The Impatient Man and His Suit

Incarceration

Although my insatiable hunger for his presence had not ceased, I slept soundly through the short night. The morning next was blinding as it poured in through the singular window of my bedroom. Having no immediate way to tell the time, I hastened to dress and found my way through the house back to the library. The grandfather clock read: 6:45 A.M. I lingered at a window and viewed the grounds of Malfoy Manor free of snow, and the late Winter sun above shining hot.

"I trust you slept well," Draco's mother inquired.

The question came rather as a statement and her face looked hardly inquisitive. She stood at the end of the great room her dress somehow blacker than the night before. Crossing the floor with poise, she joined me to gaze out the window.

"Spring has a miserable effect on this house. It melts all the frozen sin and death stuck within the walls and seeps into the floors, causing the very foundation to have an unbearable stench."

Her words, so intense and foreboding, were delivered in a soft, womanly tone. Bringing a white handkerchief to her nose, she sniffled and started again, "Draco has inherited this grand property, something he greatly anticipated in boyhood. But now that his name is on the deed, he wishes to have nothing to do with it. He's confined here, forced to face his past again. His mother, a widow and a disgrace to her own community, is confined on different terms."

Turning to face me, her expression was cold, "While I can't dispute the fact that you have brought some amount of meaning into his life, you are ultimately the cause of Draco's decline. I don't know you and I can't put my faith in your intentions. You have no skill in magic and seem an ill-fit for him. But if you love him, you must be his devoted companion. Since you've come this far, there are many consequences in store for you. The world is unkind, and your desire to save him will be met with adversity."

She left me a space of silence to speak and I took the offer readily, wishing to have at least a portion of her trust by opening my heart, "If I had been able to learn and practice what I was taught early on, none of this would've happened. I've caused both you and him a lot of trouble..."

As much as I wanted to beg her to understand me and believe I meant her son no harm, I resolved that her acknowledgment of my investment in his wellbeing would suffice. One last thing was left to be said and I swept aside my embarrassment to speak honestly, "As your son worked hard to guide me through my own troubles, I will do the same not only to repay a debt but as a sign of dedicated affection."

Mrs. Malfoy raised her chin and took a deep breath before simply walking away. I decided not to take her hasty dismissal as a sign of rejection but as confirmation of a difficult task completed. Her confrontational words were honest and harsh, but they invigorated me. She addressed the opposition I would face once I publicly declared myself as Draco's defender with purpose. Whether she meant to discourage me or not, I wasn't certain. But it would be incredibly hard for anyone to convince me not to fight for him.

Returning my gaze to the window, I shut my eyes and tried to prepare myself for what was to come.

"What did she say?" the man himself questioned. He suddenly materialized at my side, wearing a brow heavy with worry.

I clasped a hand to my heart, "You scared me!"

"Sorry... Did she tell you off?"

"No!" I exclaimed in disbelief, "Are you trying to convince me that she doesn't like me?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Pinning my lips together I was disappointed by his honesty, but answered truthfully, "Yes... it is..."

"The weather is fair today."

"Seems so."

"Good morning," he smiled, sticking his hands in his pockets.