Chapter Twenty Nine

A/N: Thank you to EriksAngeldeMusica and sue for reviewing the last chapter.

Even as Lucius approached the manor, he knew that something was wrong. There was a sense of danger hanging in the air above his home, a sense of desperation, and of fear. 'What's happened?' he asked himself. A thousand scenarios ran before his eyes in a moment, each worse than the last. The man quickened his pace.

When he opened the door, the silence that greeted him was chilling. The entrance hall was cold and still; not even the wind from outside had disturbed it. For a moment, Lucius allowed himself to fear the worst. Then a sound echoed from the upper levels, a cry that filled him both with relief and with terror. The voice was Narcissa's.

Lucius took the steps two at a time, his dignity forgotten as he scrambled to reach his wife. The sound of her voice told him that she was in pain, more pain than he had heard her in before.

By the time he reached the bedroom door, the sound had stopped. He waited for a moment, drawing his wand from his robes, before bursting into the room.

Narcissa was not alone, as he had expected, but neither was she being attacked. Her face was reddened and glistening with sweat, and she was clinging to the silk sheets of the bed as if her life depended upon it. When she looked up at him, her pained expression was softened by relief and affection. None of it made sense. Until he saw the woman at her side, and the bundle of blankets she was carrying.

The midwife handed the bundle to Narcissa, then made a hasty exit, leaving the couple alone with their newborn child. Once her footsteps had receded enough, Lucius made his way cautiously to perch on the edge of the bed, leaning over to gain a better view of the child wrapped in the blankets.

Women always seemed to gush over the beauty of babies, but Lucius could not see it himself. All he saw was a red, wrinkled infant whose squalling was beginning to cause a throbbing in his temples. However, when he saw the look on his wife's face, nothing short of pure adoration as she brushed her fingertips across the baby's cheek, the man could not help but smile.

"It's a boy." Narcissa told him, not looking up from the child. Lucius' smile grew even wider. Contrary to popular belief, he would not have minded having a daughter before he had a son, but his father was not so contemporary in his views; it was a relief to know he and his wife would not be subject to constant lectures in coming years on the importance of bearing a son and heir to uphold the Malfoy name and legacy.

Tentatively, Lucius reached out to brush his fingertips across the child's head. He had no siblings of his own, nor any cousins, and so he was not familiar with how to behave around a baby. He looked at Narcissa. She was the youngest of her family, so had no more experience with young children than he did, and yet she held the child as if she had been born to be a mother. 'Perhaps she is simply a better mother than I am a father.' He could not help but think; the thought scared him more than he thought it would have.

Narcissa had noticed the frown furrowing his brow, answering it with one of her own. "Lucius, is something wrong?"

Guilt tugged at Lucius' heart. She had looked so happy, immersed in the joy of her new-found parenthood, and he was spoiling it. For a moment, he considered lying, telling her there was nothing wrong at all, but Narcissa knew him better than that; she would see through his lies in an instant.

"It feels a little strange, that's all." he confessed, sighing. "You seem perfectly adapted to being a mother already, but for me, my own son feels like a stranger."

He had half expected his wife to be angry, but she simply shook her head, the affectionate smile returning to her face. "Lucius, that is absolutely normal. After all, you've been a father for a few minutes at most. I have been a mother since I first discovered I was carrying him inside me. He knows me better than he knows you, that's all; you simply have to give it time."

Lucius nodded slowly, trying to suppress a sigh of relief. He had been terrified that the child would not care for him, that he would be an awful father. His own father had been negligent and hurtful; he would not have himself treat his son in the same way.

Smiling now, Lucius leant back further into the pillows. "So, what do you think we should name him?"

"Well, I'd a few names in mind for a boy." Narcissa informed him, biting down softly on her lip as she often did when deep in thought. "I wanted, perhaps, to name him after my father or my grandfather, but the trouble is... now that he's here, the names don't fit him. They do not feel right for him. I'm not sure what to do."

Lucius was about to answer her when the baby stirred in her arms and woke, giving an almighty shriek. It was more of a roar than a shriek, in fact, the opposite of most babies he had ever been near to.

"Well, he certainly has a set of lungs on him." Lucius chuckled. "He sounds like a dragon."

Narcissa laughed along with him, and then suddenly she stopped, her expression far-away, as if she was trying to summon a memory from the back of her mind.

"Draco." she whispered, and the baby calmed at the sound of her voice, a tiny smile forming on his lips. 'He knows his name.' Lucius thought, and he nodded his head.

"Draco."

A/N: Just so you know, guys, I'll be doing a revamp of this story in the next few weeks, along with a few others, to make some improvements and add some bits along the way. Please review and tell me what you think!