The Buddy System. *Complete*

A Book

DRACO POV

This was going better than I could have ever hoped for. My father was always very strict about who I spent time with and who I was to marry. He told me a long time ago that I was to marry into the Sacred 28 and that I was to choose a wife who was a good match. Someone from a good family, with money and that was pretty.

Love never even factored into it.

But the way he looked at my mother when we entered the room? That was true love. And I have never seen it between them before. maybe absence makes the heart grow fonder?

But the best thing of all was that he was accepting Raelyn. I never expected it. The entire journey here I was going over arguments in my head. I was ready to fight for her.

And it turns out none of it is necessary.

Azkaban had changed my father. He was a shell of a man in looks now but he looked just as free as he claimed I did. He wasn't under any pressure anymore.

He approved of my girl. I was taking the win.

"Thank you father. What you said - well it means a lot to me." I gave him a smile. Not the fake smile I had been forcing myself to give him for years but a real, genuine smile.

"I have missed your smiles." He whispered. He looked emotional. Something I had never seen my father being. He coughed to hide the fact but I noticed.

"Now then, what is it I hear about my future daughter-in-law and a curse?"

Yes - now down to business!

"Sir -" I started but my father held up his bound hand.

"No sir - too formal son. It's father, or dad."

Dad? who was this man?

"Ok...dad...well during the Battle, Raelyn was shot with a curse. A slow releasing one. It is basically attacking every organ in her body. Slowing causing them to go into failure." I wrapped my arm around her holding her to me as if she was going to disappear.

She leant her hand on my thigh. The sparks shot through me.

"She has been deteriorating quite quickly lately. She is growing weak. I can't lose her. I just found the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with and I am not going to lose her now."

My father looked on with pride between myself and Raelyn.

"Have you got a healer looking after her?" He asked me.

"Yes si-father I do. We have the best in the country who deals with curses and dark magic injuries. She has trained with both wizards and muggles so she knows every possible remedy."

I half expected my father to pull a face when I mentioned muggles but he never reacted at all. He just nodded along.

"Good, good. And what has she said?"

"There is fluid around her heart and her autoimmune system is deteriorating. Nicola reckons we only have a few months left." The words pained me to even say.

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Lucius said as he scratched his rough beard. "Working for...him...we had a few curse creators. Dark Wizards who would make curses up for us. Every curse had to have a counter curse to reverse the effects as we tested them out on each other. "

"Charming," Narcissa mocked but Lucius ignored her.

"Whatever this spell was it was in a book. Benjamin said that Teeny was in his apartment for month researching the best options." I explained.