Always. (A Draco Malfoy Story)

Pins and Needles.

"It's ok, Hermione. You're alright." Harry gasps for air as they arrive at Shell cottage.

Hermione whimpers out, "I remember her... I remember Joy. You were right, Harry."

Ron looks at Hermione then to Harry, "Loony was right."

They all hobbled to the cottage which was within walking distance, as it stood in the middle of a field, just adjacent to a frozen pond.

Greeted at the door of the cottage, stood Luna holding the door open for them to come in.

"Did it work, Hermione?" She asks sweetly. Hermione nods and reaches into her bag.

She pulls out a tattered book and flipped it open to a bookmarked paged:

MEMORY CHARM
(Incantation: Obliviate)

Purpose: To be used to erase specific memories from an individual's mind.

Counteract: No evidence is proven to break the Memory Charm. Although, there has been speculation that one must undergo excruciating pain to the highest degree, where all memories of their lives will flash back into their minds. It's a feather hair short of coming across death, which explains why no one dares to prove this fact.

Hermione reads out the passage to the rest and after explains, "I did the same charm on my parents. I've been trying to figure out a way to get them back."

"No way in bloody hell am I doing that." Ron waves his hands dismissively.

Harry looks to Hermione, "Hermione, are you sure?"

Hermione looks at him with a 'are you really doubting me?' face, to which Harry responds with a silent 'right.'

He walks towards Godric Gryffindor's sword and picks it up. Everyone watches him as he examines the blade.
He stares at it for a bit and says, "We have to talk to Griphook."

-

I went to see Snape to inform him of what's happened at the Manor.
I arrived at Cokeworth to an empty house.

"Uncle Sev?" I call out, but don't receive a response.

I take a chance and see if he's in his study. I turn the knob of the door and see that it's empty... but his desk is messy with papers. Very odd for someone like Snape.

Curiously, I walk over to his desk chair and have a seat, studying the papers that are laid out before me.

They all look like Dumbledore's handwriting. 'What are you doing, Uncle Sev?'

I see pictures and descriptions, I think it's all Voldemort's horcruxes? Yeah, that what it is.

There's 7 pictures I see, and one that seems to be cut out of the paper. I try to look across the desk for the missing piece, but it's long gone.

That's when I hear someone flash in downstairs.
I quickly place all the papers where I think I remembered it being and quickly left the study.

I ran down the staircase and saw Snape standing in the middle of his living room. He jerked his body to face me with him wand at the ready.

"Good grief, Joy. Tell me when you plan on coming here... I've set an alarm." He swished his hand, creating a glimmer to run down the wall of the home.

"I just needed to tell you that they found the real sword, and that they got away. Snatchers got them and they brought them to me. Hermione remembers me too... thanks to Bellatrix's ungodly need for torture," I huffed.

Snape raises his eyebrows and walks over to me, "Have you been careful? Are you still having visions?"

I shake my head, "Not as much." He nods as a way of understanding.

I looked at his cloak dress and saw that he's proudly wearing the pin I got him for Christmas: a vintage lily pin for him to use. One manly enough that Snape could still wear proudly.

I smile, "I take it you like your gift?" I saw a sliver of a grin stretch across his face as a 'yes'.

-

Draco sat on the rooftop of the Manor. He watches the snow fall on his face as he looks up to the sky in search of his constellation.

He's sat in the same spot every night since Christmas, regretting ever decision he made that night.

He didn't want to break up with Joy... the words just kind of spilled out of his mouth.
He remembered seeing Joy's face as she was throwing their book and roses at him. How angry she was. How hurt she was.

He wanted to take it all back. He wanted to tell her he was sorry, and that he didn't mean to say it... and he was about to.
When he stood in front of the door, the door Joy held open for him... but when Draco saw how Joy couldn't even bare to look him in the eyes, his feet decided to just keep on walking.

He gripped onto his chest, and for a hold of the chain that held their two rings together. He sighed and took the chain from around his neck and held it in his hands.
He took his ring out of the chain and placed the chain back around his neck, having Joy's ring hang near his heart.

He placed his ring on his left ring finger, visualizing the day that it would become real, where he and Joy could maybe not fight anymore, get married, have kids and fill out their memory book together.

-

"Hi mum."
I walked to her grave site and crouched down, placing a new rose of the snow above her.

I hugged my arms, keeping myself extra warm as I chatted for a bit with her.

"Obviously, you know that Draco and I are no longer together." I nervously chuckle, "...after he said all that sweet stuff to you."
I shake my head, "You couldn't have found someone more mentally stable than him?" I joke.

"You know... you always taught me to be strong, stand proud, rely on no one but myself... to not be weak." I play with the snow below me, "But ever since I met Draco, I feel the complete opposite of what you raised me to be."

"I'm not as strong as I claim to be... not so confident. I became vulnerable... especially to him." I chuckle, "Like I couldn't remember the last time I cried before I met him, and now I'm always crying over him."

I scoff, "Who the fuck am I, mum?"

I got quiet for a bit, the whistling of the wind blowing by, causing it to be colder than normal.
The tree above began to rustle with the wind, as I looked up and saw just behind the branches, the stars of Draco.

I huffed, "If this is your way of telling me to forgive him, you're out of your damn mind, Mother."