Proper Care and Feeding of Dragons Round . . . . where are we now?
Date: Tuesday, 25 March
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Werewolf Clinic then Malfoy Manor
Characters Involved: Severus Snape, Ginevra Weasley, Draco Malfoy, possibly Narcissa Malfoy if Alpha wants
Rating: Not more than PG-ish
( 'Learning to dislike children at an early age saves a lot of expense and aggravation later in life.' ~Robert Byrne )
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Werewolf Clinic then Malfoy Manor
Characters Involved: Severus Snape, Ginevra Weasley, Draco Malfoy, possibly Narcissa Malfoy if Alpha wants
Rating: Not more than PG-ish
( 'Learning to dislike children at an early age saves a lot of expense and aggravation later in life.' ~Robert Byrne )
"And her name is Miss Weasley or Healer Weasley or even 'Ginny' from her peers, not 'Flame', Draco. You promised to behave yourself," he chided with gently amused teasing.
His brows knitted together in spite of himself and he smoothed his hand gently over the duvet.
"Of course you will walk again," he said emphatically, as though it had never remotely been in question. "I told you it would take some time to recover, not that you would not recover."
Some time. Some unknown duration of time. Time in which he would need extra potions - something he could do, a small way in which he could be useful, and so something he must do.
"And you will behave. I will help see to it. In part, by ensuring you do not overstress yourself too quickly. Remus already spoke to me this morning. We will be postponing our Bonding until school gets out for the summer."
It was their only other option unless they wanted to do something quick and small and postpone their trip until the summer. They had originally chosen the date as the start of the Easter holiday, giving them plenty of time to travel and be alone, away, just the two of them, before they returned to their duties. Remus, the incurable romantic, wanted the 'honeymoon' to follow immediately on the heels of the Bonding, so it was best just to delay the entire plan until summer.
"He is going to handle the rearrangements of schedules with the various places and what-not so I can focus on my brewing load."
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He shrugged, "Seemed better than the other options. Besides, she's just seen my bare arse, I can call her what I like." Malfoy arrogance tinged with boyish charm. He knew that. he could hold onto that.
Then, Severus said the unforgivable.
"No."
No, they couldn't. No, he would not be responsible for that.
"No. Go on as planned. Period. I'll behave, Severus. I'll walk for it. Just please, don't."
He couldn't bear it. But emotional pleas never worked on Severus, and Draco's mind raced to find something else, something that would absolve him of the responsibility and still get Severus to listen to reason.
When he reached his answer, he smiled, feral and triumphant.
"You can't postpone the Bonding unless you want to let Greyback win." He sat back, triumphant, "Unless that's what you want. To let the beast win. Postponing the Bonding means you have let him get to you. Get to us all. Funny, I never imagined Severus Snape would ever bow to another master again."
He didn't close his eyes. He wasn't dumb. But he definitely was intentionally provoking the older man. Hopefully, it wouldn't backfire. Hopefully Severus would give him the chance to remind him that he loved him. That sometimes, you did something to get the person to do what was best, even if it hurt at the time. Implying that Severus would bow to Fenrir was a wretched thing to do. he knew it.
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Really, it was remarkable that he had managed as a spy for so long when his quicksilver temper was always so close to the surface.
"What sort of man do you think I am, who could try and enjoy something so selfish, so utterly and completely self-centred as a Bonding when you were nearly killed?" he hissed angrily, shooting up from his chair as though shot from a canon.
He paced the room next to the bed, fury in every line of his body.
Greyback. Someone was always trying to manipulate him. Whether he let Greyback 'win' or once again caved to the manipulative mechanations of the precocious brat lying in the bed, someone was trying to control his actions.
"I will not Bond while you are confined to bed! I will not be manipulated against my own will and my own conscience ever again! Not by you, not by Greyback, not by anyone!"
It really was not a pretty sight when his temper flared so severely. Heat flushed his face, probably turning him a 'nasty shade of puce' as Nymphadora once said, and his crooked teeth made emphatic speech almost certain to result in flying droplets of spit.
But Draco was ill. Severely injured. It was probably, at least in part, Severus' fault that he was a target. Severus would not outright deny Draco's request. Especially not when it was something he wanted to do, anyway.
Forcing himself to take a deep breath and calm down, he turned on his heel to glare down his nose at the invalid in the bed.
"The event is quite small. It will be the matter of a few hours to cancel arrangements. If you are not walking with some degree of proficiency by the second of April, the Bonding will be postponed. I will hear no further arguments and make no further compromise."
His tone was absolute.
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Severus was refusing. No, there had to be a way. There had to be something to do to prevent this catastrophe from being laid at Draco's feet.
He began shaking slightly, but Severus was still pacing, and so may not have noticed. It wasn't fear, but frustration. Draco had to find a way to control it. He gripped the sheets with his good hand tightly.
When Severus offered his 'compromise', Draco nodded. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his own temper. Quickly, he tried to run his mind through the offer. Could he walk by then? Just over a week? He had to find a way.
"I'll walk by then, Severus," he said with far more confidence than he felt. Still, maybe if he convinced himself of it, it would be true.
"Severus," he sighed, "I'm sorry. I just can't be responsible for that. I know I've never been the biggest fan of him, but I don't want that. I'll find a way. Even if Weasley has to spend hours here every day."
Merlin, perish the thought. He suppressed the shiver.
"I'll do whatever it takes, Severus. I will get better and I will walk in time for your Bonding." No anger this time, just determination.
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"I understand, Draco. You will not be responsible for the delay, should we choose to postpone the event. Remus and I are the only two who can decide when we wish to be Bonded. It is not your choice to make, any more than it was your choice or your fault that the mongrel chose to attack you.
"Remus is going to be with me the rest of my life, whether we Bond ten days from now or three months from now. He would no more expect me to be able to fully enjoy the ceremony and all the trappings if you are still debilitated, anymore than I would expect him to if the injured party were Potter or one of our own adopted 'family'.
"I appreciate your distress on my behalf, but it is unnecessary. You must focus, now, on healing and regaining your strength. I have no doubt that as soon as your leg has healed enough to undertake the strain, Ginevra will prescribe an extensive regimen of exercise and stretching to restore strength and function. Such things are generally quite grueling. You will need all your stubborn determination and sheer fortitude to carry through."
He gently squeezed Draco's hand.
"The Bonding is my choice and my responsibility, shared with Remus. You have only to concentrate on yourself and your recovery."
Raising a brow teasingly once again, he added, "How often do you hear me grant permission for you to fully indulge in your arrogant selfishness? You might as well enjoy that aspect of your convalescence at the very least."
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"I still intend to be walking by then. And yes, I'll quote you on the being able to be selfish part." His eyes twinkled, "I'll be sure to remind my parents of that daily."
He chuckled slightly and squeezed Severus' hand in return. "I promise I won't let this beat me, Severus. And I won't stop." He laughed heartily then, "So who can I blame for optimism? We're pragmatic, not optimistic. Someone's obviously gotten to us."
In truth, it was sheer determination and resourcefulness, rather than proper optimism, but that didn't matter. What mattered was it was real. It would result in him succeeding.
"Besides, who said I needed permission?" he smiled and squeezed Severus' hand just a bit tighter. "I'm Draco Malfoy. I get what I want."
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