Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

Fresh Start (Draco Malfoy)

"Narcissa says that he's nothing like he was." But was that really such a bad thing? I certainly didn't think it was all that bad – especially when I remembered just how much of a horror he'd been when we were kids. "She says he doesn't eat properly, he rarely leaves his room and she was the one to suggest it actually."

"Suggest what mother?"

"She wants you to go to the Manor, not just because she missed you but for Draco too."

Leaning back in my seat, I crossed my arms. "When do I leave then? I take it you've already got everything sorted out?"

"Of course, I have; I knew that the moment I told you Draco needed your help that you'd be prepared to leave." Mother met my eyes over the table, sending me a meaningful look. "You've never been able to say no to him."

"I have," I protested quietly. "I haven't seen him since I was fourteen; no matter how many letters he's sent to me."

"You're stubborn," mother acknowledged, with a small smile, "You get that from your father."

"And he says I get it from you," I shot back, reaching out for my glass. "I personally think you're both stubborn – which is why I'm such a terror. I get it from the both of you."

It was precisely why my childhood friendship with Draco had always been so rocky; we were both stubborn only children from pureblood family's, both used to getting our way and Merlin, I'd been surprised that he was more spoiled than I ever was. Of course, I liked to think that I'd grown out of that once I'd started at Beauxbatons, but I didn't think he'd ever had.

In a strange way, we'd gotten close to each other in the way that only stubborn spoiled children could – because there seemed that there just weren't other children around who were like us. But really, was that so strange when the only other children we were exposed to for the first few years of our lives were each other? Of course, Draco soon made other friends and I did the same but looking back on it now, maybe that was the reason we were both so private?

I could still remember, aged seven or eight, my mother and I had travelled to the Manor for the summer when I'd first met Draco's other friends and it had been jarring. I'd never known Draco to have other friends – simply because I'd thought him the sort of person that no one apart from me could put up with. Naturally, as children did as they grew up, we changed and became less and less like one another until eventually, I couldn't bring myself to be around him. It culminated in me ceasing my visits to the manor. The last time I had visited his home had been the summer of my fourth year and I hadn't been since, no matter how many letters he sent me to demand that I showed up to his house. He'd always been a spoilt brat.

"– are you listening to me?"

"Sorry," I apologised instantly, "I guess I zoned out. What were you saying?"

"Friday – you leave Friday."

***********

When Friday came, I wasn't filled with a sense of dread about returning to a place where I hadn't been in years. Instead, it was a rather odd feeling of coming home which was preposterous because I wasn't coming home. Not at all. I was just returning to a place where I had spent a large part of my childhood. Mother saw me off, waiting for me by the fireplace where I checked over my bags for the last time. She really didn't need to see me off – I was only travelling by floo to the Manor. It wasn't as if I could possibly get lost. But she didn't listen to my protests at all and simply magicked my bags over to the Manor ahead of me.

After a rather stilted, awkward goodbye, I stepped into the fireplace for the short journey to the Manor without giving myself the chance to back out. I hadn't seen the Malfoys in four years, but I had no doubt that I would easily fit back into the mother-daughter-esque relationship that I'd always had with Narcissa Malfoy.