Chapter 18
Draco had spent the near hour uncomfortably. Even if he had not been in pain, then he could not say he had enjoyed the sensation of having his sight taken from him.
He did not know how people who were blind coped. He supposed you had to adapt – but after having sight he wondered if you could ever get used to life without it.
Draco was more than glad to find that his healer was skilled in her art and instead of needing the full fifty six minutes to heal him she succeeded in forty seven.
Jane knew that when she got out there in to the real world, such as it was, that it would be harder than it had been that day. She might not have a witness to help her; she might not have time to calm herself and she might not yet have the skill that she needed. She knew this was by no means the end of the tutelage even if she did pass the exam that day. No, she had a long way to go either way.
But it was going to be a start.
As soon as Draco's eyes returned to normal, the first thing he saw was Jane lean down to kiss him, signalling the end of the exam.
Turning to Severus, she shook her head. "That was cruel."
"Maybe but I do think it is needed," said Severus as he knelt down by the two of them and put his hand on his nephews forehead. "I trust you do not feel any the worse for wear."
"Even if I did, which I do not, I would not tell you until you let us know whether or not Jane had passed."
"I am pleased to report she has – at least the practical part."
"Then you are half way there for this part," said Draco as he sat up and smiled at the women who had been so instrumental in raising him.
Jane breathed a sigh of relief. She did not know whether it was because she had passed or whether it was because she could see for herself that he was well again. Whether or not she had healed him was of little consequence to her heart.
As long as he was well nothing else mattered.
But it was not the whole story and she knew it. Her written could hold her back if she was wrong about how it had gone.
"I think you could down with a tea," said Severus. "If not something stronger," he raised his eye brow.
"I would not say no." She nodded.
As she released that it was over she felt her shoulder relax. She had spent so long worrying over the exam that she could almost not believe it was done.
"You understand why I enlisted Draco's help don't you?" asked Severus once they were back in his rooms, the young boy still with them.
"Because it is the Slytherin thing to do?" she asked as she laced her own tea with fire whiskey gratefully.
Her eyes fell on Draco once more. "Stop worrying – I'm fine. You did good."
"Well yes – but that wasn't the only reason." He said as a someone knocked on the door.
"Enter," the potions master called.
"Severus, Master Malfoy - Miss Greenwood this is a pleasant surprise. But then of course you had your exam today."
"Yes headmaster," said Jane as she rose to greet Professor Dumbledore.
"I had come to discuss matters of grievance importance, Severus, but I might be inclined to join you for cake before we do that," said the elder wizard.
"I am sure you would," sneered Severus quietly as he reached for another plate.
The Victoria sponge in the middle of the table suddenly seemed smaller than it had done five minutes ago.
XXX
"Did you know he was going to use Draco as my patient?" Jane asked Lucius later that night once she was home again.
She was sure she would have stayed at the castle longer had it not been for the appearance of the headmaster. As it was she had been keenly aware of the fact that he was waiting to see his master of potions.
And so she had headed home, tired from the events of the day. Lucius had been out when she had returned and so she had gone right to her room to shower and sort herself out.
She was glad to be back at the manor ... but Severus' prank, as it was, still rankled.
She knew that she was not going to get to choose the person she was healing when the war came. And she supposed deep down, the real people she was doing this for was Draco and Lucius. If god forbid something did happen to them she wanted to be on hand to make things better.
Still it had been hard to see him like that... even if it had been as it were a dry run.
Once that she had showered, Jane put on one of her house dresses, her blonde haired tied up in a loose bun.
"No I did not but – well perhaps not entirely beyond belief," Lucius said as he rose to greet her in the living room. "But how did it go?" he asked. "Asides from your little surprise."
"I think well – you know Sev, he was pretty unreadable but I feel fairly confident." She said with a smile.
"Then that is good enough for me – tonight we celebrate the exam being over – then we can celebrate again when you pass."
"Celebrate? Not yet. There is no rest for the wicked and I have to begin work at this dinner you want me to host."
She had never done so before – she could barely remembered when they had had a society event at their home – and when she did remember what it had been she would rather not think about it.
"Well, yes I do but you do not have to start tonight. I am sure you can give yourself at least one night off. "
"Not at all," laughed Jane as she thought of all she had to do. "This is going to be a society dinner like no other."
"A party of special significance?"
"Something like that."
He watched as she walked into the dining room, banging slightly into the table as she did so.
"It is not too late to elect to host on your own."
"Not at all."
"I am going to go and get on with the menu, if you can sort the guest list. I am right in thinking that we are going to be joined by a lot of Slytherins?"
"Almost exclusively."
Taking out her memorandum book, she sat at the table.
"Now, starter," she said as she sat back and looked at him.
Jane just about knew what she was doing as she tried to make preparations. Her mother had given her very basic training when she had been a girl, but it had not been expected that she would preside over a great household. Lucius also made available to her Narcissa's old advice books. She also drew from the memory of her ratherly overly grand grandmother.
Especially for the situation they had been in - but then her grandmamma had been one of life's characters at no mistake.
XXX
Even when they had managed to get into the restricted section of the library to try and find something out on how to breathe under water, Hermione had Draco had had no joy.
There were the obvious solution. And then there were the more wacky suggestions.
"Viktor said he was going to try and use the bubble head charm," she said as the two of them were walking down to the Great Hall. Time was getting tight. With only three days to go until their best friend had to face the second chance, Hermione was beginning to think that anything was worth a go.
She had not meant to betray the confidence of Viktor Krum. She knew it had gone unsaid that he did not wish her to confide this to any of her friends.
But the fact was she cared for Harry a lot more than she did for Viktor. He was a brother to her.
And she was going to do everything she could to help him succeed.
"I do not think that is going to be Harry's style somehow." Sighed Draco.
He just didn't see how it could work – but then if it was all they had to go on.
The two of them had been about to go in and take their seats when they felt a hand on the back of each of their arms.
Turning they both saw a tentative Harry at the same time – he had a brave smile on his face. "I think I know how I am going to get through the second task."
XXX
"Neville,. this is bloody genius, where did you find it?" asked Ron as he sat down.
In spite of the fact that Hermione and Draco had just come from there and were rather hungry, they had had little choice but to return to the library.
"It was in the book which professor Slughorn gave to me. You remember that I went to tea with him that day after –" and then he feel silent.
None of his friends needed to be reminded of the day which he was referring too.
"And you sure it is going work?" asked Draco.
Neville shrugged. "You have read what I have."
"It is convincing enough," Hermione shrugged.
"And it's all I've got."
XXX
The atmosphere at the second task was very much as it had been at the first. Tense.
Of course, with it being held under the depths of the lake there was not so much to see as there had been when a fire breathing dragon in the arena where the students of Hogwarts had also been.
But that did not mean the tension could not be felt – it was.
The only real difference between the first task and the second was that Ron was with Draco and Hermione as they watched. The three of them were not on their own.
Ginny and a rather nervous Neville stood with them and the twins.
"It is working isn't' it?" asked the young Longbottom.
He had been so happy when he had been the one to come up with a solution to a problem that he had not considered what he would feel when Harry was down there.
He was not used to thing he did going right.
"It is going to be fine," Hermione sighed though she had no idea if she was telling the truth.
She so wished they had had a bit more time to experiment with the gillyweed. If they had then they might have gone to the bathroom and tested it out. They might have figured out how much they had needed and how long the effect would last.
She turned to Draco and found that as much as he wanted to he could not give her any comfort.
And so the two of them stood there with the rest of the school.
Draco wondered what it was like to be one of the other students. To just be there for the lark of and to not care so much over the contestants.
He would never know.
XXX
In the end Draco thought Harry did very well in the second task. It had been harder, or at least, just as hard as the first one for which he was sure his friend had been better prepared. He was of course a noble fool at the end of it but he did not much care about Harry winning - survival was enough.
When the list came round for those student who wished to remain at Hogwarts for the Easter, Draco did not give it so much as a passing thought. He knew that to keep up the charade of him and Lucius being distant he should remain where he was.
But he so longed for the comforts of home.
In fact if it was up to him then he would go home even sooner.
In the letters he had been receiving from both his father and his guardian, he had been hearing all about the dinner party they were planning.
His almost sounded as if he was looking forward got it but he knew Jane was a bit more nervy he thought. If he was any judge of character then he could read her nerves through her letter.
He had always known that Jane was a lot happier in the shadows than she was in the foreground. If she had been mistress of a house in her own right when she had been very young she would have got used to it...
But as it was...
XXX
"I hate it."
Jane had no problem with being a girly girl from time to time. It was not as if she did not wear a dress most days about the house.
But to wear a pink ball gown was not her style and it was never going to be. Not as long as she had free will in her body. Her mind went to the grave yard down by the old church in the village. She wondered if this was the sort of thing that the women who was to be her mistress would have worn.
If she only knew one thing about Narcissa, it was how much better she would have been for Lucius the night of the dinner.
"So chose another," Lucius shrugged from wear he sat on the sofa leafing through an old book.
He knew part of her was trying to get out of being his hostess as the night got closer. And she knew he was not going to let her out of it.
XXX
"Draco."
Of all the times the young Ravenclaw did not want to speak to his uncle, this was high up on them.
At last, it was Saturday – and that meant he was allowed to go into Hogsmeade - and when he got there he was going to be able to see Sirius, which in spite of the reservations he would willingly admit to having when it came to his cousin, he had longed to do since the night he had left the Malfoy manor.
"What's up?" he said as he turned. He had to deal with him quickly so he could meet up with the others in good time to see the Animagus.
Draco saw his uncle was not happy as soon as he looked at him.
"You know I have always given you lee way here – but do not push my limits."
"What ever you are talking about - I have no idea," said Draco as he shook his head.
"The gillyweed, Draco. You may be my nephew and the two of us are close but do not over step the mark by giving your friends leave to go in to my private store cupboard."
"Severus, I am crap at lying to you – so when I say I didn't do it – you have got to believe me."
"Then I suggest you find out which one of your friends did it and tell them they are not on my Christmas card list any more. I mean it, Draco."
He nodded. He could tell that.
"I'll speak to them."
And then a severely pissed off Severus walked stalked off to the dungeons.
Wonderful, thought Draco.
But it was not as if he had a lot of time to dwell on it just then. He had to meet the others.
In spite of the fact that he had got caught by his uncle, Draco was not late to met Ron, Harry and Hermione. It was clear that they had been to the kitchen before they had come to him by the smell of chicken and other goodies that were wafting from the Harry's bag.
"Are you ok?" Ron asked him. His face must have been slightly stony after Severus.
"Yeah." The three of them were going to be able to talk about it later. Right now they had to focus on the escaped convict rather than the ex death eater.
The five of them met at half past one as they had planned. Part of Draco had been nervous when they had arranged to met in Hogsmeade. As much as Sirius had been successful at evading the authorities so far, it was only going to take one time and then he was going to be gone for good.
But for now he seemed to be safe enough just hanging out as a big black dog. As soon as the mutt saw the lot of them walking along, he bounded up to them, greeted them all with a lick and then led them up to the small cave where the meeting was going to take place.
As soon as the man transformed though, Sirius made it clear to him that he was just as glad to see the food as he was them.
"It is good to see you guys," he said as he munched on his chicken. "All of you, in one piece. This is a good start."
"Well, we do not know how long that one is going to last so make the most of it," Harry said to his godfather.
He was so glad to see him.
To know he was out there and not to be allowed to see him had been hard on him.
To begin with the foursome of students discussed the newspaper headlines with Sirius – the missing ministry worker as well as Barty Crouch's illness.
"If he is really ill then it is nothing less than what he d Hermione stated.
"Winky?"
"His house elf." Hermione explained to animagus. The amused look of the three boys gave Sirius all he needed to know about what they thought of this passion of hers.
But it was clear Sirius thought that there was something fishy going on there by the way that he then run through the events of the night of the Quidditch world cup. It struck Draco as they run through them yet again how long ago that night seemed.
It had been the last time he had got the chance to see his mother.
Draco shook his head and returned to the conversation to find out that Sirius was then giving his own analysis on Barty Crouch, the man who they found out has sent him to prison without a trial, having already discussed Ludo Bagman.
Draco felt a swell of pride in Hermione as Sirius told Ron she had the better measure of Crouch.
"To get the real measure of the man, you have to look at the way that he treats his inferiors."
Draco wondered what that said about his father – today and in the past.
It was not long until Sirius told them what the first wizarding war and the panic which had rained down on the world. Lucius had been part of that.
That was why Sirius had been sent to prison without a trial. That was why Draco did have a hard time with his father's past.
He might have been forgiven after the way he had been stepping up of late. But the thought of what the death eaters had done in the past mad his skin crawl.
"Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching dark wizards." Harry told Sirius.
"Yeah, I've heard it's become a mania with him, if you ask me. He still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more death eater."
"And he sneaked up here to search Snape's office!" Ron told Sirius with a smile on his face.
"Yes, and that doesn't make any sense at all."
"Yes, it does," said Ron excitedly.
"Listen, if Crouch wants to investigate Snape, why hadn't he been coming to judge the tournament? It would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to Hogwarts and keep an eye on him."
"So you think Snape could be up to something then?" asked Harry.
"Harry, Sev can be an idiot but he is not up to anything."
"I fear you trust too easily little cousin." Sirius turned to him.
"No, actually that is the last thing I do. But I know him."
"Everyone has a Mr. Jekyll to their Doctor Hyde."
In order to try and stop the boys arguing, Hermione turned to Sirius. "What do you think?"
"Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I've wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape's always been fascinated by the Dark arts, he was famous for it at school. I am sorry Draco, but when were known at school he was known for his slimy, oily, greasy hair. He knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year. He was part of a gang of Slytherin's who nearly all turned out to be death Eatars." He ran through a list of them, concluding that: "Snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble."
Draco run a hand through his hair and moved to the front of the cave. Sirius had to be able to say what he did to the others but he was having a bit of a hard time hearing it.
As he stood there he felt Hermione touch his hand – but she did not leave the conversation.
"Listen, it is not going to be long before people notice the fourth champion and the boy who lived is not about so you lot had better get off." Said Sirius as he looked at his godson. He still found it hard – it still hurt how much he looked liked his dad. Opening his arms, he took the lad who he had rocked to sleep with in his embrace once more, kissing his cheek. "Be brave."
Harry smiled as Ron and Hermione said their own good bye to Sirius.
Draco nodded to Sirius to who looked slightly sadden. "You got five minutes cousin?" he asked.
Draco did not much feel like hanging out with him, but stayed behind. "I am going to catch up with you guys in a minute."
As the troop of Gryffindor's head off back to the village, the two members of the Black family sized one another up.
"Ok, so I am beginning to think you are pretty much as loyal as a Hufflepuff. And I know that could not be very easy for you to hear. Draco in another life the two of us would never even of met."
"A life where my mother survived."
Sirius nodded. "What did you mean I am nothing like her? When you said I was nothing like mum or dad."
"I mean to say there is a hell of a lot of light in you. I mean to say you are more than capable of making the right choices, which they were not at the time."
"But they are my parents. I know he was a bit of a shit back in the day – they both were – but dad and Sev aren't like that anymore."
"I get that you love them. And it's just confirmed what I know of you. But you can be so much more than your father's son."
"Give me the truth." Draco requested. Sirius nodded. "My mother in three words."
"Stuck up bitch."
Draco nodded. He had never got that story of his mother before.
Putting his head in his hands, rubbing his face, Draco sighed.
"You were the one who said the least Draco but I have a feeling you see the most; your more ready for this than the other three put together aren't you?."
Looking in to his cousins eyes, Sirius cupped his cheeks. "What horror have you seen?"
"One that makes me understand that this is going to be savage."
Sirius nodded and pulled Draco in to his arms as he had done Harry.
"The sorting hat lied. You're a lion as much as I am."
"What if I'm not?" asked Draco as his eyes filled with unwanted tears.
"You are."
XXX
"Oh it is so good to see you," said Jane as she run down the stairs and took her old charge in her arms.
Was it just her or was Draco holding on to her tighter than he usually did.
Kissing his forehead she sighed.
"Easter didn't come soon enough, hey my darling?"
"Not even nearly."
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Disclaimer: Some of the scene with Sirius came straight from GoF as in, not mine.