thattimeofthemonth | Open RP Post

Draco was quite surprised by the news. He was rather curious to know more about the schools that weren't like Hogwarts. It seemed that even in America Hogwarts way was dominent.

"What type of school did you go to? He questioned.

"I actually went to a school that is nothing like Hogwarts. Children intermingle much more and we mix differently between every class. I got to know everyone in my year well. We did have teams for sports, though, so in that way it might not be so different. I was actually very shocked to learn about the idea of House Points!" Melinda chuckled, looking completely amused.

"That would never work here." Draco commented remebering his failed attempt at befriending Harry and how his godfather lost Lilly to James.

The very idea of mingling with other students and getting to know them shocked Draco the most. Hogwarts tried to do it, but it was almost taboo to interact with students outside their house.

"Not with houses, I suppose. That sort of nonsense doesn't end up happening with us, though the competition sounds like fun." There was a brief pause, then she looked thoughtful. "I've been asked to teach a few times. Healers are getting rarer and rarer."

"The houses made the students more competive and helped show their pride. It was always interesting to see which house was the best and who the top students were." Lucius interjected and pointedly looked at his son."Draco could have been the top of his class instead of second had he studied and kept up with the Malfoy tradition."

At these comments Draco rolled his eyes and focused on eating.

"Do you think you will teach later on?" Narcissa questioned. It was important that they needed more healers.

It was such a very fatherly thing to say and really, it sounded more like the Lucius most people knew. Narcissa looked to her husband, giving a firm nod of agreement, but there was a certain joy in her eyes. It had been terrifying, dealing with his decline along such a rapid spiral. Perhaps she less than overly fond of Melinda and her ways, but she could not argue with the results the healer was getting.

Melinda's lips thinned, and she finally shook her head slightly. "I'm not so certain I would be up to a classroom full of children. I wouldn't mind teaching one, perhaps two children who are dedicated to wanting to learn to heal, but I heard enough from Remus about his teaching venture, as well as other friends back home, to be fairly sure that I'm happier with just one at a time."

Though she did chuckle quietly. "We have an entire college dedicated to those who wish to focus on medicine, healing, and uncorrupting. It's quite a bit different than most schools."

Even though Draco rolled his eyes at his father's comment he was quite pleased to hear his old father back. He knew his father simply expected the best and it would forever bother him that his son was second instead of first. Even if he really applied himself it was going to be hard to beat Granger.

The possibility of Melinda teaching caught Draco's eye. He wouldn't mind learning from Melinda herself. Especially with how fast of the results she produced. His father not only finished his first plate, but was working on a second plate and was very animated in their discussion. He also noted that his hands weren't even shaking and that he was very focused.

"It seems that with Hogwarts its expected we go right to our career field after school and learn on the field..." Draco commented briefly remembering the panic other students had as they tried to figure out what career field to go into.

Things were simple. Nothing was being discussed that might trigger something, nothing happening that might do the same. For Melinda, even getting these basics down were deeply important; the things that would trigger him to regress would take a substantial amount of time to work through.

"That isn't terribly different, I suppose," Melinda said after thinking on it, "but we also have our colleges where students who aren't decided can focus more for a year to get their hands into actual work and pick a topic that they enjoy. Those that know what they want to do tend to go right out into the field and get more one-on-one help..."

Though she hesitated again, frowning faintly. "Healing is a subject that is often considered somewhat... unpopular. I think people don't believe it's terribly exciting."

Draco had to admit as a student it didn't sound entirely flattering. Those he knew that seemed interested in the subject were families of healers or had someone who had been hurt...He fit in the second group.

It also didn't help that he was forced to witness so much devastation on both sides that he would never rid himself of the nightmares. He had also hoped that going on this pathway it would help put his family in a positive light. He was trying to help those that his family helped ruined.

"What got you interested in healing?" Draco asked. There was so much about Melinda he didn't know save the little that Remus had to explain.

Healing certainly wasn't a typical Malfoy field to go into, but at least Lucius and Narcissa both realized the reasons why Draco would be interested. Unlike, perhaps, in the past, it wouldn't be held against him. No, far from it. A sign of things had changed in this family.

"I wanted to prove that my family could do more than what people believed of them. I was a child when I figured out that I could soothe people by singing and helped ease my grandfather's passing before I was even in school. It told me everything I wanted to do with my life, even if it was... abnormal. Both my gift and the choice of how I used it." Melinda chuckled, but there was a hint of an old pain around her eyes.

"Remus did say you are one of the best." Draco said with nod of understanding. They may not have been cursed, but their alliance with the Dark Lord had sealed their fate in people's eyes.

After breakfast and tea had been finished, Draco sought Melinda out. He wanted to talk with her more about the healing and what it would be like to possibly go into the college or have her teach him. He knew that no one was going to take him here not even as an intern. Even if someone did take him on...the staff would still give him a hard time and quite possibly the clients. He didn't want to discuss this in front of his parents yet. Not until he was sure about everything. But they did at least know he was interested and didn't seem to hold him back.

There had been an inkling that perhaps Draco would do this and Melinda pointedly went to a quiet room, somewhere they could sit and talk without being immediately over heard. So when Draco found her, it seemed like a very convenient spot. She only gave a smile and gestured for him to join her as she looked out the large windows towards the forest below.

"Will you be staying more of today or returning back to the Lupin's?" She asked to start. "...Close to the full moon." Really, she couldn't blame the young man if he wanted to be out of the house during it.

Draco noted that they had went into the music room that had been rarely used of late. A grand piano took up a large portion of the room. Old books filled the shelves on most of the walls. A picture of the Malfoy family when they were younger sat on the piano. Draco appeared to be five and playing with two large dogs.

"I plan on staying tonight and heading back tomorrow. Although I have brief plans to meet with someone in the evening." Draco paused and appeared to be embarrassed. "I started to get to know some kids my age...that are Muggles. I didn't want to mention it in front of my parents just yet. It's already hard on them right now...I'm not sure how they would have reacted to that news."

Melinda had gone through the house more than once, studying what the Malfoys chose to display in their vacation home, somewhere less likely for visitors to join them. Trying to understand the family, learn more about them without prying questions. This room felt comfortable to her, like there had been happier memories made in it in the past.

The mention of Draco making friends with Muggles brought a smile to Melinda's lips. "Ahh, yes, I can see that might not go over terribly well. Your parents have that old prejudice against them. My grandparents were of the same vein, but my mother chose to ignore that. Not that she went about making friends with them or even interacted with them, but she never hated upon them. I... tend to be a bit unsettling for them, and have mostly avoided them, myself, but I'm glad to here you're getting out and making friends on your own. I think it's something you've needed for a while."

"It's nice to not be judged for a change," Draco softly commented. "I'm still trying to figure out what I want...I was always having to be what other people expected of me."

Realizing what he was dwelling on, Draco focused on the main topic at hand. It had been a pleasant morning and he didn't want to focus on the bad stuff.

"How hard of a transition would it be for me if I were to try and to this college you were talking about?"

Melinda's lips thinned a bit more before she spoke, her voice very soft. "Sometimes, though, Draco? You must learn to ignore that judging. You are who you are. You may change, but in any given moment, you can be nothing more than that. You can lie, you can twist, but you are still that person beneath. It is something you must always remember because you need to be a person that you can live with. Everyone else must only live with you when they are with you, but you are always with you. Be happy with the person you are."

She gave him a soft smile. "I think, though, that it might be a difficult transition to go to the college, but not impossible. You would have to learn to be a little more American, and to be very far from your family. You cannot apparate that distance. But perhaps you might enjoy it... no one would know you, there."

"That's what I want...to be a person I'm happy with. I believe that this path is the right path for me. It'll let me help save my family and prove that we can do the right thing. Plus...I think it'll help heal me as well." Draco replied. He rarely talked about his own horrors around his family. Remus was really the first person he voiced them to. His father had been their main concern of late and he felt that what he had to deal with and saw paled to what his father dealt with.

"Only I've never been away from my parents for such a long time...or been far away from them." He frowned slightly, knowing that he was going to have to do this.

"It's not as if you would be out of contact completely with them. This is when I wish you were in tune more with Muggles. I don't particularly want to deal with them as friends, but their devices can be incredibly useful." She chuckled softly. "But there certainly are wizarding ways to make sure you can speak with them as often as you wish."

She turned her gaze out the window, doing some mental calculations. "In truth... the timing won't work for you to go to the college just yet, until the school year starts, so if you're interested, truly interested, you could go and spend time in America and get yourself used to it as well as being away from your parents for spaces at a time."

"I seriously doubt my parents would ever use those phones. They seem handy, but I also don't want to be tied to the phone. The Muggles seem too involved with them and don't appear to look beyond. The ones I'm getting to know were surprised I don't have one." His parents wouldn't use any technology that the Muggles used. Where he knew alot of other wizard families do rely on them.

Draco played with his ring a bit as he thought about what Melinda said. "If I'm able to stay in contact with them... Then it shouldn't be too hard. I will have to talk with my parents and Remus about it, but I'm willing to do what I have to."

[How was Thanksgiving?? Just got done putting up all my Christmas decorations and all the decorations for the HP Party. :3]

"It actually wasn't a phone I was thinking of. Muggles have this fascinating thing called the internet. Someone I know has managed to make it so they can link into it with a computer all magically.." She gestured, a little motion of her hand that it wasn't terribly important.

However.

"That is one thing you might find interesting. Maybe it's just how America came about, but they do have the difference that they can be a bit more involved with the Muggles and their technology than you might be used to. Every time I try to see a wizard from this side of the ocean try to dress as a Muggle, I end up laughing." Though she herself wore proper wizarding robes, and had since Draco had first seen her...

"I imagine that something could be set up to make sure you could be able to stay in contact. It wouldn't be fair otherwise. I know a few talismens that could work for you all."

[It went lovely :) I'm going to have to eventually start decorating the basement. ]

"The internet?" Draco couldn't help raise an eyebrow. He recalled hearing some students mention it from time to time...but he never inquired further about it. It was always students who were related to Muggles who referred to it.

"You're saving the American wizards are more involved with what the Muggles use and can blend in easier then we do here?" That caught him by surprise. It seemed that there was a lot he was going to have to get used to if he went to America. These wizards appeared to be more open minded to things then how things were done here. He seemed so outdated to the Muggles in general here...he was afraid to even think of how the wizards in American would view him.

[Wait until you see the house! ...actually have you even seen my house?!]

"Hmm Mmm. It's not a complete integration, but just... more so. For instance, there's no such thing as Muggle studies!" She smiled at that. "Children go to school along side of Muggle children until the natural break in grades which comes when they are twelve. Then they say they are going to a different school which is true, just a wizarding school. There are pure blooded families even in America who home school their children but that's more unusual."

A hint of that smile died. "Like me, actually. I was taught at home because of our curse."

[Noooo, not yet!]

Draco flinched a bit at the mention of Muggle studies. An unwanted image of their teacher hovering over their dinner table flashed before him. He closed his eyes trying to block out the image. It was a few moments before he allowed himself to speak.

He thought it was interesting that the wizard children went to the schools as regular children did till they were twelve... They left at eleven here. Unless there was a Muggle in the family...most children didn't go to the schools that Muggles went to.

"Isn't it lonely though to be taught at home? I hated being taught at home." Draco commented. "I didn't get to interact kids my age till I went to Hogwarts...or if one of my parent's friends stopped by with their kids. Remus's place is really the first place I know that had Muggle stuff mixed with ours."

Oh dear, that reaction wasn't what she was looking for. Why did he have such a reaction to that? "...Not a favorite subject?" she asked, prying gently to see if he would open up.

She thought about it for a time, cautious, before she nodded. "It was awfully lonely at times, but I actually had a brother that I could play with and learn with, which helped. As for the Lupin household, it isn't entirely strange in their mixing, though what is very strange is that there is no Muggle in the household. Usually that sort of mixing is when a wizard chooses to marry a Muggle."

Draco hesitated for a moment before speaking. "The Drak Lord had taken our Muggle Studies teacher and tortured her because she supported the Muggles and the belief of marrying them," Draco quietly replied. "He had her had suspended over our table where we sat. Eventually he killed her and fed her to his snake... She was just one of the many he tortured and had kept in our cellars."

He winced at the memories and pointedly looked at his feet as he tried to keep his own emotions in check. He found himself unable to really continue the rest of the conversation.

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