Bloodlines || A Draco Malfoy Romance Fanfiction

Summer 1995 - 98

Aphry

Daphne and I left the compartment of the Hogwarts Express and hugged each other goodbye before going our separate ways to our families. I found my father speaking with Narcissa. They looked like they were having a serious conversation.

My father noticed me as they spoke, and turned as I approached. Their serious expressions quickly turned to smiles. "Aphrodite, darling!"

"Father!" I said warmly. We hugged my father, embraced me warmly. I then turned to Narcissa. "Hello, Narcissa." We then shared a hug as well.

"Oh, darling, how I've missed you!" Narcissa said, squeezing me tight. When she released me, she looked around the platform. "Now, where is my son?" She looked at me quizzically.

My brow furrowed in confusion. Draco had left our compartment during the trip and never came back. My necklace had tingled for a brief moment, but by the time I would have been worried enough to go find him, the tingling had stopped. "I'm sorry, but I don't know. He wasn't in our compartment when the train arrived."

Her smile was reassuring. "Don't worry, dear. As long as he was on the train when it left, I am sure that he's around somewhere."

"Narcissa, I am sorry, but we must be off." My father said with a slightly strained voice, I could sense some tension from him.

I looked at him with wide eyes, "But Father, I haven't said goodbye to Draco!"

"It's alright dear," Narcissa said. I turned to her and noticed her smile seemed a bit sad. "I'll send him your regards. And we will most definitely be visiting."

I smiled lightly. "You are correct," I said, and In an attempt to add some levity, added, "And we be visiting Malfoy Manor as well."

Narcissa's smile faltered, and she looked at my father. I turned my head to him.

"Aphrodite, We... won't be visiting Malfoy Manor this Summer." He said, then added quickly. "We'll talk about it at home." He turned to Narcissa, "Please tell Draco we're sorry we had to rush off."

She nodded, and we exchanged goodbyes. Then we left as she went to go look for her son.

As soon as we'd apparated and entered Cytheria Estate, I asked, "Are you having another fight with Lucius Malfoy?"

William Cytheria sighed deeply and nodded, "Among other things."

"Because You-Know-Who is back and Mr Malfoy is his second-in-command..." I said accusingly. My father's eyes widened in bewildered confusion. "Draco had to tell me."

Father's hand ran roughly down his stressed face. "Aphrodite..."

He didn't get a chance to speak further. I'd had the emotions bottled up all week, and they were ready to spew out messily like freshly uncorked champagne.

"How come you never told me?" I said angrily, facing him directly. "If my life depends on keeping Draco Malfoy safe, why would you let me believe for fifteen years that his father was anything other than a high-ranking Death Eater!"

My father seemed fairly reasonable for having a teenager, specifically his daughter, yelling at him so disrespectfully. "I didn't know he was going to come back. Lucius keeps me in the dark with these matters, and I don't have a clever trinket like your necklace to warn me when he's up to no good."

He placed his hands on his arms, looking at me desperately. "Aphrodite, If I knew earlier, I swear I would have told you. I didn't know until you were well in school after Severus came and told me his mark was returning."

"Snape is one of them, too?" I yelled. Honestly, I shouldn't have been so surprised.

Father just stood, looking at the marble floor of the foyer guiltily with his hand on his hips.

"Was Malfoy one of the Death Eaters at the world cup?" I asked, I'd been wondering for days. Then I asked the real question that was eating at me. "Did he stage the attempt to kidnap me so Dimitri Sokolov could save me and play the hero?"

My father's jaw was set angrily as he nodded. "And if I could have killed him when I found out, I would."

Angry tears threatened to spill out as I finally admitted internally to myself that I hated Lucius Malfoy. I laughed bitterly and said sarcastically. "Well, now that's all out, is there any good news?"

He looked up to me, his mouth quipping up ever so slightly with hope. "You've been chosen to host the debutante ball next year."

Of course, the wizarding world's annual debutante ball. Anyone of high status was likely to be in attendance. Traditionally, one of the debutantes would host and plan the ball... With their mother.

I raised an eyebrow condescendingly, fully aware of how inelegant and unladylike I was being. "A motherless sixteen-year-old is expected to plan a ball?"

My father looked at me directly, knowing I was acting intentionally self-pitying. "Aphrodite, please. Narcissa is more than happy to help. That is why she'll be visiting over the Summer."

Breathing deeply in, then out, I said tiredly. "Well, if that's it, I am going to my room. I'll be down by dinnertime."

My father nodded, and I headed to my room to try and process everything.

Author's note: Two in one day? I'd say I'm rather impressed with myself!