Healing // d.m.

| 34 |

  Goyle was still opening his package very messily, the scraps of paper covered the table. Draco's eyes absent-mindedly moved to look at her. This time she was looking at him. He was prepared for her to immediately jump and look away. But she didn't. He loved that she was no longer afraid of him.

  Blaise was the one that interrupted them. "Is that for the task, Goyle?"

  Draco looked at Goyle holding a camera.

  "Yes, I have to take pictures of all the places in Hogwarts." He whined.

  So they would know the entire place before they attack.

  "You have the easy task." Blaise told him. "I have to clear the forest for preparation."

  "I have to kill the head master." Draco pipped in. "So both you stop fucking complaining." He growled at them. He roughly yanked the camera from Goyle's hand.

  "How do you use it anyway? Why is it so small?" Goyle asked them.

  "It's a disposable camera you idiot." Draco tweaked the lens for a bit before trying it out. He took random shots of the room, some of Blaise drinking a glass of milk. Then he accidentally focused towards her.

  He couldn't resist a simple click of the button.

  Draco sighed and tossed the camera back to Goyle who failed to catch it.

  "I'm heading out." He told them both.

  He had a job to do. He had someone to kill.

------

  His father's study room was different. His office no longer holds the admiration Draco once had of him. He used to love being allowed inside. Seeing the big bookshelves and the enormous lavish couch. His father had guests over from different parts of the world. Lucius would travel a lot too, bringing him presents from all over the world. He told Draco once that he was on a big treasure hunt, and maybe one day if Draco was strong enough, he could join him. It made him feel like he was someone important.

  Now being here in his stuffy room, it was no longer a privilege. Lucius Malfoy had told him to wait here. He told Draco that he had something to say and for him to stay put. Draco knew nothing good would come out from a conversation between the both of them.

  Not only had he failed the mission, letting Snape do the job for him, he had ruined his family name for good. He not only proved that he was a coward, but also an unreliable asset to the Dark Lord, which made them prone to being slaughtered like a pig.

  Draco hadn't still accepted that this was his life. A villain of war.

  He walked over to his father's desk and examined the table. There were no longer pictures of him. He used to place several frames of him and his mother. Some were pictures of him in his quidditch uniform, or simply a small family portrait of them both. Now only one picture remains, which was Lucius and Narcissa sitting awkwardly side by side, taken during one of the death eater meetings.

  He was sure he would be disowned for good.

  At the far corner of the desk was a black cotton bag that was closed with a golden string. Draco had never seen it before so his curiosity was piqued. He slowly unwinds the string and lets the contents fall into his palm. Inside was a stack of printed photographs.

  "Goyle's camera..." he whispered to himself.

  There were around 100 pictures. Mostly screenshots of doors and exits of the castle. He flipped through them, looking at one of Hagrid's Hut which was now just a pile of ash. Another was of the far bridge and the forbidden forest. Goyle took some photos of students as well. Mostly Potter and his friends. It killed Draco inside to see Potter smiling and being happy. Something that Draco could never really feel, despite coming from a wealthy family.