Prisoner 63

Mr. Sandman

As expected, when Harry was eventually faced with food, he wolfed it down. His table manners still needed a lot of work, but without his father here to reprimand him, Draco didn't mind, and neither did his mother. Draco had finished eating already, whilst his mother just poked at her eggs, a misty look in her crystal grey eyes.

He felt a sick feeling growing in his stomach. He knew she put on a brave face, tried to appear happy and optimistic for Harry and Draco's sakes, but that's all it was, a mask. Underneath it she was hurting too, probably more than anyone else in the house, after her constant fighting with her husband.

Harry had stopped eating to watch Narcissa, a confused look on his face at her quietness. Draco could see he was thinking, trying to put the pieces together about why she was so distant, and eventually he seemed to realise it was because of the yelling from behind the dining room door last night. Harry looked at Draco, desperate for an answer, as the atmosphere was making the black haired boy tense, but Draco just gave him a hopeless look. He never knew how to help his mother when she became like this, which usually happened after a fight. Draco never usually ventured from his room after his parents had been fighting, too scared that he'd become involved.

"Cissa?" Harry's voice was quiet and apprehensive. Clearly he wasn't used to speaking at his own will; he was twisting his hands together nervously. Narcissa looked up from her plate at the sound of her name, and a smile formed on her lips as she looked fondly at Harry. Draco couldn't help but smile too; it had been awhile since he'd seen this sort of warmth in his mother's eyes.

"I'm alright, Harry," she said comfortingly, putting one of her hands over Harry's smaller, paler one to stop his fidgeting. He didn't flinch, and even seemed to relax slightly. "How about we go outside today? I'm sure some fresh air would be nice, and I bet that Harry would love to see the garden," she suggested, smiling brightly. Draco looked to Harry, who gave a small nod, a smile creeping onto his own lips.

"C'mon then, we'll have to put some sunscreen on you to make sure you don't get sunburnt," Draco stood up, helping Harry to his feet. Wiltshire, where the Malfoy Manor was, was a naturally rainy place, and the sun didn't shine a lot, but with Harry's pasty white skin he wouldn't be surprised if he burnt.

Draco made sure that Harry's arms and legs were covered with a coat, and carefully began putting sunscreen onto his face. Harry gasped and flinched at the coldness, which made Draco snort in laughter, but he let Draco cover his face. Finally they were ready to go outside.

The Malfoy Manor had a garden to be marvelled over. It was huge, spanning over multiple acres of land, featuring numerous water fountains, hundreds of different kinds of flowers and magical plants, and even an enchanted maze, which changed to a different path every time someone entered it. Behind the house in a heavily wooded area were two large greenhouses, which housed both legal and illegal magical plants which Lucius mostly used for potion making, and selling anonymously in Knockturn Alley.

They stepped out the doors onto the beige gravel path, and Harry gazed around wondrously, as if he'd never seen anything like it. Tightening his grip on Harry's waist, Draco supposed that he hadn't.

Narcissa was sitting on a white stone bench, a rose in her hand which had been pulled from one of the bushes behind her. She was pulling the thorns slowly off it, trying not to prick her fingers whilst doing so. She looked up when the two boys walked into the garden, smiling at them. Draco grinned back.

The garden was one of the only things his mother took pride in anymore. She watered the flowers every day with spells she'd modified herself, and spent most of her time here, reading and spending time away from the stress that her husband brought on.