Chapter 3

Draco watched the boy, watched Alex, sleeping on the small cot he'd conjured next to Harry's bed. He couldn't imagine what this child had been through in only twenty-four hours. Losing both his parents, seeing his uncle, someone he should have been able to trust, attacking his only family, must have been too much for the child to understand.

Accidental magic. Hermione had said that Harry had taken a call with Teddy to follow up on some accidental magic, which meant that Alex had likely witnessed more than just Harry's attack, the child's magic flaring to protect himself, maybe.

What was he going to do? How was he going to get this child to relax enough to give up the memory that could save Harry's life? That would save Draco's life by saving Harry's? That would bring home Lyra's daddy?

The thought forced another sob to escape, this one louder than he expected, and Alex began to stir. He sat up groggily, his small face trying to take in the room around him despite the dim lighting.

"Hi," Draco said after a deep breath, careful to keep his voice quiet and calm. "I'm sorry I woke you. You seem really tired."

The little boy nodded, his brown curls bouncing slightly around his face.

"Can I make the light on a little brighter so you can see me?"

He nodded again, so Draco raised his wand slowly and spelled the lights brighter. The child never took his eyes from Draco's wand, his body stiff.

"This is a wand. Have you ever seen one before?"

Alex nodded, then whispered, "My daddy." He paused and his eyes widened slightly and began darting around the room. "Uncle?"

"Your uncle isn't here. Harry made sure he couldn't hurt you."

Alex looked at Harry's bed then back to Draco.

"I'm Draco. Harry's my husband. We have a little girl who's just a bit bigger than you."

"Lyra."

Draco smiled gently. "Yes, her name is Lyra. You're pretty smart."

"I'm three."

Merlin, now what? Draco wracked his brain, trying to figure out what he could say that would help the child relax. "Can I get you something to eat? Are you hungry?"

Alex shook his head and yawned, then laid back down on his pillow.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?"

Nodding, Alex curled up in a ball, his little body shaking slightly. Draco walked over and covered him with a blanket, and when the boy didn't flinch away, ran his hand down his little arm like he sometimes did for Lyra when she was upset.

The boy's cries came louder then, and Draco knelt down next to him, feeling helpless, until Alex turned over and threw his arms around Draco, sobs convulsing his small shoulders.

"I want my mummy and daddy," he whimpered into Draco's ear.

"I know, buddy," Draco soothed. "I bet they're so happy you're safe, even if they can't be here with you."

The sobs grew louder and Draco just held on, helpless to do anything else, his own face wet with the grief for the child, praying to whatever powers might be listening that his own daughter wouldn't have to go through this same pain.

When Draco woke, it was to find himself lying on a cot in Harry's hospital room, a small head of curls nestled into his shoulder and Hermione watching with a sad smile from a chair across the room. The smell of breakfast made his stomach growl loud enough for her to hear, and she chuckled.

"If you can move without waking him, the food is Molly's."

His stomach growled louder this time, and he slowly lifted the child and slipped away, letting the boy fall into the warmth of the cot where Draco had been. His thumb was in his mouth, and Draco's heart swelled a little at the sight.

"I never understood children sucking their thumbs," he said quietly when Hermione handed him his tea. He lifted the cup and sniffed. Earl Grey. Perfect.

"It's a security thing; it's an inborn soothing from the womb. Some just need it longer than others, but when a child has been through a trauma, it's not surprising that they might revert to taking comfort from such a thing."

He gave a small nod and picked up a muffin. "So now what?"

"You seem to have done well with him last night."

"Merlin, Hermione, I don't know. He cried for ages until we both passed out." He ran his hand through his hair, and for the first time in his memory, he really didn't care that it was probably a mess.

She took his hand and squeezed. "He hadn't cried more than a few tears since we'd found them. He needed it."

Draco sipped his tea and then tried to take a small bite of his muffin. The tart cranberry burst on his tongue and it occurred to him it was the first thing he could remember tasting since this entire debacle began.

"How are you holding up?" she asked, her voice gentle, as though she were talking to someone on the edge. Which was probably close to the truth.

He closed his eyes and shook his head, unable to get the words out without dissolving back into tears.

"What do you want to tell Lyra?"

He took a deep breath and forced himself to meet her brown eyes. "I have to do it, don't I?"

She let out a little hum. "Yeah, I think so. She's five, Draco. She's already wondering what time you're coming to pick her up."

He looked over at Alex then back to his friend. "I'll go over to the Burrow for a bit. I could use a shower too." He nodded at the boy. "He needs to be cleaned up too."

"I'll take care of that. You go home, shower, then talk to Lyra. I'll meet you back here later with Alex and we can decide on the next steps."

"Yeah, okay," he said, walking over to the sleeping child and brushing his hand over the boy's forehead. "Alex," he said, squatting down next to him.

Alex opened his eyes and blinked, sucking harder on his thumb.

"I have to go home for a little while and see Lyra, but I'll be back soon, okay? Hermione's going to take care of you while I'm gone."

Alex's eyes flitted to Hermione for a moment, but he grabbed on to Draco's hand. "Draco."

"Yeah, Draco. But I'll be back."

"No," he started to cry and crawled up into Draco's arms. "Don't go."

"Alex," he said, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. He ran his hand over the boy's back. "It's just for a little bit."

Alex tightened his hold, and Draco looked at Hermione, feeling helpless.

She approached and tried to reach out to Alex, but he just buried his face in Draco's neck. "What if we go with Draco, Alex? I can show you where Lyra sleeps and you can take a bath in her bathtub."

Alex turned his head to look at her, still wrapped around Draco's neck. The soft curls tickled Draco's cheek, reminding him of Lyra when she was upset.

"Yeah, we'll go together. Does that sound better?" Draco asked.

Alex's head moved, and Draco assumed it must have been a nod because Hermione went to gather her things. "Wonderful. Andromeda is going to stay with Harry while we're gone. I noticed her at the door a moment ago, but she waited when she saw Alex was upset."

Draco's throat clenched at the idea of leaving Harry even that long, but Lyra needed him. "Teddy?" he asked.

"Fleur and Vic are with him right now. He's still asleep, but he's doing much better today."

"I want to check in on him on our way out."

Hermione smiled. "Sure. Are you ready to go, Alex?"

Alex clung on tighter, and Draco sighed. What next?

"Papa!" Lyra flew across the kitchen of the Burrow, and Draco caught her, scooping her up into a tight hug. He held on, and after several moments she began to squirm. "Let me down. I'm five years old, not a baby."

Draco sighed and let her slide down to the ground at his feet.

She looked around him and frowned. "Where's Daddy?"

He kept hold of her hand and walked her to the sofa in the sitting room, which Molly had mercifully cleared of the other children. Draco could hear them upstairs giggling.

"Lyra, love, Daddy got hurt at work."

She narrowed her green eyes and tilted her head. She looked so much like Harry at that moment that it made Draco's eyes burn with tears.

"Is he at home, then?" she asked, her voice too cautious for a five-year-old.

"No, baby, he's at the hospital. They're working on fixing him up."

She sucked in a breath. "He's hurt really bad?"

He nodded and squeezed her hand.

"Is he going to get better?" She sounded careful, as though she were afraid to know the answer.

"Yeah, baby. I think so. But he's asleep so his body can heal right now."

She stared, and he could see her little brain moving through everything it could to make sense of what she'd told him. "Are you okay?"

Draco's eyes filled with tears. He couldn't help it; he loved her so much, and he was so scared. "Not really, baby, but I will be."

She wiped the tears from his face and crawled into his lap, wrapping her arms around his chest. "Daddy is always okay, right?"

Merlin, Draco hoped she was right. A noise at the door caught his attention, and he remembered the other child currently in his care.

"Lyra, when Daddy got hurt, he saved someone."

"He did?" She sat up, sounding interested. "Who was it? Someone we know?"

"A little boy, actually. His name is Alex, and he's three years old. Would you like to meet him?"

"He's here?" Her eyes grew big, and she looked around, interested.

Draco gave her a little smile, the biggest one he could manage at the moment. "He is. But honey, Alex's mummy and daddy couldn't be saved, so he's really sad right now."

"But—" she started, "But you said Daddy saved him."

"He did, but he wasn't in time to save Alex's mummy and daddy. He doesn't have any brothers or sisters or grandparents to be here with him right now, either, so Aunt Hermione and I are watching him until they can find someone."

Lyra's mouth was opened into an O, then she closed it and nodded. Draco doubted she really understood, but it was enough for now. "Okay. I can help too. I can be like his big sister." She stopped short, then looked confused. "Where's Teddy? Can he help? He's a good big brother."

Draco closed his eyes for a moment, bracing himself. "He was hurt too, but he's at the hospital and already almost better. I bet you'll be able to see him tomorrow."

"Did Daddy save Teddy too?"

Draco swallowed. "Yes. Yes, he did."

She gave a firm nod as if that confirmed her assumptions. "That's what Daddy does, right?" She took Draco's hand. "Come on. I want to meet Alex."

Draco watched his daughter pull him into the kitchen where Hermione was waiting with the boy, then she wrapped her arm around Alex's shoulder and started talking about the family.

Sometimes he forgot that their daughter inherited more than just Harry's eyes.

She had a saving people thing.

A/N: So posting on Monday/Friday is turning into Sunday night/Thursday night (American time). Either way, you're getting an update to read twice a week, lol. I like to keep chapters around 3k words, but this one is a bit shorter. It was just a natural breaking point, but the next one will back to around 3k. Likes and friendly reviews are most appreciated! I'd love to hear from you.