Arianne Rainbow 1/10
A/N: I'm in a mood for starting new fics lately, but this was a burst of inspiration. This story BEGINS one year after Hogwarts. Draco is eighteen in the beginning.
Disclaimer: Draco belongs to Ms. Rowling, but the rest belong to me.
"No, no, please give me another chance! Forgive me!" pleaded Draco. He was in a total mess, on his knees, begging to the lady in front of him. It was a strange sight.
"Another chance? It's too late, Draco, you must die," the fairy said. She was indeed a fairy, or rather, the Fairy Queen.
"No, just one more chance, you give me something to do, and if I do it well, I get to live,"
"Very well, then. My attendants will be with you shortly. You will have to change yourself to become a better man and find something to redeem yourself by tomorrow's first cock crow. If not, you and these sylphs will die." She nodded towards the three sylphs by her side. "But I warn you, Draco, just one more chance. One last chance."
She left the hall, to retire. Elves, nymphs and other creatures bowed to her as she passed by. One by one they too left the hall until only Draco and the sylphs remained.
Draco turned to face the sylphs. They were small, but looked mischievous.
The first one said, "Hallo, Mister Draco Malfoy Sir, I'm Flame," She offered her dainty little hand to Draco. He took it graciously. She really did resemble her name; she had flaming red hair and wore hot colours. She reminded him vaguely of the weasel he knew in Hogwarts.
"And I'm Frost. I'm very pleased to meet Mister Draco Malfoy Sir," She was quite the opposite of Flame. She had silvery-blond hair, and dressed in frosty colours. If she was fat and stood out in the snow, she would look like a miniature snowman.
"My name's Flash, Mister Draco Malfoy Sir," The third one did not seem like her name, but look more sylphlike compared to the other two. More like a creature of the water.
"It's nice to meet all of you. Now lets get started at my last chance, shall we?" Draco said.
***
"And you almost lost your life? All because of killing the famous Harry Potter?" The sylphs' eyes were wide.
"Not only for that, for killing him in the Fairy Queen's compound. And so of course the Ministry let your Queen take care of me." His tone was bitter.
They sat to rest by a bubbling brook. It was in the late evening, the sun was still up but the sky was a rich orange, and they were in search of Draco's last chance.
Draco was already beginning to feel tired. The sylphs, however, were not, as they played catch around the edge of the woods. He was sitting on a large rock by the brook, admiring the sky.
"Three rainbows," he commented. Looking at the three rainbows that decorated the evening sky. It was beautiful. Perhaps it was an omen of good luck.
He looked over his shoulder after about half an hour, wondering where the laughing and giggling had gone. The sylphs had fallen asleep by the brook, heads resting on top of each other. He smiled.
A rustle was heard. It came from the other side of the brook, in the marshes.
Draco stood up to see what it was.
All of a sudden, a bundle wrapped up in cloth sailed into his arms. He caught it, startled. He looked down into his arms at it, and unwrapped it. He expected it to be a bundle of rubbish, but it came as a total shock to him.
It was a baby. A baby girl.
He cried out in surprise, arousing the sylphs. They came over to him to see what was the matter.
"By golly, Mister Draco Malfoy Sir, it's a little baby,"
"I wonder where it came from?"
"It's so cute,"
"Well, sylphs, looks like we earned ourselves our lives. Let's bring this baby to see the Queen and I need you to talk to the Ministry with me,"
***
"Mr Malfoy, could you tell us how you escaped from a punishment by the Fairy Queen?"
"Do you have anything to say, Mr Malfoy?"
"Mr Malfoy"
It was all that. Draco's escape from a death penalty by the Fairy Queen attracted media from miles around. He was surrounded by reporters everywhere he went. Finally, he agreed to do a press conference, which was where he was now. The conference also drew a small crowd of passer-bys.
He spotted a familiar face as he exited the conference room. Brown hair, unmistakable features no it couldn't be like she would want to see him after a night in his bed.
He returned to his rented apartment, where he had left the baby in the care of the sylphs.
The baby was sleeping. He picked her up and sat down next to Frost.
"Now, what shall I name you, little girl?" he whispered to the sleeping child.
"Elspeth!" cried Flash.
"Genevieve!" said Flame.
"Mirabelle!" added Frost.
They continued to shout out names as Draco became thoughtful. He thought that none of the names they thought of suited her.
"Arianne." he suddenly said.
The sylphs stopped bickering. A slow smile formed on Flash's light blue lips.
"That sounds like a nice name. Arianne Rainbow. After the three rainbows." Draco said. "Daughter of the sun, moon and the evening sky."
***
The next morning, Draco set out in search of someone to care for Arianne. He had gotten himself a full-time job as a concierge at the Magical Motel. He found himself at Lavender Brown's doorstep. He pressed the doorbell firmly.
The door opened to reveal a quite different Lavender he had known in Hogwarts. She was slightly plump, with a two or three boy by her side. Her hair was slightly greasy, and she was wearing no make-up. He wondered if she would recognise him.
She didn't, of course.
"Good morning, Lavender, know who I am?"
"Let me see, let me see" She peered at him like looking at a very interesting exhibit in the museum.
"My initials are D.M." he hinted.
"Um"
"I've been on the newspaper a lot lately,"
"Hmm"
"I was in Slytherin,"
"Draco Malfoy!" Her countenance registered recognition.
Draco nodded.
"It's so good to see you. Come in,"
He entered the house. It had a light alcohol scent to it, which he tried to ignore.
"How have you been handling off-late, Lavender?"
"Quite alright, now that you've asked," she replied.
"I would like to ask a very personal favour,"
"And what might that be, Draco?"
He held out to her a basket which he had been carrying.
"I would like you to take care of this baby,"
"What? Heavens, no! One baby in the house is enough for me!" She signalled towards her son, playing on the floor. "Besides, I'm only earning enough for two!"
"Look here, Lavender, I know I'm not really in such a position to ask a favour like this, but please. I'll give you two guineas a fortnight, deal?" he persuaded.
She seemed to think about it, be fore replying his desired answer.
He got up and kissed Arianne on the forehead, thanked Lavender, and left.
A/N: *yawns* I think I'd better stop now. *gets hit by a flying alarm clock* It's 1.02 no 1.03 a.m., and I'm beginning to feel tired. *gets hit by a great spray of hot coffee* No, can't take any of that, I'm on a caffeine-free diet. *looks longingly at a bottle of Coke* Going to sleep now, please review! *looks at her empty review Inbox*