Never • The Lost Daughter | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 72 - Burning

I didn't expect Christmas to be something extraordinary this year. I couldn't wait for someone to ask me to pass the Christmas break with him. The Weasleys were already hosting Harry, Albus was traveling on his own before he even managed to say Merry Christmas to me (something rather odd), Luna would be visiting her Aunt in Iceland and I didn't even want to think that there was a shoot of passing my holidays with Draco in the Malfoy Manor, for obvious reasons. It was obvious that I would have to stay on my own, either by staying at Hogwarts or returning to my old house. That was until the morning after the Christmas party when I received a letter from Remus. He was inviting me to stay with him and Tonks. I really didn't want to be a burden but staying with them would be better than saying Merry Christmas to myself, so I packed my things and I left the castle with everyone else.

Throughout the ride back to Platform 9 and ¾ I was planning to talk to Draco and ask him what was wrong last night and why he didn't stay at the Hospital Wing, without trying to ask him what he and Snape were talking about after leaving the party (I knew he was not going to answer and I planned to find the answer on my own). However, I never found a chance to talk to him and I didn't want to have a conversation with him in public so I just left it for another time.

When the Hogwarts Express reached the Platform, Lupin was already waiting for me at the Station. He took me to his place, a silent house that reminded me of my own. Tonks' greeting was very welcoming, something that made me wonder whether she knew about Lupin's feeling about my mother. I knew they would marry soon. Wouldn't someone feel a bit uncomfortable knowing that the daughter of the girl her future husband loved is staying with them? I just guessed that Tonks was as open-minded as she looked.

These days, and for the first time after so many years, I felt like I was part of a loving family. Tonks seemed to like me very much and Lupin... Well, what could I even say about Lupin? He acted like he knew me for years. He treated me like a true daughter. He didn't even start talking about all the dark stuff that a member of the Order would like to talk about. He didn't even mention anything about it. He wanted me to have some nice holidays with them.

The dark talks came when we visited the Weasleys on Christmas Eve. Harry wanted to talk to the Order about everything that he had experienced throughout his year and he reckoned that they should know. He didn't forget mentioning anything that had to do with Draco.

"So you say that Voldemort has chosen Draco Malfoy to fulfil a mission for him," said Lupin when Harry explained to him all about his theories. He probably didn't believe a word he said. I was getting seriously annoyed by this conversation but was also trying to put all the pieces together. All that Harry thought, had already been confirmed to me. But I was most annoyed that Harry didn't even care to tell me to leave the room before he started talking about it.

 "I know it sounds bad-" Harry wanted to explain himself but no one would believe him.

"Snape was simply pretending to assist Draco so he could find what he was up to," answered Lupin. It was something that I hadn't thought of before and now it seemed very rational. Yes, I should have thought of that before I went on thinking Dumbledore was mistaken.

"That's not what it sounded like," said Harry. I remained motionless to a corner of the sofa, without even wanting to hear anything else about it.

"Perhaps Harry is right, Remus... I mean, to make an Unbreakable Vow-" said Tonks.

"It comes down to whether or not you trust Dumbledore's judgment. Dumbledore trusts Snape, therefore I do."

"Dumbledore can make mistakes, he said it himself!" said Harry.

"You're blinded by hatred!" shouted Lupin.

"I'm not!"

"Yes, you are! And I don't understand why!" he yelled.