Draco Malfoy's Two Months in Muggle Land

Chapter Nine: Week Eight: All Good Things

Week Nine: All Good Things

The rest of the week was like a blur to Draco and Evie. Mrs. McCarthy went to the hospital and stayed in intensive care. Heather took Evelyn in for the time being, just while her mother was in hospital, and helped to make the funeral arrangements for Evelyn's father. Draco spent much of the week in a state of shock. The first three days after the attack he had stayed in bed recovering from the ordeal, Evelyn curled up at his side, her thin arms wrapped tightly around his waist. The end of the battle was a mystery to him, as he had fallen unconscious soon after Evie stupefied his father. The last thing he remembered was telling her to call Heather. Next thing he knew he was lying in his bed at the older witch's house, staring at the ceiling. Evie had yet to say anything, seemingly in her own little world since the shock of losing her father and almost losing her mother as well. The fact that she had just discovered that she was a witch pushed her over the edge, and she lay motionless next to her best friend.

By the end of the third day, Draco started to recover slightly. The after effects of the Cruciatus had made him sore and stiff, and his lying in bed hadn't done him any good. However, it had given him the opportunity to think about a lot of things. The first was the things he had said to his father. Even thought it was likely the Malfoy patriarch had been shipped off to Azkaban as soon as the Aurors arrived, he still felt a little uneasy. Lucius Malfoy had a lot of power and influence in the wizarding world, and it wasn't a good idea to defy him, especially when you were his heir. Draco was also still recovering from the rather important decision he had made. All of his life his father had been telling him that one day the Dark Lord would return to purge the earth of Muggles and Mudbloods, and that he, Draco, would take a place at his side. Not knowing any better, Draco had never questioned it. It was his destiny, and he never thought he would want to change it. His father had filled him with hate for the non-magical people of the world, and Draco had accepted it as all children did when their parents taught them values. It had taken this rather unorthodox lesson to teach him the truth about the Muggle world. Although he had resisted as much as possible, somehow Heather and Evelyn had managed to show him that there was more to life than crawling before the Dark Lord. It didn't mean that he was about to praise the Weasleys or become best friends with Potter, but it was a good start.

The next thing he had to sort out in his mind was Evelyn. She had been silent for three days, hardly moving at all, and clinging to Draco like a lifeline. The blond could understand to some extent what she felt like. Her family had fallen apart right in front of her eyes. She had watched her father be killed, and her mother almost end up the same way. She was sure to be traumatised. And unlike Draco, who made the decision to defy his father, she didn't ask for the life she knew to end. The worst Draco was facing was being disinherited, but Evie had to rebuild her life entirely. He couldn't imagine what she must be going through.

On the fourth day, Draco dragged himself out of the bed and made his way to the bathroom down the hall, stretching his aching muscles as he went. After a long luxurious shower, he pulled on a set of clean clothes and tucked Evie under the duvet, before heading downstairs. He found Heather in the living room watching the TV. She looked up when she saw him, a relieved smile on her face.

" Draco! You're finally up. You had me worried."

" Sorry, Heather, but I had a few things to work out before I faced the world."

" I see. How's Evelyn?"

Draco looked at the floor, a sad look on his face.

" She still hasn't said anything. She's sleeping at the moment; I didn't have the heart to wake her. I can't imagine what she must be going through."

" It's going to be hard for her," Heather said, " I just hope you're willing to help her put her life back together."

" Of course I will, she's my best friend! Anyway, I owe her a life debt. She stupefied my father when he was torturing me."