five hours with draco malfoy;

Part eighteen

AFTER sending that letter to Annelisse, Draco left his room, ready to start his day.  Although his parents had not decorated the house for Christmas, he had placed small decorations in his room that Annelisse had sent him by letter.  He had them scattered around his room, arranged as she had indicated.

A christmas ball made of tiny crystals, hung on the doorknob of his window that gleamed when daylight hit it, reflecting patterns of light on the walls of his room.

A little Christmas tree that he placed behind his door.

Lots of candy canes spread around to sweeten his room.

A postcard from Annelisse that he kept on his desk, always ready to read again.

And a piece of mistletoe, which he always carried with him, hoping to see her again and have an excuse to kiss Annelisse again.

"Good morning, Draco."  Narcissa said as she saw him enter the kitchen.

Draco sat at the table next to her and looked at the breakfast, which was already prepared on the table "Good morning, mother."  He had some black coffee without sugar and a piece of fruit.

"Do you plan to do something today?"

"Not really."

"Would you like to help me with the preparations for the Ball?"

"Sure."

Draco took a sip of his coffee and then a bite of the apple he had taken.  Since he had returned home, his mother had been somewhat different and Draco did not know why, although he liked it, she was less angry, more attentive to him "And father?"

"He went to the Ministry. He won't come until afternoon."

"Oh."  He responded without much eagerness.  Nor did he care if his father was there or not, he was even grateful to be able to spend a day without him, without listening to all his complaints and putting up with the way he usually talked to him.

"Draco."  Narcissa said after a moment of silence.

"What?"

"Is she worth it?"  She asked him.
Draco, at first did not understand it, but after a few seconds he did.  His mother was talking about Annelisse.

"Yes."  His face became somewhat more serious "And I hope you treat her well."

"Your father is going to be furious when he finds out."

"I don't care what he believes. It's my life."

"Draco..." she sighed "I don't care although you think I do. It's just that—you know how he's going to get."

"If that happens, I'll leave the Ball with her."

There was a small silence, for them  seemed eternal.

"She has to be very special. Look at you, you look different."

Draco sighed, realizing his mother's words.  He really was different and for the better.

"She makes me want to be a better person, Mom."

Both continued having breakfast, drinking coffee without talking.  Narcissa watched Draco from time to time, thinking.  She found it great to see her son like this, cheerful, and not sad like he had been all these years.

Draco adored his father and that he treated him badly affected him a lot, becoming that way that everyone at Hogwarts hated, becoming that Malfoy that no one could bear.

Although, after Annelisse, Draco did not want to continue living in that darkness.  He wanted, as Annelisse said, to see the good in things, to enjoy what life offered, and he wanted to do it with her. He wanted to continue learning about life by her side.

Narcissa could tell that Annelisse had done something good in Draco and she liked that.  She just wanted his happiness and was glad that finally, after so many years, he had a reason to live and change his life for the better.

And now the problem was how Lucius Malfoy was going to take the fact that Annelisse —Muggle-born— was going to a party where there were only going to be purebloods.

Narcissa had for the moment concealed Annelisse's origin from Lucius so that she could come to the party.  She did not care about her origin, what's more, she wanted to know her, to know who that girl was, who had completely turned the world upside down from her son.

"You know, Draco?"  Said her mother, causing him to look at her "He wasn't always that bad."

Those words left Draco somewhat paralyzed. He swallowed hard, not speaking, just looking at her. Narcissa looked down for a few seconds, thinking "You know perfectly well that your father and I will always be Death Eaters, Draco."  she sighed "I forgave myself but your father didn't..."

"That was a long time ago."  He snapped.

"When we won the Wizarding War in 81 and destroyed Voldemort, a part of your father also died. After being forgiven for having 'been' on the enemy side, he changed."

"I don't know what you mean by that, mother."

"That he also suffers, Draco, and even if he's not the same man as before I love your father."  They both looked at each other without speaking for a few seconds, trying to understand the other "The mark gradually corroded him inside, I guess."

Draco gulped, his mother had never talked to him about his father like that.  She had taken him totally by surprise.

"He erased all the good in him. When we were freed by what happened, everyone rejected us and he couldn't cope with it."

"And why didn't you help him?"

"He never wanted it back," She shrugged "and he ended up becoming his own father."

"And why didn't you just—leave him?"

"Things don't work out that way, Draco, and as much as we love each other, you know perfectly well that the Malfoys are used to be tied to arranged marriages."

Draco at those words could not think of anything else and feel scared.  He hoped his mother did not answer what he believed she would do.  And then, he asked her "I—am I going to have to fulfill that too?"  He said with fear and insecurity in his voice.

"Son," she sighed "We'll talk about this another time, but I want you to know, I want only your happiness, I won't let my son have to go through this. I convinced your father years ago to not make that to you."

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READ THIS! 

I know that the episode ends as if he was going to be forced to marry someone else but, no. 

This story isn't one of those.  Also, I wanted to make it clear that it doesn't follow the plot of harry potter at all, Voldemort died in 81 with Harry's parents.

There are still some chapters, be prepared because things get interesting!

Love you, xx