Aconite - Dramione/Blinny

Ch. 42

Draco raised an eyebrow at the letter from his father, setting it aside as Hermione set their dinner plates down in front of them.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, noticing the confused and somewhat worried look on his face as she sat down.

"Father sent me a letter for some reason," He said with a shrug before waving his hand. "It's nothing to worry about right now."

Hermione frowned and glanced at the letter again. "He sent it today? On a Sunday?"

He nodded but didn't seem too concerned regarding it. "He probably wants to meet tomorrow to discuss something with the business."

"Are you sure?" She asked. "It's been almost a month and a half since we saw them last; something could have happened."

"I think if it was urgent there would be more letters," Draco said with a small laugh. "He sent it at least an hour ago."

"And you haven't opened it yet?" She glanced at the letter and back at him. "I don't think I could wait that long before reading it."

"Are you going to continue to worry until I open it?" He gave her a small smile as he reached for the letter.

"Yes."

He chuckled and shook his head as he broke the wax seal and pulled the piece of parchment out from the envelope, reading over his father's handwriting quietly. After a few moments he let out a small noise of surprise before putting the letter back into the envelope.

"He just wants to discuss some things with the holidays coming up," He said as he set the letter aside and looked back at her. "Better?"

"Much." She smiled at him before asking, "Do you think they're planning a gala like you talked about before?"

"They might be," He shrugged. "I'll find out tomorrow and will let you know."

This seemed to satisfy her curiosity but if anything it only spurred Draco's on; now he couldn't stop wondering just what his father wanted to discuss with him.

Draco hesitated at the edge of the gates to Malfoy Manor, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat. He still wasn't quite sure what to expect from this meeting; while communication with his parents had been few and far between since the incident nearly two months earlier, all of their small talks had been happy and loving.

He took a deep breath and pushed through the gates, trying to ignore the worried thoughts plaguing him as he walked up to the Manor and entered it. His father was making his way down the stairs as Draco walked into the foyer, and he smiled at his son.

"Ah, right on time!" Lucius said pleasantly, clapping a hand on his son's shoulder as they stopped in front of each other. "How are you doing, Draco?"

"Very well!" Draco said, forcing a smile. "I must say though, I'm a little confused as to why you called the meeting."

"Hopefully I haven't worried you," Lucius said as he gestured towards a nearby sitting room. "It's nothing bad, I promise."

The words didn't really soothe Draco's worries as he followed his father into the room and claimed one of the nearby chairs. His father sat opposite him, clearing his throat before leaning sideways against the arm.

"How is Hermione doing?" He asked curiously. "I hope she's healing well."

"It's nearly fully healed," Draco said happily. "You can hardly tell that anything happened to her. There are a few very faint scars but that's to be expected from a bite. She usually covers them up."