Dark Light - a Draco Malfoy Fanfic

Thereafter

The day that followed was a mixture of emotions. Happy because we had won. Sad because we had lost so many loved ones in the process.
I had lost my mum, Fred and Cedric. No amount of avenging their death, no amount of mourning and no amount of punishment those death eaters received would compensate for the pain I felt.
Everyone had been planning funerals. But it just felt way too final for me. I did not want to. I couldn't even get myself to see his body again.

Draco had tried to console me but I didn't want to be around him either. I wanted to be left alone and so he did.

I returned home the next day. Luna had offered me to stay with her. So had the Weasleys but I wanted to be alone.

I opened the door and walked in. The house was as it was but it felt empty. My mother wasn't very involved in my life but she was always there. She was always there when I needed her. I had cried so much the past few months that tears just wouldn't flow anymore. I had not been home for months. I saw my mother's stole on the sofa. I picked it up, walked to her room, crawled into bed and fell asleep like a baby.

The next few days, Renee would occasionally come by and check on me and bring me food.
"9th of May" she said. "That's when the funeral is."
She held my hand as I stuffed a spoonful of pasta into my mouth to prevent myself from crying.
I spent the next few days just sleeping. The house was full of letters of consolidation. And food left by neighbours and friends. I didn't even look at them. All of those went straight to trash.
I felt so many emotions at once and also nothing at all. This went on until it was the day.

9th of May

I apparated to the Burrow. I saw Ron and Hermione first. They came in and hugged me. Hermione had a face of pity when she saw me.
"Don't." Isaid to her.
She tried her best to hide it as I greeted everyone else. I didn't stay for long. I just met everyone and left.

Later that evening, I went to the grave alone. I sat down next to his headstone and rested on it.
I saw someone in a black suit walk towards it with flowers in his hand.
As he walked closer, I realised it was Draco.
He was hesitant to come closer when he saw me but did anyway.
"Hey!" He said. "Are you alone?"
I nodded. "What are you doing here?"
"I don't know. Maybe it was a bad idea." He said as he turned around and was about to leave.
"No. Stay." I said.
He turned back. Walked up and placed the flower on Fred's grave.
"I'm sorry Ev." He said. "It should have been me. I should have been me protecting you. Fred died because stupid me was confused and manipulated." He said as he gritted his teeth.
"It should have been no one, Draco. No one should have died, except Voldemort."
He nodded. We stood there silently for the rest of the evening. We walked out together and went our separate ways.
—————

7 years later.

I was working at the Daily Prophet as the  editor. My love for reading in the quiet had now become my passion for writing. Under my watch, it didn't report nonsense anymore. Oh it did have plenty of gossip- it did keep the paper running but none that would harm anyone wrongly. And never on the front page.

It was the start of school year at Hogwarts and Diagon alley was bustling with young children shopping for supplies. Many of them in their Hogwart's robes reminded me of my time there.

I saw Renee with her son. Squeezing through the crowd.
"Renee!" I shouted as I hugged her. The last few years went a little easy because of her. Her son Marcus was just 3 years old but had become my best friend. I fist bumped him. "Mark"
"Ev!" He said and wrapped around my legs. We laughed.
"We're going to Fred and George's joke shop" she said.
She said Fred and George as if he would still be there when I walked in.
"Care to join us?" She said.
"Pwease" Mark said.
"Well, now I have to." I said.
—————
Weasley's wizard wheezes

Still as fun and lively!
"Ev!" George shouted as he came forward and hugged.
"Hi George!" I said.
We talked about our lives at the moment. I had stopped discussing past with anyone close to me. It was just too painful.

As we talked, a little boy ran in and crashed against one of the candy stands.
"Teddy!" Someone running after him shouted.
"Sorry, George!" Teddy said.
"Sorry Weasley!" Draco's voice sounded. I looked up from the little boy to the pale white face of Draco Malfoy as our eyes met.
"Draco" I whispered.
"Ev." He said.
He wore his signature all black suit without a tie.
George came forward and picked Ted up from the ground and carried him in. "Let's see what pranks we've got for you to pull on your uncle today." He said as he took him to the back.
"It's been a while." He said.
"Yes. It has. How are you?" I asked.
"Good. And you?" He asked.
He sounded much happier than I remembered and he smiled. He waved at a few people walking past him and they waved back.
Draco Malfoy had friends. Draco Malfoy was happy.
"Good.How is everyone home?"
"Great. I moved out though. I live in London now."
Silence.
"I read your paper everyday. You're doing a good job." He said.
"Thanks. I try." I said as I smiled and looked up at him. 
He was taller, well built and he looked just as handsome as he did then. Both of us couldn't look at each other. We both acted like the puking pastilles we had seen a thousand times were suddenly very interesting.

"Umm.. would you like to grab dinner sometime? When you're not busy, I mean." He asked.
"Sure." I said. "Sure. Sure."
Teddy came running out with a box full of goodies.
He was about to go to the billing counter when George said "No. it's his birthday gift."
"Oh. I was supposed to buy him those as gifts." He laughed. "What else do you want?" He asked as be bent down to reach Teddy who immediately replied.
"Candies!"
"Okay! Off we go then! Thanks guys." He said.
We exchanged numbers before he left.

"He seems different." Renee said
"He's been nice since then. Brings Teddy here sometimes. He has been very different, trying to compensate for things he had to do back then I guess. Not complaining though." George replied.
I smiled.