Harry Potter and the Rise of the Slytherin Prince

Summer Memories

The couple turned to his room at the end of the hall which was large with the walls divided by dark wainscoting on the bottom and pale blue on the top. He had a four post bed and matching wardrobe of the same heavy dark wood of the wainscoting. Bookshelves filled to the brim lined the wall on either side of a walk out French doors to a small balcony. An antique desk neatly covered in parchment, quills and ink bottles leaned against the wall opposite the bed next to a closed door that presumably led to a bathroom. The room was clean and organized in a strange sterile way. With a wave of his wand posters faded in on the empty walls and his wardrobe opened to reveal a television and a muggle stereo. Hermione smiled at the improvements as her boyfriend turned on the stereo to play some of her favourite muggle rock songs.

"I thought you didn't like muggles." Hermione pointed out as she slid off her shoes and sunk onto the soft bed, her fatigue overcoming her normal caution. Draco smiled before taking off his shoes and Professor Snape's cloak which he still wore.

"My grandma Nedra showed me a lot of muggle stuff this year that wasn't so bad, especially the music." Draco flopped onto his bed and rubbed his face but found himself too apprehensive to sleep even still. He piled the pillows against the headboard and pulled Hermione to lie on his chest as he leaned against the headboard. She cuddled closely as he played idly with her hair.

"Tell me about your grandma, she sounds like a wonderful woman." Hermione slurred a little but was determined to stay awake as long as she could. She felt Draco tense for a moment before he sighed, finally deciding to trust her with his past hurts knowing she would never think any differently about him.

"I didn't really know her until this summer. My father didn't like her and made sure we spent as little time with her as possible. She married my grandfather who was a Black but didn't really hold the same opinions as strongly about pure bloods as the rest of the family but didn't advertise that fact. My grandma's father was a wizard but her mother was a muggle but my grandfather married her anyway even though his parents were not happy about it. They divorced after having three kids when my grandfather started to teach them about pureblood superiority after being pressured by his family. He had servants raise the children and they all grew up to be like my father. This summer my mother went to Spain to a spa leaving my father to look after us." Draco took a deep breath as he slipped into the memory of his dreaded summer enhanced by what Marsali and his grandmother had filled in later.

Lucius had come out of the library of Malfoy Manor furious. Marsali was sitting on the main staircase reading a book. He grabbed his daughter's shirt and pulled her to her feet, dropping the book at her feet.

"You were in my library again, weren't you? You tore a page in one of the books you are forbidden to touch!" He grabbed her face waiting for an answer from the terrified teenager. Draco heard the shouting from the sitting room where he had been looking through a Quidditch magazine.

<<Help Draco! >> Marsali called to him in his mind. They had learned at a very young age that if they were within a short distance they were able to talk to each other through their minds. Severus had told them that it would be wise to keep this gift a secret from their parents. Draco threw down the magazine and ran to the foyer where his father was shaking his sister waiting for a response.

"I tore the book!" Draco impulsively called out and Lucius turned to glare at him. They stood in electrified silence for several moments as Lucius determined the truth of his son's words.

"Go to your room." Draco followed the request instantly as fear started to build knowing what was coming and angry at Marsali for incurring her father's wrath. They had managed to stay out of his way for the first two weeks of the school vacation but that was clearly at an end.