A/N: Lots of hits and reviews on the last chapter. I know it takes a while between chapters sorry. Anyway this is dedicated to all of my followers and especially to the people that reviewed the last chapter. I was considering abandoning the project and you inspired me to keep going. Very quick there is an intensely dark dream sequence denoted at the beginning and the end by ***. Having PTSD myself I know that can be hard to read sometimes so I wanted to warn. Thank you for your support and keep the reviews coming they help so much.
Draco lay on the couch in Ms. Esther's living room. The room was dark except for the light coming in from the street lamps. He watched the ceiling fan as it spun around and around. He tried to think through his problems. McGonagall had taken over his classes for two weeks. Those two weeks were almost up. He had to make a decision: go and face the consequences or quit. Quitting looked very appealing. He wouldn't have to see thier faces. The looks that said that unsurprisingly he had messed up once again. He wouldn't have to have the look of disappointment, or hate, or fear from Little Granger's face burned in to his memory. He could already see the anger and hatred that would play across Hermione's face.
He could feel his face heat with the shame he felt. McGonagall she would understand that he had worked hard to erase his past; a past that would never completely go away. There would always be stares and whispers. Always be the memories. He closed his eyes as the images assaulted his mind.
Laykyn lifeless in his arms. The bird lying dead on the floor of the vanishing cabinet. Dumbledore's body falling off the tower and then again lying broken on the ground. Fiendfyre and the smell of Crabb's burning body. Greyback returning from a night with the snatchers covered in blood; smiling. The countless bodies that littered the Great Hall after the Battle of Hogwarts. The people tortured and killed in his home: Malfoy Manor. The piercing scream that reverberated through his mind every time he remember the war.
When Laykyn had fallen limp and lifeless after the accident, he had heard that same scream in his head. He thought he knew which victim that scream had belonged to but he wasn't completely sure.
The nightmares had been constant since the accident. He knew he had woken up screaming on more than one occasion, but Ms. Esther had been kind enough to just leave it alone and not make a fuss. The only difference on those mornings was that the pancakes had chocolate chips in them and the coffee was made a little bit stronger.
Draco wasn't even aware of falling asleep. He just blinked and he was back in the manor. He saw the great snake slithering between the feet of the people standing around the room. He shivered as it slid over the toe of his polished shoes.
He heard a voice in a room a little further down the hall; a very familiar voice.
He wandered down the hall toward the voice. Whoever it was they were in pain, a lot of pain by the sound of it. Bright lights flashed into the hallway from the open door, every flash was accompanied an agonized scream and a cackle.
Two people were in the room? He warily proceeded down the hallway almost afraid to look for the source of the sounds. There was a burst of maniacal laughter and a blinding flash and then the scream started again louder. That scream the one ingrained into his brain. He dropped to the ground his hands over his ears.
The scream continued to ring up and down the hallway; piercing. Tears began to slip from his eyes. Part of him wanted to go towards the sound help them, whoever they were. His body had different ideas. He felt himself sliding down the hall away from the sound. He dug his hands into the floor to pull himself back towards the door but as he tried to claw his way back down the hall; it grew longer and longer. The scream grew louder. Stopping for a few seconds only to start again louder and more agonizing. The screams seemed to dig into his brain; carving long gashes into his mind. Ripping his heart to shreds.
He finally gave in to the pain after what seemed like hours. Curling into a ball and cradling his head in his hands. Tears streamed down his face. He didn't even know who was screaming. He wanted to help, but he couldn't! He couldn't help anyone.
The screams intensified and then... were suddenly silenced. He pulled himself to the doorway. His hands clung to the door frame as he slowly stood. Blood pooled on the floor dripping from the letters carved in the forearm of the young woman lying on the floor in the center of the room. Her head was facing away from him, but there was only one woman that could possibly have that hair. He slowly walked toward the still figure; as he did it started to shrink. Not just to grow smaller but things about her seemed to grow...younger. He circled around the now mid-teenage girl and he noticed differences in this girl and the one he thought she was. The process continued and he realized it was a Granger but not Hermione; Laykyn?! His heart dropped and his stomach turned. He lost all the contents of his stomach as he recognised who the cackling voice belonged to, his deranged aunt. Eight letters; the same eight letters were gouged into Laykyn's arm as he knew were scarred into her mother's. He knew it was there because he had seen it carved there himself: Mudblood.
But she wasn't, Laykyn wasn't muggleborn. He slowly moved closer to the little girl. He could see her chest barely rise and fall. She was still alive! He could help her. He stumbled forward. As he did Laykyn's eye popped open. She tried to smile but it didn't reach her eyes. The pain behind her eyes was intense.
"Mr. Draco?" her voice came out as a gurgle and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Her face was bruised and as he got closer he could see more bruises developing. He knelt in front of her and he put out a hand to brush her hair from her face. His finger slid down her cheek and a bloody trail was left as if he had cut her. She flinched. And he withdrew his hand.
Laykyn slowly inched the fingers of her left hand toward him and touched his knee. Reaching toward his hand. Her fingertips started to bleed as she touched him.
Tears stung his eyes, as she smiled at him. "Just hang on okay," he told her, "I'm gonna go find some help"
She shook her head slowly.
"You need help, please. You are going to die if I stay. I…"
She reached more insistently for his hand and he finally gave in and opened it to her. He laid something in his hand it was small, hard plastic. She gave one more smile and she squeezed his hand before her eyes drifted closed.
Her chest wasn't moving anymore. He leaned over and checked for a breath. There was none. He checked for a pulse. Nothing.
Tears fell freely from his eyes everywhere they hit Laykyn's skin a small bruise appeared. He heaved a great breath and looked at the small object Laykyn had given him. In his hand lay the green plastic piece from Candyland. Her piece.
"It's your fault you know…"
Draco woke with a start. He looked around the room wildly. He was sweating. His breath was heavy. His cheeks were wet with tears. No more sleep would come tonight he knew. He got up and and walked to the bathroom to change into a clean shirt. He splashed water on his face. "It was only a dream," he tried to convince himself. He took a deep breath and then another. He wiped his face with the hand towel by the sink.
Walking back into the living room he sat in the recliner and leaned it back. Thinking. His mind went back to shortly after the battle for Hogwarts.
He was gathered with several of the older Slytherins. Their parents, the ones that escaped Azkaban anyway, were in the dining hall of the manor discussing what to do now.
"You know the Dark Lord could have survived if not for his pride," Pansy said dropping on to the sofa and snuggling into Draco's side. He tried to ignore her. His mind wandering trying to block out the conversation around him.
"What do you mean?" Daphne Greengrass sat across from them, she rarely spoke even among her friends.
"Like if he had really been smart he would have made something nondescript into a Horcrux. Like a rock or old piece of garbage. Something no one would guess," Pansy replied with a tone that made it sound as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Daphne sat up straighter in her chair. "That's not the way a Horcrux works. You need an emotional connection to the object. Anger, hate, love, joy, fear. Some sort of strong emotional connection. A rock or a piece of garbage wouldn't do that."
"But still," Goyle was standing by the fireplace seemingly mesmerized by the flames, "he could have used something harder for Potter and his cronies to guess. I mean come on: 3 Hogwarts founders possessions, his diary, his pet snake?"
"What would you have used?" Pansy asked Goyle.
"I don't know. The diary was the smartest. It controlled the Weasley girl for almost a whole year. I'd use something like that; something that the finder would get attached to so that it could possess them. You?"
Pansy gave a vicious smile, "Whatever it was it would be cursed like the cup in the Lestrange vault, but much more severe. Something guaranteed to kill unless I tell you how to get it."
The conversation carried on around Draco. At some point Astoria, Daphne's younger sister, had planted herself on Draco's other side wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
Draco let his mind wonder further. He remembered the war. The fear that's what was most prominent in his mind. Living in the middle of it all. Voldemort in his house. The things that were done to the people; people who didn't deserve it. Tortured for no reason other than blood or whatever ridiculous excuse the Death Eaters made up. His fellow Death Eaters...
He snapped out of his thoughts as someone poked him in the ribs apparently not for the first time. "Draco!" Pansy was obviously irritated.
"What," he growled.
"What would you use, Mr. Malfoy?" Pansy asked spinning in her seat so that she was nearly sitting in his lap. Her legs pushing Astoria out from under his arm.
He sent her a vicious glare. He stood quickly knocking Pansy to the floor and Astoria over on the sofa hitting her head on the side table. Both women stood rubbing thier heads watching Draco cross toward the door. "Nothing," he turned looking at the group gathered, malice in his voice. "I have nothing to use. It requires emotion? Emotion is weakness. I allow no weakness."
That small green game piece came into his mind again. Was it weakness? Caring about or for someone? Weakness...
Draco came out of his thoughts to the smell of chocolate chip pancakes and coffee. He carefully folded the quilt he had been using and laid it on one of the arm rests, propping the pillow beside it. Entering the kitchen he saw Ms. Esther already seated at the table with her breakfast in front of her and a second plate at the chair across from her. He took the vacant seat. He must have been really deep in his thoughts or maybe he had fallen back asleep.
"So Draco, Hun," Ms. Esther looked up at him. "How did you sleep?"
A smirk turned up the corner of Draco's mouth, "just peachy." He let out a sigh, "why do you ask questions you already know the answers too?" She smiled at the young wizard. "Just tell me I didn't keep you awake."
A small chuckle escaped, "no more than normal. You did…"
"What?" His brows knit together in concern.
"Well it's just...I have to ask you a question if you don't mind. You talked a bit when I came through this morning."
Draco's mind raced reviewing the dream. He could have said anything. "What did I say?" He dreaded the answer.
Ms. Esther chewed the last bite of her breakfast much too slowly for Draco's liking. She swallowed and looked him in the eyes. "Who's Granger?"
Hermione lay in her bed praying for just a few more minutes of sleep when she heard the sound of a door opening and closing followed by tiny feet running through the common room. Laykyn was headed toward her; Hermione buried herself in her pillow. The footsteps slowed down and eased as they neared her door and Hermione could picture her daughter tiptoeing, trying to sneak in the room. Her bedroom door opened sending a small shaft of light across Hermione's face. The light disappeared as she heard the door shut again. Tiny feet padded against the bare floor before she felt the bed shift as Laykyn climbed up. The four-year-old jostled the bed with every movement as she quickly scrambled across it. She slowed as she neared the pillows. Clumsily she leaned over to kiss her mom on the cheek nearly falling and crashing on her. Laykyn caught herself barely in time and gently kissed her cheek.
Hermione couldn't stop the small smile that escaped, Laykyn would only be little and sweet for so long. She stretched and yawned, giving the effect that Laykyn had just woken her up with the sweet gesture.
"Good Morning, Momma," Laykyn giggled as Hermione opened her eyes. "Did I surprise you?" Hermione nodded as she pulled back the edge of the covers for Laykyn to crawl in beside her. Laykyn snuggled in next to her mother. Hermione kissed the top of her head and hugged her close. "How did you sleep, Thena?"
"Really good. I covered my ears up so that the Lytimores couldn't get in."
"Lytimores?" She would have to ask Luna about that later. It sounded like one of her "creatures".
"Momma?" Laykyn scooted up so she was looking her mother in the eyes.
So the snuggles were bribery. What did she want? "Hmm?"
"Can we get pizza this weekends?"
"Pizza? We have to go to a muggle town to get pizza."
"I was thinkin we could go to that place that you get to help make the pizza. Dino's?"
"Tino's."
"Yeah," Laykyn nodded her head vigorously. "Yup that's the one. What streets is it on again?"
"Just off of Heath?" Hermione gave her a curious look. "Why are you asking? Do you plan on driving us there?"
Laykyn perked up sitting straight up in bed, "can I!? Pretty, pretty please? I will be a super good driver. I have watched Poppa lots of times."
Hermione smiled but shook her head. She figured her father had done more than just let Laykyn watch him as he drove. "No you can't drive."
"I'll never ask for anything, ever, ever again," Laykyn was now on her knees hands clasped in front of her pleading. When Hermione didn't seem to budge she stuck out her bottom lip and gave the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster.
Hermione laughed and rolled out of the bed scooping up the four year old. "Well I would let you but I don't really feel like going jail."
"I would be very careful. The cops would never see me."
"I am afraid your grandparents do not have enough money to bail the both of us out. I am afraid you would have to spend the 6 months to life behind bars. As they would bail me out because I am their daughter and they love me the most"
"No they don't they love me most. Besides it's muggle jail, not Azkaban. Just use Aloamorey."
Hermione laughed, "Alohomora. You have no wand so I don't think that will work." She sat Laykyn on the floor and playfully pushed her towards the bedroom door. "Now you have class and I have class and I want breakfast before hand. So you go get dressed."
Laykyn walked to the door "Pizza this weekend? Pretty please."
"We are going out with Mr. Edward Saturday." Laykyn's face fell. "But I think we can swing pizza if you stay out of trouble."
Laykyn nodded and rushed to her room to get ready for the day. Shortly after they headed down to the Great Hall Laykyn skipping the whole way and talking non-stop. Hermione mentally reviewed the classes she had that day. As they stepped through the Great Hall doors Laykyn ran off to join Ms. Delacour and her classmates at thier small table at the front of the hall, while Hermione continued to the teachers table. Ginny entered the hall moments later with James and Albus fighting from either side of her legs and a half asleep Lily in her arms. "James Sirius! Albus Severus!" Ginny snapped both boys immediately straightened up hearing thier middle names. After an apologetic look at thier mother the two boys scampered off towards thier table for breakfast. Gabrielle Delacour glided over and gently took Lily from Ginny so that she could join the staff table. James sat down across beside his younger cousin and gave a wry smile, "Good Morning, Layk."
Laykyn let out a trying breath but ignored him focusing on her breakfast. "Layk," he nudged her with his foot when she still refused to respond he gave her a swift kick under the table that hit her shin. "Ow," she smacked him in the head, "what was that for."
"I was just trying to talk to you," he pushed her and she fell over backwards off the bench.
Fire blazed behind Laykyn's eyes as she stood up and took hold of James' t-shirt, her other fist clenched. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye, Hermione had stood from the staff table. Laykyn remembered Saturday and Mr. Draco. She released James and brushed the wrinkles she had caused from his shirt. Without another word she walked around the table and sat by Ms. Delacour to keep James away and herself out of trouble.
The rest of the week passed uneventfully. There were a few more run ins with James but Laykyn kept her temper. He just seemed to like to push her buttons; she refused to let him get to her. She sent an owl confirming plans with Ms. Esther for Saturday. It was smooth sailing until Friday afternoon. James had picked on Laykyn relentlessly all day. Why he had it out for her that week she had no idea. He finally pushed the wrong button. They were all sat at thier tables in thier classroom. Four kids to a table. James, Laykyn, a little boy named Roux(6 years old), and a little girl named Sarah (5 years old).
Ms. Delacour stood in front of her students. Her french accent was still thick, "we will be learning about all of the Hogwarts houses over the next few weeks. Their symbols, histories, founders, and what they stood for." She began to pass papers out to each table. Each table got four coloring sheets one for each student; one of each different house. "Pick one of the house crest to color. Everyone at the table will have a different house." She levitated four banners from a drawer in her desk to hang at the front of the classroom one from each house. "You may be creative but please try to use the correct colors for your house."
The kids grabbed for the papers. Roux managed to get the Gryffindor, Sarah the Ravenclaw, Laykyn the Slytherin, and James the Hufflepuff.
Laykyn pulled the crayon box towards herself and pulled out a green, gray, and black crayon. She took to her work smiling contentedly.
"Why did you want that?" James said looking at Laykyn's picture in disgust.
She shrugged, "I like green. It's my favorite color."
"But Slytherin is the bad guy house," James turned up his nose. Laykyn feared that James' face would get stuck in it's current position he made it so often and he would look nauseated for the the rest of his life. Like someone had just shoved Hippogriff dung up his nose.
"At least I didn't get stuck with Hufflepuff," she replied not even looking up from her paper.
James looked at his own paper then reached across grabbing the Gryffindor paper from Roux and giving him the Hufflepuff.
James grabbed the red crayon and began coloring around the lion. "Least Hufflepuff has some good people. Nothing good comes outta Slytherin." He mumbled under his breath.
This time Laykyn did stop her coloring and look up at her cousin. "What did you just say?"
"Uncle Ron says it all the time. Nothing good comes outta Slytherin and none of us better get sorted into it or we will let the whole family down. He says everybody that was in Slytherin shoulda gone to Azkaban for life."
Laykyn bit her tongue to keep herself in check.
"But some of the Professors were in Slytherin; they seem nice enough. McGonagall wouldn't have hired them if they were bad."Sarah reasoned.
"My mom told me that some of them were really bad," Roux chimed in.
"Uncle Ron said the same thing. Said that some of the Slytherin's in his age shoulda got the kiss. I asked him who; he was about to tell me but mom walked in."
They went back to coloring. The conversation seemed to be over.
"Mom almost packed us up and went back home when she saw Professor Malfoy." Roux said his voice barely over a whisper.
Fire burned behind Laykyn's brown eyes. "Mr. Draco is not a bad person."
James let out a chuckle. "What if he is?"
"He isn't."
"Just cause he said some nice things to you doesn't mean he is a good person. He probably is only nice cause McGonagall is making him."
Laykyn's grip on her crayon tightened. The crayon ceased to move on the paper but James seemed not to notice.
"He probably was one of those that needed the kiss Uncle Ron was talking about …" James never got to finish the sentence as Laykyn lunged across the table at her older cousin.
The two fell to the ground a tangle of arms and legs thrashing in every direction. James' yells were simply repeated cries of "get off" and "ow."
Laykyn was talking so fast you could only pick out every other word. Things like " take that back you..." and "arrogant brat...stupid father."
When Gabrielle finally pulled Laykyn off of James; legs and arms still flailing. She could see a bruise forming under James' left eye. Pulling her wand from inside her robes she sent a patronus to the nearest classroom asking for a prefect to be sent.
Moments later a 5th year Ravenclaw girl stood in the door. "Professor Delacour?"
Gabrielle walked the two children to the door. Laykyn's emotions flashing back and forth between shame for fighting and anger for what James had said. Meanwhile James held an ice pack Ms. Delacour had conjured to his cheek, sniffing back the few tears that dared to leak out.
"Could you please escort these two to Professor McGonagall's office I will come by to explain everything later if they do not," Ms. Delacour said hand off Laykyn and James to the older girl.
The three of them turned and headed through the castle towards McGonagall.
Laykyn stared down at her feet as she walked. James walked on the other side of the prefect holding her hand a sniffling.
Up one set of stairs and down another, through this corridor and that. Laykyn ran the story over and over in her mind trying to come up with some way to try and get out of trouble. Even if she apologized to James and sorted things out with McGonagall. Laykyn knew one thing without a doubt and the thought made her stomach drop...her mother would hear about this.
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