When?” Now that was an answer Draco hadn’t expected. One little word just spun his entire stand point around, and his prepared vigilance and acid tongue melted down a step. When? That was possibly the least smartass, biting thing his father had ever said to him. Where was the put down? The snideness? The dozens of annoying and eerily accurate leading questions? Or even the flat out denial? ‘When’ almost sounded like an OK. Apparently he’d stared off into space to long, pondering the response, so his father felt the need to re-ask. “When are you going to move?!” Draco jerked, and his eyes went wide. He wasn’t used to zoning out like that, he was the kid who could memorize curse names as he cast a hex and wrote down the name of a new counter he’d invented. “Soon,” he said, sort of stumbling over his answer, “as soon as possible, actually. With a friend from school. We’ll probably get a flat or something... I’d ask you if we could rent one of the summer houses but I think I’ll be less gouged by the good merchants of the city.” His father’s eyes flashed, but not in anger. He let a deep, short chuckle emit from his mouth, almost like a bark, and then cut it off. “Right you are,” he said, “right...” He stopped them, seeming to think over what Draco had said, as the silvery blonde boy kicked himself for giving up so much information in one go. He’d tripped, and said a lot more than he should have in an effort to regain his footing. “Who did you say you were saying with?” Draco blinked. Was that all? “A boy f-...” Draco instantly realized what this would sound like, and when he saw Lucius’ eyebrow twitch up a bit, he changed forms. “A male friend of mine.” “I’m sure,” his father said, and Draco saw his eyes glittering in an amazingly strange way. Like Harry often remarked about Snape, it seemed that his father could read minds, but he supposed it was always that way with very intelligent, but very sinister acting people. Of course, some things it didn’t take a genius to make out, as there were several young Muggle maid’s under various subtle charms who did work around the house, that Draco suspected were there purely for his benefit but had never touched. “Not one of those two bear looking fellows... just like their fathers. Vincent and Gregory?” Wincing at those names- more at the memory than at the fact that he’d always simply addressed them as Crabbe and Goyle- Draco shook his head. “I don’t think I’m going to tell you.” His father went quiet for a moment, and then spoke very softly. “Why not?” Draco shrugged. “I don’t think you’d approve,” he said. “He isn’t your type.” “But he is yours, I’d imagine.” Lucius said shortly. “Keep your secrets, son, but I hope you know I can find out, and soon.” Draco smiled. Coldly. “Well I know how you enjoy the challenge.” This seemed to anger his father even more, and it was obvious this conversation needed to close soon or there was going to be some serious trouble brewing. “Will you return here for Christmas holiday, or will you just be staying in your little hideaway?” With a shake of his head, Draco gave an answer that didn’t correspond with his motion. “I don’t know,” he said simply. “I need to go now.” Lucius smiled, with even less warmth than his son had. “Well you finally got around to answering my original question,” he said. “I’ll see you later, son.” “Sure,” Draco said, and left. He never saw the Malfoy Mansion again. *** The ‘Im going to try to find a flat’ had been bullshit, of course. They’d already had the lease on one for three weeks before they decided to leave, so they would be able to get out the second they notified their guardians. It was a below ground apartment that fit both of their needs perfectly- it was cool, the light was dim, and nobody bothered them. They celebrated upon moving in, of course, after Harry had assured Draco for the seventh time that “Yes, things had gone fine. Everything was ok. I bumped my head on the counter.” But Draco knew he was lying. Draco could taste the tears on his skin. Authors Note: Want to know where in the fuck Im going with this? Me to. No, no, I have a general idea... but Im developing as I go along, so this might not flow so brilliantly.