thattimeofthemonth | Open RP Post

"Lucius will never see us as the enemy. We're the ones who have kept him grounded. We're the ones he's always protected." Narcissa quickly responded. "Yesterday... was just too much for him. None of us had expected to ever see dementors here of all places. He's so afraid to being locked up again in that hellish place."

Quietly, Draco listened to his mother trying to make excuses for what she refused to see. He knew that she only wanted her family back the way things had been and that she couldn't put them back together.

He knew that it unnerved her that she couldn't put them back together and was fighting a helpless battle. He got the coffee started and some tea as well knowing that his mother had preferred tea over coffee.

A slow breath out, then he thought about it for several more moments before he continued. "As you wish," he said carefully, "but I have someone who would be willing to come here and help you, provided her abilities are what he needs. Something to keep in mind. He wouldn't have to go into St. Mungos', and better, she doesn't know your family. No judgement on that. Just... think on it."

Push on. Go into a better topic.

"...As for Draco, have you given any thought to his future?" He glanced to Draco, hoping the young man would give him a chance to broach this topic in this way.

First her husband...now her son? Her nerves were rattled enough. What did this man want? Haven't they given him enough hospitality for his help yesterday? He was going to be lucky if their breakfast didn't burn at this point.

Now he wanted to take her family away? She didn't even bother to acknowledge the bit of the possible help when Draco was mentioned.

"What is wrong with Draco's future? He's a Malfoy. He doesn't have to work. He'll live here with us and raise his own family here. That's one thing that doesn't have to change." Narcissa replied in a tone that held a slight edge to it.

At this Draco frowned and looked away. He only refrained from what he wanted to say because he trusted Remus. He was wary if he said anything right now it might mess up things even more.

Tonks' voice popped up in his head at this point, asking him all over again why he was even bothering to help Draco. Pretty much exactly what Narcissa was saying now; he was wealthy, he didn't have to work, maybe he didn't want to work...

He sighed very quietly so it wouldn't be heard and tried to keep calm as he spoke. "But what if he wants something more than that? Staying out here... it isn't good for anyone, never mind a young man Draco's age. Speaking as someone who knows what it's like to be isolated for a long time." Blunt.

At this point Draco felt he needed to interject. He felt bad for his mother knowing that she felt that Remus may be trying to steal her family away. When he wasn't. He knew if he didn't step in now that his mother would see Remus as a threat and send him out the door.

"Mother...please take a moment and listen to him. He's only trying to help us. He really wants to, mother. As much as you don't want to admit it, how many other people would genuinely show interest in our well being?

This is a chance for us to put our family back together and atone for what happened. I want to prove to everyone that we aren't the evil people like they say we are. That we had been forced into serving Him when none of us wanted to. This is a chance to clear our name and bring the respect back to the Malfoy family.

Father won't have to leave home to get help. There may be a person willing to help him that isn't upset by what he had done in the past. If you give this opportunity up now... you may not get it when you really need it. And Father is miserable as it is. He's never going to ask for the help. What little pride he has left is keeping it from him asking."

Draco said speaking in a soft but firm voice. He couldn't afford to loose this opportunity now and he didn't want his mother's pride to cost it.

With Draco speaking Narcissa couldn't help but listen to what her son had to say. He was everything to her and all she wanted was him to be happy as well.

It was clear that Remus had gotten through to Draco and she knew that once her son was determined he wasn't going to back down from it. That determination is what ensnared him into the Dark Lord's grip. But this time...it could be steered in a better path.

Her own hands trembled as she tried to openly think about these opportunities instead of letting her own fear rule over them. Breakfast at this point was forgotten.

"What do you have in mind, Remus," she asked softly almost in defeat.

Thank Merlin he's gotten more sense, Remus thought as he listened to Draco sound quite logical about the whole situation. He personally wondered if it was fear that was pushing Draco into this. Fear for his father, for his family, for his own future. Or maybe Draco had pure and simple... grown up. Not everyone, even the Pure-Bloods, all grew up the same. Just look at Sirius, after all.

Draco had clearly gotten through to his mother, for which Remus was grateful. He folded his hands over one another as he laid out his somewhat hastily constructed plan. "Draco needs to see if he can find his path in life. He's told me about his... path as it's been so far. Potter's spoken up for him, but I know others will be more difficult. I know someone who will be as impartial as anyone can be who knows what happened, and he can confirm Draco's word. With that in place... I know some people who he can work with, try to find himself and his place in the world. Maybe it'll be back here, but I figure he deserves that chance."

"And what do you get out of this, Remus?" Narcissa challenged. As much as she wanted to believe what her son was saying and what Remus was saying...she had to becareful. They couldn't afford to place their trust into someone that would guide them into a possibly empty promise...when they had done that once and lost everything.

"I'm well aware that Lucius had given you a hard time and of your own history in general. Are you trying to take credit for helping a once respected family? And let the media know all about it and the shame that we have suffered?

You may have gotten through to my son, but how can we trust that your intentions are true...and that he's not simply being used?"

It was more the sort of thing he expected from the Malfoys, honestly. Remus' lips gave a quick quirk, not entirely surprised. What more could he do in this case to make her believe him than tell her the truth? "...because I know what it's like to be hated. I know what it's like to be alone and without potential for a job because of who I am. I had the good luck to have someone who reached out and helped me when I was at one of my lowest points, and thanks to him... it's the only reason I am where I am today. If it helps, you can consider it in honor of Dumbledore."

Draco winced at the mention of the headmaster's name and bolted out of the room and outside. It was all he could do to keep his on emotions in check. He tried to steady his own breathing and steady his trembling body. There was a mixture of emotions that ran through him when it came to Professor Dumbledore. Fear, regret, anger, failure, remorse, loss. hopelessness. He didn't realize how emotion the name could stir in him.

The headmaster had helped Remus but didn't help them. Instead he had let Draco go down the route he had picked and it wasn't until it was time to go through with the task...did Dumbledore even suggest trying to help.

Draco knew that Remus didn't mean to to upset him... but it was probably the wrong card to pull out.

Narcissa glared back at Remus. "That name is just as bad as mentioning the Dark Lord in this house!" she hissed and went to go after son.

Well, bloody hell. Remus really should have thought that through. He rubbed a hand slowly around his face and sighed into his palm. Fantastic, his attempt to help had just backfired horribly. Despite himself, there was that sinking feeling he wouldn't have been able to do this even if he hadn't mentioned that name. He did everything in his attempt to remain pleasant considering his condition, but there would always be that part of him that was angry, depressed, and insular. He'd thought there was a chance to help someone in turn, since his own life had turned around by this point to something he loved despite his curse.. and this was what he turned this attempt into.

Sigh.

Remus didn't stay. Considering that he had actually had a job to do, it was something he decided right now needed to be done. Give time for everyone to cool off while he risked his already terrible health. Thanks to his running around after the dementors, he had become all too good of a friend to his own Patronus.

Night had fallen, when Draco decide to sneak out of the house. Things had cooled off since this morning and he felt guilty for what happened with Remus. He knew that Remus was trying to help and Draco had ruined it with his own breakdown.

He summoned his own Patronus and sent it to go find Remus. He noted it was easier now to use the charm then it was before. Remus had to be somewhere near by since that's where the dementors were. He did say he wanted to help him capture them.

When he saw the flash of silvery light, he thought it would be his large wolf bounding back through the leaves, so it was with surprise that he saw it was a smaller fox instead. "Draco?" He called out quietly, looking through the darkness. "Be careful. They're nearby." Didn't have say what; that much was obvious.

There was something in his hands that looked like a camera, but where there should have been a flash, there was a large crystal instead. "Keep your voice low."

He could feel them near by and shuddered at their presence. To think what seemed years ago he was making fun of Harry for fainting. After the horrors of what his father went through with them, he had regretted later on having done such a thing. Now he was trying to help capture them.

He gave a curious glance at what Remus had in his hands, but didn't ask what it was. He figured Remus would explain in time.

"Okay," Draco replied softly and crouched near by, using his robes to shroud him in the darkness. "Tell me what I need to do and I'll help."

The silvery wolf came over towards the fox, three times it's size but it studied the smaller canine with white eyes as Remus whispered, "have you ever used a Muggle or magical camera? Somehow, they managed to magic this to be able to not capture their photograph, but the very spirit of them. The problem is able to get them perfectly in frame as well as in focus - it's the only way to get this to work. It isn't perfect, but it's the first method we've ever had that successfully captures them instead of just driving them off."

The silvery fox curiously sniffed and looked up at the larger canine.

"I've used the magical version of one." He gave a nod understanding the challenge to it. Especially once the dementors got excited trying to capture them would be tough.

"Should I try to distract them while you use it?"

The wolf looked like a wolf but acted with the intelligence of a human, his tail swaying back and forth as he watched the fox, but his head lifted to the wind, watchful of the dark ones.

"I'm not about to make you the bait," Remus said pointedly, giving him a look before he offered the camera over. "That's the game I'm used to playing already. Just do. not. flinch. I need you to take the attempt at least, but I have to hold it as long as possible which means my Patronus won't attack. Understood?"

The silvery fox left the wolf to join his master's side as if it picked up on his unease.

His face paled slightly, but Draco gave a nod in understanding and took the camera. He couldn't be afraid now. He couldn't afford to fail this task. If he couldn't handle this...then he wouldn't much of use for anyone else. He wanted to prove to Remus, that his help wasn't wasted on him.

"Be ready." A small smile, though with no mirth contained within, but attempting to give some confidence to the young man. Remus stepped away and his Patronus bounded away as well, leaving him very much open and exposed. Draco might have caught the way that Remus' hand was shaking faintly at his side despite his apparent bravery, waiting for the darkness to come.

And given his vulnerability, the dementors did come. Five of them brushed through the darkness of the last of the dawn, barely seen. They wouldn't have long - dawn was just about upon them. They would have to try again tomorrow night if they didn't succeed here. Remus was even sticking to the thick wood to make it darker.

One swept right past Remus and he shuddered, his fingers tightening violently on his wand.

Draco noted the hand shaking but said nothing. Watching the silvery wolf bound away did little to quell his own nerves. He kept telling himself not to run and to say where he was and focused more on happier thoughts to keep his Patronus from fading.

His first attempt at trying to capture one didn't go to well. Softly swearing to himself he tried again and again. This time he made sure his hands were steady. He managed to get a hold of one...and after another few tries a second. But it still left three and he wasn't liking how excited they were at this point.

It was probably a good thing to be afraid because after the second one vanished, Remus hit the ground. One knee pressed into the cool forest floor, as did a hand, and there was a flash as his Patronus disappeared completely. He couldn't hold it up. There hadn't been this many all together before. Damn!

Yet while two of them went in after Remus, another came straight for Draco.

Draco sent his patronus after the one coming toward him. He was more worried about the ones going after Remus. Draco shouted Remus's name in an attempt to distract the dementors. Hopefully it would give him strength enough to get away.

The fox then went charging after the ones that sought Remus. He wasn't going to let them get him. His own heart pounded and fear gripped his heart, but his determination to save the older man kept him where he was.

A dementor flared up in Draco's face, the black hood empty and dark and utter blackness. There was a low hissing sound, angry and excited. But Remus wouldn't allow Draco to be hurt and coughed violent before he summoned up his one beautiful happy memory that no darkness could touch - the feeling of Teddy asleep in his arms when he was born, his hair dark and soon to be ginger.

"Expecto Patronum!" He gasped out, and though it was weak at first, his wolf returned, running after at his intended target, the one about to touch Draco.

Draco's own patronus had disappeared forcing him to unable to fight with the dementor in front of him. The camera had had clutched in his hands fell to the forest floor. He felt cold and weak unable to move where he was. Any happy memory he had left was replaced with his own fear and despair.

The wolf had charged at the dementor causing it to release Draco and sending it off. Draco then collapsed where he was.

"Damnit!" Remus hissed low and scrambled over to Draco as his wolf snarled in silence, turning hard and snapping up at the dementor to keep it away before its light grew. Remus though wrapped an arm around Draco and pulled him close, protective and focusing on his happy memory as the dementors finally turned away, leaving them alone in the silent forest as dawn broke.

A while later Draco woke up, feeling disorientated. His body trembled slightly, as he still felt cold and clammy. It took him a while to remember why he was here outside in the forest with Remus.

"I'm sorry," he replied in a weak voice. "I tried to stop them from getting you."

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