New story! I own nothing! Enjoy!

Prologue

Awake at three o'clock in the morning, Draco Malfoy pondered his life. At thirty years old, he was a married father of two. Everyday consisted of the same routine - three o'clock bottle followed by diaper change for his newborn son, sleep for two hours before his wife woke him up for work, shower, breakfast with his family, ten hours in the office, followed by dinner, baths, and bed. He was exhausted. He felt older than his thirty years. He wanted an escape.

"Hey," his wife whispered in the darkness. "I just got Cece to sleep. Nightmares again."

Draco groaned. "So what you're telling me is she's asleep in our bed."

"Sorry," she replied, smoothing back his hair.

Getting to his feet, he gently placed his son, Gabriel, in his cradle. He stroked the baby's fine blond hair and smiled. "I love you," he whispered before turning back to his wife. Taking her hand, he led her back to the master bedroom. They stopped in the doorway. "I thought you said she was asleep," his whispered.

"She was."

"Want Daddy," the little girl whimpered.

Draco approached the bed and beckoned the little girl to him. "What's wrong, Pip?" he asked her.

"Scary things, Daddy," she murmured, clutching his shirt.

He sighed. "Do you want to stay with Mummy and Daddy tonight?" he asked her. Sniffling, Cece nodded and backed away from him to lie down in the center of the bed. "Sleep tight, baby," he murmured, kissing her forehead as he slipped into bed beside her.

Hermione Granger-Malfoy occupied the other side of their bed, their hands meeting as they cuddled their daughter. "Draco, are you asleep?" she whispered.

He shifted, careful not to disturb their daughter. "No," he groused.

Letting go of his hand, she rolled onto her back and stared at the dark ceiling. "Nights like this, I sometimes wish I could run away," she confessed. "Just leave this life behind and start over. Does that sound horrible?"

He let out a soft chuckle. "I sometimes think the same thing," he told her. "I love our kids, but sometimes they just wear me out."

"So, do we sleep or try to stay away for the next two hours?" she asked.

"Sleep," he groaned. "I just want sleep. That is all I will ever want."

It was then that Gabriel awoke with a cry. "Go to sleep," Hermione said to him. "I'll take care of him."

He stayed awake long enough to listen to her sing a familiar lullaby to quiet their son. It worked just as well on the baby as it did on him. It was a restless, interrupted sleep. When Hermione told him it was time to wake up, he tried to ignore her, tried to go back to sleep, but Cece's high-pitched voice prevented it.

"Up, Daddy," she said chipperly. "Breakfast time."

Slowly, he dragged himself out of bed and picked up the little girl. "Clothes first, Miss Cecelia," he murmured, kissing the top of her head. Cece whined, but he quickly quieted her. "What do you think Mummy's making this morning? Pancakes or waffles? Maybe eggs and sausages?"

"No," Cece declared, swiftly kicking her leg into his stomach.

Draco grunted in pain and set her down on her feet. "Room. Now," he told her. Entering the kitchen, he poured a cup of coffee. "Your daughter kicked me in the stomach."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she flipped pancakes. "She spent five months kicking me when I was pregnant with her," she replied. "And now, every night that she sleeps in our bed, she kicks me repeatedly. One kick to the stomach won't kill you. I'm living proof."

"I concede," he said, kissing her cheek. "I'll go dress the little abuser. Has Gabe been fed yet?"

"Fed, changed, dressed, and in his seat on the table right behind you," she reported.

Turning, he smiled at his son. "Hi, buddy," he cooed. "You gonna be good for Mummy today? Yeah, I know you will. My good boy."

Hermione shut off the stove. "Hey, could you go check on Cece now?" she asked. "Breakfast is ready."

"I think I'm going to skip breakfast," he decided. "I'll get Cece ready, but then I have to go into work. By the way, she seemed less than enthused by the idea of pancakes."

Nodding, she picked up the plate of pancakes and carried it to the table. Taking one from the stack, she placed it on a plate beside her own, and cut it into smaller pieces. Turning on his heel, Draco left the kitchen. Cece met him in the hallway, her clothes mismatched and a large grin on her round face.

"Look, Daddy," she said proudly. "I did it myself."

Rolling his eyes, he attempted a smile and sent her to the kitchen. He bade his family goodbye and stepped into the fireplace. The office was dark and quiet when he arrived. It was uncommon that anyone else would be there so early the morning. Hermione had been the only exception. Now on maternity leave, he had the space to himself.

After brewing a pot of coffee, he rummaged around in the icebox for something to eat. By the time the fresh coffee was ready, he gave up and went to his office. Except he wasn't as alone as he thought. "Blaise," he addressed his friend who stretched out on the leather sofa. "What brings you here?"

The Italian examined his impeccably manicured fingernails. "Oh, you know," he replied flippantly, "just thought I'd spend the morning with my dear friend."

Draco set down his mug and began sorting through the files on his desk. "And six in the morning seemed like the ideal time to do that?" he wondered.

Sitting up, Blaise shrugged. "It'll be a very busy day today," he replied. "There's a chance that we might not have another opportunity to talk today."

"What a shame," Draco muttered. He looked up to see his friend smirking at him, which only tested his patience further. "Okay, what's going on that today will be so very busy?"

Leaning back, Blaise rested his hands behind his head, his grin growing. "Well, it would seem that the wizarding world is about to have a bit of a divorce spike."

Work forgotten, Draco frowned. "What? Why?" he asked.

"Well, it would seem that the population increase the Ministry had hoped for has finally happened," Blaise replied. "The Marriage Law has been repealed."