"Mother, Father, please come sit down and join me for tea. Harry will be down soon."
Narcissa Malfoy smiled tightly and stepped graciously to the settee Draco and Maia had vacated not ten minutes before. Draco had taken the baby with him as he went up and dressed for his guests. Harry had already moved on to another part of the house, most likely trying to avoid the arranged visit.
"How long must we wait to hold our grandchild?" Lucius asked as he moved to the fireplace. "I am growing weary of this, Draco. My first glimpse of her face was a fuzzy photo in the Daily Prophet. I do not believe I shall forgive your insistence that I not see the child before the ceremony. Due to the boy's fragility, of course," Lucius said with a sneer.
"Father. It was not his fragility but his heightened instincts. But never mind that," Draco said and reached down into the cradle, lifting his daughter out of it. "Maia is here and waiting to meet you."
As etiquette dictated, Draco brought the baby to his mother and placed her in the waiting arms. Lucius moved closer and peered over his wife's shoulder. The baby, at that moment, decided to get a good look at her grandparents.
"That bastard," Draco heard his father breathe. Draco wasn't sure whom his father was calling a bastard. Snape or Harry.
"Father, let me explain. Maia's eyes are nothing more than nature."
"Yes," Lucius interrupted. "The nature of a faithless spouse!" he spit out.
"Oh, are we talking about you, Lucius?"
Draco grimaced and turned to see his husband walking into the room. Lucius immediately went on the attack.
"I always knew you were gutter trash. Your muggle-born mother saw to that and your muggle upraising has clearly made you inferior to my son. I should never have agreed to this marriage."
"Father--"
"You had nothing to do with it!" Harry snapped, stalking closer to the older Malfoy, eyes glaring. "Draco and I would have gotten married whether or not you wanted it to happen. It's time you got over yourself, Lucius."
"Harry!"
Lucius's eyes narrowed and his cane was held in a tight fist as he came nearly toe-to-toe with Harry. Draco moved closer to the two of them while his mother looked on with a blank face. "Really? Do not think I can't have this marriage annulled and this bastard-child stricken from the Malfoy records, regardless of your stalling tactics," he seethed. Within the split-second after the words were hissed out, Harry was attacking. Draco had had a moment's warning when the sub's intent was broadcasted by his aggressive scent. Draco was able to grab Harry before he reached Lucius. But only just. Lucius, not being a fool, stepped back and pulled his wand.
"Stop," Draco ordered. He held tight to Harry's arms while the smaller man struggled. "Father, Snape and I had a nutrient that Harry and the baby needed during the pregnancy. It was in a fluid form that passed between us with skin to skin contact." He continued to explain as calmly as he could with his husband struggling to attack Lucius and Lucius holding a wand on the both of them. "That is why the baby has dark eyes," he finished.
"It's true, dear," Narcissa said from the settee as if a violent struggle was not occurring over the tea set. "The child has the Malfoy chin and brow. Quite regal and elegant and much too refined for the likes of Snape, or the Potters, for that matter."
Lucius looked down and studied the baby, watching as his wife pointed out the features. With a quick glance between the baby and Draco, he slowly lowered his wand.
"Very well. All is explained and forgiven," he said arrogantly. He set the cane tip against his boot and settled his shoulders. "There was no need to resort to such unseemly behaviour. But then, what can one expect from the boy you married, hmm, Draco?"
