Someday ⚡ Draco Malfoy [4/4]

1

Colton Tate staggered back towards the living room with two glasses of wine, turning his head towards the back door at the sound of fireworks outside. But Emma Baranov paid no mind, only gripped the letter in her hands as her blue eyes scanned it. The mail had been piling up atop the fireplace for the last ten days, and it irked Emma that Colton wouldn't check them. She was way too busy with other things. 

Colton moved to read the letter over Emma's shoulder.

Emma and Colton,

Please join us to celebrate our wedding

DAPHNE & ELLIOT 

On the 18th of January, 2006. 

Ceremony and reception: 4pm. The Kinsey garden, Wiltshire.

So, Daphne had gone after her Muggle boy after all. Emma smiled at this, examining the floral designs and hearts outlining the invitation. A giant bubble heart popped up out of the parchment and exploded into dozens of little bubble hearts, before they disappeared. 

Emma had not seen Daphne for about a year now, since they bumped into each other in Diagon Alley one afternoon and decided to sit down for tea together and catch each other up on their lives. They had planned to send an owl to catch up again, but it never happened; their lives had just gotten the better of them. 

"Daphne? Not that blonde nutso, right?" Colton said over Emma's shoulder. His American accent and slang normally made it hard for Emma to keep up, but this one was quite clear. 

"She's not nuts," said Emma, turning around and making eye contact with Colton. She placed the invitation back on top of the fireplace and took a glass from him. "She's okay."

Colton arched a dark eyebrow, his dark eyes not looking quite convinced. "She could've killed you. You said she opened her mouth to her sister about the Potters being your parents."

"Yes, well, that was years ago," Emma defended her friend. She moved over towards the loveseat in front of the fireplace, joined by Colton a moment later. "Astoria is actually a really good person now too. Even though she almost exposed me -- all over a boy, too."

"A boy, huh?" Colton arched an eyebrow again, taking a sip of his wine. He glanced up at the clock above the fireplace. "Ah, almost midnight."

"I wish it would hurry," Emma groaned, leaning her head back. "I want to go to bed!"

"A few more minutes, Emma," Colton grinned, leaning over and pushing Emma's head back up. "Gotta have that New Years kiss, bad luck not to."

"Says who?"

"Says me," he smiled. 

The clock chimed midnight, Emma turned her head and let Colton kiss her; though brief, she was excited to get it done and over with so she could get ready to sleep. Emma smiled at him, but it faltered when she watched him kneel down in front of her, pulling something out from underneath the loveseat. 

He opened up the little box to reveal a gold ring with a glittering diamond glistening up at her. 

"So... wanna get married?" Colton grinned. 

Emma had waited almost seven years for this moment. Why he had decided to ask her now, after years of her bringing it up to him, she had no idea, but he definitely should have asked her before--

There was a cry from upstairs. 

"Mia's up," Emma announced. 

Colton raised an eyebrow. "Want to?" he pressed, ignoring the sounds of his daughter's cry. 

Emma hesitated a moment longer, feeling like she was being deflated, especially her chest. That's how she was being asked? She shouldn't complain... she had been waiting so long...

"Yes," she smiled, jumping up and quickly kissing Colton, letting him slide the ring on her finger, and then moving over towards the stairs. Emma noticed Colton moving over to grab his car keys. "Hey, aren't you coming to bed?"

He looked over at her, his brown eyes narrowing for a moment. "No, I'm going out with work friends, remember? To the new club a few blocks over."

"Oh."

Colton rolled his eyes lightly before moving over in front of her, grabbing his jacket off the hook to the side. "You gonna make a big deal out of this, too?"

"Well, no, I just thought that tonight we--"

"Really, Emma? I brought this up two days ago."

"Yes, but you agreed to spend the night with me," Emma recalled, folding her arms casually, furrowing her eyebrows. "You said you would."

"What's the point? I mean, you're going to bed anyway?" Colton raised an eyebrow, scoffing and shaking his head. He turned around and pulled the door open, said a quick, "love you," without looking back, and then slammed the door shut. 

Emma sighed, and raced up the stairs towards the soft cries. She moved over towards the door that had letter blocks spelling out 'Mia' in purple, with rainbows around the blocks, stuck on the door. Emma remembered making them and sticking them on the door, and then excitedly dragging Colton over to have a look, only to have him complain that he thought they agreed on a floral design and stickers spelling out Mia, not blocks. 

Emma opened the door, to find a baby girl gripping the bars of her cot trying to sit herself up. Emma quickly rushed over to turn on the night light on the tallboy. It was a ladybug nightlight -- Mia loved ladybugs. The crying quietened down a little, turning into soft little whimpers. Emma stroked Mia's blonde hair, shushing her back to sleep. 

From the moment Mia came into the world it was always Emma rushing to her aid, always Emma caring for her, getting her ready, doing things for her. All Colton liked to do was announce to Emma that Mia needed something or needed taking care of. Emma couldn't even remember the last time Colton fed Mia without Emma having to ask him. 

At the start, Colton seemed so big on becoming a father, so excited, that Emma had a great euphoric feeling of becoming a parent. But so far it was just her doing all the parenting. Mia was a blessing, but Colton made everything so difficult.