Through the Dark (Draco Malfoy x OC)

Prologue

The evening was luminous with starlight and ebbing street lights. An eerie stillness blanketed the street while a woman, not old but not young, walked timidly down the asphalt road under the inky darkness. She approached the white doors of St. Mungos with purpose and they swung open at the command of her hands. The reception's air had a perfumed scent, every surface dustless, as the woman continued striding through the hospital. She didn't need to address the front desk, they knew why she was here. They knew what had just happened. What had just been revealed.

The mediwitches were unhurried as they moved from room to room on their rounds. Muffled chatter, beeping of machines and footsteps were all that sounded through the hospital. She could hear the murmur of moans in some rooms as she walked past until she finally reached the sliding glass doors to the ward she was due at. Again, she opened them at the flick of her hand and was greeted by a dozen bassinets. Her blue eyes rose to make contact with twinkling orbs on the opposite end of the room. "Are they safe?" Her unsteady Scottish accent hinted her unease.

"Indeed, Minerva." The old wizard said as he settled his arms behind his back and looked into one of the bassinets.

A breath of relief escaped her lips. She approached the bassinet and peered in to see the sleeping baby boy. His brown hair flopping to one side and his eyes peacefully closed. A scar shaped like a lightning bolt adorned his forehead. "Is that where-"

"Yes," the old wizard answered before she could ask. "He will have that scar forever."

She nodded gravely having knowledge it would never fade because of the evil curse he had been attacked with. Over in the corner of the room, she saw Severus Snape leaning against as wall in the shadows. He had been the one to find the Potters and bring their son to St. Mungos. A solemn look graced his features as he stared into nothing. She looked over in the opposing bassinet, her eyes warming to see a distressed baby girl.

"She won't stop struggling," a mediwitch muttered gravely. "Ever since she was brought in here."

"Do you know who the mother is, Albus?" Minerva asked as she looked at the girl. When she initially heard the news, she was fearful of what she would encounter. Looking down at the crying baby proved to her it was just a normal little baby, not some demon spawn as she had expected. An innocent baby born into a dreadful life.

"We do not. I have been in contact with families and the Taylor's have agreed to take her. In fact, they would be most honored."

Minerva glared up at the wise wizard she looked up too. Everyone knew the Taylor's, they were a household name in the pureblood society and were suspected Death Eaters until Lucuis Malfoy came forward claiming they had all been under the Imperius Curse. The Order knew the truth though, they weren't as easily fooled or scared into submission as the Ministry was. Of course, the Taylor's would have jumped at the chance to adopt this little girl. Ezra and Lydia Taylor, socialites in the wizarding world who owned a successful alchemy business and fuelled off the profits made from their ancestors. She had been toe to toe with Lydia many times, the woman was nothing more than an elitist snob that thrived off superiority and riches. To think this little innocent girl would be raised under her influence. Minerva scoffed.

"And you believe it is the right thing to throw her back into that circle?" she bit.

"I cannot deny someone else the right of parenthood," he stated. "Her options are limited, no one else has come forth wishing to adopt her and I imagine no one else truly desires too."

The baby girl let out another cry. She writhed in her blankets, pushing them away with her small feet and struggling to find comfort.

"Does she have a name?" she asked.

"No," the mediwitch replied. "Like we said, she was found alone when the Order raided his headquarters."

Severus pushed off the wall he had been leaning on and moved forward to examine the baby. He scrunched his nose at the crying and charmed a spell to try and relax her. Stars materialized above her and a gentle lullaby began to play. A small smile donned Minerva's face as she witnessed the first sign of nurturing she had ever seen from her dim colleague. Moments passed as they all listened to the delicate harmony and Albus' eyebrows shot up as the baby slowly stopped struggling for the first time since they had found her. She giggled and grinned up at the gloomy Professor overlooking her and Severus couldn't help but feel his heart swell.

"Perhaps the name Melody would be appropriate." Albus said with a smile as he studied the girl waving her little arms in an attempt to reach out to Severus.

Minerva nodded with a smile, "Melody." She looked down again to see the smiling baby.

To think that a man- no not a man, but a monster so cruel and full of darkness had the ability to produce something so innocent and full of purity. She watched as the conjured stars above reflected on the baby's glowing skin. Severus reached down, brushing her dark brown hair off her face. Melody giggled again at the contact and reached forward, grasping onto his finger and holding tight. She frowned for a second as she looked up at him and then smiled.

It was almost as if the little girl knew, knew that Severus needed joy in the midst of his pain, needed this comfort in the dead silence of the night. He didn't fight the small tug at the corners of his lips as he admired the bundle of happiness. As the baby squirmed and grinned, he made a silent vow to himself, that he wouldn't let anything happen to this girl. That this girl would be protected from the forces of the dark and would stay in the light. He had failed to keep the one woman he cared about safe, but perhaps this is what the world intended for him instead. Could it be possible that a child born into this hurricane of madness could live a happy and normal life? He willed himself to believe it could happen.

He looked up at Minerva who wore an understanding and soft expression. Without words, they both shared the same thought. That the bundle of purity in the bassinet had a chance in this new world. That she could live healthily, happily and safely. Away from the influence of dark magic.

Even if she was the daughter of the Dark Lord.

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Hello readers!

Thank you for reading the first part to what I hope to be a great story! Please go easy on me as I am extremely rusty on the writing; it's been a while. This story will be OC focused and will be what people refer to as a slow burn when it comes to the MalfoyXOC. 
I know the Voldemort's daughter story is probably outdone, but I could never find one that was what I was looking for so I decided to go ahead and write my own! This story will follow the course of fourth year and onwards so you may recognise parts of the story as expected, but I promise to keep it mixed up and focused on Melody and the Slytherin's!
Also please note, there will be swearing in this story and sexual themes, but they will be way later in the story. I won't mark as mature for now, but who knows how carried away I'll get.
Much love and thank you again for reading xx