Chapter 24
Draco walked into the living room. He felt all mixed up. He didn't know what to think. Pulling his jumper sleeves down he covered his little hands with them. He didn't want anyone to see. He felt sad. Whenever he had felt like this before he would have spoken to his father but he couldn't go to him this time, he just couldn't. He had been the one who started it. He had pinched her before she had done it to him. Even if he had suggested it.
Jane walked in behind him and took out her book. She had to say he had been acting oddly ever since he had got back from his walk with that women - that girl!
"Are you ok?" she asked him as he sat down. He nodded.
His father who was settled in his arm chair smiled at him when he came in.
"Thank you son," he said as he put the newspaper down. "Maria told me what a good boy you were while the two of you were out today. I am very grateful to you."
He nodded again with an unsure smile.
"Son, what's the matter?"
"Is something wrong Draco?" asked Maria as she came into the room, in a silver dress with her black hair tied back. He could hear her words in his head as she came in. 'Our little secret'. He didn't want secrets from his papa.
"No, I'm ok." He said to both his father and Maria.
"Good cause we have fun today didn't we little man? I think we are going to be great friends." She said as she took up the seat next to him, causing Draco to jump off the sofa. Everyone in the room looked at him. Lucius couldn't help but wonder why he was acting in such a way.
"Jane I want to go to bed!" he said desperate to get out of the room.
"Already Draco? It is only half past seven." She usually had to bribe him into bed at half eight with a story and a coco.
"I think I am worn out from my walk. Please – I want to go bed." He told her with desperate eyes.
"Very well master Draco." She nodded suspiciously.
Running over to his father he through himself in his arms and let him cuddle him and kiss his head. Lucius felt her was clinging more than he would usually.
"What's wrong my little prince?" he whispered to him.
"Daddy, I'm tired." He said to him.
Lucius, suitably concerned by his behaviour, held on to him. "Do you want daddy to take you up tonight?"
Draco shook his head and got down from his lap. Lucius felt bereft for the way he had left so suddenly after he had asked if he wanted him to take him to bed. He loved tucking him in for the night. His son was upset by something though. Taking Jane's hand, he left the room.
"Are you sure he was ok when you two were out today Maria?"
"Yes, he was an absolute delight. I can't think of what might have happened."
-
"But I want my long ones!"
Jane looked at Draco. She prided herself on knowing him but she could not think for the devil of her why he was being like this and he was not giving anything away.
"You'll get to hot in your long sleeved pyjamas Draco." She tried to explain again.
"No..." he pouted. He didn't want anyone to see his arms. He felt so ashamed.
"Ok," she relented seeing that he was getting himself upset over it. Getting him a long paired of red pyjamas out, she left the room while he changed. Returning with his coco, she opened the door to find he had drawn his own curtains and had got under the duvet.
Something was wrong. This was not the stubborn, confident child she had helped bring up.
Putting the mug in his night time table, she turned on the night light and kissed his forehead before leaving the room.
Returning to the living room, she saw Lucius had moved over to where Draco had been sitting and Maria had tucked up her legs under her as they talked. While he looked merely interested at best she had a look of complete adoration on her lit up face. But she knew she was never going to take to her. Ever.
"Sir may I speak with you?" she asked.
"Of course," he said turning to her but making it clear he was not going to move. She would have to say what she had to say about Draco in front of Maria.
"Sir I am worried about Master Draco. He was so out of sorts all evening. He said little but what he did say was out of character. And then when I put him to bed he did not drink his coco, or have a story!" she looked exasperated.
"I'll check on him tonight, and speak with him tomorrow. He did not seem himself tonight. That was for sure."
"I hope I didn't speak out of turn."
"Not at all Jane. You're looking after my son and that is what I pay you to do."
"Thank you sir. Well I am going to my room. Goodnight Sir, Miss Maria." She nodded to them both respectfully and left the room. She had moved into the manor when she had begun Draco's lessons. It was easier for her to live there now she was with him so much of the day. And it wasn't like she had had any one to go home too.
"Poor Draco," said Maria sympathetically.
"Indeed," he said to her. He never behaved like this. He felt sure he had had something to say to him but what was it?
"I might just go and check on him."
"Ok," Maria nodded.
"Don't move!" said Lucius kissing her forehead before he left the room.
Opening his son's door gently, he pecked in. His son's room was light green with darker green dragons flying on them. At the end of his bed was his chest and all about scattered were his toys. The desk that sat in the corner was unused. He took his classes downstairs. He didn't know why he had put it in. He wasn't going to be using it till he went to Hogwarts.
Kneeling down beside his sons he stroked the tuffs of hair out his face. He had screwed himself tight into a ball and if he didn't know better he would say his son's cheeks were wet. But Draco never cried... And ever since he had been a baby he had slept spread out. He had got used to his sons sleep patterns after years of watching over him at night.
Kissing his forehead, Lucius hoped whatever had brought this on was something minor. Draco was only small. This was bound to be a phase he comforted himself. Tantrums he could deal with. Over excitement yes. But Draco being withdrawn? No he didn't think he could cope with that. How could his happy boy be withdrawn?
"Night prince," he muttered as he got back up. He seemed to be asleep. His eyes turned to the mug on the side. It was empty. But Jane had said...
A very odd evening indeed he thought to himself.
---
"Draco what do you want to do today? It's Saturday and we can do anything you want..." offered Lucius. It was the morning after the night before and he could only hope Draco would be more responsive.
"I don't know." That hope was short lived he thought to himself.
"Well I think we should go to the sea," offered Maria.
"It's a splendid day for it," Lucius agreed looking out at the sun. "Would you like that son?"
"No, I don't want too." He said to them. He could put his swimming stuff on. His father was sure to see his bruise. "Can't we stay home?" he begged.
"Well if you want too but it is a shame to waste such a nice day son." Draco could feel Maria eyes burning into him. If he didn't say yes to going to the sea then maybe she was going to tell his daddy what he had done.
His heart felt like it was going to burst if he didn't explain what had happened but he couldn't. He wanted to run to his father and tell him but he couldn't.
"I –" he begun but he couldn't find the words. Then an idea sprung to his head. It was the last thing he wanted but it was the only thing he could think of to say to save himself. "I don't feel well but I think you and Maria should go." He lied.
Jane looked at him. Was this the same boy who had told her how much he disliked Maria two nights before? It couldn't be.
"No." Lucius said flatly. He would not even consider it. "If you're unwell I'll stay where I'm needed. With you."
Draco gave his father a grateful smile.
"Can I go back to bed daddy?" it was the one place he felt safe. The events of the day before were building up in his mind.
"Of course you can son. I'll come and check on you in a while."
And Lucius did pop up to see him. Throughout the day, regularly. And they were the high lights of what proved to be a very boring day. But at four o'clock when the door opened he did not see who he was expecting.
Maria had come to see him.
"How are you feeling dragon?" she asked him. It felt odd and at the same time awful to hear her call him by his nickname. Only his father, his aunty Andy and at times his uncle Severus used that name. He didn't like it when he said it. She made it sound stupid and babyish.
"Ok now." He said but in truth seeing her was the one time that he had actually felt unwell. The rest of the day he was simply bored out of his mind in bed. He wanted to get up and play.
"I bet you do!" she said as she sat on the edge of his bed. "Because I think you were feeling ok this morning as well. Did you lie to your daddy Draco?"
He shook his head.
"Another lie." She said as she made a tutting sound. "Don't worry. It'll be our little secret. But I seem to be keeping a lot of your secrets, don't I? Two in two days. That's not good Draco. I think your daddy would be sad if he heard that don t you?"
Draco sat in his bed frozen. He didn't know what to say in response to any of this. It was as if she could see right through everything he was saying and it was making him scared.
"In fact I think if your daddy knew he might even want a new little dragon. Give you to some poor half blood couple or mudblood couple. You could go to your aunties and uncles and never come back." Draco felt his eyes feel with tears. He didn't want that! It was as if she knew his worst nightmares! "But that won't happen. Because Maria is here to save you from that."
He looked at her.
"Did daddy say he was upset?"
"Well, he told me not to say anything to you but we're friends so I think I better. He said that he wanted to go to the beach today and he was upset that you stopped us going, which was selfish of you Draco. But don't worry. I'll sort it out. All you have to do is be my friend. Can you do that?"
Vigorously, he nodded.
"Good boy."
Later, as evening approached Draco got out of bed and tip toed his way downstairs. Suddenly after Maria had left his room had seemed full of demons that he could not face by himself. The idea of going down stairs was to find his father and get some comfort. Maybe he really was unwell. He hadn't ever felt like this before. Just before he had left his room he had picked up his blanket he had had since he was a baby.
Wondering into the living room he found Maria and his father sitting in just the same way as Jane had the previous evening and Jane was laughing at something amusing his father had just said. But it was for the first time that night that Lucius's face lit up when he saw his son come in. Yet Draco could only remember what Maria had told him. That his father was sad that he had been a selfish. That he might send him away. And that Maria was the only one between him, and ruin.
Running over to the sofa he put himself between the two adults but it was Maria he cuddled up too -he had to be her friend.
"Well that walk really did do the trick didn't it?" chuckled Lucius delighted.
"Are you feeling better now Draco?" checked Maria.
He nodded, desperate for some outward show of approval. "Good, would you like some supper now then darling?" she asked.
"Can I have some porridge?"
"You can have whatever you want prince," his father told him. "Just as long as you're feeling better." He nodded he was. His father sent for a house elf and within two minutes it had returning with a bowl of stemming of porridge and a warm mug of warm milk.
"Right you, come here," Lucius said and Draco gave him the biggest smile he had seen for days. Placing his son lovingly on his lap, Lucius tucked his blanket about his legs. "We don't want Maria to get messy but you can through your porridge down me till your heart is content."
Draco smiled again as he dug into his meal. All he had had for lunch was soup and bread. He hadn't realised how hungry he was.
"What's this then hey Draco? You're a bit big for a blanket now aren't you?" light heartedly teased Maria.
Taking it as her play around, Lucius answered for him as he felt his son tense in his arms. "He probably is. But mamma got it for you didn't she?"
"While I was in her tummy."
"That's right." Said Lucius and after that he seemed a little more pensive than what he had been for the rest of the night. When his son finished he didn't return to wear he had been sitting, but twisted so he could rest against his father's chest. Without evening realising it, Lucius shift his hold on him so it was more secure and it was in this fashion that the three of them remained for the rest of the night.
When they were sure he was asleep the adults shifted the conversation to Draco who had curled one of his hands about his father's shirt. The other held on to Lucius's hand.
"Everyone says I am a little too indulgent of him still." Lucius sighed as he looked down on him. "What do you think?"
"I think that you're a father who dearly loves his son. No shame in that. Pureblood families so often worry about teaching their sons and daughter about image and status they forget to show them affection. He is not short of that, is he?"
"I hope not."
"How could he be?" she said sweetly. "Your his father..."
He looked at her. She was such a kind girl. She was gentle enough and she had proved herself a society bell.
He had seen enough. Now she and his son got on, there was nothing stopping him.
"But yet he lacks a mother's love. I should very much like him to have a mother Maria. And siblings one day." He said to her. She looked slightly confused by the turn the conversation had taken.
"Sir?"
"Maria...sweet Maria. I don't want you ever to leave us. I want you to stay." His eyes were tender as he looked at his son. It was for him he was doing this. Turning them back to the girl he forced the words out. "Marry me?"
"Oh Lucius. Of course I'll marry you."
It was at that moment Draco awoke from a dream into a nightmare.