UNLEASH | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 6)

[ 46 ]

The woods near Malfoy Manor were quiet, snow was falling onto Earth, piling into a soft blanket. It was dark and atmospheric but the bioluminescence of various forest-dwelling micro-organisms, insects and creatures illuminated the eerie environment, dancing between the towering stocks and resting on branches.

Draco sat under an old flowering tree that bore vibrant red winter berries nestled in pure-white petals. A fruity fragrance that was of a mixture of the sweetest apples and cherries filled the air, blending with the butterscotch-like scent from the snow-dusted pine trees surrounding him. 

His eyes were transfixed on the lone girl who had been skating ahead on the frozen lake as his fingers busily fiddled with weaving the fallen twigs and berries on the ground. A smile sneaked onto his features when he spotted the beaming look on her face as she glided across the ice freely, the lake beneath her glowing magically as though a gleaming creature was swimming in it. 

Aine's hair was tied into a low ponytail with a small braid over the hair tie, slowly coming loose as she spun again. The cooling wind breezed through her locks and tickled her skin when she glided across the rink. The icy sensation along with the current of the air made her close her eyes and enjoy the feeling. She felt like she was soaring in the air when she twirled, her body felt light despite the burdens weighing on her shoulders. It was as though she was riding on Buckbeak the Hippogriff again, or even when she flew on the back of a Thestral. 

This was probably how Hestia was feeling every time she took a flight to the skies, she thought and another smile tugged onto her lips once more.

It was a different experience compared to when she was apparating in the air. Perhaps it was also the smooth velvety scratching noise of how her skate blades cut through the ice. It was unusually satisfying to the ears and Aine didn't know what exactly about the sound was pleasing.

The last time she skated was many years ago before she started schooling at Hogwarts. It was when Elliot had taken her to the nearby frozen lake that he had stumbled upon when coming home from work. As a child, he would always take her skating nearly every week after he found the rink and would spend the entire day skating alongside her. He was the first person who taught her how to skate after all. 

Aine found herself enjoying the activity so much that when the ice began to melt as spring came, she was completely gutted. Nevertheless, she would look forward to the coming next winter so that she could ice skate with her father again. That was what was so precious about the sport, it was short-lived and therefore she treasured every moment she had when she had the opportunity to skate.

Her smile faltered briefly when she reminisced about the bittersweet memory and she reached to clasp on the blue stone on her bracelet that Elliot had given her. She admired it with a forced smile, her lashes fluttered as she exhaled through her nose. It has been more than a year since Elliot died and not a day goes by that Aine doesn't miss him. She doesn't even dream of him anymore ever since the last time she saw a vision of him when she was held prisoner in the basement.

She just hoped that he was free— Free, happy and no longer in any pain. 

The Estoileon female took a deep gulp of the fresh air, filling her lungs as she allowed her longing feelings to naturally fade. She didn't want it to bring down her mood, not especially when it had been a pleasantly peaceful day. Both she and Draco were free without any tasks to deal with at hand and wanted to enjoy the rare occasion to destress a little since they couldn't for the past few weeks. Even Christmas, which was a few days ago had gone by without any celebrations. It was just another gloomy day.

But not today.

As heartbreaking as the feeling of missing her dearest father was, Aine didn't want every memory of Elliot to be viewed as a painful thing. It was devastating to lose him so quickly and suddenly, she was shattered and never the same afterwards. But not every memory she shared with him had to be sad too— Not every happy memory of Elliot needed to be depressing when recalled because it wasn't.