Draco sighed as he returned home after a busy day; he had gone to the Ministry of Magic to meet Harry, who was the head of the Auror department, to review the case of Ronald Weasley and his escape from St. Mungos. Draco was shocked to hear how the red head had managed to get away from all his guards considering how weak he had been. It had involved 3 healers being injured and even the death of one of the assistant healers who decided he wanted to play "hero" and capture the maniac that was now Ron Weasley.
"Draco?" Hermione asked walking into the entrance hall and enveloping her husband in a hug, "how was your day?"
Draco shook his head as he took off his traveling cloak, tossing it onto the bench that sat by the shoe rack. "Hermione, you would not believe how he did it." Hermione opened her mouth but Draco shook his head again, "I'm not telling you, I can't. What he did was too terrible and even if you haven't been the closest of friends for ten years now, I know you still care about him. If I told you exactly how he managed to get away-." he trailed off, "I can't tell you."
Hermione swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and nodded, "I understand," she said quietly. Draco held her close again, taking a deep breath of her hair to soothe him before letting it out slowly. "I am so glad you didn't end up with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder like he did," he mumbled, "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come into my life when you did, or if I lost you to something as scary as PTSD."
"That's what caused it, wasn't it," Hermione muttered, "After the war Ron developed PTST and my so called betrayal caused him to go over the top."
"Stop blaming yourself," Draco said, "it wasn't your fault."
"It feels like it was," Hermione whispered.
Draco was quiet for a moment before saying, "Ron was sick Hermione, it could have been any number of things that pushed him over the edge. Stop blaming yourself."
Hermione nodded and took his hand, "let's go eat dinner," she said. "Molly's invited us to dinner at the Burrow next Saturday," she added. "Ginny told me she was so excited to hear that Harry and I are talking again, and she wants to meet our girls."
"The Burrow?" Draco asked scrunching his forehead up, "you mean the Weasley house?"
"The one and only," Hermione confirmed, "The Weasley's were like a second family to me Draco, it would mean a lot to me if you agreed to come."
Draco sighed, stopped walking, and pulled Hermione in for a kiss, "Anything for you, my little lion," he murmured.
Hermione giggled, kissing him back, before walking into the dinning room where the girls were sitting and waiting for dinner.
"What took you so long?" Ara grumbled, "I'm hungry!"
"Ara," Draco growled, "That is no way to speak to your parents."
Ara rolled her eyes in response.
Hermione sighed and waved her wand, causing food to scoop onto each plate. The family ate in silence at first, but it didn't take long for the girls to start arguing with each other. The couple sighed, wishing for once that they could get through a meal without at least one of their daughters starting a fight with the other. It seemed to be an every day occurrence; Hermione figured it was something that came with having three girls, or three children period.
"Enough!" Draco finally said, raising his voice to be heard above the arguing. "I don't bloody know what you girls are fighting about, nor do I care. I've had a very long and stressful day and I would like to eat my dinner in peace. Is that too much to ask?"
Silence was met as the three girls exchanged looks with each other; Lyra, looking a little scared at her father's tone of voice, shook a little and the glass in front of her shattered. Without flinching, Draco repaired the glass and turned to look at his daughters.
"Can we eat in silence now?" Draco asked, lifting his fork to his mouth; the girls nodded and returned to their meals, quietly.
After they finished eating and the girls went to their rooms to play and Hermione took the chance to scold her husband.
"You didn't need to yell at the girls," she said, flicking her wand at the table.
"It's an every day occurrence, Hermione. We have never, ever, eaten a meal in peace."
"I know that, Draco," Hermione said exasperated, "but that doesn't mean you need to lose your tempter at them."
"You try having the kind of day I just had," Draco said angrily, "And then having to come home to their bickering!"
"I had a long day as well Draco," Hermione replied, "It's not easy to be a muggle lawyer! Do you know the kind of cases I have to deal with? Muggles are… they're…" Hermione stomped her foot in frustration, "Muggles are absolutely ridiculous sometimes! The things they argue over! Honestly," she shook her head, "I never realized just how preposterous they can be, and I grew up with them!"
It was quiet for a moment before Draco burst into laughter. Hermione stared at him for a moment before joining in his laughter.
"Why are we fighting over something so stupid?" Draco asked once the laughter died down, "are we a bunch of muggles now?"
"Muggles fight over stupider things than this," Hermione said, "trust me."
Draco pulled his wife in, holding her close, and kissed the top of her head. "I'll go apologize to the girls," he finally mumbled into her hair.
"You do that," Hermione agreed, "and I'll finish cleaning up."
Draco walked away, seeking out Lyra's room first. The way his little lovey had looked at him in fear reminded him of how he used to look at his father, and he didn't want that for his daughters. He knew what it was like to grow up afraid of your father, and it was the worst feeling in the world.
He knocked on his five year olds door before opening it and finding Lyra sitting on the floor with her dragon in her lap. She was sitting there with tears falling down her face; it broke Draco's heart.
"Lyra," Draco said softly, "Lovey, can I come in?"
Lyra nodded, sniffled, and clutched her dragon even closer to her body. Draco sat down next to her, put an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her in for a hug. They sat like that for a few minutes, Draco giving his daughter love and comfort.
"I'm sorry I yelled," Draco finally said.
"You scared me daddy," Lyra whispered.
"I know," Draco whispered back, blinking his eyes quickly, feeling the sting of tears. Thinking he had scared his daughter was one thing, but hearing her confirm it simply crushed him. "I'm so sorry I raised my voice and scared you like that. I know what it feels like to be scared of your father, it wasn't something I ever wanted you to feel."
"Why did you yell daddy?" Lyra asked, looking up at him, her hazel eyes glowing bright green from the tears.
"I was upset," Draco said, choosing his words carefully, "I had a long day at work, and I didn't want to hear your sisters bicker any longer. I lost my temper and I shouldn't have. So I'm sorry."
"It's okay daddy," Lyra said, sniffling and wiping her nose on her dragon. "I forgive you. I'm sorry for breaking the glass at dinner."
Draco smiled softly and pulled his daughter in for a big hug. "It wasn't your fault, lovey. These things happen when you're young and still unable to control your magic. Now, let me clean dragon up for you," he flicked his wand at the toy, cleaning the mucus off of it. "I need to go see Gemini now, alright?"
Lyra nodded and Draco kissed her head before leaving. He closed the door and moved down the hallway, to Gemini's room. Draco could hear crashes and bangs coming from inside. Sighing he opened the door without knocking, knowing she wouldn't have heard him anyways.
The room was a disaster; books were thrown around everywhere, toys lay on the floor broken, and the wall had a small hole in it. Gemini was about to pick up the desk chair and throw it at the mirror when she saw her father standing by the door.
"What?" she growled. Draco looked at her, and then around the room again. Like the fear he saw in Lyra's eyes, he recognized the destruction Gemini had caused of her room. He did the same thing when he had been younger and upset with his parents, throw things and break things. He figured it would be the best way to deal with his anger. How wrong he had been.
"As healthy as it is to get your anger out," Draco said, waving his wand at the toys to repair them, "there are better ways to do it than this."
"Oh yeah?" Gemini asked, dropping the chair she wanted to throw, "like what?"
"Screaming," Draco shrugged as he flicked his wand again, repairing the hole in the wall and putting the books back on their shelf, "or some sort of creative and artistic thing."
"I was being creative," Gemini smirked, "I was making a 3D scene. I was going to entitle it 'When My Parents Piss Me Off'."
"Watch your language," Draco growled.
"Why should I?" Gemini snapped.
Draco sighed, taking a deep breath in and then out again, trying to control himself. Gemini was being just as sarcastic and rude as he used to be to his parents; however, when he had been younger his father hadn't been able to control his temper, and that would result in Draco being punished. He was here to apologize to Gemini, not pick a fight with her.
"I'm here to apologize," he finally said in a much calmer voice. "I shouldn't have yelled at dinner. I'm sorry, Gem."
Gemini studied her father for a moment, not saying anything. He could see the thoughts and emotions flickering through her eyes. She didn't want to accept his apology, she was too angry, she wanted to keep fighting. She didn't want to show weakness. But finally she lowered her eyes and mumbled, 'it's alright. I'm sorry I was fighting with Ara."
Draco let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding while he waited for Gemini's response. "What were the two of you fighting about anyways?"
"Nothing, it was stupid," Gemini muttered.
"If you want to talk," Draco said walking closer to his daughter, "your mother and I are here, you know that, right?"
"Yeah," Gemini said softly, "I know. Thanks dad."
Draco nodded, hugged his daughter, and kissed her forehead. "Now, clean up the rest of this mess. I need to talk to Ara now."
His eldest daughter's room was located at the other end of the hall; it would have made more sense for him to see her first, but he had needed to make sure his baby girl was alright first. As the youngest, Lyra was the most fragile.
Now he knocked on Ara's door; inside he could hear loud music and Ara's voice. His daughter had a beautiful voice and he always loved hearing it. He knew music was her outlet, her way of expressing herself. It was one of those things he wasn't sure where it came from genetically; sure Hermione and Draco liked listening to the wireless, but neither was as into music was Ara was.
"Ara," he called as he opened the door. Ara was standing by the window, gazing out at the stars as she sang. He hadn't realized how late it had gotten. "Sweetheart?"
Ara turned, seeing her father's reflection in the window. "Hi," she said turning back to the stars, "did you know I can see your constellation from here?"
Draco walked up behind his daughter and gazed out the window to the stars. Sure enough he could spot the many stars that made up the constellation he was named after.
"I always thought you needed my help in finding it," he said quietly.
"No," she said smiling slightly, "I just like it when you point it out for me first."
Draco laughed softly, and he heard Ara sing quietly along to the music again. "Ara, I came to say sorry for yelling at you."
"Don't be," Ara said shaking her head, "it was my fault. I picked the fight with Gemini, accused her of hiding my wand, but she didn't. I placed it on the mantle earlier today and forgot about it."
"So that's what you were arguing about," Draco said, "Gemini wouldn't tell me."
"She's so stubborn," Ara said, turning and sitting on the window seat. Draco sat down beside her.
"She gets that from both your mother and I," Draco replied.
"I've seen pictures of you," Ara said, "Gemini looks a lot like you, except for the fact that she has darker hair like mum. And Lyra looks like mum, but with your lighter hair. But what about me? Who do I look like?"
"You, my dear Ara, have the best of your mother and I," Draco said, lifting his hand to tuck a dirty blonde lock behind her ear, "You have your mother's brains and beauty, your hair is neither sleeky straight, not a curly mess. It is neither light, nor dark. But there is one thing that you have that is purely mine."
"My eyes," Ara said softly, smiling at her father, and looking into the silver orbs that mirrored her own.
"You're eyes," Draco confirmed. "Those are Malfoy eyes, Ara, and you alone have them. When you go off to Hogwarts, I warn you, you're name may cause you some trouble. The Malfoy family hasn't always been the best when it comes to reputation at that school. I know you will change that, though. I trust in you, my dear girl. As I said, you have the best of your mother and I in you and you will do wonders at that school, no matter which house you're in."
"Teddy thinks I will be a Gryffindor like him," Ara said.
"Your mother was a Gryffindor as well."
"And you were a Slytherin," she said slyly.
"I was," Draco confirmed, "and we will be proud of you, no matter where you end up."
"Even Hufflepuff?" She asked, smiling.
Draco chuckled, "that isn't going to happen, you're better than that."
Ara laughed and hugged her father. "Thank you daddy, thank you for making me feel better."
"Always," Draco whispered. "And again, I'm sorry for yelling at you."
A/N: So here's your weekend update! I think my writing friend has come back to me, I've got chapters 16 and 17 written and I'm just beginning to write chapter 18!
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, for those who were wondering what happened to Ron, this sort of explained it. He got Post Traumatic Street Disorder from the war and basically the only thing holding him together was Hermione, even though they split before Hermione went back to Hogwarts he still cared deeply for her and always hoped they would get back together once she finished her schooling, but as fate may have it she got together with Draco which resulted in pregnancy which basically snapped that last thread holding him together and he lost it. I hope that explains things better for you!
And for those who wanted too see more of Draco's relationship with each daughter, and more particularity a development of Ara's character, this gave a bit of it. Don't worry there's going to be lots more!
Anyways, I think that's a long enough note! Please review!