Indago:Reborn

Chapter Eighteen

“This is completely unacceptable!”

“I’m afraid it will have to be, Father. Harry and I do not think it’s time for a ball. It’s just a bit too soon.”

Lucius whirled to face his son again. The silver head of his cane was rhythmically slapping into the palm of his hand as he glared at Draco. You, Draco? Now, that I find quite hard to believe. No, I know it is that little orphan boy you married that has decided that it is too soon! You, Draco, enjoy social activities. In fact, you were quite excited by all our parties growing up.” Lucius stalked closer to where Draco was standing behind his desk. “Am I to assume that my granddaughter will also be raised to be anti-social? Perhaps she will be residing in a cupboard to teach her humility!”

“Father that is going too far!” Draco said forcefully. “Harry and the baby are too fragile--”

“That is the second time you have referred to the boy’s fragility. I am going to have to seriously consider my impression of the so-call Boy-Who-Lived. Perhaps I shall have our healer commit him to St. Mungo’s for an extended stay to recuperate. Perhaps then we will be allowed to see the infant!”

“You will do no such thing!” Draco struggled to control his anger. Lucius was riled and, as the head of the Malfoy family, wielded far too much power. In fact, Draco was fairly sure he could actually commit Harry against his will. Draco would never underestimate the angry power and machinations of a former elite Death Eater. “Father, Harry and I feel it would be more appropriate to only have a small intimate gathering to introduce the baby,” he said more calmly.

“She is the next Malfoy heir,” Lucius said in a low voice. “She will not be brought out in shadows and silence. She deserves much more than that. If your little husband is having a problem with his anti-social behaviour than perhaps he had better stay home and we will be happy to have you and the baby only.”

“I will not leave Harry home!” Draco growled. “Nor will Harry allow the baby anywhere without him. This all could have been avoided, Father, if you had simply asked us instead of planning this entire thing and then ordering us to attend.”

“Ah, I see,” Lucius said with a sneer, the cane now brought down to rest menacingly at his side. “Has the boy now decided that I am not allowed to be a proud grandfather? I am now to make an appointment to see my family?”

“Father, you are being--” Draco stopped just before calling his father “ridiculous”, which would have been an extremely dangerous thing to do. “Harry is not trying to keep you away from Maia. Neither am I. We are merely stating that it is just too soon. Our instincts are running just a bit high at the moment. One too quick gesture near the baby and we would need to pull Harry off the guests. That would not be a very sterling impression to give the world, now would it?”

“If you simply did what you are supposed to do, Draco, you would not have this problem,” Lucius said in a tone that clearly showed how simple his son was being. “The boy needs to be controlled. Do it!”

“The boy is my husband and I will treat him as I will!” Draco snapped. “Harry and I have worked very hard to have a marriage based on mutual respect and trust. I do not need to resort to animal abilities to have a happy home life! We will raise our daughter as we see fit and if we believe it is too soon for her to be in a massive crush, then that is the end of it!”

Silence reigned in the small study. Draco’s chest heaved with emotion and no little amount of trepidation after his outburst. But he did not back down. Silver eyes glared into grey. Finally, Lucius’s eyelids dropped half way and an arrogant eyebrow was raised.

“Good show, Draco.” The older man turned and picked up his hat and gloves from the armchair and stepped to the door. He turned to look back at his son with intent. “We will express your regrets at the ball. But,” Lucius’s voice lowered threateningly, “I will not allow that boy to continue to corrupt you. You may be Maia’s father, but I am still yours. Remember that, Draco.” And he was gone.

Draco was not ashamed when he fell back into his chair in emotional exhaustion.

The Naming Ceremony was still large by normal standards, but the mass of people was kept back and away from the ceremony area. The press was there in spades, shouting questions and flashing pictures. Word was out that the Daily Prophet would pay handsomely for shots of the baby. Harry never moved more than three inches from Draco’s side. The entire time he stayed against him, the baby shielded between them. Snape stood nearly as close and, amazingly, blocking many a cameraman’s desired shot.

Lucius, as the grandfather and head of the family, presided over the ceremony that was held in the small ballroom at Malfoy Manor. The dais that had been placed for the occasion only held Draco, Harry, Snape, Narcissa, Lucius and, of course, the baby.

“Bring the child forward, please,” Lucius intoned formally. Draco led Harry closer. It had been a miracle that they had been able to get Harry out of the house. The brunet was obviously not happy about being away from home. Draco listened to his father’s formal recital of the traditional words. He felt the crowd’s restlessness as they waited for a glimpse of the baby

“Who gives this child a name?” Lucius asked.

“I do.” Snape stepped forward as planned, and by doing so claiming his position as the godfather. “This child will be known as Maia Regina Malfoy.”

Lucius nodded and raised his wand and Draco tightened his grip on Harry as the other man stiffened and the smell of his fear spiked in Draco’s nostrils. The wand was brought to the child’s shrouded forehead and Draco hoped that none of the guests and press heard Harry’s growling. He felt Snape move closer as both Superos prepared for any physical response from the smaller man. Draco could see his father’s amusement at Harry’s reaction.

“Maia.” Lucius’s wand touched the forehead. “Regina.” Another touch. “Malfoy.” The final tap and a ribbon of blue colour spiralled out of the wand’s tip and danced over the baby. It hovered for only a moment and then in a whoosh, darted out over the guests and towards the obviously antique tapestry that had been moved to the ballroom for just this occasion. The blue stream hit the tapestry and a heartbeat later, Maia’s name appeared in scrollwork under Draco’s own name. The Malfoy Family Tree had now been updated and the child officially named.

The crowd clapped, and cheering could be heard from the Weasley section. Flashes were brightening the room.

“Harry, you need to turn around and show them the baby,” Draco murmured. Harry stood still and Draco had to surreptitiously take the baby from him. Harry clung to his side as he spun and pulled the lace shroud from the baby’s head and showed her to the world. There were “oohs” and “ahhs” and words of how pretty and adorable she was. When the baby made a small sound and the crowd melted into a puddle of goo, Draco knew that his daughter would be a grand manipulator and he smiled proudly.

“We can go out the side door there,” Draco murmured to Harry. Harry nodded but did not let go of Draco’s arm. Draco nodded to the crowd, held his daughter close and then led his husband from the dais and to the conservatory door. Behind him he could hear his father apologizing and making an excuse as to why the child would not be present for the following party, stating Harry was exhausted due to complications at the birth. Which, of course, tied in nicely with the earlier story when Harry lost at the Ministry. The door shut behind them and he took them to a stone bench under a potted palm.

Harry was flushed and breathing hard. “Are you alright?” Draco asked, watching his husband swallow hard.

Harry nodded. “Yes,” he said in a low voice. “I just really wanted to rip your father’s throat out and then scare everyone else away,” he admitted with a grimace.

“Well, thank you for controlling yourself,” Draco said as he shifted the baby a bit higher in his arms. He looked down at her and she looked back at him as if to say, “Don’t drop me, fool.”

“Maia is fine,” he assured Harry. “She had the crowd in the palm of her hand.”

“Yeah, well, he better never hold a wand on her again or he won’t have any arms left,” Harry growled and then scooped the baby out of Draco’s arms. “And don’t tell me that I knew it was part of the ceremony, because I don’t care.”

Draco raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Didn’t think you did, pet.” Draco’s head suddenly snapped up and he spun to look behind them.

“I mean no harm,” came a voice from behind a large topiary. A figure moved out of the shadows and Draco moved in front of his family.

“I highly doubt you were invited to this,” he growled as the charming face of Daniel Muroch appeared.

“I came with a friend, actually. I’m really not trying to step on toes or anything, Draco. I just wanted to see the little one.” Muroch’s voice was calm, his stance innocuous.

“I did not give you leave to address me so familiarly.” Draco raked the other man with his eyes. “Nor did I accept your gift basket. Are all American’s as thick as you or are you just special?”

“Draco, he’s not doing anything,” Harry said from behind him, but made no move from where he was.

“Actually, I’m considered fairly wise in my country and else where,” Muroch said with a smile. “It’s why I’m not moving any closer,” he chuckled. Draco’s eyes narrowed. “All I wanted to do was offer my congratulations in person and hopefully see the baby. I have a soft spot for babies. I, unfortunately, lost two of my own when they were very small.”

“That’s awful,” Harry whispered and moved a bit to the side to be able to see the other man. But he kept the baby held out of sight behind Draco’s back. “Two of your children past away?”

“Harry--” Draco was cut off.

“Yes,” Muroch said sadly. “Neither lived longer than a month past birth. It was heart breaking, but I have to believe it was for the best since they were both pretty sick. My mother was nearly inconsolable.” Muroch had a sad smile on his lips. “I understand your pain for the loss of your first child.”

Draco could tell Harry was softening towards the other Supero and he quickly shoved the brunet behind him. “Our condolences, of course,” he said nastily. “If you’ll excuse us, we have more important people to speak with.”

“Draco!”

Draco grabbed his sputtering husband by the arm and began hauling him through the other side of the conservatory until they reached the outer door. Outside they found their carriage waiting at the pre-designated spot. Flashes of light showed that the press had also found the carriage. With a quick spell that sent a blinding bit of light to the cameras, Draco bundled his tiny family inside and they were soon aloft.

“That was unbelievably nasty! The man had two of his children die! Have a bit of sympathy!”

Draco glared across the expanse of the carriage. “Not my problem, is it? He created defects. It’s best that they were put down.”

Harry radiated with anger, holding the baby tight. “For fuck’s sake, Malfoy! That’s cold even for you! Especially when your own child is right here!”

“Yes, but mine is not a defect and is, in actual fact, perfect,” Draco drawled. “And what’s with the sudden need to protect him, hmm? I though I was doing the gentlemanly thing by not killing him right there. Because the second you started to defend him I was in dire need to do so!”

“I wasn’t defending him!” Harry shouted in exasperation. “I was sympathizing! If you have forgotten, I know what it feels like to lose a child. And for him to have gone through it twice!”

“Are you going to cry for him now?” Draco snapped. “If you do, Potter, I will have you grovelling on the floor in seconds!”

Harry stared dumbfounded, his mouth open in speechlessness. Draco growled low in his throat and flung himself back against the seat cushions, his hands coming up to massage his eyes viciously. “Fuck, you know I didn’t mean that!” he snapped out. “That bastard just rubs me the wrong way!”

Silence greeted him. Silver eyes opened and watched as Harry stared down at the baby in his arms. Then the brunet looked out the window, his face blank.

“Harry,” Draco called calmly. “I said I didn’t mean it. If you keep up with the melancholy, you’ll upset the baby.” No response. With a sigh and a quick grimace for his trousers, he went down on his knees in front of his husband. “Harry. Look at me.”

Green eyes moved slowly to meet his. “I hate when you say that,” Harry said quietly.

“I know. Why do think it falls out of my lips when I’m angry?” Draco leaned forward and cupped Harry’s face. “But I don’t mean it. You’ve got me on that one. It’s an empty threat.” Draco smiled ruefully. “I’m just frustrated. I haven’t had you beneath me in weeks.”

Harry looked back out the window. “You don’t trust me.”

“What?” Draco frowned. “What does that have to do with my blatant attempt to shag you?”

“You think I’d go to that American bloke, the other Supero. You think, even after having a kid with you, that I’d just go off and have my jollies with another.”

“What?” Draco said again, this time in a louder voice. “That is ridiculous. Let me inform you of a few facts. We are not human. You are influenced easily, against your will, admittedly, but still influenced by other doms. And finally, I saw him touching you! He was all over you!”

“He was just… saying hello,” Harry offered. When Draco looked at him askance, Harry continued. “Alright fine, it was bit more intimate than a hello. But he still backed off when you told him to. I think he’s just lonely. Maybe he just wants a friend?”

“A friend?” Draco scoffed. “He wants to knock you up! I am not going to bloody well go down to the pub with him, if that is what you are going to suggest next!”

Harry exhaled loudly and shook his head. “I’m just saying that I know what it feels like to be different, with no one who can understand what it means to be you. And you were a complete prick to him.”

“Damn right.” Draco put his hands on Harry’s thighs. “Look, we are not going to agree on this one, so we shall fall back on the standard of obeying me. I am telling you that I do not like him and that I do not want him around. I swear to you, Potter, you had better not invite him to tea or there will be bloodshed, sod all to the problems it will cause me!”

Harry didn’t speak to him for the rest of the ride home. But he got plenty of glares.