Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series is JKR's work of art.

Author's Note: This chapter is a lot longer than the first one.

Chapter 2

Draco's mouth was left agape after reading the letter. What is this?! Who, in their right mind, would take me to become a professor?! To teach at Hogwarts?! They should be afraid. For all they know, I could be teaching the students the Unforgivables. And Merlin! I'm too young! I'll be turning eighteen just next week! Who would believe me or even listen to me?! McGonagall must be kidding me. This is some kind of a sick joke! Some of the sixth years and the seventh years are even of my age!

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Egda apparating in front of him. "Anything Egda can do for great Master Draco?" she squeaked.

Oh now! I'm called 'great'! She looked at his house elf.

"Could you come to Blaise Zabini's house and ask him if I could come to his place?" he said.

"Of course sir!" the elf said with a crack. She had just disapparated.

Now, I'm all alone in this Manor. Wonder if I'm the only one who McGonagall has written to.

He lay down his bed and closed his eyes. Until the blackness absorbed him and he fell asleep.

He woke up by the gentle shaking of his left arm.

"Master Draco! Mr. Zabini comes in Master Draco's house sir! He is here sir!"

"Wha-what?!" he jerked upright.

"What's your problem Draco? Have me summoned by your house elf in my house and then I'll find you here fast asleep?" Blaise said, smirking, while entering his room.

"Egda! I told you to tell him that I would come there! Not him coming here!" he said, looking at his house elf.

"Don't scold your house elf, Draco. That is what it's told me. But I insisted to come here. I'm sick of my house anyway. And I know you wouldn't want to be there. My sister just arrived last night. I know how sick you are of her!" he smirked.

"Oh. I'm sorry Egda." Draco said.

"What?!" Blaise said, shocked. "Draco Malfoy! Apologizing to a house elf?!" his eyes almost bulging out of its socket. "Really Draco?!"

Draco waved a hand dismissing Egda. There was a loud crack, the sound of Egda disapparating. "C'mon now Blaise. That's why I wanted to talk to you! I don't know what's happening into me already!"

Then Blaise's expression from shocked to confused to amused. Then he guffawed, clutching his stomach.

"What's so funny?!" Draco exclaimed, looking exasperated. Right. I wanted to talk to him to tell me that I am still sane! And now, he's laughing at me! I don't even know what about me he is laughing about! He waved his hand to motion Blaise to sit in his leather black bedroom couch. He sat across him.

Eventually, Blaise's laughs died out. "You finished?" Draco asked.

"You should've seen your face! You're whining like a girl!" Blaise said, starting another round of laughter.

"Right." He accioed McGonagall's letter and forced it into Blaise's hands. "Look at that! For you to know what I'm talking about." He said.

After a minute and a half, Blaise righted himself and started to read the letter.

Blaise's mouth was left agape after reading. "Is she serious?!" he finally burst out after some attempts of opening his mouth but no sound is coming out. "No mate, I mean… Yeah, you're great at Potions. You are even the brightest wizard in our year! But – but…"

"Hey! Who told you I'm the brightest wizard of our year?!" Draco protested.

"Well, what are you then?! The brightest witch?! Have you changed your sexual orientation already, huh? Or are you telling me that Longbottom is the brightest?" Blaise answered sarcastically.

Draco rolled his eyes and laid his head back. "Right. I was trying to say that Granger is the brightest. But yeah… she's a witch. And I'm a wizard." He sighed.

"Right Draco! Now you've accepted that Granger is the best in our year." He laughed.

"You know Blaise, Why can't you just stop laughing at me. Do you even know who have I eaten my lunch with?" Draco said.

"Who?" he asked. "Don't tell me you ate with Granger!" Blaise bellowed.

"No! Of course not! But it's a lot worse than that." Draco said, his face falling.

"What could be worse than that then?" Blaise asked, confusion etched on his face.

"I ate wimmyhouseelf" Draco murmured, barely audible. But Blaise understood it.

"Wha-WHAT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Blaise cried out. "IT'S UNHEARD OF! A SCANDAL! AND- AND YOU'RE A- A MALFOY, MERLIN HELP ME PLEASE!"

"PLEASE STOP! STOP IT! I KNOW! That's why I wanted to talk to you! I wanted to talk to some normal human being. Someone to tell me that I am sane still! That I haven't lost my mind!" Draco said despite Blaise's protests.

"Ok. Now mate, don't expect me to tell me that you're still you. And I don't know if you're still sane, yes. Maybe it depends on your definition of sane. If you ask Granger, she might tell you that you are." He snorted. "Remember that spew rubbish that she started at school?" he smirked.

"I don't know if you're really helping me with what you're telling me. And look, you have said Granger's name so many times now! I don't care about her! Why does she keep popping in this conversation?" Draco asked.

"Oh. Really? You don't care about her huh? That's why you saved her life? And that act is the reason why you're here today and not in Azkaban!"

"Shut it Zabini." Draco snarled.

"Oh now. We're on last name terms is it? You wanted somebody to talk to and now I'm here and you're just telling me to shut up." Blaise answered.

"I- I'm sorry about that. I just really don't know what to do now." Draco answered, bowing his head and putting it in his hands.

"Now. That's the second time I heard you mutter an apology. I could get used to that." Blaise answered seriously, then he smiled, not a smirk. "You know. That might be some after effect of the war. People are getting weird. I, for one, are experiencing those changes too. For one, guys don't normally talk to each other like we're talking now. But not like we fall under the category of normal."

"But- But, this isn't me. This is not Draco Malfoy anymore! And what I'm doing right now are certainly not for a Malfoy to do!"

"Don't start with that Malfoy crap anymore. Your father just made up those 'Malfoy rules' of yours! For Merlin's sake! They're already dead! You're father is dead! Or- or whatever you call his state right now. Soulless, I don't know. But just accept those changes that are happening to you now. You can start changing the connotation of your name, of being a Malfoy. When wizards hear your name, you won't be feared, but you will be respected. Isn't it better?" Blaise said.

Draco looked up to Blaise. "You know mate, that's the longest intelligent speech I heard you say. But better? I don't know."

"That's a rhetorical question you idiot!" Blaise commented.

"Idiot huh?" Draco smirked. He jumped from the couch and pretended to punch Blaise playfully.

They stayed like that like little kids fight-playing. After some time, they ceased roaring in laughter. And Draco fell back on his couch. Then his face turned serious.

"You know, I really can't remember when was the last time I felt like that. Free. No worries." Draco said.

"It's okay." Blaise said sympathetically.

"It's easy for you to say 'it's okay' because you haven't been a death eater. Your father was. But you are not!" Draco said, yanking the sleeve of his left arm to show Blaise the mark. "See? See this mark? This will forever be with me. A stain. It makes me dirty!"

"That won't forever be with you mate. It will fade out eventually." Blaise remarked.

"Right." Draco snorted. "When I'm already six feet under the ground it will." He answered sarcastically.

They fell into silence with no one speaking. Draco is glaring at the door, finding something offensive on its knob. While Blaise is playing with McGonagall's letter.

Blaise cleared his throat, demanding for Draco's attention. "Will you be accepting this offer?" he said, referring to the letter.

"Me? Professor? I just can't see myself teaching. And who would listen to me anyway?" he said nonchalantly.

"Now. Now. You're being a pessimist again. McGonagall won't choose you if she knows that you are not capable of this."

"Maybe she's trying to punish me after all I've done. And Merlin! She should be afraid of me! I could kill her! I killed Dumbledore. I mean, I tried to kill him." He said.

"You tried. But you cannot. You haven't killed anybody, you know it. You haven't even used the Cruciatus Curse. And- and…"

"I used the Imperius Curse."

"Fine. But we all know that McGonagall is always reasonable. She may be strict but she's reasonable with giving punishments and all. And why should she punish you Draco?!"

"You want me to enumerate my countless evil doings?" Draco snorted.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Right. But you could at least give it a try."

"What? If you could give me some sane reason why, I will." Draco answered looking directly at Blaise.

"Don't get offended by this mate-"

"Right. As if I am not offended by my situation right now." Draco commented under his breath.

Blaise just rolled his eyes. "I mean this, but do you think you would still get a job? People don't trust you. I mean, they don't trust us." He said.

"See? You've said it yourself. Besides, if people don't trust you. What about me? When I have this cursed mark in my arm? People would get afraid of me!" Draco protested.

"That's not what I mean exactly. If you would just listen without interrupting me with your nasty little comments – " Draco snorted. " - okay? Now, you see. People don't trust us… you… so would you think another chance like this would come your way? Do you think some 'sane' person – as you put it – would give you a job?" Blaise reasoned.

"But I don't need to work! I don't need a job even! I can live and die and I would still have a thousand galleons in my vault."

Blaise just rolled his eyes again. "No need to remind how filthy rich your family is, I mean, you are since you're the only Malfoy left." Draco did not look a bit sad about that. In fact, he had not grieved for his parents' death. Or rather, his mother's death. He just don't know what to call the state his father is now. He is not dead. But he is lifeless. "But what do you want to do with your life now Draco? Don't tell me you would stay here for the rest of your life, stuck with your house elf. You know, if you go on with that, I won't get surprised if I hear that you have married your bloody house elf!" Blaise bellowed.

Draco just ignored the latter part. "But I could imagine now how people would treat me if I go out in there!" he said.

"You're now becoming a coward aren't you? Afraid to face the people?"

"I'm a Slytherin Blaise. Not a bloody Gryffindor with their stupidity – or they rather call it 'bravery'" Draco rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I get your point. But it's still up to you. But I'm not changing my view on this. Just think about it mate." Blaise said, standing up.

"What? Wait. You going now?" Draco said, looking up to his friend.

"Oh yes. I see you're not listening to me anyway. Whatever I say you're just contradicting it." Blaise said.

"Wait. Don't. Yet. I- I'm sorry about that." Draco stuttered.

"Third time! Third time I heard you say sorry. Really." Blaise laughed. "No, no. My sister must be looking for me now. I don't want her to know that I came to your place or else she'll start nagging me to go here in your place with her. Or… do you want that?" Blaise explained.

"Ok. Thanks for the company anyway." Draco smiled.

"Now, after saying sorry, you're now saying thanks. You really have changed mate. That's good for you." Now, it's Blaise's turn to smile. "Bye for now." He said as he stepped into Draco's fireplace and flooed back his house.

Blaise's sister, a year older than he is, is head-over-heels with Draco Malfoy. The day she had laid her eyes on him. She had no more desire but to be with him. Although she's older than Draco, that's not putting her into a stop. She's Daphne Zabini. She attended the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic unlike her brother Zabini who studied at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Draco admits that she is beautiful, yes, gorgeous even. But she's not just his type. She is clingy and whines a lot. A slut, he calls her. Besides, he doesn't want to be in laws with Blaise for Merlin's sake! Yes, he is his friend. But he just doesn't want it that way.

Daphne had so many attempts in getting Draco fall for her. It includes sending him a love potion, going to his Manor, meeting his parents and convincing them that she is the right girl for him! Sending him letters, howlers even, to his humiliation, which was sent at Hogwarts. It's a good thing that it was sent when he was in the Slytherin dungeons – in the Slytherin common room in particular, because it would just be so embarrassing if the whole student body witnessed that.

He was interrupted in his musings when an owl zoomed in his room. He had forgotten to close it a while ago. The owl dropped the letter on his feet and perched on the windowsill.

He picked it up and noticed that it was neither from the Ministry nor Hogwarts. Who else would be writing to me? he wondered. He tore it open and read.

Dear Mr. Draco Malfoy,

I need to have an urgent meeting with you tonight, regarding the Malfoy's business. I would drop by in your house later this evening.

Please send your reply immediately.

Yours,

Alfred McKinson

McKinson is our lawyer right? He thought to himself. What is this? There's a problem with our – I mean, my – business?

He quickly scribbled his reply at the back of the letter – "Okay." – and sent it back with the owl.

Later that evening, McKinson arrived at the Malfoy Manor as expected. He told the unbelieving Draco that almost all of Malfoy's business went bankrupt. Again, an after effect of the war. McKinson said that their investors learned about what happened to Lucius and Narcissa. It' not that they don't trust Lucius and Narcissa of their money for being in league with the Dark Lord, but rather, they don't trust him.

"WHAT?! They don't trust me?! What have I done?!" Draco bellowed, still shocked.

"That's the point Mr. Malfoy, you haven't done anything, yet. How could they trust their money to a boy who had just come of age? Surely you don't know that much about business?" McKinson replied calmly.

How could he be so calm about this?! Is he actually mocking me?! "But – but – what should I do then?!" he asked, feeling desperate.

"Close the business, sell some of your possessions and pay debts." He answered.

"How could you expect me to do that?! You make it sound so easy!" he said, furious now.

"That's the easiest solution I could think of Mr. Malfoy. But if you have something else in your mind, that you think would help, you could do so."

"But how am I supposed to live if I sell everything?! Huh?!" Draco asked, ignoring the latter part.

"Find a living, a job maybe, or you could start another business. But mind you, Mr. Malfoy, it is hard to put up new business these days. The war was just one month over. You won't have that much of a market because many people lost their jobs, wealth, properties, and family."

Draco was still furious about the news he had just heard and he had driven away McKinson without saying anything.

Draco was so furious, that without thinking, he flooed himself to Blaise's house.

When he stepped out of the fireplace, he heard an ear splitting shriek.

"HEAVEN FORBID! DRACO IS HERE! HE IS HERE! HE HAS COME TO SEE… ME!"

Damn! I forgot! Blaise told me earlier that Daphne is here! How could I have forgotten?! He slapped himself mentally. He was about to turn back and go back to his house when he was enveloped in bone crushing hug. And his lips were suddenly occupied by Daphne's mouth! She is kissing him, passionately.

What a bitch! He told himself. He can't break away from her. It's kind of ironic, because he is the guy, and he must be stronger than her. So he just shut his mouth and wait for her to stop.

And she eventually stopped. "Merlin! You're here Draco!" she exclaimed.

Right. As if you have just discovered now. You were kissing and hugging me for… how long is that? It seemed like years to me! She won't stop!

"I missed you Draco! How nice of you to see me. I know you really love me. I love you too. I love you so, so much!" she said.

Just then, Blaise entered the room, his face full of horror. "Wha- What are you doing here Draco?" he asked, shocked.

"Well? Couldn't you see? He's come to see me!" she said, again, tiptoeing to kiss Draco again. But Draco leaned back to avoid her.

"You go out!" she snapped at her brother. "Now he's shy to make out with me with you here! You idiot! Out!"

"No! No!" Draco said instantly, looking at Blaise with pleading eyes. "I – I actually made a… mistake. Yes! A mistake. I was actually planning to go to Diagon Alley but I ended up here. I don't know maybe I just had a mistake in pronouncing or what."

"That's great! Fate has decided that it is time for us to meet! And she knows the desires of your heart, that's why you're here now, unknowingly! You must really love me Draco!" she cried.

Draco looked upwards, as if praying that lightning would just strike him in that moment.

Then, Blaise cleared his throat. "Daphne, won't you get Draco a tea? Something to drink? What kind of a hostess are you? Not even offering your visitor anything?" he said.

Draco sighed to himself. Better get going now. This is it.

"Ok. I'm sorry love." Daphne said.

When she was already out of sight, Draco snorted. "Love?! I haven't been replying to any of her letters - I mean, howlers! How dare she?!"

"Now, Draco, she's still my sister. But I could not get myself to disagree with that." He grinned. "Now. What are you waiting for? Go now. Wait - why are you here anyway? You know I don't buy that it's-all-an-accident crap of yours!" Blaise said.

"I – " Draco started, then they heard the banging on the staircase. And they both knew who it was. Draco quickly jumped back again in the fireplace and quickly flooed back home.

The moment he stepped into his room, he muttered some enchantments blocking Daphne from going to his house, by any means.

He fell back on his bed, then closed his eyes. Now, he remembers the reason why he came to Blaise's place. He doesn't know what to do. It was like years ago when his lawyer and advisor, stepped into his house and told him that his company went bankrupt and he has to give everything up.

As if I still have anything with me. Everybody left me already. Nobody cares for me. Or even worries the tiniest bit whether I'm safe or what. Bet people are hoping that I would just banish from the Earth as quickly and as soon as possible. But what will I do if even my wealth I will lose?

Then a bulb suddenly switched on his head. McGonagall's offer! Potions Master!

Author's Note: I'm sorry for this boring conversation between Draco and Blaise. But I just can't seem to shorten it. :) Thanks for those who reviewed though. I appreciated it. :D Hope you let me know if I commit mistakes here and there. :D And I promise, Hermione will come in the next chapter. ;)