Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, never will. I only own Holly.
A/N: DV has been invaluable. Thanks again! This chapter is a bit short but I promise the next one will be longer!
"Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad,"
- Anne Geddes
Chapter Five
THE SCORPION
It was February the 23rd when Draco was alerted to the fact Holly had gone into early labour. She was 4 weeks early. But their first born was ready. Draco flooed to St Mungo's where he was led to the birthing suite. Once there he was told his mother was with Holly and he'd be allowed in once the child and mother were checked over. Draco nodded somewhat numbly. He knew he'd have a son or daughter he just wasn't as prepared as he'd told Holly he was. He wasn't ready for this. He was only 16!
About 8 hours later he was allowed in. The sight that greeted him was one he was surprised by. Holly sat up in bed holding a bundle of blue blankets to her chest, she was talking quietly to it, cooing. She glanced up and said something to the bundle.
"Come here, Draco. Meet your son, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy." She said, holding the bundle a little away from her chest so he could see the tiny pink face, the tuft of Malfoy blonde hair on his head. Draco was stunned.
"A son…" He whispered, Holly smiled at him carefully, "can I hold him?"
"Of course he's yours too." Holly replied, she helped Draco to support Scorpius' head and cradle the bundle against his chest, "You're a father, Draco."
Scorpius grew swiftly. He was sitting up on his own when he was just 4 months old. He was walking by the time he was 10 months old. Holly noticed how attentive Draco was with his son. When Scorpius started to walk, Draco was in his father's study. Holly was with Scorpius in the sitting room. Scorpius had walked a little wobbly to Holly where she scooped the child up with a laugh of delight.
"Oh, you clever boy!" she said as she made her way towards Lucius' study. She knocked and waited until Draco opened the door.
"Holly? What is it?" He asked, whenever Holly approached him with Scorpius, Draco assumed something was wrong.
"He's walking, Draco. Scorpius is walking!" She said breathlessly. Draco immediately looked surprised but delighted. He walked over to his father's desk and knelt down. Holly mimicked him and set Scorpius on his feet.
"Go to Daddy, Scorpius." Holly encouraged and Draco called to him from the other side of the room. Scorpius looked unsure and was wobbly but using all the balance he had he took one step, then another, and another. Draco and Lucius – who was now standing up – watched as Scorpius walked all the way into his father's arms. Draco scooped up Scorpius and tossed him gently skywards, catching him with the ease of the Slytherin Seeker. The infant giggling all the while.
As Scorpius continued to develop and grow Holly would share all his milestones with Draco. His first word was 'Dad', not that Holly was surprised. Scorpius did idolize Draco and that became very clear in his first year. He wanted to do everything that Draco did; from going to school (to which the refusal was greeted with a tantrum), to performing spells. The toy wand that was gift from Fred and George allowed him the illusion. He would wave it around his head in circles and babble like he was casting spells.
Mostly Scorpius would cooperate with his mother and grandmother at night when he would settle easily, with a softly sung lullaby. Often it would take a bit more than one lullaby. However on nights that Holly and Narcissa couldn't settle Scorpius, Lucius would sit with the child out on the patio and shoot sparks from the end of his wand. Delighting the child until Scorpius started to fall asleep on his chest at which point Holly would retrieve the yawning infant and take him upstairs to bed.
During the Christmas holidays, Scorpius hardly left Draco's side. And again over the summer before Draco's 7th year. Scorpius it seemed had the mindset that he would end up just like his father. Holly hoped not - she didn't think she could deal with it if her son turned out as cold and cruel as her husband. Though to his credit Draco had not been intentionally cruel to her since Scorpius was born.
Scorpius started to sleep all night as he neared his first birthday. It was a blessing for not just Draco and Holly but for Draco's mother also. At the times when Scorpius would cry, Narcissa often got up to assist Holly in whatever Scorpius needed. From checking his nappy, to settling him down again, to feeding him. It was easier when he would go to sleep at 7pm and then wake at 7am. A full night's sleep. The next thing Holly knew she'd have to deal with - because she remembered going through it was bedwetting but hopefully for the few years he was in nappies they could avoid that and even then they could use an invention by muggles, Hermione could help Holly find them. Hermione said they were called 'Nappy Pants'. For children who had outgrown nappies but still needed the help of protection for night-time and sometimes during the day. Holly was so thankful for some of the things Muggles came up with. Of course there spells they could use for that but why do it unnecessarily?
Holly knew Scorpius was going to be tall, he was already fairly tall for his age. Even Draco commented on how tall his son was. It was clear that he was going to be taller than his father and mother. But Holly was fine with that - she and Harry had neither been very tall. She knew Scorpius would be tall, as Draco was a good 3 inches taller than her, her guess was Scorpius could be 5'10" like his father or maybe an inch either way. Still he'd be taller than his mother.
Scorpius' first birthday was a huge affair. Narcissa invited all of her family that she could, Lucius the same. All his brothers and their kids came to help celebrate their cousin's son's birthday. Holly managed to invite Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville and their partners.
Harry and Luna gave him a toy broomstick and it was his favourite gift. He could often be found zooming around the house on it. He was a natural just like his Uncle Harry and his father.
Holly stood over Scorpius' cot after she put him down, after the last of the guests had left. The one-year-old wasn't asleep even as she sang to him softly. She'd been trying to get him down for an hour trying anything she could think of. She even stood out on his balcony with him nestled in her arms as she shot multi coloured sparks from the end of her wand. Nothing worked, after another hour and a half - making it nearly 9:15 she finally got him down and sleeping. She retired to her room and crawled into bed beside an equally tired Draco.
A/N: Ok so a bit of explanation and what seems like a Lily-esque 180 from Holly. Holly doesn't love Draco, she likes him and the way he attends to Scorpius. That is all there is to it.