A Worried Mother

The gate was, of course, jinxed. Fortunately there was someone dressed up just like the earlier black-hooded men, walking--or patroling, around the manor. "Excuse me", I said once, and a bit loud so he could hear me. He looked up and briskly approached me who was still outside the jinxed gate. "Who are you and what do you want?" he asked, not so nicely. "I'm here to see Mrs. Malfoy...uh, she asked for me and sent two men, dressed like you are, to deliver the message", I kind of stuttered. It might be because of the cold too. "Oh, yeah, I heard", with that, he quickly swished his wand without incantation and the gate was opened. I stepped in and said thank you. Even though deep down I knew these men were most probably be the Death Eaters. I picked up the pace as the man was walking so fast he overtook me. Once inside, it was reeking of grim ambience. I could see from where I stood, the shadows of the people crowding in what I assumed to be the living room. Not a second later, Narcissa Malfoy approached and beckoned me to follow her upstairs, far away from the others. I followed her and we entered one of the rooms along the 2nd floor corridor. Inside were a huge bed with satin covers and not far from it a tea table with 3 chairs. She told me to sit down on one of those chairs. "So.." she started. I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen since I had no idea what was going on. Her face seemed stern and anxious at the same time. "You're..Draco's friend?" she asked, finally. "Yes, ma'am. Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry I keep wondering why you invite me here." I couldn't help it. She looked at me surprised at my boldness or my impudence. Either way, she stared at me unwaveringly for some time. Until she finally spoke. "No, not at all. I just..care about my son so much. And lately he was not in his right mind. I tried talking to him, but, well, no use. Quite a few times I caught him talking in his sleep, screaming someone's name, and woke up drenched in sweats and tears. I thought I knew what happened. I thought, at first. The next night and the next again, and days after, the nightmare kept coming to him. Until I finally heard your name." She looked down to her feet. Her hands gripping the back of the chair in front of me. I didn't realise then that I had dropped a tear. I snuffled. Tried to push away the surge of feelings I have for Draco that came rushing in without any excuse. I also didn't realise that Narcissa looked at me in disbelief, until she said, "You love each other, don't you?" She was a bit shocked with what she said. "We do, Mrs. Malfoy. We do. I don't know what happens to Draco with his nightmares and what caused him to have those nightmares, but he didn't tell me everything. He kept me in the dark. We weren't supposed to meet each other until it's safe for us to do so. I just didn't want him to worry, so I adhered to what he said. So, please, if you're here to ask me if I knew anything, the answer is I don't know." My voice cracked saying that. "I don't care about any of that," she sneered, "My point is, I know who you are. Your parents were the only ones who actually cared about me when dear Lucius was sent to Azkaban." I was shocked. "What? 'Cared', what do you mean 'cared'?" I inquired. "Oh, if you think they're one of us, no, they're too good to be one of us. We were just close when we were kids. When all was peace and all houses were getting along.." she trailed off, supposedly remembering the better times. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Malfoy, I didn't know." "How could you know, dear. It was long before you or Draco even exist." "If I may ask, Mrs. Malfoy, what exactly do you need me here for?" "I just need to see you in person. I was worried about Draco, you know. Rest assured, I have one less thing to worry about, because it is you. It's a motherly thing, you might not understand, but I just have to be sure. When this is all over, I know my dear Draco will have a brighter future than the one that's laid down for him now." She got close to me and took my hand with both of her hands. She shed a tear, her voice cracked, "He had no choice, (Y/n), no freedom to make a choice...with this world we live in, the choices his father and I made...I-" her quivering voice just sent my tears back in my eyes. "It's all right, Mrs. Malfoy, it's all right," I tried to calm her down. "I am only hoping that with you, he will have that freedom. Far away from this." There were three raps of knock on the door. Narcissa looked up and wiped her tears. "You must go. Leave at once", she said. "Okay", and with that I disapparated and by the time I almost disappear from the manor, Draco came in to that room, face full of questions. I arrived back in my room. He was so close I could've reached for him. But I knew I couldn't. I cried not knowing what would happen to Draco or what's going on in the wizarding world. I hated that.