Snape's Daughter (Book Three)

Chapter Five : The Teddy Bear

Rolling over, Ellia opened her eyes to be greeted by the warming sunlight peering through the cracks of the curtains. Feeling Draco's arms wrapped around her, she snuggled her back into his body, feeling him breath on the back of her neck. The nightmare last night seemed all but a flash now, and she'd remembered how he'd been right there for her, from the moment her eyes opened in the late night.

"Draco, psst," she whispered, attempting to catch his attention. Meanwhile, he continued to snore. Rolling her eyes before chuckling, she wriggled herself out from under his arms, before climbing out of the bed. She'd forgotten her pyjamas, so remained in her clothing from the night before. Grabbing her bag, she pulled out am old dressing tone of hers, before wrapping it around her body. Leaving Draco fast asleep, she left the spare bedroom. It appeared that nobody else was up yet, and it was just Ellia and the portrait of Ariana. She dug deep through the cupboards, pulling out a loaf of bread and a couple of eggs. Whilst scrambling the eggs, she toasted the bread for everybody, serving it up on the dining table with a jug of orange juice and coffee. Aberforth didn't have pumpkin juice or butterbeer, so coffee and orange juice it was. She waited at the table for people to wake up, and before it had been a minute, Molly and Arthur came down the stairs with Marley in Molly's arms.

"Morning Ellia, I wondered why I could smell egg," Arthur said, taking a seat at the table as Molly joined him, placing Marley in her high chair.

"Wow this looks great," Molly said, taking a slice of the toast and handing it to Marley, who happily chomped down on the toast.

"It's all I could find, I figured people would want breakfast when they woke up," Ellia said, as Draco exited the spare room they were sleeping in.

"You should've woke me up, I would've helped with this," Draco said, taking a seat beside Ellia and pouring himself a glass of orange juice.

"You have house elves doing it for you at home, you wouldn't have a clue," Ellia chuckled, as he nodded in agreement, "Anyway, you were perfectly happy snoring."

"Snoring he was," Aberforth said, joining the group as he sat down at the table, "I could hear him from the room next door. But this looks lovely Ellia, yet what is this strong smelling stuff?" He held up a jug of coffee, hovering his nose over he steam it produced.

"It's coffee Aberforth, a drink that muggles like in the morning to help wake them up," Ellia explained to Aberforth, as he poured himself a glass.

"Coffee? So this is what that is,"  Arthur said, swirling his own mug of the hot drink in circles, "Certainly tastes strong."

"Well you had it in the cupboard Aberforth, so I don't know how you didn't know you had it," Ellia said, biting down on a piece of toast and slowly chewing it.

"Apparently I had bread as well," He replied, cutting a piece of toast and egg together before eating it.

"So what are people's plans for today?" Molly asked the group, sipping on so,e orange juice.

"I'll be opening the pub obviously, but otherwise you are all free to do anything," Aberforth informed them.

"Well I need to go to the ministry. Ever since Kingsley became the Minister of Magic, things have been taking a turn for the best yet there is still a lot of improvement needed," Arthur told the group, before turning to face Molly, "Are you and George going back to the Burrow with Marley or staying here?"

"Andromeda will be meeting Marley in Hogsmede. Ellia, would you like to take her with Draco or/and George? I think Andromeda's taking Teddy?" Molly asked her, as Ellia's eyes lit up.

"Of course," Ellia said.

"I'm going back to the shop, so I won't come," George said, finally joining the group at the table, beside his niece.

"Dad dad dad dad da dad....." Marley shouted, pointing at George and laughing. Sighing, and looking down at the ground, he shook his head as Molly went to correct Marley.

"Uncle George, not daddy," she sighed, as Marley continued to chuckle at herself.

"I'll take Marley there with Draco," Ellia said, watching the little girl bang her hands against the high chair. She didn't understand, and she wouldn't. She started thinking George was Fred, her dad, as they were so alike. It hurt George every single day when she said that, but it wasn't her fault.

"Thank you Ellia," Molly thanked, and for the rest of the meal they sat in silence.

Marley was definitely Aurora and Fred's child, you could tell by the way she behaved and looked. Much like Fred, her hair was a luminous ginger colour, yet flowing in little ringlets reaching last her shoulder. She had Aurora's blue eyes, and button nose. Her humour was always quick and snappy, even though she was so young, yet at times she had the ability to be mature much like Aurora was as a young girl. When walking to the main part of Hogsmede, Marley toddled along beside Ellia, and made everybody who passed, hearts melt.

"Ellia, my lovely," Andromeda greeted her, ignoring Draco, "And Marley. How lovely to see you both." Teddy was in her arms, watching them as the came closer to the pair.

"Andromeda, you brought Teddy! He's huge," Ellia gushed, picking up Marley in her own arms whilst chuckling at Teddy, "Hello little man." He was silent, yet that was expected. He didn't know Ellia that well.

"And look at little Marley. They've both become so big," Andromeda said, pinching Marley's little cheeks.

"How has he been? How have you both been actually?" Ellia asked Andromeda, as Draco stood at her side and smiled at Teddy.

"I've been better, but he's been absolutely fine. He hasn't known anything different, he's was only 3 weeks old when..... Well you know when," Andromeda said.

"Their house in the woods, see you living there?" Ellia asked her, curious as to where they resided these days.

"No, no. I refused to stay there, Nymohadora tried to make me incase she died but I never thought she would. I think it's been unoccupied for all this time," she replied , as Ellia nodded in agreement.

"I still dream about what it would've been like if it had never had happened..."

"But nothing can ever be perfect. I'm only just accepting the fact that Ted and my little girl aren't coming home," Andromeda sighed.

"I still can't except it. Never," Ellia said, shaking her head in disagreement as she thought about everybody lost.

"You have to let go one day, maybe not today. But one day you will have to," Andromeda said, "Graves. It always helps to mourn. Hate them if you want, it'll be okay to. They left you first, hate them for leaving."

"I just want them all back, and I know I can't have them back," Ellia sighed, looking at Marley as her and Teddy laughed at each other, "But it's Marley and Teddy who suffer the most."

"No it's you. You lost almost everything and more, and you experienced it through your own eyes. These two will never know pain like it," Andromeda sighed, "They'll never understand why their parents are dead, but that's fine right now. Because to them it's the people that's around them, it's people like you and me and even..... Draco...... who make the difference."

"And we'll, at least I know I will, support you to the end," Draco said, planting a kiss on his girlfriends cheek. It was clear that Andromeda had an issue with Draco, given his history but at the that precise moment, it didn't matter.