Remember the time.
Her brown eyes were dull, looking lifeless at the ceiling. Her mouth hung open a bit. He looked at the little girl who clenched her little hands in her mother's skirt. "Mummy…Mummy?" Theodore felt tears form in the corner of his eyes. "Claire, love, come here." The little girl looked up and ran towards her father. She wrapped her little arms around his neck and he lifted her up. Theodore checked if he had everything with him. With his daughter on his arm and a bag in the other he apparated.
'Daughter of former Death Eaters killed.'
the headline read on the front page of The Daily Prophet. Theodore glared at the page and proceeded reading.
'Yesterday evening, the body of Pansy Parkinson (34) was found in her Manor at Essex. Her husband, Theodore Nott, and her three year old daughter leaved the Manor in agony. Sources have told us everything pointed out it was an act of vengeance. Misses Parkinson was the Daughter of late Eleanor and Charles Parkinson, former Death Eaters. "Our first researches have told us that the woman was first tortured with the 'Cruciatus' curse and then killed by the 'Killing Curse'.", Auror Potter tells us. More information will be included in the edition of tomorrow. – Rita Skeeter'
"Incendio!" Theodore bellowed, pointing his wand at the paper. Tears streamed down his cheeks when Draco walked in. "By Salazar, Theo!" Draco yelped, casting a water charm and extinguishing the fire. "Daddy! Daddy!" A high-pitched voice came from the staircase. Claire ran towards her father, climbed onto his lap and hugged him firmly. "Don't cry, daddy." She looked at her father, placing her little hand on his cheek. He looked at the girl carefully. She was the only thing that kept him bonded to Pansy. She had the tip-tilted nose of her mother and the black, wavy hair of him. She also inherited Pansy's light brown hair and full, red lips. "Draco, thank you for your hospitality but I think me and Claire should move on." Before Draco put anything against it Theodore had apparated.
Theodore sat on a bench, watching his daughter play in the snow with the other children. It had been a year since he had found Pansy's corpse in the Manor. But still there was no evidence at who had killed her. Theodore had gave up his hope a long time ago and focused on raising his daughter. He started to drift off in memories involving Pansy.
He remembered the first time they met. Though they had been in the same house at Hogwarts, he never managed to notice her before. Yes, he knew she was Draco's girlfriend and yes he had been a good friend of him but he never actually got the chance to see her. He saw her the first time at the wedding of her niece who was marrying his cousin. She wore a pink, short dress which complemented her body very well. When she noted he was staring at her she smiled at him widely, walking towards him. "So, we are becoming relatives." She said, looking over the room. She turned towards Theodore again and reached out her hand. "I'm Pansy Parkinson" He took her hand, shaking it. "Theodore Nott. I believe you are Draco's girlfriend?" She flinched when he said Draco's name. "Not anymore, I'm afraid. We broke up a few weeks ago." Theodore's lips formed a silent 'Oh'. "Sorry, if I knew that before I wouldn't have brought this up." She looked up and smiled widely. "It's fine, Theodore. You couldn't have known it." Whatever they have told him about her, she wasn't like he imagined. She was nothing like the ugly Ice Queen they had described.
"Do you want to dance?" Theodore looked up from his glass. "I'd love to, but I am afraid I'm not that good." She giggled, it sounded like little bells in the wind. "Oh Come on! You can't be worse than Draco." Theodore smirked and took her hand. She led him to the dancefloor and held him. In usual circumstances he hated dancing, a lot. But for her, he made an exception. He looked down at her. Her head leaning on his chest, eyes closed as they rocked from left to right on the slow music.