The day began as any other. Out of bed. Morning routine. Breakfast. Mandatory "family time" in the sitting room. Surprisingly, his mother did not nag him about finding a wife and continuing the line. As usual, his father read the Daily Prophet and made the occasional disparaging remark about the news of the day.
In the midst of their routine gathering, an elf brought in a large, sealed basket addressed to him. Thinking it was some elaborate fruit basket from an admirer, he unsealed it. His eyes widened and he sat, gaping, at the contents. His mother noticed his shocked expression and came over. She gasped.
Cradled securely among soft pillows and warm blankets were three tiny babies with pale gold hair. They were sleeping, but as if sensing a presence, they awoke and stared at him. Confusion for a moment clouded their grey eyes. Then they gurgled happily.
"Lucius!"
As they gently lifted the triplets from the basket, there was no doubt in their minds that he had miraculously become a father.
Who, though, was the mother? Why had she abandoned them at their doorstep?
***
Discreet inquiries had so far drawn blanks. Draco had easily dismissed all the paid companions of the past year, knowing that any one of them would have come with the babies to demand security, money, or both. As for the other girls he had bedded, not one could be found who had suddenly disappeared from public view for a stretch of time.
Of course, there was one other...that one who had triggered his bout of casual flings and one-night stands. But surely, surely she could not be the mother. It was true that he had broken up with her, to his eternal regret. It was true that she had moved out of the country to start a new job and a new life. But it was not in her nature to abandon anyone, let alone her own flesh and blood, even if they were the spawn of the world's biggest git.
He would never admit it aloud to anyone, even under duress, but he knew he was a git to break up with her. They started dating as a consequence of an unspoken attraction that had been obvious since their school days, but he started panicking when he started needing her more and more. It was not sufficient to see her once a week, then several times a week. It was not even sufficient to share her bed several times a week. He started thinking about annual vacations, waking up on Christmas morning to open presents, anniversary gifts...hell, he started thinking about colour schemes and furniture for a yet unspecified common abode. (The big 'M' word was still something that he refused to name, even in his head.)
And so, as panic set in, he did what he always did: he fled. He would never forget the devastation in her eyes when he told her he never wanted to see her again, that their little romance had run its course. She didn't cry or scream or hex. She didn't run to the gossip columns to give a tell-all interview. She simply packed up her things and her cat, and she moved to France, leaving no note and certainly no forwarding address.
Shrill cries interrupted his brooding. The triplets were awake and, from the force of their cries, very hungry. He scrambled to get their bottles warmed and ready.
After emptying out the basket, he had found, among several items, three bottles filled with milk. At first, his mother was adamant that her grandchildren be properly fed by wet nurses, and three were hired. Unfortunately, the triplets refused to suckle. Even when it was obvious that they were starving, they would start fussing as soon as the nurses tried to hold them. And so, the bottles were used. To their relief, the bottles were magicked to replenish themselves as soon as they were empty. However, the babies were still cranky and restless when they were fed by the nurses. They only settled down when they were held by their father or their grandparents. Their magic had manifested already: they only recognized kin. As he stared into his daughter's beautiful eyes, he wondered again what kind of witch could ever want to give up her children.
***
She was back.
He d heard rumours that the Ministry was attempting to strengthen ties with the others around the world and was seeking talents from the community who could serve as ambassadors and emissaries. She had always been ambitious, and now, with a large salary and excellent benefits, she could start making the impact she d always talked about wanting.
And she looked gorgeous. The sparkle that he used to see at school was back, mingled with a newly-found aura of sophistication. And her smile. Merlin, he missed how the room seemed to brighten when she smiled. Her smile only wavered slightly when she noticed him, although her eyes hardened, and it took every ounce of his will to not run away. She greeted him politely, if coolly.
As the evening wore on, her hauteur softened a bit. He shamelessly flirted with her. Once or twice, he thought he caught a flash of that passion that she d always reserved for him during their times alone, but before he could be sure, the spark was gone, and she would keep him at arm's length for a while until he managed to break her defences.
But while he was the first to flee at any sign of trouble, he was also stubborn and relentless when he wanted something. And he wanted her. There was no way he was letting her go this time. So, when the opportunity came, he wrangled a date out of her.
***
Infuriating! That's what she was! Hot and cold. Friendly and aloof. What was she playing at? If this was her plan for revenge, then she was going about it all wrong! If she truly hated him, she would do everything in her power -- and that power was quite immense as she was making great headway on the international scene -- to make his life a living hell. But she didn't. She'd flirt, and during those moments when she let her guard down, she'd talk like old times. But then she'd ignore him for weeks. They'd see each other at the Ministry or in Flourish and Blotts, and she'd act like they were complete strangers! She was driving him mad.
But crazy as she was making him, he was not giving up. When she left, she d taken his heart with her, even if he didn't realize it at the time. Now, even if he couldn't have hers, he would make sure she was his, if only physically. He still had one trump card to play, and now, after weeks of pursuit, it was time to show his hand.
***
"You are an unbelievable bastard, Draco Malfoy!"
"What the fuck? That's not an answer!"
"Fine, then my answer is 'No'! How could you possibly think that I would want to marry you, after what you did to me!"
"I already told you, I'm sorry I pretended that you were nothing but a casual fling! I was scared! I hate losing control, and I felt weak and helpless around you. After what the Dark Lord did to me, I vowed I would never let anyone take control of my life again. And you, you only had to crook a finger, and I'd forget everything I promised myself." He paused to rein in his emotions. In a quieter voice, "You were always the stronger one. I couldn't bear to be some plaything you could toss aside."
"When have I ever given you the impression that I thought of you as a plaything? You never trusted me, even when I proved that I wouldn't leave you! Harry and Ron threatened to never speak to me again, and your parents vowed to disown you, but I was still there at the end of the day, remember? But then you turned around and told me I meant nothing to you. I was just wasting my time. You broke my heart once, and I'll be damned if I let you do it again!"
"I broke your heart? How could I possibly have broken your heart? You don't have one!"
"How dare you, you arrogant, inbred git! You hypocritical bastard! You're the heartless monster!"
"Oh really? At least I don't abandon people and traipse over to France and then come back home as if nothing happened!"
"I didn't abandon you! You dumped me! And then you had the nerve to flirt with me like I was one of your whores!"
"I'm not talking about me! And don't get all self-righteous on me! You flirted back. And you've been playing hot and cold and driving me insane! But then again, why should that surprise me? You were always manipulative!"
"Self-righteous? Manipulative? Did you forget what you said to me that night? 'Mudbloods are only good for casual fucking!' And now you're saying you never meant it, that you were scared. Well, how am I supposed to know when you'll be scared again? What will you say to me the next time you're tired of me?"
"Don't make it sound like it was all my fault! You would've eventually chosen Potty and the Weasel over me! You were just angry at them for bossing you around. But after a few weeks, you would've abandoned me to appease them!"
"No I wouldn't! I'd never abandon anyone I love!"
"Oh, really? I find that hard to believe!"
"Why? When have I ever abandoned anyone?"
"You abandoned your children, didn't you?" And with that, he took a picture out of his wallet and thrust it under her nose. Hermione stared at her smiling, six-month-old babies with hungry eyes then burst into tears. She tried to flee, but he grabbed her arm and roughly spun her around to face him.
"You're not going anywhere!"
"Let me go! Let me go! I didn't abandon them! I would never have given them up if I could afford to keep them! After the war, I was left with close to nothing! I modified my parents memories and sent them to Australia so that they could escape Voldemort, but when I went to find them, I couldn't reverse the Charm. And I had only very little money that I could access, through the Muggle bank and Gringott's. Do you really have that low of an opinion of me that you think I would cast aside my children like you did me? Well, I guess I must be thankful that you didn't send them to an orphanage! Thank goodness I was paranoid enough to put a tracing spell on them -- should you have refused to acknowledge them, I would have swallowed my pride, begged Harry for money, and brought them back to France with me!"
"Well, if you marry me, you won't have to worry about money, and you'll get to see them every day."
"I can't marry you! You don't trust me, and I don't dare trust you! Even if we did it for the children, we'd end up making their lives miserable. How can they grow up to be normal, healthy human beings when their parents can't set a good example for them?"
"Well, what do you propose? You're out of your mind if you think I'll let you take them away from me! And why are you so sure our marriage won't work and our children won't be normal? Did you forget that we did beat the odds and managed to stay together those two years? I know, I was a bastard to let you go and make you think I didn't care. I'm sorry! This past year has been hell with you gone. Please, give me another chance!"
"Draco, I want to, I really do. But I need time to think, to sort through what I'm feeling. I'm so confused right now!"
"You're complicating things by over-analyzing them. It doesn't have to be hard. We forget the past. We start over. We get married. We take care of the children together."
"It's not that simple! What about your parents?"
"What about them? They'll come around once we tell them you're the mother of my children. And don't make this one-sided: Potty and the Weasel aren't exactly clamouring to be best mates with me."
"You see, you just proved it's not that easy! But if you think you can talk your parents into it, then I most certainly can convince Harry and Ron. But we're getting ahead of ourselves, Draco. First, we have to convince ourselves."
"What will it take to convince you? I already know I'm not letting you go ever again."
"I don't know. Let's -- why don't we start with a date, a real date. Put aside our past and forget agendas, just get to know each other again, re-build things. We need to take things slowly. And we have to talk about everything, even when we're scared or angry or hurt."
"I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow, and we'll go to Septimius'."
"You're such a Slytherin."
"And you're such a Gryffindor. So, is that a yes?"
"Yes."
***
They were laughing. He d never heard them laugh. Sure, they had smiled their wide, toothless smiles countless times -- and why had he never noticed that all three of them had her smile? -- but this was the first time he'd heard them laugh.
Hermione was speaking absolute nonsense to them, and they were replying with giggles and gurgles and blabber. Watching them, he felt a pang of guilt for ever thinking she could have willingly abandoned them. He was angry at himself for hurting her, and he had transferred his self-loathing to her. He knew now, more than ever, that he had to do whatever it took to win her heart.
In the library, Narcissa and Lucius were observing all five of them through a two-way mirror that they had installed to keep an eye on the triplets. A tear. A nod. A silent agreement that they would do whatever it took to keep them together.
***
She felt that she could burst from all this happiness.
Her father had proudly walked her down the aisle. All her friends and family were here to celebrate with her.
If she had had any doubts as to how genuine her in-laws' affections were toward her, they were dispelled when Lucius had returned from Australia after successfully reversing her Memory Charm on her parents. She was ready for their first dance, but where was he?
***
"I can't believe he'd even consider marrying that gold-digging Mudblood! She's certainly a devious one, getting pregnant and then planting those brats at the Manor to thwart all the other women. She should've been sorted in Slytherin, with that mind of hers!"
SLAP! "Don't you ever say such things about my wife again!"
"She's got you hooked bad, Draco! I never thought I'd see the day when the great Draco Malfoy would defend a Mudblood slag!"
He was not about to stoop to their level and cause a scene -- it was his wedding day! -- and so Daphne Greengrass managed to escape a moment later with only a mild case of acne. She'd discover the Gryffindor coat-of-arms tattoo when Flint threw her out of his bed that night.
"So I was right all this time! You did have a thing for that filthy Mudblood in school! And to think, I actually let go of the opportunity to torture you about it!"
"Be thankful you were always such a mediocre screw that I didn't lose control and yell her name in your ear!" Pansy tried to scream in response but expelled flobberworms instead of insults. She fled.
Feeling a familiar hand on his arm, Draco took a deep breath and schooled his features before turning around to stare at his wife. His wife. He smiled. It widened when she asked, "Draco, will you dance with me?"
"Of course, love."
The music started. "Draco, forget what they said. This is our day. Don't let them ruin it."
"You heard everything?"
"No, I only caught the last bit of your comment to Pansy, but I can guess what they said to make you react in such a way. Draco, you can't stop them from talking. You just have to learn to ignore them."
"How can I? They'll be spreading vicious rumours about you if no one stops them!"
"There will always be people who will speak ill of us and wish the worst, but those aren't people whose opinion matter to us. We love each other, and we have your parents blessing, besides. And even if they aren't that friendly with you yet, my friends can always be counted on to support us when it matters."
"I suppose."
"Draco, whatever they said to you can't be any worse than what they said to me. I didn't even respond; I walked away. I've proven to them that they can't hurt me. I learned that ignoring hurtful comments just leaves the perpetrator feeling defenceless and frustrated." She grinned and gave him a sly look, "If you'll recall, that's what I always did in school with your taunts."
"I see. So, tell me, what made you decide to start talking to the Slytherin prat that day in Flourish and Blotts?"
"I wanted the book you were holding."
"Oh, my battered heart! To think I believed you when you gave me that speech about doing away with old prejudices and truly defeating the Dark Lord!"
"Well, you wanted it too! Besides, how else would the gold-digging Mudblood ever catch the Prince Prat of Slytherin?"
"Don't call yourself that! They're only jealous because the babies hate them. You're probably not aware, but for a time, Mother had all the eligible candidates lined up to be the next Mrs. Malfoy because she insisted that the babies needed a mother. So, she brought each woman into the nursery to see who would get along the best with the triplets. Well, they screamed whenever any one of them tried to cuddle them. They only recognize kin, so they would only let Mother hold them."
"How very Malfoy of them. I bet Narcissa only considered pure-blood witches, though. What about the half-blood and Muggle-born ones? Ron was just filling me in the other night on the number of pure-blood and non-pure-blood conquests you made after we broke up. I think that was his last attempt to dissuade me."
"Git! I'll admit that I dated a lot of women, but it was only to forget you! And I didn't sleep with all of them! I usually never got past the snogging before your face flashed before me! Only those few who were adamant enough to take things further, in spite of my obvious loss of interest, got into my bed. But even then, it's your name I called out, and I had to Obliviate them afterwards."
"Well then, Mr. Malfoy, it looks like you caught a lucky break when I decided to leave the babies at your doorstep. What the gossips would say if they ever found out the reputed Malfoy Casanova was a bleeding heart Gryffindor underneath all that Slytherin contempt!"
"Shut up! And what about the Gryffindor Goody-goody who somehow managed to secure the Ministry's hosting of the First International Wizarding Charity Ball for the Building of Socioeconomic Infrastructure? Surely that lion has a reptilian tail and fangs."
"I married a Slytherin. It's rubbing off."
"Well, I married a Gryffindor. She's great in bed. Ow!"
"Prat!"
"You married him, willingly too. What does that say about your taste in men, I wonder?"
"Exactly what it says about you marrying a Muggle-born and forever tainting the family jewels."
"Well, I suppose I could live with the shame if such gorgeous children can be produced. I do expect more."
"Expect, is it? Tell me, what other expectations do you have?"
"Getting you out of your clothes and making you scream!"
A loud Pop! was heard in the middle of the dance floor.