I was going to miss Harry. I was going to miss the way he twirled his hair around his finger when he was tired and the way he smirked every time he saw me. I still often wondered what I had done to deserve the Chosen One. Merlin, I would miss him.

"Have you got all of your stuff? Your books, your parchment, clothes, toiletry?", Harry worriedly checked. I nodded calmly, smiling down at him. I put my hand on his cheek and whispered: "When I'm back, I will give you the best snogging session you've ever had.". His eyes lit up and his face turned a very adorable shade of pink. "I can't wait until you're back.", he giggled into my arms as we hugged one last time before I left. He gave me a short kiss and then waved me goodbye as I left him standing at the door of our room. We had agreed it was a better idea to say our goodbyes there to avoid attracting unwanted attention from certain people. If we were surrounded by other students, we wouldn't have had the chance to say a proper goodbye.

McGonagall had prepared a carriage for me back to the station where I would take the train to King's Cross. From there, an auror would pick me up and escort me to my home. After that, well, I would see my father again.

The train ride was lonely. I was the only passenger as far as I knew, other than Professor Sprout who had volunteered to accompany me on the ride. "Mr. Malfoy, I'm afraid I must ask you a question. Are you quite alright? I have been informed, of course, about your situation and do indeed wish you all the best.", she calmly said. I looked at her, she was sitting in the booth next to mine. I shrugged. "It's been difficult, I will admit, and it will get harder, but I'll be alright. I really prefer not to talk about it, if you don't mind Professor.", I answered, averting my gaze back to the window. I could see hills with forests and lakes that at this time of year would be freezing cold to swim in. The sun was hiding behind some clouds, making the outside look grey and glacial. We weren't even in Winter yet. Sprout nodded and peered outside the window as I did. "The weather really is getting colder, isn't it?", she sighed. I hummed a response. I appreciated her attempt at small talk, but I was too tired to make much of an effort. I did not look forward to seeing my father.

We finally arrived, after a long and exhausting train ride to King's Cross. Professor Sprout gave me a smile as she stayed on board and the train left once more. I was alone now like I used to be. With my suitcase at hand, I walked off the platform and was greeted by an Auror. I had never seen or met him before. Standing at a height taller than my own, the Auror had short lanky brown hair that he would probably have completely lost in a few years' time. He had hooded blue eyes, thick eyebrows, and an angular threatening face. The man was dressed in a sleek suit of rich emerald color and on top a black trench coat. "You must be the Malfoy boy. My name is Richard Browne, you will address me as 'sir'. Is that understood?", the Auror said in a deep raspy voice. I found him quite intimidating, certainly because of his last name; Browne. I knew this man's son a little too well. "Yes sir.", I answered, raising a brow. I looked him up and down twice, making sure he saw me, and then rolled my eyes, silently insulting the man. I might be messed up in the head, but I would not let some auror intimidate me, I was a Malfoy after all. This was our legacy.

I followed Mr. Browne to a black car, he told me to get in, so I did, and then he got in the driver's seat and drove us away. Richard Browne wasn't a very talkative man, on the contrary, he refused to say a word to me. I absolutely didn't mind this because so did I. We drove through many roads, along different cities until we arrived in the quiet countryside. He slowed down here because the roads were small, surrounded by bushes, and rocky. We arrived at the Chateau, my new home. It wasn't like the manor, it didn't have so many rooms, it wasn't so absolutely grandiose, and my room was barely the same size as the Slytherin common room. It was disgraceful, but it ought to do. Malfoy Manor was no longer a place where we could live.

The chateau was a large white mansion, with a brown hay roof and many blue windows. The gardens were occupied mostly by Orchids and sunflowers, the two favorite flowers of my mother. She had taken up gardening as a new hobby. There was a gnome on the stone fence we had around the mansion that for some reason we couldn't seem to get rid of.

My mother was waiting for me in front of the door. As always she wore a black dress that contrasted beautifully with our signature blond hair. "Farewell Richard Browne.", I said as I stepped out of the car. I walked away, but then changed my mind and turned around, "Oh and I almost forgot. Please educate your son and teach him some manners. Teach him, especially about reputation and the example you are. He should be a good kid if his dad is an Auror, right?", I smugly told him. A smirk marked my face as Mr. Browne had trouble containing his anger. He immediately drove away, without as much as an answer.

I turned around suitcase in hand and a smirk on my face. I opened the black gate to our garden and walked the path to the front door. She had left it open for me to close, and the smell of melon cream pie hung in the air. I entered. The hallway to the kitchen was brightly lit with many pictures of our family on the black walls. There was a stairway on the left and a door to the right. I was anxious to see my mother, things weren't too great in our family with the nearing death of my father. I called it death even though it wasn't. I refused to see the soulless shell of what was once my father as something that was alive. That is why I called it death. I entered the well-lit kitchen where my mother, in her long black dress and apron, was cooking. "Hello son.", she spoke. She didn't turn around. I put my suitcase down next to the table, hung my coat on the wall, and sat down. "Why are you cooking mother? Where is the maid?", I asked her. I couldn't remember the last time my mother had cooked for our family, of course now our 'family' was just me and her. Now she turned around, taking the pie out of the oven. "Janette is on maternity leave and her replacement doesn't arrive until tomorrow.", my mother answered me. She cut up the warm pie and served our pieces on a plate. We ate in silence at first, not wanting to talk about my father, but then she asked me a question. "I was quite surprised at your letter and certainly its origin. Tell me, have you finally found someone you are romantically interested in?". I wasn't surprised by the question at all. I knew it was coming, my inquiry about love wouldn't have gone without notice. "Perhaps I have.", I answered. I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Harry. I already missed him. My mother must've noticed because she too suddenly smiled. "I'm happy for you Draco. I truly am. I wished you would tell me who it was, but I can feel you're not ready for that yet and that's alright.", she said, placing her cutlery on her finished plate. I mimicked this, clearing my throat. "Actually mother, I would very much like to tell you who it is. As long as you never tell father because it's not exactly someone he expected for me to like.", I sighed, taking deep breaths. She nodded quietly in anticipation. "I am in love with the one and only Mister Harry Potter. I believe you're familiar with him.", I declared. I thought I would feel nervous telling my secret to my Mother but turns out, my love for Harry was more important than cowardice and I longed to speak to everyone about it, boast about him, and snog him in front of any stranger. I wish I was able to. She stayed quiet for a while, as she cleared our plates from the table and put them next to the sink. Then she spun around to look at me. She smiled. "I must admit, I didn't expect you to love the boy we were all supposed to want dead a year ago, and I never thought your first love would be a man, but as long as you're happy Draco, I am too because you are the only thing that matters.", she softly reassured me. I let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding and smiled back at her. That was the last we talked of it, there was nothing more to say for now. We were both constantly thinking of the person I would see in two days.

I climbed the stairs, arriving in a hallway similar to the first one, and took the second door to the right. My room was very large, it extended from the middle of the mansion to the front. I wanted it to be there so I could always see who arrived or departed from the place my mother called our home, of course, my true home would always be Hogwarts. My room had mostly white walls and a wooden floor that I had painted black. On one of the walls, I had painted a mural. It was a starry night, one of my favorite things to look at. I had often gone to the astronomy tower in the past and even now still, I remember exactly the composition of the stars. Some were huddled together, and others roamed freely and seemed to be in a different spot each time. My canopy bed was against the longest wall. It was draped in green and silver, colors that used to mean a lot more to me, and there was a picture of my friends by my bedside. 'Pansy and Blaise, Draco's best friends', was written next to it. I smiled, picking it up. I made some good memories with those two and although I had a feeling me and Blaise were becoming less and less acquainted, Pansy was still there. I had often thought of her as a fake friend, a liar, a gossip, and a snake, but she seemed so much nicer now that the war was over. Perhaps she had always been like that, perhaps it was me that closed myself off, me that was a fake friend, a liar, and a snake. I put the picture back and sat down on my soft bed. Almost the entirety of my room was filled with bookcases, filled to the brim with information on various different subjects. There were stars, dragons, quidditch, potions, art, and many more. I aspired to know everything about everything, but lately, all there was, was either emptiness or Harry and it was mostly Harry and his awfully attractive physique. There was a desk and a potions station containing a cauldron and finally, there was a large window that gave me a view of our front yard and the country road. I often sat there, in the window, on the pillows, and beneath the blankets, reading about one of my many interests. I went to sit there now, but it didn't feel the same knowing my father would die in less than a week. Perhaps I should tell him about Harry and me, but I figured better not. It was his last moment with me after all, and I didn't want him to be sad or disappointed in me, for once in my life I wanted to have a normal conversation with him. Chances were, that wouldn't be the case.

The next day, I woke up early in the morning, went for a run, ate the breakfast the new maid had prepared, I believe her name was Amelia and read a book. It was about food, not something I was particularly interested in because of my past with food, but I still found it enjoyable. I talked a bit about classes with my mother, and about Blaise and Pansy because she was curious about how they were doing. Overall it was a normal day, waking up, eating, doing something, eating, doing something else, eating, and sleeping. The usual. I had a very hard time sleeping though, the anxiety was radiating off of me. I was stressed about my father, about visiting him in Azkaban, about the Dementors that might feed on my delicious memories. Harry was afraid of Dementors, I remembered that. And it didn't help that I was overcome by a nightmare.

'I was sitting in class, among many other students, Blaise and Pansy laughing alongside me. We had a new teacher. He walked up to the small podium at the front of the class and turned around. Mr. Gray. Upon seeing my horror, he started laughing hysterically, all the students laughing with him, Pansy and Blaise and Harry were nowhere to be seen. He wasn't there to save me. Suddenly all the lights went out, the room was dark and I was alone, then I felt a hand on my shoulder.'

I woke up in my own sweat, I was badly rested and thinking only of my encounter with my father. I had to get ready. I took a shower, resisting the urge to scrub off the mark that stained my skin, then dressed in my best attire. My emerald green suit with a black turtleneck underneath. He gave me this suit himself, on my 17th birthday. That was last year before everything went wrong. I thought about slicking my hair back, but I decided I wouldn't, but then I ended up doing it anyway. I believe I was nervous, I second-guessed every decision I made, wondering if it was good enough for my father and if he would perhaps hate it. I couldn't believe that even from Azkaban, he was still controlling my life. In a hurry, almost falling, I went downstairs where my mother had prepared breakfast. I could barely eat a bite. I had to forcefully stuff my mouth and chew and swallow. It was a difficult process, but I did it anyway. My mother seemed nervous as well. She usually had a smile on her face upon seeing me, but today she seemed somewhere else as if her head was in the clouds or some faraway land where she hadn't to deal with such foolish family issues. We waited in the living room, in silence for the auror to arrive so he could bring me to the prison. We had waited for a while when we heard a knock on the door. It was a man I had never seen before. He was very short and had a stubble beard. His eyes were much too big for his head and his mouth much too small. He had a shaved head but had forgotten a pluck of black hair on the back of his head. He was wearing ochre yellow robes and a bright green bowler. He shot me a huge smile, and I could see the green leftovers of his previous meal stuck between his yellow teeth. "Hello, Mr. Malfoy. I'm Terrence McRonan and I will be the one escorting you. Why don't you go ahead and grab my arm so we can apparate.", he said. His voice was high-pitched but well-controlled. Reluctantly, I grabbed his arm, he smelled like avocado's and said goodbye to my mother. She only gave me a quick nod. The air around me turned and the world spun, I was under the impression all of my organs were bouncing against my bones and switching places. I had apparated before, but it had been a very long time ago because I was no longer allowed to apparate. We had a smooth landing and I suddenly found myself in a cold, dark room. I let go of the auror. My breath was glacial, smoke in the air and my whole body shaking. I could feel them nearby, the dementors, they were like a force sucking me towards them, aching me to come, but I didn't want to because it was as if all the happiness in the world had disappeared. I wanted it back, happiness.

"You can sit down here, the auror that will bring your father will be here soon as well.", the man spoke. I did as I was told, sitting down on the cold grey hard metal chair. There was a metal desk in front of me and another chair opposite me. I didn't have to wait long because the door opened only a minute or so after we arrived. First, there was an auror that arrived, behind him there was my father and then another auror. My father looked terrible. His blonde hair came to his waist, but it had almost entirely turned grey. He had a beard as well, not very long, but it was definitely there. He was stumbling over his feet, his grey prisoner suit was torn up and dirty and he emitted a smell I couldn't quite place, I wasn't sure I wanted to. He sat down opposite me, staring at the table. The two Aurors had come to my side of the room, then did a spell to separate the two halves of the room, right through the middle of the table. After a while, my mother looked up at me. He looked ten years older, the wrinkles deep in his face, and his eyes were tired and half-closed. "Draco? Is that you?", he asked. "Yes, father, it is.", I answered. "My son. My beautiful smart son. I've missed you so much, Draco, it is terrible here. It is torture. But it doesn't matter because, in a week, I will be nothing, but the shadow of the man I once was.", he muttered. His voice was shaky and shrill and he even sounded like an old man. "Of course, it matters, father. You will be missed-", I had started saying, but he interrupted me. "I have done you so much harm, I was an awful father and I tried to sculpt you into me, but it didn't work because you are stronger than I was. I'm so sorry Draco, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry...", he insisted. He kept saying it, he kept apologizing, and there was nothing I could say to make him stop. I turned to the Aurors, tears forming in my eyes, I hated seeing my father like this. "Please,", I pleaded, "Please, just make him stop!". The Aurors looked at each other and one of them nodded. Suddenly it was awfully silent in the room, my father had stopped, and when he looked up at me, he looked terrified. He mumbled something I couldn't understand, so I asked him to repeat it. "They're coming.", was what he had said. And I soon understood. A dark hooded figure, his cloak enveloping its thin body, floated towards my father. It had appeared out of the shadows. There was only dark, the breathing of me and my father, and a strange freezing breeze upon my face. It slowly approached my father, I wanted to stop it, but I stayed immobile in my seat, perhaps thinking it was a nightmare. I could see my father struggling, he grabbed at his chair, and tried to cry out for me, but failed to make an intelligible sound. He fell to the ground, where I couldn't see him and the dementor started hovering above him. It was then that I stood up and started punching the invisible wall, screaming, and yelling for help. I wanted to send the dementor away using the Patronus charm, but when I tried my pockets, I understood I had left my wand at home. Banging on the wall, I had the temporary attention of the dementor, but the Aurors pulled me back. One on my left, another on the right, and Mr. McRonan holding my face, so I was forced to watch. I struggled under their grip, trying to escape, but they were all stronger than they looked. My father lay on the ground, his eyes closed as if he was sleeping, the dementor came closer and closer until there was barely space between them. At the last second, I saw my father open his eyes and look at me, and he mumbled something. I didn't hear him, but I knew what he said. He had said 'Draco'. The dementor's mouth locked to his and his eyes appeared to glaze over at once. His body clumsily lay there, his chest still going up and down, but he was only the shell of my father's being. I cried and cried, and the dementor disappeared, and I fell to the stone cold floor, and everything was slow. I felt someone kick my side, another my face, and another my leg. The pain was numbed by the emptiness I suddenly felt. I didn't expect my fathers' death to happen in front of me, I didn't think I'd care that much. He had been a terrible father and there was no excuse for the things he did, but he loved me and I loved him. The auror that brought me to the prison sent me back out again, not coming along for the ride. I ended up on my own doorstep with a bruised side, bruised leg, and a bruised face. But I didn't care at all. My mother's voice when she saw me, when she cried out, taking me in her arms, it was silent, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. 

A/N: Hi guys, it's been a while. Truth be told I really considered dropping this, mainly because I feel like I no longer need Drarry as the kind of safe haven it used to be for me. I've grown a lot this year, not in height though, but definitely in maturity and just so many things have changed. Then I remembered that a few years ago, back when I used to read these fanfictions at 1 in the morning because I was invested, I would be so sad and disappointed whenever I came across a discontinued fanfiction. Which is why I have decided to write and upload this chapter this evening. I hope you guys enjoyed it!