THE FURIES ▸ Draco Malfoy

Chapter Nineteen: STYX

◤ ❝It's a scary thing when two monsters look at one another and only see peace. That means they are monsters capable of love―and I don't think there is anything more terrifying than a monster who can love and still does terrible things.❞ ― Tracey Davis ◢

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CHAPTER NINETEEN:      TYCHE

December 24, 1996

          "Do we have a plan here?" 

The news that Eleanor and Kal Radnor would not be arriving at the Erebus family manor until the 24th of December (a day later than what they originally assumed, but unsurprisingly expected given Eleanor's holiday tendencies) had elated all of their moods. If not because they were given more time to look into the leather, black book of Slughorn's than because they would be rid of the wretched woman for another day―but the next day had approached faster than any of them wanted, and so did the evening. That left them little time to inspect the book and even less time to come up with an unanimous decision on what they would do for the Christmas dinner that year. Their grandparents decided to only stay for single evening that year given the 'tragedies happening in the world' as their Grandmother said. She could blame it on anything else in the world, but they all knew the truth. Eleanor just didn't want to be in the home of Alastiare Erebus any longer than a day. 

As Celicia's wand spurted out another spell, Theodore asked the question on everyone's mind. Mia glanced up from her seat on top of the table in her mother's library, her hand falling from Atlas' back. Theo was leaning against the window, the cool of the winter snow outside relieving him of the tension in his back. They had all been holed up inside the library for Merlin knows how long, only stopping to eat Picket's food, to change, and to occasionally sleep on the large sofa in the corner of the room. Theodore and Celicia did that more often than Mia. 

She gave her cousin a look. "Of course we do. Smile, glare at the back of Grandmother's head, and avoid any instances that lead toward a conversation about our disgraceful fathers. Mother keeps the peace, and when we have the chance, we let Grandfather slip a potion into Grandmother's drink so she sleeps until the New Year." 

"Andromeda," the condescending tone in her mother's voice trailed off in warning, but she did not look up from the book.

"What, Mother? You hate the woman as much as we do. Don't act like we don't have this down to a strict routine after sixteen years." 

"She is your grandmother―the only living one either of you have left for that matter. She deserves more respect out of the two of you..." Celicia paused, glancing up at her daughter with pursed lips "...but I suppose I will see if Father can arrange a faster nap for her. It will rid us all of the coming migraine he has survived for sixty years." 

Mia gestured that her point had been proven. "Now that we've all come to the same agreement that Grandmother is the bane of our magical existences, what are we meant to say if she has questions at dinner about what happened over the summer with the Malfoy's? Or if she asks about the Dark Lord?" 

"You could always say you've begun dating Malfoy," Theo threw out, and she turned to him with a scowl that only made a smirk grow on the sides of his lips. "What? It's a solid excuse, and it's one we could use more than once to explain any oddness in your behavior if she points it out...we'll say the two of you have gone out and gotten matching tattoos."

She clenched her teeth together, glaring at him. "We absolutely will not―"

"Mia," her mother interrupted, and they turned to her. The thoughtful look in Celicia's eyes only made Mia's face fall in absolute horror. No. Absolutely not. "Perhaps Theodore is right...my mother has always believed when you were younger that Draco would be a suitable partner and husband as the two of you aged. She will be too overjoyed with the news to think of anything else that may be happening in your life."