"Mate, I am sorry to cancel your day-off but there is an emergency. A kid is just brought in to Madam Pomfrey's care and she sent me to call you for help. The girl is 2 years old, barely talks and we still don't know anyone related to her." Blaise Zabini informed his friend, barging in to Draco's place.

"Well..please come in Blaise" Draco said, frowning.

"I already said sorry. Listen, you have been pathetic since that Granger girl left and I don't think I even know you anymore. You can't shut us forever, Draco. Look around you, look what you live in. How much more miserable can you get? It's not like she is going to come running to you knowing you still feel for her, anyway" He couldn't hide his anger.

Draco didn't say anything in return. Whatever Blaise said was true. He had not been able to talk to anyone or live like before since she walked away from him. It's not like he missed her or anything but he needed time to think, to apologize and talk things over. He just had to survive, to keep breathing till she came back. At least for his child.

"Blaise, go tell Pomfrey I am coming."

"No, come with me right away. And for heaven's sake, ask one of your elves to clean your place. Looks disgusting"

"I don't feel the need to remain neat anymore."

"I thought you were just guilty for what happened. Do you..miss that girl, Draco?"

"What..are you crazy? You know what, let's leave."

Blaise just shook his head. They apparated to a place near Hogwarts and went straight to the newly added kid in Pomfrey's care.

The kid looked up at him after settling her dolls in the table next to her. She had beautiful grey eyes which were now red because of crying, soft pink hands and feet and she wore a lemon-yellow and white onesie. Draco walked nearer, his stare fixated on the kid's eyes. Very familiar, the kid looked very familiar. With her little round face, her tiny curls of hair on her head and most importantly her eyes..No, it couldn't be..

"Ah..Draco, thanks for coming. I see you have met her. She was just handed over to us 2 days ago by one of the shokeepers from Diagon alley. Good thing I would say because she was unconscious with some wounds in her foreleg. After some time, she came around. Her wounds are healed now, thanks to the special childcare potions you invented. But the queer thing is nobody has come to claim her, she has been crying nonstop" She said sadly.

"Thank you, Pomfrey. I will take it from here. You take rest now, golden girl" He said to her smiling, hiding his inner turmoil.

"Draco, want me to check if any child loss has been reported?" Blaise asked him.

"No, I think I know who her mother is.." he said and went up to the kid.

He knelt down to her level, taking her little pink hands into his own. "Hey peaches, you wanna go see mamma?"

"Mummaa.."she said meekly.

He gently lifted her into his arms, her face immediately resting on his shoulders, obviously very tired from crying.

Draco closed his eyes, relishing the scent of her on his neck, the feel of her little feet on his heart. He smiled involuntarily, the first real one in a really long time.

He then apparated along with Blaise. They had a long day ahead...