Papa Bear
Inspired by [Video: Father cries while daughter gets ear pierced.]
“Granger, no! You said we were going for gelato!”
“It’s just a small—”
“It’s barbaric!”
“Excuse me?!”
“Well, maybe not barbaric. But look at Aurora’s curls! They’re perfect.”
Aurora sat up in a high chair at a hair salon, looking owlishly up at her fighting parents.
“Her hair is too long. It’s getting in her eyes. She can barely see!” Hermione sighed.
“Fine, if it must be, then so be it,” Malfoy said with a solemn tone. He lifted their baby out of the high chair and sat down in a different chair with Aurora in his lap. He bounced her on his knee while she nursed on his knuckle. “I know, baby. But this will be over soon.”
He glared at the poor barber, eyeing the glint of the sharp scissors. “Be careful or I’ll hex you.”
The hair stylist rolled his eyes before spritzing water on Aurora’s curly bangs to get a good measure of their length. Some of it got on her cheeks, and she fussed, kicking up her feet.
“Hic–hic–” Aurora coughed.
“That’s it! We’re done here!” Malfoy roared. He wrapped his arms around Aurora’s waist, getting up from the chair.
Hermione pressed him back down on his shoulders with her wand. “Sit. Down. Now.”
He pursed his lips, but kept silent. He held Aurora’s body steady, arms intertwined protectively around her tiny limbs.
“Continue,” Hermione gestured to the stylist.
“We get a lot of mama bears in here,” he smiled, combing through Aurora’s hair, spritzing lightly as he went along, careful not to get any water in her eyes with his palm acting as a barrier. “Never a papa bear like this,” he added under his breath.
The hairstylist pulled down a strand of Aurora’s brown curls—
SNIP.
Perhaps, the cold metal of the scissors on her skin shocked Aurora. She cried anew.
Malfoy bit his lip, squeezing his eyes shut. He rubbed his eyes with his forearm.
Hermione cooed, “Stinky poo, you’re okay. You’re okay.” She held Aurora’s finger and smoothed her skin. “It’s fine. Continue.”
The hair stylist assured her, “It happens a lot. It’s a new sensation. I assure she’s not in any pain.”
But Malfoy was not convinced. He kept pressing kisses into the top of Aurora’s head.
“Of course. My husband is just being dramatic,” Hermione said. “Draco, it’s just a haircut. It'll grow back.”
“My baby girl’s in pain! She’s perfect and her curls are perfect. Do not gaslight me, Granger! My feelings are valid!” Malfoy jutted out his chin, tears culminating at the edges of his eyes.
Hermione rolled her eyes. She needed to stop teaching him Muggle terms. “I don’t know who is hurt more, her or her papa.”
The hair stylist directed Malfoy to turn Aurora’s head. He did so only reluctantly.
SNIP SNIP SNIP.
“The other side, please,” the stylist said.
SNIP SNIP—
The final curl fell to the ground, and both Aurora and Malfoy watched the strand fall. She screeched loudly. Malfoy curled around Aurora, rocking her.
Hermione stifled a giggle. Dramatic, just like her Father.
“It’s okay, stinky. We’re done!”, she sing-songed to their daughter.
Malfoy pouted at Hermione before dropping kisses all over Aurora’s cheeks and forehead.
“It’s okay. It hurts but it’s over now,” Hermione repeated, wiping the tears from her husband’s grey eyes with a gentle swipe of her thumb. He leaned into her palm, then covered his eyes and sniffed. “You did good, both of you,” she said.
He sniffed again, “Can we get gelato now?”