Emerald (Lazuli Book #2) Harry Potter Fan Fiction (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter Twenty - Mother

I'd never been this nervous in my entire life.

Not when I'd come back to play Quidditch for the first time since the attack, not before my OWLs or even when I was waiting to be sorted in the first year.

I was never as nervous as now, standing outside the small terraced house in Newcastle, preparing myself to knock on the door.

My mother's door.

Anxiety flooded me as I examined the house - it must have been a big change from the grandeur that came from being a Black. The small front garden was kept neatly enough, although I seriously doubted that Perseus or his mother, my mother, ever tended the garden themselves. The house itself was small, perhaps two bedrooms upstairs, and even though the windows were freshly painted and the porch was swept clean, I doubted that it was either of the Black's who did the housework themselves.

Draco squeezed my hand. "Are you sure about this?" He whispered. I looked to the street sign -Anonymity Close - and gulped. We could run now, go back to the dingy wizard pub by the river and go back to the Floo Network. Neither Perseus nor our mother would ever know we were here. I could go back to the Leaky Cauldron and pretend like this had never happened. I could go to Fred and George's shop and offer myself for work. Earn some money to pay for the room and make some savings to buy furnishing for the tree-house. I couldn't just rely on Draco and his money for all my life.

"Yes, I sure." I found myself saying. My mouth moved on it's own accord, because whilst my head was telling me to run, my heart won. I needed to meet her, to meet Perseus with him knowing who I truly was. Would he treat me differently?

Of course he will, now he knows you're his sister.

Perhaps I should have written ahead, but even Draco's magnificent eagle owl couldn't have flown all the way from London to Newcastle in the space of a few hours. We'd gotten up around 9, had breakfast that Damon had sent up for us, got the address for a pub in Newcastle, where Perseus had just moved to, and used to Floo Network to get there. After buying a bouquet of flowers from a muggle shop (Draco struggling with the muggle currency and ultimately storming out in frustration) we walked slowly to the address Blaise had given Draco, and that was how we ended up where we were now, outside the front door.

Draco squeezed my hand and pushed me forward gently. Cradling the expensive bouquet of lilies and deep purple roses to my chest, I took a step forward, passing through the little picket gate and up the small path to the neatly painted black front door. I looked behind myself to Draco, who gave me an encouraging smile and placed his hand protectively on my back. In the pocket of my coat, my wand was waiting in case I should need it.

I took a deep breathe, my fist shaking as I raised it and lightly tapped the door three times. Draco patted my shoulder supportively and I stood up straight, trying to look confident and like I wasn't terrified.

We waited for what seemed like an age before the door was opened.

Cecelia Black was clearly very beautiful, even though she was middle-aged and the lines of age and years of worry were beginning to form on her thin face. Her dark hair - curled just like mine - was scrapped back into a sensible bun, her blue eyes watching the pair of us suspiciously. Although she only peeped around the door, it was clear to see that she was slim and had a willowy build, just like me. A lump rose to my throat - we were practically identical.

Since my voice had disappeared, Draco spoke for me. He held out his hand and flashed Cecelia a charming smile. "Mrs Black?" he asked quietly. Cecelia nodded slowly, looking down at Draco's hand and then back to his face. "What do you want?" she whispered.

Draco wasn't going to be deterred. "My name is Draco Malfoy, and this is my girlfriend, Juliet Weasley."

Recognision flashed in her eyes as she gasped and a hand flew up to her mouth. Tears prickled to her eyes at the same time as they did for mine, her whole body overcome with shock. "An...Andromeda?" she stuttered, her body shaking in disbelief. My bottom lip quavered as I slowly nodded.