ambitious, cunning, adaptable | hp x dm

chapter twenty nine: black on the loose

Harry woke to the sound of talking down the hall. Usually, the house was quiet, but a glance at his clock, which was darting about his head, told him he had slept in until almost ten thirty. He stretched and scratched the back of his head. Today he made a note to write a letter to Ron congratulating him on winning that trip to Egypt with his family. He had seen the picture in the paper three days previous. Harry pulled on his glasses and made his way into the hall. Narcissa and Lucius were standing outside of their bedroom door, both holding a coffee and both looking a little worse for wear. He hoped they weren't having a couple fight, that would be sad.

"Morning." Harry greeted them quietly.

Lucius looked over, his grip on the newspaper in his fist tightened a little and he gave a small smile. "Good morning. Did you happen to get struck by lightning?"

Harry rose a hand and touched curiously at his hair. He smiled a little before rubbing at his eye sleepily. "Is Draco up?"

"Yes dear, he's in his room. He woke up about an hour ago but I told him to let you sleep." Narcissa gestured towards Draco's door with her mug occupied hands.

Harry turned and shuffled his way to Draco's door. He tried the knob and turned when he felt it contact his palm. Sometimes Draco warded his door. He opened it and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. Draco was on his bed, headphones over his ears, listening to the Walkman Harry had given him last Christmas and reading, sprawled out on his stomach, back to the door. Harry smiled to himself at the opportunity and ran at the bed before leaping on it. He landed next to Draco who let out a rather undignified shriek and threw himself onto the floor.

"You prat! What was that for?"

"Fun?"

Draco glowered before climbing back into his bed and stretched out next to Harry. "Nice sleep?"

"Best. I always sleep well here. The bed is like a cloud."

Draco snickered before placing his things aside. "Well, now that you've slept through most of the morning, care to get something to eat? I could smell muffins this morning."

"That sounds heavenly."

They reentered the hall and Harry found it had been emptied. However when they passed Lucius and Narcissa's bedroom, the door was surprisingly open. Harry glanced inside curiously as he walked by, but saw nothing more than two easy chairs by a fireplace and the edge of a bed. They reached the dining room and a tray of warm banana muffins were waiting for them and Harry broke his open and spread jam over it before taking a bite and sinking happily into his chair.

"Banana is my favourite."

"I like it, but I love blueberry, or lemon poppyseed."

Harry nodded approvingly at Draco's choices and reached for a second muffin as he swallowed down his first in practically four bites. His cheeks were filled when Narcissa joined them at the table. She smiled at them but it didn't reach her eyes as she took her usual seat.

"Good morning, Mother."

"Morning, Draco." Narcissa took a long sip of her coffee. "Your father and I have decided we're going to spend the rest of the summer in France."

Draco gave a happy cry but Harry wasn't sure how to respond. Admittedly, he was happy and excited, because he had never seen France before. Then again, he hadn't seen a lot of things. But the announcement didn't exactly sit right with him. When Narcissa looked at him however, he smiled at her around his chocolate milk and she seemed to relax and smiled back, albeit slowly. Harry watched as she rose from her chair and wandered off towards the stairs. She seemed dazed, almost, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous and concerned. If Narcissa Malfoy was shaken, it couldn't have been good. He turned to Draco, who was now eating a plum happily, and looked to the stairs where Narcissa slipped around the bend and then looked to his muffin.