ADDICTED - [D.M.]

Nineteen - Wine.

Draco's POV
Malfoy Manor - December 1996

I watch her sleep peacefully. For the last three hours, I tried to do the same. We watched a movie and talked till 3 am, but I never stopped thinking about the letter. I get up carefully and go downstairs to make myself a coffee. It is still dark outside, I want to sleep, but my mind can't shut up. The hot mug in my hands warms me up a bit. I head to our winter garden. I lower onto the couch there and turn on a small lamp. I just stare at the field behind our house. The three's are naked, not a single leaf on them. The grass in our garden is white, it's completely frozen from the night. I look for moms flowers, but I guess they weren't able to make it through the winter. "I knew you would be here." Theo's voice echoed in the corridor behind me. "Why are you awake?"
"Can't sleep, you?"
"I heard you get up. You good?" He asks. I shake my head a little. I can feel he is coming closer, I don't even need to look at him. He sits down next to me. I hand him the rest of the coffee. He takes a sip. "I still don't understand how you can like black coffee," his forehead wrinkles. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want you to be a part of this," I mutter.
"Draco, come on. You know everything about me, I know everything about you, it can't be that bad-"
"My father works for the Dark Lord again," I bust out.
"Okay, I'll take that back."
"I found a letter yesterday, which confirms it. I mean, I obviously had my suspicions, but mother assured me that it was a different job." I take the mug from Theo and gulp down the last sip.
"Does Gracie know?" I nod. "What does she say?"
"She was shocked, of course."
"I can image," mumbles Theo. I place the mug next to the lamp on the small table. We stare at the field together. "What do you think?" I shrug. I really don't know what to tell him. "Regardless of what's going to happen, just know I am here to support you. Even if you only need to talk, you can come to me." I thank him. We stay silent again.
"You know, I was kind of pissed that you told Blaise before me about you and Daphne," I grin, breaking the silence.
Theo chuckles, "He literally caught us, I couldn't keep it from him."
"You deserve this, you know, this relationship."
"Thanks, mate." We stay silent again. I have been wondering this since I found the letter, this question kept me up all night. I can't bear to say it out loud.
"Should I break up with her?" I did it.
Theo looks at me confused, "What? Why?"
"To keep her safe."
"Draco, I think it would harm you both more to be separated than go through this together." I nod. "Besides, I'll be there to protect her too, and Daph of course." I nod again and thank him.
"You think I will get involved?" Theo shrugs. I could imagine that happening and I think he could imagine that too. I don't want to get involved though. "You remember that cousin of Miles? He was at a party once." I ask Theo. He just nods silently. "He is one of them."
"How do you know?"
"He told me, he wanted me to join too. 'It'll lead to power,' he said. When I said that it was not happening, he said it was only because of Gracie."
"You feel like that's a good or a bad thing?"
"Good, for sure. She makes me a better person. But do people really think I don't join because of her? Are they thinking I would join because of my father if I wasn't with Gracie?" Theo shrugs again.
"You can't change family, Draco," says Theo slowly. I nod.
"Do you think so?"
"No, of course not. I know you so well. But I guess to some people, who don't know you as I do, you seem to be like a mini version of your father." I chuckle at this choice of words.
"I know."
"This is way too deep, even for me," chuckles Theo, "we need to switch topics." I smile to myself. We go back to staring at the slow sunrise which just started. "Can you imagine, ten years from now, there might be two mini versions of us running around in a garden like this?" I laugh at his thoughts.
"They'll probably fight over broomsticks or something like we did when we were younger."
"Of course, but my mini-me will win," says Theo confidently.
"Uhh, wanna bet?"
"The loser buys them their first broomsticks when they get into Quidditch." I shake Theo's hand. Hopefully, they will be better players than Potter's children.
"I thought you didn't want children," I mutter to Theo.
"Not when they are in puberty, luckily then they will be in Hogwarts," he smiles.
"If they come after you they will be hard to deal with even on summer break," I laugh and Theo joins in.