Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Draco all drenched from the heavy rain runs quickly up the stairs to his apartment. Only the sound of his ragged almost torn sneakers audible. He needs to buy new ones but he doesn’t have money so that thought quickly erases itself from his mind. As he approaches his door, he finds his only friend Luna Lovegood standing outside, a small smile on her face. She must pity me so bad he thinks as water drips from his messy hair which he doesn’t even bother fixing. He is not the same Draco Malfoy anymore.
“How was work draco?” She asks gently.
“The same, you know. Barely any customers.”
“It’s ridiculous. We won a war to end the division yet no one seems to understand.” She crosses her arms.
He has had this conversation way too many times before and now he wants nothing but to get inside the warmth of his studio. “Don’t blame them, many lost their families. Hard to forget.”
“Draco… don’t get me wrong but do you have the money?” She says carefully, her eyes searching mine and i know she will catch me through the lie though she will not point it making me feel even more ashamed. I nod no looking down. “Draco… its not your fault. These people don’t understand! Neither does the landlord! I wish i could help but you refuse to accept any! Think about your children! Scorpious needs to go to school, you cannot just homeschool him.”
“Wait… why the landlord? Whats the matter?” I ask confused as panic seeps through my veins making me shiver.
She looks down in dismay. “If you want to continue living here, you will have to pay double the rent.”
“What! Thats absurd! All of a sudden! What happened!”
“I tried to stop him but you being a past death eater… he doesn’t listen.” She sighs frustrated. “Come stay with me or let me help you please.” She almost pleads.
“No thankyou.” I say quickly in a tone leaving no room for argument as she stares at me sadly and angrily.
“What about your children?”
“Anything i do is recorded and manipulated, can’t accept help and appear as a charity case for the world. The arrogant rich malfoy heir reduced to rags!”
“With your condition its not bad to accept charity.”
“Luna!” I regain my breath. “You should go and i shall contact you soon. Let the owner know i will pay as no one else accepts me. I will figure it out. Thankyou.” I say walking past her inside the house. As i enter its not much to see. The sensor above me is broken and the studio just holds less furniture, the biggest being the small bed atop which scorpius and estella sleep clinging to each other. I freshen up and pour out the water from the bucket under the leaking ceiling. Opening the fridge i help myself to one apple incase the kids wake up and become hungry. Kids need food, not me. I lay beside them caressing scorpius’s blond silky hair which wakes him up. He opens his eyes groggily and smiles.
“Sorry i woke you up.”
“No its fine. I was waiting anyways to show you my drawing!” He exclaims happily but softly so estella doesn’t wake up. Oh what all would i give to have them live a better life. Heck i’d even remove myself from it if it meant they could be content but the damn ministry doesn’t let me live or die. Scorpius quickly pulls out two papers underneath the pillow and shoves the drawing at me. I instantly smile seeing a family stick portrait of me and the kids, my attention diverts to the other and from the crooked look of it I know its estella’s. I see us in a big house with a fancy car and lots of toys. Tears well up in my eyes as scorpius looks at me excitedly waiting to be complimented.
“Its wonderful my boy!”
“Estella is pretty good too, she watched the poster outside on the grocery building and decided to draw it.”
I hug him tightly as we lay down drifting to sleep and I finally allow tears to stream down my face. Oh i wish things could just change for us.