Winter break
...or so he thought.
"And then Potter just had the nerve to laugh as if nobody else was there, really father he is so undeniably rude it is almost laughable. Has no one ever taught him proper manners? Proper etiquette? How ever does he live?"
Draco is going through one of his many rants about Potter.
When Lucius first told him about these he had laughed, surely Draco was just miffed that for the first time in forever someone had actually told him no. He still remembers how offended the little boy had been when Potter declined his hand in friendship and Alliance. Though he highly doubts Potter knows about the last, he isn't wearing any heirship rings nor has he ever done any traditional customs. Which leads him to assume that neither Black nor Lupin had taught the boy what it meant to be an heir. .. not that it was any of his business of course.
He didn't particularly care either.
Both Narcissa and Lucius had assumed those tangents about the chosen one would eventually seize, surely it was something to grow out of. Yet until this day most of Dracos letters consists of how insufferable the Gryffindor is, while most of the visits home consists of rants about what said Gryffindor did to make offend the Malfoy heir. In the end Severus found it amusing how desperate and annoyed Lucius had been with his son to finally drop the topic, he tried everything to get him to stop but none of the usual methods worked this time.
Draco just couldn't drop the topic Potter and Lucius Malfoy?
Lucius Malfoy is the biggest pushover when it comes to his son.
It has always been this way, ever since Draco had been born. He tends to spoil him with gifts and attention, advice and praise ... rarely scolding him only when it is absolutely necessary.
The first year it was absolutely hilarious and he spent every moment he could to tease his friend, even Narcissa joined in as they both thought it absolutely hilarious how passionate Draco was to talk about nothing but the chosen one.
The second year Narcissa didn't think it was hilarious anymore, she still thought it amusing but she wouldn't join in the teasing. After all she was also experiencing the rants which could go on for hours, the letters which even on their birthdays contained mostly news about Potter... so he had heard. Luckily whenever he spends time with his godson outside of Hogwarts, Draco was too busy talking him into dangerous things that his parents would never allow him.
He is a Slytherin after all.
"and then, mother you would not believe it. He dared to wear a green jumper!! GREEN?! Sure it matches his eyes very nicely and makes them stand out more than they usually do, but green?? That is just downright criminal..how could he even think about wearing that colour"
She nods calmly, knowing better than to try and reason with her son. Though she does send Severus a telling look, which he could understand quite easily. He has spent less than a weekend with them and he was sick of hearing the name Potter or anything that was remotely related to him.
"Also remind me to tell father to find out who designed the Hogwarts Quidditch uniforms, we have to make alterations to them. During their last practice Potter almost flew into a tower because his helmet covered his eyes? How could anyone be stupid enough to not fasten the strip properly, bloody idiot"
"Draco Darling language"
"Sorry Mother"
He stays quiet for a moment, seemingly pouting before sighing.
"That is another thing mother. Potter never watches his language, you know he curses like a sailor. Probably because of his parents, who thought it was a good idea to let someone as vile as Black raise him? Not even Professor Lupin can save whatever must have impacted him to behave like this ... no manners, no respect, no etiquette just how does he imagine to navigate the wizarding world like that. Someone ought to teach him or he will make a bigger fool of himself than he already is ... ugh utterly embarrassing"
In this moment, sitting there in the parlour with his friend and godson he regretted nothing more than taking a vacation instead of watching over the few of his snakes which were still at school. He never imagined that Dracos obsession with Potter runs this deep, nor that it was this broad. Falsely assuming it was a simple school rivalry that stemmed from the humiliation of Draco, who had taken it as a personal offence... because of which Malfoys have no shame to be petty.
And Draco is petty alright, he dares to say almost as petty as Lucius.
How would he ever dream to survive the upcoming week if all Draco talks about is Potter, just to immediately start fighting with him as soon as they return to Hogwarts?
Couldn't he catch a break?