Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes

Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes

Five-year-old Draco Malfoy sat in his bedroom staring out the window with a grumpy look etched onto his face. Even though his room was filled with toys, he hated it and didn't care. Toys were not what Draco wanted.

Out on the horizon Draco saw a flicker of movement. It was coming from beyond the wall that surrounded the estate. Glancing around the room he spotted what he needed and quickly picked them up.

In his hands Draco held a pair of binoculars covered in knobs and buttons, Omnioculars.

Gazing through the Omnioculars out past the wall, Draco saw a small group of children his age. Draco was bored, so why not. Grabbing a cloak, Draco left his bedroom.

**

Out on the lawn in front of the Malfoy Manor, Narcissa Malfoy sat with her friends sipping their drinks. They were watching their children play on their toy broomsticks, laughing and having a good time.

'Where is Draco? I haven't seen him for weeks, I thought he would be happy to play,' Maria Nott asked Narcissa with the air of a supreme snob.

'He's up in his room,' Narcissa replied with a wave of her hand, dismissing the question. 'Draco was so tired from studying with his tutor that he fell right to sleep. I was going to wake him when you arrived but he looked so peaceful; I didn't have the heart.'

Narcissa laughed, but inside she was crying; she knew perfectly well that Draco was awake. Lucius had not allowed Draco to play with other children since he caught Draco talking to a group of Muggle children outside the Manor. The Muggles didn't know that the Manor was there of course, but Lucius deemed it necessary to punish Draco. He had learned his lesson of wizard pride.

Narcissa talked to her friends while she sipped her drink, calling a house elf to fetch another one. However, she wasn't really paying attention to what she was doing; her mind was with her son, up in his tower bedroom.

**

Draco wanted to break something, but he knew he couldn't, his back still smarted from the last time he had given in to the urge. So, six-year-old Draco sat, thinking.

**

Lying under the black silk covers of her antique four-poster bed, Narcissa stared at the intricate designs on the ceiling, an M. That was all it was: a big, ugly M.

Most children got a cake on their birthday. Most children got a party where all their friends came and sang 'Happy Birthday' and gave presents.

Draco wouldn't get that, and he knew it, Narcissa had heard him crying.

Draco was going to receive a new broom, that is, if Lucius hadn't made Narcissa return it.

Tomorrow was Draco's seventh birthday.

'Happy Birthday to you,' Narcissa sung under her breath; she sung it for her son.

**

'Happy Birthday to me.'

Draco dried his eyes; his birthday was drawing to an end.

His father had given him a book: a thick, heavy book entitled A Beginners Guide to the Dark Arts.

Sitting alone in his room Draco began to read.

**

She knew she should be grateful for the things she had, the wealth her husband provided and all of her friends, but they weren't really her friends; Narcissa only paid attention to them because she had to. They all belonged to rich, Pureblood families and they were all married to Lucius' friends, Lucius' ex-Death Eater friends.

So Narcissa put up with them, and her husband, never saying a word about the way Draco was treated. She felt like screaming.

**

Watching Draco was like watching an angel, her angel. That was the only reason Narcissa stayed with Lucius.

Narcissa stayed with Lucius because he could provide; he could make sure Draco got everything, yet he still managed to make sure Draco had nothing. Narcissa secretly prayed that Draco would not be corrupted, that later in life he would resist and turn away from the dark side.

**

Naricssa was worried about Draco; he was reading that Dark Arts book, she was sure of it. She knew she couldn't help him, she knew Lucius was tightening his grip over her son.

**

Two boys Draco's age, eight years old, stood looking awkwardly down at the stone floor of the entrance hall at Malfoy Manor. They were large and muscly. One was sporting a pair of gorilla-like arms, the other had hair so short, that he was almost bald.

Their names were Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Lucius had decided that since Draco would be going to Hogwarts in a few years he needed some friends, no, not friends, bodyguards.

Crabbe grunted, as if in an effort to make conversation.

'Well, er... do you want to come to my room?' Draco muttered. He felt strongly intimidated by the two boys.

**

'Crabble! Goyle! Follow me, and don't wander off! Knockturn Alley is a dangerous place.' Lucius Malfoy had taken Draco, Vincent and Gregory shopping.

Secretly Draco hated these little outings, but he loved the feeling of pride he got when his father looked down at him with approval, with the faint glimmer of a cruel smile on his face.

Draco was nine years old, and in the mind of a Death Eater, nine was as good as any age to start training.

**

'Crucio!' Lucius screamed, pointing his long, shiny wand at the rat scurrying around the bottom of a box in the Malfoy's sitting room.

Draco watched, taking in everything about his father, especially the evil glint in his eyes as he performed the horrible curse. The young boy stored the information in the back of his brain; he knew that, at ten years of age, he wouldn't be using it any time soon. Still, it never hurt to be prepared.

**

Sitting at the dinner table Draco ate silently, while dozens of house elves brought a feast befitting a king. Draco didn't know why his father insisted that they had so much food made for them; he knew that half of it would be thrown out anyway.

'How was your day?' Lucius asked his wife, ignoring his son completely.

'It was fine, thank you dear,' Narcissa replied. 'I took Draco to buy his school supplies, he received his Hogwarts letter today.' Inside Narcissa beamed with pride, but she kept her cold expression, not daring to look up at Draco, lest Lucius lay down another punishment for her. Narcissa already had enough punishments in her life.

'I thought I specifically told you to wait for me to take him,' Lucius replied curtly.

'Of course dear I forgot, I will return the items we bought so that you may purchase them.'

Lucius nodded. 'Good,' he said coldly without looking or speaking to Draco.

Inwardly Draco groaned; he knew his father would take him to Knockturn Alley, and he would only dote upon him in the Dark Arts. His expression remained blank as he silently ate his food.