St. Mungo's, maternity ward, outside Hermione's room
"Draco, breathe in, please," William tried to calm down his son-in-law who chose to lose his nerves at a rather inconvenient moment, as Hermione had just been delivered to St. Mungo's for the birth. Harry had fetched the Grangers, so that they could be there as well. And now, William, Harry, and Zabini, who had been notified by his betting partner George, tried to calm down Draco. He had been surprisingly calm during the whole pregnancy, leaving the short moments of panic to Hermione, but had now lost his nerves.
"Mate, he's right, breathe in!" Zabini sat down next to Draco on the floor. "Everything's going to be good."
Draco nodded and tried to breathe in. "How can you say that? I don't know if I'm going to be any better than my own father with me-"
"Don't say that, mate! You're better than him. Look at how you turned your life around!"
Harry and William stood in front of Draco, watching him rather concerned. "We've seen you with Hermione, Malfoy. You've done everything right so far-"
"I've seen the love you have for both of them, my daughter and the child in her. I may not quite know the whole story, but I know from my own experience that such love is usually enough. Hell, when Hermione was born I didn't know what I was supposed to do. But look at her, she turned out to be a great person, turned you into one. I'm pretty sure everything's going to be okay, as long as you love each other, okay?"
Draco took another deep breath, then nodded slowly.
"Feeling better?" Zabini asked.
"I don't know. I feel like I'm going to throw up any moment..."
"That's the nerves," William replied. "Can you get a nurse or a Healer to bring him something?" he then asked Harry, who went off after a short nod. William now crouched down as well. "Listen, you're a good man, remember that, and it will be fine, okay?"
Draco nodded again, sighing.
"There will be mistakes and probably rather long discussions, if not arguments with Hermione, I had my fair share with Jean, believe me. But above all, you're not alone in this, you have a surprisingly huge group of family and friends to support you both."
"Still hard to remember that sometimes, I was alone for a long time," Draco admitted, then breathed in deeply again.
William smiled faintly. He knew that Draco still had a few problems opening up about his childhood, and it sometimes still seeped into his adult life. "Just trust your instincts, and your love for both of them, okay?"
Zabini nodded as well. "Trust yourself. I mean you managed to marry the lioness after all."
"True."
"Here, I think that should help." Harry returned with a vial. Obviously, Draco wasn't the first man to have a breakdown in the maternity ward, so the Healers had a remedy for loose nerves at the ready.
Draco took the vial, and looked at it for a moment before opening it to drink. "Thanks for the support, means a lot." Then he drank the Calming Potion.
"I'm pretty sure you can come to any of us for any problem you might have, or if you just want to talk. Sometimes that's already enough," William replied. "Jean and I would love to babysit our grandchild from time to time anyway, you know. And Molly is already counting on it I guess."
"You might have to fight with her to get the child back," Harry joked, which actually made the calmed-down Draco laugh out loud.
"Feeling better now?" Zabini asked. "The colour is returning to your face..."
"Yeah, the potion helped."
William got up again, with a bit of groaning because of his aching joints. "Ready to join your wife? I'm pretty sure she wants you at her side." He offered his hand to Draco to help him up. "Just a small reminder, if you give her your hand, be prepared for a lot of pain. Women in labour have a lot of strength and can crush hands."
With another smile, Draco pulled himself up. "Thanks again."
"No problem. Now go, join Hermione. We'll wait here."
"He was a right mess," Zabini commented, when Draco disappeared into Hermione's delivery room, getting back up as well. "But I'm pretty sure he's going to be a great father. He knows how not to do it."
"Just remind him from time to time that he is not alone, boys," William added. "Take him out for a drink, so that he can talk."
"We will," Zabini and Harry both promised.
"And now, the waiting begins."
St. Mungo's, Hermione's room, after birth
"She is gorgeous," Hermione whispered tiredly, holding her small daughter in her arms after the Healer had brought her back from the medical check-up, wrapped in a warm blanket. "And she has your hair." She gently stroked the baby's head.
"And we made her." Draco sat on the visitor's chair next to Hermione's bed, completely in awe. The birth didn't take as long as he feared, and he didn't lose his nerves again, though his hand still hurt a lot from Hermione crushing it quite a bit. But that was not important at the moment. All that was important right now, was that small human being in the arms of his wife.
"Want to hold her for a moment?"
"I don't know. She looks so fragile."
"Babies are quite tough, you'd be surprised." Hermione only smiled at his insecurity. "You were a great support, you know."
"Honestly, I had my freak-out just before I came in."
"It's going to be fine, just trust yourself, okay?"
"That's what your father said too."
She smiled. "Now, want to hold her?"
He nodded and stood up to be able to take the girl.
"One hand under her head, and one under her back, then you should be fine. Yeah, just like that."
"She's so tiny." He gently cradled his daughter, and stroked the tiny hand that poked out of the blanket, following the small fingers. "Just perfect."
"She is." She couldn't help but smile at the picture in front of her. Draco, who had been frightened just as much as she had been, maybe even more so, now held his little daughter in his arms, already completely in love with her. Yes, he was going to be a great father.
"Still want to give her the name we chose?" he finally asked.
Hermione nodded. "I still think it's a good name, it fits your family tradition, and we can always shorten it to another name."
"Cassiopeia it is, then." Draco smiled. "But I think she wants to go back to her mother."
"Yeah, the Healer said I should feed her soon, then she will sleep anyway." She took little Cassiopeia back in her arms and settled the little girl so that she could give her the breast for the first time. "That tickles quite a bit, my little girl..."
Draco gave Hermione a kiss on her cheek. "I'll be outside for a moment. You need anything?"
"Something to drink would be nice. Some tea or anything like that."
"I'll ask."
When Draco came back with some tea, Hermione had finished feeding little Cassiopeia, who was now sleeping soundly in her arms. He carefully took his daughter again, so that Hermione could finally drink her tea. Then the Healer let the first people into the room, her parents.
Jean couldn't stop awing, and had to wipe a few tears before she could hold her granddaughter for a moment. "She is beautiful, and she seems to have your hair, Draco..."
"How are you feeling, now that you're a mother?" William asked Hermione, leaning against the edge of her bed.
"Exceedingly tired, but happy."
"You will feel tired for the next few months, believe me," Jean commented, gently cradling the girl in her arms. "But we wouldn't mind taking over from time to time, so that you can get some rest..."
"We still have your old cradle, you know..."
"Are you going to stick with the name you chose?" Jean asked, showing the girl to her husband, who stroked the small hand that poked out again.
"Yes, but you can call her Cassie if you want," Hermione replied, then took another sip from her tea.
The Healer came back in. "Would you mind letting the next people in? Your family is surprisingly huge and I'd like to do it in small groups as not to tire the baby and the mother too much."
"We'll come back tomorrow after work. Though we might need someone to bring us here, it being a magical hospital and everything."
"I'll pick you up if you want," Draco suggested.
"That would be nice." Jean handed little Cassie back to Hermione, and gave her daughter a small kiss on the forehead. "See you."
"See you, my dear." William kissed his daughter on the head as well.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks for helping Draco with his breakdown."
"No problem."
While the Grangers left again, the elder Weasleys came in.
"Oh my goodness! She is a beauty," Molly whispered, stroking the little girl's head. "And blonde hair."
"Yeah, I know. She is my daughter," Draco responded, a bit amused. Seemed as if everyone was going to say something about the hair.
"Congratulations to both of you," Arthur said, smiling broadly, and offering Draco his hand.
Draco took the hand for a shake, though he felt as if he could hug Arthur rather tightly right now, from happiness. "Thanks."
"Of course, if you need anything, we would love to help out. Even if it's just keeping an eye on her for a few hours."
"Thanks, Molly. Your help is greatly appreciated." Hermione yawned.
"I see, we should go now, so that the others have a chance to see the little girl as well, and then you get some rest, my dear. We'll be back later."
Hermione nodded. "See you around."
When the elder Weasleys left, their friends came in, in the form of Harry, Ginny, and Ron.
"She is a bit tired," Draco said when they came in.
They nodded, understanding that they shouldn't stay too long.
"She is so cute!" Ginny whispered when she saw the girl in Hermione's arms.
"Want to hold her for a moment? She is fast asleep, won't notice anyway."
"I don't know."
"According to my wife, babies are surprisingly tough," Draco joked.
"I'll try." Ginny carefully placed her hands as Hermione showed her. "Oh my goodness, she is so tiny!"
Harry came over to Draco. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. Thanks for the support. Though I might need to show my hand to a Healer later."
"You're going to be great parents."
"Yeah, I think I understand that now. Weasley, careful please, you're holding my daughter!"
"Are you still going to call her Cassiopeia?" Ron asked.
"Yes, but we will probably shorten it to Cassie anyway," Hermione replied, trying to suppress another yawn.
"Cassie, this is your aunt Ginny, who just held you, this is uncle Harry, and I'm uncle Ron. And we're going to spoil you rotten..."
"Somehow I think we will have a lot of time for us," Hermione whispered when Draco was next to her.
"Yeah, looks like it. At least she has a lot of people who already love her..."
"Yeah. That's what I love about that family. And you're part of it too now."
Draco smiled. "I'm glad, makes me feel like we can actually make it."
Hermione nodded. "Same here. But now I want my daughter back. Harry!"
With a slightly disappointed look, Harry handed the little girl back. "Have you decided yet who's going to be godfather and godmother?"
"We tossed a few names around, but haven't yet made a final decision."
"Might be nice to include Zabini, just as a suggestion from what I've witnessed earlier. And it wouldn't be bad to keep some Slytherin influence, don't you think?"
"You surprise me, Potter. But yeah, we'll consider it."
"Okay, we'll leave you now to get some rest. We'll come back tomorrow," Ginny said, stroking one last time over the baby's head.
"Thanks."
As the three left, Zabini and George came in, followed by Angelina, and surprisingly Daphne as well.
"You feeling okay again, mate?" Zabini asked when he reached Draco, while the other three were standing at the bed, to talk with Hermione.
"Yeah, fine now. Thanks for sticking with me."
"Always. If you want to talk, just let me know."
"Thanks."
"Nott's in Egypt at the moment. I think he is responsible for some transaction, he'll visit as soon as he's back."
"He'll see her soon enough, then."
"But I have to admit, she is absolutely gorgeous, your little daughter!"
"She absolutely is," the others agreed. Angelina had her in her arms, cradling her gently, with George and Daphne just as gently stroking her.
"We don't mind keeping an eye on her from time to time, maybe if she is a bit bigger and we're less afraid to let her fall."
"Which reminds me, Zabini," Hermione replied with a smirk. "I remember a bet, and you clearly lost, as far as I know."
"Merlin's beard, woman. Your memory is going to be the death of me."
"I won't be cashing in right away, but I might when she is a bit bigger and we want to take a break or something," Hermione said, with a side glance to Draco.
"What did you promise, Blaise?" Daphne asked.
"Oh, he's just to be at their disposal for a month of their choosing, since he bet on Hermione to be the first to confess her feelings," George explained, not hiding his gloating at all.
"Oh, then you won't get any sympathy from me, my dear." Daphne chuckled. "But if you indeed don't mind, we would love to watch her from time to time, if we get the chance with everyone else on the waiting list already." She turned to the others. "But now, let them rest. They both look bloody tired."
"Thanks, Daphne." Hermione took over her little daughter from Angelina again. "See you round."
"Finally!" Draco sank back into the chair when the others had left the room again. Yes, he felt exhausted, it had been an eventful day. One of the best days in his life, though.
"Yeah, you said it." Hermione yawned. "You want to take Cassie for a while? I'd like to sleep now."
Draco got up again to take his daughter. "Love you, princess," he whispered, before he planted a small kiss on her forehead, then put his hands under the baby.
"Love you too, my little prince."
END