Two weeks after the death came the funeral, the sky was cloudy, Severus noticed. Why was the weather at funerals always cloudy? He thought ruthfully.
"I've never been to a funeral." Harry admits.
Severus finishes buttoning his cloak. "Well your job today is to be there for Draco," he says, turning to Harry, and adjusting the boy's cloak collar. "You support him, and do your best to make him feel even the tiniest bit better."
"Did my parents have a funeral?"
Severus nodded, he had stood at the very back of the crowd, and hadn't talked to a single person. Petunia had planned it, and had seemed very uncomfortable with all the wizards at her sister's funeral. At the end he had placed a single lily flower on the grave, the guilt had been overpowering then and felt stifling even now, years later.
"It was a lovely service." He says softly.
Satisfied with Severus's answer, the two finished preparing softly, and then apparated to the wizarding graveyard where Narcissa Malfoy's funeral was to be. It was a beautiful spot, fit for a Malfoy, dark trees surrounded the area, allowing beams of pale light to filter through. Detailed carved white peacocks decorated the area around the sleek black funeral, matching the seats.
The smooth white seats were filled with wizards in dark dress robes, Severus noted some fakeness in some of the saddened faces, death eaters or death eater supporters. Some he recognized, and it itched him that they had escaped the Ministry's clutches.
The man in charge of the service spoke in a low voice, speaking of Narcissa's character, her loving family, he didn't speak of her awful death, or the ones who took her life. It was better that way, Severus thought. Death was horrible enough to discuss. The funeral was for the family. Not the dead.
The crowds were eventually dismissed onto a beautiful open field, where people gathered, had refreshments, and offered condolences to the family. When Severus was speaking to Lucius, Harry noticed Draco was absent from his saddened fathers side.
Slipping away from his father, he pushes his way to the edge of the edge of the crowd, where Draco was digging his black shoe into the dirt.
His friend eyes him briefly, then returns to his digging in the dirt. "People keep coming up to me," Draco says softly. "Telling me that she died to protect me, and I should be so proud."
He stares at the grass, obviously not believing all those people, Harry felt awful watching his friend's glazed look, the normal brashness was completely drained from Draco, leaving him empty.
"Your mom died to protect you right?" Draco asks suddenly. "Does...does it make a difference?"
"I...I think so." Harry says. "It means she loves...loved you, and that she really cared about all of this, it meant something to her."
Draco doesn't respond to that, he didn't know how to,
"All my other friends are being weird." Draco mumbles. "I think they're weirded out by how me and my dad changed."
"sorry." Harry says.
Draco shrugs, he didn't regret how he had worked to shift his views, he had liked the new Malfoy family, his parents had been kinder, and more open. He had enjoyed being kinder to the elf's, and how the pressure on him seemed to lessen. He didn't get why his other friends didn't seem to be happy with his changes. He was grateful Harry did, and Severus too. He barely knew them, but he couldn't imagine what he'd do without them.
Meanwhile, Severus approached his friend hesitantly.
"Thank you for coming." Lucius says calmly.
"Of course," Severus responds. "Harry and I are here to help," he promises. "If you and Draco need anything at all."
Lucius smiles sadly at his friend, "thank you," he sighs. "Honestly I'm just glad today's over." he fiddles momentarily with his cane. "At least the newspapers will stop writing about us soon." He smirks a bit at that.
A few minutes later some distant relatives of Lucius came over, and Severus quickly pulled away from Lucius after promising to talk soon. He felt very out of place here among all the grieving folk and wished to apparate back home with Harry.
Sifting through the crowd, he hears footsteps nearing him, and stops short with a heavy sigh.
"I told you shouldn't have taken him." The man the footsteps belong to says.
"Not now Albus." Severus growls.
"Things will only get worse for him, now that he is out of Lilly's blood wards." Albus pushes
Severus glares at the man, "then help me protect him Albus!"
Albus weakens at the teacher's fury. "That," he says softly. "is exactly what I'm trying to do."
Reaching into his robes pockets, he pulls out a long folded piece of shiny, silvery fabric, and unfolding it, he shows it to Severus.
Severus runs a cautious hand over it, it was smoother than silk, and light under his fingers. "An invisibility cloak." He breathes.
"It was James's." Albus explains. "I was planning on giving it to Harry when he came to Hogwarts-"
"Getting him to like you." Severus mutters.
Albus raises his eyebrows, but doesn't respond. "But after Narcissa's death, I figured you would want him to have this, to keep him safe."
"Thank you." Severus says stiffly, folding the cloak and tucking it away. "Speaking of witch, I think it's best to take Harry home now, all of this is overwhelming for him."
He wove through the crowd, till he found Harry and Draco at the edge of the crowd. Draco seemed alright now, he was talking to Harry quietly, it was definitely a start to his recovery.
"Hello Draco," Severus says, unsure what to say. Asking if he was okay was out of the question, the boy had just lost his mom. Any small chat could be seen as insensitive to Draco's loss... he mentally sighs, this was way too hard.
"Hi Severus." Draco says to his godfather.
"Have you eaten today?" Severus asks, after weeks as Harry's guardian, parental instincts seemed to be kicking in.
Draco thinks for a moment, then shakes his head, he hadn't eaten that day, and he doubted his dad had either.
"Okay," Severus says. "I want you to go get some food, make sure your dad eats as well."
The young boy nods, Severus had thought the same thing, that his dad wouldn't have eaten.
"We'll talk to you soon." Severus promises the young heir.
Draco nods, and waves goodbye to his friends as they ready themselves to return home.
— —
Popping back into their home, the two wizards become quiet. They were still dressed in funeral clothes, and had a funeral on their minds, they might have left the graveyard, but it still felt very present for the both of them.
Harry flops onto the couch, in average little boy fashion. "Funerals suck." He mutters.
Severus nods, "I know." He says, "hopefully you wont have to go to another for a long time."
He then makes his way over to Harrys side, and pulls the folded up cloak out of his pocket.
Harry eyes the odd piece of fabric that Severus's is unfolding carefully.
"This was James's," Severus explains.
Harry took the cloak gingerly, like it could combust. "My dad's?"
Severus nods. "He used it for some of his pranks."
Harry slips the cloak on, and watches his body disappear. "Cool..." He gasps.
"This isn't a toy." Severus says. "You use this, it's because there's danger."
"Like the people who hurt Narcissa?"
Severus nods sadly. "If that ever happens again, you, and if Draco is there, him to, you hide under there, and stay there until the danger is gone." He says sternly. "You understand?"
"Yes Sev."
The two ducked under the tree, the branches wiping around, leaf's and dirt flying through the air. One of the kids was giggling and the other hugging themself, his face tense.
"Ughhh." Severus groans.
"Calm down Sev." His friend answers. "It's not that bad, you're just not used to sweating..." She frowns. "What? What's wrong?"
"I've never had a nickname before." He admits softly, fingering with the ground.
"Seriously?" Lily asks, turning to face her friend. "Never? Your parents never... "
Severus didn't respond, instead he allowed a leaf to float a few inches off his hand by staring furiously at him.
"Well when someone cares about you, they get to give you a nickname." Lily declares, pressing her hand down against the leaf, her eyes flashing. "Sev."
"Sev?" Harry asks uncertainty, confused by his guardians sudden quietness. "I...I understand."
Severus blinks. "Good." He says quietly.
He pulls Harry into his arms. "Good." He repeats softly.
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Aww funeral chapter is done.
Hope you enjoyed!