Dedicated to my great friend I made on tumblr, expectopatronurm, who was feeling under the weather and had to pay a visit to the doctor. Hope this makes her smile.

His Promise, Her Regret

Harry knew it was time for him to stand down. To retreat while he still had the chance. To use the rare moment of peace to get much-needed sleep. But he couldn't leave, not yet.

How could he when something so small, so utterly precious was in his arms? Harry knew he couldn't put her down if he tried.

Now close to a day old, she was so small, close to five pounds. He was worried about the weight, but according to the Healers she was perfectly healthy. His husband joked that she took after him, seemingly frail on the outside but with the will and heart of a lion. Her skin was soft and warm, scented with the sweet aroma of milk and honey he knew would lure people in. Soft curls of blonde hair so bright; it was practically white, gleaming by the soft light from the fireplace. Her small, full lips that were fixed into a slight pout. Her beautiful face he knew would only grow more in beauty as she grew looked entirely peaceful like a princess under a spell.

Well, given who her other father was, Harry figured it was only inevitable that their tiny princess would end up a beauty.

Their little princess. Their little girl. Their daughter.

Tears pricked his eyes; Harry tried to keep them at bay. Merlin knew for the past nine months he has been nothing but an emotional mess of tears. There was no reason to cry now. It was something he couldn't help though. After so much time of waiting and wondering, she was finally here. She was here, she was theirs. Their beautiful baby girl.

Harry brushed her hair back and felt her stirred. Her pink mouth that was still started to quiver as her left eye popped open then the right, vivid-emerald green that was so much like his own stared back at him. Eyes that were the only claim Harry had to her. The rest came from his spouse.

"My sweet Lily," he smiled, dropping a kiss on her head. Her little hands balled into fists. He dropped a kiss on each knuckle. "My sweet girl. Daddy's here."

Come stop your crying

It will be all right

Just take my hand

Hold it tight

Her head titled slightly, as if she were listening closely. Fully awake, she focused on her father as he continued to sing to her.

I will protect you

From all around you

I will be here

Don't you cry

She looked at him blankly for a moment or two before, as if somehow she understood, a small smile curved her small lips. Harry brushed them with his thumb, a small smile lifting the corners of his lips as he saw her smile widened.

For one so small

You seem so strong

My arms will hold you

Keep you safe and warm

This bond between us

Can't be broken

I will be here

Don't you cry

The lullaby, just as he hoped, calmed her. Her fists relaxed at the sound of soothing tone, and Harry rocked her gently in his arms.

Cause you'll be in my heart

Yes, you'll be in my heart

From this day on

Now and forever more

Her fists unclenched, and her breathing slowed. Within seconds, she was sleeping again.

Harry eyed her small crib that was next to their bed, nestled with her blankets and toys that was waiting for her, but he made no move to lay her there. Not yet. He just couldn't stop staring at her.

It still baffled him that she was here. Really here after months of visiting the healers to keep track on her health, feeling her move and kick inside him, feeding her the latest wonders his cravings demanded, enduring contraction after painful contraction, she was here in his arms, safe and perfect.

It was a hard pregnancy, a long one, filled with such pain Harry was sure his mind would never forget even if the twinges would soon fade from his body. Despite the pain, it was all worth it. When he heard that loud wail-the wail of a healthy child-breaking through the momentary silence, he knew it was worth it. The second he saw his husband's anxious face, tight with tension, melt away into a grin, he knew it was worth it. The very second, after she was rinsed clean and wrapped in pink blankets, she was placed in his waiting arms and he looked into those beautiful eyes that were too much like his own, he knew that every second of the pain was worth it. That, and he never wanted to let her go.

"While she's still calm, Harry, it would be wise of you to use this chance to get some rest. After the exciting day you've had, you definitely deserve a few hours of sleep."

Harry shook his head at her choice of words. Giving birth was an experience he would never forget, that was for sure, but he wouldn't go as far to say that it was "exciting" He looked away from his sleeping daughter for a moment to their night-late visitor who was standing at the doorway.

"I know I should," he confessed to his mother-in-law. "But I just can't. She's so beautiful." He brushed his fingers against her cheek, marveling at her soft skin. "I just want to hold her forever."

The lady of the manor smiled knowingly at him. She joined him on the bed, sitting by the edge, and silence fell between the two as they stared at the newest member of the Malfoy-Potter clan.

"Tonight will probably be the last time I hold her for a long while. Ron, Hermione, Blaise, Pansy, and the Weasleys-they're all coming over tomorrow to see her. And knowing my luck, as well their great fascination with infants, I probably won't be able to hold her again till her first birthday."

"You also forget there's Draco," Narcissa reminded him. "My son is quite possessive when it comes to those he cares about as I'm sure you know."

Oh, did he ever. Harry remembered the early months of their relationship when it was hard to meet other classmates for study sessions or even just for fun because of Draco's paranoia, fueled by his extreme jealously and insecurity. He kept close to Harry when they were together, held his hand in a tight grip like he was afraid Harry would be taken from him, walked him to and back to every one of his classes, all while giving people such dark, murderous glares that struck fear into them. Harry recalled the few times he was hit by the strong stench of piss when they walked by certain people. His poor friends, Seamus and Dean, were two of those people. He also remembered too many times when, if his jealously got too much, Draco would drag him into a closet or empty classroom to remind them both whom he belonged to.

Well, he couldn't say Draco's methods weren't effective. Or unpleasant.

"I haven't forgotten about Draco," he told her. "Knowing him, he'll make sure everyone scrubs their hands with at least five gallons of sanitizer before they hold Lily, and let them hold her for a good five seconds before he takes her back."

"You give him too much credit," Narcissa said. "Three seconds and not a moment more."

They laughed together, keeping their voices down for the sake of the baby.

She stirred once and was instantly soothed back to slumber when Harry rocked her again and brushed her cheek.

"I can already tell she's going to be a wonderful child. Kind, warm, smart-knowing her godmother and her influence, she will definitely be a force to be reckoned with," Harry chuckled to himself, remembering the look on Draco's face when he told him the couple he wanted to be guardians of their daughter should-God forbid-something happen to them. It wasn't an easy conversation, one that quickly went from lukewarm to explosive, spanning for a good month, but Draco finally agreed. Hermione was the type of mother-figure he wanted for Lily, the type he wished he had grown up with as a child. "And knowing Draco, she'll love herself a little too much. I can definitely see him spoiling her rotten-Merlin give me the strength. But above all, she'll be loved. I'll make sure everyday she knows she's loved."

"May I?" Narcissa held her arms for her granddaughter. It was hard to hand Lily over, but he was proud to say he was able to do it. She smiled down at the baby but there was a strange look in her eyes that Harry couldn't explain. "She truly is a beautiful child. It's funny. She looks exactly like Draco when he was this age."

"Except for the eyes."

"Even so," she said. "She looks too much like him. A tiny, little thing. Small hands and feet. Wisps of blonde hair. So entirely real and completely yours."

From the wistful, familiar look of awe that hooded her eyes, Harry knew she was speaking from her own experiences, looking back at her memories.

"The birth happened right here at the manor. Lucius wouldn't have it anywhere else. The labor took more than half the day. And the pain," She shook her head slightly. "I remember that well. I screamed so loudly, I was sure Lucius could hear me."

Hear her? Harry's brow arched questioningly. "He wasn't there for the birth?"

"He was called away. Some business meeting in France or something like that," The refined lady waved a dismissive hand. "He came back hours later, a business deal closed and a new baby boy."

Marriages in the pure-blood world were nothing like the ones Harry had grown up seeing, such as that between the Weasleys or even that of his aunt and his uncle. They were more like how marriages were in the Muggle-world in the olden days, where they were based more on gaining alliances and status than actual affection. Very formal, distant, and, given this new bit of information, cold.

"I used that time well," Narcissa continued. "I used every second of that time to hold my baby. My little baby boy. Had it my way, I would have never let him go. I would have…" As soon as the thought came to her, she dismissed it with a sigh and shake of her head. "After Draco had received his father's approval, relatives came forward to see the new Malfoy heir. After that, Draco was taken from my arms and given to the house-elves. I'd given the house an heir. I've done my duty. There was no reason for me to hold onto him any longer. That was what the house-elves were for. They held him. They feed him. They rocked him to sleep. They handled everything concerning our son and brought back reports on his progress."

Her voice trailed off as shadows from the past emerged from her eyes, stronger than before. The shadows lightened only slightly as Lily squirmed slightly and Nacrissa rocked her to sleep, just as Harry had done, but even that sweet moment wasn't enough to erase the shadows. In that moment, he saw Draco in her eyes. During the times memories would grab hold of him, entangling him in their darkness.

"Sometimes I wonder," Narcissa whispered quietly as if she were confessing. "I wonder what would have happened if I held onto him longer. If I had…tried to be there more. I wonder if it would have made things different."

Harry practically could see the thoughts racing through her mind. Would Draco have been a bit more humble than arrogant? Would he have easily walked away from the pressures Lucius forced upon him? Would he have been spared from Voldemort's wrath?

Harry had learned people were like life: complex, multi-layered. Snape, near the very end, proved that he wasn't as cold as people had believed. Draco showed him that sometimes the persona people showed to the world was a mask, one that hid the true person they were. Harry saw where he learned that technique from. When he first met Narcissa Black, he thought she was the perfect woman for Lucius Malfoy, much like her husband with her cold-nature hidden behind a sly smile that barely reached her eyes. Slowly, over the years, that image of the cold woman chipped bit by bit. He saw that ice first chipped when she lied to Voldemort, risking her life for the safety of her son. The ice continued to chip away when the trials started and she stood in front Draco, awaiting their sentences with fear in her eyes but her head held high, as if she could protect them from the world's scorn. The ice continued to chip when Draco began to court him, her supporting them against anyone that objected, including her husband. The sheer of ice melted away when she learned Harry was carrying the new Malfoy heir and helped him through every ache and craving, sharing her own childbirth experiences and advice, going from a distant but pleasant in-law to a second mother figure to him.

Hearing her confession, her regret, Harry saw that the ice woman she showed to the world was nothing more than a mask.

"Draco knows how much you love him," he told her. "He always told me that even though you kept your distance, he could always tell that you cared about him-actually cared about him. Narcissa, you lied to Voldemort about me all because you loved your son. You came back to Hogwarts for that final match because you wanted to find him and take him away. You looked at the judge right in the eye during your trial and said to him he could do whatever he wanted to you, but to let Draco go. You told Lucius he'd rue the day if Draco was ever cut from his inheritance because he wanted to be with me. So believe me. He knows how much you love him."

She smiled gently at him, but she still didn't look convinced. The shadows were still there. "It's getting late. I should let you rest, but before I go there's one thing I wish to ask you. A simple request."

"What is it?"

"Cherish your daughter, Harry. Love her fiercely and openly. And more importantly promise to be there for her."

In ways that she wasn't for her son.

"I promise." he vowed. He welcomed his daughter back into his arms, missing her warmth. The soft smile on Narcissa's face broadened, and he smiled in return.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

Harry's heart swelled at the sound of his voice. He looked past Narcissa, to his husband who was standing by the doorway, a tray of drinks in his hands.

"Nothing at all, dear," his mother smiled, though Harry could see a trace of that infamous Malfoy cunningness behind it. "I was telling Harry the time you were six and did an interesting spin-off of the Boy Who Lived and his partner in crime, Prince Hiss Dragon-"

"Mother!" If Harry wasn't busy trying to hold in his laughter, he would have taken a picture of Draco's brightly flustered face.

She exchanged a look with Harry, gave Lily one last kiss on the forehead, and took her leave. Draco took his place on their bed.

"I made some tea for us. And a fresh bottle for Lily." He placed the tray on the nightstand. He slung an arm around Harry, pulling his family close to him. "How is the little princess?"

"Perfect."

"Well she is a Malfoy." Draco said, the famous Malfoy smirk curling the curves of his lips.

"Malfoy-Potter," Harry reminded his husband. "Meaning while she may be perfect, she won't let it get to her head like certain people I know."

"Why, Harry, you say it like that's a bad thing."

"Our daughter will grow up spoiled rotten, no matter what I do, won't she?"

Draco's smirk said more than enough. Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes half-heartedly, muttering severe consequences if she grew up like his cousin.

Draco wrapped his arms around his husband; Harry laid his head against his shoulder. The new parents watched their daughter sleep in comfortable silence.

"Why does tomorrow have to come? Why can't we just stay like this? You, me, Lily, in our nice room, in our comfortable bed." Draco sighed, running a hand through his daughter's hair. There was look of pride and love in his eyes as she nuzzled against his touch.

"Because we promised our friends and family that they would see her."

"We could always take an early vacation," Draco suggested. "I think Lily would love Paris."

The offer was tempting, but Harry could already see a trap-door in that offer. "We'd still have to deal with their demands-not to mention their anger-when we get back."

"Then we'll simply tell them to piss off."

Harry rolled his eyes once more, but with a hint of a smirk. "Or we could entertain them with the great tales of the Boy Who Lived and Prince Hiss Dragon."

Draco leaned forward to kiss his cheek and whispered in his ear. "If that little piece of information ever leaves the room, sweet husband of mine, then I will have to punish you."

Harry's smirk grew. He was happy to see the flare of lust spark in those familiar gray eyes. "Punishment, my dear husband, is how we got our sweet little princess in the first place."

Draco hummed happily as he nuzzled against his lover's neck. "Hopefully more punishments will lead to more princesses and princes."

Harry, seeing how late it was, settled their princess into her crib. He smiled down at her sweet face and kissed her head. He looked back at Draco. "Not for a long while. Like four years."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Six months."

"What?! No!"

"A year!"

"We need to enjoy the time we have with our daughter, Draco."

"We also need to make sure she's not alone, Harry," Draco easily pulled a reluctant Harry against his chest, holding him close and lavishing his neck with kisses that were draining him of his willpower. "From one only child to another, growing up alone isn't fun. It's lonely. I don't want that for Lily. I know you don't either."

There were times when Harry truly hated Draco's intelligence. Almost as much as he hated him using his wishes against him. Especially in moments such as this, bringing up undeniable points. He didn't want Lily to be lonely. He did dream of having a big family. He loved the child he and Draco made together and wanted to make more.

"Fine," he agreed with a sigh. "A year and six months. That way we get time with our baby girl, and Merlin be willing, give her a sibling that will be close to her age."

"Done." Draco sealed the deal with a kiss that started off as slow and sweet that quickly escalated. It wasn't long before Harry found himself flat across the bed, falling under the sweet bliss that was Draco's lips.

"Draco," Harry bit bit a moan as his husband found his sweet spot. "If we keep this up, we're may end up making that sibling sooner than expected."

"You say that like that's a bad thing."

"No," Harry managed to find enough strength to free himself from the former Slytherin's grasps. "I'm too drained to even attempt that, Draco. Healer's orders, remember?"

Draco flopped onto the bed, dragging Harry along with him, and groaned. "Why, oh why was I cursed to be with a law-abiding Griffydor husband?"

"The same way I was cured with a handsy, cunning Slytherin husband." Harry answered.

Grumbling halfheartedly under his breath about Harry and his mood-killing morals, Draco kissed him on the forehead, then on the lips again, keeping the kiss short but satisfying. "How do you feel?"

Harry shrugged. "Some twinges here and there in the abdomen. Not exactly pleasant, but it's manageable."

Draco propped himself up using his elbow. "What were you and Mother talking about? Nothing serious, I hope."

Harry shook his head and looked over his shoulder to their Lily. "Just passing on the wisdom of parenting."

"Cherish your daughter, Harry. Love her fiercely and openly. And more importantly be there for her."

It wasn't a hard promise to make. The moment he felt Lily kick against him, he knew he would do nothing but love her.

He looked at his husband who has been by his side since the beginning, remembering what he was told about his unhappy home, hearing Narcissa's regret of not showing him affection. He cupped his face and pulled him into a kiss, tracing the map of his mouth.

"I love you." Harry murmured against his lips.

"I love you, too," Draco smiled at him. "And I love our daughter as well. Thank you so much for bring her into this world."

"Thank you for helping me make her."

He would be there for Lily. He would be there for her, for her future siblings, and for Draco. He would cherish them all until his dying day, loving them fiercely and openly, being there every step of the way.