Bulletproof Heart | A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction | Sequel to Desolation Row

Chapter 30

I had never expected this day to come so early. My black dress was a symbol of solemnity and sadness, Draco's suit the same, Elisa's dress very similar to my own. When we had arrived, Madeleine and Edward, flanked by Tyler and Llewellyn, had come straight over to us. They all looked so mature, so grown up, and it almost made me cry. As they spoke to Draco and Elisa, I saw my father's friend Travis Lovell and his wife Diana watching on. Since the war they had taken Madeleine and Edward in and I couldn't have been more grateful. With a warm smile, they made their way over to us, both of them pulling me into a hug before apologising for what I had lost, what we had all lost.
"Uncle Travis do you have my toy?" Edward asked softly and I had to fight back tears when Travis pulled out the stress toy I had made for Edward for Christmas all those years ago from his pocket.

Everyone was beginning to file into the reception room and I had to steady myself on the chairs as I walked to the very front of the room, sitting down in the front row. Keeping my eyes front stopped me from getting too emotional as I realised just how many people my father had an affect on. Curiosity, however, overpowered all other judgement just as the last people filed in. Benson Marriott, my mother's brother who I must say I was not expecting to show, was the penultimate person to sit down, the young boy who must have been around my age, his brown hair not dissimilar to my father's and his blue eyes just as shocking as my own, with whom Benson had arrived was the very last. My thoughts were drawn away from this boy when the minster invited the first of my father's friends up to speak. As each person stood up to remember my father, I kept my eyes firmly on the images of him that adorned the room. The coffin on which the largest sat was a beautiful mahogany wood, ribbons of emerald green and pearlescent silver denoting his loyalty to his Hogwarts house, a large floral basket of white roses and lilies sat beside the smiling memory of my father. I was so entranced by the display that I almost missed the minister call my name.
"And now, a few words from William's eldest daughter, Ophelia Wren."
I smoothed my dress down as I stood up, my speech in my hand as I smiled at the minister and took my place behind the podium.
"Fi-first of all, I w-would ju-just like to say th-thank you to you all f-for co-co-coming, I know it w-would have meant a lot t-to my f-fa-father if he were here," I began and I smiled as much as I could before I looked down at my eulogy. Come on, I had to get my stutter under control if I was going to do this. "My father, William, w-was kind, funny and a-ab-above all loyal. Many of you will kn-know how he di-died and if you do-don't I will tell you now. My father was mur-murdered by someone he con-consi-sidered a friend, all be-bec-because he wasn't a Death Ea-Eater. I re-remember him telling me wh-when I was just a li-li-little girl never to let any-anyone take what you be-believed away from you and my fa-father died living up to that. I am not ashamed t-to ad-admit that my father di-died begging for his life, he was not cruel, dis-dishonest or callous, he w-was not emb-embarrassed to plead wi-with the man he th-thought to be his be-best friend, to be-beg him not to ki-kill him. One day, I ho-hope I am as br-brave, as strong, as re-res-resilient as my father was. His last words to me were to re-remind me and a-all of my sib-siblings just how much he lo-loved us and if that do-doesn't prove to y-you all what kind of man William Avondale was, I don't know what will. He too-took in anyone who needed him: my b-boyfriend, Draco Malfoy, my best fr-friend, Elisa Stevenson, even strangers. If th-they were in nee-need, my father was there. I wa-want to leave you all today with something my father once told me. He on-once said: 'Emotions are not a we-weakness, Ophelia Wr-Wren, they a-are a strength for if a per-person's mind is a bar-barren landscape, it is likely their heart is t-too'. Th-this is something I will forever associate with my father a-and I hope th-that after today, you all do t-too. Th-thank you."
I scurried off of the platform and sunk back down into my chair between Draco and Elisa. Each gripped one of my hands and I felt tears begin to roll down my cheeks. Emotions are not a weakness, Ophelia Wren, they are a strength. My tears continued to fall as I thought about what had been my father's very last words to me. Find him. In that moment, I made a decision. I didn't know who he was, or what he was to me, but he had clearly meant something very special to my father and I would make it my life's mission to do what he had asked. I was going to find him.

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This was one of my favourite chapters to write and honestly made me cry