Finding Peace

Task for Beater 1 (me): Write about your chosen Death Eater going on a holiday

Chosen Death Eater: Draco Malfoy

For the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Round 1 for Puddlemere United.

Word Count without A/N's: 2,327

Prompts:

(word) tomorrow

(quote) "When you pay attention to boredom it gets unbelievably interesting." – Jon Kabat-Zinn

"I don't know how much we can thank you," Narcissa Malfoy said. "We have not been the best to you, yet you saved our family."

"Well, I know that if two innocents were rotting in Azkaban for life and I couldn't do something about it, I would never forgive myself," Harry Potter replied.

"Thank you," Draco managed to say to Harry. "I mean, I know I was an utter prat…I mean, you saved our lives."

"We have nowhere to stay," Narcissa said. "While you did keep us out of Azkaban for life, the Ministry still wants half the Malfoy fortune for Lucius's crimes, and our Manor was confiscated by the Ministry as well."

"I'll have a talk with Kingsley and try and get your Manor open for you again," Harry said. "Do you think there's anywhere for you to stay?"

"Hmm," said Narcissa. "I could speak to Maria," She said. "She'd just scored money from her latest husband that disappeared…"

Harry shot a weird look at Draco, who shrugged. Blaise's mother was known for marrying several men and then all of them disappearing a month or two after the wedding.

"I think she's going on holiday with Antoinette and Daisy, but I could speak with her…" Narcissa trailed off. "Thank you for everything." She said to Harry, before she grabbed Draco's shoulder and Apparated.

Antoinette Greengrass was a longtime friend of Narcissa Malfoy. Draco didn't know much about the younger daughter, Astoria, but he was sort-of-friends with Daphne. She made far better company than Parkinson, let's just say.

Daisy Parkinson was a wonderful woman. She had a heartwarming smile, made the best sweets, and one look from her made you feel right at home.

One wonders how she birthed a daughter like Pansy Parkinson, who was absolutely nothing like her mother. Her smile made you want to run for the hills. Actually everything about her made you want to run for the hills. She was pretty much the only con to getting out of Azkaban.

Even worse, Daisy has no clue of her daughter's true personality and believes Pansy is a complete angel, and is working on a betrothal contract for the two of them.

Life in Azkaban sounded pretty good right about now.

Draco looked around to see that Narcissa had Apparated them to the Zabini estate. She knocked twice on the door before it was opened.

There was a loud squeal. "Oh, Cissa!" Maria exclaimed, taking Narcissa and kissing her on both cheeks. "I'm so happy you're here! I was so worried they'd place you in Azkaban! I heard about it in the Prophet. And Blaise will be relieved as well, he was very worried about Draco. Come, come! We must talk! I have cookies in the kitchen! I'll tell you all about Ronaldo!"

Suddenly, footsteps came down the stairs. "Mate, you're alright! I thought you were bloody done for…"

"You'll never believe it, but Potter's the one that got me out of it," said Draco.

"Potter, huh?" Blaise asked. "Well, that's unexpected. C'mon, let's go up to my room. They're going to be here all day talking about Ronaldo…I'm sure she'll let you guys stay here, there's so much room in this bloody place, it's creepy. It houses fifteen and there's only two here currently."

"So," said Draco once they've arrived in Blaise's room. "Who exactly is Ronaldo?"

"Muggle man," Blaise grunted. "She says they're easier to manipulate. He's rich, he owns three houses. One here. One in France, around where Beauxbatons is. The other is somewhere in America. Well, now my mother owns them. Did Goyle get out of his sentence?"

"No, the Goyle's apparently did some other illegal activities besides be on the losing side of the war," Draco replied. "Their trial literally lasted one minute. It was unanimous."

The doorbell rings. "Who do you think that is?" Blaise wondered.

"If it is Mrs. Parkinson and her clingy spawn, I'll go back to the Ministry and tell them why I should have a life in Azkaban," Draco said and Blaise roared with laughter.

Blaise poked his head downstairs to see who it was, before turning back. "Well, I'll miss you. I'm not sure how long you'll last in Azkaban." He sniffed dramatically.

"Oh, he got off?" A shrill voice shrieked. "And he's here? Where's my Draky-Poo?"

"Kill me, Blaise," Draco muttered. "Just, take your wand and say Avada Kedavra already!"

"Blaise! Draco!" Maria Zabini's voice called from downstairs. "The Parkinson's are here!"

"Unfortunately," Blaise muttered.

"Yay," Draco said sarcastically.

The moment they stepped downstairs, Draco was ambushed by Pansy, who immediately clung onto his arm. Blaise started snickering. Draco glared at him.

"Oh, I'm so glad you got off, I mean, how could I become Mrs. Pansy Malfoy if you're in Azkaban?" She started prattling on.

"Mrs. Pansy Malfoy," A horrified Draco mouthed to Blaise, who shrugged and sat comfortably on the other end of the couch, with no girls ambushing him.

"We're just waiting on Antoinette," Maria said. "Then we'll plan our holiday to America."

"Holiday?" Narcissa asked, astonished.

"Well, we need to do something to celebrate the fact that you got out of Azkaban, don't we?" Maria asked, sipping her champagne.

"So the Greengrasses and Parkinsons are coming along?" Narcissa asked, and Maria nodded.

Draco breathed an inner sigh of relief that some other girls besides Parkinson would be going with them on this surprise holiday trip. Otherwise, it would be a holiday from hell.

"Where will we be staying?" Narcissa asked.

"The Big Apple, of course!" Maria laughed. When everyone gave her confused looks, she replied, "New York City. It's where Ronaldo's third house is. It's one of the biggest cities there, oh, it's absolutely splendid! I remember John, my seventh husband, took me there a couple of days…but my third husband Leo was my favorite, he was the one who gave me my Blaise!"

Draco sniggered as Maria pinched Blaise's cheeks. "Mum, I'm eighteen!" He groaned.

The doorbell rang a second time. "Elladora," Maria called, "Will you please open the door, I don't feel like moving!"

The Zabini family house elf opened the door, and Antoinette Greengrass came into view. "Oh, Maria darling. How have you been?"

"Absolutely splendid," Maria gushed, "Especially since we found out that Narcissa and Draco have been pardoned!"

"That's great to hear," Antoinette said. "I had my husband put in a good word to the Minister. Perhaps that helped?"

"It was actually Harry Potter that testified for us," Narcissa piped up. "No one could testify for Lucius and get him out unscathed for all he did, but Potter managed to get both Draco and me out of time in Azkaban."

"Harry Potter?" Antoinette asked, surprised. "Why would he do such a thing? Don't get me wrong, I'm forever grateful to him, but why?"

"Mm, beats me," Narcissa said, but she was thinking back to the night where she proclaimed Harry Potter dead so she could get to Draco. She swept past to meet the two girls standing behind Antoinette. "Daphne, how are you? It's been too long. And Astoria, how you've grown! Please, sit down."

Astoria shied away and sat closer to her mother, while Daphne sat down between Draco and Parkinson, much to Draco's relief and Pansy's chagrin. "Glad to see you got out unscathed," Daphne whispered, before she and Draco gave each other a one armed hug, much to Parkinson's irritation.

"Come to save me from her?" Draco asked.

"I'll do my best," Daphne laughed.

"Her mum is planning a betrothal contract," Draco deadpanned.

"The only way to fix it is to marry another pureblood woman," Daphne told him, "You know that, and I'm already engaged to Theo and our love is quite mutual. Have you considered my sister? She's quiet at first, but she's really wonderful when you get to know her. I think you'd make a good pair."

"Daphne, I barely know her," Draco protested. "And I don't want to get married, I'm eighteen!"

"Would you rather have her be Mrs. Pansy Malfoy?" Daphne countered, and Draco shuddered.

"When will we be leaving?" Antoinette's loud voice cut off Daphne and Draco.

"Well, if we can, tomorrow," Maria said. (1.)

"Maria, we don't have any clothes, they're all in the Manor," Narcissa fretted.

"Not to worry, dear," said Antoinette. She stood up, opened the door, and pointed her wand outside. "Accio Narcissa and Draco's clothes!" She cried.

Five minutes passed.

"Antoinette, dear, are you sure that will work?" Maria asked.

"Just give it some time," Antoinette assured. "Any second now…there! Watch out."

Hordes of clothes fly straight into the Zabini estate. "How much do you own?" Blaise asked in astonishment.

"You shouldn't have done that," Narcissa frowned. "It certainly breaks the Statute of Secrecy, what will the muggles think?"

"I've done it before, dear." Antoinette shrugged.

"You should've gone to Gryffindor," Maria said jokingly.

"As if I'd ever fare well in that house," Antoinette scoffed and the three women laughed. "Cissa, dear, I really think you should consider speaking to Andromeda."

"Oh, Antoinette, you should know that is no option," Narcissa said. "She'll want nothing to do with me, not after how I've treated her over the years. Oh, how I wish to go back in time."

"You'll never know unless you try, dear," Maria said.

"Well, I think it's a great idea," Daisy Parkinson said quietly. Everyone nearly forgot she was also in the room, again, contrasting completely from her daughter. "We can all catch up with our lives, and I think it would be a good time for my Pansy to bond with Draco."

Draco was this close to puking all over Daphne. It really would be a vacation from hell, wouldn't it?

To think, he thought he'd finally get some peace after nearly escaping Azkaban.

"Big day today," Blaise grunted.

"Four days with Parkinson, looking forward to it," Draco groaned. "How're we getting there? I haven't exactly gotten my Apparition license yet, because of…you know." The fact that he had been underage, and also the fact that, well, if the Dark Lord was living in your home for a year, Apparition tests were the least of your worries.

"America's far," Blaise said. "I doubt four Pureblood ladies would make us go the Muggle way, though."

"Well, what's the Muggle way?" Draco demanded.

"Airplane," Blaise said simply.

"What's an airplane?" He asked.

"You know what, never mind," Blaise said, "Let's just get ready, mate."

"You know, for a 'Welcome-Home' party I can think of many better ways to celebrate it than four days with that pug…" Draco trailed off.

"At least the Greengrass sisters will be around," Blaise supplied, winking.

"Our silver lining," Draco muttered.

Everyone was already at the Zabini estate and packed when the two boys finally managed to drag themselves out of bed and get ready.

"You took forever!" Daphne hissed, "And back when we were at Hogwarts, you used to say that girls got ready slower!"

"They could've taken as long as they wanted," said Antoinette, giving her daughter a look. "We will be traveling by Apparition. Seeing as it is rather dangerous to Apparate overseas, all the children will be traveling by Side-Along Apparition."

"For the last time, mum! There are no children here," Daphne said. "Everyone here's of age!"

"When was the last time you Apparated somewhere?" Antoinette asked her. When her daughter hesitated, Antoinette said, "Exactly. Daphne, Astoria, take my arms." The two girls took their mother's arms, and they were instantly gone.

"Pansy dear," Daisy called loftily. Pansy gave a rather unsubtle wink to Draco before grabbing her mother's arm and leaving. He shuddered.

"It is 72 Maplehurst, correct?" Narcissa asked Maria, who nodded. "Thank you. Draco, come along." He grabbed his mother's arm before she Apparated him to the place, Blaise and his mother close behind.

Blaise whistled. "Nice place."

He was right. The place looked like a mini-hotel, and they couldn't forget about the swimming pool inside.

This could actually be fun.

Draco had finally escaped—not escaped really, but left—Parkinson's clutches. It seemed that no matter where he went, there she was. It was getting rather annoying, to say the least.

"Finally escaped?" A voice called. Draco turned around to see a familiar brunette girl. Astoria, he realized. Astoria was her name. The younger Greengrass sister. "If I were you, I'd have already been hiding the dead body. This vacation's been boring for me so far. But when you pay attention to boredom, it gets unbelievably interesting, in my opinion." (2).

"It's very tempting," Draco laughed. "But I just got out of a life in Azkaban. Now that I think about it, Parkinson might be worth it."

"Tell me about it," Astoria said. "My sister doesn't take anything from anyone, but I'm not like that…Pansy used to bully me a lot at the dinner parties. Daphne stood up for me, but Pansy learned that she should bully me when Daphne wasn't around. So I've been planning her murder in secret for years now, ever since I was twelve. You know what they say about Slytherins."

"Should I be worried about making friends with a murderer?" Draco asked her.

Astoria laughed, a sound much different from Pansy's nasal one. "I'm nice on the outside." She corrected. "I overheard my mum talking about a nearby pub, want to sneak out?" She asked. "I'll make sure we don't get caught. You know, so we can plan Parkinson's murder."

Before he could stop himself, Draco found himself nodding. "I never thought of you as the rebellious type. In fact, I barely knew you at all…"

"Don't judge a book by its cover," Astoria grinned. "And now you can get to know me!"

"Why not?" Draco asked, "I haven't had any true fun in ages…"

The two of them talked and laughed the entire way, finally finding their peace since the time of the Battle of Hogwarts.

Who knows? Maybe Draco won't have to marry Parkinson after all.

A/N: That's a wrap for Round 1 :) I hope you enjoyed it!

Special thanks to our team's lovely Seeker, Lin (Marvelgeek42) for looking over my story! :)

Also, another special thanks to Slytherin's-one-and-only who also looked this over :) Happy birthday!

Footnotes: two, one for each prompt used.

Please R&R :)

-Ana