Ronald was furious. How dare his mother treat him like this? It wasn't as if it were Harry laying upstairs in Bill's old room. No, it was Malfoy. Draco bloody Malfoy. He was a bleeding Death Eater for crying out loud! And now Hermione was being all stroppy about the house, making him look like a right git.
The youngest Weasley boy scowled at the wall and picked up his wand. He needed to get downstairs and get started on his chores before his Mum got his knickers all twisted again. Ronald made his way downstairs to find another cranky Weasley.
Ginevra Weasley was standing in the kitchen, scowling outside at Harry and Hermione. The two of them had been inseparable since his birthday,almost as if they were planning something. The youngest Weasley siblings sat in the kitchen in silence, neither saying a word. Ron had been on thin ice for the past few days, luckily Malfoy had stayed asleep so he hadn't had the opportunity to get into anymore trouble with his mother. There was nothing left for the Weasley siblings to do, seeing as they had done their chores quickly and efficiently due to their guest.
"Ron, do you think Harry and Hermione are seeing each other?" Ginny asked, breaking the silence.
"To be completely honest, I don't know. It would make sense, the way they always sneak out, how they keep giving each other little covert looks, and even how he dumped you right after the funeral. The three of us had a mission, but it looks like I've been removed from it. Not like they needed me anyways. What can I do that the Great Harry Potter can't? And no way in hell am I smarter than Hermione. No, I reckon they could be dating, but it's more likely that they're up to something." The siblings watched their friends outside for a while, until the sun had completely risen and everyone made their way to the table for breakfast.
Mrs. Weasley constantly had someone watching for signs of Malfoy to wake up but so far, there were none. It wasn't until lunch four days after the conflict between the two young wizards, that Draco Malfoy finally awoke. It was Hermione's shift.
Draco groaned softly as he turned in the bed where he'd been moved. His eyes fluttered before slowly opening. The first thing he saw was a mass of wild, curly hair. He gasped and shot out of bed, expecting to see Bellatrix standing over him, cackling madly. Instead, he saw a very cautious Hermione Granger sending a Patronus downstairs. She made her way to the distraught boy slowly and quietly, keeping her wand low. She raised her hand to touch him but he flinched away, as if expecting her to hurt him.
Mrs. Weasley bustled into the room, looking at the pale boy and instantly, the worry melted from her face. She slowly approached the boy and guided him to the bed, he was too shocked to fight her. His body was shaking slightly as he stared at the crowded room.
"W- what is going on here? Where am I?" The youngest Malfoy's voice was quiet and weak, cracking a bit from disuse.
"We'll answer those questions in a bit, dearie. First, I need you to answer a few questions, is that alright dear?" Mrs. Weasley cooed softly to him. He nodded his head slowly.
"What is your name?" Mrs. Weasley asked slowly.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy." He replied immediately. The questions went for around ten minutes, until there was a knock at the door. Remus left the room and returned less than one minute later with Severus Snape behind him.
Draco looked up and threw himself at the man. Severus instantly wrapped his arms around the shaking boy, holding him tightly and stroking his disheveled blond hair. The boy was trembling slightly as he whispered.
"What's going on?" The tall man looked with sad eyes at his godson.
"Sit, Draco. We need to have a long talk." The boy sat on the bed he'd previously been in and looked up, grey eyes glistening. Draco recognized the heaviness in his godfather's voice and knew whatever he was about to hear would not be pleasant. Severus opened his mouth to speak, then closed his mouth and sat next to his godson.
"There are no words to properly convey the depths of my sadness right now, Draco. The past few days I've been pacing about my home, hoping you would remember what happened without my having to tell you. I know how selfish it is, but I can't help it. Please forgive me." The blonde boy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before Severus raised his wand. "Legilimens."
The boy flew back onto the mattress with the force of the spell. His body began to shake as he relived those memories. Tears were pouring from the eyes of both Slytherin men as the spell ran its course. Draco Malfoy looked up at his godfather with tear-filled eyes.
"No. This cannot be true. My mother is not dead!" Gut wrenching sobs took over his body. Severus did not move to comfort the boy, knowing exactly how he would react. Instead, he watched as the boy sobbed for the loss of his innocence. Up until that point, the youngest Malfoy still had some form of faith in the human race; the boy still had hope. With his mother gone, there was nothing left to hope for. Severus himself had felt the exact same pain. He voiced that thought. His godson immediately shook his head.
"You didn't lose your mum, all you lost was an ungrateful little Mudblood who didn't realize how good she had it." The boy spat the venomous words with no passion, as if the words did not even possess real meaning. Of course, the words did have meaning, no matter how trivial anything else may have seemed. Severus shook his head slowly, but sat next to his godson, careful not to touch him.
"I didn't lose my mum. I lost someone far more important to me than that. You are still young and have yet to feel love's harsh sting. Lily Evans was more than just a Mudblood," Here, Severus sighed heavily, "She was my best friend. I remember when I first saw her that day in the park with her vile sister. I knew, in that moment, she would mean something to me. I didn't know what, but I knew it would be big." The tall man's eyes seemed distant, as if gazing far away, to better, simpler days. "I loved Lily, plain and simple. I knew what I was getting involved with was endangering my friendship with Lily, but I figured her kind nature would allow her to see past my hatred for Muggles. Of course, James Potter was there to sweep her off her feet. When she died, it was like all of that was gone. All I could see was the ten year old girl I'd met, my best friend, my only true confidante, my first and only love. Lily took care of me, and as much pain as she'd caused me, she was the reason I am who I am. Without her life- or her death- I would be the same as the bitter, dark, abusive man that raised me." Draco laid there, silently, not showing whether or not he really heard his godfather.
Severus sighed again. He then looked at his watch and stood. "I must be going now, the Dark Lord cannot be kept waiting." The boy blanched.
"No. Surely you cannot mean for me to go back there." The man shook his head even before his companion had finished his sentence.
"Merlin, no. I shall explain to you the particulates of your situation at a later date, hopefully tomorrow. Until then, please remain on your best behavior." The warning in the man's voice was clear. Draco nodded slightly, his calm mask sliding back into place. He sat up in the bed as his godfather hugged him tightly and swept out of the room. He took a deep breath and opened the door to go downstairs. When the smell of the home hit him, he backed into the room and slammed the door again, breathing heavily.
He needed to be in complete control before he went down there. Draco spotted a mirror across the room and made his way to it shakily. The reflection astounded him. His grey eyes were dark and lifeless, so focused on not seeing the horrors of life, they could not bear to see the beauty either. His cheekbones were pointed and hollow, his lips: dry, chapped, and bleeding in some places. His hair was disheveled and filthy. All in all, he looked awful. The boy sighed heavily.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you need to pull yourself together! This crying and sniveling behavior is not going to improve your situation one bit. Now, you get your arse down there, give some attitude and make sure they understand that you are not some whiny coward who misses his mummy." He took a steadying breath, "Even if that is true."
The boy then fixed his disgusting hair into a tidier style and straightened his wrinkled robes. He sighed, there was nothing left for him to do but face the lions. He was as ready as he'd ever be. Turning away, he strode out of the room to the kitchen where he heard the most noise coming from. If he was going to do this, he was doing it his way, Severus's rules be damned.