When the Stars Fall

Epilogue: The White Rose

The patter of rain on the roof echoed throughout the castle. Draco closed his eyes against the melancholy thoughts and took a deep shaky breath. He was just finishing with the clasp of his long black velvet cloak when a small head poked in through the door. He turned to the door, a small smile on his face as he saw the fair face of his little girl smiling mischievously at him, her long platinum hair off setting her rich, sparkling brown eyes.

"Daddy? Must we really stay with Grandpa Sevvie and Remus? I want to go with you. So does Braedy. Can't we come?" she asked, with a small pout.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry honey, but not today. Today is special, a day for remembering," he answered softly, and then he smiled when his daughter was pushed through the door by his son, who's platinum hair curled wildly about his head, and his eyes so much like Draco's sparkled with an impish glow.

"Dad, she did it again," he said.

Draco rolled his eyes and looked at his daughter as she tried to feign innocence. He narrowed his eyes and sighed. "Titania, how many times have I told you not to get Potions ingredients on your brother's books, and to bring up another scolding, how many times have I told you to leave your grandfather's private stores alone?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

The girl smiled impishly at her father and then looked at her brother with a slight glare. "Little tattle tale book worm. Go back to your little stories."

Braeden returned her glare tenfold and then snapped, "Hogwarts: A History is not a book of stories!"

"You've read that bloody book hundreds of times!" she retaliated, and at that Draco looked taken aback at his daughter and scolded her, "Language, young lady!"

And then Braeden said, "Besides it never hurts to prepare for anything. We'll be starting Hogwarts in a week."

"And we've lived at Hogwarts all of our lives!" his sister bit back.

Draco rolled his eyes and mentally counted to ten. Once he was sure he could speak without sounding harsh he looked from his son to his daughter and shook his head. "When are your Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny coming to get you?"

At this Braeden answered. "In a couple of hours by floo, and they are taking us shopping for our school supplies. I can't believe we'll be seeing Will!"

Draco winced at the thought of his children and Bill Weasley's eldest son getting together. All of whom were going to start Hogwarts within a week. He shook his head and wondered how he would be able to face teaching his children Potions. He then wondered how his father had stood it for so many years before his appointment to headmaster as Minerva had refused to take the position, claiming that she preferred her station as Transfigurations teacher and Deputy Headmistress.

He could only imagine the detentions his children would collect within their first year of attendance as students of Hogwarts, as they knew the school like the backs of their hands.

He then smiled, shook his head, and sent his children on their way. "Go see your Grandfather and Remus until Harry and Ginny come to get you. Go on."

Once his children had left the room, he sighed, picked up the white long stemmed rose, twirling it in his fingers and closed his eyes. Today was one of the hardest days to get through. He then gave his reflection a quick glance over, and left his rooms, then the grounds of Hogwarts. Once he reached the apparition point he disapparated with a crack.

He looked around him and took a deep breath, bracing himself. He then began to walk across the well-kept grounds of the cemetery and found his way to a beautiful white marble headstone.

Draco brought the white rose up to his face to sniff it, and swept the petals across his lips in a delicate kiss. He looked down upon the white marble stone he stood before, melancholy drifting over him, but then a fond memory began to flicker in his mind and the sense of melancholy was replaced with a small smile at the edge of his mouth. He knelt before the gravestone and tenderly placed the single rose just below it.

He sighed and traced the engraving on the stone with the tip of his right index finger. Only a stone and words to remember her by.

"I hope that you've found peace wherever you are," he whispered, and then stood up.

He was startled when a familiar slender hand took his. He smiled at his wife and began to walk away, heading home to his family.

The stone read:

In loving memory,

A mother familiar with sacrifice for the love of her child.

Forever in our hearts,

May she find the love denied her in life.

Narcissa Persephone Black

24 August 1962-17 November 1996

End.