𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓

Chapter 24

Previously:

Harry became suspicious when he found out about Draco's involvement with the Riddle campaign and enlisted the help of Seamus and Dean to sabotage its Christmas fundraiser. Tom Riddle made his intentions with Draco very clear by way of sexual harassment. Draco's resulting freak-out landed him and Harry both in the Perfect's bathtub, where another ensuing and embarrassing freak-out was avoided thanks to Harry's apparent understanding. Draco reevaluated his feelings for Harry and came to a much bigger conclusion.

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Mother Knows Best

Chapter Twenty-Four

Burn After Reading

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January third was a day that had Draco feeling oddly invincible on his drive back to school. It was the start of a new year, the time to turn over a new leaf, so to speak. Put his best foot forward, etc. Whatever that's supposed to mean. It was time to get what he wanted.

Therein lays the difference between then and now. Draco didn't know what he wanted before, and so he had no way of getting it. But now? Now he knew exactly what he wanted and a little square of notebook paper telling him exactly how to get it.

In lieu of Riddle's so-called Christmas party and the disaster that had transpired following it, Draco had almost forgotten about the list Seamus had given him to take home, a list of steps on a folded-up piece of notebook paper with the words BURN AFTER READING Sharpied on the front. The ink had bled through, so it was difficult to read, but after getting the gist of it Draco found himself wondering if Seamus' knowledge of boyfriend-stealing came from practical experience.

So it was with a new lease on life that Draco returned to Hogwarts, parking his father's 1956 Jaguar Roadster in the space right beside an all too familiar motorcycle. The classic convertible was part of Lucius' extensive collection. A sound investment, as his father put it, and it became more and more valuable every day it sat untouched. It had taken a considerable amount of cunning to get Lucius to let him take it to school.

"Why the sudden interest?" Lucius asked the second Draco breeched the subject, eyes suspicious. "You don't even like driving. You think it's pedestrian."

Because it was pedestrian. Sure, it was new and exciting at first, but once the novelty wore off it had started to feel like a chore. And Draco didn't do chores.

"Weasley has a car," Draco mentioned offhandedly.

His father paused with his fork halfway to his mouth, and Draco had to fight a victorious smirk.

His relationship with his father had reached an odd state. So long as he didn't mention Harry and rock the metaphorical and precariously-balanced boat, things weren't so different than they usually were. After coming home the day after the fundraiser with only a vague explanation as to why he'd disappeared in the first place -Lucius ranting in between outraged calls from discontent campaign contributors- with the miracle of concealer masking the otherwise obvious bruises decorating his skin, they mostly tried to ignore whatever tension was going on between them.

His mother wasn't so keen on turning a blind eye.

The days in between the Christmas party and the second Draco had left to go back to Hogwarts, Narcissa had been on him like white on rice. Like ugly on a Weasley. She'd been very concerned about the bruises on his jaw, on his hand, especially on his collar. She was the only one who could see through the makeup. Meaningfully, she asked him if he needed her to make a phone call to "have this matter taken care of."