Life From the Start

Chapter 5: Day Two: Bad Baby!

‘It’s Saturday… I survived a day with the baby…’

That was the first thought that came to Draco’s mind as he slowly rolled onto his stomach. It was morning; eight o’ clock in the morning to be exact. Draco knew it was the weekend; usually he wouldn’t wake up until the sun was high above Hogwarts. But today was a different story. It was as if his mind was telling him that he should not stay asleep… there was something important for him to take care of. Groaning, Draco pried open his eyes, the hazy outline of Harry’s cot caught his attention. There was no movement from within the small bed so Draco assumed Harry was still asleep.

‘Great… even my subconscious is telling me that I should be awake for the babe.’

Pushing himself up, Draco crawled—on his knees and hands—to the edge of his bed. He swung one leg over the edge and got off. His mouth opened and let out a gigantic yawn before Draco smacked his lips. Draco knuckled his eyes before meandering over to Harry’s bed. The tiny toddler was sleeping on his side, thumb in his mouth. Draco smiled; Harry’s thumb was simply wedged between his small mouth—-drool covering the whole digit. Draco reached over the bars and patted Harry softly on the nest of dark tresses. Thinking that Potter wouldn’t wake up any time soon, Draco padded over to the conjoined bathroom and went inside for his morning shower.

The blond Slytherin sighed—-thoroughly relaxed-—as the warm water pounded his tired muscles. Draco rolled his head a couple of times before he pressed his forehead against the cool, wet tiles in front of him. He let the warm water trail down his body, washing the soap suds away. The silver colored eyes followed the paths the bubbles made; going down his abdomen, his thighs, between his toes, and finally swirling down the drain. Draco scrubbed himself a few more times with the soft flannel he was using; he hated the slimy feeling the body wash left behind everytime he showered. After scrubbing three times over, Draco placed his head under the shower head, where he started to massage his scalp—-to rid of the shampoo in his hair.

Just as Draco was rinsing, a loud, racking cry made its way to his ears—-over the pounding of the water. His eyes snapped opened and Draco hurriedly scrubbed his hair. Cursing softly under his breath, Draco stepped out from the shower and wrapped a bath towel around his lower regions. He then took another towel and dried his hair, not really caring that his blond locks looked like something slept in it.

“You just have to cry right now, Potter.” Draco muttered, rubbing the soft towel over his head, “I swear, you were made to make me suffer.”

Sighing, Draco threw the towel into the hamper. With one hand holding onto the towel wrapped around his hips, Draco went out without bothering to dress. Malfoy walked over to where Harry was now sitting up and crying; the blond was shivering since he did not bother to put a shirt on. Draco peered over and found one blubbering, red in the face, and puffy eyed Harry Potter sniffling in the middle of the cot.

“Pot—-Harry stop crying now, I’m right here,” Draco said soothingly, ‘Ugh… talking to a baby sucks. I have to sound all… mushy.’

Harry gave one huge sniff and turned red-rimmed eyes onto Draco. The toddler reached up for the blond boy towering over him. Draco smiled, thinking that Harry was utterly adorable—

‘No, scratch that. Potter is NOT adorable.’

Nodding to himself, Draco leaned over the bars and picked up the baby. Harry immediately wrapped his short arms around the blonde’s neck and pressed his wet cheeks on Draco’s bare shoulders. He curled one hand around the blond locks near Draco’s neck and began playing with it.

“Harry… Don’t get your snot onto my hair. I just washed it.” Draco muttered and walked over to the bureau. He pulled open the drawer with the small towels and took one out. “Let me clean your face first, and then you can continue playing with my hair.” Draco rubbed Harry’s face gently and the toddler automatically closed his eyes while Draco cleaned.

“No Dway…”

Draco stopped wiping and pulled the cloth away from Harry’s face. He peered at the baby and found Harry looking right back at him—-with his cheek still pressed on his shoulder.

“What are you talking about Harry?” Draco asked; Harry pouted and turned away and pointed at Draco’s bed.

“No Dway… No dwere.” Harry mumbled and pointed at Draco’s bed again.

“What are you…” Draco scrunched his eyebrows together, then he realized what Harry had said. “You mean when you woke up… you didn’t see me?”

Harry nodded against Draco’s shoulder and turned his head back to look at Draco. He reached up and placed his tiny palm on Draco’s cheek.

“Scurd…”

“I was just taking a shower Harry,” Draco told the toddler in his arms, taking the tiny hand between his thumb and forefinger. “No need to be scared. I promise…” Draco trailed off, “… I’ll be there the next time you wake up.”

Harry smiled at Draco and snuggled into Draco’s neck; his small fingers wrapped tight around the blonde’s thumb. The Slytherin smiled at the baby’s actions and absently kissed the top of Potter’s head.

“Lub Dway!” Harry burbled when Draco’s lips descended on top of his head.

Draco chuckled and lifted the baby until they were eye to eye. Harry blinked at the bigger boy and cooed, swiping Draco’s nose. Malfoy tried moving away from the swiping hand but Harry squiggled and squirmed in his arms; he looked at the wriggling baby sternly, only to have Harry tittering at him. In one swift movement, Harry leaned in and gave a peck on the tip of Draco’s nose—-a wet peck.

“Harry! Oh, I swear you kiss everything.” Draco said, wiping the tip of his nose with Harry’s romper suit, which in turn made Harry giggle.

“Tis!” Harry shrilled, clapping his chubby hands together. “Tis Dway!”

“If you remember kissing me and telling me you love me, you will probably kill yourself, Potter.” Draco muttered. As if to make fun of him, Harry gave Draco another baby kiss, this time right on the cheek. Draco huffed and wiped his cheek with the small towel he used on Harry. “At least give me nice kisses, not wet ones.”

Harry sent Draco a toothy grin and nuzzled the crook of Draco’s neck once more.

HPDMHPDM

“I told you Harry, I’ll do this if you didn’t stop playing with your breakfast.”

“No!”

“Yes! You threw pieces of pancakes at me! With syrup on them!” Draco scowled at the young child sulking in the playpen.

After Harry had finished showering Draco’s face with kisses—-they were nice little kisses just as Draco ordered—-both went to the dining room and found their breakfast already there. Draco’s plate was filled with two pieces of toast, slices of bacon, two eggs, and four links of sausage; he also had a cup of pumpkin juice. Harry’s plate was covered with cut up pieces of pancakes, coated with a thick maple syrup and there was a sippy cup filled with apple juice. Draco had tucked the toddler into the highchair, placed the plate of pancake pieces in front of Harry, along with the sippy cup, and then he was seated to eat his own breakfast. They were quietly and happily eating—-Harry was just stuffing his face, smearing syrup all over his chin. Draco had looked up to check on Harry twice and saw the baby’s puffed out cheeks and brown syrup stains all over the small face. He chuckled and was drinking his pumpkin juice when suddenly a sticky piece of warm pancake went sailing over to him. Draco jerked when the pancake landed on his cheek; the pumpkin juice in his hand splashed onto his jeans.

“Icky Dway!” Harry laughed and threw another piece at Draco. The blond growled and placed his cup on the table before turning to glare at the baby.

“Harry, stop throwing food and eat!” Draco said sternly, “If you don’t… I’ll put you into the playpen… Without any toys inside!”

Harry’s mouth formed an ‘o’, and then frowning, he threw another piece at Draco. This time it missed and landed on the floor.

“Bad! No pwayben!”

“You’re talking back! Oh why you little…” Draco glared and stood up, taking Harry out of the highchair, “You’re going to stay in the playpen right now! You’re not coming out until you know what you did wrong mister.”

‘Haha! I win Potter!’

Harry had screamed and kicked Draco in the stomach when Draco carried him to the playpen in the living room. Holding Harry securely in one arm, Draco had taken out his wand and banished the toys inside the playpen, leaving only the blanket inside. Draco then put Harry inside and stared down at the baby.

That was how Harry ended up in the playpen.

Harry looked up at him now with tears swimming around those green eyes.

“Puppy eyes won’t work this time, you were bad Harry.” Draco said, “Now, you’re going to stay in here until I think it’s time for you to come out.”

“No… Dway…” Harry sobbed, his hands wrapped around the bars of the playpen so he could stand. “Sowwy…”

“You need to learn not to throw food at people. This was the second time.” Draco told the now crying baby. “I’m going to sit right there on the couch and watch you. Five minutes Harry, after five minutes I’ll take you out.” Draco pivoted and went to the couches where he sat down and watched Harry cry inside the playpen.

Harry cried and let go of the bars and fell on his bum. Sniffling, he took the yellow blanket next to him and held it tight. Harry looked out through the bars and saw that Dway was really sitting there, watching him with a frown on his face. He didn’t want the bigger boy to be mad at him… he liked Dway. Whimpering, Harry buried his face into the soft blanket and wiped his face with it. Scrunching the blanket into a ball, Harry placed it in front of him; he looked out again and found Dway still looking at him, this time the frown was gone. With much effort, Harry pulled himself upright and reached one arm out.

“Dway… ay sowwy. No bad…” Harry hiccupped, his lips trembling.

When Draco saw the trembling lips, he couldn’t take it anymore; Draco had thought he was a bit too harsh on the baby. Sighing and accepting that Harry’s puppy eyes did work, he walked over to the playpen and knelt down in front of it. Once they were leveled, Draco tapped the tip of Harry’s nose through the bars; Harry giggled softly through his hiccups.

“Brat… It’s not even five minutes yet… But I’m going to take you out.” Draco smiled and stood up; Harry gave him a watery smile and Draco’s heart melted…

‘He’s turning you into butter!’ Draco’s inner voice cried, ‘You’re going soft Malfoy!’ Draco, at that moment, very much wanted to smack his head on the edge of the playpen.

“Butter indeed…”

HPDMHPDM

“… Wow there’s actually a charm to make ice cream out of water.” Draco mused as he read his Charms textbook.

He lowered his book and snorted when he saw Harry sitting five feet away from him, knocking down a tower of plushy blocks. The baby laughed and clapped his hands as the blocks fell down.

“Bwocks bye bye!” Harry giggled and started to drag himself closer to the fallen blocks while still sitting on his bum.

“Harry, your pants are going to have holes if you continue to move yourself around on the carpet while sitting.” Draco drawled and went back to his book; he started rocking back and forth in his chair—it was a rocking chair.

Harry pouted and turned his head halfway to peek at the blond teen. He should listen to Dway… Harry didn’t want to make Dway mad and then he would have to sit in the playpen again. Harry shuddered slightly and went on his hands and knees to crawl over to the blocks. Once he was within reaching distance, Harry sat down and began stacking them up again.

Draco sighed and placed his book down on the carpet; it was getting boring anyway. He pushed himself up and padded over to where Harry was happily pounding the plushy blocks together. Harry didn’t notice the looming shadow and so, he continued to smack pink, blue, and green blocks together, under the watchful eyes of Draco. The Slytherin was amazed how the young child can be so occupied with only a couple of blocks… Draco scoffed; when he was a toddler his parents were hardly ever there. He had plenty of toys, a whole room filled with them actually. But Draco had always felt so…

Alone.

Shaking his head, Draco sat down next to the baby. Harry stopped smacking the blocks together and looked to the side, smiled when he saw Draco right there next to him.

“Pway?” Harry asked, his head tilted to one side. The brunet leaned forward and grabbed a pink block and then placed it on Draco’s lap. “Pway bwocks.”

Draco smirked and squeezed the pink block; it glowed when he squeezed it. Harry ‘ohhed’ and went to squish every block in his sight.

‘So this is how I’m going to spend my Saturday… playing with blocks.’

“Potter, I could’ve gone to Hogsmeade today…” Draco told the baby, “But I’m stuck here with you.”

Harry stopped squeezing the blocks and turned worried eyes on Draco. He crawled over to the teen and climbed, albeit clumsily, onto Draco’s lap. The blond promptly steadied the toddler before Harry could fall off. Harry sniffed and glanced up into Draco’s grey eyes.

“No lub ‘Ry?” Harry mumbled; his hands were clutching the front of Draco’s shirt.

Draco’s eyes widened at the question; he was shocked that the thirteen month old baby understood what he said. Harry had thought he didn’t like him…

“'Ry bad?”

Draco smiled and shook his head; he moved Harry until the child was sitting on top of his folded legs. The blond brushed away the single tear that had fallen from Harry’s eye. Draco gave Harry a soft, little pinch on one of those chubby cheeks. Harry stuck out his bottom lip and pouted.

“No, Harry, you’re not bad… And I-I do like you…” Draco murmured.

‘Like? Ooo… you’re starting to like him, Malfoy!’ The little voice taunted.

Draco rolled his eyes and held Harry closer. “It’s just… I missed my friends. Granger and Weasley probably miss you, too.”

“Wanger? Weasy?” Harry looked totally confused.

Draco sighed, “You don’t remember them?” Harry only frowned in answer; Draco brushed Harry’s nose with his finger, “Come on, Harry, think. They’re your best friends… How about Hermione and… Ron? That’s their given names… Surely you remember that.”

Harry shook his head; Draco huffed and gave up. It just didn’t make sense that out of all people, Harry only remembered Draco. Harry pouted at Draco’s faraway look; he placed one hand on top where Draco’s heart was. Malfoy looked down in puzzlement.

“Dway fwend.” Harry smiled and smacked Draco’s chest. “Lub yoo.”

Draco stared down at the baby and let out a short laugh; he carded his fingers through Harry's messy nest of dark hair.

“Six years ago I wanted you to be my friend…" Draco whispered, "Too bad… I doubt you’ll remember any of this.”