Shots in the Dark - Dramione

Bravery

Draco sat with a fork full of eggs in one hand, and the Daily Prophet in the other the following morning. He was alone at the table, his mood even too sour for his own elf to stand to be around him. When he heard the tapping of an owl at his window, he jerked the paper down with a scowl.

If that's a fucking owl from Granger, he thought, as he rose from the table.

Mr. Malfoy , he said to himself in a mocking voice.

On behalf of the O.E.W., we would like to thank you for making our coordinator come twice last night. Your services to the Ministry are much appreciated.

You are a paradigm of Wizarding kind.

Miss Granger can barely walk today due to your generous—

Draco threw the window open, but it wasn't a ministry owl that swooped in. It was a Malfoy eagle owl.

Mother, he thought with a start.

The letter was in fact from the manor, his aunt Andromeda to be exact. It stated that his mother felt up for dinner tonight, and wished for him to join them.

~*~

The smell of delicious food hit him as soon as he exited the Floo, covering the all-too-common staleness that normally wafted the manor these days.

Ceely had requested Risly's help hours ago, so he knew something quite nice would be planned.

The thought excited him.

His mother loved planning get-togethers. She was particularly fond of unique and flavorful dishes, and making sure each visible flower arrangement matched the flavors of the dish, season, and current trends.

He had the silly urge to fly through the hall straight to the dining room, but the impulse was mercifully thwarted as two figures, arm in arm stepped into the receiving room.

He could tell his mother was still having some difficulty as she leaned on her sister a bit for support.

Narcissa was very thin, but he noted the color that had begun creeping back into her face. In addition, Narcissa's hair had been brushed and pinned up, and she wore a day dress Draco had not seen in ages. It was a maddeningly wonderful sight and, Draco thought, it would seem love magic had proved useful in his mother's ailments after all.

Draco rushed to her, forgetting all manner of the years of decorum he'd been taught.

When he reached her, he threw his arms around her and hugged her tight.

~*~

Narcissa had picked large blush-colored roses for the arrangements, no doubt cut this morning from her greenhouse. Though his mother's garden lacked the luster it had in his younger years, Ceely had made it her personal mission to see that the roses had remained.

The reunion with his aunt and mother together went smoothly enough, but even Draco did not deny the delicate tension in the room.

They sat together now in relatively good spirits. It was clear that whatever things they were working through could take pause for dinner, and it pleased Draco to see the women begin chittering about simpler things, such as childhood memories. Not pretending, but mending. There would need to be a lot of that, but he sensed both women would be willing to try. Draco thought that was really brave.

His mother even giggled over one story. He'd never heard his mother giggle.

Risly cracked in with a plate of food. He'd noticed it this morning, but he was shocked all the same to see her belly protruding more than ever. It felt like she had popped overnight.