Extraits

“Draco's like... snow," said Hermione quietly. "It's cold and cruel to begin with, but it's somehow beautiful, and you miss it when it's not there. And if you hold it in your hands close enough and long enough, it changes. It melts.”

Pulling away, Teddy finally turned to Andromeda, who was now allowing her tears to fall freely. Draco stood to the side, accidentally finding himself near Potter.

"He hugged me longer than he hugged you," said Draco.

Harry scoffed. "No, he didn't."

"Pretty sure he did."

"How did you react to the whole Hufflepuff thing?"

Draco shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine. You?"

"Fine."

"Liar."

"Well, you're lying, too."

"Hufflepuff?" repeated Draco, but he adjusted his tone and nodded in surrender. "Yes, fine, even Hufflepuff."

Teddy's stunned gawk shot up to his cousin. "Really? But you make fun of them."

"I make fun of everyone," he shrugged. "Besides, the only Hufflepuff I really knew was your Mum, and she turned out okay. And the common room is pretty close to the kitchens, so that's a bonus."

"So, it really wouldn't bother you?"

"It would not."

"And you wouldn't be disappointed?"

"I wouldn't be disappointed."

"And you'll stop making fun of them?"

Draco narrowed his eyes with jest. "Don't push your luck, kid."

"No, but my circumstances were different. I knew a few other students in my year before Hogwarts, like Blaise and Theo."

"That must have made it easier."

"It did. But you know, Granger didn't know anyone before Hogwarts, being a Muggle-born, and she made friends easily enough. I mean, she could have been a bit more selective rather than just settling on Potter and Weasley, but she's always felt the need to care for pathetic things."

"Is that why she married you?" retorted Teddy.

"I just...I need you to understand," muttered Draco hesitantly, pulling in a deep breath. And then he began. "I'm never going to be a man who tells you how lucky I am to have you, even though I know I am. I'm never going to be a man who tells you that you're beautiful everyday, even though you are. And I'm never going to be a man who tells you I love you everyday, even though I do. And I really do, Granger."

"I know you do," she said. "I know."

"And I'm sorry that I'll never be that kind of man—

"Draco, don't—

"No, Granger, let me finish," he interrupted. "I'm sorry that I won't tell you these things, but I will show them to you until you tell me not to, and probably even then. And you and I are inevitably going to yell and scream at each other, and we're going to say stupid things, but they won't mean anything. What I'm telling you right now is what I mean and it's what matters. Do you understand?"

"Well..." he began hesitantly. "You know. Like you're not...You know."

"We're not Death Eaters," said Draco.

"Not just that. During school you were both...um...you were both..."

"Twats?" offered Ron.

"Yes!" Neville exclaimed, and then his face dropped. "No! No, wait, that wasn't what I-

"We're still twats," said Blaise, shrugging his shoulders. "But I guess we're...decent twats now."

"Decent twats sounds like an apt description," agreed Draco.

"Draco, I know this may sound quite... ineffectual, but at least you two had the opportunity to reconcile. At least you resolved your differences."

He cleared his throat again and averted his eyes to the floor. "Granger, as much as I envy and sometimes loathe your ability to find the positive in everything, I don't...I don't think I'm there yet."

"Then where are you?"

"I don't know," he mumbled, shrugging. "Some...quiet place between denial and anger."

"Is this what it feels like?" he asked, his voice quiet now. "Is this...what it feel like to lose someone?"

"Yes," she replied, still touching his face. "This is what it feels like."

"When does it stop?"

Hermione sighed and leaned up on her tip-toes, kissing his unresponsive mouth with her frowning lips. When she pulled back, she said, "I'm not sure it does stop, Draco."

"No, no, no, Theo, just hold on. Come on, mate. Tell us some shit jokes or something."

"A j-joke?" he whispered. "Here's one: Th-there were three Slytherins...Three f-fucked up Slytherins. The first f-fell in love with...with the Gryffindor's P-Princess and became g-good. The second fell in l-love with Ravenclaw's An-Angel and became good, t-too. The third...the third did...n-nothing...b-but...but he tried..."

"Theo, stop it," hissed out Blaise. "You shouldn't be making jokes about this."

"Were you expecting some dramatic and touching last words?" he asked. "Because I-I left my speech in my other pocket. Not my l-lucky day, apparently."