Becoming Beta

Chapter 18

A/N: Eternal thanks to my betas twztdwildcat and brownlark42. Those lovely ladies really make this story. 

Draco was the last of the pack to make it back to Malfoy Manor after the full moon. He was avoiding Fenrir and the pack in general. Instead of heading to his tent in the dueling court, he Accio'd his cloak and headed up to his parent's bedroom.

Just his mother's bedroom now. He felt his eyes sting at the thought of his father.

He knew that he had irrevocably changed his relationship to his father and his family when he chose his pack over Lucius. But that didn't mean he wanted him dead. It made it even harder that it had been his Alpha who had done the deed. He had trusted Fenrir and he had needed him, especially after the break with Lucius. Now he didn't feel like he had anyone other than his mother. And he needed to protect his mother.

"Draco, is that you?" Narcissa called as he entered her suite of rooms.

"Yes, mother," Draco responded. He sat heavily on the settee in the sitting room, calling for Tink to bring him tea and breakfast.

Narcissa came out of the bedroom, fully dressed, even though it was just past dawn. She looked her usual impeccable self, but her red-rimmed eyes gave her away. She sat next to Draco and opened her arms to him, letting her son he collapse into her in tears. It felt as though the only thing he had done over the past two days was cry, and yet there were always more tears waiting.

"Oh, Draco," Narcissa murmured to him as she held and rocked him. Tink popped back in with breakfast and the smell of the food made Draco's stomach rumble. He was tired and upset, but he still had the appetite of a werewolf a few hours after a full moon. His body demanded fuel. Draco broke away from his mother and began to eat, but Narcissa didn't touch anything.

"Mother, have you eaten?" Draco asked around a mouthful of roll.

"I'm not hungry," she patted his hand absently as she stared into the fireplace. Draco cringed. He would need to have someone look in on her after he went back to Hogwarts today. He didn't know who he could ask. He was not going to reach out to Fenrir, and Snape would be at school with him. Aunt Bella was too insane and unstable. Maybe Uncle Rodolphus? Draco sighed heavily.

"I have something to do before we go back to Hogwarts, mother. I'll be back shortly, then we can go," Draco hugged Narcissa again and quietly slipped out of the suite. He returned to his childhood bedroom to change into school robes before hunting down his uncle.

He found Uncle Rodolphus in the smaller dining room on the first floor eating his breakfast. Nobody was with him, and he was in a chair facing away from the door.

"Uncle?" Draco asked as he closed the door behind him. He must have startled the wizard, because he whirled around and away from the table, crouching next to his chair with his wand trained on Draco. Draco held his hands up to show he wasn't armed. Slowly, Rodolphus stood and pocketed his wand, retaking his seat at the table.

Uncle Rodolphus was a large wizard who had been imprisoned in Azkaban until the past year. Draco hadn't had much time to talk to him, but he knew that he was relatively stable for having spent so much time in the prison. Given that his uncle was saner than either his brother or his wife and had, in fact, kept Aunt Bella in check, Draco was hopeful that he would be able to keep an eye on his mother.

"What do you want, Draco?" Uncle Rodolphus asked, returning to his breakfast. Draco swallowed at his tone. He hated having to do this.

"It's mother," Draco began. "She hasn't eaten since Halloween." Draco moved around the table so he could face his uncle. Uncle Rodolphus quirked an eyebrow at Draco, but continued his breakfast.