The Werewolf's Daughter
19: Draco's decision
Draco's POV – Friday morning
Draco woke up on Friday morning, feeling a bit groggy. All this medication was messing with him. Suddenly, he sensed someone sitting at the side of him. 'Maya?' he asked, sitting up.
He heard a chuckle next to him. 'No, Mr Malfoy, she will be in classes right now.' Came the calm, soothing voice of Dumbledore. 'How do you feel?' the professor asked him.
'Not too bad now. The medication makes me groggy but I'm not in pain anymore.'
'Good. Draco, do you feel well enough to tell me now what happened to make your father do this to you?' Draco nodded. 'In your own time then.'
Draco told Dumbledore everything; from the injury, to his meetings with Maya and to going home the weekend before. 'So, I think someone has been reporting back to my father, because I didn't tell him anything about Buckbeak but that was one of the reasons he gave for beating me.' He finished.
'I see' Dumbledore said. 'Draco – Madam Pomfrey has said you can leave here tomorrow – would you feel safe enough going back to the Slytherin common room?' he asked.
Draco didn't answer so Dumbledore continued. 'I can give you three options of what we could do for you Draco; I will need a response by tomorrow though:
Return to the Slytherin common room; we will obviously take your security and safety very seriously;
Have a common room and dormitory to yourself – we would be putting a lot of trust in you if we do this, but it would be a way of keeping you safe.
I can ask the sorting hat to re-sort you; this would keep you safe but be aware that you would need to join a new house and make new friends – which I'm sure you'll understand might not be as easy as it seems.
Draco nodded, pondering over the options. 'Can I let you know tomorrow?'
'Of course. I'll leave you alone now so you can rest and think about it.'
'Sir, before you go – how's my mother? I don't remember seeing her after I was removed from the house – was she hurt?'
'Your mother is fine, she was with you at St. Mungos and is currently in a safe house. For some reason your father did not feel that he needed to restrain or stop your mother. He obviously thought she was too scared of him to report him, however he did not account for the fact that you are her son and she could not bare for you to be hurt.'
'Will she come and see me? Are you in touch with her?'
'Your father, although in Azkaban now, is still to go through a trial so until that is over, she is going to try and stay away. Once he has been found guilty, which I'm sure he will be, she will come and visit you. Actually Draco, I have to ask. Do you think you could talk at your father's trial? Or would you object to us using your memories?'
'When is it?'
'Next week.' Dumbledore answered.
Draco froze, he wasn't sure if he could face him again. 'I'll think about it' he said.
Dumbledore nodded and left the Hospital Wing, leaving Draco to his thoughts.
As the day went on Draco started to get more and more annoyed, but he wasn't sure why. That was weird Dumbledore just coming to speak to him about all that. Almost like someone had tipped him off… Maya! What did she think he couldn't look after himself?
Maya came into the Hospital Wing after classes that day; Draco was annoyed at her and it definitely showed. Eventually he couldn't bear to have her there anymore, asking her to leave. She looked so sad when she left.
Draco went to bed that night, still a bit angry. Just because he couldn't protect himself against his father, now he was a wuss that needed help all the time? Ridiculous. He would show Maya that he could look after himself. He was a man after all and he didn't need a girl to protect him. He would show everyone that he could stand up for himself.
The next morning Dumbledore came back down to see Draco. 'Have you made a decision?'
'Yes' he said, 'I will go back to the Slytherin common room and dormitory; I'm not scared.'
'Very well.' Dumbledore responded, looking a bit apprehensive. 'You can return there when you are ready then. Did you have a think about anything else?'
'Not yet. But I will – I promise!' Draco said, smirking at the Headmaster.
Draco was ready by 10.30am and headed back to the Slytherin common room before going for breakfast.
Here goes nothing, he thought as he got to the dungeons.