Chapter 25:
Draco:
I never liked the winter. I hated not being allowed to go outside and play when the snow hit and whenever I was allowed it was always after being bundled up in so many layers of clothing that it was impossible to play. So from an early age, I hated the winter and the promise of snow.
This year though, the manor looked like a winter wonderland, the white covering and the stark black contrast of the walls, making it look like a dreamy castle as you looked up at the property. But the inhabitants were unhappy with a blatantdistinction.
Father had made it clear on the way up home from the station that the Dark Lord's visit for the month was done and that he was delighted with the results. I had shrugged it off, having already done my bit to inform him that Harry Potter and the rest if the red-nosed Weasley clan had fled the school abruptly a few nights ago.
It wasn't difficult to wring the information out of Dumbridge she was positively livid about it, much to Pansy's delight. All of a sudden Parkinson's task-force plan did not look so farfetched.
"Draco, darling." My mother called through the open door, walking into my room, "Why don't you come down and help me decorate the tree?"
I stared at her blankly. She had taken it upon herself to spruce up the manor in all things Christmas because I was home and I'm sure she was secretly glad the Dark Lord was gone for a while.
Not wanting to take away the little joy she had found I stood up, abandoning the book I was reading and motioned for her to lead the way.
"So, honey." Mother started, glancing up at me with a smile, "How was school?"
I shrugged, "It was fine." I said my tone clipped. Bringing up school brought up the entire term playing in slow motion in my head, from coming to know Carina's secret, to pranking and duelling with her, the horrid detention and the consequent tongue-tango that followed, still fresh in my head. But it was Nott that took the cake for being the standout memory. My hands clenched hard, knowing exactly what caused it and guilt slipped back into my system as I realised I was right in the centre of it.
"Nothing major?" she prodded, as we made our way past the now well-lit corridors adorned in festive cheer, "Are classes stressful?" she asked, looking concerned as her pale thin eyebrows furrowed up at me, "Are the O.W.L's-"
"They're just fine, mother." I cut her off, her questions haven't changed from the start of the year.
She frowned as we reached the main staircase, then smiled at me, her blue eyes glittering as she fondly ruffled my hair, causing me to groan and slap her hands away. But she got what she wanted, a small smile threatened on my lips as I tried to purse them, my hands going up to fix my hair.
"Has my son found a lucky someone?" she asked, slyly smiling as we made our way down and I shook my head out of habit. Mother has always been keenly interested in if I had a girl in my life. Since third year actually, when I came back home with stories about almost everyone in my little group. From Blaise to Carina. That was the year we all had finally meshed into a friend circle after all.
"No, mother." I said, giving her an indulging smile, walking into the living room to find a large tree placed near the fireplace, bare of all ornaments.
"Well." She murmured, waving her wand and levitating a box from one of the room corners, "You're still young and my boy is handsome." She gushed, "I'm sure one of these days you'll get yourself a beauty."
I gave her an abashed smile, starting to pick out the different bits and bobs I wanted, all white by a strict rule, until my eyes fell on a red and white stripped cane, and my mind flashed back to hours ago on the Hogwarts Express, laughing at something I don't remember about anymore, with the vision of Carina eating the exact same shaped candy, her face relaxed and happy as we all savoured the last few moments together before the break, knowing going back home was not going to be stress free this year.
"What are staring at that for?" mother's soft voice broke through my thoughts and I almost jumped, my eyes wide at her inquisitive staring, "You looked really far away. Why are you holding that?"
"I don't know." I murmured, the image of Carina slightly pink face and laughing still playing in my mind as I threw the fake cane back in and straightened up, "Just remembered something."
"A girl, perhaps?" mother teased, picking out a garland made of white flowers, laughing at me as we went on with the Christmas ritual.
*
My hands stilled on their way to the teapot as the echoing crack of apparition rang through the air. I knew for a fact that no one was scheduled to visit us well until Christmas was over and it was just the 23rd. I looked up to see my parents first looking up at each other, questioningly, then turned their gazes at me and I shook my head. Like would I invite my friends to Dark Lord Central.
The dimming lights of dusk hid anything that went on out of these four walls and we jumped slightly when the front door slammed shut, our house elf, Blinky making an appearance in the doorway.
"Master there is someone who wishes to see you." His old, cracking voice said, nose touching the carpeted floor as he bowed.
Father nodded at him to let whoever through, dismissing him with the wave of his hand.
My hands then continued on their journey to the teapot, as I vaguely wondered not for the first time this year that whether the unannounced house guest was a death-eater.
My questions were answered when Yaxley strode into the room, a girl's body slumped on his shoulder and I abandoned my quest for a quite tea time completely.
"Yaxley?" My father asked uncertainly, eyeing the body on his shoulder, "What brings you here?"
"This." Yaxley said, his hands firm around the body thrown over his shoulder, his dark cloak hiding the face and hair that I'm sure were hanging parallel to his back. All I could make out was the fact that she was an average-heighted girl, judging from her clothing and shoes.
"And who exactly is that?" Father asked, annoyed at how little Yaxley was giving away, as he started towards the sofa on the far side of the room, near the fireplace, my father was up and following him immediately, cutting off my sight to the rest of the inert girl's body and making me face Yaxley's back.
It wasn't until I heard my mother softly gasp and the butter knife fall and clatter to a plate that I got up and started after the two men.
Mismatched hair greeted me first, dark roots melding into honey, followed by dark eyebrows scrunched up together, eyelids shut and a frown marring full pink lips. My lips parted as I saw the high cheekbones, pale in comparison to all the other times I had seen them flushed pink, either with anger or happiness and I found myself staring at Carina Hadley.
My classmate, and fellow Slytherin, Carina Hadley. My friend, Carina Hadley.
"Carina?" the word escaped my lips before I could even think as I made my way over to the her-hopefully-sleeping form, "What the hell did you do to her?" this time my voice came out much stronger, my eyes hardening as they fell on Yaxley's annoyed form.
"Of course you know her." He stated exasperatedly, "She goes to Hogwarts, doesn't she?"
"Carina?" I tried again, crouching next to her, my hand automatically going to her face, but it was slapped away by a very angry looking Yaxley as he held my hand in his grip.
"Don't touch her, boy."
"What is the meaning of this Yaxley?" my father asked, his tone suggesting he was pissed off, "Did you kill the girl?"
"What?!" my mother cried, coming up behind him, her eyes wide with shock.
"Why will I kill her?" Yaxley asked, annoyed, as he let go of my hand, "She's my daughter."
"What!?" I exclaimed turning to him, "No, she's Carina Hadley."
"Keep your mouth shut, boy." Yaxley murmured, "I had no-where else to take her and she wouldn't listen to me."
"What did you do to her?" my mother asked.
"Her name's Hadley, not Yaxley." I muttered at the same time, my hand now successfully returning to caress the side of her cheek, a bump starting to show.
"She's a brat." Yaxley spat, disgusted as he glanced at her.
"Why is your daughter lying in my dining room, unconscious, Yaxley?" my father asked, his face carefully blank as he gazed at Yaxley.
Yaxely shrugged, lazily playing with two wands, "I wanted her to join us, but she decided to fight me on it so I Stunned her."
"Are you out of your mind?" I cried angrily as my hand immediately went inside my pocket to pull out my wand.
"Draco put your wand away." Lucius started, then with a sneer he turned to Yaxley, "If you want to stand under my roof Yaxley, you have to start explaining."
Yaxley shrugged, glancing at Carina's unconscious form before he sighed, the fight leaving him as he shook his head, "Remember I told you Rachel and I were giving it another try?"
My vision tunnelled as I glanced from him to Carina, my thoughts stumbling against each other and racing past to get to the finish line I couldn't even see.
Distorted slow voices echoed through my brain as I gazed at the face I so often dreamt about.
'Ed, the man who was essentially Carina's only father figure died.'
'Carina's mum got a new boyfriend?'
'And now her mother is shacking up with someone else.'
'I'm going to Daphne's'
'Promise me you'll go home.'
In sharp clarity my mind whirled back to life, my head snapping up just in time to see Yaxley start his explanation. "So Rachel told me that Carina didn't take the news well and wasn't coming home for Christmas." He then gestured to Carina and I instinctively snatched up her very cold hand in mine, earning myself a glare but I just shot him a measured look back. "But she did, promised Rachel she'll give this a try and then this morning, point blank asked me if I was back together with her mother again because..." he faltered then, gulping and eyeing me, until my dad cleared his throat and took the attention off me.
"I don't keep Draco in the dark, Corban." Father said, seeming to know where this was going.
Yaxley nodded, taking his gaze off everyone and eyeing the mantel, "Because..." He paused again, until my mother made an impatient noise and he was back on track, "Because the Dark Lord was back."
My eyes widened and my head snapped to Care's, she...she believed in the rumours?
And she asked Yaxley that- of course she did, I internally groaned, shutting my eyes as I realised that's so classic Carina. She confronted him because she was scared, not just for her but for her mother.
Her mother is her only family, she's extremely protective about her, she literally refused to back down and say anything bad about her last year! It started an all-out prank war which ended up in the infirmary but she was unapologetic about it.
As I stared down at her frowning face and slowly saw the brightening pink bruise on her cheek, anger replaced whatever astonishment that had greeted me, and my hard gaze landed on Yaxley, "So you stunned her?" I asked, my voice surprisingly sharp and my hand went to my wand again, "Your daughter questions you about your absence in her life and your move is to stun her?!-"
"Draco, enough." My father yelled, glaring at me, "Yaxley-"
"Of course not." Yaxley butt in, giving me a nasty look, "I told her these are all lies and-"
"She's read the papers, Yaxley." I said out loud, recounting the weird times I had seen her with yellowing pages of the Daily Prophet. "She's done her research-"
Anger flashed in the dim blue eyes of Corban Yaxley, "You seem to know an awful lot about my daughter-"
"She's my housemate." I ground out, pulling up my wand to level with her body.
Yaxely's eyes narrowed, his own wand coming up to point at me as he spit out, "Housemate or girlfriend, Malfoy junior?" his eyes fixed on my hand still squeezing Carina's. "You seem to be close-"
"Don't you talk to my son that way!" my mother called, coming to stand between me and Yaxley, "He's fixing your mess-"
"I don't need him to fix my mess!"
"Enough!" my father bellowed, looking peeved at the debacle that was happening and I automatically lowered my wand, releasing my hands off Carina's, just to slip them under her knees and neck, pulling her up to me.
"Draco what are you-"
"She's a minor." I said calmly, trying to get her slack neck to co-operate as it hung off at an awkward angle, "You stunned a child. Do you know the consequences to this?"
"I'm her father!" he shouted, pushing past my mother to get to me when my father shot him to the other side, far from us.
"Don't disrespect my family." He said coldly, "Narcissa, get the girl a room and revive her." He sighed at my blazing look, but my mother gently turned around and coaxed Carina's head in the crook of my neck, awarding me with her steady breathing hitting my neck, somewhat calming me. "Corban, we have a lot to discuss." With that he was off to his office, leaving a somewhat reluctant and dishevelled Yaxley to follow him.
"If you hurt her, boy-" he started but I bared my teeth at him.
"I think you've done enough." I cut him off, hitching up Carina as I walked out of the room, my mother following me closely.
"Blinky!" she shouted as we were out of the dining room, the raggedy elf showing up a second later, following us, "Get one of the guestrooms-"
"There's no need" I cut her off, "I'm taking her to mine."
She halted us all, looking at me critically until she nodded, then said, "Get the room next to Draco's aired out."
This wasn't a battle I wanted to fight. So I gently went up two flights of stairs, pausing only at the shut door, to give mother a go ahead.
I didn't exhale in relief until Carina's body hit the soft mattress, the white of the pillow making her bruise stand out terribly even in the now well lit room.
"I'm going to kill him." I hissed, my fingers lightly tracing the pink outline on her cheek, she didn't move. This wasn't the Carina I was used to, the Carina I knew was responsive. To every touch and gesture and word.
And she has never been this cold.
Not to me.
"Mother-"
"Rennervate." My mother whispered her wand already pointed at Carina and a loud gasp echoed around us.
I was instantly beside her, falling to my knees as she coughed, her eyes opening wide and back shooting off the bed, she was almost ready to bolt when she froze, locking eyes with my mother.
"Shit." She muttered her wide eyes scanning the room until they reached me, still kneeling by the big bed at her side, "Dray-"
But I was up and hugging her thin frame to mine in a second, rubbing a soothing hand down her back as I looked at mother before she could say anything.
"Can you get Carina's wand back?" I asked, hoping she would take the hint and leave.
"Draco." Carina breathed in my ear, her hands coming up to push me away just as mother nodded and turned around. "What is-" I tightened my hold on her, my nose burying itself in her hair, the faint citrusy scent doing nothing to calm me down now that I saw her conscious state, "How did I-"
"You need to hold me or I'm going to kill your father." I said roughly, meaning very word. I know my father was not the best person around, but at least he didn't curse me at the slightest inconvenience and by the looks of it she's been hit too. Just the thought of it makes my blood boil.
"Dray." She whispered, her voice sounding faint, "I don't understand." I pulled back, letting some air between us as I scanned her face for any more injurious. She stared back at me with confusion.
Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear to give me a better look at the slightly red skin of her cheek, I sighed, "Your father brought you here-"
"He Stunned me." She said, breaking our stare and looking down, her eyebrows furrowing.
I swallowed, "Carina, did you-"
"Where's my wand?" she asked abruptly, looking back up with the fire I knew so well lurking in her eyes, "And my father?" She spat.
I shifted, pulling up to go sit by her on the bed, still keeping a hold on her, "Mother will get your wand back, momentarily. Your father is talking to mine." I answered slowly, looking for any actions that would say she was going to go into hyper mode and start tearing the place down. "You're at my house-"
"Malfoy Manor." She mumbled, turning to me, she shook her head slowly and I could feel the cogs of her brain start spinning overtime, "I was having lunch at mine and now I'm-"
"Your father is a Deatheater." I said, putting her out of the misery I knew she would've been in for a while, her head snapped to mine, whatever colour was left, draining off her face at my admission. "Why didn't you tell me?" That your long lost family was the same as mine?
"Tell you what?" she asked, pulling away from me completely, "I just don't-"
"You asked your father about the Dark Lord?" I tried again and she looked away at once, "I know you know it's true, Hadley." I whispered, eyeing the corridor to see if my mother was back yet.
"How do you-"
"Know?" I asked, trying to keep my face indifferent as I weighed my options here. I can either admit the full truth and then see where she goes with it, or feed a lie to keep her mouth shut. "It's been in the papers, hasn't it?"
She looked unconvinced, her hand coming up to trace tip of my nose, "Your left eye narrows slightly when you lie." She murmured, her finger on the slope of my nose and I looked away.
"Why didn't you tell me your father was Corban Yaxley?" I asked, looking away, but her finger stopped, the little heat it had regained, searing into my skin, making me want more.
"It's not exactly something I advertise." She mumbled, trying to get off the bed when I stopped her, "Besides, if you haven't noticed my mother went out of her way to hide-"
"You." A deep voice answered and we looked up to see Corban Yaxley coming into the room, followed by my parents. "Your mother ran away when I left."
A warm hand enclosed around mine, "Yes, I deduced that." Carina's hard voice replied and I squeezed her hand back.
"Draco." He said his eyes fixed on Carina, "If you could give us a few minutes to talk-"
"I'm not leaving." I cut him off, eyeing the two wands held in his hand, "The last time you were alone with her you Stunned her."
At this point it will be futile to pretend that someone else harming Carina doesn't make me mad.
Angry blues flashed to me and I was somewhat relieved Carina didn't inherit that.
"Draco." My father called from behind him, "Let the Yaxley's have the room."
"Hadley." A strong voice corrected from next to me, and I turned to look at Carina offering a friendly smile to my parents. "I'm Carina Hadley." She introduced herself, "Draco's classmate."
My mother's lips twitched, but father remained as stoic as ever, "We gathered, Miss Hadley." He said calmly. "Come along, Draco." He called and I looked at Carina in question. I didn't want to leave her unless she wanted me to, but she just smiled back at me, squeezing my hand one last time and letting go. "Corban, if you hex the girl under my roof, I will throw you out." Came my father's ringing voice as he left the room altogether, my mother following him and I pulled out my wand, slipping it between the many covers around Rina and leaving the room.
Hoping she saw it.
*
"What is going on?" I asked, as I strode into the study behind my father, my hands parting through my hair, which I'm pretty sure is messed up by now. "Why did we leave Yaxley alone with her?"
"Draco." My father sighed, already tired as he sat down heavily on the office chair, "There are a multitude of things you have no knowledge about."
"So tell me!" I exclaimed taking a seat in front of him, my hands roaming the sides of the chair agitatedly.
"So this girl." My mother started, leaning against the desk as she looked down at me, smiling slightly.
"Not now, mother." I said, glaring back at my father for further explanation.
"You should tell him, Lucius." Mother said, shaking her head at my stubborn expression, "You know how he gets."
"We've spoiled you too much." My father muttered as he exhaled and gave into my want. I smirked at him, knowing he was right, but what was he going to do about it?
"Corban left his family during the end of the first Wizarding war." My father started, and I nodded, this much I knew, "Carina must've been a year when he last visited."
I stole a glance at my mother at that, seeing her avoid my gaze and look out the window.
"Rachel, Carina's mother had grown resentful though." Father continued, tonelessly, "The long hours and day on end that Corban disappeared, peeved her out. It was understandable, they had just had a child and Corban was off, not dropping in for days on end."
He didn't have to tell me Yaxley was off doing the Dark Lord's bidding.
"On your first birthday," Father said, "We all met Rachel again and Carina for the first time."
"What?-"
"Don't look so surprised, sweetie." Mother called, giving me a rueful smile, "Rachel was my classmate back when I was in Hogwarts and your dad and Yaxley used to be close."
"Carina would've been your friend, well before you left for school." Dad affirmed, "Just as Gregory and Theo were"
Of course, death-eaters breeding together.
"But it was on your birthday that I realised how much Rachel had gone through." Mother started this time, looking wistful, "It wasn't easy for her, Carina was born pre-maturely. She was tiny, well into her first year, the quietest and sweetest little bundle." She smiled at me then, "You were the opposite though." She went on, "On the day you met her, I think you pulled her hair."
An involuntary smile lifted my lips.
I like the sound of that.
Wait till I tell her that.
"But the tension between Corban and Rachel kept rising until one night she decided to leave." Father said heavily, sitting back on his chair, "Corban didn't try looking for her and by the looks of it, Rachel went into quite some lengths to hide from him-"
"And us." Mother finished, shaking her blonde hair out of her face, "We don't know what was the final straw for them, though."
"Wait." Father asked, leaning forwards and looking at us, "Wasn't Corban's girl called Cora?"
Mother shook her head, "No, Corban liked calling her Cora after him, she was always named Carina"
"What is her full name then?"
"Well now." Mother said, standing up straight, "As she has been a Hadley for most of her life, its Carina Rochelle Hadley."
"And before?" I asked, the urge to know everything about baby Carina rising.
"Cora Rochelle Yaxley." Father replied, standing up from his desk, his cane in hand, just in time for a resounding crack to echo around us. "We need to spread out the apparition boundary till the gate." Father muttered, striding out of the study with my mother not far behind.
I've been going to school with Carina for five years and I never knew her middle name was Rochelle.
Glancing to my left I realised my parents had gone up ahead, leaving the direction of the stairs clear, but I had barely made it to the bottom-most stair when heavy footsteps stopped me and I looked up to see the blank face of Corban Yaxley descent, brushing past me, "Don't you want your wand back?" he sneered, shaking his head as he made his way to the other side and I was sprinting up.
He saw the wand.
Which means he raised his as well.
If he's harmed another hair on her body I swear I'm-
"Dray." Carina's broken voice stopped me as I fell into the room she was occupying, her knees pulled up to her chest and two wands neatly placed on the bed side table. My stomach dropped at her fallen, pale face and I lunged at her, pulling her crumpled body to me as I picked her up slightly to situate her on my lap. She didn't move, or even protest, until I had my arms wound around her and coaxed her head to my neck, kissing her hair softly.
"Rina-"
"He's a psychopath." She murmured into my skin, hot breath fanning against my neck, "He's crazy and there's nothing I can do about it-"
"Of course you can." I corrected her, gently nudging her face to mine, "I can have my father throw him out and make sure he never bothers you again-"
"No." she whispered, her hands cupping my face as she shook her head, "You can't."
"He hurt you." I argued, my eyes flicking to her cheek and she brushed mine instead, "I can fix this for you."
"I know why he came back." She said, sounding so heartbroken my heart ached. "I can't-"
"Why?" I asked. Knowing pressing wasn't going to get me anywhere, "Why can't you just leave? I'm sure your mother won't allow him near you after all that he's done to you-"
"You're wrong." She said, shaking her head and trying to get off, but I held on tighter, "You have no idea."
"Then tell me." I urged, trying to decipher the look in her eye as she gazed behind me, "I've always known all your dirty little secrets." That got me a small smile, "I've been one."
"Draco-"
"Carina?" a thin voice echoed out in the hallway and we sprang apart, Carina shooting off me and backing to the wall just as a dark haired petite woman walked into the room, wheeling a suitcase behind her.
It was like my life hit fast forward, the woman standing in front of me was a vision, beautiful with the softest face, dark hazel eyes and so much love in her eyes I wanted to hug her, and I was sure, that's what Carina would look like in the future.
"Mum?" Carina's soft voice asked and the woman turned, a large smile on her face at the sight of her daughter.
"Sweetie." Rachel Hadley's voice said, glancing at me for a moment, "I got you some clothes. All the ones you like and even finished your school laundry."
"What?"
"There you are." A deep voice boomed and Corban Yaxley walked in, a huge grin on his face too, "There are my girls." He murmured, slipping an arm around Rachel and proudly smirking in Carina's direction.
"What?" Carina's face paled.
"Draco, darling." My mother comes in next, "The Yaxley's are going to be staying with us for Christmas, isn't that amazing?"
And then Carina is falling and I'm pushing her parents away to get to her, because I'm sure her knees have given out and I swear I see tears run down her cheeks as I struggle to keep her upright, but she just turns and presses her face into my chest, making me face the parental looks that we are getting. Great, just great.
"Carina?" her mother says, panicked as she starts walking toward us.
"Mrs. Hadley." I say, smiling at her slightly, "Carina's a little light headed right now." I try, "What with the Stunning and-"
"Stunning?" her mother asked, her eyes widening and I feel Carina stiffen in my arms, before she turns around to face them.
"Yes, Mum". She hissed, "Father stunned me, because I asked him some pointed questions-"
"Corban?"
"Mother." I said, cutting all of them off, and throwing my parents a panicked look "Carina's tired, and I'm sure we are all hungry."
"Oh, right of course," my mother says, smiling and ignoring the fact that a fight was about to break out, "You should have a nap, dear." She directs at Carina, "I'll arrange for dinner for all of us in the meantime."
"Rina." I whispered as I watched my father nod in my direction while leaving, "They're gone."
She stayed still, facing away from me as I slowly walked ahead to face her. She had that stern expression on her face, her forehead crinkling just slightly as she thought hard. A look I saw frequently in class. A small trickle of relief rushed through me, that's the Carina I know.
"I think I'm-"she cleared her throat, turning her baby browns at me, "I'm going to freshen up a bit." She said finally, smiling slightly as she took in my face, "Does that door go to the bathroom?"
I nodded, seeing her gaze transfixed on a simple brown door behind us, "Yes." When none of us moved I added, "The left tap gives hot water."
She gave me a curt nod, turning towards the bathroom when she stopped, turning back around just as suddenly and flung her arms around my waist, pressing her cheek on my chest. "Thank you." She murmured as my hands came to hold her against me almost on instinct and she relaxed.
"I'm deeply sorry for your father." I said quietly, knowing it will never be enough, but I had to try.
She pulled back, shaking her head with a rueful smile on her face, "I'll see you at dinner?"
"Do you know where the dining room is?" I asked, crossing my arms as I smirked at her lost expression. She shrugged, stepping past me to her suitcase.
"Does your mother like shouting in the corridors?" she asked, not looking up as she unzipped it and I titled my head at her back.
No." I said slowly, "But my father hates loud noises."
She turned back, her hair flying around, "I'll be sure to give a loud shout if I'm lost then."
*
"My daughter hated you." Was what Rachel Hadley greeted me with as we sat down for dinner. The chicken roast and mashed potatoes ignored on her plate.
I swallowed my morsel slowly, going over my answer. "Yes." I said finally, looking up to see my parents staring at me peculiarly, "She did."
"What happened?" she pressed, stealing a glance at Yaxley, who sat bearing an expression of indifference.
"We...uh," I looked at the firmly shut door, straining my ears for Carina's entrance, "we share the same friends, a common room and classes..." seeing how there was no answer from the other side of the door, I continued now looking at my plate, "so we talked it out and decided to be civil-"
"She got detention for duelling with you, as soon as school started." She cut in, and I winced, but pulled up a blank expression too soon for them to notice.
"That really wasn't my fault." I said, looking at my parents, "She started it-"
"Liar." A sharp voice came from behind me and I looked up to see blazing hazel eyes fixed on me, "You started it." She said, then turned to the small house elf next to her. "Thank you, Blinky."
I don't know which reaction was the best, Blinky hyperventilating, or my mother choking on her food.
A very trepid expression downed her face as Carina walked forward and before anyone could say anything, her mother jumped up, "It's a change isn't it?" she said, smiling slightly as she eyed Carina's sweater and jeans combo, "A house-elf?"
Carina offered her a small smile, her eyes fixed on the empty seat next to her mother, the uneasiness written across her face. I should know, I've seen that face around me all the time. So I cleared my throat, catching her attention and looking at the seat next to me.
"Yes, it's..." she stopped, pulling out a chair and sitting, "quite handy."
It fell silent then as all of us focussed on eating until Carina's mother cleared her throat as we all glanced up to her smiling face.
"So, darling." Rachel started, directing at Carina who looked sceptical at best. "I thought you hated Draco Malfoy?"
Both of us groaned, until my mother lightly hit the back of my head to silence me.
"Carina?"
"Yes." Carina said, "We're in the transition phase from enemies to acquaintances."
"You both seem a little more than acquaintances." My mother added, smiling slyly at my annoyed expression.
"Yes." Rachel cut in, looking at us, "I agree."
I shrugged, not really bothered to give mother an explanation, she would just get in too deep. And Carina was right, we were acquaintances. No matter how many odd things we knew about each other. We were still struggling to come to terms with what we are.
"Why?" mother asked, seeing as I was ignoring this conversation and my father tsked.
"Narcissa, leave the kids-"
"Because Daphne and Blaise said they wouldn't talk to us if we don't stop our petty drama." Carina cut in and I rolled my eyes.
Does she know what she has unleashed?
"So I just spent two months of you angrily expressing how much you hate Draco Malfoy for nothing?" Rachel asked, her teeth bright and shiny as my widened gaze turned to a red faced Carina.
She pursed her lips, throwing her mother a withering glare as I covered my mouth from laughing too loudly, but it still came out in bursts and she turned to me, with the same look.
"Laugh, I dare you." She hissed and I was throwing my head back just as the others joined in, only to have Carina flick my forehead ceasing my happy tirade.
"Hadley!" I yelled, lunging towards her to pull her nose when my father cleared his throat.
"Behave, Draco." He said coolly and I exhaled in annoyance. Only to have Carina snicker a bit.
And then it was time for awkward silence number 2.
"Haven't you had house-elves before, dear?" my mother enquired after a few minutes, looking at Rachel questioningly and Carina shrugged, piling on some more mashed potatoes.
"No." Rachel answered, "We had a squib maid though.". Carina's hand stilled on the way to the chicken, "Although, ever since Carina left for school back in September, where she is right now is anyone's guess."
"Esmeralda left?" Carina asked, levelling her mother with a hard stare to which Rachel's eyes widened slightly, the venom in her voice, unexpected.
"Why I was going to tell you, love." She said, a morose edge to her voice as her face softened towards her daughter, "I knew how close you were to her-"
"You were close to a squib?" my father asked, looking very interested in this topic and I groaned internally, this is not going to end well.
"As close as you are to Blinkly, Mr. Malfoy." Carina replied, steadfastly, giving father a smile as she turned back to glare at her mother.
Rachel fidgeted with her plate, "When I had newly moved to Sussex." She started and Carina rolled her eyes. "Carina was barely two years old. I had used all my remaining family money to buy us a house. Just like the one I had grown up in."
A snort escaped Carina at her mother's expression, "Yes, sure mum." She said, "I bet Scotland has heated swimming pools."
A-what now?
Rachel sent her daughter a stern glare, but it had zero effect, I think she was just glad Carina was talking to her. "If I recall, you have spent quite a lot of summers, lounging in the pool with a new book daily, darling."
Carina rolled her eyes and I smirked, this new knowledge about her almost made me want to jump up and start thinking about all the ways I could use it against her. Almost, being the key word because life wasn't as easy as it was last year. Now we were both kids with Death-eaters for fathers, who were at the mercy of just one...man. Yes, for our sakes let's just call the Dark Lord a man for the time being. Although, no man has ever left my mother as pale as he does, even though I'm not allowed anywhere in the house or vicinity he is. And I'm thankful for that. At least my parents won't subject me to that.
But Yaxley though, looks like he as other plans for Carina and I have no idea why my stomach churns at the thought of Carina in the same room as him. It almost makes me as anxious as when I come to know mother is going to attend a meeting.
"As a young mother," Rachel went in, distracting me from the dark hole my head kept falling into, "I couldn't possibly be there for Carina and work at the same time. Especially during the day, and she was such a tiny little thing." Two pair of hazel eyes locked into each other and I felt like I was intruding on a very personal moment. "So I did what I had to do, found her a nanny, who had enough knowledge about the Wizarding World and would take care of this little munchkin while I worked." Then Rachel turned her heated stare to my father and Yaxley, who visibly flinched, "So the next time both of you decide to undermine how I raised my daughter with the help of a squib, keep in mind that my husband left me and my barely a year old daughter all alone."
"Esme-", Carina cleared her throat, her head down, "Esmeralda might've been a squib, Mr. Malfoy." She said, her voice unsteady, "But she was always there when I bruised my knees, fell into the pool accidentally, was lonely, or got made fun of in the park for not having a daddy." Her sharp gaze swung from father to Yaxley, his face a little pale at how similar the angry looks from his wife and daughter matched, "And I know you all consider they are beneath us."
Carina don't go there.
"But purebloods haven't really been the best to me, either." She then briefly glanced at me and I locked my jaw.
"Cora-"
"Carina" she hissed, her eyes flashing and my hand automatically went to grab hers just to stop her from reaching her wand. "If you want to be my father, you might as well learn my name."
Yaxley exhaled, looking like he was doing a difficult job of reigning in his temper and I spied my mother shaking her head at father, imperceptibly.
"How many more time do you want me to apologize for the past, dear?" he enquired, his blue eyes steely.
"Carina-"
"How many more times till you realise saying 'Sorry' is not going to make up for 15 years of absence?" Carina fired back, cutting off her mother's calming voice, "I don't even care why you came back anymore, but don't expect me to pretend everything is hunky-dory when you literally just Stunned me for disagreeing with you." Her eyes flashed to her mother then. "You weren't there for my first childhood memories of my mother running behind me, frazzled, because I was a hyperactive kid who was very injury prone. You weren't there when I informed mother I accidently broke a vase without touching it, when I was seven because I as angry. And you weren't there when I got my Hogwarts acceptance letter."
"Carina, I'm-"
"Sorry?" she finished for him, "No you're not." she shook her head, "You were alive and well Corban Yaxley, and you didn't go to Azkaban after the war, you were just out there. And you never bothered looking for us-"
"Your mother changed your names-"
"How difficult is it to find a Rachel and Carina pair?" she shot back, "I found you from a newspaper announcement!"
"A what?" I cut in, lost at where this was going.
Carina shut her eyes, breathing in deep as she looked at me, then at her parents. "Act like the father I deserve, instead of the one you want to be."
"Carina!" her mother yelled, levelling her with a hard glare, but she just laughed.
"Remember my first summer home, mum?" Carina asked, considerably calmly, "The wistful looks you got every time I discussed what being a Slytherin meant?"
She nodded, smiling.
"You wanted him to be there then, didn't you?" Carina asked, slowly pulling her expression into a blank one, behind which I knew she was probably breaking.
Rachel gave her a watery smile, "I always thought you would be a Hufflepuff as a kid." She said, reaching out to hold Yaxley's hand. "But you have to know that you are also your father, love."
Carina looked away, so Rachel continued, "I have always been proud of you."
Carina nodded slowly, setting down her cutlery, "Okay." She whispered, then looked up, "Can I talk to you after dinner?"
Rachel nodded, still smiling.
Then Carina stood up, brushing her lap, "I'm terribly sorry for the outburst, Mr and Mrs. Malfoy." She smiled slightly at mother, "Dinner was fantastic. But you will have to excuse me now."
*
It was late when a knock on my door pulled me out of my engrossed stupor and I stumbled, shutting the book hastily to go answer the door.
I was completely sure it would be mother, coming up with ways to bring out some Christmas cheer, even though the entire manor was decked in green, red and white.
But I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself staring at Carina Hadley, leaning against my doorframe, her hands crossed and her face tired.
"Hey." She greeted as I stood, still holding the doorknob and I pulled her in, shutting the door just as quickly.
"Hey yourself." I said, turning around and making my way back to the bed, glancing at how Carina still stood near the door, taking in her surroundings.
"Who would've thought Draco Malfoy likes greys?" she asked sarcastically as she took in the muted grey-black-white colour scheme my room followed and I laughed, beckoning her closer.
"I assume you aren't here to ogle over my Quidditch posters and book collection?" I asked, seeing her gaze fixed on the bookshelves on either side of the fireplace right in front of my bed.
It really looked like a tough task as she tore her gaze away from the almost full to the brim bookcase, "You assume right." She said, turning around and making her way to me. "I just wanted to thank you."
"For what?" I asked, as she sat cross legged in front of me, her back rigid and face paled.
She looked to her left, her own reflection greeting her back in the now dark windows. I don't know what she focussed on, "For helping me this morning and standing up for me to my father."
She still kept her gaze averted and I sighed, reaching for her hands to squeeze them, "Did you talk to your mother?"
She nodded, now looking at our intertwined hands, "And did you tell her you want to go home and put all this behind you?"
She nodded again, looking up at me with a troubled expression, "She loves him."
I shut my eyes, pulling her to me for an awkward hug. Once she was settled against my neck, I tried again, hoping my voice was steady, "Remind her she loves you too?"
She shook her head against me, her lips blowing hot air on my neck as she spoke, "Its worse."
My other hand went up to play with her hair, she always liked that, "And why-"
"He killed him." She whispered harshly and pressed her face closer into my neck, "He killed Ed."
My hand froze, prompting her to pull back, "he didn't out rightly confirm it, but we knew. Ever since the accident it was clear that he was hit by the killing curse."
"And how do you know it was Yaxley?"
"He contacted mum, right after the Triwizard tournament," and the remaining blood left on my face drained. "Ed was the only one standing in his way-"
"So he made quick work of the hurdle." I finished for her, seeing the same terror reflected on her face.
"Potter wasn't lying, Draco." She whispered, cradling the side of my face in her palm, "I know it. You know it. And everyone we know is going to know it soon-"
"No." I hissed, pulling my face back. "Potter was lying-"
"Do you really think I'm dumb?" she asked, looking a little peeved at my reaction. "Whether you want to start acting like it or not, you know very well it is true. He's back. And there is nothing you can do about it."
Burning hazel met mine, and I resisted the urge to throw her off me, just to get rid of the unpleasant conversation topic.
But she was right wasn't she?
As much as I liked to think otherwise, he was back and he had my father and hers wrapped around in his long tangled web with lies exchanged daily and lives endangered for them.
"Dray." Her soft voice prodded and she held my face again. "I know you don't want to, but you're not alone anymore."
"I was never alone." I whispered back, watching her face closely as she tried to work out my words, "We aren't the only children of Death-eaters who are thrown into this world." I said, wrapping her hands in mine and pulling them off my face.
Her eyes widened, one of her now free hand going to cover her mouth as she shook her head repeatedly until I nodded, "No." she whimpered, "Is that why Nott?-"
I nodded, pulling her closer, "His father wanted him to become one."
"But he's just a teenager!" she cried, still shaking her head and I pulled her down with me, resting her head on my chest as I looked up at the pristine white ceiling.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked harshly, her face pulling up to glare at me and I gave her a blank look.
"One, I took care of it." I said, "And two, I did not know you were in the same boat as us."
"But you're not in the same boat as Nott!" she hissed, "Nott's on some completely different ship!-"
"Calm down." I said, running my hands down her back, "I had father talk to Nott's dad, and delay it."
"Delay it?" she asked, "Not stop it?"
I sighed, "I can't stop it." She gave me a heated glare, one I ignored, "There not much either of us can do about it, but Nott has a plan."
"Which is?"
"I don't know." I answered, "He refuses to tell me for my own safety, but we have to trust him, Rina."
She shook her head with disgust, "He's with Astoria now, what if he ends up putting her in danger?" I didn't have an answer to that. "I have to tell Daphne-"
"NO!" I exclaimed, pulling her down roughly, "You can't tell Daphne-"
"I have to!" she argued, "Astoria life might be in line-"
"Nott isn't stupid." I countered, "And he knows I'm here to help if he needs any. He just need to stay out of the Death-eater circle and Astoria is as far removed as possible."
She shook her head, her mouth opening to fire more queries when I pulled her head to mine, crashing our lips together to silence her thoughts running faster than the speed of light.
She groaned, struggling half-heartedly to get out of the kiss, until her hand snaked up to give my hair a punishing yank, making me moan in both pleasure and pain.
She broke us apart a few seconds later, her body flush against mine and breathing ragged.
"This doesn't solve anything!"
"I know." I murmured, resting our foreheads together, "But we don't really have a solution now, do we?"
Her answer was kissing me again.
**
A.N: I made a mood-board for Draco! Find it above :D