Draco opened the door and entered smoothly. It wasn't hurried, as his actions had been as a child, but a respectful grace. He saw her moving towards him, and he ignored the rest of the room, taking in her appearance.
His mother's grace, even in the face of misery had always amazed him, and he wanted to protect it. He wanted to preserve it. When his father had been sentenced, they had both pulled into themselves. At least that's how he viewed it. And then his father had killed himself, and Draco watched his mother's quiet stoicism. He never questioned her, never asked her, but neither had she offered. And he would not ask.
How could you ask the force of nature who raised you how she fared when her eyes were veiled against even you? How could you bring her more pain by opening the wound repeatedly? And so, Draco had chosen to protect her. To insulate her. He always made sure he didn't interfere with her activities in the manor, but to take her outside? He refused to expose her to the snide comments and stares he'd received the first year after his father's suicide. The second year, he wasn't certain they wouldn't return to whispers and uncouth pointing. The third, it had been habit and pride had kept him on course, especially as her own behaviour hadn't indicated a desire to change.
Now though, it had been a month and he knew she needed to know. THey had to start to speak. That he was at least partially concerned that his father would turn her from passively withdrawn to actively against him was a fear he refused to acknowledge even to himself.
He smiled at her, kissing her cheek in return. "You look well, Mother. This spring agrees with you."
How did you rekindle a relationship such as this? This new world should have been faced together, but now, he had to determine if they did stand together or they stood apart.
"I wanted to check on you. I know we haven't spoken of...his return...since that day." Since the day his father-Lucius had returned and she had clawed at him.
"Perhaps I should have come to you sooner, but wounds such as this aren't easy to mend, and I had wanted to give you time."