New Beginnings

Blossoming

Draco looked at the scrap of parchment in his hand, and up at the shed in front of him. He frowned and pushed the wooden door open.

A burst of warm air hit him as he stepped out of the March rain. The shed was much larger on the inside, as most things were in the wizarding world. Krystal lay on a squishy couch, with a slightly older woman cleaning a tray of implements in the corner. Draco gulped as he eyed the chair in the middle of the room.

'You made it!' Krystal cried, jumping up. She guided Draco to the chair and pushed him into the seat. 'Welcome to Philly!'

'Thanks,' Draco squeaked. He looked nervously around at the moving photographs on the stark-white walls. Men and women flexed their arms, showing off intricate tattoos.

'Hi,' the woman said. She had a pale, freckled face and brown hair. 'I'm Michaela, Krystal's big sister.'

'Nice to meet you,' Draco said, shaking her hand.

'Soooo...how was your date last night?' Krystal asked. Her eyes twinkled mischievously. 'That was what...date number five?'

Draco nodded, blushing slightly as he ran his hand through his hair. His mind flitted to the night before. He and Hermione had walked hand-in-hand through Central Park, stealing kisses in the shadows.

'I saw a photo in the paper this morning,' Michaela commented. 'You guys looked so cute!'

'Yeah, Hermione already put it on the fridge,' Draco grinned.

'Well, she needs to build up the collection again,' Krystal said. 'She burned all the old pictures after your little disappearing act...'

Draco stared sheepishly at his shoes. He heard Michaela scold Krystal for teasing him.

'Alright,' Michaela said, breaking the silence. 'Any thoughts on what you'd like?'

Draco shrugged and rolled up his left sleeve, revealing the Dark Mark on his arm. Four silvery scars cut through it from Tiye's wrath. The Mark had faded into a grey scar.

'Whatever you want, to be honest. Anything is better than what I have! If you've something you've been wanting to try out, be my guest.'

Michaela examined his arm, humming slightly. She grabbed a sketchbook and started drawing in sweeping lines. Draco wriggled, trying to get comfortable in the tattoo chair.

'Did it hurt?' Krystal asked.

'Oh yeah,' Draco said. 'But I've had worse. I'd say...Top Five?'

Draco absently scratched his chest. Under his shirt he had a scar from collarbone to navel, from when his skin was sliced open in a Hogwarts bathroom.

Michaela flipped her drawing around to show them. Delicate flowers crowded around the skull and snake, masking it. She had incorporated the scars on his arm, with flower petals falling as though slashed.

'Great!' Draco said. He swallowed and laid his arm out.

'I hear you're living in the woods, is that right?' Michaela asked as she got her tattoo gun ready. 'You'll have to keep this clean, don't want it getting infected.'

'Or you could move back into your apartment...' Krystal muttered.

'That feels like a bit of an odd situation to be honest. Dating takes it from just living with a roommate to moving in with my girlfriend...'

Michaela nodded in understanding as Krystal rolled her eyes. Draco watched Michaela clean his arm. His face was paler than usual, but his jaw was set stubbornly. Krystal pulled a sandwich out of her bag and handed it to him.

'It's a Philly Cheesesteak,' she explained. 'Can't come to the city without having one! Plus you'll be here a few hours. No passing out on us!'

Draco put it to one side for later. He was feeling a little nauseous as he waited for Michaela. Krystal noticed his discomfort and kept him talking.

'Did you hear about Cody?' Krystal asked, pulling his attention to her as Michaela got ready to start.

Draco shook his head. Anger at Cody's name cut through the faintness in his head.

'The aurors tracked the hoax to him. You know the report of kidnapping? They're treating it like a hate crime. He's also being charged with wasting auror time and impeding justice.'

Draco was so focused on what she was saying, he barely noticed the needle pierce his skin. A flush of rage surged through him. Although Cody's false report had led to Draco and Hermione reuniting, it had caused a lot of bad feeling in the herd.

'Mrs Selwyn fired him,' Krystal continued. 'Said she won't have someone working for her that makes her mixed staff feel uncomfortable. She's got not place for intolerance in her company.'

Draco nodded, flinched as the tattoo needle dug into his arm. He leaned backwards against the headrest, swallowing the nausea rising in his throat. Krystal squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Between her and Michaela they kept Draco talking for hours. The outline of the tattoo quickly covered his arm. Michaela often paused to tap his skin with her wand, infusing it with magic to move like wizarding photographs.

Once the lines were finished, she filled it in a watercolour style. The pale colours complemented his porcelain skin.

Krystal periodically stepped out to get them more snacks. Draco was highly complimentary about the sandwich, much to the women's delight.

'How's your research going, Draco?' Krystal asked, munching on popcorn.

'Really well actually! Between Robyn, Mrs Selwyn and Potter, we've managed to get in touch with some of the top experts worldwide. Our first meeting was last week. Everyone is cautiously optimistic.'

'About time Potter was good for something,' Krystal grumbled. Harry's interference in Hermione and Draco's budding relationship had soured her opinion of him. 'Have you told her yet?'

'Merlin, no! Not until we're sure.'

'Your mom is funding it, right?'

'Yeah, she said it was about time the Malfoy fortune went to good use,' Draco grinned.

Michaela stretched, twisting the kinks out of her back as she took a break.

'If you're that wealthy, why are you living in a forest, hmm?' Krystal asked, swiping the back of his head.

'Oi, you better not do that while I'm tattooing,' Michaela said. She waved her gun menacingly at Krystal.

Draco smiled, enjoying the sisters' banter. As a child he had always wanted a little sister.

'Alright, you're about done!'

Michaela cleaned and wrapped his arm. He caught sight of beautifully blooming flowers in gentle colours.

Draco tried to hand over a pile of dragots, but Michaela refused.

'You let me experiment on you, this one is on the house!'

Draco protested but Michaela stood firm. He went to shake her hand and she hugged him instead. Draco stiffened, then hugged her back. Krystal grinned at him. She knew he was still unused to American expressiveness.

'See you Monday!' Krystal called after Draco as he walked out of the shed-parlour.

Draco waved and hurried off to show Hermione his new tattoo.