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IT WAS A COZY Saturday afternoon, and the sun poured through the windows of Draco’s room, casting warm rays on the scattered items that filled the space. Mia, now ten years old, had grown more curious about her father’s past, especially the parts of his life that she hadn’t experienced.
“Daddy, can we go through more of your memories today?” she asked excitedly, bouncing on her toes.
Draco raised an eyebrow, amused by her enthusiasm. “More of my memories? I suppose I could dig up a box or two. What do you want to see?”
“Your school pictures!” she exclaimed. “And maybe some stories about your friends!”
With a chuckle, Draco headed to the back of his closet, where he retrieved a slightly dusty box marked with his initials. “Alright, brace yourself! This might be a little embarrassing,” he warned playfully as he set the box down.
Mia eagerly knelt beside him as he opened it. Inside, they found a trove of photographs, letters, and memorabilia from Draco’s childhood and school days. “Wow! Look at all this stuff!” she exclaimed, diving in headfirst.
As she rummaged through the box, her fingers brushed against a picture of a young Narcissa, her hair styled in soft curls, with a radiant smile on her face. “Daddy, look! Grandma looks so beautiful!” Mia said, holding the picture up to admire it.
Draco smiled fondly at the photo. “Yes, she was quite the catch back in the day. Your grandmother had a lot of admirers, I can assure you.”
Mia giggled, her eyes sparkling. “I bet all the boys wanted to be her friend!”
“More like they wanted to be her date,” Draco teased, making a playful face.
As they continued sifting through the box, Mia stumbled upon a few school pictures from Draco's time at Hogwarts. “Oh, look at this one!” she said, holding up a picture of Draco standing with his friends—Blaise, Theo, and Pansy—each of them grinning widely. They were caught in a moment of laughter, clearly enjoying a joke that only they understood.
“What were you guys laughing about?” Mia asked, trying to hold back her laughter at the silly expressions they were making.
Draco chuckled as he leaned closer to inspect the photo. “Oh, I remember that day! We had just finished a particularly ridiculous Potions class, and Pansy tripped over her own feet. We were teasing her about it the whole time.”
Mia laughed, her voice light. “She always seems to be tripping! Does she still do that?”
“Not as much, but she still has her clumsy moments,” Draco said with a grin. “It’s part of her charm.”
Mia continued flipping through the pictures, her face shifting from one of joy to an unexpected seriousness as she found a few images featuring her mother, Layla. She quickly skipped over them, her heart tightening slightly. “Daddy, what about this one?” she asked, holding up a picture of Draco in his Slytherin Quidditch uniform, beaming with pride.
“Ah, my glory days!” Draco laughed, taking the photo from her hand. “That was my first year as Seeker. We had just won the championship match, and I was on cloud nine!”
Mia’s eyes widened as she took in the image. “You look so cool! I can’t believe you played Quidditch! Did you score lots of goals?”
“Not goals—Seeker’s job is to catch the Golden Snitch. It’s more about speed and reflexes,” Draco explained, puffing out his chest playfully. “But yes, I was quite good at it if I do say so myself.”
Mia rolled her eyes, grinning. “You must have been! Can you teach me how to catch a snitch?”
“Of course! We can practice together. Just remember, it takes a lot of balance and coordination,” Draco replied, already imagining their time on a broomstick.
Mia continued browsing through the box, pulling out various items—a few letters from his friends, a certificate for being the best in Potions, and even a battered old Quidditch trading card. “Daddy, do you miss your friends from school?”
“Sometimes,” he admitted, his tone softening. “We all went our separate ways after graduation, but we still keep in touch. You know, life has a way of moving us in different directions, but the memories remain.”
“Do you think I’ll make friends like that when I go to Hogwarts?” Mia asked, her curiosity evident.
Draco nodded, smiling down at her. “Absolutely. Just be yourself, and you’ll find your people. Friends who appreciate you for who you are are the best kind.”
Mia pondered this for a moment before pointing to another picture. “What about this one? You and Aunt Pansy look so serious!”
Draco leaned over to see the photograph she was holding. “Ah, that was during our third year. We were preparing for our first big exam. You can see the stress written all over our faces.”
Mia giggled, shaking her head. “You look funny when you’re serious! I can’t imagine you being all serious about school.”
“I had my moments,” Draco chuckled. “But trust me, I enjoyed my time at Hogwarts. It was a mix of fun and responsibility, just like it will be for you.”
“Did you ever get in trouble?” she asked, her voice full of mischief.
“Oh, all the time,” he replied with a smirk. “Let’s just say I had my share of detention, mostly thanks to Pansy’s wild ideas.”
Mia laughed heartily, imagining her father as a mischievous student. “I can’t wait to hear all the stories! We should write them down!”
“Great idea, Mia! We can make our own family memory book,” Draco suggested, his eyes lighting up with pride.
As they continued to explore the box together, Mia realized just how much her father had lived before she came along. But it was the laughter they shared and the stories he told that made her feel a deeper connection to him and their family history.
“Daddy, thanks for sharing all this with me,” Mia said softly, hugging the picture of Draco in his Quidditch uniform tightly to her chest. “I love learning about you!”
“I love sharing it with you, sweetheart,” he replied, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “And I can’t wait to create new memories with you as you grow.”
They sat together in the sunlit room, surrounded by memories of the past and the promise of more to come, both feeling grateful for their unique bond.
