NEVILLE'S mouth was wide open with shock before he shouted.
"That stupid bastard!" The sound of his fork banging onto the table echoing the room. Catherine and Greg stopped mid chew, looking at him. When was the last time they ever heard Neville curse someone out?
"You alright, mate?" Greg asked him. Sceptically looking at him while he took another bite of his sandwich.
"I just don't understand why a man would ever hit a woman. I would never understand that!" Neville harshly grabbed his cup of tea and chug it down. "It's just basic human decency!"
"I'm okay." Catherine reassured him.
"You're Catherine, you always say you're okay. But it doesn't mean it's okay for him to slap you for something that isn't even your fault!" Neville's voice started to rise and it started to attract the people sitting on the tables next to them in the Hospital Cafeteria.
"Calm down, Neville!" Catherine harshly whispered.
They were having lunch together and Greg just filled Neville in on Pye's incident last week. Neville always visits his parents on the fourth floor every Wednesday when he doesn't have any herbology classes for the day.
"Why am I just hearing about this?" Neville asked them both.
"Well Gabbs knows so I'm assuming your wife knows. I told Ron so it's safe to say Hermione and Harry knew about it, then Harry would've told Ginny-" Greg trailed off.
Neville tilted his head back and groaned. "Hannah... why didn't she tell me."
"Hey I'm okay really!" Catherine waved her hands, as if to remind them both that she's still here. "I didn't see Pye at all this week so it's all good."
"He better get suspended." Greg commented.
"It's either him or me," Catherine pointed out, stabbing her fork into a piece of beef.
"You didn't do anything wrong Cathy!" Neville reminded her again, pointing a french fry towards her face.
"He's the senior. I'm the trainee." Catherine exaggerated. "Besides, he knows a lot of the high people in this hospital."
Pye was the very least of her worries lately, because her mind was always preoccupied by a certain blonde haired boy. His coat was still hanging by the door of her house, the perfume hitting her nose every time she passed by.
She hated the way they left things at Malfoy Manor. After healing an unconscious Mrs. Malfoy and making sure the contents of the vial didn't cause any side effects, she went outside to find Malfoy sulking by the door, with his two best friends looking bored. Zabini offered to take her home which earned a murderously glare from Malfoy and a chuckle from Nott. Malfoy didn't say a word. He avoided her gaze and went up the stairs as she exited the front door. She ended up apparating home by herself.
She didn't mean to get so riled up but seeing his mother bound to the bend made her sick. It unlocked a deep memory that she tried so hard to suppress. It was like her mind replayed a video from what she saw 5 years ago. She didn't mean to shout and accuse him of such things. Her heart sank every time she closed her eyes and his disappointed face came to view.
He must have thought the worst, that Catherine now thinks he's a horrible son, chaining his mother and forcing her to stay at the Manor. His insecurities must be eating him up alive right now and Catherine was too scared to even say anything at the time. She never felt so selfish.
She's supposed to administer the second vial tomorrow. Will he even show? Is he going to pick her up? If not, will she go to the Manor herself?
"There's a teaching position open at Hogwarts so if you get kicked out of here just give me a call." Neville jokes, breaking her train of thoughts.
"Which position?" She asked.
"Potions. Mcgonagall is having a really hard time finding someone to help out." Neville slowly stole some of Greg's fries, before getting his hand swatted away.
Catherine wrinkled her nose and frowned, "I don't like potions. Get Hermione, she was top of the class."
"Yeah, like the Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would take some time out of her ridiculous schedule to teach potions." Neville took another chance to take the fry off Greg's plate and this time almost succeeding.
"Besides," he continued, "You came second in class."
Catherine shook her head, "I was third."
"Who came in second?" Neville asked so innocently.
Catherine swallowed hard.
"Malfoy." Greg answered.
Ugh. Why is he everywhere?
"Speaking of Malfoy," Greg reached over to grab a bunch of newspapers that were sitting idle at a table behind him. He slapped the Daily Prophet right in front of them. The title staring back at them.
Death Eaters On the Run
Instigator: Lucius Malfoy
Terror of Dementors Beware
Catherine lost all her appetite. The picture of Lucius Malfoy with his prison uniform stared back at her. Even when he was captured he still mastered the cocky smile. His hair is now longer than ever. His silver eyes were so familiar it hurt her heart.
She was a complete idiot, adding more onto his plate. Malfoy must be stressed beyond belief and she made it worse. She can't begin to imagine what he's feeling right now, seeing his father's face on the front page of the Daily Prophet.
She knew this was to attract as much attention as possible in hopes to find a lead. Gabby had told her stories about the Aurors going on searches and raids, only ending up fighting dementors everywhere they go. A few were severely injured and had to be hospitalised on the fourth floor. They decided to keep their identity a secret. Ron keeps coming home with scars all over and Harry's nightmares are returning in full force.
The Ministry was reaching a dead end and they were desperate. Another wizarding war is at stake, but all Catherine could think about is how devastated Malfoy must be right at this second and she was not there with him.
She sighed loudly, wondering if he over-thinks about her just like she's overthinking about him. Or maybe, just maybe, they overthink each other at the same time.
———
"Well at least it's out there." Blaise handed Theo the Daily Prophet. "What do we do now?"
Theo was laying down on Draco's bed, his hands crossed over his head. "We wait I guess... What more can we do?"
"But they suck at what they do." Blaise said to him, taking a wine glass from Draco's alcohol cabinet. When was the last time they had a conversation without alcohol?
"Yeah..." Theo replied, still reading the article. "It says that they did several raids but all ended up useless. Many of them were severely injured from the dementors. Apparently they're good at dropping red herrings everywhere they go. So far Potter and- Is that a 1992 Cabernet??"
They all looked at Blaise who was filling the red wine up to the brim. Theo immediately stood up and walked over demanding him to fill his own glass. He wasted no time, chugging down a full glass then sighing afterward.
"Well you're easily distracted today..." Blaise commented, slowly sipping his own.
"I'm sorry. Since the paper went out it's been getting on my nerves. It's like I'm jumpy all the time.. Like my limbs are going to fall off from shaking too much and then I tend to talk a lot. I can't sleep and it's just been going to my head-" Theo began to rant.
"Okay let's all calm down." Blaise reminded him, putting a hand on his shoulders. Refilling his glass with some more wine. They were both leaning against the table side by side.
"What if they come for us? What if he comes here? What if he comes to see you?" Theo pointed towards Draco. He was sitting on his lounge couch spreading his legs and resting his head on the armchair. He had his eyes closed and his right arm covering his face.
"Maybe he'll come back for his alcohol collection." Blaise eyed his glass of wine, slowly spinning it in his hands. "I see a bottle of Fire Macallan in there."
Theo wasted no time gulping down the rest of his wine and diving into the cabinet to find that bottle of whiskey. "Not if we finish it first."
Draco grunted slightly, earning suspicious glares from his two friends. If he could have a superpower right this second, he wished his ears had selective hearing.
"You alright mate?" Blaise asked him. "I expected a more flaming response but you've been so quiet lately."
"I thought windows were about to get broken." Theo added.
Draco was pissed beyond belief. Not at the Ministry, but at himself. The Ministry was stupid he agreed to that, but he was the coward who no one would ever believed. No one would ever receive help from him, even more now that his father is on the front page and the most wanted man in the Wizarding World. To his horror, a few dementors started appearing outside the Manor. He could feel the temperature drop a few degrees whenever they were around and his mother would whimper like she's in pain.
After just one vial of the antidote, his mother was doing so much better. She was no longer agitated so he freed her bonds. She's fully conscious now, it's just that she refused to speak. It was like she was mad at Draco and blamed him for everything. She wouldn't even meet his eye every time he enters the room. She rarely drinks, only when Draco forces her too and only takes a few spoonfuls of food. Ariendra had left him a few appetite enhancing potions to put in her drink, that helped a little bit.
Ariendra. Just the thought of her made him flinch. There was not a minute where he didn't think about her, about how they fought and how he didn't acknowledge her afterwards. That night he stayed awake worried if she made it home alright. After the incident with her fucking senior healer and her tired state, he regretted not getting pass her ego and send her home. If he did, he would know where she lived and he could owl her a letter saying how sorry he was for shouting.
Draco went to St. Mungo's the next day. He arrived before sunrise and waited by the trees on the far corner of the garden. He tried his best to stay hidden, hoping she didn't see him. He waited for a few hours until he saw her enter the Hospital with her maroon robes. He was glad she remembered her winter accessories this time. After making sure she's safe and she's inside, he apparated home.
"I bet on the Macallan he's thinking about Pomfrey's Lackey." Theo whispered loudly to Blaise.
Blaise shook his head, "You can't bet on Draco's alcohol, Theo."
Theo rolled his eyes, "Fine then, I bet 100 galleons he's thinking about-"
"Would you both shut up!" Draco scolded them, putting both of his hands up in the air.
He thought of a plan. A stupid one. He was going to march into the Ministry, demand to see Potter and give him the documents he found. Then he was going to force his team to allow him to join the raid and pray to the heavens that they don't treat him as Lucius Malfoy's son. Now it was up to his courage and ego to do the work.
Draco was about to say something when he heard a tapping sound. It was soft at first but then it gradually became louder and more impatient. The three of them looked towards the big window on the side of his bed, where a brown spotted wool owl was perched on his window sill.
"Anyone knows who that owl belongs to?" He asked, standing up. Blaise and Theo both shook their heads. As soon as he opened the window, the owl flew in and landed on the nightstand. The owl hooted loudly and gestured to his food. There was a letter, neatly rolled and tied to it. Draco slowly took the letter, afraid that the bird would peck or bite him, but he seemed calm.
"Who's it from?" Theo asked in between sips of whiskey.
Draco slowly unrolled the letter and his heart melted at the sight of the handwriting.
"You're a good son.
You are nothing like he is.
Reply if you still want me to help.
C.A.
PS. Give Lori something to eat or else he won't leave."
"Lori." He whispered and the owl hooted back cheerfully. He slowly stroked his head and the bird succumbed to his touch, his eyes closing in contempt. Even far away, it was only her that knew what he truly felt. No one has ever made him feel safe, not even his own flesh and blood. It was surreal to him that this woman understood him best, and it was somehow, the most romantic feeling in the world.
"I bet 500 galleons this time." Theo whispered again to Blaise.
Draco ignored him. He went over to his writing desk and pulled out a piece of parchment to immediately write back.
I will always want your help.
D.M.
------
Henry,
You always tell me you miss me every time you leave the house. If you think missing me is hard, you should try missing you. Catherine misses you too.
Armasta Alati,
Maria
------
Henry,
Every time he hits me, I feel like he's hitting you too. I'm sorry for hurting you Henry.
I'm sorry for ruining everything.
Armasta Alati,
Maria
------
Henry,
Please don't believe anything he says about you. He's just jealous that I still love you.
Armasta Alati,
Maria.
------
Catherine knew that rereading her mother's journals would only bring more pain, but she couldn't help but wish there must be something in here that she could use. The black box remains unopened, collecting dust under her bed. It was like dead weight, dragging her down, filling her mind with uncertainties.
She was collecting some energy to flip the pages and read another entry when her doorbell rang. Already knowing who it was he unlocked the door with her wand, Smalls went crazy and began barking at the door, jumping around and wagging his tail.
"AUNT CATHY!" she heard the shrieking of two bubbly kids followed by two bodies jumping on the couch right next to her. They jumped so hard that the journal in her hands slipped and landed on the ground. It was a Sunday where Greg is having the weekend shift so Gabby liked to bring the kids over to play and hang out.
"Woah, there's an earthquake!" She joked before grabbing Gavina and hugging her tight.
"Aunt Cathy, I can't breathe!" Gavina laughed.
"Hey, I want a hug too!" Grey complained and joined in, squeezing between the both of them.
They stayed silent for a while in a mess of arms and legs, cuddled tight to each other. Gabby chuckled seeing them and plopped down on the couch. "They're like two energiser bunnies I can't keep up with."
"I could always give them a sleeping draught." Catherine offered.
"Hmm... that's tempting." Gabby replied.
Catherine nodded and let go of the kids. "Why don't you get a toy and play with smalls outside?"
The room erupted with a gleeful screech and the dog followed them out the door. They could see them play on the porch outside through the window. Gabby picked up the journal from the floor.
Gabby asked "Are you still reading this?"
Catherine nodded. She knew Gabby would make a fuss of her mental state, how it's not healthy to dwell on the past.
"Cathy..." Gabby began.
"I know." She cut her off. "I just... I feel obligated to find something in it."
Catherine stood up to make her friend a cup of coffee while she skimmed through the pages of the book. The papers were fragile so she handled it with care. They were yellow and the creases were prominent. A few pages were torn and needed some glue to hold it together. A few pages had wine droplets and water marks all over. Gabby was flipping through the end when a small piece of parchment fell onto her lap.
"What's this, Cathy?" She asked, slowly unfolding the paper.
"What's what?" Catherine asked back, when she noticed what Gabby was holding she panicked and ran towards her. "Gabs don't!"
She practically grabbed the letter from her grasp but it was too late. She knew it from the way Gabby was looking at her in pure shock. Her eyes went wild and her mouth agape. Her brain was trying to connect the dots but her heart refused to believe it.
"D.M.?" She asked before she shouted, "DRACO MALFOY?"
Catherine slowly folded the letter and put it in her pocket so Gabby couldn't tear it away from her. It was stupid of her to stick Malfoy's reply inside the journal. She looked like a kid who just got busted for cheating on a test.
"Is it really Malfoy??" She asked again.
Catherine just nodded and looked at the floor.
"Catherine Ariendra I swear to God..." Gabby was bewildered. "Why do you have a letter from Draco Malfoy?"
"It's hard to explain Gabbs. It's a really long story." Catherine tried her best to evade her question.
"Oh believe me I have plenty of time for this. I won't leave until you spill every last drop."
Catherine sighed. "I'll get the drinks."
------
"You know I think you're good for each other." Gabby commented when she finished storytelling everything that happened.
"That's your response?!" Catherine looked at her like she grew another head. "After everything I hid from you?"
"Oh don't get me wrong, I'm still extremely furious that you called 'trust' on something like this but putting everything aside, I can see you two being good for each other." Gabby smiled softly.
"And why is that?" Catherine asked.
Gabby rested her head on Catherine's shoulders. "The situation you both are in are completely different, but what you both need the same thing. To be understood and to be heard bu the right person. To be reminded that there is more to life than the past. To heal."
"I do not live in the past." Catherine grumbled.
Gabbs added, "You like to deny things over and over Cathy, until you realise one day that you're wrong and it may be too late. As much as I don't trust Malfoy, he just maybe the person who could finally change you around."
Catherine thought about it but decided not to let her mind wander in that direction, "You know I don't like attachments. The people that I love always leave me."
"Do you love him?" Gabby asked innocently.
"No!" Catherine answered way too fast.
Gabby just chuckled, "See... denial."
"Are you saying I love him?"
"Are you saying you don't have feelings for him? None at all? I highly doubt that." Gabby leaned forward to reach her mug.
Catherine hated when Gabby was right.
"Just... " Gabby added. "Be careful, okay? With everything going on, especially with his father, I don't want you getting hurt. I won't tell anyone, not even Greg. But I expect frequent updates!"
"Okay." Catherine rested her head on top of Gabby's. They looked over at the kids who were now painting Smalls' nails by the fireplace. It was incredible that Smalls simply sat there without complaining, surrendering her paws to the kids.
"Get the pink and blue one!" Gavina told Grey.
"Pink and blue, pink and blue, pink and blue." Grey recited over and over as he searched through the boxes of edible paint.
"Greg just taught him that if he wanted to remember something, he could say it repetitively and he'll remember it." Gabby laughed.
"Daddy says that's why he says I love you over and over again, so we won't forget it." Gavina continued her mother.
Over and over.
Catherine's whole body went still and she suddenly stood up. She ran upstairs taking two steps and at a time and rushed to grab the black box under her bed. She began to frantically search for her wand, finding it on the kitchen table. Gabby was screaming at her, asking her what was she trying to do. The kids stood by the living room confused and Smalls began trailing behind her, visibly panicked.
"Cathy what the hell is going on? What is it?" Gabby demanded to know.
Over and over.
Armasta Alati.
Love Always
Her mother wrote that over and over again in her journals. Instead of usig simple english, she wrote that. Their parents were fond of using different languages since his father learnt so much from travelling around the world. But what her mother was good at creating her own charms and making secret passwords.
She went outside and placed the box on the grass outside, with Gabby a step behind her. She pointed her wand towards it and prayed that this works.
"Armasta Alati" She casted with all her heart.
At first there was nothing and a wave of sadness washed over her, until slowly a pink soft light shot out of her wand circling the box. Once the fumes from the spell disappeared, Catherine stepped forward to take a look.
The box was opened.
This was a long chapter, mostly for plot development. Let me know what you think! Don't forget to hit the star and comment!
Hugs and Kisses, Genevieve 🌻