Solitaire

Solitaire

Chapter One: Growing Up Malfoy

I was starting my seventh and final year at Hogwarts in a week. Becoming Prefect, then Head Boy for the Slytherin house was something I had wanted for a long time, and I knew it was coming since my fifth year in that dreaded school. Especially given my family's status in the wizarding world. Besides, who else would take on the position? Crabbe or Goyle!? Please. It was in the bag.

Admittedly, I was beginning to tire of the same old thing every day. Nothing ever happened in the dreary halls. I especially hated to have to play hall monitor to the first years running by.

Outside the grand castle was a different story though. The war against Voldemort and his followers had gained heat in the past year. As much as I can remember, it came into full-blown war near the end of my fifth year. Potter and his friends had tried to save the world again. Foolish boy. I didn't even dare to take on the Dark Lord.

Despite my father's wishes. He must have been bloody mad. To think that his only son was going to willingly risk everything so that some evil decayed wizard could come back into rule. I was a Malfoy and Malfoys were stubborn with pride. Father should have known that.

But I digress.

The war that had started a little over a year ago had claimed its first victim in Sirius Black, Potter's godfather. I overheard father tell fellow Deatheaters that Weasley had survived. It wasn't until further into the conversation that I realized they had been talking about Big Ol' Weasley. The father. What ever they had planned for him had apparently failed. Miserably, I might add.

At one point, rustling could be heard through the dark oak doors of father's den. They were getting up to leave. I searched frantically around the area to hide until they had made their departure. I spotted the old grandfather clock that was tick-tocking noisily a few steps down the hall and made a mad dash for it. Just in time too.

No sooner had I stepped away from view did I hear the den doors creak open. Hushed murmurs of voices were heard coming from the followers of the Dark Lord. Not to my surprise, my father rounded up the end of the group.

I watched from my vantage point as the group of six or seven Death Eaters, including my father, tracked across the front hall of the Malfoy Manor and leave through the large front doors. When I was sure they had left, I snuck out from my hiding spot.

"What are you doing here?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I thought I had been caught. Warily, I turned around expecting to come face-to-face with one of the stragglers from father's meeting. Maybe it was Bellatrix. The voice [i]had[/i] been feminine.

To my complete and utter relief, I was looking into the eyes of my mother. How I could possibly mistake my mother's quiet voice for that of Bellatrix's was beyond me. It was probably the nerves. That had to be it.

"Draco? Are you okay?" my mother asked as I realized I hadn't answered her first question.

I looked at her as calmly as I could. "Of course, Mother. I was just heading to bed."

Call it women's intuition, or just that mothers know best but I knew that look she gave me before heading off to bed herself was one of doubt. She knew I was lying. But she didn't ask any further.

In actuality, I did end up heading up to my bedroom. As I lay wide awake in my four-poster bed, I thought about my parents' relationship. I wondered if Mother knew about Father's late-night meetings. Maybe she took the same attitude towards that as she had earlier in the hallway with me. She just didn't want to know. Playing ignorant and naïve was sometimes the better way to live life. A lot of times, I wished I didn't know the things I did, or didn't see the things I have. It really makes one grow up a lot faster than they'd like.

As these thoughts lngered in my mind, I slowly began to fall asleep. Just as soon as I had drifted off enough, my ears perked up. Something was happening outside. Feeling completely wide awake, I scrambled out of bed to see what was going on.