AN: Forgive my long absence, again muse took a holiday vacation and forgot to invite me along. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Reviews always welcomed with open arms. Be kind, this is my first attempt at HP fiction.
Chapter 6: Bringing Despair
"Ok, this was the stupidest plan ever, Ron." Hermione tried to adjust herself in the suit. Even though they were right in saying that it was big enough to hide all three of them in, nothing about comfort was ever mentioned.
"Fine! Let's get out of here."
The rear of the armor came unhinged and three very dirty, very grumpy students came tumbling out onto the cold, stone floor.
"Well, here we are, after hours in the middle of the hallway outside of Slytherin and have discovered nothing that might tell us what Malfoy's up to!"
"Someone say my name?"
The trio almost fell over each other from freight. Slowly they turned around to see their intended target standing in the hallway. He almost looked ghostly white with his light blond hair and white skin framed by the moonlight streaming in from a window behind him. Some would think it would even be called an unhealthy amount of white.
"Malfoy, yes." Hermione's quick mind was going through options of what to say. "We were looking to find you."
"Well, mission accomplished, though I'm not one for hanging out in suits of armor." He eyed them suspiciously. Breaking the glare he was sending them, again he spoke, "What do you want of me at this time of night?"
"We were wondering, um, if, you had any Fersterous Root?" Hermione tried to look serious. A very tough thing to accomplish indeed with her two counterparts looking just as confused as the Slytherin standing before them.
"You came here, in the early morning to ask me for Fersterous Root?" Draco would have laughed, if he had any good humor in him at that moment. Always being out late because of constant insomnia seemed to have sucked any light feelings he ever possessed.
"Yeah." Harry decided to chip in, not leave Hermione to do all the talking.
Draco's gaze turned to Potter, he noticed how the dark hair was unruly and scattered from hiding in such cramped quarters for half the night. "I hate to disappoint, but I used to last of mine up in Potions two weeks ago."
"Well, then, we might as well be off. Sorry if we inconvenienced you." Hermione all but pushed the other two boys down the hallway and away from the uncomfortable situation.
After a couple moments of walking, Ron once again found his voice.
"Wait!" Ron all but yelled, before being shushed by the two others.
Harry gave an annoyed look, "What, Ron? I'm not hiding anywhere else that you might suggest."
"No, look."
The three glanced out into the nearby courtyard. There was their quarry again, walking slowly through it as though lost in thought.
"So, he's not going off to bed anytime soon I see." Harry watched, most suspicious of these activities. Harry trusted Malfoy about as far as he could throw him, he knew that one day Malfoy would join the Deatheaters and come after him. He would give almost anything to lock him up now and avoid that upcoming fight.
Hermione watched, "So, what do we do now?"
Ron sighed, "There's nothing more we can do tonight. Come on, he caught us once. I didn't even hear him coming. What if we're caught by someone else this time? Let's just go back to the common room and hope for the best, that Malfoy's the one caught this time."
The night called to him, with its bright full moon casting his shadow upon the Earth. He had received yet another message from his father, this time to meet him by the Dark Forest at 2am for some important news. Draco knew all to well what this news was to be about.
Timely as ever, he saw the figure of his father, standing with a cold glare.
"I see you are right on time, my son." Lucius stood in all formality, even around no one else but family.
Draco stopped and looked up to meet his glare. "I am, what is it that you have brought me out here?"
"Do not take that tone with me, you do not have such power, yet." A smirk sent chills down the younger Malfoy's spine. "I wanted to tell you this personally, Draco. I didn't want some house Elf telling you next time you visit the manor." It was always called 'The Manor' never 'home'.
"What is it?"
"You mother is gone."
Draco blinked. Gone? What did he mean gone?
Lucius read the look in his son's eyes, "No, not dead, if that's what you're thinking. She's just gone. Took some of her things that would fetch a very high price and left the manor. She could not take the seriousness and power of our plans. Her own self-preservation instinct is stronger than her love for you is my only guess."
Shock made Draco's knees weak. His beautiful mother had left him to face everything alone. Thoughts that he might be able to handle the future began sinking. Would everything dear to him leave him as well? Would he never be able to have one moment of joy in all his life? He could not believe that she would leave him to whatever the fates had in store.
"Well, I must return. Do not let your mind be troubled by this news. She was obviously weak, too weak to be connected with such a force as you, my son."
The extent of all his mother's abandonment was slowly sinking in.
"Farewell. We will speak again soon." Lucius left, without Draco never noticing.
He stood on the edge of the forest, unable to think to walk. Cold was sinking into his bones and he knew that his terrible insomnia would probably now stay with him indefinitely.
One thought kept going through his head, like the endless pounding of waves on the shore.
'Now I am truly alone.'