Darkness Falls

Five

1991 - First Year

Draco's body stiffened the second his mother's spell hit him. A cold sensation shocked through his body, directly up his spine and lingered in his head. He felt as though his head was being physically smashed into as she broke through the very flimsy wall that was already up. She moved deeper into his mind, it was quick and painful and he knew she was holding back; she was right to do so as the pain he was already in was near unbearable. Narcissa found the memory she'd asked him to focus on, Draco tried to fight it but his feeble attempts did nothing to keep her away from the memory. She watched as her son looked longingly at Hermione while they walked through the woods. Draco wailed as she pushed further into his mind, images flittering across the back of his lids.

"For once, don't be so stubborn Granger and take the cloak, you'll freeze otherwise."

He couldn't stop them from replaying in his head.

"Granger, just so you know.. I didn't actually know you were with those two when I told McGonagall."

He felt like he was reliving the night again, he felt the same cold he felt that night, he could taste the same frosty taste in his mouth.

"So if you did know.. would you still have told on us?"

"No... Probably not."

The pain continued and Draco felt like his head was bleeding internally, he pleaded for it to stop but it didn't as he had to watch himself walking through the Forbidden Forest with Hermione's arm linked through his.

"Are you saying this is the only way we can spend time together?"

"Unfortunately."

His mother scratched deeper, prolonging the memory that Draco so desperately wanted to stop. He didn't want to see the look on Hermione's face again as he shot down their friendship.

"We aren't supposed to be friends Granger.. That's the point."

But no matter how much Draco willed it, the memory continued to play before him. He watched himself try to explain that they were different, they were from different backgrounds and types of magical families. He watched her face as she paled and pushed herself away from him in horror, he watched the moment that what he was saying registered with Hermione.

"I get what you're saying. You're too good to be friends with me. I'd be an embarrassment so you'd rather hide our friendship. I don't want to be friends with someone who is embarrassed to be my friend, I'm worth more than that. I deserve more than that!"

As the memory came to an end he relaxed ever so slightly, knowing that it was over. However, it was premature, as his mother's exit from his mind was no less painful than her entrance. Draco felt like she was clawing her way out of his brain until all he felt was vacant and numb.

After a few moments he finally opened his eyes and his vision blurred temporarily as he tried to focus on his mother's face. Narcissa stood expressionless as she waited for her son to speak, but it seemed that neither one wanted to break the silence. She didn't quite know how to respond to the memory that she had just watched. It had been exactly the type of thing she wanted him to protect, it was the soul reason she was putting him through it all. He soon realized that he'd slid down the sofa and moved to straighten himself upright and his robes. He rubbed his eyes that, despite the evidence of tears having been there moments ago, they felt like they had set in fire at some point during the spell. His mother felt torn as she stood watching her boy in pain. Her motherly instincts were telling her to ensure that he was alright and take him in her arms to reassure him that even if he didn't feel like it, things would be okay. The practical side of her told her he needed this, he needed to learn and it was going to be different. She can't coddle him forever and dark times were coming, he would need to be tough. That side of her was more dominant, the side of her that wanted to protect.