An End And A Beginning

8: Memories Dancing In A Breeze

The next morning found Draco not wanting to move from his bed. He simply lay staring at the ceiling in hopelessness and feeling utterly swamped by everything. By the arrangements that his mother was avoiding any involvement in, in his feelings for Potter, in what he needed to do for the estate. Matthew had insisted Draco take some time off until after the funeral, that he could manage everything but it didn't feel right to Draco. He needed to be out there, he needed to go up to the woodlands because he and Matthew were sure poachers were getting in somehow and the boundaries and Wards needed checking. He'd almost asked Harry to help him the previous day but it felt too much like an imposition. Besides, Harry was heading off to the Ministry to sort out that ballache of bureaucratic paperwork he clearly hated.

He wondered why Harry did his job, if he actually liked his job.

Draco knew, as he languished in bed, that he was avoiding writing the Eulogy. He tried to think about it. He'd even asked his mother for some thoughts, anything...

She said she'd think about it. He knew that meant she didn't want to add anything.

And then he needed to get rid of his clothes that were in bags waiting—he threw back his covers. He would take the two bags of moth-eaten and personal clothes down to where they sometimes lit a bonfire in the grounds. They, at least, could be burnt, and that would feel productive. And as Potter wasn't due to visit that day, it wouldn't matter to abscond to the grounds and get filthy or wallow smell of smoke.

He couldn't say he felt particularly hungry but he ate breakfast for the sake it. His cereal tasted grey and bland but he heeded no attention to it; instead his focus was on the two letters that had been left for him on the breakfast table. One was from Augustus Rookwood, the other from Cressiders.

He suspected Augustus Rookwood had only declined the invite because Draco had forewarned him that Harry and another Auror would be escorting him and his mother. However, the letter he received was surprisingly lengthy. In it, Augustus apologised for his initial response in terms of not attending and he wondered, however, if it wasn't too late to change his mind and that he'd also write to Assistant-Head Auror Potter to arrange any necessary details. He wrote about his and Lucius's friendship that started at Hogwarts and how they had quickly become the best of friends that wasn't just based on appearances or names, although they were both of similar upbringings. The letter included a number of memories of the two of them at school together, including some of the things they got into trouble over at school.

No mention was made of Augustus's or his father's part during the first war or their more recent involvement with Riddle. Draco wasn't sure for whose benefit that was. Both Augustus and Draco were traitors in that sense and they both knew it. However, Draco was surprised by the letter, if not slightly disbelieving. It seemed that Rookwood was describing a different man to the one Draco had known. He put the letter to one side, deciding it needed further contemplation, though he sent a hurried Owl off to him saying that he'd be honoured if Rookwood attended the funeral.

Cressiders had suggested a running order for the Farewell Ceremony and asked if he had a photograph of his father so they could put it on the cover along with some standard wording; they would need approval so they could print off the Orders for the day. They also asked whether he'd thought about music for the Farewell Ceremony and flowers for on top of the coffin. They'd recommended two flower shops. He sighed heavily, he'd have to ask Harry to come over again so he could visit them.

He didn't know about music. His father always had a surprising operatic taste that Draco hated, especially first thing on Sunday mornings in the school holidays when Lucius would play his beloved la-la-ladies so loudly that their voices echoed around the Manor and would wake him up. That was before Riddle moved in... After that point the Manor was horrifically silent.