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Draco had to secretly destroy a few angry letters from the Greengrass family so that Astoria couldn't find them and become upset—one of them had even been a Howler from her father. Just as she'd promised to do with messages from Draco's three rivals, he reciprocated and kept the negative mail away from his wife. Narcissa and Lucius became even closer to Astoria after the fight with her family. They wanted to be sure she was aware of the familial love they held for her so that she wouldn't feel abandoned. It was Christmastime and they still had no report from Bazel. Astoria was deeply worried—her health showed it—but the Greengrasses didn't attempt at making amends with her to work through the troubling time together.
Astoria gripped her husband's hand as they hurried along the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley. Scorpius was being babysat at his grandparents' manor while the parents did all of their Christmas shopping. "Come, this way!" she giggled as she led. "I know the perfect present for Scorpius!" Draco sighed and rolled his eyes, but a smile played on his face. "Just like all these other 'perfect presents'?" he teased, gesturing towards the many bags strung on his arms. His wife just grinned at him; they both knew they liked to spoil their little boy during the holidays. However, Draco's smile faltered when he realized he was being dragged into the Weasely's Joke Shop.
When Astoria reached for the doorhandle, he hesitated. "I-I…I think I'll wait out here for you." he nervously said, looking down at the ground. She didn't push him. "If you'd like to, that's fine. But promise me you won't catch a cold?" she said. Draco's smile returned. "I promise, my love." Astoria disappeared through the door and Draco sat down on the steps. He pulled his soft scarf closer to him, thinking about his son and the look on the boy's face every single Christmas morning. He wondered what Narcissa and Lucius were doing with him at that very moment. Draco found that thinking of any of the members of his family during times when he was feeling sad or scared seemed to quell the bad feelings—and it made him appear less likely to explode again. He glanced upward and caught sign of the sign across the door, the one displaying the Weasely name (minus one twin), and felt a shudder ripple through his body. Immediately he pictured a tiny blonde boy smiling widely at him as he hugged his favorite stuffed dragon.
Lucius strode into the sitting room, smiling at his wife. "Cissa, you should be in a chair, not on the floor." he said. Narcissa looked up at him from her cross-legged position. "It's easier to reach him from here. Besides, it's not like anyone's going to look in and see a Malfoy woman refusing to use a chair like a proper lady. I figured you'd be alright with catching me like this." She gave her husband a wink. He entered the room more, seating himself in one of the comfortable armchairs. He couldn't sit on the floor with his wife due to his necessity of a cane. "Where is little Scorpius?" he asked, looking around the high-ceilinged room. "I'm over here, Grandfather!" a joyful voice called out from behind the huge evergreen Christmas tree. Narcissa dipped her hand into a cardboard box beside her and pulled out a silver ball. She attached a hook to it. Scorpius ran into view, smiling at Lucius and holding his hands out to his grandmother. Narcissa gently placed the ornament in his tiny grasp, watching him dash towards the tree again. He hung it ever so carefully upon a branch. Lucius chuckled. "Only the bottom quarter of the tree is decorated!" he remarked. Narcissa smiled too. "I know, dear. But that's all he could reach. I didn't want to use magic—seeing the way he does it just makes the tree more…personal." she answered, earning a sympathetic nod from her husband. Scorpius looked up at them and clapped his hands. "All done!" he gleefully reported. Both of his grandparents clapped with him.
Lucius rose and took Scorpius by the shoulder. "Come, my precious grandson; it's time to decorate with magic." he said. Scorpius squealed with delight. He followed the tall man out to the main foyer. "Now, Scorpius, you're seven years old. Your father tells me you've been showing signs of magic lately." the tall blonde said. "Yes, Grandfather! He tells me I'm going to be a wizard!" Scorpius exclaimed excitedly.
"Well I believe you're going to be a very good wizard indeed. Your mother says she sees your magic in you too."
"I help Mummy clean sometimes. One time last week, Mummy felt ill so I went into the kitchen and tried to make her a potion to feel better."
"Ah, and that's a key magical attribute. Very good. I want to show you what you'll be able to do someday, alright? Watch Grandfather now…"
And with that, Lucius raised his wand. He first pointed it at the front doors. With a circular motion, he caused for a beautiful Christmas wreath to appear, earning a gasp from his little spectator. Lucius grinned. He then pointed his wand to the stairway banisters. He swooped the wand over and over, summoning a silver and green garland to wrap itself around the handrails. Scorpius clapped in enjoyment. Lucius repeatedly flicked his wand to send little bows to all the posts and doorhandles. Scorpius had never seen such advanced magic—his parents usually used regular everyday spells to clean up a mess or to put out a small kitchen fire or to summon a book. This was actually making things appear out of thin air. "And for the final touch…" Lucius murmured, pointing his wand directly towards the ceiling. With a loud bang, a shower of silver and gold sparkles drifted down from the chandelier like snow. The tiny boy jumped up and down, trying to catch some. Narcissa spun around as she entered. "I should let you do the decorating more often." she whispered into her husband's ear. He grinned at her.
Draco rubbed his upper arms in attempt to glean some warmth in the frigid air. Astoria was very particular when it came to gift buying, and she was definitely trying to choose wisely in there—it was taking longer than usual. He wondered what she'd found that was so interesting. He wished to see. He wished to be in there with her, murmuring his thoughts about an item. But no matter how much he thought of Narcissa, Lucius, Astoria, or Scorpius, his eyes kept wandering back up to that sign. He was tired of being afraid. He was tired of hiding. Draco Malfoy, with a sudden surge of confidence he'd been lacking for so long, drew himself up and walked through the doors of the Weasely's Joke Shop.
It was warm inside. Comfortable. Lots of children bustled about, all talking to each other about the latest of editions of merchandise. Draco tried to avert his gaze from everyone's eyes. He attempted to block out the whispers some adults shared—"How can he even dare to come in here after what his aunt did!"—in order to find his wife. It took a long time; the store was larger than he thought. Astoria was small, so seeing her amidst so many people was a bit difficult. Finally, he found her standing beside a cage, talking to a tall redheaded man and pointing into the cage at something. Draco recognized that face—the face that used to have a double. He kept his head down as he touched her arm. Astoria seemed surprised to see him, but smiled nonetheless. "Mr. Weasely, this is my husband. He's going to help me select a color." she introduced calmly. Draco glanced at him. "Hello, Draco." he said with a strange tone. It wasn't contempt. It wasn't hate. It was…just business-like. It was relieving to Draco, who simply could do nothing else but nod and reply, "Hello, George." Astoria immediately turned to him, pointing at the fluffly little balls of cuteness that were stumbling around inside the cage. "They're Pygmy Puffs—don't you think Scorpius would just love one? He's been talking about wanting a pet for so long. And Mr. Weasely was telling me that all that fur there doesn't shed, so it won't hurt me in any way. He said they're really friendly and loyal creatures; anyone that shows them love, they'll obey! Oh, I think he'd just adore it, don't you?" she gushed, clearly influenced by the sheer fuzziness of the different-colored animals. Draco felt himself smile. "We can get him one." he decided.
They decided upon green as the best choice for their little one—pink or purple seemed too feminine. Draco held the furball as Astoria paid for it. Behind the counter sat a little redheaded girl, just finishing off a chocolate frog. George remained busy as he made change for Astoria. "Uncle George, may I have another?" she called to him. He glanced over his shoulder. "What would that total you for today?" he replied.
"Five,"
"….Just don't tell your mother."
Astoria smiled, partially at the joke, partially because the Pygmy Puff was trying to wiggle its way into Draco's sleeve. As they left the shop, Draco felt a weight come off of his shoulders.—he'd done it. He'd gotten over his fear of his past and walked right into that shop, he bought something from the Weasely's. He'd given them his money. It was gratifying, really, especially since George hadn't thrown him out on his rump. Once they were down the street a bit, Astoria hopped up on her toes and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I'm proud of you," she whispered. Draco grinned at her. He squeezed her hand. "You give me strength," he murmured. "Now where to next, little miss Christmas?"
When the big day came around, Narcissa and Lucius spent Christmas morning with their family in the little cottage. They watched as Scorpius eagerly opened every present with constant vigor and excitement. His gratitude was always apparent for everything—even the gift from Kirry, which turned out to be handmade socks. However, the Pygmy Puff went over the best. It was the last present; Astoria had wrapped it in a box, poking air holes in the sides. When Scorpius took the lid off, he absolutely squealed with delight. Everyone laughed at the sight of the tiny boy taking it out and letting it sniff him everywhere. "I'm naming him Scruffy." he proudly announced as he stroked its soft fur. The Pygmy Puff seemed to happily approve this name. Scorpius pulled it into a tightly squeezing hug full of affection. Draco kissed his wife's cheek. "You did good," he complimented her selection. She touched the new emerald pendant that hung around her neck. "As did you," she replied. Narcissa leaned close to her. "Oh Draco, you did do good!" she approved at the sight of the necklace. She then reached over and showed Astoria the new ring Lucius had given her as a present, the two girls instantly falling into a chat about their gifts. Lucius gave Draco an approving nod.
An owl tapped at the window with a letter. Draco went to retrieve it, expecting it to be a red envelope holding a Howler meant for the youngest Greengrass. But instead it was a normal letter, marked 'urgent'. Considering his options, Draco decided to just open the letter himself.
Dear Astoria,
Bazel has been rescued. Found in the Himalayas. Safe. They expect him to return home from St. Mungo's in three weeks—mining accident took his arm. But he's ok. Please come to Christmas dinner with us. We miss you and we're sorry for the ten-thousandth time. If you don't come, it's understandable. Just know we have five seats saved for you all at the table (Lucius and Narcissa are welcome too). Merry Christmas, Astoria.
Daphne.
Time seemed to stop. Bazel was alright. He was injured, but alright. The family was grieving the loss of their daughter—the 'loss' being figurative. They wanted her back. They wanted everyone together for a meal. Everyone. Draco sucked in a deep breath. He walked back into the living room. "Astoria," he said, drawing the attention up. "Your family wrote. They want us over for Christmas dinner. All of us. It's a celebration—Bazel has been found safe." It registered on her face as pure joy, but Draco knew his wife was trying to hide it. "Astoria, it's time to face the fears and the resentment. It's time to move forward." he gently said. Tear sparkled in her eyes. "I know," she whispered. Narcissa took her hand. "But I'm not going alone," Astoria decided. Lucius tenderly patted her shoulder. "You'll never have to. Malfoys help each other." he assured. Another wave of relief crashed over Draco. They were all doing it—they were all leaving the past behind, one step at a time.