Habits Of My Toxic Heart - Draco Malfoy

Chapter twenty six - Math club

Draco

We were all seated around the grand table in the Manor, father seated at the head of the table of course. The obscured amount of food splayed out on the white oak table made me nauseous. None of us three would even be able to eat half of this, but everything had to look good, all to disguise how rotten everything was behind closed doors.

"So Draco, tell me. Have you managed to get close to the Greengrass sisters?" My father spoke without taking his eyes off his plate full of food. My mother shot me a worrisome look but I just ignored it.

"Yes, can you now tell me why you need me to befriend them?" I asked annoyed. He had told me that I had to keep both of them close ever since my mother figured out that she wasn't a Black. He had given me the usual silent threat talking about how it was wanted from the dark lord and what not. It hadn't really been a problem considering he was unaware about mine and Holly's previous relationship, and I wasn't going to let Holly stay out of my sight.

She had no idea about the lengths I had gone to for her. My mother's good friend Alice Bonham was the current head healer at the hospital and I had demanded that my mother would talk to her and make her keep me updated. So that she did and I had kept up with her entire treatment plan and progress ever since. I had promised that I wouldn't have any contact with her while she was admitted, no one was allowed to know we were involved and even less that we were the reason we had Holly's mother convicted since my father said it made us seem "weak and soft". Two characteristics he despised. Because for all he cared he could have let Holly stay with the imposter of a mother, he had never been a fan of the Greengrass family. They had been let off too easily according to him, they never had to take a stance for the Dark Lord and remained neutral in the whole mudblood issue. I knew however he was just envious of how they could live their lives in peace, but I also knew he would have hated their life. Because the Greengrass line never seeked power and ascendancy, they were happy with the life they were living. How different my life would have been in I had been born a Greengrass and not a Malfoy..

"The dark lord has given me specific instructions for you to keep them close, and when the time comes we will reveal why. But that time is not now Draco," Lucius told me and downed the rest of his wine before slamming it down onto the table, causing my mother to jump.

"More wine dear?" she tried as she reached for the opened bottle in the centre of the table. But my father just shot her an icy glare and snatched the bottle himself, drinking straight from it. My mother sat back down and I couldn't help but pity the woman.

"You know.. I never wished this life for you Draco," she said lowly, checking to see that my father had left the room.

"But you sure gave me the misery of living in it," I sighed and poked around with my fork on my untouched plate of food.

"Please dear, you must understand that I would have left if I could.." her voice started trembling and I saw tears starting to pool in her eyes. I grabbed her hand on the table and squeezed it, trying to comfort her.

"I know mother, I just wish things were different." I knew she wanted better for me, but if she would have left she would have been marked for life. Always having to be on the run as a traitor, but I can't help but wonder if that would have been better than being destined to join the death eaters.

"Mother.. You don't happen to know why you-know-who wants me to keep Daphne and Holly close, do you?" I asked her and I watched her flinch at the question for a split second before returning to her usual forced facade.

"No dear, I do not," she flashed me a smile before getting up and started cleaning off the table. I knew she was lying, but it was useless to pressure her. If she was keeping something from me she wouldn't give it up for anything. Trust me, I would know. She had been keeping her fair share of secrets over the years. But I knew it wasn't something good, because when she kept things from me it was usually to protect me. And why the hell would I need protecting from this? Now I was even more anxious about meeting Holly again. I had lied to her about us being away on vacation, but the truth was that once again our home was working as some kind of hotel for death eaters, and I couldn't risk Holly finding out about my fathers involvement anymore than she had already done. But now I had to worry about the Dark Lords plan for Holly. But I knew it would all be somewhat okay once I got to see her again. Fuck, I really missed her.