Chapter: “Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears … ”

Every now and then I fall apart,
*turn around bright eyes*
every now and then I fall apart,
and I need you now tonight,
and I need you more than ever
and if you only hold me tight
we’ll be holding on forever
and we’ll only be making it right
because we’ll never be wrong
… your love is like a shadow on me all of the time …

“Seamus, are you all right?” the boy asked. “Please be all right,” he cried silently as he held the boy in his arms, Seamus’ face pale and covered in ashes. Dean looked up angrily at the Death Eater. She merely took off her mask to smile at the boy.

“Boo!” she said and started laughing.

“I’m … all right,” Seamus answered, “just wanted to do this!” The boy’s wand suddenly shot up and he fired a stunning spell at the woman’s face sending her flying across the train car.

“Seamus, you’re all right.” Dean dropped his friend’s head and let it fall onto the floor.

“Ouch! What the … I just saved your life!”

“That’s for making me think you were wounded,” Dean complained. He took his wand out of his pocket. “Stupefy!” He fired at another Death Eater coming towards them. A group of first years were cowering in the compartment next to theirs as the boys argued in the hallway.

Pansy ran down the train compartments not bothering to look or stop or do anything. The Death Eaters knew one of their own, and what was more they were not attacking Slytherins all of whom were either too afraid or interested in keeping their own hides safe to interfere. She needed to find Draco. No one had told her about this. No one had told her they would be attacking the Hogwart’s Express.

Still lost in memories the boy had not noticed the rocking of the train that he had taken one of the compartments in the last train did not help. The door opened and he shivered caught by surprise. A dark cloaked figure stood there, her hands went up to her face and she pulled the cloak down and took the mask off.

“I’m sorry sweetie, I wish I could have been to see you off at the station but … you understand don’t you, Drackykins?”

“Mother, what the devil are you doing sneaking in here with a Death Eater’s mask on and …”

Narcissa’s full red lips curled in sneering joy, she had caught sight of Draco pointing his wand under his cloak. Her son was always ready to defend himself there was no sneaking up on him. She had been right to make Lucius send him to Hogwarts where he could learn under some of the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers (Narcissa’s memory of his first and fifth years notwithstanding) and there had been the boy’s old tutor too, his name escaped her.

“You’re not going to hex your mother are you darling?” She asked coyly.

“Don’t be daft, mum. But what are you doing here like this? If they find you …”

“When the Dark Lord commands you to do something, Draco,” and she left that sentence unfinished. It didn’t need an ending because both she and Draco knew there could only be a choice of one out of two, obedience or death.

The screams started coming in through the open door. Narcissa waved her wand without turning to look at the door and it shut and locked itself the drapes dropping down.

“You must be brave my son. You have to do what he’s asked of you. Do not hesitate. Do not … do not think on it too much. And remember always, there is Severus there to help you, and …”

“Mother,” the boy said, for indeed he was a boy, not yet a man set out to a task he did not want feeling that it was a punishment foisted on him for his father’s sins.

Narcissa ran her hand down his cheek lovingly, her only boy. She held him to her breast and kissed his head and Draco did not object to this private endearment. If he could he would have run to his mother for protection. If only she could protect him from the Dark Lord. But no one could. Not with his father in prison and he alone set on a task. Draco Malfoy was the head of the family now and he would do what was necessary to see that the Malfoy’s survived.

“Mother, who was that man that came to see you that day?” Draco had begun to ask but Narcissa had quieted him.

“You mustn’t worry about old friends Draco. They come to visit and most times you don’t care a whit for who they are or what they want. You’re off fencing with your friends or partying or muggle baiting …”

“But this is different, mother,” he persisted.

“Is it now, love? I don’t think so. What makes you ask about him anyways?” she queried worried about the line of questioning. Did blood call out to blood?

“No, I suppose not,” the boy relented. “Did you bring me …” he smiled as his mother took a box of chocolate dipped strawberry hearts with soft sugar sprinkles and gummy centers out of her robes. They were the boy’s favorites. “I love you, Mum, I can always count on you.”

“Oh, my Drackykins,” she held him close.

“Mother!” he objected but not too harshly as there were no other classmates to goad him.

♥