The Fear in The Child

37

Draco was really happy to be getting back to the school. For one, it meant that Tom's tense business with Dumbledore, whilst it would not be complete by a long shot, was going to be somewhat concluded temporarily. He was tired of Tom's plot of whatever it was going to be either on the dinner back or the breakfast the day after taking up all of his attention. Yes, he could understand these plots of vengence, but Draco also wanted to know that he had Tom's attention too, and it was sadly quite the lack of it as of late, which was unfortunate. He did not particularly care for that. Not that he could complain much. He himself was quite looking forwards to whatever it was the duo twins and Tom had managed to sus up together. He knew that it was definitely going to be spectacular, but it was still somewhat upsetting that the consequences was that Tom was horribly distracted. After all, Draco knew that while he may not be able to help as much as he would wish, he could do something...could help in some way. It was just frustrating to see that the other was...distracted at best.

Draco knew that he would not be able to monopolize Tom's time, particularly once they returned to the school, so perhaps that was why he felt more irate than anything else. Break was supposed to be their time off from dwelling about things like this. Furthermore, he was not sure that it was so wise to go against dumbledore, although if anyone were to guess, it would be the Twins, not Tom. Tom had already managed to cultivate quite the perfect student aura amongst the teachers, barring Binns who did not notice anyone new and had not for the past dozens of years since he died. Draco felt that returning to teach as a ghost was really quite depressing, and definitely not how he would prefer to spend his own afterlife, but he also supposed that one could not force such things. If he were to return as a ghost, which may or may not happen, it would be quite unfortunate, but that was the case with most ghosts was it not?

Either way returning to the school was not something that Draco wanted...but at the same time it was something he was excited for. He would finally get to have some more of Tom's quality attention...at least hopefully. He had no idea how good or bad things were going to get the first week of school, but the glint in Tom's eyes suggested that it was better not to question it. He was also nervous...but for another reason...

Tom knew about Lucius now. He knew that Lucius' punishments could sometimes border on obscene and cruel, but Draco had no knowledge of other parenting styles, and to him it was normal. Seeing Tom react so...different to such a thing was frightening in some way. It counteracted this thought process of normality that he had allowed to swallow around himself. It was scary, and yet it was something that he was having to deal with daily now. There was only a week until Hogwarts return, but for some reason Draco felt himself unendingly anxious. He wondered if his father would know that Tom knew. If he would give it up in the midst of one of his punishments, or maybe he would just guess and guess correctly. Draco was not able to lie well, at least not directly. He played his role quite efficiently with mists of redirection and vauge comments meant to obscure what was actually happening. For the most part, that was good, but on the off hand it did play some complications.

"Tom," Draco hesitantly spoke, leaving the dark haired youth to turn towards him, tilting his head slightly to assess his person. It had been like this every time now. It drew a sort of anger towards himself, for allowing himself to be so weak that Tom found out about his punishments. There was a sense of shame and guilt but something more, something that was not necessarily negative, but Draco sort of hushed that one away. There was no time to think of such things with other issues present. Those issues being mostly, attempting to keep his father and Tom away from each other as much as he could.

It was not easy, and as was typical with Draco's luck it would seem that Tom and his father saw even more of each other than before. He was not sure why or how it was even happening. The two had nothing in common, and barring that odd little stint between his father, grandfather, and Tom and that odd man in that shack that apparently Tom was in control of was the only true instance of Tom having anything to do with them. It was possible, he supposed, for there to be something more to it than just a mere outing to see Tom's new lands, but he could not quite figure out what or how. He also knew that Father and Grandfather both were seemingly obssessed with introducing him to their associates earlier at the ball previously, but even still...that had understandable reasons. It was quite necessary for anyone to know those people should they want to get anywhere in the pureblood society.

Now though? it would seem that they met each other at least every day. Before they rarely met, and Draco figured that was a good thing, but now it was as though one or both of them were determined to see each other in some capacity. He knew that Tom had agreed to try and avoid his father, but he could not help but think perhaps it was partially him that was ensuring this...this continued meetings. Though he knew his Father could just as well be the perpetrator. His father was not overly pleased with the courting, but he knew better than to speak out against it. For once, Draco thanked himself for having just enough of his mother's family traits that it left his father wary of doing something that could bring them out fully. Going against a courting that he obviously wanted and was not necessarily bad was definitely a way to ensure such a thing.

"What is wrong?" Tom questioned instantly, pulling Draco out of his musings. He seemed to do that more often, and he was not sure how he felt about it. He also knew he was going to definitely be getting it when it came to his friends. He had left them out of the loops of the Malfoy workings. Something they would be in a tiff about, though he knew that they would get over it quite soon enough.

"It is nothing much, I was just curious as to whether or not you managed to finish whatever the workings you have against dumbledore planned or if you were still needing something to help...I know I am not much use and I know you want to do it by yourself." Draco continued quickly, noting the other about to speak. "But I would still like to aid you if possible." Tom gave him a slight smirk, before humming to himself and kicking the chair out on the other side of the table and dropping a book upon the placement in front of it.

"Then start reading this."