Cassiopeia Lily Malfoy (Harry X Draco)

Chapter 13

They had been married for six months when Lucius Malfoy died.

They were having breakfast together. Draco and Cassie always read The Prophet, silently passing each other sections that they thought would interest each other.

Draco folded the paper shut with abrupt precision.

"Cassie," he said, his voice cold and formal. "I have some bad news for you."

Cassie put her toast down.

"Your grandfather has died," said Draco, as if he was talking about someone he'd never known. "I'm sorry. I hoped you'd meet him one day."

Cassie frowned at her abandoned toast.

"Are you okay?" she asked Draco.

Draco smiled a wholly unconvincing smile.

"Fine," he said.

"Draco," began Harry. Draco took out his pocket watch.

"Time for school, Cass."

"I'll take her," said Harry.

"You'll be late for work."

"It's okay."

Draco nodded.

"Thank you. I just need to"

He didn't finish his sentence. He simply left the room.

Cassie seemed unusually chipper as they went to school. Harry knew her well enough to know that she sometimes got cheerier when she was upset.

"Think of all those lucky dogs," she said. "Although maybe they won't get anything until my grandmother dies. How much money does a dog need, anyway? I don't really like animals. Snakes are all right. Is it true you can talk to snakes? I wonder how he died. It was in the obituaries, 1 suppose. I never bother reading those, except for the names, the names can be quite funny sometimes. Do you like dogs? You didn't know your grandparents, either. Uncle Blaise's grandfather sends him newspaper clippings whenever Blaise is in the papers. I wonder if my grandparents read the newspapers. They would have seen pictures of me, if they did, wouldn't they?"

"I guess so," said Harry.

"Father always said they'd love me if they met me. He said that about you, too."

"You don't have to go to school today, Cass, if you don't want."

"I can't miss school," said Cassie. "We're getting our creative writing projects back and mine was twelve pages long."

"Right. What was I thinking."

He dropped her off. He would only be ten minutes late to work, if he hurried.

He went back to Grimmauld Place.

He heard Draco the moment he walked through the door: laboured, jagged breathing.

Draco was in the kitchen, bracing himself against the table. Dry sobs shook his slim body.

The floorboards creaked under Harry's feet, and Draco whirled around, pointing his wand at Harry's heart. It was so familiar a sight, but this time, Harry did not draw his own wand.

"Draco," he said, holding up his hands.

The wand shook in Draco's hand for a moment longer, and then it fell to the ground with a clatter, and Draco hunched back over the table, shoulders heaving.

"Hey," said Harry, going to stand behind him. Draco didn't answer. Harry wasn't sure he could. He wove his arms around Draco's chest and pulled him close. Draco was stiff, and then suddenly he turned to face Harry and balled his hands up in the front of Harry's robes.