again, Draco, you think that everything depends upon the broom and not the skill of the flyer. If you would just work harder on your technique then you could beat that Potter boy, even if he does have a Firebolt."
Draco's face fell in defeat. He knew now that there was no way his father would buy him the Viper. He shouldn't have even bothered trying. He glanced over at his mother who looked sympathetically back at him.
Lucius leaned back in his chair, elbow upon the arm, fingers set thoughtfully upon his chin. He sat for several moments in deep concentration. Draco took the silence as a sign that the discussion was over. He took up the Quidditch magazine and turned to go.
"Wait."
Draco turned around and looked expectantly at his father.
"I have an idea; a sort of compromise. It will be good as it will enable you to improve upon your skills, allow us to spend more time together, and in the end it will allow you to get what you want."
Draco's eyes widened and he held his breath as he waited for what his father was about to say.
"You want a new racing broom. I will admit that your desire for a new broom is fair. After all, I have not bought you one since you were twelve."
Draco's heart beat faster. Was it possible? Was he going to get the Viper after all?
"Therefore, I have decided that you shall get the Viper."
Draco's face lit up as a smile stretched across his face. He looked excitedly over at his mother who smiled back at him.
"Now don't get too excited just yet. You're going to have to earn this broom. Before you are to receive this broom you are going to have to beat that Potter while being mounted upon your old Nimbus 2001."
As quickly as his face had lit up with excitement, Draco's face fell.
"Now don't look like that. You can beat him. You have the talent, but you just need to work harder and cultivate it. And I don't mean just flying around in circles outside chasing after the Snitch. There are other things that you can work on. Now, there are several months before your first Quidditch match. That's plenty of time for you to improve. So, as it is obvious that your usual methods of practice don't challenge you much to improve, I believe it would be a good idea if I train you over the remainder of the summer."
Draco's eyes nearly popped out.
"What do you mean?!"
"I mean that I am going to teach you some Quidditch skills which might prove to be useful during a match."
"You are going to teach me Quidditch skills?"
"Why, yes, of course. I'll have you know, boy, I used to be quite good at the game myself."
"You used to play Quidditch?"
Lucius sighed deeply. It was a bit frustrating having Draco repeat everything that he had said in the form of questions.
"Yes, Draco, I, Lucius Malfoy, your father, played the position of Seeker on the Slytherin house Quidditch team."
Draco just gawked at his father. Within his mind images of his father racing around upon a broom chasing after the Snitch flashed, causing him to almost laugh at the absurdity. He had always thought of his father as being far too dignified to ride a broom. It was just too outrageous to imagine.
"Well?" Lucius asked, bringing Draco back to reality. "What are you waiting for? Get ready for practice."
"You're going to tech me this afternoon?"
"Of course. I though that we had established that."
"All afternoon?"
"Yes."
"Alone?"
"Of course." Lucius replied as if Draco had just asked the most ridiculous thing in the world. "Who else would be practicing with us? Your mother?"
At the mention of his mother, Draco turned pleading eyes upon her. He wanted her to say something, anything to get him out of having to spend the afternoon with his father alone. However, Narcissa said nothing but just gave him a warm smile.
"Mother, don't we have something planned for today? I though that there was some sort of get-together at the Parkinson's this afternoon."
"No, dear, that's next week."
Draco had known that it was next week, but he had not been able to come up with anything else quick enough.
"Well, didn't we need to go shopping or something?" Draco gave her a meaningful look, but she simply turned her eyes away and replied,
"No, Draco, there is nothing that we need to do today."
Draco stared, stunned by his mother. He had not expected that. He and his mother had always backed up each other's excuses and stories when cornered by Lucius. He had no idea why his mother had just left him to fend for himself when it would have been very easy to make up some excuse as to why Draco would not be available that day.
"Mother?" he said softly once more. She didn't answer but stared fixedly at the window behind Lucius' desk. Draco looked back at his father who was staring expectantly at him. He glanced once more at his mother, but when she said nothing he turned and proceeded out the door. Narcissa followed closely behind him.
"Draco?"
Draco did not answer her but began to ascend the stairs.
"Draco." She said more sternly.
Draco turned around to look at her.
"Are you all right?"
"Oh, I'm just great," Draco replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "except for this acute feeling of abandonment and betrayal."
"I do not appreciate your using that tone of voice with me, young man."
Draco lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, Mother. It's just.well you heard what he said in there. Now I'm going to have to spend probably the entire afternoon doing what he considers 'quality father-son time' and you didn't do anything to try and stop it."
Narcissa did everything she could to hold back her laughter at the sight of her son's disgusted face. She had to place a hand in front of her mouth in the vain attempt at hiding her smile. Draco couldn't help but notice this and as he did so, he became quite angry.
"You're laughing?! I'm doomed to spend the day in Hell with the Devil himself and you just sit by, let it happen, and then laugh about it?!"
Narcissa couldn't control herself and let out a laugh. Draco had always been so overly dramatic. However, her laughter stopped as soon as she saw her son's practically livid face.
"Sure, go ahead. Laugh it up, Mother. This is all your fault!"
"Excuse me?" Narcissa was quite shocked as her son began yelling at her. He had never acted this way towards her before.
"It was your idea to ask Father about the broom. I knew it was a bad idea but you pushed me into it. It's because of you that I am now in this mess."
"Now you just wait a minute, Draco Malfoy!"
Draco just ignored her. "You didn't say anything; you just stood there and let it happen. You shouldn't be laughing about it. You should be feeling very guilty about this. Very guilty." Draco did not allow her to retort, but instead turned around and stormed up the stairs.
Narcissa did not follow but just stared at her son's retreating form. Draco had never blown up like that at her before. What was wrong with him? Was he really that distressed at the prospect of spending the afternoon with his father? If so, why? He had spent time alone with his father before and it had never seemed to bother him. Could Lucius' new behavior have disturbed her son that much? If so, then this time alone with his father could prove to be a good thing after all. Draco always had a tendency to over-react and in this case he really needed to be shown that his father was not intending upon doing them any harm and that he had not in fact gone crazy; as far as she knew.
For hours the night before, Narcissa a lain awake trying to make sense of the whole situation with her husband. Never before, even when they had first been married, had Lucius acted in such a pleasant and caring way. It was indeed unsettling and she couldn't understand what brought about such a change within him. After contemplating possible reasons and explanations until the very early morning hours, Narcissa finally came to a decision. She would give up trying to figure it out because it was making her head swim, but she was not brave enough to ask Lucius for an explanation. So, she decided to not fight against it, but flow with it. Lucius was acting like a pleasant man. Fine. She would just accept it and take advantage of it while it lasted. After all, it wasn't hurting anyone. That is, not yet. Therefore, when Lucius told his son that he would be teaching him some new skills, Narcissa thought that it could be a good idea. She knew that there was no way that she would be able to convince Draco to not be so paranoid about his father by simply talking to him; what he needed was some 'shock' treatment. He needed to alone with his father for an extended period of time in order to figure it out for himself. And so, when this situation presented itself she did nothing to prevent it. She had never expected the reaction that she had gotten from Draco.
Narcissa rubbed her forehead agitatedly. "This is a good idea." She told herself. "He'll be fine. He'll come to realize that this is necessary. This will be good for him. For the both of them." She then began to ascend the stairs on her way to her bed chambers for a nice lie down in order to get rid of the headache that had begun to form.
* * *
"No, no, no! You're pulling out of the dive far too soon! Show a little guts and wait at least another second before pulling out!"
Draco glared at his father before he soared back into the air to prepare for another try. He paused as he reached what he thought was a good height to start his dive. He quickly wiped away the sweat that was about to drip into eyes. He looked up at the cloudless sky which held the sun that glared down upon him. The day had proved to be unusually hot and humid making it very uncomfortable to do any sort of physical activity. Draco had no idea what time it was but he knew that they must have been on the manor's Quidditch pitch for several hours now and there was no sign that he would be leaving the pitch any time soon. Draco was thoroughly exhausted. He leaned heavily upon his broom as he tried to prepare himself for his next attempt. His chest heaved slightly and his hair, which was damp with sweat, hung slightly in his face.
"Come along now!" Draco heard from the ground. He gave the dark spot on the ground a final glare and then entered the dive.
"No! Do it again!"
Draco rose in the air and entered the dive once again. He was determined to get it right. He had been working on this particular dive for the past thirty minutes, each time not performing it to his father's specifications. He was going to get it right this time. He could see the grass coming closer and closer. He wanted to pull out but he forced himself to wait. The ground was too close now.
"Oh, shit!" Draco pulled up on the broom, but it was too late. He nicked the ground with his right leg which caused him to go skidding across the grass for several yards. He finally came to a stop, but was too shocked and winded to move. After a moment he could see a shadow loom over him. He then felt a hand on his arm and was pulled over so he was lying on his back. He looked up to see the concerned face of his father.
"Draco, are you okay?"
"I can't breath!" Draco managed to gasp.
Lucius quickly felt for broken ribs, but when he discovered that there were none he said, "Just lie still for a few minutes. You've just had the wind knocked out of you."
Draco did as his father said and in just a couple of minutes his breathing was returned to normal.
"Does anything feel like it's broken?" Lucius asked, still kneeling by his son who was trying to prop himself upon his elbows.
"No, I don't think so."
"Good. So then you can get back on your broom and try it again."
"What?!" Draco looked up in disbelief.
"If you're not seriously injured then you should get back up and try it again. It's like when you fall off a horse. Now, your broom is right over there. Let's get this dive right."
Lucius stood up and began walking to where he had been standing before. Draco glared daggers at his father's back, but obediently stood up and retrieved his Nimbus. He grimaced as he swung a leg over the handle and kicked off into the sky. He was definitely going to feel this in the morning.
Draco reached his point in the sky once again. He sucked in a deep, settling breath and then entered the dive again. He hurtled towards the ground. He was determined to get it right. There was going to be no pulling out early and no crashing this time. The ground came closer and closer. Finally he allowed himself to pull out. For an instant he was sure that he had pulled out too late again and was going to go skidding across the ground once again, but, to his surprise, he didn't crash.
"Good! Very good! That was perfect. Now do it like that for a couple of more times and then we'll move on."
Draco did a few more times. Only once did he screw it up.
"Good. Alright. It seems that you've got that down. Now how about we practice some maneuverability?"
Draco hovered but a few feet from the ground, chest heaving, arms braced against the handle so as to keep him from falling, and his hair plastered to his head. He did not answer but simply watched as his father started walking over towards the trunk which held the Quaffle, the two Bludgers, and the Golden Snitch. Draco's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what his father was planning. Was he just going to release the Snitch and have him chase after it?
"Now, maneuverability is possibly the Quidditch player's most valuable asset. You have to be able to think fast, remain alert, and be constantly vigilant."
Draco looked even more questioningly at his father. Lucius bent down and opened the trunk. He then proceeded to take out the Golden Snitch and hold it up for Draco to see.
"Now, I'm going to release the Snitch. Your job will be to find it." At those words Lucius let the glittering ball go. Draco could see a golden blur wiz towards a far corner of the pitch. "However," Lucius said before Draco could go after the Snitch. "you will have to dodge the bludgers, which I have charmed so as to target you automatically without have to be hit towards you."
"Draco's heart stopped, his eyes widened, his whole face taking on an expression of complete shock. Within a split second his father reached down and released the bludgers which immediately soared from the box and began hurtling towards him.
"Holy shit!" Draco turned on his broom and flew as fast as he could away from the bludgers. He could hear that they were right on his tail. He twisted and turned and did everything he could to try and shake them, but nothing worked. In his desperate attempt to try and not get hit by the bludgers, he had absolutely no time to look for the Snitch. There was no way that he would be able to find it while he had two heavy objects hurtling towards him. He flew as fast as he could in every which direction having to duck several times or make a sharp turn in order to avoid getting hit. Everything appeared as a blur as he streaked through the air. He dove closer towards the ground and then leveled off. All of the sudden a bludger appeared in front of him. Draco leaned to the side but was nicked on his left arm.
"Ow!!" He yelled. Suddenly he felt the full force of a bludger hit him in the stomach. He went crashing to the ground. He lay in a curled up ball, teeth clenched and face screwed up in pain. For the second time that day the wind had been knocked out of him and had rendered him unable to make a sound for several moments. He finally was able to let out a cough and gasp for air. He then rolled over on his back, arms still clutching his stomach, his right leg stomping at the ground as he was not able to cry out in pain.
"Draco! Draco, are you alright?!" Lucius rushed over to where his son had fallen, a distinct look of worry upon his face.
Draco looked up at his father. He gasped several times and then managed to rasp out, "Do I bloody well look alright?!"
Draco let his head fall back to the ground and closed his eyes.
Lucius ignored Draco's impudent remark. "Does anything feel broken?"
"I don't know." Draco's body began to relax as his muscles became less rigid and he just lay on the ground with his eyes shut, letting out the occasional whimper.
Lucius remained by his son and waited silently for Draco to recover enough so that he could ascertain whether Draco had indeed broken anything. After several minutes Draco began to heave himself up to a sitting position.
"How do you feel?" Lucius asked.
"It hurts." He then began to struggle to stand. Lucius helped him up. As soon as Draco had reached a standing position he pulled his arm away from his father's grasp and began to limp uncertainly in the direction of the manor.
Lucius quickly went to Draco's side. "As soon as we reach the house I am going to have Dr. Berkman take a look at you."
"I'm fine." Draco said as he pulled away from his father once again. Lucius stopped and looked at his son's limping form. He let out a deep sigh. He had not expected Draco to get hurt. He had charmed the bludgers to chase after him, but he had not expected them to go after Draco in the way that they had. He let out another sigh. "Well, so much for that idea." Lucius looked around and saw the figure of the house elf that he had brought out to the Pitch to carry the equipment. "Take care of all this." He ordered as he motioned towards the bludgers which lay on the ground and his son's fallen Nimbus 2001.
He then began to make his way towards the manor.
After what seemed like an eternity Draco finally made it to the manor. He hobbled up the stone steps and pushed open the large door. He then limped towards the stairs. Just as he reached them he heard a small gasp coming from the right. He looked to see his mother standing about ten feet away from him with a horrified expression upon her face.
"Honey, what happened to you?!"
"Don't even speak to me." Draco said bitterly as he began to pull himself up the stairs.
Narcissa stared, shocked at the sight of her son. His hair was matted, he had dirt and grass stains all over his clothes and some on his face, there was a small amount of blood on his face, and she could see some bruises beginning to form. She heard the large wooden door close and she looked over to see Lucius walked towards her. She didn't say a word, but just looked in horror at her husband.
"He'll be alright." Lucius said reassuringly. "He just had a couple of falls today. I'm having Dr. Berkman take a look at him. I'm sure it's nothing but a few bumps and bruises." Lucius then began to make his way up the stairs, leaving his wife standing at the bottom.
* * *
Every which way Draco turned he could not get comfortable. The doctor had healed the cuts and bruises but his body was still very soar and, according to Dr. Berkman, would remain so for a day or two. Draco groaned as he flipped over onto his back once again. Every part of him ached. He looked over at the clock and saw that it was 11:00. He knew that he was in for a long night.
Suddenly he heard a soft knock on his door. He didn't answer, but he knew that that wouldn't stop his mother from entering.
"Draco, honey, are you asleep?" Narcissa whispered as she entered slowly.
"No." was Draco's short reply. "I hurt too much to sleep." He added.
Narcissa looked down at him sympathetically. She then sat down on the edge of the bed and began playing with Draco's loose hair. "Draco, I am so sorry about today. I didn't think that you'd get hurt like that. If I had known I wouldn't have let you go out there, and."
"Mother, it's okay. I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
Draco nodded.
"Are you still mad at me?"
Draco shook his head.
"Good, because look what I got to make it up to you." As she said this she handed over the object which she had kept concealed by her side.
Draco took it and Narcissa grinned happily as she saw Draco's face light up. "Mother, you got the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers!"
"Yes. And we are going to watch it tomorrow night. Just the two of us."
Draco looked smiled up at his mother. He then suddenly frowned and asked, "How are we going to watch it with father around all the time now?"
"Don't worry. Leave it up me."
Draco smiled again. After a few moments the smile faded and he said, "I'm sorry, Mother, for yelling at you today."
Narcissa smiled and kissed her son on the forehead. "Thank you, dear. Now, you should try and get some sleep." With that she stood up and left the room.
Draco gave a smile and turned over onto his left side and tried to do as his mother instructed. He was just beginning to feel sleep creeping upon him when he heard another knock at the door. The knock was too heavy to be by his mother so he deduced that it must have been made by his father. He heard the door open and the sound of his father's heavy steps. Draco kept his eyes closed, feigning sleep. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to his father. He hadn't said a word to Lucius since he had left the pitch, even when he had been asked a question, and he wasn't about to start now.
A minute passed and he could feel his father's presence standing over him. It made him feel very uncomfortable. What did he want? Suddenly he felt his mattress sink as his father sat on the edge just like his mother had done. He kept his eyes shut and made sure that his breathing remained deep and even.
"I'm sorry." Draco couldn't believe what he just heard. "I'm sorry for pushing you so hard. I'm sorry that you hate me. I'm sorry for everything that I did and didn't do."
Draco felt his father stand up and heard him exit the room. His eyes opened and he looked at the door that was just shut.
"Father's sorry?" Draco lay looking up at the ceiling for the next few hours, unable to sleep. "Father's sorry?"
Oh, and thanks to all who reviewed. I really appreciate them and hope that they will keep coming. I also appreciate your patience and so, without further adieu, here is the next chapter.
Chapter Ten: Bumps, Bruises, and Late Night Apologies
"Mum, are you sure that this is a good idea?" Draco said in a hushed voice as he and Narcissa approached Lucius' study. "I mean, he'll probably say 'no'. He always says 'no'. And what if he gets angry by my asking again?"
"Then we shall put all blame upon me as it was I who put you up to this."
Draco stopped short, his eyes wide. "No, Mother, I won't let you! There's no telling what that crazy man might do!"
Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Draco, your father is not crazy."
"Well he's definitely not sane."
Narcissa looked at her son for a moment trying to figure out what to say to him that would sound believable. "Draco, he's just been in a.well.a," Narcissa looked as is she were searching for the perfect word. "He's just in a good mood." She knew that Draco would not accept this explanation; in fact, she didn't even buy it herself.
"Exactly!" Draco exclaimed as if Narcissa had just figured out the solution to a very difficult problem. "He's been in a 'good mood'. Sure Father has been in good moods before. Like that time when he stole those ancient Dark Arts scrolls right from under Fudge's nose and the Ministry was completely baffled for weeks. And then there was the time at the Quidditch World Cup when the Death Eaters wreaked havoc upon those muggles. Of course, I think that the alcohol probably helped with that. Oh! And then there was the day that Father heard that Voldemort had come back; he was in a really good mood then. But there is no cause for the mood that he is in now. Why is he acting so..so..nice? Don't you find it rather strange and somewhat disturbing?"
"Of course I do, but what am I supposed to do about it? Even though we don't understand it he is in a good mood, so we might as well take advantage of it while it lasts. This is probably the best chance you'll get, so go in there and ask him."
Narcissa gave her son a slight push towards the door of the closed door of the study. Draco gave his mother one last unsure look, took a deep breath, and then knocked on the door. After a moment he heard his father's muffled 'come in' and then entered the room looking as if he were a man walking to his own execution and not a son going to ask his father for a favor.
Earlier that morning after breakfast Draco had received his monthly Quidditch magazine in the post. Within it Draco had found an advertisement for the most amazing racing broom he had ever laid eyes upon. The Viper 3000 was sleeker, faster, more easily maneuverable, and much more expensive than the Firebolt. The Viper was the perfect broom to replace his old Nimbus 2001. For years Draco had been trying to get his father to buy him a new broom, a broom with which he could finally beat Harry Potter to the Snitch. However, for some reason unknown to Draco, Lucius had continually denied all requests for a new broom. He would not offer any explanation, but simply said 'no' and would not tolerate any arguments.
Draco had given up on trying to get his father to allow him a new racing broom, but on this particular morning things were a bit different. He had shown his mother the ad and she had seen the longing in his eyes as he stared at the picture. It was Narcissa who had decided to chance asking Lucius once again for a replacement broom. Due to the fact that Lucius had continued his odd behavior, Narcissa thought that they should risk asking Lucius one more time. Draco was very reluctant as he was not sure how his father would react. Narcissa, a bit nervous herself, had eventually talked her son into it. So now, here they were. They had entered Lucius' study. There was no turning back now.
Lucius looked up from the mound of parchments that sat on his desk as he heard the door of his study being opened. He placed his quill upon the desk and waited as Draco slowly approached, looking back at his mother, who had stayed by the door, every now and then with rather nervous, almost pleading look. Lucius leaned back in his chair and waited. He was quite curious at what his son could possibly have to say that would make him look so apprehensive.
After what seemed like a very long time, Draco finally reached the front of his father's desk. He stared down at the parchments that were spread across the desk's top, not really wanting to look his father in the eye.
"Well?" Lucius asked bemusedly.
"Father," Draco looked up at his father. He then handed the magazine, folded so as to show the advertisement, to his father who took it. "Father, that's the new Viper 3000. If I could get that broom then I'd finally be able to beat that Harry Potter to the Snitch and win the House Cup for the Slytherins. The Vipers are faster than the Firebolts, which is what Potter has, and." Draco trailed off as he saw the frown that grew on his father's face.
Lucius looked at the picture of the Viper for several moments and then up at his son who had stopped talking. "So, you think that fast, expensive brooms are all that there is to winning at Quidditch? You think that just by getting a faster broom you'll be able to win every Quidditch game?"
"No." Draco said, shaking his head vehemently.
"Draco, there is a lot more to Quidditch than just fast brooms."
"I know." Draco replied almost desperately.
"Skill is involved. A truly skilled Seeker could catch the Snitch no matter what type of broom he was mounted on."
"Well then, I guess that I'm not a 'truly skilled Seeker' because no matter what I do I can never beat that Potter to the Snitch."
"But you always beat the other Seekers." Narcissa said as she came up beside her son to offer some aid.
Draco looked over at her. He appreciated the effort she made to help him but the comment that she made didn't exactly help him too much.
"Yes, Mother, but they're mounted on those pathetic Cleansweeps; any idiot could beat them if mounted on even a Nimbus 2000."
This was the wrong thing to say and Draco did not realize this until too late.
"Once again, Draco, you think that everything depends upon the broom and not the skill of the flyer. If you would just work harder on your technique then you could beat that Potter boy, even if he does have a Firebolt."
Draco's face fell in defeat. He knew now that there was no way his father would buy him the Viper. He shouldn't have even bothered trying. He glanced over at his mother who looked sympathetically back at him.
Lucius leaned back in his chair, elbow upon the arm, fingers set thoughtfully upon his chin. He sat for several moments in deep concentration. Draco took the silence as a sign that the discussion was over. He took up the Quidditch magazine and turned to go.
"Wait."
Draco turned around and looked expectantly at his father.
"I have an idea; a sort of compromise. It will be good as it will enable you to improve upon your skills, allow us to spend more time together, and in the end it will allow you to get what you want."
Draco's eyes widened and he held his breath as he waited for what his father was about to say.
"You want a new racing broom. I will admit that your desire for a new broom is fair. After all, I have not bought you one since you were twelve."
Draco's heart beat faster. Was it possible? Was he going to get the Viper after all?
"Therefore, I have decided that you shall get the Viper."
Draco's face lit up as a smile stretched across his face. He looked excitedly over at his mother who smiled back at him.
"Now don't get too excited just yet. You're going to have to earn this broom. Before you are to receive this broom you are going to have to beat that Potter while being mounted upon your old Nimbus 2001."
As quickly as his face had lit up with excitement, Draco's face fell.
"Now don't look like that. You can beat him. You have the talent, but you just need to work harder and cultivate it. And I don't mean just flying around in circles outside chasing after the Snitch. There are other things that you can work on. Now, there are several months before your first Quidditch match. That's plenty of time for you to improve. So, as it is obvious that your usual methods of practice don't challenge you much to improve, I believe it would be a good idea if I train you over the remainder of the summer."
Draco's eyes nearly popped out.
"What do you mean?!"
"I mean that I am going to teach you some Quidditch skills which might prove to be useful during a match."
"You are going to teach me Quidditch skills?"
"Why, yes, of course. I'll have you know, boy, I used to be quite good at the game myself."
"You used to play Quidditch?"
Lucius sighed deeply. It was a bit frustrating having Draco repeat everything that he had said in the form of questions.
"Yes, Draco, I, Lucius Malfoy, your father, played the position of Seeker on the Slytherin house Quidditch team."
Draco just gawked at his father. Within his mind images of his father racing around upon a broom chasing after the Snitch flashed, causing him to almost laugh at the absurdity. He had always thought of his father as being far too dignified to ride a broom. It was just too outrageous to imagine.
"Well?" Lucius asked, bringing Draco back to reality. "What are you waiting for? Get ready for practice."
"You're going to tech me this afternoon?"
"Of course. I though that we had established that."
"All afternoon?"
"Yes."
"Alone?"
"Of course." Lucius replied as if Draco had just asked the most ridiculous thing in the world. "Who else would be practicing with us? Your mother?"
At the mention of his mother, Draco turned pleading eyes upon her. He wanted her to say something, anything to get him out of having to spend the afternoon with his father alone. However, Narcissa said nothing but just gave him a warm smile.
"Mother, don't we have something planned for today? I though that there was some sort of get-together at the Parkinson's this afternoon."
"No, dear, that's next week."
Draco had known that it was next week, but he had not been able to come up with anything else quick enough.
"Well, didn't we need to go shopping or something?" Draco gave her a meaningful look, but she simply turned her eyes away and replied,
"No, Draco, there is nothing that we need to do today."
Draco stared, stunned by his mother. He had not expected that. He and his mother had always backed up each other's excuses and stories when cornered by Lucius. He had no idea why his mother had just left him to fend for himself when it would have been very easy to make up some excuse as to why Draco would not be available that day.
"Mother?" he said softly once more. She didn't answer but stared fixedly at the window behind Lucius' desk. Draco looked back at his father who was staring expectantly at him. He glanced once more at his mother, but when she said nothing he turned and proceeded out the door. Narcissa followed closely behind him.
"Draco?"
Draco did not answer her but began to ascend the stairs.
"Draco." She said more sternly.
Draco turned around to look at her.
"Are you all right?"
"Oh, I'm just great," Draco replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "except for this acute feeling of abandonment and betrayal."
"I do not appreciate your using that tone of voice with me, young man."
Draco lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, Mother. It's just.well you heard what he said in there. Now I'm going to have to spend probably the entire afternoon doing what he considers 'quality father-son time' and you didn't do anything to try and stop it."
Narcissa did everything she could to hold back her laughter at the sight of her son's disgusted face. She had to place a hand in front of her mouth in the vain attempt at hiding her smile. Draco couldn't help but notice this and as he did so, he became quite angry.
"You're laughing?! I'm doomed to spend the day in Hell with the Devil himself and you just sit by, let it happen, and then laugh about it?!"
Narcissa couldn't control herself and let out a laugh. Draco had always been so overly dramatic. However, her laughter stopped as soon as she saw her son's practically livid face.
"Sure, go ahead. Laugh it up, Mother. This is all your fault!"
"Excuse me?" Narcissa was quite shocked as her son began yelling at her. He had never acted this way towards her before.
"It was your idea to ask Father about the broom. I knew it was a bad idea but you pushed me into it. It's because of you that I am now in this mess."
"Now you just wait a minute, Draco Malfoy!"
Draco just ignored her. "You didn't say anything; you just stood there and let it happen. You shouldn't be laughing about it. You should be feeling very guilty about this. Very guilty." Draco did not allow her to retort, but instead turned around and stormed up the stairs.
Narcissa did not follow but just stared at her son's retreating form. Draco had never blown up like that at her before. What was wrong with him? Was he really that distressed at the prospect of spending the afternoon with his father? If so, why? He had spent time alone with his father before and it had never seemed to bother him. Could Lucius' new behavior have disturbed her son that much? If so, then this time alone with his father could prove to be a good thing after all. Draco always had a tendency to over-react and in this case he really needed to be shown that his father was not intending upon doing them any harm and that he had not in fact gone crazy; as far as she knew.
For hours the night before, Narcissa a lain awake trying to make sense of the whole situation with her husband. Never before, even when they had first been married, had Lucius acted in such a pleasant and caring way. It was indeed unsettling and she couldn't understand what brought about such a change within him. After contemplating possible reasons and explanations until the very early morning hours, Narcissa finally came to a decision. She would give up trying to figure it out because it was making her head swim, but she was not brave enough to ask Lucius for an explanation. So, she decided to not fight against it, but flow with it. Lucius was acting like a pleasant man. Fine. She would just accept it and take advantage of it while it lasted. After all, it wasn't hurting anyone. That is, not yet. Therefore, when Lucius told his son that he would be teaching him some new skills, Narcissa thought that it could be a good idea. She knew that there was no way that she would be able to convince Draco to not be so paranoid about his father by simply talking to him; what he needed was some 'shock' treatment. He needed to alone with his father for an extended period of time in order to figure it out for himself. And so, when this situation presented itself she did nothing to prevent it. She had never expected the reaction that she had gotten from Draco.
Narcissa rubbed her forehead agitatedly. "This is a good idea." She told herself. "He'll be fine. He'll come to realize that this is necessary. This will be good for him. For the both of them." She then began to ascend the stairs on her way to her bed chambers for a nice lie down in order to get rid of the headache that had begun to form.
* * *
"No, no, no! You're pulling out of the dive far too soon! Show a little guts and wait at least another second before pulling out!"
Draco glared at his father before he soared back into the air to prepare for another try. He paused as he reached what he thought was a good height to start his dive. He quickly wiped away the sweat that was about to drip into eyes. He looked up at the cloudless sky which held the sun that glared down upon him. The day had proved to be unusually hot and humid making it very uncomfortable to do any sort of physical activity. Draco had no idea what time it was but he knew that they must have been on the manor's Quidditch pitch for several hours now and there was no sign that he would be leaving the pitch any time soon. Draco was thoroughly exhausted. He leaned heavily upon his broom as he tried to prepare himself for his next attempt. His chest heaved slightly and his hair, which was damp with sweat, hung slightly in his face.
"Come along now!" Draco heard from the ground. He gave the dark spot on the ground a final glare and then entered the dive.
"No! Do it again!"
Draco rose in the air and entered the dive once again. He was determined to get it right. He had been working on this particular dive for the past thirty minutes, each time not performing it to his father's specifications. He was going to get it right this time. He could see the grass coming closer and closer. He wanted to pull out but he forced himself to wait. The ground was too close now.
"Oh, shit!" Draco pulled up on the broom, but it was too late. He nicked the ground with his right leg which caused him to go skidding across the grass for several yards. He finally came to a stop, but was too shocked and winded to move. After a moment he could see a shadow loom over him. He then felt a hand on his arm and was pulled over so he was lying on his back. He looked up to see the concerned face of his father.
"Draco, are you okay?"
"I can't breath!" Draco managed to gasp.
Lucius quickly felt for broken ribs, but when he discovered that there were none he said, "Just lie still for a few minutes. You've just had the wind knocked out of you."
Draco did as his father said and in just a couple of minutes his breathing was returned to normal.
"Does anything feel like it's broken?" Lucius asked, still kneeling by his son who was trying to prop himself upon his elbows.
"No, I don't think so."
"Good. So then you can get back on your broom and try it again."
"What?!" Draco looked up in disbelief.
"If you're not seriously injured then you should get back up and try it again. It's like when you fall off a horse. Now, your broom is right over there. Let's get this dive right."
Lucius stood up and began walking to where he had been standing before. Draco glared daggers at his father's back, but obediently stood up and retrieved his Nimbus. He grimaced as he swung a leg over the handle and kicked off into the sky. He was definitely going to feel this in the morning.
Draco reached his point in the sky once again. He sucked in a deep, settling breath and then entered the dive again. He hurtled towards the ground. He was determined to get it right. There was going to be no pulling out early and no crashing this time. The ground came closer and closer. Finally he allowed himself to pull out. For an instant he was sure that he had pulled out too late again and was going to go skidding across the ground once again, but, to his surprise, he didn't crash.
"Good! Very good! That was perfect. Now do it like that for a couple of more times and then we'll move on."
Draco did a few more times. Only once did he screw it up.
"Good. Alright. It seems that you've got that down. Now how about we practice some maneuverability?"
Draco hovered but a few feet from the ground, chest heaving, arms braced against the handle so as to keep him from falling, and his hair plastered to his head. He did not answer but simply watched as his father started walking over towards the trunk which held the Quaffle, the two Bludgers, and the Golden Snitch. Draco's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what his father was planning. Was he just going to release the Snitch and have him chase after it?
"Now, maneuverability is possibly the Quidditch player's most valuable asset. You have to be able to think fast, remain alert, and be constantly vigilant."
Draco looked even more questioningly at his father. Lucius bent down and opened the trunk. He then proceeded to take out the Golden Snitch and hold it up for Draco to see.
"Now, I'm going to release the Snitch. Your job will be to find it." At those words Lucius let the glittering ball go. Draco could see a golden blur wiz towards a far corner of the pitch. "However," Lucius said before Draco could go after the Snitch. "you will have to dodge the bludgers, which I have charmed so as to target you automatically without have to be hit towards you."
"Draco's heart stopped, his eyes widened, his whole face taking on an expression of complete shock. Within a split second his father reached down and released the bludgers which immediately soared from the box and began hurtling towards him.
"Holy shit!" Draco turned on his broom and flew as fast as he could away from the bludgers. He could hear that they were right on his tail. He twisted and turned and did everything he could to try and shake them, but nothing worked. In his desperate attempt to try and not get hit by the bludgers, he had absolutely no time to look for the Snitch. There was no way that he would be able to find it while he had two heavy objects hurtling towards him. He flew as fast as he could in every which direction having to duck several times or make a sharp turn in order to avoid getting hit. Everything appeared as a blur as he streaked through the air. He dove closer towards the ground and then leveled off. All of the sudden a bludger appeared in front of him. Draco leaned to the side but was nicked on his left arm.
"Ow!!" He yelled. Suddenly he felt the full force of a bludger hit him in the stomach. He went crashing to the ground. He lay in a curled up ball, teeth clenched and face screwed up in pain. For the second time that day the wind had been knocked out of him and had rendered him unable to make a sound for several moments. He finally was able to let out a cough and gasp for air. He then rolled over on his back, arms still clutching his stomach, his right leg stomping at the ground as he was not able to cry out in pain.
"Draco! Draco, are you alright?!" Lucius rushed over to where his son had fallen, a distinct look of worry upon his face.
Draco looked up at his father. He gasped several times and then managed to rasp out, "Do I bloody well look alright?!"
Draco let his head fall back to the ground and closed his eyes.
Lucius ignored Draco's impudent remark. "Does anything feel broken?"
"I don't know." Draco's body began to relax as his muscles became less rigid and he just lay on the ground with his eyes shut, letting out the occasional whimper.
Lucius remained by his son and waited silently for Draco to recover enough so that he could ascertain whether Draco had indeed broken anything. After several minutes Draco began to heave himself up to a sitting position.
"How do you feel?" Lucius asked.
"It hurts." He then began to struggle to stand. Lucius helped him up. As soon as Draco had reached a standing position he pulled his arm away from his father's grasp and began to limp uncertainly in the direction of the manor.
Lucius quickly went to Draco's side. "As soon as we reach the house I am going to have Dr. Berkman take a look at you."
"I'm fine." Draco said as he pulled away from his father once again. Lucius stopped and looked at his son's limping form. He let out a deep sigh. He had not expected Draco to get hurt. He had charmed the bludgers to chase after him, but he had not expected them to go after Draco in the way that they had. He let out another sigh. "Well, so much for that idea." Lucius looked around and saw the figure of the house elf that he had brought out to the Pitch to carry the equipment. "Take care of all this." He ordered as he motioned towards the bludgers which lay on the ground and his son's fallen Nimbus 2001.
He then began to make his way towards the manor.
After what seemed like an eternity Draco finally made it to the manor. He hobbled up the stone steps and pushed open the large door. He then limped towards the stairs. Just as he reached them he heard a small gasp coming from the right. He looked to see his mother standing about ten feet away from him with a horrified expression upon her face.
"Honey, what happened to you?!"
"Don't even speak to me." Draco said bitterly as he began to pull himself up the stairs.
Narcissa stared, shocked at the sight of her son. His hair was matted, he had dirt and grass stains all over his clothes and some on his face, there was a small amount of blood on his face, and she could see some bruises beginning to form. She heard the large wooden door close and she looked over to see Lucius walked towards her. She didn't say a word, but just looked in horror at her husband.
"He'll be alright." Lucius said reassuringly. "He just had a couple of falls today. I'm having Dr. Berkman take a look at him. I'm sure it's nothing but a few bumps and bruises." Lucius then began to make his way up the stairs, leaving his wife standing at the bottom.
* * *
Every which way Draco turned he could not get comfortable. The doctor had healed the cuts and bruises but his body was still very soar and, according to Dr. Berkman, would remain so for a day or two. Draco groaned as he flipped over onto his back once again. Every part of him ached. He looked over at the clock and saw that it was 11:00. He knew that he was in for a long night.
Suddenly he heard a soft knock on his door. He didn't answer, but he knew that that wouldn't stop his mother from entering.
"Draco, honey, are you asleep?" Narcissa whispered as she entered slowly.
"No." was Draco's short reply. "I hurt too much to sleep." He added.
Narcissa looked down at him sympathetically. She then sat down on the edge of the bed and began playing with Draco's loose hair. "Draco, I am so sorry about today. I didn't think that you'd get hurt like that. If I had known I wouldn't have let you go out there, and."
"Mother, it's okay. I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
Draco nodded.
"Are you still mad at me?"
Draco shook his head.
"Good, because look what I got to make it up to you." As she said this she handed over the object which she had kept concealed by her side.
Draco took it and Narcissa grinned happily as she saw Draco's face light up. "Mother, you got the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers!"
"Yes. And we are going to watch it tomorrow night. Just the two of us."
Draco looked smiled up at his mother. He then suddenly frowned and asked, "How are we going to watch it with father around all the time now?"
"Don't worry. Leave it up me."
Draco smiled again. After a few moments the smile faded and he said, "I'm sorry, Mother, for yelling at you today."
Narcissa smiled and kissed her son on the forehead. "Thank you, dear. Now, you should try and get some sleep." With that she stood up and left the room.
Draco gave a smile and turned over onto his left side and tried to do as his mother instructed. He was just beginning to feel sleep creeping upon him when he heard another knock at the door. The knock was too heavy to be by his mother so he deduced that it must have been made by his father. He heard the door open and the sound of his father's heavy steps. Draco kept his eyes closed, feigning sleep. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to his father. He hadn't said a word to Lucius since he had left the pitch, even when he had been asked a question, and he wasn't about to start now.
A minute passed and he could feel his father's presence standing over him. It made him feel very uncomfortable. What did he want? Suddenly he felt his mattress sink as his father sat on the edge just like his mother had done. He kept his eyes shut and made sure that his breathing remained deep and even.
"I'm sorry." Draco couldn't believe what he just heard. "I'm sorry for pushing you so hard. I'm sorry that you hate me. I'm sorry for everything that I did and didn't do."
Draco felt his father stand up and heard him exit the room. His eyes opened and he looked at the door that was just shut.
"Father's sorry?" Draco lay looking up at the ceiling for the next few hours, unable to sleep. "Father's sorry?"