Time Heals (D.M. - COMPLETE)

Time Heals // Chapter Three

Through the week, Draco finds his mind wandering to (Y/N) more than he'd like to admit. He'd think of what she could be doing at the café, whether she was happy in her job there, what she would be like outside of work – her hobbies, her passions. If he was feeling particularly self-destructive, he would wonder whether she had a partner and if she loved them. He had a hard time containing his jealously over what could possibly be a relationship he had completely conjured up in his mind.

However, Draco knew he was nowhere near healthy enough mentally to maintain a healthy and loving relationship.

He stares at the three letters on his desk; the cream envelopes taunting him. Draco huffs as he shoves them into the inside pocket of his coat, making a mental note to hand them to the post owl before he leaves for therapy.

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Draco has started to greet Dr. Jenkins' secretary by name. "Good afternoon, Vivian, how are you?"

Vivian rolls her eyes at the young man; he is the politest out of the doctors patients, "Good afternoon, Draco. I'm fine, thank you for asking. Dr. Jenkins is already waiting for you, you can go on in."

"Thank you, Vivian." Draco says, knocking twice on the door before entering.

He shakes Dr. Jenkins hand as always before sitting down the couch that he's become so used to, he's considering buying one for the drawing room in the manor.

"How have you been Draco?"

"Okay, actually. My mother is thinking of redesigning the gardens so she's keeping me busy by asking for my opinions and such. I wrote the letters that we discussed as well, I sent them just before coming here."

"It sounds like you've had a positive week."

Draco hums, agreeing with the doctor. "I'm still struggling with sleep, I haven't slept through the night at all this week, but I'm feeling more positive about my relationship with my mother. She really is trying with me, it's only fair that I put in the same amount of effort."

"That's a nice way to look at it. In regards to your sleep, would you like to add that to your overall aims for our sessions? To become a better man and to sleep through the night?"

"Yes, I think that would work."

"Of course," Dr. Jenkins says, writing a few words in her pad. She looks up at Draco as she says, "Continuing on with school from our last session."

"The next part of my education is dark; it isn't something I like to revisit if I can help it."

"Tell me only as much as you can. We can stop the session whenever."

Draco takes a deep breath, steadying himself for the secrets he's about to unveil, "Everything changed after Potter brought back Diggory's body in the final trial of the Triwizard Tournament. Things changed at school; things changed at home. My father had already made his displeasure with me known after a Death Eater disguised as Mad-Eye Moody transfigured me into a ferret and humiliated me in front of a crowd of students. he wasn't bothered about the transfiguration; it was the fact that a Malfoy was laughed at.

"The end of my fourth year at Hogwarts brought lots of changes at home. We began hosting lots of different people who have known my parents longer than I have been alive. My mother is a natural born hostess, so she was completely in her element with the different people coming and going, but there was fear as well. She was scared of something and I didn't put two and two together until it was far too late.

"Through my Fifth Year, Hogwarts underwent some major changes in terms of its running. I was named a Prefect for Slytherin and I swore that I could see a glimmer of pride in my father's eyes when I told him. But the Ministry of Magic began to interfere with Hogwarts and its governance; they reacted out of fear. The Minister for Magic knew that the Dark Lord had returned but refused to accept it, so he sent Dolores Umbridge to Hogwarts as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and as a spy for the Ministry. As she gained power, I joined her Inquisitorial Squad – again, feeling nothing but proud of myself when father sent me a letter praising my actions. Umbridge believed that there was an organisation in Hogwarts that was opposing her regime and it was my responsibility to find it. I knew who had started it, it was just a matter of finding proof.