A/N: I am a long time reader, first time writer!
No hate please :)
Disclaimer: If I was J.K. Rowling, why would I be on ?
Chapter title is from the song Prologue & Birth by Audiomachine, which I think describes the chapter in my head :)
Draco rolled the tickets through his hand. Was this a good idea? This could spark a whole new chapter in their lives. Something he hadn't even wanted to imagine. He had known her for almost five years, however, and they had gotten much closer since the incident. His mother had helped her pick out a dress for the occasion, and he had seen it. It was pink with frills was the only way he could describe it, but it was gorgeous. Draco felt his mother tap him on the shoulder and he held his breath and turned around.
"How do I look?" Came a small voice. He slowly opened his eyes and his silver eyes travelled down. Haley's light blonde hair was curled slightly, and her blue eyes that looked as if they could pierce through lead seemed to pop from the light make-up she wore. Draco's eyes widened as he looked over his four year old daughter's fancy outfit for the evening.
"Princess, you look beautiful," he said, bending down to get eye to eye with Haley. He out spread his arms for her and when she toddled over he wrapped her in a giant bear hug. "Like a ballerina." Draco whispered in her ear, making Haley squeal excitedly.
"Can we go now, Daddy? I wanna see the baller...balla...bellay...dancers!" she said, bouncing up and down in his strong arms. Draco gave a laugh at his daughter ambitiousness and set her back down. He had bought tickets for the London Ballet and arranged for them to see the ballerinas backstage before the show. Draco didn't love anyone more than he did Haley, and would do almost anything for her, which was why he was taking her to a beautiful show.
Draco was forced into an arranged marriage after the Second Great War and the defeat of Voldemort. His father went into hiding as to not be found by the many Aurors cascading the country in search of Death Eaters. His mother, however, was convinced that since they left on neutral terms, the Aurors had no reason to take Lucius into custody.
Draco was a bit sceptical.
He stood up from hugging Haley and looked at his mother. He raised his eyebrows but she put up a hand. "I know, I know," Narcissa started, "When you get home, put Haley in her bath and then tuck her in to her bed. Read the Muggle story "The Princess and the Frog," kiss her head goodnight and then wait around for you to return." She recited like a robot. "I have it under control, honey, just have a good time." Narcissa kissed Draco on the head as if he were a young child again.
Draco had taken care of Haley since the moment she had been born. He had only been married two months when she had been conceived.
"I'm pregnant," said Draco's wife, holding up a positive test. Draco's eyebrows raised in surprise. His mercury eyes were glued to the test in shock.
"Are you positive?" he asked. She pushed the pink test closer to his face and he gave a chuckle. "I get that. I meant are you sure?"
She gave a long, drawled out sigh, as if she'd been holding it for an eternity. "These tests are never wrong, Draco." After that there was a long pause. As if contemplating the next move in an intense game of chess. "Should we be happy?" she asked.
Draco shrugged. "I guess we should. It is a...a baby after all." He said, whispering the word. He was only 20 at the time and his wife was a bit younger, and neither of them had thought about starting a family. They merely were man and wife, slept together to consummate their marriage. With a willing bed partner, who could say no? Not Draco.
They stood there in awkward silence, his wife drawing circles on the floor and Draco watching her stomach as it moved slightly. There was a baby in there, but not just any baby, his baby.
Haley tugged on her father's pant leg, seemingly impatient. "Daddy, can we go now?" she asked, now tapping his hard knee. She was a small thing, not much taller than his knee. But that was saying something, as Draco had mile-long legs. Her Tiffany blue coloured eyes were blinking wildly, staring at her father in tender way.
"Yes, Hales," Draco said, leaning down to pick up his daughter. He kissed her lightly on her cheek and wrapped his arms around her.
"Have fun!" Narcissa called as the pair made their way through the front door of the cottage only a short distance from the Manor. Draco and Haley gave small waves bye, ("Wave bye to Grandma, wave bye!" Draco had said in the high voice he used around Haley) and had Side-Apparated to a safe location: Diagon Alley.
Diagon Alley was a bustling area on the weekends, especially that day, Saturdays. Young witches with bags from Florish and Blotts, Madam Malkin's, and the Apothecary. Hook nosed, long nailed witches, however, came through in a hurry, along with macho wizards with scarred faces. The atmosphere today was quite dingy and dank.
A witch with natural emerald hair came up to the pair and out stuck her hand. In it was a clamped orange candy. She waved it down in Haley's face. "Sweets for the little girl?" she asked, directing the question at Haley.
Draco hugged his daughter closer to his chest as he did not recognize the treat. "No thank you," he said as politely as he could and hurried off before she could say another word.
"But Daddy!" She cried out, "Sweets!" Draco looked at his daughter with all the sympathy he could muster.
"You don't want those sweets Hun, now let''s keeping moving." Draco picked up the pace and finally walked out of the Leaky Cauldron entrance, entering the busy streets of Muggle London. They only had to walk a short distance to the theatre.
The ballet didn't start for another hour, which gave the pair a good chunk of time to meet with the ballerinas. Draco had wanted to take Haley to the ballet ever since she could toddle. He found the sensual dance enthralling and something all girls should like. Especially a Malfoy girl.
"Push!" The Healer practically screamed at Draco's wife. Her face was scrunched up from the extreme pain and beats of sweat were dripping down her forehead.
"I. Am. Trying!" She yelled back, crying as the pain overtook her. But that was it.
The soft crying erupted through the tension in the room.
"It's a girl!" Cried out the Healer, who was now holding a swaddled object in her arms. The blanket was pink, and the baby too. The Healer, Healer Parson, handed Draco the delicate human being.
Almost automatically Draco's heart swelled three times it's size from the euphoria in his body as he looked into the crying face of his daughter. She had a full head of Malfoy platinum blonde hair, and until she cracked open her eyes, he couldn't be sure of the colour. "She's absolutely beautiful," he said in a cracked voice.
"Little brave one she is," came the Healer, who had a Scandinavian accent. "Her heart rate dropped dramatically but somehow she made it through unharmed." Draco smiled wider at this. He thought if he smiled more, he'd ripped his cheeks. "We have a name for that where I'm from," he explained. "Haley."
"Passes please," said a tough voice at the entrance to the backstage. A wizard, (sorry, Muggle) with a burnt face was holding out one of his beefy, elephant sole sized hands.
"Of course my good man," Draco said somewhat politely, and reached for the pocket Haley was not currently playing in. He pulled out two laminated passes and showed them to the protective guard.
"You may admit," he said, stepping out of the way of a skin-tight door. Draco resisted the urge to scoff at the irony, and instead walked steadily in while holding Haley in his arms.
The backstage had charcoal walls and stage. All the dancers were wearing costumes of either blue or red, stretching on the floor or a barre off stage. A jittery petite girl in a red outfit that matched her hair ballet-ran over to Draco. He was a bit uncomfortable about all of the girls in general, and when the ginger ran over, he became more uneasy.
"Hi!" Said the girl, a bit too energetic. "You must be the lucky two with backstage passes! Welcome, I'm Ellen!" she said, outstretching her hand. Draco lightly shook it.
"You're last name isn't Weasley is it?" he asked, observing Ellen's hair as she high-fived Haley. He was scared of the answer, but alas she gave a confused look and shook her head, turning her attention to Draco.
"Why? Did you mistake me for someone-?" she asked but Draco held up a hand to stop her.
"Just curious." he said, giving in and smiling slightly now. He placed Haley on the ground so she couldn't wiggle in his arms any longer, and Ellen bent down to get eye to eye with her.
"What's your name?" she asked her, pressing her finger on her nose lightly. Haley gave a little giggle and a large grin.
"Malfoy. Haley Malfoy. H-A-L-E-Y M-A-L-F-O-Y." she spelled loudly. Ellen gave a chuckle at Haley's cuteness.
"We have a dancer here named Haley, too. Except she spells it H-A-I-L-E-Y. Would you like to meet her?" Ellen asked. Haley nodded her head and looked up to her father for his permission.
"Go ahead, have fun." Draco said, giving his hands a gestured that said 'shoo and have fun.' He went over to off stage and crossed his arms, watching his daughter interact with the ballerinas.
"Hailey, there's a little girl here who has the same name as you!" Ellen called over to a girl who was stretching on the barre. She had dark, curly chocolate coloured hair and matching coloured eyes. She was extremely tiny, probably just about 1.5 metres tall, but seemed bright and spunky. If Draco had to guess her ethnicity he would guess part Hispanic.
Hailey trotted over and bent down to little Haley's line of vision. "Hi Haley, I'm Hailey."
The two Haley's talked for a bit about dance, and how Hailey had been dancing since she was three. Now she was 22, and one of the best in the Company. Ellen went away to warm-up more before the show started, giving Draco a look to go have fun as she passed.
But Draco was good from afar. He enjoyed watching his little girl do "ballet" with the older girls, laughing and having a great time. She was still so innocent and playful. Draco wanted her to stay that way, but there wasn't any way to stop her from growing up.
The show was great and during the entire Romeo & Juliet ballet, Haley would lean over and point to a girl, saying her name in her daddy's ear. Draco felt immense pride in Haley and hugged her tighter throughout the show. When the dancers bowed, and audience clapped, Haley clapped the loudest of them all, bouncing up and down.
When they left the theatre and walked to the Leaky Cauldron, Haley was seated in Draco's arms. "Daddy?" she asked, looking at the shiny moon in the distance.
"Yes, sweetheart?" he asked her, rubbing her small back. Haley whispered into Draco's ear for dramatic effect.
"I want to be a belayrena." Haley said, smiling excitedly at the thought of dancing ballet.
"Ballerina." Draco corrected. "And if you want to, I could try and find a place for you to dance at. I'm sure there's a Muggle school or a Magic school for it. Anything for you."
Haley smiled and placed her head on Draco's shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. She loved her father and didn't think anything could tear them apart.
A/N: The title of this story is based off the title of the song "Bright Lights and Cityscapes" by Sara Bareilles :) I do not own that song. Please review and tell me if I did a good job! I'll try and update as often as I can!