Two


Lorelei hides behind a family of redheads. Despite her brown, curly hair, she was practically invisible to them. They're loud and they're too absorbed in their atmosphere of noise to realise that she's there.

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was the epitome of controlled chaos, people rushing about the place, living life, waiting for death. Vivian was somewhere near the back of the train, where the Slytherin compartments were. She was waiting for Daphne and Astoria while Lorelei was hiding from them. It was tradition. Daphne would be sent to go looking for her, and Lorelei would laugh as she watched her sister start to lose her sanity from a distance.

Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy was having a heart attack. Well, he might have been exaggerating, but it sure as hell did feel like one. His heart races faster than the universe could expand.

It was embarrassing, he knew that much. But still, he tries to find a rhythm, to regain control, to find that familiar beat inside his body that he could count. One, two, where the fuck was it? He kept searching but the chaos of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters might have well manifested itself inside him.

The compartment was barren, his friends long gone. A heavy silence drowns him, like a lingering fog he couldn't see in, a poisonous gas that choked his lungs. It would only be a matter of time until the conductor or the trolley witch came knocking for their final checks. Until then, Draco grips the cushioned seats and tries to take control of whatever stubborn scraps of his body would listen. He has never lost control this badly. He tries to focus on his heart again and wonders whether it would reach its limit, if it would finally, finally stop. That would have been better if it all just ended right there, but he knew it never would. It never slowed and it never listened. He'd have to deal with it. He'd have to take like every fucking thing he'd been dealing with for the past week.

He knew that Lucius had fucked up, it was nothing new, but this time it was going to cost them something. The Malfoys had always lived their life without consequences, but this time, it would bite them right back in the ass. No amount of money could pay off the fact that his father had been absolutely useless. Draco feared for his mother more than he feared for himself, his family was going to the dogs. It was up to him to save it since Lucius was in Azkaban.

After forever had passed, Draco stands and carries his suitcase out of the overhead compartment. He curses Harry Potter and his friends, curses the fact he was a pureblood and he curses his shit excuse of a father. Silently, in a place deep and dark in his heart, a place so one could hear, he also curses Voldemort. Draco walks out of the compartment and makes his way off the train, into reality where nothing seems real anymore.

When his shoes touch the familiar paving of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, he could tell that something was off. It was only a feeling before, creeping around in the emptiness of his skull, but now it was here. A weight. Draco felt his chest tightening. This was it. It wasn't the fumes being coughed out by the train, no, it was something else entirely, something more toxic. Unless he was being a complete lunatic who let his nerves control him.

Draco looks into the crowd of people, tightening his grip around his suitcase. They were all faceless, unimportant. He searches for Narcissa's familiar figure, her black hair and its invading white streaks. She'd be clutching one of her purses, her features drained of patience. He had taken too long on the train, he knew he had made her worry.

It didn't take him long to find her. Narcissa stands under a sign of Platform Nine and Three-Quarter and she looks just like he had predicted. There was an invisible barrier around her and not a single person broke it. She wore a short, black net veil and Draco couldn't help but think of a cage. His family was a cage.

"Mother," Draco nods when he reaches her. He sets his suitcase down, about to hug her, but his limbs are frozen by his sides. Draco's eyebrows knit together ever so slightly. He realised he had never hugged his mother in public before and the thought alone sickened him to his core. She needed it, the affection, but he could not give it to her for the life of him. They had broken him too much.

"Not here, Draco," Narcissa sighs, monotonous, the words she has said too many times before. Draco understood. He had already learnt long ago to hear the things that were better left unspoken. So, all he could do now was nod at her statements, despite how cruel they could be. Narcissa peers at him approvingly. "Stand next to me, we'll be waiting for a bit,"

Like Vivian, she opted to tell her son only last minute that they would be having guests over for the holidays. Well, they were much less dangerous than the ones they had already been expecting.

Draco picks up his suitcase again and takes his place on her left. They stand, surveying the whole platform, eyeing people down like hawks, their eyes trailing figures like snakes. Passers-by eye them cautiously, it seems they've all read the Daily Prophet.

"Who exactly are we waiting for, if you don't mind me asking, Mother?" Draco inquires as politely as he can, minding his tone. When Narcissa doesn't say anything and for a second, Draco thinks he's messed up. Just as he's about to say something else, three women walk up to them. Their steps were silent and fast, if Draco hadn't been on edge, he would have thought they apparated.

"Greengrass," Narcissa acknowledges. There was a hint of relief in her tone. Draco studies them.

Standing in perfect posture were the women of the Greengrass Family. There was Vivian and her two children on either side. Vivian had not changed much in the years Draco had not seen her, she was still blonde, now with sparse, elegant streaks of grey. As for her children, Draco saw them at Hogwarts and passed by them in the halls. Daphne wasn't a part of his clique, so they never really talked, but she was Slytherin and they were in the same year.

"Narcissa Malfoy," Vivian sighs reminiscently. The woman spoke as if she had been present for the creation of the world. It sounded like she wasn't even there, like she was somewhere else, high in the heavens. She was the epitome of an angel. The angel spoke a second time. "I hope we didn't keep you two waiting too long, there was some fuss about luggage being forgotten, but everything worked out in the end,"

Draco was surprised to hear his voice. "That's good to hear."

Vivian's eyes slide in his direction and she clicks her tongue. "Well, well, well! If it isn't little Draco!" She smiles, her eyes creasing at the sides as she goes to ruffle his hair. Once combed neatly, now dishevelled to perfection. The world melts away and Draco dips his head, bashful, grinning, before he catches himself and returns to his normal composure. Tone it down. He settles on a smirk, they were in public for Merlin's sake. "Not so little anymore, are we, Draco?" She sighs, frowning for a second, but it disappears and her smile returns.

"No, Mrs Greengrass," Draco replies, he doesn't bother masking the pride in his voice. He was much taller now, much much taller.

Narcissa sends him a look, but for once, it wasn't one that he could decipher. "Draco," Narcissa starts. "The Greengrasses will be staying at the Manor for the holidays,"

This time, the world doesn't melt away, it explodes. Draco's smirk fades instantly and he only allows himself to raise an eyebrow, his gaze jumps between the two women. Time slows and he feels the earth shake beneath his feet. It was an absurd idea. Especially with the Dark Lord using it as headquarters. It took every tendon in his body not to protest, to contain himself, to shut up and play along.

"How… fortunate of us. Will you stay for the whole holiday?" Draco asks stiffly. Would they be there during the initiation? Would they know what he'd become? He feels his heart start to lose control again and he hides his ragged breathing through pursed lips. If only the universe would slow down, even just for a little bit.

Narcissa sends him another glare, but Draco pretends not to notice.

"They are guests Draco, play nice," she whispers under her breath, smiling. Draco doesn't react. It's as if the atmosphere had changed, or the temperature had dropped. He's frozen.

"Mum?" A voice pipes up from Vivian's side. It was one of the Greengrass girls. Astoria, if Draco wasn't wrong. He overheard Daphne complaining once about a younger sister she had: little menace, two years younger, something like that. Astoria had her hair cut to her ears, like Pansy Parkinson, but with brown hair. The girl tiptoes to whisper something to her mother's and a knowing look washes over the woman's face.

"Well then," Vivian clears her throat and clasps her hands together. She nods a signal to Daphne who swiftly turns around and allows herself to be consumed by the crowd, not before muttering an 'Excuse me'. Vivian faces the Malfoys and smiles, her eyes don't crease at their sides. "We should get going,"

Narcissa answers quickly, matching Vivian's haste. "Certainly," Narcissa looks around before speaking again, she notices something but refrains from saying it and shakes her head slightly, almost as if to rid her mind of the thought. It wasn't her problem. "It's decided, we'll all meet at the Manor… I trust you will be able to apparate three, or would you like me to take one—?" Vivian releases a soft chuckle. Draco looks around, he was far more curious as to where Daphne had gone than the conversation in front of him.

Vivian bites her lip, something flickers behind her eyes, a memory, a thought, whatever it was did not seem happy. Yet, she was still smiling. "Goodness, Narcissa, I've still got some fight in me! I don't look that old, do I?"

Draco's attention returns to the two women. It was the first time Draco had ever seen his mother so flustered. All the stress must have made her put her guard down, a mistake he was taught never to make under any circumstances.

"Oh! No, of course not! I wasn't insinuating that at all! I, uh, you look—,"

Vivian chuckles again. "I was only kidding, don't trouble yourself," she says as Narcissa sends her an embarrassingly apologetic look. Vivian brushes it off. "Daphne will take a few minutes, I'm certain. After all, Lorelei is quite good at hiding herself and… Daphne… needs to work on her patience. Excuse us, Narcissa, I recommend you and Draco head off first. We'll meet you at the Manor—,"

The rest of the conversation trails away because Draco replays the name over and over in his head. The name he had not heard spoken in a long time. Lorelei. He turns to his mother, about to ask a question, one about her. But, before he can, Narcissa grips Draco's arm tightly and nods.

"It's settled then, we'll meet at the Manor," Narcissa takes one last look at the woman in front of her. "Safe travels, Vivian," she says before she apparates along with Draco, taking all his unanswered questions with them.

Just as the Malfoys leave, Daphne appears with a figure in tow: Lorelei, who is smiling like she does not have a single care in the world. Which is quite the contrast to Daphne's frowning face.

Astoria speaks first. "Lorrie!" She cries at her older sister, pulling her slim figure into a bone-crushing hug. Lorelei pulls away, still grinning from ear to ear. Her dark hair rests atop her head in a mess of curls, some of the tendrils stick to the sides of her face, glued down by sweat. They had been running, pushing past the bodies on the platform. "I missed you!"

Lorelei laughs, the sound loud and hearty, causing some people to stare.

"Gosh," She huffs, catching her breath. Lorelei covers her mouth for dramatic effect. "You flatter me."

Astoria clicks her tongue in response and Vivian smiles at her daughters' usual antics. "What took you guys so long? Mum had to make painfully awkward conversation with the Malfoys to stall for you, it was quite something to watch," the youngest Greengrass snorts.

Lorelei couldn't forget about their plans to stay at the Manor. She had been convincing herself that it was a good idea ever since they left the house, that she'd just escape into the forest the moment they arrived and not give a single fuck about anything else that would be happening. It was still a mystery to her, why they were staying over so suddenly. Lorelei knew it didn't have something to do with a nice holiday, she read the Daily Prophet, and she knew what had happened at the Department of Mysteries. Her mother was hiding something.

"Ask, Daph," Lorelei shrugs, grounding herself through Astoria's energy. She helped her stay in reality. "I watched her walk by me, like, five times and each time her will to live seemed to disappear more and more. I was surprised you didn't resort to yelling your lungs out… like last time," Lorelei looks towards Daphne. The oldest sister flips her off before pointing an accusing finger in Lorelei's face. Her eyes widen to the size of saucers and without saying a word, they scream 'Fight me,'

"Watch it, you twat—!"

"Twat? That the best you can do, big sis?"

"Girls," Vivian warns gently. Daphne pulls her finger away and huffs, but she struggles to hide the fact her lips are pulling into a smile. Satisfied, Vivian turns to Lorelei. "Alright, are you ready to go? Didn't leave anything behind while you were hiding?"

Lorelei looks down at her briefcase, her knuckles turn white with the strength of her tight gripping. It was the only bit of luggage she didn't want to directly send to the Manor. All her stuff was already there, but Lorelei insisted that she bring this one personally. It held all her supplies, years of notes and potions materials all with the help of an Undetectable Extension charm courtesy of Mr Hawthorn.

"You'd have to cut my hand off before taking this off me," she quips.

Vivian nods and faces the rest of her daughters. "That settles it, we don't want to keep the Malfoys waiting any longer, do we, girls?"

"Well," Daphne starts, folding her arms. "A few minutes wouldn't hurt, I reckon five—,"

"Daphne," Vivian warns, stretching her name. She extends her arm for them to grab. "Hands, everyone." The girls grip their mother's arm in preparation and Lorelei can feel her whole body tense. She never liked apparating, it felt like accidentally inhaling water.

"Mum, I think I forgot something at home—," Astoria tries, though her grin doesn't fool anyone.

"Shut up, Stori," Lorelei huffs, trying to rid her nerves in the process. "We're going, I need— I need my materials,"

Daphne snorts. "Oh, you and your bloody materials!"

"Girls!" Vivian cries. Her brain feels as if it's about to short circuit, which isn't desirable with the amount of focus needed for apparation. "Do you want to get splinched or do you want to let me focus?"

"You're right, Mum, we're sorry," Lorelei starts quickly. Her sisters send her a look. "But, you know what? I think— I think we're making a huge mistake. I— we shouldn't be going, this is a bad idea, I'm telling you. I know I don't have magic, but I can sense it. Like some weird tingling feeling in my gut, maybe it's like, a Muggle thing, but this just doesn't sit right with me—,"

Before Vivian can retort, Daphne cuts in, "I second that."

"I third that?" Astoria says too.

Lorelei lets go of her mother's arm and releases a shaky breath. "Alright! That settles it! It's a democracy, majority wins," Lorelei claims desperately, though Vivian remains unfazed. Lorelei grimaces. "Let's go home?"

Vivian watches her daughter carefully, blinking a few times. She knows what buttons to press. "Lorelei, darling, didn't you want to go… foraging for materials in the forest there? You never know what you might find: wild Dittany—,"

"Oh, Mum," Daphne groans. "Please, not the materials—,"

Astoria tilts her head. "Wait, she gets to go to the forest—?"

Vivian clicks her tongue and with a shake of her head, she says, "Girls. Hands." In an instant, they're all holding their mother's arm again and before any of them can protest any more, Vivian takes off in a spiral. They apparate away, bodies pulling through the fabric of space, towards somewhere none of them want to be.

Malfoy Manor.