DISCLAIMER ~ I own none of the characters except the new one. You'll see
what I mean later

THANKS TO ~

Mariah1 ~ I'm glad you liked it and here's another chapter for you

Sila-chan ~ Did it really make you cry? Me too! I was pretty depressed when
I wrote it and I'm pleased that you want me to continue.

Draco is the man ~ I didn't expect it to turn out so sad and deep but then
that poem is pretty heart-rending. Not sure about any marriages.

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Chapter Two
The Best Christmas Present Ever

Colin Creevey sat down at the Gryffindor table next to his younger brother, Dennis. The atmosphere was solemn, as was the sky like ceiling of the Great Hall, all grey and murky. He was thinking about last night, and that speech. He looked around at all the sad faces and knew that they too must be thinking the same as him. Colin gathered up a dozen or so slices of toast into a napkin and stood up.

'Hey Dennis, I'll see you later.'

'Going to feed the squid?'

'Yeah, figured she might want some company.'

Dennis nodded and let his older brother go. Colin made his way out and in to the Entrance Hall, still thinking about the night before and the few days previous to that. He hated Malfoy, like all the other Gryffindors, but he thought that the sixth year boy had been particularly brave up there by his father's coffin. He slowly descended the steps, mainly because they so slippery with ice and snow. It was a glorious Christmas day but it was a terrible pity that the joyous event was shadowed by such heartache.

As the young wizard made his way to the lake he noticed a black heap lying by the edge, half buried in the snow, and wondered what on earth it could be. He quickened his pace, eager to see what it was. Colin came to a halt beside it and gasped when he saw what it was.

'Malfoy!'

Draco Malfoy did not reply, nor did he show indications that he had even heard the other. Stuffing the toast into his pocket, Colin bent down and poked Draco's arm. A muffled grunt came from the boy.

'Malfoy? Hey, Malfoy can you hear me?'

Malfoy rolled over onto his back. He looked terrible. His lips were blue, his skin was white and there were very dark rings under his bloodshot eyes.

'Leave me alone to die.'

'You're lucky you *haven't* died out here. Were you here all night?'

'Piss off.' Colin looked offended. He gazed out over the lake where the squid was breaking her way through the ice to the surface. He through a slice of toast and a tentacle reached out and snatched it from where it floated.

'Why are *you* out here?' asked Draco.

'Feeding the squid.'

Draco gave the Gryffindor and odd look.

'Feeding the squid?' he repeated skeptically. 'Okay.'

There was a long silence between the two. At last Colin said,

'Your mother's coming to watch the burial today.'

Draco whipped his head around and stared hard at Colin, who stood looking perfectly innocent.

'How do you know that?'

'I heard some Slytherins talking about it.'

Draco felt relieved. His precious mother was coming, and he would be able to see her again, and maybe go home with her to spend the rest of the holidays at the manor. He sat up and stared judgingly and the small boy standing beside him. Gryffindors were a strange, strange breed.

'Um, do you know when she'll be here?'

Colin shrugged, throwing more toast to the squid. Draco found his feet, feeling very shaky and stiff. He then proceeded to have a fit of coughs and sneezes. He looked up, bleary eyed, red nosed and sniffed noisily. He sneezed once more and without so much as a thanks or a goodbye to Colin he headed towards the castle, where he would then give the matron a visit.

Once inside the Hospital Wing Draco was assaulted by the sounds of coughs and sneezes and almost immediately the room fell silent and every single person, including the matron, turned to him. He walked at a snail's pace down the middle of the ward, trying to avoid the stares of the ill persons in the beds either side of him. He could feel the perplexing clash of hate and pity radiating from them, hitting him like a myriad bolts of lightening. Then they all began to whisper, so quietly and so many of them that Draco had absolutely no chance of catching a word they uttered.

He reached the matron, who stood with a very angry looking Crabbe and Goyle, and a very upset looking Granger, and a very annoyed looking Potter. Draco peered over Goyle's shoulder and saw Weasley lying on the bed, completely beaten up. He saw that Crabbe bore a broken fist and Goyle had a bleeding nose. Madame Pomfrey whirled around, bearing down on the two Slytherins with the look of a grizzly bear going through Menopause plastered on her face.

'You two are to report straight to Professor Snape!'

Draco sneered. Snape wouldn't do anything to those from his own house.

'Yes matron,' chorused the two thugs in their thick Brummie accents and they trudged off to find the Head of Slytherin. Madame Pomfrey suddenly noticed Draco standing there and smiled somewhat pitifully at him. Draco glared.

'What can I do for you d - oh good gracious, you look terrible!'

'Thank you matron.'

She grabbed Draco's chin, forcing his face up and having a good look at him.

'You look like you've been asleep outside all night!'

'I have, matron.'

The matron gasped, looking shocked.

'You could have *died*!'

'That was the general idea, matron.'

Her face softened, as she gazed upon the disheveled lad before her. He looked so torn apart and helpless, staring into deep space, biting his lip and shifting from one foot to another.

'I'll be right back, dear,' and she shuffled off to fetch some of her magical medicines. Draco was left alone, feeling extremely uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed. He chanced a glance at the others and saw that they were all staring at him. He turned his back on them, inhaling unsteadily. To his left he felt the eyes of the Golden Trio and turned to them, scowling. He tied to sneer but it didn't work as his head pounded terribly. Draco turned his back on them only to come face to face with a very pretty woman lying in the bed in front of him.

'Mother!'

He rushed forwards, beaming at her. There she was, big with babe and looking very comfortable propped up against many soft pillows and eating an odd snack of sardines and chocolate ice cream. Draco leant over and kissed her cheek before looking down at her food.

'Pregnant women eat such strange things.'

Narcissa laughed and licked her spoon.

'I thought it was going to be today, but it turned out to be a false alarm.'

Draco smiled happily, the first proper smile he'd ever had on his lips in a long time. He pulled a chair up beside the bed and put his ear to her large belly. He pulled back, chuckling.

'It kicked me!'

'Well I hope you two won't be like that when it's born.'

They both sat there quietly, enjoying each other's company. The Hospital Wing itself was very quiet, and Draco knew that everyone was looking at them, but he didn't care. He was with his mother and future sibling.

'I wonder what it'll be.' he wondered aloud.

'It'll be a baby, of course,' said Narcissa, finishing off her ice cream and attacking the rest of the sardines. Draco huffed exasperatedly.

'No! I mean will it be a boy or a girl?'

'I don't know. I could have gone to find out but I didn't want to. I mean, I don't really mind what it is as long as it's not deformed or anyth-'

She clutched her belly, shock playing across her face.

'Oh my god, I think - I think -'

Draco panicked and leapt up, knocking his chair over.

'It's it! It's happening, isn't it? I'll - I'll get - MATRON! MATRON IT'S HAPPENING!'

Madame Pomfrey came rushing out with towels and bottles of medicine.

'I'm coming! I'm coming!' she panted as she hurried over. She pulled the thick curtains around Narcissa's bed, placing a silencing charm on them to hide the woman's gasps and screams of pain as she went into labour.

'Now, Mr Malfoy, I have to ask you to leave.'

'But - what - no! No, I don't bloody well want to!'

'Mr Malfoy! OUT!'

Draco was pushed through the curtains, temporarily revealing his mother's screams to the ward, catching everyone's attention. He looked anxious and white, clutching the hair on the sides of his head as he paced up and down. All the young wizards and witches ogled him strangely, as if he'd just dropped off the moon. Then someone whispered loudly,

'I think his mum is having the baby,' and there was a resounding 'ooooh' of realisation and some smiled and carried on with their being ill and all that. Tired of pacing Draco sat down on the last empty bed, the one next to the Golden Trio. He glanced at them, not really seeing them. He couldn't hear his mother but he knew she was in much pain. He wanted to in there with her, holding her hand, seeing her through this. He wondered if it would be a boy or a girl, what it would be named, how it would look and most of all he wondered how his father would be feeling if he was in there right now. He knew for a fact that his father had been there when he was born, that his mother had gripped her husband's hand so hard that his finger broke and he decided that maybe he didn't want to be holding her hand.

Draco drummed his fingers on the bed, taking absolutely no notice whatsoever of the annoyed scowls being thrown at him from Granger.

'Stop that, Malfoy,' she commanded softly. He didn't hear her and carried on drumming.

'I said stop it!'

Draco was seized from his trance, and looked up at Granger, slightly surprised. He then realised who was talking to him and smirked.

'What?' he snapped.

'Stop drumming your fingers!'

Draco felt an unfathomable anger growing inside and he snarled.

'Who are *you* to tell *me* what to do?'

Granger's frown faltered and she turned away, her hair swaying as she did so. Draco eyed her hair. It hung loosely, just below her shoulders, and was the same colour as it had always been, though it was no longer frizzy, but it fell in glossy ringlets that caught the light attractively. Potter saw him eyeing Granger and he growled.

'What are you staring at?'

'Nothing Potty Potmaker. Just your ugly bucktoothed beaver friend.'

Granger turned around and gave Draco a big toothy smile, and it took him a couple of seconds to see that she was no longer bucktoothed. Then he remembered the incident back in their fourth year. Grumbling about girls and beavers he swung his legs up onto the bed and crossed his arms, trying to ignore the poorly restrained giggles from the three Gryffindors.

Time passed slowly. Many of the patients who felt better got up and left, and many visitors came see those who were not feeling better, bringing Christmas presents with them. Draco saw these presents and remembered that he still had to open his own. He didn't really care though, his mother was in labour and his father was dead, those were the only things he cared for or thought about right now.

Six hours later the matron came out from the curtains looking very worn out yet smiley. His mother was no longer screaming but someone else was.

'You can come in now Mr Malfoy.'

Draco eagerly jumped off the bed and ran to his mother's side. She looked so tired, her forehead shone with sweat and there were tears on her face. He ran to her side and showered her face in kisses.

'Six hours mum, you must be exhausted!'

'Six hours is nothing. I was in labour with you for two days!'

'Two days?'

His eyes widened. Two days! Then suddenly he saw the tiny bundle of cloth that enveloped his new sibling.

'What is it?' he asked softly.

'A girl,' came the barely audible reply.

Draco smiled as he pulled back the cloth to reveal the baby's face more.

'God, she looks like a gremlin!'

Narcissa scowled, but Draco did not notice.

'But she is very beautiful anyway.'

His face felt wet, and with a slight shock he realised he was crying. (AN: it really does make you cry!)

'Can I hold her?'

His mother nodded and gently handed the newborn babe over into Draco's waiting arms.

'She's so small!' he whispered, his voice cracking with euphoria. 'And so cute and so beautiful and so unbelievably quiet!'

The baby yawned, her tiny toothless mouth opening wide. Draco gasped. He reached his hand down and coaxed the hand of his new sister open. All of her miniature fingers wrapped around his index finger and Draco smiled blissfully. He looked at his mother who was smiling too. She reached out and wiped the flowing tears from her son's cheeks and ran her fingers through his hair.

'What are you going to call her?' he questioned quietly, enjoying the relaxing feel of his mother's fingers on his scalp.

'I don't know yet.'

'Thanks mum,' he said with new tears falling.

'For what?'

'For the best Christmas present ever.'

AN: Well there's the 2nd chapter up. Hope you all like it! Reviews wouldn't go unnoticed *hint hint*. I'm still kinda working on the plot, I didn't expect anyone to like it enough to want me to continue but I got a general idea. Chapter 3 will be up ASAP.