A/N: "Hey, guys! I'm back! I missed you all so much!" Leave me a review if you know the reference/quote thing.

This one is a Daddy + Daughter centered fic with a hint of Dramione. I personally love when Draco is a good Dad in other writers' fics, so I thought; WHY THE HELL NOT?!

So, I decided to try something new. This is definitely a personal favorite of mine. It's just so fun to work on! I hope you all find it just as enjoyable. Be warned though;

***TRIGGER WARNING: Child molestation, rape, abuse, and emotional/mental trauma. Also, some smut.***

General Disclaimer: All the songs in this fic belong to their amazing artists, and all HP characters (and themes) belong to J.K. Rowling. But Nova is MINE!

Song: My Wish - Rascal Flatts

And now, without further ado-

It all started on a chilly autumn night. It was pouring rain and Draco was walking home from work. He had to pass through an alley to apparate to his flat in London and he was about to disapparate when he heard what sounded like a muffled sob. He listened closely and the sound of raindrops hitting the ground made it difficult, but sure enough, a moment later he heard a whimper. He followed the soft crying, drew his wand, and cast a dim lumos.What he discovered made his breath hitch and his heart race.

A little girl, no older than five years old, was cowering behind a dumpster and from what he could tell; she was completely naked. She looked up at him, startled, and he saw that many bruises and scratches covered her small face as well as the tears that continued to stream from her wide and fearful eyes. He crouched down to get a better look at her.

Draco jumped as she let out an ear piercing scream and curled herself into an impossibly tight ball.

"NO! Please, no more hurt! No more hurt! Please! Please! I'm sorry! Pl-ple-please! It hurts! It hurts so bad!" She cried and he caught the way she trembled and covered her privates with both her hands.

"Shhh...shhh...Sweetheart, it's okay. I won't hurt you. You're safe now. I promise. My name is Draco. I'm going to keep you safe, okay? Can you tell me your name?" He asked softly. Her sobs quieted and after a pause he heard her timid whisper.

"N-Nova," she sniffled and he gave her a small smile as she lifted her head to peek up at him.

"Hi, Nova. That's a beautiful name. Do you want my cloak? It'll keep you warm and dry." He said and shrugged off his cloak before holding it out to her. She reached for it with scraped and trembling hands, and he helped her fasten it around her tiny body. She cocooned herself in the soft material and let out a shaky sigh.

"Th-thank you," she whispered and he gave her another smile.

"How old are you, sweetheart?" He asked as water dripped from his hair and down his face.

"I'm four," she said softly in a voice so light and innocent. "Are you gonna send me to the doctors? Please don't let them touch me! They hurt me like everybody else! Please don't let them touch me, Draco! It h-hurts! It hurts so bad!" She buried herself in his cloak and sobbed brokenly.

"Shhh...Nova, I'm not going to let anyone touch you, alright? What hurts, sweetheart?" He asked softly and reached out to gently stroke her soaking wet hair. Her body initially jolted at the contact, but she didn't push him away.

She mumbled something incoherent and his brow furrowed. "What was that, love?"

She looked up at him and her eyes shone a beautiful bright blue in the soft white light. He couldn't look away. "My pee-pee," she sobbed. "He did bad stuff to it! It hurts! It hurts so bad!" She reached for him and it was, oddly enough, instinctual for him to lift her into his arms where he knew he would do everything in his power to keep her safe.

He stood and she winced when trying to wrap her legs around his waist, so he tucked his wand in his pocket and cradled her to his chest bridal style. She buried her face in his soaking wet shirt and shivered while clutching the part of the cloak that covered her privates. He was going to find and beat the living shit out of whoever was twisted enough to touch a four-year-old in that way. It was disgusting and fucked up and he swore they'd be locked up for eternity if he had to throw them in Azkaban himself.

"No one will hurt you ever again, sweetheart. I'll keep you safe, and I'll try to make the hurt go away. I promise. Now hold on tight, okay? I'm taking you somewhere safe." He soothed and pressed a small kiss to the top of her head. She nodded and clutched his shirt tight in tiny fists.

Draco apparated them to his flat and the first thing he did was cast a drying spell and warming charm on the both of them. He felt Nova trembling against his chest and he rubbed her back reassuringly.

"I know, baby. I know." He muttered into her hair as he rocked her against him. He had to gently pry her off of him as he set her on the couch, and she began to cry in earnest as if he was going to disappear in the blink of an eye.

"I'll be right back, angel, I promise. Just stay here, okay? I'm coming back. Stay here," he said and gently wiped away her tears, careful of the dark purple bruise beneath her eye. She sniffled loudly and nodded. He sprinted out the door and across the hall to bang on his flatmate's door.

Theodore Nott opened the door in nothing but his boxers and grumbled, "What the fuck, Malfoy? It's like," he glanced at an imaginary watch, "two in the morning."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Actually, it's only ten-thirty, Theodore. And I need your help. You're a healer."

"Exactly, I get up at five in the morning to take care of patients and don't get home until eight at night. I need sleep." He tried to shut the door, but was stopped by Draco's foot.

"Come on," Draco tugged Theo out the door and into his own home.

There, Nova laid fast asleep on the sofa. The poor thing had passed out from exhaustion.

"Drake, who is this kid?" Theo asked and he seemed to wake up considerably when he saw the marks on her face.

"Her name is Nova. She's only four," Draco said softly and went to sit beside her tiny form. "I just found her in an alley as I went to disapparate. She was naked and crying. She kept begging me not to hurt her and complaining that her "pee-pee" hurt. Something awful has happened to her, Theo. She needs your help, mate. Please."

Theo crouched down in front of Nova's small body and gently brushed the hair from her beaten and battered face. Unfortunately, she stirred awake and immediately shot away from him like a frightened animal, eyes searching frantically for Draco. When she saw him, she scrambled away from Nott, still clad only in his boxers, and clambered onto Draco's lap, burying her face in his neck. Draco shushed her softly and slowly rocked her back and forth as she whimpered in his arms.

"Shhh...you're okay, sweetheart. This is my friend, Theo. He's not going to hurt you either. He just wants to make your hurt go away like I do. He's a healer, he can help you," She looked up at him questioningly.

"A h-healer?" Draco realized this girl was either muggle or had never been exposed to magic because she had said 'doctors' earlier and had looked at his wand in astonishment.

"I-I mean a doctor." He looked to Theo for clarification and he gave Draco an imperceptible nod.

"B-but you said you won't let anybody touch me. I don't want him to touch me," she cried and pointed an accusatory finger at Theo while simultaneously pushing herself impossibly closer to Draco.

"Hey, hey, hey," he soothed and held her close. "Theo would never hurt you. What if you fell asleep so when you wake up you're all better and you didn't feel a thing? I'll stay with you the whole time, just in case, to make sure he doesn't hurt you." He gently rubbed her back and rocked her back and forth as her sobs quieted. She nodded and suddenly her tiny little pinky finger appeared from beneath his cloak.

"Promise?" She whispered and her big pale blue eyes bore into his.

He wiped away her tears and locked his pinky around hers.

"I promise."

Theo was more than content to pinky promise as well after she'd warmed up to him a bit.

Draco had gotten Nova to down some dreamless sleep potion while Theo went to grab his stuff. He came back fully dressed and carrying a few jars containing a variety of substances.

"She's out?" Theo asked while setting down the jars on the coffee table.

"Yeah. Thanks for doing this, mate. I know you'd rather be asleep right now," Draco said sincerely.

"Hey, helping people is my job, Draco. I'm just glad you found her in time. Poor kid," Theo commented while gently removing the cloak from Nova's tiny body. "She's dehydrated and severely malnourished. The cuts and bruises will heal with time. No broken bones, but she has a sprained ankle." Theo continued to examine and heal her, rubbing potions and pastes along cuts and bruises, along with fixing her ankle. Then he carefully spread her legs, poked around a bit, and closed her legs with a heavy sigh.

"She was obviously molested and, looks like from the extent of damage, raped as well. It's hard to tell because she's so young, but it looks the same as any adult woman who's been raped. I can wipe away the blood, check for infection, and give her some potion for the pain, but the tissue has to heal on its own otherwise there could be a negative affect on her reproductive system, or it could accidentally restore her hymen, and all the other torn tissue, causing her even more pain because she's so undeveloped. What kind of sick bastard would do this to a little girl? To anyone?" Theo asked and started to gently wipe away the mess between her thighs.

"I intend to find out," Draco sneered.

Theo left after making sure Draco had plenty of pain potion and bruise paste for Nova, and Draco assured him he'd notify him immediately if anything happened. He carried Nova to his bed and tucked her in once he'd wrapped her back in his cloak.

Tomorrow Draco would try to figure out who did this and who Nova belonged to, but for now, he got ready for bed, laid beside the sleeping girl- at an appropriate distance of course, and soon fell asleep himself.

Draco was jolted awake by a blood-curdling scream. Nova was hysterical and thrashing beside him and he realized that the dreamless sleep potion must have worn off.

He glanced at his watch; five thirty in the morning. He quickly turned the lights on with a flick of his wand.

He jostled her about and stroked her hair; trying to wake her.

"Nova, sweetheart, it's just a dream. You're okay. Wake up, love. It's just a dream. You're safe. C'mon angel, wake up. It's just a dream," he said in the gentlest voice he could muster.

She shot awake with a strangled gasp and he watched as her face crumpled and she choked on a sob. She reached for him with little hands, and Draco immediately lifted her into his arms and held her close as she hiccuped; her body shaking and sticky with sweat.

"Shhhh...It was just a dream, Nova. Nobody is going to hurt you now. You're safe, love." He whispered softly in her ear and rubbed her back in large, soothing circles. Several minutes passed before he heard her tiny voice.

"Draco?" She whispered timidly.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I feel yucky," she whimpered.

"Well, how about a nice warm bath and then I'll make us some breakfast? It's a little early, but I suppose we might as well get the day started." She nodded and he stood while continuing to cradle her in his arms. He brought her into the bathroom and sat her on the counter while he grabbed a clean towel and washcloth. She kicked her feet and clutched his cloak to her body as Draco filled up the tub with warm water and bubbles.

He lifted her off the counter and said softly, "Let's get that cloak off of you and then you can hop in the tub, alright?" She hesitated.

"I would never hurt you, Nova, or touch you in a bad way. I just want to make you feel better and help you get all fresh and clean. I keep my pinky promises, remember?" He gave her a reassuring smile and she nodded. He helped her out of the cloak and into the tub where she immediately relaxed under the cover of the poofy bubbles and warm water.

She turned around with her back to him so that Draco could gently wash away the dirt and grime from her baby-fine strawberry-blond hair. Her peach colored skin was impossibly softer once she was clean. He chuckled at the adorable way she crinkled her little button nose as he washed her face. Draco soon discovered a sprinkle of freckles dusted beneath her eyes, and across her cheeks and nose beneath all the filth and blood. Merlin, this kid was cute.

"Feeling better?" He asked as he drained the tub. She nodded and let Draco wrap her in a big fluffy towel before lifting her feather-light body into his arms. He sat her on the counter once again and was about to mutter a quick drying spell when he remembered it was probably best to keep the magic as minimal as possible.

So he lifted her up once again and walked her to his room where he sat her on his bed while he searched for clothes that he could shrink to fit her. He found an old t-shirt and a pair of boxers he never wore. He kept them concealed in the draw as he whispered the spell.

They shrunk at least ten sizes and were still a little baggy, but Nova wasn't complaining as he helped her into the clothing. He slipped her dainty feet into a pair of his socks and rolled them twenty times to make sure they wouldn't slip off.

He took the towel and dried her hair; covering her face, accidentally, in the process. He rubbed the towel all over her hair and smiled as he heard the cutest little giggle from beneath the towel. He ran a comb through her silky soft hair and little curls began to spring up. Then he brought her back into the bathroom where he proceeded to use a spare toothbrush to gently brush her pearly white baby teeth. He wouldn't have forced her to brush her teeth, but she said she had a "yucky taste" in her mouth, so he laughed along with her as she giggled when he accidentallytickled the roof of her mouth with the toothbrush. She rinsed and spit, and then he lifted her off the counter and spun her around in a little circle. Nova laughed and gave him a tiny peck on the cheek.

The sun was just starting to rise as Draco carried Nova into the living area and set her down on the couch. He was startled when she suddenly burst into tears. He tried to pick her up, but she pushed him away.

"No!" She cried. "Owie! Owie, owie, owie! My pee-pee! It hurts! It hurts! No! It hurts!" She clutched her "pee-pee" and sobbed in pain. He knelt down and wrapped her in his strong, safe, arms.

"I know, love. I have something that will make you feel better, okay? I'll be right back," he said and hurried to grab the pain potion and bruise paste. He came back and gently lifted her onto his lap; apologizing vehemently when she cried out. He uncorked and then tipped the vial to her lips. She gulped it down and snuggled further into his warm arms; hiccuping and sniffling as he rocked her back and forth and shushed her softly.

He began humming a tune he remembered his mother sang to him when he was little and started to sing to her quietly as she relaxed.

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,

And each road leads you where you wanna go,

And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,

I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.

And if one door opens to another door closed,

I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,

If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile.

Nova wrapped her little arms around Draco's neck and he held her close while continuing to sing to her.

But more than anything, more than anything,

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish.

Nova looked up at him with damp eyelashes and shining blue eyes, and he gently wiped away her tears and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Her next words tugged at his heartstrings.

"Nobody wants to keep me," she whispered. He pulled back to get a better look at the little girl.

"Why do you say that?" She looked down at her tiny pink fingers.

"I never had a daddy and Mistress said I was a bad girl, so she put me outside after she hurt me really bad. Then a mean man came and it was dark and he took me away and hurt me like Mistress did too. Then he threw me into that tiny dark street." She sobbed and clenched the shirt she wore in little fists. The alley.

Draco pulled her close and cooed soothing words in her ear until she calmed down.

"Shhh...shhhh...I've got you, love. Nobody will hurt you ever again. I promise you, Nova. You're safe now. Shhhh...you're safe."

She pulled away and placed her tiny hands on his cheeks. She stared up at him with wide eyes and whispered, "Do you want to keep me, Draco? Are you gonna keep me?"

He felt the sting of tears in his own eyes, and he quickly blinked them away before whispering fiercely, "Of course I want to keep you, angel. I'm going to keep you and never let anyone hurt you ever again. I promise, sweetheart."

She smiled so big that he couldn't stop himself from doing the same and then she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight. "I'm gonna keep you too, Draco! Forever and ever!" She exclaimed.

Draco only held her close and kissed the top of her head as he tried not to think about what would have happened if he hadn't found her in that alley. That morning, as they watched the sun rise, they pinky promised to keep each other forever and ever.

Draco sat with Nova on his lap as she devoured the pancakes he made her for breakfast. He had to cut her off after three though; before she threw up.

It didn't take long for Draco to discover that Nova really only needed to be held and cuddled, or at least be within close proximity of him, and she was fine. Anytime he'd get up to do something; she'd stop eating or just stare after him anxiously. Eventually he just held her on his lap and let her feed him a few pieces of chocolate-chip-pancake while she lightly kicked her heels against his shins.

"You were hungry, huh?" He asked lightly as he washed the dishes, Nova sitting on the counter beside him, of course. She nodded vigorously and her soft little curls bounced around her head from the movement.

"Mistress never made me pancakes before! Yummy, yummy!" She exclaimed and he chuckled.

"I'm glad you liked them, princess." He dried his hands and lifted the four-year-old into his arms to which she giggled happily.

Suddenly the fireplace was alit with green flames and out stepped none other than his coworker, Hermione Granger.

Nova squeaked and buried her face in his shoulder while keeping a death grip around his neck.

"Granger, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked while trying to calm Nova who was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Hermione smiled kindly.

"Just wanted to stop by before I head into the office. Theo said you found a little muggle girl abandoned in an alley, and being an Auror, you should know what the proper protocol is." She said with a raised eyebrow and a pointed look directed towards himself.

Draco immediately tightened his hold on Nova. "Granger, you don't know what's happened to her. You don't even know if she's muggle or not. She's only four years old. I'm not letting you take her away and obliviate her before sending her off to a muggle hospital where she'll just end up in some foster program." He pressed multiple kisses to Nova's head as she had started to cry when he said 'take her away'.

Hermione brushed the soot off her robes and stepped forward to place a warm hand on his arm. "Theo told me everything. I'm not going to take her from you, Draco. It's not fair to her after all that she's been through. I'm going to see what I can find on her parents, but I also need you to find out as much as you can for me. Whatever she remembers would help. I'll tell Pearson that you called in sick for the next couple of days." She patted his arm and gave him a warm smile.

"Granger, wait!" He called as she moved to grab a handful of floo powder.

"Yeah?" She asked.

Draco tilted his head to whisper in Nova's ear. "Nova, it's okay, sweetheart. Hermione is my friend. She won't hurt you either. I promise." She hesitantly lifted her head off of his shoulder and gave Hermione a shy smile.

Hermione smiled back and reached out to gently stroke her hair. "You're so brave, Nova. You know that? You're the bravest person I've ever met. We're going to keep you safe, alright? Nothing bad will happen to you ever again." She leant forward to kiss Nova's forehead tenderly.

She looked to Draco and he mouthed, 'thank you'.

"Just be sure to keep the M-A-G-I-C on the down-low until we've sorted things out." She winked, gave Nova a small wave, and in a flash of green flames she had disappeared through the floo.

"Magic?" Nova questioned innocently. Draco chuckled and nodded.

Draco plopped down on the couch with Nova after Hermione had left. He held the little girl close, reveling in her soft warmth and sweet scent of peaches and flowers that was just so innocent and little-girl-like. She snuggled into him, her arms resting limply around his neck. She was still so young. So innocent. Anger surged through him as he realized she couldn't have possibly understood what was going on or what that asshole was going to do to her when he took her away. She was just a four-year-old girl. She didn't deserve any of that shit. Like Theo said; nobody does.

He sighed internally, knowing that he'd have to ask Nova to basically relive the trauma she'd experienced in order to get some more information on what had happened to her.

"Hey, princess?" He said softly, running his long fingers through her baby-fine curls. She looked up at him with her big blue eyes and waited expectantly. He gave her a gentle squeeze around the middle.

"Can you tell me what the man looked like? The bad man who hurt you?" He made sure to keep his voice as soothing and patient as possible. She thought for a moment, with her bottom lip in a pout and her eyes wide and cautious.

"H-He has long black hair and a short beard. And his eyes are really dark and he was really dirty and smelly. He has a black hat and he has this yucky shirt that smells funny. He put it on my mouth." At this point her eyes were all glassy and he knew he couldn't press for further information, so he just gave her a big hug.

"Thank you, love. I know you don't like talking about what happened, but you're only helping us catch that man so he can never ever hurt you again. Hermione was right. You are very very very brave." He wiped away a stray tear from her cheek and lightly tickled her sides to cheer her up. She squealed and even tried to tickle him in return, resulting in an all out tickle war. They ended up on the floor, Nova panting and letting out the occasional giggle as she caught her breath.

"How about we watch a movie?" Draco asked. Nova nodded excitedly.

Sometime later they were back on the couch with Nova fast asleep on Draco's chest and her head tucked under his chin while Draco was literally stuck watching the ending of some movie Hermione had accidentally left at his place a few weeks ago. Nova had insisted on watching it. It was about some doe-eyed teenage mermaid with red hair who collects forks and uses them as combs. She messes with some obese half-squid woman who gives her legs, in exchange for her voice. Somehow the mermaid falls in love with a prince, gets her voice back, and becomes a princess- yadayadayada...happily ever after.

He didn't really mind though. After everything Nova's been through; who was he to stop her from being a normal little girl who just wants to grow up to be a Disney princess. All talking animals, fairy godmothers, and true love's kiss. Who wouldn't want a happily-ever-after? That fucked-up-piece-of-shit may have damaged her, but the little girl whose heart beat steadily against his was far from broken.

The rest of the day passed by painlessly. Mostly being spent: playing games, watching television, and having a fashion show. Yeah, Hermione was kind enough to stop by after work; bringing shopping bags upon shopping bags full of clothes for Nova. She went into the bathroom with Hermione and came out modeling outfit after outfit...after outfit. It was amusing to say the least. Watching Hermione teach Nova how to strike a pose and twirl and dance around was the highlight of his week.

Draco was making room in his dresser and closet for Nova's new wardrobe when he heard the girls giggling in the kitchen.

He peeked out from behind the doorway and immediately smiled at the scene. Hermione stood with her back to him while Nova was seated on the counter in front of her. They were taking turns spraying whipped cream in each other's mouths and then they'd giggle and make dramatic shushing noises like it was some huge secret. He smirked.

Draco tip-toed across the living room floor and towards the kitchen. Nova obviously spotted him almost immediately, but he put a finger to his lips and smiled sneakily. She quickly returned her attention to Hermione who was busy making a whipped cream beard. He snuck up right behind her, and while her hand was in the air, he snatched the can from her loose grip. When, predictably, she gasped and turned to look at him; he added a sloppy whipped cream mustache.

Draco and Nova burst out laughing and it wasn't long before Hermione joined in.

Nova had fallen asleep on the couch while watching, once again, The Little Mermaid.

She was wearing a pair of her new pajamas with little pink bows on them. Hermione had also gotten her all the essentials: hairbrush, hair ties, shampoo and body wash for girls, toothbrush, toothpaste, underwear, socks, and a few new pairs of shoes. Nova had thanked her at least a million times over in the course of the two hours Hermione had stayed so far, and Hermione simply smiled and shrugged it off when Draco insisted on paying her back.

Draco obviously thanked her as well as they sat on the floor in his bedroom, sorting and folding clothes before putting them away neatly. He gave Hermione the description of the man from what Nova described, and Hermione thanked him before saying she'd better go. She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze and pecked Nova on the forehead on her way out before disappearing with a whoosh of green flames.

Once all the clothes were put away and the television turned off; Draco gently lifted Nova into his arms and carried her to his room where she slept peacefully the rest of the night.

End Note: I truly am really sorry I haven't been updating, guys. I actually just got out of a mental hospital exactly a week ago, so I've had some crap going on.

Please let me know what you guys think in the reviews. I love you guys!

XOXO