Chapter Twenty-Nine
Miracles Happen, at a Price

"Generations of the Black family are spinning in their graves." Draco shook his head in mock sadness as he stared up at Grimmauld Place void of its decorated snakes. With the last memory he had of the dark, dank building, she supposed that it would be quite a shock to see it looking so different.

With Hermione's aid, he hobbled up the stairs to the front door, his hand reaching out to touch the handle. It was a normal handle as far as handles went. In the case of the former Black home, it was unusual for it to be a common brass that could be found on millions of other homes. In other words, it was not in the shape of a serpent, and something as abominable as that earned a heave of breath from him.

Nott hadn't been fond of their decision to leave that night, and felt inclined to tell her so in his most strictest of tones. Needless to say, she told Nott in her most formal tone, that she would take care of him just fine. She wouldn't "kill" him again. It sounded funny, but it wasn't.

In retrospect it was nice of Nott to have apparated them to a close alleyway. He was just as good of a liar as Ginny. He made no sign of telling falsehoods as he told his best mate that it would be helpful if Hermione held him up while he disapparted them. It was her secret to tell Draco, not Nott's, and it was in great appreciation that Nott realized that.

"Did you ring Potty Potter?"

Inwardly, she grimaced. In all of the excitement and shock, she forgot to call Harry. "Isn't it time that you give up hating him?"

"If it was up to you, I wouldn't hate anyone. And then what would I do with my time?"

"Heal," she said pushing her key into the lock.

"Where is your wand?"

"Draco, you know very well that I'm muggle-born. I like doing things the muggle way sometimes."

"You're still a dreadful liar. Haven't you learned anything from me?" He held her hand, stilling her from opening the door.

"I've learned that miracles happen. What have you learned from me," she asked in return.

He smirked. "Not to ask you to kill me. You can't do the job right."

She laughed hollowly and pushed the door open. "Are you ready to meet your daughter?"

In answer he leaned heavily on his cane and on her. Slowly, they walked inside through the hallway. She pointed out the various drawings that Kaida had done. There were pinned parchments of blue suns, purple grass, and maroon Hippogriffs. She deftly avoided the ones showing her and Harry. Those had always made her sad, and yet satisfied. It gave her comfort that Kaida had two parents, whether or not one of them was her biological parent.

From what sounded like was coming from the kitchen were noises of happiness. Giggles of Kaida, and muffled voices of Harry and Pansy. The kitchen glow cast long shadows, black figures on the floor moving past the lit hearth.

Like a stone dropping in her gut, it occurred to her that she didn't tell Draco that his ex-girlfriend was dating her best friend. Not only her best friend, but his enemy, the man raising their child. She tensed as they approached and injected logic into the situation to calm her nerves. Draco was too weak to fight, and Harry wouldn't hurt him. It was likely that he would be too floored to fight a man he thought was dead.

Pansy held Kaida in her arms, dancing to the upbeat music playing on the wireless. Harry, who was stirring a metal pot, watched them with sweet reverie. There was a twinkle about him, one similar to the late Dumbledore. That one glimpse of joy did not last long, however. Pansy halted abruptly in her steps as she spotted Draco by the door. Her gasp was loud and audible and Kaida began to fuss, not understanding why the dancing had ended. Harry stopped stirring, following her stare, and the spoon dropped, splattering in the brown pot.

"It's him, it's Draco," Hermione said quickly as Harry reached for the wand in his belt. "Nott led me to him. It's a long story."

He was uncertain. "Who punched you in our Third Year?"

"Hermione didn't punch me, she slapped me. You were there."

Slowly he lowered his hand, his expression teetering between disappointment and ease. "Will someone explain this?"

Pansy glowered, a look that would make a Basilisk shed his skin. "You didn't tell me? All this time!"

Draco didn't take his eyes off of his daughter, wonder filling them. "My daughter?"

"Answer me!"

"We were broken up, Pansy, and I was healing from a curse - the worse curse you can heal from. Unlike Potty here, I remember it. If Theo wouldn't find Hermione for me, then he most certainly wouldn't find you. He never liked you."

"He was a prat."

"And you were a -" He didn't finish his sentence, not at the glowers he was receiving, and not in front of his daughter. He was a gentleman, in his core.

Electricity sparked the air. "You were dead, Hermione killed you," Harry stated, albeit cold as ice.

Hermione knew very well what Draco wanted to say, "didn't you learn that when your mummy died?" But, Draco had grown up, and though he wanted to say it, he didn't. "Hermione finally found a spell she's no good at." He held out his arms, "I'd like to see my daughter now, Pansy."

"You may have Hermione and Harry fooled, but I want proof. Real proof. Prove to me you're Draco."

"You're holding a half-blood's baby. I think the time for surprises has long past." He sighed, "have it your way. We met in Gringotts. You were rich, I was rich, our families had pinched noses. We got on well. Now, may I hold my baby?"

Kaida, ignoring the banter, stretched her hand to Harry, clenching and unclenching her tiny fist. "Da da."

The whole room froze in that second of time, staring at the sweet little girl. Hermione was struck speechless, torn between two reactions. One being to praise her for her first word, the other wanting to cry, because as she looked at Kaida's biological father, it was seeing an innocent man marching to the gallows.

Draco turned, limping out of the kitchen. "Potter," he ordered gruffly.

Leaving Pansy alone to coddle Kaida, Harry, Draco, and Hermione joined outside. Hermione placed a firm touch on Draco's chest, but it did little to help, for he pushed her kindness away, withdrawing his wand. He aimed right at Harry's chest, not blinking to produce the necessary shine, and he looked scary, like a mad person.

"Been playing house in my life, eh, Potter?"

Calmly, Harry took his wand out too. "How do you figure?"

"You're living with my girlfriend in my relatives old home raising my child. What do you call that?"

"What do you call being alive when everyone thought you dead?"

"Don't push me, Potter."

"I'd love an explanation to that one, Malfoy. I'd also like to know how come now?"

"I owe you nothing!" He turned wild, a twisted sneer plastered on his lips reminding her of the days of his old prejudice. It was too closely resembling the sneer he gave her when they were children.

How did everything go wrong, when her life was beginning to right itself? It was starting to rewind and mend. Miracles did happen, but they happened at a price. Draco may decide that her life was already fixed, and she didn't need him. That thought came errant through her mind at his wounded expression.

Pansy came through then, passing Kaida off to her and snatching Draco's wand out of his hold. "You were gone," she informed angrily, "your daughter doesn't know you. What did you expect when you made up your bloody mind to show your arrogant face around here? We thought you were dead. Hermione held a funeral for you. Nobody else wanted to."

Draco cast a shocked glance to Hermione. "You held a funeral for me?"

"And your parents," Pansy went on.

Hermione nodded. "Before I cursed you, your father locked me in a broom closet. I escaped, but he wanted me safe. For you. Your parents didn't want us together, but they wanted you happy. They didn't murder me, and I owed them a proper service. I did kill their only son."

"Tried," he corrected.

"I thought I did."

Harry dropped his wand. "I didn't take your place. Hermione's my best friend. I wanted to be there for her."

"Were you going to marry her? That's what the old good Potter would do. Marry the best friend because she got knocked up by your enemy." The angry glint returned. "Give me my wand, Pansy."

"No."

"Pansy, I want my wand."

"Bugger off, Draco. You never paid any attention to me. I never said a bad word against Harry. I kept quiet the entire time we were together. Nott did too. You thought you ruled the school, but you had everyone running behind your back. You made everyone afraid, but you turned out to be a coward and you're being a coward now. Look what happened because of it! Hermione thought she murdered you, Harry raised your child, and you never knew. I love Harry. So stick that wand up your arse!"

Draco looked stricken, that of a man who had woken from a ten-year coma to find the whole world and everyone he knew and loved to be different. The features of his face were pulled down, tears glistening.

Hermione remembered the last time Harry had witnessed him crying. By what Harry had told her, Ron, and Ginny, Draco had ended up on the floor in a pool of his own blood. He would have died if it weren't for Snape. She hated that she could not go to him in the hospital infirmary, couldn't give away what they secretly had. She worried sick, overhearing anything that she could, but least of all from Pansy, who embellished every hurt that he acquired in hopes of winning his attention once more. Little did she know that at the time, Draco was no longer hers.

With that thought she placed Kaida in his arms and stepped back to watch as he inexpertly held her. Kaida wrinkled her nose, pulling back to get a good look at her unknown father. Slowly, he beamed, and she did too. She giggled and he laughed. It was harmony.

"My daughter," he whispered, "she's beautiful."

"Does that mean you're going to stay alive for a while," Pansy asked sincerely with an undertone of biting resentment.

Harry's hand rested in the swoop of her lower back. "You're her father, mate. It was never me."

"Are you going to stay or be daft," Pansy reiterated, restive.

Draco looked to Hermione when he answered. "Yes. I'm going to stay. As long as Harry never calls me his mate again."


A/N: Don't worry, Draco wouldn't give in that easy. More to come.