Secrets Unveiled

Mrs. Malfoy sat with her head in her hands. It was late Saturday evening, almost a week after Lois was shot. The brown haired muggleborn mother never left her daughter’s side. Dobby and the other house elves were nice enough to bring up trays of food for the family.

The platinum blonde father quietly stepped into the doorway. He observed his wife for a moment. He took in a breath before he knocked on the jamb.

Hermione Malfoy gave him a weak smile as her husband took a seat next to her. He squeezed his daughter’s hand as she lay in her coma.

The week had been incredibly trying for him as well. He and his son Nicholas were working overtime to make sure nothing was overlooked in the Profesi case.

Draco Malfoy and his inspectors and aurors made sure all the t’s were crossed and the i’ s dotted in their investigation of Carter Lexington, a.k.a. Courtney Profesi. All of the stolen muggle weapons and the modified ammunition were destroyed with Draco personally overseeing the destruction.

The condition of their only daughter finally stabilized over the past forty eight hours. Ginny Thomas, the head mediwitch checked in on the coma patient quite often. She scanned her injuries to make sure they were healing.

Her broken ribs were all healed although quite tender. The abrasions and contusions vanished. The only thing that was in question was her gun shot wounds.

The staff was able to stay the flow of blood after Hunter was able to synthesize the anti-potion to the modified ammunition. Lois had come in having lost a lot of blood. The medical staff was finally able to stabilize her enough to close up the wounds. It had been touch and go the whole week.

Mr. Malfoy stood up. He kissed his wife on the cheek. “You should get some sleep,” he whispered.

“So this is what you went through with me?” she asked close to tears.

Mr. Malfoy knelt in front of his wife. He took her face in his palms. “She’ll be all right, Hermione.”

“I don’t want to fall asleep, Draco,” she said as he wiped a tear from her cheek. “I want to be lucid when she wakes up or when she . . .”

“That’s not going to happen, Hermione. She’s a fighter, you know that,” Mr. Malfoy said reassuringly. He stood up. “I have to go to Kansas. Get some rest.”

She nodded at him. She kissed him before she reclined on the couch next to her daughter’s hospital bed.

* * *

Draco had ducked out of the Wildboar Pub after stepping through the gateway of the Leaky Cauldron. He took a deep breath as he looked at his watch. It was a little past eight p.m. local time. He pulled the lapels of his overcoat closer as he headed toward the direction of the familiar brownstone, trying to be inconspicuous.

When he finally reached the one story home he walked up to the door. He took a deep breath and hoped the young man was home. He knocked.

Clark showed quickly at the door with an anxious look on his face. He invited the older man in.

“How are you doing, Clark?” the platinum blonde wizard asked as he ran his hand over the fireplace.

“I’m getting through, Sir,” Clark hedged.

“How’s everything at the office? Mr. White okay with Lois gone?”

“Yeah,” Clark nodded. “I told him she needed some time off, at least another week to clear her mind. How is Lois?”

Mr. Malfoy paused. He took a deep breath. He handed Clark what seemed to be an urn. Clark’s knees almost buckled as he took the silver receptacle.

“I figured you’d want to see for yourself,” Mr. Malfoy nodded.

Clark whimpered noticeably. Mr. Malfoy smiled in earnest. He shook his head. He took the urn out of the young man’s hands and placed it on the stand next to the fireplace.

“Floo powder, son,” Mr. Malfoy said as he took some ashes out of the urn. Clark took in a breath. “I connected the fireplace to the floo network. You’ll be able to get to Hogwarts straight from here.”

Clark couldn’t help but let loose. Mr. Malfoy took him in his arms and hugged him for a moment. “Lois is still in a coma, Clark. But her vitals have improved over the last two days,” he pushed Clark a shoulder length away. “I’ll show you how to use the Network properly.”

Clark got the crash course of using the fireplace traveling system called the floo network. It involved ash which Mr. Malfoy called floo powder, articulating the name of the destination well and not getting sick as all the different places whiz by.

“I’ll be right behind you, Clark. Stay at the destination so that I’ll know where to find you, in case you end up in the wrong place. As long as you clearly say your end point you should get to the right place,” the older man said as he handed Clark some ashes. He nodded for the younger man to go first.

Clark took a breath before he said his destination. He dropped the powder and a green tinged flame engulfed him.

‘Let’s hope he got there safe,’ Mr. Malfoy said as he too entered the fireplace.

* * *

Clark recognized the fireplace he had seen when he had materialized with Lois wounded in his arms. He waited anxiously for Mr. Malfoy to appear. Mr. Malfoy appeared a second later, nodding at the young man to follow him up the everchanging staircases.

Clark surveyed the dimly lit room as they walked into it. Mrs. Malfoy lay on the couch next to the young woman’s bed. Both women seemed to be sleeping. Draco Malfoy waved his wand and two comfortable chairs materialized in front of the coma patient. Clark sat, taking a hold of his best friend’s hand and just watched the young woman’s chest rise up and down as she breathed.