Always You

Chapter 29: Lost and Found

Malaya sat in an armchair in Lucius's office, her feet tucked under her. Lucius sat behind his desk, Snape sat in another chair and Narcissa paced the room. 

"Teenagers run away all the time," Snape said, his eyes following Narcissa. "I'm sure Draco is fine. He probably wanted to see his peers." 

Malaya was trying to meet Snape's eye, to confirm that their kiss was real, that it had happened. But he wouldn't look at her. 

Meanwhile, Narcissa made no indication of having seen them. But she must have. Perhaps she was too preoccupied with Draco to care. 

"Not Draco," Narcissa muttered. "He doesn't leave without telling us first." 

"He's under significant stress," Snape said calmly. "What exactly do you think happened to him?" 

Something in Narcissa's expression changed as her mind thought of the worst case scenario. "There are plenty of people who want to hurt us. Taking our son is a good way of doing that." Her voice broke as she stopped pacing. "We should have never had this ridiculous party." 

"It isn't the party's fault, Narcissa," Lucius said. "Draco will come home. Nobody would dare take him." 

Narcissa turned to Malaya for the first time. "Did he say anything to you about leaving?" 

Malaya looked into Narcissa's piercing eyes. Lucius gazed at her with boredom and Snape still wouldn't look at her. "We had a plan to ditch around 11," Malaya answered honestly, a small worry had sprouted in her stomach that maybe he did get kidnapped. "But Lucius caught us." She nodded to Lucius.

"Yes, then Draco went to the bathroom," Lucius explained. "I havn't seen him since."

"There you have it." Snape gestured toward Malaya. "He most likely left without her." 

Narcissa shook her head. "Alone?" she asked. 

"Darling, please calm down," Lucius said, standing from his chair. He moved around his desk and placed an arm around his wife. Malaya looked away. "He will come back, I know it." 

"How can you be so sure?" she asked, tears in her eyes. "We are wasting our time talking about this. I am going to look for him." 

"Narcissa-" 

"He is your son too, Lucius," she hissed. "Find him." 

Narcissa left the room. Snape glanced at Lucius and they shared a look before Snape followed her out. 

Lucius sighed as the door closed. 

He walked over to his desk, pulled something out of the drawer, walked around it and leaned against the desk. He held out a piece of parchment to Malaya.

"Draco left this behind," Lucius said.

Malaya took the paper and read it.

I saw you with her. I need some space.

Malaya looked at Lucius. "He saw us? When? We weren't even together tonight." 

"I'm not sure what he saw," Lucius said, taking the paper back and crumpling it. He threw it into the fire.

"Well then he's fine at least," Malaya said. "Why didn't you tell Narcissa he's okay?"

"How do I explain how I know that without her getting suspicious?" 

Malaya shrugged. "She's going to make herself sick with worry." 

Lucius was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. "If you didn't go meet Draco, where did you disappear too?"