World's Smallest Violin

Author's Note: This is it, the last chapter. I hope you've enjoyed reading this, I certainly had a lot of fun writing it. Anyway, thanks for sticking it out until the end, and a special thanks to getterz and GrownUpRon for the reviews.

Chapter 12: Ob-La-Di

Four years after he left, Draco Malfoy walked up the front steps of his Aunt's house a humbled man. He had taken the long way through town, but though he had spotted a few dogs that might have been Toby, there was no sign of Mallory.

Andromeda opened the door when he knocked.

"Draco, what a surprise."

She looked older than he had expected: more lines on her face, more grey in her hair.

"Hello, Aunt Andromeda. May I come in?"

She led the way into the sitting room, then ducked into the kitchen to fetch drinks, declining Draco's offer to assist. This left him a few moments to inspect the room. The furniture was unchanged except for the addition of a brightly colored box in the corner. A few more pictures had been added to the collection above the fireplace, but Andromeda returned before Draco could inspect them more closely.

Draco took a seat on the sofa, but on the opposite side from where he had spent the majority of that summer. Ted's armchair still occupied the place of honor closest to the wizarding wireless, but Andromeda brought a chair from the dining room and sat there instead.

So much of Ted lingered here that Draco would not have been surprised if his Uncle emerged from the study, took a seat in his chair, and turned the wireless to the day's Quidditch match, but the snatchers had gotten to him instead. Draco had been at Hogwarts when Ted was captured, he had learned of his Uncle's death in a gloating letter from Bellatrix. He could not say what he might have done had he been there, it was one of many things that kept him awake at night.

"It's lovely to see you, Draco," Andromeda began when Draco did not. "What brings you by today?"

For all his brazen words, Draco knew that he was not a brave man; it took a rare situation to drive him to bold action. In this case it also took Astoria Greengrass, who made him want to set right the wrongs of his past.

"I wanted to thank you for taking me in," Draco said, "and apologize for leaving like I did."

"Don't mention it."

"I also wanted to extend my condolences for Uncle Ted and Nymphadora."

"Thank you," Andromeda whispered, and for a moment Draco wondered if he had erred in bringing up his Uncle and cousin, but when she continued her voice was strong. "They died for what they believed in, that means something, at least."

Draco nodded, silent, wondering what it was like to possess that sort of fortitude.

"It's Uncle Ted now, is it?" Andromeda asked, not unkindly. "Last time you were here you seemed to do everything in your power to deny that relationship."

"I was a fool," Draco replied bluntly. That had been proved to him enough times, though the admission still stung. "Uncle Ted was a good man. I was told some things I shouldn't have believed." He hesitated. "You don't want to hear my excuses."

"No," Andromeda agreed, taking a drink from her glass. Draco did the same.

They lingered in silence a moment and Draco wondered if he would do better to just leave.

"You were sixteen," Andromeda said at last. "Everyone does stupid things when they're sixteen. You should hear what Nymphadora put us through..."

"I'd like to," Draco said genuinely. Another thing the years had provided him was a deep regret that he had not gotten to know his fiery, intelligent cousin while he had the chance.

Andromeda looked to the ceiling and a smile touched her lips, but then the light of fond memory left her eyes and she said, "Perhaps some other time."

"Alright," Draco said. "How's your garden?" It was an attempt to change the subject, and he did not want to think about his Aunt sitting around, alone, in this old, empty house all day.

"It's still there," Andromeda replied. "Not as big as it used to be, though, there just aren't enough hours in the day."

"What have you been doing instead?"

But Draco already had his answer. A young boy with bright green hair had just appeared from the direction of the bedrooms, sucking on the fingers of one hand and rubbing sleep from his eyes with the other. He crossed the room and climbed into Andromeda's lap.

"Nana, who dat?"

"Teddy, this is your mother's cousin," Andromeda replied. "Er, uncle?" she said, asking Draco for permission to bestow the title on him. He could only nod dumbly. "This is your Uncle Draco."

"He's Nymphadora's?" Draco asked, his brain struggling to work its way out of shock. "Hers and Lupin's?"

"You didn't know?" Andromeda inferred.

"No," Draco replied. He had never contemplated being someone's uncle before, but found that he rather liked the idea.

Growing bolder, Teddy slipped down from his Grandmother's lap and walked up to Draco's knee.

"Nice to meet you, Teddy," Draco said.

In response, Teddy's hair changed from bright green to pale blonde.

"Neat trick," Draco said, lifting Teddy up onto the sofa beside him, but he only remained there for a minute before clambering back down and making for the box of toys in the corner.

"How is he?" Draco asked. "I mean, with both his parents..."

"He doesn't really understand yet," Andromeda replied, "but we're all here for him. Remus named Harry his Godfather, and he knows a few things about being an orphan. He'll be there to help Teddy through."

"That's good," Draco said, nodding slowly, knowing that he and Harry would never truly see eye to eye. "Well, if you need a babysitter."

"I may at that," Andromeda replied gratefully. "In the meantime, would you like to stay for dinner?"

"I would, thanks," Draco agreed readily. "I've missed your cooking." But then he said something else, something that he had not realized he wanted to ask. As soon as he said it, though, he knew it was the reason he came back.

"Aunt Andromeda, why didn't you tell me?"