InsaneJournal

Who: Draco, Narcissa, and Lucius Malfoy
What: Graduation!
When: June 21, 1998
Where: Hoggy warty Hogwarts
Warnings: Presumably none!

The Hogwarts Leaving Ceremony had been much like Narcissa remembered her own being. It was good to know that, despite some very questionable choices made by the administration over the past several years, they were still maintaining some traditions, and she said as much to Lucius as they walked along, Hyssop dodging their heels.

They hadn’t told Draco they were planning to attend, though they were there as much to witness his part in the ceremony as much as Pansy’s. This was a big event, and in the event of their reconciliation, they didn’t want to have missed it. Still, given the way things had been lately, Narcissa couldn’t help but wonder what would happen when they found their son in the crowd. “Do you think he’ll speak with us?”

“I hope we taught him well enough to do that much, at least.” After all, lessons in the cordial way to behave around someone you viewed with seething resentment were at the base of the Malfoy curriculum, and Lucius liked to hope that things weren’t quite at that level, however acrimonious their last interactions had been. Then again, he’d already proven that just because he knew the right way to do things, didn’t mean he’d actually follow it.

They'd come. Draco couldn't quite believe that they'd come, but there they were, stalking through the crowd like icebergs through a less well-cultured sea, and Draco wondered for a moment if this flinch-like stab of something almost like fear was how everyone else had always felt around them.

Probably. It would be only proper.

But he wasn't just anyone else; he was a Malfoy as well, even if the Manor was barred to him. So Draco extracted himself with due politeness from the conversation he'd been on the periphery of, and moved to intercept his parents near the stairs. Not private at all, but at least not quite in the thick of everything.

"Father," he said in greeting, with a slight nod; after all, they were both men of the world now. "And Mother. How well you're both looking." In some contrast to the last time he'd been permitted to see them.

“Draco.” Despite the fact that they had come here to see him, it was, somehow, still a shock to see their son cutting through the crowd in front of them. Narcissa squeezed Lucius’s hand as she fought the urge to reach out to hug him. He was, despite everything, still her baby; the urge to greet him warmly after so long apart was strong. His greeting reminded her of the last time they’d spoken. The memory was fuzzy, but anger still burned low in her gut when she thought of it.

Malfoys were never anything but polite in public--thank Merlin Draco still followed that tenet, at least--so she nodded her head in greeting. “Congratulations. Your academic achievements are to be commended.” The at least went unsaid, but she was certain Draco would hear it regardless.

Lucius returned the squeeze, though his expression remained as coolly calm as ever. He, too, was torn; this should be an occasion of fierce pride, and it was, somewhere well below the surface. But Lucius was...anything but objective about the time when Narcissa had been recovering, and he still felt a flash of fury when his thoughts drifted too close to it--and to the words that had passed between the three of them then. “You also, Draco. Your NEWTs were not too stressful, I hope?”

Part of Draco wanted to laugh in his father’s face; he could feel the mirth, edged with hysteria, lodging in his throat. Not too stressful? No, he’d only had to perform better than ever on his exams while trying to organise his suddenly adrift future, find somewhere to live since his parents wouldn’t speak to him, and deal with getting a girl pregnant.

The rest of Draco smiled - thin, cold and polite - and said calmly, “It hasn’t been the easiest time of my life, but it’s over now. No point in dwelling on it when the future’s ahead of me.”

"Excellent. I expect you'll earn top marks." Before the rift between them, Lucius would have said those words in a very different tone--one that clearly said, or else we will be deeply displeased. But now it was only the polite small talk he might exchange with any student worthy of notice.

He wondered, though of course he wouldn't ask straight-out, what future exactly Draco was seeing ahead of him. Did he intend to pursue a career in Potions, or was it only a short-term plan, leveraging the skills and connections he had immediately to hand? "Severus has told us you'll be apprenticing with him. That should be a...valuable experience."

Narcissa suspected that the value for Draco would be in whatever pittance Severus had agreed to pay him rather than the learning experience it might have been otherwise, but she didn't say anything. There were things she wanted to bring up, but she was interested in seeing how Draco responded to this first.

Draco had a momentary flash of chagrin, but he tamped it down equally quickly. Of course Mr Snape had told his parents. There wasn’t any apparent reason for him not to, and Draco had been trading on the existing connection when he sent his original owl. It still stung a little. Why did his parents have to keep prying? If they didn’t care, why couldn’t they just keep well away?

“I’m very fortunate he had space to take me on,” was what he said, though, even if it was a little stiffly. “I’m pleased to have the opportunity to apprentice under such a well-regarded expert in the field, whatever may come afterwards.”

It seemed Draco didn’t know what the future held for him any more than his parents did. “It is a wonderful opportunity. “ Particularly given his situation. “I’m glad you had the foresight to speak to Severus. The choices you’ve made recently will impact the rest of your life. I hope you didn’t make any… unfortunate ones.”

His mother’s voice was cool as ice, but it struck sparks off Draco’s temper. Still harping on about his choices; at least he made them, rather than waiting, and waiting, and waiting to see. Wait long enough, and perhaps the world would just fix itself without a Malfoy having to do anything so gauche as take action. “None I could regret as much as I would sitting on my hands,” he said, a touch snippily, and took a breath to calm himself.

“Well, you’re young,” Lucius said dismissively. “Rashness comes with the territory. You’ll understand prudence better when you have a ch--well, when you’ve been out in the world a bit.” The slip was not entirely unintentional, but he continued on blithely as if he were unaware of having made it. “Severus is a demanding taskmaster, I believe you’ll find, but learning from him will prepare you for any future you might pursue.”

Draco’s gaze shot sharply to his father at the slip - one he might not have noticed had certain words not been preying quite so heavily on his mind at present. But Lucius couldn’t have meant what Draco’s mind had leapt to.

Unless he knew. Unless he’d been told.

With no way of being sure now (short of asking; unacceptable), Draco shunted the sudden gnawing uncertainty aside. But perhaps it added an edge to his tone as he said, “I’m sure I’ll have no difficulty following the instructions of someone whose results have been proven to be so effective.”

Narcissa couldn't help but notice Draco's sharp look, not that she gave any outward indication. He would, of course, find out soon that they were aware of his… situation, but they weren’t going to reveal the information just yet. Instead, she blithely changed the subject as though they weren't discussing anything important. “Your friend Pansy’s speech was lovely, didn’t you think? And she seemed so happy to be standing up there. She was practically glowing.”

Let Draco wonder on that, as well. He deserved it for not showing up those ghastly Mudbloods who had taken advantage of their right to speak.

She tilted her head to the side as though she had no idea why Draco hadn’t had the time or energy to put into a speech. “Why didn’t you give one Draco? I thought all the prefects were given an opportunity.”

In truth, Draco had been so busy with everything else - exams, a job, a place to live, not to mention the Pansy situation - that he hadn’t even remembered the speech opportunity until too late. Not that he was admitting to that to his parents. “And be associated with that cavalcade of mediocrity?” he sneered. “I hardly think so. Besides, I would have thought you two preferred me to be seen and not heard. On which note,” he gave a thin, whipblade smile, “I am needed elsewhere. But I do hope you enjoy the rest of the afternoon.” That was about all he could stand of his parents right now without doing or saying something he’d rather regret.

"We wouldn't dream of keeping you," Lucius said in a bored tone that implied they, too, had other places to be. "But before you swan off, wouldn't you like your graduation gift?"

Hyssop peeked wide-eyed from behind Narcissa's legs (though she didn't touch Mistress, of course not, she knew better). She had been Draco's nursemaid as a child; and though of course she would do as she was told regardless of how she felt about it, she was very excited to rejoin him.

"Since you are beginning your own household, it seemed only appropriate that you should have a house-elf of your own."

On the verge of turning away, Draco’s gaze leapt surprised from his father to the timid house-elf. They were giving him a house-elf? Not just any house-elf, but Hyssop? Perhaps it was some sort of trick, or a way for them to check up on him. Still, he could establish precisely what was going on later - questioning an elf bound to obey him was hardly difficult - and it would be useful to have one. He hadn’t been too worried about the whole looking-after-himself thing. After all, if Muggles could do it without magic, how difficult could it be? But he’d been a little worried.

And at least Hyssop would be a familiar and homely face.

Draco shrugged one shoulder, doing his best to look unconcerned. “Since you’ve brought her all this way, I might as well take her off your hands. Thank you very much, I’m sure.” Yes, he was a Malfoy, able to make even thanks sound like a favour. “Hyssop,” he added, “come here.”

“You’re quite welcome,” Narcissa said, sounding equally disinterested. There was no ulterior motive to giving Hyssop to Draco except knowing that someone would be able to take care of him. She doubted he had even the foggiest idea what he was really getting himself into and, as cross with him as they were, they did not want him to fail completely.

“Hyssop, you belong to Draco now, understood?” The house elf nodded eagerly as she took her proper place behind Draco. She was older, but still cared greatly for Draco, and she would serve him well. Having her with him would ease the worst of Narcissa’s worries.

Once the house elf was settled with her new Master, Narcissa looped her arm through Lucius’s. “Do keep in touch, Draco. I am certain we will be seeing you.” With that, they turned and headed into the crowd, looking for the few people worth their time and attention.