The Constant Question

It was one of the brightest days of the year in Wiltshire, England. The albino peacocks roamed freely across the expansive front lawn as the garden fountain continued to spurt out cold water. It was the perfect day to be outside.

And yet, Daphne was standing in her bedroom, trying to figure out what to do with her day. She thought about playing Exploding Snap with Damian or Daniel; she assumed that Darien was out with his school friends. Daphne figured she could try challenging Dmitri to a game of Wizard's Chess, but she knew that would be pointless; after all, she guessed that her sweet older brother was in their father's study reciting Shakespearean sonnets to their mother.

Daphne scanned her bedroom for something to do. Then, her eyes found their way to Damian's Nimbus 1700. An idea popped into her head. She thought it was the most perfect idea of the day - especially considering the way things had been lately.

She grabbed her eldest brother's broomstick and dashed out of her bedroom with a huge smile on her face. For the first time in forever, she was going to talk to her older brother - the one closer to her age, that is. Daphne rushed down the hallway, maneuvering her way through to manor just to find his bedroom.

Then, she saw it: the closed door that led to her big brother's bedroom. For a nine-year-old, getting lost in her own house was easy, so managing to find her brother's bedroom was a big accomplishment for her. She was so happy that her smile did not face, even when she approached the door.

"Draco," she chimed, knocking happily on his door, "do you wanna go play Quidditch?"

She was greeted with a resounding silence, but Daphne knew he was in there. She did not knock again, but she propped the Nimbus 1700 against the wall before crossing her arms in frustration.

"It's pretty sunny out today," she explained with a bigger smile.

But again, silence was the reply Draco gave her. Daphne sighed; all she wanted was to hang out with her brother - the one she never saw unless it was mealtime. She looked at the broomstick again and frowned.

"I hardly see you anymore," whined Daphne as she pressed her back against the door. "Open the door! It's like you're still away…"

Her blue eyes began to swell with tears when the silence rang through her ears once more. "We used to be best buddies… and now we're not. I blame it on your new school!"

Just then, Daphne heard the footsteps approaching the door. A smile reappeared on her face, excited to finally get to see her brother on his own free will. She grabbed the broomstick beside her and tucked a strand of her short, platinum blonde hair behind her ear.

"Do you wanna go play Quidditch?" she asked again hopefully as she leaned her ear against the door, straining to hear her response.

The door swung open, causing Daphne to fall into her twelve-year-old brother's bedroom. His cold, grey eyes stared blankly at her fallen state. As she lie on his bedroom floor, she smiled nervously before showing him their eldest brother's Nimbus 1700.

"It doesn't have to be a full game," she whispered shyly.

Rolling his eyes, Draco stepped over his only sister. "Sod. Off. Daphne," he said, storming down the staircase.

"Okay… cool," she sighed once more as she helped herself up.

The summer following her first year at Hogwarts, Daphne found herself excited to go back. Granted, the return of You-Know-Who and the murder of Cedric Diggory did frighten her, but she couldn't wait to go back.

Especially since she was trapped downstairs in the dining room with Kim, Daniel's new wife. It wasn't that she hated her sister-in-law. In fact, Daphne was happy to finally have a sister-like figure around; being the only daughter in a family of six children, it was a nice change. But Kim was a bit… much for her twelve-year-old liking.

Daphne smiled as Kim went on to talk about the wedding. She nodded politely as her sister-in-law droned on about how perfect the ceremony was. The young Malfoy even giggled when Kim expressed her deepest sorrow for Daphne not being able to attend the wedding.

After excusing herself from the conversation, Daphne rushed upstairs and into her bedroom. She thanked Merlin's beard for having her three eldest brothers walk through the door, giving her the excuse to leave Kim in their care. Once she reached her bedroom, Daphne jumped into bed; despite the day having just started, she didn't know what to do with the rest of the day.

Until her gaze fell upon her brand new Firebolt. And then, just as it had three years ago, the perfect idea popped into her head.

She grabbed her broomstick and raced to Draco's bedroom. With a smile on her face, she figured that her plan was entirely foolproof. From the time it took for her to leave her bedroom and get to Draco's, Daphne thought about their time at Hogwarts and she assumed that he would actually make the effort to talk to her; he had done so when they were at school… sorta. At least, she knew that he cared.

But why couldn't he do that at home?

As much as she loved her other brothers, she just wanted to spend time with him. At Hogwarts, she spent a good amount of time with Dmitri. Prior to going to Hogwarts, she spent much of her time with the rest of her brothers. But Draco - in the same way he was their mother's miracle child - he was Daphne's favorite. She just didn't understand why he was so distant when he would come home.

Daphne approached the door happily - the same way she did only three years ago. She knocked with a smile on her face and her Firebolt in her hand.

"Do you wanna go play Quidditch?" Daphne found herself asking again. "Or ride our brooms around the house?

Nothing changed.

Daphne was still greeted with silence. Rolling her eyes, she propped her broom against the wall. She leaned against the wall beside Draco's door; she had learned her lesson from the last time.

Running a hand through her long hair, Daphne groaned, "I think some company is overdue! I've started talking to our older brother's spouse…"

As if on cue, Daniel's wife made her way across the hall. The brunette smiled and waved at Daphne.

"How are you, Kim?" Daphne said with a faint smile, hoping she hadn't heard her complaint.

Once the coast was clear, she turned back to Draco's door. "It gets really, really lonely up in my room, so please can we go outside?"

After a couple of minutes had passed before Daphne finally decided to give up on asking. Grabbing her broom, she pushed herself off the wall and made her way back to her bedroom.

Daphne decided that it was time to give up entirely with her brother. After all, she had six more and two parents that favored her over the rest of siblings. She figured wasting her time on Draco was foolish at this point.

The thirteen-year-old girl glared at the raven-haired boy in front of her. As much as she enjoyed his company, the constant accusations that Harry tossed around about her brother bothered her. These allegations practically jeopardize the friendship she shared with Harry, but she couldn't let it change the way she thought about him or her brother.

She watched as Harry let out a sigh of frustration. Daphne shook her head before hugging Harry goodbye and making her way to the Slytherin Common Room. Upon entering the room, she noticed that she was alone and she guessed that it was the best time for a good cry.

After jumping on the couch, Daphne curled into a ball allowing the tears to fall from her face. She silently cursed herself for getting so worked up about the things that Harry had said.

Just as Daphne opened her mouth to let out a cry of frustration, Draco stormed into the common room with Crabbe and Goyle not too far behind. He stared at his sister blankly - the same way he did years ago - and shook his head before rushing back out, completely ignoring his teary-eyed sister.

Instantly, Daphne pushed up from the couch and rushed up from her dormitory. She plopped onto the bed and sobbed into her pillow. The third year couldn't help herself; her own brother ignored her in her time of need.

Granted, a lot of her stress was solely because Draco. Daphne noticed that he was losing weight, even though he was already thin. She also noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He just wasn't the same anymore.

Then again, things hadn't been the same since their father's imprisonment last school year. But things got worse a little after Draco's sixteenth birthday… and she didn't know why.

It all happened so quickly. The end of the year was a complete blur; after the events of her third year, her mind was clouded with the fact that You-Know-Who was a step closer to destroying Harry Potter… and her brother was accomplice.

Daphne didn't know what to do anymore. Even though her father had been released from Azkaban, her entire family was still abused and mocked by the rest of the Death Eaters. The Dark Lord even began using the Malfoy Manor as headquarters for the Death Eaters, turning their once proud, palatial home into a dark, sinister hideaway. The place looked terrible.

Now, she sat on the carpeted floor of her bedroom with a frown on her face; it was the only room in the house that didn't reek of death or despair. Daphne looked at the family portrait that hung above her desk and her emotions deeply worsened.

She stood up and dragged herself out the door. Part of her hoped that her older brothers would pull her into their rooms, begging her to smile again. But she knew that was hopeless; the triplets moved out of the manor years ago and Dmitri rarely left their mother's side since their father's imprisonment.

The teen girl found herself aimlessly wandering the hallway. It wasn't until she tripped on the hall rug when she noticed that she was in front of her brother's bedroom - the very room she had always come running to years before.

Helping herself up, the fourteen-year-old Malfoy knocked hesitantly on the door.

"Draco," she said weakly, wrapping her arms around herself, "please… I know you're in there."

She looked toward the staircase and thought about all the other people who stood in her place. Daphne thought about how they came for weeks since school let out for the summer holiday, knocking on the same door she had been knowing on for years… only to meet the same fate.

"Your friends have asked us if you're home…"

Daphne even thought about their parents and how they stood outside Draco's door, begging him to come out. She thought about how determined their mother was to console her 'precious baby' in his time of need. Sighing, Daphne began to stare at the floor with a frown.

"Mum says, 'Have courage…' and I'm trying to."

Tears began to form in her eyes; she was used to it now. She seldom talked to anyone about her feelings, considering the one person she trusted with them was keeping her out. But she knew this wasn't just about her; she wasn't the only one in the family who was hurting.

"I'm right out here for you… you're not alone!"

Daphne shut her eyes tightly as she thought back to all the time she spent with Draco before her had gone to Hogwarts. Her memories were happy ones. She smiled through her tears as she remembered everything Draco had done for her.

"You're still my favorite brother," she reminded him, "in this huge family. I love you so much, Draco…"

As her tears fell, Daphne let her arms drop to her side. Of all the memories she shared with her brother, her favorite one was when he had taught her how to ride a broomstick for the first time.

"Do you wanna go play Quidditch?" she asked before allowing herself to break down completely.

As she stood in front of the door, Daphne sobbed violently to herself. Suddenly, she heard a click of the door and felt a pair of arms pull her into a long, warm embrace.

"Yes, I want to go play Quidditch," Draco whispered, tightening his hold on her. "I'm sorry my answer took so long…"

Daphne felt her brother shiver slightly as they hugged each other in the hallway. How long had it been, she wondered, since the two of them had done this? She knew that this moment was long overdue.

"I didn't know I needed you," he continued. "And I deserted you. Daph, I was wrong."

Her sobs grew worse at those words as she squeezed her brother in her arms. Daphne could sense that her big brother was crying too; she didn't know how long he had been, but that didn't matter to her now.

"You're my baby sister. I love you, too," he said, releasing her from his embrace. "This moment's long overdue!"

Daphne smiled at Draco as she attempted to wipe away her tears. With everything going on within the walls of the manor, with everything going on at Hogwarts, with everything going on in the Wizarding World… the moment unfolding before Daphne was enough to bring some peace to her life. She didn't know how or where they would play it, but all she knew and all she cared for now was that her big brother had finally given her the answer for which she had waited for over half a decade.

"But yes, I'd love to go play Quidditch…"

-author's note-

[written]: March 4, 2014
[published]: March 4, 2014
[last updated]: September 18, 2017
[word count]: 2,341 words without a/n

[MV COMMENT]: (april first, twenty-fourteen note) - a little background on the characters of the story before i dive into the background of the story: so, daphne malfoy and the rest of her brothers were characters that i created years ago to a story that i never finished writing. after careful planning and family mapping, i started writing her story and linking it to the harry potter story line. but - like most of the stories - i started it and forgot about it. in fact, the only reason i remember the story was because i check my earlier emails to my old story editor - where i found an early copy of the first chapter to daphne's story. which brings me to my next point!

after reading the first chapter over again the other night, i came to the realization that daphne and draco have a relationship like that of anna and elsa (from frozen - if you didn't already know...). last night, i told myself that i needed to write a different story (preferably something that wasn't kingdom hearts related or the girl of my dreams). so i did what i always do when i propose a challenge like that to myself: put on itunes and write a story to the first song that plays. and that song just so happened to be do you want to build a snowman?.

so... yeah, there's that. i wasn't actually planning on posting this story because i hadn't even finished the story where the ocs (e.i. daphne and the rest of the malfoy brothers) came from... so, you know, without the story, i thought this one wouldn't make much sense. buuuut i decided to give it a shot and i hope you guys like it.

thanks for reading! please don't forget to leave a reivew; lemme know what you want me to do with this alternate universe. do you want me to finish that story with daphne? or is this enough for you guys right now? lol, what do you think of the remake of the song?

anyways, i really do hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as i did writing it. - xoxo, mav.