Cursed
Waking up to the warmth of his mother was the best way to wake up to. Draco snuggled up to his mother more, seeking for more of her love. His eyes still closed, he feels his mother shift up right, settling Draco down on her lap slowly. Draco tightened his group around his mother's waist as she soothingly pat his back, lulling him back to the deep sleep. Mumbling over his "Love you, mum", hearing his mother's soft chuckle, he peacefully went back to sleep.
>•𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞𝕤•<
This time, Draco was alone on his bed. He sat up slowly, searching for his mother who was nowhere to be found. He bit his lower lip, rubbing his left eye. Shuffling and sliding himself out of bed, he picked up his dragon that just have dropped while he was asleep and left to find his mother.
Clutching the small green and orange dragon, he took small steps down the stairs, hoping to find his mother there with her arms out, smiling, ready to take Draco into a cuddly hug. Excitement filled up and now, Draco was running. Huffing, he turned his head, looking for Narcissa. However, she wasn't here either. Where could she be? Then, something came into Draco's head. His mum is playing hide and seek with him! How exciting! Draco squeezed his dragon. "You should hide too, Astarot!" The name 'Astarot', is a Native American name which means 'The Leading One'. A leader, whom Draco aspires to be, a great person.
Draco giggle and set his dragon down in the library of thousands of books. He moved some books aside, making space for the tiny dragon which was about an adult's palm size. "Stay here, Astarot, I will find you when mummy finds me and you win- no... I want mummy to win, but I can't because I want to see her...- come with me, Astarot!" Changing his decision, he took the dragon with him and started venturing around the manor.
>•𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞𝕤•<
Draco totted about the manor, peeking his head through door on both the first and second level but found no one, not even house elves or his father. Where was everyone? Did they leave him?
As time went by, the manor started getting warmer and Draco was getting more scared. Even with Astarot in his hands, he felt alone. He was always alone in the manor, he hadn't been allowed outside the manor at all his whole life but he had the house elves to play with, although his father hates them. "Mummy? F-Father? D... hic...," Draco sobbed, chocking on his words. "Dobby... Where- where is..." It was hot. Extremely warm. Too hot. It wasn't summer, it was mid-autumn, so why was it so hot? Draco coughed, not from crying, but...
Smoke.
There was smoke.
The panic kept rising in Draco as he spotted the fire. He trembled. He wanted to find his mother but instead found fire in his house. Draco pulled at his hair, not knowing what to do. He felt bitter as he realised that they left Draco in the house with the fire. Where was mummy?
Draco cried silently. he couldn't do anything. He didn't know how to stop the fire. Draco searched for an escape route, a door, an exit. Really, all he was doing was finding his mother, but then it became fire, now an exit. Did someone want something bad to befall Draco? Why Draco?
Draco still remembered vividly during last winter, and the many other bad events where Draco's life had been endangered. Because of those unpleasant, reoccurring dangers, he learned to defend himself and fight for himself, to live... a lonely person... at the age of five. Five! He had seen other kids come to his house, laughing and playing like no one was targeting them. Draco was always on the edge, watching for someone, anyone. Draco was jealous. He wanted to be like other kids, play, leave the house... His father on the other hand always blames Draco for everything. His father outwardly displays his hatred and dislike towards Draco, rejecting him and never sparring any time for him. Only his mother and the house elves did. Even the 'lowly' house elves had a bigger heart than his own father. The immense hate towards his father may never be reversed.
The fire was getting bigger when Draco saw the door outside to the manor. There, the outside world he was only described to and never saw. He rushed to the door, hope still there in his heart. But things never end well for Draco. The fire got to him, burning the skin of the five-year-old. Draco screamed, the screaming also seemed to affect Astarot when the dragon he clutch looked like he was scrunching his face. Draco was screaming on top of his lungs, trying to get the fire off of him, his dragon laying beside him. His skin burned, it hurt. It hurt. He cried, he wanted his mother. Please... come...
Draco screamed and cried in pain, watching his skin turn blister red and a bit of black. He was numb now, not screaming anymore but still crying uncontrollably. His vision blurred. His hearing wasn't quite right as he seemed to hear his mother's voice.
"Draco! You left him? You said you had- bastard!" His mother's blurry face came to view, fire disappearing along with his father's presence. "He's nothing of to use anyway, what's the use of keeping him?" was what Draco heard before his mother soothed him. "Mum-... -my" Draco sobbed when Narcissa held Draco and healed him. "You're safe baby, you're safe..." She stroke his hair, handing him his half-burnt dragon. "You're safe..." The warmth and presence he had longed for came. He was safe. Yes... he was.
>•𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕤•<
Draco's sixth birthday! Draco gripped his ruined but still beloved dragon. It's been a few months since the fire and Draco had been scarred, a burn scar going from the back of his shoulder, his sides and arm, to his hips. a few marks on his back but they were small. But because of the scars, his father avoided him more, seeing him less than twice a month. He had told Draco he hadn't want to see that ugly body of his, on top of his skinny figure. Why does his father hate him so much? What did he ever do so wrong?
Draco shoved the though away and looked out of his door to find his mother. Draco grinned happily as his mother lifted him and wished him "Happy Birthday". Draco gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and got returned one, squirming shyly in her arms, hiding his face in her shoulders. She caressed him, lightly stroking his head. Draco played with the strands of her hair, dragon between the mother and son.
She went downstairs and settled him in his seat, her taking the seat beside him. Dobby came out with other house elves, wishing Draco happy birthday. Dobby presented his breakfast which consisted of pancakes with cream and honey, something his mother wouldn't usually give as it was too sweet and Draco just obeyed and said he won't eat sweet things like candy unless she said okay. That day, he received a compliment. Draco drooled at the sight but then something caught his attention. House elves, they never celebrated their birthdays. Draco leaned to his mother and asked but she said that we could ask them but father wouldn't be too happy about it. Regardless, he still asked. The house elves were flustered and looked at Narcissa to help but she just laughed softly and nodded, giving them permission to share. But unfortunately, they didn't know either, so, Draco gave them birthdays, which... "It's everyone's birthday!" Draco giggled, the rest joining in later on.
Draco invited them to dine with him and Narcissa but they kept on denying. But Draco pulled a pouty look and after being agreed by Narcissa and a lot of persuasion did they do so. It was the happiest time of Draco's life, being able to enjoy things without any bad things happening. He just wished he wasn't so alone all of the time. House elves had their work to do and he didn't want to take their free time and his mother had her own work to deal with, meetings to attend. But for now, Draco will just enjoy even the littlest things of life.
>•𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞𝕤•<
It didn't go well.
It didn't.
He saw.
His father saw what happened during breakfast. All of it.
Draco now laid limp on the cold concrete floor, mind blank, eyes focused on the wall on his right, not bearing to look at his bear burnt hand. Now, including them, were scars inflicted and healed by his father. His father, just moments ago, told him they would never go away, they will remain forever. He would always be a disappointment to the Malfoy Family. Draco was to tired and lost too much blood, having no energy to get up and leave the dungeons of the manor or even find his mother now that his father has left.
Draco let the silent tears fall. Just hours ago, he was happy being with the people he love, and now, all he wanted was to cry to sleep. He wanted his father's approval, or at least a reason why a father would hate their own child.
And his question was answered not soon after.
>•𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕤•<
Take me.
Please take me.
Draco watched his parents apparate away from the top of the stairs. Draco is left once again, but now, at least, with the house elves. Draco was walking back to his room when he saw a half opened door to his parent's chambers. Draco looked around. Right, they left. He walked towards the room and peeked into it. The was a stack of paper on their bed which stood out to Draco. Draco just learnt a few more words from things around the house today, maybe the papers have something to teach Draco?
Draco took the papers and started to read.
"A boy is destined to bring ruins,
nothing can be helped.
All can do is prevent it,
but nothing can stop it.
The child shall disgrace,
taking the face of the family with.
If he is not cursed,
what would he be?"
The cursed child was Draco. It should be Draco, why else would it be in his father's room? He was going to bring bad luck wasn't he? He was going to... Already a disgrace, more is about to come. Draco's eyes welled up with tears as he ran back to his room.
>•𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕤•<
"He believed," he heard his father.
Believed what?
"I left it and he actually... such vain boy, what a shame..." He tutted, clicking his tongue after.
"He's you're son, Lucius," His godfather, Draco recognised, hissed.
"If you like him so much, take him. I wouldn't need such filth anyway."
"I would, had Narcissa not been your wife."
"Right, there's still her," His father groaned. Father also hates mummy... He's bad... Yeah, I like Uncle Sev better... Draco didn't stay to listen to the rest of the conversation and left to his room to find Astarot.
>•𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕤•<
Severus visited Draco after the conversation. "Sev!" Draco jumped onto the man, dragging the 'e' of his part-name. Severus picked the boy up, adjusting him on his hips. He reached for his wand and waved it, a small wrapped present now replaced with his wand. Draco tilted his head when Severus held it in front of him. "Your... birthday present." Draco perked up and gladly took the present. He wriggled from Severus' arms and plopped onto the floor, carefully unwrapping the gift.
It was a mini snow globe. In it was him riding his dragon, Astarot! It shows their burn marks too. Draco frowned. "Don't hide because of it. It makes you braver, Draco. Come, let's go to the garden," Draco could see the smirk on Severus' face. He got Father to say yes. Draco was going to go outside!
Draco jumped delightedly and followed along like a duck and his mother. Draco was going out for the first time!
>•𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞𝕤•<