A/N very quick hello, I would thank you all individually like usual, but BM is sitting next to me and I think she might kill me if I don't hurry up, so here is chapter 9, sorry it took so long!
PoIsOnEd LeTtErS
Chapter 9
Goodbye
Draco waited nervously outside Professor Snapes door; He was twisting his fringe through his fingers, pleating it, then unpleating it again. Snape was taking forever to open the door, Should he knock?
Just as he summoned up the courage to, the door opened and Snape was standing like an over grown bat in the doorway.
"Are you ready Mr Malfoy?" He asked shortly
"Yes sir."
"Good, Hand over your wand, you are not permitted to take it in to your meeting." He said without meeting Draco's eyes.
"Oh… Ok." Draco stuck his hand in his pocket and brought out his wand, it was birch, 12 inches, and unicorn hair, just like his fathers. He remembered back 6 years to standing in olivanders with his father, He remembered Lucius' face as he made several blue sparks shoot out of the first want he touched, apparently, Birch wood was a bit of a Malfoy tradition.
Afterwards thy had gone for Ice cream, or rather, His father took him for one, Lucius himself had a black coffee, and spent the time pointing out who Draco was and wasn't to talk to, Draco had listened to every word and comment, he still remembered "Now, that's a Goyle, extremely stupid, but loyal." Or "that it a Bulander, I don't mind them but your mother hates the whole family, so your best not to." And then there was, "That, is a Weasley. Stay away from them, long family grudge."
Everything his father had said that day he took in, he could even remember a dusty little record shop they'd gone into, Lucius had spent two hours pouring over the old vinyl's, that's when Draco had realized that after him, music was probably the most important thing in Lucius' life.
"Draco?" Draco snapped out of his trance, handed over his want,
"Where to now, god-daddy?"
Snape strode out in front of Draco down the corridor, Draco obediently followed him.
"We are going down into Hogsmeade, we are to met your father in the old church, the surrounding area will be filled with aurors, so I suggest any break out plans you had, forget them."
"I didn't have any"
"Good."
The were out on the grounds now, walking in a steady silence towards the village, Draco wished they were talking, but he know he also had nothing to say. Finally they reached the village, It was then Draco noticed that it must have been a Hogsmeade weekend, the place was crawling with students, Draco found some unusual comfort in that he wasn't the only student there, but he wasn't sure why.
"Just a little further, now, Draco, have you ever been to the church?"
Draco shook his head; he had not really had an interest in it before, so he had avoided it, going to the hog's head, or the shrieking shack. Though it had taken him a year to get over the freak snowball attack that had happened there.
It was then he saw it, the little run down church in the middle of a decaying grave yard, the church looked like it was about to fall over, but under the moss and grime you could tell it once stood tall and proud and well kept, a church as old as Hogwarts itself. Draco sighed; he couldn't help but think it was an appropriate reflection on the state of the Malfoy legacy.
Six men in dark robes walked over to the two, Draco recognised some as men and women who had met Harry from the train station last year, one was Nymphadora Tonks, Bella's niece he believed, but cast out of the Black family, Kingsly Shacklebolt, and Alistair Moody.
"Afternoon, Draco is it?" Asked Moody, Draco couldn't help notice all of them were looking at him with quiet dislike, But he didn't care what they thought, what did they know? Would they still look at him that way if he'd been one of Harry's friends? He doubted it, they would probably be fawning over him with worried faces and kind words, but he was a Malfoy, and scum to them. So what? So what if his dad had been a death eater, what right did they have to judge him? He found himself rolling up his sleeves; as if to prove a point, look, see? Not all of us fall so easily!
"Yes." He answered, snapping a little more than he had meant to.
"Right then, turn out your pockets."
"Professor Snape has already taken my Wand." He replied, but did so anyway.
"We aren't looking for your wand boy, we are looking for blades." He said gruffly.
"Oh Moody, don't be so cruel" Said Tonks, catching Draco's eye.
Shock filled Draco's face for a second, they thought he would go in there and help his father commit suicide? The woman with the bright pink hair looked sad for a moment, Draco ripped his eyes away from hers.
"Well, I'm not going to wrap the son of a Death eater in cotton wool, am I?"
"Still, he is only a child!"
"No I'm not…" Draco whispered.
"Right, what have we here? One comb, one… "Eye liner" pencil by "Rimmel"…one chocolate frog card with a picture of Merlin on it, one drawing of a clown on fire" Draco Blushed a little, that had been done weeks ago, he had to start empting his pockets, "… one small bottle of Madam Darklings wound heal vanilla blend, One picture of a small cat, white in colour."
That was Draco's kitten, the aptly named Shadow. It had been a kitten for the last two years, and didn't look like it would be growing any time soon.
"And, if I might ask, what is in that flask strapped around your leg?" Draco shivered, he hated when Moody did that… the man might have seen his pants….
"Umm, I think today its Southern Comfort."
"Right, well, that all seems fine. You can go in." Moody said, handing Draco back his pocket contents, "Oh and, Boy?"
"Yes?"
"Try not to be too shocked, your father is greatly changed from when you last saw him."
Draco nodded and shivered; He held his head up high and entered the ruined church.
He walked up between the aisles, to where a lone figure sat on a chair, back to the wall.
"Oh daddy…" Draco whispered, "Oh daddy, what have they done?"
Lucius looked… well, not at all like Lucius. His once glorious hair was matted almost into dread-locks, nowhere near the radiant colour it had been, but like a mucky brown with all the dirt. His face was gaunt, his skin was grey, but most terrifying of all, his eyes were dull.
He looked at Draco like a frightened child would look at a stranger, and it broke Draco's heart. Then realization shone in his father's otherwise dead eyes.
"Draco?" His father croaked.
Draco fell to his knees before the man, "yes father? Its me."
"Its really you? Oh my beautiful boy, my beautiful baby boy!" Lucius came down onto the floor with Draco, and threw his arms around his son.
"Iv missed you, God how Iv missed you, Daddy please don't go away again" Draco said, Sobbing and screaming into his fathers shoulder.
"Shhh, shhh, don't think about that just now, don't speak of it, I'm here now, that's all that matters, Im here now,"
"But-"
"Draco please, please my dear one, don't make this harder than it has to be."
Draco managed to detach himself from his father; he sniffed once, and then smiled. "Well. What ARE we going to do with your hair hmm?"
"Indeed, its filthy is it not? I can only imagine."
Draco, with some sadness, helped his father stand and walk into the main chapel in the church, beside the holy water.
"Draco, that is sacrilege."
"Shut up. Hair before religion, Father."
Very gently Draco pulled his fingers through his fathers hair, remembering how Lucius used to do this to him when he was a child. Lucius' hair tugged, but the man didn't even flinch, Draco caught himself wondering if his father could even feel pain any more.
"Don't you have a brush or something?" Lucius hissed, Draco shook is head,
"It's too tuggy for that, I would end up ripping your hair out, give me a minute."
Draco remembered being six years old, His mother ripping through his hair with a hard bristle brush, his sobbing and his father shouting, that was the first time he had seen his mother attack his father, screaming like a banshee and scratching at his face, his Father just standing there letting it happen, like he always did.
He would only ever raise his voice to Narcissa if Draco was involved, like the time he had caught her trying to give him poison, or that time she had hit Draco so hard he was knocked out at 7 years old.
Painstakingly slowly he combed out the worst of the knots with his fingers, trying not to notice the dirt gathering under his nails, his poor, poor daddy, then, when the worst was over, he brought out his comb and got the last out. Gently he made his father tip his head back into the water, and lovingly he washed it clean, like his father used to do to him.
"Thank you. You should have never have had to do that though."
"The least I could do, Father."
Lucius rang his hair out then sat back down on one of the pews.
"Come and tell me what you've been up to."
"Not much, Mum beat the crap out of me for like, forever, my entire house hates me, I failed Divination, but that was expected, I made some friends you'll hit me for, I busted Harry Potter's face then slept in his bed, so yeah, quiet year."
"I don't think I want to know… Why does your house hate you?"
"I… I didn't join the Death Eaters." Draco looked away from his father, he knew his dad had only joined because of Narcissa, but he didn't know his father would react to that, it had, after all, been expected of him.
Lucius spent a good minute staring at his son, with mixed emotion, eventually he said "Good." He sighed, "I suppose that's why Narcissa was so angry?"
"Yes, Mother didn't take it very well." The two blondes shared a quick grin before looking away. "I found my cousin, by the way, you know, of mums sister."
"Ah yes, Laqueta, Married into the Lorry's didn't she?"
"Yes. He's called David. He's my best friend."
"Your Mother won't like that."
"My mother doesn't like anything." Again, they smiled and looked quickly away, as if she could hear them. "Also, and look, Daddy, I know your not going to be happy but, David's Girlfriend, and… and one of the greatest friends I have, she's…"
"Don't tell me, Muggle?" Lucius smiled slightly.
"Um no, pure blood, but… She's, She's Ginny Weasley."
" Oh Draco, you're breaking my heart." He sighed, "Well, at least I wont have to see it, I suppose someone has to break this on going cycle of hatred."
"Oh no, its only Ginny I talk to, don't worry, Ronald Weasley still gets the odd glare. Only I got him drunk last night. On pinacolada, you would have enjoyed it."
"I bet I would. Is that how you ended up in Potter's bed?" Lucius smirked.
"No! Well yes, but not in that way, God, Dad!" Draco furiously blushed, Lucius laughed.
"I know Draco, I know. But on a serious note." He said, becoming suddenly stern, " Your Veela powers are going to waken up inside you soon, and things for you unfortunately, are going to be a lot more complicated than you think. "He sighed, ran a hand through his steadily drying hair, "You aren't just going to start attracting people to you like nifflers to gold, you know, you're going to start noticing people as well, that girl you've sat beside for five years is suddenly going to have amazing hair, that boy you've been on the team with for ages suddenly has perfect eyes, you'll want each and every one of them."
"Really? Even first years?" Draco tried to joke; he wasn't very comfortable discussing his lust with his father.
"Within reason then, Draco, listen to me, this is important. You can't sleep with them, ok? You cant."
"Well I wasn't planning to, Father."
"No, you're not planning to, but you will want to, you are a good part Veela Draco, do you know why Veela were breed? For sex. They crossed a sex demon and an Angel and that's why Veela are so beautiful.
"Sex demons aren't beautiful dad, they look like a cross between a crow and a dragon on a bad day."
"Yes I know, but they have a aura of lust that hangs around them, it was transferred to the angel, as was the beasts wicked thoughts, that's why Veela turn so ugly when they are angry. Yet because it was crossed with an angel the creature had an undesirable attribute. It could love."
"So… that's why I cant…?"
"No, I'm just explaining to you that even with the best intention, you will still be an outrageous flirt until you are in love."
"So why cant I… you know."
"A long time ago, before any Veela blood was in the Malfoy line, a Veela was given to one of our ancestors as a gift. He married her, thinking of breeding and a beautiful wife, but she fell in love with him, hard, and I take it you know what happens when a pure blooded Veela is in love?"
"She does anything and everything for the man she is in love with."
"That is correct. Now, that Malfoy treated the Veela with such cruelty it broke her heart, and of course, when a Veela heart breaks, she dies. Her tribe found out about his cruelty, and one night, a thousand years ago, they placed an irreversible curse on the Malfoy Family."
"Which was?"
"The first person a Malfoy made love with, they would fall in love with them as hard and as complete as if he was a veela, he would be bound to them in servitude for the rest of his life, this curse can only be broken if the Malfoy finds someone that will love them back, properly love them, not just care about them, someone that would do anything for their happiness, and someone who is only happy if they are around, you understand? By any means Draco, have a relationship, learn about your feelings, express them with someone, just don't fall into bed with anyone who comes along."
Lucius finished his speech, shuddering to a halt; he looked up at Draco, who was looking at him with a sudden understanding.
"That's why you're with Mother, isn't it?" Draco said slowly, frowning as he tried to take all the information in.
"Yes. You see, I fell for someone quite badly, but they were taken, and it hurt so bad I turned round for comfort and guess who I found?" He laughed bitterly, "I think the night we conceived you was the only night I ever found warmth in those arms, probably glowing red hot thinking about all the money she could burn afterwards."
"But you don't do everything she says."
"No, not everything, I have a greater love than her you know," he smiled fondly, "She will never, ever be able to make me hurt you."
"Ok, I get it daddy, no sex till I'm married, yeah?"
"Or until someone falls in love with you."
"Not likely."
"Don't think like that, Draco, you are a gorgeous young man even without all the glitter, you're funny, you can be kind when you want to, and you are very, very loyal." Lucius smiled, "But you do have a rather fiery temper."
"Shut up." Draco pouted, proving his fathers point. Draco bent down and unstrapped his re filling flask and offered it to his father.
"Drink?"
"why… yes!"
Lucius took a swig, "I see that flask came in handy then, you're not an alcoholic are you?"
"No, no, of course not… well, yes."
"Ah well, like father like son."
"Yeah, it's a great flask, I love you." Draco said, then clasped his hand around his mouth.
Lucius brought the flask down from his lips slowly and looked at Draco with his eyebrows raised, "What?"
"I Said I love it. The flask I mean. Its great."
"You said you loved me." Lucius grinned
"No I didn't." Draco said with the wide eyes of fear.
"Yes you did, you love me!" Lucius smirked.
"No I don't!"
Lucius grabbed his son into a bear hug, "Aw, I love you too, baby, how cute!"
"Shut up! I DON'T LOVE YOU!"
"You havn't said you loved me since you were 10!"
"That's cause its not true, put me down! MALFOY'S DON'T LOVE, ITS ICKY!"
"True. Draco… See when, I get Kissed-"
"Dad! I don't want to hear what happens when you kiss!"
"No you dolt, I mean , when the Dementor's come, will you do me a favour."
"What?" Draco said, untrustingly.
"Kill me. No, don't look at me like that I mean it, do you really think I want to be sitting, drooling in some room at St Mungo's not even recognising my boy? That's not how I want to end my life Draco."
"I cant…"
"Yes you can, promise me, promise me you wont let that happen, please Draco, I don't want to have to beg you…!
"I…-"
"Right, Malfoy, times up." Shacklebolt came into the church and grabbed Lucius roughly by the arm, dragging him back to the front of the church.
"Remember Draco, please, remember what I said!"
And as his Father was taken from him for the second time, all Draco could do was break down and cry.
Draco is always crying at the end of my chapters… I'll see if I can make him a little happy in the next one… hmmm,
Anyway, hope you liked, please review, and all that other crap
Love and stuff
El