Draco was sitting in his office with a glass in his hand, swirling the contents of it. He didn't know exactly why he started to drink more, but it helped quiet his mind at times, and he enjoyed that. His mind had became one of his least favorite places to be lately yet he could never escape it. He sighed as he set the glass on his desk and opened the small top drawer to his left. He took out two of his favorite pictures and the two rings he had kept in there. Draco smiled at the photograph of himself and the woman he loved more than anything on their wedding day, looking as happy as ever. He slid the second picture from behind it and sighed. One of the only family photos he had, taken just minutes after Cassiopeia was born. He had a few but this one was his favorite. Astoria had one arm wrapped around a little scorpius sitting in her lap as she held the newborn baby close to her, smiling like it was the best day of her life. Draco stood beside the hospital bed with an arm wrapped around his little family and in that very moment, he felt complete. Draco let a single tear slide down his cheek before he quickly wiped his eyes.
"It's been 16 years and it still hurts all the same." He whispered as if she would be able to hear him. He closed his other hand around the wedding rings he once shared with the mother of his children.
"Daddy?" Draco quickly snapped out of his daze and turned in his chair to see Cassiopeia. He quickly put the two pictures and rings back into his drawer and gave the girl a small smile.
"You guys are back already? Did you all have fun?" He asked her. She made her way to one of the two chairs sitting across from his desk and sat down.
"The others are still out. Why did she lock you out of your room this time?" Cassi asked him curiously. Draco sighed before taking a sip of his drink.
"Apparently it's irresponsible to let a bunch of teenagers go out and have fun. It turned into a particularly nasty argument." He explained with a shrug. Cassi nodded before responding.
"Why are you with her? You're not happy, Dad. Why don't you just end things with her?" Cassi asked him. Draco let out a small laugh.
"Im afraid it's no longer that easy, darling. Legally, we're now married. We just haven't did the whole wedding thing. She kept pestering me about it and I honestly wanted nothing more than to get her to shut up about it so i did it and before you say anything, yes, I know im a bloody idiot." Draco explained to her. Cassi shook her head at him in disapproval.
"But do you love her like that?" Cassi asked him curiously.
"I did. I never really wanted to remarry but I did love her. Or i still do. I really don't know. She's not the same person as she was when we first started seeing each other." Draco admitted with a shrug. Cassi felt bad for her father but she couldn't help but feel hurt by the news, especially after everything that horrid woman has said about her brother.
"Are you trying to replace mum?" Cassi asked without thinking. Draco took another drink and tried his hardest to hold back the tears forming in his eyes.
"Your mother is irreplaceable. I don't think i was quite ready to move on. I think i did it because i wanted to feel that connection again. Truth is though, I'll never be able to find that same connection again. I felt something similar in the beginning, but it's just not the same." Draco explained to her, trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible.
"What were you and mum like? What made her so special?" Cassi asked him, something shes been dying to know. Draco finally looked up at her and smiled.
"We were so in love. We never really argued, i mean we did, but it was more playful than anything. She was my best friend. We kept our marriage vows before we even got married. She made me do the craziest things, she was so adventurous and lived her life on the edge constantly but she always dragged me along with her. She was everything to me. She was the one that brought out the best version of myself and helped me make many unlikely friendships after the war. She was the loveliest person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting." Draco answered her while smiling bigger than she's ever seen him. Cassi smiled as she seen her fathers face light up. She hadn't seen him this happy in so long.
