Chapter XXIX
-I can't believe you disappeared this whole time to babysit for Potter. Frankly Draco, I had more faith in you. Not even a bloody letter, and you've been here all this time?
-I knew coming along was the right decision. Can't believe I just witnessed Malfoy being a nanny. Potter, you just got half of my respect. Teach me how you did it.
As if being mocked by Saint Potter and the Weasel King wasn't bad enough, they had to go and drag Zabini and Nott in this. That is low, even for those two. Now I will never for the rest of my life, hear the end of this. Blaise'll remember this for all my living days, and I don't doubt for a second that if I die first, which I don't intend to, he will tell it on my funeral just to have a laugh over my dead body, and I swear to haunt him for the miserably rest of his live.
-What the hell is wrong with you Potter? Why did you have to bring Blaise here? And what in Merlin's name are Nott doing here?
Blaise snorted indignantly and marched to me until he was standing right in front of the couch, and looking down at my face. He had that sort of pissed expression on, the one that I know he normally just do when he thinks I did something stupid, which I didn't. And the next moment I was grabbing my bloody nose.
-What the fuck Zabini?! Are you mad?
I could hear Nott snickering, and see Weasley's grinning face. Potter was slightly amused, but trying not very hard to seem like the serious one. That is, until I heard Hermione calling me, and Teddy getting out of Potter's arms to walk to me. He had tears in his eyes, and I could tell he was scared.
-Aunt Mione! Uncle Dray hurt.
Blaise looked down to the small kid, and seemed to realize that he had scared him. So he kneeled next to Ted, and put his hands up in a gesture of defeat, before smiling at the boy.
-Hey kid, don't worry. Draco is my friend, as much as I would like otherwise sometimes, a lot of times actually. The git just disappeared one day, didn't even left me a bloody letter, or asked someone to warn his best mate that his father was out of prison, and trying to recruit Death Eaters. Which left me to wonder what could have possibly happened to the bloke, if he couldn't even contact me, or why he vanished out of nowhere. He could be dead in an alley, or being tortured or being held prisoner in a dark dungeon, muddy, bloody and starving after receiving the Cruciatus so many times he couldn't even remember his name.
That left me more than a little intrigued and vaguely scared for what goes on in that mind of his.
-You sure toke your time imagining it all.
-I overreact, you know me. But I can't say it doesn't bring me some pleasure now that I know you've been doing bloody nothing, and just conveniently forgot to tell me where did you disappeared to. Drake, the kid is frighteningly similar to you. Did you ditch poor Granger for Potter? Really Draco, I thought you had better taste.
-What is going on here? Draco, what happened to your nose?! Stay still and be quiet, I'm gonna try and hell it. Harry, why are Zabini and Nott here?
Thank Merlin for Hermione and her kwon-it-all tendencies that made her good at fixing broken noses.
-Episkey.
I had to hold back a yelp, it bloody hurts. Potter resolved that it was the right moment to speak, seeing as Hermione had her wand pointed elsewhere, and I was currently being held back by said witch, that was mumbling curses and blaming me. Can you believe? Blaming me! I was just keeping an eye on Potters brat, peacefully reading, and they storm in the room breaking my nose, and in the end it's my fault. Bloody woman.
-We got called from another Auror, saying that he had someone that witnessed getting into one of the places in Knockturn Alley. Other three men stepped there twenty minutes later. He couldn't see their faces at all, but he thinks one of them was Yaxley.
Weasley stepped in and dropped on one of the nearest chairs. He was smirking and looking at me. It's not good to let jerks think they have an upper hand on you, so I grabbed Hermione on the waist and pulled her next to me. She gave me a strange look, with one eyebrow raised, but didn't say anything. I glanced at Weasley and he was getting redder by the time. He shook his head and gripped his teeth before talking.
-When we finished listening to the guy, we were just getting back to the Ministry when those two appeared out of nowhere, and Zabini demanded to know where we had put Malfoy. Harry tried to get them off, but this guy is crazy, and he demanded to see him.
-I threatened to go to the Manor and tell your mother you were missing, and your father probably had something to do with it, seeing as he was currently off Azkaban. Figured you didn't tell anything to your her, because I've been there, and when I asked for you she said the last time she had seem you, you were all right and with Hermione. It's been some days, so I was worried!
He was smirking, and Weasley was glaring at him, like he was thinking of ways to murder someone without getting locked in Azkaban.
-Bloody sentimental Italians.
-You know you love me Drake.
Nott gagged and dropped next to Ted on the floor. He looked at the kid for a moment, and then poked the boy's cheek with a finger. Teddy glanced at him and poked Nott on the leg.
-You two are sickening. Blaise was almost having a fit, Malfoy. And who do you think he came to? That's right, me. I was almost murdering him myself.
Weasley grunted approvingly at that, and Blaise glared at him.
-But now that Blaise found you, and all is back to normal, can someone please explain to me why there's a bloody miniature of Malfoy on the floor, and everyone seems nonchalant about it?
Hermione sighed next to me and looked at Nott like he was a four year old getting a lecture.
-In case you were wondering if Draco has a son, no he doesn't. This is Teddy, he's Tonks and Lupin's son. They fought in the war, and died at the last battle. Harry is his godfather, but Ted likes to think of him as a father figure, that's why he calls him dad. And he looks like Draco because he took a liking to his cousin, that he prefers to call uncle 'cause Draco is supposedly too old to be a cousin, and he's a metamorphmagus. His mother was one, so he inherited it from her. A metamorphmagus is-
-I know what it is Granger. I don't know how in Salazar's name you can cope with her Malfoy.
-It's an acquired taste, but a good one nonetheless.
-Draco!
-Malfoy, you bloody git!
I got an elbow on the ribs from Hermione, that will probably make a bruise, and Weasley almost hexed me, but the look on his face made it all worth it. After Potter managed to get Teddy to bed, which was a long and tiring effort seeing as Ted just deemed necessary to tell his godfather all he did that day, including witnessing his aunt and uncle doing icky things on the couch.
Potter and Weasley headed up to their room to take a shower, and Hermione was putting up wards outside with Mr. Weasley, while Molly made us dinner. So I was left alone to talk with Blaise. Well, not so alone as I would have liked, seeing as Nott was still there. We stayed in an awkward silence for some time, before Nott spoke.
-So Malfoy, heard that your father is up and about.
-Theo!
I sighed and dropped my head on the back of the couch. They started bickering for some time, and I was developing a headache.
-It's fine Blaise. And no Nott, my father is currently lying dead somewhere.
They stopped abruptly and turned to look at me. Blaise had a kind of pitying look on his face, that he tried to hide by glancing to the floor. Nott seemed to be at a loss of words for the first time I've known him, but I could see his jaw tensing.
-The guy your mother saw that time wasn't my father. Vincent's father managed to get my father out of Azkaban, with the help of some Death Eaters on the loose, and use him to do his dirty job.
Blaise shifted to the side, so he could get a better view of my face, and I could see that he was trying to read something there, he was always good at knowing what I was trying to hide from the others. It was a nuisance back at the castle, even worst when I was getting the vanishing cabinet fixed. He narrowed his eyes for a second, before sighing and dropping his back on the couch. Nott was looking at us from his place on the floor, and he seemed a little unease.
-But Draco, how in Merlin's name did he managed to do that? I presume it was polyjuice, and I don't know about you, but to me wouldn't even know how to spell half of the ingredients of that potion, and you're telling me he brew one? Can't believe that guy could grow a backbone.
-You're right, it was polyjuice. But I don't think he could ever do something more complicated than getting into his clothes. So I presume there's another person that could have done it. Potter is trying to get as much information as he can, but so far we only know of Yaxley. And that's because I saw him.
Nott stood at that, and walked to the armchair at my right side. He glanced to me for a moment, before sitting there.
-What do you mean you saw him?
I sighed and looked at the bloke. Theodore Nott was always quiet. I could remember a number of times when I was talking to Blaise and Pansy in the common room, and didn't realize he was there, sitting on one of the tables reading, until he closed a book, or got up to head back to the rooms. His father was one of the Dark Lord's most devoted paws, but after the Ministry accident, like my father, lost his prestige for his failure. His mother died a long time ago, I didn't even got to see her, but I overheard mother talking about her with other pureblooded wifes. From what I could gather, she was kind and easy going, and didn't support her husband's views all that much. But now that I can take a close look at him, Nott changed a little. He is still tall, but not so thin, he seemed healthier. Being away from his father may have something to do with it.
-He came here some days ago. I talked with Potter and the Weasel, and we managed to get in contact with them. I send a letter to my father, at that time I thought he was alive, and he replied. We exchanged some information, and I tried to make it seem like I was reporting to him about Potter. I told him I succeed in getting on Hermione's good side, and that she invited me to go to the new place of the Weasley's, and that Potter would be there too. It was the perfect opportunity for them to get all of the Golden Trio together in one place. But I was…distracted talking to Ginny, and they attacked. knew it was all a plan, how I still don't know, and they were fully expecting it all. He told me my father was dead, and Hermione got hurt.
I glanced to my side, so I could hold Blaise's gaze, and I could feel my jaw hardening.
-That's why I couldn't contact you Blaise. Now you can clearly see I'm not just taking care of brats.
He raised his eyebrows and frowned, before looking at his feet. We stood in a tense silence for some time, until Ginny came into the room, holding her broom. Her red hair was wild, and a wet, her clothes were muddy, and she had a little bruise forming on her left cheek. But her smile was wide and pleased, and she was holding her shin with pride.
-Draco my little ferret, you wouldn't believe where I was.
I looked her up and down one more time, before smirking.
-Probably having a fight with the gnomes in the garden, and rolling in the mud while trying and failing to fly away from one of you stupid brother's pranks.
-Ha! You're getting better blondie, but not this time. You're looking at the new chaser for the Holy-head Harpies! They send me a letter, and I couldn't believe it, but we were having trouble here, and Hermione was hurt, and I was feeling like crap, and I forgot about it, but they sent me another one, for the try-outs. I got there just in time, and it was wicked, and I- Wait a moment, what are they doing here?
Blaise waved at her and winked, which got a snort from the little witch, and I saw Nott raising an eyebrow at her before smirking.
-Well, it seems congratulations are in order. But don't get your hopes up ginger, that team will be humiliated by the Falcons.
She snorted one more time, and put her broom next to the doorway, before walking closer to where me, Blaise and Nott were currently sitting. She was grinning smugly at me.
-Not if I have a say in that Malfoy. Don't go raising your hopes up, because I will crush that little team of yours so badly they won't even know what hit them until I strike. And when the time comes, I'll make sure to tell how pleasantly it was to destroy your illusions. Now tell me what these snakes are doing here.
Nott snorted, and Zabini looked up at her before glancing at me with a grin on his face.
-Now I know why you were distracted.
A/N: Hope you like it!