Butterflies and zebras and moonbeams and fairy tales...
It had been tough to make his decision. He could only see one group of Stewarts off before he had to go to Hogwarts. James, Sarah, and Mina were leaving for Hogwarts and he was nervous about leaving Sarah with only James and Mina to fend Avery off on the platform and train, but Grace needed him a bit more.
He had already brewed and taken a calming potion when he woke up at four in the morning. His nerves were getting to him, and it was irritating. Blaise was going to be able to see Mina, James, and Sarah many times throughout the week and see them interact with people in school. Grace was going to be away from him for hours, and maybe a few days at a time if he was needed to do nightly patrols and stay in Slytherin house. No being able to see her for lunch, no taking extra breaks to spend time at the bakery with her and Hannah.
It was depressing to admit, but he was going to miss her a little bit. As he walked out to the living room to meet Hannah and Grace, he realized she was going to be missing him just as much.
"Now, Grace, we talked about this," Hannah said calmly. "Mr. Bunny has to stay home with Winky. She'll take very good care of him. He'll be waiting for you when you get home this afternoon."
"Yes, Misses Grace. Winky is taking good care of the stuffings rabbit."
Grace caught sight of Blaise and ran towards him with her arms extended, letting out a little sob. Hannah put a hand to her mouth as she felt her own eyes sting. Maybe they shouldn't send Grace to school. Perhaps they should hire a tutor.
Blaise let out a large sigh as he picked her up. Six years old and she was still damn attached like he'd been the one to give birth to her. "Grace, you know that you'll be coming back here. What's worrying you?"
"I don't want to be away from you."
Hannah was going to cry, she just knew it.
"What if the other kids don't like me? I want to stay with you and Hannah. I want to stay with Finn."
"Grace, you were away from me when I was at the clinic. And you became good friends with--" He wracked his brain for Quinn's youngest daughter's name. "--Amy? Evelyn? I can't remember, but you didn't think you'd be liked there, either."
Grace whimpered and held onto him tightly.
"I can take the others to the station for the train if I need to," Kristen offered.
"That won't be necessary," Hannah replied, rising. "I sent for back-up."
She walked over and kissed Grace's forehead then Blaise's cheek.
"Back-up," Kristen asked quizzically.
"Who gets their own private escort to school today," came Draco's singsong voice from the entryway.
Hannah walked out as Mina thundered down the stairs. Sarah followed at a sedate pace, looking very nervous indeed.
"Please say me," Mina said. "Please say me."
"Sorry, love," Draco said. "I'm with B and Gracie today."
"Merlin help us all," Blaise muttered. With Grace still in his arms, he turned to the remaining Stewarts. "I want you to behave on the train to Hogwarts. No hexing just yet."
Oh he was going to enjoy seeing their faces when they realized he was going to be their professor. But this moment was Grace's.
"I'll behave if no one annoys me," Mina replied darkly.
"Come along," Hannah said.
Sarah moved to Blaise and hugged him for a long time. Draco frowned. The girl didn't look well. At least Blaise would be around to look after her.
"I'm not hugging you," James announced.
Blaise just chuckled. "I wouldn't expect you to. Have fun at Hogwarts. See you soon!"
"Yeah, it's called Christmas, weirdo," James snapped sarcastically.
Draco snorted with laughter. Obviously the Stewarts had no idea Blaise would be there this year. When they were all out the door, Draco looked at Grace.
"It won't be so bad. I visit all the time, and the headmistress is named Jane. She's very nice, and Jack's mother Penelope teaches there, and when she's better, Ginny's mum will be there. You'll like her very much."
Grace whimpered.
"Grace, you know that you'll be fine. I'll see if Draco can sneak me in to see you for lunch once. But remember, you'll be coming home to see me and Hannah every day. Now let's get going. I have to give your siblings heart attacks tonight."
"Please don't make me go," Grace whispered. "I'll be good. Don't make me leave."
Draco sighed. As tough as Blaise could be, Draco could see this was bothering him.
"Think of it as a visit. Like when you come to see me and Gin or Mr. Diggory. You'll stay a bit then you get to come back here to Blaise and Hannah and Kristen."
"I am not making you go because I don't like you or you're not good, Grace. I'm not making you go at all, even. If you don't like it after a week, I will let you stay home until next year, but I really do think you'll like it. I just want you to grow up like a proper little girl should," Blaise whispered. He really didn't want to let Grace stay home, because she would be behind, but he knew she was different than the other children.
Draco was staring. He couldn't help it. This was a man who didn't want children? Who in the hell was Blaise kidding? He happened to be doing pretty well just now.
"Come on, Gracie," Draco said. "That sounds like a good deal to me. Just try it. If you don't like it, Blaise will let you stay home."
"All right," she said, sniffling.
"Excellent. And we're off. I promise, Grace, you'll love it." Blaise quickly motioned them on.
Draco apparated in behind Grace and Blaise, strolling into the school confidently. He called hello to several people. It was all bustle this morning.
"Who does she have first," Draco asked Blaise.
"There you both are," Lindsay said in her best teacher's voice. "You must be Grace. Mr. Howard is looking for you."
"Her first class is with the ogre?"
Grace whimpered and hugged Blaise with a death grip.
"I'm not really an ogre, Grace," Ian said from behind them. "Miss Fulkerson, here, is friends with Draco. She told me I'm supposed to take good care of you. The other students are waiting. You want to join us?"
Not an ogre, my arse. Blaise cleared his throat. "See? They already know that you're friends with Draco. Nothing bad is going to happen, and Hannah will come to pick you up as soon as school is over."
"You trust me yeah, Gracie?" Draco said with a smile.
"Yes."
"Then let Blaise put you down, and you go with Professor Ogre."
Lindsay elbowed Draco.
Grace sighed. "Okay."
Blaise set her on her feet. She looked up at him with fearful eyes.
He grinned down at her. "If anyone upsets you at all, you find out their names and tell them that Blaise Zabini said not to make you upset. Just don't tell Hannah."
"Blaise," Lindsay said in an annoyed tone.
Draco crouched. "Better yet, you tell them I'm your friend, and anything bad happening to you would upset me. A lot. Also... don't tell Hannah."
"Are we ready," Ian asked, offering a hand and giving Draco an annoyed look.
"All right."
Grace allowed herself to be led off, but turned every few steps to look back at Blaise.
"Someone is Daddy's little girl," Lindsay remarked.
Blaise sighed and ignored her comment. The attachment went both ways. He needed to get his mind off of letting Grace go. "Now onto another school where instead of calming the students, I'll be making them sweat. I might actually grow to enjoy this."
They had turned when a screeching was heard. Grace had broken free. She ran back to Blaise and attacked herself to his leg.
"Oh bloody hell," Draco muttered.
The swear jar appeared an looted him.
"I spoke too soon. I should have known this wouldn't be easy." Blaise crouched down and pulled Grace away. "Grace, the sooner you go to school, the sooner you get home. Nothing is going to happen."
There was nothing else he could do to reassure her. If he hadn't already made a commitment to McGonagall, he'd say fuck it and sneak Grace home without Hannah knowing, but that wasn't possible. He was running out of comforting phrases.
"I have an idea," Draco said.
"Oh no," Lindsay muttered.
"Blaise has to go, but I could stay a little while with you, Grace. Would that be all right?"
She had a death grip on Blaise and was crying.
"They let me sit in the classes sometimes. There's a lady named Miss Granger that does so as well, and Mr. Penshaw and Mr. McDonald sometimes. I could do that today. Would that be all right with you? It would be like when Hannah and Blaise took vacation after their wedding."
Grace sniffed. She appeared to be considering. Draco looked up and Blaise.
Thank you Blaise mouthed to Draco. "Remember the wedding vacation? I was gone for two whole weeks. This is just for a few hours. And you'll have so much fun you'll forget that I'm not here. Promise."
"But that time Blaise gave me his family ring."
Draco held up his hand a snapped at Blaise. "Ring."
He glared at Draco. Grace was wearing his damned ring more than he was. "No need to be snippy about it." Blaise pulled the ring off and handed it up to Draco.
Draco conjured a string from his pocket lint and tied the ring around Grace's neck.
"There now. Can we go to class? See what fun Mr. Howard has for us today? Please?"
"All right."
Draco rose and took Grace's hand. He smirked at Blaise. He wouldn't help like this for anyone else. He would have watched and snickered.
"I can't believe I have to go through this four more times," Blaise muttered. Maybe it got easier with each child? Hopefully his own kids wouldn't be so attached, but he knew that was probably bullshit.
Lindsay snickered at him then headed off to her class.
Jack Weasley ran by with Heather MacDougal on his heels. "Hi, Blaise."
"No running," someone called.
"Thank God I'm at Hogwarts and not here," he said before apparating out.
{SUMMARY} Blaise and Draco get the job of seeing Grace off for her first day of school.
He had already brewed and taken a calming potion when he woke up at four in the morning. His nerves were getting to him, and it was irritating. Blaise was going to be able to see Mina, James, and Sarah many times throughout the week and see them interact with people in school. Grace was going to be away from him for hours, and maybe a few days at a time if he was needed to do nightly patrols and stay in Slytherin house. No being able to see her for lunch, no taking extra breaks to spend time at the bakery with her and Hannah.
It was depressing to admit, but he was going to miss her a little bit. As he walked out to the living room to meet Hannah and Grace, he realized she was going to be missing him just as much.
"Now, Grace, we talked about this," Hannah said calmly. "Mr. Bunny has to stay home with Winky. She'll take very good care of him. He'll be waiting for you when you get home this afternoon."
"Yes, Misses Grace. Winky is taking good care of the stuffings rabbit."
Grace caught sight of Blaise and ran towards him with her arms extended, letting out a little sob. Hannah put a hand to her mouth as she felt her own eyes sting. Maybe they shouldn't send Grace to school. Perhaps they should hire a tutor.
Blaise let out a large sigh as he picked her up. Six years old and she was still damn attached like he'd been the one to give birth to her. "Grace, you know that you'll be coming back here. What's worrying you?"
"I don't want to be away from you."
Hannah was going to cry, she just knew it.
"What if the other kids don't like me? I want to stay with you and Hannah. I want to stay with Finn."
"Grace, you were away from me when I was at the clinic. And you became good friends with--" He wracked his brain for Quinn's youngest daughter's name. "--Amy? Evelyn? I can't remember, but you didn't think you'd be liked there, either."
Grace whimpered and held onto him tightly.
"I can take the others to the station for the train if I need to," Kristen offered.
"That won't be necessary," Hannah replied, rising. "I sent for back-up."
She walked over and kissed Grace's forehead then Blaise's cheek.
"Back-up," Kristen asked quizzically.
"Who gets their own private escort to school today," came Draco's singsong voice from the entryway.
Hannah walked out as Mina thundered down the stairs. Sarah followed at a sedate pace, looking very nervous indeed.
"Please say me," Mina said. "Please say me."
"Sorry, love," Draco said. "I'm with B and Gracie today."
"Merlin help us all," Blaise muttered. With Grace still in his arms, he turned to the remaining Stewarts. "I want you to behave on the train to Hogwarts. No hexing just yet."
Oh he was going to enjoy seeing their faces when they realized he was going to be their professor. But this moment was Grace's.
"I'll behave if no one annoys me," Mina replied darkly.
"Come along," Hannah said.
Sarah moved to Blaise and hugged him for a long time. Draco frowned. The girl didn't look well. At least Blaise would be around to look after her.
"I'm not hugging you," James announced.
Blaise just chuckled. "I wouldn't expect you to. Have fun at Hogwarts. See you soon!"
"Yeah, it's called Christmas, weirdo," James snapped sarcastically.
Draco snorted with laughter. Obviously the Stewarts had no idea Blaise would be there this year. When they were all out the door, Draco looked at Grace.
"It won't be so bad. I visit all the time, and the headmistress is named Jane. She's very nice, and Jack's mother Penelope teaches there, and when she's better, Ginny's mum will be there. You'll like her very much."
Grace whimpered.
"Grace, you know that you'll be fine. I'll see if Draco can sneak me in to see you for lunch once. But remember, you'll be coming home to see me and Hannah every day. Now let's get going. I have to give your siblings heart attacks tonight."
"Please don't make me go," Grace whispered. "I'll be good. Don't make me leave."
Draco sighed. As tough as Blaise could be, Draco could see this was bothering him.
"Think of it as a visit. Like when you come to see me and Gin or Mr. Diggory. You'll stay a bit then you get to come back here to Blaise and Hannah and Kristen."
"I am not making you go because I don't like you or you're not good, Grace. I'm not making you go at all, even. If you don't like it after a week, I will let you stay home until next year, but I really do think you'll like it. I just want you to grow up like a proper little girl should," Blaise whispered. He really didn't want to let Grace stay home, because she would be behind, but he knew she was different than the other children.
Draco was staring. He couldn't help it. This was a man who didn't want children? Who in the hell was Blaise kidding? He happened to be doing pretty well just now.
"Come on, Gracie," Draco said. "That sounds like a good deal to me. Just try it. If you don't like it, Blaise will let you stay home."
"All right," she said, sniffling.
"Excellent. And we're off. I promise, Grace, you'll love it." Blaise quickly motioned them on.
Draco apparated in behind Grace and Blaise, strolling into the school confidently. He called hello to several people. It was all bustle this morning.
"Who does she have first," Draco asked Blaise.
"There you both are," Lindsay said in her best teacher's voice. "You must be Grace. Mr. Howard is looking for you."
"Her first class is with the ogre?"
Grace whimpered and hugged Blaise with a death grip.
"I'm not really an ogre, Grace," Ian said from behind them. "Miss Fulkerson, here, is friends with Draco. She told me I'm supposed to take good care of you. The other students are waiting. You want to join us?"
Not an ogre, my arse. Blaise cleared his throat. "See? They already know that you're friends with Draco. Nothing bad is going to happen, and Hannah will come to pick you up as soon as school is over."
"You trust me yeah, Gracie?" Draco said with a smile.
"Yes."
"Then let Blaise put you down, and you go with Professor Ogre."
Lindsay elbowed Draco.
Grace sighed. "Okay."
Blaise set her on her feet. She looked up at him with fearful eyes.
He grinned down at her. "If anyone upsets you at all, you find out their names and tell them that Blaise Zabini said not to make you upset. Just don't tell Hannah."
"Blaise," Lindsay said in an annoyed tone.
Draco crouched. "Better yet, you tell them I'm your friend, and anything bad happening to you would upset me. A lot. Also... don't tell Hannah."
"Are we ready," Ian asked, offering a hand and giving Draco an annoyed look.
"All right."
Grace allowed herself to be led off, but turned every few steps to look back at Blaise.
"Someone is Daddy's little girl," Lindsay remarked.
Blaise sighed and ignored her comment. The attachment went both ways. He needed to get his mind off of letting Grace go. "Now onto another school where instead of calming the students, I'll be making them sweat. I might actually grow to enjoy this."
They had turned when a screeching was heard. Grace had broken free. She ran back to Blaise and attacked herself to his leg.
"Oh bloody hell," Draco muttered.
The swear jar appeared an looted him.
"I spoke too soon. I should have known this wouldn't be easy." Blaise crouched down and pulled Grace away. "Grace, the sooner you go to school, the sooner you get home. Nothing is going to happen."
There was nothing else he could do to reassure her. If he hadn't already made a commitment to McGonagall, he'd say fuck it and sneak Grace home without Hannah knowing, but that wasn't possible. He was running out of comforting phrases.
"I have an idea," Draco said.
"Oh no," Lindsay muttered.
"Blaise has to go, but I could stay a little while with you, Grace. Would that be all right?"
She had a death grip on Blaise and was crying.
"They let me sit in the classes sometimes. There's a lady named Miss Granger that does so as well, and Mr. Penshaw and Mr. McDonald sometimes. I could do that today. Would that be all right with you? It would be like when Hannah and Blaise took vacation after their wedding."
Grace sniffed. She appeared to be considering. Draco looked up and Blaise.
Thank you Blaise mouthed to Draco. "Remember the wedding vacation? I was gone for two whole weeks. This is just for a few hours. And you'll have so much fun you'll forget that I'm not here. Promise."
"But that time Blaise gave me his family ring."
Draco held up his hand a snapped at Blaise. "Ring."
He glared at Draco. Grace was wearing his damned ring more than he was. "No need to be snippy about it." Blaise pulled the ring off and handed it up to Draco.
Draco conjured a string from his pocket lint and tied the ring around Grace's neck.
"There now. Can we go to class? See what fun Mr. Howard has for us today? Please?"
"All right."
Draco rose and took Grace's hand. He smirked at Blaise. He wouldn't help like this for anyone else. He would have watched and snickered.
"I can't believe I have to go through this four more times," Blaise muttered. Maybe it got easier with each child? Hopefully his own kids wouldn't be so attached, but he knew that was probably bullshit.
Lindsay snickered at him then headed off to her class.
Jack Weasley ran by with Heather MacDougal on his heels. "Hi, Blaise."
"No running," someone called.
"Thank God I'm at Hogwarts and not here," he said before apparating out.
{SUMMARY} Blaise and Draco get the job of seeing Grace off for her first day of school.