Auribus Teneo Lupum *Dramione*

Chapter Twelve

The day Hermione took her daughter home would go down as one of the best days of her life. After a month in the neonatal ward of St. Mungo's Athena Rose Malfoy was finally released and declared healthy. Her little lungs had finished developing and she was breathing without any lingering issues, which both Hermione and Draco were eternally grateful for.

Draco planned to take some time off to help both Athena and Hermione acclimate to the changes in their lives, especially the lack of sleep. She had thought she was tired before, but that was nothing! She, of course, wouldn't trade time with her daughter for anything in the world, but some more sleep would be nice.

They had only been home a few days when she realized that she would welcome any help he would give her.

She looked up from where her daughter lay sleeping and smiled as Draco stepped through the floo.

"Everyone okay with you taking some time off?"

He dusted off his robes and shrugged them off. "Yes. They all thought I was crazy for working while Thena was in the hospital."

She understood why people would find it odd, and to be completely honest she had wondered why he had herself. She'd brought it up after they had both been sent home and he'd explained that it was the only thing that has kept him sane.

"If I wanted to stay strong for you I had to do something to take my mind off of Athena laying up there. I didn't want you to see me break down, I wanted to be strong, and this was what helped me do that. Maybe it wasn't the right decision, but I promise to be here for you more."

It had calmed her that he hadn't stayed away because he regretted his decision to marry her and adopt her baby. She understood why he kept busy, because if she could she would have done the same.

Which brought her to the mass of parchment before her.

She had quit her job at the Ministry when Thena - the nickname they had given to their daughter - had been born. She had so much going on that she didn't even know if she would be able to leave her baby, but now that she was home and healthy she yearned for something to do. Draco had mentioned off handedly that she should start her own foundation.

"You know I'd be behind you 100%." Is what Draco had told her when she had taken interest in it, though she didn't want to make Draco fund it.

He, of course, had scoffed. "There's more Malfoy money than I could ever know what to do with. Funding a charity foundation for muggleborns would only help, not hurt. Plus, I whole heartedly agree that more effort needs to go into their welfare."

So she had begun planning. Not much, mind you, because Athena still took up so much of her time, but while her daughter was sleeping she planned. And planned and planned.

"You've been busy." Draco said as he took a seat next to her on the couch, looking over the piles of notes she had made.

"Athena's been sleepy today, so I've had a lot of down time." She hadn't realized just how much newborns slept.

"What have you come up with so far?"

Draco reached out and picked up the closest piece of parchment and began to skim through what she had written. She hated how nervous she felt as she watched his eyes go back and forth on the page, but held her tongue and kept silent.

"So you're thinking about trying to start up a program that will place abused muggleborns in wizarding families?" His tone was even, and she couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Yes. While I was in the Muggleborn Relations Department I'd come across so many families that would love to take in the children we worked with, but there wasn't any real system or financial help. Kids are expensive and most of those families already had one or two. Adding a second, third, or forth could be nearly impossible without help. I mean, obviously I'd have to consult with the Minister on what we could legally do, but once that was worked out we could help the families with buying school books, clothes, cauldrons, and other things. We could hold fundraisers and show what good the foundation could do."