Brought in a Basket
by Syl Gordon
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the recognizable characters, nor am I making any money from this story.
Prologue: Speachless
A little bundle of freckled, pale skin, and blond hair that low-lights were naturally a reddish color, and that curled wildly, framing the chubby face cutely, with two little specks of ice blue for eyes looked up at the fair-haired man holding the child, giving the baby girl a look of confusion,
"Where did you come from, little one?" the man asked the baby, who cooed in response, her tiny hands reaching up, managing to find their way out of the green blanket, towards the angular face of the man, "The note says you're mine."
The man smiled softly, letting the baby touch his face, and the little girl giggled and cooed once more, smiling a little, toothless smile, her chubby face holding some familiarity, with the freckles, and blue eyes, but not enough for the man to figure out who the child in his arms reminded him of.
"Master Malfoy, should we gather the things to to the paternity potion on the child?" a maid asked, scurrying up to his side, her dark hair, streaked with a white-gray, swept up into a bun on the back of her head, though it was falling loose from the days work, and she wore simple, muggle, clothes, which were the best for maneuvering throughout the mansion, and cleaning in.
"Yes, thank you, Missus Forsyth, can you also prepare my room for me to share with the little one, until we can have a nursery set up?" Malfoy asked, his eyes returning the the face of the child, who had managed to fall asleep while he was speaking with his maid, "I believe I'll be keeping her, even if she's not mine, I've taken a liking to her"
"Of course, sir, might I know her name, sir?" Missus Forsyth asked kindly, giving the child a parental look of endearment, having raised six children of her own, she truly loved having children around,
"I can't find a thing that says, the note has no mention of a name, and her blankets, and the basket have none as well, perhaps she has none" Malfoy said, his tone sounding concerned, "Should I give her a name?"
"If it pleases you sir" Missus Forsyth said with a smile, "Perhaps her mother couldn't name her, because she knew she was giving her to you?"
Malfoy nodded, looking at the child yet again, searching the tiny face for anything that would inspire a name for her, thinking of his own name, which he never was fond of, and hoping to come up with one that she would like as she grew older,
"Astin?" he asked the little one, who's face scrunched up unhappily, "No, perhaps, Lyra? As it does follow my family traditions, but it does sound more like a name" he asked the baby, who opened her eyes and smiled up at the pale man, who smiled back, "Lyra it is, then"
Missus Forsyth smiled at the pair, before scurrying off to prepare her Master's bedroom, and to tell the other maids to begin to prepare both the paternity potion, as well as a nursery, near the Master's bedroom,
Malfoy carried the very smily baby into the sitting room, sitting in his favorite armchair and noticing that when little Lyra turned her head just so, her hair looked bright red, and his eyes went wide, suddenly realizing who the child reminded him of, a small frown settling itself on his face when he also remembered that he hadn't heard from said person in nearly a year, she had disappeared, and not even her family knew where she had gone.
He didn't have time to linger on his thoughts though, as a shy young maid approached him, to tell him that the potion was nearly ready, they just needed a sample of his hair, and the baby's hair to complete it.
He carried the child gently as he strode off to the potions room, which was a dark room, but well ventilated, because the fumes from the potions made him ill at times, but the darker lighting was to protect the potions from being damaged, as much light could ruin some more sensitive potions.
He took a seat on the bench in the room, taking the pair of scissors, and clipping off a few small strands of hair, and handed them to the maid, then looking at Lyra, he very carefully did the same to her hair, handing over those strands as well, waiting eagerly to discover if he really was a father.
The potion would take a good five minutes before it gave the answer, and Malfoy was both terrified that she wouldn't be his after all, and worried that he would be a terrible father if she was, but he finally got his answer, when the potion started bubbling wildly, and it turned a bright red color, and Malfoy grinned, the woman who had made the potion looked at him with a faint, bitter smile, "Congratulations, Master Scorpius, you're a father."