In The Name of Love ︱Draco Malfoy

Prologue

"𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐄 out here again?"

Currently, a disgruntled 7-year-old Draco Malfoy was being dragged by a 6-year-old Anastasia Prince through the grounds of Malfoy Manor. Anastasia was donning a baby-blue coat with a matching barrette and delicate, white gloves. On the other hand, Draco, who was also wearing a coat and gloves, was dressed in all black. It was January, and the gardens were covered by a heavy layer of snow, giving the scenery an idyllical feel.

The girl puffed up her cheeks and blew a strand of her obsidian-colored hair out of her face. "I told you, Dray. Your library is entirely boring - I couldn't stay cooped up in there any longer. You have such boring books. It's so much more fun out here in the snow," she finished with a radiant grin.

"But... it's cold and wet," Draco complained. "The new leather boots that my father gave me are going to be ruined." With that, he kicked the toe of his right overshoe into the ground, sending bits of the powdery, white snow flying. He shivered as some pieces landed on his coat, melting into the fabric. Anastasia giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, stop being such a crybaby. Those boots are clearly enchanted to be waterproof; you'll be fine! Now let's go~!" Ignoring the protests of the blond boy behind her, she took his hand in hers continued trekking through the thick snow. A few minutes later, they two of them reached a tall fir tree that had retained its green leaves even through the latest blizzard. Anastasia plopped down at the base of the trunk, and patted the ground beside her expectantly. Begrudgingly, Draco sat down next to her, yelping when he felt the chill of the ice beneath him.

"Ana - It's so, so cold."

"Oh, hush." She scooted closer to the boy, wrapped her arm around his, and put her head on his shoulder. "There. Still cold?"

Draco could feel the blood rush to his previously pale cheeks. "... N- no."

Anastasia grinned triumphantly. With her free hand, she started doodling pictures in the snow. An angel, then a rose, and then a heart. She could feel Draco's eyes attentively trained on her finger, paying close attention to every stroke that she made in the snow. After a while, she looked up and glanced back at the Manor. A light had been turned on in a room on the first floor, and she could now see three silhouettes moving from within - Lucius, Narcissa, and her uncle, Severus Snape.

Although Uncle Severus was only her mother's half brother, he was, more than anything, a father-figure to her. Her father had left her and her mother before she had even reached 10 months old, and her mother had died when she was 2 as a result of causes that her uncle refused to disclose. He had then taken her in and treated her as his own, which she was eternally grateful for.

This morning, he had taken her to the Manor to discus "important adult matters" with the Malfoys. Now, with her interest piqued, Anastasia decided that she wanted to go find out what these important matters could be.

She quickly rose to her feet, gently pulling up Draco as well. "Let's go back - I want to see what they're talking about." Just when she was about to walk back to the Manor, she spied Draco out of the corner of her eyes and giggled. Chunks of snow was stuck to his suede, black coat. The way the snow and his hair contrasted with his outfit rather reminded her of a skunk. She pursed her lips endearingly. "You look quite ridiculous." Before Draco could retort, she used her gloved hand to lightly brush off the white snow, making Draco's face redden just as it did before. Once his coat was clean, she beamed proudly. "Much better." She didn't bother waiting for a response before running back to the Manor, beckoning for Draco to follow.

Once the two of them reached the Manor, they noticed that the lit window had been cracked open slightly. Excitedly, Anastasia put her hands on the window sill and tippy-toed, but she was still unable to reach the window.