Movie nights had become a thing.
Severus hadn’t planned it; he’d thought Draco was asleep when he started a film late one evening and had been surprised to hear a question whispered next to him. He should have sent the boy back to his bed but he hadn’t. Instead, he’d swung his legs off the sofa, stretched them out before him, and settled his godson beside him. They had snacked on popcorn and chocolate during the movie, and Severus listened to Draco giggling whenever someone cursed or kissed.
They were hooked.
Now Severus’s weekly evening watching Draco meant movies instead of early bedtimes, stories somebody else made up that they could both enjoy.
“What’s it about?” Draco peered at the cover of the movie, intrigued.
“Space wizards, essentially.” Severus turned from inserting the tape. A New Hope had been released on VHS in 1982 and he had bought it as soon as term had finished. Now, in 1984, he could nearly quote the movie in it’s entirety. “They’re in the middle of a war.”
“Oooh!” The four year old was predictably interested. “I like space.”
“So you’ve told me.” Severus cracked a smile and directed Draco toward his spot on the sofa. “Sit. I’ll be back with the popcorn.”
There was a knock at the door just as Severus finished putting butter over the popcorn and he scowled. Who would be stopping by his house when he was scheduled to watch Draco? And why? Scowling, he left the bowl on the counter and made his way back to the front door.
“Severus! I know you’re home.” Narcissa’s voice carried through the wood as he undid the locks, and waved his wand to lower his wards.
“And you’re supposed to be out with Lucius, or so I thought,” he said as he pulled the door toward him and stepped back to let her in. “Or did he end things prematurely again?”
“No! He doesn’t…” Her cheeks reddened and he smirked. “I’m not talking to you about this right now.”
“Good. I’ve got a film to watch with Draco.” He stepped around her, intent on retrieving the popcorn before Draco took it upon himself to go in search for it. The last time that had happened he’d found a trail of kernels from the kitchen to the sofa, and sometimes he swore he still stepped on one despite having cleaned the mess up with a quick wave of his wand. “You’re welcome to join us.”
“A...film.” She’d followed him into the kitchen and set her handbag on the countertop. “You’re showing my son muggle entertainment?”
“Yes.” He shrugged as he picked up the bowl. “It’s an easy way for him to escape reality.”
“Him...or you?” She reached over to pick a handful of pieces from the bowl before he turned away without answering, as she knew he would. The downward cast of his gaze had said enough.
“Oh what in Merlin’s name are those?” Narcissa turned to look at Severus, her expression one of utmost confusion.
As if in answer, Artoo beeped on the screen.
“Who, rather.” Severus settled the bowl of popcorn back on his lap after giving Draco a handful. “C-3PO is the gold droid. The other is R2-D2.”
“What do they mean, ‘There will be no escape for the princess this time.’?” Narcissa looked over at him sharply.
Severus gestured at the screen. “Just watch.”
As Leia came onto the screen for the first time, peering around a corner with her blaster, Narcissa took more interest in the film. Severus could practically feel the questions radiating from her but she was trying to stay quiet and pay attention. When the princess was stunned by the stormtrooper though, she gasped and then he could feel her quiet fury as Leia was held hostage and interrogated by Darth Vader.
The viewers were quiet, absorbed in the action, until Luke brought the droids home to Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru.
“I’m C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. And this is my counterpart, R2-D2.”
“I like them!” Draco grinned, popping his snack in his mouth. “Luke was smart to get them.”
Draco had fallen asleep before the movie was even halfway finished. Severus felt him grow heavy against his side and pulled the boy’s blanket up around him. On his left side, Narcissa rested her head against his shoulder.
“I surprisingly see the appeal of these,” she murmured to him when she felt him looking over at her. “Even if this one is confusing… Who’s the one in the black helmet again?”
“They make more sense when you give them a chance.” He looked amused. “That is Darth Vader.”
“Mm. Their version of the Dark Lord. Right?” Her fingers rested lightly on his forearm, directly over his Dark Mark.
“Something like that,” he muttered as the muscles under her fingers reflexively tensed.
“And that would make us Stormtroopers, I suppose.” Her fingers moved lightly across the fabric of his sleeves, tracing the shape of the skull and snake they both knew so well. “Better at shooting, though. Do they get to have lives outside of this?”
“Do we?” He cleared his throat and reached for the bowl of popcorn as a slightly somber silence settled over them.
They watched quietly for a few moments, not noticing that Draco was awake again until they heard a soft exclamation of, “Obi!”
“Obi, indeed.” Narcissa grabbed more popcorn and looked to Severus. “I rather thought it’d be Luke getting himself killed.”
“What’d he do that for?” Draco wrinkled his nose. “He’s supposed to help them, not give up.”
“He trusts Luke, and he loves him,” Severus responded, noticing Narcissa lean forward to look at her son.
“The way you and da love mum?” Draco yawned as he looked up at his godfather, snuggling into his side again.
“What do you know of the different sorts of love?” Severus looked down at him, brow raised.
“She says they’re all ‘portant.” His voice was heavy with sleepiness again and he’d barely gotten the last word out before closing his eyes. “But some are more special.”
“Wise words.” Severus slipped his arm around Narcissa’s shoulders as she settled back, felt her shift to rest her head against his chest. “You’re a wise woman.”
“I don’t know about all of that.” She laughed softly. “I just want to be honest with him.”
“Speaking honestly… Do you truly see Leia ending up with Luke?” He ran his thumb over her elbow, almost absentmindedly.
“No. That would be the obvious choice. He is attractive, but he’s too eager.” She watched the screen until Han showed up again. “Now, Han Solo…”
“More rugged.”
“More interesting.”
“I’ll give you that.” He shook his head, half smiling.
They were quiet the rest of the movie, though he knew Narcissa had more questions, so he was hardly surprised when she began talking as soon as the credits began rolling.
“The Force is like magic, in a way, isn’t it? The way you need to be taught, to learn to use it… What are all the characters going to do now? Vader isn’t going to just give up, not when they’ve blown up the Death Star and he’s clearly got some unfinished business with Luke on a personal level too. What is Han going to do? How long does this war last?” She looked up at him. “There are more, right? With answers?”
“Yes.” He toyed with a strand of her hair that had come loose. “It’s a trilogy. The third one came out in May of last year.”
“Can we see it? And the second?”
“They’re not released on tape yet.” He paused. “But if you really want to go to a muggle cinema… there is one playing all three in a fortnight. One film per evening.”
She settled in closer against him, tracing the buttons down his shirt. “May the Force be with us, then.”