It was still a whole month until Draco would be boarding the train to Hogwarts. Though it was summer, Narcissa homeschooled Draco year-round. While his early education had focused on reading and mathematics, his lessons now centered on magical theory and history.
Although it was a first-year text, Draco was getting ahead and reading A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot. Today he was reading about Godric’s Hollow, a village where wizards settled after the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was signed in 1689. This was when wizards went into hiding and separated themselves from the Muggles. Apparently, the Muggles were chasing witches and burning or drowning them. Imagine if wizards had Muggle hunts, burning and drowning those only pretending to be wizards. Draco laughed at the thought.
Draco’s stomach rumbled. It had to have been past his usual lunch time. Dobby typically had it served by now. “DOBBY!” he called out, not looking up from his book.
When nothing happened for a few moments, Draco set down his book. Before he could stand, Dobby appeared beside him.
Dobby was shaking as he looked up at Draco. “Yes…Master Draco?” His whole body braced itself.
“Uh…lunch?” Draco asked.
Dobby exhaled. “Yes, Master Draco. Right away.” He snapped his fingers and was gone again. Draco counted to ten before Dobby reappeared and set a tray of bread and stew in front of Draco. As he backed away several steps, Draco noticed his knees wobble.
Before Draco could say anything, he heard his father yell from the foyer. “DOBBY! Bring the bourbon and a few glasses to my study!”
Dobby let out a yelp and snapped his fingers before vanishing.
The Malfoy Manor library was in the west wing upstairs, past Lucius’s study. Draco had the perfect excuse to walk by the study on the way to the library. He would say that he was conducting extensive research on wizarding secret societies in the 1700s since A History of Magic had sparked his curiosity. If he had to, he would say he planned on presenting to his mother a full scroll based on his research.
After climbing the spiral staircase, he strolled casually toward the library with his nose in his book, pretending to read as the familiar, high-pitched voice of his Defense Against the Dark Arts professor carried through the study walls.
“It wasn’t there, Malfoy! What are we going to do?”
“What you do is not my concern.” Lucius’s voice was cold as ice.
“He will not be pleased–”
“Draco! Come down here now!” Narcissa called out from downstairs.
Draco threw his head back with a groan. As he turned toward the staircase, a faint, familiar snap came from the direction of the study.
“You’re supposed to be studying.” Narcissa didn’t look up from her book when Draco entered the room.
“I was going to the library.” Draco shrugged.
“You’ve already read everything in there at least once.” Narcissa’s eyes narrowed.
Dobby was leaving the kitchen with fresh glasses for Lucius’s study, each holding a single ice cube. Draco could hear the cubes tapping against the glasses as Dobby held the tray shakily.
Draco’s eyes lit up and he strolled behind Narcissa, hands clasped behind his back. “Mommy, those cookies you made last night were delicious.”
Dobby stopped briefly, but continued walking away.
“Thank you, darling. It was your Nana Malfoy’s recipe. Your father prefers them too,” Narcissa said, looking back down at her book.
“Even Dobby fancied them,” Draco stopped behind Narcissa and winked at Dobby. The house-elf slowly turned to face him, the ice clinking faster against the glasses as his trembling worsened.
As Narcissa slammed her book shut, Dobby dropped the tray and started wailing. “Dobby is so sorry, Mistress Malfoy. Dobby didn’t mean-“
Narcissa started to rise but Draco held her shoulders from behind and started kneading his thumbs into them. He raised his voice above Dobby’s cries. “Dobby, shut up!”
Dobby snapped to silence immediately and started picking up broken glass from the floor with his hands, stacking the pieces on the tray.
Draco continued the massage. “Mommy, I made him eat it. Look at him, he’s starving. He’ll fall over and croak if he doesn’t get any food.” He leaned down closer to Narcissa. “Anyways, I always liked your recipe better.”
Narcissa brushed Draco away and stood up. “A house-elf must know his place. Actions have consequences.”
Panicked that his plan wasn’t working, Draco hurried around to stand in front of her.
“Mommy, he only chipped a crystal because Professor Quirrell kicked him! He even repaired it. You would never even know anything happened to it.”
Draco looked down at Dobby, tears still pouring from his cheeks as he cried silently, his mouth open and chest heaving. “Besides, only I get to kick him around.”
Narcissa studied Draco’s face as if she could read his mind. For good measure, Draco stuck his foot out and shoved Dobby from behind, sending the tray tumbling to the ground again.
Dobby stuck his hand in his mouth to suppress another sob. Narcissa sighed in exasperation. With a circle of her wand, she cast Reparo, and the shards carefully rearranged themselves into glasses again. “Hurry back to Lucius with his ice, Dobby. Your punishment is lifted. You may eat again,” Narcissa said as she sat back down and picked up her book.
Draco turned around and squeezed Narcissa tightly. “Thank you, Mommy.” He then ran after Dobby, catching him at the top of the staircase before he turned left to his father’s study. Dobby squeaked when he saw him.
Draco kept walking toward his bedroom. Without glancing back at Dobby, he whispered just loudly enough for the house-elf to hear, “I’ll be waiting for your owl.”
