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"Do you want to take the Hogwarts Express or Floo back to school?" Severus asked on the last day of the break. They were standing in the potions lab, brewing supplies for the infirmary. Or rather, Severus was brewing and Draco assisted.
The days had flown by. Draco had mostly been reading and brewing potions, but they had also watched a few more movies. Severus seemed more relaxed than at school, but if Draco had thought he would see his godfather running around in more casual clothes, or even his PJs in the morning, or sleep in, he was disappointed. Severus got up early every morning, already dressed in dark robes, living by a strict routine of running errands and brewing potions.
"Uhm-" Draco had not really considered the possibility of not taking the train back before. But now that he did, the thought of being stuck on a train for several hours with hoards of children who by now undoubtedly knew about his unfortunate family situation seemed unbearable. "Floo, please?"
Severus nodded, adding four measures of powdered bezoar to his cauldron. "You do not seem to be too eager to return," he stated more than asked.
Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not quite sure if I'm ready to deal with all the questions that people will have," he admitted, cutting up some mint sprigs. And their judging eyes, he added mentally. He had told himself over and over again that he was a grown up and thus should not care about the opinions of children, but he did.
"You have friends," Severus said, "I am certain you will be fine." He added two measures of a herbal mix to the cauldron.
Draco smiled. That, at least, was true. He had lost his family, but he still had Neville, although he would probably not return to school right away. He also doubted that Theo would have any problems with his situation, as it so closely resembled his own. Daphne and Astoria, he was certain, would be on his side as well.
"The headmaster wants to speak with you," Severus continued, heating the cauldron with his wand while simultaneously checking the time on a pocket watch.
"Does he, now?" Draco replied. He knew it was unlikely, but he could not help but feel nervous that he might throw him out of school because he hadn't the money to pay for his school robes and books anymore. Or perhaps he wanted to continue their Occlumency practice - which was somewhat better than the alternative, but Draco was pretty sure the little bit of composure he had reacquired would fall apart like a clumsily built house of cards if anyone were to break through his shields right now.
"He worries about you," Snape said.
"He doesn't have to," Draco replied, losing some of his fear and having it replaced with a feeling of warmth at the thought of the old man caring about him, "I'm fine."
Snape raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, maybe fine is a bit exaggerated," Draco admitted, putting the mint sprigs and the knife aside. Sleep was still eluding him most nights. But his mood had improved. "Are you looking forward to going back to school?" Draco finally asked, because he didn't feel like talking about himself anymore. And he had wanted to get to know his godfather better. When Severus had died, Draco had felt as if he had not known the man at all, even though he had spent a lot of time with him and had saved his life, more or less. This was the perfect moment to change that and to learn more about him.
Snape waved his wand. Now they had to wait for 40 minutes before continuing with their potion. "It is not nearly as dreadful a notion as it usually is," Snape replied. "Tea?"
Draco nodded his head, grinning. "You like DADA much more than potions, don't you?"
"I immensely enjoy potions - but not as a subject, to be taught to unwilling, incompetent students," Snape said, walking towards the kitchen.
Draco followed him, thinking this over. Snape did seem to enjoy brewing and he did not seem to mind Draco's presence. Brewing the potion for the Longbottoms, Draco had had the impression, had sometimes even been fun for his godfather. An intellectual challenge, perhaps. "What about Defense?"
"Ah, I-" Snape said, getting out a kettle for the tea, "I find students to be rather less unwilling and more apt in Defense against the Dark Arts."
"Do you like teaching?" Draco asked. He doubted it, but then again, Snape never seemed to enjoy himself much, so perhaps it was not the teaching per se that he didn't like.
"Sometimes I do," Snape answered after a short pause. "I have to admit, this year that has been the case more often than usual."
Draco smiled, feeling at least partially responsible for that.
"I do enjoy all aspects of magic," Snape continued, "and I do enjoy sharing my knowledge with others, provided they show the proper appreciation."
Draco could see that. Sometimes his godfather had talked passionately about a topic and it was clear that his knowledge was vast and that he rather enjoyed practicing it and talking about it.
He wanted to ask why he had become a teacher in the first place, but suspected it had something to do with Dumbledore, and if it did indeed, then he surely would not get a straight answer. But he could try. If he did not get a straight answer, it would at least still be interesting to see how willing to talk Severus was about this subject. "Do you think you would be happier in another line of work?"
Severus studied Draco for a while and took a sip of his tea before he answered. "I might be, but I never would."
"A sense of obligation?" Draco ventured.
Severus tilted his head. "It was hard to find a job at that time. I owe the headmaster a lot." That seemed to be about as far as Severus was willing to go. "Have you thought about what you want to do after Hogwarts?" he asked, in a not-so-subtle attempt at changing the subject.
"Uhm-" Draco began. No, of course he had not. His first ambition was to save his wife. If he could not find a solution for Astoria's illness, then his plan was to become a healer. But if he did manage to find something before, and the success with the Longbottoms had left him hopeful, then his second and only other ambition was to get rid of Voldemort. Other than that, he had nothing planned. Rich heir was not an option anymore, he supposed. "Not really."
Snape nodded. "You still have time."
Draco very nearly laughed.
The trip back to Hogwarts was a short one. They threw the powder, said the name and stepped into the green flames. One second they were standing in Snape's living room, the next they weren't.
"What the-?" Draco gasped.
"Good evening, Severus," a friendly voice greeted them, "Mr. Malfoy."
They had flooed right into Snape's office. But behind Snape's desk was sitting one eye-twinkling Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
"Sir," Draco finally managed to get out, the initial shock of finding the room less empty than expected wearing off.
"Headmaster," Severus indicated his head, but he did not sound pleased at all to find an unannounced presence in his quarters. "Is there anything I might help you with?" Severus asked.
"Oh no," Dumbledore stood up. His bright magenta robes looked rather ridiculous in the gloomy and dimly-lit room. As he made his way around the table, he stopped for a second to examine one of Snape's many glass jars, this one filled with eyeballs. Then Dumbledore's eyes flicked towards Draco. "I just stopped by to have a word with our young Mr. Malfoy. Shall I accompany you to your common room?" Dumbledore asked.
"Ehm- sure," Draco said, glancing at Severus.
"I will see you in class tomorrow, Mr. Malfoy," said Snape with a curt nod of his head, his face expressionless.
"Alright," Draco said, following Dumbledore out of the room, "see you tomorrow..."
As soon as the door behind them was closed, Draco could feel a privacy charm encircling them.
"Sir?" Draco asked.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts, Mr. Malfoy. It saddens me to hear that your break was not quite what you had expected it to be," Dumbledore said somberly, starting towards the dungeons.
"Well..." Draco sighed, following the old wizard. "Things could have been better, but the Longbottoms are reunited and isn't that far more important?"
Dumbledore nodded, "Truly a remarkable feat."
Draco shrugged his shoulders, feeling uncomfortable at this clear attempt at a compliment. "Neville and Severus did most of the work, sir."
Dumbledore turned his head to study Draco, his eyes twinkling madly. "You helped them work together. Something I would have believed to be next to impossible."
Draco grinned. Apparently even Dumbledore could not predict everything. "Anything you'd like to know more about? Or has Severus told you everything already?"
"I do hope so," Dumbledore chuckled. Of course, Severus would be a rather useless spy if he did not inform the headmaster of such things.
"Did you know this would happen?" Draco asked. "Is that why you told him to not stay at Hogwarts? I know he usually stays here over the break."
"This," Dumbledore replied, "was something your godfather requested when he realized you might have been recognized at St. Mungo's."
"So, he wanted me to stay with him?" Draco asked perplexed. "And he knew I would go look for him?" That seemed rather unlikely.
"He knew your revealed identity could lead to problems and he wanted to be near in case it really did. I doubt he expected you to apparate onto his doorstep. That is how you got there, isn't it? You apparated?"
Draco nodded. Apparently Dumbledore did not know everything and needed Draco to fill the gaps. He had nearly forgotten about how he got to Spinner's End, and Severus had not pushed after Draco had refused to answer twice. But he surely must have wondered. If not how Draco got there, than at least about how he knew where to go. "What does he know?"
"No more than what you have told him. What he suspects, however, I cannot tell. He is a smart man."
Draco sighed. He had never talked to his godfather about why he had suddenly changed sides, or why he still trusted Severus even though he knew that he was a Death Eater. Once it was clear Draco wasn't up to anything malicious, Severus' questions had mostly ceased. Severus probably still had questions, but for some reason wasn't trying to get answers out of him. So he must have either thought of a satisfying answer himself or he came to the conclusion that the less he knew the less he had to keep from the Dark Lord if he indeed returned.
"What should I do now?" Draco finally asked, changing the topic. "About my parents? Can I still attend Hogwarts? Where will I stay during the summer?"
"Help is always given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it," Dumbledore said cryptically, "and to those who deserve it. If you wish to continue your education, there will always be a home here waiting for you."
Not quite an answer to Draco's question, but it made him smile nonetheless.
"Where you will stay in the future I cannot say. The matter will be handled by the ministry. They have already been informed, but such things often take time. Should the... political circumstances change, however, we might have to consider taking matters into our own hands."
Draco nodded. That sounded reasonable.
They had arrived in front of the Slytherin common room, but Draco hesitated. Snape's home had be rather isolated and protected, but once he entered the Slytherin common room he would be back in the real world, having to confront issues he would rather not confront at all.
"If you need anything," Dumbledore began, "anything at all, don't hesitate to ask for help."
"Thank you, sir," Draco replied.
Soon after that, Draco was standing in front of the common room on his own. It took him several minutes before he had composed himself enough to actually enter it.
Luckily, there were hardly any people there. Still, those who were present all stared at him. Some in anger, some with disgust, some with simple curiosity.
Draco did not even glance at them, but walked towards his dorm room, avoiding all eye contact. He had almost reached the door to his more or less safe haven, when someone grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to spin around.
"Draco!" an angry voice growled.
Draco gulped.
TBC
It is NaNoWriMo everyone! I will try to set myself a word count (500, gotta be realistic, I don't have as much time as I had last year) that I have to reach every day of November. I'll also do some additional creative writing with my sister (a short story or paragraph every day to a set writing prompt). If you also want to get some writing done but are lacking the ideas, you can join us. I posted our prompts on my new (teaching) website:
addiscipulum - wordpress - com (the - should be dots) - first entry in English - Writing
If you do write some of them, let me know with a pm here or a comment on the wordpress website. I'd also be interested in hearing about any other writing projects you guys are doing because it's November.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, let me know in a review. If not, also leave a review to let me know why.
Draco is dealing with a lot and things are not going to be any easier for him in the foreseeable future. Snape, however, is in a better place right now. He's opening up to Draco and seems to be in a better mood overall.