Chapter Two
Draco Malfoy yawned, glowering down at the lists of figures lying on his desk. To call them a mess would be an understatement; by the looks of it Old Edward Hamersley hadn't been the wiz with figures as Harold Pinfold, the director of Hanwell's hospital, had lead Draco to believe. He tutted, as he looked down another column of figures – the amount of money that could have been saved if the old man had been able to add two and two! He shook his head. It was a wonder the hospital hadn't gone under.
He stretched his legs out and leaned back in his chair in an effort to loosen the knotted muscles in his back. He had been working on Hanwell's financial records for the last two hours, trying to put into order the chaotic mess that had been handed to him by a relieved looking Edward only a few days ago. He was due to take over the position of Finance Director in just over a week, but before that, he had to make some kind of sense of the mass of paperwork littering his desk.
Glancing up at the ornate wall-clock on the opposite wall, Draco smiled for the first time that day and getting up, he pushed the pile of papers away. For now, the work could wait; he had better things to do with his time! Smoothing down his hair, he put away the papers he had been perusing and with a flick of his wand tidied the office. Satisfied with the state of his office, he strode from the room, banging the door shut behind him.
As Draco strode down the empty corridor, he smiled once again at the thought of the afternoon that lay ahead of him. His footsteps rang loudly on the marble tiled floor but he was far too occupied to pay any attention to his surroundings. It was Thursday afternoon; the one afternoon in the week when he could shed his mantel of responsibility and the afternoon he spent at his Aunt Andromeda's nursery.
It had all started innocently enough, he mused as he walked, a few days after his arrival in Britain after his prolonged stay in America, his Aunt had flooed him to ask about his trip and enquire after family relations living in the States. On learning he was at a loose end the next day, she as she was wont to do, had persuaded him to come and spend the afternoon at her nursery, because one of her assistants had an errand to run. Grudgingly, he had obeyed, but oh what an afternoon it had been! He doubted that he had ever had as much fun in one month, as he had had that afternoon. Being covered in paint, taking part in a game of hide and seek, and being forced to crawl through a child's maze in search of treasure, were only some of the delightful things he had been forced to go through. But it hadn't just been the fun activities that had enchanted him; it had been those innocent little children, children to whom the name Malfoy meant very little, children who had accepted him without condemning or prejudging; it was the children that had totally captivated him. That was what he had loved most – the feeling of acceptance and being as one with the children in his care. Being liked for himself had been a new and wonderful feeling, and so he had gone back for more. He had readily agreed when his Aunt, after seeing all the children home, had asked if he would be returning next week.
Reaching the front doors, Draco pushed them open and was assailed by the warm balmy April air. Birdsong could be heard in the quiet of the grounds and a slight breeze ruffled the new leaves. Striding out into the warm sunshine, he reached the Apparition point only known to family and close friends. If he had been in less of a hurry, he would have taken time to admire the beauty of the grounds through which he strode, but his mind was with the children with whom he would be spending the afternoon. Thus, without a single look back at the house, he Disapparated.
A moment later, he reappeared outside a walled garden. A rose trellis could be seen climbing up one wall, covering the mellow red brick with a splash of colour.
Draco pushed open the small gate set into the wall, and a small whitewashed building came into sight. Walking quickly up the path, he pushed open the heavy oak door and stepped into the hall. This was painted a cheerful, gloom dispelling yellow. The sound of children voices could be heard coming from a door on his left.
At Draco's entrance, Andromeda Tonks bustled into the hall to meet him. Like all the Blacks, she was good looking, possessing a tall willowy figure with long dark brown hair pinned up at the nape of her neck. Her eyes were blue, like those of Draco's mother, and she possessed a shrewd look, which had often made him squirm in his youth. Now however, she was smiling, a smudge of paint on her cheek.
"Ah, just the person I need!" she exclaimed, coming forward and hugging him, "Come on then, the children were wondering where you were!"
"I'm not late, am I?" he asked, taking a quick peek at his watch.
"Oh no, you're just in time for the afternoon story – they had the paddling pool out this morning, so they're all pretty shattered!" she smiled, leading the way into the large spacious nursery. Here, pictures of cartoon characters, both muggle and magical, waved down at him, while toys of every description littered the floor and were stacked up in piles against the walls.
"Look who it is children!" Andromeda announced, as she entered the Nursery ahead of Draco. Immediately, several inquisitive faces turned to peer at the person behind her. Before Draco could so much as open his mouth, there were cries of "Uncle!" and small bodies hurled themselves at him from every direction.
"I'll leave you to it then!" grinned his aunt, picking her way through the clamouring children, to scoop up some Lego bricks lying abandoned on the floor.
Draco returned her grin and squatting, pulled all the children he could reach into a hug. The next few minutes were spent in listening to the children's ecstatic cries at seeing him, and hugging each child in turn. He always loved doing this; being wanted for himself and not for the money he could provide. He looked at the eager faces turned up to his, and a feeling of warmth washed over him. He knew each one of these children well, having spent time getting to know them.
After a while, the cries of delight finally died down and he was able to look around the room. His eyes alighted on a small figure standing well back and watching him speculatively. He had never seen this child before and supposed she was new to the nursery. As he watched, she turned away from him and a curious feeling of disappointment washed over him. Shrugging, he turned back to the children surrounding him and smiling down at them, he suggested reading them a story. As he had hoped, this suggestion was met with eagerness, so they all made their way over to the comfortable pile of cushions in one corner, set aside for this purpose.
Draco seated himself on the comfortable chair reserved for the story teller and waited while the children settled themselves around him.
"Aurora darling," Andromeda smiled, going over to the small girl Draco didn't know. "Would you like to sit on Uncle's lap while he reads the story?" The child eyed Draco, then nodded.
"OK," she agreed getting up from her cushion and approaching Draco.
"Aurora," Andromeda explained, smiling fondly down at the small girl, "is new here. She only started on Monday."
Draco smiled at both his Aunt and the girl, then reached forward to pick up the small figure, settling her against him.
"Hello," he greeted, giving the child on his lap his most charming smile, "Aurora… now that is a pretty name!"
The child, ignoring his attempt at friendship, leaned over him and picked up a well-worn book from the table beside him and handed it to him.
"I think we should wead this one," she stated calmly. Around her, there were nods of assent from the other children, all of whom sat watching him expectantly, waiting for him to start the story. He sighed, and opening the book began to read, while his mind wandered.
He studied the face of the child on his lap; her gaze as those of her peers, was riveted on the moving pictures of the story book, so he couldn't see her eyes. Her chestnut ringlets were tied back in a blue ribbon which matched the top and jeans she was wearing. She was a pretty child, there was no doubt of that, and there was a certain appeal in the cool way she had assessed him.
He felt a twinge of something akin to jealousy go through him, and tightened his grip on the battered story book open on Aurora's lap. Her parents didn't know how lucky they were for having such a sweet child – if only he had been so lucky! Money, he thought cynically, couldn't buy you everything as people claimed. He wondered who the child's parents were and made a mental note to ask his Aunt that afternoon.
The sound of a child fidgeting brought his attention back to the group around him. Finishing the story, he waited as the children all got to their feet, preparing to resume their earlier activities. His arm tightened on the child trying to climb off his lap and with the other hand, he tipped her face upwards and stared into her eyes.
"They're grey!" he exclaimed in surprise.
"And so are those of twenty percent of the population," Andromeda said with a smile in her voice, from beside him. "Put her down now, dear." Reluctantly, Draco put the squirming Aurora down and she scampered off to join Jenny Finnegan at the sand pit.
"But aunt, grey eyes are the Malfoy Line Trait, they're…" he began, only to be cut off by an impatient Andromeda.
"Don't be daft, lots of people have grey eyes, you're reading too much into it, that's all."
Draco felt an unexplainable disappointment take hold of him and nodded.
"Sweet little thing," Andromeda mused, watching Aurora and Jenny thoughtfully, "but apparently she has a formidable temper when roused."
"Yeah she is," Draco agreed, watching the two children playing with the sand, "how come I've only just heard of her? I mean, 'Aurora' isn't a name you come across every day."
Andromeda shrugged, "Merlin knows. Her mother preferred that she go to a muggle nursery, but there were too many bursts of accidental magic and the muggles started asking questions – you know what they're like."
"Oh, speaking of her parents, I meant to ask," Draco began, but in that instant, a loud wail filled the room. Both Andromeda and her nephew hurried over to the opposite end of the room where Alex Zabini, a pale thin child, was yelling at the top of his voice. Secretly, Draco had never liked Alex, finding him querulous and tiresome to deal with. Living his aunt to deal with the howling child, he turned, scanning the room and finally spotting what he was looking for. Aurora was standing beside Jenny, and both were engrossed in making what looked like a sand castle. He made his way over to them and watched avidly as the two girls emptied buckets of sand to make what looked like the main part of the building.
"I fink we should've a moat," Jenny said, frowning down at the castle, "My daddy says there's always a moat in castles."
Aurora also looked down at the castle, and Draco noticed that the hair ribbon had been discarded, leaving her ringlets to fall haphazardly into her eyes – Merlin she looked cute!
"Hmmm, but the pwoblem is, a moat's always on the outside of the castle and then we'd also need a dwaw bwidge for people to walk over. "
"Well, let's get some water and put it round the castle and we can make the bridge to go over it, but if anyone comes that we don't like, we can put the bridge up so they can't cross it," Jenny suggested in her practical way.
Draco had to bite back a laugh at the architectural discussion going on, and now intervened. "Jenny, I don't think water would be a good idea," he began, only to be met by a glare from both girls.
"Well, how d'you expect us to make a moat then?" Aurora questioned, thrusting out her chin in defiance.
"Well, why don't you pretend?" Draco suggested, to be cut off with a snort from Aurora, who pushed back her hair with one grimy hand and informed him haughtily,
"Look, we aren't babies that we have to pwetend you know, I'm four now and so's Jenny! Go and play with someone else, if you're just going to be silly and get in the way!"
"Yeah," agreed an equally annoyed Jenny, "go away and play with someone else – we don't want your help."
Draco stared at the two girls biting back a grin; clearly, he had said the wrong thing and so tried again, "Well then, young ladies, how about if I make the drawbridge for you, and Jenny – can you get the water for the moat?" He waited for a reaction but when it came, it surprised him.
"What? So you're going to play with us?" A none-too-pleased Aurora frowned, "But we don't want you to play with us, we want to play by ourselves!"
She turned away, while Jenny yawned. Losing interest in the game, Jenny wandered off; she was clearly tired and didn't feel up to an argument. Aurora too stifled a yawn and then to Draco's surprise demanded, "I want Mummy, where is she?"
"Err," Draco began, not knowing what to do next, but the child took the decision out of his hands.
"Auntie!" she yelled, and Andromeda came over, "I want Mummy, where is she?"
Andromeda scooped her up and sighed resignedly, as she brushed sand from Aurora's cheeks. "Darling, mummy's at work remember?" Behind Andromeda, there was a crash and she wheeled round.
"Here, I'll take Aurora," Draco volunteered taking the small figure from Andromeda's arms.
"Thanks," she smiled gratefully, "she's tired – just read her a story or something, and she'll drop off." Then she mouthed, "Just don't mention her family or there'll be tears!"
Draco nodded and carried the girl over to the chair he had been sitting in earlier. Sitting down, he drew Aurora's head on to his shoulder and picked up a book.
"I don't want a stowy," she sniffed, looking up at him through sleepy eyes.
"OK, then what would you like to do?"
Instead of answering his question, she posed one of her own, "What's your name?"
"Uncle," he replied promptly.
"Uncle what? Uncles always have names – I mean I have lots of uncles and they all have diffewent names."
Draco frowned, for a moment he was tempted to tell her his real name, but an instinct he could not name stopped him; what if she went home and told her parents about him? It was not likely, but her parents may not appreciate Draco Malfoy spending time with their child – it was possible however remotely, that they belonged to the handful of fools who still viewed him with suspicion. No, it was better to hide his identity for a while. Also, seven years in Slytherin had taken their toll on him, and caution was now second nature to him. He would give her a false name just to be safe. He cast around for a name he could use and then his maternal Grandfather's name, Maximus, popped into his head – that would do.
"Uncle Maximus," He responded smiling, "Max for short."
Aurora seemed content with this and yawned loudly.
"We were swimming this morning," she began sleepily, "why weren't you there?"
"I was working, angel," he replied, resisting the urge to bury his face in her curls. The feeling of a deep paternal longing was growing within him and he cursed inwardly.
No one knew how much he craved a family of his own, children such as this one who would love him unconditionally and a wife who would… he sighed, and with an effort he reined in his thoughts. No, he couldn't think about that, he couldn't. He focused once more on the sweet sleepy face upturned to his; did her parents know how lucky they were to have such a lovely, beautiful, and intelligent child? He bet they had no idea. He enjoyed playing with all the children here – well, maybe not the Zabini brat, but this one, this cherub in his arms… there was something about her, something that seemed to tug at his very soul. She was the epitome of what he would want his own child to look like – beautiful and spirited.
He scowled, giving into the thoughts badgering at him. If only his own attempt at procreation a few years back had worked – perhaps he should have added a fertility potion to the other one, when he had put it into her her drink, that would have done the trick – but at the time he had been so sure it was her time of the month to conceive. The tests he had surreptitiously cast had indicated so, and he had checked and double-checked before he had instigated his plan. Damn the woman! Trust her to mess things up! If his plan had worked, he thought sourly, not only would he have her for his wife, he would also at least have one child with her by now.
Aurora's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he smiled down at her.
"Sorry Angel, what were you saying?"
"I wanted to know what you were thinking about. You were fwowning. Mummy always does that when she thinks about things," said the ever-curious Aurora.
"Oh, I wasn't thinking about much," he hedged, "just this and that."
"That's what Mummy and Gwan say when they don't want me to ask questions, when they're thinking about something important," she replied shrewdly. His eyes widened in surprise but an idea slid into his mind. She had been the one to mention her family and not him – surely if he asked her a few questions, she would not get upset?
"Angel," he began tentatively, "what is your surname?"
"What?" she asked, a frown drawing her brows together.
"Your surname princess, your last name."
Aurora felt tired, and so didn't relish being asked tedious questions by someone who would surely know her last name! Anyway, she felt angry at this man for interrupting her game with Jenny – serve him right if she was difficult! She was in her what Ron Weasley termed her 'play dumb' mood, where she would refuse to answer the questions when she knew the answer full well. It was a mood that was guaranteed to make her mother exasperated and lose her temper, but Draco Malfoy was unaware of this as he sat trying to cajole information from a child, who through the efforts of her uncles Fred and George, as well as her own genetic make-up, knew all about the art of obfuscation.
"It's Auwowa, you know that!" she smiled looking up at him guilelessly. Draco sighed; this wasn't as easy as he had supposed so he tried another tack.
"OK then, so tell me, what is mummy's name? You know the answer to that don't you, Angel?"
"Oh yes, that's easy," Aurora beamed. Draco returned her smile in anticipation. "Mummy's name is Mummy!"
"No darling," he took a deep breath. "What I meant was, what do other people, your grandparents for example, call her?"
"They call her 'your Mummy' or sometimes just 'Mummy'," the child answered, innocently swinging one trainer-clad foot back and forth, as she fiddled with the signet ring on Draco's right hand.
He closed his eyes – Merlin give him patience, she was too bright not to know what he was talking about, so why was she doing this? But he was not done yet; smiling, he asked now, "Darling, what is your full name? Aurora, and then what?"
For a moment, she looked non-plussed and his hopes rose; maybe now he would hear what he wanted to. Then she perked up and said sweetly, "It's Auwowa Elisabeth, but people just call me Auwowa, as Auwowa Elisabeth's too long, and Mummy says it's a mouthful!"
Draco Malfoy didn't know whether to scream with frustration or ruffle the girl's curls. She was certainly playing a game with him –one he had played more times than he cared to remember as a child and even now, indulged in when the mood took him. The instant Aurora took time to figure out how to conceal her last name from him, he had realised what she was doing. Nonetheless, frustration won out, for he was too used to getting his own way in things, and could count on one hand the number of times he had felt like this, and this was without doubt one of them. He gritted his teeth in annoyance – a four year-old had got the better of him – but how? He looked down at the innocent face of this child, the eyes fringed by long thick curling lashes, the mouth smiling so sweetly at him and for the time being, conceded defeat and allowed some of that admiration to peek through. He would be damned if he would let this little oh so adorable chit get the better of him, but Draco was a patient man – there would be other times for him to best her!
Changing the subject, he asked, "So, you're new here, but why did you leave your old nursery?"
Aurora sighed and a look of sadness crossed her face, making him regret his choice of subject. Before he could divert her attention however, she answered, "Don't know… Mummy wanted me to change schools so I did."
"And what about your Daddy, what did he want?"
"Daddy's dead," came the matter-of-fact reply, "he died in the war."
Draco felt sympathy surged through him; poor little thing, fatherless at such a young age. Involuntarily, he tightened his grip on her, the ache within him becoming more intense. He supposed that the father had died in the war against Voldemort, almost three years ago now. Many witches and wizards had died in the struggle, which had finally been won by the Light side. Of course, Harry Potter himself had killed Voldemort. Draco's mouth twisted in a derisive sneer at the thought of his archenemy – even now the name brought a horrid taste into his mouth. Damn heroic Potter and his bloody sidekicks, especially Her!
"Everything OK here?" his aunt's voice broke into his musings, and he looked up to find her gazing down at them, a speculative look in her eyes, "You seemed very far away. Are you ok?"
"Fine," Draco answered, shifting the now dozing Aurora into a more comfortable position on his shoulder.
"Well, it's time this lot were shipped off home," Andromeda smiled, looking relieved, "I must say, today has been an especially hard day for the kids, even by my standards." She bent down and gently removed Aurora from Draco's arms, and tucked a strand of stray curls behind her ear.
"Are you sure you're all right? You look as though you've lost a galleon and found a knut."
"I'm fine!" Draco repeated with a roll of his eyes. He looked down at the face of the child in Andromeda's arms, "I'm just a bit tired; Hanwell's finances are in a mess to put it mildly, and I've been trying to sort them out the whole morning."
"Fair enough," his aunt replied, but he knew she didn't believe him. She had always had a knack of reading him accurately, and now he was willing to bet twenty galleons she knew how he was feeling.
"Look, why don't you go into the house and wait for me there? Hanty will have tea ready, and I don't know about you, but I could surely use a cup. Anyway, Nymphadora said she'd come round this afternoon, and you look as though you could do with some cheering up," she changed the subject.
Hanty was the Tonks' house-elf; she was small with huge bat-like ears and a long pencil nose. Draco suspected that she was a relative of Doby, one of their old house-elves which had been freed. He got to his feet and nodding, glanced one last time round the room. The three girls who helped Andromeda in the Nursery were all busy getting the children ready to go home. He made his way through the bustle of activity, through the hall and outside into the warm spring air.
He wanted to escape before the parents descended on the nursery. He hated inquisitive parents - especially the mothers! The simpering smiles or confidential advice he was subjected to, were often enough to stretch his nerves to breaking point. The advice they imparted was invariably along the lines of "It's time you settled down and had a brood of children of your own!" or "I know of a nice young lady…"
No, he did not need that kind of useless advice.
Taking a quick glance around, he Disapparated just as the first of the parents arrived to collect their offspring.
XoXoXoXo
Draco looked at the cottage standing before him. It was the perfect country cottage – it even had roses growing outside the front door. He had always loved this place as a child, and this love had not diminished over the years. Smiling slightly, he gazed round him fondly and then walking swiftly up the front path pushed open the white painted front doors.
The hall looked dark after the bright afternoon sunlight. For a moment Draco stood quite still, as he frantically tried to make out the hall before him. Gradually however, his eyes focused and he looked round. The hall was littered with family apparel… and what looked like two long narrow planks of wood had been placed haphazardly against one wall, while huge boots the likes of which Draco had never seen, lay beside them. A thick jacket had been slung carelessly over the hall table, pushing the pot plant standing on the table right to the edge. Clearly, his uncle Ted had been home at some point!
Draco, grinning, moved to pull the jacket from the table and draped it over one of the long pieces of wood which he now saw had odd clamp-like thing protruding from one side of it. The thing looked like a muggle torture instrument, and after regarding it suspiciously for a moment, he picked his way over to the door of the sitting room, which stood slightly ajar. He would wait for his Aunt in here, he decided, walking over to the window and gazing out at the small and neatly kept garden.
Fifteen minutes later, he was seated opposite his Aunt, a cup of steaming coffee on the table beside him. Andromeda yawned and stretched. Draco could not help but feel relaxed in her company; he supposed the house too, contributed to the atmosphere of peace and tranquillity in which he was now surrounded.
Leaning forward, he asked curiously, "What are those long thin pieces of wood in the hallway? Surely it isn't firewood?"
"Oh no," said Andromeda chuckling, "they're what Ted calls 'skis' and those ugly old boots beside them are 'ski boots'. You put the boots on first, and then step on to the skis, which clamp onto the boots. Skiing's a muggle sport – something to do with sliding down mountains – I'm not quite sure what!" she shuddered, "Give me a good Quidditch match any day, but Ted seems to enjoy skiing."
"Sounds insane – sliding down mountains!" Draco muttered, helping himself to a large slice of cream cake.
"I sometimes think I'm getting too old to run a nursery – those children really took a great deal out of me today," his aunt continued, smiling ruefully.
"But you're so good at it," Draco pointed out, "I mean this is the best nursery for magical children there is, so surely that must say something? Why don't you get another assistant?"
"No, I don't think so," she shook her head, then smiled enigmatically. "Anyway, we're not here to talk about me, it's you I want to discuss!"
Draco sighed again, to tell his Aunt to mind her own business or words to that effect, had never had any effect on her, and he strongly doubted today would be any different. Oh well, best to get the interrogation over with. He took a sip of his coffee and waited for the inquisition to start.
"So, what's the matter?" Andromeda came to the point – she didn't believe in beating about the bush, preferring instead to cut to the chase.
"I told you – nothing—"
"Draco," she interrupted with a glare, "I've known you for over twenty-five years now, so don't you dare sit there and tell me glibly that there's nothing the matter." She smiled to take the sting from her words and carried on more gently, "You looked positively miserable today. Why? What's happened to make you look like that?"
Draco stared down into his coffee cup wondering what to tell her. How could he tell her the truth? No, he would have to make something up and sharpish; "Oh just this and that, you know what it's like," he shrugged, "it's just been one of those days. I spent over four hours trying to unravel the mess that Hanwell's finances are in. Surely that's enough to give anyone a fit of depression," he grimaced.
"I see," Andromeda replied thoughtfully. "Then maybe you'd care to explain why you looked so glum when I took Aurora from you awhile back?"
"The answer to that," Draco responded, keeping his eyes on his coffee cup, "is I really don't know." He sighed, and looked out of the window to avoid his Aunt's eyes.
"Draco," Andromeda began, leaning forward slightly, "I'm not trying to pry. Honestly. I'm simply worried about you. Something about that child really got to you, but I don't know what. I mean she's a normal four-year-old, with a four-year-old's propensity for tantrums and so on, so why did she have the power to make you look so miserable?"
Draco knew that anything less than the truth would be an insult to his Aunt. She was one of the only two people throughout his life who had been there for him unconditionally and had only ever worried about his welfare. Family status and so on meant nothing to her, and for this, he was immensely grateful. With her, he didn't have to worry about what he said and the kinds of opinions he expressed. Marriage to a muggle-born had certainly broadened her way of thinking – not that she had adhered to the principles indoctrinated into her throughout her childhood.
"I don't know," he repeated and then picking his words carefully, added, "She was… well, she's what I would want my own child to look like if ever I had one. I mean, there was just something about her… well, some of her characteristics… she just reminded me of myself… but how can that be? I mean—" he broke off, not knowing how to finish. He looked down at his right hand, clutching the coffee cup as though it were a lifeline.
"Aurora's a sweet child – there's no doubt about that," his Aunt agreed in a quiet voice. "But Draco, you're reading too much into it. I hate to sound unkind, but I suspect your own longing for children's making you see similarities where there are none."
Draco scowled. What did his Aunt know about anything? She was starting to sound like all those damned mothers, intent on ordering his life for him and he didn't appreciate it.
"You don't know what you're talking about," he began, only to be cut off by a now seething Andromeda who had clearly lost her patience with him.
"No, maybe not, but I've a damned good idea what's going on, and it's high time you listened to me! I don't know much about your past or the girls you were seeing before you had to leave for America, but I'm not blind, Draco! I could tell a great deal simply from observing you! There was a girl – I haven't the faintest idea who, but there was a girl for whom you cared deeply. Otherwise, why would you be indifferent to all those girls Narcissa tried to introduce you to? Each and every one of them you rejected for one reason or another – and each was a lovely girl. It was as though you already knew what you wanted and none of them was her. Do you know? There was even a period when Narcissa actually believed that… she actually believed that… you swung the other way."
Draco gaped and felt the colour tinge his cheeks. Damn his Aunt and mother for discussing him like this! He could just imagine his horrified mother ranting about his supposed interest in his own sex, when he hadn't taken any interest in the girls she had insisted upon parading before him.
Smiling slightly at his embarrassment, Andromeda went on, "As I said, I watched you and to me you didn't look like someone indifferent to women, but someone whose heart had already been given. Well, a few weeks before you left for America, you began to look positively gleeful and I hoped that maybe at last, we'd get to meet the young lady in question. You were quite cheerful when you left for America, but within the first few months of your being there, that cheerful optimism began to fade, to be replaced by an intense bitterness… and that's how you've remained ever since."
"Your powers of observation are truly amazing!" Draco sneered. He felt slightly sick; how had she known? He had thought at the time that his feelings had been well hidden, but this was obviously not the case! What else had she deduced just by observation?
"Stop sneering, it does nothing for you and will give you wrinkles before your time – I'm sure Narcissa's told you that," she simply brushed off her nephew's sarcasm.
He didn't stop sneering; he knew it was childish of him, but pride demanded his aunt didn't see how close she was to the truth.
"Draco, listen to me. It's time you let your past rest and look forward. You've your whole life ahead of you to think of. I mean look at Narcissa! She's put her past behind her and has made a new life for herself – it's high time you did the same too."
"Well, you really can't compare me to Mother!"
"And why not? Your father died when you were only seventeen and she was left alone to bring you up – no easy task I assure you. I'm glad she's found happiness in America. Her second marriage's doing her the world of good, as well you know!"
"But that's different! I mean Father actually died, which is different to what I experienced."
"Oh? How so?" Andromeda's gaze sharpened with interest.
"Well," Draco Hedged wishing heartily that he had kept his mouth shut. "Well…she and I were never really together, we didn't really get on, at least she didn't so..."
"So am I right to say your young lady's still out there for the taking?" andromeda asked cutting off his disjointed explanation.
"Well," Draco evaded, "I'm not sure, I suppose so, but—"
"Then what are you waiting for? Go out there and win her over! You still might have a chance – otherwise someone else may get there first and you'll live to regret it. If she's worth all that much to you, I'm sure that she'll come round to your way of thinking with a bit of persuasion. No doubt she'll have no lack of admirers – and you've wasted enough time, Draco. Stop moping around and get moving."
"No, you don't understand, it isn't as simple as that – there are other factors—" Draco tried in vain to explain, but Andromeda wasn't having any of it.
"You said it yourself, you don't think she's married, so what's the problem? A long-term relationship? But that isn't as though she were married, is it? You won't know if she's committed to anyone unless you find out, will you? But besides that, what else could be the problem?"
"Well, it's complicated, you see—" Draco was now squirming, and very much wishing that he had stayed at the office sorting Hanwell's finances, rather than face his Aunt's brand of logic. "We have a history! Look, we have problems you can know nothing about!" he finally snapped glowering.
There was a pause in which Andromeda watched him over the rim of her cup, and then she said, "OK then, so be it. You have other problems, fine! You know, I thought you had more gumption than to give in after only one try – clearly I was wrong!"
XoXoXoXo
It was late evening, and Draco sat in the rose garden of Malfoy Manner enjoying the last of the light. He leaned back on his bench savouring the silence. In the distance, a lone bird chirped unseen in an oak tree, while the fragrance of early spring flowers filled the air. The light was quickly fading, leaving a red sky in its wake.
This was one of the times of day Draco loved best, the time when day and night switched over. Sunrise and sunset, he mused, were the best parts of any day. His mind went back to the talk he had had that afternoon with his Aunt, and fragments of her advice reverberated loudly in his head; "If she's worth all that much to you … she'll have no lack of admirers – and you've wasted enough time, Draco. Stop moping around and get moving."
It was all very well for his Aunt to talk, he mused, but she didn't know how things stood. He clenched his fists at her last accusation – she had practically called him a coward, but what did she know? Nonetheless, his Aunt did have one point; what if she was married or in a relationship? Immediately, he jumped up, jealousy coursing through him; no she wouldn't be, she couldn't, his Aunt was right – it was high time to take action! The problem was that he didn't know if she was still single. Five years, he reflected, was a very long time. Anything could have happen in that period of time – but how would he know he hadn't a chance if he didn't try?
Draco sat down, a spark of hope entering his heart; what if she was still single? There was still that possibility after all. In fact, knowing her, it might even be probable. What did he have to lose? His Aunt was right – it was time he left the past behind him and looked towards the future. Moreover, there was the Malfoy lineage to consider; he needed an heir to carry on the name and he certainly wasn't going to get one of those by sitting around ogling other people's children. No, it was high time he took his future into his own hands – and by Merlin, even if it killed him, he would yet get what he wanted! That would show his Aunt what he was made of, and stop him from caring for children such as aurora – dam it, he still didn't know the girl's last name!
Thus resolved, he strode off towards the house, as night fell over the peaceful gardens.