Draco heard stirring coming from his bedside. The morning sun hadn’t even begun to rise. He slowly opened his grey eyes to see his daughter Ariel. The two year old’s tiny balled fists wiping away tears. She was shaking in her favourite silk emerald green nightgown.Her long platinum hair was still neatly braided. “ What's wrong my princess?” He whispered not wanting to wake up his wife. “ I had a bad dream. I’m scared.” Draco quickly pulled the covers off of himself. He picked Ariel up. “Shhh. Daddy is here my darling no need to be afraid. You want to sleep with mummy and I?” Ariel nodded her grip tightly around Draco’s neck. Draco gently laid her down beside him making sure to tuck her in. “ Daddy, sing.” The little girl begged still upset. Her greatest comfort was her father’s voice. “ Okay princess. Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes. Rest your head close to my heart, Never to part, Baby of mine.” Draco slowly falling asleep to the song he was singing.
The morning started as Leo his eldest came running into the room at the crack of dawn. “ Mummy! Daddy! Wake up!” The patter of his small feet against the hardwood made little smacking noises. Draco opened his eyes. Leo stood practically vibrating with excitement at the foot of the bed. His Thomas the train pajamas worn out from wearing them every night. “ Leo, it’s too early my little man.” Draco muttered pulling the covers closer to his neck.Draco’s wife Y/N chimed in. “ Come here darling. Relax in bed with Daddy and I.” Leo furrowed his brow. “ We have to get ready!” Draco gave a perplexed look to his son. What did he have to get ready for? “Today we go on Holiday!” Leo cheered. That's right. Draco finally had a week off of work. He had booked the family a trip to Greece. Leo was obsessed with airplanes, trains and boats. So, he booked a muggle flight, train from the airport and, a boat ride in Greece. For weeks Leo and Ariel woke up every morning to check the countdown calendar. It would be the first family holiday. With his Wizengamot bonuses and a raise for all of his hard work. Draco could finally afford to pay for a holiday without anyone’s help.“ Darling come here. We won’t be going till after breakfast. I will put on the tele in the living room. Let daddy sleep in.” Ariel heard tele and wanted be involved and ran out of bed along with Leo. Y/N gave Draco a quick kiss. “ Go back to bed Darling. It’s your first day off.” “Nonsense.” He hastily replied pulling the sheets off of himself. “ I want to have a relaxing morning with my family. I’m always awake before everyone. I’ll be lovely.”
Y/N giggled as Draco sat with a child in each arm on the couch watching muggle cartoons. She couldn't tell who was more interested Draco or her two small children. After breakfast had been eaten and served Y/N began getting ready for the flight. Y/N had meticulously prepared everything days in advance. Every suitcase was packed. Every toy for the flight neatly in Ariel and Leo’s rucksacks. “ Draco, Darling. Can you get Leo dressed? The cab will be her in 45 minutes.” Draco nodded. “ Come on Leo, let's get ready to ride the Airplane!” Leo’s expressive grey eyes lit up. “ This is the best day of my life!” Leo bolted up the stairs on all fours as fast as he could.
Arriving at the airport was simple enough. Leo and Ariel sat silently stunned watching the planes on the runway. “ Although it might have been easier to not use muggle transit but, seeing them like this makes it worth it.” Draco said with a adoring smile looking at his children. Y/N smiled. Fatherhood suited Draco so well. “ Now boarding Flight 714 to Greece.” The loudspeaker boomed. “ Okay Ariel hold my hand. Leo! Stay by Daddy and I!” Y/N yelled as Leo started to make a B line for the gate. “ We will miss the plane Mummy!” Leo yelled worried. Draco raced up to grab his hand. “You don’t want to get on the plane without mummy and daddy right? We need to stay together.” Leo nodded squeezing Draco's hand.
Leo and Ariel were the quietest they had ever been. Each passing cloud was fascinating. When they arrived in Greece the children cheered. “ Are we gunna ride the boat Daddy?” Leo asked pulling his hand. “ Yes buddy. Slow down we have to wait for you mother and sister. We don’t want to loose them.” a letter had arrived a couple of days before their departure that the hotel had overbooked and couldn’t have them. Draco’s recently reconciled parents insisted they stay at their Greek villa. When Draco tried to talk them out of it they wouldn’t hear it. Only the best for their grandchildren. The island was just off the coast and was popular among wizarding families.
Y/N clipped the two children into their life jackets. “ Look Mummy! The water is blue! Oh isn’t it pretty Mummy! Look how big this boat is! It can fit all 1,2,3,4 of us! This is the bestest day.” Leo said beaming with excitement. Y/N smiled brushing his platinum hair away from his face. “ Yes my darling. Be careful around the edges. Don’t want you to fall in.” “ Swim! Swim!” Ariel said looking at the sea her eyes reflecting the crystal waters. “ Later my little lovely. Mummy and I will take you.” Draco said sitting Ariel back down in her seat. The boat started heading away from the shore. The children looked at the island’s horizon heading closer to the shore. The Malfoy Villa could instantly be seen it was front and centered and very grand. The traditional white building had a domed roof painted a beautiful mediterranean blue.
The house was more beautiful then Y/N could have imagined. The grand entry way was decorated in greek art and architecture. A small fountain entertained the children while Draco and Y/N put on their sunscreen. The two toddlers ate their sandwiches as fast as their little faces could. They were excited to go to the beach. “ You lot, slow down! You’ll give yourself a tummy ache. Then, the beach won’t be any fun.” Y/N said handing them each a cup of water. “ Draco, could you mind them while I change.” “ No problem lovely.” The children reluctantly slowed down their eating. “ I’ll take Ariel upstairs to change her in master. Can you put Leo in his suit? Good luck!” Draco nodded watching Y/N scoop up a giggling Ariel. As Y/N headed up the stairs Draco looked at Leo. How hard could putting a toddler in a swimsuit be?
Draco finally got Leo in his red swim trunks. Leo tried in vain to take off his long sleeve swim top. Letting out frustrated whining noises trying to rub off the sunscreen Draco had put on his face. Draco had fought death eaters but, dressing and putting sunscreen on a screaming squirming toddler was somehow harder. “ You look handsome young man. Leave it on Leo.” Leo stuck his tongue out and threw his sandals across the room in protest. Draco smiled letting out a sigh.Ariel came waddling down the white marble stairs. “ Daddy!” Her long blonde hair was in two French braids. Her small swimsuit was white with large rainbow polka dots. The suit down to the ruffled skirt bottoms was covered by a white long sleeve swim top. “ You look lovely my princess!” Draco scooped Ariel up causing her to giggle loudly. “ Darling?! Have you seen Leo’s goggles?!” Y/N called from the top of the stairs. Draco looked up. Y/N wore a elegant halter topped wine red one piece swimsuit. It hugged her every curve. A sheer white cover up tied around her waist. A large white sun hat sat atop her long hair. White framed round glasses covered her Y/E/C eyes from the sun. “ Draco?” Y/N waved her slender hand to catch her husband’s attention. Draco gave a sly smile. “ You look gorgeous my lovely.” Draco took the opportunity to pull Y/N into a hug his soft platinum hair tickled Y/N’s neck as he placed his head on her shoulder. Y/N giggled at the attention she was getting. “ Draco. The kids are waiting to go to the beach.” Draco pulled her closer. “Make ‘em wait.”
The white sand beach was beautiful. The crystal clear blue waters was calm. The gentle moving tide was perfect for little toes to play in. The water was decorated with an colours of corals, fish and other sealife. “ Okay you two. Stay with Mummy and I when you are in the water. Don’t wander on your own and- Leo don’t eat the sand!” Draco’s safety speech was short lived as he saw his son trying to eat a tiny fist full of sand. Holding his little fists and making him drop it. The beach wasn’t overcrowding. The wizarding families on the island unpacked their beach bag with ease as enhanced items flew perfectly into place. Leo was in love with the water since the first bath he ever had. The water calmed him when he was upset and made him feel better when he was sick. Draco and Y/N dipped into their savings to make sure he got swimming lessons. Without any help he put on his goggles and pulled Draco towards the tide. “ Lets go Daddy! Swim with me!” Draco smiled as he helped Leo into the cool shallow waters. Draco was impressed by Leo’s swimming abilities. Since he worked during the days he wasn’t able to watch swimming lessons as Y/N did. Draco turned to the shore. Ariel wasn’t too sure how she felt about the water. She clung to her mother’s coverup placing one tiny foot into the water. Ariel was startled by the tide coming in putting both of her feet into the water. She bursted into tears. Draco wanted to come to the shore to comfort her but, Y/N had it handled. Y/N sat where the tide was and sat Ariel on her lap. To help her calm down she would count down to when the water would splash her barely covering her small legs. She found it immensely fun to count down with Y/N before they would yell. “ Splash!”
Draco had to pull a reluctant Leo out of the water. It had been almost two hours. Leo shivered walking to his mother and sister. “ Leo! How was your swimming with Daddy?” Y/N asked quickly wrapping the toddler in a towel. “ Daddy and I had fun!” He said now getting warmer. Draco picked up a bundle up Ariel who began laughing. “ You were so brave my princess! You faced your fear and had fun with Mummy! I think this calls for ice cream!” The two children began to cheer but, Leo looked at his mother. “ Before Dinner?” The rule was no sweets before dinner. Y/N smiled. “ Because you two have been so good and brave we’ll have ice cream before dinner.” Leo and Ariel looked at each other like they were getting away with crime. Y/N and Draco looked at each other a bursted into laughter.
The walk to the ice cream shoppe was fast. Mostly because the children were vibrating with excitement. Usually to not complicate matters Y/N would give them a choice between chocolate and Vanilla. Since it was vacation she let her kids pick out whatever weird flavour their little hearts desired. Leo chose bubblegum and Ariel chose candy floss. Soon their little faces were sticky and covered in dried ice cream. They couldn’t have cared less. Surprisingly, neither did Y/N. She smiled watching how simple joys like ice cream after the beach could, to her children be what life is all about.
As the sun went down on their first day of holiday Draco couldn't help it but, his heart felt heavy knowing these days in Greece would be numbered. The night air made the sheer curtains dance as Draco sat in bed with his two toddlers. They were exhausted from the long day of travel. They had fought sleep for the last hour. “ Leo, Ariel it’s time for bed.” The children let out a whine. “ When you wake up we are going to go on a boat ride. It will be fun but, you won’t have fun if you're sleepy, right?” The children nodded. One by one Y/N took them into the next room. The tiny toddlers seems so much smaller in the two queen sized beds in the guest bedroom.
Draco sat peacefully on the white stone balcony. The horizon was a sea of warm yellow and orange light. The reflection off the white houses with Mediterranean blue made the island look like it was straight out of a picturesque postcard. Draco placed his cup a tea on the glass table. He hadn’t felt peace like this in years. The chaos of the war, his growing family, and his job at the ministry left little room for peace. His happiest moments were spent at night. Peaceful nights in the astronomy tower with Y/N. Lazy Sunday evenings with his children and, coming home after work to the warm glow of the kitchen window letting him know his family was waiting for him. After recently reconciling with his parents, he finally felt true happiness. This holiday was just what his soul needed. Draco couldn’t wait to see what lay ahead in the next coming days of his family holiday.
