To eighth year and beyond
A Big Day ahead
'Come on sweetheart, you have to go to sleep!' Maya Jones groaned to her daughter, Arya Lupin-Black. Arya was only 24 days old and despite being a fairly good sleeper up until that point, she had decided that tonight was the night she didn't want to sleep – in fact she wanted to cry instead.
'Munchkin' Maya sighed, 'Please go to sleep.' She rocked her daughter back and forth, but the baby just carried on crying. She had fed her; burped her; changed her and sang to her. Nothing was working.
'Maya, you ok?' came a sleepy voice from the bed.
'Yeah, go back to sleep Draco. Just trying to get Arya back off.' She whispered.
She then felt a hand on hers. 'She won't sleep?' he asked, looking down at his girlfriend. Maya shook her head and yawned.
'Let me try? You're tired!'
'No Draco, you need sleep too.' She responded, looking into his eyes.
'Ok, why don't we both go to bed and she can sleep in between us?'
'I don't know Draco. I've read that can be dangerous and she doesn't want to sleep; she just wants to cry!'
'We'll be careful. Maybe she doesn't want to be in her cot?' he shrugged 'Maybe she would like to lie next to us for tonight.'
Maya was hesitant but another yawn made her realise she seriously needed some sleep.
Draco took Arya from Maya and let her get into bed. She moved all of the pillows so they were nowhere near where the baby would be and lay down with her arm outstretched. Draco lay Arya down on Maya's arm and then got into bed himself.
'Your arm is going to be sore if you lie like that.' He said to her, moving Arya so she could take her arm back.
'I feel like it's safer there though.' She said. 'It will make me remember she's there, so I don't roll over on to her.'
'Maya, you're not going to roll on to her.' He promised. 'She'll be fine. Now, sleep.' He ordered his girlfriend, while he stroked their daughter's tummy. She was no longer crying and after a few minutes of him soothing her, she started to close her eyes.
…
Maya woke with a start when her alarm went off the next morning; the sudden movement and noise set Arya off again.
'Oh, I'm sorry baby girl. I'm sorry.' She moaned, leaning down to kiss her daughter. Maya smiled as she thought about that. My daughter. Our daughter. She sighed as she looked over at Draco; he looked so peaceful and she found herself just sitting watching him for a few minutes.
'Do I have something on my face?' a voice asked and when she looked up at his eyes, his beautiful grey eyes, she realised he was awake.
Maya giggled. 'No, I was just thinking about us. About our family – I still can't believe she's ours.' She whispered, nodding to their daughter, who was gurgling away.
'I know. Sometimes when I wake up, I forget and then when I hear her in her cot I remember, and I get so happy. The same when I look at you.' He smiled, leaning over the baby to kiss her.
Arya gurgled and kicked her legs. 'Owww.' Draco complained, rubbing his cheek.
'Ooh, we have a possessive baby!' Maya chuckled, rubbing his cheek where the tiny foot had hit him.
'We have to get up and get ready.' She added, after a few moments.
'Back to Hogwarts' He sighed, 'You ready for this?'
Maya nodded and started to get up from the bed. Arya, sensing her parents moving started to bawl.
'Ohh, don't worry Princess, we weren't forgetting about you.' Draco cooed, leaning over her and lifting her out of the bed. 'I'll feed her, bathe her and get her ready. You check we have everything?' Maya nodded and started looking through their suitcases.
'Draco, do you know where Moony and Padfoot are?' she asked, coming in to the bathroom as he bathed Arya.
'Your dad and Sirius?' he asked, confused.
Maya laughed. 'No, Arya's teddies. I can't see them. I wonder if that's why she couldn't sleep last night? I didn't even notice they weren't in her cot.'
'No, I haven't sweetheart. Maybe in your dad's study? She was in there with him before bedtime yesterday.'
Maya nodded and made her way downstairs; she passed Narcissa in the hallway, but the older woman barely looked at her before hurrying up the stairs. Maya sighed thinking back to the conversation they had yesterday.
'You two will be so busy with classes, you won't have any time for her at Hogwarts. We can look after her here!' Narcissa had seethed.
''We're not going to leave her here!' Maya shouted. 'She's our daughter and she's coming with us. Why do you want us to leave her behind?'
'Maya, I don't WANT you to leave her behind, but I think it's for the best. Is it really a good life for a baby at Hogwarts?'
'Well it's never happened before so we'll let you know once we're settled.' Maya hissed, flouncing out of the room.
Draco had come back up ten minutes later and told her he had made sure his mum knew they were both on the same page.
'Mum, did you really think we would leave Arya here?' Draco asked sadly. 'She's our daughter mum, Maya can hardly bear to be away from her for 5 minutes, never mind a school term!'
'Well, don't blame me if your NEWTs don't go well.' Narcissa responded and walked out.
Maya sighed again and entered her father's study. 'Dad have you se- umm, what are you doing?' she asked, confused. Sirius and Remus were standing with Arya's teddies in their hands, casting spells on them.
'Nothing!' they both said at once.
'No, seriously – what are you doing?'
'We just wanted to-.' Sirius started, looking at his friend for help.
'We just want to make sure Arya doesn't forget our voices.' Remus said, quietly. 'We were casting spells on the teddies so they would speak to Arya with our voices.'
'Seriously? That's so cool! Can I hear?'
Remus, glad that his daughter was ok with what they were doing, handed Moony over to her. 'Just squeeze the paw.' He said.
'Arya Lupin-Black, Grandpa Remus loves you so much!' a soppy voice said.
'Aww Dad, that's amazing!'
Sirius jumped up and handed Maya Padfoot and told her to squeeze his nose. 'Arya Lupin-Black, Grandad Sirius loves you more!'
Remus threw daggers at Sirius while Maya laughed. 'Thank you both; this is very sweet.' She smiled, giving them both a kiss before heading back to their room and showing Arya the teddies. Arya's eyes lit up when she heard both voices.
'She's going to miss them so much.' She whispered to Draco, leaning in to his chest.
'I know, but we'll still see them all the time. McGonagall has already said that as long as the eighth years show up to classes and the majority of meals, we can pretty much do whatever we want.' He smiled, kissing the top of her head.
Maya nodded and smiled up at him.
'It's 9.45.' he said, looking at his watch. 'We should get going – we've got so much stuff!' he laughed.
Maya nodded and gathered up Arya, Moony and Padfoot, while Draco levitated their luggage. They made their way downstairs.
'Are you all ready?' Remus asked, coming out of his study. Maya nodded.
'Thanks again for driving us Dad.' She smiled.
'No problem. Let me just get the keys and then I'll help Draco pack up the car. You put Arya in to her car seat ok?' Maya nodded again.
Draco followed Remus to the kitchen where they found the keys; they then went out to the car and started to load all the luggage in to the boot. Maya started to settle Arya in to her car seat. The girl hated this thing, but it was handy – Maya soothed her with kisses and her new teddies, making them talk to her.
'Maya?' A voice said behind her.
'Narcissa.' Maya said, without turning around.
'I just wanted to say I'm sorry.' The older woman whispered, kneeling down next to Maya where she was settling Arya. 'I know you would never leave her here. I'm just going to miss you all so much.'
'Cissy, we'll miss you too. Especially Arya – she adores her granny Cissy! I'm sorry for yesterday too – I shouldn't have shouted at you.'
'You had every right to shout at me! I was being crazy! Now, when are you coming back?' she asked, staring at her granddaughter.
Maya laughed. 'We'll be back every Saturday for tea. That way, Draco and I won't be too tired after classes and we won't need to leave too early for classes the next day.' Narcissa nodded.
'Maya, we're ready for the car seat.' Draco called from the front door.
'Coming!' she shouted back, standing up. Narcissa kissed her granddaughter again and then hugged Maya.
'Look after yourselves.' She said, coming to the front door and hugging her son too.
'We will mum – see you in 3 days ok!' Draco laughed.
