FIC for: catsintheattic
Title: Church Bells
Recipient: catsintheattic
Fic or Art: Fic
Rating: G
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy
Summary: Draco Malfoy hates spending the holiday in France.
Notes: Beta’d by rakina and inabathrobe
Mod Note: This fic had to be reassigned to a worthy pinch-hitter, but I wanted to keep the author's summary.
Draco Malfoy hated the spring. He hated the trees, he hated the flowers, and more importantly, he hated Easter. He hated Easter above all of the dreadful holidays he had to spend with his father's side of the family because they had to travel by Floo. Draco especially hated the Floo at Easter time because everyone was traveling, and they had to wait extra long because they were leaving the country. And the Floo always ruined his hair and dirtied his robes. At eight years old, Draco realized that no amount of fussing would keep him from going to France for the extended weekend.
Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't raise hell.
"But, Mummy!" he whined, gripping the posts of his bed. Teensy, his mother's house-elf, tugged at his bare feet, pulling down his silk pajama bottoms. "I don't want to go! You can't make me go! I won't do it!"
Teensy pulled harder, but Draco held on. His knuckles turned white the harder his grip became, and his body hovered above the bed as he was pulled. Draco never gave his parents the reason for his reluctance to spend time with his family. They didn't need to know.
"Come now, darling," Narcissa said with a sigh. She perched herself on his large bed by his head and brushed some hair off his red face. Draco shot her a pleading glance and with a snap of her fingers, Teensy released him. Draco fell onto the bed and bounced. He was flushed from exertion and panting like the puppy that Pansy had received for her birthday. He knew his hair was beyond repair. "What is this really about?"
"I don't want to go," Draco repeated. "I don't! I hate it there."
Narcissa smoothed down his hair and to Draco's credit, he didn't pull away. "Your grand-mère misses you. You don't wish to disappoint her, do you?"
Draco shook his head. "No."
"No," Narcissa agreed. She leaned forward, pressed a kiss to Draco's forehead, and stood. "Teensy has laid out your clothes in the bathroom. Try not to upset yourself again."
"Yes, Mummy." Draco picked at his bedclothes in a huff.
Narcissa hesitated in the doorway long enough for Draco to look up and see her encouraging smile. For everything that he hated about spring, he loved his mother. She always seemed happiest in that season. Draco couldn't understand it at all. "You make us so proud, dragon. Don't forget that." Draco could only nod. "And darling, make sure to hurry; your father will be up to collect you in half an hour."
Draco waited for her to leave before burrowing under the covers. He thought that maybe, if he fell asleep, they'd leave him be.
"Master Draco!"
Draco wanted to cry. He didn't want to go. He wanted to nap. He wanted to hide. He didn't want his ears blown out by an over-enthusiastic house elf. He sat up again, the covers clinging to his hair and making it stick up. He tried to flatten it as best he could as the elf continued to wring her tea cozy.
"You must hurry, sir! Teensy is seeing Master Lucius coming to get Master Draco!"
"Teensy, be quiet, you stupid elf."
The house elf curtsied low, and grasping Draco's bed post, started knocking her head against it. Draco rolled his eyes and slipped out of bed, hitching up his pajama trousers that had fallen down over his bum in the earlier fight. He flushed, realizing his mother had seen him in his underwear and just as quickly shook off that embarrassment as worthless. His mother had seen him in much less than what he had on. He could still recall the last time his mother had helped him bathe. No, his underwear showing was no cause for embarrassment.
He walked at a sedate pace to the bathroom and locked the door with a click. Overbearing house elves were not allowed.
The cool tiles of the lavatory floor felt wonderful on the heels of his feet. The argument had left him sweaty and disgusting, but he had no time to bathe. Slipping out of his pajamas and underwear, he crossed the room naked to the toilet where his traveling robes were waiting in a neatly-folded pile.
These were his favorite robes, he decided as he put on the starched garment. He flexed his arms in the sleeves until the stiffness in the material vanished. Smirking, he stepped onto the stool before the sink so he could look in the mirror and brush his teeth.
"Draco, your mother is waiting."
"Coming, Father!"
Draco ran a comb through his golden locks and sighed when they still didn't entirely flatten after a few runs. Giving up, he abandoned the comb and hopped off the stool to open the bathroom door. He stepped out to see his father tapping his cane against the floor with a small frown.
"We're going to miss our Floo time." Lucius laid a hand on Draco's shoulders and smoothed a wrinkle in the cloak.
"I'm sorry, father."
Lucius arched a brow and ushered Draco out of the room. They made their way down the hallway, the portraits smiling in greeting. Teensy followed after them, holding a bundle of clothing for Draco to take with him.
"Master Draco, you is forgetting your packing."
Draco turned around and snatched up the clothing before kicking the diminutive elf. The elf cried out in shock and vanished from the hall with a pop.
"You'll scuff your shoes that way," Lucius chided him. Draco coloured, but held his ground and earned a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder for his efforts.
"Yes, Father."
*****
The Floo system was crowded just like Draco knew it would be, and that meant that he stood with his mother and father in front of their fireplace for another fifteen minutes before the Floo controller popped her head into the flames, giving them the go ahead. Draco held on tight to his father, wondering -and not for the first time- if the person responsible for this horrible mode of transportation was still alive, so when he got old enough he could kill him.
"Keep your mouth closed this time, Draco."
Draco nodded against Lucius's side and held on tighter. Lucius wrapped his arms around the child protectively and activated the Floo. Draco kept his mouth clenched so tight it began to hurt, but by then, they were already spinning wildly. Grey eyes filled with tears as the wind and stray ash bit at his face. It seemed like forever to him as father and son hurtled through the Floo system. Every time he opened his eyes, he quickly shut them again, so he didn't have to see the other people entering the queue.
Finally, he felt them begin to descend and braced himself for their arrival. He only had to imagine the expression of glee on his cousin Antoine's face to know that tumbling from the fireplace would cause him to become the butt of any and all jokes or slurs hurled that holiday weekend. It would be too much to hope that Antoine would stay at Beauxbatons this year.
The impact was jarring just as Draco had anticipated it would be, but with his father still holding him and his own tight grasp on the man's robes, no ugly falls happened.
"Lucius!"
Draco barely had enough time to disentangle himself from his father before he was swept into a tight embrace. The faint scent of jasmine filled his nostrils and he relaxed. "Draco! Mon petit-fils, you have got so big!"
Draco smiled into the folds of his grandmother's purple robes. His father inclined his head before turning around as the fire flared and his mother stepped through. "Bonsoir, grand-mère." He straightened and allowed his grandmother to fuss over him. Josette always did as she pleased, and Draco knew better than to argue with the aging lady. "Je suis content pour vous." Draco stopped, trying vainly to recall what to say next. He had been doing so well too! "Trouver dans la bonne santé."
Josette's smile lit up her face, and the approval warmed him. He'd been practicing for this moment all month. His tutors had told him he'd done well, but there was only one person who could judge that with any certainty, and she was the one with her hands squeezing his upper arms.
"That was merveilleux, Draco." She kissed his forehead. "You have been practicing."
Draco bit his lip and nodded, "Oui. Madame Lorraine tells me that I have potential."
"You are a Malfoy, n'êtes pas vous?"
"Ma mere," Lucius greeted coolly, dragging the attention off Draco. Draco saw the opportunity for what it was and dashed off towards the guest wing. He took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the shouts from the portraits that he raced past. He wanted to make it to his rooms before anyone else, like his Uncle Serge or his Aunt Nicole, found him there.
He rounded the top of the stairs and found himself flat on his back. His vision swam as he knocked his head against the hard floor. When he finally could see straight, he wished he couldn't. Antoine stood over him with a vicious smirk. "Watch where you are going."
"Bugger off," Draco grumbled, making no move to stand. If his father heard him say that, he'd surely be dead by the morning, but as it was, he could not find it within himself to care at all. Every year that his family came here his desire to go to Hogwarts grew more and more. He wanted a wand. He wanted to be treated with the respect that being born into his family gave him. But that wouldn't happen until he could perform magic legally. His thoughts drifted to his training wand, sitting on his bureau at home.
"Tsk, tsk, Draco," the twelve-year-old scolded in a reedy voice, nudging him with the toe of his perfectly shined shoe. "You know what Uncle Lucius would say if he could hear this."
"I would think, Antoine," Draco returned, sitting up stiffly, "that you would be more nervous if my father happened upon us like this."
"Such big words coming from such a skinny little rat."
Draco glared. "Such small words coming from such an over-sized elephant."
"Why you little rode-"
"Draco, darling, why are you on the floor?"
Draco sagged in relief as he saw his mother gracefully ascend the top step. He shot Antoine a triumphant smirk and stood up quickly, brushing off his robes. Narcissa patted down the back of his hair and turned a frosty look onto her nephew.
"Antoine, your mother was looking for you."
Antoine's pale eyes widened in fear, and he darted off down the stairs.
"Was she really?"
Narcissa's eyes gleamed. "Of course not, dragon. Now let's get you changed out of these dreadful clothes."
*****
That night, Draco lay curled between his mother and father. His fingers curled in his mother's soft hair, but he couldn't sleep. Tomorrow was Easter, and while that in itself was nothing to worry about, he had reached the age where he was supposed to help his younger cousins try to see if they could spot the bells. It baffled him that anyone could believe in such a stupid superstition and he had said so loudly to both his parents. Embarrassment flooded through him when they promptly started regaling him with all the times he had fallen for the trick as well and had cried in disappointment when he didn't see them.
It didn't take much more prompting from them for him to quickly agree that he'd try his best, but now his stomach was twisting at the thought once again. He was a skilled liar; there was no doubt in his mind that he could do the job well. It was fooling himself and then Caroline that scared him. He didn't want the responsibility, even if it was only one little girl, one perceptive little girl. He groaned, wishing that his stomach would settle so he could fall asleep.
A large hand secured around his stomach and he froze. Slowly, he looked over his shoulder and met a pair of familiar, calculating grey eyes.
"If you do not cease wiggling, you will sleep in your own bed." When Draco tensed further, Lucius sighed. "What's the matter?" Draco didn't answer right away. He couldn't tell his father he was still nervous; Malfoys didn't get nervous or frightened. "Draco."
"I don't want to do this."
"Draco, I thought we discussed this earlier, son."
Draco squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. "Yes."
"But...?"
Draco rolled over so he was facing his father. "Why'd I have to get Caroline? Father, she'll see right through me!"
"She's four."
"It doesn't matter!" Draco moaned, "I know she'll know, and then she'll be whingy and start crying!"
"Like you are now, you mean?"
Draco gaped and then bowed his head. "Sorry, Father."
"Draco, your mother and I have told you that we believe you are ready for this responsibility, and I still do, but I won't feel so charitable in the morning if you don't go to sleep."
Draco snuggled down into the soft blankets and let out a small yawn as an answer.
*****
Draco never realized how big his family was. He stood near the house, looking out across the sloping lawn as everyone got ready for the day's activities. He tried to stay hidden as he watched all his cousins laugh and scream, running around in their finest robes.
Caroline sneaked up beside him and grasped his hand. "Come on, Draco, before we miss the bells! Grand-mere says they will be flying above soon." She tugged on his hand, and Draco let himself be dragged back into the gathering. He shook his head in exasperation and made sure to keep a keen eye on the four-year-old as he ran along with her to the other end of the lawn.
Antoine's glare burned the back of his head, but Draco didn't even acknowledge him. The older boy couldn't do anything to him out there with all the adults watching.
"What's that over there?" Draco suddenly asked, pointing towards the sky in the opposite direction. He glanced up at his parents whose eyes were trained on the lightening sky. Any moment now the churches would begin ringing the bells calling their patrons to sermon. He rubbed his eyes, trying to dislodge the sleep-induced haze. Caroline was bouncing impatiently and Draco wondered if he had ever been that annoying. His parents said that he had been, but he wasn't inclined to believe them.
"I do not see anything," Caroline cried. "Where are they, Draco?"
Distant ringing could be heard, and Draco gasped. "Do you hear them, Caroline? They are getting closer!"
She shook her head, straight blonde hair flying everywhere. "No! Pick me up?" Draco really didn't want to, but he also didn't want to be yelled at when he got home. He hefted the four-year-old into his arms as best he could. She wasn't that much smaller than he was. "Higher, Draco!"
"I can't. You're getting too big," Draco grumbled, trying to hoist her higher so she could see over the fence. She gripped the white painted fence and hauled herself up until her bum was in Draco's face. He turned his head to the side and sighed. The church bells couldn't ring any sooner.
It was another five minutes before the disappointed sighs of the younger children could be heard as the sounds of church bells echoed around the rolling country side.
"I missed them," Caroline sulked as Draco lowered her to the ground. "I always miss them. Antoine says he sees them all the time. Why can't I?"
Draco tugged on a strand of her hair, uncertain of what to say to her. "I've never seen them either."
"You haven't?" She looked up at him with large brown eyes, and he nodded.
"Never."
"Never ever?"
Draco shook his head sadly. "I want to though," he lied, "so we'll just have to try harder next year, oui?"
"Oui!" Caroline let go of his hand and went running up ahead to her parents. Draco watched her go, and began to mentally count the minutes until they could go back home.
Recipient: catsintheattic
Fic or Art: Fic
Rating: G
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy
Summary: Draco Malfoy hates spending the holiday in France.
Notes: Beta’d by rakina and inabathrobe
Mod Note: This fic had to be reassigned to a worthy pinch-hitter, but I wanted to keep the author's summary.
Draco Malfoy hated the spring. He hated the trees, he hated the flowers, and more importantly, he hated Easter. He hated Easter above all of the dreadful holidays he had to spend with his father's side of the family because they had to travel by Floo. Draco especially hated the Floo at Easter time because everyone was traveling, and they had to wait extra long because they were leaving the country. And the Floo always ruined his hair and dirtied his robes. At eight years old, Draco realized that no amount of fussing would keep him from going to France for the extended weekend.
Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't raise hell.
"But, Mummy!" he whined, gripping the posts of his bed. Teensy, his mother's house-elf, tugged at his bare feet, pulling down his silk pajama bottoms. "I don't want to go! You can't make me go! I won't do it!"
Teensy pulled harder, but Draco held on. His knuckles turned white the harder his grip became, and his body hovered above the bed as he was pulled. Draco never gave his parents the reason for his reluctance to spend time with his family. They didn't need to know.
"Come now, darling," Narcissa said with a sigh. She perched herself on his large bed by his head and brushed some hair off his red face. Draco shot her a pleading glance and with a snap of her fingers, Teensy released him. Draco fell onto the bed and bounced. He was flushed from exertion and panting like the puppy that Pansy had received for her birthday. He knew his hair was beyond repair. "What is this really about?"
"I don't want to go," Draco repeated. "I don't! I hate it there."
Narcissa smoothed down his hair and to Draco's credit, he didn't pull away. "Your grand-mère misses you. You don't wish to disappoint her, do you?"
Draco shook his head. "No."
"No," Narcissa agreed. She leaned forward, pressed a kiss to Draco's forehead, and stood. "Teensy has laid out your clothes in the bathroom. Try not to upset yourself again."
"Yes, Mummy." Draco picked at his bedclothes in a huff.
Narcissa hesitated in the doorway long enough for Draco to look up and see her encouraging smile. For everything that he hated about spring, he loved his mother. She always seemed happiest in that season. Draco couldn't understand it at all. "You make us so proud, dragon. Don't forget that." Draco could only nod. "And darling, make sure to hurry; your father will be up to collect you in half an hour."
Draco waited for her to leave before burrowing under the covers. He thought that maybe, if he fell asleep, they'd leave him be.
"Master Draco!"
Draco wanted to cry. He didn't want to go. He wanted to nap. He wanted to hide. He didn't want his ears blown out by an over-enthusiastic house elf. He sat up again, the covers clinging to his hair and making it stick up. He tried to flatten it as best he could as the elf continued to wring her tea cozy.
"You must hurry, sir! Teensy is seeing Master Lucius coming to get Master Draco!"
"Teensy, be quiet, you stupid elf."
The house elf curtsied low, and grasping Draco's bed post, started knocking her head against it. Draco rolled his eyes and slipped out of bed, hitching up his pajama trousers that had fallen down over his bum in the earlier fight. He flushed, realizing his mother had seen him in his underwear and just as quickly shook off that embarrassment as worthless. His mother had seen him in much less than what he had on. He could still recall the last time his mother had helped him bathe. No, his underwear showing was no cause for embarrassment.
He walked at a sedate pace to the bathroom and locked the door with a click. Overbearing house elves were not allowed.
The cool tiles of the lavatory floor felt wonderful on the heels of his feet. The argument had left him sweaty and disgusting, but he had no time to bathe. Slipping out of his pajamas and underwear, he crossed the room naked to the toilet where his traveling robes were waiting in a neatly-folded pile.
These were his favorite robes, he decided as he put on the starched garment. He flexed his arms in the sleeves until the stiffness in the material vanished. Smirking, he stepped onto the stool before the sink so he could look in the mirror and brush his teeth.
"Draco, your mother is waiting."
"Coming, Father!"
Draco ran a comb through his golden locks and sighed when they still didn't entirely flatten after a few runs. Giving up, he abandoned the comb and hopped off the stool to open the bathroom door. He stepped out to see his father tapping his cane against the floor with a small frown.
"We're going to miss our Floo time." Lucius laid a hand on Draco's shoulders and smoothed a wrinkle in the cloak.
"I'm sorry, father."
Lucius arched a brow and ushered Draco out of the room. They made their way down the hallway, the portraits smiling in greeting. Teensy followed after them, holding a bundle of clothing for Draco to take with him.
"Master Draco, you is forgetting your packing."
Draco turned around and snatched up the clothing before kicking the diminutive elf. The elf cried out in shock and vanished from the hall with a pop.
"You'll scuff your shoes that way," Lucius chided him. Draco coloured, but held his ground and earned a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder for his efforts.
"Yes, Father."
*****
The Floo system was crowded just like Draco knew it would be, and that meant that he stood with his mother and father in front of their fireplace for another fifteen minutes before the Floo controller popped her head into the flames, giving them the go ahead. Draco held on tight to his father, wondering -and not for the first time- if the person responsible for this horrible mode of transportation was still alive, so when he got old enough he could kill him.
"Keep your mouth closed this time, Draco."
Draco nodded against Lucius's side and held on tighter. Lucius wrapped his arms around the child protectively and activated the Floo. Draco kept his mouth clenched so tight it began to hurt, but by then, they were already spinning wildly. Grey eyes filled with tears as the wind and stray ash bit at his face. It seemed like forever to him as father and son hurtled through the Floo system. Every time he opened his eyes, he quickly shut them again, so he didn't have to see the other people entering the queue.
Finally, he felt them begin to descend and braced himself for their arrival. He only had to imagine the expression of glee on his cousin Antoine's face to know that tumbling from the fireplace would cause him to become the butt of any and all jokes or slurs hurled that holiday weekend. It would be too much to hope that Antoine would stay at Beauxbatons this year.
The impact was jarring just as Draco had anticipated it would be, but with his father still holding him and his own tight grasp on the man's robes, no ugly falls happened.
"Lucius!"
Draco barely had enough time to disentangle himself from his father before he was swept into a tight embrace. The faint scent of jasmine filled his nostrils and he relaxed. "Draco! Mon petit-fils, you have got so big!"
Draco smiled into the folds of his grandmother's purple robes. His father inclined his head before turning around as the fire flared and his mother stepped through. "Bonsoir, grand-mère." He straightened and allowed his grandmother to fuss over him. Josette always did as she pleased, and Draco knew better than to argue with the aging lady. "Je suis content pour vous." Draco stopped, trying vainly to recall what to say next. He had been doing so well too! "Trouver dans la bonne santé."
Josette's smile lit up her face, and the approval warmed him. He'd been practicing for this moment all month. His tutors had told him he'd done well, but there was only one person who could judge that with any certainty, and she was the one with her hands squeezing his upper arms.
"That was merveilleux, Draco." She kissed his forehead. "You have been practicing."
Draco bit his lip and nodded, "Oui. Madame Lorraine tells me that I have potential."
"You are a Malfoy, n'êtes pas vous?"
"Ma mere," Lucius greeted coolly, dragging the attention off Draco. Draco saw the opportunity for what it was and dashed off towards the guest wing. He took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the shouts from the portraits that he raced past. He wanted to make it to his rooms before anyone else, like his Uncle Serge or his Aunt Nicole, found him there.
He rounded the top of the stairs and found himself flat on his back. His vision swam as he knocked his head against the hard floor. When he finally could see straight, he wished he couldn't. Antoine stood over him with a vicious smirk. "Watch where you are going."
"Bugger off," Draco grumbled, making no move to stand. If his father heard him say that, he'd surely be dead by the morning, but as it was, he could not find it within himself to care at all. Every year that his family came here his desire to go to Hogwarts grew more and more. He wanted a wand. He wanted to be treated with the respect that being born into his family gave him. But that wouldn't happen until he could perform magic legally. His thoughts drifted to his training wand, sitting on his bureau at home.
"Tsk, tsk, Draco," the twelve-year-old scolded in a reedy voice, nudging him with the toe of his perfectly shined shoe. "You know what Uncle Lucius would say if he could hear this."
"I would think, Antoine," Draco returned, sitting up stiffly, "that you would be more nervous if my father happened upon us like this."
"Such big words coming from such a skinny little rat."
Draco glared. "Such small words coming from such an over-sized elephant."
"Why you little rode-"
"Draco, darling, why are you on the floor?"
Draco sagged in relief as he saw his mother gracefully ascend the top step. He shot Antoine a triumphant smirk and stood up quickly, brushing off his robes. Narcissa patted down the back of his hair and turned a frosty look onto her nephew.
"Antoine, your mother was looking for you."
Antoine's pale eyes widened in fear, and he darted off down the stairs.
"Was she really?"
Narcissa's eyes gleamed. "Of course not, dragon. Now let's get you changed out of these dreadful clothes."
*****
That night, Draco lay curled between his mother and father. His fingers curled in his mother's soft hair, but he couldn't sleep. Tomorrow was Easter, and while that in itself was nothing to worry about, he had reached the age where he was supposed to help his younger cousins try to see if they could spot the bells. It baffled him that anyone could believe in such a stupid superstition and he had said so loudly to both his parents. Embarrassment flooded through him when they promptly started regaling him with all the times he had fallen for the trick as well and had cried in disappointment when he didn't see them.
It didn't take much more prompting from them for him to quickly agree that he'd try his best, but now his stomach was twisting at the thought once again. He was a skilled liar; there was no doubt in his mind that he could do the job well. It was fooling himself and then Caroline that scared him. He didn't want the responsibility, even if it was only one little girl, one perceptive little girl. He groaned, wishing that his stomach would settle so he could fall asleep.
A large hand secured around his stomach and he froze. Slowly, he looked over his shoulder and met a pair of familiar, calculating grey eyes.
"If you do not cease wiggling, you will sleep in your own bed." When Draco tensed further, Lucius sighed. "What's the matter?" Draco didn't answer right away. He couldn't tell his father he was still nervous; Malfoys didn't get nervous or frightened. "Draco."
"I don't want to do this."
"Draco, I thought we discussed this earlier, son."
Draco squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. "Yes."
"But...?"
Draco rolled over so he was facing his father. "Why'd I have to get Caroline? Father, she'll see right through me!"
"She's four."
"It doesn't matter!" Draco moaned, "I know she'll know, and then she'll be whingy and start crying!"
"Like you are now, you mean?"
Draco gaped and then bowed his head. "Sorry, Father."
"Draco, your mother and I have told you that we believe you are ready for this responsibility, and I still do, but I won't feel so charitable in the morning if you don't go to sleep."
Draco snuggled down into the soft blankets and let out a small yawn as an answer.
*****
Draco never realized how big his family was. He stood near the house, looking out across the sloping lawn as everyone got ready for the day's activities. He tried to stay hidden as he watched all his cousins laugh and scream, running around in their finest robes.
Caroline sneaked up beside him and grasped his hand. "Come on, Draco, before we miss the bells! Grand-mere says they will be flying above soon." She tugged on his hand, and Draco let himself be dragged back into the gathering. He shook his head in exasperation and made sure to keep a keen eye on the four-year-old as he ran along with her to the other end of the lawn.
Antoine's glare burned the back of his head, but Draco didn't even acknowledge him. The older boy couldn't do anything to him out there with all the adults watching.
"What's that over there?" Draco suddenly asked, pointing towards the sky in the opposite direction. He glanced up at his parents whose eyes were trained on the lightening sky. Any moment now the churches would begin ringing the bells calling their patrons to sermon. He rubbed his eyes, trying to dislodge the sleep-induced haze. Caroline was bouncing impatiently and Draco wondered if he had ever been that annoying. His parents said that he had been, but he wasn't inclined to believe them.
"I do not see anything," Caroline cried. "Where are they, Draco?"
Distant ringing could be heard, and Draco gasped. "Do you hear them, Caroline? They are getting closer!"
She shook her head, straight blonde hair flying everywhere. "No! Pick me up?" Draco really didn't want to, but he also didn't want to be yelled at when he got home. He hefted the four-year-old into his arms as best he could. She wasn't that much smaller than he was. "Higher, Draco!"
"I can't. You're getting too big," Draco grumbled, trying to hoist her higher so she could see over the fence. She gripped the white painted fence and hauled herself up until her bum was in Draco's face. He turned his head to the side and sighed. The church bells couldn't ring any sooner.
It was another five minutes before the disappointed sighs of the younger children could be heard as the sounds of church bells echoed around the rolling country side.
"I missed them," Caroline sulked as Draco lowered her to the ground. "I always miss them. Antoine says he sees them all the time. Why can't I?"
Draco tugged on a strand of her hair, uncertain of what to say to her. "I've never seen them either."
"You haven't?" She looked up at him with large brown eyes, and he nodded.
"Never."
"Never ever?"
Draco shook his head sadly. "I want to though," he lied, "so we'll just have to try harder next year, oui?"
"Oui!" Caroline let go of his hand and went running up ahead to her parents. Draco watched her go, and began to mentally count the minutes until they could go back home.