The Calm Before the Storm.
From the second his wife, Hermione, informed him that she was pregnant, Draco Malfoy was the happiest wizard alive. The news was the icing on the cake for Draco, and he knew his life couldn't get any better. At one point in his life, Draco felt as though he had no future, but now he was married to a witch he was desperately in love with and together they were expecting a child that would complete their family.
During the war, when Draco had been dragged into things and forced to serve Voldemort against his will, a positive future looked bleak for Draco and his family. However, Voldemort was defeated and Draco and his parents had been given a second chance. The Malfoys had grabbed that chance with both hands, and they'd never looked back as they'd secured a bright and happy future for themselves which had nothing to do with Dark Arts and old blood purity prejudices.
Hermione was very much a part of Draco's second chance, and the second she'd agreed to go out with him, after first forming a friendship due to work commitments, he knew he was never going to let her go. Hermione was everything Draco wanted and needed in a partner. She was smart and beautiful and she knew her own mind. She challenged Draco in ways no other witches had ever done, and they had an intense relationship full of passion. Of course, it did mean they argued, at times quite spectacularly, but the love and respect they had for each other always ensured that they made up and moved on with their lives together.
Over the years, Hermione had very much become a solid part of the Malfoy family, and both Lucius and Narcissa were thrilled when the couple announced Hermione's pregnancy. Hermione and Draco's friends were also thrilled for the couple, and they all agreed the pair would make great parents.
Throughout Hermione's pregnancy, Draco had been as calm as could be. Becoming a father was proof that his life had totally turned around since the war, and he was ready for the big event. It was Hermione who had bouts of anxiousness and worries over becoming a mother, while Draco was calm and looked forward to what lay ahead. Draco prepared for the day he would become a father as calmly as anything, and everything was ready for the newest Malfoy's arrival over a month before Hermione was due to give birth.
Draco's calm didn't shatter until one lazy Sunday afternoon when Hermione went into labour while the couple were at the manor having lunch with Lucius and Narcissa. Draco had been discussing a bit of business with his father in Lucius's study when Hermione and Narcissa had suddenly appeared to break the news that it was time.
"But the baby isn't due until Thursday," Draco protested when Hermione and Narcissa informed him that the baby was on its way.
"I don't think it got the message," Hermione retorted through clenched teeth.
"But it's early," Draco said.
"What do you want me to do, cross my legs and hang on for a few more days just because the baby's not due until later in the week?" Hermione growled at her husband.
"Babies don't work that way, Draco," Narcissa said gently to her son. "The baby is coming, and we need to move now."
"Right of course," Draco said, jumping to his feet. "Hermione's bag is at home, I'll go and get it."
Rushing out of the room, Draco quickly flooed home to grab the bag that had been packed and just waiting for Hermione to go into labour. Returning to the manor at top speed, he was pleased to find that his parents and Hermione had relocated to the floo room and waiting for him.
"Can we go?" Hermione asked when Draco just stood in front of her holding her bag.
"Yes, of course," Draco replied with a nod of his head. Taking hold of Hermione's hand, he helped her into the fire so they could floo to the hospital together, totally missing the amused look his parents shared before following after their son and daughter-in-law.
At the hospital the Malfoys were escorted into a private room, which they'd already paid for. While Draco was with Hermione, helping her get settled on and watching as the medi-witches checked her over, Lucius and Narcissa contacted the pair's closest friends so that when Draco poked his head outside to keep his parents up to date he found his two best friends, Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott, sitting with Hermione's two best friends, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.
"How's it going?" Harry asked. He was the only one of the four with a child, so he knew how nervous Draco must be as he waited for Hermione to give birth.
"It's harder than it looks," Draco confessed. "I'm exhausted with all this running about."
"It's even harder for Hermione," Narcissa said pointedly. "She's the one giving birth."
"I know, and I'm right there for her," Draco replied.
"You best get back to it then," Lucius said to his son.
Draco nodded and turning back to enter Hermione's room, he opened the door just as Hermione let out a loud scream, cursing Draco for ever getting her pregnant. With a wince, Draco bravely went back into the room where his wife was very vividly threatening to hex his manhood off.
"Ouch," Blaise muttered, shuffling uncomfortably in his seat following Hermione's loud shouts. Beside him, Theo and Ron were also shuffling around as though it was their privates Hermione had threatened to remove.
"Do all women react like that when they're giving birth?" Theo asked warily.
"Narcissa actually hexed my balls when she was giving birth to Draco," Lucius confided. "They turned a shocking shade of blue."
"It was an accident," Narcissa replied, not sounding too convincing. "My magic was all over the place when I gave birth."
"Ginny's magic was also haywire when she was giving birth to James," Harry said. "Although, it wasn't focused on me. She blew all the lights on the floor of the hospital."
"Better a few blown lights than blue balls," Blaise chuckled. "I think if I ever become a father, I'm steering clear of the delivery room."
Talk outside of Hermione's room carried on for the next few hours, as the occasional scream from Hermione penetrated the walls. As they waited the group took it in turns to go and get refreshments and to stretch their legs. Although, not one of them thought of leaving until Hermione had given birth, not even when night fell and midnight came and went.
It was almost two o'clock in the morning before the door to Hermione's room opened and a stunned looking Draco stumbled out into the corridor. Despite his months of calmness and claiming he was full prepared for what lay ahead of him, it was clear that the experience had left Draco completely and utterly stunned.
"I'm a father," he announced in a shell-shocked voice.
"Congratulations, son," Lucius beamed.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"A baby," Draco replied dumbly.
"We know that," Blaise said with a snort. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
Draco's face briefly crumpled in confusion, before his eyes widened in shock. "Bloody hell, I forgot to check."
As Draco whirled round and flew back into Hermione's room to check if he had a son or a daughter, his parents and friends merely laughed at him.
"So much for Mr Calm and Collected," Theo chuckled.
"It's a boy," Draco yelled, running back into the corridor. "It's a boy."
"That's great news, Draco," Narcissa said as Draco walked over to where they were waiting and slumped down on the seat next to his mother.
"I've got a son," he whispered to himself. "A son. I'm a father."
"And this is just occurring to you?" Ron asked.
"I knew I was going to be a father, but now I am," Draco said. "Now I have this whole little person depending on me and I'm bloody terrified. What if I mess up? What if I accidentally drop him on his head?"
"You won't drop him on his head," Narcissa reassured her son and Theo and Ron both chuckled quietly to themselves.
"And as for messing up, you just have to do your best," Lucius added, moving so he was sitting on the other side of his son. "I wasn't the best father to you, Draco, and yet I've still managed to land myself a terrific son. That little boy in there is so lucky because I know you'll not make the mistakes I did with you. You're going to make sure he's never going to want for anything, and you're going to love him more than anything. Just love him, and he'll turn out just fine."
"You weren't the worst father," Draco said, looking up at his father and thanking the fact that they were now so close.
"Maybe not the worst, but I wasn't the best either," Lucius replied with a shrug. "Hopefully, I'm making up for that now, but I know it won't be the same for you. You're going to be a great father from the start. Now go back to your son and wife and give them all our love."
Draco nodded, and slowly getting to his feet, he gave his father the briefest of hugs before he headed back into see his wife and son. When he entered Hermione's room, he found the staff had exited via the second door and Hermione was sitting propped up in bed with their son nestled in her arms.
"There you are," she said with a smile when she spotted her husband. "I thought you'd ran off and left us."
"Never," Draco replied, making his way over to Hermione's bed and perching beside her. "I'm never going to leave you, Hermione. Neither of you. The pair of you are my whole world, and I couldn't be happier."
"Do you want to hold your son, then?" Hermione asked with a smile.
Draco took a deep breath as he nodded his head. Ever so gently, Hermione placed their new-born son in his arms and Draco gasped at the flood of love that washed over him the second he held his son. All at once his worries and fears flew to the back of his mind as the little boy in his arms looked up at him expectantly.
"Hello, baby," Draco whispered. "I'm your Daddy, and I'm going to be the best Daddy I can be."
Still cradling his son in his arms, Draco got up and walked over to the window. As he stood staring out at the night sky, his son in his arms and his wife lying in bed behind him, Draco felt completely and utterly content. His life couldn't possibly get better than this, and he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life being the best father and husband he could possibly be. After all, his wife and son deserved the best, and that was what he was going to make sure they got.