~Past~

The next morning Draco was awakened from his blackout by his mother.

She smells the alcohol reeking from his pores and sees the torment that he is going through. She sensed that this must have had something to do with Ms. Grangers' visit and the reminder of that night.

She held him as he cried and cried.

He cried till he couldn't breathe. He cried from shame and embarrassment. He cried in anguish and pain. He cried until his voice went hoarse and nothing, not even his mother's touch could do anything to console him.

After some coaxing and some tough love. Draco managed to get up and get himself together physically.

Draco washed his face and prepared himself to have tea with her.

His mother didn't immediately say anything when he walked into the tearoom of their vacation home, comparably refreshed to earlier that morning.

Instead, she gestured for Draco to have a seat where a cup of tea had been already fixed to his liking and was charmed to remain warm.

The table had been adorned with light finger foods and desserts, which Draco managed to nibble on a few.

She decides to hold off on the topic of this morning's events and keep the conversation light.

She discusses the tea they are drinking and how she found this blend old tea shop in the nearby French town.
She encourages Draco, that he should take a walk through the town one of these days or head down to the beach together to get out and take in some fresh air.

Narcissa informs Draco of her wish to visit some old school friends abroad in Italy for the rest of the summer, but she isn't quite sure.

He looks at her with exhaustion in his eyes, she worries for her son.

She now regrets letting Ms. Granger know where he could be found. At the time when the girl came to her inquiring about Draco's whereabouts, she did wonder what could be so important to discuss the girl would risk coming back to the place she was tortured by Bellatrix.

Due to this reason and because Narcissa felt so remorseful about the torture both she and her son endured that fateful day, Narcissa let her know where Draco had left to without any question.

Now she is desperate to know what flipped the young man's world so off his kilter that he had to drink himself silly to ease the trouble.

"Draco, you must tell me what is going on. First, Ms. Granger begins making inquiries about your whereabouts. Next, she takes the time to travel all the way to the south of France to speak with you. Now, that you have spoken to her, you are not yourself," his mother drones.

'Not himself.'

Draco scoffs and drags a hand down his face, his hand lingering over his mouth before he move it under his chin, elbow on the table to hold himself up.

He hadn't felt like himself since he took the dark mark.

Narcissa waits a moment for an answer, but soon realizes that it would not be an easy feat getting a verbal response from Draco regarding the matter.

"Well, since you aren't ready to speak on the subject just yet, how about we discuss something a little more lighthearted. Mrs. Parkinson told me at our last tea gathering Ms. Parkinson is preparing to marry young Mr. Nott. A rather interesting couple they make I find, but the dowry makes it all worth it. They shall be married at the end of the summer. It is so joyous.

Draco senses she expects a response.

The table remains quiet as Narcissa takes another sip of her, now tepid, tea.

"Speaking of marriage arrangements," Narcissa dabs her lips with her napkin and clears her throat before continuing," I have discussed with your father regarding your own engagement. The Greengrass family is still interested in unifying themselves with the Malfoys, thank goodness. I suppose they are considering allowing the younger daughter to marry in. I was thinking of meeting with them within the month to discuss a formal arrangement that can occur before the year is out.

"No."

Narcissa slowly places her teacup and saucer on the table.

"Draco- "

"I can't even think of marrying someone right now," draco bounces his right foot, his nerves beginning to fray, "I wouldn't make a suitable husband anyway."

Draco tries to dismiss the subject, his mother on the other hand is trying to keep him chained to the topic of conversation.

"Draco, of course you would make a wonderful husband! I assured you that you have been trained for it. I thought you understood what this entails for the future of the Malfoys."

Narcissa hesitates a moment before delving into the true reason for this conversation. "Does any of this have to do with the Granger girl? I knew I should never have told her where you were! Did she throw it back into your face? What happened that day at the manor?"

Draco sighed deeply, leaning back in his chair as he moves his hand from his chin to run it through his hair before placing it back down to his right side.

"Mother, can you tell me why everyone is moving around like things are normal when they aren't? Nothing is normal about what was experienced only just a couple of weeks ago in our own home. Our home was treated like prison and a zoo, a place where muggles were brought to be entertainment for the sick minds of our noble families and anyone of noble blood who defended them were made prisoners, tortured and killed. The man of the house too much of a coward to stand up to some bigoted hypocrite trying to take over the entire world with his warped view because he had fucking daddy issues.

Draco's breath hitches and Narcissa flinches at his words.

And I," Draco gestures to himself as a tear falls from his eye, "I was too much of a coward to stand up for myself, for those innocent families and people, children, who deserved not even half of what we did to them. I did not deserve to be forced to commit such a heinous act against my classmate by my crazed aunt, your sister! Who, need I remind you; you nor father did nothing to save me or an innocent girl from.

Draco respirates shakily, trying to steady himself. Narcissa silently cries at anguish her son is experiencing.

"Hermione Granger did not deserve to lose her innocence to me on the floor of my family's estate in front of my parents and other people who hated her for no true reason except she was born with magic in her veins but did not come from a pure lineage. No, Hermione Granger did not deserve to be raped at all, and she does not deserve having to be reminded of it for the rest of her life.

Another tear trails down his pale cheek just thinking of the torture he put other people through.

"Since we are pretending like things in our world is normal and not fundamentally damaged, I should start by saying congratulations mother. You are to be a grandmother to a half-blood in about six months or so. You and father's attempt to salvage the Malfoy name is futile. There is no coming back from this."

There are loud scraping sounds from the friction of wood dragging against wood as Draco pushes his chair back to stand and abruptly stalks out of the tearoom. He can't stand to be part of the conversation with his mother any longer. Now she knows of his pain caused by Lucius and herself.

"I'm so sorry Draco! Please-" Narcissa croaks as she reaches a handout for him.

Tears flow from Narcissa's eyes, shock and despair evident as she tried to wrap her mind around everything said during her son's rant.

Narcissa understands now that she was wrong to try to blame the girl, a child really, for her own misgivings.

Honestly, I was supposed to post this and another chapter in time for the holidays, but I never got around to it. I suppose this will simply be a story for those who need a quick dramione read next winter holiday. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Review and favorite, it really is motivating to see it. I will try to update soon, life is about to get hectic for me. Thanks for reading!

-Dani