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Draco comes thru the floo at Greengrass Manor. Hes dressed impeccably, as always, his black robes spotless. He brushes some stray dust from the floo from his chest and looks around.
Immediately a house elf bustles into the room and, when it looks at him, drops the plate it had been carrying. "Oh! Master and Missus are not"
"Im here to see Anastasia." His tone is quick, harsh it is only a servant after all and he brushes past the elf briskly, heading for Anas rooms, knocking sharply on the door once he reaches them.
Ana is curled into a chair in her study, in front of the muggle laptop shed bought for the journaling project. She starts when she hears the knock, as shes the only person in the Manor. For a moment she thinks that her Father and Mother have returned early, but puts that out quickly as theyre in France and would never come back to her before they had to. She unfolds herself and goes to the door, opening it a crack, and then fully when she sees whos there. "Draco?"
"Ana." The corners of Dracos lips curl up into something between a smile and a sneer, and he steps into the room.
She shivers and steps back as he enters, wrapping her arms around herself." What are you what are you doing here? " Because, though shes spent parts of her summers at Malfoy Manor since she was 10, she cant remember a time when Draco came to call on her without owling.
Draco shrugs and sinks into an armchair, completely at ease with himself, and then looks over to where she is standing defensively by the door. " Mother said you werent coming this summer. I thought I would drop in and see how you were. I can be cordial, cant I? "
Ana unfolds her arms as he looks at her and stands straight, hoping to look confidant as she walks over and sits in the chair across from him. "I'm fine."
His eyes stray to the computer. "That fucking project. He indicates it with a nod of his head. I cant believe Dumbledore is making us use those filthy muggle things."
She curls her legs underneath her and sinks back into the chair. Honestly looking as if she's trying to make herself as small as possible. "At least its amusing."
"Fucking mudbloods and muggle-lovers." Said almost to himself in thought, and then he snickers and turns back to her and shrugs again.
Right. Ana wraps her arms around herself in the chair and looks at him, fighting the urge to close her eyes. The vehemence of her housemates hate always makes her uncomfortable, even if she has grown up with the same mentality.
Draco looks at her for a moment and then sighs, the cruel sneer-smile fading. "Actually, I have something that belongs to you. I came to return it." And he reaches into his robes to produce a small book, bound in green leather.
Anas eyes go wide at the book. I lost that I Then they narrow and she looks up at Draco sharply. "You stole that!"
Draco shakes his head and holds it out to her. "No, Crabbe stole that. I got it from him." He doesnt tell her that when he got it he and Crabbe had laughed and talked about her.
"You..." Eyes flashing angrily and frightened as she grabs it from his hand.
"I dont steal" He says quickly. Then, thinking, adds, "from you. Besides, If had stolen it, why would I bring it back."
She considers this for a moment and then, yes, well, stealing diaries does seem more like something Crabbe or Goyle would do. But.. Gods.. "Did you read it?"
He looks, yes, almost guilty for a moment then nods. "I. I started to. I stopped after the third entry."
Third entry. The entry about my Father She closes her eyes and wraps her arms around herself again, swallowing.
Draco stands and turns to walk out, at the door he stops, and turns back to her. "For what its worth, Ana I understand." And his voice is softer, more sincere, than shes probably ever heard from him. Because he does understand. Because what shed written had struck a cord within him that he hadnt wanted to acknowledge.
Ana opens her eyes and looks up at him, the tone of his voice startling her. She blinks, "I..."
Draco shakes his head and offers her what could be a soft smile, before it fades and he turns on his heel and stalks out.
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