Pretending to bond with his daughter was the worst. He had thought her infancy would be the most obnoxious age but now she was mobile, fully capable of stringing a sentence together, and worst of all she had her own thoughts and desires and she knew how to demand them. She was like a wild animal, she'd soon be schooled and trained in social etiquette but she was still learning and for now she was a very rough and imperfect attempt at a female. What was he supposed to do with that?
Foolishly he'd given her nurse a day off because he couldn't stand the woman's judging glances at him in the scarce moments when he shared a room with his own child, and he rather thought he could more than handle a day out with a little girl. It was all to satisfy his mother just enough that he didn't have to take her back. He only had to keep it up for six more years and he'd have rid of her until she graduated Hogwarts and then he could just have her married off on June 2nd.
Little had he known but his daughter had grown into something less controllable than a garbling infant and he'd actually had to make a great deal of effort to not lose the overly excited five year old. He'd sat down for one moment on a bench as it was getting dark to rest his face in his hands and regret all of his life choices, when he realized it was too quiet and upon looking up, discovered himself alone. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck, his daughter might have been eaten by some large and vicious beast and he'd never have to worry about her again. That would never do though, it would surely be picked up by the papers and what would they say of him? The second he tried to run for Minister they'd drag it up and point out how he couldn't look after a little girl let alone a country. And then there was his mother, oh Merlin she'd never forgive him! No, it wouldn't do, he'd have to find the little chit at once before she actually did get eaten or mauled, or stolen not that he could understand why anyone would ever want his daughter.
"Althea!" He rose to his feet and began investigating the immediate vicinity. "Althea, this is no time for games, come here at once or I shall have you sent to bed without dinner!" Why wasn't she stood before him already? She had the obedience of her damned mother, Merlin save him she was going to be a nuisance wasn't she. "ALTHEA!" If he ever found her.
He walked a little further and soon came upon a strange scene; there was a dog and a child who seemed to be going into a pen of ugly creatures he had a feeling might've been called mooncalves. Oh. Oh. That was his child. At least that looked like the dress he'd last seen her wearing or maybe it had been yellow... "Althea, what in Merlin's name are you doing?"
Foolishly he'd given her nurse a day off because he couldn't stand the woman's judging glances at him in the scarce moments when he shared a room with his own child, and he rather thought he could more than handle a day out with a little girl. It was all to satisfy his mother just enough that he didn't have to take her back. He only had to keep it up for six more years and he'd have rid of her until she graduated Hogwarts and then he could just have her married off on June 2nd.
Little had he known but his daughter had grown into something less controllable than a garbling infant and he'd actually had to make a great deal of effort to not lose the overly excited five year old. He'd sat down for one moment on a bench as it was getting dark to rest his face in his hands and regret all of his life choices, when he realized it was too quiet and upon looking up, discovered himself alone. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck, his daughter might have been eaten by some large and vicious beast and he'd never have to worry about her again. That would never do though, it would surely be picked up by the papers and what would they say of him? The second he tried to run for Minister they'd drag it up and point out how he couldn't look after a little girl let alone a country. And then there was his mother, oh Merlin she'd never forgive him! No, it wouldn't do, he'd have to find the little chit at once before she actually did get eaten or mauled, or stolen not that he could understand why anyone would ever want his daughter.
"Althea!" He rose to his feet and began investigating the immediate vicinity. "Althea, this is no time for games, come here at once or I shall have you sent to bed without dinner!" Why wasn't she stood before him already? She had the obedience of her damned mother, Merlin save him she was going to be a nuisance wasn't she. "ALTHEA!" If he ever found her.
He walked a little further and soon came upon a strange scene; there was a dog and a child who seemed to be going into a pen of ugly creatures he had a feeling might've been called mooncalves. Oh. Oh. That was his child. At least that looked like the dress he'd last seen her wearing or maybe it had been yellow... "Althea, what in Merlin's name are you doing?"
