[HP] Three thousand days of innocence

For a long time no one moved.Lucius, standing motionless in the doorway; Draco, who saw his father for the first time in eight years; Ginny, who felt very embarrassed as an outsider at the moment.

"Draco must be back in his Ministry cell before dawn," she said softly.

Her words worked.Lucius stepped back, keeping his eyes on Draco's hunched figure as they walked down the sidewalk into the dark hallway.A house-elf came up behind them and closed the door, but only Ginny noticed.The little thing bowed to her and tiptoed away.

Draco opened his eyes wide, looking at his father's tall figure uneasily, as if he wanted to remember every detail of his appearance in the shortest possible time.He was trembling all over, his eyes gleaming in the dim light.Ginny pointed her wand cautiously at his wrist, whispered "Spell Stop", and released Ron from his restraints.

"I thought you were dead," he said softly.

Lucius didn't speak.

Draco swallowed, and said again, "I—I've been trying to imagine for years—"

"What are you doing? Stand up straight," Lucius snapped. "Have you forgotten how to control yourself? Spread your shoulders and walk proudly. You're a Malfoy, don't forget."

Ginny flinched as Draco straightened up involuntarily. "he--"

Lucius looked at her with his impassive gray eyes. "I trust that your services are no longer required, Miss Weasley," he said coldly.

"On the contrary, my work has just begun," she replied. "He cannot be out of my sight until dawn tomorrow when he returns to the Ministry. My brother Ron is patrolling the grounds as we speak. If I have reason to believe that you will not cooperate with me, I can summon him immediately."

"So--"

"We have ten hours, and we can't waste another minute." She said firmly. "In short - Draco has amnesia. He doesn't remember you or your wife. That's why he disappeared for so long."

Lucius immediately turned to Draco, looking at him more intensely... "What's your name?" he asked abruptly.

"Ben Han - I mean, Draco Marie," Draco replied. "Er - Malfoy."

Lucius scowled. "When were you born?"

"I—um—"

"At what age did you get your first broom?"

"Broom?" Draco repeated, confused.

"Wait a minute, please!" said Ginny, stepping forward. "Can't you trust me? He doesn't remember anything before November 1998. The war - Hogwarts - doesn't remember anything."

"I remember the birds," Draco said. "Big white bird in the front garden. I don't remember my mother—"

"You should call her 'mother,'" Lucius said through gritted teeth. "Of course you—"

"Are you my father?" Draco walked towards him hesitantly. "I have the same hair as you—I look a lot like you. They say Lucius Malfoy is my father, and I assume you are."

At this moment, for the first time, old Malfoy's face showed a slight emotional fluctuation, and Ginny thought it was a flickering light at first.His hands clenched at his sides, then loosened. "Yes, Draco," he said hoarsely. "I am your father."

Draco covered his face with his hands and laughed, his laugh a mix of desperation and joy. "I've imagined this moment for a long time." He sniffed. "See you again..." He looked up at Lucius, tears streaming down his face. "Of course, I think it's going to be slightly different—we're not—"

A shrill bell rang in the dark manor, interrupting his words.Lucius immediately turned to the direction of the sound. "Your mother, Draco," Lucius said calmly. "We're going to take care of her."

"What's wrong with her?" Draco asked. "Is it cancer?"

Lucius sneered. "A pureblood witch with a nasty Muggle disease? No, she—" He seemed to think of Ginny, for he glanced back at her, then at his son. "You have to be more cautious around strangers, Draco. Our private affairs have nothing to do with others."

"Wherever you take him, I'll follow," said Ginny.

Lucius stared at Ginny, who felt like a child again. "Do I need to repeat that?"

"No, but I obviously need it." She met his gaze. "I'll go where Draco goes, or I'll call Ron. It's as simple as that."

"Okay," Lucius snapped. "You stay where Narcissa can't see you. You don't say or do anything to disturb her, understand?"

"I'm not interested in getting involved either."

"Then we've reached a consensus." Lucius said, nodding.

Draco walked over to Lucius, still studying his father's face carefully. "Should I tell her?"

"No." Lucius said.They were now only a foot apart, instead of standing at opposite ends of the room, and Ginny immediately saw what Draco saw: they really were alike.Lucius was an older Draco, with fine features, pale blond hair, and regal manners. "You have to pretend you remember her—and me—and I'll help you." At this point, Lucius' voice trembled as he cleared his throat and regained his composure. "The therapist said she won't live long. She probably won't survive tonight."

Draco lowered his head and nodded.

"You want to make her dying as happy as possible," Lucius said. "She waited eight years to see you."

"Me too," Draco said hoarsely, tears rolling down his face.

Lucius stood there silently, watching Draco cry.She was about to yell at him to wake him up—it was his son, a son he hadn't seen in nearly ten years—but Lucius made a move.As Draco cried, Lucius reached out and squeezed Draco's shoulder tentatively.Draco let out a choked sob and threw himself into Lucius' arms, and they hugged tightly, trying desperately to control their emotions.Ginny saw Lucius blink as he whispered something to Draco that she could barely hear, but he didn't cry. "You're home," he whispered to his son. "You're back with us. You're home."

Ginny looked down at the parquet floor, avoiding the touching scene in front of her.She looked up when she heard their footsteps again and saw Lucius put his hand on Draco's back and led him up to the second floor.She tucked her wand into the sleeve of her red robe and followed silently.

They walked down the familiar path from Ginny's last visit - had she been here only a week ago?Were they laughing and kissing in the Brighton sun a week ago?The manor at night was like a haunted house: as they strode across the corridors, the wall candles suddenly lit up to light their way, only to go out again after the three of them had passed.There are dancing shadows around every corner, but only they move; there is no life, no warmth here.Ginny almost thought she could see her breath forming a white mist in front of her.

"Does this look familiar?" Lucius asked him softly.

Draco looked around, then shook his head. "I think—I think I should remember. But...it doesn't look familiar."

"It will be familiar," Lucius said.Ginny was amazed at his optimism; she thought he was downright pessimistic. "You'll remember it someday."

Draco smiled bitterly. "That's what they told me eight years ago."

Lucius said sarcastically, "Muggle medicine is not reliable. Of course they can't help you, you're a wizard."

"I heard." Draco replied.

Narcissa's door was ajar, and it was darker than the corridor.Draco stopped at the door, wiped the tears off his face, and brushed his hair back with his fingers.Lucius walked in.Draco followed behind him.Ginny followed suit and closed the door behind her.

There is only one lamp here, making the dark purple room feel even more depressing; on the table next to the canopy bed is an ornate lamp with delicate vine and floral motifs on the glass shade.The heavy purple draperies were half-hidden, and Narcissa Malfoy was leaning against a pile of snow-white pillows. Ginny had never seen anyone so pale and frail as she was.Her eyes were closed, and her nearly white hair hung down on the simple nightgown.Ginny stared at her for a moment before she was sure she was alive, because her breasts were still rising and falling weakly and slowly.

Lucius walked up to her, waved the therapist away from the chair by the bed, and took her thin hand. "Dear Sissy," he said softly. "Look who's coming to see you."

Her eyelids moved slightly, and then she opened them.Ginny saw her look first at Lucius, then at Draco, who was squatting beside him.

She said softly, "Baby."

Draco looked down again, his shoulders trembling. "I'm sorry, mother," he said. "sorry--"

"Oh, you're really here." Narcissa's hands moved by her sides, but they were too weak to make any movements. Draco held her hands and kissed them over and over again.She had a big smile on her face, and for a split second, it didn't seem like she was sick at all. "I knew you would come, my dear. My precious son."

"If—if I knew," Draco stammered, "if someone—tell me—"

"It doesn't matter now," she said. "You're here." She looked up at Lucius. "The two most important men in my life — both with me. We're together again, just as I hoped."

"It's been a long time since we were last together," Lucius said thoughtfully. "Eight years."

"Look at him, Lucius." Narcissa said softly.She took a hand from Draco's and stroked his face, nose bridge and long hair gently.Even though his back was turned to her, Ginny could hear him crying, and it brought tears to her eyes as well. "How did he grow up without us. He's not a little boy anymore, is he?"

"Yes." Lucius agreed.

"So handsome." She smiled. "I don't think I have any grandchildren yet?"

Draco choked on his laughter. "Not as far as I know, Mother," he said.

"Ah, well. Women can dream, can't they?" Narcissa said, laughing with him.

Lucius leaned towards her. "Cissy, don't get so excited, the therapist said—"

"Oh, to his therapist," Narcissa said irritably. "I want to know everything—I feel like we're meeting for the first time. Eight years, Lucius, and he's so good. We couldn't have raised him better."

"I want you to be with me," Draco said. "I don't like being alone."

Narcissa reached out again, brushing a stray strand of hair from his face. "You're not alone anymore," she said.

"I love you, mother," he said softly.

Narcissa's eyes gleamed in the light. "Honey, you're my sweetheart, the center of my world. I fell in love with you from the moment they first put you in my arms, and I've loved you ever since. "

Draco didn't speak, but lowered his head again, holding her hands with trembling hands.

"What do you think, Cissy?" Lucius asked. "Shall I ask the healer to get you some more potions?"

"I don't need potions," she said weakly. "Before you came in, I saw Andromeda's daughter."

Lucius flinched in horror. "Sissy—"

"She has forgiven me, Lucius. I saw her, smiling at me by the window. She was waiting for me."

"I don't want you to go," Draco said.

"But we all have to go, honey," she said. "I've been waiting to see you - I have no doubts, you're the only reason I've lasted this long. Now that you're back, I see you, and I'm incredibly proud of who you are." She added He stroked Draco's hair with his hand. "You're going to tell me everything, dear. I want to know you."

Ginny lowered her head, wiped her tears, and blinked hard.The Malfoys talked about everything except Draco's amnesia, and Ginny couldn't tell how long she stood in the corner, only her legs hurt and her eyelids grew heavy.When Narcissa closed her eyes and her chest stopped heaving, Draco begged her not to leave and Lucius dragged Draco away from his mother to the other side of the room while Ginny kept her eyes down.

"I just got back," Draco begged. "I've been waiting so long—"

"She's gone to a better place." Lucius said flatly.

"I still can't remember," Draco cried, his face flushed with anger, frustration, and sadness. "She's a stranger to me. I don't feel anything about her. She's my mother! But I don't remember anything!" He collapsed against the wall, covering his face and crying.

In 26 years, he spent only a few hours with his mother.It was all Ginny's fault.

Ginny wished she didn't feel anything.