(3)
On the afternoon before her birthday, whilst her classmates headed to Transfiguration for their last class of the day, Emma instead headed down to the Entrance Hall, where her father was to meet her to take her out for tea.
As she headed down the stairs, Emma was nervous. A week ago, she'd met her father for the first time. Although she didn't know him very well yet, Emma couldn't help but like him. She had gauged from just a short time with him that he was a man quietly passionate about the things which mattered to him; a man who had fought his demons and won. Emma was just worried that she wouldn't be good enough for him.
Her fears were somewhat alleviated by the warm smile her father greeted her with. "Happy birthday for tomorrow, Emma," he said sincerely.
"Thank you," Emma said quietly.
"Ready to go?" her father asked and Emma nodded.
She followed him out of the double oak doors and down the marble steps, wondering what they were going to find to talk about. Draco Malfoy might be her father, but he was still a relative stranger.
"So, have you seen much of Scorpius this week?" Emma's father asked.
Emma nodded. "We played some Quidditch on Saturday," she said. "Scorp says he can't give me too many tips, in case I end up playing against him someday."
Her father grinned. "But, what he probably hasn't realised is that by playing with him, you'll get a handle on how he plays, which is about half of what you need to beat him."
They soon reached the iron gates which marked the boundary of Hogwarts. Emma's father tapped the gates with his wand, and they swung open. Emma had never been to Hogsmede before, apart from to catch the train back to London for the school holidays. She'd heard plenty of stories about it, though, from Mia and Lily, and the other older students. As they walked, Emma's father asked her questions about her week at school, distracting Emma so that she almost didn't notice when the village of Hogsmede came into view over the brow of a hill. The village was picturesque, nestled between tow hills, almost like a Christmas Card village, except that it was July, so there was no snow...
Emma glanced over at her father to see him watching her. "It's kind of pretty... if you care for such things," he shrugged.
Emma let him lead her a short way along Hogsmede's main street, before they turned off down a narrower side street. The cafe Emma's father had chosen was called The Dragon's Hide. It was slightly dingy, but nevertheless spotless, and also fairly empty at this time on a Wednesday afternoon.
Emma followed her father through the cafe, to a table at the back, where he pulled out Emma's chair for her before seating himself opposite her with his back to the wall. Emma thought the choice of table so far through the restaurant must be deliberate – Emma had a feeling he didn't like sitting with his back to the room.
To save herself from having to make conversation, Emma looked at the menu. Most of the items on there were things she recognised – the kind of things you might find in a muggle cafe – but there were also pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes..
Emma's father made small talk until a plump, youngish wizard came over to take their order.
"Good afternoon, Mr Malfoy," he said genially. "Are you ready to order, sir?"
Emma's father glanced at Emma questioningly, and Emma nodded. Emma's father order himself a pheasant sandwich, and then the waiter turned to Emma.
"And you, young lady?"
Nervously, Emma ordered herself a toasted cheese sandwich. She was glad that some food was the same in the Muggle and Wizarding worlds.
As the waiter walked away, Emma's father turned to her and said, "So, I went to see your mother and step-father at the weekend."
Emma stiffened. She knew her father had been planning on going to see her mum and Steve, but she'd tried to put it out of her mind this past week.
"It's okay," Emma's father said. "I have spoken to Mr Payne, and we have reached an... understanding. He won't hurt you or your brothers or sisters again... or if he does he'll have me to answer to."
"But how will you know...?" Emma asked.
"I have wards – detection spells-" Emma's father explained, at the confused look on Emma's face. "They'll let me know... as will Eddie... which brings me onto..."
He raised his hand to summon the waiter, who appeared to have been primed, and came over carrying a large something covered with a purple cloth, which he set on the table between Emma and her father.
"I've missed a lot of your birthdays," Emma's father said apologetically. "And I know I can't being to make up for them, but the one I regret missing the most is your 11th, because 11th birthdays are significant in the Wizarding World as the time you get your Hogwarts letter. So... a belated 11th birthday present." He drew off the cloth to reveal a handsome tawny owl.
"Wow..." Emma breathed. "Th...thank you," she stammered.
"Now you can write home without having to use a school owl, and in the holidays, you can write to your friends... and maybe me. Eddie now also has an owl, so he and your sisters can write to you without having to wait for you to write first, and he can also write and tell me if Mr Payne breaks his promise... Now, your twelfth birthday..."
"You didn't have to buy me another present..." Emma protested.
"Yes I did," her father said, with a small smile. "Your owl was just for your eleventh birthday – you don't buy someone a birthday present just once and for all." He summoned the waiter again, who this time brought over a long, thin package wrapped in brown paper. From the shape, Emma thought she could guess what it was, but she didn't get her hopes up – it would be a pretty expensive present.
Carefully, she opened the parcel, to reveal a brand new broom. "You... you... shouldn't have," she stammered. She knew that brooms were expensive, especially decent ones, and this one definitely looked decent.
"Of course I should," Emma's father smiled. "What's the point of having money if I don't get to spend it on my children, especially on their birthdays?"
Emma turned the broom over to reveal the name emblazoned in red: 'Firebolt Red'.
"It should be fast enough for a prospective seeker," Emma's father smiled. "It's one model newer than Scorpius'... although he is angling for a new one when he comes of age next year. And now..." he signalled the waiter again.
"Not another present," Emma said, overwhelmed by the two expensive presents her father had given her. She'd never had any present as expensive as this before, let alone two at once. But, even as the words came out of her mouth, Emma realised they sounded rude and ungrateful, and she hastily tried to backtrack. "I didn't mean it like that, I-"
"It's okay," Emma's father smiled. "I know what you meant. This one's from Astoria – something for you to share with your friends," he told her as the waiter brought over a large square box. Draco opened it to reveal the large square cake, adorned with deep indigo flowers and the words 'Happy Birthday Emma'.
"It's beautiful," Emma said. She'd never had a cake this posh before – in fact she hadn't had a homemade cake since Gran had died. "Please... please could you tell Astoria thank you from me?"
"Of course," Draco nodded. "But if you get a minute, I'm sure she'd really appreciate a note from you to say thank you." When Emma looked doubtful, Draco continued, "Astoria's really looking forward to meeting you and getting to know you. I know – and so does Astoria – that she's not your mother, but she wants to be your friend."
The waiter came over with their sandwiches, and so the conversation lulled for a while. Emma wondered what a relationship with her step-mother would look like. If it was anything like the one she had with her step-father, then she was fairly sure she didn't want it. But, by the sounds of things, Astoria was nothing like Steve – since when had Steve ever given her a present?
"So, I was wondering whether you'd like to come and stay with me for a few days in the summer?" Emma's father asked, after a long pause in the conversation where the waiter moved Emma's presents to the adjacent table out of the way, and Emma and her father started eating.
"I..." Emma began.
"I know you've missed your brothers and sisters, and want to spend time with them," Emma's father said, "but you're my daughter, and I too want to spend time with you and get to know you properly too. I wouldn't dream of taking you way from your siblings, but I'm hoping you might have a few days to spare for me."
"Of course," Emma said quickly. "I'd like that," she added shyly.
"We can arrange it with your mum when I take you home from King's Cross at the end of term," Emma's father said. "Perhaps we could combine your visit with a trip to Diagon Alley to buy your school supplies – I can't imagine your mother and step-father particularly relish that duty."
Emma shook her head in agreement. "Mum took me last year and she..." 'was useless' were the words she wanted to use. It had been a scary trip – far from how her friends described it – with both Emma and her mum nervous and not quite sure what to do. Instead of her mum stepping up and taking charge like Emma knew a grown-up should, Emma had found herself having to lead the way and ask people for directions. And then Steve had spent the next two weeks moaning about the cost, not only of Emma's school supplies, but also the train tickets to get Emma and her Mum to Diagon Alley.
Emma thought that quite a lot of things in her life were going to get better now her father was in it. It wasn't that Emma didn't love her mum – she did and always would – but just that it was good to finally have two parents like everyone else; Steve had never been anything like a dad to her.
Emma's optimism continued throughout desert, and as she and her father headed up to the castle, she finally started to let herself believe that everything might turn out okay.