The Emerald Manor

Chapter 36

She read over his note and smiled. He was very formal in his letter, she thought. What could the surprise be?

Her heart palpated in her chest, her excitement almost audible. It was getting close to one o'clock, so Cora gathered her wand and made to leave so she wasn't late for Draco. She didn't want him to be in a grumpy mood because she was tardy.

She nearly bumped into Jessie on the way out. "Where you off to in such a hurry? Going to see your boyfriend for lunch?" She arched her brow at Cora.

Cora toyed with the idea in her mind of telling Jessie right there. But decided to only kind of give the secret away. "I have a meeting with Draco Malfoy at the Greenway for 1pm."

"Oh." Jessie's face was downtrodden. "That is far less exciting than I thought. Hopefully that pretentious pain the ass won't be difficult." She rolled her eyes and let out a disgusted cough. "I'll let you get going so you're not late."

Cora giggled to herself. Eventually Jessie would realize that Draco Malfoy was her boyfriend and that she was meeting him for lunch......may just take her a few days. She wondered if Jessie would call him a pretentious pain in the ass to his face.

....... Yea......she probably would.

§

Draco strode about the manor. His fingers stroking along his bottom lip, deep in thought. Cora was moving in tomorrow. He was thrilled to have her here. But he couldn't help but feel Cora's uneasiness, not with him but with the manor.

He thought about how Cora didn't like the size of the estate. She was overwhelmed by all the rooms and places. He caught her retreating often to the gardens. The last thing he wanted was for her to be uncomfortable.

He could transfigure the doorways and charm them, so the home appeared much smaller. He thought about making only the main living spaces and sleeping quarters readily available and accessible. He could have it done by tomorrow if he spent his day working on it.

He grabbed his cloak, heading out to the gardens. The one area of refuge he could remember. His feet led him mindlessly. He found himself following the same path that Cora had repeatedly been taking. He sat down on the bench he often finds her reading at.

His angular features were somehow sharper; lost in recesses of his own mind. He had likened himself to a beast not fit to mingle with common society, locking himself away in Malfoy Manor for the last 8 years.

He plucked a rose from the bush next to the bench twirling it in his fingers. He evaluated it, looking for imperfections, but none existed. He thought of Cora, the rose reminding him of her. She was like this rose and him.... He was liked the locked off wings of the estate. Dark, alone and forgotten.

His beautiful, courageous, anxious girl. The smallest of smiles unfurled at the corners of his lips. He had shared things with Cora that no one else in this world knew. He had been the most vulnerable he could, and she remained. She didn't run.

She didn't think him a cold monster that should be shuttered from his society. Her wish was to share him with the world, trying to get him to go out places with her more. He wondered how much time they would spend traveling, maybe at some point they wouldn't have to hide it anymore.

He stopped twirling the rose, bringing it up to his nose. The scent is calming. He thought of Cora that day he took her to the Greenway. She was enamored by it. His face softened remembering hers that day. She had mentioned building a house there.

What would that house look like? What would make Cora happy? Draco pictured a small a-framed cottage surrounded by a wooden fence with expansive vegetable and flower gardens. There were owls zooming in and out of the cottage's windows. A large black dog barreling around the yard chasing a little girl barely old enough to walk.

Maybe, maybe someday he thought. But it was far too soon to be thinking about building her a home......having children with her. Draco stood up, feeling more at peace than he was when he first entered the garden. He magicked the rose away, wanting to give it to Cora when he saw her next.

He couldn't wait to see her until the evening and decided that he wanted to surprise her at her office for lunch and give her the rose.

§

Harry and Jessie were in his office catching up. "I'm getting close Jessie. I almost have him pinned down. I just need to anticipate his next move and then I can end this."

She pulled on her fingers, listening to Harry talk about Dolohov. "Where do you think he's heading?"

Harry scratched his forehead in frustration. "I'm not certain, everything seems so erratic. It's clear he's not being logical in his movements." He flitted his eyes up to Jessie. "Can you grab Cora? I want to talk a couple of things out with both of you and plan out an ambush on Dolohov."

"Gonna have to wait until later Harry. She left. She had to head out for another meeting with Draco Malfoy, she'll be back in a couple of hours I suspect."

"Another one? She's been meeting with him at least once a month, I think. Why is she so focused on him? After her screaming match with Gawain, I got the feeling she wanted us to back off Malfoy?"

Jessie shrugged her shoulders, throwing her hands in the air. "I'm not sure. Maybe she's hoping that if she gives Gawain detailed monthly reports on Malfoy's movements he'll eventually relent." She contorted her face in a smirk. "Or maybe she thinks he's hot and wants to shag him." Jessie's laughter was carried into the hall.

Harry snorted. "Doubt it-----on both fronts." Rolling his eyes at Jessie. "His hatred runs too deep. Malfoy could save a child and Gawain would assume he was the one that put the child in danger to begin with. "

"Why does Gawain hate Draco Malfoy so much? I mean, he seems to really hate him. He doesn't get that worked up when I talk to him about Lucius or Narcissa. And, in my opinion. Lucius is far nastier than Draco."

Harry dropped his shoulders, inhaling deeply. "Gawain and Dumbledore were close friends. I don't think he'll every forgive Draco."

"That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. Draco didn't even kill Dumbledore. None of the Death Eaters he snuck into Hogwarts killed him either. Snape killed him. Snape always had the access; Draco was just a pawn." She folded her arms across her chest. "It's all just a waste of ministry resources. Fueling his grudge."

"Perhaps, but I don't think anyone is going to get through to him." Harry was lost in thought for a moment but looked out into the hall. His brow arched at Jessie. "I thought you said Cora was heading out for a meeting with Draco Malfoy?"

"Yea. Why are you giving me that stink face? It doesn't look good on you Harry."

He pointed a finger towards the hall. "Then can you explain to me why Malfoy isstanding outside of her office?"