Chapter Text
A Manor once plagued by darkness and haunting memories is slowly transforming into a haven of tranquility and serenity. This impression engulfs those who stroll along the corridors that lead to the Manor's bedrooms. It seems as if the distress and despair that once filled this place never existed. However, not all memories can be easily extinguished or erased from one's mind. Some memories remain hidden, lurking in the depths, awaiting the right moment to resurface when darkness returns.
Now, the Manor stands amidst a beautiful garden adorned with white roses, tended by house elves, maintaining the household for its owner. Despite the changes, the mansion still retains its original appearance as before and a once young boy still resides in the Manor with his family—Draco. He undertook the task of banishing the traumatic atmosphere, ensuring that his children could grow up without being haunted by the Manor's past. Though it has brought him trauma, he couldn't bring himself to leave for Astoria's so little memories still linger within its cold walls. Draco's mother, Narcissa, though pardoned by their crimes, recognised the trauma inflicted upon her husband, she relinquished ownership of the Manor to their son and moved to a distant place where no one would reach her and Lucius. However, she would visit the Manor whenever she had a chance, to stay connected with Draco and her grandchildren.
After the war at Hogwarts, when Voldemort was defeated, the death eaters that assisted were captured and imprisoned in Azkaban with a promise of death if they would join the dark side again. It's said that some of them were released after some years but not all; most died there, and no one knew what happened to the rest or even their bodies for that matter. The Malfoy family kept to themselves after the war, avoiding the mention of Voldemort and those who lost their lives during the war. It is a shame for them, especially for Lucius, a loyal follower of Voldemort.
A girl around the age of eleven sits at the corner of her bed, feeling a bit blue, staring at the leaves falling on the field of their Manor. The sky was clear, and although it could be considered a sunny day, it didn't hold any warmth for her body. She could hear her heart beat loudly in her chest as she looked up at the trees outside her window that had lost their leaves. She sighs at the sight of the leaves falling, and she wonders why her letter from Hogwarts hasn't arrived yet. Was there something wrong with the owl delivering her letters?
Luna turned away from the window, seeking peace in the embrace of her blanket. She closed her eyes, focusing on calming her racing thoughts. As she envisioned all the possibilities that awaited at Hogwarts. Would she be able to have friendships as easily as her father had? Perhaps even surpass his accomplishments in that regard. No. She knew very well that the burden of being a Malfoy would overshadow any chance of genuine connections, with people judging her solely based on her family name—But with the stories her brother had shared with her, making friends was 'just a breeze', that's what he would call it. She yearned to follow him to do that, but she shrugged off the thoughts as she knew she was too introverted to even start a conversation.
She didn't realize she had drifted to sleep after wandering through those thoughts, and she was woken up by a knock on her door. Luna opened her eyes slowly, blinking away the drowsiness. She looked up to see her house elf-Pippin that looked rather shiny with its clean tea rag, knotted to form a shirt. with a warm smile, holding something that seemed like a letter.
She sat up immediately, "Pippin- is that???"
"It seems Miss Luna has finally got her letter from Hogwarts" Pippin says handing over the letter, "Your owl got lost on its way, I had to fetch it myself as I fetched your books from Diagon Alley,"
She screeched in excitement but managed to thank the house elf before running off to her father's bedroom.
"Father, I got my letter!" She said excitedly while waving her letter to her father, who was sitting on the side of his bed. Draco lost all the smiles that once adorned his youthful face, leaving behind a countenance lacking the warmth and joy of his earlier years. Draco puts down the frame that he was holding and gives his daughter a smile, though the sadness on his face is still visible. Luna sat next to him and took the frame—a moving portrait of him and his wife, Astoria.
"You really miss her, don't you?" Luna asked softly.
"Astoria opened my heart and somehow taught me what it truly means to love." His fingers reached for the frame, lingering it through Astoria's face, "So, I guess I do, Luna, I guess I do."
"You deserve every bit of it, father."
A tear almost escaped Draco's eyes, but he managed to not cry in front of his daughter; instead, he showed a strained smile.
"You're just like your mother, Luna. You've grown up just like her."
It was a simple statement. A compliment—and she hated it. Though she respected everything her father said, this was something she didn't want-she didn't want to be compared to a woman like her mother. Her eyes swelled as she looked at herself in the mirror across her bed where she was sitting. Her hair had gotten longer and was currently cascading past her shoulder blades and they weren't dark like her mother's. But her eyes-it's what made her feel different that she wanted to carve them off her face. They look too much like hers. But why? Why would he tell her she resembles her mother so much that it was only her eyes that looked like hers? She hated it so much. Those thoughts of her were interrupted as Draco wiped off the tears she didn't know were running down her pale face.
"Come on," she heard her father whisper to her. "Let's go outside." He reached out his hand for her, which she took gratefully.
The sun was shining high, and they were both covered from head to toe by their black robes that kept them warm when it was too humid. The wind blew her hair around her face, but that was nothing compared to what her mind was going through as she took her father's arm and allowed him to lead her away from the manor. From everything she'd ever known, everything she knew about being a Malfoy, everything she ever loved about her life. She could no longer recall the feeling of having a mother, the memories fading with time. All that remained was a faint silhouette of a woman lingering in her mind. Despite the fading memories, having her father was all that she needed. He was a figure that served as her guiding light, the beacon that fueled her determination to move forward. That outline would always guide her, in the darkest of times, to where she needed to be. But now, this man right here, he never really spoke unless it was necessary. Yet when he talked about her mother, he sounded almost sad. As it pained him every word.
Luna couldn't remember a time when she saw her father genuinely smile or laugh and it was no surprise that he would start to get lost in his own thoughts once in a while. And she hated seeing him like this, it's almost as if the man that once guided her became someone miserable. His mind raced at a mile per minute while his feet carried him across the green field with his daughter. She wished she could take the pain away so he wouldn't be so troubled by her mother's death. It was clear that he missed her dearly, and she understood it well. However, she understood that it wasn't her place to intervene with the pain that consumed him. He's been through a lot, and it's something one couldn't hide.
run...
Huh? Luna thought to herself. She looked back but there was no one except her father, standing amidst the field with her. The clouds grew darker, and the fog slowly started to grow thicker.
"It's happening again...." It was a whisper but she could hear it very clearly. Draco's face now grew paler, his eyes darker.
run....
"Father, what's happening?" she steps back, unable to comprehend the situation. She was feeling dizzy, and everything around her was starting to distort
"run... run!" his voice echoed through the silent garden. A gust of wind blew hard knocking her on her back. Now she was alone. There was nothing around her, all the flowers, and trees lay dead; but the path that leads back inside the manor still lies behind her. An echoe of cry emerged from inside of the maze-a path that stands on each side of the Manor. It was haunting but painful. Confused by what is happening, she still brings herself to find her way inside. Her heart almost jumps from her throat as she sees a figure of a person on its knees, crying its heart out. Its arms clutching something, and her robes look somewhat familiar but can't bring herself to remember where she's seen this as its appearance slowly starts to distort from her vision.
I'm scared
"Who- who are you? I can help!" she exclaims as her voice also starts to distort with everything around her. She fell to her knees as she slowly felt anything but the high pitched sound traveling through her head- with whispers and sounds of different destruction.
run...
you're the reason I'm like this!
i don't like this it's scary
time...... indeed a strange thing
run....
please.... no!
for history
you coward!
run... run..
is to repeat
run Luna run!
"Luna?" a soft familiar voice echoed through her thoughts. It was her fathers. Her eyes swelled, she was relieved.
She blinked, looking around the place, her heart pounding loudly which she could only hear herself. The manor was back to normal, the roses and the trees around looked beautiful as it seemed to be. Draco stands steps away from her, looking concerned. "Is there something wrong? You seem lost in your thoughts,"
Luna wasn't able to answer as she was still processing what just happened. She was cold, but could feel her sweat building up from underneath her clothes.
"I'm alright, father," she takes a deep breath before catching up to where Draco was standing.
"Luna," he whispered, interrupting her thoughts, her gaze following his tired eyes. His face looked almost haggard now. "I'm sorry if I'm not giving you and Scorpius the love you deserve." Luna opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off by continuing, "I'm supposed to be taking care of both of you, but I feel like I'm not giving enough."
Luna squeezed her father's hands, comforting him as she listened.
"I am trying to give you everything I can. Even without Astoria, I want to try my best to be a better father- To give you and Scorpius the chance to go far. And I don't mean by the Malfoy money, but the love you both deserve- the love of a parent some children have never felt," he continued.
That was when it hit her. He was talking about himself. All the fear she was feeling faded, replaced by something she could not explain but somehow felt like yearning for something.He wanted to provide for his children, not because he wanted something in return. But he simply wants them to experience something he never used to. He wasn't offering them anything- but a love he couldn't give.
"Hogwarts will be your second home from now on, Luna," he said as he tucked a hair behind her ears. "Make good friends-lots of them, 'kay?"
She felt an overwhelming sense of love in that moment providing warmth and comfort, accompanied by Draco's familiar scent of fresh tea and apples lingering in the air. She had always loved her father's scent, for it always reminds her of home. Draco had always tried to be a tender and caring father to his children, despite his miserable past. But for him, it will never be enough.
A young boy, around the age of fourteen, watches them stroll through the garden from the window of the top floor of the Manor. His blonde hair is slicked back with gel, and a pair of reading glasses rest on the bridge of his nose. Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, Draco's eldest child, now in his third-year at Hogwarts- possesses the intelligence that everyone assumed he would have as he grew older. Before the age of eleven, he would often be found at their Manor's library, reading only books that are labeled as wizards textbooks. He would be interested in novels, only if it had a touch of classics and poetry- he finds it meaningless reading something that isn't useful. He is dressed in a white collared shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his mid-shoulder, and jeans that are slightly too large for him. Although a book lies open in front of him, he pays little attention to it, as his eyes follow the sight of his father and sister bonding as they take a stroll through the garden.
A small white persian cat that looked too clean, with its long fur blending in with its light blue eyes climbed up to his lap and rested its head on his book. His pet, Harriet, a gift from his father before he started his first year. He stroked its soft white fur, his other hand reaching for a fruit beside him.
"Eat up, love," he says, feeding "I'm sure you already miss Hogwarts. It's the only place you get to play with Professor Hagrid's pets, am I right?" he chuckled. Harriet was always missing in their common room, and he would often find her walking its way towards Hagrid's hut.
Scorpius stood up from his seat and got his luggage, he was eager to pack his things and get ready for Hogwarts tomorrow. He was already looking forward to seeing his friends and of course to play Quidditch. Thinking about playing quidditch in the humid weather, where flags and banners of each house are decorated on the whole court, he couldn't help it but smiled widely at the thought.