Interstellar || Draco Malfoy

32 || Questions Answered

On the final day of the term, Dumbledore summoned me and my belongings to his office. While most of the other students were seeing off our Durmstrang and Beauxbaton's visitors, I was sat across from Dumbledore ignoring the fact that Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were sitting just outside of the office with my bags and my owl.

"Are you aware as to why I've asked you here, Miss LIttlesea?" Dumbledore asked, his tone all-knowing as though he held all the cards.

"I assume it has to do with my summer living arrangements." I hummed.

"Not at all." Dumbledore nearly scoffed. "The Malfoy's have enjoyed your company and told me not to even think of sending you elsewhere. Mrs. Malfoy was quite harsh about it."

A beat of silence passed between us before I shifted under his omnipotent stare.

"No, I've summoned you here to ask you some questions." Dumbledore announced. "And, in return, I shall answer some of yours."

"What questions, professor?" I asked, studying my headmaster with a furrowed brow.

"Do you ever wonder who your parents are?" Dumbledore countered.

"Not lately." I answered honestly. After Lucius Malfoy told me my mother had died, I was unsure if I was ready to get the answers to questions I've had since childhood.

"Why is that?" Dumbledore wondered aloud.

"Well," I cleared my throat softly. "Lucius Malfoy told me he knew my parents. I asked about them, but all he told me was that my mother was dead, and that my father is still alive."

"Lucius Malfoy is correct; your mother has passed, and your father is alive." Another few moments of silence passed.

"Who are they?" I questioned quietly, unsure if I truly wanted an answer.

"Your mother was an outstanding student here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore began, his eyes becoming more and more distant as he remembered her. "Her favorite subject was Defense Against the Dark Arts... Nova Littlesea was a special girl."

"Nova-" I breathed, feeling my breath catch in my throat.

"You are much like her, Miss Littlesea," Dumbledore continued. "Ambitious and wildly intelligent."

"What house was she in?" I found myself asking, wishing to know more of my elusive mother.

"Nova was cunning and ambitious. She was brave, smart, and loyal. She exhibited traits from each house, which made for a long sorting." Dumbledore spoke, smiling fondly as he re-lived his memories of her. "She held within herself a heart of gold, always putting others above herself, taking care of them before caring for herself. I, myself, believed she would make a wonderful Hufflepuff... But, the hat sorted her into Ravenclaw, where she excelled."

"Did- did she meet my father here?" I stuttered.

"Yes, Nova met your father here." Dumbledore nodded. "He was quite the opposite of your mother; she was kind and enjoyed being around others, but your father was cold and preferred to be alone."

I nodded at the information, beginning to piece together a portrait of my mother.

"Nova didn't let that deter her, though; she followed your father around, coaxing him out of the hardened shell he built around himself." Dumbledore hummed knowingly. "Much like young Mr. Malfoy did with you."

"How did my moth- how did she die?" I pressed, stumbling over the word mother.

"Your mother had a knack for attracting danger." Professor Snape sounded, appearing from the shadows. He took the seat beside me, appearing anxious and almost nervous.

"Yes, she did." Dumbledore confirmed. "Nova became a curse breaker after she left Hogwarts. She fed off the adrenaline her line of work provided. Despite this, she was by far the most intelligent and most reliable curse breaker the wizarding world had ever seen."

"When she was pregnant with you, she grew restless." Snape continued, his voice growing thicker as he spoke. 'She loved you, but once you were born, she jumped right back into her work. She wanted to break a curse that had been giving the Ministry some trouble, and she got sloppy. She was so certain she could break it..."

"She'd been battling one of the cursed wizards, attempting to bring him back, when she was stunned from behind." Dumbledore sighed sadly. "A cursed witch shot the killing curse at her. She didn't feel any pain."

"You were only a few weeks old when all this happened." Snape added.

"Your father did not know what to do with you, had no idea how to be a father. So, he did what he thought best."

"He sent me away." I murmured. "To an awful orphanage with an even more awful mistress who mistreated all the children under her care."

"I'm sorry." Snape whispered, wiping at his misty eyes.

"Whatever for, professor?" I questioned.

"I didn't want to leave you with her, but I didn't know what else to do." Snape cried, making my blood run cold.

"What are you talking about?" I pressed, looking between Snape and Dumbledore for an answer.

"Severus is your father, Desdemona." Dumbledore stated with ease.

========

Growing up under the tyrannical eye of Miss Jane filled me with resentment; resentment toward her for mistreating us kids, resentment toward the numerous couples who adopted everyone but me, but more importantly, I harbored resentment for my parents. Miss Jane always told the story of how my parents dumped me on her doorstep, and that I should be grateful she even took me in. I believed her lies.

But, the truth was somehow far worse than the past MIss Jane fabricated. The truth was that my mother had wanted to break curses instead of caring for her newborn daughter; the truth was that my mother left me in the underprepared and overwhelmed new father, and he, in turn, left me with a woman who treated children as objects.

"Desdemona?" Snape's tentative voice reached my ears. "Are you alright?"

"I-" I cleared my throat. "I need to go. I- I don't want to be late."

"Desdemona, you have time." Snape said, following my lead as I stood up from my chair.

"I don't want to be late." I repeated. "This was a lot to take in."

"I'm sorry to overwhelm you, but we thought it the right time that you know." Snape- my father- explained.

"I know." I nodded. "I appreciate your honesty."

"You'll be staying with the Malfoy's this summer, correct?" My father asked.

"Yes."

"Would it be alright if I sent you a letter?" My father asked, a hopeful glint in his dark and misty eyes.

"Yes, of course." I nodded, turning to the door of Dumbledore's office. Hastily, and without looking back, I rushed out of Dumbledore's office and into the hallway where Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were waiting with my things.

"What's happened?" Draco asked first, gently catching me in his arms. As the first sob escaped from my mouth, Draco's hold on me tightened. "Mona, what happened?"

"I just learned about my parents." I sobbed into his shoulder.

"It's alright." Draco's voice soothed. "It'll be alright, Mona."

"Snape," I sniffled, trying to control the flow of tears. "He's my father."

"I knew it!" Crabbe gasped. A harsh thud sounded and Crabe spoke again. "Ow, Goyle!"

"Shut up, will you?" Goyle huffed.

"I mean, they even look the sa- ow!" Crabbe gasped again.

"Come on." Draco pulled away from me just enough for him to look down into my eyes. "Let's get on the train, and you can tell us more."