Read HER LUCKY BREAK first. Link is here: /s/10671892/1/Her-Lucky-Break (remember the url first)

His Unlucky Life

Resignation

Draco Malfoy was no more than empty box, much like the one Hermione had given him that lay unused at his desk. Every thought and feeling he had upon returning to the school had been safely locked away in a vault that even he couldn't manage to open. Instead it was like his very being had disappeared. It may as well have.

He had gone against his father and everything he stood for, everything he was raised to believe in. He didn't think it right to feel as if a part of him died back there in the shed. Draco should not have felt any regret as that monster was no longer human, no longer his father. He knew he shouldn't, but he did and he couldn't help it. It's why he locked it all away. It was the only to make the guilt and following shame keep from running his life.

Hermione had noticed his distance of course. She hadn't gotten a chance to ask him why he suddenly turned away from the world as if he didn't belong as the minute they arrived, she and Jasper were rushed to the medical wing. Madame Pomfrey had looked horrified at seeing the damage inflicted upon the two and didn't put up a fuss when Draco said he was fine and was going to go see Professor McGonagall instead. In fact, she encouraged it. There was enough work to be done that having him in the room as well may just cause more problems than it would solve.

After travelling across the school with a purpose he found himself pausing outside of the Headmistress' office. What was he going to tell her? That he killed his own father?

Not that she would probably mind his death all too much. Considering the damage he did to a former and current student? No. McGonagall, in all of her traditional and strict ways would likely dance on the man's grave.

If it had been anyone other than a Malfoy, Draco would not need to fear the questions for going after him. If anyone else had been in Draco's shoes, they wouldn't have to fear them either. However, it was the younger Malfoy who had been there with the elder and that raised more than a few concerns.

Could this be a ploy?

Is Lucius really dead?

Is Draco working with him?

Did Draco kill Lucius to keep the situation from getting out of control so that he could continue the work in peace?

It was all because of his perfectly clean blood and perfectly unmoral upbringing that any of this would even happen. He was still pacing nervously in front of the door when it opened abruptly. In the frame revealed a dishevelled McGonagall, a stunned Potter, and Kingsley Shacklebolt who had a mask of indifference covering his face.

"Malfoy!" exclaimed McGonagall. "I was just about to go and find you. I heard you had returned and that Miss Granger and Mr. Getain are currently having their wounds treated. I figured that you'd be best to get the information from."

"You figured right." said Draco stiffly.

"Well come in. Potter, you can leave but I doubt that Madame Pomfrey will actually let you in."

"Thank you Professor. And don't worry. I spent so much time in there that it's practically a second home. She'll let me in." and with that he was off, streaking towards the part of the castle that held the injured best friend of the young man.

Draco tentatively stepped into the room and took a seat on the largest chair by the fire. He didn't relax though. He sat on the edge of the seat, ready to jump up at a moments notice to do something, anything, to keep his mind busy. He knew he'd never get the opportunity to do anything though. Draco had a story to tell to the Headmistress and Minister of Magic.

He didn't know where to start the tale though and Professor McGonagall seemed to notice this, instead choosing to offer a place in time. "Why don't you tell us how you found the location of the two?"

He shifted uncomfortably in his chair as he told the tale. He started with the ring that Jasper was wearing and how it had a scrying spell placed on it. He even explained why he used a scrying rather than a tracking. While a tracking could tell his location, the spell of choice could allow Draco to see what the boy was doing, or more importantly, who he was talking to.

All the while the two other people in the room just nodded and listened. As he got further into the story he found it was easier to say what happened, what conclusions he drew regarding the torture of Hermione and Jasper. He even mentioned how he confronted the beast about his mother.

When it came time to tell about Lucius' death he just hung his head in shame. He could feel tears starting to form in his eyes and he refused to let them fall, swiping angrily at his face and counting to three before sealing the vault shut again.

"I killed him."

Those three words made the room seem eerie, as if nobody was there. You couldn't hear a single breath and Draco's own heartbeat was drumming wildly in his ears. It was so loud and fast that he thought it was sure to explode.

However, the young man was even more surprised by the events that followed rather than his heart. McGonagall had given him a hug. She was holding him so tightly and it felt so warm that Draco just accepted it. He didn't attempt to push her away as she was expecting. Instead he sat there like a stone as she offered her condolences to the young professor. He loved it though. He loved knowing that someone cared for his well being. Sure Jasper and Hermione had hugged him back in the shed but they were sitting by a corpse and the relief was so overwhelming that it just didn't feel the same.

"I..." he trailed off. "I want to resign."

"Resign?" she asked, pulling away from him.

"At the end of term if that's alright. I need some time."

McGonagall gave Draco a small smile. "Of course. Thank you for offering to stay for the term. It gives me a few weeks to complete the necessary preparations for a new teacher. And Draco? I really am sorry that you had to go through all of that. Just remember that you're always welcome here."

McGonagall moved to her desk, looking for a paper and the Minister followed closely behind her. Draco saw this as a time to leave and wasted none of it in slipping out the door. He walked the halls aimlessly, not knowing just where it is that he wanted to go. The castle held nothing for him anymore. Everything that had happened since he took this stupid teaching job had caused him nothing but trouble. It wasn't worth it.

He'd left McGonagall's office nearly thirty minutes ago when he ran into Potter.

"How's she doing?" he blurted, unable to contain the questions.

Potter grimaced. "Madame Pomfrey's not letting me in to see Hermione. Says that she's too busy trying to take care of both the patients who came in with horrible injuries. Just what happened to them?"

Draco shook his head.

"I honestly don't know. I was too late."

"Don't say that. They're still alive, aren't they?" Potter said enthusiastically. "Besides, I was told that they'll make remarkable recoveries and that already Jasper wants to leave."

They both laughed. Although it wasn't a warm and friendly conversation, Draco walked away from it feeling much better. At least he had done some good if the two would be able to come back and be there same old overly cheery selves.

It still didn't help him sleep that night.

It took Jasper three days before he was allowed to leave the hospital wing and it took Hermione eight. Draco had never heard of someone who needed that much monitoring that they had to stay there for eight days.

The minute visitors were allowed to either of them, Draco stopped by. He gave a sucker to Jasper and returned the ring, now spell free. The boy accepted them both graciously and thanked Draco for saving him from the scary monster. After that, the two males would talk and talk about anything and everything. The couple of friends that Jasper had that remained at school were with him at all times that Draco himself was not. Draco never got to talk to Hermione though. The entire time she was in the hospital, as he visited she would be asleep. She seemed to always be asleep though Jasper said that a few time they had talked in the middle of the night. So each day Draco brought her a new flower, hoping that maybe it just might be enough to wake her up.

When she was finally released, his immediate thought was that she bribed Madame Pomfrey to let her go as classes were going to be starting back up. He even asked the healer if she did that but apparently the witch had been let free because she really was better. He saw her at the welcome back feast and she was smiling as if nothing had happened. Like they hadn't all just survived a horrific event.

Granted they had done such a thing once before with the wizarding war but even what his aunt did to her paled in comparison to the few marks he saw on her skin over a week ago. Only the three of them as well as other members of the staff and Ministry actually knew what happened. The rest of the world only knew that Lucius Malfoy had been killed in the act of committing another round of murders. Nobody had a clue who the victims had been or where the event all transpired.

The next day, Draco had contacted the Ministry asking for his father's body to be moved to the family plot at the edge of the Manor's property. They had agreed, although it took some prodding. Draco didn't attend the funeral. He had wanted to. There was no doubt that he would be the only one there but... he wasn't ready. Despite his best efforts to get up that morning and go he just, couldn't. Instead he stayed in bed.

He couldn't remain in bed forever though. Today was the first day of classes and he needed to go. He had to tell the kids about the staff change and how Professor Slughorn had graciously offered to return for the remainder of the year. He had overheard in the halls that Hermione was taking next year off as well. He could only wonder if this was all because of the events she had been through. She acted so normal though that he kind of doubted that she would give up the job because of it. Hermione really did seem to enjoy teaching all of the kids and in a class she excelled in at that.

He spent his remaining weeks packing both his office and his rooms. He had them sent home, back to the manor. He hadn't had time to talk to Hermione or Blaise, not even Jasper. Everyone had been busy with their tasks that sitting down and just having a conversation was nearly impossible. Especially for Draco who needed to go over everything the students had learnt so that Slughorn would know what was covered already and what was left to be done. Not that he really minded, it kept him busy with all the mindless tasks. He didn't need to feel guilty or shameful so long as his mind was occupied.

That's why Draco had been pleasantly surprised when the lady guarding his portrait alerted him of a visitor.

He wasted no time in opening the door only to reveal a certain Defense Against the Dark Arts professor standing with a wide grin on his face. He was proudly holding a bottle of firewhiskey.

"Can't have you leave without a celebration, can we?" Blaise said, offering the bottle to Draco.

The blond couldn't help but to grin as he remembered all the times the two off them had smuggled a bottle through the bag checks. They had done more than just mild celebration when they were a few years younger. Now, as working and responsible adults, they should at least be okay to drink. They were allowed unlimited wine at dinner after all.

He grabbed the bottle and invited the Italian in, ushering him to take a seat on one of the comfortable seats near the fireplace. Blaise lighted the fire as Draco placed the firewhiskey on the small table between the two seats and grabbed two glasses from the cupboard. After filling them partially with ice he wandered back to Blaise and passed him a glass, taking his own seat.

"So... you excited to go back home?" the italian prodded, pouring himself a glass of the amber liquid.

Draco shrugged, "I guess you could say that."

"Alright. Talk."

"Well, it's just odd to be going home and knowing that I'm the sole owner of it now. That my parents are both gone and neither of them are going to leave the back of the lot."

Blaise nodded before downing his whole glass and pouring himself another one. He swished it around a bit before talking. "You know, you don't have to be alone there. Get yourself a smoking hot roommate and then have all the fun."

"Ha, and watch her turn out to be a gold digging whore? I think I'll pass."

The two laughed and continued to joke around with each other before Blaise grew serious once more. "Did you really kill him?"

Draco nodded. Blaise let out a low whistle.

"Wow. I bet you a hundred galleons that he's going to come back and haunt you for the rest of your life."

Draco nodded again, suddenly not up for talking. Blaise seemed to realize this and left the man alone. He even poured Draco one last drink which was gulped back appreciatively. Once Blaise was gone, he looked around the room one last time to make sure everything was all packed away. Not seeing anything that needed to be put back away besides the two glasses, Draco toppled onto the sofa and fell into the first deep sleep he'd had for awhile.

The drunken slumber was the best he'd had in a long time. He would cherish it for more nights to come.

Now the first chapter of the sequel is done. It's on the shorter side but things are left to get interesting. It's going to switch between Hermione and Draco a bit more than the previous one as I think it will be interesting to see both of their perspectives.

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