* DM // SLYTHERIN GOLDEN BOY

Veronica shrugged her shoulders, technically she came here on vacation but she would rather be somewhere tropical. “Yes but mostly because all of my friends are out here so I thought I’d join them.” She explained, laughing at the face he made. “Plus if you lived in my hometown you’d be looking at this place as if it was Disney World.” She pointed out to him. “Okay, so if you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?”

Truth be told, Draco hadn’t really thought about that. Thinking for a long second, the wizard tilted his head slightly. “Good question. Mh, I guess Hawaii.” He finally said. “Not original at all. But for the beaches. The sun. I didn’t get quite a lot in England when I still lived there.” Making a face, he finally looked at the other. “You? Where would you go?”

“Alright, let me tell you.” Veronica started off, waving her hand as if this was even important. “So far this summer vacation is amazing. I mean getting out of Riverdale was the best decision I’ve made in a long while if you ask me.” It was honestly nice being away from the town even if it was just for a bit. She liked the hotel she was staying and she especially enjoyed the hot tub which she happened to be in right now.

Listening to her, Draco gave the young woman a smile and nodded. "You came here for vacation?" He asked, making a face. "I'd love to get outta here for vacation, but might just be me."

Narcissa’s mouth trembled as she looked at him. She couldn’t imagine allowing anyone to put her son in danger, not even the Dark Lord himself. But if Draco said they made it, that they all did, she would believe him. “Your father too?” she said tentatively. She looked up at him. “Here?” she said, looking around the place dismissively. “I don’t understand anything here. Even the money is strange.”

Draco looked at his mother for a moment before he nodded slowly, placing a hand on his shoulder gently. “Yeah, dad too. We were all fine. We were forgiven for following him, we were good.” He said slowly, tilting his head as he heard her before he chuckled a little. “I can teach you. You just have to learn to live like a muggle. It’s not all that bad. It’s calm and.. Quite entertaining at times. You meet people you would’ve never met if we still were living magically. Like Emma.”

Narcissa nibbled on her lip, her heart sinking. Two warring instincts had started to tear her apart – her loyalty toward the ideals she had followed all her life, and her natural yearning, almost a desperation, for her son to love and admire her. She relaxed a little when he didn’t agree that she was a villain, though her heart rate sky rocketed again when he spoke. “He what?” she hissed, and her temper was so great that the door to the cafe banged open as if in a gale force wind, napkins on the nearby tables fluttering into the air like startled birds. She sank onto a chair and covered her face with her hands, lifting her face up when he spoke again. “I did?” she said, unable to imagine such a thing – but now equally unable to imagine stand beside a man whose actions lead to her son’s death. “I don’t know what to do,” she whispered. “You’re telling me so much. Can’t you understand that the things you’re saying are completely changing my life? In a moment? It’s overwhelming.” Her breath hitched and she buried her face in her hands again. 

He knew she would’ve reacted to it. Even if she wasn’t from his time, she was his mother, and he knew now, before or later, she’d still love him the same. “But I got out. We got out, all of us. And we were fine.” As he moved to sit right next to her, he nodded slowly at her words and wrapped an arm on her back. “I know mom.” He spoke slowly. “You don’t have to do.. Anything right now. We’re not in our world. It’s just like-.. Like we got out again. You don’t have to do or change anything, just start over.”

she wasn’t surprised how wise her nephew had grown up to be, narcissa was always the wise one in the family. it seemed that she raised him well and she couldn’t help but smile at the fact. part of her heart sunk, though, when she remembered how disappointed her sister was in her to hear that she had been becoming better. “i’m not sure that anything that either of us say will change her opinions on me now,” she frowned. “you don’t have to. i don’t want to give you guys any excuse to get into a fight like we did. you need your mother, she’s amazing and she needs you, too,” she said. the words coming out of her mouth were not words you would think bellatrix black would say, but she meant every single one of them. she sighed, “how did you get with the death eaters?” she asked. 

“I’m pretty sure I can make her change her mind.” Draco stated, frowning slightly. “If I can change, everyone can. I had a lot engraved in my head by my dad so.. So that I just woke up and opened my eyes on it all means anyone can.” He shrugged slightly, sighing. “I do need her, and I love her but.. But I’m not sure if I want to have her close if she’s with them. I don’t need that in my life anymore.” He admitted, and it was harder than he had thought in fact. “I got in to protect them. My dad fucked up. Voldemort wanted me to fix it. He was planning on me dying to make a point to my father that he shouldn’t fuck up with him.”

Narcissa’s mouth trembled in her distress, her blue-grey eyes widening as he spoke. “What are you talking about?” she asked, taking a small step back and wrapping her arms around herself. Was she entirely alone here? She couldn’t trust Bella anymore, of course she couldn’t trust Andromeda and Sirius, but now her own son? “So I’m stupid, then?” she said. “If what I believe in is stupid, I must be stupid.” Tears sprang to her eyes and she bowed away. “You must think I’m a villain,” she said. “Don’t you?”

Draco realized what he was saying was distressing his mother, and he was actually expecting that to happen. He knew no death eater would actually admit they were wrong, just like no pure-blood supremacist would. “I didn’t say it. You did.” He was not going to deny that this was complete and pure bullshit, he wanted to say what he knew, what he had realized. “No. No one is made to be a villain and stay that way. You’re just confused about what’s right and wrong.” He shrugged slightly. “Your precious Lord wanted me to die, mom. For a mistake that Father did, he wanted to punish him by killing me. This isn’t right, none of it is. It’s not right to blame people for who they are, it’s not right to hate them for things they don’t have power over, and it’s certainly not right to push away the people who don’t.” He said before taking a deep breath, looking down at his covered arm where the mark was. “If I was smart enough to walk away from all of this, I know you can too. I know you did. In the future, at least.”

Narcissa frowned more deeply, her arms winding around herself. “What do you mean, alone?” she asked. “What happens to your father?” If she heard that Lucius died, she didn’t think she would be able to handle that. She shrugged again. “When you care for someone, their past doesn’t matter. What we did before is a part of all of us. Of course it influences who we are and perhaps even the decisions we make, but what matters is what comes next.”

“Nothing. Nothing happens to him.” He finally said, as he attempted not to think about what he almost did for him to get back in Voldemort’s favours. “And I think it was a big part of the problem.” He admitted finally. He was angry at his father, but most at himself for following his lead, all the time, at the point where he had to risk his own life to protect them and realize it was the wrong thing. “Who I was before wasn’t a part of me, it was a part of father. I just blindly followed him because I didn’t know better and because you two-..” He stopped, taking a deep breath. “You raised me telling me people weren’t as good as me because of their blood, of something they didn’t choose and can not change. That’s not me. That shouldn’t be anyone. That’s just stupid.”

Narcissa pouted. “I must be a terribly neglectful mother if that’s the case,” she said, tossing her golden head with a miserable expression on her face. “If that’s what you think. Go on and tell me, I’m a terrible mother, aren’t I?” She gave a little shrug, still pouting. “Why wouldn’t she?” she said. “If she doesn’t, you’ll just find someone else who is capable of making a good choice.”

Draco shook his head slightly. “You were a good mother. But dad though..” He frowned slightly. “You shouldn’t have to do that alone.” He said before he took a deep breath. “Why would she?” He asked, shaking his head again. “I did pretty much.. Really bad things. And I think-.. I know she’s aware of it, but what if what she sees I am now isn’t what she liked before?”

Narcissa shook her head. “There’s no reason you can’t be both,” she said, sniffing primly. “Just because you’re a young man doesn’t mean you can’t be a polite one.” She frowned in puzzlement before shaking her head. “It’s strange here,” she agreed. “Well, if you think you still like her, you should get to know her better and do something about it.”

Draco scrunched up his nose at her words, making a face. “Polite is overrated. I have no interest in that.” He said with a slight shake of his head. Maybe it was going to be weird for his mom. He hadn’t really grown up being taught to be a gentleman, he knew that much, it was much more how to be a little shit to everyone who didn’t listen to him. And god he hated that. “Yeah, but what if she doesn’t like me?” He asked, letting out a slight sigh. “I’m not sure I’m ready to handle rejection.”

she gave draco a warm smile, “if anyone understands that, its me, kid,” she said. “our past doesn’t define us…or in my case, my past and future,” she gave a small laugh. “it’s all about what we do to handle ourselves now. becoming better,” she said. “i’m sure she will come around,” she nodded, trying to agree with him. she really hoped that he would. narcissa and bellatrix had always been close, but recently their relationship started to fall apart when narcissa found out that bella was trying to better herself. “thank you,” she smiled. “make sure you also follow all this advice you’re giving out.”

Draco smiled back at her. He knew she could understand, it was actually why he knew he could confide in her. No one else would really understand, even if they wanted to, because they had never been bad for they had chosen to. “We just have to prove to everyone that people can change. And good luck with that.” He admitted with a low sigh. He didn’t quite care if people believed in him or not, but he wanted to prove to the ones that didn’t that they were wrong. “I’ll talk to her, if you want?” He asked, looking at his aunt. “Maybe if I mention her how I-.. Got into the Death Eaters and how I know it’s wrong, and that I got out of it for that, maybe she’ll understand faster.” He proposed, before taking a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m trying to.”

she would never be able to stay mad at draco forever. as much as she might have been heart broken when he left, she understood that it was what he needed to do at the time. or at least that’s what she convinced herself over the years. he was her weakness and maybe that wasn’t a good thing, but it felt that way. “good,” she said with a playful nod. “it’s- it’s okay, draco, i understand why you did it. i was more worried about you than i was upset,” she said. “i didn’t know if you were okay after the battle, we had no contact. but it’s okay because we are both here now and we are both okay,” she smiled at him.  she couldn’t help but blush when he was looking at her. she jokingly flipped her hair, “i guess you could call it, what the kids are saying these days, a glo up,” she laughed. “but i could say the same for you, malfoy,” she smirked. 

Draco hadn’t expected it to be so easy, to apologize for leaving her there, not even turning back or looking back at her. It had only been a year ago for him, but still, it had felt way longer and he hadn’t been able to forgive himself for it until now. “I kind of wind up here after the battle, I had no way to contact you.. Honestly I didn’t even remember you. I didn’t remember anything about myself either.” He admitted, making a face. A laugh escaped him at her hair flip and her words. Raising his eyebrows, he shook his head slightly. “You could say the same for me? Naaah, I was always looking like a God, give me a break.” He said playfully, sticking out his tongue.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn’t know if she should be excited to see him, or upset that she hadn’t heard from him at all since the war. She held him close, but all she could think about was how much she missed him and how she had never been able to stay remotely mad at him for more than a day, and this wasn’t going to be any different. The bond that the two had was inseparable and she longed for that feeling again. She had, understandably, been frustrated with him for leaving her that day on the battlefield. She watched him leave her side and join his parents, whom she knew he loathed for his upbringing, and walk away, leaving her alone and to never see him again. She pulled out of the hug and brought her arms from around his neck to hold onto his hands and she looked at him, taking him all in. All of the anger and sadness that she had towards him all floated away because he was standing there in front of her. All of the memories flooded her mind and she smiled at him, a hopeful smile. “I promise,” she said, “I will never leave. Not ever again.” She let go of one of his hands, brushing a strand of hair out of his face, “God, I missed this face,” she said with a small laugh. 

Somehow, Draco knew he had been wrong, leaving her there, not turning back, just walking away with his parents without taking her with. But he couldn’t change what he had done, he couldn’t change the past and his mistakes, and he hoped Rory wouldn’t hold it against him still. A smile appeared on his lips as she pulled back from the hug, and Draco slowly tightened his grip on her hands. “And I won’t either.” He finally said, furrowing his brows slightly. “I owe you an apology. For that.” He finally admitted, but a brighter smile appeared on his lips at her words. “Well, so did I. Look at you.” He said as he took a step back, looking up and down at her. “You’re hotter than when I left you, what happened to you?”

all of the guilt and the nervousness she felt right in this moment went away when her nephew told her he loved her. she had felt so much backlash from everyone in this land for the bad things that she did. she didn’t blame them, but it was nice to have someone who was on her side. “you did too?” she asked him. “im glad to hear that you’re not afraid of me. your mother isn’t my biggest fan at the moment,” she admitted. “thinks that im crazy to have been changing here. i just think that maybe i was brought here to start over, to turn over a new leaf,” she said. “i love you, too, lil nephew of mine,” she laughed. 

Draco couldn’t quite explain why he felt so guilty for the things he had done, he didn’t know if he could even mention them without feeling ashamed either, but he knew for a fact that Bellatrix would understand it. “Yeah. I’ve listened to what people asked of me even when I knew it was the wrong thing to do. I had a choice and I made the wrong one, many times actually. I’ve hurt people, both through words and curses and I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself for it, but I’m trying to be better now.” He admitted with a slight smile. “She’ll come to her senses, don’t worry. If she’s anything like Mom in my time, she’ll understand at some point.” His mother was probably the one person he loved the most on Earth, he knew she would understand why people changed here, even more them. “Changing is great, Bella. Don’t let people’s opinion make you doubt of that. If you think it’s good for you, then screw ‘em.”

“That’s not how you talk, I know for a fact I will raise you to be a gentleman,” she said primly, lifting her chin. She raised her eyebrows as Draco spoke. “She doesn’t sound like just a friend to me, the way you’ve been talking about her,” Narcissa said, a little grin playing across her lips. 

“I have plenty of time to become a gentleman, mom, but for now I’m a teenager so, y’know..” Actually maybe she didn’t. Draco bit his lips to hide his smile at her words. “Alright, we might have dated. But it wasn’t.. Me? This place is weird, it can take away your memories like.. Completely. And we dated when I had no ideas who I was.” He admitted, looking down at his hands a bit nervously. “I think I still like her but I don’t know her that much.”

She followed her nephew to a nearby picnic table in the park and sat across from him. At this point she had thought that news about her life and her future wouldn’t surprise her anymore, but Lestrange? She had never even considered that option in her life. “Well, no,” she said. “In my time period, i’m quite single,” she paused. “I hadn’t even thought about the possibility of being in a relationship at all. Im sure you know all about my future. Wouldn’t be surprised if you were afraid of me like everyone else. But, at this point in my life i’m still just trying to figure things out,” she confided to him.

Draco sat down with her, listening as she spoke. He wasn’t quite happy that he had to tell her about her future, what if saying it was changing things? Anyhow, he listened and nodded slowly. “I’m not afraid of you.” He just stated before he shrugged. “Yeah you.. You weren’t a good person, and you did bad things. But so did I. Significantly less, but that doesn’t change a thing. You’re my aunt.” He reminded her before giving her a gentle bump in her shoulder. “I won’t be afraid of you no matter what, I love you.”

Her frown only deepened at his assurances. “That doesn’t seem like something to get used to,” she said, folding her arms across her chest. She gave him a little tap on his arm. “Who on earth taught you language like that?” she asked. “Badass. Honestly.” She looked up at him. “So when do I get to meet her?”

Draco shrugged slightly at her words. Actually, he didn’t care what he had to get used to to live through it all. “Hey!” He whined a bit at the tap before he let out a laugh. “It’s how we talk in those days, mom.” He said as he scrunched up his nose. “You want to meet her? She’s just..” He took a deep breath. “She’s just a friend.”

Narcissa’s eyebrows drew together as Draco spoke, frowning. She couldn’t imagine having a word to say against Lucius, and it troubled her that Draco felt that way about his father. “Oh,” she said, clearly deeply troubled. “I see.” Her eyebrows raised in response. “An Amazon?” she repeated. “The Greek myth?”

Draco looked at his mother, actually seeing it troubled her, but he didn’t know what to say about that. After all, it wasn’t her fault. “I got used to it, don’t worry.” He said with a slight smile. And that was a lie. “Yeah, an Amazon.” He said with a nod. “I guess so, i didn’t.. Ask much about it. She’s a badass. I really like her.”