After Effects: A Draco Malfoy Fanfic

"You bad, bad boy"

Lunch wasn't as much of a disaster as Draco had thought it would be. It was quite the opposite actually. Throughout lunch, Arthur asked the boy random questions about the Manor, how the layout was, what you can do there, etc. Molly, meanwhile, kept passing food over to Draco, saying that he needed to fatten up, to which Harry smirked at.

Every time he had come to the Burrow, Molly fussed over him 24/7 and it became a little annoying.

Charlie, Bill, and Percy were at least trying to make civil conversation with Draco. Emphasis on the word trying. Draco was subdued during the meal, only talking when answering the questions that Mr. Weasley asked him.

The two younger Weasleys were content with ignoring the extra person and just talking with Hermione and Harry.

"So, Bill?" Hermione asked. "Where's Fleur?"

"Fleur stayed at home. She said she was feeling a bit ill and didn't want to ruin lunch so told me to go on ahead," Bill answered.

Harry leaned over to Draco, noting his confused expression, and whispered, "Fleur is Bill's wife." Draco nodded but didn't say anything else.

"So, Draco," Mr. Weasley said, leaning back in his chair. "After lunch, we can go to the Manor and get some of the stuff there," he said warily, careful not to put to much stress that it wasn't Draco's things anymore.

Draco looked at him. "Uh, yeah, yeah," he said. My stuff, he thought bitterly. He was suddenly fully aware of the small strip of black leather pressing against his throat. He stretched his neck and unconsciously tugged at the collar quickly before letting it be, though that didn't stop some others from seeing the action.

Lunch went on for another half hour. The conversations had dropped in noise considerably, but there was still some noise.

Although there were many glances cast at the timid death eater, there were no more blatant attempts to draw him into conversation. Most of them did notice however that he barely ate, despite Mrs. Weasley's urges to.

As the meal was wrapping up, Mr. Weasley got up and announced that he was ready to leave, to which Harry and Draco followed suit. He motioned for the two boys to follow him to the hall.

When they got there, the older Weasley turned on the two and explained the plan. "Now, we can't go there by floo since Malfoy Manor seems to have the place blocked." He gave a jokingly pointed look at Draco who wouldn't meet his eyes and was staring at the floor. "So we'll have to apparate there."

"Alright," Harry answered him while Draco just nodded as his mind was elsewhere.

He was going home. Wait, no, he thought. That will never be my home as long as the memory of the Dark Lord living there is still fixed in my mind. If he saw the place again, maybe he could come to love it just as before, in time. The Manor is the place that he grew up in, the only place he really knew... other than Hogwarts.

He then saw Harry inch towards him, fumbling with a string of black leather. He must have got it from Hermione as he passed her in the kitchen.

"Um, Malfoy," he stuttered, looking uncomfortable. "We're going outside so I need you to, um, wear this." He held up the leash in his hands.

Draco eyed the accessory emotionless and nodded. Harry attached it to his collar, looking more uncomfortable as he did so. Draco's eyes never left the floor as he did so.

When he was done, the raven-haired wizard stepped back and looked at Mr. Weasley, who had averted his eyes during the event in respect to Draco. Mr. Weasley nodded and they made their way out the door, Harry making sure to give as much slackness to the leash as possible.