Diamonds

12. Shine So Bright

Draco was not at all surprised to discover that Hermione's favourite room at the Manor was the expansive library. Part of him wished that she would instead develop a fondness for the grounds, but then again, she never had the chance. He was able to lead her around the garden the day after they got off the train, but only briefly, as he had shown her around the house first. The day after that, they woke to a layer of snow across everything, making any trips outside nothing more than a trip that was practically asking to get sick. Hermione Granger retreated to the Malfoy library and lost herself in the books, and he took her distraction as his invitation to spend time with his mother.

Narcissa Malfoy slept in late, and Draco found her in her room- the suite as far as possible from Lucius' own bedroom as could be, while still being on the same hall. He passed through the sitting room, ignoring her personal elf and her feeble attempt to stop him half way, the extravagance of the lush velvet chaise lounges and carved wooden sofa washing over him. This luxury was what he had grown up in, and as such the light pastels of Narcissa's suite were nothing new, not to her son.

He crept up quietly before finally diving onto the bed, the soft mattress absorbing most of his impact as he rolled close to her. "Morning, mum," he grinned.

"Draco?" Her tone thick with sleep, her eyelids flickered open slowly to reveal blue eyes that could be as easily frostbitten as they were loving. Draco had never seen anything other than love in her gaze, but he had never managed to disappoint her, at least to his knowledge. He hadn't seen her dismay when he had chosen Hermione, having been staring at the girl with the book in her hands instead. "What are you doing in here?"

"Hermione's reading. I wanted to spend some time with you."

"Is it safe to leave her alone?"

He misinterpreted the slight frown as worry for the girl, and not for the books. But of course the lady Malfoy was more concerned for the books, some of which dated back to the time before Abraxas had begun construction of the Manor. "I'll find her at lunch. Dobby already made us breakfast. She's reading a more detailed history of the Malfoys- apparently, we only sent her three of the books, but she did some asking at the library and Madam Pince gave her a list of titles that might have more information. She didn't get time to check them out, though, so she's trying our library."

"Did you call me 'mum' when you came in here?"

Draco smiled sheepishly. "Hermione calls her parents 'mum' and 'dad'. So does Blaise, and Neville calls his grandmother 'nan'. It sounds better than 'mother' and 'father' and 'grandmother'. Maybe I should start calling grandmother Lalana's portrait 'nan'?"

"No. Absolutely not, Draco, the woman would have a heart attack if she were still alive to be addressed improperly!" Too late, she noticed Draco's impish grin, realising quickly that the boy had been teasing her. Narcissa took a deep, steadying breath, astounded by this development. His curiosity was supposed to wan as he attended school, not grow to his adopting muggle habits!

Then again, the Malfoy creed had always been to survive, despite the family motto. Sanctimonia vincet semper. Lucius had always claimed that it meant 'purity always overcomes', but of course Latin was a dead and difficult language. The word for purity was the same as the word for 'honour' and 'virtue'- words used to describe those who possessed good character. Ironic, really, how the two translations differed so hugely from each other, yet both could be applied. The Malfoy's were nothing if not adaptable.

"Mum..."

"Yes, Draco. Is there a reason you woke me at this ridiculous hour?"

"It's past ten. Dad went to work. Father." He grimaced. "So it's safe to ask now, isn't it?"