To The Uncertain Future!
Draco knew convincing a Goblin to do a wizard’s bidding wouldn't be an easy task. Hence, the begging and pleading letter, (not really, it was more bribery than pleading) he had sent to Griphook.
In the damp, dimly lit chamber of Gringott’s, Draco cautiously approached Griphook, who scrutinized his every move. Draco cleared his throat and addressed Griphook with as much confidence as he could muster.
“Thank you for your time, Griphook. I hope I’m not being too much of a bother.”
“Mr. Malfoy, I have to say I was rather intrigued by your letter. More by the offer itself than the request.” Griphook’s eyes gleamed with curiosity and suspicion.
“As I explained,” Draco tilted his head, pointing to the parchment placed on the table between them. “I’m in need of something exceptional, something a little more durable than any wizard could create. I was hoping you would be willing to help me achieve that.”
“I never thought I would see a Malfoy of all wizards to be so appreciative of Goblin craft,” Griphook said, gaze calculating, expression unreadable. “As I said, I'm more interested in the trade you are willing to make.”
“Yes… the Chisel of Muki…” Draco took a deep breath, choosing his words very carefully. “In exchange for your services, I’m willing to trade you the chisel, to do as you wish.”
Griphook’s lips curled into sort of a creepy smile, with lots of pointy teeth. “You realize what you're trading?” He seemed pleasantly surprised at the prospect of Draco knowing the value of the said artifact.
Draco nodded, relieved that Griphook was at least considering his proposition.
“A fair offer, Mr. Malfoy. But I warn you, Goblin craft is not to be trifled with. It requires more than your average wizard enchantments. I will need details of what you seek and what you wish to use it for,” Griphook warned, and Draco broke out into a grin. This was going to be so much fun.
The negotiations were tedious, to say the least. Griphook scrutinized each detail, Draco stating his conditions firmly. It took hours to haggle out that contract, but at the end of the day, they finally reached a tentative bargain, solidified by an Unbreakable Vow.
.....
It took him a second to be aware of his surroundings. He was in the hospital wing (once again), Severus sitting on a chair next to his bed. His expressions were a mixture of grim (more than his regular scowl) and something which Draco was unable to pinpoint.
“Please tell me it was one of Potter’s half-cooked ideas, and I can finally get rid of that menace for almost getting you killed,” Snape said as soon as Draco opened his eyes.
“Afraid not, Sev,” Draco smiled. He felt delirious.
“I was dreading you might say that.” Snape gave a resigned sigh. “What were you thinking, Draco?”
“Honestly?” Draco gave Snape a look. “I don’t think I was actually thinking anything… I just wanted to keep my friends safe.”
“By leading them headfirst into danger with Potter of all people?” Snape deadpanned. Draco snorted, and Snape’s rigid shoulders finally sagged in relief. “There aren’t enough house points to deduct for your foolish endeavor, but I’m afraid you have lost any hopes of getting that House Cup,” Snape intoned as if that even mattered.
“Meh… I’ll live.” Draco shrugged, not really that worried about it.
“I’ll let your parents and …. friends know you have come back to the world of living,” Snape got up to leave.
“Before that…” Draco said hastily. “I need a favor.”
“What might that be?” Snape frowned.
“I want you to convince Mother to let me stay with you this summer-”
“Draco…. You know I can’t-”
“and before you get on my case…” He took a letter out of his trouser pocket. “You might want to read this letter.”
“What is that?”
“A letter from one Mr. Remus Lupin.” Snape’s eyes widened. His face a mixture of hope and fear.
“How did you-” Snape looked astounded.
“That’s not important. The point of the matter is Remus is willing to listen to you.”
.....
The next time Draco woke up, he was surrounded by his friends, including Harry.
(Vii, what happened here?) Pansy was the first to realize he was awake; there were shouts of joyous exclamations from the others. Draco hoped Pomfrey wasn’t here; otherwise, these idiots were going to get banned from the hospital wing.
(You were hit by the Killing curse. The others have made some bollocks about one thing or another. Chill.) For a second (a very small second), Draco was happy that Vii was back, but that good-for-nothing explanation made him realize, very emphatically at that, why he hated the Stupid System in the first place.
“What happened?” He groaned. His throat dry and itchy.
“You were dead,” Harry said in a small voice as if afraid speaking any louder would challenge death somehow.
“Not really,” Hermione chirped from next to Ron.
“You were hit by the Killing curse; we thought you died,” Pansy said, her voice a little shaky.
“Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape think the curse didn’t take because the wielder was not in a corporeal form,” Blaise said. He was heavily leaning on Neville, looking a little pale and fragile.
(Was it you?
Of course, it was me. Don’t worry; you can’t die here. And I had to talk to you. Hence, the unconsciousness.)
“How are you feeling now, mate?” Ron asked.
“Like I got hit by a bulldozer,” Draco muttered. He did hurt quite bad.
“Just so we are clear,” Theo grumbled. “There better be something worse than a Basilisk for these idiot Gryffindors the next time.”
“Hey!” Neville sounded hurt.
“You’ll be staying with us. Don’t worry, Darling,” Blaise assured Neville.
“Why does there need to be a next time?” Ron complained.
“Because it’s Harry?” Luna said in her ethereal voice.
“Because you played chess while we had to face a bloody Basilisk,” Theo replied. And then it was chaos.
Everyone had one thing or another to complain and lament about. Draco closed his eyes. It was good having friends even if it landed him in hospitals a few times.
Someone held his hand. He opened his eyes to see it was Harry. He still looked scared. Draco gave him a small reassuring smile with a firm squeeze of his hands.
“So what did I miss?” Draco asked Harry, but the others were more than eager to answer him. Harry just held his hand as if to assure himself that Draco was real and there.
Turned out he was out for three days. They had used Fawkes to fly an Unconscious Ginny and Draco out of the Chamber. McGonagall and Dumbledore were waiting for them in the Bathroom. While Lockhart had fled under the excuse of being called away for something urgent in Romania.
Draco and Ginny were moved to the hospital wing. Weasleys and Malfoys had arrived, worried and furious, respectively, for their children’s safety.
Pansy and Luna took great delight in telling him in detail how majestic Narcissa had looked reprimanding Dumbledore. Harry told him and the others about the whole debacle with Dobby and the Diary.
Pansy assured him Ginny was doing okay. She had been discharged on the first day and had returned to the Burrow with her parents.
All in all, everyone was unhurt. Harry had ended up with a war scar on his arm from the Basilisk’s fang, and Draco had a curse scar in the form of a bolt on his chest now.
Pomfrey kicked out everyone before curfew time, with strict instructions for Draco to rest. Harry must have sneaked back under the Cloak because Draco felt him holding his hand until he fell asleep.
.....
The next morning was a blur of excitement. Everyone had taken it upon themselves to bring Draco breakfast in bed. They had somehow managed to smuggle enough food for a feast into the hospital wing.
Vince, Greg, and Ron were ecstatic for exams getting canceled. Blaise and Hermione looked heartbroken, their looks pronounced by the paleness of their skin. Draco was glad that they were leaving today. Blaise and Hermione needed a good rest. Dobby came to ask about Draco as well and brought him his favorite pastries.
Harry told Draco how he had taken Dobby under care and was making Dobby his paid house elf. Dobby would be spending his summers in Hogwarts for now.
They all had a good laugh when Pansy and Neville took turns imitating Narcissa raining the metaphorical hell on Dumbledore.
Snape and Pomfrey assured him they would be keeping tabs on him to make sure his scar remained “just a scar.” Pomfrey dispatched him with strict instructions for taking care of himself and a “you better not make it an annual thing.”
.....
He left the hospital wing only to be welcomed by the grim faces of his Slytherin friends in his dorm. They were sitting in a circle on beds in their dorm. Theo and Blaise’s beds were pulled together to make space.
It wasn’t exactly a new scene for Draco, per se. He had been seeing such gatherings for a couple of months now. They would be discussing or having heated debates about something but be silent as soon as Draco joined them.
This time seemed different as Theo looked at him and said: “Come join us.”
“What’s going on?” Draco asked as he sat between Pansy and Greg.
“We need to talk,” Theo said, his tone serious and grim.
“Do we have to?” Vince said next to Greg.
“Not talking about it won’t change anything ,” Greg said, leaning into Vince to hold his hand, seemingly giving him support.
“Will Ginny be okay?” Pansy asked him earnestly.
“Yes. Yes, she will be,” Draco assured her.
“Was that him…the Dark Lord?” Greg asked hesitantly.
“Yes, it was.”
“But… but he tried to kill you,” Pansy asked, confounded by the notion of the Dark Lord not being the Blood Purist he preached to be.
“Yes, that was him. He doesn’t really care for blood purity, you know. Not really. He’ll kill me or any Weasley the same if it means getting his wish,” Draco said, realizing these kids needed to know what was coming for them.
“What are we going to do?” Blaise said, his eyes filled with worry and fear. “Neville? Ron? Harry? NEVILLE??” His voice cracked. “What are we going to do Theo?”
“On the bright side, you guys at least have two more years to decide,” Draco tried for humor.
“Our parents.” Greg asked. “What about them?”
“Do you really think they can change?” Vince asked, sounding a little hysterical.
“What are you going to do, Draco?” Pansy asked, her head on Draco’s shoulder now. Draco realized she was trembling.
“I am planning on emancipation… privately.” Draco whispered, resigned, tired, and feeling a little lost. (He didn’t want to leave his family even if it was fictional.)
“Is there no other way?” Greg asked, a contemplative look in his eyes.
“Is there?” Theo asked Draco with a probing look.
“There has to be,” Pansy sounded afraid, scared for the future.
Draco looked, actually looked at everyone. Blaise leaning on Theo as Theo whispered something about Neville to him. Greg holding Vince providing silent support. Everyone thought them to be dumb, which honestly they played their role to perfection but these two were some of the biggest people Draco had known in this world. They just liked playing dumb. Pansy silently sobbing now. Scared for Ginny and Luna.
“We'll find a way,” Theo said to Draco, his eyes bright with determination.
“We will,” Draco promised.
.....
Dear Mr. Malfoy,
My apologies for the late reply. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I was unable to receive any of your letters. It seems there were some issues with the wards on my residence making it impossible for any correspondence containing some specific words to reach me. Rest assured it is taken care of.
As for the issues entailed in your letters, I would like to discuss them in detail in a more private setting.
Kindly let Severus know I am willing to listen to him and am eager to see him sooner rather than later.
Once again, I would like to send my deepest regards to you for reaching out to me. I hope we will be meeting soon, if not in summer, then at the start of the new term, as I was offered a job at Hogwarts and I will be accepting it. Rest assured I have heeded your concerns, and the true reasons for my return remain a secret to any and all.
Looking forward to meeting you in person.
Yours,
Remus Lupin
P.S: Tell Severus Snuffles sends his love and Moony misses him.