CHAPTER 4

Despite their somewhat pleasant beginning to their new living situation, things were quickly going downhill. Draco was not dealing well with the complete lack of privacy. Marie would enquire his every single movement, including his trips to the loo. She kept following him around the apartment.

On the other hand Marie was becoming quite bored, Draco barely left the house especially since she made most of the meals. He would spend the most of his day in his potion lab. She could swear that his hair was becoming greasy like a professor she used to know.

At the end of the first week, Draco was at his wits' end. He just wanted to some time alone, without Marie's eyes on him. He had an idea, however it was quite drastic, but he was prepared to suffer the consequence. That evening he knocked on Marie's door, "I made some hot chocolate, it's a little thanks for all the cooking you done this week."

Marie took it graciously, it felt nice to be appreciated, "Thank you, good night." She smelt it and it smelled extremely tempting. She took a sip and within seconds the drink was done.

She yawned and decided to go to bed early. She ended up forgetting to place the wards around the apartment like she did every night. Sleep came very easy to her that night.

When Marie woke up, she felt a weird sense of panic. Putting her glasses on, she jumped out of bed when she glanced at the clock. It was four o clock in the afternoon!

She ran out the room and yelled out, "Malfoy! Malfoy!" she couldn't find him anywhere. She noticed that there was a note in the kitchen. What if it was a ransom note?

I'm sorry – D. Malfoy, the note read. Why would he be sorry? She thought back to the events of the previous day. The hot chocolate he gave her! She ran back to her rooms and found the glass on her nightstand. Marie performed the spells that she learned during Auror training to detect any potions. The glass had trace amounts of a sleeping draught. That fucking ferret drugged her!

Marie grabbed her invisibility cloak and left the apartment. She was going to hunt down him down and give him a piece of her mind. She apparated to the first place she could think off, which was Diagon Alley. She ended up at the Leaky Cauldron and made her way to Diagon Alley. She quickly walked down the lane and tried to look for Draco.

She was about to give up, when her eyes caught something. It was Knockturn alley, she figured that snake like him was probably in that shady place. Pulling her cloak tighter, she made her way down Knockturn alley. After checking Bourgin and Burkes, she decided to try the White Wyren, which was a pub in Knockturn Alley.

To her luck, he was sitting in the corner drinking. She was about to march over there and start yelling him, but stopped when she realized where she was. Marie decided to scare him, changing her voice she walked over to him.

Pressing her wand to tip his neck, in a deep masculine voice she whispered, "Don't you dare pull your wand out. If you want to live, walk slowly out of the pub."

Draco stiffened once he realized that someone was behind him. He tried to think of ways to escape, but couldn't so he had no choice but to listen to the stranger. Throwing a few galleons on the table, he attempted to calmly leave the pub. When he was walking, he couldn't help but wish that Marie was with him.

Marie lead him to entrance of the Shrieking Shack. Then she harshly pushed him on to the ground and pulled her cloak off.

Draco's eyes widened when he realized who was his kidnapper. "What the fu…" he got interrupted by a hex she threw him.

Multiple bats came flying out of his nose, effectively silencing him. Marie made a mental note to thank the female Weasley again for teaching the Bat-Bogey Hex. She waited till the last bat flew out his nose, "I don't think that you deserve to be the angry the one here Malfoy!" she said darkly.

Malfoy, who was upset with the hex, argued back, "I just wanted some privacy! You wouldn't leave me alone."

"That's my job!" she fumed.

"I was going to come back after a few drinks."

"You drugged me!" she cried out, "How dare you do that to me? I was so out of it, I didn't even place wards on the apartment last night. What if something happened?"

"Well nothing did happen." He stubbornly retorted, trying to justify his actions.

Marie realized that Draco was still being a little shit, so she was going change her tactics. Lowering her head, she whispered, "I thought you gave me the hot chocolate as a good friend, but it turns out that she tricked me." She lifted her head up and showed Draco her tears, "Then I woke up and I couldn't find you." Few tears escaped her eyes, "I was worried that something happened to you."

Draco felt awkward, he was no good with crying women. "Alright, alright I'm sorry for my actions." He handed her handkerchief, "I apologize for slipping the sleeping draught in your drink. Tell me what I can do to gain your forgiveness."

"Really?" she asked. Wow, if she knew that crying would gain an apology, she would have cried more whenever he pranked her during Hogwarts.

He sighed, "Yes."

"Okay then." Her posture changed completely, she dabbed her eyes with the handkerchief. Gone was the crying girl, in her place stood a smirking witch. "I have some places to be tomorrow, you will come with me."

He was gob smacked, but had to admit that she tricked him back. "Fine." He grunted.

The next day, they both stood in front of the fireplace. Marie spoke up, "I need to go home and pick up few things. You go first." She gestured to the fireplace, she still didn't trust him to follow her.

Draco commanded, "Grimmauld Place." He opened his eyes and saw a typical looking pureblood room.

"Mr. Malfoy, welcome." He saw Kreacher staring up at him, "It is an honor to have you here at the Black's Residence."

"Nuh-uh, it's Potter Residence now." Marie tutted from behind Draco. Kreacher just sneared at her.

"Have you been to Grimmauld Place before?" she asked him.

"No. I just heard stories from my mother."

"Wait here, I will be right back."

Draco sat on one of the chairs and accepted the tea Kreacher brought him. "Abraxus is that you?" he heard from the hallway. He walked towards the sound, curious to who was speaking to him. He was confronted by portrait of Walburga Black. "Who are you? You look like Abraxus Malfoy."

"I'm his grandson, Draco Malfoy."

"Hmm, a constellation name?" she wondered.

"My mother was a Black." He explained, although he didn't know why he was even talking to the crazy Walburga Black.

"Bravo! A Malfoy and a Black, you have excellent blood within you."

Marie came up to him, "I see you are talking to Madam Wally."

"You dare call me that? You filthy half-blood!" she screamed, as Marie dragged Draco out from the hallway.

When they were back in front of the fireplace, Marie suddenly bent down and clasped something around Draco's ankles. It was a magical hand cuff and she clasped the other cuff on her hands. These cuffs were different from muggles one, the cuffs were not linked together physically and it would not allowed the users to be more than 10 meters apart. Aurors used it to keep criminals from apparating or running away.

"I'm not a criminal!" Draco protested. He just lost even more freedom with these damn cuffs.

"Okay, let's go!" she ignored his objections and walked outside. She took his hand and apparated.

The both arrived in front of a homey cottage. "Where are we?" Draco asked.

"Marie!" a little boy screamed out.

"Teddy!" she cooed back. She lifted her godson from the ground and spun him. The boy had messy black hair, just like his godmother.

"Who is this?", Teddy shyly looked from her shoulder and saw Draco.

"This is Uncle Draco. Malfoy this is your cousin, Teddy Lupin."

Draco's eyes widen as he realized who the child was.

"Is that you Marigold?" an older woman called out.

"Yes, Dromeda its me."

"Teddy, how many times have I told you not to leave the house without shoes." Andromeda started berate her mischievous grandson. She stopped walking, when she saw who was next to Marie.

Draco and Andromeda stared at each other, both unable to say anything. It was the first time they met. Draco cleared his throat, "Err, I'm Draco."

Andromeda breathed out, "Cissy's son."

"Yes." He winced thinking about all the horrid things Bellatrix said about her sister. He wondered if Andromeda would accept him.

Andromeda studied him for a second, "Well Draco, I'm your Aunt Andromeda. Why don't you come inside? Come along Marigold."

Draco didn't move as he watched his aunt walk back to the cottage. He was stunned that his aunt was being so friendly to him. He felt a nudge on his shoulder, Marie gestured for him to come.

The inside of the cottage had a friendly vibe, there was both muggle and wizarding items. Dromeda brought some biscuits to the living room. Draco sat on the sofa, looking around the room. Teddy came up to him curious about the stranger in his house. Teddy stared hard at his cousin and his hair changed to the same pale blonde.

"Hell!" Draco was taken back. "Is he…"

Marie answered, "Yes, he is a metamorphmagus, just like his mother."

Suddenly they heard the sound of the floo. Hermione came out of the fireplace with a smile, but it dropped immediately when she saw Draco. Ron came out behind her, he almost toppled her over, "Blimey Hermione, you need to move…You!" he yelled out once he saw Draco.

Ron pulled out his wand and pointed at Draco. The latter turned into a little ferret and started squeaking. Marie started giggling. Hermione gave her a disapproving look, with her lips fighting to smile.

"Ronald! Turn him back now!" Andromeda chastised. Ron relented and turned him back.

Draco was furious, he took out his own wand and pointed it at Ron. "You little Weasel!" He snarled out. The redhead turned into a little weasel.

Hermione pointed her wand at Draco and demanded, "You turn him back now."

Draco turned him back. At this point both Marie and Teddy were fully laughing, while Andromeda had a small grin.

Both the males stared at each other, "What the bloody hell is the ferret doing here?" Ron asked.

Draco crossed his hands, "I can ask you the same the question, Weasel."

Hermione interrupted, "We came to wish Andromeda for her birthday."

While Draco didn't know what to say, he was unaware that it was his Aunt's birthday. "What's wrong with having my nephew here?" asked Andromeda to Ron.

Marie stopped her laughing and tried to diffuse the situation. She went in front of Ron and gave him a hug. "Let's catch up in the other room." Marie pulled Ron away from the others.

Once they were in Teddy's bedroom, "What are you doing with Malfoy?" Ron blurted out.

"Calm down, Ron." Marie then explained that she was assigned to bodyguard Malfoy and how she was living with him now.

"I still don't trust him." Ron said after listening to Marie's story.

"Yeah, I thought I could trust him, but…" she remembered the events of the day before, "That's why I got these." She gestured to the handcuff in her hand and Ron laughed.

Meanwhile back in the living room, Andromeda dragged Teddy into the kitchen leaving Hermione and Draco in the room.

"So how are you doing Draco?" she politely asked.

"I'm fine, Granger." He was still upset with being turned into a ferret again.

She whispered, "Weasley."

"What?" he was confused.

"I'm a Weasley now." Hermione gestured to the wedding band on her hand.

"Err, Congratulations?" he realized that she was no longer a Granger anymore. He already apologized to her after the War with the events at Malfoy Manor. However, he wished that he could have done something then.

"Do you still have a crush on Marie?" she blurted out.

"I beg your pardon?" his eyes bugged out.

"Oh come on, it was so obvious that you fancied her at Hogwarts."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Still denying it, Malfoy?" she enquired.

"It wasn't a crush, it was more like…"

"Fascination? Obsession?" she prodded.

He turned red, "Whatever it was, I don't think of her that way anymore. It years ago."

Hermine just nodded, not believing a word he said.

Andromeda entered the room, "Hermione dear, will you please ask Marie to help me in the kitchen?" she asked. Hermione blushed and nodded. The last time she tried to help, the food became burnt.

It was a well-known fact that Hermione was not a great cook. She tried to follow recipes to great precisions but failed miserably; because cooking was not about exact measurements, but instincts. She was a better baker, because she was able to add precise amounts into the batter.

While Ron and Draco argued about Quidditch teams, Marie and Andromeda made lunch. Hermione and Teddy tried to calm down the two men.

After lunch, they lit a few candles on the cake that Hermione and Ron brought. To Ron's displeasure, Teddy still had the Malfoy hair. "Come on Teddy, red hair is better." Ron tried to convince the five year old, pointing to his own hair.

Draco looked at Ron smugly. "Even the little boy knows who is better." Ron was about to lunge at Draco. Marie stopped him.

"Do you both want to recreate your father's fight at Flourish and Botts?" she asked.

They both turned red, remembering the memory of the summer before second year.

Andromeda was curious, "What is this fight?" she asked. Hermione explained the fight that Arthur Wealsey and Lucius Malfoy had at the bookstore.

All three females burst into laughter, while Ron and Draco looked embarrassed.

Hermione and Ron left after talking a little longer. Marie took a sleepy Teddy to his room, "I'm going to put him to sleep."

Draco and Andromeda were left in the room. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was your birthday, I would have brought a gift."

"Hush my dear, seeing you was a gift."

He protested, "Still, I would like to give you something."

Andromeda thought about it for a moment and she pulled a picture from her apron and gave it Draco. It was a moving picture of the Black sisters at a young age. All three of them were smiling and laughing. Narcissa gave Draco little wave.

Andromeda explained, "I was truly really close to both my sisters. I knew that by marrying Ted, I would lose my sisters. That was the only thing that made my decision harder, I didn't care about anything else. Both of them probably felt betrayed, more than angry at me, when I ran away."

She pulled an envelope, "I wrote this letter years ago, but I was too much a coward to send it. My wish is that you give it to your mother." She gave the letter to Draco.

"Also, Cissy loved the pumpkin pastries I used to make." She gave Draco a small bag, "Please give these both to your mother."

Draco hesitated, he hasn't been home in a long time, but seeing his aunt tear up he had no choice. "You know my mother has the same photo. I found it once when I was playing in her dresser."

Andromeda teared up, "Thank you for coming here today." She gave Draco a peck on the cheek. "You are welcome to come anytime you want."

Draco nodded, he was going to come back to see his aunt and cousin again. Marie came out and said goodbye to Andromeda. They both left and apparated back to Draco's apartment. Before she could go to her room, Draco stopped her. "Thank you for taking me there today."

Marie smiled, "You're welcome."

Draco stared at the letter in his hands, looked like he would have to pay a visit to Malfoy Manor soon.

AN: I was doing a little research on magical portraits. Apparently they have limited memory of the subject's life. They can be taught mannerisms by the subject. I know that Walburga died after Draco was born and probably knew of Lucius and Narcissa's marriage. This is just one memory her portrait didn't have prior. Also I made Marie's real name Marigold, as a tribute to her mother who also had a flower name. I will primarily call her Marie, so it sounds similar to Harry.