A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters
This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
warning: slight mention of dying in childbirth
Word count: 625
Careful.
He'd been careful,
guarding his heart.
After Narcissa died giving him his son,
he'd been careful.
He'd been courted,
owls upon owls arriving,
begging to be the new Lady Malfoy.
He'd been careful, reading through each of them.
He'd been busy,
raising his son,
he'd been lonely,
raising his son alone.
He left things to the elves,
unable to look at Draco
as the boy started talking,
started looking a bit more
like Narcissa.
Careful,
he'd been careful making sure Draco had the best of everything.
The best tutors,
the best clothing,
the best everything.
Draco leaving for Hogwarts had broken
his heart again in a way he hadn't
thought possible.
Careful,
he'd been careful,
giving the Weasley girl the diary.
He hadn't meant for anyone to die,
or come close to it.
He'd only wanted Arthur to
take a look at his family,
to break that happy family
apart, like his own family
had been ripped apart.
His heart continued to break
as Draco grew,
as his loneliness became more.
Careful,
he'd been careful not to get caught,
to have perfect lies,
perfect alibis.
No one could convict him,
prove he'd been in league with
Lord Voldemort.
Careful,
as he returned to his Lord's side,
careful in pledging his allegiance
again.
Careful, careful, careful,
that word echoed in his head.
He was in over his head,
he could see it now,
could see this going wrong,
going sideways
as the his Lord
started to talk about using Draco,
the part the boy would play in this all.
Careful,
he'd tried to be careful to shield Draco,
to protect him.
Locked away in Azkaban,
he'd been careful to keep his head down,
to plot his escape.
He could taste freedom and
dreamed, hoped, Draco would
forgive him for his failures.
Careful,
careful,
careful,
the war was in full swing now.
Lines were drawn and he was starting to see them blur.
Draco was used, abused,
made into a man by his Lord.
His heart broke again,
and again, looking at his son,
the only piece of Narcissa that he had left.
Careful,
he lied.
His words echoing.
Potter was dead.
His Lord believed him,
allowed him to live.
He waited with held breath
as his lie was revealed,
as Potter jumped to his feet and
saved them all.
Careful,
he was careful with his words,\
his testimony,
how his lie had saved Potter,
how his lie had proven to end things.
His son, his Draco, forgave him,
although his heart would never heal
from the betrayal.
Careful,
he kept his head down now.
His name meant nothing,
his wealth gone.
His heart still remained in pieces,
his loneliness persisted.
The trial hadn't gone how he'd hoped,
sentenced to Azkaban for five years,
still better than death.
Careful,
he held the quill,
writing his thoughts,
writing about the weather,
anything to get the ink on the page.
He'd signed up for a quill pal program.
Writing to someone on the outside.
Those letters slowly becoming
one of the only bright spots in his world.
Careful,
he'd been so careful with his heart,
but her words touched him a way
he never thought possible,
in a way he thought he'd lost forever.
The love behind her words,
waking the love he still possessed.
Careful,
he stepped out of the heavy metal door.
She was standing there, smiling,
blond hair blowing around her face.
It had been three and half years,
out early for good behavior
and she was there,
smiling and waiting for him.
Careful,
as he took her hand,
as they started to walk together.
He was done being careful
as he kissed her,
the wind whipping around them,
caution and carefulness thrown into winds.