Family Secrets
By Keara
Part Eight
Draco sniffled miserably as he sat on the Knight Bus. As soon as he had gotten
away from Malfoy Manor, Draco had put his hand out and called the bus. He had
needed a ride, although at the time he hadn’t been sure of where he was going.
He didn’t have all that many options...actually, he only had one. He
couldn’t go back to the school yet. His rivals and enemies within the student
population would love to nab the juicy bit of gossip regarding his early return...he hadn’t even been gone for an entire day yet. His father’s home was
off limits to him...because Draco knew that neither he nor his father would
change their minds about the baby.
The only option that he had...was Professor Snape. The Potions instructor
had told Draco to seek him out if Draco needed anything. So when the Knight
Bus’s conductor had asked him for his destination, he had simply said
Snape’s home. The reason for his short reply was partially because of his
embarrassment, but mostly because his face hurt terribly.
Here he sat on one of the bedsteads on the Knight Bus, holding what had, at one
time, been a pristine, white handkerchief to his face in order to stop the flow
of blood from his nose and split lip. The Conductor of the bus had given him the
handkerchief, to which Draco had politely thanked him.
Eventually, the bus arrived at its destination. Draco stood up, blinking for a
moment when a wave of dizziness made the world spin. He nearly fell back to the
bed, but a hand grabbed his arm, holding him upright. Draco turned and saw the
Conductor standing next to him. With a quiet ‘thank you’, Draco exited the
bus and strode to the door of the house he had been dropped off in front of.
Draco paused before knocking. What if Snape turned him away like his father had?
Where would he go? He shivered at the thought. His coat was warm enough, but he
had no means to pay for food or lodging. ‘Well...if he DOES turn me away,
I’ll have no choice but to return to Hogwarts and suffer the gossip.’ With
that thought, he raised his hand and knocked on the door. Then he waited. He
didn’t have to wait for very long.
Professor Snape opened the door and froze when he saw Draco standing there on
his doorstep. “Mr. Malfoy? What in Merlin’s name are you doing here?” He
didn’t sound angry, just confused. “And what happened to your face?”
Draco choked on a sob. “My father threw me out.” He said, trying not to move
his lips too much since the cut in his bottom lip hurt considerably.
“What? Why would he...?” Snape paused as if thinking.
Draco lowered his head in shame, knowing that Snape was fitting the pieces
together. Draco HAD run out of Potions class a number of times to be sick. He
sighed, waiting for the inevitable yelling that he was sure would be coming to
him.
Snape’s voice was angry, just as Draco had expected. “Of all the pigheaded...throwing someone in YOUR condition out at this time of year!”
Draco felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up. Professor Snape was angry,
yes...but Draco could tell that the anger wasn’t directed at him. Strange,
Draco had thought for sure that Snape would be furious with him for allowing
himself to get pregnant even after his father had warned him of the possibility.
“Who’s the father? I know he’s someone from Gryffindor...I saw the
crest on the robe you were wearing when you came to my room that afternoon.”
Snape’s voice was softer, gentler than Draco had ever heard it before, as if
he was being compassionate.
Draco swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and forced himself to
answer. “Ronald Weasley.”
Snape nodded. “He doesn’t know, does he?”
Draco shook his head. “No, sir...I couldn’t tell him. I tried so many
times, but I just didn’t know how to break it to him. He probably doesn’t
even want it...we only had a fling, nothing more than that. We’ve never
been anything more than enemies...he’ll want nothing to do with either me
or the baby, just like my father.” Draco said in a rush, bowing his head and
pushing back his urge to sob right then and there. Snape wouldn’t want him
showing a weakness like that...in all probability he wanted to get rid of
Draco now. Draco turned to leave, feeling sorry for wasting his professor’s
time. “I’m sorry, sir...I’ll go.”
Snape’s fingers tightened on his shoulder. “I didn’t tell you to leave.
Now, get in here before you catch a chill. You have to take better care of your
health now that you have a baby to worry about.”
Draco sniffled as his teacher pulled him inside. Snape’s house wasn’t as
large as his father’s, but it was grand in its own way. The entryway was tiled
with white and black marble. Draco didn’t have all that much time to admire
anything though, since Snape led him into the kitchen. Draco sighed as the
professor helped him to sit down. The chairs seemed plain, but they were so
comfortable. He looked up as Professor Snape placed a damp cloth on his face and
gently started to clean the blood from his features.
“Are you otherwise injured besides this?” Snape asked, watching as Draco
shook his head. “Have you eaten?”
Draco swallowed. “Not since breakfast, sir. I was too nervous to eat lunch and
Father threw me out before I could have supper.” He sniffled again. “I’m
sorry.”
Snape’s voice was oddly gentle. “Stop apologizing. Had your father not
waited so long to tell you...you probably would have been able to make
plans. Now, you sit here and take it easy. Keep this cloth on your cheek. It has
a potion on it that will reduce the swelling.” Snape said, guiding Draco’s
hand to hold the cloth over his bruised cheek. “I’ll make you something to
eat and some cocoa. Then we’ll get you into a bath and you can have a good
night’s sleep.”
Draco nodded, relieved that Snape was being so gentle...even if it WAS
unusual for him to see the man in such a generous state. As Snape went about
fixing a quick dinner, Draco looked around the kitchen that he was sitting in.
Unlike the kitchen in the Malfoy house, this kitchen was small. Draco guessed
that there would be more room if the table and chairs weren’t in here, but the
furnishings themselves gave the room an almost cozy feeling. “Professor...why don’t you have a bigger house? I know you can afford one.”
Snape glanced over. “I don’t want anything that I can’t take care of
myself. I have no wish to hire help, so there is no need for anything larger.
This house is fine for me. True, I have the means to purchase a manor, but I
prefer the simpler things. I have enough room here for myself and a few guests
whenever company arrives. That’s enough for me. I never did like grand
parties. Your father was the social butterfly, not me.”
Draco managed a small smile that fell rather quickly. “I’ve disappointed him
and brought shame to my family.”
Snape stopped what he had been doing and turned to face Draco. “Did your
father tell you that?”
Draco shook his head. “He didn’t have to say it. He threw me out and told me
not to come back until I decided to agree about letting him ‘fix’ my
mistake.” Draco wrapped his arms around his middle in an unconscious wish to
protect the unborn child that he carried. “I won’t let him hurt my baby.”
Snape scowled. “Of all the hypocrites...he has NO right to talk to you
like that!”
Draco blinked. “How is my father a hypocrite?” His eyes widened as the
answer hit him, as more questions appeared in his mind from the revelation he
had come to. “You mean...?”
Professor Snape nodded and sank into a chair next to Draco. “The first time...the only time that your father and I were together, ended with the same
result. The late Mr. Malfoy, your grandfather, was ecstatic and vowed to dote on
the child...he had always been the black sheep in the Malfoy family line,
oddly kind and cheerful.”
Draco sighed sadly. “So...my father fixed that mistake.”
Snape let out a noise that sounded distinctly like a snicker. “Hardly. No...he gave her up. Or at least, he tried to.” Snape shrugged, returning to his
cooking. “I decided to take her in. She was MY daughter, too. Lucius was all
too glad to have her off his hands, the cold-hearted bastard. I raised her alone...some of my family’s money went to her upbringing and her well-being. I
helped her through school, hired the best nannies...and she turned out finer
than I’d ever dreamed.” He was smirking, seemingly glowing with what could
only be a father’s pride. “She works for the Ministry now, in researching...
magnificent Potions skills she has.”
Draco allowed a small smile to come to his face. “She must have inherited the
skill from her father.” He ducked his head, hoping that he would do such a
splendid job of raising his child as the Professor had done with his own. But to
do it all alone...and with no money... he doubted that he would have much
success in his attempt.
“Here, eat your dinner...I’ll show you to your room when you’re
done.” Snape said, not addressing Draco’s compliment. He set a plate down on
the table in front of Draco, placing necessary utensils and a mug of cocoa for
him as well.
Draco didn’t say anything. He was famished, so he simply ate his meal. When he
was done, he pushed the plate away from himself, his eyelids heavy as he sipped
at his cocoa.
“Tired?” Snape asked, his hand clasping Draco’s shoulder.
“Yes, sir.” Draco replied, nearly dropping the mug as he set it back on the
table.
Snape’s lips curled into a smirk. “That’s quite understandable. I added a
sleeping draft to your cocoa to help you rest well.” He helped Draco to his
feet, keeping an arm around his shoulders as he led him up a staircase and down
a long hallway. “I believe that you need sleep more than you need a bath right
now. I’ll send an owl to your mother...perhaps she would be kind enough to
send you a few changes of clothes for your stay here.”
Draco nodded wearily. “Thank you, sir...for all of your help.”
Snape opened a door, ushering Draco inside a simple bedroom. The bedding and
curtains were a soft blue shade, a nice touch when paired with the dark wooden
furniture that filled the room. Draco didn’t really see much else than the
bed, feeling more weary than curious right now. That potion that Snape had
slipped him did work rather speedily.
Snape’s hands pushed lightly on his shoulders and Draco fell back to sit on
the bed. Draco rubbed his eyes, yawning tiredly as the professor pulled off his
shoes and socks. He stood upright, leaning forward slightly and pulled off
Draco’s robes and shirt, leaving him clad in just his trousers. Draco stood,
or actually, staggered to his feet and removed his pants, not caring about his
lack of covering in front of Snape. The teacher had seen him in the nude after
all, being in just his boxers now wasn’t going to matter much.
Professor Snape pulled the blankets back and Draco lay down on the oh-so
comfortable bed. Draco closed his eyes, only to open them once again and blink
in confusion when he felt a pair of chilly hands touching his abdomen. He raised
his head, his brow furrowing as he took in the sight of Professor Snape prodding
his stomach gently. “Sir, what are you doing?”
“Hush...I’m just making sure that everything is going well.” Professor
Snape said. “I trust you are seeing a medical witch or wizard?”
“Yes...Lydia Merriday. She has an office in Hogsmeade.”
Snape nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard of her...she is a reputable witch, with a
moderate amount of skill. I suggest that you start seeing Madam Pomfrey though...in the eventuality of an emergency. She should at least be informed of your
condition.”
Draco’s eyes were barely open, but he nodded. “Yes, Professor.”
Snape drew the blankets up over Draco’s form, nodding slightly. “Everything
seems in order. When you wake in the morning, we’ll speak more.”
Draco nodded, or at least he thought he did. He was too tired to really be sure
if he had made the slight movement. He rolled over onto his side and clutched at
the blankets, not noticing as Snape quietly left the bedroom.
Serverus Snape sighed, shaking his head as he stood in the doorway, observing
the slumbering blonde that lay snug in the bed. Draco hadn’t deserved the
treatment that his father had given him. The fact that Lucius had even thrown
the boy out was simply outrageous. Serverus remembered quite clearly how
frightened Lucius had been to tell his own father of his pregnancy, the dread
that he had gone through for weeks before he finally confessed to the late elder
Malfoy. Just because Lucius had ultimately decided to give up his child,
didn’t mean that he could force Draco to do the same.
With another sigh, Serverus backed out of the room and closed the door. He
strode down the stairs and to his study, scrawling out a simple note to Narcissa
Malfoy in the hopes that she would be more understanding in this matter. It said
all that needed to be said, explaining Draco’s condition and that Draco would
be staying with him for Christmas break. At the very least she could send Draco
a number of his clothes, at least Serverus hoped that she would.
He stuffed the letter into an envelope, then sealed it with his family crest.
With that task finished, he stepped over to the dark owl that was perched on its
pedestal near the window. He opened the window, holding his arm out to his loyal
owl. “Come, Anu...I have a task for you.” He held up the envelope.
“Take this to Narcissa Malfoy, no one else ...not her husband, or the
servants. It must be delivered directly to her. Understand?”
The owl hooted as if in affirmation. It was enough for Serverus though...he
had owned this owl for a good many years and never had he failed Serverus.
“Good, now go...and wait for a reply.”
The owl took off and grabbed the envelope with its talons, disappearing into the
evening sky as a soft curtain of snow began to fall from the dreary sky.
Serverus certainly hoped that Narcissa would be understanding in this. Draco
would need more support than Serverus could offer...the comfort of family
would be more beneficial to him now, not compassion from a teacher.
Serverus closed his window and returned to the chores that he had been attending
to before Draco had arrived at his home. He did have guests arriving in the
morning, and so much to do in preparation for them.