Part Twenty Two
Your heart was heavy. You weren't sure the outcome but you just had to see him. Know that he was ok. You picked up your quill and started to write.
Dear Draco,
I hope my owl finds you well. We haven't talked since before our school year ended. I happened to find something of yours that you left behind in the dorm and was hoping to bring it to you and possibly visit for a while. You know how hard it is for one to travel outside of the school year. I hope to hear back soon.
Sincerely, Y/N L/N
You hoped he would get your intent and agree to let you visit. You aren't sure what's all happening at the manor but you hoped all was well.
———-
Draco's POV (Surprise)
Something unusual happened this morning. An owl came. Father was made to intercept at the behest of The Dark Lord. He made him read it aloud. Once father finished reading Voldemort turned to me.
"Who is this... Y/N? A friend of yours?" My muscles tensed.
"Yes, He's a fellow Slytherin. Joined us third year. We get on well." The man hummed as my father rung his fingers with a thin sheen of sweat across his brow.
"Alright. I'd like to meet this...friend. Send an owl inviting him to stay for a while." He turned swiftly and walked away, Nagini following close behind. Father made hurried eye contact with me and followed after the two. I released the breath I had been holding and escaped to my room to write my response, luckily they wouldn't intercept an outgoing owl like this since he told me to send it.
Dear Y/N,
I'm glad to hear from you. I've been worried. With how things are here it's been hard. The house is getting more crowded by the day. They've allowed me to invite you. He wants to meet you.
Safe Travels, Draco
I sealed the letter and sent it off with our owl. Hopefully he'd get here soon. I'm...scared.
———
Return to Regular POV
You were all packed and ready to go. Narcissa was sent to gather you from the closest station. Once you saw her you could tell where Draco got most of his looks from. Though you could also tell that the Black family blood ran thick in her veins. You could see the resemblance to Sirius from the photo Remus had shown you.
"Come dear, we mustn't dally. People are waiting I'm afraid." She held out a gentle hand to guide the way. It's unfortunate a woman as kind as her was made to stay with such a vile man. The only good thing to come out of their union was Draco.
The return to Malfoy Manor didn't take long. The air was gloomy. A thick fog hovered over the place, possibly there by magic. The woman cast some sort of spell and walked right through the gate, you followed closely. Upon entering, you expected to be accosted by Death Eaters, but it seemed to only be Draco and Lucius waiting.
"Take your things upstairs, dear. Draco will show you the way to your room. We have guests for dinner so dress nice." She walked deeper into the home, her husband following close behind. He looked worse for where, though I'm sure having a powerful dark wizard in your home would do that. Draco led you upstairs to an extra room next to his. He showed you in, and as soon as the door closed, you dropped your bags and wrapped your arms around him.
"I'm so glad you're alright. I've been so worried about you, with everything that's happened, I feared the worst. Is everything alright?" He relaxed into your hold and returned the gesture.
"It's certainly been tough without you, but I've managed. Though now I'm afraid for you, i don't know why he'd want to meet you, let alone why he allowed your presence here." He released the hug and held you at arms length with his hands on your shoulders.
"It's not safe, I can't for the life of me understand why you've chosen to come here." You gave a soft smile.
"Because I can't let you do this alone. I know you have your mother, but she has her role to play as well. My purpose here is solely to protect you and make sure you're safe. If only for my own peace of mind." He sighed.
"Alright. But I'll be doing the same for you. We'll keep each other safe." After a bit more catching up, it was almost time for dinner. You donned a black suit with an emerald green tie. You even styled your hair as best you could, with a little help from Draco and some magic. The two of you nodded at each other and made your way to the dining area. Narcissa and Lucius were already sitting at the table on the left side. One empty chair sat next to Narcissa on the end farthest from the head of the table, whose seat was still empty. The chair directly across from Narcissa was occupied by a woman with wild black hair. She looked up as the two of you came near, and you recognized her immediately. This was Bellatrix, the woman who had killed Sirius. The only other chair was between her and the head of the table. You and Draco glanced at each other and made your way to the seas you assumed were yours, Draco next to his mother and you next to Bellatrix and who you assumed would be Voldemort You all sat in silence for a moment until Bellatrix spoke up.
"So you're the one who's befriended my nephew. I'm glad those other two...friends...of his are dreadful. I hear your'e a member of Slytherin as well. That's good. It is the only good house after all." You knew she was testing you in some way, but you weren't sure what answer she was looking for.
"Yes. The sorting hat deemed i was worthy of such an esteemed house. I'm glad to be a part of it." Lying has come easy to you for many years. It saved your life countless times. Hopefully, the Slytherin House cunning will aid you as well. You were about to add more when you heard a strange sound. Like a hissing of some sort. But the hissing translated to words in your head. You turned in the direction of the noise and tilted your head slightly.
"Worry not my pet, we'll see just what type of person this friend is quite soon." Without looking away, you asked a question you already knew the answer to.
"Do we have another guest coming?" After a moment, you turned to look at the rest of the table. Their faces confused you. Bellatrix seemed a mix between shocked and furious, her eyes dilating. Lucius looked scared. Narcissa had slight shock on her face but schooled her features quickly. Draco seemed to have the most confusing reaction. He had a betrayed look on his face. In your confusion and analysis of their reactions, the sixth member seemed to arrive.
"Ah, it seems our little guest is a parselmouth."
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