Three Wizards and a Baby

XXV

"She's been there for a long time..." Draco peered at his watch before going back to the book he was reading.

"What are you? Her father? Is she not allowed to have friends?" Theodore scoffed from where him and Pansy were yet again looking at paint colors to continue renovating the manor.

"Yeah? That a kink, Malfoy? Does Granger call you daddy in the bedroom?" Blaise laughed, sipping from his glass of fire whisky.

"Remind me why I stay friends with the two of you?" Draco glared at them, only receiving two cheeky grins in reply.

"Don't fuss Draco, I'm sure she's just having fun," Pansy assured him, reaching over and patting his knee. "The important question is when Charlie's going to show off Theodore and do I get to watch the whole Weasley clan size Nott up."

"You bite your tongue off and swallow it," Theodore commented, eyes narrowing at her. "I am in no rush to be harassed by Weasleys."

"Yes, I hear wedding bells already," Blaise joked. "Bet you'll get married before Malfoy and Granger over there."

Draco started to cough, his firewhisky going down the wrong way at Blaise's comment. He set his glass down on the table, clearing his throat and hitting his chest with his fist in hopes his airways would clear faster so he could respond with some kind of snark to his best friend.

Luckily for Blaise, once Draco was able to breathe again, the whooshing sound of the floo came floating through and Draco immediately became fixated on greeting Hermione and Lyra. He had barely stood up from his chair when Hermione stormed into the room, face red with anger and tears in her eyes.

The four took one look at her, but Draco already knew what must have upset Hermione.

"Oh... we're going Weasel hunting today," Pansy commented, a malicious tone to her voice.

"Hermione, love," Draco began, biting his tongue so as not to provoke her anymore than she already was.

"How could he EVER possibly... UGH!" Hermione shouted, throwing her hands up in anger. Any of the slytherins in the room would have laughed at how similar she looked to her daughter when Lyra threw a temper tantrum, but they knew better at the moment.

"What happened?" Theo stated.

"He just refused to acknowledge her presence! REFUSED TO EVEN LOOK AT HER!" Hermine shouted, her hair sparking at the ends and her angry eyes filling with tears again. "My daughter is adorable ok?! You don't just not look at her!"

"That bastard!" Theo shouted.

"Where's Lyra, Hermione?" Blaise asked.

"Fleur said she was sleeping," she said, wiping her eyes. "After all of the trouble we have had with naptime and her recently, I'm NOT waking her up from a nap. I'm supposed to cool down and then go back and get her."

"Here," Draco spoke gently, taking her hands in his. "Why don't you have a seat and tell us what happened, from the beginning."

"Oh so now you want to be part of this family?" Ron snapped out viciously.

"Ronald Billius Weasley!" Molly gasped as she looked at her son. "Do not speak to her that way!"

"What the bloody hell is she doing here?" Ron glared at his mother. Charlie shifted Lyra in his arms, who was currently looking at Ron curiously. She had only ever been exposed to Ron once in her life and she was so young when it had happened that she wouldn't remember it. That particular evening she had fled the house at his behavior. Ginny, seeing that Lyra was looking and listening to Ron, quickly cast a silencing charm around the young girl.