What's in a name?
Characters: Draco and Asteria Malfoy
Rating: PG13
Summary: A name is chosen for the little prince.
Asteria was all settled in the middle of their bed dressed in one of Draco's button up shirts and one of her long maternity skirts in the midst of what had to be twenty pillows that the elves had insisted on for her to lean on, rest on, or prop her feet up should she wish. With a tray of chocolate tarts, strawberries dipped in chocolate, and Culley standing by the bed ready to serve her every whim, she was going over the book she was writing. This was unlike any of her others because it was for one special baby and no one else. It was a book about a little boy, a Prince, spending the day with his Daddy.
Worrying her lip, Asteria hoped that Draco loved it as it was to be a surprise for him. She'd left a spot for the baby's name- since they hadn't decided on one yet, and the top of the page for the artwork. She didn't know yet who she would ask to do the artwork, only that she would be very, very picky.
From where he stood watching his wife from the doorway, Draco could see her many facial expressions and each one of them made him grin in that way only a man in love could do.
He hadn't meant to be late coming home from work so he was more than a little pleased to see that she'd let the elves look after her. He knew she wouldn't have eaten dinner without him and that had been one of the reasons he'd had to convene the conference with the director of the American publishing house he'd been speaking too over the Floo until the morning.
"Hello you," he said softly when she looked up at him with that angelic smile she had - the smile that made him want to do whatever it took to keep it on her face forever. "What've you been up to today, love?"
"Working on a surprise for you," she said, holding her hand out in silent invitation for him to join her. "How was your day?"
Draco stepped in the room, removing his suit jacket and setting it on the back of the nearby leather chair before climbing in along side his wife amongst the pillows. He was about to answer her question and perhaps ask a few of his own about her surprise for him when he was nearly devoured by all of her pillows and he couldn't hold back his laugh. "Please tell me we don't have to sleep with all of these here, Teria. I might just drown. Death by pillows."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Though that would make a very interesting obituary, no we don't. The elves wanted to make sure I was very comfortable."
"And were you very comfortable, Mrs. Malfoy?" Draco asked, trying not to smirk while giving her an innocent look but really failing quite miserably.
"Not as comfortable as I was this morning before your shower," she quipped, blushing lightly.
"Yes well, it is pretty difficult to beat that sort of comfortability," Draco replied with a chuckle, reaching his hand for hers. "What is this about a surprise for me now? My birthday was ages ago."
She laid a hand over the baby bump for a moment, before tucking her hand in his and smiled shyly as she held up the notebook with her free hand. "For you and the baby. Would you like to see it?"
"Of course," he said grinning and holding his hand out for the notebook.
Draco turned the first few pages and started to read her perfectly neat script. After a few moments he looked up at her utterly and completely awed by the woman beside him and by what she'd written there for them. She'd written a story of their baby son - of him and their baby son.
One page told how the little boy listened rapturously as his father told him about the constellations and how every baby in their family would be named after a star.
The next was about walking over Stonehenge hand in hand with both Mummy and Daddy, marvelling in the history of their family as they explored the ancient ruins.
She'd even written visits with Uncle Greg to see dragons, playing with big dogs with Daddy while waving to a happy Mummy through the big glass windows overlooking the gardens, and learning to fly a broom with Draco right there to cuddle after the tumbles and kiss away the owies.
It was that last one especially that nearly brought tears to Draco's eye. He remembered quite well learning how to fly with his father and he knew immediately that he wanted to give their son Asteria's beautiful vision of it rather than the cold drive for perfection that even as a small child Draco had been exposed to.
"This is amazing, Asteria," he finally spoke out loud. He hoped she could feel how amazed and truly blessed he felt for having her as his wife - as the mother of his child. "A beautiful surprise."
"I wanted to do something special, something no other baby would have." She blushed bright red. "I was thinking I would find a special artist to illustrate it too."
Draco didn't know how to put what he was feeling into words. It really was amazing and he was certain their child would treasure it forever as well. "We'll find someone. It's perfect."
"Well, it's missing his name," she said, ducking her head bashfully.
Draco lifted his hand to the side of her face and traced his thumb along her cheek. "We haven't really seriously talked about that have we," he stated more than asked. "Would you like to have that conversation, Sweetheart? Or are you wanting to wait until he's here?"
She rested her hand over the baby and smiled. "I think I'd like to decide now. That is, if you want to."
"I don't mind at all." Gesturing to stack of books on the side table he looked at her, "Well, we've poured through those books of constellations and the lists from Mum. I think once we've settled on one the almost fully formed little man in my imagination will be complete." Draco smiled at the thought. Suddenly he felt very much like Asteria. Before her he didn't know whether he had and imagination to hope and dream with.
"I see him with hair as blonde as yours but curly like mine," she said softly, kissing the corner of his mouth. "How do you picture him?"
"Like you. Like me? I dunno. He changes physically every time I think of him," Draco answered honestly.
"He'll be a surprise then. Did you have any names you really liked?" She tried not to fidget, biting the corner of her mouth, "I'd like one of his names to be my father's. Or at least consider it as one."
Draco had been hoping she'd want that. He knew that she'd been close with her father before he'd died. "If you hadn't asked, Teria, I would have insisted. Though I was thinking Hyperion as a middle name instead of a given one if that won't bother you."
She nearly cried, though it was in utter and complete happiness and awe. "Do you know how wonderful you are?"
"I've been told that yes," Draco replied cheekily, giving her a rare crooked grin.
He patted her back and held her close while continuing to the topic at hand. "Now, now, my love. We were talking about names for our son. We could choose Antares or Pollux. I had a few that I didn't mind at all. What about you? Is there a star out there than you can see naming our son after?"
"I rather like Scorpius," she admitted. "But I feel greedy suggesting both names."
"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy," Draco said it out loud and smiled. "I like it very much, Sweetheart. And you're not to feel greedy. You are the word-smith in this family and you are our child's mother. I'll not have you feeling guilty for choosing the perfect name for our son."
"Are you sure?"
"I wouldn't say it if I wasn't," he replied with a tilt of his head. "I don't generally say things I don't mean so believe me when I tell you that I think Scorpius is going to be a very lucky lad to have a mummy like you. I know I'm lucky."
Blushing, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she was able. "You're so wonderful to me. Scorpius will be a lucky boy to have a daddy like you."
"Don't say that too loudly, love," Draco teased a bit. "It'll just go to my head. You know how Trace always says one of these days it'll pop."
She giggled. "I've permission to give you what for if that should happen. Though, I'm not sure I could manage it yet."
"Oh please," Draco smirked with a roll of his eyes when he thought of his friend. "You could punish me far worse than she could. I'm quite glad you don't usually have a mind to though."
"I could?" Her eyes widened. "Why would I?"
"You wouldn't. That's why you're lovely," he answered simply, with a soft smile. "You didn't eat supper yet did you? I'm sure you and little Scorpius have been in here all day taking refuge with the chocolate strawberries," Draco added with a laugh to show her it was perfectly fine with him if she spent every day like that. He'd come home so they could eat their evening meal together. Now that his Mum had moved out he knew it had to be lonely for his wife.
"My head will get overlarge if you keep complimenting me," she teased, shaking her head at his question. "Of course I waited for you though I have lost count of how many snacks I've had today."
"Are you hungry at all then?" he asked, moving to a more sitting position on the bed than he had been. Draco pulled off his tie completely and set it aside before unfastening the top few buttons of his dress shirt.
"I am. I don't know how I am after eating so many strawberries, tarts and whatever else Culley replenished that tray with. Do you want to go down to eat or have something brought up?"
"Whatever you like," he answered easily. Ordinarily he'd prefer the dining room but after such a mind-numbing day, all he wanted to do was pull on a pair of pyjama pants and just lay among all the ridiculous pillows with his wife. He was inordinately glad they hadn't agreed to go out anywhere that night. "We could lounge all night - watch a film if you want."
"Up here, relaxing and watching a film sounds brilliant," she said shifting to settle against him.
"Lovely," he replied, comfortably wrapping his arms around her after giving Culley orders to bring up supper.
"While we wait, are you going to change and then tell me about your day?"
"I suppose. I kind of like where I am right now," Draco answered contentedly. "I'll change when the food gets here. For now I want to just hold you. Is that all right with you, Sweetheart?"
"Of course it is. I was just worried you wanted to get out of the suit after your long day."
"Not as much as I want to keep my arms around my wife. I really missed you today and it was utter madness at the office. I'd hoped to come home for lunch but it was just too busy." Draco rested his palm on her rounded stomach and lowered his mouth to her shoulder to press a soft kiss there.
"I missed you too," she said softly, humming lightly at the feel of his mouth on her shoulder.
"Our baby is going to be very happy," he whispered.
"I want him to have everything that I didn't," she admitted quietly. "I already love him so very much."
"And that is why he'll be happy. He's so loved already," Draco murmured. "And you'll be happy. The way your father wanted you to be. The way I want you to be."
She felt tears filling her eyes and sighed happily. "Oh, Draco, I already am happier than I ever thought possible."
"And I intend to make you happier still. We've a long life to live yet," he said simply. It was a point of fact and he knew he would gladly spend his whole life keeping that promise.
She all but climbed in his lap. "I don't know how you could make me any happier."
Draco smiled that knowing smile he had and kissed the side of her head once more. "I'll just have to be very creative then, love."
Right at that moment their food arrived and he heard her stomach grumble. "Just in time, I think," he said with a laugh.
She blushed. "It seems like I'm always hungry these days."
"As you should be," Draco said, sitting up a bit with her in his arms so she could reach the tray Culley had brought up. "Go ahead and start without me. I'm going to change into something more comfortable and sort out the film situation.... that is, if I can get out from under all of these pillows," he teased.
She laughed at the pillows comment and reluctantly scooted over so he could get up out of the bed. She looked over the food on the tray and grinned up at him, her tone playful. "Well you'd best hurry then, we may eat all the food before you get back."
Draco chuckled as he walked into their closet and made short work of his suit. It was only a few minutes later when he re-entered the bedroom in black pyjama trousers and a white vest with a Muggle film on a disc. "Did you leave any for me, love?"
"We did, we love you and wouldn't want you to starve."
He grinned, knowing she was both teasing but being completely genuine at the same time. Lowering himself on the bed beside her, he stole the dinner roll off her plate and put the piece he broke off of it's edge in his mouth. "You take very good care of me, Mrs. Malfoy."
"I try at least," was her soft reply, her cheeks heating at the compliment.
"And you do very well," he replied, still smiling as he chewed and the film started on the large screen across from the bed. It was still a relatively new thing to Draco, but he (along with his friends) had taken advantage of the strides of the Muggle-lovers in the Department of Mysteries who'd managed to join together magic and their ingenious technology.
"I hope you don't mind Ancient Egypt, love," he whispered dramatically as The Mummy Returns began. Still eating with his fingers but this time off his own plate, Draco grinned again and slid his free arm around her shoulders. "Trace thought it might appeal to my Ravenclaw."
With this sort of entertainment (and technology) still very new to her, Asteria jumped far more often than was usual as the film started but she smiled none the less. "I don't mind and indeed it does appeal."
"She just loves to be proven right," Draco laughed.
"So do I," she teased.
He gave her a wry smile and the two watched the film in relative quiet. He held her when she jumped and looked at her sideways when the main star walked around with his shirt undone and felt his heart flip when she blushed and hid her face in his shoulder.
"You're lovely, Asteria," he grinned into her hair before pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. "Just lovely."
"Why am I this time?" she asked, resting her cheek on his shoulder, her eyes drawn back to the screen and pretty dresses the women were wearing.
"I love it when you blush," he answered easily, open and honest because it was her and he loved her. "It reminds me that there are good and decent people in the world and that I was lucky enough to marry one of them."
That only made her blush a darker red. "I love you so much and knowing you think so well of me just amazes me. Though, I may end up with a horrid ego."
"Well, even if I wasn't your husband, it's the job of your publisher to tell you how utterly fantastic you are so you keep writing for me," he teased.
She laughed lightly, pressing a light kiss on his shoulder as she teased him. "That's the way of it, is it?"
He ducked his head and managed to look sheepish for the first time in his life. "Well, maybe not. I don't think I'll need to bribe you with flattery to keep you writing."
"No you don't," she assured him, cupping his cheek with her hand. "But I love that you care enough to reassure me that I'm not some abnormal thing that needs locked away."
He almost laughed at that, turning his face to kiss her palm instead. "You know, some would say you ought to be simply for marrying me. In that wing at St. Mungos for the mad people." He grinned to show her what he thought of that. "What they're neglecting to remember is that there've been generations of barmy Malfoys and they all did quite well running the Wizarding world before they let Mudbloods and blood-traitors in to ruin it for the rest of us. I quite like being a barmy Malfoy, don't you?"
Snorting, and then blushing at her unladylike behaviour, Asteria merely shook her head. "We know better, don't we. If anyone is barmy it's the ones like my mother and those twits who ran amok in the tower giving me headaches all the time."
Draco smiled down at her. "Well, we know that of course but I don't know if anyone would take our word for it. At least we know your mother and ghastly sister will be sorted out soon enough."
"I hope so, I want our son born into a world where we won't have to worry about his barmy grandmother and aunt plotting against myself or him."
"He won't be. Blaise has it sorted. He said to expect the news to break sometime this week," Draco said blithely, turning back to the film knowing she'd be dying to hear the rest of the story. He was becoming more and more comfortable teasing her.
"Draco! What news? What did he do?" She pouted heavily, knowing he couldn't resist her pouts for long.
Draco tried to manage his smirk but it was near impossible with her pouting at him like that. He dropped his head to kiss the pout of her lips and smiled against her skin. "Do you want to hear about their financial or societal ruination first?"
Her eyes went wide. "Either...both...it's a difficult decision as both are most welcome. Did he really?"
"Did Blaise really do what I asked him to?" Draco sounded surprised. "Of course he did. I'd be surprised if he didn't dance a jig of joy while doing it as well. According to an official Ministry report due out sometime this week they've been donating to some very very sordid underworld organizations. Darker than the Madman who ruined my family's reputation ever was anyway."
She laughed delightedly, blushing bright red as she did so but unable to stop herself. Leaning against him, she continued to laugh. After all the cows had put her through, this was most welcome news indeed.
Draco went on, knowing that the next bit of information would please her even more than it did him to say it, "Even better is Daphne's trust fund. It's gone. All gone."
"And where did it go?" she asked, still laughing.
He didn't even try to look bashful and rolled his shoulder before giving her a grin. "According to Daphs, a vile schemer tricked her out of it - not that she'd ever admit it, I'm sure. And I suppose in a way she might be right. It's safe in a vault labelled 'Malfoy Children' in Arabic in a Wizard's bank in Morocco for the time being."
She laughed so hard that she cried. Leave it to the boys to come up with such poetic justice.
Pleased more than he could ever explain, Draco laughed right along with her. "I take it you approve, Sweetheart."
"I very much do," she assured him. Swiping at her tears, she asked, "Was it all four of you or just you and B?"
"I don't imagine Theodore would ever speak to us again if we'd left him out," was Draco's wry answer. "And letting him participate without involving Greg would call for the biggest pout on the planet. You think women are bad, but Goyle's are legendary."
Asteria imagined Greg pouting heavily and started laughing all over again. "Poor Tracey," she sputtered.
"Indeed," Draco laughed. "He's gotten better though. Now it's just sulking around the weight room lifting more weight than he ought to. Then Tracey gets all snippy. No, no, it was better to let him in on it too."
"You just don't want to deal with Tracey all upset at you." She grinned, making like she was going to tickle him, her mood as bright and carefree as could be.
"She's terrifying," Draco teased, bending with mirth at her wiggly fingers. "Though don't tell her I said so or she might hex me."
"I'd have to hex her if she tried," Asteria replied, only half joking. "I'm more terrifying than she is, right?"
"Absolutely," he answered immediately, amused that this tiny witch had so much power over him. How had that happened?
Delighted with him, she crawled into his lap and laid her head on his shoulder. "I love you."
Draco slid his hand to rest on the smooth skin at her neck and sighed happily. "I love you too, Teria. More than there are words to describe it."
"Do you know that I sometimes wake in the middle of the night and check to see if this has all been a dream?"
"Madness," he replied with a smile, his thumb caressing her cheek softly. "I'm certain you'd never've dreamt all of this up - even with an imagination like yours."
"I thought we'd already decided that everyone else is mad," she replied softly, though cheekily.
Draco chuckled. "That's right, I did. Maybe this is all in my head. Not your dream at all."
She kissed his cheek and snickered. "You're as sane as I am, I promise."
"That doesn't fill me with confidence, Sweetheart, though knowing that if I'm mad at least I have you is some comfort. You and our son."
She pouted playfully and poked him in the ribs. "I thought you said I wasn't mad."
"Oh right! I did say that," Draco laughed out loud, turning to see the tiny words moving up the screen in front of them. "You know, I think we missed the end of the film."
Trying to stifle a yawn, Asteria shook her head. "I guess that means we'll have to try watching it another night."
With a kiss to the top of her head, Draco nodded and used his wand to flip the contraption off and dimmed the lights at the same time.
She was still sitting in his lap so it was an easy thing to lay them back in the bed and he never had to let go of her at all. "Good night, Teria," he whispered.
"Good night," she murmured, already half asleep. "Love you."
"Love you too," he softly answered back, knowing she would never hear him but the words needed to be said again just the same.
Rating: PG13
Summary: A name is chosen for the little prince.
Asteria was all settled in the middle of their bed dressed in one of Draco's button up shirts and one of her long maternity skirts in the midst of what had to be twenty pillows that the elves had insisted on for her to lean on, rest on, or prop her feet up should she wish. With a tray of chocolate tarts, strawberries dipped in chocolate, and Culley standing by the bed ready to serve her every whim, she was going over the book she was writing. This was unlike any of her others because it was for one special baby and no one else. It was a book about a little boy, a Prince, spending the day with his Daddy.
Worrying her lip, Asteria hoped that Draco loved it as it was to be a surprise for him. She'd left a spot for the baby's name- since they hadn't decided on one yet, and the top of the page for the artwork. She didn't know yet who she would ask to do the artwork, only that she would be very, very picky.
From where he stood watching his wife from the doorway, Draco could see her many facial expressions and each one of them made him grin in that way only a man in love could do.
He hadn't meant to be late coming home from work so he was more than a little pleased to see that she'd let the elves look after her. He knew she wouldn't have eaten dinner without him and that had been one of the reasons he'd had to convene the conference with the director of the American publishing house he'd been speaking too over the Floo until the morning.
"Hello you," he said softly when she looked up at him with that angelic smile she had - the smile that made him want to do whatever it took to keep it on her face forever. "What've you been up to today, love?"
"Working on a surprise for you," she said, holding her hand out in silent invitation for him to join her. "How was your day?"
Draco stepped in the room, removing his suit jacket and setting it on the back of the nearby leather chair before climbing in along side his wife amongst the pillows. He was about to answer her question and perhaps ask a few of his own about her surprise for him when he was nearly devoured by all of her pillows and he couldn't hold back his laugh. "Please tell me we don't have to sleep with all of these here, Teria. I might just drown. Death by pillows."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Though that would make a very interesting obituary, no we don't. The elves wanted to make sure I was very comfortable."
"And were you very comfortable, Mrs. Malfoy?" Draco asked, trying not to smirk while giving her an innocent look but really failing quite miserably.
"Not as comfortable as I was this morning before your shower," she quipped, blushing lightly.
"Yes well, it is pretty difficult to beat that sort of comfortability," Draco replied with a chuckle, reaching his hand for hers. "What is this about a surprise for me now? My birthday was ages ago."
She laid a hand over the baby bump for a moment, before tucking her hand in his and smiled shyly as she held up the notebook with her free hand. "For you and the baby. Would you like to see it?"
"Of course," he said grinning and holding his hand out for the notebook.
Draco turned the first few pages and started to read her perfectly neat script. After a few moments he looked up at her utterly and completely awed by the woman beside him and by what she'd written there for them. She'd written a story of their baby son - of him and their baby son.
One page told how the little boy listened rapturously as his father told him about the constellations and how every baby in their family would be named after a star.
The next was about walking over Stonehenge hand in hand with both Mummy and Daddy, marvelling in the history of their family as they explored the ancient ruins.
She'd even written visits with Uncle Greg to see dragons, playing with big dogs with Daddy while waving to a happy Mummy through the big glass windows overlooking the gardens, and learning to fly a broom with Draco right there to cuddle after the tumbles and kiss away the owies.
It was that last one especially that nearly brought tears to Draco's eye. He remembered quite well learning how to fly with his father and he knew immediately that he wanted to give their son Asteria's beautiful vision of it rather than the cold drive for perfection that even as a small child Draco had been exposed to.
"This is amazing, Asteria," he finally spoke out loud. He hoped she could feel how amazed and truly blessed he felt for having her as his wife - as the mother of his child. "A beautiful surprise."
"I wanted to do something special, something no other baby would have." She blushed bright red. "I was thinking I would find a special artist to illustrate it too."
Draco didn't know how to put what he was feeling into words. It really was amazing and he was certain their child would treasure it forever as well. "We'll find someone. It's perfect."
"Well, it's missing his name," she said, ducking her head bashfully.
Draco lifted his hand to the side of her face and traced his thumb along her cheek. "We haven't really seriously talked about that have we," he stated more than asked. "Would you like to have that conversation, Sweetheart? Or are you wanting to wait until he's here?"
She rested her hand over the baby and smiled. "I think I'd like to decide now. That is, if you want to."
"I don't mind at all." Gesturing to stack of books on the side table he looked at her, "Well, we've poured through those books of constellations and the lists from Mum. I think once we've settled on one the almost fully formed little man in my imagination will be complete." Draco smiled at the thought. Suddenly he felt very much like Asteria. Before her he didn't know whether he had and imagination to hope and dream with.
"I see him with hair as blonde as yours but curly like mine," she said softly, kissing the corner of his mouth. "How do you picture him?"
"Like you. Like me? I dunno. He changes physically every time I think of him," Draco answered honestly.
"He'll be a surprise then. Did you have any names you really liked?" She tried not to fidget, biting the corner of her mouth, "I'd like one of his names to be my father's. Or at least consider it as one."
Draco had been hoping she'd want that. He knew that she'd been close with her father before he'd died. "If you hadn't asked, Teria, I would have insisted. Though I was thinking Hyperion as a middle name instead of a given one if that won't bother you."
She nearly cried, though it was in utter and complete happiness and awe. "Do you know how wonderful you are?"
"I've been told that yes," Draco replied cheekily, giving her a rare crooked grin.
He patted her back and held her close while continuing to the topic at hand. "Now, now, my love. We were talking about names for our son. We could choose Antares or Pollux. I had a few that I didn't mind at all. What about you? Is there a star out there than you can see naming our son after?"
"I rather like Scorpius," she admitted. "But I feel greedy suggesting both names."
"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy," Draco said it out loud and smiled. "I like it very much, Sweetheart. And you're not to feel greedy. You are the word-smith in this family and you are our child's mother. I'll not have you feeling guilty for choosing the perfect name for our son."
"Are you sure?"
"I wouldn't say it if I wasn't," he replied with a tilt of his head. "I don't generally say things I don't mean so believe me when I tell you that I think Scorpius is going to be a very lucky lad to have a mummy like you. I know I'm lucky."
Blushing, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she was able. "You're so wonderful to me. Scorpius will be a lucky boy to have a daddy like you."
"Don't say that too loudly, love," Draco teased a bit. "It'll just go to my head. You know how Trace always says one of these days it'll pop."
She giggled. "I've permission to give you what for if that should happen. Though, I'm not sure I could manage it yet."
"Oh please," Draco smirked with a roll of his eyes when he thought of his friend. "You could punish me far worse than she could. I'm quite glad you don't usually have a mind to though."
"I could?" Her eyes widened. "Why would I?"
"You wouldn't. That's why you're lovely," he answered simply, with a soft smile. "You didn't eat supper yet did you? I'm sure you and little Scorpius have been in here all day taking refuge with the chocolate strawberries," Draco added with a laugh to show her it was perfectly fine with him if she spent every day like that. He'd come home so they could eat their evening meal together. Now that his Mum had moved out he knew it had to be lonely for his wife.
"My head will get overlarge if you keep complimenting me," she teased, shaking her head at his question. "Of course I waited for you though I have lost count of how many snacks I've had today."
"Are you hungry at all then?" he asked, moving to a more sitting position on the bed than he had been. Draco pulled off his tie completely and set it aside before unfastening the top few buttons of his dress shirt.
"I am. I don't know how I am after eating so many strawberries, tarts and whatever else Culley replenished that tray with. Do you want to go down to eat or have something brought up?"
"Whatever you like," he answered easily. Ordinarily he'd prefer the dining room but after such a mind-numbing day, all he wanted to do was pull on a pair of pyjama pants and just lay among all the ridiculous pillows with his wife. He was inordinately glad they hadn't agreed to go out anywhere that night. "We could lounge all night - watch a film if you want."
"Up here, relaxing and watching a film sounds brilliant," she said shifting to settle against him.
"Lovely," he replied, comfortably wrapping his arms around her after giving Culley orders to bring up supper.
"While we wait, are you going to change and then tell me about your day?"
"I suppose. I kind of like where I am right now," Draco answered contentedly. "I'll change when the food gets here. For now I want to just hold you. Is that all right with you, Sweetheart?"
"Of course it is. I was just worried you wanted to get out of the suit after your long day."
"Not as much as I want to keep my arms around my wife. I really missed you today and it was utter madness at the office. I'd hoped to come home for lunch but it was just too busy." Draco rested his palm on her rounded stomach and lowered his mouth to her shoulder to press a soft kiss there.
"I missed you too," she said softly, humming lightly at the feel of his mouth on her shoulder.
"Our baby is going to be very happy," he whispered.
"I want him to have everything that I didn't," she admitted quietly. "I already love him so very much."
"And that is why he'll be happy. He's so loved already," Draco murmured. "And you'll be happy. The way your father wanted you to be. The way I want you to be."
She felt tears filling her eyes and sighed happily. "Oh, Draco, I already am happier than I ever thought possible."
"And I intend to make you happier still. We've a long life to live yet," he said simply. It was a point of fact and he knew he would gladly spend his whole life keeping that promise.
She all but climbed in his lap. "I don't know how you could make me any happier."
Draco smiled that knowing smile he had and kissed the side of her head once more. "I'll just have to be very creative then, love."
Right at that moment their food arrived and he heard her stomach grumble. "Just in time, I think," he said with a laugh.
She blushed. "It seems like I'm always hungry these days."
"As you should be," Draco said, sitting up a bit with her in his arms so she could reach the tray Culley had brought up. "Go ahead and start without me. I'm going to change into something more comfortable and sort out the film situation.... that is, if I can get out from under all of these pillows," he teased.
She laughed at the pillows comment and reluctantly scooted over so he could get up out of the bed. She looked over the food on the tray and grinned up at him, her tone playful. "Well you'd best hurry then, we may eat all the food before you get back."
Draco chuckled as he walked into their closet and made short work of his suit. It was only a few minutes later when he re-entered the bedroom in black pyjama trousers and a white vest with a Muggle film on a disc. "Did you leave any for me, love?"
"We did, we love you and wouldn't want you to starve."
He grinned, knowing she was both teasing but being completely genuine at the same time. Lowering himself on the bed beside her, he stole the dinner roll off her plate and put the piece he broke off of it's edge in his mouth. "You take very good care of me, Mrs. Malfoy."
"I try at least," was her soft reply, her cheeks heating at the compliment.
"And you do very well," he replied, still smiling as he chewed and the film started on the large screen across from the bed. It was still a relatively new thing to Draco, but he (along with his friends) had taken advantage of the strides of the Muggle-lovers in the Department of Mysteries who'd managed to join together magic and their ingenious technology.
"I hope you don't mind Ancient Egypt, love," he whispered dramatically as The Mummy Returns began. Still eating with his fingers but this time off his own plate, Draco grinned again and slid his free arm around her shoulders. "Trace thought it might appeal to my Ravenclaw."
With this sort of entertainment (and technology) still very new to her, Asteria jumped far more often than was usual as the film started but she smiled none the less. "I don't mind and indeed it does appeal."
"She just loves to be proven right," Draco laughed.
"So do I," she teased.
He gave her a wry smile and the two watched the film in relative quiet. He held her when she jumped and looked at her sideways when the main star walked around with his shirt undone and felt his heart flip when she blushed and hid her face in his shoulder.
"You're lovely, Asteria," he grinned into her hair before pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. "Just lovely."
"Why am I this time?" she asked, resting her cheek on his shoulder, her eyes drawn back to the screen and pretty dresses the women were wearing.
"I love it when you blush," he answered easily, open and honest because it was her and he loved her. "It reminds me that there are good and decent people in the world and that I was lucky enough to marry one of them."
That only made her blush a darker red. "I love you so much and knowing you think so well of me just amazes me. Though, I may end up with a horrid ego."
"Well, even if I wasn't your husband, it's the job of your publisher to tell you how utterly fantastic you are so you keep writing for me," he teased.
She laughed lightly, pressing a light kiss on his shoulder as she teased him. "That's the way of it, is it?"
He ducked his head and managed to look sheepish for the first time in his life. "Well, maybe not. I don't think I'll need to bribe you with flattery to keep you writing."
"No you don't," she assured him, cupping his cheek with her hand. "But I love that you care enough to reassure me that I'm not some abnormal thing that needs locked away."
He almost laughed at that, turning his face to kiss her palm instead. "You know, some would say you ought to be simply for marrying me. In that wing at St. Mungos for the mad people." He grinned to show her what he thought of that. "What they're neglecting to remember is that there've been generations of barmy Malfoys and they all did quite well running the Wizarding world before they let Mudbloods and blood-traitors in to ruin it for the rest of us. I quite like being a barmy Malfoy, don't you?"
Snorting, and then blushing at her unladylike behaviour, Asteria merely shook her head. "We know better, don't we. If anyone is barmy it's the ones like my mother and those twits who ran amok in the tower giving me headaches all the time."
Draco smiled down at her. "Well, we know that of course but I don't know if anyone would take our word for it. At least we know your mother and ghastly sister will be sorted out soon enough."
"I hope so, I want our son born into a world where we won't have to worry about his barmy grandmother and aunt plotting against myself or him."
"He won't be. Blaise has it sorted. He said to expect the news to break sometime this week," Draco said blithely, turning back to the film knowing she'd be dying to hear the rest of the story. He was becoming more and more comfortable teasing her.
"Draco! What news? What did he do?" She pouted heavily, knowing he couldn't resist her pouts for long.
Draco tried to manage his smirk but it was near impossible with her pouting at him like that. He dropped his head to kiss the pout of her lips and smiled against her skin. "Do you want to hear about their financial or societal ruination first?"
Her eyes went wide. "Either...both...it's a difficult decision as both are most welcome. Did he really?"
"Did Blaise really do what I asked him to?" Draco sounded surprised. "Of course he did. I'd be surprised if he didn't dance a jig of joy while doing it as well. According to an official Ministry report due out sometime this week they've been donating to some very very sordid underworld organizations. Darker than the Madman who ruined my family's reputation ever was anyway."
She laughed delightedly, blushing bright red as she did so but unable to stop herself. Leaning against him, she continued to laugh. After all the cows had put her through, this was most welcome news indeed.
Draco went on, knowing that the next bit of information would please her even more than it did him to say it, "Even better is Daphne's trust fund. It's gone. All gone."
"And where did it go?" she asked, still laughing.
He didn't even try to look bashful and rolled his shoulder before giving her a grin. "According to Daphs, a vile schemer tricked her out of it - not that she'd ever admit it, I'm sure. And I suppose in a way she might be right. It's safe in a vault labelled 'Malfoy Children' in Arabic in a Wizard's bank in Morocco for the time being."
She laughed so hard that she cried. Leave it to the boys to come up with such poetic justice.
Pleased more than he could ever explain, Draco laughed right along with her. "I take it you approve, Sweetheart."
"I very much do," she assured him. Swiping at her tears, she asked, "Was it all four of you or just you and B?"
"I don't imagine Theodore would ever speak to us again if we'd left him out," was Draco's wry answer. "And letting him participate without involving Greg would call for the biggest pout on the planet. You think women are bad, but Goyle's are legendary."
Asteria imagined Greg pouting heavily and started laughing all over again. "Poor Tracey," she sputtered.
"Indeed," Draco laughed. "He's gotten better though. Now it's just sulking around the weight room lifting more weight than he ought to. Then Tracey gets all snippy. No, no, it was better to let him in on it too."
"You just don't want to deal with Tracey all upset at you." She grinned, making like she was going to tickle him, her mood as bright and carefree as could be.
"She's terrifying," Draco teased, bending with mirth at her wiggly fingers. "Though don't tell her I said so or she might hex me."
"I'd have to hex her if she tried," Asteria replied, only half joking. "I'm more terrifying than she is, right?"
"Absolutely," he answered immediately, amused that this tiny witch had so much power over him. How had that happened?
Delighted with him, she crawled into his lap and laid her head on his shoulder. "I love you."
Draco slid his hand to rest on the smooth skin at her neck and sighed happily. "I love you too, Teria. More than there are words to describe it."
"Do you know that I sometimes wake in the middle of the night and check to see if this has all been a dream?"
"Madness," he replied with a smile, his thumb caressing her cheek softly. "I'm certain you'd never've dreamt all of this up - even with an imagination like yours."
"I thought we'd already decided that everyone else is mad," she replied softly, though cheekily.
Draco chuckled. "That's right, I did. Maybe this is all in my head. Not your dream at all."
She kissed his cheek and snickered. "You're as sane as I am, I promise."
"That doesn't fill me with confidence, Sweetheart, though knowing that if I'm mad at least I have you is some comfort. You and our son."
She pouted playfully and poked him in the ribs. "I thought you said I wasn't mad."
"Oh right! I did say that," Draco laughed out loud, turning to see the tiny words moving up the screen in front of them. "You know, I think we missed the end of the film."
Trying to stifle a yawn, Asteria shook her head. "I guess that means we'll have to try watching it another night."
With a kiss to the top of her head, Draco nodded and used his wand to flip the contraption off and dimmed the lights at the same time.
She was still sitting in his lap so it was an easy thing to lay them back in the bed and he never had to let go of her at all. "Good night, Teria," he whispered.
"Good night," she murmured, already half asleep. "Love you."
"Love you too," he softly answered back, knowing she would never hear him but the words needed to be said again just the same.