five hours with draco malfoy; pt.2

Part twenty

MONDAY ONE MORE TIME. That morning, both Draco and Annelisse were preparing for the same thing and with the same nerves in their bodies. There was barely an hour left for the reading of the will and neither of them had spoken to the other since that night in the car, when they almost kissed.

While Draco and Narcissa had finally made it to the Ministry on time, Annelisse stopped for a Tila tea earlier because of her nerves. The palms of her hands were sweating and she was a little shaky. Annelisse was nervous about what the will would say and nervous to see Narcissa, someone with whom she was very close despite her bad relationship with her late husband.

After breathing several times trying to relax, Annelisse walked through the corridors of the Ministry towards the Minister's office, where they had agreed to do the reading. Just around the corner, she spotted Narcissa and Draco in the distance, feeling her nerves once again take over her. She continued walking towards them despite wanting to turn around.

When they both heard her footsteps, they turned around and could see Annelisse coming towards them. Her expression changed completely, smiling nervously and shyly. Just when she arrived, without warning from her, Narcissa pounced on Annelisse, hugging her tightly.

She, faced with such a situation, did not know very well what to do, looking askance at Draco who seemed to be trying to hold back a laugh, probably because of the face that Annelisse was doing.

When they parted, Narcissa took her face in her hands, watching her carefully, marveling. "I still can't believe you're alive. When Draco told me what you had to go through-"

"Mother."

"I'm angry but so happy to see you again that-"

"Mother." He said louder, causing his mother to stop talking and look at him "Please, can we save this for later? The minister is waiting for us."

"It's true, I'm sorry. I'm sorry honey for pouncing like that it's just..." she sighed without finishing speaking "Let's get this over with as soon as possible, I want to know why Lucius put you in the will." Narcissa finally said decisively.

The other two thought the same, especially Annelisse, who at that point felt that she was going to faint.

Without further ado, the three knocked on the Minister's door and after receiving the order, they entered his office. After a brief welcome saying good morning, the four of them took their seats and the Minister presided over the table.

He arranged the papers he was carrying and from an envelope, he took out what was Lucius's will, placing it in front of him.

He looked up at all of them. "I must ask if you want the reading to be public, since Miss Haunt is not part of the family."

"Of course, you can make it public." Naricssa replied with a polite smile.

"Good, then let's get started." He looked down at the will "The first part is purely monetary, I Lucius Malfoy leave the entire Malfoy inheritance to a single heir, Draco Lucius Malfoy, my only and legitimate first-born who will inherit the Malfoy Manor when the usufruct, Narcissa Malfoy, my legitimate wife finished enjoying."

At those words, both Narcissa and Draco looked at each other, surprised. They knew that after a few years Draco would inherit -as usual in the Malfoy family- all of his assets, but not that he would absolutely leave the entire family inheritance and only his house to his mother while she lived.

"Father leaves everything to me?" Draco asked almost without a voice, to which Narcissa shrugged in response. Neither understood how he had decided to leave everything, absolutely everything, to Draco.

"Well that's the official. Now there's the one he wrote in his own handwriting, do you want me to continue?" The Minister asked before continuing, to which everyone nodded.

"I, Lucius Malfoy, on April 10, 2005, fully in my powers, hereby declare my last will:

To Draco, my only and legitimate son, all the family inheritance, all my personal belongings, everything that once belonged to me.

To Narcissa Malfoy, my beloved and legitimate wife, beneficiary of all that we achieve together, all the goods that when she wishes, will pass to our son, Draco Lucius Malfoy.

To Annelisse Marie Haunt as a last will, I give a letter attached to the will in the hope of making amends for mistakes I made in the past, hoping that in this way, she can find happiness again.

Upon hearing that last will, the room fell completely silent and both Draco and Narcissa looked at Annelisse, not understanding at all what the will was referring to.

"Do you legally accept everything previously described? Everyone must accept everyone's present, not just yours, do you accept?" The Minister asked, clasping his hands on the table, looking at everyone expectantly.

Each of them nodded. So Kingsley had everyone sign -one by one- Lucius Malfoy's will that morning, accepting all that the proof entailed, accepting it in full. After all their signatures had been stamped, the Minister took out an envelope and handed it to Annelisse.

"It is the letter that Lucius left for you. He personally told me that if you did not want anyone to read it, you could appeal to it, that the decision is yours."

"I can read it first?"

"I'm sorry Annelisse, you have to decide first." The minister's lips twisted.

She, indecisively, watched for a few seconds Narcissa and Draco, who still did not understand at all what this was about. After taking a deep breath and closing her eyes for a second, she spoke "I'm sorry." She looked at them for a moment "I appeal, keep it private."

"What? Are you kidding me again, Annelisse?" Draco said incredulously raising his voice, shooting her a challenging look.

"Why, Annelisse?" Narissa asked not understanding why she would decide such a thing.

She got up and went to the Minister, who indicated where she should sign for the appeal. After doing so, she looked back at them "Draco, I need you to understand it, please."

"You have no right to ask me for absolutely anything, Annelisse." He snapped at her, moving his finger with anger.

Annelisse, hurt, did not say anything and just turned around "I'm sorry, Narcissa." She said just before disappearing through the door of the Minister's office and with it, of the Ministry, disappearing completely from there.

Just when she reappeared at her apartment, she walked into the kitchen and quickly poured herself a glass of wine. She sat at the kitchen table and on it, was the letter that Lucius had left for her.

If she had decided to do this alone, it was for her own safety and for the others, she did not know what could be in the letter. And she especially did not know what Lucius Malfoy would want now.

After a couple of drinks and a lot of thought,Annelisse decided to open the letter. She took this one nervously in her hands and tore the opening of the envelope. She took out the letter that it had inside and unfolded it, beginning to read it.