Ted glances at his sleeping wife, then flicks his eyes towards the clock on their nightstand. He could heartheir toddler wailing, and the poor witch had only fallen asleep less than an hour ago. He exhales heavily through his nose, and reluctantly swings his legs over the side of the bed. His wife stirs, but doesn't wake. A small smile crosses the young wizard's face, and he crosses the room, wincing at the cool hardwood floor.
A muffled "Merlin's bollocks!" and a sore toe later, Ted enters the nursery with some trepidation. Typically it's his wife that swoops in and saves the child from whatever monster is hiding beneath the crib, but Andy had such a horrible day and the nanny had contracted spattergroit (upon discovery there was instant disinfection of the house) and then there was that awful Owl from her sister… He shakes his head and moves towards the crib.
Little Nymphadora's curled up in the corner, eyes screwed shut and hair shifting from red to orange (his stomach drops; more than one colour means she's upset). Her father reaches out to her, but the re, and Ted interally sighs.
"Wotcher, Nymphadora," he greets, but there's only more sniffles. "…Nymphadora…, " he tries again after a few moments, but the little girl cuts him off.
"Dora!" she protests. "'m Dora." She doesn't look at him. His heart cracks.
"Dora," Ted concedes, "what's the matter? Did Nargles get you?"
"No!" is the immediate response.
"No? Is there a cackling stump that's bothering you?"
"No," but now there's a hint of a smile.
"How about the hopping pot? Did he hop his way in here?" He begins to tickle her sides and the whimpers instantly change to involuntary snickers. "Hop, hop, hop!" Ted gently picks her up and places the girl on his shoulders, securing her with his arms. "Hip, hoppity hop!" He begins to hop around the room on one foot, both father and daughter giggling.
He's still not sure what was wrong, but the laughter is a balm to the crack in his heart. After several more hops he can sense the toddler getting heavier, and he knows that she's getting sleepy. He delicately disentangles their limbs and his heart swells further when he sees that Dora's hair has changed to a soft violet. Her eyelids flutter and Ted can't stop himself from cuddling her.
The wizard sets the mini-witch in the crib and covers her with her favorite 'blankie.' It's a rich purple with moving stars and a moon that waxes and wanes. Though she's asleep, her hair matches the blanket exactly, and though Ted is fatigued (he'll have to rise in two hours to get to the news station for work), he knows he could never be happier.
That is, until he spots little Dora hopping around the family room when he comes home the next evening and his wife following shortly after. Now he's never been happier.
Happy Father's Day to all :) A review, please?