Close Enough

Ch 42 Insolent Whelp

Running from his dorm Draco rushed toward his godfather’s chambers, hoping that he would find him there. Rounding the last corner, he found his quarry exiting his chambers and turning toward him.
“Draco, I figured you would be with Harry, thought you would be the only distraction that would keep him from picking this up today.” Severus said, gesturing toward the white and silver rapped box under his arm.
“No, I’m not with him. in fact I don’t know where he is.” Draco said exasperatedly. “I havn’t seen him in days, and I can’t find him with the bond. he’s not at school.” Draco finished frantically. Severus looked confused.
“you havn’t seen him in days? When was the last time you saw him.” Severus asked shortly, opening the door to his chamber and sliding inside, Draco quickly behind.
“I don’t know, two days ago.” Draco said, while pacing.
“And what happened two days ago that you haven’t seen him since then?” Severus questioned hotly.
“Well.. we were supposed to go to Hogsmead but I wasn’t feeling up to it, so we stayed in, reading by the fire.” Draco said thoughtfully.
“And?” Severus urged.
“We had some words and I left to return your magazine, then went to the library. Where I fell asleep. And the next morning I ran into some friends and they invited me to a party… I didn’t make it back to the dorm last night.” Draco finished sheepishly.
“You had words?” Severus said, obviously looking for clarification.
“Yea, I was upset about not being with my family for Christmas… and he said it would get easier……..” Draco trailed off, stopped pacing and stared at his godfather. “Oh gods.”
“What did you say to him Draco?” Severus asked, his face growing hard.
“I told him it was easy not to miss something you never had.” Draco choked on his own words, feeling the bile rise in his throat, “I didn’t mean it like that… Oh gods!” Draco sank down into one of the chairs by Severus’ desk.
“You idiot boy!!!” Severus yelled, walking quickly toward his fireplace and grabbing a pinch of floo powder throwing it in, “Jesminder Snape.” He growled. A friendly looking tan faced woman’s face popped up in the fireplace.
“Severus?” she said in surprise. “What’s wrong?”
“Jess, I need Cordalina or Cloe and quickly.” Severus said, attempting to remain calm.
“Why? What’s happened?” the woman asked brow worried in concern.
“What else, Harry.” Draco watched from the couch as the woman in the fire place nodded once, disappeared only to be replaced by Cord’s face.
“Father? What is it? Mom said it was something about Harry? Is he okay?” Cord said quickly, her face becoming one written with concern also, after once glance at her father.
“I hate to tear you away from your Eve, my dear, but I have a feeling I’m going to need you.” Severus stated, “will you be able to get away?”
“Sure, mom loves Harry.” Cord’s face turned to the side slightly, nodded and looked back, “step back, I’m coming through.” Severus stepped back form the fireplace, and Cord stepped out quickly. “What happened?” she looked from her father to Draco’s pale face and back again. “where’s Harry?”
“Where would Harry go if he was really angry?” Severus said looking pointedly at Draco.
“That depends on what he was angry about I suppose.” Cord said, “Just tell me what this is about.”
“Where would do you suppose he would go if his mate seemingly rejected him, and told him in no uncertain terms that he couldn’t miss a family he never had?” Severus said, eyeing Draco, who hung his head.
“Oh gods, Draco, you didn’t!” Cord gasped. Cord walked quickly toward the fireplace, “I can’t believe you, Draco! I thought you’d have more sense.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, I didn’t mean to hurt him. I was just…” Draco faded off. “do you really think he feels like I rejected him?” Cord ignored him.
“Father, I’ll go get Harry. Would you please explain to this moron what he has done?” Cord said scathingly. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. If mom calls, tell her what is happening, she’ll understand.” With that Cord grabbed some floo powder and was gone in a flash of green flames.

When she disappeared Severus handed Draco the package that he had been carrying when the two ran into eachother in the hall. “Open this, it will explain and punish you far better than I ever could.” With that Severus whirled over toward his liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of firewhiskey pouring himself a shot and taking it quickly.
“What is it?” Draco asked, looking at the box he held gingerly in his hands, marveling at the intricate wrapping.
“That, you insolent whelp, is your Christmas present from Harry. I was wondering why he didn’t come to pick it up as he said he was going to.” Severus said, taking another shot. “he’s been working on putting it together since Halloween.”
“But…” Draco was going to say that he wanted to wait until Harry was back to open it, but he couldn’t.
“Just open the bloody box Draco!” Draco flinched, but began unwrapping the present. The paper fell away to reveal a white wooden box with his initials on it in a silver color; Draco slowly ran his fingers over them, smiling softly. he opened the box to find a picture album; black, with a hand painted green and silver dragon on the cover. Draco looked up at his godfather to find him sneering back at him.
“Open it.” His godfather commanded as Draco looked back down at the album. Draco removed it from the box, set the box on the cushion next to himself and opened the album, resting it delicately on his lap. He gasped and looked back at his godfather again. “He spent weeks getting everything together, it’s quite amazing really. The best ones are at the end, you should look through it.” Severus said coldly.
Turning the pages slowly, Draco saw many pictures of himself and his family members over the years; some which he had never even seen before. Pictures of his first steps; his first toy wand; aunts, uncles, his grandparents. Him with Severus, with his parents. Pictures of him first boarding the train in first year, with his friends over the summer holidays. Half way through the book Draco had tears running down his face; the majority of these people were dead or in prison; the only ones who weren’t where the small number of friends from Hogwarts that were in the pictures and Severus. Two pages from the end he was shocked again, it was a picture of himself, taken mere months ago, with Harry. The remaining two pages were filled with candid pictures of the two of them together; in the common room by the fire, walking around the lake, even one of them snogging in an alcove between classes. Draco choked on a sob; written on the back inside cover were the words, “Family lasts forever.”
“That’s right, Draco. Harry sees you as family.” Severus said grimly, “He worked for hours while you were off with your friends, to give you the most amazing present that he could. And just you had to go and muck it all up.”
“I… I was just upset… I didn’t mean it like that…” Draco said softly, running his hands over the cover of the album.
“Well good luck making him believe that Draco. How many times did I tell you to be careful.” Severus sighed.
“He’ll come back won’t he?” Draco asked.
“If anyone can convince him to return its Cordalina.” He sighed again, sitting down with another glass of firewhiskey. “Now we wait.”