Future Parents Program

Life at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was never boring. First years were always busy blowing up some vital part of Serverus Snape's Potions classroom. Someone was even now on the receiving end of a dire warning probably involving a rather gruesome, humiliating death in Professor Trelawney's Divination. Then there was the steady stream of patients in and out of Madame Pomphrey's infirmary. Students sporting anything from black eyes to hexes that made one's nose whistle like a train every time the poor sod opened his mouth.

Draco Malfoy's lips twitched. Ah, memories.

"Daddy." Someone tugged at his pant leg. He looked down at a little girl. "Where's Mummy?" she asked seriously, brushing a blonde curl out of her silver eyes. She looked like a doll, her little green dress and black Mary Jane's adding to the almost startling perfection of her features. The medi witches had gushed like volcanoes over her when she'd been born. "She looks so much like her father!"

Draco had smiled smugly. "Pretty damn cute, huh?"

"Mummy's coming soon, Ick. She got caught up." He picked her up and pointed at the Quidditch pitch off in the distance. "See that? Daddy started playing on that very same field."

Vivica May Malfoy's little eyes lit up. "Can I play there before we leave?"

"In your new dress? Your mother would kill me." Draco looked rather horrified at the thought of his wife's retribution.

Vivica wrinkled her nose at him. "Don't be silly, Daddy. All you would have to do is Transfigure my dress into a proper uniform and no one would be the wiser."

How very devious. Definitely a Malfoy. "I don't know...." Not that he wasn't up to a bit of mischief. Hell, he was a Malfoy too. "Your mother's pretty scary." He was man enough to admit it. It wasn't like he was going to be the butt of his friends' jokes about it. They knew his wife, too.

Vivica, or Ick as he called her, placed her little pixie hands on each of her father's cheeks and patted them. "What was the point of getting me a real riding broom instead of a toy if I can't practice on it?" she asked logically.

"Are you sure you're only three?" Draco chuckled. "Alright, but just know that I'm blaming it all on you if we get caught."

His baby shrugged. "It's only fair, since I was going to do the same thing."

Suddenly Draco's wand vibrated in his pocket. "Bugger!" he swore, pulling it out. "We're late!" He hoisted his daughter up so that she rode his shoulders. He pushed the frills out of his face. "Hang on, baby, I'm going to have to run." He glanced up at her quickly, "And don't tell your mother I said 'bugger' in front of you."

She patted him on the head in reassurance. "It'll cost you a cookie."

Definitely a Malfoy.

~*~

The sorting ceremony was already complete when Draco burst through the doors of the Great Hall in a dramatic entrance reminiscent of his school days. The only difference being that he now had a little miniature of himself attached to his shoulders, of course. He strode to the front of the hall to Dumbledore, looking for all the world as though he didn't see the hundreds of eyes watching his unorthodox interruption. As it was, Dumbledore had been in the middle of introducing him. "Ah, Mr. Malfoy. Impeccable timing."

He was lucky like that. Draco took his place next to his former Headmaster. His name rang out through the hall and students began to whisper in earnest, staring at him in unconcealed awe. He felt a little smug about that. He removed Ick from his shoulders and placed her between himself and the Headmaster. The two stared at one another, curious.

"Hello, Miss Malfoy," the Headmaster said with a smile.

Vivica cocked her head at him. "You don't look like a dragon," she observed matter of factly.

Draco mentally slapped himself. He should have added a few other things to the list of what not to say in front of his daughter.

The Headmaster merely laughed. "I imagine I don't. Students," he continued, facing his audience with little Vivica's hand in his own. "I would like to introduce Vivica May Malfoy."

Ick waved gaily. Draco stood beside them, tall and straight, proud of his little girl.

"Miss Malfoy is here today to celebrate the fifth anniversary of our Future Parents Program. Her parents one of the first students chosen to participate and refine the course to its current form. Her's is a rather interesting, if unexpected, part of the story....."