March came in like a warm breeze through a meadow. Today was the day Theo and Millicent would find out the gender of the child she carried. Millicent had to admit she was conspiratorially hoping for a girl, even though she knew Theo wanted a boy, his heir. He hoped to name the boy Theodore Nott the third, but Millie was secretly hoping they would have Theadora Valentina Nott.
They were due at her parents house at half past one, and it was now half past noon and neither of them were ready. Theo was buttoning his shirt in the mirror, still in his pants. She chuckled at him as she finished pinning back her hair. She wore a pink, blue and black striped dress with black gladiator sandals. She walked over to him and laid his trousers over the back of the chair beside him and his black leather shoes on the floor.
"Don't forget your trousers Theo," she nudged. He looked down from tying his pink tie and nodded.
"Where's your sense of mischief? I would cause quite a stir if I were to turn up trouserless," he flashed her a toothy grin as he replied.
She rolled her eyes and walked over to him.
"But then all of my friends would want what I have. And you know me well enough to know I don't share," she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek gently.
His hand fell to her belly, which he caressed with a sense of care few possessed. He nuzzled into her neck.
"I know love," he whispered in her ear.
She turned and adjusted his tie, while he picked up his pants. She walked over to grab her purse and watched her fiancè put on his pants and dress shoes. And moments later they were off.
They touched down at the Bulstrode Estate and were instantly greeted by happy cheers and smiles. Her mother had, as expected, spared no expense. There was a chalkboard where guests could mark their guess if Baby Nott was a boy or a girl, a table where they could pick up a necklace of the color they were expecting. It was glorious. Millicent walked around the room, greeting her friends while Theo began talking animatedly with Draco and the rest of his mates.
Millicent finally made it to where her friends were, and was pulled into an embrace by Hermione and then Pansy. Everyone was excited for them and it made Millicent's heart nearly burst. She noticed that Hermione wore a powder blue dress. She was on Theo's side of it. Pansy wore her classic little black dress with a string of bubblegum pink pearls. She shouldn't be surprised. Pansy rarely changed out of her black dresses, even for liking the color violet so much.
After nearly an hour of socializing her mother got all the partygoers' attention and motioned for everyone to walk outside. Theo came back to her side and placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her through the estate until they reached the backyard.
Hoisted up on one of the branches of the old maple tree was a large black balloon. Millicent smiled. Her mother had followed her directions perfectly. And her mother had kept the secret of Baby Nott's gender like a vault in Gringotts.
After all had assembled in the garden, her mother gave Theo the go ahead. He pulled out his want and took a deep breath. He looked down at her.
"Ready?" He asked. She nodded.
"Diffindo," he called.
Theo pulled her into a kiss as she saw pink and purple confetti fall from above them. She was ecstatic. She was getting her little girl.
When Theo pulled away he looked out to the assembled guests and beamed.
"Family and friends, my darling Millicent and I would like to introduce you to the newest addition to the Nott and Bulstrode family trees, our daughter, Theadora Valentina Nott," his voice boomed as he held onto Millicent's belly. Everyone cheered for them as the couple shared another kiss.
He had hoped for a boy, because what man doesn't want a son, but now knowing he was having a daughter...it made him love Millie even more.
He kissed her again before her mum pulled her away and congratulated her with a hug.
He was watching her socialize when he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. He turned to see Draco, Blaise and Greg with massive smiles on their faces.
"Merlin help her when that girl decides to date. Between Uncle Draco and Uncle Blaise, no boyfriend stands a chance, to say nothing of Daddy," Draco commented to which Theo laughed.
"She will definitely be one spoiled, pampered and protected little princess, just like her mum," Theo replied, not taking his eyes off of his fiancèe.
"Congratulations mate, we can't wait to meet her," Blaise tousled Theo's hair.
"Neither can I," he continued.
When Millicent was seated, her mother having sufficiently made a fuss over her standing for too long, Pansy presented her with a bright pink box. Millicent looked at her questioningly.
"I knew it was going to be a girl, so this is a gift from her Auntie Pansy," she said, looking at her friend.
Millicent pulled off the lid of the box to find a neatly folded black dress onesie. Atop it was a beaded pacifier clip decorated with pearls. Millicent lifted the dress up and noticed a black hair bow in the bottom of the box, with black lace trimmed socks.
"Pansy! This is beautiful!" Millicent squealed excitedly.
"Every girl needs a little black dress, Thea is no exception," Pansy replied, smiling and using the agreed upon nickname should the baby have been a girl.
"You're so sweet Pans," Millicent reached over to hug her friend before placing the gift back in it's box.
Several hours later, Millicent grew tired and the guests began to retire to their own homes. She was being a perfect hostess and seeing her guests out but Theo could see every move she made was made with pain. He walked over to the woman he loved and stood behind her. He felt her lean back on him gently and he kissed her temple.
"Just a few more guests and then we can go home and you can relax my love. I'll rub your feet if it would help," he whispered, pulling back her hair.
Millicent nodded.
"That sounds wonderful. I just want to go home and lie down," she replied.
He nodded his understanding.
After a few more guests, she was hugging her mum and dad goodbye. She and Theo flooed home and once inside their dwelling, she collapsed onto their sofa.
Theo smiled down at her as she ardently rubbed her belly. He sat on the coffee table and untied the gladiator sandals she wore. He slipped them off gingerly, and ran the pads of his fingers over the bottoms of her toes. She moaned out loud at the release of tension. Theo smirked and used a nonverbal Accio to call a bottle of nail polish to his hand. It was a bright pink, she had bought just for this occasion. He rubbed circles into her soles for a few more moments before he shook up the nail polish bottle.
Ten minutes later he was finished and he noticed she was nearly asleep. He stopped and placed her feet gently on the table. He moved to sit beside her on the sofa. He watched her as she inhaled and exhaled peacefully. He stroked her face and then dropped his hand to stroke her belly.
"I love you Theodore Nott," Milli whispered, eyes still closed, "and our baby Thea too."
"I love my girls," he whispered back sleepily as he rested his head against hers on the back of their sofa.
Peace overcame them and the couple slept the night away.