Healing Words

Written for the QLFC Season 4 round 6.

Position: Beater 2

Team: Appleby Arrows

Virtue: Humility

Prompts: (Song) Unconditionally by Katy Perry, (Word) Therapy.

WC: 1,569

Unconditional, unconditionally

I will love you unconditionally

There is no fear now

Let go and just be free

I will love you

Unconditionally

Unconditionally by Katy Perry

Draco Malfoy arrived at the courtyard and released a heavy sigh, finally free of his well-meaning parents and the Greengrass family, who gathered in the Dining Room at Malfoy Manor. Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy had decided that Draco and Astoria should be married, and took it upon themselves to invite the family round for dinner, much to their son's chagrin. As if he didn't have enough to worry about without his parents interfering in his unwanted love life.

The Second Wizarding War had ended nearly two years ago, yet to Draco, it felt like only yesterday. The screams and cries of his fellow students and the other brave witches and wizards who fought to the bitter end in the Battle of Hogwarts surfaced in his dreams. Guilt gnawed relentlessly at his heart when he remembered how he left Hogwarts with his mother and father. At the time, he told himself they were doing the sensible thing, that only fools would stick around waiting for death—anything to avoid admitting the truth; he was a coward. Their escape from the battle had been the final nail in his family's coffin, and now they were one of the most despised wizarding families in all of Britain

"How the mighty have fallen, right onto their sword," Draco thought miserably.

"Draco? Are you out here?"

He flinched at the sound of her voice, the person he least wanted to see. Here she was, looking for him as always. Deciding to remain silent and hope that she would pass by, Draco held his breath and wished for the power of invisibility.

"There you are. Didn't you hear me calling? Your mother was getting worried and asked me to look for you."

"Of course she did. Mother never could just let me be."

Astoria looked taken aback by his words, but she soon recovered and walked over to him. "She's worried about you, that's all. We all want to see you return to your former self."

A small laugh slipped out before he could stop it, and he rolled his eyes at her words. "You want me to go back to being the arrogant wimp that picked on people he deemed weaker than himself and lorded over the school?"

"No, that's— "

"The one that Voldemort singled out to become a Death Eater and murder Dumbledore?"

"Draco, you didn't— "

"Yes, I didn't, because I'm too much of a coward, and Snape had to do my dirty work for me!"

Astoria stepped closer, causing Draco to take a step back. A flicker of hurt flashed across her face, but it was replaced by a determination to get through to him one way or another. "Do you think you'd feel better if you completed your task? If you'd let evil permanently blacken your heart?"

Her questions took him by surprise, and he gaped at her before finding his voice once more. "No."

Her face softened at his answer, and her words were laced with sympathy and concern. "Then why do you keep beating yourself up and living in the past? Voldemort gave you a terrible mission, and you feared for your life and those of your family members. I'm sure many people in your situation would've done the same, and the important thing is you didn't go through with it. You are many things, Draco, but a murderer isn't one of them. Deep down, you are a good person. I know it."

Draco had waited almost two years for someone to tell him this, and now Astoria had, he struggled to believe her. He ran a hand through his messy, unstyled hair while trying to avoid her hazel eyes. "You have too much faith in me," he told her.

Astoria laughed softly and closed the gap between them; this time, he didn't step away, and she gently stroked his cheek. "You don't have enough faith in yourself."

The tenderness in her gaze mixed with her powerful words made him dizzy and powerless to resist. With a strength he didn't know he possessed, Draco moved her hand away and put a distance between them before he did something stupid like kissing her. "I can't do this. Tell my mother I'm sorry and I'll be back later."

"You can't avoid the inevitable forever, Draco."

"I can try."

After one more glance at the beautiful girl who was much too good for him, he Apparated away.

.oOo.

To the annoyance of his meddling mother, he'd successfully avoided any meetings with the Greengrass family for three months, and they were the longest three months of his life. Try as he might, he couldn't get her words out of his head.

"You don't have enough faith in yourself."

Was this true? Should he forgive himself for the part, he played in the war and try to move on, instead of continuing to live as a shell of his former self, wracked with shame and self-doubt?

Shaken out of his thoughts by his mother calling to him, Draco cast a final disinterested glance at his appearance and left his bedroom. Narcissa was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, her happy smile turning quickly into a frown when she saw him. "Draco," she hissed, "what do you think you are doing coming down to dinner in that state when we have a special guest?"

His heart sank as he asked her the question he already knew the answer to. "I didn't know we had a visitor, Mother. Who is it?"

She opened her mouth to tell him, but their guest beat her to it. "Hello, Draco."

He turned in the direction her voice had come from, and her beauty took his breath away. Her hair was up in a bun with a few strands escaping, and she wore a divine, knee-length emerald dress; he wondered if she knew that his favourite colour was green. "Astoria, what a pleasant surprise."

"Is it? I was starting to get the feeling that you were avoiding me."

Lucius made his presence known by clearing his throat loudly and casting a disapproving look in his son's direction. "Perish the thought, my dear Astoria. Draco has been very busy recently, and we have barely seen him ourselves. Now, as for the state of his attire, I can only apologise on his behalf."

Astoria smiled and glanced warmly at Draco. "There's no need for apologies, Lucius. I see nothing wrong with Draco's appearance whatsoever. In fact, if I'd have known I would've dressed down myself."

A pin dropping to the floor could have been heard in the deafening silence that ensued, and Draco felt a rising warmth for the girl who'd caused his father's mouth to drop wide open in shock. He was sure that Astoria had said this to side with him and stand up against his father's disapproval, but whatever her reason it felt nice to have someone on his team for once. He held out his arm to Astoria and temporarily broke the tension that surrounded them. "Shall we go into the dining room? I'm so hungry I could eat a Hippogriff."

Astoria nodded happily, casting a look of amusement at Lucius and Narcissa before walking into the dining room with Draco. "You look beautiful tonight," he murmured to her in a way that would've made his old seld proud.

"Thank you," she replied as a blush formed on her cheeks. Draco held out a chair for Astoria before sitting down next to her, his heart feeling lighter than it had in years.

.oOo.

Lucius had cooled considerably towards Astoria since their last meal, and even Narcissa seemed less sure about Astoria's suitability for her son. However, Draco once again couldn't forget the things that she said. Her words were the best kind of therapy, and he couldn't wait to see her again. As if she could read his mind, Astoria's eagle owl appeared at the window and tapped the glass with its beak. Draco's heart nearly leapt out of his chest as he wondered why she was writing to him. He gave the owl a treat and snatched the letter impatiently, tearing it open.

Dear Draco,

I enjoyed our dinner immensely, and it was great to see you again after so long. You seem to have changed for the better in the three months that we didn't see each other, and I hope our talk contributed in some way.

My family have been complaining about your absence, and I was wondering if you and your parents would like to join us for dinner this Saturday at 7 pm. I would love to see you again soon, so I hope you can make it. Please send me a reply as quickly as possible.

Love, Astoria

His face lit up into a genuine smile at her invite. It was time for him to join the living again and change his life for the better, and somehow he just knew that Astoria was the key to making his mission successful. He grabbed some parchment and started writing.

His new life was about to begin.