Doctor Malfoy

The Funeral

Outside of the city of York in the year 2033, a funeral was being held. Geraldine de la Pole Malfoy's body was accompanied by her son, her cousin's family, and a few other witches and wizards, including the child's grandfather Draco as well as William Weasley. The corpse was being taken to a final resting place at the de la Pole family plot. Geraldine was one of the last surviving descendants of the Noir family from Brittany, even if only in a female line. Her husband had run off even prior to her death and even now, word was spreading throughout the Wizarding World, that Scorpius Malfoy was planning to marry a witch from Ireland. 

Geraldine's son's name was James Damien Malfoy. He didn't quite believe what he was seeing. He saw Draco Malfoy's face, normally hard as dry ice, melting down in sorrow. Draco had seen hundreds of deaths in his day; having fought on the losing side in the Second Wizarding War only to defect at the last moment, he had watched countless people lose loved ones. He was rarely known to weep. James inherited that icy trait, it seemed. But in reality, the boy was simply confused. Only two days prior his mother had seemed to be in perfect health, living with her father-in-law who had mortgaged Malfoy Manor and used most of the proceeds to pay for widows and orphans of the war. 

The coffin was lowered into the grave. Edward Lupin said a few words that James didn't quite understand. Then everyone, including Draco, raised their wands and the light illuminated the dark sky. James didn't have a wand yet, indeed he wouldn't until time came to go to Hogwarts in the late summer. Neither did the daughter of Geraldine's cousin, Mary Marsh. Elise, Mary's daughter, was blonde and generally had good looks. James' own looks were different to his father's and radically different to his grandfather's. His hair was black (definitely a maternal trait) and his eyes were hazel brown. To those who knew Scorpius Malfoy, who had brownish hair (an inheritance from his mother, Maria Midici),  the differences were there but they were not extreme.

Draco picked up a shovel and started to return the dirt into the pit. Weasley followed suite, as did Lupin. Mr. Marsh did as well. James wanted to tell everyone to stop, to resurrect his mother. But it was not to be. He could not, no, he would not. He would have to let her go. Before he knew what was happening, the mourners except for the Marshs and Draco Malfoy had all left. 

They walked back to York and went through the Micklegate Bar, where, over half a millenia before, a claimant to the English throne had been decapitated and his severed head impaled on a spike nearby. 

The Marsh's hotel room was small, but there was room enough in it for several adults and certainly room enough for two young children. 

"He'll be under your guardianship now. I'll look after myself up here." Draco said to Mr. Marsh.

"Draco!" Mary Marsh said. "You're the boy's grandfather. You should come with us to London and maybe get an apartment there. At least that way the child can visit you."

"Visit me when?" Draco said. "He'll be at Hogwarts for over half the year. In any event, it really doesn't matter. I'll visit Hogwarts when I need to. Potter got a job up there. Now that our relationship has calmed down somewhat, I might be able to visit him on occasion and throw in a surprise to young James."

He picked up his coat and turned to leave. Then, as if he remembered something: 

"Geraldine could play the violin quite well. That might be something he could do in the meantime."

"I can't play it, grandfather! I've told you and I told mum!"

"Learn how to."

Draco shut the door behind him.