Tonks was coming back from Diagon Alley, where she'd just had a quick lunch with one of her old school friends, and heading back towards the Ministry. It wasn't often she had an hour to kill in the day, but lately it seemed she was less busy than usual... and it irked her. She wanted action - danger.
It was like a drug, really - once you'd felt that adrenaline rush for the first time, no matter if your life was threatened, you couldn't do without it afterwards.
I'm doing this for Mum, she told herself, walking through a small park where children were playing. She and Dad need me right now... but I'll be back on the road soon.
A somewhat familiar silhouette caught her eye. A tall, pale-haired boy in dark garb was walking away, his back turned towards her, but still, there was no mistaking him.
Draco Malfoy, she realised with a start. What the bloody hell is he doing here, right in middle of Muggle London?
She heard the small children laughing and felt a chill. Planning an attack on innocent Muggles? Like some sort of predator...
( ... )
The child had fallen and hurt himself. It looked like a broken wrist from where Draco sat, and he wondered idly, why it was putting up such a fit. Broken bones were so very easy to fix. Why was it screaming and crying fit to raise the dead?
He watched as its tender, he assumed its mother but he wasn't sure... it was an adult female, though, hurried over, wringing her hands and then clutching the child to her. She held the boy, rocking him gently, crooning softly before she gently picked him up.
For a moment, Draco wondered why she didn't just pull out her wand and heal it, then he remembered these were Muggles.
Right. Muggles. Filth.
Still... he knew his own mother would have held him the same, rocked him the same, petted and stroked his hair the same. Had he been the four or so years of the child in question and willing to let her, at least.
Now he was curious how the Muggles fixed broken bones, although it didn't seem to be something he was going to get to witness. He might have to look into it, though.
Tonks stopped short as Draco paused to look at a crying child who had hurt his wrist. Looking carefully as his face, she expected to see a mocking expression, or a disdainful sneer so characteristic of Purebloods convinced of their superiority.
Yet she was surprised to see that Draco looked almost curious, and... was that longing she read on his features?
Intriguing, coming from someone who had been spoiled rotten by both his parents... But how long has it been since he experienced a real, loving family life, his father being what he is? a voice in her head wondered. Perhaps he never knew what it was like at all... Tonks couldn't imagine that life at Malfoy Manor was near as warm and cheerful as in her own home.
As the woman hurried off with the hurt child, Draco sat back on the bench to watch some more. The mothers all seemed to know each other, laughing and talking in a group under a shelter while their children ran around and climbed all over the apparatus. He couldn't see what the appeal of the structure was. It didn't fly or anything. But the children still seemed to be having a good time.
He felt a cold prickle on the back of his neck like he was being watched, and slowly let his eyes flick across the crowd, looking to see who might be looking at him.
Perhaps he was obvious sitting there. He didn't see any other men watching the playing children. Some were participating in the play, but none of them sat on the sidelines alone like he was.
Torn between curiosity and caution, he stood and made his way around the structure to another bench, giving him a chance to erect his Occlumency shields and take a better look at the crowd.
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It was like a drug, really - once you'd felt that adrenaline rush for the first time, no matter if your life was threatened, you couldn't do without it afterwards.
I'm doing this for Mum, she told herself, walking through a small park where children were playing. She and Dad need me right now... but I'll be back on the road soon.
A somewhat familiar silhouette caught her eye. A tall, pale-haired boy in dark garb was walking away, his back turned towards her, but still, there was no mistaking him.
Draco Malfoy, she realised with a start. What the bloody hell is he doing here, right in middle of Muggle London?
She heard the small children laughing and felt a chill. Planning an attack on innocent Muggles? Like some sort of predator... ( ... )
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He watched as its tender, he assumed its mother but he wasn't sure... it was an adult female, though, hurried over, wringing her hands and then clutching the child to her. She held the boy, rocking him gently, crooning softly before she gently picked him up.
For a moment, Draco wondered why she didn't just pull out her wand and heal it, then he remembered these were Muggles.
Right. Muggles. Filth.
Still... he knew his own mother would have held him the same, rocked him the same, petted and stroked his hair the same. Had he been the four or so years of the child in question and willing to let her, at least.
Now he was curious how the Muggles fixed broken bones, although it didn't seem to be something he was going to get to witness. He might have to look into it, though.
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Yet she was surprised to see that Draco looked almost curious, and... was that longing she read on his features?
Intriguing, coming from someone who had been spoiled rotten by both his parents... But how long has it been since he experienced a real, loving family life, his father being what he is? a voice in her head wondered. Perhaps he never knew what it was like at all... Tonks couldn't imagine that life at Malfoy Manor was near as warm and cheerful as in her own home.
Still, better stay on my guard, she reasonned.
Reply
He felt a cold prickle on the back of his neck like he was being watched, and slowly let his eyes flick across the crowd, looking to see who might be looking at him.
Perhaps he was obvious sitting there. He didn't see any other men watching the playing children. Some were participating in the play, but none of them sat on the sidelines alone like he was.
Torn between curiosity and caution, he stood and made his way around the structure to another bench, giving him a chance to erect his Occlumency shields and take a better look at the crowd.
Reply
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