Remembrance

Draco stared down at the photograph in the album. It was Harry and their daughter, Claire. Harry was teaching Claire how to swim in the lake near the cabin, which was located near Sydney, Austrailia. Draco watched as Claire jumped off the dock into Harry's arms. Her silver-blonde hair fanned out behind her as jumped. She and Harry smiled and waved at him, they looked so happy together. Draco turned the page. It was a photograph the morning of Claire's fifth birthday. Draco sat at his desk, trying to finish a report for the Ministry as Claire bounded into his lap, smiling broadly. Draco remembered that day fondly...

[Flashback]

"Papa Draco!" Claire shrieked as she jumped into his lap. "Today is my birthday, Papa Draco!"

"I know that Claire." Draco smiled. "Today is your day. What do you want to do?"

"I want to go to the cabin!" Claire giggled.

"Too far away, how about I take you to Alphaville?" Draco suggested.

"Do you think that's wise, Draco?" Harry asked, looking half-worried.

"Why not? We could have such a wonderful picnic out on my grandfather's vinyards. What a wonderful time we'll have. Don't you remember the first time I took you out there. Oh the sweet, sweet," Draco looked down at the imploring green-grey eyes staring back at him, "hugging!" and he proceeded to hug Claire.

"Oh please Papa Harry, can we go?" Claire gave Harry a puppy-dog look.

"Well..." Harry pondered. "I suppose we could--"

"HORRAY!!" Claire jumped out of Draco's lap, hugged Harry round the waist and shot out of the room.

[End Flashback]

Draco would never forget that day. It was on that day he'd lost everything that was dear to him. His father had shown up to give Claire a birthday present. He remembered how Claire stood in front of Lucius, staring into his cold grey eyes. He remembered the death grip Harry had on him so he wouldn't reach for his wand and kill Lucius. Draco wished he had. After Claire had opened her present, Lucius turned his wand to her chest and muttered the fatal curse. Her small frame landed neatly in the grass. Like she'd fallen asleep there. Harry rushed forward, but also got the curse in the chest. He fell by Claire's side, one arm draped over her body. Draco raised his wand faster then he anticipated, but the curse still reached Lucius. His body flew back and his wand made a lovely arc which landed in Draco's hand. Then Draco killed his father. Like he should have done some many years before.

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"Draco?" Hermione's voice echoed through the empty house. She sniffled a bit. This house used to be so noisy and full of life. "Draco?" she called again.

Hermione moved around the house, checking the downstairs bathroom, living room, and the kitchen. She noticed the the cutlery door was open. She moved closer to the door. There was a knife missing. Hermione bolted from the kitchen, up the stairs. She checked the bathroom upstairs. No Draco. She checked Claire's room. No Draco. She flung the door open to Draco and Harry's old room (Draco slept in the guest house, he couldn't stand to be in that room without Harry). There was Draco, tangled in the white sheets. Huge spots of blood stained the once white sheets. Hermione rushed to his side, she knew she was too late. He was too far gone. His breathing was shallow and his heartbeat was slowed. Hermione saw Draco's jaw move slightly, she leaned in closer to see if he was saying anything...

"I've gone to them," came Draco's voice, barely audible. "I've gone to them."

Everything had stopped. Draco had stopped breathing, Hermione stopped breathing. The whole world stood still. Hermione let out a howl to rival Moaning Myrtle. Her body wracked with sobs as she held Draco's nude body to her chest.

The Wizarding World wept for the next several weeks. They'd lost their Savior, his spunky little girl, and now his lover. Hermione had told Ron, Remus, and Sirius as soon as she got back. Ron grabbed Hermione into a tight embrace and cried. He didn't care much for Draco, but one more link to Harry had gone. Sirius stood,flabergasted. Remus placed a hand over his mouth and began to shake uncontrollibly. It got so bad he had to sit down. Sirius embraced him tightly and placed light kisses on his forehead. Everything had ended for the Potters and Malfoys. The last of their lines dead. But peacefully so...

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Draco had walked back into his house in Godric's Hollow. He could hear voices upstairs so he slowly crept up them and saw a light on in Claire's room. That was Harry's voice; he was singing to Claire. Draco moved closer toward the door and heard the last of the lullaby...

" 'If only, if only' the woodpecker sighs, 'the bark on the trees was as soft as the sky' as the wolf waits below, hungry and lonely. He cries to the moo-oo-oon, 'If only, if only'. Good night mon petite celui."

~!^FIN^!~