Scorpius Malfoy: A new beginning

A new beginning

 The baby faked them all out. It is eight hours later that it makes its first appearance. He did not come out screaming. The doctor and the others fell strangely silent at the moment of the birth. Indeed, it was almost as if time stood still for a moment.

The delivering physician held the baby but a few seconds later, a tension seems to build. Nurses rushed about, but Draco and Astoria stared at the baby. Draco stared so hard, his peripheral vision seemed to go purple. But he could not blink. The baby was not breathing.

 More seconds. Less panic for the staff. Despair took its place as the physician held the limp little body.

More numbness for Draco. His lungs pained and he almost choked before remembering he had to breathe. But someone else was choking. He turned to see that it was Astoria. It was actually sobs that seemed to pain her throat on their way out.

It took Draco some concentration to remember how to speak again. "All's well," were the only words that came out of his mouth. But he then heard a gasp. He turned to see what the matter was and saw the staff staring at him. The nurse who had given him the mask and gown asked him to say that again.

Draco, confused and teary eyed repeated the phrase. And the baby kicked its left foot. A jerky movement, but otherwise stayed limp, before finally opening an eye.

The next few seconds were a blur. There was the joy, Draco remembered that though. The baby was whisked away and was as soon brought back tidier. The child was a handsome male of seven pounds 4 ounces, with more hair than most babies and large blue eyes that Draco assumed would fade to grey over the next few months.

Draco hesitated before holding the baby, terrified that he would hurt him. But he cradled his arms automatically. His heart was pounding and could barely breathe again as the tears rolled down his cheek freely. He did not care to wipe them away.

But he did hold the baby correctly and whispered in his ear, 'All's well" over and over. The baby smiled at him when he said that. It was practically the first thing the baby heard since it did not come out screaming. Already, Draco was in love with him. He handed him to Astoria who though seeming exhausted seemed blissful.

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 Malfoy Estate - Day of Joining Hogwarts for the first time

 "I knew I'd find you here." Blaise Greene said as he strolled along the lush grass to where Scorpius stood over a large wooden box. "We're boarding Hogwarts Express in an hour and look at you! You look like a bum."

"Always a pleasure to see you too, cousin." Scorpius said, barely looking back at him. His voice was usually calm, soft and confident, except when he was annoyed. And he was now, but only a little. He had hoped to spend a few minutes alone, without sarcastic Blaise.

They stood in the backyard of the Malfoy Manor. Five acres of pine, spruce, maple, and oak trees lined the way to the three storey colonial which spread across three acres. Porches wrapped around each story and a widow's walk topped it off like a wedding cake. Instead of a bride and groom, an expensive telescope and lounge chairs filled the roof top deck where Scorpius liked to spend the night studying the constellations.

 No fence separated the estate from the forest on the west of the manor, but Scorpius knew of the defense spells that went up at night, although the creatures that dwelt there were inoffensive.