I Am

Just for referense, and kinda because it drives me nuts...the baby\'s name is ANTONY. A.N.T.O.N.Y People all the time mistake it for Anthony or Antonio, and it drives me nuts...dunno why. But oh well.I\'ll live.



Anyways, here\'s the third chapter.



ja\'ne- ami



((-))



Chapter 3: Back To School



Blaise, Pansy, and Draco sat lounging on one of the couches in Draco’s bedroom. They had been there at Malfoy Manor for the past 2 weeks. Ever since Draco had called them both and told them his news.



“I think it would be in the best interest of the house that they know about Antony.” Blaise remarked taking a sip of the wine Draco had provided.



“I agree with Blaise, Drae. I mean, yes Daniella can help you, but it is always nice to have extra hands.” Pansy replied stretching her long legs out over Blaise’s lap.



Draco sat pensive staring over to where his son laid on a blanket playing with the many toys Pansy had bestowed on him. His spun his own wine glass between his fingers before finally finishing it off. He poured a small amount into the glass and resumed the spinning.



“I think you’re right.” He said sounding a million miles away.



“And I presume you’ve already spoken to Dumbledore about all this. And Snape as well?” Blaise said, slightly louder. Draco snapped his attention back to his friends.



“Oh, yes. Dumbledore knows and he’s already approved it. I’ll get my own quarters, but they’ll still be in the Slytherin house. And yes Snape knows as well. He was the first person Mother told.” Draco replied. He resisted the temptation to light a cigarette. Yes magic was a wonderful thing, but he wasn’t sure he could create a strong enough barrier to keep Antony free of the smoke. Maybe he should just quit. Daniella of course was always in the room and he motioned to her letting her know he was going to step outside. He rose and Pansy and Blaise followed.



They stepped out onto the balcony. They went over to the railing and each leaned against it relishing in the warm summers wind on their faces. Then and only then did Draco pull out a cigarette and light it. Pansy pulled out a long stem and placed a cigarette in its tip. Blaise and Draco, ever the gentlemen, offered their lighters to her. She chose to light hers off of Blaise’s lighter and both the boys lighters snapped shut with a clink.



They were silent for a moment, each enjoying their own smoke.



“How do you do it mate?” Blaise asked as he exhaled, a thin stream of smoke exiting as he did. “I mean I wake up at 3 in the morning and he’s screaming then two seconds later you’ve got a bottle shoved in is mouth. How do you do it and stay alive?”



Draco laughed. “Lots of patience and a friend who doesn’t mind helping out. I mean without Daniella, I’d probably die.” He took a drag off his cigarette and exhaled the smoke. “Why do you think she’s coming with me?”



“Ah, so the real reason reveals itself!” Pansy joked and they all laughed.



Blaise checked his watch. “We’d better be getting on to bed. It’s near midnight and we’ve got to get an early start in the morning.”



Simultaneously the three extinguished their cigarettes and went back inside. With goodnights all around Blaise and Pansy left Draco to his devices. Draco got himself ready for bed.



“If you want I’ll stay up and get him to bed. You should take some sleeping potion. You haven’t been getting much sleep lately what with Antony and all. And I get plenty of sleep. I’ll get him off to bed and then feed him when he wakes up.” Daniella said waving her own wand in front of her. She was instantly wearing a long sleeveless nightgown and the same fluffy pink robe she wore the night Antony came. Draco looked at her.



“You have to go too tomorrow. We can take turns. I don’t want to put this burden on you.” Draco said as he tied the strings of his pajama bottoms.



“Nonsense!” Daniella said picking up Antony and laying him against her chest. “I don’t have to leave until well around noon. You, on the other hand, have to be gone from here by 8. You need what little sleep you can get. Now, off to bed with you.” With her free hand she waved him over to the bed.



“Well, just wake me up early so that I can pack. You’re a life saver. I don’t know how I’d do this without you.” Draco replied with a sigh. Daniella had always been like a sister to him. His words were truth. He was dealing with being a father, but there were times when he just didn’t know what he would do without Daniella’s help. He walked over to where she stood and wrapped her in a hug. She was the only person he had ever been able to openly show affection to. Especially when his father was alive. Draco had slowly begun to open up after his father’s death, but still Daniella was the only person who knew him best.



“Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Daniella.” He kissed the top of her head and then bent and kissed Antony’s mop of silver hair. Truthfully he didn’t actually know if he needed the sleeping potion he was so tired. But the potion would ensure a dreamless deep sleep. He unwrapped his arms and went to the bathroom grabbing a vial.



Once again he waited until he was in bed before downing it. It took even less time than normal for the effect to take hold. He was asleep within seconds.



((-))



The next thing he knew he was being shaken awake. “Oh c’mon Draco. I’ve let you sleep in long enough!”



Draco grumbled and rolled over. He cracked an eye. His eyes went first to Daniella who stood over him with her hair in a beautiful coif and a robe of purple silk, with Antony cradled against her chest, wide eyed and smiling. Then they roamed to the clock. It was 7:30 in the morning, thirty minutes before he had to leave. He shot up only to hear Daniella laugh.



He looked around wildly finally landing on her. “What? What’s so funny?! I won’t even have time to pack!”



She laughed even harder. “Take a look in the corner.”



He did as he was told. All of his things were already packed, and there was a smaller pile next to his. On the silver clasps were the initials AM. Antony’s pile. It hit him. During the time he had been asleep Daniella had not only packed Antony’s things, but his as well. He slumped back onto the bed.



“You take much better care of me than I deserve.” he mumbled. He got up and ruffled Antony’s hair before running off to the bathroom.



Daniella sat on the couch and cradled Antony. She looked down at him. “Your father is one crazy man. But I am sure you know that.” She smiled down at him and the baby gurgled.



She never dreamed of the day when Draco would be a father. She was 7 years his senior and he had been like a brother to her. She had worked in the Malfoy household since she was 10, as had her mother and father and grandparents before her. At first she had been assigned to Lady Malfoy, but when she had become old enough she was put under Draco’s service. At first he had treated her as his father had, as though she were some lowly peasant not worthy of his presence. He had been 8 at the time. She had laughed at first and told him that he had better grow to respect a woman or else he would never get one. He had made a face and told her he didn’t want a woman, he was fine on his own and to butt out of his business.



And she had until one day. She had been in the garden picking roses for the lady of the house when he had come flying past her. He had nearly knocked her over and she cut her hands on the rose thorns. When she turned around to scold him he was not there. She had followed the path the garden took and found him by the coy pond. She still remembered that fateful day.



She crept around the corner keeping herself hidden behind a rather large holly bush. She could hear him crying. At first she wondered what it was and then she recognized the tell tale sound of a shaky breath and a tiny whine that escaped. She forced the stinging in her hands to the back of her brain. She gathered her courage and went over to where he sat huddled next to the pond. For a moment he didn’t even know she was there, or at least she thought he didn’t.



“Go away!!” he mumbled.



She of course stayed where she was.



“GO AWAY!” he screamed.



She couldn’t help it. What had that horrible man one to him? She flung her arms around him and cried. She had never been hit or slapped by her father, in fact he had never raised a hand against her.



Draco stiffened against her. “What are you doing?! Get off!” he said rather loudly.



She pulled back and turned his face up to her. His lip was busted wide open and there was blood oozing down his chin. There was a nasty cut to one of his eyebrows. And the other eyes was already turning black and blue. His mercury eyes were watery with tears and he was looking at her with something akin to curiosity.



“What do you want?” he whispered.



She ripped the apron she was wearing and began to dab at his cuts. “I want, young Master Malfoy, to take care of you. Since obviously your father does not, and your mother lives in fear to. And I…I am a simply maid in what will one day be your house. Therefore it is my duty to take care of you.” She looked him square in the eyes. “And it is my hope that you will allow me to.”



And it was in that instant that his budding Malfoy pride failed him. He burst back into tears and flung his small arms around her.



And ever since then they had been friends. She had looked after him and taken care of him. Of course he had developed that infamous Malfoy pride, and they had had problems when he had hit puberty, but they had pulled through. It had been her idea that he be a pompous ass when he wasn’t around her. And so, in the public eye he was Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, Heir to the Malfoy fortune. But, in private when it was just the two of them he was simply Draco. He would talk to her about everything and anything. And in return she told him all he wanted to know. They had been friends since.



The bathroom door opened and Draco ran out going to his wardrobe. He flung open the doors and stared. His favorite robes were hanging neatly pressed for him and there was a hip sack containing his school robes. And his absolute favorite pair of dragon hide boots sat next to the hips sack, complete with socks. He spun around and grinned at Daniella.



“You are possibly the best mate a guy could have!”



For an instant Daniella saw the 9 year old boy who had relished over the fact that she had gotten him a present at Christmas, and it had been exactly the one he’d wanted.



“Well,” she commented from the couch. “What kind of person, much less maid, would I be if I didn’t take care of my charge?” She quirked an eyebrow at him and grinned.



He smirked. “I’d have you fired.” His voice mimicked his fathers tone.



Both of them shivered. He had sounded way too much like his late father when he said it that way.



“Okay, ix that!” he said, his voice returning to normal.



“Draco, you wasted 15 minutes in the shower, and you still have to get dressed and off to the train.” Daniella reminded him.



Draco nodded, his long silver hair swinging as he did. He grabbed the robes and ran back off to the bathroom. He emerged less than five minutes later looking as pristine as usual. His hair was dry and now hung just past his shoulders. It was absolutely straight, his fathers hair, not his mothers. His silver eyes shone brilliantly in the early morning light. His robes were pressed and flawless and he looked every inch the Lord Malfoy he now was. His face was set in the ever present smirk he always wore in public.



“Well, how do I look?” he asked in a mock debonair voice.



Daniella stood and laughed at him. He smiled a true smile and walked over to him gently picking Antony out of her arms. The baby looked up at him and smiled making indecipherable noises.



“Now Antony, you’re going to be good for your Aunt Daniella. I want you to go down for your nap on time. And I want you to be a good boy and not throw up on those nice robes she’s wearing.” He said it in a mock stern voice and made funny faces as he did. Antony’s toy like giggle floated through the room. It drew Blaise and Pansy from their rooms, dressed in similarity to him. It was custom for the “royalty” of Slytherin house to wear their house colors. Draco’s colors were black and green and silver, much like the colors of their school house. Blaise’s colors were black and burgundy. Pansy’s were silver and a pale green. They all looked stunning.



“Come on mate we’d best be going. You’ll see him again in a few hours.” Blaise stated with a smile. Draco smirked at him.



“Be good you little bugger.” He whispered and kissed the baby’s forehead. He handed him back to Daniella.



“I know you’ll take care of him so I won’t even bother. But do remember that that is my son.” Draco said quietly, but with a smile.



“Hmm…that thwarts the plans to take him to the shark pool.” Daniella replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.



They smiled at each other and Draco strode over to Blaise and Pansy. They exited in a flurry of their expensive robes.



They apparated to the train station and arrived just as children were murmuring their last goodbye’s. They stalked through them easily parting the crowds. They got onto the train and trekked to the front where the Head Girl/Boy compartment was located. They entered and found it empty. Good, Granger hadn’t made it yet.



He wasn’t aware of who the head girl would be, but he knew it had to be Granger. She was the smartest witch in their class, albeit she was a total snob and a know-it-all. She hoped she wouldn’t bring Pot-head and Weasel with her. But he had a feeling she wood. Oh well. He knew for a fact that they didn’t speak French so he and Pansy and Blaise could speak privately when needed.



It was only five minutes before his suspicions were confirmed. Granger, Pot-head, and Weasel entered and stared at the three Slytherins. Draco rolled his eyes and knew Pansy and Blaise did the same.



“I wish they’d just quit gawking and sit down.” Pansy murmured in French. Draco and Blaise both laughed and the threesome looked at them with quirked eyebrows.



There was minimal if any contact between the six of them, each sticking to their own friends. And it stayed that way for the duration of the journey.



Draco just wanted to get there and get the feast over with so that he could be with his son.