Chapter Five: I am Your Daughter

Draco stopped in his tracks and turned round to face me. His expression was unreadable as he stared at me for awhile.

"What did you say?" he asked in a quiet, menacing voice.

"I said don't walk away from me while I'm talking to you," I mumbled quietly, hoping he actually didn't hear what I said. Fat chance!

"No, after that," he said, shaking his head. "You yelled something else. What was it?"

"Oh um … I said that I'm –" I took a deep breath and looked at him in the eye. It seemed harder to tell him the truth this time around. Yelling it out loud was so much better, I had no control. "I'm your daughter."

He looked at me in disbelief for a minute or so and then shook his head furiously. "No, no, you can't be! That's impossible!"

"How is that impossible?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips. "I'm standing right here!"

"No, you can't be my daughter!" he insisted, trying to deny it. "I'm not married! I haven't had a girlfriend for a long time –"

"Does the name Hermione Granger ring a bell?" I asked, glaring at him. He opened his mouth to respond, but didn't answer. He seemed shock that I had mentioned her. "I'm her daughter, Abigail Granger."

"That's impossible," he repeated, shaking his head.

He still didn't believe me. I sighed sadly. "I didn't want to do this," I said, and in one quick motion, I grabbed his wand which was lying on his desk behind me.

"Hey, you can't do that!" he cried, taking a few quick steps forward to grab it from me.

"Finiate Dename!" I shouted, pointing the wand at myself.

A burst of golden light flew from the wand and encircled my body, making it glow. My eyes were blinded as the gold light burned brightly and then suddenly left my body to form words, much to Draco's astonishment.

Abigail Elizabeth

Is the child to:

Draco Lucius Malfoy and Hermione Jean Granger

I lowered the wand after a moment or so and the words disappeared. I already knew he was definitely my father when I practiced the spell this morning. It had taken me over half an hour to produce any sparks from Mum's wand, but I did it. I know kids aren't really supposed to do magic when they haven't had education … but I guess I'm smarter than most kids. Especially since my mum is one of the brightest witches Hogwarts had ever seen.

I watched Draco as he continued to stare at where the words had been. His mouth had fallen open in blank shock. His expression continued to change; first denial, then confusion, a few other expressions I didn't recognise and finally shock. It looked like he was going through an emotional roller coaster in his head, trying to believe what he just saw.

He finally looked at me, his eyes roaming me up and down as if he was trying to see if there was any resemblance of him in me. His eyes widened in shock once again.

"So you're – you're my daughter?" he asked, after a moment.

I nodded and took a step forward towards him. "Hi Daddy," I whispered, looking up at him. I had always wanted to say that one word, 'Daddy' for years, ever since I could talk. But I had no one to say it to until now.

He stared at me, still trying to process it all. His face seemed to soften a bit as he looked at me. "You're Hermione Granger's daughter then?" I nodded. "How old are you?"

"Ten," I answered, feeling my heart sink heavily. He hadn't been here for the last ten years and probably didn't know of my existence.

"You're ten years old already?" he gasped out, trying to hold himself together. I nodded again, sadly this time. "You've been alive for ten years and I didn't even know I had a child." He sighed and walked over to his desk, sat back down and placed his head in his hands.

I sat down opposite him, a bit shaky myself after I just told him. He wasn't taking it well and I couldn't blame him. He had only just found out he had a daughter and that he had also missed the first ten years of her life. That feeling certainly wouldn't go away now.

Draco looked up at me with such hurt, pain and sadness in his eyes. "Why didn't she ever tell me?" he whispered, sniffling. I guess he was trying hard not to cry.

I shrugged. "I don't know. She hardly ever talks about you. I think she thought you wouldn't care about me or do something dreadful. I can't say for sure. You didn't know that she was pregnant?"

"No idea," he murmured with a shake of his head. "I thought I used protection," he grumbled quietly to himself, scratching his head.

"Obviously you didn't otherwise I wouldn't be here," I pointed out.

He jumped as he realised I had heard what he said. "I guess." Draco sighed again and observed me. "You know, you really do look like me and Granger," he said. "Mostly me."

"You think so?"

He nodded.

"Thanks. I sometimes have what Mum calls 'your arrogant attitude' which she really hates. But I'm mostly nice."

"A quality of your mum's," he said, smirking slightly. "Well you are a bit of a rebel like me although I would have never skipped class."

"I repeat … it's a Muggle school," I scoffed, folding my arms.

"Don't like Muggles much?" Draco asked with raised eyebrows. "Your mother is a Muggle-born. Thought she would have taught you not to be prejudiced towards them."

"Oh I'm not that prejudiced against them," I said quickly. "They're nice and all, but I just think they're sometimes silly because they think it's odd to receive mail by owl and wear robes sometimes. But I like the things they invent. I watch television all the time –"

"And what is 'television'?" he asked curiously, leaning on the desk.

"It's this box with a screen in the middle and it has moving pictures – like pictures taken on a camera in the wizardry world – but they're filmed or drawn. You can watch real life people or they are actors. I prefer to watch cartoon people because they're so entertaining like 'The Simpsons' for example. They're hilarious!"

Draco looked at me weirdly. "I'll show you one day," I said, checking my watch. "Oh dear, it's nearly one."

"So?"

"I have to get back to school before the roll call at the end of the day," I explained hastily. "If I'm not there, the teacher will tell Mum I sneaked out and she'll totally freak out."

"Well you wouldn't want that now, would you?" Draco asked. "How did you get here?"

"I flooed from the staff room at school to the Leaky Cauldron and walked from there to here. But it was a really long walk and I won't get back in time."

"I know another way besides the fireplace to get back," Draco said, standing up. "I'll Apparate you back. You know what that is, don't you?"

I nodded. "I read about it in a book once."

"Smart, just like your mother," he muttered, getting his coat.

"Wait!" I paused. "Is this it? I only get to meet you once and never see you again?"

"Possibly," he answered, pulling his coat on. "Your mother is probably never going to let me near you and I can't just take you from her. That's wrong. Besides, I'm always busy. Being Minister is a very big job, you know."

"But there's got to be a way for me to spend some time with you," I pleaded. "You've missed the first ten years of my life which you can never get back. I'm not letting you miss the rest of my life." I racked my brains for an idea. "I know! The only time Mum is not watching me is when I'm at school, but you're at work. I can sneak out of class again and visit you at work?" I looked at him eagerly.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked uncertainly. "Won't your teacher notice you're missing?"

"She won't, trust me. She's like eighty years old and is as blind as a bat. Seriously, she doesn't know what she's doing half the time."

He thought about it. "Okay. But only twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday. I don't want you to miss out on your education and you'll be wasting your mother's money."

"If you say so, Daddy," I said. I froze and looked away from him. "Can I call you Daddy or Dad?"

Draco hesitated. I'm sure he wasn't used to this at all. "You may," he replied, holding out his hand. I took it, feeling how soft and firm it was against my little hand.

"Now, hold on tight, it's a bumpy ride," he told me, closing his eyes. I did the same and then felt all the air being sucked in around me. It was a very uncomfortable feeling and I didn't like it at all. Thankfully, it didn't last long.

"Is this your school?" I heard Draco ask me. I opened my eyes and saw the familiar grey building in front of us locked behind tall black gates.

"Yeah, this is it," I answered. "Welcome to my hell hole."

He observed it with a curious expression on his face. "It's got to be better than what I had to grow up with," he said, shaking his head. "I bet you've never been beaten up because you weren't top of the class and that you were a disgrace to the family."

"Who did that to you?" I gasped in shock.

"My father … your grandfather in other words." He kneeled down so he was at my eye level. "Trust me; any place is better than being in an abusive home where you don't feel appreciated. Your mother treats you like you are precious to her, right?"

"Yes. I'm the only one she's got."

"Well that's not how I was treated when I was around your age," Draco said with sorrow in his eyes. "I vowed to myself that when I had a child of my own, they would never suffer the same treatment I got from my father. I made a promise to myself that I would keep any child of mine away from my father because trust me; he would do the same thing." He screwed up his face in disgust and looked as if he was remembering something. "Thank Merlin he's dead … and so is Mother."

"That's not a nice thing to say," I said, frowning at his attitude towards the people who raised him.

"Oh really? You would rather your wonderful Grandpa be alive to haunt you when you sleep? Actually, if he was alive, he would have killed you already because you're a daughter of what they call a Mudblood –"

"I know what that means," I butted in, folding my arms. "Would he have killed Mummy too?"

Draco nodded.

"I guess I'm glad they're dead then," I replied. "What would he have done to you if he found out you were a father to a "Mudblood's" daughter'?"

"Probably killed me too," Draco shrugged. "He was always looking for an excuse to get rid of me. He never loved me, only Mother and she was told not to express any emotion towards me. I miss her everyday, but not my father as he was so cruel to me. He only had me to be his heir to the fortunes and follow in his footsteps."

He took my small hands in his. "But you, I wouldn't ever reject you. Even though I've just found out you existed and have known you for around twenty minutes, you're my daughter. You deserve to be treated like Daddy's little princess with the utmost respect. I would have liked to have given you the childhood I never got, but –" he sighed, "- you've grown up."

"Not yet," I replied quietly. "I'm only ten years old. There's a part of my life that hasn't happened yet and you will be there to see it. I'll be going to Hogwarts next year and I want you to see me off the train."

"We'll see," Draco said, smiling a little. "Anyway, you better get inside and back to class. Come round Thursday to visit me. I don't have any meetings. So is there a fireplace in the school somewhere?"

"Yeah, in the teachers' room."

"Right. I'll try and connect that one to my fireplace so you won't have to get past security again. Have a good afternoon." He went to shake my hand, but I threw my arms around him in a big hug. He froze on the spot, obviously surprised.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, jumping away from him quickly. "Is that too fast for you?"

"Kind of," Draco answered, getting up and straightening up. "I'm not used to kids hugging me, I'm afraid. It will take me some time to get used to the fact I have a daughter."

"I figured that," I said, nodding. "Okay, well see you Thursday then. Bye."

"Bye, Abigail."

I waved at him as I entered the school grounds and hurried towards the building. I turned around just in time to see Draco disappear out of thin air. I smiled to myself and entered the dimly lit entrance hall and hurried back to my class.

Some kids looked at me questioningly as I snuck back in just in time for Story Hour. They didn't ask any questions though, mainly because they were afraid I would bite their heads off for asking. I smirked to myself as I listened to Miss Lewis introduce the story we would be hearing today.

"Abigail, would you like to be the first to read?" she asked, holding up the book.

"Yes, I would," I answered, walking towards the front and taking the book from her. Ha, she had no idea I was absent for most of the day. I opened the book and began to read.

"See you tomorrow, Mr O'Neil!" I called as I stepped off the bus and waved back.

The driver smiled at me and pushed a button. The doors snapped shut and the bus took off, blending into the traffic. I hummed a tune to myself as I entered the apartment block. The door clicked shut behind me as I crossed the hall and skipped up the stairs, humming a happy tune to myself.

I continued humming the tune as I fumbled in my pocket for the keys and started to unlock the door.

"Gee, someone is in a good mood," said our neighbour, Mrs Kettle as she came out of her apartment to take out the garbage.

"Oh I've had a really good day, that's all," I answered as I turned the key and pushed the door open. "I'll tell you later, it's a great tale."

"Knowing you, Abigail, I'm sure it is. Give your mother my regards when she comes home from work."

"I will." I was about to enter when I remembered something. "Oh and you owe us from Mum driving you to the grocery store the other day."

"I remember. When you think of something, let me know."

"I'll keep that in mind. Have a good afternoon." I waved goodbye at Mrs Kettle and closed the door behind me.

I headed straight to my room and dumped my bag on the bed. I then did my homework for about an hour and then sat myself in front of the TV again. I could watch whatever I liked until Mum came home from work which would be around five-thirty.

As another episode of The Simpsons started, I heard someone fiddling with their keys and the door click open. That could only mean one thing, Mum was home.

"Hi Mum!" I called to her, still watching the TV.

There was no response, but I could hear her walking into the kitchen and dump her bag down on the bench. I turned round to see Mum leaning on the kitchen bench with her head down. Her hair was in front of her face so I couldn't see her expression, but from the sniffling sounds I could tell that she was crying.

"Mummy?" I turned the TV off and walked towards her. She was literally shaking. This got me really worried. What was wrong?

"What's wrong, Mummy? Did you have a bad day?" Perhaps they had fired her. I hoped not, that would mean we would have another financial crisis. According to Mum, we just have enough money to pay for everything we have.

Mum sniffed and wiped her eyes with her hand. She glanced over at me and gave me a small smile. "Kind of," she answered. She wrapped her arms around my small body and held me close to her. "But seeing you when I get home makes it all better."

I smiled weakly. "You're hurting though. What's wrong?"

"I'm very tired," Mum mumbled, releasing me. "I think I will go and sleep for awhile …. I have to go back into work late tonight so I need some rest first." She walked out of the small kitchen and headed down the hallway towards her bedroom.

I watched her sadly as the door closed behind her. Something was definitely wrong … and I don't think she had been fired. She would have said right away if that was the case. I somehow knew she would be too tired and stressed to make dinner and I certainly was not having fast food again.

Unless … I walked over to the phone that was stuck on the wall by the door and buzzed for Apartment Three.

"Hello?" Mrs Kettle's voice sounded on the other end.

"Hey, Mrs Kettle, it's Abigail."

"Oh hi, Abigail! How can I help you?"

"I just thought of a return favour," I said, twirling the cord round my finger. "Could you possibly make a casserole for me and Mum? I don't think she's up to cooking tonight."