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It’s his day. Draco is forty-one, and he’s really not sure how he ended up standing on the ferry boat in Florida, of all places.
But no, it’s not just any boat; it’s the “General Joe Potter.” And no, it has no relation to the Chosen One. He asked Hermione himself. She also told him his birthday gift is to be a day at Disneyworld’s Magic Kingdom.
He told his wife, “Granger, we have magic at home.”
The witch rolled her eyes and continued helping their daughter into her princess dress that morning. Draco even offered the nine-year-old a real crown from the family vaults. She frowned at the crown and chose the plastic one instead. His daughter, a Malfoy, wearing cheap plastic jewellery. His grandmother would be rolling her grave to see the sight.
But he sees his daughter’s excitement, and he sees the way Hermione pouts and even after 19 years of marriage, he still can’t say no to her. And now that his daughter is getting older, she pouts just the same, and he’s a sucker.
Dahlia holds her mother’s hand, bouncing up and down as the boat carries them closer. Her hair, like her mother’s, is curled and unruly, the frizz already puffing up her hair in the elegant bun and curls already falling around her face. But her plastic tiara sits perfectly on her hair, and her golden dress has no wrinkles in it yet.
His hand itches to take his wand and fix the stray platinum locks. Instead, he takes his hand and attempts to tuck one of the curls behind the girl’s ears. His daughter looks up to him, a toothy grin on her face.
“Scorp, get away from the railing you might fall in!” Hermione shouts to their son.
Their son glares over his shoulder because what fifteen-year-old wouldn’t?
Scorpius is a good kid. He’s fifteen now. He’s near the top of his class. He’s a prefect, and he is good at not getting caught when he makes trouble. He gets that from Hermione. He came home for the weekend to spend it with his family. But he’s still a teenager, and as much as he wants to act like he’s “too old” to be going to Disney with his family, he’s excited.
Draco sighs and shakes his head. It’s only seven-thirty in the morning, and it’s already hot outside. He wishes he could cast a cooling charm.
No magic; that’s the rule today. Just a typical family who’s enjoying an anti-magic day at the happiest place on earth--where muggle-made magic is all around them.
He won’t deny that he isn’t curious to see how the muggles make “magic.”
Hermione promised him today would be fun for everyone. Besides, he gets to wear a button that says it’s his birthday.
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He hates the button.
Strangers won’t stop wishing him a happy birthday, and he really can’t tell if their happiness is as manufactured as the rest of the park.
The trees are made of paper, the birds sing with the press of a button, and everyone has ears on.
He hates it.
They haven’t even made it 100 feet into the park, and his daughter is already dragging his wife straight to the castle at the end of the brick road.
He takes the button off, and he sees his wife frown at him.
He puts the button back on.
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The first attraction he’s dragged to is the flying elephant one.
It’s not even realistic, and this is coming from a wizard.
Scorpius and Hermione stayed behind, so they could get something called “dole whip.” Whatever the fuck that is. So, it’s just him and Dahlia on the ride. She clings to his hand, and he’s glad that he’s in the shade because it’s already too bloody hot.
When they get inside the elephant, and the ride begins to move, it reminds him of flying, but it’s not quite the same.
He looks at the view, and he admits it is lovely. But he turns his head, and it’s that moment that changed his entire day. It’s the moment he sees his daughter, carefree and giggling, just like she does when she’s flying her broom.
The plastic tiara shines when the sun hits it, and he laughs with her.
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He spends the rest of the day looking for these moments. He can’t see the moment on Space Mountain with Scorpius, but his son is laughing and telling him his favourite parts.
He takes mental notes to go to the pensive tomorrow. So he can remember all of these moments.
Hermione even dared to beat him during one of the toy shooter games. Scorpius didn’t hold back on his little sister either.
His wife and daughter both cry when they meet Belle, and he laughs. Because really? What forty-one-year-old woman cries like that over a fictional character?
He gets it though, that was one of their first dates. Hermione had been sick, and he came over. He brought her soup and tea as well as a few potions. She was watching movies, and he stayed. She showed him her favourite princess film. Of course, it was her favourite; the girl likes books.
And just like her mother, Dahlia loves the movie too.
He catches another moment on the Haunted Mansion ride. The ghosts were eerily portrayed accurately.
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Because his wife is ever the planner, of course, she would find them the perfect spot to view the fireworks.
He’s glad the sun is down because the temperature has cooled slightly.
The moment the lights dim and the music starts, everyone around them goes silent. All of them captivated by the show.
But his eyes find his wife, looking for their special moment. That one moment he’s been waiting for all day. Yes, she cried when she met Belle. But he’s still waiting for something. He’s not sure what it is, but he’ll know it when he sees it.
The first firework goes into the air, and the red is reflected on her face. And it’s there .
Her eyes light up, and he’s taken back in time. When they were eleven, and she was looking up at the ceiling of the Great Hall. All the other first years were looking up, but his eyes had caught on her.
He sees the childlike wonder in her eyes, and he can’t take his eyes off her. Just like he couldn’t then either.
She’s everything to him. His family is everything to him.
“Daddy! Daddy, can you lift me up?” Dahlia asks her father.
Draco breaks his gaze from Hermione, looking down at his daughter; he smiles at her when she sees the fireworks reflected in his eyes and squats so she can climb onto his back.
She makes all the noises a kid would at the display. They aren’t wizard fireworks, but even he has to admit that it feels magical. When he turns to look at his son, he sees the same fascination in his eyes.
Hermione leans into him. Her head tilts up to look at him, and she has tears in her eyes.
“I love you,” she whispers to him, just for his ears to hear.
No, this place may not be the kind of magic he’s used to, but looking at his family is enough magic for him.
This is the gift. There’s not a war. His kids are growing up safe and content. His wife is beautiful, and he falls more in love with her each day that passes. And he’s happy. It’s the best gift he could ever ask for.