Companions

Part 15: Nonsensical Bullshit

Wednesday July 11th

He spent his day staring at the ceiling and wondering if his life could get any worse.

He didn't think it was possible- until his father walked into his bedroom.

His old man at 49 years old looks youthful still. His silver eyes still sparkling as Draco remembers from his childhood. His locks- though shorter; still shimmer and shiny with the glossy white blonde in its voluptuous thickness. And his squared off jaw line, still sharp and commanding.

"Dad..." He sits up, still a bit weakened after everything.

"Why do yoI look so...defeated?" His father asks as he looks around Draco's bedroom.

"I was attacked by a Cambion Sunday and am still recovering." He tries to sound brave and strong and not like a weak pathetic child.

"A Cambion? And how pray tell did you come across one of those?"

"She was my bartender, Ashley. No matter Granger and Ginny Weasley took care of her." Taking in the information and processing, Lucius nods and takes. A seat in the chair int the corner of his son's room.

"Granger? You say."

"Yes."

"I heard she's getting married....what? Saturday?"

"Yes." It hurts still. It hurts like no one would believe.

"Ah...yet she's been here a lot- well- she was here last time I was in."

"Yes- which reminds me- didn't I tell you not to come back here?"

"Oh, Draco- don't be a knob." Sitting back, head pulling back towards the wall a bit- he's never heard his father speak that way. So pedestrian and...impolite.

"Dad..."

"I understand I haven't really been a father to you...at least not in the sense as you would have liked- but you have to understand I was raised differently. I was raised as my father was and his father before him and I raised you all the same."

"To be a knob?" Draco tries to be serious, but he can't help but smirk. Lucius does as well. Ever so slightly and very short lived- but he smirks.

And it isn't the kind of smirk that says he's better than you.

It's the kind of smirk you gave your Mate for a good burn.

"Yes, Draco. To be a very self centered, disciplined, arrogant knob." Lucius sits back in the chair- relaxing a bit more and Much like the time in his single private dorm his last year- he feels slightly comfortable around his old man. "In our family line- you carry yourself with pride and do what you can to better your image and less so everything else. You don't get the luxury to have fun or do what you love and marry who you want. That's how the Malfoy's have always been. Until you."

"And I'm the disappointment and disgrace." He says bitterly and Lucius takes in a deep breath and sighs through his nose.

"No."

"What?!"

"No Draco you are not the disappointment." He says remorseful. "I am."

"Dad..."

"I grew up the same way you had, but with less...influencing of the bad nature. I threw my name around, had things many couldn't afford and always had the attitude that no one could touch a single hair on my head."

"Is that why you never cut it? Haha" he jokes and Lucius looks stymied for a while until he too chuckles and that sounds beyond foreign in Draco's ears. Because when his father laughed- it was also an arrogant short laugh that usually followed a nasty mean remark or was the prelude to an insult. This was a natural- humors laugh that took Draco by surprise and yet a smile grows on his face like never before from being involved with his father.