This outtake is AU to my Ginny Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone story; if
you're reading GPSS, you know this is a bit different, but it uses the same
characters.
Ode to the Dead
Draco Malfoy looked down at the grave of Harry Potter.
A century and a half ago, Harry had been murdered.
Slowly, with the deliberate slowness of the aged, Draco sat down on the ground. His legs protested at the awkward position; the once strong legs were frail and withered now.
"Hey Harry."
Draco paused. All his life, he had been purposeful. It seemed so. . .pointless to talk to the dead.
Screw it.
"I don't know where to begin."
"It's been. . .so, so long. I find I don't have anyone to talk to anymore. It's all memory now."
"Four years, Harry. Four short years. You gave me everything. I've lived a long, good life, Harry, and I owe it to you."
The silent tombstone had no reply.
"Can you believe they made me Minister of Magic? Oh, I had to fight for it, of course, but in the end, they chose me. A Malfoy. Centuries of whispers and fear erased. It never would have happened if it wasn't for you."
"I miss you."
Draco coughed, and then laughed.
"I know, I know, I sound too maudlin for a Malfoy, but I miss it. I miss you, I'm not ashamed to admit it now. I should have said it when you were alive, but I like to think you knew. I miss you, and Ron, and God help me, I even miss Hermione. And Ginny. . ."
Draco coughed, choked a bit, and shut his eyes.
"I hope you're proud, Harry, I hope you're greeting her now, and holding her close. I hope you feel I did her right. Neither of us were worthy of her, but you know that. We were two of the luckiest men to ever walk the planet, you know that? I'm trusting you, Harry. . .make it easy for her over there. I did the best I could to take care of her when you left us, now it's your turn to watch her until I rejoin you again."
Draco almost lost control then, but he gritted his dentures together and clenched his jaw so tight it hurt. Several minutes went by before his voice croaked again.
"You, Jennifer and Ginny all saved my soul. Ron and Hermione gave me purpose. I owe my life to all of you. I hope you realize how grateful I am."
"You would be proud of your great-great grandson. He was sorted into Gryffindor last month. I'm glad Ginny could see it."
"I admit it was awkward when we had twins. Lucius was sorted into Gryffindor, Phineas was sorted into Slytherin. And they both made the Quidditch team as seekers their second year. Made cheering for the games quite confusing, with Ginny yelling for one side and me for the other. I wonder what you would have thought."
Draco couldn't keep the pride, and a bit of the old competitiveness out of his voice.
"Slytherin won the cup that year. Barely, I will confess."
Draco paused, and stared into space for awhile.
"All memories now. Four years from when I came to your house that night, you left me. You left all of us. All the things we did in such a short time, it's all memory now. My whole life has been governed by those four years. Now, I spend more and more time just thinking about things that happened a hundred and fifty years ago."
"I'm an old man, Harry. And getting old sucks. Still, you should have tried it."
"I tried to do right by you on her tombstone, Harry. I hope you two like it. Sirius helped me, you know."
He stretched out a hand to the cold, hard stone of the marker. Draco curled his gnarled fingers around it, and pulled himself up.
"I have to go now, Harry. I'll be joining you soon, I'm sure. Take care of her, will you, for both of us."
Draco felt himself grow unsteady, and then felt an arm around him. He saw a face, and for a moment thought it was Harry - but no, Harry had never been that old.
Of course.
"Sirius. . ."
Sirius Potter held Draco as best he could.
"Come on, Dad, it's getting cold. Let's get to the floater."
"Don't even think of using your wand to lighten me, Sirius, I want to walk away from here under my own power, do you hear me?"
Sirius Potter smiled. Draco gripped his adopted son's shoulder for support, and looked towards the waiting hovercraft. His eyes, sharp as ever, made out the form of his grandson at the controls.
Harry Malfoy looked at his legendary grandfather, walking away from the joint gravesite of his namesake and his grandmother.
As the hovercraft pulled away, the sun broke through the clouds, and illuminated the graves. One stone was very old, but its twin was so new that there was still dust where the chisel had hewn out the lettering. An exceptionally powerful spell had been cast to protect it from the ravages of time, so the words would be legible for many centuries.
Here Lies Virginia Weasley Potter Malfoy
Beloved Daughter, Sister, Friend and Mother
Loving Widow of Harry Potter
Beloved Wife of Draco Malfoy
She Will Live On In Those Who Loved Her
Ode to the Dead
Draco Malfoy looked down at the grave of Harry Potter.
A century and a half ago, Harry had been murdered.
Slowly, with the deliberate slowness of the aged, Draco sat down on the ground. His legs protested at the awkward position; the once strong legs were frail and withered now.
"Hey Harry."
Draco paused. All his life, he had been purposeful. It seemed so. . .pointless to talk to the dead.
Screw it.
"I don't know where to begin."
"It's been. . .so, so long. I find I don't have anyone to talk to anymore. It's all memory now."
"Four years, Harry. Four short years. You gave me everything. I've lived a long, good life, Harry, and I owe it to you."
The silent tombstone had no reply.
"Can you believe they made me Minister of Magic? Oh, I had to fight for it, of course, but in the end, they chose me. A Malfoy. Centuries of whispers and fear erased. It never would have happened if it wasn't for you."
"I miss you."
Draco coughed, and then laughed.
"I know, I know, I sound too maudlin for a Malfoy, but I miss it. I miss you, I'm not ashamed to admit it now. I should have said it when you were alive, but I like to think you knew. I miss you, and Ron, and God help me, I even miss Hermione. And Ginny. . ."
Draco coughed, choked a bit, and shut his eyes.
"I hope you're proud, Harry, I hope you're greeting her now, and holding her close. I hope you feel I did her right. Neither of us were worthy of her, but you know that. We were two of the luckiest men to ever walk the planet, you know that? I'm trusting you, Harry. . .make it easy for her over there. I did the best I could to take care of her when you left us, now it's your turn to watch her until I rejoin you again."
Draco almost lost control then, but he gritted his dentures together and clenched his jaw so tight it hurt. Several minutes went by before his voice croaked again.
"You, Jennifer and Ginny all saved my soul. Ron and Hermione gave me purpose. I owe my life to all of you. I hope you realize how grateful I am."
"You would be proud of your great-great grandson. He was sorted into Gryffindor last month. I'm glad Ginny could see it."
"I admit it was awkward when we had twins. Lucius was sorted into Gryffindor, Phineas was sorted into Slytherin. And they both made the Quidditch team as seekers their second year. Made cheering for the games quite confusing, with Ginny yelling for one side and me for the other. I wonder what you would have thought."
Draco couldn't keep the pride, and a bit of the old competitiveness out of his voice.
"Slytherin won the cup that year. Barely, I will confess."
Draco paused, and stared into space for awhile.
"All memories now. Four years from when I came to your house that night, you left me. You left all of us. All the things we did in such a short time, it's all memory now. My whole life has been governed by those four years. Now, I spend more and more time just thinking about things that happened a hundred and fifty years ago."
"I'm an old man, Harry. And getting old sucks. Still, you should have tried it."
"I tried to do right by you on her tombstone, Harry. I hope you two like it. Sirius helped me, you know."
He stretched out a hand to the cold, hard stone of the marker. Draco curled his gnarled fingers around it, and pulled himself up.
"I have to go now, Harry. I'll be joining you soon, I'm sure. Take care of her, will you, for both of us."
Draco felt himself grow unsteady, and then felt an arm around him. He saw a face, and for a moment thought it was Harry - but no, Harry had never been that old.
Of course.
"Sirius. . ."
Sirius Potter held Draco as best he could.
"Come on, Dad, it's getting cold. Let's get to the floater."
"Don't even think of using your wand to lighten me, Sirius, I want to walk away from here under my own power, do you hear me?"
Sirius Potter smiled. Draco gripped his adopted son's shoulder for support, and looked towards the waiting hovercraft. His eyes, sharp as ever, made out the form of his grandson at the controls.
Harry Malfoy looked at his legendary grandfather, walking away from the joint gravesite of his namesake and his grandmother.
As the hovercraft pulled away, the sun broke through the clouds, and illuminated the graves. One stone was very old, but its twin was so new that there was still dust where the chisel had hewn out the lettering. An exceptionally powerful spell had been cast to protect it from the ravages of time, so the words would be legible for many centuries.
Here Lies Virginia Weasley Potter Malfoy
Beloved Daughter, Sister, Friend and Mother
Loving Widow of Harry Potter
Beloved Wife of Draco Malfoy
She Will Live On In Those Who Loved Her