Back in Black
"Again! Do it better this time or I’ll let the Dementors in.”
Draco shutters at the memory, but rises again, pointing his wand directly at the captive fairy in front of him. “ CRUCIO!” The small thing withers and screams, crying out and begging for mercy. After the third scream, as if it had been a cue, he hears the curse repeated behind him and his body spasms out of control. Bloody painful, everything hurts, he can barely see, much less control his wand. He fights it regardless, he knows what happens if he doesn’t.
Dementors, awful creatures. They’d been roaming lately, and came straight to Lucius’s mansion, where the man had locked them in a room and thrown Draco in just because he passed out under the Cruciatus Curse. That had been a harrowing evening, he’d been forced out some hours later, shaking and looking broken enough that Lucius had actually hugged him and sent the house elves to draw him a bath. He’d even been allowed to eat what he wanted to that night.
Granted he fucked that up a day later when Lucius caught him apologizing to the fairy he was forced to torture.
“Malfoy’s do not apologize.” he had been reminded, and then beat until he couldn’t walk.
At least he had gotten weirdly good with medical skills for a thirteen year old.
Eventually his father lets up and gives him almost an approving look before sending him to get changed. Another small blessing, his mother was coming home tonight. That meant a number of things for the young Malfoy.
For starters, Lucius wouldn’t dare hurt him. The Dementors would be under lock and key. Draco could eat a normal dinner again. And his mother would be there. He hadn’t seen her in months, almost a year to date, and by the gods had he missed her.
Narcissa Malfoy brought life to the manor, and happiness into his soul. As soon as he hears the tell-tale crack of Apparition he’s running to her, bypassing the elves and smiling when she spots him.
“Draco!” She cries, opening her arms wide and suddenly he’s safe and warm and almost happy. They stay close for a few moments before his mother pulls away to cup his face. “Look at my boy, you’ve grown so much! I can’t believe I haven’t seen you in so long, I can’t believe I missed your birthday! We’ll simply have to celebrate it tomorrow..”
Draco beams at her, "I’m so happy to have you home!”
“Naturally, dear,” Narcissa links arms with her son, pulling him towards the kitchen where dozens of bags have been placed. “I brought a few gifts for you and your father, although some of them you can’t open for another day.”
“Birthday, then?”
“Of course darling! What else would they be?”
Draco refrains from speaking, lest he tell her about what his father thought of him opening packages, even if they were addressed to him.
“Now I heard your father lost Dobby, a pity really, I know he was both our favorites, but do we still have Silsy? Come out would you?”
Silsy appears, silly little smock hanging off her shoulders as she bows to Narcissa. “Mistress.”
“Ah! There you are! Make Draco and I some mint tea, would you? We have much to discuss, and while you’re at it make sure the lot of you eat dinner, you’re looking too thin.”
The house elf smiles gratefully at the woman who sits at the counter-top island and beacons Draco to join her.
“Tomorrow, love, I’m stealing you away all to myself. Your father’s had you all summer, I think it’s high time we get to be together!”
Draco grins at her, “What shall we do?”
“I was thinking Diagon Alley, school does start soon, don't give me that look, it’s not becoming of you. While we’re there, I’ve arranged a bit of a surprise, two actually. But they are surprises, Draco, your father doesn’t even know about them yet” Narcissa looks around, “Where is your father? I’m surprised he hasn’t greeted me yet.”
“I was giving you and your son some alone time, love.”
They both look towards the doorway where Lucius leans against the frame, dressed in green and black, he almost looks normal. Like he would come over and hug them both and then laugh with them, tuck Draco into bed, dance with his mother all night long. It would almost fool him, but Draco knew better. He always knew better these days, being 13 sucked so far, but seeing Lucius kiss his mother on her cheek, wrapping an arm around her waist...it gave him a small bit of treacherous hope.
“Planning on stealing Draco away for tomorrow?”
“Naturally, I haven’t seen him in nearly a year, much less had time to celebrate his birthday in a way he deserves.”
Lucius laughs, easy and light, like he hadn’t been torturing his son hours before. “Can’t we celebrate together?”
Narcissa turns to face him, “You’ve had the whole summer to celebrate! Taking him for a day is nothing, I did consider taking him for a week you know.”
His father backs down at that and dinner is served, complete with tea they asked for and Lucius attempting to act like nothing had been going on. Draco ignores him completely, asking his mother about Paris, her travels, and breaking into the presents she’d brought.
He’d ended up with an entire new wardrobe, the finest of materials in each shirt and pants, new shoes polished to perfection, he smiles when they notice their matching necklaces hang from the other’s neck. She’s also snuck in some of his favorite treats from chocolate to lemon drops. Trinkets from a seeing glass to an ebony dagger that matched his comb. “Do you like them?”
“I love them” he smiles, once again treading the line of happiness, only avoiding it encase his father got any ideas.
“Wait until tomorrow, love.”
----------
Tomorrow came with excitement. They woke early, ate breakfast by the fire, and then parted to dress. Draco donned his new silk shirt, white and bellowing out just above his rather high waisted black slacks. His shoes were surprisingly comfortable for new ones, and his coat even more so, with a pocket perfect for his wand. Narcissa dressed similarly in color, white dress and black coat. Joining hands around eleven, they looked around the manor and Apperated away.
The alley bustled with its usual energy, students running around to get books, parents balking at the price of things. Narcissa led them down the street quickly, down to an old house he knew was abandoned, so when she opened the door he was more surprised to see it actually open than he was to see his friends standing inside, presents and smiles waiting.
“Draco!”
Two sets of arms he quickly recognizes as Pansy and Blaise wrap around him before he could reach for his wand, but once he’s encased in the familiar warmth, he grins back. “You! Mother? Did you?”
Crabbe and Goyle grin behind the arms around him, waving quietly.
“Of course I did. When your father told me you hadn’t seen them I couldn’t believe it.”
Pansy turns to her, bowing slightly and smiling all the same. “Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy, we’ve been missing him.”
His mother smiles politely, “Can I trust you four to look after him for an hour? I have some business to attend to before I can take him to his next surprise.”
“Of course, Mrs. Malfoy. Leave him to us,” Blaise responds.
Narcissa kisses his cheek before she leaves, and then his friends are on him.
“Have you been getting our letter?”
“Why haven’t you written back?”
“How come your mother doesn’t know?”
“What’s going on?”
“Where have you been ?”
Draco takes a deep breath, sitting down in one of the chairs and offering them all a bit of chocolate. “I’ve been rather busy this summer.”
“You don’t say,” Blaise glares, “Still doesn’t answer any of our questions.”
“Who said I’d be answering anything.”
“We did.” Pansy glares, “Or so help me I’ll tell your mother our letters haven’t been answered, you know how she feels about being rude.”
Draco rolls his eyes, but invites his friends to sit, not surprised in the least when Crabbe and Goyle tear into the snacks he brought. “It’s nothing really, father has just been training me is all. That mixed with the learning duties of the house and school work, I haven’t had much time. I really didn’t know you all had even sent me letters, I usually fall into bed and sleep right away each night, I haven’t been checking my desk for them.”
The last bit isn’t lie, he does usually fall asleep the second his head hits the pillow, but his father had been keeping mail from him ever since Pansy invited him over for afternoon tea the next day. Couldn’t miss out on his torture sessions.
Pansy sighs, “Merlin, Draco, we all thought you were dead until your mother contacted us.”
“I’m thankful she did.”
Blaise smirks at him, “So you did miss us.”
“Not as much as you’ll miss your throat should you keep speaking.”
The group laughs at that and Draco carefully steers the conversation back to their summers, hearing all the fun bits. Crabbe and Goyle spent much of it together, laughing and trying out new sweets, playing on brooms and trying to figure out their school work. Draco promises to help them once the year starts, Merlin knows they’ll need it. Pansy had taken a trip through Europe with her mother, shopping and tasting new foods, coming home to visit with Daphne Greengrass and her sister, Astoria, “Her family was so happy she had another Slytherin friend, they were worried about her being put in Ravenclaw, you know”. Blaise spent his summer with his current father in Germany, reading countless books. Apparently his mother had another affair while they were gone, a divorce was coming soon, paperwork already filed. “The new guy is okay, doesn’t really talk much, but he gave me a new book that the old one didn’t have, so I guess it’s fine for now.”
“Your mother never is going to settle down, is she?” Pansy asks. Blaise just shakes his head.
They’re in the middle of discussing the charms summer assignment when Narcissa returns, frazzled and counting them all.
“Mother? What’s happened?”
Once she’s made sure all children are accounted for, she pulls them all towards her. “Listen to me. All of you need to go home immediately, lock your doors, and do not open them until it’s time for you to return to Hogwarts, do you understand?”
They nod, but it’s Pansy who asks “What’s going on?”
She pins the younger girls with a kind smile and worried eyes, “Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban.”
Draco’s mood plummets.
Connections form as his mother takes his hand, waiting for all the other children to vanish before they do the same. Dementors at his house...he should’ve known they weren’t there as a personal favor to his father. Something was very wrong when Dementors were loose, something a bit bigger than the punishment of a boy.
From what he knows about Sirius Black, this is a very big problem indeed.Everyone in the wizarding world knows about the traitor. He was the Potter’s friend, thick as thieves, closer than brothers with James, the man had been at their wedding, in school he had been apart of their group, his father hated every single one of them, constantly talking about how shameful it was for a Black to be sorted into Gryffindor, Sirius Black had been to the Potters what Pansy and Blaise are becoming to him.
Sirius Black had been the one to lead Voldemort straight to their house, straight to the baby on the second floor. Sirius Black had been so close to getting rid of them, even killed his friend Peter Pettigrew, another one of Voldemort’s favorites. And if Black was back now, that could only mean one thing.
Draco swore when he closed his bedroom door, trading shoes for slippers. If he was going to worry about Potter now, he might as well be comfortable.
Although ‘worry’ is probably the wrong word, given that Potter, without a doubt, had one of the Dark Lord’s trained killers after him.
That and it was time for his afternoon session with the Cruciatus Curse. And the matching dagger that left a ghastly gash across his forearm.
Fuck, he really could never catch a break.
At least Potter was probably safe in his muggle home somewhere else in London, hopefully not doing something stupid like leaving in the middle of the night and getting on the Night Bus, which everyone knew was extremely dangerous and only for desperate wizards.
If he was lucky, Harry Potter would be in his own bed that night, not staying at some weird inn.
But everyone knows Draco Malfoy is seldom ‘lucky’