Up All Night
Harry/Draco, James Sirius [G, 1365 words]
Disclaimer: JK Rowling and co own everything. I'm writing for fun and not for profit.
A/N: Lots of crying, pure fluff at the end, just 'cause. Unbeta'd and written for the prompt: go the fuck to sleep. Also, I don't have a kid, so I'm hoping at least half of this is right.
Summary: Baby James just won't stop crying and Draco is going out of his mind trying to figure out why.
Up All Night
A loud wail is heard during the silent night and Draco is tempted to keep his eyes closed in hopes that he's still dreaming. But the cries come louder this time and he can't ignore it for much longer- not if he doesn't want Harry to wake up.
Harry, who just a few hours earlier, had come in exhausted from a week's pursuit of rogue criminals in Cardiff. He only had time to kiss James and Draco, not even bothering to stop for a shower or dinner before he had collapsed on the bed, clothes and all. And if even if he was uncomfortable, he soon fell fast asleep.
Rolling out of bed, Draco deactivates the charm that lets him know James is awake. He takes a moment to stretch out and look over at Harry, whose light snores are the only indication that he is asleep. He looks peaceful while their son is not.
The baby crib is tucked in a corner of their bedroom at Harry's insistence. It is Draco's old one with charms and protective spells that have been added by each generation of Malfoys. He remembers the night he and Harry had added their own spells, the night James had come from the hospital after being born too early. They were so in awe of him, of their son whom they had waited so long to meet, that they didn't even go the entire night without picking him up from his crib and placing James in between them.
James still has tears trailing down his face when Draco reaches down and picks him up. Mrs Weasley has shown them the proper way of holding a child, but Draco takes to being very careful and gentle as he supports James' head and keeps him close to his body. Still, James cries.
In desperation, Draco casts a Silencing charm and then turns his head to make sure that Harry is still asleep. He is stretched out on the bed, one hand reaching towards Draco's pillow. Another cry has Draco turning his attention back to his son. James is probably hungry because at this age, all babies do is eat, sleep, and need to have their nappies changed.
Before James, the only thing Draco had ever cared for was his owl, Artemis. But owls are simple while babies are not. He doesn't even have the help of a house-elf because Harry is adamant that they do this together. Which terrifies Draco because he's afraid that they don't know how to do this properly. How could they take care of James when they both nearly died in a war? And this is a baby who depends on them.
Yet at the same time, he is in love with this baby, black haired, grey eyed, conceived by Harry and Luna, but a Potter-Malfoy nonetheless. James continues crying as Draco makes his way into the kitchen and sits down in at the large oak table. He Summons a baby bottle for James, and feeds it to him, the gentle sucking giving him a moment's rest.
And when James still cries after being fed, his cheeks red and spittle coming out of his mouth that Draco wipes away with his bare hand, he contemplates on floo calling Mrs Weasley. But it would be the fifth time this week and he doesn't want to bother her too much.
He sees some food stains on his pyjama shirt when he looks down to check James' nappy, but it is still clean. So it must be something else that's bothering James, but he can't figure out what it is.
What if James is really sick and Draco is wasting valuable time staying here rather than Floo'ing to St Mungo's? Draco wouldn't forgive himself if that happened. Choice made, he stands up. There isn't time to wake Harry up; he would have to send him a Patronus from the hospital after the healers had diagnosed James.
He walks to the nearest fireplace in the living room and is juggling James and reaching for a handful of floo powder when he hears a sleepy voice say, "Draco?"
Draco turns and sees Harry in socks and what is left of his Auror clothes standing in the doorway. "Where are you going?" Harry asks. There is no accusation in his voice, only curiosity.
"James, he woke me up and he wouldn't stop crying, even after I fed him and checked his nappy. I didn't want to wake you up, but I think there is something wrong with him."
Harry walks over and places a hand on his arm to stop him. "Nonsense. You know that I wouldn't care less if it's about James. Or you," he adds. He peers down at James and feels his forehead and James turns his head to lean into the touch. James always seems to know when Harry is nearby because he becomes less fussy and reaches out with his pudgy arms to hug Harry. A part of Draco envies that, even if Harry insists that James adores Draco.
Draco sighs and is about to hand James over to Harry, but he shakes his hand. "He doesn't have a fever, but I think I know what it is. Molly told me," he says, opening James' mouth with his finger and peering down, "that he's about the age where he's teething. It hurts him so much that he doesn't know what else to do but to cry at everything."
Draco sees the tiny hint of white teeth poking up from the baby's gums. He frowns at the thought that he hasn't noticed it sooner. "What do we do?"
Harry smiles. "I can stop his pain. Can you spare a bottle of your finest whiskey?"
"Are you insane? What do you want to use whiskey for? I can just look to see if there's something in my potions supply. There must be a spell, let me just ask-"
Even as Draco is ranting, Harry is ignoring him and has already Summoned a bottle, pouring some whiskey into a small cup. "Could you open his mouth?"
"No." Draco moves so that his back is to Harry, who follows him even as they go full circle several times.
"Draco," he says, touching his hand to hold him in place. "It won't hurt James. I'm just going to rub some whiskey on his gums to numb them, which is less cruel than applying an ice charm every few hours."
When stated like that, Draco can't refuse. He holds still and both of them watch carefully as Harry opens James' mouth and pours a drizzle of whiskey in, rubbing it along the baby's gums. He praises James, cooing at him when he starts to whimper, slowing down so that he doesn't rub too hard to cause a bruise.
Draco hears James yawn. "See," Harry says as James' eyes flutter shut minutes later, "he'll sleep perfectly fine tonight."
"I better put him to bed, then."
"Come with me," Harry says instead, choosing not to go back into their bedroom, but to sit on the couch. Draco takes it as a good sign that James has not woken up as they settle into the big squishy couch. It had belonged to Harry, saying that they were most definitely going to get into fights and if he had been kicked out of their bed, then he might as well be damned comfortable. And it is. For it is the couch that Draco likes to sit and wait for Harry whenever he still hasn't returned home from work.
Now that all of them are together, Harry Transfigures a sock into patchwork quilt and spreads it over the three of them before sending a spark to light the fireplace. He rests his head against Draco's shoulder and reaches down to brush James' hair away from his face. In the firelight, Draco can see that James has settled into the sleep that had eluded him that night. He looks peaceful.
"We do have a fine looking kid, don't we, Draco?" And Draco can't help but agree, because as tired as both of them are, they wouldn't trade this child for the world.