A better future
The tall blonde man was mwalking through St Mugos at an unhurried pace. People were turning around to watch him but this didn't make him any less poised than he was. He was used to the attention all his life. Before it was as the spoilt son of the rich Lord Malfoy but now he was know for who he was and his action during the war helped him make a name for himself. He smiled that the thought and continued walking.
He took a turn and stopped to look at his destination, the maternity ward. He walked through to find the people he was searching for pacing the length of the floor while their companions were looking on eagerly.
Draco Malfoy was laughing inwardly to see the two people who were generally relaxed so worked up. He looked that the first man , signature shaggy hair and green eye, the Man who lived, Harry Potter and next to him was the wayward son of the Blacks, yet now Lord of them all, Sirius Black. He looked tired yet the happiness in eyes were evidence they were here today for something everyone one of them in the room was waiting for.
He walked up to them and said " Hello you two, looking at you pace one would have the tiny doubt about who is the father. Harry while I understand she is your sister and is and always very important to you, just relax and let my cousin here do the pacing. It is his right."
Harry looked at him with his eyebro raised and said " well that one thing and another is I am practicing, if you forgot my wife is due next week and if I remember rightly you were no better last month." He smirked as he said this
Draco held up his hand in surrender, and shook his head and pulled Harry to the seat next to Neville Longbottom.
Neville said " The ladies are giving company to Moine while we are here waiting for some news and just seeing Sirius pacing is hurting my head."
Everyone laughed at this and just then a pair of twins entered the ward followed by their respective wives who took a look at the men and went in through the door leading to the private birthing suite.
Fred and George spoke with Sirius and asked him about the news to which Sirius shrugged and said " they won't let me in until the actual birth. I am forced to wait here while all the ladies are in there. "
Fred and George smiled and went to sit with the rest of the men.
Fred said " hello lads, how's it going ?"
" how do you think ?" answered Harry." I am tired from waiting almost 6 hrs for my dear sister to deliver my nephew or niece. Just to top it James decided to steal and eat all the pudding Daphne had kept because of her weird cravings and then threw up all over me. I was seriously planning to give my child away when I got Padfoot's patrouns saying Moine went into labor. I cleaned him up and Daf gave him some stomach potion and we left him with her mother and came here. I was hoping for some news sooner." Harry was ranting now.
" and now you up for child number 2. Seriously what were you thinking." Draco asked.
" Apparently I wasn't." was the answer.
Sirius came and sat down and just then the mediwitch came through and said " Lord Black, we are ready for you if you are interested in being present for the baby being born."
Sirius nodded his head eagerly and followed the witch while everyone sat up. Just then the ladies walked out.
Daphne came and sat next to Harry and he said " Love don't strain yourself please. I understand you wanted to be here but I don't think you should be straining yourself so much."
Daphne smile and said " I know honey I was sitting down and speaking with her. You know moral support and all that. She is fine by the way. It's all good. We don't have to worry about any complications as such."
Harry sighed with relief , her torture at Malfoy Manor had affected her in more ways that they ever thought it would. If it wasn't for Padfoot, Moine would have been lost and deep down in depression. He shook his head and decided not to go digging back into the past. It was best if left there. Angelina and Alicia were talking about their kids antics and Fred and George were smiling at them .
"Draco , how is Tori and Scropy doing? I hope she is recovering nicely." asked Daphne
Draco smiled at his sister in law and said " Both of them are doing good. He is a very good baby now. Sleeping and eating alright. Me and Tori take turn for feeding and changing him. It is very nice feeling."
Everyone smiled and remembered their children and the stages while praying for Hermione. They all knew how important the child was for Sirius and Hermione.
Meanwhile, inside the suite. Hermione laid on the bed with her legs propped up . Sirius all but ran to her side. He stopped and looked at her and almost forgot to breathe . It was almost 5 years of marriage and they have been through a lot in all this time but even today she look downright sexy and breathtaking to him. He could not explain the feeling but seeing her here ready to give birth to his child gave him a sense of comfort and also desire for the witch. He always desired her, from the moment he came from the veil straight to Hogwarts in between the fight. They fought and he was mesmerised by her beauty. It broke his heart a bit to see her kiss Ronald Wesley at the end of the war. The following days were a blur, there was his need to be with her that he could never explain and Harry was first among to notice it and warned him off and told him about how Ron was when it came to her.
He was forced out his musing as he heard her cry in pain from the contractions.
He sat next to her and held her hand and kissed her forehead and said " Mia, don't worry we are almost there. Our child will be here soon and we will have our perfect family that we dreamt of.
Hermione smiled through her tears . She loved the man infront of her. She could not be thankful enough for all that happened to them and how they were together. She looked at her handsome husband and could not help feel all her love for him fill her heart.
Just then the healer said " Lady Black we are ready for you to push. The next contraction you have to push as hard as you can."
Sirius looked and Hermione and said " you can baby, I am there with you"
Hermione felt a contradiction wash over and she did as she was told. She pushed with all her might. She felt the baby moving down and then she pushed again while pressing Sirius's hand so hard that she was sure she would have broken it. He didn't seem to mind it but held on.
The healer said " I can see the head and the hand , one more push and the baby will be out."
Hermione pushed with all the energy she had and the baby was out completely.
Sirius moved toward the healer and was asked to cut the cord . He did as instructed and the looked at the baby.
" It's a boy."declared the healer and gave the child to be cleaned up.
Hermione felt a contradiction washing through her again and felt confused why again she thought and told the healer.
The healers said " that's was it then, my suspicion was right. I felt it was twins but I didn't want to give you high hope hence I didn't mention my doubts, but now you know the drill Hermione."
Sirius was in shock to hear about the fact that he was having one more baby. "Twins, oh dear Merlin..."
He didn't have time to process further because in a blur his second child was born , a girl this time. He was pulled out his shock by seeing the happiness on Hermione's face.
He didn't hestiate then, mindful of his wife situation, hugged her tightly while saying " thank you... thank you my love... today you have given me the biggest treasure of it all. I can't thank you enough."
Soon the mediwitch brought them their children cleaned and properly swaddled. He held his daughter while Hermione held their son.
" what do we call them?" Asked Sirius
" He is Rigel Sirius Black " Hermione said and smiled at the picture in front of her .
She could that their daughter already had her father tightly wrapped around her little finger.
" I guess she would be Dorea Emma Black." said. Sirius looking at his who opened her eyes. She had Hermione chocolate brown eyes and from the looks of it had the signature Black hair just like her brother who looked to a mini himself with eyes similar to him.
Sirius had almost forgotten about all the people waiting outside for news.
He kissed his kids and wife and told he could bring them in.
She nodded and let him take Rigel to be kept in the cot next to her along with his sister.
Sirius walked out with the biggest smile adorned on his aristocratic face.
He asked everyone to come in. The suite filled up with all their friends and family.
Harry being the first one to reach Hermione and hug her followed by Draco and the rest.
He got everyone's attention and said " I would like to introduce our children.." every eyebrow raised and jaw fell open that the word children and they all looked into the cot to see to small babies holding hands while sleeping. Harry was literally crying now. He was very happy for his sister and godfather.
Draco looked at the children and felt happy for the couple. He could not help feeling miserable at the memory of Hermione heartbroken and depressed at the aftermath of her toture by his crazy aunt. If it hadn't being for Sirius she would have been completely broken. She had finally got her complete share of happiness. He was glad it was with his cousin rather than Harry's old sidekick weasel.
Harry couldn't take his eyes of the babies, he had fallen in love yet again. His heart grew with happiness for his godfather and sister, who deserved this beautiful gift infront of him.
He took Baby Dorea in his hands and she woke up and looked at him with beautiful brown eyes similar to her mother's , he just knew he would do anything to keep this child safe from the world. He made a silent promise to protect this child as his own against the world just like her mother protected him throughout their life.
Sirius and Hermione hugged each other and then Sirius got everyone's attention.
He said " okay so we wanted to ask Harry and Daphne to be the godfather and godmother respectively but now we have two of them so Harry and Daphne would you be godparents to our Dorea."
Harry and Daphne smiled and said " it would an honour ." Harry held the baby while Daphne kissed her forehead.
"Now for our son , I would have chosen Remus and Tonks if they were here with us, while it's not possible now I was hoping Draco, you would be my son's godfather, you are family and have been my wife's biggest enemy and now her equally good friend."
Draco blushed and nodded his head while he felt warm inside, he knew that Harry would be the godfather for the child but never did he think he would be given a chance.
Hermione smiled at him and then said " I was hoping that Luna would be the godmother, I don't think she would deny me, but I will wait till she gets back to officially ask her."
Everyone smiled and then Fred said " all that is settled and we are all the favourite uncles who get spoil them rotten. Not that we can top a marauder but.."
" we pledge to do our best.." George completed
" to ensure the future generation of marauders are encouraged and trained .."
" properly" they both concluded
Hermione groaned and said " who I am kidding ! My kids will be prankster.. what else can I expect."
" I can't say anything about the planking part but o sure can tell Sirius will have a hard time keep wizards away from Dorea, she will grow up to look amazing." Said Daphne
" she won't date anyone" said Sirius
" I agree " said Harry
Everyone laughed at Sirius and Harry , it was official the princess had wrapped her father and godfather around her little finger.
Soon Hermione was tired and wanted to sleep. Sensing this everyone started to leave slowly after wishing them luck and happiness.
Sirius put the babies in the cot where they slept peacefully and sat next to Hermione and sang to her softly till she slept. She slept with a smile on her face.
He was so glad that he was the reason of the smile. As he sat back on the chair he thought back to all that happened and how they got together.
The war had officially ended and when the trials came up Harry pushed for Sirius to be trialed and he was cleared and officially pardoned with a compensation and Order of Merlin first class just like the golden trio and others who fought. The public thought that it was because of his innocence that he came back from the veil as a 21 year old. He was utterly depressed as he lost Moony and Tonks he had reached Hogwarts just in time to save Fred from the wall falling on him.
He grieved his best friend and cousin. He attended the trials as Lord Black and casted his votes. The Malfoy trial gave him a shock. While Lucius and Narcissa was thrown into Azkaban Draco proved to be a spy for the Order and only Hermione and Harry was aware of this and they offered their memories which helped Malfoy and even his actions in the Battle of Hogwarts was noteworthy but the memories solidified his claim.
He remembered how Hagrid was forced to carry Harry's limp body to the castle and the feel of utter lose and Neville'a defiance. Everything was blur from there. He then saw Harry stand and run across and Malfoy toss him the wand and ultimately finishing off the Dark Tosser.
So all in all Draco Malfoy was a war hero and was given a Order of Merlin after he testified under Vertiaserum.
Of course the Weasleys were not happy about , Molly, Ron and Ginny were particularly vocal about Harry and Hermione testifying and in the end Harry lost his temper and told Ron that he had no right when he walked out on him during the hunt and if it was not for Malfoy who didn't recognize him when Bellatrix asked they would have been dead now.
A major screaming match occurred and only to end with Hermione fainting. While others were figuring what to, Sirius lifted her and carried her to St Mugnos.
From there it all started, Hermione because of her torture that the hands of Bellatrix suffered internal injuries which were not treated as per requirement which resulted in the dark magic to spread, , it was because Sirius had killed Bellatrix the dark magic spread slower than it was actually meant to, but they were able to contain it and remove the residue but as the byproduct the chances of Hermione bearing a child was very slim and she would be in higher risk if she tried.
Harry was heartbroken at what the healer said and asked to do anything to save his sister and he would spare no expenses till then.
Hermione soon regained her consciousness and was told the truth and she cried herself to sleep. Sirius stayed by her all this time and found it weird that Ron was never there to be with her. Even Draco stopped by every once a while. It was finally Draco who found a old potion book to cure her completely.
During these day Kingsley managed to retrieve her parents and reverse the memory charm and they were glad that their daughter was alive inspite of her misfortune. Her parents met with everyone and were told of everything that happened.
Hermione finally got discharged and returned home to her parents and was settling down when Ron announced his engagement to some witch. Everyone was shocked and Harry ended up breaking his nose for cheating on Hermione. Things took a bad turn from there. It seem Molly and Ginny was in full support for Ron to break relations with Hermione because she could never conceive. It broke her heart and she slipped into depression and her parents were at a loss on what to do, though her father wanted to shoot the boy down and I wanted nothing more than help him. Harry and Sirius took Hermione to their new home to recuperate and slowly she began to recover. It was this time that Sirius listened to his heart and started pursuing her and she initially stayed away but slowly responded.
Meanwhile Harry and Draco were drafted to play for Falmouth Falcons as seeker and chaser respectively, which they readily accepted. Sirius and Hermione never missed their matches
When Hogwarts resumed Hermione went back to complete her last year and there she got close to Daphne as the 8th years were given a common floor for their use without houses dividing them.
She was the one to introduce Daphne to Harry who took her to dates and then ended up marrying two years down the lane much to Sirius's relief. He never like the youngest Weasley anyways.
Sirius continued to handle the role of Lord Black and was instrumental in bring forth many laws to improve the society as a whole.
It was during the Christmas holidays that their relationship came out. Their near and dear one were quick to accept it especially Harry.
From there it was dream for both Hermione and Sirius. They went on public dates and were regularly photographed but it never stopped them from loving each other well if Molly Weasley's screeching infront of Diagon Alley can't stop them then nothing can.
It was after she graduated and took a degree in Magical Law did he propose which she readily accepted.
They got married soon in a lavish ceremony in Hogwarts and were living a very happy life but it always pained Hermione that she could never have children but now they were here as parents to two perfect children.
Life couldn't get any better.