Family Secrets
By Keara
Part Seven
Ron was deeply confused. Actually, conflicted was a better word for what he was
feeling right about now. On the one hand, he’d just had mind-blowing sex with
a beautiful person ...TWICE. On the other hand, that beautiful person was
Draco Malfoy...someone who had made Ron’s life almost completely miserable
ever since they had met for the first time. He just didn’t know what to make
of it. If this had happened at any other time, maybe Ron would have made
Draco’s life as miserable as his own life had been made. But he just
couldn’t shake how vulnerable Draco had looked all curled up on the floor of
that cave.
Ron sighed...there was no chance of a relationship between them, even though
Ron wanted one and he sensed that Draco wanted one too. It had been screaming at
Ron in Draco’s lovely eyes. They had seemed to say, ‘I want MORE, but we
both know that we can’t.’ It was frustrating to know that he wanted Draco
even now that the Slytherin wasn’t in heat. Draco Malfoy was simply all that
was on Ron’s mind.
He climbed that stairs to his room, lost in thought, ignoring any questions
addressed to him as he sat on the edge of his bed. Ron was tired. He didn’t
care if he had any more classes today...he just wanted to go to bed.
With that thought in mind, Ron set his robe aside and kicked off his shoes. He
peeled off his shirt and pants, just tossing them to the floor. Then he dressed
himself in his pajamas, deciding that he wasn’t going to be getting out of bed
at all today...forget lunch and dinner...he didn’t feel up to eating
anything today.
When he grabbed his robe, getting ready to set it with the rest of his clothes,
Ron blinked. This wasn’t his robe...it had a Slytherin crest on it... it must be Draco’s. With a sigh, Ron let his fingers slide across the fabric
of the black garment, the lingering scent of Malfoy’s body still present
within the dark cloth. Ron would have to give this back to Draco sometime, and
get his own robe in return. But not today. Draco was probably in his own bed
right about now, he had seemed too tired to go gallivanting around the school
grounds...plus the fact that he was injured.
Ron carefully folded the robe, laying it to the side. He grabbed his pillow and
laid down, bringing his blankets up and over his head to keep the sunlight out.
Soon, he fell into a slumber, hoping that he wouldn’t wake up until sometime
tomorrow morning.
Time passed quickly, the days into weeks, the weeks into months. Ron saw Draco
every day, and yet he didn’t have the courage to approach him. Draco’s leg
healed with time, and soon he was back to normal, and yet there was something
drastically different about him.
Draco didn’t sneer so roughly anymore, he didn’t berate Ron or Harry...or any Gryffindor for that matter...all that often at least. He did still
cast a number of malicious barbs now and again, just not so many as he had
before. He mostly kept to himself now, not speaking up as much as he used to,
staying quiet instead of offering opinions in classes. It was all very strange
behavior for the normally cruel Slytherin. And quite frankly it made him the
topic of many rumors.
Well, he had been ill lately. Ron had taken notice that Draco seemed sick. For a
while now he had been bolting out of classes now and again, and from the rumors
Ron heard, Draco almost always went to the bathroom to vomit each time he
abruptly left the room. And he was looking more pale than usual, so maybe he had
gotten sick, a virus or something. But as far as Ron knew, Draco had not gone to
see Madam Pomfrey.
Ron still had Draco’s robe...and Draco still had his, at least as far as
Ron knew. Although they’d had numerous opportunities to talk, neither of them
seemed to be able to say even one tiny word to each other. They were left with
awkward silences between them. Ron wished that they could have something, and he
had even started to consider that it was a possibility. Just because their
families didn’t get along, didn’t mean that they couldn’t. But Draco
didn’t seem to have any interest in Ron anymore...at least he didn’t let
on that he did.
Still, Christmas Break was only hours away...in the morning most of the
other students, Draco Malfoy included, would go home for the holidays. Even one
of the teachers was leaving this year...Snape was leaving for home, although
no one had asked if it was because of family...probably just to get away
from the students for a short time. Ron was staying behind of course, along with
Harry and Hermione.
It was nearing dawn, and Ron had awakened from a restless sleep. He didn’t
know if he was excited about the holidays, or that he was disappointed that
Draco was going to be away for the next several days. He just couldn’t be
certain of his feelings anymore. Everything was simply confusing to him now.
Ever since that wonderful day they had spent together in the forest, Ron
couldn’t come to grips with his emotions, with the way he viewed Draco Malfoy.
Not knowing what else to do, Ron left the room and went down to the Gryffindor
Common Room, hoping some relaxation would help him. Maybe a little reading would
settle his nerves enough for him to go back to sleep. He paused when he heard
voices and frowned as he recognized them as Harry and Hermione’s. Ron wondered
what they were doing up so late, and then he heard the topic of their
discussion.
“I can’t help buy worry, Harry.” Hermione said, her voice a low whisper,
probably to avoid waking the other Gryffindors. “You know as well as I do that
he’s been moping about. He’s not acting at all like himself.”
Harry’s voice was just as soft and resigned. “What do you want me to do? He
isn’t talking to me at all.”
Hermione sounded exasperated. “Then you talk to HIM. Honestly, Harry, it
isn’t healthy. It’s like when you pined over the Mirror of Erised in our
first year. If I didn’t know that the cursed thing was no longer here, I would
think that Ron had found it.” There was a pause. “Don’t look at me like
that. I’d talk to him, but I think he needs to talk to someone who’s been
his friend from the start. Besides, I get the feeling that it’s a romantic
problem...and it’s easier for two boys to discuss this sort of thing, than
it would be if I were to try. I doubt he wants to express his feelings to a
girl.”
Ron backed away from the Common Room, feeling bad about causing his friends to
worry about him like this. He hadn’t meant to upset them. He hadn’t even
known that he’d been moping until he heard them talking. Guess he wasn’t so
good at hiding his feelings from his friends. With a sigh, Ron turned and went
back to the dorm room, flopping down on his bed. This was an unpleasant way to
begin Christmas holiday, he thought, burrowing himself deep under his covers and
huddling there to ward off the chill in the air.
Draco looked up at his home with a strange sense of foreboding. In all of his
life, the large manor house had always represented a sanctuary of sorts for him.
It was someplace where he could be himself for the most part. After all...it
was rare that his father or mother bothered him for anything...mostly they
just left him to himself.
Now, however, he felt a queasiness in his stomach that had nothing to do with
his current physical condition. He paused in his stride to place a hand over his
stomach, as if to protect the tiny life growing within him. He’d been seeing a
witch in Hogsmeade, instead of entrusting his care to Madam Pomfrey, and she had
informed him that he was with child. A part of him was elated with this news,
but another part of him was terrified.
He took a breath as the servant escorting him opened the front door. Quietly, he
murmured his thanks and then asked where he could find his father. He figured
that the sooner he told his father of this, the better it would be.
Upon being informed that his father was located in the study, Draco walked with
heavy steps. Although he was young, he didn’t want to give up the child that
he carried. He already loved it a great deal, and he wanted to raise it.
Taking a long deep breath to steady his nerves, he raised his hand and knocked
on the study door twice, then entered when he was bid to. At least his mother
was not here . . . most likely she was where it was common to find her, reading
in the library, immersed in the heavy tomes that usually occupied her attention.
Lucius frowned a little when he looked up, but closed the journal that he had
been writing in, to give Draco his attention. “Draco? Is there some reason for
this interruption of my work? I’m very busy at the moment.”
Draco took another deep breath and nodded before closing the door behind
himself. He stepped over to his father’s desk, hoping for the best in this
situation. “Father...ummm...I have something to tell you.”
Lucius waited impatiently. “Well...don’t dither about, boy. I taught you
to speak your mind without all the huffing and puffing that other dimwits
show.”
Draco nodded. He knew that there was no good way to say it, so decided to just
get it over with as quickly as possible. “Father...when I went into heat...I was on bottom.” He felt his cheeks flame upon mentioning the intimate
fact, but it had to be said. “I wasn’t thinking at the time and...” He
swallowed, his eyes widening as he saw how pale his father had suddenly gone.
Lucius was shaking with barely controlled rage, his hands clenching and
unclenching on the hard wooden surface of his desk. “Despite all of my
warnings...who was it?” He demanded, rising to his feet and slamming his
hands down on the surface of the desk.
Draco shrank away from his father, but knew that he had to tell the truth. “It
was Ronald Weasley...from...”
“I KNOW who he is!” Lucius’s face was bright red now. “Of all the
half-witted, ignorant things for you to do! You let yourself be sullied by a
WEASLEY?! Why didn’t you seduce that Potter brat? At least HE comes from good
stock!”
“So does Ron!” Draco yelled back, furious with his father for even daring to
say such things. “And WE don’t come from the best stock as it is, Father...we are Veelas after all. The Weasleys don’t have a lot, but at least
they’re HONEST!”
“Honesty gets you nowhere fast! Of all the people in the school, you had to
let that Weasley whelp have you.” He ran his fingers through his hair, then
began to pace, muttering things before he finally sighed. “Well...it
shouldn’t be too far along...we can have this mistake fixed.”
“No.” Draco said, feeling as a sort of calm settled over him, even though he
knew that his next words were going to make his father furious. “You are NOT
going to fix this. I’m keeping the baby...with or without your consent or
support.” He wrapped his arms around himself, as if he could protect his
unborn child from his father’s wrath.
It happened so suddenly...Draco hadn’t even seen his father step around
the desk. Draco’s eyes widened, and before he could raise a hand to defend
himself, he found himself sprawled on the floor, a single strike of his
father’s hand knocking him down. Hot, wet liquid ran down his chin, dripping
quickly to stain his clothing. Draco brought his hand up, touching his mouth...a split lip, but the majority of the blood that was spilling came from his
nose.
“Get out of here!” Lucius Malfoy hissed, pointing to the door, his eyes
flickering with rage. “Leave this house...I don’t want to see you
again!”
Draco scrambled to his feet, knowing that his father meant his harsh words. He
felt the burning of tears in the corners of his eyes, but fought them back,
knowing that to shed tears would only make Lucius angrier. “But Father, please...”
“I don’t want to hear your voice again. Just get out...NOW!” He shoved
Draco, nearly knocking him over again.
Draco turned, throwing open the doors and running out of the study and to the
front door of the manor house, of what had once been his home. He couldn’t
believe that his father was throwing him out over this, but it was happening...it really was happening. This was too much to handle, much too much to deal
with.
As Draco left what had been his home just moments ago, he heard his father’s
anger-filled voice ring out. “When you change your mind about that bastard
seed you carry, I’ll consider speaking with you again.”