To Dance With Jean
Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. I Majasty do not own the characters of this fanfiction except perhaps a few OC's that may make an appearance. Otherwise, all characters belong to JK Rowling. Additionally, this fanfiction gets inspiration from a combination of different movies, books, and real life events. A full reference list will be uploaded at the end of the story. Mischief managed.
This story disregards the Deathly Hallows except for some key dates and times. It also disregards the epilogue. This story is set primarily in the year of 2040 and has some parts of 1997-1998. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 4
The Missing Malfoy
Ottery St Catchpole, Devon, England. November 9th, 2040.
Xavier was sitting alone in the lounge room of his home, sipping on some of his finest, aged firewhisky. It appears he spent every Friday night the same way – seated at home alone, wallowing in self-pity. Tonight, the self-pity was even worse than it has been the past Fridays as tonight it just so happens to be his anniversary. It was supposed to be his and Emerald's twenty-fourth wedding anniversary, however he was spending it alone, just like he has for the past eight years. After he had finished work at the Ministry, Xavier apparated in a hidden muggle alleyway in Edinburgh, from there he walked to the Greyfriar's Kirkyard and set a bouquet of gardenias on where Emerald laid to rest. Gardenia was her favorite flower - she even had some in her wedding bouquet. Xavier thought it would be a perfect gift for their anniversary.
Choosing Emerald's final resting place had been a battle for Xavier. He had wanted to have her buried in St Jerome's where most witches and wizards were buried, it was also convenient to apparate right into the cemetery. However, Emerald's family had insisted on Greyfriar's in Edinburgh. Apparently, Emerald would have preferred to be there as it was there that she grew up and her muggle friends from primary school would be able to visit her. Jay Noble argued that as he - Xavier was a wizard, he would have the privilege to apparate if he wanted to visit her. Whilst, her muggle friends could not do that if she was buried all the way in Godric's Hollow.
Xavier was on his fourth glass of firewhisky when he heard an incessant tapping on his window. He attempted to ignore the tapping, but alas, the tapping just wouldn't stop.
Annoyed at having been disturbed from his self-isolation, Xavier glanced at the window to see a beautiful snowy white owl tapping away. Despite obviously being ignored, the bird just seemed to not want to quit or leave him alone.
"Who in Merlin's name owls at 11 o'clock at night?" Xavier muttered to himself exasperatedly before getting up to allow the owl into his home. The owl swooped in regally before dropping a piece of parchment onto Xavier's lap and then perching itself on the back of a chair – signaling that whoever sent him expected a reply.
Xavier stared at the piece of parchment, finding it difficult to focus his eyes on the text. He had a piercing headache and trying to read anything at this point of time proved to be a trying task. With enough effort, and time attempting to stabilize his vision, Xavier was finally able to read…
Xavier,
I was just wondering if Draco was there. Last I saw him he was sitting in his favorite seat in the library. I went to go check on him and bring him some supper just now, but he is gone. I've looked everywhere in house, but I cannot find him. I was wondering if he was maybe with you? Please owl me back, I'm worried.
Thanks,
Hope.
Cornwall, England. November 9th, 2040.
Draco stepped off the Knight Bus, a little queasy from his trip. He hadn't been back to Cornwall in a very long time, but he thought if he was ever going to find Jean, he should start following her trail. Last he heard, Jean was in Cornwall. Yes, he heard that forty-or-so years ago, but he was hoping, that maybe someone knew where she had gone after that. He didn't really expect her to still be in Cornwall, no, he knew she was long gone, and passed from there…but maybe, just maybe her friends here have heard from her. Maybe they knew where she was.
Draco arrived at the seaside home, the scent of sea-lavender wafting through the air providing an air of familiarity and comfort. He only spent a short time in this house all those years ago, but the smell of the sea salt, and lavender, along with the sound of the seagulls was still so familiar.
"Oh come on Malfoy! You have to do much better than that to beat me!"
"How can you still have time to find a snitch when we are trying to save our lives from a raging lunatic…"
Voices from Draco's memory echoed in his head as he looked around at the familiar surroundings. In the near distance, there were still trees that marked as their makeshift Quidditch pitch forty years ago, and there was still that tree that he used to sit under every night.
"D.M & J.G"
It was very faint now, but the markings were still evident on the tree, astonishing what magic can do, for example – it can keep etchings into a tree for more than forty years.
Forty years. It had been over forty years, and it was only now that he had decided to come back. He smiled of the memories of him running down the beach, throwing pebbles. Back then he was still only young. Yes, they had to grow up quickly and entered a war, but for a short amount of time forty years ago, he could act his age, and he couldn't do that anywhere else, but here.
"I estimate you only have six months to live…"
Maureen's voice resonated in the back of Draco's head, taking Draco out of his reverie. It was nice to be back in Cornwall, but he could not forget why he was here, he was here to find Jean.
"I don't even know what to say," Draco muttered to himself as he stared at the stone house. "What if they all hate me, maybe this is a bad idea."
Draco was about to turn around when the door opened. "Monsieur, puis-je vous aider?"
London, England. November 10th, 2040
"Mr. Malfoy, I understand that your father is missing, but you have to calm down," came the voice of the young auror who had appeared in Xavier's home. It was now 3am in the morning, and Hope had decided to apparate over because she still could not locate her boss – Draco Malfoy.
"Calm down? A 60-year-old man is missing who has a memory disorder, and you are telling me to calm down?" Xavier replied, clearly annoyed at the auror that was many years his junior. His father could have splinched himself trying to apparate home, and this kid was telling him to fucking 'calm down.'
"I am aware that it is distressing Mr. Malfoy, but we have alerted all aurors on the field and other Ministries in other countries. We will find him, and we will return him."
Xavier took a deep breath and sat on his couch. 3am. Where on earth could his father have gone, that he was still not found at 3am?
Shell Cottage, Cornwall, England. November 10th, 2040.
Dominique Weasley opened the door of Shell Cottage to find Draco Malfoy standing outside.
"Dominique, who iz it at ze door at zis hour?" Dominique's mother sang as she came out from her room, although obviously aged – now at 63 – she was still as beautiful as Draco had remembered. "Dra-Draco Malfoy?" Fleur questioned, shock clear upon her features. She had not seen the boy in about forty years, but she knew that it was him. He may no longer have his signature blond hair or a smirk, but it was obvious through his steely grey eyes that it was him.
"Ehm…come inside." She offered, perplexed by the identity of her visitor.
Draco walked into the familiar environment that had served as one of the Order's safehouses during the war. He remembered how he spent some time here when he was training for missions – most notably, when he was planning the raid on his home. Last he heard, Jean had returned to Shell Cottage and even lived there a bit after the war, maybe she had stayed here after forty years, or maybe at least Fleur would know where she had gone.
"Oh yez, she did come here!" Fleur sang as she took a piece of parchment from the back of an old picture frame that housed a picture of the Order back in 1997. Draco had just asked her if she had heard from Jean, and to be honest, he was surprised that she was assisting him.
"She 'ad apparated 'ere from 'er las' mission to prepare for ze Battle of 'Ogwarts in…I think that was back in March 1998. I remember 'Arry was 'ere and asked 'er what 'ad 'appened, but she refused to talk. I 'eard that Zabini died from a mission. They were close so I jus' assumed zat waz why she didn't speak much. After ze battle of 'Ogwarts she disappeared for a little while and zen she returned 'ere. She lived with us for almost a year before she lef' again. If it 'elps she said she was going to find some of 'er family in Bristol. She left an address. Initially, I kept it there in case anyone looked for 'er. Surprisingly, ev'ryone respected 'er when she said she wanted time alone, and nobody looked…except for you now. I forgot that I 'ad put it there until now" Fleur explained before handing Draco the piece of parchment.
Draco frowned at the address. He knew it was a longshot, but he really hoped that Jean would still be in Shell Cottage.
Cornwall, England. November 10th, 2040
Draco sat in an old and dark pub in Cornwall, staring at the address that Fleur had given him. "Blue Moon" was playing on an old jukebox in the corner of the room, and Draco was on his fourth glass of firewhisky. Every swig of firewhisky that Draco took made the prospect of finding Jean even slimmer. Draco raised his hand to gesture for another glass.
"Sir, we close at 5am." The bartender revealed from behind the bar. "And I think you've had enough."
Draco looked up at the bartender before nodding once. He hadn't even noticed the time, and he had no idea how he was going to get back to London. Nevertheless, Draco got off from the stool that he was seated upon, and moved towards the door.
The weather was cold in Cornwall – a result from being so close to the sea. Despite Draco holding his trench coat closed he could feel the bite of the cold. The moon was glowing from above, and Draco began to drunkenly sing the song that was playing in the bar.
"We might be old but there's still one thing we can do
Put on a song, let's pretend to dance round the room."
Windsor, England. November 10th, 2040.
William sat alone on the couch in his bedroom – their bedroom, the one he shared with Kathy for two years. It was the first time William was alone in the townhouse, and he realized just how maddening the silence was. He couldn't understand why Kathy had left. Yes, he knew that she wanted to find a purpose in life, yes, he knew they fought sometimes, but despite all of that…he thought they were happy.
William poured himself a glass of firewhisky. He didn't normally drink as he found that the beverage burned his throat. However, he felt the occasion needed some drinking.
"This is for all the women who just up and leave without even a proper reason why!" William laughed to himself sarcastically as he took a sip from his glass, welcoming the burning sensation that suited the pain he was feeling from when Kathy left.
Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England. November 10th, 2040
Xavier had accompanied Hope back to Malfoy Manor. It was 5am, and there was still no news of Draco. All aurors were now aware of the missing Malfoy, and have kept their eyes on the lookout. However, it was as though Draco Malfoy had disappeared from London.
Xavier sat himself in an armchair in the library of the Manor. Despite the land belonging to the Malfoy family for years, Xavier had never lived there. Draco returned to the grounds of Malfoy Manor about ten years ago. The old Malfoy Manor that he had lived in was burned in the war so for a while there was nowhere to live. It was nothing but an old wreckage for thirty years until the day that Draco decided to rebuild the manor on the grounds.
Xavier remembered growing up in a small cottage in Kent before him, and his father moved to Wales. He never understood why his father didn't just rebuild the manor then and taken him to live there. All of his childhood life Xavier just assumed they were poor, and then out of nowhere – when Xavier was at the age of 20 and living in a small apartment with Emerald – Xavier's father decides to up and announce that he had a grandmother that was still living, dying yes, but still living. Xavier's hostility grew more at the knowledge that he could have had so much more.
Even though Xavier could not understand his father, there was one thing he was grateful for – he always had a stash of firewhisky, and Xavier had just found his stash in the drawer of a side table in the library. He transfigured a book into a glass before he poured himself a drink. "To being a Malfoy," Xavier toasted to himself sarcastically before taking a drink.
Cornwall, England. November 10th, 2040
Dominique was on her way to the Cornwall Bakery with her teenage daughter when a familiar figure laying on a park bench caught her eye.
"Mr-Mr Malfoy? Wake up Mr. Malfoy, you are not allowed to sleep here." Dominique shook the elderly man awake slightly feeling sorry for him. Why did he sleep on a park bench? It was freezing!
"Mr. Malfoy. Come on we must go. You are not allowed to sleep in parks here." Dominque ushered the elderly man. He was only sixty, but he looked so much older due to his health, and even more so due to his obvious vulnerability.
The sun's rays shone in Draco's eyes. That accompanied by the voice that was forcing him to wake made Draco crack an eye. Where on earth was he?
"Mr. Malfoy?" Dominque inquired again. The man looked very confused, and she felt sorry for him. Dominique watched as the elderly Malfoy looked around attempting to grasp his surroundings, however, the more he looked, the more he looked confused.
"Come on Mr. Malfoy. I'll get Hope to pick you up. My daughter here will take you around Cornwall so you won't get too bored." Helping Draco up onto his feet, they made their way to the beach.
Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England. November 10th, 2040
Hope was pacing around the library. Draco had a reputation for getting lost, but it has never been for this long. She knew that Draco was a strong man – he survived the war after all – but as more minutes ticked by, Hope just kept getting more and more scared.
Xavier had fallen asleep an hour ago, and the whole manor was eerily quiet when Hope was alerted to a tapping on her window.
"Bronwyn? What are you doing here?" Hope whispered to herself as she recognized the owl of her aunt. After giving the owl a treat, she read the letter.
Hope,
I am not sure if you are aware, but your boss Draco Malfoy is currently in Shell Cottage. Please come and get him, he looks confused. He is currently by the beach with your cousin.
Love,
Aunt Dominique
Hope's eyes grew wide at the text on the parchment. "Xavier, Xavier wake up!" Hope exclaimed as she shook Xavier awake.
"Draco's in Cornwall."
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. I wasn't sure how to go about this story as I had soooo many ideas. I don't think many people are reading this story anyways. I know this chapter is much shorter than the other chapters, but it was actually meant to be a lot longer. I've cut it in half and divided the one chapter into two. Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. Remember to fave and review!
Majasty
Trivia #1: Greyfriar's Graveyard is a graveyard in Edinburgh where J.K Rowling got some of the names from Harry Potter including Tom Riddle and McGonagall. She used to write in a room that looked over the graveyard.
