BANALITY : Draco Malfoy

74

Draco has to physically restrain Pansy when she comes to understand Blaise is responsible for altering Theodore Nott's memories. It was Blaise who killed Theodore Nott, in her eyes, not Draco. After all, Pansy seems to understand, either from Draco's rampage or from their shared history, that it was inevitable that Theodore Nott would be killed by Draco Malfoy once the news broke. Draco explained that Blaise is well known for his calculating nature, so it seems odd Theodore Nott's death was incidental. Pansy insists Blaise set up Theodore Nott. Draco has to convince her not to break into Azkaban, pretend to be Blaise's solicitor, so that she can kill him herself.

"You'd break your vow," Draco explained. "We need Blaise alive to restore her memories. Killing her"

This information did not deter Pansy at first. She had assumed that once she killed me, she was a dead man anyway; murdering Blaise would accomplish the same ends. However, Draco glances at her, and her shoulders relax.

"Unfair," she said.

"True, if unfair," Draco shrugged his shoulders and released her.

From there, Pansy Parkinson apparated away.

Now, it is just Draco Malfoy and me in his home. We clean my clothes with magic so that I can wear something that actually fits me properly. Well, we don't actually clean them. Instead, Draco tasks his house-elf, Mopsy, with the cleaning. It so happens that Mopsy is the same being as Kreacher, the house-elf that hid in the attic for the duration of my stay in the Black family home.

Now, still in Draco's large trousers and his turtleneck, we walk around Malfoy manor. His mother has gone into town for the day. He suspects its so that she can claim she was unaware of his presence here, should the aurors return and discover us in the manor.

"I'd rather we stay in my room," he points out.

"I never want to be confined again," I tell him. "I haven't had this much space to walk in weeks."

It's true. While 12 Grimmauld Place was not very small, I was unable to peruse most of the floors, let alone all of the rooms. Draco tells me that there are a number of rooms in this place that I am unable to visit, due to the artifacts inside. They are unable to curse muggle-borns, because despite blood purity rhetoric, there is no way to magically differentiate between his blood and mine. However, there are objects and rooms designed to curse those who are not related, by blood, to a Malfoy. Some of the rooms have trouble even recognizing his mother's presence.

"We can just stay upstairs," he says.

"I've already been here," I tell him. "I've already seen whatever it is that you are hiding from me."

He shifts on his feet though, stretching his shoulders. I take his hand in mine. They are so much warmer than I am. Only with our hands together does he let me roam the halls. The halls are dimly lit, only by oil lamps, and little décor.

"It feels sparse," I manage, once we round the whole floor.

"We actually had more during the way," Draco explains. "It was pretty easy to take bribes from muggle-borns. When they ran out of galleons, we'd bring them in. Zabini told me the Ministry took whatever they could, deciding it was spoils of war. I'm surprised there is still wallpaper."

Mopsy reappears soon after. She has made our brunch, and we eat in a lounge upstairs. He does not want to be in the dining room.

"My family, we used to dine with Voldemort there," he explains. I don't ask for more details.