The Boy who lived and The Boy who survived (Drarry)

Chapter 45: Narcissa

2 years ago. Malfoy Manor. Late January 1998.

Draco smirked smugly to himself when the Death Eaters disapparated and landed in front of the gates of Malfoy Manor. He chuckled darkly at the thought, finding it amusing how he was now a prisoner of the place he had once called home all those years ago.

One of the Death Eaters in the group walked forward to the closed gates and pulled back his sleeve, revealing the dark mark., the gates opened without another word and the Death Eaters marched in, dragging Draco along behind.

He looked around the gardens, spotting the beautiful albino white peacocks. But even they had lost their natural beauty, they looked tired, dull, as if the life had gone out of them, it seems that the war had not only affected people around the world but animals too.

When the leading Death Eater opened the main doors to Malfoy Manor with a bang, Narcissa stood there in the middle of the room, her hands clasped together as she wore a cold expression and faced the Death Eaters, not even flinching at the slightest despite the massive height difference between her and the Death Eater. She had not seen Draco yet, who had his head down, tired and beaten, and was held standing by one of the other Death Eaters.

"Gentlemen." She greeted them coldly. "To what do I owe this visit today?"

One of the death eaters laughed loudly at her, before yanking Draco and throwing him across the room. Draco's chest met the floor with an audible thump. He yelped in pain as his body skidded against the cold marble floor before directly stopping at his mother's feet. He heard her sharp intake of breath, and to normal people, it may just have been a gasp of shock, but Draco knew better. Draco knew his mother well, there was fear laced in that intake of breath, fear as if she was expecting this, but was not prepared to see it with her own eyes.

Draco looked up to her, his eyes tired and pleading. He caught his mother's gaze and saw the slightest quiver of his lip, unnoticed by the Death Eaters, and he was grateful that he was at least safe from terrible danger now.

He heard the audible laughs of the Death Eaters behind him as one of them spoke, a different voice.

"Look what we found, Narcissa. It's your little excuse-of-a-son." He jeered. "Caught speaking The Dark Lord's name, you see, never thought he'd be dumb enough to do that... heh... so much for a Malfoy."

"Was he alone?" Narcissa spoke harshly, her gaze no longer on Draco.

"We suspected he was with Potter and his friends, but we couldn't find them."

She tsked. "How utterly disappointing. Couldn't The Dark Lord find anyone better than the lot of you?"

"Watch it, Cissy." One of them sneered. "Just because you're head of the Malfoy name now doesn't mean you can go around acting like you're the boss of everybody."

"Of course." She looked at them but didn't smile. "But you seem to have forgotten that this is my home."

The death eater scoffed in reply.

"One of us will accompany you here to watch your son." He ignored her statement. "After all... you might go soft on him."

"That won't be necessary," Narcissa spoke.

She turned to her son coldly and kicked him hard in the stomach, causing Draco to let out a shout of pain and curl up into a ball, holding his stomach tightly. He then felt himself get levitated off the ground as he looked up at his mother with pleading eyes. She still loved him... didn't she? Has the Dark Lord driven all the goodness out of her? It can't be true. Narcissa returned his gaze with a cold glare as if she didn't even care that the person she was torturing is her own flesh and blood.

"Mother please." Draco pleaded, not caring when the other Death Eaters laughed at him. "It's me. It's Draco, your son."

Narcissa's expression did not flinch in the slightest. "I have no son."

With a wave of her wand, Draco dropped to the floor, his arm hitting the floor hard, sounding an audible loud crack. He shouted out in agony as the pain spread through his body and tried hard not to let the tears fall from his eyes.

"Well well... It seems our help is no longer required." The leader of the group of Death Eaters smirked in triumph. "Gentlemen."

The group of Death Eaters bowed politely to Narcissa before making their way towards the front door, taking their leave.

Draco crawled up to his mother's feet and pleaded again. He would not believe it. His mother couldn't be this cold, not towards him. Could she?

"Mother, please..." He coughed up blood while speaking, the blow to his stomach was still painful. "Mother, this isn't the real you..."

Narcissa simply stared ahead, continued to look intently and coldly at the front door, her gaze never leaving the group of Death Eaters as she continued to ignore Draco... that is at least until the group left the Manor and an audible bang of doors closing could be heard.

All Draco remembered hearing was the sound of a door closing before he found himself in his mother's arms again, taken aback by the unexpected gesture, he let out a small yelp.

"Oh, my darling, of course, it wasn't the real me." Narcissa cried, and Draco could tell she was crying. "I'm so sorry about all that, Draco."

"Wait." Draco pulled away from the embrace and flinched at the sharp pain that stung his stomach. "This was a ruse?"

Narcissa noticed the way Draco flinched and pulled out her wand, muttering healing spells underneath her breath.

"It was, my dear. I needed to convince the Death Eaters that I was capable of handling you alone, I am so sorry!" She cried again, but there was a warm smile on her lips, she was so happy to see her son again.

"Don't apologise, you were fantastic!" Draco chuckled, relieved and glad that her mother didn't really hate him. "I believed every word. I was absolutely crushed!"

Narcissa chuckled before putting her hands on her mouth and smiled at him in disbelief, so overjoyed that tears began to pour out of her eyes again.

"Oh, give me another hug my dear, it's just-" She sighed, "Oh, I love you, Draco. I love you so much. I'm so glad you're okay."

"I love you too, mum." Draco smiled against her chest as he was pulled into another hug.

When Draco pulled away, Narcissa took hold of Draco's injured arm and started to cast healing spells on it. Draco took his gaze away from his mother and looked around at the place he had once called home. it wasn't the same after Voldemort's return, it was no longer filled with music or light, but only darkness and the feeling of dread plaguing the Manor walls.

"Is anyone else here?"

"Not at the moment." His mother spoke, still concentrating on healing his arm. "But Bella is coming back later... and so is the Dark Lord."

Draco flinched at the mention of him.

"I'm sorry, Draco." His mother said with a sigh. "I have to keep you down with the other prisoners in order to erase suspicion."

"It's okay, mother," Draco spoke understandingly. "I understand."

"Perhaps I could try and put you upstairs at the top of the East Tower?" She said again. "There's a tiny hole there behind the dresser that could lead you down to the kitchen should you be hungry."

"That sounds lovely, mother." Draco smiled at her. "Thank you."

His mother turned away from him again in shame.

"I'm sorry, Draco, treating you like this in your own home..." She wouldn't meet his gaze.

"It's all right mother." Draco sighed. "You have no choice."

She chuckled at that. "Since when did we have a choice?"