Chapter 18 – English Fairytale Garden

7 April 2010

Mia's Townhouse

New York City, NY

Those memories were intense. I didn't know what to expect, but seeing Ophelia with so much love in her eyes was surreal. The Ophelia I knew growing up was stern. Now I recognize it as masked sadness.

What I absolutely did not expect was the redhead, a whole head shorter than me apparating right before me and hitting me in the chest and accusing me of hurting Mia. I don't think I've heard the word 'fuck' used in such a short amount of time from anyone, but Theo. As soon as Granger said I didn't hurt her, the redhead switched personalities faster than a snitch wing.

Mychaelia smiles and says, "Pleasure to meet you, Draco Malfoy. How long are you in town for?"

I smile, "The pleasure is mine. I'll be here until Friday, unless plans change."

She looks sternly at me, and just says, "Hmmmm." She then bends down toward Mia, "Honey, do you need me to get you a drink?"

Mia just shakes her head. "I-I'm ok. It was just a lot to take in. You owe Malfoy an apology, you psycho!"

Mychaelia laughs, "Well you can blame the camera angle, Mi. I just saw you on the floor crying, and I sent a group text and apparated." She stands up and looks at me, "My sincere apologies Mr. Malfoy for accosting you. I'm truly sorry."

I laugh and say, "Apology accepted. All is forgiven."

Just then a door slams and three people enter the room. One is a blond female of average height and an almost celestial face. She's dressed in an ivory sequined and lace dress that hits about mid-thigh. Her large blue eyes are taking in the scene. The next person is a blond man about 3 inches taller than my 6 feet height. He looks like a pants model they have advertisements of in Times Square.

The final person, she's stunningly gorgeous. She's tall with raven hair. Her hair is a characteristic of it's own. It's glossy with loose curls that seem to have a life of their own. Her hair is to her waist, but is full and expands in width past her shoulders in layers. I've never seen a woman with so much hair, not even Granger when her hair was at it's worst. She's wearing a tight one shouldered dress with heels that make her taller than I am. What's shocking about this woman is she's leaning against the wall by the Kitchenette with her arms folded holding her wand. She's glaring at me with her big brown almond shaped eyes like I just ate her first born child in front of her.

The blond woman steps forward first and asks Mychaelia, "What happened?"

Mia answers her, "Kelly, it's fine. We just watched a few memories, and they were a lot to take in. Mac just overreacted, as usual. Fucking redheads never have impulse control."

Mychaelia blushes, "Uh, but I apologized!"

The blond laughs, and turns to me, "Hi. I'm Kelly Spangle and this is my fiancé Colton Remington."

I shake Kelly's hand, "Draco Malfoy, pleasure to meet you."

I turn to the man and shake his hand, "Draco Malfoy, I apologize if this ruined your evening."

Colton laughs, "Nah, it's cool, dude. You have to get use to it with these four. Come on, let's grab a bottle and let them sort out Mia. We'll just get the way." I walk towards the kitchenette with Colton and the Raven haired woman who is still glaring at me stands from the wall and purposely bumps into my shoulder without a word and walks towards Mia and the other ladies.

I look in the kitchenette and Colton is looking through the bottles in a cabinet. "Ah here it is." He pulls out a bottle of Ogden's. Then grabs two glasses and hands them to me. He then grabs one of the boxes from take out and grabs a fork. "Mia is the takeout superhero around here. She finds the best food in the city." He takes a bite, "Mmm. Chicken Masala, I adore her! Come on it's a nice night let's go to the roof."

He leads me out of the room and to the left is an alcove with a very well lit open 'U' shaped staircase on the right side and a glass elevator on the left. We get in the glass elevator, but on the walls of the stair case are pictures of every size and shape of the four women and others that seem chronological to their ages. The ground floor they were children and the top floor appears to be more recent photos.

We exit the elevator and it leads to a large room with 20 foot ceilings, doors that lead to a balcony a spiral staircase that lead to a large loft over the kitchen. The large room has a circular sectional couch that faces a very large tele. Closer to the kitchen is a large glass dining table with modern metal chairs.

Colton walks to the spiral staircase, "Roof access is up here. It's the best part of the place."

I follow him upstairs to the loft where there is a large screen, split with several views of Mia's home near the desk. The desk has small screen attached to buttons like they had at MACUSA. There is another spiral staircase that leads up. We go up the staircase and it leads to a room no larger than a closet. Colton opens the door, and what I see is hope.

11 June 2007

Rose Lee's Teabag

Diagon Alley

London, England

Draco

On Mondays, I typically met Daphne and Pansy for tea. Occasionally, Theo will join us, but it's been a long held tradition for at least seven years now. I'm on time today, which means I have about a fifteen minute wait for anyone else to get here. Last week it was just Pansy and her husband Adrian Pucey that joined me. I see Adrian on the weekends with Quidditch. He plays for the Chimeras. The Quidditch league has grown in popularity and now Potter has expanded with a second smaller quidditch field on his property for a junior league for children ages five through ten. He asked if I wanted to coach a team, but with DG Potions, I just don't have the time.

DG Potions and Holdings has expanded. We now have apothecaries in France, Germany, Spain, and Greece. Ophelia keeps buying properties all over Europe and including it in the Holdings part of the business. Though I'm C.E.O., I mainly only run the Potions operations of the business. I'm not even sure how much she has bought in the last couple of years. She's using her personal money and adding it to the business. She says capital investments are important for business. I don't mind as long as we are making money.

We are making a lot of tweaks to old Potions. We have several research teams. Since I inherited Severus Snape's estate I've read through his notes. We patented his Replenishing Sleep Potion, his Wit Enhancement Potion, and an Improved Pepper-up. They have become some of our biggest sellers. I enjoy the day to day of working. I love that I'm always learning. It's been a great experience.

Daphne has joined me with a pram holding Mini-Potter. He's an adorable baby, though I'll never admit it. He's generally a quiet and happy baby.

I stand as Daphne gets closer. She kisses my cheek, and says, "Hello Draco! It's good to see you." I help her into her chair and take mine. She continues, "Pansy owled me, she can't make it today. She's a bit nauseous. This second baby has really taken a toll on her. How have you been?"

I smile and say, "I've been well, and you?"

She smiles, "Harry and I had a nice trip to the coast."

I smirk, "The coast, huh. How properly vague of you, my dear friend."

She glares at me. "Draco, please."

I laugh, "How is our dear Hermione Granger doing?"

She sighs, "Draco, I can't. Her friendship with us us extremely conditional and I can't upset Harry."

"Conditional how?" I ask.

She looks down and then back into my eyes a little resigned, "Draco Lucius Malfoy do you promise not to tell anyone we ever had this conversation and you will not jeopardize her relationship in anyway with Harry?"

I nod, "Yes Daphne. I promise. I just want to make sure she's alright."

She smiles, "Alright. She's doing great. She has a great support system where she lives and is happy. Her conditions are we can't discuss Home in anyway. She says she'll never come back, and she doesn't care what happens on, and I quote, 'that fucking rock'."

I sigh, "Well it's been 8 years. I'm just glad she's happy where ever she is. How horribly did she spoil Mini-Potter?"

She smiles and looks at sleeping James, "She took the week off work and I didn't get to hold my baby for three days. She absolutely loves him."

I smile, "Good. Godmothers are a very important bond for a child."

She huffs, "I never said…."

I laugh, "Of course you didn't, but she's the only option since Pansy has been whinging about it for months."

She laughs, "Touché."

I laugh, "So she's never coming back?"

Daphne frowns, "No. She loathes anything to do with England. I'm sorry Draco."

I smile to seem ok. It hurts that I'll never get a chance to make things up to her. I still think about her more than I should, but I fucked it all up. "It's fine, Daph. I think my mother is planning my wedding to Monique."

She scrunches her nose, "Really?"

I laugh, "Don't worry, my friend. It's never going happen."

She smiles, "Thank Merlin!"

It was the only time she ever talked about Hermione. I assumed it was the case, but I lost all hope that day of ever seeing my Mia again.

7 April 2010

Mia's Townhouse

New York City, NY

Draco

When Colton opens the door to the roof it was not what I was expecting from someone who hated Home. No what I see in front of me is someone who wants a connection to a place she misses. We step out to a circular cobblestoned ground that has a barbecue and a worn wood table with chairs with whimsical twig backs. The table is housed under a rustic gazebo type structure made of whimsical vines about seven feet tall and covered in pink English vine roses and wisteria. Leaving the table area is a curved path that leads to a Rusty English fountain. The pathway is surrounded by quintessential over grown English garden plants and flowers; hollyhocks, lady mangles, peonies, lavender, phlox, primroses, hydrangeas, more roses. It's a English fairytale cottage garden on the roof. This roof wasn't created by someone who loathes England. This garden was made by someone who misses it very much.

Colton and I have a seat at the table and he pours us each a glass. "I love it up here. The roof is warded so it just looks like a cement slab to no-majs. Mia has it temperature controlled. How long did you say you would be in town?"

I answer, "The plan was until Friday, but plans change."

"That's cool. Have you seen much of the city?" He asks.

I shake my head. "I'm staying at The Plaza and found The District last night and drank too much at a nightclub. That's the extent of it. Can I ask you something?"

He nods, "Sure."

"The brunette bumped my shoulder with her shoulder rather aggressively. Do I need to worry about her? I questioned if she was going Avada me downstairs."

Colton laughs, "Fuck, Sasha shoulder checked you, man?" He shakes his head, "Nah, don't worry about her. She's just very protective of Mia. When we started Harvard, Sasha found her, stalked her a little bit. We were all kinda concerned at first because all Sash would say is she needs us. She's very powerful with spiritual magic. She can see auras, bonds, and magical cores. She was probably just assessing you. I thinks she fears Mia will leave us one day. She gets weird when the Potters' visit too. I've known her since we started Ilvermory when we were five. She's all bark and no bite. They all are." He finishes and laughs.

I nod, "Right then."

Colton asks, "You into quidditch?"

"I played seeker at Hogwarts, and about 7 years ago I joined a amateur league and play chaser. I like the position much better."

We continue talking about quidditch, pastimes, and careers for about an hour and made it through half the bottle when Kelly finds us. She comes over to the table and sits on Colton's lap. "It's safe to go downstairs now. Mia showed us those memories Colt, they were beautiful."

He kisses her temple and says, "You ok, baby?"

She pouts, and nods her head, "Yeah. I'm good. Mia needed that. She quit letting us give her mass amounts of tequila to spill the stuff in her head. So I think this was good for her."

I stand up, "I'm going to go downstairs". I hold out my hand to shake Colton's, "Thank you."

He nods, "No problem, man. We be down soon."

I head downstairs and back to the elevator, but instead of taking the elevator I take the stairs and view the pictures as I go. Mia looks happy in the pictures. I can tell she's close with her friends and they travel quite a lot. Between the 1st and ground floors, I see a picture of the two of us from the Anniversary Gala. She was gorgeous. Her dress was sheer on her sleeves and neckline. The bodice was fitted to her waist and the skirt was loose and the same color as her skin with a sheer overlay over the dress. The overlay was covered in gold beads and citrine crystals. She had her hair up in a complicated style, and light makeup. She was every bit The Golden Princess that evening.

1 May 1999

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

The Great Hall

Hogsmeade, Scotland

Draco

We arrive at the Anniversary Gala 45 minutes late. One look at Mia in that gorgeous dress, I had to have her one more time today. I can't get enough of her. I never knew two people could have as much sex as Mia and I do. It's not just me either, Mia keeps proving why she is a Gryffindor. After the first time, she transformed in to a woman that knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to take it. Fuck, I love her on my cock. I've had her everywhere in the castle. If it wasn't for notice-me-not charms we would have been expelled months ago. I don't think there is anything better than taking a bookworm in the library. Fuck, I love her!

She's everything a bloke would want. She's smart, beautiful, compassionate, affectionate, accepting, with just the right amount of demanding and stubbornness so she isn't a pushover. The sex is amazing, but we spend every moment together studying, talking, she is still introducing me to music. She's Introduced me to muggle literature, I've introduced her to wizarding literature. I have never been so ludicrously happy. I'm going to marry her.

We walk into The Great Hall, the long tables are all gone. It appears the room has been magically enlarged. There are round tables along the edges of the room. The tables are covered in ivory table clothes with gold chairs that have a the same ivory cloth covering the back of the chairs. The centerpieces are tall thin gold vases with large white bouquets of flowers. In the front of the room, a stage has been built. The ceiling has large crystal chandeliers hanging from it. The usual sky scene on the ceiling has been transfigured to appear like a sparkling gold river. Even with the amount of gold in the room, it's still very elegant.

I look at Mia, she looks irritated, "Love, are you alright? Would you like to dance or have a drink first?"

She looks at me and smiles, "I'm fine. I'm just looking at the exploitation of the Golden Trio. Let's have a drink, and then dance, shall we?"

We grab a champagne each and are stopped by our friends. We talk with them and them I take her to the dance floor for a waltz. We move together on the dance floor with the fluidity as we do everything together. She's just amazing.

We dance for about a half an hour before Minister Shackelbolt calls The Golden Trio to the stage. I take a step to the side to watch Mia as The Minister is giving his speech of sacrifices and heroics. Blah, blah, blah. In that moment my mother steps beside me and takes my arm.

"Hello, My Dragon." She coos.

I look down at her and smile, " I didn't think you were coming, Mother."

She rolls her eyes, "I wasn't, but thought I would come to see my son, since he has failed to visit me properly in months."

I huff, "I told you I wasn't going back to the Manor, Mother."

She looks up at me and meets my eyes, "Fine, my dear. I'll allow you, your space and dalliances while in school, but I expect once you are finished, you will fulfill your duties to the Malfoy name. Good evening."

As quickly as she appeared, she was gone again. I look to the stage and Minister Shacklebolt says, "Though so many sacrifices have been made, we wouldn't be standing here today without the three people who have joined me on the stage, The Golden Trio. These three individuals have shown the wizarding community dauntless bravery in the destruction of Lord Voldemort. We are here today to celebrate their triumph over the evil that plagued our community. To Hermione Jean Granger, Harry James Potter, and Ronald Billius Weasley the Ministry of Magic have awarded each of you with an Order of Merlin, First Class for an outstanding display of bravery."

He hands them each a box and an envelope. The applause is deafening. When Mia reaches me. She's smiling, "I didn't expect that, can we take this to my room? I don't want to carry it all night."

I hold out my arm, "Of course, Love."

When we get to her room she opens the envelope, "Oh my God, Draco. Did you know there was such a high prize for an Order of Merlin?"

She hands me a letter that states she had 700,000 galleons transferred to her vault. Then she hands me another letter that states she is receiving two million galleons in reparations from the Lestrange vaults. I wondered where their galleons were going.

"I think this calls for a celebration, my Love." I pull her in for a kiss.

She laughs, "You're insatiable. Come, we look pretty, let's go back downstairs, drink mass amounts of alcohol, and find our friends."

I laugh and we do just that. It was a wonderful evening.

7 April 2010

Mia's Townhouse

New York City, NY

Draco

I make it downstairs and all her friends including Colton and Kelly are in the sitting room. As soon as enter the room, she says, "Guys I'm fine. You should go all go. I need to talk to Mr. Malfoy, and then I have a lot to process."

Sasha, gives me another death glare. Then turns to Mia, "Are you sure?"

Mia smiles, "I promise, I'm good."

They all take turns saying goodbye to Mia. Colton, Kelly, and Mychaelia shake my hand and tell me goodbye. Sasha glares at me and leaves. I'm still standing once they have all left and Mia says, "Malfoy would you join me on the couch? I have a couple questions."

I take a seat on the end of the sofa opposite of Mia. She's no longer crying and looks pensive.

She finally asks, "Malfoy, how did she die?"

I'm positive she took her own life. It was the anniversary of her husband's death. It's not the time to tell her. I say, "Aunt Andromeda received a owl from her late at night. Andi said she was concerned, and she floo'd to Dagworth-Granger Manor and found her on top of her bed in a peaceful sleep, but she knew she was gone."

"So she wasn't able to make the changes before she died, then?" She puts her head in her palms.

I scoot closer to her and place my hand on her shoulder, "Granger she changed everything. Daphne is still my friend, she told me when she saw you after so many years, how you refused to discuss Home. She told me this in 2007, but all the changes were made about three years before. Everything in Britain has changed."

She looks at me and nods. "That makes sense. That's when Harry came to visit me. He said she had given him my address. I'm going to have to have a long talk with your Aunt Andromeda. Ophelia was one of my tutors, she said her name was Viola. She appeared to be Sirius and Remus' age. It was her though. All this time I thought the thirty million galleons I couldn't account for in my account was from the Malfoy's. I owe you an apology for thinking the worst of you."

I shake my head, "I could never be angry at you for that. I made mistakes too."

She nods, "You don't need to stay here. I'm probably going to go through all these memories. I thank you for coming all this way to deliver them to me. You should get home to your wife and your little boys."

Here we go again, "Granger let's clear this up now. You have had a large misconception for years. The Potter's have both said you refuse to hear anything about Home. I even tried to tell you earlier today. I'm not married. I have never been married. I don't have sons. Blaise Zabini, who married Astoria Greengrass in 2003, has two young twin boys with her. Daphne said she let it slip about her nephews to you last time. We meet every Monday for tea."

She glares at me and looks confused. She opens her mouth a couple of times like she is going to say something. Then she faints.