BLIND SIGHT - drarry

Ch. ten

Charlie had left a note.

A sodding note.

Sorry, D. You need to be on your own to figure out what you want. If you need me, I'm just a Floo away, staying at the Burrow for a while. Your friend, Charles.

Draco wasn't surprised he managed to drive the red-head away. After all, he'd run off everyone else in his life. His mother, Severus, Harry. And now Charlie.

He buried a hand in Bogart's thick fur. "You're not going to leave me, are you, love?"

The dog replied with a sober bark and light nudge and the pair continued on their walk.

Draco didn't care much for the beach itself, but most of the beaches in Hawaii had grassy park areas nearby. From Charlie's descriptions, Draco knew that the park by the zoo had immense banyan trees arching over the grassy field, so Draco let Bogart lead him to an abandoned picnic table in the shade, then let the dog off her leash to chase the fat pigeons that covered the ground.

It was the fourth day in a row they'd been to the park, and four days since Charlie left. Draco knew himself better than to blame it on coincidence.

He didn't want to be alone in the apartment, and several times over the past few days had found himself on the verge of calling Charlie, or even Harry.

But something held him back. He assumed it was pride. It could just as easily have been embarrassment. After all, he was on the verge of giving up. After his grand declaration that he could live on his own, he had resorted to waiting around for something, for Charlie or Harry to come and rescue him from himself, instead of making the new life he said he would.

Even now, he had given up the job hunt and spent most of his time wandering around and avoiding his apartment.

A shrill ring pulled him out of his thoughts, and he felt his phone vibrating against his stomach. Pulling the tiny thing from his jacket pocket, he flipped it open, "Hello?"

"Mr. Mallow?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"My name is Deacon Winters. I run a local children's hospice called Hale Kokua. I'm in need of some help so I called my uncle, Director Edwards of Hamilton House, for suggestions and he gave me your portable number and told me that you are in the islands, is this true?"

Draco shifted, leaning more against the table, "Yes. Why?"

"I need someone who became blind later in life to help with my more difficult children. Director Edwards said you were good with children, and that you could help them understand what they were going through. I was wondering if you would like to come in and work with some of our patients. Most of them are blind, but others have different disabilities.

Unfortunately, we don't have a huge budget and we're very short on staff, much less staff that can understand how the children feel. If you could come in even twice a week and spend time with them, we would appreciate it."

Draco considered for a moment, "Give me your number and I'll call you back."

Draco added the number in his phone's memory and hung up.

Hamilton House had been designed mainly for adults, but there were some children there as well. As Draco was one of the younger patients, he spent some time with the children and in that time became very fond of them. They were in the same position as he was, but they were more frightened; yet at the same time, more accepting.

He called Deacon Winters back and said, "I'll do it," and he was smiling.

(12345)

His first day on the job was a Tuesday. Draco had plenty of practice getting around town on the bus, and the drivers were very courteous and more than willing to help.