Make Me Fall

6. Family

Sophia is seven months old now. She can crawl really well and she can stand with someone helping her. She doesn't make any proper sounds yet, just noise. Lots of noise. I was worried she would be shy of me, but she was fine. Mum shoved her into my arms as soon as I stepped in the door and disappeared, saying she and Dad had something important to discuss. I've barely seen them all holidays. I've just been at home, taking care of the kids and sending letters to Draco. His holidays don't sound much better than mine. We can't discuss You-Know-Who incase the letters get intercepted, but there's a big party tonight at the Malfoy Mansion, so I guess I'll see him there. I'll have to sit in the kid's room, still, but next year I'll be sixteen and I can join the adults. I can't wait!

"Autumn!"

I close my diary and put in the desk drawer. I walk out onto the landing and look down at Mum. She's got Sophia in one arm and Tori in the other.

"Can you take these two and get them bathed and dressed, please?" she sighs, "and the others, wherever they've gotten to. Oh, and be ready by six."

I walk downstairs and take the girls from her. This will be so much easier when I can use magic.

I carry them upstairs and start running a bath. Tori is bouncing off the walls, squealing and Sophia is trying to crawl away.

"Oi!" I say playfully, scooping her up. She squeals and struggles away, trying to explore the cupboards. I manage to get her undressed and call Tori over. After another ten minutes of struggling with her to behave they're finally in the bath. I throw some toys in there and try to scrub the girls while they're distracted.

I take Sophia out first and get her dried and dressed into her party dress.

"Tori, time to get out," I say, handing Sophia a toy to chew on.

"NO!"

Here we go.

"Tori, now."

"NO!"

I lean over and pull the plug out. Tori screams and tries to stop the water with her hands. I lift her, literally kicking and screaming, from the bath and dry her. I pull her dress over her head and pick up Sophia who has started to howl because of the noise Tori is making. I walk out of the bathroom to try and find Sarah and Drew.

***

"Hi."

"Hi."

"How are your holidays?"

"I want to go back to school. I'm sick of my little sisters."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

Draco gives me a sympathetic look.

"You look nice, though," he says, "that's a nice green."

"Slytherin green," I mutter, smirking. He grins.

"You should have been in Slytherin," he says.

"There's nothing wrong with being in Gryffindor," I tell him. He shrugs.

"That's your opinion."

"Sadly, I think I'm the only one of that opinion here," I say. We peep out the door at the other party guests. They're all dressed in black or deep greens, reds and blues. It's a rather depressing picture.

Draco and I are still stuck in the children's room. Mildred, our usual babysitter, is here, taking care of all the children. I feel sorry for her. There's at least twenty-five children running wild.

"Let's go upstairs," Draco whispers, "old Mildew won't notice."

We slip out and sneak upstairs to Draco's bedroom. I'm terrified of being caught, but I try to act like I'm comfortable. We won't be missed until dinner time. So until seven-thirty, we're free.

Draco's room is painted deep emerald green with a black ceiling and carpet. He has a large bed with a black quilt. Everything is dark and rather dreary, despite the finery. I sit on his bed and he sits down beside me.

"I can't wait to get back to school too," he says, "all I ever hear about is the Dark Lord's return to power and how Mudbloods will be eradicated."

"Your father returned to Him," I say, "my father said he did."

Draco nods.

"He's part of the Dark Lord's inner circle," he says, but his tone isn't boastful. He sounds anxious.

"My father too," I say, "but... My parents seem scared. I don't know what they're scared of, but they spend a lot of time shut up in their room talking."

"I doubt they're the only ones," he says, "have you seen the papers?"

"Of course," I nod, "Dumbledore and Harry aren't the most popular people out there. Ironic, isn't it, that the only ones who know they're telling the truth are the only ones who will never defend them?"

"I suppose it is, yes."

We sit in silence for a little while.

"Have you asked your parents about your birth parents?" Draco asks. I shake my head.

"I haven't had a chance," I say, "they've been so distracted lately."

"I wish I were sixteen," Draco sighs, "then maybe they'd talk to me, tell me what's going on."

"This time next year we'll both be able to mingle with the adults," I point out, nudging him. He laughs.

"We can join in their dances!" he says, leaping off the bed and grabbing my hand. He dances me around the room, laughing. I laugh along with him, my head spinning. We stop right in the middle of his room, breathless. I look up at him and realise he's grown since I last saw him. An few inches at least.

Kiss me! I beg him silently, please! Just lean down and kiss me!

He tilts his head down, his eyes not leaving mine, and hesitates, questioningly. I lift my head slightly, closer to his. He leans down and I feel his lips just brush mine when there's a loud bang! We leapt apart, whirling to face the door.

Mrs Malfoy is standing there, her eyes burning. She lifts her chin, looking down on us.

"Downstairs," she hisses, "now."

All in all, it wasn't so bad. Mrs Malfoy didn't tell anyone what she saw. She just told everyone we were doing homework together, then boasted about Draco's good marks. I know what marks he's been getting, so I know she was lying about some of them, but I suppose that's what parents do; talk up their children. At least now I know Draco wanted to kiss me. Ah, we were so close! Just another few moments and I would have had my first kiss! Oh well, maybe we can do it somewhere a little more romantic than his bedroom. Gosh, I suppose it must have looked a bit suspicious, two teenagers sneaking off to a bedroom. I suppose it's a good thing we weren't sitting on the bed. It looked a little more innoncent standing in the middle of the room. Maybe we could have our first kiss by the black lake...