* Disclaimer * I don't own the stuff you recognize - J.K. Rowling does. I
own what you don't recognize though.
Chapter 6 - Where Do We Go From Here?
Draco finally did fall asleep that night, but paid a high price for the little sleep he did get. Haunting images disturbed his once pleasant dreams. As he dreamed, he saw visions of a hooded figure - Voldemort - strangling and beating his darling Elizabeth. This was no dream. It was a nightmare.
The recurring sound of Leila's cries wakened Draco at approximately 6:30 in the morning. He opened the dusty blinds and stared outside the window. It was still very dark out, but Draco assumed it would not be getting light out, since at this time the sun usually began to peek out from behind the clouds. The dark sky matched his dismal mood. He had lost himself in his thoughts - thoughts of his Lizzie - but those thoughts when Leila's cry grew louder. This happened to wake Ephram, who began to wail in unison with his sister.
"Oh for the love of Merlin," he said to himself as he rubbed his forehead and proceeded to go into his daughter's room. He picked Leila up and gently swayed her in his arms, but when Ephram's cries grew stronger, he ran, daughter in arms, to tend to Ephram. Was this what Draco's life would be from now on? Would he always be constantly running around? And what would he do for work? He couldn't leave work, for he needed to bring in money to support his children. But where would he send his children? Ephram would be off to Prolesimagus (A/N- that's a combination of the words "child" and "wizard" in Latin, according to my sources) Wizarding Day Care in September of that year, but he would still have Leila to take care of. And besides that, September was months away!
Once both of his children were calm and quiet, it was time for Draco to prepare breakfast. "This will be an experience," Draco thought to himself, for he had never prepared a meal other than cereal, and by his bad luck, there was no cereal in the house. "Waffles, waffles, waffles, how to make waffles," he repeated to himself, searching for a recipe spell in each of his wife's cook books. "AHA!" he shouted and slammed his hand on the page when he found it. "This doesn't look too hard," he said, briefly looking over the instructions. Confidently, he gathered the ingredients for the breakfast and began to prepare the meal. He pointed his wand at the ingredients and shouted, "Waffle Nutriciomensa!" His son was amazed when the ingredients banned together, producing two mouth-watering waffles.
Pleased with himself, Draco then looked for a jar of baby food for Leila. "Hmm," he pondered, "What sounds more appetizing - smashed yams or smashed squash?" he asked himself, grabbing a can that was shoved to the back, labeled "Apples and Cinnamon." Attaching the bib to his daughter, he fed her, occasionally sneaking a spoonful or two for himself.
He was so amazed that he was getting along so well. It was almost as though he forgot that his wife had died just the day before. However, Draco knew that was impossible. Just looking at his children made him think of Elizabeth. Everything reminded him of Elizabeth. For instance, the kitchen. It was Elizabeth's favorite part of the house, for it was the one place she could prepare meals, and more than that, the place where her family gathered each night to eat and converse. He shook his head to get his mind set straight again.
Darwin flew straight into the window again. "Oh Darwin!" Ephram laughed at the owl, "You're so silly!" Draco laughed briefly at his son's delight and sauntered to the window. Darwin had brought at least fifteen letters in that morning's post. "All sympathy I'm sure," Draco said quietly to himself. He flipped through the envelopes and saw one with the return address of the Ministry. Curious as to what it was about, he tore it open.
Mr. Malfoy,
The members Ministry of Magic send sympathy to you and your family. We know that you are going through tough times. However, you are expected to return to the Ministry in two weeks. If you need anything, feel free to send Millicent an owl. See you on the day of your return, the twenty-ninth of this month.
Sympathetically yours,
Cornelius Fudge Minister of Magic
Draco let out a long, drawn out sigh and put the letter down. He would have to leave his children with Hermione or Ginny. He had no other choice. He ambled around his kitchen and stopped to look at his wedding photo, which hung crookedly on the wall. There he stood smiling with his wife. She smiled at him and blew him a kiss. He tried to force a smile, but it was too hard for him. He adjusted the photo so that is hung straight on the wall and walked away. He picked up his daughter and danced with her, to nonexistent music.
Ephram looked at him awkwardly. "Daddy, what ARE you doing?" he asked, still staring at his father in confusion. "You can't dance without music!"
Draco laughed, "You know Ephram, you're right." Draco thought for a second and began to sing. "You are my sunshine - my only sunshine."
Ephram chimed in, "You make me happy - when skies are grey." Together the father/son duo crooned softly, "You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away!" Draco clapped and bent down to kiss his son, who had firmly attached himself to his father's leg. Though his sunshine Elizabeth had been taken away from him, Draco's skies were still bright, knowing he had Ephram and Leila. Draco looked at his baby girl and a smile crept across her face, knowing that she was in her daddy's arms. But she'd never know her mother. And Ephram didn't understand that he'd never see his mother again. Draco still didn't understand why his wife had to be taken from him, but if that's what fate had in store for her, and there was nothing Draco could do about it.
There was a knock at the door. Draco placed Leila in her high chair and walked to the door. He had an idea of who it was, so he was not surprised when Hermione and Ron barged into his home, followed by the two Weasley children.
"Is everything going well?" Hermione asked concernedly. She walked over to Draco and kissed him on the cheek. "I've been so worried. I barely slept last night. Oh Draco I can't believe she's gone," Hermione said. "My best friend is gone." She embraced Draco, knowing that he was feeling a deeper pain than she. By this time, the Weasley kids and Ephram had gone off to play. Hermione said a quick, short spell and a three mugs filled with tea appeared on the table.
"So, what are your plans for the Ministry?" Ron asked as he took a seat at the small oak table.
Draco took the seat across from Ron and next to Hermione, replied, "I just got a letter from the Ministry today. They're giving me two weeks off and they want me back on the twenty-ninth. Speaking of work, Hermione, would you mind looking after the kids while I go to work? I don't know what else to do with them."
Hermione looked up from her cup of tea and nodded, "Of course! I'd be delighted to Draco. You know I'm always willing to help out." She reached out her hand and placed it on Draco's.
"So how are you holding up?" Ron asked, hoping that this was a topic that Draco didn't feel awkward covering. Draco sat in silence for a few moments and Ron shot a worried look at Hermione.
"I guess I'm alright. The house just feels - empty without her. The bed felt so vacant last night I could hardly bear sleeping in it. Waking up without seeing her smiling face-," he choked on his tears.
"All right Draco, that's enough of that," Hermione whispered, shooting an evil look at her husband for bringing up the subject.
"I just keep asking myself the same question. Where do I go from here?" Draco said, placing his mug back on the table.
* A/N * Please review! I'd really like to know what you think. Again, nice comments and constructive criticism are always nice. I, like most authors, don't like to get flames - but if you MUST, then that's your choice. I hope you liked it!
Chapter 6 - Where Do We Go From Here?
Draco finally did fall asleep that night, but paid a high price for the little sleep he did get. Haunting images disturbed his once pleasant dreams. As he dreamed, he saw visions of a hooded figure - Voldemort - strangling and beating his darling Elizabeth. This was no dream. It was a nightmare.
The recurring sound of Leila's cries wakened Draco at approximately 6:30 in the morning. He opened the dusty blinds and stared outside the window. It was still very dark out, but Draco assumed it would not be getting light out, since at this time the sun usually began to peek out from behind the clouds. The dark sky matched his dismal mood. He had lost himself in his thoughts - thoughts of his Lizzie - but those thoughts when Leila's cry grew louder. This happened to wake Ephram, who began to wail in unison with his sister.
"Oh for the love of Merlin," he said to himself as he rubbed his forehead and proceeded to go into his daughter's room. He picked Leila up and gently swayed her in his arms, but when Ephram's cries grew stronger, he ran, daughter in arms, to tend to Ephram. Was this what Draco's life would be from now on? Would he always be constantly running around? And what would he do for work? He couldn't leave work, for he needed to bring in money to support his children. But where would he send his children? Ephram would be off to Prolesimagus (A/N- that's a combination of the words "child" and "wizard" in Latin, according to my sources) Wizarding Day Care in September of that year, but he would still have Leila to take care of. And besides that, September was months away!
Once both of his children were calm and quiet, it was time for Draco to prepare breakfast. "This will be an experience," Draco thought to himself, for he had never prepared a meal other than cereal, and by his bad luck, there was no cereal in the house. "Waffles, waffles, waffles, how to make waffles," he repeated to himself, searching for a recipe spell in each of his wife's cook books. "AHA!" he shouted and slammed his hand on the page when he found it. "This doesn't look too hard," he said, briefly looking over the instructions. Confidently, he gathered the ingredients for the breakfast and began to prepare the meal. He pointed his wand at the ingredients and shouted, "Waffle Nutriciomensa!" His son was amazed when the ingredients banned together, producing two mouth-watering waffles.
Pleased with himself, Draco then looked for a jar of baby food for Leila. "Hmm," he pondered, "What sounds more appetizing - smashed yams or smashed squash?" he asked himself, grabbing a can that was shoved to the back, labeled "Apples and Cinnamon." Attaching the bib to his daughter, he fed her, occasionally sneaking a spoonful or two for himself.
He was so amazed that he was getting along so well. It was almost as though he forgot that his wife had died just the day before. However, Draco knew that was impossible. Just looking at his children made him think of Elizabeth. Everything reminded him of Elizabeth. For instance, the kitchen. It was Elizabeth's favorite part of the house, for it was the one place she could prepare meals, and more than that, the place where her family gathered each night to eat and converse. He shook his head to get his mind set straight again.
Darwin flew straight into the window again. "Oh Darwin!" Ephram laughed at the owl, "You're so silly!" Draco laughed briefly at his son's delight and sauntered to the window. Darwin had brought at least fifteen letters in that morning's post. "All sympathy I'm sure," Draco said quietly to himself. He flipped through the envelopes and saw one with the return address of the Ministry. Curious as to what it was about, he tore it open.
Mr. Malfoy,
The members Ministry of Magic send sympathy to you and your family. We know that you are going through tough times. However, you are expected to return to the Ministry in two weeks. If you need anything, feel free to send Millicent an owl. See you on the day of your return, the twenty-ninth of this month.
Sympathetically yours,
Cornelius Fudge Minister of Magic
Draco let out a long, drawn out sigh and put the letter down. He would have to leave his children with Hermione or Ginny. He had no other choice. He ambled around his kitchen and stopped to look at his wedding photo, which hung crookedly on the wall. There he stood smiling with his wife. She smiled at him and blew him a kiss. He tried to force a smile, but it was too hard for him. He adjusted the photo so that is hung straight on the wall and walked away. He picked up his daughter and danced with her, to nonexistent music.
Ephram looked at him awkwardly. "Daddy, what ARE you doing?" he asked, still staring at his father in confusion. "You can't dance without music!"
Draco laughed, "You know Ephram, you're right." Draco thought for a second and began to sing. "You are my sunshine - my only sunshine."
Ephram chimed in, "You make me happy - when skies are grey." Together the father/son duo crooned softly, "You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away!" Draco clapped and bent down to kiss his son, who had firmly attached himself to his father's leg. Though his sunshine Elizabeth had been taken away from him, Draco's skies were still bright, knowing he had Ephram and Leila. Draco looked at his baby girl and a smile crept across her face, knowing that she was in her daddy's arms. But she'd never know her mother. And Ephram didn't understand that he'd never see his mother again. Draco still didn't understand why his wife had to be taken from him, but if that's what fate had in store for her, and there was nothing Draco could do about it.
There was a knock at the door. Draco placed Leila in her high chair and walked to the door. He had an idea of who it was, so he was not surprised when Hermione and Ron barged into his home, followed by the two Weasley children.
"Is everything going well?" Hermione asked concernedly. She walked over to Draco and kissed him on the cheek. "I've been so worried. I barely slept last night. Oh Draco I can't believe she's gone," Hermione said. "My best friend is gone." She embraced Draco, knowing that he was feeling a deeper pain than she. By this time, the Weasley kids and Ephram had gone off to play. Hermione said a quick, short spell and a three mugs filled with tea appeared on the table.
"So, what are your plans for the Ministry?" Ron asked as he took a seat at the small oak table.
Draco took the seat across from Ron and next to Hermione, replied, "I just got a letter from the Ministry today. They're giving me two weeks off and they want me back on the twenty-ninth. Speaking of work, Hermione, would you mind looking after the kids while I go to work? I don't know what else to do with them."
Hermione looked up from her cup of tea and nodded, "Of course! I'd be delighted to Draco. You know I'm always willing to help out." She reached out her hand and placed it on Draco's.
"So how are you holding up?" Ron asked, hoping that this was a topic that Draco didn't feel awkward covering. Draco sat in silence for a few moments and Ron shot a worried look at Hermione.
"I guess I'm alright. The house just feels - empty without her. The bed felt so vacant last night I could hardly bear sleeping in it. Waking up without seeing her smiling face-," he choked on his tears.
"All right Draco, that's enough of that," Hermione whispered, shooting an evil look at her husband for bringing up the subject.
"I just keep asking myself the same question. Where do I go from here?" Draco said, placing his mug back on the table.
* A/N * Please review! I'd really like to know what you think. Again, nice comments and constructive criticism are always nice. I, like most authors, don't like to get flames - but if you MUST, then that's your choice. I hope you liked it!