everybody fucking stand up because for the first time, i have finished a chapterfic. i loved writing this and am thankful for all of you who decided to read and give support. it was a fun adventure. don't get your hopes up that i write anymore chapfics instead of just long oneshots lol.
don't own shit.
PART THREE
FEBRUARY, 2012
"Darling," Draco called out to his wife, the witch currently bent over a first year with a fractured radius. Hermione flicked her eyes at him in annoyance, knowing quite well what he was about to say. "Please go sit down."
Hermione stood fully, tucking her wand away so she could use her hands as back support. Her swollen middle, at eight months pregnant, was heavier and just as painful as three bludgers rolling around her insides. She rolled her eyes at Draco, beginning to wrap the girl's set bone. The student giggled softly at the pair, known for their bickering. Hermione gave the girl a sling and a lemon drop, leading her to the hospital wing's entrance.
"Now, keep that out of harm and try not to wet the cast. See me in a couple weeks, but come sooner if it's hurting too much. Tell Hagrid he's not allowed to let you first years around the thestrals if they aren't attached to a carriage." She smiled kindly at the girl, who gave a soft: "Thank you, Madam Malfoy," before skipping off to her house, a prefect close behind her.
"Do I need to get Neville down here again?" Draco drawled as she waddled past him, checking him with an elbow. He feigned injury, leaning against their desk. She swatted at him again and he caught her hand instead, leading her into the armchair she insisted on putting in the wing two years ago.
"I can handle a broken bone, Draco," she huffed. "You're worse than Hig and your mother combined, Merlin."
"I'll be sure to bring that up at dinner this Sunday," he laughed. After three years of marriage, the two of them still teased each other to no end. "You'd hurt Hig's feelings, my love. We both know you wouldn't want that."
Hermione sent him a scowl and he came and placed a kiss on her brow.
"I'll make tea," he said, a hand patting her middle. "If you get out of this chair I'm getting Neville, and you'll have to explain why I pulled the headmaster away from his supper."
"Hate you," Hermione muttered and Draco chuckled, leaving the wing for their office where the kettle and fixings were. She yawned dramatically, rubbing her belly, the baby swimming nonstop inside her. "And you, my little Rhea, are a pain and a half. I reckon I'll get no sleep for the rest of my life." She grinned as a kick illustrated the child's response.
Hermione sat quietly for a few moments, the sound of a kettle whirring from the other room filling up the hospital wing's gloomy silence. She often wondered how Poppy kept sane all by herself here. Her and Draco couldn't have been the only residents at Hogwarts, but they were definitely the first in a while. As matron now, Hermione was extremely glad that she could wear whatever she wanted and not the awful hospital garb the pair had worn in their residency. She still slapped on an apron every now and then, but that was merely so that she didn't smell of pumpkin juice and vomit until her death.
Draco entered shortly with their mugs, handing Hermione hers before settling back into a desk chair. He'd usurp the armchair from his wife while she was on maternity leave, but he obviously let her have it for the time being. She was due in three weeks and refused to return to the manor any sooner than a week before her due date.
It was frustrating but Draco could understand why Hermione wouldn't want to spend two weeks alone in the Manor with his mother and the elves coddling her. He was sure she'd get enough of that while on leave (Draco was also quite sure he'd hear about it often).
The couple had taken over the hospital wing in 2007, Poppy sending them a letter in the summer after their residency announcing her retirement. Minerva had been pleased with their performance and immediately set the duo up for the start of the new school year. Both Hermione and Draco had been scared out of their wits, but the first year passed rather smoothly in terms of students almost dying.
Draco wondered what Smethwyck thought of him now. He'd said kind words about him at the graduation ceremony, but it was all very textbook and noncommittal.
Moving into Hogwarts also began the neverending of feud of my stuff goes here and no it absolutely does not, Malfoy, that still continued to this day. It was also very hard, once the two married, for Hermione to decide which books were to live at Hogwarts for her weeks and what was left behind for the weekend.
They had their own wing of the Manor, complete with too many fancy bedrooms and studies, but Hermione had her own library with a connected floo, so she couldn't complain all that much. Draco had feigned vomiting when he saw what she had done to the very Slytherin-esque decor, her own touches unlike the rest of the Malfoy home.
Draco and Hermione made the decision to spend Monday until Saturday morning at Hogwarts, and then the remains of Saturday and Sunday with Narcissa at the Manor. They always kept sure to notify Neville where they would be on the weekends in case of emergency, the both of them switching between who was on call when.
Some Saturdays Hermione dragged her husband to the Burrow for the large Weasley dinner, which was basically a night of Draco being asked inappropriate questions by the Weasley men. Arthur usually just sat back and let the chaos unfold. During the course of Hermione's pregnancy, Molly had given her enough handmade clothes to last through Rhea's fourth year at Hogwarts.
The Weasley matriarch had knit galaxies and stars into the girl's letter sweater, joking sheepishly to Draco about their family's name tradition. He'd laughed about it in the moment, but he truly did enjoy the way Molly had charmed the stars to shine. Narcissa had fawned over it for days, something he wouldn't expect of his aristocratic mother.
Draco had the elves try out every WWW toy that was sent their way, not fully trusting Ron or George not to prank his unborn daughter. Hermione waved off the exploding rattles and tongue tying pacifiers, but she did some awful howlers to her extended brothers for the jokes.
Harry had given them a very expensive, top of the line child's broom, Ginny adding in Harpies memorabilia despite Draco's hatred for the team (it was often the start of many arguments in the Weasley house or the pubs). Every single one of Rhea's aunts and uncles had very biased gifts, and Hermione had to specifically tell Charlie that he could not gift their daughter a dragon. It had to be repeated several times, both in verbal and written terms.
Rhea's nursery was full of treasure for the girl to explore when she was older, and Draco knew that there would be bets drawn for whose gifts were favoured.
Finishing her tea, Hermione reached for her husband's hand, his long, pale fingers wrapping around hers. She smiled at him and he returned it in kind, tracing a thumb across her knuckles.
"What do I have to do in order for you to carry me to bed?" She asked, rolling her head to the side. Draco sighed, taking her mug and setting it on their desk to be cleaned later. Hermione lifted her legs for him, Draco taking the heavy woman in his arms. He was glad for the workouts he did in the gym the Room of Requirement gave him, or else he'd have dropped Hermione at some point. He guessed she'd never forgive him for that.
"Oh, just get Higgle to make me your special biscuits as payment. She enjoys playing in the flour anyway," he said, grinning. Hermione hummed, her head against Draco's chest.
"She has a bassinet for a reason, mother," Draco said, sitting next to Hermione on a couch in the parlour. Narcissa was currently holding Rhea to her chest, something she did almost every second that Hermione didn't have the baby.
"Hush, Draco. She's my first grandchild, I'm allowed to coddle her." She gave her son a firm look, but it softened as she gazed back down at the infant in her arms. The grandchild in question was fast asleep, swaddled in a green blanket and cap. Rhea, at three weeks old, rarely opened her eyes for anyone but her parents and enjoyed napping in her grandmother's arms. Narcissa bristled anytime she was referred to as such, claiming she looked far younger than a grandmother should.
Hermione had gone into labour the day she started maternity leave, something Draco liked to bring up often. She'd barely settled in before her water broke all over one of his father's prized rugs (Hermione was actually quite pleased about that). Draco flooed his paternity leave replacement from St. Mungo's before arriving home to find his wife, Higgle, mother, and several midwives in his bedroom, Hermione sweating from the pain.
He removed Hig from her mistress' side, asking the elf to attend to whatever the midwives needed. Draco sat at Hermione's side, arm around her back as she spent twelve hours in labour, an "I hate you, you pureblooded bastard," hissed at him during every other contraction. Hermione did indeed break his hand several times, but he simply healed it and gave it back to her.
Narcissa spent the entire labour calmly applying a cold press to Hermione's face and neck, tying back her unruly curls every time they shook loose. There were a couple comments about how her grandchild better not have such troublesome locks.
Rhea Andromeda Malfoy, born at 6:19 in the morning on February 27, weighed 9lbs 9oz and had one big head.
"She better not be a Weasley," Draco had teased when the nurses told him how much Rhea weighed. Hermione, in her tired state, had bit back that her and Ron rekindled their love after her marriage to Draco and that they'd been having an affair the entire time. He chose not to respond, as he was being handed his squabbling daughter, all red and wrinkly from her time in the womb.
Sitting next to Hermione, he placed Rhea in her arms.
"Can't be Ron's," she whispered, a finger stroking the squirming girl's nose. "She's got Narcissa's eyes." His mother cried at that point and Draco smiled, arms around his wife and child.
Now, three weeks later, Rhea had been handed off to every Weasley, Potter, professor, and family friend alike. Pansy had gone pale at the idea of holding her, but Narcissa had practically forced the baby into her arms, which caused Greg to get that we need to go home and make a child now look in his eyes. Both Draco and Hermione snickered about it later when they were alone.
Both parents had refused to let Narcissa hold a presentation ball for Rhea anytime soon, the two both quite tired and unenthusiastic about the idea of carting their infant around a room of rich, drunk people. Hermione told her mother in law that she'd wear sweats to the event if it was held before Rhea was two months old, which made Narcissa roll her eyes, but drop the subject nonetheless.
The couple was quite happy, if not sleep deprived, and they spent their days with their daughter, Draco taking walks in his mother's enclosed gardens with Rhea in his arms when Hermione needed naps. With the harsh winter causing drafts everywhere, he had Hig seal every window more than once with warming charms, scared out of his wits that she would catch a sickness in such a fragile state.
Draco hated changing nappies, but did so without complaint. In the first week, one comment about nappies had him sitting through a half hour lecture from his wife about twelve hour labours and what they did to a person's body.
Neither of them returned to Hogwarts for the remainder of the school year, the temporary healer from St. Mungo's covering for the both of them until June. Draco would return in September and Hermione would be back after the winter break. Hermione, being the control freak that she was, had them plan it out when they discovered she was pregnant.
They did end up attending the end of year feast, Rhea in a pram between the two of them for most of it. Hermione had several students come up to fawn over the baby and even let a few of the upper years hold her, with very strict guidance.
When Hagrid met Rhea he wept very large tears, his fat hands gingerly holding her small body. Draco had patted the half giant's back, holding back his laughter with everything he had.
Draco finished bottling the Dreamless Drought he made, setting the crate of vials in the cupboard. They made it mostly for the scared first years that couldn't get through the year without homesickness or nightmares. Hermione'd given out the last drop of it to a Hufflepuff days ago, and he was forced to brew more.
Hermione usually let him brew the potions, as she wasn't too savvy with them, but her salves and balms were always outstanding compared to his, something he couldn't quite understand.
Draco remembers helping her cheat in their third year potions exam at Mungo's, whispering that she needed more valerian root as he passed her. Hermione went pink anytime he reminded her, and he would smirk, knowing she wouldn't have passed that year if he hadn't. Such was their relationship.
It was nearing curfew and Draco packed up all the potion equipment, watching as Hermione healed a few scrapes on a fifth year (the professors refused to take healing lessons from either of them, much to their annoyance) before sending him off to his dormitory. She closed up the large doors and sealed them with the alarm that would notify either of them that someone needed medical attention.
"Ready, love?" He asked, retreating to their office where the fireplace was.
"It's been a long week," she said to him, grabbing a handful of floo powder. She stepped out into the Manor's traveling room, hearing the sounds of her daughter from down the hall, where she was most likely keeping her grandmother up in the parlour.
"Yes," Draco answered, stepping out behind her, brushing off soot from the both of them. Hermione let down her curls from the bun she kept it in on work days, her hair reaching her waist these days, and stretched. Draco winced as many of her bones popped, and he urged her to stop with a hand on her arm. "Let's go see Rhea before you break something. I'm sure mother will be glad to see us."
Fridays were usually the day that Rhea caused her grandmother the most grief, as she was old enough now to recognize the schedule her parents kept.
Narcissa was waiting in the hall for them, hands clasped around tiny ones, one year old Rhea bouncing on her feet as Draco and Hermione approached. She wasn't quite walking yet, but by summer she'd most likely be sprinting away from any adult, the mischievous girl that she was.
"Hello, my darling," Hermione greeted, scooping her up. Draco placed a kiss on his daughter's head, Rhea's crown of sandy curls tickling his face. She had a mix of their colours, but her hair leaned more toward the Malfoy genes. She was covered head to toe in freckles, however.
Both of them kissed Narcissa's cheek before the witch retreated to her own wing for some quiet time, her elf popping to her side. Rhea gurgled, softly waving goodbye to her grandmother and Hermione smiled.
"Now, darling, I'd say it's time for a bath and bedtime," Draco said quietly, softly tapping Rhea's nose. She detested bathtime, and therefore gave him a sour look, recognizing the word for "soapy prison," as Hermione liked to call it. They made their way to their wing, stopping by the nursery to grab Rhea's sleep clothes.
It was easier to bathe the wiggly child in their large tub rather than try her own child's bathroom, both parents opting to climb in and bathe with her rather than struggling with her splashes from the side. The warmth of baths helped Rhea sleep as well, and so was their nightly ritual. The girl was very much like her father when it came to falling asleep: she fought it for as long as she could, finally passing out at late hours.
Hermione used to get so annoyed with Draco's sleeping habits, but four years of marriage helped her to ignore it, just like he ignored her chainsaw snores. A muffliato would just keep him awake longer, so he got used to it, with minor teasing along the way.
Tag teaming different washing duties, Draco and Hermione cleaned Rhea quickly, allowing the one year old to splash around in the shallow water in the hopes that she would tire herself out. Eventually, when her eyes started to droop, Hermione leant back against Draco, Rhea against her bare chest. It was a nice bonding moment for the three of them after being away for twelve hours every day.
"Happy Friday," Hermione murmured, her head resting on Draco's shoulder. "Think we can nap the weekend away?"
"I promised mother we'd go with her to the opera tomorrow night, so I doubt it. I think Ginny agreed to take the little miss for the night. Merlin knows Rhea would destroy the elves," Draco chuckled quietly, patting his daughter's soft back. He gave Hermione's crown a kiss, pushing her curls out of his face. "I can go alone if you'd like."
"No, I enjoy time with your mother," she replied genuinely. "Maybe we should make Pansy babysit."
They both enjoyed a laugh at her comment and fell into a comfortable silence, Hermione deep in thought. She'd been thinking lately about how much her husband had changed in the twelve years since befriending him at Mungo's, how the hurt victim of war had healed into a loving husband and father.
He didn't try to hide his mark or his scars from her anymore and neither did she.
The Malfoy she'd known in school rarely laughed or smiled and brought up the past as a way of beating himself down, whereas the man Draco was now seemed to be happy and optimistic. Hermione remembered when he barely let her touch him, always shying away from her kind hands, and now they were cuddling in the bath with Rhea, comfortable and content.
Draco was still a git, yes, but a happy one, and Hermione loved him.
Hermione felt herself getting teary and wondered if her period was coming. Draco would probably know, as he kept track of her irregular uterus more than she did. It came whenever it wanted to after Rhea was born and he was usually able to tell just by the change in her energy. He'd never tell her, but Hermione knew that he had Hig stock the bathrooms with sanitary products when he felt the shift.
It would almost be endearing if he didn't get all uncomfortable when she had her hormone induced weepy fits.
Draco broke the silence by pulling the stopper chain with his foot, the bath water filtering down the drain. He pressed another kiss into her head before getting out from behind her, wrapping a robe around himself, and taking Rhea from her fatigued arms. The little girl squirmed slightly at the movement, but didn't break out of her slumber, thankfully.
She watched him gingerly dress Rhea in her pajamas, slowly exiting the tub to wrap her own robe around her wet body. Draco carried the sleeping child to the nursery, the lights in the hall and rooms lowered courtesy of Hig. Hermione loved that elf.
Rhea was placed in her crib, starfished on her stomach with her stuffed Holyhead Harpy tucked at her side. Draco gave his daughter one last kiss before heading back to his and Hermione's bedroom. Hermione usually stayed for a couple minutes to make sure Rhea settled.
Hig entered the room soon after with a cup of tea in her hand, offering it to her mistress.
"Thank you, my dear," Hermione said softly, drinking the warming liquid. Even in April the Manor had a chill and she finished the cup quickly.
"Hig sees the Young Missus is asleep?"
"Yes, Hig, you needn't watch her tonight." They often had Hig watch Rhea after she was put down, in case the fussy child refused to sleep. In those instances, Hig would perform small charms to soothe the baby. The elf truly was a gift, one Hermione never thought she'd have. Hermione bent over the side of the crib, smoothing Rhea's already unruly hair, still damp. "Goodnight, moon," she whispered, her own little Muggle joke.
There were parts of her that were still too Muggle, causing her to wash dishes or tie bandages by hand instead of with magic, and her Hogwarts self would likely faint at the idea of owning an elf. Her old self amused her to no end.
"Mistress, may Hig ask you something?" The elf's small voice sounded afraid in that moment and Hermione gazed down at her, nodding. Hig fiddled with her kerchief, afraid to meet Hermione's eye. "Hig was wondering if she could touch Mistress' belly, just for a moment."
The question caught the witch completely off guard and she stood silent for a few moments, which caused the elf to fidget even more, closing in on herself.
"Hig is apologizing, Mistress," she said very quietly, looking at her sneakered feet.
"No, it's alright. I was just surprised is all," Hermione quickly told her elf. Hig made the empty tea mug disappear and reached out her bony hands as Hermione opened her robe slightly to reveal her naked lower half.
The elf took a couple moments feeling her stomach, prodding here and there. Hermione was surprised at how hot Higgle's hands were, as the tiny creature was always shaking. She had always assumed it was from the cold. Hermione of course couldn't offer any thicker clothing and left the subject alone.
When she was done, Hermione closed her robe and looked at the elf expectantly.
Hig had a peculiar smile on her face, putting one hand to her mouth.
"It seems Mistress will be having another," Hig told her before popping out of the room, leaving Hermione to stand alone in the nursery, shocked.
Hermione stayed there for a while, opening her robe again to look at her stomach. She summoned her wand from the bedroom and performed a conception spell, waiting ten minutes to see what colour glowed from her middle.
It was red. She was pregnant.
Walking back to her room, she entered in a happy daze to find Draco on his side, still wet hair slicked off his forehead. He was reading a Muggle novel, but looked up at her entrance. He raised an eyebrow, noticing she was in an odd mood.
"Hermione?" Draco questioned, closing the book. She smiled, coming to her side of the bed.
"Better get the star charts out, love."
END
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