Chapter Three - The Joker

Pansy had already completed the daily chore of hair brushing and curling. She sighed and laid her wand down beside her. She couldn't concentrate at all, the constant overpowering dread of what could be happening underneath that skull and snake in the sky taking over her mind if she let it wonder. So she didn't. She stood up and sat beside her sleeping son, stroking his hair back from his face.

A fond memory stirred in her mind. A train ride on a crimson locomotive. She had sat and stroked equally white-blond locks from a different boy's face, gazing lovingly at him.

Draco.

She rubbed her eyes and glanced up at the clock. It was a quarter to three in the morning - he'd been gone just over an hour. An hour for a man's life.

A horrible thought struck her - what would she do if Draco died that morning? She had enough money. The Malfoys wouldn't disown her - Narcissa was a second mother to her. But it would be so lonely…two people in a huge mansion. And what about when Scorpius went to school?

Even if Draco didn't die…what if he came back intact bearing bad news of You-Know-Who? They would have to go into hiding. Scorpius wouldn't be able to go to Hogwarts. They might even go abroad. And Draco…he would want to fight. He would feel, having that stupid 'noble prat' trait that many males seemed to posses, that somehow it was his fault. What if he walked out of the door, and the next time she saw him was in a coffin?

Pansy pressed her hands to her face. Draco had been her best friend for as long as she could remember - she couldn't bear if he got hurt. Scorpius would have to grow up with a snatched childhood, constantly in fear…

Its not fair!

Things had only started getting back to normal. Draco was healing, his scar had almost faded…

She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. She'd heard stories of the casualties in the Battle of Hogwarts - Remus and Nymphadora Lupin (her cousin-in-law?) had both died. Remus had gone to fight and Dora had followed, leaving behind a baby son. Would she go and fight by Draco's side? Could she bear to leave Scorpius, face that the consequences could leave him without either parent?

She closed her eyes. Her husband or her son - what kind of a cruel decision was that?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud crack.

It was him.

His face was paler the normal, his eyes wide and haunted. He was drenched from head to foot. She jumped up and threw her arms around him.

"Draco!" she gasped in relief. Then she pulled back, surveying him, "You're not hurt. You're ok."

"A joke." He croaked. She stared.

"What?"

"It was a joke. Just a joke. Someone sold muggles Dark Mark fireworks."

Pansy's mouth dropped open, "No…"

Draco was shaking now, and not from the wet or cold. "I swear, if I could get my hands on whoever…"

"Its alright, Draco. Its over. The Ministry'll find the sick person that did it and bang him up in Azkaban. And heaven help whoever it is if your father finds him first."

"No, Pans. Its not all right…I was so…so scared. I-I'm not supposed to be scared, I'm a Malfoy, I'm not supposed to feel anything…and I was so angry. But not normal anger - Merlin's pants, I felt like some kind of Gryffindor - it was righteous anger…"

Draco sank down on the sofa, head in his hands, still reeling with relief and rage. Pansy could feel the fear and anxiety ebbing out of her as she slowly, for the second time, accepted the death of Voldemort. He was gone and he wasn't coming back.

She turned and looked at her husband. His eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily. She hoped he was asleep - it would do him some good. She knew that what had happened in his teenage years would always haunt him, but she knew he was starting to heal.

Her gaze moved to Scorpius. If Draco could heal, perhaps there was hope for their son. Hope for a future free from the ghosts of their past.