The owl flapped its wings, fighting against the strong gusts. The wind rushed into his wings, carrying him further. Eventually he turned left and began a slow spiral descent, a window sill dimly lit by the glow of a fire in sight. His claws settled into the small mound of snow that had accumulated over the past few days. He brought his beak up against the glass and made small, steady strokes.

Draco buried his head in the pillow at the sound of the soft knocking against his window. He didn't want to get out of his cozy bed. The last few weeks have not been the happiest. Winter had set in with its harsh, bitter cold, carrying heavy snow-filled clouds, and the Ministry had again asked him about every Death Eaters' role in the war. After the battle of Hogwarts he had made a deal with them, his testimony for his freedom. This did not make him very popular with his former classmates. Fortunately the unwavering support of Hermione and her friends and the prospect of sharing a bed with her every night kept him afloat.

The owl was getting more and more insistent, and Draco was afraid that it would eventually wake up his beloved. He gently threw back the covers, not wanting the cold to wake Hermione, and slipped out of bed. He opened the window and let the bird enter his room along with a few snowflakes. The bird glowered at him, expressing its displeasure at having to wait in the blizzard, and then held out its claw obligingly. Draco picked up the letter addressed to him. He was surprised to find his mother's handwriting untied.

Narcissa had been under house arrest at Malfoy Manor for a little over a year and a half and Draco had visited her the day before with Hermione. The official meeting between the two had been painful a few months earlier, but since then it was common for Draco to meet Hermione directly at the Manor for the bi-monthly Malfoy dinner. He was always amazed when he caught Hermione and Narcissa in the middle of a discussion about arithmetic or the women's place in wizarding society. He would have given his entire fortune to see his father witness this kind of scene.

Lucius was spending his last hours in Azkaban. His trial was still pending, as not all the Death Eaters had been captured and heard by the Aurors. He would never tell Hermione, but he was glad that his father's fate was still up in the air. Despite his outdated upbringing, filled with contempt and racism, he couldn't help but hope that his father would be spared. He loved and admired him greatly as a young man. As he grew up he realized that his father was not necessarily a good person, but if Firenze had seen through him and Hermione had forgiven him, then he hoped that others would realize that his father, too, was a good person to whom bad things had happened.

He opened the envelope and unfolded the first sheet, a few words had been scribbled by his mother, he smiled at the affectionate words she had addressed to him. He froze as he began to read the next pages and recognized his father's fine, tight handwriting.

Draco,

I think you must be surprised that I am writing to you from my cell in Azkaban. I wanted to be able to tell you about the choices I've made in the past, the ones that brought me here. But first, I wanted to apologize to you for everything that you had to endure because of me. I understand if you don't want to continue reading beyond these first few lines.

Draco hesitated to continue reading. His relationship with his father had always been difficult and his feelings for him ambivalent. If Hermione had taught him anything lately, it was that if a situation didn't put him in immediate danger of death, then he should go for it. Despite his discomfort, he continued.

I want you to know that there has always been a consistency in my life, and it's not surprising that it was my duty to my father that guided my choices. Hard choices that forced me to give up the love of someone I cared about. I don't think I'm shocking you by saying that your mother and I were not destined for each other. She, too, had to give up someone she cared about. I will not mention the name of this person, it is a part of your mother's life that belongs to her.

Why? That was the only question on his mind. Draco didn't understand what motivated his father to write to him. He was already wondering how he managed to do it and who he had to bribe to do it.

I'd like to tell you about My Person, even though it's unseemly for a father to talk about such things, but I'm lucid about my situation and I know that my days are numbered. I have made many bad choices out of duty and it is high time I took responsibility for those mistakes.

When I was about fifteen years old, I fell in love with a charming young girl. She was everything I wanted in a companion: intelligent, ambitious, cunning and the fact that she was very beautiful was a big bonus. She was a student at Hogwarts at the same time as me but we were not in the same house. In my day that wasn't a major obstacle in a relationship, as long as she came from a pureblood family.

Hypocrisy is the name of the game. Draco couldn't count the number of times his father had encouraged him to fraternize with Pansy Parkinson or Daphne Greengrass.

We had become close when we were writing a spell assignment. She had a book that I needed and I asked her to give it to me. She would have told you that I had rather demanded it. Despite the initial stormy approach, as the conversation progressed, we found we had much in common and saw each other frequently thereafter.For many weeks we would meet in the library or in the castle park. We would have long discussions about the areas that fascinated us. She was fascinated by spellcasting and I, as you know, was fascinated only by ancient runes.

The similarity between his father's relationship with his stranger and himself with Granger drew a smile. He and Hermione had also become close through an assignment. For them, it had been a Potions assignment.

I would soon consider formalizing our relationship, courting her for marriage. I am not ashamed to say that I was very much in love with My Person. However I had to give it up quickly after the death of your grandmother. Your grandfather was pushing me more and more to take over the family and the companion I had chosen for myself did not fit his plans for our family.

It was with a heavy heart that I had to abandon her in favor of another young girl: Narcissa Black. Her sister and cousin had humiliated their family, and the Malfoy's saw an opportunity for easy money. To say that your mother was sold is not far from the truth. Your Aunt Bellatrix found herself in a similar situation. Despite our young age, we were aware that we were only pawns in this situation.

My Person was heartbroken and truly believed that I was no longer in love with her. Out of grief, she gave in to another young man, an eccentric half-blood named Lovegood. He was only good in name, unable to appreciate the young woman he had courted.

Excuse me! His father had a serious relationship with Lovegood's mother? Luna automatically corrected his brain. So were all these rumors true?

Your mother and I were married with great fanfare. Our engagement announcement appeared in the prophet, we had balls in our honor, we were interviewed by Witchweekly. Your mother and I even agreed to a magical bond, thus transfiguring your mother's physical features. She lost her beautiful dark blonde hair to adopt our family's characteristic hair style and her eyes became lighter. I knew that this hurt my little Pandora, and that it made me feel as if I was denying all the good times we had together.

"My Little Pandora" the words echoed in Draco's head. His father had never given an affectionate nickname to anyone. Not even to his precious albino peacocks. Draco's legs went limp and he fell heavily onto the corner of his bed. The mattress sagged and Hermione stirred and pulled the blanket a little higher, covering the bottom of her face.

Despite all the sacrifices, it wasn't enough to satisfy your grandfather, so I joined the Dark Lord's followers. This ensured the safety and fame of our family for some time, I admit. My young age prevented me from understanding the full scope of my actions.

I am ashamed to confess that I had an extra-marital relationship with my Little Pandora in defiance of propriety. I deluded us, believing that I could really escape this life that I had not chosen, I blamed your grandfather for all the misfortunes that befell me. I was young, stuck in a marriage of convenience with a woman who didn't even love me. She suspected what was behind my absences. But Narcissa never said anything, she too saw Her Person. We had this implicit pact between us, we were free to see who we wanted as long as we were discreet. Everything changed when Her Person had to get married in her turn and the agreement could no longer hold. She left the country with her new family and your mother was left alone. The guilt of this injustice gnawed at me and duty caught up with me again.

An heir.

This is what your grandfather expected. For the next two years, the incessant remarks of our entourage weighed on your mother and me. We were not, of course, in love with each other, but a strong affection bound us together. I had a moral duty to take care of her, and I respected her too much to ignore her fears. The other Death Eaters were circling her and she didn't feel safe in her own home, so to protect her we gave in.

A few months later, your mother's belly was getting bigger and my relationship with my Little Pandora was shattered. She understood my choice but could not forgive me. She left me for good a few weeks before your birth.

"Thank you father for this story, I feel that I was wanted!" Draco climbed back into bed and leaned against the headboard. Hermione moved closer to him in her sleep. He reached out and tucked his hand into her brown curls.

Less than a year later, I learned that she was welcoming a baby girl into her family. I always refused to think about fathering this child. I was too afraid of the repercussions if the true nature of my relationship with her came to light.

My Little Pandora seemed to have no doubt about it, giving the child a name that echoed mine.

To silence my questions about this situation, I let myself be caught up in the meanders of the forces. Then the Lord disappeared and it was my duty not to abandon your mother. After this debacle, I admit that I used and abused every means in my possession to escape trial. I could no longer put this down to my youth. I forced myself to conform to what the situation demanded of me, I assumed my role as a husband, a father, a businessman, and at the same time I gave up the idea of becoming an unspeakable.

Draco slid down the bed slightly as his father's story unfolded. The cold was beginning to grip his feet and he crawled under the sheets.

The years passed and the memories of my Little Pandora stayed with me, they had become more distant, more bittersweet. I was devastated when I learned of her disappearance and I am still skeptical as to its cause. I knew she had always been ambitious in her spell creations but I will always doubt her so-called mistake that day. I tried many times to get access to her notes and the Magical Squad report on her death, but even Malfoy's influence has its limits, it seems. Unfortunately I couldn't discuss the subject with your grandfather, he thought I had moved on, and although my relationship with your mother was affectionate, I knew it was taboo between us. I didn't want to rekindle the pain of his loss by bringing up my own.

Draco tried to imagine what his father must have felt. His heart sank at the thought that the same thing might happen to him. He couldn't imagine how he would feel if Hermione were to disappear. He slipped an arm around her waist and inhaled deeply into her curls. Their scent instantly calmed the erratic beating of his heart.

I had been naive enough to think that your grandfather's death would free me from some of my duty, but that hope was dashed at the end of your fourth year. The Lord had returned, as my mark kept reminding me. I knew I was bound to fall back into my ways and your protection and that of your mother was once again my priority. I acknowledge that I failed in this mission as well, and for that I beg you to accept my sincerest apologies.

The events in the Department of Mysteries, my first stay in Azkaban, and your induction into Death Eaters only made me realize that I was a terrible father, a poor husband, and a man of questionable morals, capable of attacking children, including probably his own daughter. The climax of this degradation was her imprisonment in our cellar.

I prided myself on being a man who never failed in his duty when in reality I was a coward and a follower.

I tell you all this, Draco, to tell you that I am proud of the man you are becoming. Your mother has written to me at length about your accomplishments. I encourage you to never give up on Your Person, the one that makes the light shine in your grey eyes. I beg you not to follow my steps. The way I tried to make you follow is only a direct way to your sufferings. Don't think I'm crazy, you know as well as I do that the dementors are no longer our jailers. This isolation will at least have had the merit of making me take a step back on my life. I ruined it all by myself even if the circumstances did not help me.

Your mother told me the identity of the person you are in love with. I don't think I'm wrong in assuming that you fear my judgment of her. It's clear that this is not the person I would have intended you to be. I just want you to know that all I care about in this world is that you are happy, that you are in control of your choices.

I love you.

Dad

Draco put the letter back on the nightstand and turned to hug Hermione, tears rolling down his cheeks. Her father had never told her that he loved her, at least not in this way, not so directly. The fact that he signed with a "Dad" had finally finished him off. He understood that nothing would ever be the same again. Luna Lovegood was more than likely his sister, and he was going to lose his father.