Work Text:
“Hold still okay?”
“Mmhmm” Lyra Malfoy held her head as still, well, as still as a 4 year old could. “Daddy?”
“Yes?”, Draco asked from behind her, fingers braiding a section of her curly hair.
“Can you make my hair pretty again?”
Draco finished off the small blonde brain and moved onto pulling the rest of her hair in a low bun, standard for all the children participating in the dance recital that evening. “Don’t I always make it pretty?”
“No Daddy, I want the flutterflies in my hair, like last time remember?”, she turned and pointed to the small braid that wrapped around the side of her hair. “Right here, please?”
He smiled softly at his daughter, remembering charmed butterfly clips he had given her for her first birthday. They’d quickly become her favorite pair of clips but Draco knew she would only wear them when she needed a bit more courage. “Butterflies,” he corrected her softly, “and yes, I’ll add them, go get them from your room.”
She hopped off the small stool she stood on in the washroom out the door and into her room. Hermione walked past the door as Lyra rounded on the door, prompting her to bump into her mother.
“Oopsie, sorry mummy”, she said rubbing her forehead, giggling.
Hermione patted her hair and let her run off, “slow down there pumpkin”. She looked up to see her husband laughing into his arm, sitting on the edge of the tub holding a hair comb and colorful scrunchies around his wrist. She leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms across her chest, “She getting her butterfly clips?” He nodded, “Hmm, you know why she wears them?” Hermione walked closer to him settling to stand in between his legs.
Draco looked up to his wife and nodded his head, “it’s because she is nervous, isn’t it?”
Hermione stepped closer and placed her hands on his shoulder squeezing it lightly, “ I asked her last time she wore them and she said it has your magic and that helps her be brave.” Draco wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her closer to him.
“My magic?”
She nodded cupping his head to her stomach, “Mhmm, she thinks because you charmed them, you’re giving her your magic”, he chuckled onto her stomach and she squeezed her waist. “Thank you, Draco,” she whispered lightly bending over to kiss the crown of his head,
“What for?” he asked.
She stepped back, hearing their daughter’s footsteps near the door, “for giving me the best little human to care for,” she spoke as Lyra rounded on the door. Hermione kissed the top of Lyra’s head and whispered softly in her ear ,”You look lovely pumpkin”.
Lyra’s face lit up as she bowed slightly in her purple tutu, “thank you mummy”.
Draco smiled at Hermione's retreating form as he let Lyra settle between his legs, elbows on his knees and facing the mirror in front of the two. He took the two charmed butterfly clips from her small hands and placed them on her small braid that wrapped around the low bun she was sporting. “Hmm there. How does that look?” he asked, looking at her reflection in the mirror.
She smiled and nodded, approving of her look. She might have had taken up the Malfoy blonde hair but her face was all Hermione. Small rounded nose and big soft eyes, just like her mother. Lyra turned to kiss him on the cheek, “Thank you Daddy, I see you later!” she stumbled out of the washroom, heading out the door and into the car, where Hermione was driving her for her last rehearsal before her recital.
“Thank you, Granger,” he whispered with a smile on his face.
After Lyra’s recital, in which Draco cheered the loudest and may have shed a few tears at the sight of his small curly haired daughter jeté-ing across the stage, they promised to wait for her in the venue’s lobby.
“Theo, mate I said Peonies are her favorite! Why would you bring her red roses? Are you trying to proclaim your undying love for my 4 year old daughter?” Draco scolded Theo, a hand around his mother-in-law's back, Jean Granger. Hermione was walking behind them with her father, Benjamin Granger. Jean Granger laughed and patted Draco’s back, making her way to greet Theo and the rest of the group.
“No, mate these are for Jean,” Theo greeted her kissing her cheek and handed a rose to Jean, “Good evening Jean, you look lovely as ever”. Benjamin Granger scoffed from behind and the group laughed. Blaise and Luna had made their way through the crowd along with The Malfoys. Blaise was carrying a large stuffed teddy bear with a purple bow while Luna held a small gift bag. Narcissa was carrying a small stuffed dragon while Lucius carried a large bouquet of pink and purple peonies.
The group proceeded to greet each other while Theo made his way to Hermione, “Hermione, I need your help, I forgot about Lyra only liking peonies and I forgot my wand. Can you–”
Hermione cut him off with a giggle and a nod.
“Are you laughing at me? You know wha–” Theo stopped talking as he saw a head of black hair behind her, “Granger, you didn't tell me that Potter was going to be here, you know i haven't talked to him since–” he shook his head trying to clear his memory of a drunken make-out session with harry fucking potter on the night of his birthday, “–you know, you could have warned me!”
Hermione took his arm and pulled him behind an alcove watching over her shoulder to make sure nobody was watching her pull out her wand from her bag. She grabbed the bouquet of roses and quickly transfigured them into purple and white peonies. “Theo, you know there's nothing to be embarrassed about,” Theo took back the peonies and nodded, looking behind his shoulder, searching for Harry.
“I just didn’t think he wouldn’t, you know?”
Hermione rolled her eyes, “Enlighten me, no I don't know”
It was Theo’s turn to roll his eyes at the witch in front of him, “the whole, ‘I am Harry Potter and I am on a journey to find myself”.
Hermione laughed and straightened his tie and tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear, “trust me when i tell you that’s all bullshit. I can tell he likes you. For a while now. He’s just prone to self sabotage.” She put her wand back into her bag as she walked past Theo and towards Ron and Pansy, Harry following behind with a giant stuffed lion and a single peony. Pansy was holding a large pink gift bag while Ron was holding onto a small bouquet of daisies and peonies.
The group continued to chat amicably as Hermione watched Theo and Harry from the corner of her eye.
“Harry,” Theo said, clearing his throat.
“Theodore,” he responded, blushing. “Um, good to see you, it's been a while.”
“Yeah, I’ve been pretty busy,” Theo shifted the bouquet from one hand to the other as he thought up of an excuse,”...with work, I had to travel for a bit you know?”
“Hmm”.
“But I’m back in London, for um, for good.” Theo scratched the back of his head meeting Harry’s eyes.
Harry raised a brow, “Sounds interesting”.
Theo turned to check up on the group as little Lyra came barely towards the group with the biggest smile on her face. He turned back to look at Harry as he watched Lyra, “I was wondering if you wanted to go and get a drink sometime, you know to catch up”.
Harry met his eye, surprised but relieved. “Yeah, that sounds good. I’d like that.”
The two were interrupted by Lyra jumping into Draco’s awaiting arms, “Daddy! Did you see me? Did you see me jump super high?”
Draco crushed her onto his chest and picked her up. “Of course I did darling, you were wonderful.”
“Daddy, can’t breathe, put me down,” Lyra spoke into his chest.
The group laughed as Draco placed her on the floor for her to be greeted by the rest of the family. Lyra preened at the amount of gifts that they all had for her. Draco wrapped his arm around Hermione and rested his head on her temple, watching their daughter hug and kiss everyone.
“You know you were the loudest one in there right?” Hermione whispered to her husband. Lyra was now carrying a large teddy bear in her arms as she struggled to hug her uncle Blaise.
“Hmm, don’t act like you weren't crying Granger.” He chuckled at Lucius’ attempt at trying not to show too much affection in front of strangers.
“If I remember correctly, you had to ask me for a handkerchief,” Draco playfully pinched her side with a kiss to her temple.
“Hmm I don't remember”.
The pair continued to watch Lyra thank everyone with proper manners. As she made her way through the group she stopped in front of Harry and Theo and let out the biggest sigh of relief, “Finally! The Nargles around your hair Uncle Teddy and Uncle Harry were getting annoying,” She left the two blushing wizards to turn and look at her Uncle Blaise, “ You owe me 20 galleons Uncle Blaisey, pay up”. She extended her small hand towards Blaise as the group laughed.
“Oh she’s definitely going to rule Slytherin one day,” Pansy said.
“Don’t give my niece any ideas, Pans. She’s a Gryffindor through and through,” Ron said as he wrapped an arm around his fiancé. Blaise laughed as he pulled out the money out of his wallet and handed her the Galleons.”
She gladly took them and handed them over to Hermione to place in her bag, “Mummy can we go have cake now?”
“Of course we can, come on,” Hermione extended her hand but Lyra extended her arms towards her Grandpa Benjamin.
“Can you carry me Grandpa Benji?”
Mr. Granger smiled and picked her up as she wrapped her small arms around his neck. “You can carry me next Grandpa Lucy ok?” she exclaimed over her shoulder searching for her other grandpa.
“Of course Lyra, I would be honored.”
After some wine for the adults and apple cider for Lyra and and celebratory slice of cake for all, Draco had urged Lyra to take a bath before bed. After her bath, Hermione had gone to the kitchen to make them some tea to close the night off.
Draco followed Lyra to her bedroom to help her get ready for bed. Lyra had gleefully added the new stuffed lion, and teddy bear to her king sized bed. Aside from the flowers everyone had given her, Draco had surprised her by filling her room with her favorite flowers. He had to put up a silencing charm before she saw or else her squeals of excitement would have woken the neighbors.
She was seated in the middle of her bed holding the small stuffed dragon her grandma Cissa had given her and the small otter her grandma Jean had gotten for her on her last trip to the aquarium with them. She looked up to see her dad knocking on the frame of her door, “Can i come in?”
“Mmhmm,” she patted the space next to her and pushed the lion off the bed to make more space for her father. Draco chucked and tucked her onto her side.
“You danced so elegantly today. You know that?” he pulled a blanket over them and ran his fingers through her damp curls.
“You think I danced elele–” she tried again, “elelegla–” she looked up to her dad with her big round innocent eyes, “Daddy I can’t say it,” she pouted.
Draco smiled, “Ele-gant-ly, it's ok if you can't say it right now, you'll be able to say it later.” She pouted
“I am so proud of you Lyra”, he continued running his hands through her hair, “you were a fairy princess.”
“You think so daddy?”
“No, I know so. I cannot wait to see you at your next recital and I’ll get you even more flowers”.
“And more cake too?
Draco chucked, “and more cake, I’ll tell mummy to get you more cake”.
“Thank you daddy for the flutterflies,” she told him sleepily, “they made me dance pretty.”
“Pumpkin that was all you, you danced pretty all by yourself,” he whispered to her head finishing his statement with a kiss. He watched her doze off into a peaceful sleep. He didn’t realize he was falling asleep with his daughter in his arms until she felt his wife kiss the back of his neck. Before she could pull away, he pulled her arm towards them tucking her in behind him and wrapping her arm around his waist.
“It’s going to kill me watching her grow up,” he heard Hermione whisper.
He squeezed her arm, “She has your eyes and your smile, she’s a mini Granger. It’s going to kill me to see boys fall for her”.
Hermione chuckled from behind him, “We should make another one, you know, I want a little mini Draco too.”
Draco stopped breathing for a second, letting the words from her mouth process in his head. “Really? You mean that?” He whispered.
“Mmhmm, we can talk more about it tomorrow, right now I just want to sleep.”
At that, a soft snoring sound came from Lyra as Draco and Hermione chuckled, “Thank you, Hermione. For everything.” Where his final words until they all fell into peaceful sleep.