Six

Postcard –Troye Sivan

[Don't put me back down like it's nothing to ya]

Draco

I closed the door behind me and stepped into the dark brown office.

My father was sitting behind his solid oak worktable, sitting cross-legged, like one of those powerful and influential men, and leaned back on a black leather chair.

"I told you I didn't want her involved in this."

I leaned over my father's desk, watching how he breathed slowly before answering me.

"And I told you, son," he sat himself up and relocated one of the quills I had moved accidentally from its well-organized desk. "It does not depend on me. Neither on you, Draco. Elizabeth's family has been loyal to him since the very beginning; just like ours. Why did you think she wouldn't be chosen, too?"

I scoffed. "But why now? He said she would be protected. I asked you a hundred times to keep her out of this, and you promised me. This whole situation was planned last summer, and Liz having a task wasn't up for discussion."

"Well," he joined the tip of his fingers forming a little prison. "It is now."

I smashed my fist on the hard wood. "I don't want her to do it. I'll take her task."

"You have enough to focus on. And Elizabeth is capable to do whatever it is commanded to her. We all know it."

Lucius stood up from his chair, walked slowly, and sat effortlessly at the front of his desk feet crossed.

"Come on, son. It's Elizabeth we are talking about," he laughed ironically.

I relaxed my shoulders and ran my fingers through my hair in exasperation. He was right. But Liz was my lovely.

I started walking from one side to another of his office, breathing heavily, trying to put my thoughts together for one fucking time. After a few minutes of silence, I finally gave in. Anything that involved Liz made my brain work in slow motion, she made it foggy. I couldn't think straight, but I had to. "I know, I know. But-. I'm just-.

"Jealous?" Lucius raised his brow.

"No." I looked Lucius in the eyes for the first time since I had entered the room. "I'm terrified, father."

He sniggered. "Maybe that's why the Dark Lord chose her, though. She's more cunning than you are. Wisely talking, son, she's... brighter than you. She has always been."

"I know, father. Believe me. I do know," I sighed.

"Such a shame she doesn't," Lucius said with sarcasm in his voice.

"But if something goes wrong. I ca-." I chocked on my words. "I can't lose her, father. I can't."

I looked at my father with tears in my eyes.

I knew deep inside my soul he wanted his son to be strong, to be a man. He had made sure to make that clear to me during all my life.

In other circumstances I would have feared his reaction to my state of panic.

I would have flinched at any slight movement of his. I would have covered my face with my arms in a vain attempt to protect me from his angered punches. I would have tried my best to defend myself from that brutal beast blood had labelled as my father.

But now, I was more terrified of losing the love of my life than I was of Lucius Malfoy.

I did not move a muscle when my father stood up and came towards me.

To my surprise, and for the first time in years, my father's arms wrapped around me.

"I know, son." He caressed my back. "I know."

Instinctively, I hugged him back.

"I apologise for not being able to keep the promise I made to you," he began. "But I can tell you, as long as I am alive, she will never get hurt or damaged."

I let out a small chuckle. "She's always been your favourite, hasn't she?"

Lucius imitated my laugh. "She's like the daughter I never had."

We both chuckled in unison.

My father had always had a thing for Liz. Everybody knew she was the apple of his eye. On the other side, Liz wasn't as keen on him as he was on her, for some reason. Probably his presence commanded respect to her, it always happened to people.

"What does she have to do?" I whispered in my father's chest.

"It's not my job to tell you, son," he apologised. "When she knows, if she wants to tell you, she will. And you know she'll certainly do."

I smiled. We both broke the hug at the same time. Lucius hands rested on my shoulders as he checked my expression. With his left thumb he wiped one of my tears, and chuckled.

"You know, your mother was really happy when she found out." He sat again on the wooden table, feet on the floor.

"Mhm?" I asked confused.

"You both grew up together and you spent almost the twenty-four hours of the day next to each other. Anyways, there's always the possibility of laying eyes on somebody else; of developing feelings for someone from the outside. But she fell head over heels for you, and it happened the same to you. We don't know exactly when, but you both fell. Her mom says the energy, the feeling had always been there." Lucius said proudly.

"Lucretia's always been so mystic about these things," I mocked.

"Your mum and Lucretia organised a type of tea party when you both came home for the winter break in fourth year, you know? The day you went to Zabini's."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Are you serious?"

"I completely am."

"Always so drama queen, my mother."

"Isn't she?" he laughed.

Out of nowhere, the room was filled with a deep silence, which my father broke after a while.

"So, tell me, Yule Ball?" he inquired.

"Hm?"

Lucius looked at me waiting for me to understand. "When did you... take the step?"

My jaw dropped in shock and nuisance. "I'm not telling you when I started having sex with Liz."

"I'm not asking you that, half-wit."

"Oh." I closed my mouth.

"I'm asking when you told her how you felt."

"Oh. So around Yule Ball, yes."

Lucius smiled proudly.

"Wow, is Mr. Lucius Malfoy smiling? Would somebody pinch me?" I looked around the room for the invisible audience.

"Seriously, Draco. It makes me more than happy your relationship with Elizabeth. The fact that you perpetuate this lineage; the Malfoys and the Astaroths."

I thought of her. How she smelled and laughed and walked. How she furrowed her brows every time she studied. How much I loved her. How much I wanted to spend the rest of my life with that girl. "I wouldn't want anyone else, father."

"We were all so delighted about it. Well, Graham was not as much. But Elizabeth is his little girl, so it's completely understandable."

"Indeed."

"But you are a Malfoy," he added proudly.

I looked at him confused.

"He knows his daughter couldn't be in better hands."

I thought of what my father had said. Truly, Liz was the best that could have ever happened to me. But was I the same to her?

My father checked his watch.

"It's dinner time. They must be waiting for us," he stood up fixing his clothes.

"Father," I said before leaving the room. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Go and find Elizabeth."

Just when I was about to close the door, Lucius stopped me again. "Draco."

"Yes, father?"

"After tonight, you'll need each other more than ever before. Be there. Be supportive. Your mother and I do it all the time. We have always done it. And so have Lucretia and Graham. I expect no less from you two."

"Yes, father."

"And remember," he continued. "Family always comes first."

...

When I was descending the big manor stairway, I saw Liz waiting for me at the end of it. It crossed my mind she would probably be furious at me for locking her in. But I had to do it; if something happened to me while I was with my father, I didn't want her to witness it again.

Before I reached the last steps, she ran towards me and jumped into an embrace.

"You are okay," she whispered.

I hold her even more tightly and smelled her. It didn't matter how much time we were apart; I would always miss her scent.

Because she smelled like home.

She pulled away a few inches and examined my face, skimming with her thin fingertips every part of it.

I could sense astonishment in her eyes, because the last time I had been in my father's office, Liz and my mother almost had to take me to Saint Mungo's.

It hadn't been the first time my father had done something similar to me, and Liz never understood how I had the courage, mental and physical strength to go back in there every time.

She didn't like going in there. She once told me it was the only part of my house that didn't feel like home. She never told me why she thought so, and I never asked her why. Liz just doesn't like to be pressured.

I cupped her cheeks and kissed her like a mariner that was back home after a long time.

Liz looked at me wondering.

"You will do it wonderfully well," I told her looking in her beautiful eyes.

Before she could emit a single word, we heard voices emerging from the dining room.

"They are here," she muttered with her eyes glued on the enormous door.

I hold her hand and we walked together to the doors. Sooner than her hand wrapped around the door handle, I pulled her by the hand I was holding.

"Listen to me," I told her. "Remember who you are."

She nodded at my words, and we both stepped into my dining room, which was now full of Death Eaters.

My dining room didn't look like usual. It was dark, filled with lifeless and tired colours and shadows. Only illuminated by a couple old silver candelabrum. Dozens of eyes landed on Liz and me as soon as we stepped into the big room.

"Welcome," Graham's voice was the first we heard.

After every single soul in the room welcomed us, or Liz, in unison, Mr. Astaroth walked towards his daughter and kissed her cheek.

"Draco," he turned slightly his head to me. "You can take a sit next to Narcissa."

I let go of Liz's hand without looking at her and sat next to my mother, who put her arm around my shoulders and smiled proudly.

I watched Graham placing himself behind Liz, an enormous grin covering his face, and fixed his daughter's hair. He had always seen Liz as his little doll. He loved her so much, and I sometimes was jealous of their parent-child relationship because I have never had that with Lucius. But I appreciated him. In the end, he was my father.

Once again, Graham's voice took me back to reality.

"This night," he begun looking at everyone in the room. "My daughter Elizabeth is officially becoming one of us."

The entire room filled with a loud applause for Liz.

I didn't take my eyes off of her. She was smiling. If she was frightened, she wasn't showing it.

"Although I would be more than honoured to give my daughter the mark myself, my wife Lucretia," Graham smiled at his wife, who was sitting across my mother and me. "And I, have grandly decided the Dark Lord himself will."

I could feel all the people in my room taking a deep breath of pride. Everybody looked at everybody else, while Liz nodded to every single Death Eater who congratulated her.

Out of nowhere, a dense black fog began to sneak under our feet. It rose in slow motion, flooding the room with and unpleasant darkness which caused all the candles to blow out.

A sudden lightning showed for a second the dull shadow who was now standing behind my lovely. I took my mother's hand in a quick move just when the shadow started talking.

"I am more than pleased to be hosting your nomination, Elizabeth."