Chapter 22

Summer

Tears ran down Maria's face. She could not believe this. Her mother and her farther. Car crash. Dead.

She tried to tell herself it hadn't happened but it had. They had died back home in Russia. She hadn't even had the chance to go back since she had graduated yet. And now she was never going to see them again.

It really and truly broke her heart.

Sitting in her new flat in the heart of London she knew she was utterly alone in the world. She had shut herself away from her friends and every one she knew.

She did not want company.

It was at that moment an owl flew through her window. A letter was in its beak. The fine looking bird had a majestic air about it as it dropped the letter and flew back out.

Wiping the tears out of her wet eyes she tried to stop her hands shaking so that she could open the letter and read what had been written to her and by who.

Sighing, she saw the short letter was written in a scribe she had over the last few years begun to know.

Maria,

I am so sorry. If there is anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask.

Your friend,

L. Malfoy.

-

"You my little my monster are so naughty at times!"

Andy laughed as she cuddled her six year old nephew tightly. They were in the living room at the Tonks place, the two of them sitting on the sofa as she tickled her little nephew.

"Ok, Mum I'm ready."

"Come on in then honey."

Ted who was sitting at the table moved his eyes to the door to see his daughter walk into the room. She had her Hogwarts uniform on for the first time. Oh she looked so small.

How was his baby ready to go off to school?

"Oh sweet baby girl."

Draco was also looking at her, eyeing her uniform with what could only be described as jealousy. He didn't want her to go off to school without him and he still had five years to go before he could join her.

"You look so beautiful."

"Mum, I feel as if it is too big for me." she said shrugging. She just like her little cousin was acutely aware of the fact the two of them were not always going to be together next year. They were best friends.

"Its perfect baby." said Ted delighted.

A Hufflepuff through and through he was sure of it. When and how did his baby girl get to be so big?

"You're going to be fine kiddo. Cant believe your going to school in a few weeks," he said.

"What do you think Draco?" Nymph asked.

He shrugged. He didn't know anything about school uniforms. She looked miserable. Within fifteen minutes she had gone back to her room to take off the uniform and the two had run out to the garden to play.

"I don't want their childhood to be over yet." Andy sighed as Ted put his arm about her.

"He's isn't going to be over for a long time yet. And as for her you know for a fact that going to Hogwarts a hard thing to get your head about but when you get there it is one of the most important things to happen when you are that age. It is a rite of passage."

She knew he was right. Nymph was going to fit right in at Hogwarts even with her unusual gift. Everyone seemed to fit in at Hogwarts. It was the sort of place where you really grew into your own skin.

She certainly had.

"He is going to find it hard when she goes. They are both going to find something hard."

Ted kissed his wife's forehead. Everything was going to be find.

Draco was sent home at five that day for tea. Going into the living room he found it empty which was most unlike Lucius. He was always normally there when he got home from his aunts.

Eliza was sitting in the arm chair asleep. Maybe she had been sent to greet him he thought but the old lady wasn't up to much these days apart from sleep it sometimes seemed.

"Daddy ?" he asked.

No response.

Going through and down the corridor he knew where he was heading. If he wasn't in the living room then he was normally in the study. That was where he was sure to find his father.

When he got there he knew he was right. He could hear voices. It was odd for his father to be doing business at this time of night he thought to himself.

"I didn't know where else to go. I mean I thought I might go to one of the girls house but they still have both their parents and I didn't think I could go to them. I don't want to be around happy families right now. When your letter came it seemed like the right decision."

"I am glad that you feel you can come to me. But I hate to see you sad." his fathers smooth voice was laced in pity and emotions he could not quite describe to himself.

"Hold me please." The voice he did not know but it sounded desperately unhappy.

"Of course I will."

Through the crack in the door he saw a dark haired girl leaning in to his fathers arms. She had tears on her cheeks but looked comforted as he embraced her.

His father looked peaceful as he held on to her as she had asked him too.

"Daddy?" he asked again.

Springing back from one another, Maria and Lucius looked at the door. Draco wasn't meant to met her like this.

"Why didn't you knock?" his father demanded with a note of fury in has voice. He wouldn't usually mind. But when he had guest Draco knew it was different.

"I'm sorry daddy I just didn't know where you were." Draco replied.

Biting back, he realised he had been too harsh on the boy. He hadn't known she was here.

"Well son, you know now. Why don't you go and get ready for your dinner. As you can see we do have a guest tonight."

Draco watched Maria with wary eyes. He had never seen his father embrace a women the way he had been embracing her. She was young he thought to himself. Much younger than his father. She seemed to be fragile under his gaze.

"I wouldn't want to be a inconvenience." she said to him father. "I will go if you wish it."

Draco turned to walk away from the room and as he wondered down the corridor he was filed with dread by the words his father uttered.

"I don't Maria. I don't wish that. Stay."

-

When Maria awoke she found she was in the guest room of the Malfoy manor. So she had stayed. All night long.

She didn't remember when she had gone to sleep in the end, she must have cried her self to sleep in his arms. Him.

A delicate smile played on her lips for the first time in days. He had been wonderful she thought to herself. And so kind. She hadn't quite expected him to look after her as well as he had. Were her father alive she was not sure whether he would have approved.

Getting out of bed she went over to the window where she could see into the Malfoy's garden. Lucius was out there with his son already. She thought he was such a sweet little boy already. He had been charming when they had been eating the evening before.

A smile crept on to her face again. She felt safe for the first time in days.

-

"But why is she here father? I don't understand." said Draco as they walked about the garden.

"She is here because she is a friend of mine and she is going through a very sad period of her life. She has lost her mama like you have, but you still have me. She has also lost her father so we must be kind to her while she is here."

Draco scowled. He knew he would not please his father but he did not appreciate until that moment just how much he liked their home being just for them. Only his uncle Severus had ever stayed over. He didn't like it when any one else did he was discovering.

"Please be kind to her son, for me," Lucius asked as he saw the displeasure on Draco's face.

Looking up to the window of the bedroom where she had slept the night before he saw her standing there, waving at him. He nodded courteously backed.

Her heart swelled.

She knew some where between then and Christmas when she had first met him she had fallen in love.

But Lucius knew he had not.