Heirs of darkness

Memories

The sky outside Draco Malfoy's window was a deep indigo, stars faintly twinkling through the heavy clouds that always seemed to hang over Malfoy Manor. Inside the room, a fire crackled in the hearth, casting a warm glow over the dark, ornate furniture. It was a place steeped in history, in tradition, but tonight it felt different softer, quieter, almost peaceful.

Draco, Theo, and Aurora sat together in a small circle on the plush carpet, surrounded by the remnants of an evening that had stretched long into the night. Empty wine glasses sat nearby, and a half-eaten plate of pastries lay forgotten on the table. They had been talking for hours, their conversation meandering through time, drifting back to their school days at Hogwarts.

"It feels like a lifetime ago," Theo said, his voice a low murmur as he leaned back against the foot of Draco's bed. His eyes were distant, lost in memories of a time when life had been simpler, when their greatest worries had been exams and Quidditch matches. "Do you remember how we used to sneak out to the Astronomy Tower? Just to get away from everything."

Aurora nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "We thought we were so clever, didn't we? Sneaking out past curfew, avoiding Filch and his blasted cat. We never got caught, though."

Theo chuckled, the sound tinged with nostalgia. "Blaise always said it was because we were too charming to be punished."

Draco gave a soft laugh. "Blaise was always full of himself," he said. "But he was right. We were untouchable back then. Or at least, we thought we were."

The room fell into a comfortable silence as they each lost themselves in their memories. Aurora's gaze drifted to the fire, watching as the flames danced and flickered. It reminded her of the common room in the Slytherin dungeons, where they had spent so many nights talking, laughing, and planning their futures futures that now seemed so far away, almost unreachable.

"I miss them," Aurora said suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper. The words seemed to hang in the air, heavy with unspoken emotion. "Pansy, Daphne, Millicent... and Blaise. I miss them all."

Draco and Theo turned to look at her, their expressions softening. They had all grown up together, their lives intertwined in ways that went beyond simple friendship. They had been a family, bound by blood, loyalty, and shared experiences. And now that family had been shattered, scattered to the winds.

A single tear slipped down Aurora's cheek, and she quickly wiped it away, but the sadness in her eyes remained. "Everything's changed so much," she continued, her voice trembling slightly. "We've changed. I didn't realize how much I would miss them, miss the way things used to be. Even the bad times... they don't seem so bad now, compared to what we've been through since."

Theo, sitting closest to her, reached out and took her hand in his. He didn't say anything, didn't need to. Instead, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, a gesture of comfort and understanding that spoke volumes. Aurora closed her eyes, letting the warmth of his presence soothe the ache in her chest.

"We all miss them," Theo said quietly. "More than we like to admit. But they're still with us, in a way. In our memories, in the things they taught us... in the way we live our lives now."

Draco, who had been staring into the fire, turned to look at them. His expression was unreadable, but there was a sadness in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "I miss them too," he admitted, his voice rough. "But it's more than that. I regret... I regret so much."

Aurora and Theo exchanged a glance, both surprised by the raw honesty in Draco's voice. He had always been the strong one, who never admitted to doubts or fears. But now, in the quiet of his room, with only his closest friends as witnesses, he let the mask slip.

"I regret hurting Astoria," Draco continued, his voice thick with emotion. "Last year... I was cruel to her. I pushed her away, said things I didn't mean. I was so angry, so lost after everything that happened... I didn't know how to deal with it, so I took it out on her."

Aurora's heart ached for him. She had seen the way Draco had changed ,how the weight of his family's past and the expectations placed on him had crushed his spirit. But she had also seen how much Astoria had cared for him, how she had tried to help him, even when he had pushed her away.

"Draco..." she began, but he shook his head, cutting her off.

"I don't expect her to forgive me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not sure I can forgive myself. But I wish... I wish I could take it back. I wish I could tell her I'm sorry, that I never meant to hurt her."

Theo placed a hand on Draco's shoulder, offering silent support. "We all have regrets," he said softly. "But the important thing is to learn from them, to become better because of them."

Draco nodded, though he didn't seem entirely convinced. The guilt he carried was a heavy burden, one that wouldn't be easily lifted. But in the warmth of the firelight, surrounded by his friends, he felt a small measure of peace, a sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to make things right.

"We were just kids," Aurora said, her voice steady now, though the sadness still lingered in her eyes. "We didn't know what we were getting into. We didn't know how much we would lose."

Theo nodded, his gaze distant. "We were all forced to grow up too fast."

For a long time, they sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, their own memories. The fire crackled softly, its light casting long shadows across the room. It was a silence that spoke of shared pain, of loss, but also of the deep bond they shared a bond that had been forged in the fires of war and loss, but that had also survived the darkest of times.

Finally, it was Aurora who broke the silence. "I think about them every day," she said, her voice quiet but steady. "About what they would say, what they would do if they were here. And I know... I know they would want us to keep going. To keep fighting for what's right, to build a future that's better than the past."

Theo squeezed her hand gently. "They would be proud of you, Aurora. Of all of us."

Draco gave a small, sad smile. "I hope so."

The night wore on, and the fire burned low in the hearth. But in that small, quiet room, three friends found a moment of solace in each other's company, a moment to remember those they had lost, and to honor their memory by continuing to live, to fight, and to hope.

And as they sat together, the shadows of the past began to fade, leaving behind only the light of the future a future that, no matter how uncertain, they would face together.