From Venice with Love

Despite Harry and Draco’s misgivings, Hermione insisted on going to Hogwarts for her N.E.W.T.S. exams. They were over 3 days, so Dumbledore arranged for her to stay in Gryffindor tower those nights; he did not want her alone in the Head Girl room. Draco balked at being left with the baby so long and tried to talk her out of it.

“What if he cries?” Draco asked, as she finished packing her suitcase. “I don’t know what to do!”

“Mrs. Weasley will be here the whole time, Draco,” Hermione said patiently as she locked her suitcase. “She’ll know what to do.”

“At night he’ll be with me though,” Draco said, his voice taking an edge Hermione thought was panic.

“He sleeps through the night now. If he cries just get him a bottle.”

“He doesn’t like me,” Draco sulked, throwing a glance at the bassinet where Dante was gurgling happily.

“He doesn’t know you. You barely touch him, Draco.” Hermione said, frustrated. “If you’d spend time with him, he’d like you fine!”

She left him upstairs staring after her and flounced downstairs, throwing her suitcase down.

“Anything wrong?” Mrs. Weasley asked, coming in from the kitchen.

“Draco. He treats Dante like he was some sort of living piece of furniture,” Hermione told her. “He never holds him unless I make him; he hardly even looks at him. Dante’s his son, how can he act like that?”

“Hermione, don’t be too harsh with him,” Mrs. Weasley said, patting her arm. “Remember, Draco is only seventeen years old. Most lads his age are still playing Quidditch. He has a wife, a child, his family and friends hate him, he can’t finish school, it’s a lot to take in. And it’s all because of Dante.”

“You think he blames Dante?” Hermione asked.

“I think that he’ll come around,” Mrs. Weasley said. “Maybe you leaving for a few days is a good thing. It will force him to care for Dante. It’s sometimes harder for fathers, Hermione. They don’t give birth; it’s harder for them to bond with a being that only cries and needs to eat.”

“I hope so,” Hermione says. “He just stares at him with a blank look on his face. He never plays with him, it worries me.”

“It’ll be fine,” Mrs. Weasley said reassuringly. ”Let’s get you outside; Severus is coming with the portkey.”

“I can’t believe they’re sending him,” Hermione groaned. “Draco!”

Draco slowly came downstairs, without Dante.

“I’ll get him,” Mrs. Weasley said quickly, rushing upstairs.

Draco and Hermione stood awkwardly in silence, waiting for her to return.

“I’ll be back Wednesday,” Hermione said finally, to break the silence.

“Be careful, don’t let anyone catch you alone,” Draco warned.

“I know.” Mrs. Weasley came back down, carrying Dante. Hermione smiled and kissed the top of his blonde head. “Mummy loves you,” she said, smiling at the baby. Dante squealed and clutched onto Hermione’s hair. A little teary eyed, Hermione carefully removed her hair from his little fingers.

There was a knock at the door and Draco let Snape in. The potions teacher walked in quickly. “Ready?” he asked. Hermione nodded, afraid to speak. She already missed Dante. Snape walked over to Mrs. Weasley and looked down at the baby. “He looks just like you,” he told Draco.

“So I’ve been told,” Draco told him. He kissed the top of Hermione’s head. “See you Wednesday.”

Hermione nodded and she and Snape left quickly, leaving Mrs. Weasley, Draco and Dante alone.


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That evening, Draco watched unhappily as Mrs. Weasley prepared Dante for bed.

“Can’t he stay with you?’ he asked.

“No dear, you’re his father,” Mrs. Weasley said as she changed Dante into his sleeper. “You saw how I changed his diaper?”

“What? No!” Draco began to feel a little panicked now. “He’ll be good until morning, won’t he?”

“Maybe, but if he does need a change, you’ll have to do it. Now, watch me this time,” Mrs. Weasley told him, showing him slowly how to change Dante. The baby stared at her with huge grey and eyes and made lots of noises that made Draco nervous. He’d seen Hermione do this loads of times now, but had never paid any attention.

“His bottles are here,” Mrs. Weasley motioned to the little refrigerator in the corner of the room. “You know the warming spell?” Draco nodded. She took the baby and laid him gently down in the bassinet, flicking her wand at the mobile which began to sing softly as little lights flew around the bassinet. “You’ll be fine, dear,” she said to Draco, who looked very unhappy. “If there’s an emergency, you know where I am. An emergency, not a nappy change.” Draco nodded again. “Good night,” Mrs. Weasley said, leaving quickly.

Draco laid down on the bed and looked over at the bassinet. Dante was staring at the lights and paying him no attention. Draco watched him for a moment, then picked up a book from the nightstand. After a half hour, he looked at Dante again. The baby was now asleep, the lights twinkling off his peaceful face. Draco couldn’t remember if Hermione left the mobile on after Dante went to sleep, so he left it just in case. Not long after, he fell asleep as well.

A loud noise woke Draco out of sleep. Startled, he jumped out of bed and looked wildly around. It took a moment for him to realise it was a thunderstorm raging outside. Dante was screaming as well, his mobile still going, but in the lightening the lights seemed less assuring and more frenzied. With each clap of thunder, Dante’s crying got louder. Draco got a bottle out and warmed it quickly, holding it to the baby who angrily swatted it away. Unsure what to do, Draco just stared at him for a moment. Dante’s eyes were screwed shut, his face red from effort as he thrashed around in the bassinet. His covers lay in a heap beside him, Draco put them back on, but they were off again in a matter of seconds. Taking a deep breath, Draco put one hand under the baby’s head and the other behind his back as Hermione had showed him and lifted him up slowly. Dante was squirming a lot, so to keep hold of him; Draco had to hold him against his chest tightly. He picked up the bottle again and walked over to the bed and sat down. Dante was slowly calming down, his sobs turning into deep breaths as he opened his eyes and looked up at Draco. For the first time Draco felt something stirring in him as he looked down at the infant. They looked a lot alike, yes, but he could see bits of Hermione in the little face as well. “You certainly have your mother’s lungs,” he told the baby quietly. He gave Dante the bottle again, and this time it was accepted. Dante’s eyes closed as he ate and he gave little jumps every time a clap of thunder sounded. “It’s okay,” Draco told the baby soothingly. “I’ll protect you.”

He was so preoccupied with Dante; he didn’t see Mrs. Weasley silently close the bedroom door.

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Hermione rushed inside the house Wednesday morning, anxious to see her baby. Mrs. Weasley met her at the door.

“You’re back early!” she said. “We weren’t expecting you until after lunch.”

“I finished my last exam early,” Hermione said. “I didn’t want to wait. Where’s Dante?”

“Upstairs. Would you like some tea? How did your N.E.W.T.S. go?” Mrs. Weasley asked.

“They went fine. I only left Gryffindor Tower for them and never saw any Slytherins at all. Upstairs with Draco?” Hermione asked and Mrs. Weasley nodded. Hermione dropped her suitcase and walked slowly upstairs. She could hear talking as she neared their bedroom and walked slowly to the open door. She saw Dante on the changing table with Draco hovering over him.

“Merlin, Dante, that is disgusting!” he was saying in a sing-song voice as Dante wiggled happily. “How can all that come out of such a small baby?” Dante screeched happily as Draco pinned the new nappy on.

Hermione smiled to herself, backed away slowly and went back downstairs, unnoticed, to have her tea.