Winning Over Slytherin | Draco Malfoy

Chapter 77: Life

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L I F E

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Mal's POV

*2 months later, July 1998*

We had to go home that same night because of the reconstruction at Hogwarts. Turns out, fighting a war destroys a lot of ancient architecture. But I wasn't complaining, Hogwarts was long overdue for a more modern renovation. Mione and I were able to find our parents, who thankfully were safe, and restore their memories. Draco temporarily moved in with us a week after the war, his father and him haven't spoken. Lucius is still furious at Draco for not siding with them during the war. Narcissa however, has been kinder, she was the one who lied to Voldemort about Harry's life, after all. She apologized to my sister and I, as well as to Draco for the damage she and her husband have caused us. I understand her, she was only ever trying to protect Draco, and I could never stay mad at her for that. His father will come around. One day.

Draco hasn't called the Weasley's "the Weasel's" since he found out about Fred's passing.

I laid down next to Draco in my room, sobbing loudly, unable to get any words out. He didn't ask me any questions, he simply held me until my sobs turned into soft cries.

"What happened, baby? What happened during the war?"

"Too much. Way too much."

"Talk to me."

"Fred... he umm..." I twirled the promise ring Fred had given me around my pinky. "Fred died. For me." I heard Draco suck in a breath and when he let it out to ask me another question, his voice cracked.

"How?"

"Elliot." His grip around my waist tightened accidentally and I winced. He immediately apologized but I understood, the mere mention of Elliot infuriated me too. "Elliot and I were fighting. He was calling me a traitor, and a murderer, and I continuously denied it. He got mad, and tried to use the killing curse on me. But apparently Fred had been following me, he didn't want me to be alone, a-and he stepped in front of me. He stepped in front of me and the curse h-hit him instead of me." I was sobbing again and felt Draco's shoulders move as well and his breathing felt shaggy. He's crying. He held onto me tightly, stroking my hair as I sobbed. "I'll never get to see him again, Draco. I'll never get to laugh with him, or sing with him, or tease him, or have him call me 'Pancakes' ever again." I'll never get to reach on my tiptoes and have him pick me up to hug me, I'll never get to connect our rings again, I'll never have him sleep next to me and tickle me awake ever again. I never got to tell him that Draco had proposed to me. He would've been so happy for me.

What am I going to do without you? This isn't fair.

You were so young. This is not fair.

As Draco and I cried together, I knew he somehow felt guilty for it, and despite me reassuring him that it isn't his fault, I saw the guilt in his face.

The day of his funeral, when everyone left, Draco stayed behind. He doesn't know it, but George and I hid behind a tree and watched as he kneeled in front of Fred's grave, crying and apologizing for all his years of bullying. And he thanked him. He thanked him for being there for me. Molly found him there, she pulled him up and hugged him tightly, rubbing his back as he cried in her arms and apologized to her. He was now welcome at the Burrow anytime.

Two weeks later, Draco decided to surprise me with a two week trip to New York City during the summer, he thought we needed the break, a little bit of normalcy, though New York is far from normal. We spent those weeks not only hitting all the tourist spots, but he got us into a fancy hotel room with an amazing view of Manhattan skyscrapers, all of which were clearly expensive. But I couldn't complain, it was certainly beautiful. That bed must've been the softest bed I ever slept on, the wall was just replaced by a huge glass window, that of which allowed us to see all of Manhattan's beauty. Especially at night. I was concerned that people could see us from there, but Draco, being Draco, loved that, so he pouted when I took a closer look at the glass and realized that only we could see through it, not the other way around. And the shower... that shower was incredible.