Sydney Sage (sage_lily) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2017-04-15 23:30:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, !log, [plot] future kids take 4, ~2017 april, ~25 points, ~~draco malfoy (d_l_malfoy), ~~sydney sage (sage_lily) |
WHO: Draco Malfoy and Sydney Sage
WHERE: Draco’s flat
WHEN: During kidplot
WHAT: Sydney appears while his kid is still visiting… Can you give a promise ring when a kid from another woman is watching?!
RATING: PG
STATUS: log; completed
Despite his initial hesitancy, well, more like distaste, at finding out he was a Father, Draco found himself tolerating it. He hesitated to say that he was enjoying it - but he’d certainly learned how to practice patience and that there was more of his Father in him than he liked to acknowledge. It took a great deal of effort to overcome his natural inclination to simply snap orders or demand specific reactions from Cecilia. Of course, what he really learned is that he wasn’t ready to have children any time in the near future. But he also decided that he and Pansy at least made beautiful intelligent children. Not that he planned to further test that theory, but it was a natural conclusion. Tonight, Cecelia was over once more. Draco had managed to provide an acceptable dinner - spaghetti and sauce - and now they were seated around the table with a plate of cookies and a game. It was a game he’d found in the store that he had thought she would be interested in. Though Cici seemed convinced that she should be learning magic, Draco felt like he should refrain since he had no idea where to even start with such a thing. “Can I have five cookies?” Cici asked, eyeing the plate. This was a familiar conversation. He was sure she had had more cookies than proper food this week - he struggled to say no to her when it came to most things. Since he had to say no to magic, shouldn’t he give in on something. “One and then if you beat me in the game, you can have another.” Draco figured he was winning at this compromise game as Cici pondered that option. *** “I can do it,” Cecilia said determinedly, because on top of being beautiful and intelligent, she was also stubborn - a trait she’d gotten from both parents. As she concentrated on the game, there was a knock on the door. Sydney was outside, carrying a book she’d chanced upon at the bookstore. It wasn’t one of the old, antique books Draco valued, but the subject was one they’d talked about in the past, and she thought he might like it. Normally she would’ve texted to make sure he was home first, but since his apartment was on her way home, she thought she’d stop by and see if he was home. Although she’d seen mentions of kids showing up in Madison, it never even occurred to her that he might have one of his own. *** The knock made Draco frown. He wasn’t expecting anyone and Pansy wasn’t due for some time. Odd. Standing, he crossed to the door and opened it. Upon seeing Sydney standing there, Draco was torn between two warring emotions - excitement that she had randomly appeared on his doorstep and fear - there was his child with another woman occupying the dining table. The excitement won out. His lips curved up into a delighted smirk. “Well, well, well,” he all but purred, hoping Cici had somehow become unobservant (not likely), “look who stopped by. Hello, beautiful.” His grey eyes flashed with pleasure as he looked her up and down. After all this time with Pansy, Draco remembered how much he appreciated Sydney’s elegant blonde looks. He wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her, but there were big eyes at the table and he could feel them boring into the back of his head. “What brings you by? Other than to make my day.” *** He might not have kissed her, but Sydney felt as breathless as he had. That look was positively sizzling. “Uh…” she said, and then shook her head to get a grip on herself and her hormones. “I brought you a book.” She was just opening its pages to explain why she thought he'd might find it interesting when a girlish voice piped up from the apartment. “Father? Who is it?” She froze. Looked up at Draco. *** And so his hope ended. Draco closed his eyes briefly and opened them again. Lie or honesty? It was not a question Draco would have even asked a few months ago, he would have rolled with the lie and made sure the person believed it. Now - faced with Sydney, Draco knew that a lie wasn’t going to work. Honesty was what would make sure that he didn’t lose Sydney. “My daughter,” Draco immediately explained with a deep sigh. “Come on in and you can meet her.” Draco opened the door further and looked at Cecilia - she clearly had Pansy’s dark looks. “Cecilia,” Draco said, gesturing at his daughter. “Come and say hello to my friend,” not the word he would have chosen, but the best in the circumstances, “Sydney. Sydney this is my daughter, Cecilia.” Cecilia knew her manners. She climbed down off her chair and made her way to Sydney. Holding out a hand, she primly said, “Hello. I’m Cecilia Malfoy. Pleased to meet you.” *** Sydney prided herself on being able to control her emotions. That was what an Alchemist needed to do, to get through the unseemly parts of their job. But Draco? With a daughter he'd never told her about? A daughter who looked just like a cross between him and his girlfriend, to whom he introduced her as just a friend? She couldn't hide the shock, hurt and betrayal she felt. “N-no,” she said, backing up. The girl’s hand was ignored. “I need to go.” *** Despite his own ability to control what he displayed to the world, Draco was well familiar with emotions and the devastation they left behind. Immediately he could see how Sydney felt and it echoed through him - like his heart was being ripped from his chest. No. No. He would not lose Sydney because of some idiocy of the dome. He would not. For a few moments, he let Sydney back up while he bent down and talked to Cecilia who frowned and opened her mouth to say something. Draco knew better than to let Malfoy rudeness escape from it and laid a hand across her mouth. “Think before you speak. Now, go and have a cookie while I talk with Sydney. I’ll be right back.” Not exactly stellar parenting skills, but he didn’t give a shit at the moment. Stepping into the hall, Draco grabbed Sydney’s wrist and tugged her back. “Not without an explanation,” Draco demanded. He tugged, making sure that Sydney met his gaze. “Don’t hide from me.” *** Sydney yanked her hand away, anger filtering past the hurt now. All this time, he’d talked about them, and their future together, and how Pansy was in his past, and all this time he’d had a daughter! “You don’t get to make any demands of me,” she said brusquely. “Not when you’ve been hiding her.” *** “I’m not hiding her,” Draco immediately retorted. “She just appeared. Neither Pansy nor I would have agreed to have a child, much less have been able to be in the same room long enough to make such a thing happen. Not in my memories and certainly not here.” His own ire was rising and he worked hard to squash it down. This wasn’t about his frustration. It was about making things right. “She appeared - as part of those random appearances of kids happening all over town. I…” Draco stopped and ran a hand through his hair. “As far as I am concerned, it is not remotely possible for Pansy and I to have a child. We can barely tolerate each other as friends now and … I just can’t see how a child could come to be.” Grey eyes pleaded for understanding. “You are my destiny - the here and now. Wherever and whenever Cecilia came from, I never had the opportunity to meet you. To become a better person.” His voice dropped. “I don’t want to lose you because of something out of my control.” *** There was a lot to process in what he'd said, and for a moment Sydney looked between him and where the little girl had been, trying to make sense of it all. The girl had just appeared? It wouldn't be the first time the dome had messed around with time...and now Draco was saying it was messing around with realities, one in which they'd never met. She felt a strange ache in her chest at that thought. A world without Draco. She couldn't imagine that, now. Wasn't that worth giving him a chance to explain himself? She took a deep breath and settled down a bit. Though she was still wary, it was clear she no longer intended to flee. “Okay. Start at the beginning.” *** Relieved that she wasn’t running away, Draco relaxed marginally. He peeked back in the door to see what Cici was doing. She was engrossed in the game for the time being. Turning back to Sydney, Draco started his explanation. He talked about how Pansy had appeared with Cici on his doorstep 4 days ago. He talked about how neither of them had ever expected to have had a child together - much less on actually appear. He laid out how they had been sharing duties of caring for the little girl. Draco also admitted that he enjoyed spending time with Cici - to a degree - but he had learned that more than anything, he didn’t want to be married to Pansy or share a child with her. “I… I’m not sure I’m a good father in the slightest, nor that I am interested in being a Father,” Draco finished, “but, she’s here and recognizes me in that regard and I feel like I have an obligation to, well, to be that person. I … “ Draco trailed off, looking at Sydney hopefully. He had such hopes and he didn’t want all of those dashed because of this dome and its stupid events. *** A few short months ago, Sydney probably wouldn't have believed him. Mysterious children appearing out of nowhere? Especially with an ex? When the ex looked like Pansy Parkinson? She'd been here long enough, however, to know how much the dome could change reality itself. Draco could very well have a child with someone he didn’t even like right now… ...or maybe it was a glimpse into the future where he did like Pansy enough for that. “Well, yes,” she said, acknowledging his sense of obligation. “It’s not her fault she’s here.” Something occurred to her. “She has magic, doesn’t she?” *** “Yes, but no,” Draco commented. “She does, but it is not trained and it shouldn’t be - she’s too young to understand and to practice the concepts. She’d like to be taught, but not at this point in time.” Draco looked at Sydney, puzzled. “Why? What does it matter?” *** “Because you love magic,” Sydney quietly replied. She hadn't known how much when she'd first asked him to give it up for her, but she did now. “And now you have a magical daughter with someone who also loves magic.” There was an unasked question there, because Sydney still didn't entirely understand why he'd given up magic just to be with her. *** Draco had to roll that statement around in his mind a couple of times before he connected the dots. “You think I’m going to leave you because of a child who has magic?” Draco questioned. His face showed puzzlement. “You think I want to be with Pansy because I have a child with her and I could have magic?!” Draco’s voice rose before he got himself under control and stepped into Sydney’s personal space. “My giving up magic was for you and because it gave me a chance to be with you,” Draco said, leaning over her, making sure she made eye contact with her. “I don’t care how much magic I am surrounded with. I gave it up to be with you and that is not going to change. First and foremost in my life, I want you.” *** “But why?” The question burst out of a bewildered Sydney. “Why would you give all that up just for me?” She gestured emphatically, nearly whacking him in the chest because he was so close. She wasn't backing away either, like she might have when they'd first met. They'd fought about enough things - from the use of magic to the width of a roman pillar - that she wasn't scared of him anymore. “You could use magic, but you don't.” *** “I could, but it’s not worth more than you,” Draco said, his voice lowering and calming down. This wasn’t about her leaving - it was about her own inability to believe that she was worth the sacrifice - any sacrifice. As far as he was concerned - she was worth anything. Reaching out his hand, Draco trailed it across her cheek before cupping her face. “The reasons why are too numerous to count,” Draco continued, “but, we can start with how beautiful you are, how intelligent, how you challenge me, how you somehow managed to addict me to coffee…” He trailed off, his thumb rubbing against her skin. “For everything I give up, I get something back.” *** Sydney closed her eyes, relishing the touch of his hand on her skin. She was reminded of that week when they’d been thrown into the future, and all these doubts were long in the past. She took in a deep breath, calmed by his touch. “You make it sound so clearcut when you say it like that.” It wasn’t quite that clear in her mind, but it seemed to be in his. Maybe that would be enough, until she could be convinced to be as confident as he was. *** “Why can’t it be?” Draco asked. He didn’t need convincing, but clearly she did. “You need to believe in us as much as I do. We are amazing and together…” Draco gave that half smile that he hoped tempted her into believing in him. “And we both saw the future, we know it is possible,” Draco added, “we can’t give up on us when we know the good things that await. How can you doubt now that you have seen that?” It was that experience that had told Draco that there was more to them than his personal flight of fancy. They could be amazing - but only if they stuck together. *** “Because the future…” Sydney nodded to the open doorway, where Cecilia’s dark head could be seen bent over her puzzle. “Can be mutable.” But forget the future - it was the now Sydney was more concerned about...though she was getting less concerned the longer he stood there looking at her like she was the only thing he saw. “It’s…” She shook her head. “Nevermind.” She released a breath. “You should probably get back to her. I can come back after she’s gone back to Pansy.” *** “It’s only mutable when you give up on what you really want,” Draco whispered, meeting her gaze. “I’m not letting you go. Not now. Not ever.” The hand cupping her face held her still as he leaned down and kissed her - gentle and soft - a promise that no matter what, he was hers. “I probably should. But I’d love to see you later. And hear about why you brought me a book.” He gave her that wicked smirk that promised they’d be talking about the book. *** The kiss left Sydney smiling. For all her insecurities about this relationship, it was hard to doubt his commitment to her after a kiss like that. “Here,” she said, handing the book to him. “We can discuss it when I come back. Let me know when?” *** Unable to resist, Draco kissed her again. He loved her smile and it made her very hard to refuse. “I’ll send you a message as soon as she goes home,” Draco whispered, stealing one more kiss for good measure before letting himself back into the flat and shutting the door quietly behind himself. Soon. Soon she would understand his commitment - soon. *** |