InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "What are the 39 steps?"

I have been a father for a month. A whole month. I must admit, having a child is much more time consuming than I previously imagined. I further admit that I was initially sceptical when Narcissa informed me that she would prefer to raise the child herself, despite there being excellent nannies available that uphold the expectations and beliefs of our society. Yet I enjoy spending time with Draco. He doesn’t do much yet, and he is still very small, but he is my son. Both Narcissa and my mother have proclaimed his resemblance to me, but I think he looks more like my father. Then again, apparently I look just like my father did at my age. I’ve seen the photos, and it is most certainly true. I wonder if this means that Draco will look at twenty-five how I do now. I suppose I shall have the answer one day.

If the Healers are correct (and who am I to contradict them?) then Draco will be our only child. Yet I do not worry about this. Not just because he is the heir we were hoping for, but I cannot quite put my finger on why. I did not suffer for being an only child, and while I know that Narcissa loves Bellatrix dearly, I believe we can provide him with company and intellectual stimulation. As father, I hope to provide him with all the instruction and patience necessary, while being a more frequent figure in his life than my own father was in mine. Yes, I am certainly going to enjoy being a father.

It’s very possible that spending this time with Draco has slowed down my progress on the plans for the new school. I must hasten. At least I have had contacts with some builders for some time, and they can begin construction in a week or so. While instruction occurs, I must try to smooth out some of the issues which have arisen. The matter of mudblood children has come up before and I must start working to come to a solution as soon as possible. Possible contacts to start with: Lucinda Greengrass, Gaius Travers.

Oh, and I must remember to tell Narcissa tomorrow that I found Dobby loitering around the nursery. I told that infernal elf not to go anywhere near the baby, let alone attempt to pick him up or even touch him. If he does, so help me it will mean clothes.

I have a question for you, Mrs Greengrass. As proprietor of the forthcoming Orphanage, I wish to ask your opinion on Muggleborn children. Particularly, your policy on them and what age they should be removed from the Muggle world. Obviously children normally show signs of magic before the age of seven, although many are even earlier than this, and this is, in my opinion, a danger to the Statute of Secrecy. I ask this as it has come up many times in my thought processes for the new school, and I am hoping we will be working closely with each other, as I assume most if not all of the children who pass through your institution will be educated at mine.

Forgive me, for I must be brief and my idea is in the preliminary stages, but there has been some discussion about only educating those of wizarding blood at the new school, and educating Muggleborn children separately. The idea would be to teach them the theory without necessarily the practice, but the details are in no way finalised and I digress. My question is whether you would object to having this facility attached or involved in some other way with the Rehabilitation centre? I would not expect you to supervise or oversee this facility in any way, or indeed have any additional responsibilities than those you have already as they are, after all, separate projects. Nor am I suggesting that we will be rehabilitating every Muggleborn child that passes through our system. My theory is that both the Rehabilitation centre and the Muggleborn facility (and indeed, the school itself) have very similar ideals –- to produce worthwhile and productive citizens of our society, and this is why I thought that a union between the two projects may be beneficial.