Slytherins Son

Funeral-Chapter 9

Two weeks after the death came the funeral, the sky was cloudy, Severus noticed. Why was the weather at funerals always cloudy? He thought ruthfully.

"I've never been to a funeral." Harry admits.

Severus finishes buttoning his cloak. "Well your job today is to be there for Draco," he says, turning to Harry, and adjusting the boy's cloak collar. "You support him, and do your best to make him feel even the tiniest bit better."

"Did my parents have a funeral?"

Severus nodded, he had stood at the very back of the crowd, and hadn't talked to a single person. Petunia had planned it, and had seemed very uncomfortable with all the wizards at her sister's funeral. At the end he had placed a single lily flower on the grave, the guilt had been overpowering then and felt stifling even now, years later.

"It was a lovely service." He says softly.

Satisfied with Severus's answer, the two finished preparing softly, and then apparated to the wizarding graveyard where Narcissa Malfoy's funeral was to be. It was a beautiful spot, fit for a Malfoy, dark trees surrounded the area, allowing beams of pale light to filter through. Detailed carved white peacocks decorated the area around the sleek black funeral, matching the seats.

The smooth white seats were filled with wizards in dark dress robes, Severus noted some fakeness in some of the saddened faces, death eaters or death eater supporters. Some he recognized, and it itched him that they had escaped the Ministry's clutches.

The man in charge of the service spoke in a low voice, speaking of Narcissa's character, her loving family, he didn't speak of her awful death, or the ones who took her life. It was better that way, Severus thought. Death was horrible enough to discuss. The funeral was for the family. Not the dead.

The crowds were eventually dismissed onto a beautiful open field, where people gathered, had refreshments, and offered condolences to the family. When Severus was speaking to Lucius, Harry noticed Draco was absent from his saddened fathers side.

Slipping away from his father, he pushes his way to the edge of the edge of the crowd, where Draco was digging his black shoe into the dirt.

His friend eyes him briefly, then returns to his digging in the dirt. "People keep coming up to me," Draco says softly. "Telling me that she died to protect me, and I should be so proud."

He stares at the grass, obviously not believing all those people, Harry felt awful watching his friend's glazed look, the normal brashness was completely drained from Draco, leaving him empty.

"Your mom died to protect you right?" Draco asks suddenly. "Does...does it make a difference?"

"I...I think so." Harry says. "It means she loves...loved you, and that she really cared about all of this, it meant something to her."

Draco doesn't respond to that, he didn't know how to,

"All my other friends are being weird." Draco mumbles. "I think they're weirded out by how me and my dad changed."

"sorry." Harry says.

Draco shrugs, he didn't regret how he had worked to shift his views, he had liked the new Malfoy family, his parents had been kinder, and more open. He had enjoyed being kinder to the elf's, and how the pressure on him seemed to lessen. He didn't get why his other friends didn't seem to be happy with his changes. He was grateful Harry did, and Severus too. He barely knew them, but he couldn't imagine what he'd do without them.

Meanwhile, Severus approached his friend hesitantly.

"Thank you for coming." Lucius says calmly.