Chapter 7

"Well?" Hermione asked, her brows raised.

"What do we have to do to keep him with us until you locate this family in Canada?"

Hermione smiled. "I thought that might be it. I asked Helen about it, and there are a good deal of legal documents that'll need to be signed. A formal inspection of the home will have to be made, and he needs a private space set up in the house for a bedroom."

"Molly said he's been napping with Lyra," he said, confused. "And I woke up with him curled into my back earlier. I don't think he wants to be alone. I mean, he can use Teddy's old bedroom if they insist, but—"

"It's only procedure," she said, placing a calming hand on his arm. "Nobody's going to insist he sleep alone, but the option needs to be available."

Draco sighed. "Procedure. That's a bloody awful word."

"You have no idea," she agreed. "Emergency-placement foster homes are generally only used when other, pre-approved homes aren't available. However, given the circumstances, Helen thinks we might be able to make it work."

"Harry said we can use his name to make it happen."

Hermione had opened her mouth to answer, but that caused her to stop and raise an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really."

"Well, then, maybe we'll be able to expedite this a bit. An Auror of his standing, and my position in the Ministry backing you up, made me confident, but I still expected we'd be battling a bit. But if he's willing to call it a favour…"

Draco smiled. "Do what you think is necessary. I just don't want that little boy to suffer again so soon. He needs at least a few more days of stability before things change again."

She nodded. "Even if we found the family tomorrow, it'd still be weeks before the initial custody arrangements would be made and the family thoroughly checked. We won't be rushing into anything, so, if you do this, Alex will be with you at least three weeks, and that's an incredibly optimistic time frame."

"That's fine. Whatever's needed."

Hermione studied him a moment and then leaned in to give him a hug. "I have some Floo calls to make." She pulled back and straightened her back. "Go find your family."

Draco watched her walk away and felt strange as he considered her last words. He shrugged them off and followed Lyra's voice down the hallway.

He found her in Teddy's room. She was chattering away a mile a minute while Teddy listened intently, his hair back to its trademark blue. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a dark-blue jumper, clearly ready to leave this place. He met Draco's eye and grinned.

"Papa!" Lyra said when she noticed Teddy's attention had turned. "Teddy's going home today. He had an adventure with Daddy, but it wasn't a very nice one."

"I know, Billywig. What else did Teddy tell you? Did you let him talk at all?"

"I did," she said, sounding irritated at the suggestion. "He even told me a secret."

"Lyra," Teddy hissed, scowling.

"I didn't tell him what it was!" She twirled back to her honorary big brother and huffed. "But you couldn't tell me a secret if I didn't let you talk, now could you?"

"Secrets, huh?" Draco asked, intrigued. "Hmm, we don't generally keep secrets in our house, do we? Surprises are ok, though. Is it something like that?"

Teddy sighed, his lips twitching at the edges. "Go ahead and tell him, I guess."

"Yes!" Lyra turned back to Draco. "Teddy thinks he's going to try to be a Healer instead of an Auror. He's been talking to the Healers while he's here, and he thinks he'd be good at it." She smiled. "I think he would too. He's always been really good at fixing me when I get hurt."

Draco smiled, trying to hide the waves of surprise and relief he felt rushing through him at Lyra's reveal. He sat down on the bed next to where Teddy was perched and looked at the young man, searching for any clue as to what his godson was feeling.

When Draco spoke, he chose his words carefully. "I think that you're probably right; Teddy would be very good at being a healer." Teddy seemed to relax, and Draco patted his hand. "We can talk about it more later, but if you went as far as telling Lyra, I'm guessing you're feeling relatively sure about this."

Teddy nodded. "Yeah, I think I am. I'm going to tell Gram about it tonight, but I think she'll be relieved."

Draco didn't doubt that, but… "I don't want you to make a big decision like this just because you got hurt. This is what you've always said you wanted."

"I know, but it's not really what I thought it'd be, you know? And I've been talking to the Healers, and watching, and really considering what I want to do with my life. I want to help people, but I also want a family someday." He paused and took a deep breath, and when he continued, his eyes were solemn. "I don't want to have to go through everything you and Uncle Harry have, not for something I don't particularly want anyway. Being a Healer will have its challenges, I know that. I just… I think it just feels right in a way the whole Auror thing never did, you know?"

Draco smiled. "Yes."

"Is Uncle Harry going to be upset, do you think?"

"Oh, Teddy," Draco said, reaching out to ruffle Teddy's hair as the man tried to pull away. "He'll be happy that you're happy. I promise."

Harry had another night to stay at the hospital, which meant Draco would be alone again. More than that, he was on his own getting Lyra and Alex settled in. It seemed like ages since he'd gone through Lyra's bedtime routine, even if it'd only been a few days. Her schedule, like everyone else's, had been practically destroyed, and she'd fallen asleep the previous night with Alex and Molly on the sofa.

But, you should start as you mean to go on, his mother always said, so Draco straightened his shoulders and set to work.

Molly had left some pasta, so he heated that for all three of them and made sure everyone ate at least a few bites. Alex was a bit of a struggle, there, but Lyra's giggles when she dropped the noodles into her mouth coaxed the other child into eating.

Bathtime was next— "No, Lyra, you can't take a bath with Alex. Baths are private time." —story time— "In the high and far off times, O Best Beloved, the elephant had no trunk" —and arguments over where to sleep.

That's where Draco was currently in the routine, and he was ready to tear his hair out. He'd not had a decent night's sleep in days, and he really didn't have the patience for this. Teddy's old room was freshened and waiting for Alex, but Lyra wouldn't let it go. He finally sent her to her room and sat down on Teddy's bed with the small boy.

"I know this is probably kind of scary."

Alex nodded, his eyes drooping but his shoulders tense.

"Listen, you're going to be here with us for a little while. I want you to feel comfortable. This is going to be your room while you're here, but if you want to sleep somewhere else, especially now when it's still scary, you can do that."

Draco wasn't sure how much of that Alex really understood, but the boy gave a quiet, "Okay," and crawled over the bed and pulled back the blankets.

"You're going to sleep in here, then? Good choice," Draco said, trying to sound encouraging. "You know where Lyra and I are if you get scared."

"Yeah," Alex agreed. Draco ruffled the boy's hair and turned on the nightlight he'd brought in and placed on the nightstand before walking to the door. "Would you like me to leave the door opened or closed?"

Alex shrugged, though it was hard to see buried under all the blankets.

"How about I leave it open just a little?" Draco suggested. When he got no response, he stepped into the hallway and left the door open several inches. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall.

He was so tired, his mind numb from the stress and exhaustion of the previous days. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed, but his mind scrolled through the list of things he still had to do. Lock up the house first; let the Crup out so he had another chance to relieve himself; make sure both animals had fresh water; and he really should fit a shower into all that because he smelled like hospital. He sighed and pushed his tired body from the wall to finish his routine.

It was almost an hour later as he stepped from the shower when he heard it. He froze, unsure what the sound was, but when there was nothing, he reached for his towel.

And there it was again.

It sounded like one of the pets, like maybe one of them was crying, but as Draco stepped into the bedroom and pulled on his pyjamas, he noticed Cat asleep on the bed, Caius in the hallway outside the children's doors, and Thalia was off delivering a letter to Blaise and Charlie on the continent.

Draco stepped into the hallway, his ears straining.

A short scream cut through Draco's chest, followed by low sobs. Alex.

Draco opened the door, letting the light spill across the child's feet. Alex tossed and turned in his bed, caught in the throes of a nightmare. "Mamá," he cried softly. "Mamá!"

Sitting down on the side of the bed, Draco gently tried to soothe the boy, his heart breaking. "Alex. Wake up, buddy. You're okay." What else could he say? He'd always soothed Lyra with reassurances that the nightmare was only that, just a bad dream, but Alex's parents were gone and everything wasn't just a nightmare. "You're safe."

Alex cried louder, and Draco picked the boy up, pulling him into his lap. Small arms wrapped around his neck. Alex was shaking, crying, continuing to call for his mother.

Draco stood and began to walk the floor with the boy, shushing quietly and rubbing his small back. He found himself bouncing slightly like he had when Lyra was an infant. This child wasn't an infant, but the movement must have brought some comfort as he began to quiet, his sobs decreasing into soft whimpers.

"Alex," Draco said quietly, continuing to move. "I've got you. You're safe. We're here for you, little bug. Draco and Lyra and Harry. Shhh…"

The boy's weight seemed to grow heavier and the sounds died out, but Draco kept moving. He ran a hand up over the boy's head, petting the soft curls. If he put him back to sleep here, even if he cast Monitoring Charms, he might not hear him quickly enough. He thought back to his nap earlier that day and sighed.

It looked as though he wouldn't be sleeping alone after all.

Alex woke three more times that night.

Each time, he called for his mother, and each time, he cried himself back to sleep in Draco's arms.

And then Lyra woke him early, screaming that Alex was gone and Papa needed to come quick and find him. As if Alex wasn't passed out in the bed next to Draco, his thumb hanging from his mouth.

Draco felt as though he'd been hit by a train. Every muscle in his body hurt, and he was pretty sure he hadn't been this tired since Lyra was a newborn. At least then, he'd been able to share the experience with Harry.

Harry, who was still in the hospital this time.

He slowly got out of bed and moved to the door, shushing Lyra as soon as he opened the door. "Alex is asleep in my room. He had nightmares," Draco explained, closing his eyes as the morning light from Lyra's room made his head pound.

"Oh," Lyra said, trying to see around Draco. "Is he still sleeping then?"

"Yes, Billywig, and so was I. I'm really tired."

"But Daddy is coming home today, isn't he? Don't we need to go get him?"

Draco sighed. "It's barely seven o'clock. We won't be able to get him until after lunchtime." He looked down at his bright-eyed child. "I don't suppose you're willing to go back to sleep, are you?"

"Nuh-uh."

"No. Say it properly, please. We aren't peasants."

"I think peasants probably have more fun," she grumbled. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she giggled. "Fine. No, I'm awake, Papa. And I'm hungry. Can I have some breakfast? Can I wake Alex up and we make him pancakes like Gen and Ethan like to make? I bet he's never had those before."

Draco just closed his eyes, willing his headache away. "Not this morning, love. I'm just too tired. How about some porridge."

Lyra pouted. "Yeah, okay. I guess so."

He looked down at his daughter, who had been so strong through this entire debacle. "Come here," he said, holding out his arms and scooping her up as she reached him. She giggled when he held her tight. "I'll make some of the sugared bananas and put them on top. How does that sound?"

Her smile stretched across her face. "Yummy. And for Alex too?"

"If he likes them. He might not like the same things you do, and that's okay. We'll just have to figure out what he likes while he's with us."

He started down the stairs, casting a Monitoring Charm on his room in case Alex woke up.

"I like Alex, Papa."

"Me too, baby. Me too."

He went through the morning in an exhausted fog, like a hangover from the days of stress and upset. Getting the children moving, dressed, fed, was more than twice the work of doing it for just Lyra. Having babysat Hermione's kids often enough, it wasn't too far out of his comfort zone, but in his current state, it was almost more than he wanted to manage.

So, when Molly dropped in shortly after eleven, he wanted to kiss his pseudo-mother-in-law.

"Molly," he greeted and collapsed onto the sofa.

She chuckled. "How is everyone?"

"I was up with Alex most of the night. He seems to have gotten enough sleep, but I'm in bad shape."

"Well, dear," she said, her voice sympathetic, "you haven't really slept in days. When you get Harry home today, I'm going to tuck you both into bed and watch the children while you take a nap."

He took her hand and pulled her down next to him, leaning over and giving in to that kiss, laying one on her cheek. "You're a goddess."

Molly blushed and slapped him away. "Oh, go on now." She sobered a little and put her hand on his arm. "It's going to be okay, you know. It's hard to see the big picture when you're in the middle of it, but this too shall pass, and you'll all come out stronger for it."

He closed his eyes and let his head fall back onto the cushion. "I don't know what I'm doing." He hesitated, but something in him made him keep talking. "Just a few days ago, everything was normal, but then I said some things to Harry that really hurt him, and then this all happened. I feel like I've been acting on instinct ever since, just trying to keep moving and get through."

She gave his arm an encouraging squeeze. "What is it that they say in that film? Just keep swimming?"

Draco started laughing, despite himself. "Did you just quote Finding Nemo?"

"I think her name was Dory, but yes. I really like that one. Alex was watching it yesterday."

"It was the first film Harry ever showed me. We watched it with Teddy." He sighed and felt his face flush at what he was about to admit, but he wanted her opinion. He really did. No one knew family like she did. "Molly, I told him he needed to butt out of some issues I'm having with the Manor, that it was a Malfoy family problem and didn't concern him."

She didn't say anything, just let him stew until he continued.

"I feel horrible. I still think I wasn't completely wrong, that he shouldn't feel obligated to help with the situation, but…"

"But Harry wouldn't feel obligated, would he?" she asked quietly.

"No, he'd just want to help."

"Because…" she prodded.

Draco squeezed his fingers over his eyes. "Because we're his family. I basically told him he wouldn't understand."

Molly sucked in a breath.

"Yeah." He dropped his hand and sighed. "And then he went off and nearly got himself killed. We talked a little when he woke up, but this is still hanging out there."

She sat quietly for nearly a minute, then started speaking in a thoughtful tone. "Did I ever tell you about the second time I ever met Harry?"

Draco thought about it. "At the Burrow before second year, right? No, I don't think you have. Harry has, though."

Molly smiled. "I walked into the kitchen and there he was, his eyes wide and taking in all the things going on. I didn't realise it at the time, but it was the first time in his memory of being in a magical home. He was so innocent, so shy. He was afraid to ask for anything, even though he was practically starving at the time. I decided then and there that he was going to be one of mine. I didn't care if he didn't come from me, or if he was the Boy Who Lived. All I knew was that he was a little boy without a family, and I suddenly recognised the Harry-sized hole that had been in our family this entire time, and we hadn't noticed."

Draco turned his hand over and grasped her hand. "He's so lucky to have you."

"And we're lucky to have him. That's what family is, Draco. It goes two ways. It doesn't matter if you're blood-related or if the child just wanders in from a flying car in the middle of the night. Once they're yours, they're yours. And you're theirs. It's really that simple."

She patted his hand, then stood and shook out the skirt of her robes. "Now, I have some lunch to make those children, and you have a husband to pick up from the hospital."

He watched Molly walk off to the kitchen and thought about what she'd said. It's really that simple. So why did he always complicate it?

A/N: Whoa boy. The end of this story is really fighting me. This is the last chapter I've completed. Chapter 8 is still in flight, but I don't miss deadlines, so I sincerely mean to have Chapter 8 published on time on Thursday evening. I'm more worried that Chapter 9 might be late, but if we're lucky, it'll start moving easier this week. I'm also going to be updating the title of the story with the next chapter, though it'll still have Alex's Story as part of it so that I don't confuse you. Thanks for reading! 💛💛