So, after much consideration, I have decided NOT to write the sequel to Return that I was planning. My time is taken up with Operation Werewolf and a prompt collection I'm going to start, plus school and stuff. LOL. So yeah. Please enjoy this little bite of the Malfoy-Gallagher's future and thanks to everyone who read Enemies Through Time and Return!
Kiss kiss, Valkyrian
Ian Malfoy was in the doghouse.
Of course, a little forgetfulness on his part was excusable, he reasoned as he tossed and turned on the extra squishy sofa his wife insisted was very comfortable. He had spent too many nights trying to get comfortable on the damned thing to agree with her. And besides, the bloody thing was over twenty years old. It was time to get rid of it, time hadn't helped the squishiness.
It was one time! Draco cried. One time, and we had a viable reason to forget! Besides, it was just a promotion lunch, what's the big deal?
It was important to Eirien! Chase argued as he punched his pillow in an effort to get comfortable. It was important and I was to busy with a stupid case to remember.
One time! Draco snapped We always remember everything else, anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's Day. She can't cut us a little slack?
Aah! Ian sat up and slapped himself to get the argument to stop.
A small sound from the kitchen had him up and creeping to the doorway, wand held loosely. Which of his children was up at five AM? When he peeked around the doorpost and saw who was there, he chuckled and stepped in .
Eirien was standing by the stove, frowning at the tea kettle.
"You're up early," he said softly.
Eirien spun around, catching the mug she knocked off the counter as she did. Ian smiled at how graceful she was, like a dancer, despite her advanced pregnancy. Her pixie-like features changed from surprise to pleasure at the sight of her father, though he could see the dark circles under her eyes.
She needs to be getting more sleep, Chase noted as he watched her move around the kitchen, getting another mug and teabag, it isn't good for her or the baby if she is exhausted all the time.
"Hi Daddy," she greeted him, turning on the burner beneath the kettle. "What are you doing up?" Unconsciously, the fingers of her left hand traced the tattoo on her right wrist.
"Couldn't sleep," he said lightly, going to the fridge and looking through the contents, amused by the empty containers and unwrapped food filling the shelves. Phoenix had tried to cure the twins of their midnight feeding raids for years and had never been successful. Ian merely found it amusing, unless something he had marked for himself went missing. He gathered the empty containers and discarded wrappers and disposed of them, containers in the sink and wrappers in the trash. "You?"
"Same. I was talking to Callum and I decided I wanted tea." She nodded to the paper-thin computer resting next to the stove. It was the latest laptop, a touch screen with a built in light that produced a holographic keyboard.
"I see. How is MaCrae?" Ian asked through gritted teeth. It didn't matter to him that Callum had stayed around to help Eirien with the baby, despite having no apparent intention of marrying her. He disliked the Irish American for getting his daughter pregnant in the first place, and his easy-going personality and ability to charm Phoenix and her female relatives grated on Ian's nerves. Fortunately, most of the men in the extended Weasley family, including Remus and Teddy Lupin, shared at least a small part of Ian's dislike. Phoenix had teased him on several occasions of being a hypocrite, as they had married after Eirien was conceived, but he chose to ignore her when she did so. He disliked Callum MaCrae and nothing was going to change his mind. Yes, the Weasleys may have forgiven him for getting Phoenix pregnant, but he had no intention of doing the same for a while. He was a Malfoy and Malfoy's didn't let go of grudges easily. This was one of the few times Chase, Draco and Ian agreed about anything. All of them thought Eirien was too good for MaCrae.
"He's doing well," Eirien said airily, pretending not to notice her father's tone. "The conference is wrapping up, he said he'll be back in England tomorrow."
"Mmmph." Eirien was spending a week with her parents while Callum was on a business trip to Hong Kong. Ian wasn't sure why Eirien had decided to return to her parent's home while Callum was gone, instead of staying at their flat in Dublin. He had tried to talk to Eirien about it at the beginning of the stay, but she had been close-mouthed about it, saying only that Callum had requested that they stay there.
"Come on, Daddy, lighten up. I know you don't like Callum, but it isn't bad that he's coming home." She winced and pressed a hand to her stomach, frowning. Ian was immediately at her side, concern written across his face.
"Are you okay? What's wrong, is it the baby?" She laughed and waved him away.
"I'm fine, Daddy. He's stretching." Ian nodded slowly and took a step back.
"Have you and MaCrae decided if you are going to stay in that flat or move out, yet?" he asked casually, boosting himself onto the counter, a move he never tried when Phoenix was in the kitchen, reaching for her computer and minimizing the chat window still open, pausing to notice it was Katarina she was talking to, and pulled up her internet browser. Swiftly, he typed a few words into the search bar and tapped one of the links that popped up.
"We're thinking about just waiting until the baby is a few months old at least. Dublin is amazing, but we want our kid to grow up somewhere that isn't so crowded, like Drogheda or something like that."
"I see." He slid the computer to Eirien and smiled innocently. "What do you think of this place?"
Eirien looked at the webpage. It was a real estate page, showing a cottage in the Highlands of Scotland, settled on the edge of a forest with a meadow spreading out around it. Eirien looked around the page to find the location and found, to her surprise, that it was only a few miles from Hogsmeade. The cottage was modest, built to compliment its surroundings rather than overshadow. The meadow, Eirien mused, would be perfect for children to run around it, with a fence around part of the land to mark the boundaries. There would be room for a small family to grow and maybe get a few animals as well. She fell in love with it immediately.
"It's pretty," she said nonchalantly, going back to fixing her tea. "But, it's near Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. No muggle who buys it will be able to stay to enjoy it, the wards around the village and school with make sure of that."
"True. But, it's a lovely spot and it would be nice to live there."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Would you like to live there, Angel?" he pressed.
"Sure, I guess. Why?"
"Cause it's yours."
There was silence for a long moment before Eirien shrieked and threw her arms around his neck. Ian smiled and held her lightly, afraid of hurting her baby.
"Really, Daddy?" she squealed. He laughed and nodded.
"Yes, sweetheart. It's a birthday, graduation, congratulations and what-the-hell present. I'm sorry I missed your promotion lunch."
"Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I totally understand about the lunch, Mum told me you caught a break. And besides, it's not like it was a big deal, it's just an aide job. 's not like I'm going to keep it for very long anyways, what with the baby. Oh, thank you!"
"You're welcome."
"Wha's going 'n?" a sleepy male voice asked from the doorway. They turned to find Cameron, Kiernan and Phoenix in the kitchen doorway, watching them curiously. Phoenix was pulling her short bathrobe shut to hide her short, black nightdress. The twins were rubbing sleep from their eyes, not caring that they were standing in the kitchen in their boxers.
"Daddy bought us a house!" Eirien squealed. Ian chuckled and put a hand on her shoulder.
"It's from all of us, baby," he said, laughing. Eirien squealed again and hugged her family. The twins, resigning themselves to the likelihood of not getting any sleep for a while, started asking Eirien questions at top speed. While their children were laughing and arguing, Phoenix appeared at Ian's side and smiled.
"I thought we were waiting until Callum got back to give them the cottage?" she whispered, eyes twinkling as the twins started arguing about who would get to paint where. Eirien was laughing as they argued, thoroughly amused. Ian smirked.
"Ah, but then my baby girl would turn to MaCrae in excitement, not me," he told her. Phoenix rolled her eyes and poked his side.
"Always looking after yourself, aren't you, Malfoy?" she said sarcastically. Ian merely smiled, he heard the loving undertones in her words.
"No, now I have to look after all of you as well," he said softly, putting his hands on her hips and drawing her close. He rested his forehead against hers and smiled down at her. "And look, I didn't forget, I just waited to give her a gift."
Phoenix laughed and patted his cheek before standing on her toes and kissing him soundly. "Of course you didn't forget."
Ian smirked into the kiss and tightened his grip on her. "I never forgot."