Chapter Two – Denial
"Hey, Draco! How are you doing?" asked Blaise coming into Draco's room a day later.
"Decently. I haven't seen you in a while! What have you been up to?" asked Draco.
"Not a lot. I got a job as a chef at The Leaky Cauldron and I get a pretty good amount of money. I also have a girlfriend," answered Blaise.
"What is her name?" asked Draco.
"Penelope Barnes."
"Where'd you meet her?"
"A college dance. She was standing in a corner alone by herself. I couldn't understand why. She was so pretty and seemed like she would be very nice, so I asked her to dance during the first slow song. She answered yes and we danced and talked. A couple of days later, I got a note from her asking me to dinner."
"Wait, so she asked you out?"
"Yup."
The room was silent for a while, and then Draco said, "I got a letter from the Ministry of Magic today."
"Oh," responded Blaise, frowning. He knew it wasn't anything good after what had happened. "What did it say?"
"It said I had gotten a R.U.I. and am expected in court when I get out of St. Mungo's. What is a R.U.I?"
"It's similar to a D.U.I."
"Which is?"
"It's issued by the muggle police to people who drive a vehicle when they are drunk. D.U.I. stands for Driving Under the Influence."
"And a R.U.I. is?"
"It's issued by Ministry of Magic to wizards who ride a broomstick when they are drunk. It stands for –"
"Riding Under the Influence."
"Yeah."
What is the punishment for a R.U.I?"
"Jail time. 6 months to a year."
"Oh."
"But you can trade that for time in a treatment center –"
"Hold it!" yelled Draco, as Rosa walked in the room. "There is no possible way I am going to a muggle treatment center! I'll just take jail time!"
"Ok. Fine! However you want it!" said Blaise, getting up since Rosa was there.
"What were you two arguing about?" asked Rosa.
"Nothing. I was telling him that I got a R.U.I, and asking what it is," answered Draco.
"You didn't know what it was?" asked Rosa.
"No, actually I didn't. I haven't heard of any laws dealing with it," Draco said, sharply. "Then I asked him what the punishment for a R.U.I. conviction is. He said jail time or time in a treatment center and –"
"You said that you wouldn't go to a muggle treatment center. You'd just go to jail."
"Yeah."
"Draco, treatment centers for wizards do exist. You could go to one of those."
"Yeah, but I don't need to. I'm not an alcoholic!"
"Draco –"
"You think I am, don't you?"
"Yes. I do. Draco, we all know how much you drink on a weekly, even daily basis –"
"I don't drink that much!"
"Draco, you're in denial of it! You have a drinking problem. You're an alcoholic!"
"No. I am not!"
"Draco, stop it! I know and Blaise knows that you go to that wizard's pub every week and get drunk. You keep a bunch of butterbeer in your cabinet and probably drink it everyday. You have started ignoring most of your friends, except Blaise and I. Ever since your mom died your sophomore year of college, you've been a very angry and depressed person."
"Well, do you blame me?"
"No, your mom was very nice and seemed very loving to you."
You're darn right she was! She loved me a lot. I was very close to her. She was the only one of my parents who loved me for who I am! My father, well he abandoned me as soon as he found out I wasn't becoming a Deatheater. My mother was the only one who cared about me and she's gone!"
"Draco, how would she react if she saw the way you are now?"
"I don't know."
"She wouldn't be happy to see you this way. She wouldn't want to see you become an alcoholic! She wouldn't want you to distance yourself from your friends who love you and care about you!"
"First of all, I am not an alcoholic! And second of all, why do you care if I am? Why do you care what happens to me?"
"We care because we're your friends," said Blaise, entering the room. "We don't like seeing you like this!"
"Draco," said Rosa. "You were lucky to survive last Friday's crash! You're lucky to still be here! If you continue to live the way you do, you could crash again! And that time you may not be so lucky!"
"Draco," said Blaise. "We know you've been going through a difficult time since your mom died, but drinking isn't the way to deal with it!"
"And, how the heck would you have any clue what I'm going through?" asked Draco, angrily.
"We don't. All we do know is that we're you're friends, we care about you, we're here for you, and we don't want to see anything happen to you," responded Rosa.
"Whatever!" said Draco angrily. "Get out of my room and don't come back! Better yet, get out of my life!"
"Draco, we will be leaving now! Please think about what we said," said Rosa, getting up and leaving along with Blaise.
"Goodbye," said Draco angrily. Good riddance! They're gone! He thought, before falling asleep.