AN: This chapter came from nowhere literally, I was intending to get back to Harry with this chapter, but Draco started sneaking around and sticking his nose into things.
Draco Malfoy was many things, pureblooded, good looking and wealthy to name just a few. For those reasons alone he was quite the catch, regardless of any shadow that had been cast over his family by the war. He had caught the eye of many a British witch, the most insistent of them all being his former year mate Pansy Parkinson, as a result he decided to leave Britain behind in pursuit of further education and freedom. He had heard himself, and been warned by others during his final year of school of the plans being made to ensnare him with potion to trap him in a bonding. There was no way he would allow any silly little witch to trap him, he had taken precautions with all his food and drink and planned for his escape.
He had applied to and been accepted into the University of Magie in Paris to pursue a Mastery in potions, something his parents had been exceptionally proud of. His father had been less happy at the thought of him spending the majority of his time in France, but had understood and accepted his reasoning. Draco had a feeling that was more to do with the fact that his mother was already living in Paris and his father was worried that Draco would eventually choose to settle outside of Britain as well leaving him completely alone in the manor.
Draco had no intention of completely abandoning his homeland, but for now it was easier for him to keep his distance. In Paris he wasn't expected to be anything except a student in pursuit of his Mastery, while in Britain he would have been constantly under scrutiny as a result of his part in the war. His attempts on the life of the Headmaster, even though they were failed attempts had left a stain on his character in the eyes of the public, in France hardly anyone knew about his past. He was free to be who he wanted to be and wasn't having to worry about the syncophants who hadn't seen his past deeds as too much of an obstacle to overcome to gain access to the Malfoy fortune.
Returning to Britain full time was not something he planned to do until he had finished his Mastery and had managed to secure the bonding contract that he wanted so that he would be protected from Pansy and all those like her. That wasn't to say that he didn't intend to visit his home and his father of course. The Malfoy wards were certainly more than a match for any of those trying to entrap him, he could spend his time behind them without worry. He wasn't hiding per se, but self preservation had always been a Slytherin trait and if he didn't advertise that he was in the country well he should have no problems while there.
Draco still kept himself aware of what was happening at home of course, between keeping up with media coverage and conversations with his parents he was able to stay informed. He had been more than slightly surprised when his father had started to work with the orphans in Britain, his mother helping them was less surprising, he knew that she was aiming to keep her place in British society even with her divorce and move to France so charitable works would have been high on her list of things to do. His father though, Draco had expected a less hands on approach to restoring the Malfoy name, maybe several million galleons worth of donations to the proper causes, not teaching orphans.
On one of his visits home his father had explained that the orphans themselves would then be indebted to him in a way, the next generation of the House of Wizards looking to Lucius for advice and knowledge would surely be beneficial. Draco had accepted such a Slytherin reasoning, but he knew his father and there was more to it than that he could tell. He didn't push the matter though, knowing that his father was unlikely to admit to anything if he didn't want to.
Upon arriving back in Paris to the flat that he was sharing with Blaise Zabini he had paced their lounge trying to figure out what motivations his father was not admitting to. Blaise had eventually gotten tired of him wearing a path in their plush carpet that he had forced a calming draught down his throat and dragged him off to bed. He had explained to him as they lay in the darkness that whatever his father's plans were would become apparent in time and that Draco worrying himself over them would be pointless. Draco had conceded that he could do nothing to change whatever his father was up to and until he knew what he was up to he couldn't prepare for the fallout so he may as well try to put it out of his mind.
Now that he knew what his father's main motivation had been he wished he was still unaware the saying ignorance is bliss sprang to mind as he overheard his mother conversing with Hermione Granger of all people in her home in Paris. Draco had arrived at his mother's home to see her before he returned to Britain for a few days to spend some time with his father and had spotted Granger sat with his mother. Deciding that he was better off finding out what was going on before bursting in like a Gryffindor he had hidden out of sight listening to their conversation. To say that he was shocked was an understatement, Potter was his father's motivation, or rather Potter-Black that is.
Draco didn't stick around to see his mother as he had planned, apparating straight back to his and Blaise's flat only to find that his boyfriend wasn't home yet. He quickly wrote a note for Blaise leaving it somewhere he would see it when he got home before activating his permanent portkey to Malfoy Manor. Blaise would join him later he hoped as they had originally planned, but first he needed to speak to his father alone and find out exactly what he was thinking.
He strode from the entrance hall where his portkey had brought him straight up to the family dining room where the elf had informed him his father was when it had come to retrieve his cloak. He had ordered the elf not to inform his father he had arrived if he wasn't already aware, he was hoping to catch him off guard and get some answers from him that way, as his father could be notoriously hard to get information from when he didn't want to talk.
"Father, we need to talk." Draco called out as he walked into the room, at first not taking in that Lucius wasn't actually alone and that the subject of the conversation Draco wanted to have was sat across from him. When he did notice him, mere seconds later he became more composed, greeting him properly as one should the Lord of one of his Houses.
"Lord Potter-Black," Draco greeted him, "Father, I apologise for the intrusion." Draco began, manners and common sense returning to him abruptly. "Father I shall wait in your study for you to finish with your meal."
Draco then retreated quickly before either of them could respond, almost running to his father's study to put some distance between himself and what he had just seen. Was his father courting Potter-Black? Had he just walked in on them on an intimate dinner date? His father was certainly dressed comfortably, impeccably of course, but he was wearing one of his favourite robes, ones that he only ever wore around family. Draco had never seen his father so relaxed around anyone other than his mother, godfather or himself; he was still reserved around Markus and his mother had been involved with him for some time now and his father fully approved of the man.
As time stretched on while Draco waited for his father to join him he wondered at his folly, rushing in like a foolish Gryffindor he hadn't expected anyone to be in his home except his father. He wondered how long his father would be and chastised himself for wondering exactly what was happening between his father and Potter-Black in the dining room right now, he wasn't sure he actually wanted to know.