Time stands still - Draco and Astoria

years

Draco and Astoria only had their baby for a few weeks, but it felt like only days. It was about 3 A.M when she cried again. "Your turn," Draco said with his head on the pillow. She groaned. 

"It was my turn last time." She said with her head in the pillow. 

"I can never get her to stop crying. You can." Draco said groaning. She stood up and went into her room. She picked the baby up and knew she was hungry.

Sophie had been reverse-cycling, meaning she had been sleeping in the day and awake at night, though she would still cry. Astoria started breastfeeding her and the crying slowed. After a while, Astoria went back into her room and put the pillow in her face. "Why is she doing this?" She groaned. 

"She's a baby," Draco said looking at her. 

"Surely she can still have us our peace?" Astoria said with her head on the pillow. "I haven't slept in days. Weeks possibly." She said in a tired voice.

Years had passed and Sophia was a young girl. A toddler. She was intelligent beyond compare. "Sophia say bye to mummy!" Draco said holding her at his side as Astoria left for work. 

"Bye, mummy!" She said waving. Astoria left and Draco kissed his daughters forehead. "Daddy, will mum be gone for 4 hours again?" She asked him. 

"Yes. But time will fly." He said lifting her on his hip. 

"Can you read to me? One of the large books?" She asked him.

"Of course, love. Which one?" He asked her taking her into her room. Sophia thought for a moment. "

The one about Hogwarts when you were there," She said to him. There was a book made about the years Harry Potter went to school, having Draco in it. He set her down and put her on a chair and bent in his knees to look at her. 

"There's something I want you to know, sweetie." He said. She nodded. "I did bad things before. I did horrible things. But daddy changed. I don't ever want you to think of me as the boy I used to be. OK?" She nodded. "OK daddy." She said nodding.

More years past and Sophia was 10. She was moving lights all around in her room, making them move with just the swish of a hand. She heard a knock on the door and set a candle down. "Yes?" She said turning to the door. Draco walked in and saw his daughter with her hairbrush on the bed. 

"I and your mum are going somewhere tonight. Is it OK if you spend some time with aunt Daphne?" She nodded. "Of course! There were some things I wanted to talk to her to about anyways." Sophie said smiling. 

"What things? Books, life, boys..." 

"Dad, I'm not into people. I don't fancy anyone." He shrugged. 

"Anyone?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"I saw a picture in the paper of James Potter. He's kind of cute-" 

"No. Nope. No. Not him. Not Potter." He said shaking his head. 

"I know dad. I know." She said nodding.

More years passed and Sophie was in school, and they had gotten a letter from her professor. 'Dear Mr. Draco Malfoy, I come to tell you that your daughter, Sophia, is one if the brightest first years I have ever seen. She is so smart and I look forward to having her for 6 more years. There is one problem, Sophia is always the last one standing. Never once has she had a partner in my class. I came to wonder if she didn't have friends. I didn't ask because that would be bad, but I do wonder. She is awfully smart and kind, but she is never with anyone. Sincerely, Neville Longbottom.' Astoria read. "Alone again. Draco our daughter is alone again."

Draco sighed and put his hand through his hair. "What do we do? Just let her be? Do nothing?" Draco suggested. 

"Something of course!" She said to him. "Draco, it's Sophia. You know we should do something. We love her. She's our daughter. How could we help our baby?" She asked him. 

"Start off by not calling her 'baby' in front of other people," Draco said looking down at her. She sighed. 

"She just... she's grown up so fast now. I love and miss her so bloody much! I just want her in my arms! To hold and hug her so dearly! I miss that!" Astoria said sadly. 

"I miss her too, baby. But she is OK. She may be alone but she is doing fine! When I talk to her at night she is OK." Draco said.

"I miss her. My baby deserves better than what she is given. Better parents, friends, a boyfriend at the least. My baby deserves better." She said to him softly. 

"I love her. So much." He said to Astoria. 

"She's 11 almost 12. She's fought her way in life far already." He said to her. 

"I miss my baby. I miss my baby dearly." She said to Draco. 

"I miss her too, love. I miss her too. She is Sophia Hyperion Malfoy. She is alright." He said to his wife.

More years passed and Sophie was 13. Only 13.