A Christmas to Remember.
Snow fell outside the window, coating the grounds with snow. As it fell, Draco, cradling a cup of cocoa in his hands, watched it, eyes watching as it drifted down to the roses, mixing red with white.
It was Christmas, if that meant anything to him. And it didn't. Christmas was another day to him, a day he would rather forget about.
But, unfortunately, as the years passed and he got older and greyer, Christmas only seemed to be everywhere he looked. Draco would rather shut his eyes and see nothing for the entire dreaded day, but, because his grandson was currently located in the manor, his two-year old blond head bobbing up and down as he raced through the halls, Christmas was forced, onto him.
Christmas hadn't meant anything since he had lost her. Astoria, her delicate soul lost to the terrors of a curse, lost to the world, lost to him. Astoria had changed him, that was for sure. She had been his candle in the dark, his light to lead the way. She had given him a healthy son, Scorpius and a gorgeous daughter, Rochelle.
They, in turn, had blessed him with four grand-daughters and grandsons; Peter, Lucille, Annabelle and finally, two years ago, Lucius the second had come along, surprising his father and grandfather immensely. Draco had been surprised that Scorpious had decided to name his only son after the man that had had such an impact on his life, even though Lucius had been around. The way he had raised Draco had affected the way he had raised his own son.
Draco sighed, sipping from his cup slowly, tasting the hot chocolate on his tongue. He settled down into his chair, resting his head against the back, the cup placed on the table.
That night as Hermione settled down to dinner, her grand-daughter squirming in her arms, she felt a pang of sadness in her stomach. Halfway through dinner, she excused herself and ran to the bathroom, tears pouring down her cheeks.
That night, Draco Malfoy was lost to the world.