The ghost of your disappointment is haunting him -- July 1997

"Well I'm not coming back here by myself." I told him. I sighed and shook my head, "That'll be a pleasant summer after grad." I pointed out sarcastically, thinking of  some of the possible outcomes. I shuddered. "I guess its for the best though." I knew the tensions would be high when we were all back together but was it wise to delay it so long?  I mean, it's not like it would make any of this any better.

I sighed.  "I don't know if I'll come back even after graduation.  If I do, it'll only be to get my things and leave... to Australia," I added, chuckling a little bit to try to lighten the mood.  "And you're coming with me."  We could make it through all of this... as long as Snape came through for this summer.  If I could not get out of her this summer, I would not make it until the last year at Hogwarts... I knew that much.

I gave a small laugh with my brother. We had been so naive as children, thinking we could get away from our parents right after graduation. I knew he was trying to lighten the mood. "And where in Australia are we going to live Draco? We have no money ourselves and Father won't lend us any to get away from him." I hated that I was putting a damper on our conversation but I was just trying to be realistic now that I could see how wrong we were to think we could ever get away from our parents. I wasn't just talking about Australia either, even if we still lived in Europe, we had no money and no where to go.

I looked at her with as much of a mischievous grin as I could muster.  "I may have taken something of Father' and duplicated it so we could get into his vault at Gringott's... it's not like the goblins will argue with me," I told her.  "And Father won't know any of it is missing... I think I can get us to Australia."  Then after that, my plan was lost.  I was not sure what all I would be able to do for us once we were gone, but at least we would be away from here.

I mouth fell open. "Draco," I said shocked, shaking my head. "How?" I couldn't believe that he had manage this. "Are you serious?" If we had access to Father vault, we had access to the Malfoy money. We had everything we needed. I put my hand over my mouth, allowing that thought to sink in. I shook my head again. "We could really do this. Get away, have our Happily Ever After." I gave a short laugh, "and Father would so deserve this." As long as we didn't get caught before we left, there would be nothing he could do about it. We would never tell him where we were. "Who cares what happens when we get there, what matters is that we aren't here." Once we got there, I could get a job. We could live in a small apartment when we got there and move out once we had more firm footing. I shook my head again as I looked over at my brother, "We could really do this."

I shook my head slightly before stopping because it hurt.  "The less you know about that the better for you," I told her.  Once I had gotten this task, I had started planning to try to stay in control of every possible situation that could unfold.  I hated not being in control.  "Exactly... but we need to finish school or I'd say we're leaving now," I told her, thinking about the future of things, too.  If we did not have all of our schooling, then we would be getting nowhere when we ran.  "June... this is the one plus side of having a control freak as your brother... I try to stay in control of every possible outcome."  Not that it was doing me any good right at the moment, but I still had a plan in place -- I just hated how the outcome of the plan was on someone else's shoulders.  But I knew Snape would come through for me.  He always did.

I rolled my eyes, "After everything we've been through, you're still trying to protect me?" I had a feeling that Draco would always be protecting me, no matter what. I let the matter drop for now, "Of course, and we only have one more year. Maybe if we pack up our things now, we'll never have to come back here at all. Do you think Snape would let us keep our things at his place over the school year?" School was important if we wanted to get a good job after we left. We wouldn't be able to be survive on our own without school and Father, we had to have at least one. I gave a small laugh, "You've always been in control, you have this whole plan in place after everything that's happened." I shook my head slightly and put my hands on his, "He'll come through." I assured him, speaking of Snape. I had to believe that because I was sure we couldn't stay locked up in here all summer. We certainly couldn't leave with the threat of Father looming outside.

I attempted a smile at her.  "You know I'll always be protecting you... whether you want it or not," I pointed out to her.  I was not sure what I would do if I would not have Juniper to look out for.  I chuckled slightly.  "I don't know if he'd let us impose that much at his place... but we could always ask him."  I figured it would not hurt to do that.  I had always expected having to come back at one point or another, but I had wanted to post pone it for as long as possible -- which would have been after graduation at the earliest.  I sighed again.  "I haven't felt like I've been in control for the past year, though.  And that's what scares me, June.  I don't like it," I admitted.  I always knew what to expect when it came down to Father and Mother... but the Dark Lord and the death Eaters added into the mix made things less controllable and I hated it.

"I know." It was in his nature to protect me and there was nothing I could do or say to stop him, no matter if I though I was worth it or not. I nodded, "The worse he could say is no." I pointed out. Then we would have to come back to get our things. I shuddered at the images that played in my mind of what could happen when we were all together again. I shook my head to clear it. "You're quickly gaining control of this situation. You have a plan to get us out and you got us access to our money." I smiled at him, "Things may have gotten crazy over the past year but you're recovering quickly I think." Mother and Father were one thing but the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters were unstable enough that you never knew what to expect with them. That fact didn't just scare Draco though, it scared me too.

I felt the corner of my mouth twitch slightly, attempting a smile.  She always liked to try to help me feel better about everything -- one perk of my sister.  I was trying to recover, but I still felt like I had no control over anything.  I looked at Juniper.  "I'm trying to make this better for both of us, June," I told her quietly.  There was no way that I was not going to make this better.  "I know that Snape will come through for us -- and even if he doesn't, we've got our money now... so we can leave here."  That was the last resort, though.

"Things are already getting better." I assured him. Draco was up and on the mend and we were leaving, no matter what. Really, things couldn't get much better. "We will leave here, no matter what happens with Snape. We are leaving here now and after graduation, we will leave Europe." I took his hand in mine, "This is one of the best plans you've ever had." I smiled at him, hoping he believed me. This plan was more or less prefect.

I could not help but laugh slightly.  "I dunno about that," I said, not entirely sure if this plan was all that brilliant or great.  But it was better than nothing.  "I just was able to think ahead as soon as I did what I did..."  It was the only way for me to focus on something good rather than bad.  The only way for me to keep my mind from thinking about that night on the Astronomy Tower.

"Draco, this plan gets us everything we've ever wanted." I smiled at him, tring to assure him that it was perfect. "You thought well ahead and planned for every outcome, like you always do." I knew he was trying to distract himself from what happened, I wished I could as well. "Draco, we're getting out of here, because of you." I hoped reminding him that he was making all this possible would help him realize that it was a great plan.

I nodded slightly, rubbing my temple to try to soothe the headache.  "You're right; we're getting out of here," I said, at least acknowledging that that particular part of the plan was good.  But I hated the fact that it relied on someone other than me or Juniper -- I hated relying on outside parties.  I trusted Snape, though, so I knew he would come through.  I just could not help but worry when I was not in control of something this delicate.

I nodded with a slight smile, "We are getting out of here. And don't worry Draco, you have a plan, even if Snape doesn't come through. We're still getting out of here." I reminded him. "And Snape will come through for us." I was sure he would. I tired to smile over at my brother. "You've always been in control, including now." I assured him. "I don't know what I would do without you."