Seven Years, Chapter 3.
I literally don't own anything in this work. Merula isn't even a OC!
"Merula!" Narcissa shouted from somewhere on the first floor. "Come down for the party!"
Merula groaned as she pried herself out of her bed, slamming shut her copy of The History of Magic before she put on the fancy party shoes Narcissa always expected her to wear.
"Merula!" Narcissa shouted again. "Our guests are already here!"
"Coming!" Merula shouted back as she bounded down the stairs, leaping off the last two as she ran to Narcissa, standing by the fireplace. As she turned to the fireplace, the flames turned green as a tall, lumbering figure staggered through, crashing into a chair before crumpling to the floor.
Merula choked back a giggle as she heard Draco burst into laughter.
"Stop that!" Narcissa warned as a hand landed on Merula's head.
"I wasn't laughing!" Merula snapped as she rubbed her head. "Draco was the one laughing!"
"It's alright," a deep, thick voice mumbled from the ground. "I slipped on a toy."
"Dobby!" Narcissa shouted. "Clean this mess up!"
A distant thud answered Narcissa, followed by a faint whine. Merula stifled a giggle as she tried her best to keep a straight face.
"Happy Birthday," the lump on the floor managed as he climbed up, revealing himself to be the man who welcomed Merula to Goyle's party a week earlier.
"Hello Mr. Crabbe!" Draco chirped. "Did you get me any presents?"
Merula winced at Draco's sickly-sweet voice, and the fact that Mr. Crabbe had fallen for it.
"Of course!" the lumbering man exclaimed as he wiped away his sweaty, mud-brown hair. "They should be here any minute now."
He was correct, of course, when the flames turned green again, with a tall, awkward woman staggering out of the flames.
"Brenda!" Narcissa cried, shoving Merula forward. "Come on Merula, give her a hug!"
Merula forced a smile to her face as she raised her arms awkwardly. The woman ran past her, enticing a squawk from Draco.
Merula faked a cough as she turned around, giggling when she saw Draco's flailing arms.
"Draco," a quiet voice behind her mumbled as she watched Draco stiffen in the woman's arms. "Happy birthday. I got you the poster you wanted."
Merula felt a slight chill in her stomach as she turned back to face Gregory Goyle, and the scruffed and slightly torn poster he had in his hands.
"Draco?" Merula asked as her brother managed to tear himself free of the tall, awkward woman's embrace. "Why is he giving you my poster?"
Draco grinned as the small, fat boy handed over the poster. "Thanks for the present, I know just where to put this!"
"Draco!" Merula shouted as she turned to her brother, a fire rising through her as she took a step closer to the fleeing form of Draco. "Give my poster back! I wouldn't have given the post-"
A pair of long, thin, yet all too strong arms grabbed Merula as she was forced into a world of dark wool and overbearing perfume, her nose screaming for air as she flailed for a sight of Draco. Merula gagged into the over-perfumed sweater as she tried to push herself away from the woman. But suddenly it was over, and the walking perfume-stick turned away as green flames roared to life at the fireplace.
"Gregory!" Narcissa called out as what must have been Vincent Crabbe almost knocked Merula over running for the door. "Draco's gone to his room."
"Thank you Miss Malfoy!" the running blob shouted, though Merula strained to hear him over Narcissa's conversation with two laughing perfume sticks.
"Oh, look at my boy!" one of the perfume sticks droned as Merula took a step back. "He'll grow big and strong like his papa."
Merula glanced at the two fat, sweaty things fouling up the chairs and found herself suppressing a giggle.
It was a mistake, because the second perfume stick had grabbed her, and Merula decided that perfume was secretly just dark magic made to torment kids. Somewhere outside the hideously pink cloth of the woman's dress, Merula heard her name.
"Merula, stay in the dining hall." Narcissa's voice was barely audible as Merula tried to free herself from the hag in the pink dress. "I want you to stay here and greet the guests."
"But why?" Merula pouted. "Isn't this Draco's birthday? Shouldn't he be here to greet the guests?"
Narcissa's voice was lower than before. "Merula, this is your birthday too."
"My birthday isn't for another week!" Merula shouted back as she felt the urge to throw a vase. "Why can't I have my own party?"
"Sweetie," one of the perfume sticks started. "We'll be on a trip to Egypt tomorrow. We simply can't make your birthday."
"Egypt?" the other perfume stick asked. "Why, I'm headed to Spain!"
"Honey," one of the blobs at the table shouted as the perfume sticks argued. "For the last time, it's Portugal, not Spain."
"See Merula?" Narcissa asked. "This is both your birthday and Draco's birthday. So at least one of you should be here, greeting the guests."
"But why not Draco?" Merula turned back to Narcissa.
"Because he's upstairs with his friends," Narcissa said as she looked at the flames. "Oh, someone is coming."
"Happy birthday Draco!" a loud, annoying voice shouted.
"Pug Face," Merula muttered to herself as she turned to face the ugly, disgusting troll by the fireplace.
"What was that dear?" Narcissa asked.
"Nothing," Merula lied as she glanced at the carpet. "Nothing at all."
"Be nice," Narcissa warned Merula as she moved to the fireplace.
"Snyde." A voice laughed as a pair of sparkly shoes came into Merula's field of vision.
"Pansy." Merula forced herself to smile at the pug-faced girl and the two adults behind her. "Is that for me?"
Pug Face rolled her tiny eyes. "It's for Draco. It's not your birthday after all."
Merula felt the forced smile slide off her face as she turned to Narcissa, greeting the man and woman who had stepped from the fireplace.
Neither of whom held any presents.
"Some birthday party." Merula muttered as she turned back to the fire, now a boring orange rather than Floo green.
"Where's Draco?" Pug Face asked, her tone too cheerful for Merula.
"He's in his room." Merula growled. "You know where it is."
"Merula!" Narcissa called from the side.
Merula gritted her teeth as Pug Face shoved the box into her hands.
"I'm going to get a snack," Pug Face said as she turned away from Merula. "Give Draco my gift."
Merula clenched her teeth as she looked at Narcissa, now with a disappointed look on her face."Merula-"
"Fine!" Merula snapped as she turned on her heel to leave the dining room. "I'm going-"
"Out of the way!" Draco shouted as he shoved Merula to the side, knocking her against the door frame in the process.
"Draco!" Narcissa called as Merula felt the box slip from her fingers. "Where are you going?"
Merula winced as she caught the box, a moment before it would have crashed onto the floor.
"Flying!" one of the smaller blobs called out as he ran by.
"Draco hasn't finished his flying lessons yet," Narcissa muttered as she turned to the larger blobs and perfume sticks in the room. "I'll have to watch over him."
"Yes, let's do that," one of the blobs murmured. "Still, it's good that he gets some flying time before he goes to Hogwarts."
"What do I do with this?" Merula asked, raising the oversized box in her hands.
"Put it in Draco's room," Narcissa said without looking at Merula. "Then return here. I expect your father will be home soon."
"Right," Merula muttered as she left the dining hall, taking the stairs two at a time.
Draco's room was messy, even worse than any time she had been inside before, with clothes and posters splattered across the walls and floor. "Look what they did to you," Merula sighed as she picked up the poster of Maple, now with a glob of what might have been chocolate blocking out where his face had been. "Disgusting."
Merula looked at the gold package that pug face had given Draco. What was it that she gave the rotten ferret?
Merula crouched down as she touched the ribbon on the package before she jerked away. After all, why did she care for what pug face gave Draco?
"I have better things to do than play with stupid toys," Merula growled under her breath as she stood up. "I have to finish my book."
The looming, open door to her room welcomed her.
The looming… open door?
"Draco!" Merula howled as she ran into her room, her eyes darting from the unmade bed to her drawers. "No you didn't-"
Sure enough, her mother's broom was gone, the chest where she had placed it torn wide open.
"Draco!" Merula screamed as she ran out of her room. "Give my broom back!"
"Merula?" a voice called from the first floor.
Merula ignored the voice as she skipped the bottom three steps of the stairs. She would get her broom back. But the strong hands around her waist had other ideas, picking her up as she flailed.
"Merula!" Lucius snapped. "What are you doing?"
"Draco took my broom!" Merula snapped. "He's outside with it right now!"
Lucius grimaced when Merula looked at him, the disappointment in his eyes dousing the rage inside Merula with a single look. "Where is your mother?"
"She- she's outside," Merula managed. "With him."
"Have the others come here yet?" Lucius asked.
"Vincent, Gregory and Pug Face all came here," Merula replied, freezing when she saw the look in Lucius's eyes.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Lucius asked.
"Vincent, Gregory, and Pansy are all here," Merula corrected herself. "Pansy went to get a snack, and Vincent and Gregory went outside with Draco."
Lucius nodded as he put Merula down. "And have you gone outside today?"
Merula frowned. "I haven't finished my book yet."
"And what book was that?" Lucius asked as Merula stepped into the sunlight.
"A History of Magic." Merula replied, squeezing her eyes shut at the overly bright sunlight that shined overhead.
"I see you are very involved in your studies." Lucius said as they paused under a leafy tree. "That's good. I wish Draco could learn from you there."
Merula froze at the words, turning her eyes to Lucius. "Father?"
Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Merula?"
Merula felt the blood rushing to her face as she tore her gaze from Lucius. "I- nothing."
"I see your mother and our guests." Lucius replied. "Still, I do not see your brother."
"Father, could I ask you something?" Merula asked.
"Is something on your mind?" Lucius asked.
"Is this my birthday party?"
Lucius blinked. "Your birthday is not for another week. Why are you asking this now?"
"Mother said that this party is for me too," Merula said, looking at her shoes. "Because the others are going on vacation."
"I must have a word with your mother about that," Lucius said. "Still- ah, there's Draco."
Merula winced as she looked up, unable to see anything apart from the bright blue mid-afternoon sky above Malfoy Manor.
And then she saw her brother… on her mother's broom.
Merula clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "Give that back you stupid ferret!"
The air was silent for a moment as the miniature Draco seemed to pause in the air for a second.
"Merula," Lucius's voice cut in. "Where did you learn that word?"
Merula felt her legs freeze in place as the thought of Draco on her broom faded. "I-" She started, her mind blank as she tried to think of a plausible reason.
"Merula." Lucius didn't sound angry, just disappointed. And that was even worse than angry. "Where did you learn that word?" he repeated.
Could she tell her father that she learned it when she overheard him shouting at a certain Art-something Weasley? Late at night? When she was supposed to be asleep?
"Draco!" Narcissa shouted from the distance. "Watch out!"
Merula spun her gaze to watch the distant form of Draco and one of the lumps spiral out of control, plunging to the ground below.
"Draco!" Lucius shouted, his wand extended. "Spongify!"
To her disappointment, Merula watched as Draco and the lump bounced slightly as they hit the ground.
"Draco!" Narcissa's voice shrieked in the distance.
"Merula, come with me," Lucius warned, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Right," Merula whispered as she hurried after Lucius.
When Draco came into view, Merula felt a spark of anger deep inside her as she fell to her knees, her hands clutching the splinters of the broom that had crashed down.
The broom, the only reminder of her mother, was shattered into a hundred pieces.
Merula grabbed at the handle of the broom, her eyes filled with tears as the broom splintered in her hands. "Draco! You stupid ferret!" Merula screamed as she ran forward.
A strong set of arms stopped her mid-step as she felt nothing but hot, dry air.
"Enough!" a voice, far too close to her ear, shouted as Merula's vision flooded with tears as the splinters in her hands began to hurt.
But what really hurt were the arms pulling her away. Away from her mother. Again.
"Merula, you will apologize to your brother," Narcissa's voice echoed off the walls as they sat in the empty dining room, hours after the last perfume stick had slipped into the fire that had been reduced to cinders.
Merula turned away from her mother as she crossed her arms, her eyes on the fireplace rather than Narcissa's face. "I hate him. I will not talk to him."
"Merula." Narcissa sighed. "He's your brother."
Merula frowned as the new owl she bought hooted. "He broke the broom."
Narcissa rubbed her red, puffy eyes before she turned around. "A broom can be replaced."
Merula blinked as the words echoed in her ears. Her mother's broom could be… replaced?
Narcissa seemed to pause for a moment before she turned back to Merula. "Merula, you have to admit that you're being unreasonable."
Merula said nothing as she sat in the chair. She should have been angry. She should have felt something. But there was nothing, a cold, dark nothing.
Her mother's broom could be replaced.
"I'll handle this," a distant, firm voice echoed as the door shut. "Go be with Draco."
Merula said nothing as she looked at Lucius.
"I know why you are angry," Lucius said after a long moment of silence. "You've lost something precious to you."
Something inside Merula flickered, a tiny flame against the empty, hollow feeling in her chest. Hope?
"Do you know why I was so angry with Arthur Weasley that night?" Lucius asked.
Merula shook her head as a second flame flickered to life, though it wasn't as warm or fierce as the first flame. Was it curiosity?
"You and I are both descendents of the Sacred Twenty Eight," Lucius said after a moment. "We are the last of the pure bloods in Wizarding Britain, with bloodlines that go back to Merlin."
Merula said nothing as the second flame roared, warming the empty cavern in her heart.
"Over our history, we have created many cherished items that, no matter what they may have started as, hold such meaning that they can never be replaced."
Merula nodded as she thought of the destroyed broom, lying in the fields of Malfoy Manor.
"My anger about Weasley is that he does not understand or care for our traditions and heritage," Lucius continued, though the anger in his voice was only visible in the look in his eyes. "He seeks not only to take our heritage, but to steal and destroy them. Is that truly not monstrous?"
"It is," Merula admitted as sour disgust rose in her chest.
"Those of us with true blood within the Ministry will fight to the end for our heritage, but it may only be a matter of time before we lose that which cannot be replaced- forever."
"That's terrible!" Merula cried out. What monster would destroy true wizarding heritage?
"And that is why I understand your anger," Lucius finished. "And it is why I have something special to ask of you."
"What is it?" Merula asked as the fire of curiosity erupted in her chest.
"I cannot force you to forgive Draco. He has destroyed something precious, something that he will not apologize for. But I must ask you to treat him well at Hogwarts, even if you cannot forgive him outside of school."
"But why?" Merula asked.
"Because Weasley also has children there, children who will tell him and anyone who listens lies about how you are always unhappy with your brother." Lucius replied. "And that is why I don't want you to show his spawn anything at school. No excuse for him to come into our home and steal what we cherish."
Anger flashed in Merula's chest as she jumped to her feet. "I won't let you down, father."
Lucius smiled as Merula ran at him, her arms barely wrapping around his waist. "I know you won't, but remember, you must treat your brother like a friend, if only when you are outside the safety of your house."
"I can do that," Merula whispered as she broke off the hug.
Lucius smiled as Merula saw a glint in his eyes. "Run along to bed now, and no more staying up late."
"Stay here," Narcissa ordered Merula as she placed a firm hand on Draco's collar, dragging him into the depths of the robes shop, the silver-blond head of Draco disappearing behind a set of black robes. "Do not let the owls out."
Merula grimaced as she shoved a small treat in between the bars of her owl cage, giggling as the brown owl within gobbled up the treat. "Cloak. I think I'll name you Cloak." Merula smiled to herself. The cloak asked for by the humble brother, a lifelong friend. Something she wouldn't mind having.
"Can I have one?" a voice asked from the side.
Merula blinked as she spun around, her eyes taking a moment to find the scrawny, pale boy holding yet another owl cage. And the tall, towering giant of a man standing behind him.
"Sure-" Merula managed, her eyes darting around. Perhaps she could throw Draco's owl at him? It wasn't like Draco even liked his owl or anything.
"Can I have an owl treat?" the boy asked again.
"Sure," Merula replied as she opened the package with shaky fingers, relieved she could bribe the boy and the bearded troll with just a little owl treat.
"Come on Harry, your measurements need to be done." The giant laughed, his voice loud with a heavy accent that made it almost impossible to understand him.
The boy winced, probably at how loud the giant was, and Merula felt a slight drop of pity. Overly loud people were annoying.
"Are we sure we can afford all these things?" the boy- Harry, asked the giant.
"Harry!" the giant laughed. "Of course you can! It's just a few uniforms. There are children who spend more money on the train to Hogwarts than they do here!"
Merula blinked at the mention of Hogwarts. "You go to Hogwarts?"
"I'm going there for my first year" the boy said as he shook his head.
"Are you going alone?" Merula asked.
"I- I am," Harry replied. "Why?"
Merula scoffed as she thought of Draco and his gang of idiots. "Lucky you then."
Harry raised an eyebrow as he took a step back. "Are you going with someone?"
"My brother and his group of idiots," Merula scoffed. "You know the kind."
Harry managed a weak laugh. "My… cousin is like that."
"Then we both know the type then." Merula managed a grin as a hoot escaped the owl cage the boy carried.
"Ah," Harry started, even as a slight smile lined his lips. "Sorry, let me just feed Hedwig."
Merula gasped as she saw the beautiful white owl within, her mouth falling open.
"Snowy owl," the giant boomed from behind her. "Quite rare to be found in Great Britain."
"And the best birthday gift," Harry added.
Merula winced. The boy received a beautiful owl for his birthday? And she got nothing?
"Merula!" Narcissa's voice shouted as she ran from the fitting rooms. "We're running late!"
Merula winced as she turned back to Harry and the giant as Narcissa grabbed her wrist. "See you around then."
"Who was that weirdo you were with?" Draco sneered as Merula handed Draco his owl cage outside the shop, her wrist still sore from where Narcissa had grabbed it.
"Draco, that's Hagrid, the groundskeeper at Hogwarts." Narcissa sighed as she reached a fireplace. "Hold on tight. I don't want you getting lost."
Merula nodded as she took Narcissa's hand, her mind wandering to the mysterious Harry in the shop as the green flames took them away.
"There's something I need to tell the two of you," Lucius murmured as he followed the line moving to one of the train doors, his voice barely audible over the noise. "Listen closely."
"Yes father?" Merula asked as she inched close to her father, a slight feeling of loneliness as she realized she was going to be away from him for so long.
"There is going to be a rather famous student coming to your school this year," Lucius whispered as a large family in front of them began to load luggage onto the train. "The Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter."
Draco grinned as he jumped up and down. "Is he going to be a Slytherin?"
Lucius paused as he glanced up, his eyes darting around the platform as he pushed his children forward. "That is for the Sorting Hat to decide. Still, I expect the two of you to be on your best behaviour around him. It would reflect poorly on our family if people were to think that we were enemies to the boy who lived."
Draco beamed as the family in front of them moved away. "I'm sure he'll know the right kind of people to be friends with."
Lucius smiled before he glanced at the impatient family behind them coughed. "I'm sure he will, now, let me help you with your baggage."
"Father?" Merula asked as Draco hopped on to the train, disappearing as Lucius grabbed Merula's luggage.
"Is something wrong, Merula?" Lucius asked as he pulled away from the door and the crowd of increasingly annoyed families.
Merula swallowed as she leaned close into her father's ear. "I- I'll miss you."
"I'm sure you'll make friends at Hogwarts," Lucius replied. "I expect you'll all be in the same house. Your parents were both wonderful Slyverins."
Merula grimaced at the prospect of Draco, the two blobs, and pug face sharing her house.
"When will we be able to visit?" Merula asked as they reached another line, this one much faster than the one before.
"Christmas vacation is a week long," Lucius replied as he hoisted the bag onto the train. "And we will be in contact via letter before then."
Merula nodded as she looked down at her shoes. "What if Harry Potter doesn't like me? What if Draco breaks something that's precious to him?"
Lucius grimaced as he glanced behind him. "Then I need you to let me know. You have Cloak for a reason, don't you?"
Cloak hooted from his cage as Lucius turned around, his face hostile.
"Run along now Merula," Lucius growled, his tone suddenly cold. "I don't want you seeing me speaking with Weasley."
Merula hesitated before she hugged Lucius one last time. And then she climbed onto the train.
The train compartment she had chosen was one of the few empty ones left by the time she had climbed onto the train.
"So it's just you and me then," Merula muttered as she fed Cloak another treat, her owl hooting happily as he snacked on the mouse.
"Would you like anything off the trolley, dear?" a voice asked from the side.
Merula blinked at the sight of the woman with the trolley before she shook her head.
"No Caldron Cakes or Pumpkin Pastries?" the woman asked. "Something to eat before the train moves along?"
Merula frowned. "Is there anything you sell that isn't food?"
"Well, there's a copy of the Daily Prophet here, if you want to read it," the witch replied, taking a large stack of papers from somewhere within the trolley.
Merula glanced at the paper before she looked back up at the witch.
"There's a Kids Corner on page twelve," the witch offered cheerfully. "I'm sure there's a lot in it you can do."
"I'll take one then," Merula said. "How much is it?"
"Only five knuts dear," the witch replied. "The same if you were to have the paper delivered by owl."
Merula looked down at the dozen Galleons sitting within the purse Lucius had bought her. "Do you, erm, carry change?"
The witch looked surprised as she reached into the trolley with the Galleon in hand. "Perhaps you could purchase something else with it? Or perhaps you could share with this young man over here?"
Merula blinked as she sat up, her eyes darting past the trolley to find the boy in the shop shuffling alongside the other side of the trolley. His eyes, a pale emerald, locked with hers.
"Harry?"
AN: Chapter 3 complete. And off we go to Hogwarts. Yay.
Read, Review, Follow etc.
Credit is due to chocolateowl, who provided excellent feedback on the beta version of the chapter.
