Chapter 41

Draco went back to school in a rather eager mood. The first one up that morning, by the time they were ready to go to the train station he was buzzing. He had to get to the Gryffindor's and he had to tell them what he knew. Nicolas Flamel was an alchemist. He had made a Philosophers Stone and that was what had been taken from Gringotts. It had to be. It made sense. The stone would be small enough to go in the packet Harry had described.

His father took him back to the platform in a sober mood, in one quite the opposite to the mood of his son was in. Lucius had to say he had never enjoyed the time he had had with his son so much. After he had had Jane call on them the two of them had spent time together playing chess, reminiscing and generally playing about together. It had all in all, been another wonderful Christmas for the two of them. It had been so like the old days when Lucius had had his son with him all the time. And the thought of sending his son back to Hogwarts just to be alone again haunted him. It was not what he wanted.

But there was no denying it – Draco was not reluctant to go back, in no way. Rather, he was itching too. He remembered that boy who had had tears in his eyes at the thought of leaving him. It was not the same boy that was for sure. This boy was one that was more than happy leave him.

"I am going to see you at Easter then son, and I promise – we will go out flying together then." Lucius said wishing he had been softer on his son as they walked up the platform. He wished the two of them had gone out over there snow covered land. Now he was about to lose the boy again he felt as if he had been too harsh on him. He had done one thing wrong and so he should have had one punishment. He did not know why, in his sentiment state that he had pushed on with it.

"Sounds good dad," said Draco, as he gave him a one armed hug. He felt much more confident than when he had been getting on the train beforehand. He knew that nothing was going to happen to his father and when he got home for summer things were going to be as they had been that winter and the years before. Just the few of them. Them and Eliza and with any luck they might get Jane back for the summer too. Her new employers after all could not deny her a holiday, could they? It had just happened she had holiday with them when she had been working for the Malfoys as she had got on with them so well. France without Jane would be.... weird.

"I'll be home for summer."

"I'll see you in a few months then my son."

"Bye dad." Said Draco as he run off to the train, so quickly that his father did not even have time to ruffle his hair. He would really like to tell the boys about what had happened, what he had found before anyone else. However, as Hermione was the first one he was going to see she was going to have to do.

"Bye son." Whispered Lucius, who despite the fact knew in his heart of hearts that his son treasured him just as much as he did the boy could not shake the feeling he had been rejected. He was foolish to pine for affection he knew he had – but it was how he felt. If only he had Cissy or another child, then they would be able to soothe him. As it was though, he did not. He had an eleven year old boy was loved to lead his own life so it seemed.

That was only fit and right.

As soon as he was on the train, Draco begun to seek out the girl who he knew was going to be proud or him – or at least he hoped so. He had after all figured out something they had been after for quite some time, pretty much all by himself.

As he searched, he did his best to keep out of the view of his fellow Ravenclaw's and his Slytherin 'friends.' He was going to make sure to make up with them that term. But not yet.

When he did get to her, he was unsurprised to see she had already settled herself. She had a book in her hands and she had found a deserted carriage. Due to the fact there were less people going back than there had been at the end of the summer there were a lot more of them.

When she looked up at him though, he saw that there was a kook of almost resent on her face.

The problem was for her that she had begun to suspect him of being something he was not. When she had gone into the wizarding world she had of course quickly learned there were some families who thought they were better than others because they had been witches and wizards for generations. There were those who would characterise her as nothing more than a dumb muggle (though how anyone could consider her dumb was a mystery to all who knew her). She had heard the Malfoy's were one of those families. And she would not have believed it.

Till she had seen how eager the young heir was to get away from her.

He had not been able to wait to get off the train before she did. She had felt he was ashamed of their friendship. She had never got that feeling before but when she did it, had spread through her body and saddened her more than she could say.

"Hey Hermione, did you have a good Christmas?" as he went into the compartment and flopped back into the seat, trying to ignore the fact she was obviously off with him. Before she had said anything he had figured that much out for himself.

"It was ok." She offered, but no more. Silence took hold of the carriage as she turned back to her book.

"Well, are you not going to ask me how mine was?" he asked. He would rather that she was aggravating him than ignoring him.

She thought he was being idiotic.

"How was your Christmas Draco?" she asked while rolling her eyes.

"It was fine – I had quite a bit of success actually. I found out who Nicholas Flamel is."

Suddenly he knew for the first time since he had gone into the carriage he had her attention and she looked at him as if he was a bestselling new book that would enable her to pass all the exams they had coming at the end of the year.

"Well I have to go and find the others, you know? Catch up with my Ravenclaw friends who actually treat me as if I am worth something. See you when we get back to the school Hermione." He drawled as he got up, all ready to go and find the others. He would not be able to tell them about Nicholas Flamel (though he dared say his Ravenclaw companions already knew) but he would enjoy their company much more.

"No, don't go, wait!" she begged him.

"Why should I? Am I all of a sudden worthy of your company not that I know something which you so clearly wish too?

How dare he act as if he had been the one who had been hurt?, thought to herself furiously. Though they were more alike than either of the stubborn children cared to admit, neither would give up or wished to admit to that.

She realised then that she had been stewing herself up to seeing him again. And then there was always the possibility that he had not been ashamed of her – he had been telling the truth. And yet it had bothered her.

Not wishing the new term to start on such a bad foot, she sighed "Please don't go."

He flopped, now in a bad mood, back down.

"Are you going to tell me what I have done to offend you or am I going to have to guess?" he said with spite in his voice, which was a rare sound indeed. As well as that, the sneer that followed would have served to make even his uncle proud of him.

"When we got off of the train at the end of last term? Why did you run off?" she asked, never to bone to beat about the bush.

"What do you mean?" he had forgotten about the incident over Christmas, that much was clear. That was how much it had mattered to him.

"We sat together for the whole way, and then when we got to the station you rushed off." She muttered suddenly feeling foolish. It didn't sound so bad when you said it out loud.

"Yes?" he urged her to go on, not understanding the problem she had.

"It felt as if you were ashamed to be seen with me." She said quickly well aware that what she was going to say next might well offend him. "When I came into this world there were people who warned me that there were some families who judged witches and wizards by what type of blood they had."

"And they said that my family was one such?" he guessed, knowing well that was indeed his father's opinion. He hated that was how some perceived the Malfoy's. It was not how he wanted to be seen.

He nodded. For the first time, she found that he was unreadable to her.

"Asides from that one time when I was excited to be going home to see the only parent I have ever had, have I ever given you a hint that that might be my way of thinking?" he questioned her this time more gently.

The words his aunt had said to him still rung in his head. The fact he had been so careful not to act as if he did not care what sort of blood one person had from another, made the accusation sting more. He had to admit had he not spoke to his aunt, he would have been inclined to agree with his father. Surely it stood to reason that if a father was a great wizard then so would his son be? He hoped that was true.

If a magical child had no magical parents, then how could it be so prepared to go into the world of magic? And yet he was the first one to admit that she was far more intelligent than he could ever hope to be.

She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Hermione, honestly don't get so worked up – all I wanted to do was see my dad." He half lied. Just because she had guessed right did not mean he was going to admit to it.

She nodded. "I am sorry."

"Its fine," he said as guilt hit at his stomach. It was obvious she had been dwelling on it and it was so clear the thought of his shame had been making her miserable, as it would any friend. "Now let me who Flamel is." He said trying to change the subject.

-

When he got back to school, he was soon to learn that he was not the only one to have had an interesting Christmas, to say the least. Near of the first things that Harry had told him when he spoke to him was about the room with the mirror where he had seen his mother and his father.

"I saw them – they were really there, my mother and my father. I saw them." He said excitedly.

"Do you think if I were to stand in front of the mirror then I would have seen my mother?"

"I don't know – if she was what you want more than anything in the world I suppose." said Harry knowing already from the look in Draco's eyes that she was. The fact they were both motherless had been the thing that had first bonded them to begin with.

"Did you have a good visit to your father?" asked Harry soon wanting to draw the conversation back from where it had been heading.

Draco was grateful.

"Yes, it was good fun – though he stuck to his word. I did not get to go out on my broom once."

"Tragedy." Teased Harry lightly.

Draco blushed, again feeling rotten that he had had the chance to know parental love in a way he was well aware that his friend was never going too.

"I know – awful isn't it?" he kept the light banter between them going, pushing back his guilt.

"You really love your dad don't you?" Harry asked. He did know where the question had come from or how it had come out so easily. But it had.

Draco nodded. "He is a great man my father. The very best."

-

When the time came for the snow to melt away from Hogwarts sadness seemed to engulf the castle. The snow had given the Hogwarts ground an extra layer of magic (not that it needed it) and the melting of the snow symbolised the fact that the holidays were well and truly over.

Sooner than young master Malfoy would have liked, he found himself back in the classroom. They were soon back to Potions, Trasnfigurations and History of Magic and as their teachers liked to remind them, the end of year exams were getting closer and closer. Whether they got into their second year depended on their results, not that any of the Ravenclaw's had any real concerns about not passing.

Severus watched from afar as Draco settled himself back into Hogwarts life with far more speed than he had settled into his first term. The visit back to his father had only increased his confidence and his grief did not seem to be setting him back. Severus had seen though how the manor had seemed to freeze in time when the buy was not there when he had visited. He had long known the lad was the centre of his father's universe but Severus was unsure it was healthy for Lucius to stop his life nearly all together when his son was not there.

Not only that but he hoped that Draco had not got the wrong idea. There was going to be a day when he went home to find that there had been change. One day, he was going to have to face that. And it would be cruel not prepare for that. Severus could only hope that was a lesson Draco would not learn the hard way.

Since they had returned to school he often found himself uncomfortable with Hermione though. Things were getting better between the two of them but only very slowly. The fact she had thought he was capable of such hatred annoyed him – and that she had guessed right, that he had wanted to hide her from his father, riddled, him with guilt.

So he went to see the only person he felt could help him.

"So let's have a recap on this shall we cousin mine?" Tonks muttered as they walked about the lake. "To me it sounds as if you were not trying to get away from her because of her blood type but trying to keep her away from uncle so you would not get into trouble." She said to him, trying to decide if it was any better that he acted one way about his father and another way about his friends.

It was beginning to dawn on her that many people about her small cousin had more than one face that they presented to the world and another for their private life. For one so young as Draco – one so innocent as him also - it had to be confusing.

"I don't care what type of blood people have – really it does not bother me!" He confided in her. The more he had thought on it, the more he had realised just how true that was. He had always loved his Uncle Ted dearly and since he had got to Hogwarts he had found that more and more of his friends were not what you would call pureblood. He found he was incapable of liking or disliking someone based on something such as the blood that runs through their veins.

To think that such a thing mattered so much to some wizards baffled him exceedingly; even more so as one of those wizards was his father. Had it not been for his aunt and what she had said to him, he was not sure he would not have just taken what his father had said to him as gospel. But the more he thought about it, the more he believed it was his father who was wrong.

He thanked god that he had Andy as a mentor… he only wished that what he was beginning to believe more and more did not go against everything what the people who had raised him believed.

Yet as he said those words, he saw the look that his cousin gave him. It was a strange expression and he did not pick up on it, but the truth was it was a look of pure and utter pride.

"What?" he asked her.

She gave a light laugh that proved no matter how much of a klutz she was, already the daughter of the runaway black sister was already wise beyond her years.

"I don't think I have ever loved you more kid," she said as she through her arms about him and kissed him only to be met by squirms of displeasure.

After all, she remembered he was only an eleven year old boy and even if he was thinking for himself, it was common knowledge that eleven year old boys did not let cousins kiss them in public.

-

So as I told you, while I am happy when Slytherin win, I was more than happy when we beat them this Saturday. Asides from the Quidditch game, very little has happened since I got back to school and I find my thoughts more and more turning to the summer holidays already. I cannot wait to return so that the two of us can go out flying together.

I miss you and your company very much,

Your loving son,

Draco.

Lucius tried to remember at what point in his own life his writing had become to be more formal and refined than it had been when he had been young. Had it been at eleven? Probably.

Draco's letters were turning more and more formal, and while he was grateful or the sentiments he was expressing he also wished that they were more childish. He wanted his son to be a child. Yet at the same time Hogwarts had the effect of turning boys into men.

He knew that, he had to accept it. His boy was growing.

He picked up his own quill.

Dearest Prince, he begun for he had rather taken to that as being a good beginning for all the letters he wrote to his son,

I assure you that while Ravenclaw may have got lucky on Saturday, Slytherin will indeed come good in the end. That is a promise...

-

"Honestly Draco if you have only come here to sigh all day long, then will you please go to another table. I am trying to studying for the exams."

"And what do you think I am trying to do?"

"Avoid Mandy of course."

It was about this time Hermione and Draco knew that there friendship was restored to how it had been before they had had rather fight. When they found they were once again able to tease one another in such a light hearted way.

The reason that he felt such a need to hide away in the library was indeed Mandy. From what had happened in September she had seemed to develop what could only be described as a crush on the Malloy heir, which he thought was idiotic. He liked her as a friend and nothing more; girls were – for lack of a better word – icky.

So as Valentine's Day dawned over Hogwarts Draco had decided the best way to keep safe was to give the girl a wide birth altogether. The Gryffindor's were good distraction.

That said, he did have more options than them. Just as Severus had predicated, children had short memories in some cases and when he had returned from the manor the Slytherin boys had been fine with him. In fact they were acting as if nothing had ever happened. He was curious as to why they were suddenly so friendly again but not so much that he was going to ask them why. As long as he had his friends about him, he was not entirely sure he cared.

Besides, the more friends he had, the more shields he had to protect him from Mandy. Yet still it had been the Gryffindor's he had found first when he got the library and so they were for now the shields he was using for now.

Upon hearing Hermione's correct guess, Ron could not help but snigger at Draco.

"Well, I don't see you with any girls who want to be your valentine Weasley." Said Draco as a way of defending himself yet this only seemed to make Ron and Harry laugh at him harder.

Hermione through her quill down. Despite the boy's protest that they had been working, she knew full well that she was the only one who had done anything that could nearly be called productive during the time that they had been at in library.

Due to the fact that spring seemed to coming to the castle early that year, all three of the boys seemed to want to go out of doors and get some fresh air. The more that they sat there and they interrupted her; the more she felt aggravated at them and the louder they laughed. But the look she gave them, Madam Pince was not too pleased with them either.

"Why don't we go down and see Hagrid?" she suggested, feeling the uncommon need herself to get out of the stuffy library.

It was a welcome suggestion. The four of them went to put their books away, met at the front of the castle, and walked down to the hut laughing, little knowing how much they should enjoy the peace that had for the mean time been granted to them.

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