Lifelines (Draco X Hermione)

Chapter 19 MALFOY MANNOR

"Ey, the prince has returned" Crabbe Sr mumbled acting as if he owned the house. Draco found himself not minding as he watched the death-eaters lounge around his family home. Many of them refused to go home and continue their lives normally like the rest of them. It was a miracle that the students at Hogwarts had not escalated any situations considering the home environments they all came from. The Parkinson family sat at the table and appeared to be the only ones maintaining decorum.

"Draco dear, how lovely for you to join us! It would have been an atrocity for you to spend the festive season alone" Mrs Parkinson smiled. His mother turned the corner with a tight smile as she approached her only son.

"Draco. I was wondering when I would see you" she hummed, inspecting her child – the same routine she did when he came home. She would reach for his face and shoulders, almost as if she needed physical proof of him standing in front of her.

"Has Draco told you who they paired him with, as Head Boy Mrs Malfoy?" Pansy asked with a wide grin. Draco stood and watched Pansy enjoy her moment. If anything, he was glad that his godfather Snape had taught him about the art of Legitimacy. Maintaining his unformed glare, he took a step back and took a seat at the table. Right Infront of Pansy.

"What is she speaking about?" he had not even told his own mother about his Head Boy position. In fact, she had served a shorted sentence before being sentenced to house arrest instead. Draco had not communicated much to his mother in that time.

"Draco is Head Boy, and Hermione Granger is Head Girl" Pansy giggled happily. "They must work together and everything. What an insult" she rolled her eyes.

"That Granger didn't look so brave this evening did she now" Augustus Rookwood mumbled with a grin. It was settling for Draco to put a face to the idiots who had jumped Hermione.
"You could get to her then could you Draco?" Rookwood proposed, propping his hand on the crown of his chair.

"And have everyone suspect me. I would much prefer to finish my exams thanks" snickers crossed the room; leaving his mother to send him a warning look. The

Parkinson's kept rattling on about the importance of maintaining purebloods, he wondered if he knew about all her escapades at school and that their perfect little daughter was in fact not so. His brain worked quickly to collect all the information that was being spewed around him in a drunken manner. They wanted to be more targeted in their approach, to redeem their loss from the war.
It was clear, they were tiered to sitting around licking their wounds. Ms Malfoy approached his son and together they snuck into the private library. "It would have been nice to have heard from you dear" she spoke first, "especially with the Granger situation. You are putting yourself at risk with associating yourself".

"I know, but I was not given much of a choice. I deserved Head Boy, should I have let them win again?" he asked. He didn't know what else to say, but he didn't know where his mother stood – and until he did, he needed to tread carefully.

"Your right, I am proud. As your mother I am allowed to worry" she added sitting down on the armchair. Draco sat down across from her.

"Just so you know, I am not getting involved with whatever that is. Speaking of risk; you are putting yourself at risk by having them all here in this house" he stated, turning the ball in her court. Her punishment was clear, and this was a clear violation of all the terms.

"What can I do? Kick them out? Allow them to torture Lucious more in that place?" she asked. His mother always sacrificed more for her husband than the other way.

"It's not worth it, to go back there. What use would you be? Having your soul sucked by dementors?" Draco asked leaning forward. "We lost, we need to bloody move forward and live our lives for Merlin's sake" he mumbled stanning up from frustration. She could see why he didn't come her; her son had given up so much of his childhood for this war. She couldn't even blame him.

"I'll send them away" she stated. Draco nodded before looking around the room and window. He didn't want to be there to be disappointed by his mother's lack of actions. If she had disappointed him again, he wasn't sure how to feel. The manor house was riddled with horrible memories, his brain ran on autopilot when he walked into the room where Hermione had been tortured by his aunt.

"She has gotten to you hasn't she" Pansy asked walking into the room. "Look at you, pathetic, even for you Drakey" she giggled. The high-pitched sound stiffed his muscles in discomfort.

"Don't call me that" he added calmly, much to her enjoyment.

"That mudblood. Say it, I want to hear you say it Drakey" she approached him with a wide smile.

"When have I ever listened to you Pansy?" he did his best to smirk. Her face calmed as she assessed the situation. "You are not welcome in my house. Tell your parents and their friends to leave my mother in peace" he stated stepping forward, reminding the short girl of her position.

"You have changed. You are a blood traitor you know" she yelled loudly before laughing. With the echoes of the house, he knew that everyone in the surrounding rooms would have heard it. He took in a deep breath when he noticed a crowd surrounding him. "Say it Drakey" she sang happily, her eyebrows shrugging as a challenge.

"I do not take orders from you Parkinson. Do not forget whose house you are in. How strong is your allegiance huh? Dean Thomas ring a bell, Pansy?" he asked calmly, his hands tucked into his own trousers.

"What is the meaning of this yelling?" Mrs Parkinson asked. Draco had keen kind enough to whisper the last part of his words, it was her turn to decide where to take this.

"Nothing mother." She stated quickly. Draco nodded and stepped back, turning on his heal to walk out of the room and up to his own bedroom. There was nowhere on this planet where he could get peace and quiet.

Unfortunately, with the ministry's visit the next morning, he was asked to remain at the manor while they conducted their investigations and checks. They would time, he maintained his silence and drained his energy locking memories and thoughts of Hermione at the back of his mind in a safe place.

Pansy kept a keen eye on Draco, and it did not help that more of his classmates were visiting he manor; following the Minister's accepted request to grant a lose sentence for the festive period. The more and more people spoke of himself and Hermione the more uncomfortable he felt. It was not until his mother walked into his room with a worried glance did, he feel it in his gut that there was something wrong.

"You have been lying to us Draco" Augustus Rookwood stated. He felt like an idiot for leaving his wand beside his bed. He tried to maintain his calm, when he got hit by an agonizing hex. "I don't like deceit" he mumbled. He lay there, holding his breath. He didn't want them to take pleasure from his pain. He felt another zap hit his back; his lips let out a groan. "You are a lot closer to that Mudblood than you are telling us" He stated before sending another wave of pain into his body. "You are a traitor" he mumbled again. Draco felt pain meet his body again over and over. He could feel his body grow weak as he welcomed the cloud of darkness around him. He wasn't sure what pained him the most. The constant attack or the fact that his mother stood and watched this happen.