Cruel and Beautiful World

Chapter 29: I'm Only Sleeping

When Draco opened his eyes again, he was in a room with a blinding white light. The faint silhouette of a woman sat on the edge of the bed he was lying in. The light made it impossible to see her face.

"Granger?"

"No," said a soothing voice Draco could not soon forgot. His heart stopped as a gentle hand lifted off of the bed and began to stroke his cheek. "It's just me, Draco."

"M-mother?" he asked, unsure if he could trust his ears.

His eyes began to adjust to the light and it became clear that the hair of the woman beside him was golden. Then he could make out her face. Bright blue eyes staring at him with a softness no one else ever knew. Most viewed Narcissa Malfoy as cold, but not Draco. All he ever saw was warmness when he looked at her.

"Mother, what are you doing here? What am I ...?" Draco began to look around. Suddenly, the white light became all too significant. He shot up from his bed. "Shit, am I dead?"

"Language, Draco," said Narcissa, carefully pushing him back down on the bed. "And of course you're not dead. That girl of yours would never let that happen."

"Her name is—"

"I know her name. Hermione."

Draco cringed as he began to look around in a panic.

"Don't worry, darling. The Dark Lord cannot get you here. You can say what you like."

Draco sank back into his bed, but his eyes were still on full alert.

"Relax, Draco. You never just relax anymore."

"Can you blame me?" he asked, looking back up at her.

Narcissa frowned. "No, I suppose not." She reached down and stroked a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"Where are we, Mother?" he asked. "If I'm not dead then ... I must be dreaming, right?"

"No," said Narcissa. "This is very real, Draco. You were so close to death that your spirit left the land of the living. It is dancing on the edge of the veil, but it will not go through."

"So this is the veil we're in?"

"Yes. It is the one place we are able to speak. That is, until you cross over completely."

Draco gulped.

Narcissa smiled. "Don't worry, Dearest. It is not your time yet. I checked. You still have too much left to do in the land of the living before you can come here permanently. You made promises, remember?"

Draco nodded softly. "And you're ... you're all right with me being in love ... with a Mudblood?"

Narcissa sighed and stroked his cheek. "In another time, I will not deny that it would have greatly troubled me, but I have been watching you over the years, Draco. You have been miserable. Until the day she reentered your life. How could I deny you these feelings when all I have ever wanted is for you to be happy?"

Draco cocked an eyebrow, looking at his mother questioningly. "Has death messed with your brain or something?"

Narcissa smiled. "No."

"The mother I grew up with never would have spoken like this."

"Well, the mother you grew up with had more concern for herself and status than she should have. Draco, if I could do it all over again there are a lot of things I would change. Mainly, I would never forget what is most important, and that's family."

Draco grunted and sat up in his bed. "I don't mean to knock this new revelation of yours, but I am pretty positive Hermione is more important than Father or Bellatrix."