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Prologue

The door to the private quarters had slammed harder than he had intentioned. His anger was too far gone, and his poor wife awoke with a great start, their newborn in the hospital cot screeching with fright.

Draco's head fell into his hands, his despair to have been so clueless mixed with his incredulity of the situation.

Things had been a dire mess from the first minute of labour. He didn't know if he would ever catch a break, or worse, it would catch onto everyone else around him in a domino effect.

Astoria slightly glared at him after the shock subsided. She flicked her wand through her fingers before her baby was in her arms, as she sat up to better cradle her. As she comforted her daughter, Draco peeked through his long bone like fingers, only to see Astoria paler than him, so much gaunter looking than she had been 48 hours prior, soothing their daughter. The coaxing had the newborn relaxed and barely whimpering into her mother's soft embrace.

Astoria sighed carefully, brushing the newborn's pink face gently and admiring her little features. Draco could practically feel her gentle spirit echoing in the room, her willing stronger than her heart could ever possibly effect.

'I don't know if I will ever be good at this,' he said quietly, staring at her embrace of their newborn daughter.

Being a mother was natural to Astoria. Nature didn't run and hide from Astoria, it confidently trusted her to lead it the right way. She lit up rooms and feared very little, for she knew her worth and would not falter under those who attempted to wrangle her soul into obedience.

Draco's whole being to life and life that needed to be nurtured to better it – it simply didn't exist. Some self-preservation techniques, maybe, but that was nothing short of selfish in the realm of fatherhood. Truthfully, Draco didn't know how to nurture, only how to be nurtured.

He was completely unprepared. And she was the one who nearly died giving birth to their baby. As always, she came back like a whip in response.

'You've not actually attempted anything yet darling,' Astoria said, her vision never leaving her daughter, her eyes soft and warm on her little being. Expectedly, as their newborn girl had truly settled into her mother's arms into a new snooze, she raised her eyes to look at her husband, cowering and in a panic. This was not the first time she had witnessed him falter at his role in all of this, under the weight of those who envisaged different things for him and his family, for them to represent a dying breed of witch and wizard.

'If I'm correct, the man I married was back in that room, arguing his father out of my vicinity, not the one giving up on his position in this family.'

'I'm sorry, Astoria.'

'Don't apologise Draco,' Astoria held back the roll of the eyes. It wouldn't be useful at this moment. 'The words you spoke out there mattered more when you finally needed to make our plans clearer to your parents. What this family implicitly needs right now, are your actions.'

Draco removed his hands slowly from his face.

Astoria could always see him for what he was, a scared little boy who needed reminding of how old he actually was. What actually mattered now, and that he had a choice. To fall and stagger in fear of what society would think of him, despite the war being finished for some time. Or be the pillar of strength his very weak wife was currently being for him, in a time when she needed him most.

Her eyes flickered between him and the baby in gesture, quite obviously after a few seconds. When he didn't quite catch on, she didn't become frustrated but merely communicated her desires differently.

'Just as you told him, you will play an active part in her upbringing. Which means you can hold her too darling.'

Draco moved toward her and their daughter as she held the bundle out to him expectantly.

He adjusted whenever Astoria made a new suggestion to make the baby more comfortable, as well as himself.

'You see, she's not crying,' Astoria gently encouraged.

'This time,' Draco evenly spoke.

Her brow rose in very little disappointment but with a sense of amusement. 'The problem with fatherhood Draco is that you sort of should stride into it with some pride, and not totally bring yourself down on her second day on this earth,' she teased him.

Draco glared slightly at her words, but she simply smiled, in a way she had from when they met, as though she knew more than him, and truly, he believed she did.

Draco's index finger gently brushed the little wisp their daughter had that was defined as her hair and felt the softness of her skin admiringly.

'Children can mirror what they see their parents doing, even when its negative behaviour,' Astoria said quietly. 'I'm not saying to be so proud your inept Draco…but have some pride in yourself and in her, and she will reflect that in the times when she will need it most.'

Draco didn't look to his wife this time. He was merely wrapped up in what his daughter professed in her little garbles and whines. Her squished little face and her closed eyes didn't say much to most but he could see with the rose coloured lenses that parenthood had now allowed him to see through, a chance to finally become the father he never thought he could be, the one Astoria believed he could be, the only person to see that he could be greater than what was foreseen to be of a Malfoy.

His pupils practically dilated at the sight of her first yawn.

Despite how much he hated the emotion that was drawn from him, his eyes teared up.

'She's perfect.'