Fate Set Right

Chapter 28

 April 13th, 1995

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"And he didn't question it?" Aurora asked Draco as they sat out by the lake. He'd just returned from Easter Hols, though he had done so long before the rest of the school would.

Draco smirked sadly, head bowed, eyes on the long strand of grass he kept wrapping around his fingers. "Why would he. My lady is here, and how am I to woo her properly, assure myself that I would maintain her affections if I allow her to be near the Weasley twins all on her own? Of course, he didn't believe Potter was gay. Weasel, on the other hand .... He laughed, you know. How funny it was that at least the 'blood traitors' didn't have to worry about losing out on an heir because there were so many of them that one of them preferring the company of wizards wasn't going to do them any harm."

"He can't possibly be that oblivious." Aurora grumbled.

Draco scoffed. "I'm fairly certain he knows, but he raised me to know what my purpose was, and that was to carry on the Malfoy name. To keep it pure."

Aurora bit her tongue on that one, not really feeling the need to point out that his father would have already known her blood was less than pure, even if Uncle Lu didn't know what the extent of that was.

"He seems ... scared." Draco said quietly. "He kept touching his arm, pacing randomly. And he found a need to be in his study more than ever. Mother was also worried. She would put on a good show, of course, pretend that everything was fine. But she watched him with an expression of utter ... fear."

"Dad's a bit different, too." Aurora whispered. "Do you think that means ... do you think it could mean...."

"I don't know, Rory." Draco said softly, and a rumble of familiar laughter caught their ears. Turning, Aurora noted Harry, Ron, Gin, and the twins all heading toward them, Ron blushing as red as his hair.

Harry had glanced back up, did a double take, and smiled wider for a moment before he seemed puzzled as to why.

"You saw that didn't you?" Aurora asked quietly, refusing to look at Draco.

"I saw. It doesn't mean anything except that he was happy to see me."

She refrained from rolling her eyes as the others approached.

"What are you doing back so soon?" Harry asked when they were within speaking range.

"I was bored." Draco replied. "And staying near Rory would look good in my father's eyes."

"Snape has to marry a ferret. I thought snakes ate rats?" Ron smirked, crossing his arms.

"Rory's not a snake," Fred said, smacking his brother upside the head.

"And Malfoy's not a rat." George added with a punctuating smack of his own.

"Why are you two standing up for him? He's of a rival house, and his family hates ours." Ron grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Just because our families have history doesn't mean we have to carry it on." Draco sneered. "And besides, you're really the only Weasley I can't tolerate."

"Really?" George asked.

"What about Percy?" Fred suggested.

Draco snorted. "Pompous boot licker, to be sure. But at least he had a brain. And manners."

The twins chortled, and Ginny smirked, none of the siblings coming to their brother's defense.

"Wish 'Mione were here." Ron said as she shot a glare at shaking Harry. "At least she'd have defended me."