The Request by redhead414

Chapter 12

Astoria turned in for the evening before the children, exhausted once again by the day's events. Draco went with her, quietly making sure potions were taken and assisted her with her other nighttime rituals. As he tucked her into bed, propping her up a bit with some pillows, he felt her frail hand reach for his with a tight grip.

"Make sure the children participate in cotillion," Astoria said suddenly. "All three of them. And make sure the girls have proper coming out parties. Just because the world doesn't differentiate by blood status doesn't mean they should be denied a proper entrance into society."

Draco nodded, sitting down on the edge of her bed as her hand clung to his. "You know Anya will fight this process."

"Tell her it's my dying wish. She'll eventually give in."

"Guilt. Interesting way to go about it."

"Draco…"

"Cotillion. Coming out parties for the girls," he promptly repeated. "I promise I will make it happen."

Astoria nodded. "And let Hermione plan the parties. Merlin knows you'd do an atrocious job at it."

"Of course," Draco replied with a half smirk. "Any other requests this evening, Tori?"

Astoria inhaled sharply, blinking her eyes to will the tears pooling away as she squeezed his hand. "You need it in writing that if something were to ever happen to you -"

"Tori -"

"If something were to ever happen to you," Astoria repeated, her voice teary. "That Hermione becomes their legal guardian. They cannot go to my parents…or my sister. I just…"

Nodding, Draco clapped his other hand around hers. "I'll make sure they're always taken care of, Tori. You know I will."

"I know," Astoria replied with a heavy sigh, her eyes exhausted as red tinged the creases of her eyelids. "Draco?"

"Yes?"

She stifled a yawn with her free hand as her back sank into the cushion of the pillows behind her. "Make sure you fall in love with someone who loves you back…the way you're supposed to be loved."

Draco laughed, leaning into kiss her cheek as her hand freed his. "I think I'm going to have enough on my plate…falling in love with someone isn't even remotely close to being on my radar."

"And don't close yourself off, either," Astoria stated, returning the chaste kiss on the cheek. "You deserve to be happy."

"Get some sleep," Draco whispered. "I'll see you in the morning." As Draco walked towards the door, he began to pull it shut before he heard his wife call out his name one more time, her voice light and sleepy. Peeking his head in a final time, he looked at his wife with a raised brow. "Yes?"

Astoria yawned once more. "You realize I'm talking about -"

"Go to sleep, Astoria," Draco said quietly, cutting his wife off mid thought. "I'll see you in the morning."

Shutting the door behind him, Draco dragged a hand over his face. He shook his head as he meandered down the halls. Sighing as he rounded a corner, he popped his head into his son's room, peering through the room lit with a dim nightlight to see that he was sucking away on his thumb as he slept. It was hard for him to believe sometimes at how big he was getting. He remembered like it was yesterday when he was born - how tiny his feet were, his little hands and how they kept a death grip on his finger when he cradled him close to his chest.

Leaning against the doorframe, he closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the moment his wife handed him his son, swaddled in blue as he perched himself at the side of her bed.