treat for inspired_ideas
Title: Then Afterwards
Author: yesterday4, for inspired_ideas
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Summary: Hermione and Draco through the eyes of their daughter, as requested. :) Hope you like it!
Rating: G
Then Afterwards
It's not a memory, but really, but it hovers on the edges of her mind like something softer, something sweeter. It takes the shape of warm arms and a deep male voice, wrapping around her like a security blanket. In her mind, she knows him by instinct, by the feel of his hands as he lifts her from the crib and the smell of his soap, clinging to his skin, as he holds her tight. She knows he'll come if she cries. When he doesn't, the woman does, and she knows her in the same way. She knows her parents by smell and by feel, and that is enough.
**
She can say a handful of words, the two most used being Mummy and Daddy, although kitty and eat run a close second. Now, Mummy squats in front of her, soft hands folded around her smaller ones, and urges her forward, just one step, just like that. Mummy's smile beams with pride when she manages a wobbly one, and Mummy leaves a lipstick kiss on her cheek after exclaiming for Daddy to come and see right now, come and see how smart our girl is.
**
Daddy reads to her every night before bed. Mummy reads to her in the mornings. Her life is a clutter of books and stories, of fantastical lands and magical creatures. She likes to snuggle into Daddy's chest because his stories are scarier than Mummy's, although he always does the voices and Mummy doesn't. Sometimes, Daddy puts her name in the stories; sometimes, he makes them up. She's always the heroine, but she knows it doesn't mean she has to have an I'm-better-than-everyone-and-tragically-wounded-by-guilt-and-indecision-like-some-people complex.
**
Grandmother and Grandfather Malfoy scare her. They are distant and cold, and don't play like Grandma and Grandpa Granger. They also don't talk much to Mummy, which means Mummy feels the same way she does when they all get together. Daddy makes her wear her prettiest dresses when they come to visit, and she sits straight and still like a princess at the table so that Grandmother Malfoy doesn't watch her with that pinched look on her face, like Grandfather Malfoy watches Mummy.
When she has to leave to use the bathroom, Mummy follows her and catches her in the corridor. Mummy tickles her and showers her with kisses. When she's watching, Mummy makes a big slow of slouching, and they slouch together hand in hand all the way to the loo, partners in crime.
**
Daddy knows the best spells. She doesn't have a wand yet, but he makes her a list and they memorize it. When she gets a wand, he says, it's important to know how to turn people purple--especially if Mummy never finds out.
**
The word Mudblood is bad, but she doesn't know it until she says it and Daddy's face turns white. He takes her by the hand and tells her Big Girl Things, about when Daddy was little. She cries, but he doesn't stop talking. He won't even let her cover her ears. She sees Mummy around the corner when he lets her go, and, when she sees that Mummy's cheeks are damp, she knows Mummy heard everything. The door closes behind Mummy--go play, she says when she walks by--and neither she nor Daddy come out for a long time.
**
Mummy and Daddy fight more than any other Mummy and Daddy she knows. Bicker, says Mummy, shooting annoyed glances at Daddy. Daddy has his most scary look on his face, but Mummy doesn't even flinch. Then, Daddy's look softens, and when he walks to Mummy, he pinches her bum and kisses her cheek. Mummy giggles and swats at him, and Daddy says they should go and clean their bedroom, although she knows Mummy and Daddy cleaned their bedroom yesterday, and Daddy is very strict about never being messy.
Rolling her eyes, she leaves the room and finds their house elf, who is her best friend outside of Uncle Harry's children. Mummy and Daddy clean too much, and she is never going to be like that. Not ever.
**
Her hair is impossible, and she means to set it right before her first day at Hogwarts. Staring at the mirror, she takes it in in all of its blonde frizzy wonder and wishes she had hair like Dad's. It isn't fair because Dad is a bloke, and she's well and truly frustrated when he comes in her room. Like a golden halo, he says, and, when he musses it in passing, it doesn't help at all.
**
Mum buys her loads of books and her very own cat to take with her to school. They name it Jane, because that is Mum's middle name, and her middle name also. It's a good sensible name, and she thinks her cat likes it.
It's good to study, Mum says. Before getting on the train, she means to have finished all of Hogwarts: A History. She can already swish and flick.
**
They both take her to the station, Mum and Dad. Dad shakes her hand like a grown-up before squishing her into a hug. His hand is half-way to her hair when she cringes away, and Mum laughs, so Dad messes up hers instead. Don't make me make you clean the bedroom, threatens Mum, and Dad makes her hair worse because Dad flies in the face of punishment. And then Mum is kissing her, Dad forgotten, and Mum's eyes are wet; she has to look away before she cries like a big baby too. I will write you, says Mum. Not if I do first, says Dad.
She waves at them from the window of the train and the last thing she sees before leaving the station is Dad reaching for Mum's hand. She stares as long as she can at the two of them, at her parents, before turning with a wicked grin to see her best friend. It's time to see if she really can turn people purple. Dad will be so proud if she can.
The End
Author: yesterday4, for inspired_ideas
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Summary: Hermione and Draco through the eyes of their daughter, as requested. :) Hope you like it!
Rating: G
Then Afterwards
It's not a memory, but really, but it hovers on the edges of her mind like something softer, something sweeter. It takes the shape of warm arms and a deep male voice, wrapping around her like a security blanket. In her mind, she knows him by instinct, by the feel of his hands as he lifts her from the crib and the smell of his soap, clinging to his skin, as he holds her tight. She knows he'll come if she cries. When he doesn't, the woman does, and she knows her in the same way. She knows her parents by smell and by feel, and that is enough.
**
She can say a handful of words, the two most used being Mummy and Daddy, although kitty and eat run a close second. Now, Mummy squats in front of her, soft hands folded around her smaller ones, and urges her forward, just one step, just like that. Mummy's smile beams with pride when she manages a wobbly one, and Mummy leaves a lipstick kiss on her cheek after exclaiming for Daddy to come and see right now, come and see how smart our girl is.
**
Daddy reads to her every night before bed. Mummy reads to her in the mornings. Her life is a clutter of books and stories, of fantastical lands and magical creatures. She likes to snuggle into Daddy's chest because his stories are scarier than Mummy's, although he always does the voices and Mummy doesn't. Sometimes, Daddy puts her name in the stories; sometimes, he makes them up. She's always the heroine, but she knows it doesn't mean she has to have an I'm-better-than-everyone-and-tragically-wounded-by-guilt-and-indecision-like-some-people complex.
**
Grandmother and Grandfather Malfoy scare her. They are distant and cold, and don't play like Grandma and Grandpa Granger. They also don't talk much to Mummy, which means Mummy feels the same way she does when they all get together. Daddy makes her wear her prettiest dresses when they come to visit, and she sits straight and still like a princess at the table so that Grandmother Malfoy doesn't watch her with that pinched look on her face, like Grandfather Malfoy watches Mummy.
When she has to leave to use the bathroom, Mummy follows her and catches her in the corridor. Mummy tickles her and showers her with kisses. When she's watching, Mummy makes a big slow of slouching, and they slouch together hand in hand all the way to the loo, partners in crime.
**
Daddy knows the best spells. She doesn't have a wand yet, but he makes her a list and they memorize it. When she gets a wand, he says, it's important to know how to turn people purple--especially if Mummy never finds out.
**
The word Mudblood is bad, but she doesn't know it until she says it and Daddy's face turns white. He takes her by the hand and tells her Big Girl Things, about when Daddy was little. She cries, but he doesn't stop talking. He won't even let her cover her ears. She sees Mummy around the corner when he lets her go, and, when she sees that Mummy's cheeks are damp, she knows Mummy heard everything. The door closes behind Mummy--go play, she says when she walks by--and neither she nor Daddy come out for a long time.
**
Mummy and Daddy fight more than any other Mummy and Daddy she knows. Bicker, says Mummy, shooting annoyed glances at Daddy. Daddy has his most scary look on his face, but Mummy doesn't even flinch. Then, Daddy's look softens, and when he walks to Mummy, he pinches her bum and kisses her cheek. Mummy giggles and swats at him, and Daddy says they should go and clean their bedroom, although she knows Mummy and Daddy cleaned their bedroom yesterday, and Daddy is very strict about never being messy.
Rolling her eyes, she leaves the room and finds their house elf, who is her best friend outside of Uncle Harry's children. Mummy and Daddy clean too much, and she is never going to be like that. Not ever.
**
Her hair is impossible, and she means to set it right before her first day at Hogwarts. Staring at the mirror, she takes it in in all of its blonde frizzy wonder and wishes she had hair like Dad's. It isn't fair because Dad is a bloke, and she's well and truly frustrated when he comes in her room. Like a golden halo, he says, and, when he musses it in passing, it doesn't help at all.
**
Mum buys her loads of books and her very own cat to take with her to school. They name it Jane, because that is Mum's middle name, and her middle name also. It's a good sensible name, and she thinks her cat likes it.
It's good to study, Mum says. Before getting on the train, she means to have finished all of Hogwarts: A History. She can already swish and flick.
**
They both take her to the station, Mum and Dad. Dad shakes her hand like a grown-up before squishing her into a hug. His hand is half-way to her hair when she cringes away, and Mum laughs, so Dad messes up hers instead. Don't make me make you clean the bedroom, threatens Mum, and Dad makes her hair worse because Dad flies in the face of punishment. And then Mum is kissing her, Dad forgotten, and Mum's eyes are wet; she has to look away before she cries like a big baby too. I will write you, says Mum. Not if I do first, says Dad.
She waves at them from the window of the train and the last thing she sees before leaving the station is Dad reaching for Mum's hand. She stares as long as she can at the two of them, at her parents, before turning with a wicked grin to see her best friend. It's time to see if she really can turn people purple. Dad will be so proud if she can.
The End