Work Text:
“I can’t! I have work to do!”
“I’m sorry,” said y/n, “but you have to take her. I have really important business that I absolutely can’t miss”.
Draco let a sigh escape his mouth as he watched his wife standing in front of him. “Alright”
“I love you”
“I love you too,” he said in defeat. Y/n gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and then headed out the door. This was the fourth time this month Draco has had to skip work to take care of his and y/n’s daughter, Rosalie. Usually, they would just get a babysitter, which is what they had been doing since Rose’s birth a year ago; But lately, their usual, Hermione, had been all too busy to help out. So, Draco and y/n have been forced to both work full-time jobs as well as take care of a toddler full-time. Of course, this was not easy for either of them. With Draco working in the Ministry and y/n working as an Auror, this had proven to be quite a challenge. And to make matters worse, Rose was having a clingy phase which meant that she wanted, no had to be around mummy at all times. If she were not, she would burst into tears and throw the biggest temper tantrum a one-year-old could manage. The only other thing that could calm her down in one of her “episodes” was her pacifier.
Luckily for Draco, Rose was still sound asleep upstairs which meant that he had enough time to do something with his day before she woke up.
Draco started to clean up around the house making his way through the formal living room into the kitchen. He looked at the clock to see that it was 3pm. ‘Rose must be up by now’ he thought. Draco made his way up the stairs to his daughter's bedroom, opening the door slowly as not the wake her up if she was still sleeping.
When he entered the room he noticed her holding her favorite stuffed animal and giggling. Draco stood there for a second; a big grin appearing on his face. “Hey princess,” he said.
“DADDY” Rose practically screamed as she stood up and held on to the bars of the crib.
Draco ran over to her and picked her up, “Are you hungry?” She made a sound that would’ve just sounded like gibberish to anyone else, but Draco understood perfectly and carried her downstairs. He placed her in her high chair and gave her some peas. He tried to get her to eat some but she was hesitant.
“Here comes the airp-”
“NO! I want Mummy!”
Draco sighed, “Mummy’s not here right now Rosie”
“I WANT MUMMY!” Rose started to throw a tantrum; flailing her arms about, knocking the peas to the floor, and rocking the high chair.
Draco picked her up and tried his best to console her but she was not having it. He set her back in the high chair and went to go look for her pacifier. By this point, her little pale face was firetruck red and her short hair was even messier than it had been before.
He tried his best to remain calm, but let’s face it, Draco was panicking. Turning things upside down looking for his daughter’s pacifier. Rose no longer throwing a tantrum, but balling her eyes out. Draco returned to his daughter, angry because he couldn’t find her binky, and heartbroken because of his Rose. He carried her back up to her room. This time, she wasn’t fighting him, but clinging to him and sobbing in the crook of his neck.
Draco sat in the big armchair by the window in Rose’s room and set her on his lap as he tried to calm her down. Eventually, her sobs turned into zzz’s. Draco continued to stroke her hair as silent tears rolled down his face. He felt like a horrible father. The sun was just setting outside Rose’s window. ‘I can’t even calm down my own daughter’ he thought.
Draco continued to hold Rose close to his chest, just as y/n appeared in the doorway. “What’s wrong, darling,” she said lovingly.
Draco looked up to see his beautiful wife standing next to the armchair. He wiped his tears and laid Rose down gently in her crib. “It’s nothing. I just...,” Draco stammered.
Y/n cupped his face with her hands and smiled at him, signaling at him to continue.
“I feel like a horrible father y/n. I can’t get Rose to eat; I can’t calm her down when she throws a tantrum. I lost her pacifier, the ONLY thing that calms her down, besides you. And lastly, she only ever wants you”.
“Dray...” y/n started, “you’re not a horrible father”
“Yes, I am. I-”
“Hey!” She interrupted him, “you got her to sleep, didn’t you? She fell asleep clinging to your chest”
“Yea, but-”
“No! You are not your father. You are miles and miles ahead of him. You are a better father to Rosie than he will ever be” y/n could already see Draco’s features starting to relax. “It’s normal for little kids to be clingy to their mums”
“I guess you’re right”
“That cause I am” y/n smirked as she pulled Draco in for a hug that was well deserved.
“Thank you” he mumbled into her neck.
“Of course, my love”