Spirals || Mattheo Riddle

Epilogue

Three months later

I stood in the last of the summer breeze, my dress fluttering around my knees. The weather had been unseasonably warm, almost penance for the suffering that so many had endured in the last few months.

"Hello Draco," I murmured as I set down the basket of marigolds. The gravehead was silent though the wind picked up slightly. I took it as a greeting.

Just like on all my other visits, I sat down on the yellow-green grass and began pulling the stems from the earth as I mulled over my thoughts, surrounded by the headstones of the Malfoy family. Narcissa was kind enough to let me spend as much time here as I liked, though I rarely saw her near Draco's grave herself.

The hardest part after the war was breaking the news to her. I still woke up at night sometimes from nightmares of her cries. No matter how much everyone reassured me, I couldn't help but place the blame on myself. Her son didn't come home that day. I had my part to play in that.

The woman lived in a silent home. Her husband was locked away in Azkaban and I couldn't find it in my heart to feel sorry for him. I came for tea with her as often as I could, but like so many, she was alone in the world now.

"Theo and Pansy said they stopped by the other day," I informed the empty graveyard. I picked up the lilies from beside Draco's headstone. They were wilted and yellow with age and I quickly replaced them with the fresher yellow of my grown marigolds. The headstone itself was brand new, a sleek grey stone with black lettering.

Draco Malfoy, beloved son and friend. His bravery will not be forgotten.

My heart always pulled when I read that last line. Narcissa felt she had to add it, I agreed.

"Things have finally been settling down," I told him. I imagined him sitting in front of me here, his platinum hair blowing in the wind and getting in his eyes. He would scowl and push it out of the way just for it to fall back.

"Mattheo's been cleared of all charges. The Ministry is still a mess so the persecuting system is dropping cases that aren't really worth their time. Plus you know, he did kill the Dark Lord." A shudder ran through me when I said his name, even if his body had long since been burned.

"I've unpacked and started decorating the new house. These are from the garden," I explained, pointing at the marigolds. "Mattheo's been pretty agreeable of my interior design so far, but I've got a feeling he's been moving things when I'm not looking. Not that he knows anything about decorating but he claims I'm making everything too symmetrical," I commented. Our talks usually went like this. I told him about the random things occurring in everyday life.

"Not sure if Theo and Pansy told you but they're planning on moving in together by Christmas. I'm thinking I might have it at our place if everything works out. Neither of them are talking to their parents so I thought it might be nice. Blaise has been doing his own thing. I think he's planning on going back to school actually, doing seventh year. He wants to get into the Ministry." Blaise had been a bit quiet recently but he assured me he was just taking some time. He and Luna had been getting close, closer than friends-close that is.

"I'm also thinking about applying for that healers course I told you about? It's at St. Mungo's, not far from home. I asked Mattheo about what he wanted to do the other day but I don't think he's quite ready to rejoin society just yet," I chuckled.

A few chirps in the wind were the only reply I got. The sun shone down on me and I breathed in the August air with a smile. "I'll take that as support."

I had been contemplating the healer idea for a while now. Mattheo was very supportive, urging me to do something I found purpose in. I think he was worried about me getting bored at home.

Home was now a small property in the England countryside, not far from where my fathers house had been. Mattheo and I both decided against living in our childhood homes, opting to start somewhere new instead. My accounts had been returned to me, along with the rest of my fathers possessions in his will. Almost everything had gone to me, and some to a woman whose name I vaguely recognised. I thought she might have been the dark haired woman I saw at the Christmas ball so long ago.

It wasn't much, our little house, but it was ours. That's what really mattered to us.

"Scars are finally fading," I told the wind on a slightly darker note. A small white line from my forehead to my temple was becoming barely noticeable. The mark was a reminder of what I had lost for so long that I almost didn't recognise myself without it. I had woken up with the scar after the final battle three months ago, Mattheo next to my bed at St. Mungo's. It reminded me of when I had been attacked by Potter.

Thinking of whom, was now a national hero. Martyrdom will do that to you. He had a monument at Hogwarts now, which was slowly being rebuilt. Harry Potter, the boy who sacrificed himself.

In the aftermath, Voldemort's body had been burned along with his wand, whilst Potters was buried next to his parents in Godric's Hollow. Mattheo had a slight idea why Potter had died that night. Something about a wand that belonged to Dumbledore, who was disarmed by Draco, who was disarmed by me.

I didn't really know what that meant, or spent much time thinking about it but Mattheo was just a little bit obsessed with it all. He thought that was why Voldemort's wand hadn't responded to him when he tried to kill me.

"But anyways," I concluded, realising I had spaced out, "things are good. Better than they have been anyways." I reached into my pocket, pulling out a small box and opening it before placing the contents on top of Draco's grave. "I'll see you next week yeah?"

With that I stood up, making my way over to the little gate that enclosed the family plot. The wind ruffled my hair in goodbye and I looked back at the chocolate frog jumping around on top of my best friend's headstone. Even after the spell wore off, I could never find the chocolate frogs when I came back. Something was probably eating them, I didn't waste time thinking about what.

As I walked through the Malfoy Manor gardens to exit the grounds, I thought about everything that had led me here.

Waiting for me back at home was the love of my life, probably sitting in a chair reading his copy of Wuthering Heights for the thirtieth time. He never came with me to visit Draco. I sometimes wondered if that was because he felt responsible, just like I did, for his death. I would get him to come with me someday.

I turned and faced the Manor before apparating, waving just in case Narcissa was looking out and could see me.

Familiar flower beds appeared in front of me, following the crack of apparition. I glanced up and saw Mattheo watching me from the kitchen windows that faced out to the gardens. My heart skipped a beat and I smiled as I fell in love with him again just from one look. He waited for me inside the house whilst I took a deep breath and enjoyed the summer air, reflecting like I often did after going to see Draco.

Regardless of what I had lost, so much more awaited me inside those doors. A life with purpose and love. I finally had something I had deserved. Loss had toughened me but time made my heart grow fonder and slowly the ice of grief that had encased my heart melted.

Mattheo helped with that. His gentle kisses and whispers of adoration wrapped around me like a blanket of love and safety. He healed me in ways I didn't know I needed to be healed. The patient boy who waited by my bedside, the cursed man who came to my rescue even if it damned himself.

Had I known what would begin of me meeting Mattheo Riddle, I likely would have turned and run away, saved myself from everything that entailed.

And yet despite the tragedy, I was happy with the spiral of moments that had become my life with Mattheo Riddle.