Summary: Draco knew Astoria's orchard was special to her. He only realized after she was gone how it was going to be important to him, too.

Rated: K

Genre: Family

Warning Tag: Implies/References Character Death; Reference Loss of Children

Competition/Challenge Block:
Written For: Monthly Challenges for All (Year 3); Hogwarts (Term 14)

Hogwarts: Ravenclaw; A.10 - Gardening #1: Write about someone/something coming to life, literally or figuratively

MC4A: Sh Bingo (3B (Pet/Plant Parent)

Word Count: 636

Symbol for Life

Draco knew that the orchard Astoria started was important to her. It wasn't just something for her to tend to and maintain, it was something for her to pour her love into, to watch something grow with the care and hard work she put into each tree to the point of them bearing the fruit from her labor. Draco would join her from time to time to watch the process and to learn, but he wished he could say that such care and tenderness Astoria managed to give the trees was lost when it fell to him after she left this world.

It was Scorpius' idea first to plant a new sapling, pointing out that his mother had made sure to have a dragon fruit tree planted for their twenty-second anniversary, which they had a few days before her death. Draco felt ashamed to have forgotten the orchard served a purpose beyond its beauty and produce. It was a symbol of loss and of life.

He and Scorpius went out on a cool dewy morning with a new sapling in hand. Draco picked the star fruit tree to compliment the other tropical fruit tree Astoria chose to commemorate their last anniversary shared together, and because it represented her so well. Despite the tree's finicky care requirements, he wasn't going to neglect what Astoria worked so hard to create. Not anymore. He might not be as good as she was at it, but he would give it his best.

"Mother always dug the holes by hand," Scorpius stated absently, holding the large watering can in one hand. "But if you'd rather not… I never liked touching dirt."

Draco had to agree with his son on that and opted to use magic to dig the hole this time. Scorpius saturated the earth well before the sapling was carefully placed inside it and the roots were thoroughly buried and again watered.

The pair stood in front of the tree then, Draco scanning the larger trees that were carefully planted and given enough space between them. They looked overgrown, wild, and uncared for.

"Come walk with me."

Scorpius followed him through the feral-looking orchard, weaving between the trees since Astoria liked to off-set them so it looked less like a rigid line of trees and more like a natural cluster of them that had no rhyme or reason as to where they grew. It had been a while since they were pruned, though. They stopped at the end of the small orchard and Draco placed a hand on the trunk of the tallest one. Scorpius stood nearby him.

"This was the first tree your mother ever planted," Draco explained. "It was after we lost our first child—a little girl. We were devastated…" He swallowed hard, feeling the tears prick at his eyes from the memory. "But through the pain and grief, she still found comfort in knowing that this tree was a way for what we lost to live on in another form."

"The symbol for life," Scorpius said, prompting Draco to look at his son. "That's what Mother always told me."

"Yes," Draco responded, nodding. "I, unfortunately, never appreciated this place as much as I should have. I hope to rectify this, but I'll need your help, Scorpius. You were always with her when she tended to them and have a better idea on their care than I do."

Scorpius shifted his weight and looked past his father to examine the neglected trees around them. "What about healer school? I can't be home every day to help."

"Dizzy and I can manage by then, but I'll need to know the basics first."

Scorpius smiled slightly at this. "You can thank me later," he teased, trying to lighten the mood, "right now we have a lot of work to do."