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Title: Draco Goes to Church

Contributors: dm_fugitive, lacy_pembrooke

Edited by: Carla Lute

Posted: 2006-01-16 to 19

Game Date: September 7^th

Disclaimer: No one at Levicorpus owns Harry Potter, the world or its characters. We just like to play in J.K. Rowling’s world.

* * * * * * *

In the morning, Draco remembered that he still needed to purchase a number of food items and walked down to the grocery with his cart.  The building was closed and locked up, which confused him for a moment, until he remembered that this was Sunday.  "Great" Draco muttered.  He turned around to head back to Riddle House, when his eyes caught the harmless looking white building.

He had thought it would probably be best for him to go home, but he remembered the preacher's invitation and curiosity got the better of him. 

The tall front door was cracked open, and Draco could hear the man speaking.  He squeezed himself inside.  The door creaking slightly as he moved it.  There were perhaps forty to fifty people in the room.  Most of them glanced around as he entered.  Draco had the urge to retreat, but the preacher smiled and gestured him in while he continued speaking. 

Lacy was sitting in the third row from the front.  She looked both surprised and pleased to see Draco and waved him forward eagerly.  Draco shook his head and sat down gingerly on the back pew.  The only place her could think to compare it to was the Great Hall at Hogwarts, though the inside of the church was not nearly as big or impressive, and there was wood rather than stone lining the walls and ceiling.

"Lies," the preacher said.  "The Bible says 'thou shalt not lie'.  But why?  Why is the truth important?  Sometimes it's obvious how lies hurt.  The big lies spread confusion, distrust, show malice."  He pointed to a large man in the audience.  "You slept with my wife.  Now, since I'm not married, that's a pretty obvious lie."  A few people chuckled politely, but most of them were quiet, except for the occasional cough and sounds of shifting.  "And most of you know me and know I'm not married, BUT if you did not know that, I would have just committed a serious slander against that man.  First I would have injured his reputation.  I could injure his relationship with his wife, his place in the community, his relationships with clients and other people who need to trust him.  Lies hurt those they are told about.

"Lies hurt those they are told to.  I've been told we're living in the Information Age.  Information is important."  He pointed to another random person in the audience.  "Corn, corn is the big crop this year, put all your money on corn, and you'll make a fortune.  Great advice, right?"  There were some more chuckles.  "Except it's not true.  Dedicating all your fields to corn this year will not make you wealthy.  Misinformation is harmful.

"But you all knew that.  What we seem to tend to forget is that lies also hurt the liar.  If I told those kind of lies all the time, you would not all be here sitting in those pews and listening to me.  In fact if you caught me in only one lie, you might always wonder if I was lying this time.  I would lose credibility, and having lost credibility, I could soon lose my position and my lively hood.

"But, lies hurt the liar, even when no one catches you at them.  Because lies are like seeds, and when you plant one, it tends to grow.  You find yourself feeding it, nursing your lie lest you be found out.  You tell other lies, big ones, little ones to keep that first lie from being discovered.  And unless you dig them out, expose them to truth, thoses lies keep growing.  Like weeds, like choking vines.  You become trapped by them, tangled up in them.  You make yourself a prisoner, when you allow lies to take hold."

He went on for a bit in way Draco thought was rather relentless, though he found himself as quiet and rapt as the rest of the audience.

"But Brother Brown, you say, Brother Brown, how do I get out of that tangle of lies?  How do I become free from my bondage?  God's has a simple answer for that.  The truth.  'The truth shall set you free'.  Know truth, live truthfully, speak truthfully, and lies will have no hold on you."

He spoke a little more and made some announcements.  The people stood and sang, and sat down again and passed around a plate which Draco saw them drop money into.  He did his best to dodge it as it came around.  He was saving his remaining pound notes until they were needed.

As he listened the idea took him more and more that he wanted to speak with this Muggle, not simply be talked at.  The meeting appeared to have come to an end.  The preacher went to stand by the doors, and people began to file outside, shaking his hand as they left.  Draco saw Lacy trying to catch his eye, though there was still a good crowd blocking her from him.  He ignored her and slipped around the pew to speak with the man by the door.

"Drake!" he said warmly, reaching out his hand.  "I'm really glad you decided to give us a try."

Draco kept his hands by his side and said in a quiet voice.  "Could I speak to you privately?"  He could sense the preacher was considering this break in routine, but after a short second, he turned to another man.  "Hey Lester, take over for me.  Mr. Herring and I need to have a conference.  We'll be in my office if you need me."

The other man looked at Draco curiously but nodded.

The preacher led Draco into a square office, much smaller than his father's office, or even most of the teachers' offices at Hogwarts, but still big enough for a desk, a tall and short bookshelf, a bench and a couple of padded chairs. He motioned for Draco to have a seat in one. Draco expected him to take a seat behind the desk, but he turned the second chair so that they were facing and had a seat in it.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"I've got a problem," Draco said, realizing what he wanted was advice. Even if he didn't agree or follow it, he just needed to explain himself and hear a response. "You see I really like this girl, and I think she likes me. I mean she acts like she does, and we sort of got together last week."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," the preacher said.

"Well that part isn't," Draco agreed. "But she has this ex-boyfriend. And we've never gotten along...actually we pretty much hate each other...but we need to work on this project together. So I need to get on good terms with him. I mean it's really important that we work together. But I think he's still in love with her. But I didn't know!" Draco found himself rising from the chair as though the energy of his distress required full body language. "How was I supposed to know? I mean he broke up with her. So I thought that meant he wasn't interested anymore, at least I assumed he wasn't...or maybe that's just what I wanted to think. There were hints I suppose. But if he wanted her so badly, why didn't he say something? I mean he should have paid more attention to her. I just don't know what to do." Draco collapsed back into his chair and put his head in his hands.

The preacher considered him for a moment. "How does the girl feel about all this?"

"I don't know," Draco moaned. "She said they were broke up, but she's got all this history with him. And her family likes him, and she says they're still friends and all." He lifted his head out of his hands let it rest against the back of the chair. "She said she was with me now, but she was kind of vague as to whether she still had feelings for him. I think I'm just worried that she's only with me because she shouldn't be, that I'm the fling, and she's going to get bored with me."

"Or that she's using you to make this other guy jealous," the other man suggested sympathetically.

"I hadn't even considered that!" Draco said in a distressed wail.

"Sorry," the preacher said smiling but not in an unkind way. He considered Draco for a moment, appearing to give the matter serious thought. "Just so I'm clear, we're not talking about Lacy and Steven are we?"

"No," Draco said snappishly, and then gave a hopeless whimper. "For fifteenth hundred time, I don't like Lacy. She's pushy and annoying."

This time the preacher did chuckled. "Lacy certainly has her own way of doing things. She can be very...forceful, when she sets her mind on something."

"No kidding," Draco said, and then frowned slightly. "She and Steven are dating?"

"I understand it's an off and on thing," the preacher said. "Now this girl of yours, is she the French girlfriend you had?"

"No," Draco said, only vaguely remembering the story he had told Lacy. "New one."

"How long have you know her?"

"Few years. We went to school together," he said. "But I didn't really get to know her until this summer."

"See her much?"

Draco shook his head.

"How did you get together then?"

"Internet mostly," Draco said.

The preacher nodded and rubbed his chin. "How old you are you, Drake?"

"Seventeen."

"And this girl?"

"Sixteen."

"And this other guy?"

"He's seventeen too," Draco said.

The preacher nodded. "I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, but you, all three of you, are at a time in your lives when a lot of things are going to be changing. Where you live, how you live, who you associate with. You'll be choosing paths and careers, and you're going to change. What you need in a relationship is going to change. Just as what she's looking for is going to change."

Draco thought the part about change was fairly obvious, but it made him feel, not so much better as, calmer. "That doesn't tell me what I should do," he said.

"Be patient," the preacher said. "And be honest. Both with her, and this boy you have to work with. Lies...well, you heard the sermon."

"I can't tell him," Draco said.

The preacher frowned, but again not unkindly. "Then you will have trouble. Do you love this girl?"

Draco looked at some dried flowers by one of the wall. "I don't know. I guess. Maybe. I mean, how do you know? How do you know it's love and not just a crush or a fancy?"

Brother Brown stood up and took a book off the shelf. He opened it and searched for a moment, handed the book to Draco and pointed to a passage. Draco read:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies...

"Best description of love I've ever found," the preacher said, and Draco looked up. "Do you have a copy?" He indicated the book, and Draco shook his head. "Well, consider that a gift then."

"Is this some strange local custom I'm unaware of?" Draco said. "Why does everyone keeping giving me things?"

"Everyone?" he asked sitting back down.

"Well, you and Lacy. You don't know me, so I don't understand."

"Well," the preacher said. "Why do you give someone a gift?"

"So that they'll like me better," Draco said.

The preacher smiled as though he had said something funny. "Well, at least your honest."

But, I'm not, Draco thought. It's more complicated than that. "And to make them happy," he added.

"Is it so hard to believe me and Lacy want you to be happy?"

"Yes," Draco said.

The preacher rubbed his chin again. He seemed to be examining Draco. "Drake, can I ask you something? If you're seventeen, why aren't you in school?"

"I left," Draco said dully.

"Left as in finished early or just left."

"Finished early," Draco said, because he didn't want this man to think he was dumb. Why that was important he didn't know.

"Are you thinking about continuing to university?"

"No," Draco said, because he didn't know what that was.

"Pity, you seem like a sharp young man. Does it have something to do with your grandfather?"

"He needs me to take care of the house," Draco said, trying to not sound too bothered by the arrangement.

"Well, it's good of you to help him," Brother Brown said. "I've heard you've had a bit of miracle yourself, father coming back to life."

"Yeah," Draco said, wishing he could feign enthusiasm. But he had wanted to talk about Ginny, not his father. Ginny who was patient and kind and...

"He just got out of prison, didn't he?" the preacher said gently.

* * * * * * *

Lacy paced around outside the preacher's office impatiently. She couldn't hear a word of what was being said inside. Eavesdropping wasn't her goal though. Instead she was hoping to invite Drake to the youth group's bonfire party. If she couldn't go see him, she'd just have to keep getting him to come to her.

Finally she grew tired of pacing and slumped down, sliding along the wall until her bottom hit the floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest and sat there quietly, waiting. Sure, it was a strange seating arrangement for a girl of 19, but she really didn't care.

* * * * * * *

"How did you know-?!" Draco flushed, realizing that he had confirmed what was probably a guess.

"Well, I do believe in miracles, and that men can come back from the dead," the preacher said. "But I also went to school with boy who told me his father was dead for six years, before he got out and came home. It was hard on Jo. I think he thought his father's crimes reflected badly on him. He was wrong, but it is natural to feel ashamed, even when it's unnecessary."

"I'm not ashamed of my father," Draco said quickly.

The preacher raised his eyebrows. "Well, I'm sure that's a great comfort to him. How are things between the two of you?"

"Fine," Draco said, a bit defensively.

"That's good, that's good," Brother Brown said, bobbing his head. "It was harder on my friend Jo. He had a lot of trouble explaining how his father had come back from the dead for one...But he said he had trouble talking to him. Prison can change people, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. I think Jo was worried if he let his father get too close, he might be influenced too in the wrong sort of way. Now, I think his father was trying to make good, but he wasn't very good at expressing himself either. So it was kind of quiet at Jo's house for a while, but I think it got a bit better with time."

Draco blinked to fight back the moisture in his mutinous eyes and stared at a framed poster on the wall.

V. Honour thy father and thy mother

VI. Thou shalt not kill.

VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

VII. Thou shalt not steal.

IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

"What are those?" he asked, mainly to distract the current course of the conversation. The preacher blinked and followed his pointing finger. It took him a moment to figure out what Draco was referring to, and even when he did he look a bit confused.

"Those...those are the Ten Commandments," he said. He pointed to the book in Draco's hand. "They're in there too. In Exodus...the second book. Basic rules to live by."

"So you think it's wrong to commit adultery?" Draco said hopefully.

"Very wrong," the preacher said. "Fornication too by implication. Sex outside of marriage is always a bad idea."

"Even if you love someone?"

"Especially if you love someone."

Draco would have to think about that. "But...is lying always wrong? I mean if you have to lie to protect someone, that's the right thing to do isn't it?"

The preacher considered Draco. "If you have to lie to protect someone, then there's quite a bit more wrong's going on than just lying, and lying's a big one." He leaned forward. "Are you in any sort of trouble, Drake?"

"No," Draco said, forcing himself to sound unconcerned. "Just saying in general. I mean what if your mother was wearing a really ugly dress, and she asked you how she looked. I mean you'd protect her feelings right." Yes, nice save he thought as the preacher relaxed in to a smile.

"Well, just because you shouldn't lie, doesn't mean you shouldn't use a little tact," the preacher said. "You could tell your mother that the dress didn't do her justice. Be a pity to send a woman you loved out in an ugly dress without some warning, because someone with less tact may alert her to it."

Draco nodded. He felt like he had quite enough to think about for the moment, and wanted to get end the conference on an up note so he got his feet. "Thank you," he said. "I think I need to get back home. Grandfather doesn't like me to be gone to long without notice."

The preacher nodded, his expression becoming cautious. "Have you tried speaking to your father about this girl?" Draco started to lie, but gave up and just shook his head. "Why don't you give it a chance. You don't have to take his advice necessarily, but I'm sure it would make him feel good to be asked."

"I'll try that," Draco said. He walked towards the door, and the preacher stood and opened it for him.

"Feel free to stop by if you’re in the mood to chat," the preacher said. "I'd like to know what you think about that book I gave you."

Draco nodded and turned to leave.

Lacy jumped up smiling. "Hey!" she said happily. "I got another invitation for you... but this time it's to something a little more public and less private so your girlfriend doesn't have to get jealous."

Lacy felt as though she'd just caught the canary, and was grinning as though it were a fact.

Draco felt ambushed, possibly because he was. He blinked at Lacy as though she was some sort of odd hallucination that might clear up. He couldn't manage to drudge up anger, so he said in a patient tone. "I told you it wasn't about my girlfriend."

Lacy rolled her eyes while smiling, clearly unconvinced. She wanted to make some snide comment about her dinner with his uncle, but remembered that Severus had said something about it being just between the two of them. Whether he had meant the dinner itself, or the fact that he'd made some small advances, she wasn't sure.

"Next Friday there's a bonfire. Everyone in the youth group's coming. Just thought you might like to come is all. You can either meet me at my house and we'll walk there together, or you can just meet all of us in the middle of Lagan's Field just after dark." Lacy walked along with Draco appearing almost as though she were chasing him.

She's chasing me, Draco moaned inwardly as he walked towards the exit. "I'm busy Friday," he said.

All right, she'd have to bring out the big guns. "Well your uncle seems to be able to find time for me," Lacy shot back. "Fine... but you'll miss out."

Draco rolled his eyes, assuming she meant the tea Snape had given her. "I think I'll live. And he was just being polite," Draco said coolly. "He doesn't want to see you again either."

"Apparently more polite than you! You blew off my dinner invitation! I even made Lasagna. Severus said it was delicious." She sounded like a bickering child, but it didn't phase her in the least. She completely ignored his last comment though. He could believe what he wanted, but Lacy had the wine bottle under her bed. That, Drake would never know about.

Draco stopped. He look at Lacy, not sure if he believed her. She was looking rather pleased with herself. He walked back to her, grabbed her hair and brought his face close to hers. "Listen to me, because this is your last warning," he spoke in a low murmur. "I don't know what game he's playing, but you do not want to be caught up in it. He's dangerous. I'm dangerous. And whatever silly fancy you've got in your head, you better get it out. If you care anything about yourself, or your uncle and his store, or this town for that matter. You had better learn to take me seriously. Stay away from Riddle House and stay away from me." He pulled back an inch, stopped, tightened his grip on her hair and added with a smile and a flippant tone (but still at the volume of the whisper. "By the way, you tell anyone in this little hamlet about this chat, and I will kill you." He released Lacy with a jerk, turned on his heels and walked quickly from the empty church.

Lacy stood there, a look of half indignity on her face. She was still smiling though, the nervous kind of smile that someone got when they really didn't know what had just happened.

"Alright then." she nodded to herself and mulled over what Severus had said during their dinner, about how Drake was under a lot of stress and had more to worry about now. "Stress..." she said quietly, blinking.

"That boy needs a therapist."

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