DISCLAIMER: Draco, Ginny, Hogwarts, and all that were created by JK Rowling. They do not belong to me. I’m not making and profit off this. I wish I were. I’m poor.
NOTES: Yes, this is the last chapter. Yes, it took a lot longer than expected. I am sorry. See the end for longer more tearful notes.
* * *
April 13, 2005: Early Morning
Lucius Malfoy gazed into the ever changing, flickering flames before him. The fire in his study didn’t give off nearly enough heat to make much of a difference in the frigid Manor. Even in mid-April, it was constant winter there. If only he’d do a few simple spells, he’d be comfortable, but Lucius didn’t move except to sip from the smoking silver goblet in his hand. It was almost as though he didn’t want to be comfortable. As though he had grown some moral aversion to it. He stared, steadfastly ahead barely noticing the cold. He was far too used to it now.
The flames moved rapidly, flicking out from around the wood and gathering strength until they joined together and formed a large wall of orange and red. It wasn’t the size or strength of the blaze that made it so special. If one looked hard enough into the fire, slowly the rest of the world would begin to drop away and get pushed back into the blackness of unconsciousness. And there, moving in time with the flames would be a scene, playing out like a movie right before one’s very eyes.
Lucius could see terrible things in the fire. There was pain and destruction everywhere. People were screaming and dying. Wands were blazing. The smoke from the battle rose up and mixed with the smoke from his own fire before being puffed out the chimney above. Many people would have given anything to see what he was seeing right then. Then they’d know which side was winning and which had already lost. For Malfoy, that truth wasn’t a happy one. He watched, unflinchingly, as Harry Potter, the hero of the wizarding world, confronted the Dark Lord in a long hallway inside the Ministry of Magic building.
Many a Death Eater had already met his maker in that hallway. The walls were charred with the marks of spells that had missed their target so they were as black as the brick in Lucius’ fireplace. Several bodies of the wounded and the dead lay on the floor. Lucius could only recognize one: executioner MacNair had himself been executed. He didn’t miss the irony. Potter stood at one end, with his friends - whatever his name was and whatever her name was. The Dark Lord was alone. And before one curse was hurled, Lucius knew he didn’t stand a chance. Voldemort only managed one cheap shot at the redheaded boy’s leg before he fell.
Malfoy sipped from his goblet and marveled at how little compassion he could muster up for his fallen lord. He had watched his comrades die from his safe perch in his study, and he didn’t care. All he could think was that he would’ve died too if he hadn’t seen the writing on the wall. The Death Eaters may have believed that they could prevail despite the odds stacked against them but Lucius wasn’t a gambling man. He wasn’t going to follow a disgusting, foul man into battle like some lemming. He refused to be a mindless minion. He had his own plans.
Still, he felt a great sense of loss tugging at the back of his being. It wasn’t for the Dark Lord, but for himself. He had worked hard toward his goal for decades. Now, he watched it all go up in smoke from the comfort of his own home. All his plans were crumbled. All his bright ideas were gone. He had nothing left. He was finished.
It’s over, he thought as he took another sip from the smoking goblet.
* * *
April 16, 2005: Breakfast
It was the topic everyone was still talking about by the time the Hogwarts students returned from Easter holidays. Ding dong, You-Know-Who was dead. There was a rumor that his body had been collected and was going to be put on display by the Ministry. The students came rushing out of the Great Hall after breakfast that first morning, all buzzing about the battle. Everyone had a story about a friend or friend of a friend who had fought and they’d tell anyone who would listen all about it.
This happy chattering was exactly the kind of thing that Severus Snape hated. The students would be unruly and try to talk throughout his lesson. He was sure some of the other professors would give them time to discuss such a monumental event in Wizarding history but Snape wouldn’t stand for that kind of nonsense. They were going to do potions, same as every other day. Snape was understandably grumpy as he strode toward the dungeons. He was already bitter about being shut in for the battle, he didn’t want to have problem students on top of that. He grumbled to himself and glared at first years as he went, not noticing much that was going on about him.
Ginny stood at the end of the hallway, apart from the students bustling to class. She remembered when she was like them. The change from young Ginny to mother Ginny had been abrupt. It didn’t seem like that long ago. She smiled. Cassie was still sleepy, having just gotten up. Ginny had to carry her out into the hallway. The young girl’s head rested against her mother’s shoulder. Cassie yawned, causing Ginny’s red hair to be blown about. Ginny smiled.
"Professor Snape!" she called out to him when he came into view.
He turned and glared in the direction of whoever was yelling at him. It would take someone who had known him a long time to recognize that his face upon realizing it was Ginny and her daughter, not a student. "What is it?" he barked.
Cassie bounced in her arms as she jogged over to him, her face flushing with the effort. "I just... I wanted to thank you. For rescuing Cassie," they both looked at the sleepy, little girl, who rubbed her eyes blearily. She shook herself with the first signs of waking up. Ginny continued, "I know there’s not much... but if there’s ever anything we can do for you... to pay you back..."
Cassie looked up at her mother, noticing that she was speaking for the first time. Curiously, she turned to see whom she was speaking with. "SEVVIE!" she cried joyously when she saw him. All the students in the hall turned to look at them, startled by the loud noise.
Snape went white. "You want to thank me?" he hissed. "Never speak of this again!" He turned on his heel and stalked down the hall, barking at students who looked at him strangely.
Ginny raised her eyes at Cassie and they giggled. "He’s grumpy in the morning," Cassie explained sheepishly.
* * *
April 17, 2005: 08:00
"When is it? When is it?" a hyper Cassie asked over and over. She bounced higher and more often than usual. She even climbed on Draco and Ginny’s bed to bounce for maximum height.
Draco watched all of this from his dark corner of the flat. He had stopped sulking over Harry’s wonderful triumph a few days ago but was still in a dark, contemplative mood. He hadn’t said more than two words to Ginny since the whole thing had happened. She didn’t bother him about it. She knew that was just how he was, and that he’d get over it.
Ginny put her hand to her head. "You know it’s today, Cass," she said patiently. She did love her daughter, but sometimes she was just plain annoying. Cassie’s exuberance was the type of thing legends were made of. But today, Ginny couldn’t help but smile. The girl had good reason to be happy; they all did. It was Cassie’s 6th Birthday.
"No, when is it exactly," Cassie whined. "What time? When am I six?"
"Uh..." stammered Ginny. Flashes of the night Cassie was born flitted through her mind. Those cold months in Malfoy manor came rushing back to her and she was once more lying on that hard bed, frightened and in pain. It wasn’t something she wanted to think about. She rarely thought about it. She really didn’t have time with a five -- now six -- year-old around.
"Well?" asked Cassie impatiently. "When am I six?"
The truth was, Ginny didn’t know. She remembered it had been dark out her tiny window, but it had always been dark there. She had always figured Cassie had been born at night, but now that she thought about it, it could’ve been day. She had no idea the time. The Death Eaters hadn’t given her a clock or much else for that matter. She didn’t know what to tell Cassie.
Then a hoarse voice from the corner came to her rescue. "Just after five in the morning," Draco said, his eyes oddly glazed over. "You’re already six," he told Cassie. She began to do a little dance and sing about being six. Her parents didn’t notice.
Ginny cocked her head to one side and looked at him inquisitively. "How do you know?" she asked, in a high voice.
"I was there," he said simply. "Well, not there. But I heard the whole thing from my room. They shut me in so I couldn’t help..." His voice trailed off. He realized that he had never told her this. He too rarely spoke of what happened at Malfoy Manor those months. Perhaps he felt as though he had left those days behind. Or perhaps it was too painful for the both of them.
"Oh," said Ginny, wishing she could think of something better to say. She hadn’t known that. Really, she knew very little about him before Cassie. But the more she discovered, the more she liked. His expression was pained. She knew he was thinking about it. She knew it hurt him. She wanted to do something to ease his pain because she knew what those memories were like. She had them too.
It was like being dumped into black, murky water. You couldn’t see light. You couldn’t feel anything except the cold seeping through your skin until you felt dirty to the bone. Like being left alone, shivering and drowning. She shuddered just thinking about it. She hadn’t known it at the time, of course, but she hadn’t been alone. He had been looking out for her those months. She just couldn’t see him. And that made it hurt just a bit less.
He looked away again, preparing himself to slip back into his maudlin state. "Draco..." she said. His head snapped back up to look at her. She hadn’t really had anything to say until that moment when their eyes met. And his voice drifted into her mind. She could see his face, as he said it. And she knew what to say. "I guess you didn’t miss everything."
Ginny smiled gently. Draco couldn’t help but smile back. She had remembered. On the train after the Death Eaters attacked the first time, he told her that he had missed too much of Cassie’s life.
"YOU’RE NOT WATCHING!" Cassie yelled, causing them both to whip their heads in her direction. She had her hands on her hips and was glowering at them.
"I’m sorry," said Ginny, trying to keep the peace. "You know what? I think it’s time you change into your birthday dress! Come on, I’ll help." She placed her hand on the little girl’s back and steered her toward the big, pink bedroom.
They had managed to procure a very puffy, very lacey dress for Cassie to wear for her birthday party. Cassie was in ecstasy when she first laid eyes on it. It had several tulle skirts that flared out when she spun and large sleeves. Cassie said it was a princess dress, just like Aurora would’ve worn. She had loved it so much, Ginny didn’t expect Cassie to resist when she started to push her toward the door. But she did.
"I can dress myself. I’m six now," she said, proudly.
"Oh," cooed Ginny, her eyes filling with tears. "I see. You’re big now." Cassie nodded. "Ok, when you’re done come out and show me how it looks." Draco had to hide a smile at this. He knew she was saying that so Ginny would be able to fix any mistakes Cassie made. But Cassie didn’t need to know that. Again, she nodded dutifully. She turned on her heel and all but ran into the other room.
"She’s so happy," sighed Ginny absently, staring at the place Cassie had been standing. "She never had a birthday party before."
Draco coughed and shuffled his feet. After finding out that their only granddaughter was about to be six, the Weasleys had insisted that she get a big birthday party at the Burrow. Draco had been hoping they’d be able to do something for Cassie’s birthday, but in truth he wasn’t looking forward to spending the entire day on Weasley family turf, especially since it probably meant certain family friends would be there as well.
"Are you still upset about Harry?" Ginny asked, as though she could read his thoughts again. Draco didn’t answer. She rolled her eyes in disgust. "I suppose you think that when I see him today, I’m going to fall into his arms and remember why I loved him so much when I was a girl."
Draco avoided her eye.
"You know," she swaggered up close to him, forcing him to look at her, "for an arrogant git, you’re horribly insecure."
He knew he should really think of some witty comeback and tell her that she was mistaken. All he could really come up with was a forced scoff.
"We’re not going to leave," Ginny continued. She knew, even though he really didn’t want to talk right now that she had to say this to him or he would never believe her. "You’re Cassie’s father and you’ll always be a part of Cassie’s life. My life."
He put his head on top of hers and threaded his arms through hers sadly. "You were supposed to say that you love me deeply and that you’d never leave me because ours is an undying love that deserves to be immortalized in epic poetry."
Ginny giggled. "It might not be happily ever after, you know. We have a kid to support but neither of us have jobs. We’ve been living on the fringes of society for the last seven years... It just might make a sucky poem is all." She gazed up at him adoringly, "but I do love you."
"Cassie wouldn’t like that," whispered Draco, feeling a bit happier. "She thinks we need to be more like Philip and Aurora. More dancing, less moping."
A mental image of Draco and her dressed up in silly, period costumes dancing around Hogwarts entered Ginny’s head. She had to bury her face in Draco’s chest to keep the laughing to a minimum. "Yeah, well, that movie always ends at the happy part. I never told Cassie this, but in the book version, the Prince’s mother eats Sleeping Beauty’s children..."
"I’ll talk to my Mum," said Draco, mock gravely.
"I’M READY!" Cassie yelled cheerfully as she emerged from her room.
Her dress was on, and that was the good news. The bad news was that Ginny didn’t know how she was going to tell the six-year-old that she had put her dress on backwards. She could feel Draco beginning to shake with laughter next to her. She would’ve told him off for laughing at his child but she knew she’d lose it too if she looked at him. Oh, today was going to be a long day and the party hadn’t even started yet.
* * *
April 17, 2005: 09:43
It took awhile, but eventually Draco, Ginny and Cassie were on their way. Dumbledore had arranged for a portkey, in the shape of a can of soup, to take them to the Burrow when they were ready. Cassie fidgeted a lot as the moment of departure neared. Draco worried that she wouldn’t be holding onto the portkey when it took off and she’d be left behind. But when the time came, she was touching it with just one finger, and off they went. Cassie yelped and jostled Draco’s arm in the process. He hadn’t expected her to be used to using portkey, since she never had before. When they finally felt solid ground beneath their feet, Cassie refused to open her eyes. She had them shut very tightly. Draco busied himself trying to convince her that everything was all right while Ginny took a look around.
When Ginny first opened her eyes, she almost couldn’t believe where she was standing. A powerful feeling of nostalgia washed over. They had landed in the middle of the Weasley family sitting room. The rugs were just as faded. The couch was just as abused. And the old grandfather clock stood silently in the corner. It was just as she remembered it. It even smelled the same. Faint traces of fried food, dirt and smoke from explosions hung in the air.
Without thinking, she dashed up the stairs yelling, "Mum! Dad!" The stairs still creaked in all the same places. That funny stain on the third landing in front of the door that lead to her bedroom was still there. Ginny stood outside the door and paused for a moment. She was frightened. But she wasn’t sure if it would be worse if they had changed her room or if they had left it exactly as it was. Deciding that there was only one way to find out, she pushed it open. Its hinges groaned as they worked for the first time in a long time.
It was like stepping back in the time. Not only was the room the same, nothing had been moved since she had left for Hogwarts so many years ago. The stuffed dolls that she had never been able to bring herself to toss in the dustbin still sat on her bed, staring at her with their eyes long since lost. There were posters of the Weird Sisters papering her walls. They had mustaches and graffiti drawn all over them. Fred and George had done that when she was away and then taunted her about it via owls. She had been so angry, she remembered. Now, looking at the defaced figures made her so happy she wanted to cry.
"Mum! Dad!" she yelled again as she thundered back down the stairs. She wanted to see them. The house was great but it wasn’t what made the memories so special. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed all of this. She hadn’t let herself think about it too much when she had been away. "Fred! George! Ron!"
"I think they’re in the garden," said Draco as he straightened up. "All right, Ginny?" he asked quizzically when he saw her face.
"Never better," she replied as she ran from the room out into the garden. She had only disappeared from sight for a split second when Draco heard the sounds of what could only be Ginny being mobbed by a hoard of Weasleys. He smiled in spite of himself. It must be nice to be able to go home again.
* * *
Narcissa Malfoy slipped silently down the halls of Malfoy Manor. Her shadow bobbed on the walls as she hurried past. She had stayed away for the last few days out of fear. But now she couldn’t stay away. The Aurors would be there soon. The Death Eaters would do whatever it took to stay out of Azkaban. They wouldn’t keep quiet. She knew that she was the last person who gave a damn about what happened to this old house or the family that had once lived inside.
She stepped gingery into her husband’s study. She rarely ventured into the room, but she knew he would be there if he was in the house at all. The study smelled faintly of smoke and there were charred remains in the fireplace. He had burned something. She couldn’t tell what. The fire had long since burned black. No light came from it, or anywhere else.
"Lumos," she whispered and instantly her wand sprung to life.
She had been right. He was there. "Lucius," she hissed. He didn’t look at her. "Lucius." Still, he didn’t answer. He was slumped over in his chair, still looking toward the fireplace. As she stood on the threshold she could deceive herself into thinking he was merely sleeping. She didn’t want to go closer, to see. But a morbid curiosity made feet move forward and she couldn’t pretend any longer. No one slept in such an awkward position. "Oh, Lucius," she wailed, as near as she could get to tears.
Narcissa reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. She felt how cold he was and had to retract it. It just wasn’t right. She looked at the floor so she wouldn’t have to see his frozen face. For the first time, she saw the goblet on the floor. It had fallen from his hand.
For the last several years, all she had ever been able to think of was how much he had restricted her. He had become so cool and distant. He had pushed their son away. He had made her life hell. Now, as she saw him lying there, she couldn’t remember any of that. She didn’t think that she was free now, only that she had been free once before as well. When they had first been married they had been happy. He always took care of her. He was so strong and ambitious. She thought he would take her places. It was the thing that had drawn her to him the most. She could no longer remember what it had felt like to care for him.
Voldemort had come and taken all that away from her. Lucius had done everything out of a misguided sense of family. He wanted to make them the most powerful family in Wizard England. People would shudder at the word ‘Malfoy.’ He used to box Draco’s ears when he would disobey his father. "In the end, all you have is family!" he’d shout. Lucius had great aspirations. That ambition had been his downfall. As he became more powerful and more respected, she had learned to hate him.
"Lucius," she whispered, kneeling down so she could be at his side for once. She felt the urge to cry and be sick, but was not able to do either, "I’ll miss you. Not what you became, but what you were."
She wanted to cry out for someone to come and help her. No one would come. He had died alone. She was the only one there. In the end, she was all he had. It was like the beginning before Voldemort had ripped them apart. They were alone, just the two of them. She brushed a stray lock of silver blond hair out of his face. He knew he wouldn’t want to look messy or disheveled. He had always been put together.
She couldn’t get angry. She couldn’t get sad. She felt numb inside. And all she could think was that Voldemort had claimed another victim.
* * *
The Burrow: 12:18.
"Is it time for cake yet?" Cassie yelled at the top of her lungs from across the garden.
"Not yet!" Ginny and Molly Weasley shouted their reply in unison.
Cassie’s shoulders sunk. The depression didn’t last long though. There was just far too much fun to be had at her birthday party. She had already played all sorts of fun games with her uncles. Fred and George had all brought all kinds of funny things. They had turned her Uncle Percy into a canary. And her Uncle Charlie knew all about dragons and how to slay them. He didn’t know about Prince Phillip though, which Cassie thought was odd.
They had all played tag with the gnomes in the garden. Gnomes were silly. Cassie had never seen one before. They were good to play tag with though since they had short, stumpy legs so even Cassie could catch them.
The only one who couldn’t play was Cassie’s Uncle Ron. He had hurt his leg fighting the Bad Man and had to stay sitting down at the picnic table the whole time. He didn’t seem to mind much though because Cassie’s Nana was always sliding party food his way and everyone was interested in hearing how he had got hurt. Uncle Ron liked to tell that story. Cassie had heard it three times now and Uncle Ron did something even more heroic in each version!
Cassie’s Papa had given her a nifty party hat to wear. It was pointy with lots of ribbon at the top. It was blue and pink (and green and yellow) so it went well with her puffy, pink dress. Its elastic band hurt her chin a bit, but Cassie didn’t care. She wanted everyone to know that she was the birthday girl.
That wasn’t the only present she had received either! When Cassie and her Mum had celebrated birthdays before she only got one present. But now everyone at the party gave her something! She didn’t know what she was going to play with first.
Her Nana and Papa had gotten her a dress. It was frilly and lacey and just like she liked them. Cassie wanted to put it on right then but her Mum said she couldn’t because they had bought her a birthday dress. Cassie liked both of them and wanted to use them both but apparently she had to wait until tomorrow to wear her new dress. Uncle Bill got her a set of Gobstones. She didn’t know what those were but he promised to teach her. Uncle Charlie got her a mini-dragon that really blew smoke. (But not fire because she wasn’t allowed to play with fire.) It would come in handy when she needed a dragon to attack her new castle. Uncle Percy’s gift was a book. Cassie couldn’t read very well so she didn’t know what it was about. Fred and George’s gifts were things from their store. But Cassie wasn’t allowed to tell Nana that they had gotten them for her. It was a secret. She liked secrets.
The worst gift so far was a broomstick from Uncle Harry. (Cassie’s Daddy didn’t like it when she called him that.) Cassie’s "real" uncles had liked it more than her. Apparently Harry didn’t know that she was a girl and didn’t like Quidditch. Cassie’s Mummy made her say "thank you" and give him a hug anyway though. She said Cassie had to be polite.
Cassie’s Daddy sat at the end of the picnic table and scowled all morning. He wouldn’t play any games or speak with anyone besides Cassie and Ginny. About the time they had all sat down for lunch, Cassie got mad at him and told him off. It was her birthday and he was supposed to be happy! She stalked down to the end of the table with her arms folded across her chest and her face in full pout. She said it wasn’t right to be grumpy on her birthday and he had to be "polite" and give people hugs. This made Ginny giggle for several minutes.
Now, lunch was over and after running about for an hour, Cassie was ready for cake. Her Nana and Mummy were bent over the picnic table talking in hushed voices. Several other ladies, including Cassie’s Aunt Hermione, were all listening in and nodding at appropriate intervals. Cassie heard her name mentioned several times as well as the name "Draco," whoever that was. One time, Cassie noticed that her Mummy was crying but then a gnome had tagged her and she had to go get it and by the time she looked back, her Mummy was laughing again.
All in all, Cassie would have to say that it was her best birthday ever!
* * *
It didn’t take Molly Weasley long to slip back into mothering mode with Ginny. She asked tons of questions and tried to give "helpful" advice. Ginny fixed a fake smile on her face. She tried to remind herself that her mother only nagged because she was concerned but it was cold comfort.
"Are you sure you want to have a relationship with him, dear?" she asked, while preparing food. Molly was the perfect homemaker, she could cook and care for her children all at the same time. Ginny had to force a smile. "He had a reputation you know." She said it like he had been a porn star.
"Mum," Ginny sighed exasperatedly. She didn’t want to hear any gossip about Draco especially if it involved Draco sleeping with lots of other women. "I trust Draco. Even if things don’t work out for us, I know he’ll be there for Cassie."
"How can you be so sure?" Molly was entirely unconvinced.
Ginny shook her head. It was only because she didn’t know Draco and she hadn’t seem him around Cassie the last few months. "I can’t really explain. He’s only been with us for a few months but I‘m certain he‘d have stuck around for all six years if he could’ve. He‘s really putting Cassie’s welfare ahead of his own. Even yesterday... well suffice to say, family is important to him."
She remembered that Draco had told her something about his father. That when Draco would act out, Lucius would yell at him. "In the end, all you have is family!" he’d shout. And Draco had believed it.
Molly’s face was uncertain. Her attention shifted to the subject of their conversation. Draco was sitting alone, not speaking to anyone else at the party. She frowned. Ginny followed her line of vision and frowned too.
"I guess he’ll never fit in at Weasley family gatherings..." Ginny said forlornly.
* * *
Draco sat at the end of the picnic table away from everyone else with his hands folded neatly in front of him. He felt conspicuously out of place. Everyone else was happy. He was happy to in his own private way whenever he watched Cassie shriek with laughter and run after a gnome. But he just didn’t fit into the rhythm of the party. There wasn’t anyone he wanted to talk to or any games he wanted to play. He knew it was because this was a Weasley family gathering; the kind of thing Ginny herself had when she was younger. Now if everyone were in stuffy robes listening to dull music in a dimly lit hall, Draco would feel more at home.
He was pondering his childhood when a stiff voice said "Hullo" from behind him. Draco turned around and stared at the person that dared disturb him while he was brooding.
It was Harry Potter. A stream of obscenities found its way into Draco’s brain. He had been hoping that Harry would stay on his own damn side of the yard. If they didn’t talk, then Draco wouldn’t have to punch him in the face or call him any miserable names. It worked out perfectly. That is, if the git stayed on his own side. Draco didn’t want to fight with Harry especially on Cassie‘s birthday. He just couldn’t help himself. He must have had genetic disposition for it.
"Hullo," said Harry again a bit more loudly but still just as stiff as though he thought Draco hadn’t heard him.
"Hullo," Draco replied dully, hoping he could turn around and forget this whole thing never happened now. He had observed standard practices of politeness, what more could anyone ask for? A lot, apparently.
Harry cleared his throat. "I wanted to speak with you." Draco just looked at him in response. He honestly didn’t have anything else to say or at least anything that he could say around children. Harry rightly accepted the fact that Draco hadn’t turned his back on him again as a sign that he could continue.
It was then that Draco noticed that Wonder Boy appeared to be sweating -- one might even say squirming, if one were thinking up perfect adjectives to recall the event years into the future. "So... you’ve done a good job." Harry’s voice was a bit squeakier than usual. "I mean... you’ve really... helped Ginny, and er, and Cassie. Cassie... great. You’ve changed..."
Draco smirked. "I still hate you," he drawled. He winked at Harry before turning around again to watch his daughter, someone who actually deserved his attention, in his own estimation.
Harry found himself staring at the stiff back of Draco Malfoy for a few seconds before he confusion and ill ease broke as relief swept across his face. "Oh, thank God," he said to no one in particular and walked away, thinking that everything was right with the world.
* * *
Cassie was surrounded by people all throughout the party. Draco watched her. He wanted to wait until she was alone. He still had to give Cassie her present. Finally, he saw her become interested in a frog from the pond. It hopped around the lawn. Cassie squealed and followed after it, trying to catch it but having no luck. She probably thought it was a prince, Draco mused.
When she was far enough away from the rest of the party, Draco slid up to Cassie surreptitiously. He looked left. He looked right. Then hissed, "Psst! Hey kid!"
Cassie squeaked and jumped. At first she thought the frog had spoke, but when she realized who it was she frowned and pouted. "I’m not a kid! A Cassie!" she protested, "We’ve been through this before..."
She didn’t like to be called ‘kid.’ Every time he called her that she got annoyed. Which was, of course, why he persisted in doing so. "I’m sorry," he lied. "Will a present make it better?"
Cassie jumped again, this time for an entirely different reason. "A present! A present" she sang as she hopped around like her friend, the frog (who had wandered off in the confusion). She looked up at Draco with pure anticipation in her face. "Is it a big present?" she asked, "because those are the best kind!"
Draco grinned broadly. Secretly he was pleased because he knew that he had gotten her the present she wanted the most. That made him the best. He pretended to think about her question for awhile, stroking his chin elaborately. "I reckon it is," he said as though it had just struck him for the first time.
Cassie hopped around even faster and higher. "What is it? What is it?" she asked with each bounce.
He reached into his robes and extracted his wand, taking time to pretend he couldn’t find it. With quite a bit of flourish, he waved his wand in the air, creating a large streak of pink light and then it appeared. Cassie’s face turned into all eyes. She goggled it with undiluted appreciation.
"It’s Sleeping Beauty’s Castle!!" she shrieked. She hugged the castle. Then she hugged her father. Then she bounced about some more.
Draco chuckled. It was hard for him to not go gloat that he had given the best present. "Remember to show everyone what you got so they can be jealous of you," he reminded her. He watched her run around it, looking at it from every angle and prodding it excitedly. "And don’t let anyone else play with it!"
Cassie could nearly fit in the castle. Draco could hear her voice from somewhere in the vicinity of it, but he couldn’t actually see her. "Mummy won’t like that," her voice said mechanically, reciting the rules. "She says I have to share."
"Mummy can’t hear us," he grinned. Then he looked left and right again just to make sure.
The Burrow: 18:24.
The sun was starting to set it left an orangey glow on the already red Weasleys. Molly was trying to force her sons to help clean up despite their most ardent protests so the plates and party hats just blew around in the wind. Cassie was too sleepy to be sad that her birthday was almost over. Ginny knew the party was almost over when the girl stopped playing with her gifts and slumped against her chest drowsily.
At first, no one noticed the popping sound that announced the apparation of a witch. She appeared at the edge of the yard, partly shadowed by the trees. She was hesitant to join the party as though there was a physical wall keeping them apart. She lingered only a moment, standing so straight and high that the only part of her that moved was her blonde hair floating in the breeze. Her eyes were riveted on the girl, Cassandra, snoozing peacefully next to her Mother. It made the woman feel like crying; she couldn’t determine why.
"Mum?" Draco asked cautiously. It made Narcissa start. She hadn’t noticed him drift over to where she stood. Yet he had noticed her. He was the only one.
He hadn’t seen her for years and yet he didn’t feel the need to break down, sob and generally make a spectacle of himself the way Ginny had. It just wasn’t the type of thing Malfoys did. He merely leaned forward to give her a quick kiss on the cheek and all was forgotten. It was as though not a single day had passed.
A memory flickered into his brain. It was him returning home to Malfoy Mansion after having gallivanted about the continent for a year. He had kissed her then, just as he had a moment ago. Everything was exactly the same.
It only took him one look at her face to tell that something was wrong. She wasn’t the barer of pleasant tidings. He had given her the same kiss then. It was then that he realized things were the same between them. They had both changed and the circumstances had changed. That was all. Narcissa’s affection for her son had never wavered. Only this time, he thought, she was coming home.
"What’s the matter?" he wondered.
Narcissa paused. She wasn’t sure exactly what she should tell him. He might not care. He had spent the last five years living without his father, and they hadn’t parted on good terms. Somehow the idea of Draco dancing for joy at the demise of Lucius was the worst thing she could imagine at that moment. She wanted to explain to him how Lucius had tried so very hard to build a good life for the two of them but there wasn’t any explaining away the horrible things he had done.
"Your father is dead." There was only a hint of sadness in her otherwise composed voice. For her, it was a lot.
"Dead," he repeated. Draco didn’t know how to react. For one thing, he was shocked. He had been under the impression that Lucius had survived the battle the previous day. "How...?" Narcissa looked at him pointedly. She didn’t have to say anything. He knew.
He sighed and looked at his feet. There wasn’t much he could say now. He hadn’t decided how he felt about it. For awhile, Lucius Malfoy had been nothing more than a distant memory. He had been dead to Draco for a long time. Now, he could truly fade into the backdrop. Sure, he had been a first class jerk. But he was also Draco’s father. Somehow that bit had become more meaningful in the last few months than it ever had before. Perhaps he had always held out some hope that their relationship wasn’t truly over. Now Lucius had destroyed all chances of reconciliation, just like he had destroyed everything else.
"Bastard," Draco grumbled.
Narcissa gazed at him lovingly. Mentally she reached out and hugged her son knowing he’d feel differently later and that he hadn’t wrapped his mind around it yet. "I thought you should know," she paused. The reason was obvious. "And also because it’s over now. You don’t have to run anymore..." She looked away, leaving him to make the conclusion on his own.
"GRANDMOTHER! GRANDMOTHER!" Cassie’s shrill shriek shocked the somber Draco and Narcissa. They turned to see the tiny girl approaching them at a full run. Her mother and other grandmother each held one of her hands and struggled to keep up with Cassie. "We were so worried about you," she declared breathlessly.
Ginny cocked her head to the side, peering at Draco with concern. She could sense that something was very wrong with him. He shook his head sadly, confirming that something was indeed amiss. She tried to reassure him with a supportive nod of her head despite the fact that she didn’t know what had happened.
Cassie continued apparently oblivious to her father and Grandmother’s grave mood. "...you were sick. Are you better now?" she asked, reaching out to pull on her Grandmother’s robes. "Did you have soup?"
Narcissa was surprised by the exuberance of Cassie. She had been sleeping no more than a five minutes ago and suddenly she was very awake. Narcissa looked about for someone to assist her. She found her son was not paying attention to her which only furthered her fear. All the questions were overwhelming. Tentatively, she reached out to pat the head of the granddaughter she had never known. Her hesitation and discomfort betrayed her unease with young children.
"I was going to come show you my toys but Daddy wouldn’t let me," said Cassie sadly. Narcissa made a curious face. She didn’t see what Cassie’s toys had to do with anything. "Do you want to see my toys now?" she asked brightly, as the brilliant idea struck her.
"Er," said Narcissa doubtfully.
Another, more matronly voice gently interrupted them. "Can I come see too?" Molly Weasley wondered. She bent down to Cassie’s level and looked her in the eye with feinted interest. She still held fast to Cassie’s other hand even though Ginny had abandoned her post. Narcissa threw her a very grateful look. The same one drowning victims gave to those who threw them life preservers. Molly smiled in return.
"Yeah!" Cassie nodded her head enthusiastically. "Wanna see Sleeping Beauty’s Castle? Daddy got it for me!" She grabbed Narcissa with the free hand that Ginny had relinquished and began to run toward her newest gift.
Narcissa blanched. "It’s... very pink," she said after a long search for something positive to say about the tacky toy.
"I know!" squealed Cassie happily, completely unaware. "Pink is the best color! Then purple... then yellow, I guess..."
Ginny silently watched her daughter disappear across the lawn with her grandmothers, like a little lamb with her two shepherds. She slipped her arm around Draco’s middle in a comforting manner. She could feel the sadness in his body as he leaned against her. "Draco? What’s wrong?" she wondered.
"My father is dead," he replied simply, barely moving at all.
"Oh no," she whispered. But she was unable to muster up enough sadness for her words to be convincing. After all, the man had imprisoned her for months, put her through years of torture and given her the diary that tormented her in her youth. Draco didn’t blame her for her reaction. He loved her for trying.
Ginny shifted uncomfortably. For her, Lucius’ death was nothing but a relief. They could pick up the pieces and move on now. She felt sorry for Draco though. She could never be happy about it, not while he was in pain. "Are you all right?" she asked. Her concern was far more evident than her sadness.
Draco shrugged, giving the impression of a mad made of ice. "I don’t know," was all he could give her. "You don’t have to pretend to be sorry. Just don’t expect me to pretend to be glad."
"That’s fair." She put her head on his shoulder. She ran her fingers in circles on the small of his back, hoping to soothe him. He kissed her gently on the top of her ginger head. Ginny could see the faces of her brothers out of the corner of her eye as he kissed her. They looked scandalized. It was as though she had just stuck her head inside a lion’s mouth.
Ron Weasley sat adjacent to where Cassie was demonstrating the working moat of her new castle. He had grown tired of beating the pants off anyone who dared play wizard chess with him. He didn’t he care to watch the disgusting display his sister and Malfoy were putting on. Instead, he watched the women inspect the Castle. With his leg injury, he couldn’t get up to go join them. He held his crutch firmly in his hand as he stared at his niece.
When Ginny looked over at her older brother, an intense feeling of deja vu swept over her. He had a mischievous glint in his eye that she knew all too well. She didn’t have time to cry out before he acted. She didn’t know she would have even if she had. Swiftly he reached up and poked her with his crutch as though that were its intended purpose. Irked, Cassie yelped and cried "Mummy! Uncle Ron poked me!"
Ginny shook her head and chuckled. In her head, that voice was her own and that poke was her poke. She felt very young and very old at the same time. She had been through so much since her childhood. The mere idea of what she had experienced the last seven years made her want to crawl into the corner and weep for all that she had lost. She still wasn’t sure how she had got through it all. None of it made very much sense. But she was sure that she had come out on the other side. She had finished her race. But only to find herself in the same place, ready to start over again.
In the manner of one who had just completed a long journey, she sighed deeply and fell against Draco. He too was deep in thought and seemed to be leaning on her for support. They slumped together, balanced perfectly. And Ginny wondered, for the first time, if he really had come to her rescue or if it had been the other way around. Or, if any of that mattered at all. There really wasn’t any point in debating it, was there?
Instead, she turned to watch Cassie again. She had returned to playing with her grandmothers. Molly had frowned at Ron in that way mothers do to prevent any further attacks. Narcissa was timidly trying to engage Cassie in conversation. She was glad that Molly was there. She acted as a buffer between her and the little girl. If she had been there in those days, she would’ve known it was the same thing Ginny had done for Draco.
"I’m tired," said Ginny with a yawn. She was ready for a good long nap, possibly a coma.
"She has that effect on people..." replied Draco with equal sleepiness. He didn’t need to tell her that he was ready to go home.
* * *
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf, the lion and the fatling together, and the little child to lead them.
- Isaiah 11:6
* * *
The end.
* * *
WEEPY AUTHOR’S NOTE: I started this story in mid-July 2001. Now it’s June 2002. I never could’ve imagined all the time I was going to put into this fic. I intended it to be about half as long as it ended up being. Shows what I know. Anyway, I wanted to thank all my readers for putting up with my ramblings this long. You’re the most important part of the story. In particular, I’d like to thank you for waiting. It was February when I last updated. The time between then and now has not been a pleasant one for me. And sometimes it felt like your kind words and enthusiastic responses were the bright lights in the darkness. It’s meant more to me than you will ever know. And for that I thank you.
If you have anything to say about this series, please leave a review or come join my mailing list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StrangerStories) to discuss. I hope to see you all around. :-)
* * *
NOTES: Yes, this is the last chapter. Yes, it took a lot longer than expected. I am sorry. See the end for longer more tearful notes.
* * *
April 13, 2005: Early Morning
Lucius Malfoy gazed into the ever changing, flickering flames before him. The fire in his study didn’t give off nearly enough heat to make much of a difference in the frigid Manor. Even in mid-April, it was constant winter there. If only he’d do a few simple spells, he’d be comfortable, but Lucius didn’t move except to sip from the smoking silver goblet in his hand. It was almost as though he didn’t want to be comfortable. As though he had grown some moral aversion to it. He stared, steadfastly ahead barely noticing the cold. He was far too used to it now.
The flames moved rapidly, flicking out from around the wood and gathering strength until they joined together and formed a large wall of orange and red. It wasn’t the size or strength of the blaze that made it so special. If one looked hard enough into the fire, slowly the rest of the world would begin to drop away and get pushed back into the blackness of unconsciousness. And there, moving in time with the flames would be a scene, playing out like a movie right before one’s very eyes.
Lucius could see terrible things in the fire. There was pain and destruction everywhere. People were screaming and dying. Wands were blazing. The smoke from the battle rose up and mixed with the smoke from his own fire before being puffed out the chimney above. Many people would have given anything to see what he was seeing right then. Then they’d know which side was winning and which had already lost. For Malfoy, that truth wasn’t a happy one. He watched, unflinchingly, as Harry Potter, the hero of the wizarding world, confronted the Dark Lord in a long hallway inside the Ministry of Magic building.
Many a Death Eater had already met his maker in that hallway. The walls were charred with the marks of spells that had missed their target so they were as black as the brick in Lucius’ fireplace. Several bodies of the wounded and the dead lay on the floor. Lucius could only recognize one: executioner MacNair had himself been executed. He didn’t miss the irony. Potter stood at one end, with his friends - whatever his name was and whatever her name was. The Dark Lord was alone. And before one curse was hurled, Lucius knew he didn’t stand a chance. Voldemort only managed one cheap shot at the redheaded boy’s leg before he fell.
Malfoy sipped from his goblet and marveled at how little compassion he could muster up for his fallen lord. He had watched his comrades die from his safe perch in his study, and he didn’t care. All he could think was that he would’ve died too if he hadn’t seen the writing on the wall. The Death Eaters may have believed that they could prevail despite the odds stacked against them but Lucius wasn’t a gambling man. He wasn’t going to follow a disgusting, foul man into battle like some lemming. He refused to be a mindless minion. He had his own plans.
Still, he felt a great sense of loss tugging at the back of his being. It wasn’t for the Dark Lord, but for himself. He had worked hard toward his goal for decades. Now, he watched it all go up in smoke from the comfort of his own home. All his plans were crumbled. All his bright ideas were gone. He had nothing left. He was finished.
It’s over, he thought as he took another sip from the smoking goblet.
* * *
April 16, 2005: Breakfast
It was the topic everyone was still talking about by the time the Hogwarts students returned from Easter holidays. Ding dong, You-Know-Who was dead. There was a rumor that his body had been collected and was going to be put on display by the Ministry. The students came rushing out of the Great Hall after breakfast that first morning, all buzzing about the battle. Everyone had a story about a friend or friend of a friend who had fought and they’d tell anyone who would listen all about it.
This happy chattering was exactly the kind of thing that Severus Snape hated. The students would be unruly and try to talk throughout his lesson. He was sure some of the other professors would give them time to discuss such a monumental event in Wizarding history but Snape wouldn’t stand for that kind of nonsense. They were going to do potions, same as every other day. Snape was understandably grumpy as he strode toward the dungeons. He was already bitter about being shut in for the battle, he didn’t want to have problem students on top of that. He grumbled to himself and glared at first years as he went, not noticing much that was going on about him.
Ginny stood at the end of the hallway, apart from the students bustling to class. She remembered when she was like them. The change from young Ginny to mother Ginny had been abrupt. It didn’t seem like that long ago. She smiled. Cassie was still sleepy, having just gotten up. Ginny had to carry her out into the hallway. The young girl’s head rested against her mother’s shoulder. Cassie yawned, causing Ginny’s red hair to be blown about. Ginny smiled.
"Professor Snape!" she called out to him when he came into view.
He turned and glared in the direction of whoever was yelling at him. It would take someone who had known him a long time to recognize that his face upon realizing it was Ginny and her daughter, not a student. "What is it?" he barked.
Cassie bounced in her arms as she jogged over to him, her face flushing with the effort. "I just... I wanted to thank you. For rescuing Cassie," they both looked at the sleepy, little girl, who rubbed her eyes blearily. She shook herself with the first signs of waking up. Ginny continued, "I know there’s not much... but if there’s ever anything we can do for you... to pay you back..."
Cassie looked up at her mother, noticing that she was speaking for the first time. Curiously, she turned to see whom she was speaking with. "SEVVIE!" she cried joyously when she saw him. All the students in the hall turned to look at them, startled by the loud noise.
Snape went white. "You want to thank me?" he hissed. "Never speak of this again!" He turned on his heel and stalked down the hall, barking at students who looked at him strangely.
Ginny raised her eyes at Cassie and they giggled. "He’s grumpy in the morning," Cassie explained sheepishly.
* * *
April 17, 2005: 08:00
"When is it? When is it?" a hyper Cassie asked over and over. She bounced higher and more often than usual. She even climbed on Draco and Ginny’s bed to bounce for maximum height.
Draco watched all of this from his dark corner of the flat. He had stopped sulking over Harry’s wonderful triumph a few days ago but was still in a dark, contemplative mood. He hadn’t said more than two words to Ginny since the whole thing had happened. She didn’t bother him about it. She knew that was just how he was, and that he’d get over it.
Ginny put her hand to her head. "You know it’s today, Cass," she said patiently. She did love her daughter, but sometimes she was just plain annoying. Cassie’s exuberance was the type of thing legends were made of. But today, Ginny couldn’t help but smile. The girl had good reason to be happy; they all did. It was Cassie’s 6th Birthday.
"No, when is it exactly," Cassie whined. "What time? When am I six?"
"Uh..." stammered Ginny. Flashes of the night Cassie was born flitted through her mind. Those cold months in Malfoy manor came rushing back to her and she was once more lying on that hard bed, frightened and in pain. It wasn’t something she wanted to think about. She rarely thought about it. She really didn’t have time with a five -- now six -- year-old around.
"Well?" asked Cassie impatiently. "When am I six?"
The truth was, Ginny didn’t know. She remembered it had been dark out her tiny window, but it had always been dark there. She had always figured Cassie had been born at night, but now that she thought about it, it could’ve been day. She had no idea the time. The Death Eaters hadn’t given her a clock or much else for that matter. She didn’t know what to tell Cassie.
Then a hoarse voice from the corner came to her rescue. "Just after five in the morning," Draco said, his eyes oddly glazed over. "You’re already six," he told Cassie. She began to do a little dance and sing about being six. Her parents didn’t notice.
Ginny cocked her head to one side and looked at him inquisitively. "How do you know?" she asked, in a high voice.
"I was there," he said simply. "Well, not there. But I heard the whole thing from my room. They shut me in so I couldn’t help..." His voice trailed off. He realized that he had never told her this. He too rarely spoke of what happened at Malfoy Manor those months. Perhaps he felt as though he had left those days behind. Or perhaps it was too painful for the both of them.
"Oh," said Ginny, wishing she could think of something better to say. She hadn’t known that. Really, she knew very little about him before Cassie. But the more she discovered, the more she liked. His expression was pained. She knew he was thinking about it. She knew it hurt him. She wanted to do something to ease his pain because she knew what those memories were like. She had them too.
It was like being dumped into black, murky water. You couldn’t see light. You couldn’t feel anything except the cold seeping through your skin until you felt dirty to the bone. Like being left alone, shivering and drowning. She shuddered just thinking about it. She hadn’t known it at the time, of course, but she hadn’t been alone. He had been looking out for her those months. She just couldn’t see him. And that made it hurt just a bit less.
He looked away again, preparing himself to slip back into his maudlin state. "Draco..." she said. His head snapped back up to look at her. She hadn’t really had anything to say until that moment when their eyes met. And his voice drifted into her mind. She could see his face, as he said it. And she knew what to say. "I guess you didn’t miss everything."
Ginny smiled gently. Draco couldn’t help but smile back. She had remembered. On the train after the Death Eaters attacked the first time, he told her that he had missed too much of Cassie’s life.
"YOU’RE NOT WATCHING!" Cassie yelled, causing them both to whip their heads in her direction. She had her hands on her hips and was glowering at them.
"I’m sorry," said Ginny, trying to keep the peace. "You know what? I think it’s time you change into your birthday dress! Come on, I’ll help." She placed her hand on the little girl’s back and steered her toward the big, pink bedroom.
They had managed to procure a very puffy, very lacey dress for Cassie to wear for her birthday party. Cassie was in ecstasy when she first laid eyes on it. It had several tulle skirts that flared out when she spun and large sleeves. Cassie said it was a princess dress, just like Aurora would’ve worn. She had loved it so much, Ginny didn’t expect Cassie to resist when she started to push her toward the door. But she did.
"I can dress myself. I’m six now," she said, proudly.
"Oh," cooed Ginny, her eyes filling with tears. "I see. You’re big now." Cassie nodded. "Ok, when you’re done come out and show me how it looks." Draco had to hide a smile at this. He knew she was saying that so Ginny would be able to fix any mistakes Cassie made. But Cassie didn’t need to know that. Again, she nodded dutifully. She turned on her heel and all but ran into the other room.
"She’s so happy," sighed Ginny absently, staring at the place Cassie had been standing. "She never had a birthday party before."
Draco coughed and shuffled his feet. After finding out that their only granddaughter was about to be six, the Weasleys had insisted that she get a big birthday party at the Burrow. Draco had been hoping they’d be able to do something for Cassie’s birthday, but in truth he wasn’t looking forward to spending the entire day on Weasley family turf, especially since it probably meant certain family friends would be there as well.
"Are you still upset about Harry?" Ginny asked, as though she could read his thoughts again. Draco didn’t answer. She rolled her eyes in disgust. "I suppose you think that when I see him today, I’m going to fall into his arms and remember why I loved him so much when I was a girl."
Draco avoided her eye.
"You know," she swaggered up close to him, forcing him to look at her, "for an arrogant git, you’re horribly insecure."
He knew he should really think of some witty comeback and tell her that she was mistaken. All he could really come up with was a forced scoff.
"We’re not going to leave," Ginny continued. She knew, even though he really didn’t want to talk right now that she had to say this to him or he would never believe her. "You’re Cassie’s father and you’ll always be a part of Cassie’s life. My life."
He put his head on top of hers and threaded his arms through hers sadly. "You were supposed to say that you love me deeply and that you’d never leave me because ours is an undying love that deserves to be immortalized in epic poetry."
Ginny giggled. "It might not be happily ever after, you know. We have a kid to support but neither of us have jobs. We’ve been living on the fringes of society for the last seven years... It just might make a sucky poem is all." She gazed up at him adoringly, "but I do love you."
"Cassie wouldn’t like that," whispered Draco, feeling a bit happier. "She thinks we need to be more like Philip and Aurora. More dancing, less moping."
A mental image of Draco and her dressed up in silly, period costumes dancing around Hogwarts entered Ginny’s head. She had to bury her face in Draco’s chest to keep the laughing to a minimum. "Yeah, well, that movie always ends at the happy part. I never told Cassie this, but in the book version, the Prince’s mother eats Sleeping Beauty’s children..."
"I’ll talk to my Mum," said Draco, mock gravely.
"I’M READY!" Cassie yelled cheerfully as she emerged from her room.
Her dress was on, and that was the good news. The bad news was that Ginny didn’t know how she was going to tell the six-year-old that she had put her dress on backwards. She could feel Draco beginning to shake with laughter next to her. She would’ve told him off for laughing at his child but she knew she’d lose it too if she looked at him. Oh, today was going to be a long day and the party hadn’t even started yet.
* * *
April 17, 2005: 09:43
It took awhile, but eventually Draco, Ginny and Cassie were on their way. Dumbledore had arranged for a portkey, in the shape of a can of soup, to take them to the Burrow when they were ready. Cassie fidgeted a lot as the moment of departure neared. Draco worried that she wouldn’t be holding onto the portkey when it took off and she’d be left behind. But when the time came, she was touching it with just one finger, and off they went. Cassie yelped and jostled Draco’s arm in the process. He hadn’t expected her to be used to using portkey, since she never had before. When they finally felt solid ground beneath their feet, Cassie refused to open her eyes. She had them shut very tightly. Draco busied himself trying to convince her that everything was all right while Ginny took a look around.
When Ginny first opened her eyes, she almost couldn’t believe where she was standing. A powerful feeling of nostalgia washed over. They had landed in the middle of the Weasley family sitting room. The rugs were just as faded. The couch was just as abused. And the old grandfather clock stood silently in the corner. It was just as she remembered it. It even smelled the same. Faint traces of fried food, dirt and smoke from explosions hung in the air.
Without thinking, she dashed up the stairs yelling, "Mum! Dad!" The stairs still creaked in all the same places. That funny stain on the third landing in front of the door that lead to her bedroom was still there. Ginny stood outside the door and paused for a moment. She was frightened. But she wasn’t sure if it would be worse if they had changed her room or if they had left it exactly as it was. Deciding that there was only one way to find out, she pushed it open. Its hinges groaned as they worked for the first time in a long time.
It was like stepping back in the time. Not only was the room the same, nothing had been moved since she had left for Hogwarts so many years ago. The stuffed dolls that she had never been able to bring herself to toss in the dustbin still sat on her bed, staring at her with their eyes long since lost. There were posters of the Weird Sisters papering her walls. They had mustaches and graffiti drawn all over them. Fred and George had done that when she was away and then taunted her about it via owls. She had been so angry, she remembered. Now, looking at the defaced figures made her so happy she wanted to cry.
"Mum! Dad!" she yelled again as she thundered back down the stairs. She wanted to see them. The house was great but it wasn’t what made the memories so special. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed all of this. She hadn’t let herself think about it too much when she had been away. "Fred! George! Ron!"
"I think they’re in the garden," said Draco as he straightened up. "All right, Ginny?" he asked quizzically when he saw her face.
"Never better," she replied as she ran from the room out into the garden. She had only disappeared from sight for a split second when Draco heard the sounds of what could only be Ginny being mobbed by a hoard of Weasleys. He smiled in spite of himself. It must be nice to be able to go home again.
* * *
Narcissa Malfoy slipped silently down the halls of Malfoy Manor. Her shadow bobbed on the walls as she hurried past. She had stayed away for the last few days out of fear. But now she couldn’t stay away. The Aurors would be there soon. The Death Eaters would do whatever it took to stay out of Azkaban. They wouldn’t keep quiet. She knew that she was the last person who gave a damn about what happened to this old house or the family that had once lived inside.
She stepped gingery into her husband’s study. She rarely ventured into the room, but she knew he would be there if he was in the house at all. The study smelled faintly of smoke and there were charred remains in the fireplace. He had burned something. She couldn’t tell what. The fire had long since burned black. No light came from it, or anywhere else.
"Lumos," she whispered and instantly her wand sprung to life.
She had been right. He was there. "Lucius," she hissed. He didn’t look at her. "Lucius." Still, he didn’t answer. He was slumped over in his chair, still looking toward the fireplace. As she stood on the threshold she could deceive herself into thinking he was merely sleeping. She didn’t want to go closer, to see. But a morbid curiosity made feet move forward and she couldn’t pretend any longer. No one slept in such an awkward position. "Oh, Lucius," she wailed, as near as she could get to tears.
Narcissa reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. She felt how cold he was and had to retract it. It just wasn’t right. She looked at the floor so she wouldn’t have to see his frozen face. For the first time, she saw the goblet on the floor. It had fallen from his hand.
For the last several years, all she had ever been able to think of was how much he had restricted her. He had become so cool and distant. He had pushed their son away. He had made her life hell. Now, as she saw him lying there, she couldn’t remember any of that. She didn’t think that she was free now, only that she had been free once before as well. When they had first been married they had been happy. He always took care of her. He was so strong and ambitious. She thought he would take her places. It was the thing that had drawn her to him the most. She could no longer remember what it had felt like to care for him.
Voldemort had come and taken all that away from her. Lucius had done everything out of a misguided sense of family. He wanted to make them the most powerful family in Wizard England. People would shudder at the word ‘Malfoy.’ He used to box Draco’s ears when he would disobey his father. "In the end, all you have is family!" he’d shout. Lucius had great aspirations. That ambition had been his downfall. As he became more powerful and more respected, she had learned to hate him.
"Lucius," she whispered, kneeling down so she could be at his side for once. She felt the urge to cry and be sick, but was not able to do either, "I’ll miss you. Not what you became, but what you were."
She wanted to cry out for someone to come and help her. No one would come. He had died alone. She was the only one there. In the end, she was all he had. It was like the beginning before Voldemort had ripped them apart. They were alone, just the two of them. She brushed a stray lock of silver blond hair out of his face. He knew he wouldn’t want to look messy or disheveled. He had always been put together.
She couldn’t get angry. She couldn’t get sad. She felt numb inside. And all she could think was that Voldemort had claimed another victim.
* * *
The Burrow: 12:18.
"Is it time for cake yet?" Cassie yelled at the top of her lungs from across the garden.
"Not yet!" Ginny and Molly Weasley shouted their reply in unison.
Cassie’s shoulders sunk. The depression didn’t last long though. There was just far too much fun to be had at her birthday party. She had already played all sorts of fun games with her uncles. Fred and George had all brought all kinds of funny things. They had turned her Uncle Percy into a canary. And her Uncle Charlie knew all about dragons and how to slay them. He didn’t know about Prince Phillip though, which Cassie thought was odd.
They had all played tag with the gnomes in the garden. Gnomes were silly. Cassie had never seen one before. They were good to play tag with though since they had short, stumpy legs so even Cassie could catch them.
The only one who couldn’t play was Cassie’s Uncle Ron. He had hurt his leg fighting the Bad Man and had to stay sitting down at the picnic table the whole time. He didn’t seem to mind much though because Cassie’s Nana was always sliding party food his way and everyone was interested in hearing how he had got hurt. Uncle Ron liked to tell that story. Cassie had heard it three times now and Uncle Ron did something even more heroic in each version!
Cassie’s Papa had given her a nifty party hat to wear. It was pointy with lots of ribbon at the top. It was blue and pink (and green and yellow) so it went well with her puffy, pink dress. Its elastic band hurt her chin a bit, but Cassie didn’t care. She wanted everyone to know that she was the birthday girl.
That wasn’t the only present she had received either! When Cassie and her Mum had celebrated birthdays before she only got one present. But now everyone at the party gave her something! She didn’t know what she was going to play with first.
Her Nana and Papa had gotten her a dress. It was frilly and lacey and just like she liked them. Cassie wanted to put it on right then but her Mum said she couldn’t because they had bought her a birthday dress. Cassie liked both of them and wanted to use them both but apparently she had to wait until tomorrow to wear her new dress. Uncle Bill got her a set of Gobstones. She didn’t know what those were but he promised to teach her. Uncle Charlie got her a mini-dragon that really blew smoke. (But not fire because she wasn’t allowed to play with fire.) It would come in handy when she needed a dragon to attack her new castle. Uncle Percy’s gift was a book. Cassie couldn’t read very well so she didn’t know what it was about. Fred and George’s gifts were things from their store. But Cassie wasn’t allowed to tell Nana that they had gotten them for her. It was a secret. She liked secrets.
The worst gift so far was a broomstick from Uncle Harry. (Cassie’s Daddy didn’t like it when she called him that.) Cassie’s "real" uncles had liked it more than her. Apparently Harry didn’t know that she was a girl and didn’t like Quidditch. Cassie’s Mummy made her say "thank you" and give him a hug anyway though. She said Cassie had to be polite.
Cassie’s Daddy sat at the end of the picnic table and scowled all morning. He wouldn’t play any games or speak with anyone besides Cassie and Ginny. About the time they had all sat down for lunch, Cassie got mad at him and told him off. It was her birthday and he was supposed to be happy! She stalked down to the end of the table with her arms folded across her chest and her face in full pout. She said it wasn’t right to be grumpy on her birthday and he had to be "polite" and give people hugs. This made Ginny giggle for several minutes.
Now, lunch was over and after running about for an hour, Cassie was ready for cake. Her Nana and Mummy were bent over the picnic table talking in hushed voices. Several other ladies, including Cassie’s Aunt Hermione, were all listening in and nodding at appropriate intervals. Cassie heard her name mentioned several times as well as the name "Draco," whoever that was. One time, Cassie noticed that her Mummy was crying but then a gnome had tagged her and she had to go get it and by the time she looked back, her Mummy was laughing again.
All in all, Cassie would have to say that it was her best birthday ever!
* * *
It didn’t take Molly Weasley long to slip back into mothering mode with Ginny. She asked tons of questions and tried to give "helpful" advice. Ginny fixed a fake smile on her face. She tried to remind herself that her mother only nagged because she was concerned but it was cold comfort.
"Are you sure you want to have a relationship with him, dear?" she asked, while preparing food. Molly was the perfect homemaker, she could cook and care for her children all at the same time. Ginny had to force a smile. "He had a reputation you know." She said it like he had been a porn star.
"Mum," Ginny sighed exasperatedly. She didn’t want to hear any gossip about Draco especially if it involved Draco sleeping with lots of other women. "I trust Draco. Even if things don’t work out for us, I know he’ll be there for Cassie."
"How can you be so sure?" Molly was entirely unconvinced.
Ginny shook her head. It was only because she didn’t know Draco and she hadn’t seem him around Cassie the last few months. "I can’t really explain. He’s only been with us for a few months but I‘m certain he‘d have stuck around for all six years if he could’ve. He‘s really putting Cassie’s welfare ahead of his own. Even yesterday... well suffice to say, family is important to him."
She remembered that Draco had told her something about his father. That when Draco would act out, Lucius would yell at him. "In the end, all you have is family!" he’d shout. And Draco had believed it.
Molly’s face was uncertain. Her attention shifted to the subject of their conversation. Draco was sitting alone, not speaking to anyone else at the party. She frowned. Ginny followed her line of vision and frowned too.
"I guess he’ll never fit in at Weasley family gatherings..." Ginny said forlornly.
* * *
Draco sat at the end of the picnic table away from everyone else with his hands folded neatly in front of him. He felt conspicuously out of place. Everyone else was happy. He was happy to in his own private way whenever he watched Cassie shriek with laughter and run after a gnome. But he just didn’t fit into the rhythm of the party. There wasn’t anyone he wanted to talk to or any games he wanted to play. He knew it was because this was a Weasley family gathering; the kind of thing Ginny herself had when she was younger. Now if everyone were in stuffy robes listening to dull music in a dimly lit hall, Draco would feel more at home.
He was pondering his childhood when a stiff voice said "Hullo" from behind him. Draco turned around and stared at the person that dared disturb him while he was brooding.
It was Harry Potter. A stream of obscenities found its way into Draco’s brain. He had been hoping that Harry would stay on his own damn side of the yard. If they didn’t talk, then Draco wouldn’t have to punch him in the face or call him any miserable names. It worked out perfectly. That is, if the git stayed on his own side. Draco didn’t want to fight with Harry especially on Cassie‘s birthday. He just couldn’t help himself. He must have had genetic disposition for it.
"Hullo," said Harry again a bit more loudly but still just as stiff as though he thought Draco hadn’t heard him.
"Hullo," Draco replied dully, hoping he could turn around and forget this whole thing never happened now. He had observed standard practices of politeness, what more could anyone ask for? A lot, apparently.
Harry cleared his throat. "I wanted to speak with you." Draco just looked at him in response. He honestly didn’t have anything else to say or at least anything that he could say around children. Harry rightly accepted the fact that Draco hadn’t turned his back on him again as a sign that he could continue.
It was then that Draco noticed that Wonder Boy appeared to be sweating -- one might even say squirming, if one were thinking up perfect adjectives to recall the event years into the future. "So... you’ve done a good job." Harry’s voice was a bit squeakier than usual. "I mean... you’ve really... helped Ginny, and er, and Cassie. Cassie... great. You’ve changed..."
Draco smirked. "I still hate you," he drawled. He winked at Harry before turning around again to watch his daughter, someone who actually deserved his attention, in his own estimation.
Harry found himself staring at the stiff back of Draco Malfoy for a few seconds before he confusion and ill ease broke as relief swept across his face. "Oh, thank God," he said to no one in particular and walked away, thinking that everything was right with the world.
* * *
Cassie was surrounded by people all throughout the party. Draco watched her. He wanted to wait until she was alone. He still had to give Cassie her present. Finally, he saw her become interested in a frog from the pond. It hopped around the lawn. Cassie squealed and followed after it, trying to catch it but having no luck. She probably thought it was a prince, Draco mused.
When she was far enough away from the rest of the party, Draco slid up to Cassie surreptitiously. He looked left. He looked right. Then hissed, "Psst! Hey kid!"
Cassie squeaked and jumped. At first she thought the frog had spoke, but when she realized who it was she frowned and pouted. "I’m not a kid! A Cassie!" she protested, "We’ve been through this before..."
She didn’t like to be called ‘kid.’ Every time he called her that she got annoyed. Which was, of course, why he persisted in doing so. "I’m sorry," he lied. "Will a present make it better?"
Cassie jumped again, this time for an entirely different reason. "A present! A present" she sang as she hopped around like her friend, the frog (who had wandered off in the confusion). She looked up at Draco with pure anticipation in her face. "Is it a big present?" she asked, "because those are the best kind!"
Draco grinned broadly. Secretly he was pleased because he knew that he had gotten her the present she wanted the most. That made him the best. He pretended to think about her question for awhile, stroking his chin elaborately. "I reckon it is," he said as though it had just struck him for the first time.
Cassie hopped around even faster and higher. "What is it? What is it?" she asked with each bounce.
He reached into his robes and extracted his wand, taking time to pretend he couldn’t find it. With quite a bit of flourish, he waved his wand in the air, creating a large streak of pink light and then it appeared. Cassie’s face turned into all eyes. She goggled it with undiluted appreciation.
"It’s Sleeping Beauty’s Castle!!" she shrieked. She hugged the castle. Then she hugged her father. Then she bounced about some more.
Draco chuckled. It was hard for him to not go gloat that he had given the best present. "Remember to show everyone what you got so they can be jealous of you," he reminded her. He watched her run around it, looking at it from every angle and prodding it excitedly. "And don’t let anyone else play with it!"
Cassie could nearly fit in the castle. Draco could hear her voice from somewhere in the vicinity of it, but he couldn’t actually see her. "Mummy won’t like that," her voice said mechanically, reciting the rules. "She says I have to share."
"Mummy can’t hear us," he grinned. Then he looked left and right again just to make sure.
The Burrow: 18:24.
The sun was starting to set it left an orangey glow on the already red Weasleys. Molly was trying to force her sons to help clean up despite their most ardent protests so the plates and party hats just blew around in the wind. Cassie was too sleepy to be sad that her birthday was almost over. Ginny knew the party was almost over when the girl stopped playing with her gifts and slumped against her chest drowsily.
At first, no one noticed the popping sound that announced the apparation of a witch. She appeared at the edge of the yard, partly shadowed by the trees. She was hesitant to join the party as though there was a physical wall keeping them apart. She lingered only a moment, standing so straight and high that the only part of her that moved was her blonde hair floating in the breeze. Her eyes were riveted on the girl, Cassandra, snoozing peacefully next to her Mother. It made the woman feel like crying; she couldn’t determine why.
"Mum?" Draco asked cautiously. It made Narcissa start. She hadn’t noticed him drift over to where she stood. Yet he had noticed her. He was the only one.
He hadn’t seen her for years and yet he didn’t feel the need to break down, sob and generally make a spectacle of himself the way Ginny had. It just wasn’t the type of thing Malfoys did. He merely leaned forward to give her a quick kiss on the cheek and all was forgotten. It was as though not a single day had passed.
A memory flickered into his brain. It was him returning home to Malfoy Mansion after having gallivanted about the continent for a year. He had kissed her then, just as he had a moment ago. Everything was exactly the same.
It only took him one look at her face to tell that something was wrong. She wasn’t the barer of pleasant tidings. He had given her the same kiss then. It was then that he realized things were the same between them. They had both changed and the circumstances had changed. That was all. Narcissa’s affection for her son had never wavered. Only this time, he thought, she was coming home.
"What’s the matter?" he wondered.
Narcissa paused. She wasn’t sure exactly what she should tell him. He might not care. He had spent the last five years living without his father, and they hadn’t parted on good terms. Somehow the idea of Draco dancing for joy at the demise of Lucius was the worst thing she could imagine at that moment. She wanted to explain to him how Lucius had tried so very hard to build a good life for the two of them but there wasn’t any explaining away the horrible things he had done.
"Your father is dead." There was only a hint of sadness in her otherwise composed voice. For her, it was a lot.
"Dead," he repeated. Draco didn’t know how to react. For one thing, he was shocked. He had been under the impression that Lucius had survived the battle the previous day. "How...?" Narcissa looked at him pointedly. She didn’t have to say anything. He knew.
He sighed and looked at his feet. There wasn’t much he could say now. He hadn’t decided how he felt about it. For awhile, Lucius Malfoy had been nothing more than a distant memory. He had been dead to Draco for a long time. Now, he could truly fade into the backdrop. Sure, he had been a first class jerk. But he was also Draco’s father. Somehow that bit had become more meaningful in the last few months than it ever had before. Perhaps he had always held out some hope that their relationship wasn’t truly over. Now Lucius had destroyed all chances of reconciliation, just like he had destroyed everything else.
"Bastard," Draco grumbled.
Narcissa gazed at him lovingly. Mentally she reached out and hugged her son knowing he’d feel differently later and that he hadn’t wrapped his mind around it yet. "I thought you should know," she paused. The reason was obvious. "And also because it’s over now. You don’t have to run anymore..." She looked away, leaving him to make the conclusion on his own.
"GRANDMOTHER! GRANDMOTHER!" Cassie’s shrill shriek shocked the somber Draco and Narcissa. They turned to see the tiny girl approaching them at a full run. Her mother and other grandmother each held one of her hands and struggled to keep up with Cassie. "We were so worried about you," she declared breathlessly.
Ginny cocked her head to the side, peering at Draco with concern. She could sense that something was very wrong with him. He shook his head sadly, confirming that something was indeed amiss. She tried to reassure him with a supportive nod of her head despite the fact that she didn’t know what had happened.
Cassie continued apparently oblivious to her father and Grandmother’s grave mood. "...you were sick. Are you better now?" she asked, reaching out to pull on her Grandmother’s robes. "Did you have soup?"
Narcissa was surprised by the exuberance of Cassie. She had been sleeping no more than a five minutes ago and suddenly she was very awake. Narcissa looked about for someone to assist her. She found her son was not paying attention to her which only furthered her fear. All the questions were overwhelming. Tentatively, she reached out to pat the head of the granddaughter she had never known. Her hesitation and discomfort betrayed her unease with young children.
"I was going to come show you my toys but Daddy wouldn’t let me," said Cassie sadly. Narcissa made a curious face. She didn’t see what Cassie’s toys had to do with anything. "Do you want to see my toys now?" she asked brightly, as the brilliant idea struck her.
"Er," said Narcissa doubtfully.
Another, more matronly voice gently interrupted them. "Can I come see too?" Molly Weasley wondered. She bent down to Cassie’s level and looked her in the eye with feinted interest. She still held fast to Cassie’s other hand even though Ginny had abandoned her post. Narcissa threw her a very grateful look. The same one drowning victims gave to those who threw them life preservers. Molly smiled in return.
"Yeah!" Cassie nodded her head enthusiastically. "Wanna see Sleeping Beauty’s Castle? Daddy got it for me!" She grabbed Narcissa with the free hand that Ginny had relinquished and began to run toward her newest gift.
Narcissa blanched. "It’s... very pink," she said after a long search for something positive to say about the tacky toy.
"I know!" squealed Cassie happily, completely unaware. "Pink is the best color! Then purple... then yellow, I guess..."
Ginny silently watched her daughter disappear across the lawn with her grandmothers, like a little lamb with her two shepherds. She slipped her arm around Draco’s middle in a comforting manner. She could feel the sadness in his body as he leaned against her. "Draco? What’s wrong?" she wondered.
"My father is dead," he replied simply, barely moving at all.
"Oh no," she whispered. But she was unable to muster up enough sadness for her words to be convincing. After all, the man had imprisoned her for months, put her through years of torture and given her the diary that tormented her in her youth. Draco didn’t blame her for her reaction. He loved her for trying.
Ginny shifted uncomfortably. For her, Lucius’ death was nothing but a relief. They could pick up the pieces and move on now. She felt sorry for Draco though. She could never be happy about it, not while he was in pain. "Are you all right?" she asked. Her concern was far more evident than her sadness.
Draco shrugged, giving the impression of a mad made of ice. "I don’t know," was all he could give her. "You don’t have to pretend to be sorry. Just don’t expect me to pretend to be glad."
"That’s fair." She put her head on his shoulder. She ran her fingers in circles on the small of his back, hoping to soothe him. He kissed her gently on the top of her ginger head. Ginny could see the faces of her brothers out of the corner of her eye as he kissed her. They looked scandalized. It was as though she had just stuck her head inside a lion’s mouth.
Ron Weasley sat adjacent to where Cassie was demonstrating the working moat of her new castle. He had grown tired of beating the pants off anyone who dared play wizard chess with him. He didn’t he care to watch the disgusting display his sister and Malfoy were putting on. Instead, he watched the women inspect the Castle. With his leg injury, he couldn’t get up to go join them. He held his crutch firmly in his hand as he stared at his niece.
When Ginny looked over at her older brother, an intense feeling of deja vu swept over her. He had a mischievous glint in his eye that she knew all too well. She didn’t have time to cry out before he acted. She didn’t know she would have even if she had. Swiftly he reached up and poked her with his crutch as though that were its intended purpose. Irked, Cassie yelped and cried "Mummy! Uncle Ron poked me!"
Ginny shook her head and chuckled. In her head, that voice was her own and that poke was her poke. She felt very young and very old at the same time. She had been through so much since her childhood. The mere idea of what she had experienced the last seven years made her want to crawl into the corner and weep for all that she had lost. She still wasn’t sure how she had got through it all. None of it made very much sense. But she was sure that she had come out on the other side. She had finished her race. But only to find herself in the same place, ready to start over again.
In the manner of one who had just completed a long journey, she sighed deeply and fell against Draco. He too was deep in thought and seemed to be leaning on her for support. They slumped together, balanced perfectly. And Ginny wondered, for the first time, if he really had come to her rescue or if it had been the other way around. Or, if any of that mattered at all. There really wasn’t any point in debating it, was there?
Instead, she turned to watch Cassie again. She had returned to playing with her grandmothers. Molly had frowned at Ron in that way mothers do to prevent any further attacks. Narcissa was timidly trying to engage Cassie in conversation. She was glad that Molly was there. She acted as a buffer between her and the little girl. If she had been there in those days, she would’ve known it was the same thing Ginny had done for Draco.
"I’m tired," said Ginny with a yawn. She was ready for a good long nap, possibly a coma.
"She has that effect on people..." replied Draco with equal sleepiness. He didn’t need to tell her that he was ready to go home.
* * *
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf, the lion and the fatling together, and the little child to lead them.
- Isaiah 11:6
* * *
The end.
* * *
WEEPY AUTHOR’S NOTE: I started this story in mid-July 2001. Now it’s June 2002. I never could’ve imagined all the time I was going to put into this fic. I intended it to be about half as long as it ended up being. Shows what I know. Anyway, I wanted to thank all my readers for putting up with my ramblings this long. You’re the most important part of the story. In particular, I’d like to thank you for waiting. It was February when I last updated. The time between then and now has not been a pleasant one for me. And sometimes it felt like your kind words and enthusiastic responses were the bright lights in the darkness. It’s meant more to me than you will ever know. And for that I thank you.
If you have anything to say about this series, please leave a review or come join my mailing list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StrangerStories) to discuss. I hope to see you all around. :-)
* * *
The End.
StrangerWithMyFace is the author of 12 other stories.
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This story is a favorite of 67 members. Members who liked The Little Child to Lead Them also liked 1430 other stories.
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