The following week had been pretty hectic for the two males, though neither of them saw one another. Draco had been running the company ever since the last time that no one saw his father return, though most people presumed he was dead. Through this fact Draco recieved title as the lord of the mannor; he didn't want the title, for he knew his father was still out there, but he was hiding. Deatheaters were still seen but in hiding, shadows in the trees around towns. There were always whispers that maybe he was following in the footsteps of his father, no one really knows the real Draco Malfoy. The one who supported none of Lucius Malfoy's actions was his son, he had fought against all his orders, he had the marks to prove it; physical, mental and emotional. Draco never told his father he would never marry to follow his bloodline because he didn't feel like he'd ever put his children though Lucius' teachings. Even no he saw people from school already having kids, and maybe second kids, and he loved seeing their pudgy fingers and fat little cheeks, it nearly made him crave a companion who could give him the kids he so wanted. But he knew better, his father was still out there, just waiting, hiding, anticipating; Draco refused to give his father what he wanted.
For now the young Malfoy did what he could to purge himself of all the bad he did during the war against Shadows and Light. Long artistic fingers tapped the keys on the piano in the second study, he wasn't playing anything written infront of him, he was just caught in his own thoughts of what has transpired in the last few weeks. It was as if his emotions over the past week had entered into the keys that he was touching elegantly playinga beautiful tune that he'd probably never remember after he was done musing. The notes echoed through the many wards in the manor, it covered the faint scoffing of a limping heel that walked through the hallway towards the study. The notes rang for more than five minutes after the footsteps had stalled, a shadowed lithe man leaned against the doorframe to the entrance of the study. A tired sigh followed a long deep note on the piano as Draco closed his eyes and the overwhelming tiredness overcame him for a moment. He had been having tired spats for the past week, long fingers moved to rub over his eyes showing exactly how tired he was.
"Long days, I presume then." the Figure finally spoke, Draco's shoulders barely moved to show he was startled. In this house it was always something talking out of the shadows, and growing up in it caused the people around the mannor to grow less and less startled at random noises. There was a faint scuffing as the tall thin man walked into the light looking down at where Draco sat.
"I Hadn't expected you for another few hours." Malfoy spoke in the best business tone he could muster, but there was a twinge of a smile when his grey eyes met with those of melting chocolate brown eyes.
"I came early, one of your house elves showed me the way. I figured I'd wait til you were done with your music. What were you playing? I haven't heard you play like that since you were trying to fix the vanishing cabinet." Blaise spoke in a curious voice, he was limping slightly, but he had ever since the war. He wouldn't tell anyone what happened, but it wasn't necessary. Those who were still in Hogwarts during the war were less prepared, and many had fallen. So most of those only did community service, and they were set free to live their lifes, and no one was asked what happened once they were done with their trials.
"Ah, yes, I see. I did instruct them to bring you to me when you arrived. Would you care for something to have dinner early then?" Draco asked, he had a cool composure about him when he stood. He was increasingly put off that the elves let Blaise enter and listen to him play without announcing his arrival, even more so that the wards hadn't let him know there was an guest;invited or not that was what the wards were for. Putting the guard down for the keys so that they didn't get dusty. Making a small memo to ask one of the elves to redust and tune it, it seemed slightly off on a couple of keys. Blaise waved a hand in motion of 'do what ever you like.' Shrugging off the other male as if he hadn't been there, walking out of the room with his piano, he walked down to the study that did most of his meetings.
"Blaise, you've not been by in so many months, where have you disappeared to?" Draco asked cooly, trying to be socialable. Harder said than done, cause he knew what Blaise had been in before the fall of the dark lord. Draco knew he had no right to judge, he had been in neck deep during the war. Long pale fingers trembled slightly as he reached out for the door pushing it open, silver eyes glared at the faint tremor. Weakness was not a Malfoy trait; it is why the stood next to the dark lord, terrified of his wrath or not.
"Shoud I come back another time, Draco, you seem tired. Assuming from that piano playing, not a good kind of tired." Blaise stated a manner that had hidden meaning behind the words he spoke. Draco instantly sneered with his back towards his old friend, he was bringing up that he wasn't married or hadn't been part of a couple since Hogwarts.
"I've had more on my plate than normal." A cool response from the blonde, as he opened the door. He'd been tired ever since dealing with Harry Potter a week ago. It was unnerving he gave that box to him, Harry had looked at it like it was Pandora's box. Draco wasn't even sure if he would open it, and if he would, would something escape that he would never be able to return to it? Draco shook the thoughts from his mind as a house elf appeared infront of him, a formal looking wrinkled elf. With old scars and twisted ears, she didn't wear rags or bandages where she punished herself, in reality she wore the finest fabric Draco could afford and the small tux with small ruffles at the end of the sleeves, to let everyone know the elf was a she, fit her perfectly, .
"Master Malfoy, Master Zabini, your dinners are ready and are in the dinning room." He bowed slowly and rather low to the ground. Draco thought that his nose must have brushed the ground when he did there, and wondered if it was truly necessary for them to bow to him.
"We'll take them in here, Daizy." He said gently at the house elf. The house elfs pale eyes looked up at her master with faint fear, but she held her head up as she spoke.
"Master, I was named Nooby, by the former master Malfoy, sir." Her shoulders came up and she looked around for something to hit herself with to punish herself for speaking to her master in such a manner. Blaise also looked like he was about to raise his hand against the defenseless elf.
"Daizy is a much prettier name." Draco said in a even tone, a hand moved on the top of her shoulder. "You are a very pretty House elf, and to keep up appearances of the Malfoy name, we need to have names that establish themselves as Beautiful and, maybe even slightly, vain. You must start referring to yourself as Daizy, as the new Master Malfoy has told you Daizy. Now please bring our food, and don't punish yourself or ruin that lovely tux in any way before or after you do that." He waved his hand to dismiss the elf, who nodded and promptly disappeared.
"You didn't punish her. You've grown, and changed, Malfoy." Blaise used a tone on Draco that his father would have been so proud of, a tone that Lucius would have loved Draco to inherit. Blaise's chocolate eyes had gone cold and distant as he realized that he wasn't talking anymore to Lucius
