Lucky
Months Later
“Hello Mr. Malfoy please take a seat.” Draco sat down in front of Head Mistress McGonagall who looked at him sharply. “I understand that you’ve had some troubles of late.”
Draco fought the urge to roll his eyes. Yeah “troubles” isn’t exactly what he would have called his extended stay at St. Mugos and burning off his vocal cords. Instead he shrugged in response and she looked at him intensely.
“Nevertheless I was glad to hear you had decided to return to Hogwarts and complete you’re education. Please be assured that we will do all we can to help you despite you’re … situation. Which is why I’ve decided to set up some extra classes for you.”
Draco raised an eyebrow. The confusion clear on his face. He’d already gotten his schedule for the next year and he hadn’t seen any extra classes.
“Have you ever heard of sign language?” He nodded. He’d heard of it from his father. It was the way deaf or mute muggles communicated unable to speak. Lucius had explained it when they had walked past a homeless man with a cardboard sign on the streets of London begging for money.
“That man would be better off cursed to oblivion than living like that.” Lucius had looked beyond disgusted.
Now here he was. Unable to speak and only able to cast first year spells at best without the use of his voice.
“Well” said McGonagell “we happen to have a student in our midst with excellent knowledge of sign language. She will be tutoring you in the library before classes every morning.”
Draco nodded seeing as he really didn’t have a choice in the matter. Unless he wanted to carry a chalkboard all year this probably his best bet.
“Excellent please meet Miss Granger every morning at the library at seven AM sharp.”
Draco’s eyes widened at the name of that Mudblood but he nodded. How had this old crone convinced Granger to do this? If anyone in the world hated him it surely must have been her.
She looked at him with a slight smile but Draco could find the words to say “no, please. This is a terrible idea” instead he gave her one last nod and walked out the door.
***
“Helping Malfoy, are you serious?” Ron nearly choked on a chocolate frog when Hermione told him and Harry the news.
“I’m doing it for the extra credit. Plus I’m the only one at Hogwarts who even knows sign language.” Hermione had waited until the last possible moment to tell them and she wasn’t at all surprised by their reaction. Ron crossed his arm his face turning bright red while Harry looked like an owl. His green eyes wide behind his glasses.
“What happened to Malfoy anyways?” Harry had been too busy over break from the battle of Hogwarts to keep up with Malfoy. The last time they had seen each other had been at his court hearing. Harry despite how much he hated him had not recommended a lifetime sentence in Azkaban a fact that had stopped Ron from talking to him for weeks. That along with Narcissa lying to Voldemort on his behalf had gotten both mother and son off with meat probation.
Lucius on the other hand was shipped off to Azkaban for the immediate future. But Harry found it extremely had to feel sorry for the man that had purposely given Ginny a horcruz on their second year.
Hermione’s eyes darken and she turns away. Clearly unable to tell them everything she knows.
“Harry, I made a promise to Professor… I mean Headmistress McGonagell. I can’t tell you. But it seems that for the foreseeable future Malfoy will be unable to speak.”
“We show throw a party” said Ron joyfully.
“Ron, stop it!” Snapped Hermione.
“What?” Said Ron crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. “No more listening to that pompous brat brag about his new shoes, or cauldron, of broom. Let’s not forget he called you a mudblood Hermione. As far as I’m concerned the jerk got what he deserved.”
Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry looked out the window in deep thought. He gripped the wand in his pocket and remembered the look of surprise on Draco’s face when he handed his wand back to him outside the courtroom.
“Thank you Potter.” Draco took the wand and Harry didn’t did anything else except nod and leave on his way. A part of him had always wondered what it must have been like to be Draco. Two have two loving parents, to come from a rich family, to live in a place like Malfoy manor with plenty of servants to give you what you wanted.
He’d often watched with sick envy the way Draco would show off his mother’s care packages. Why couldn’t he have that? Why couldn’t he have people that worried about him? Why couldn’t he have a mom to hug him tight just like Narcissa had after the battle of Hogwarts? But now as they made their way to school for their final year Harry couldn’t help but smile a sad smile.
Maybe he had been the lucky one all along?