The Wicked One (A Drarry Fanfic)

Chapter 3: Condolences

"But not like that," Harry replied softly. His mother had decided to end her own life and the reasons for it didn't really matter, because not even her son had been reason enough for her to keep living.

A brief painful emotion flicked through Malfoy's stone eyes as he stared at Harry, but the moment was gone before a second.

"She's having a funeral, isn't she?" Hermione inquired in friendly manner, showing her ability with diplomacy.

"Indeed."

"Is your father going to be there with you?"

"He better be," the words showed a hint of bitterness when he spoke. Lucius Malfoy had left his wife a few weeks before the tragedy, or so was stated in the newspaper.

He glanced briefly at Harry before turning his back on them and Harry stared at him as he walked away with his heart broken. Just then he knew he was going to be at that funeral.

He followed Malfoy, ignoring his friends completely, and grasped him by the shoulder, making him turn to his direction. Harry realized by Draco's face that his touch had been too bold and moved his hand away.

"I want to go to the funeral," he said.

Malfoy stared at him, disconcerted. He scrutinized him with suspicion with those intense eyes of his.

"Why?"

"I want to be there."

"You are not my friend, Potter."

"I didn't say I was."

"The funeral is private. You are not allowed to be there and I don't want you to," he looked into Harry's eyes, perhaps trying to find out what he was after. Harry held his gaze, deepening into the lake of emotions that lived behind the rough stones of Draco's eyes and it was beautiful and dark and sad. The gaze was too intimate, though, and Malfoy broke the eye contact by looking another direction.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice came from his back. Malfoy stared at Harry for a few seconds looking confused, and then left. This time Harry didn't stop him.

He explained Ron and Hermione he wanted to be sympathetic to Malfoy and wanted to speak a few words to him. None of them looked convinced but he explained no further.

After picking up his books at the Gryffindor Common Room and walking with his friends to Professor Flitwick's class, Harry left them saying he needed to use the toilette and headed to Professor McGonagall's office. She was there by herself, something he was expecting.

"How may I help you, Mr. Potter?"

"I heard Mrs. Malfoy is having a funeral. Is it today?"

"Well, yes, it is today. I must take young Mr. Malfoy to it in about an hour. May I ask the reason of your interest?" Professor McGonagall looked intently at Harry.

"I would like to be there."

"I'm afraid you can't. The family made very clear the funeral is private. I must also point out that for security reasons you are not allowed to leave the castle, Mr. Potter. I do appreciate your interest, though, and will inform Mr. Malfoy about it if you please," she spoke with her usual authority, the one that told Harry the conversation had finished.

"It's all right, Professor, you don't need to tell him I asked."

Professor McGonagall smiled at him in understanding.

Harry didn't say more and left the office; he had already decided he was going to be there anyway, just not in the way that he had expected. He still had an hour before they left, though.

He went to his dormitory at Gryffindor's Common Room to take his Charms books back and searched in his trunk for a black shirt. He was going to follow the protocol even if nobody knew he was there. As Hermione said, it was just the right thing to do. He changed into the black shirt and put his Hogwarts black robes on. He took a glance into the mirror and felt strange to look at himself dressed so mournfully, he had never attended a funeral after all. The thought saddened him, as he would have liked he'd had one for Sirius, his godfather.

He picked up his invisibility cloak and hid under it, bending his knees a little so that his feet wouldn't show. He had grown up with time more than he had realized; he wondered if his father had been shorter than him and had no trouble to use the cloak. He headed back to Professor McGonagall's office, being careful not to bump into someone, and waited outside the door.

It seemed like an eternity before he noticed Draco Malfoy walking towards the office. He was wearing black silk robes that contrasted with his white skin. An ornately adorned silver "M" was embroidered on the left of his chest. He wasn't sure whether he was actually looking paler or if it was only the effect of his robes. His eyes appeared darker than ever, his elegant features had hardened and his hands were tight in fists. Harry thought how handsome he looked in spite of his suffering, and realized how much he did love Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy knocked on the office's door and for a moment he glanced at Harry's direction. He was standing beside him, hoping he couldn't feel his presence or listen to his heavy breath. Professor McGonagall appeared then on her mourning robes behind the door.

"Are you ready, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I am."

The old witch looked around, as if searching for something.

"Well, where are your friends? I thought you might have invited some of your Slytherin classmates."

"Should we go?" he ignored the question and Professor McGonagall nodded, saying no more.

Harry followed them around the castle under his cloak and he knew instinctively where they were going. They stopped before Dumbledore's office entrance. Professor McGonagall spoke out the password and the gargoyle let them in. Harry had to hurry to be able to get through.

They stood before the room's chimney and he understood they were using Floo Powder. It wasn't going to be so hard to push himself into the chimney. Professor McGonagall took a little bag out of her robes and instead of taking the magical powder out of it, she took out an object that looked like a medallion.

"I will need you to hold my hand tightly, Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall said solemnly and Malfoy nodded.

McGonagall touched a little red gem in the medallion and Harry realized it was a Portkey. He had to grab Malfoy's ankle hurriedly before they disappeared into thin air.

He felt his stomach turn in the motion and his headache intensified to the point he felt his skull split. He wished with his eyes tightly closed for the invisibility cloak not to fall. When he opened his eyes again they were about to land on a green field, but he let go off Malfoy's ankle before. He fell abruptly on the ground, the invisibility cloak still over him. He noticed his left arm and his right foot were not under the cloak and he fixed himself under it as quickly as he could. When he stood up, he was relieved to find out they hadn't looked into his direction.

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Author's note: Chapter 3!! (: I hope you enjoyed the reading just as much as I enjoy writing this n_n. Comments are welcomed :D