Draco and I continue to sit in the Drawing Room talking and holding each other while the maids prepare lunch, and Narcissa comes back into the Drawing Room to tell us lunch is ready around noon. Draco and I leave the Drawing Room and cross the Entrance Hall before going into the Dining Room and having lunch with Narcissa, after which the sleepiness I'd been feeling when Draco tried to wake me up this morning quickly catches up with me. When Draco sees me yawn while we're still sitting at the table talking to Narcissa, he immediately insists that I go up to our room and get some rest.
Too tired to argue, I stand and slowly make my way to the Entrance Hall, up two flights of stairs and down the third floor corridor to our bedroom with Draco following closely behind me. When we reach our room I walk over to the huge sleigh bed and flop down on the green silk sheets, not even bothering to stop long enough to take my shoes off as I do so. I bury my head in my pillow and yawn into it, immediately beginning to feel myself falling asleep. I hear Draco chuckle from the end of the bed and then feel him lift each of my feet, removing my shoes and casting them down onto the white-carpeted floor. After that he walks over to his side of the bed and eases himself down beside me; I snuggle up close to him and rest my head against his chest as he wraps his arms around me, and I fall asleep almost immediately.
I must have been a lot more tired than I thought I was, because I don't wake up until I feel Draco gently shaking me, telling me dinner's ready. I blink twice and open my eyes, looking around at the dimly lit room a bit dazed and confused in my sleepiness. "You alright, love?", Draco asks me quietly. I turn my head towards him and gaze into his eyes, nodding my head in response.
"I just don't feel very well", I reply.
"I'm sorry", he replies, kissing me on the forehead, "Perhaps if you eat something you'll feel better".
"You're probably right", I reply, and I slowly sling my feet over the side of the bed and sit up. I ease myself onto my feet and cross the room to join Draco, who's waiting patiently at the door for me. Together, we walk downstairs to join Lucius and Narcissa for dinner.
As we eat, Lucius talks to Draco about work, while Narcissa and I make plans for our dinner with Marie and Allen Brown tomorrow night. Narcissa insists on going to Diagon Alley in the morning and buying all new curtains and drapes, even though I insist to her that she's crazy because there's nothing wrong with the curtains that are already hanging; in fact, they look like they're brand new, themselves. Narcissa says she'll have the maids give the Manor a "Proper Cleaning" in the morning, which again confuses me because Malfoy Manor is always spotless. Narcissa goes on and on about all the preparations she's going to make, like how she'll have dinner served on her finest china, and I start to realize that what Draco said earlier was completely accurate; his Mum loves to throw an extravagant party. I personally think we'll all look like a bunch of spoiled, rich brats to Marie and Allen, but I keep this particular opinion to myself since, after all, it is Narcissa's house.
Immediately after dinner, all four of us retire to the Drawing Room once again, where Lucius and Draco indulge in a few games of Wizard's Chess which Narcissa and I observe, and after the last game Lucius and Narcissa head straight off to bed. Draco and I stay up for another few hours, however, having already had quite a bit of sleep this afternoon. Draco continues showing me how to play Wizard's chess during that time, but I eventually forfeit and stand up, walking around the chess board and taking a seat in Draco's lap. I wrap my arms around his neck and curl up against him, resting my head on his shoulder. Though I'm not at all tired, I close my eyes and take everything in, enjoying this simple but wonderful moment with him.
"You don't want to play anymore, dear?", Draco asks as he wraps his arms around my waist, holding me in place; I shake my head in response. "Are you ready for bed, then?", he asks, to which I once again shake my head against his neck in response. "What do you want to do then?", he asks with a chuckle.
"Let's talk about baby names", I reply, my lips lightly brushing the skin of his neck as I speak.
"Okay", he says, "But you're going to have to stop breathing against my neck like that or I won't be able to concentrate".
"Why? What do you mean?", I ask, leaning back to look into his eyes.
Instead of responding, Draco places one of his hands on the back of my neck and gently pulls me towards him. He rests his head against my neck and rests his lips against my skin, allowing his warm breath to blow against my neck when he exhales. His breath against my neck is a very sensual feeling; it gives me goose bumps all over my body. Then, to make matters worse, Draco speaks against my neck as I'd done against his, allowing his lips to lightly graze my already goose bump-covered skin. "Do you see what I mean?", he asks seductively.
I'm not sure whether it's the sound of Draco's smooth voice in my ear or the fact that his lips are grazing my neck as he speaks, but between the two, a chill runs down my spine, my goose bumps growing even larger. Embarrassed, among other things, I quickly jump up out of Draco's lap, saying, "Ok, ok! I know what you meant now!" from across the room. Draco starts laughing uncontrollably, nearly bending over double in laughter, but I don't find it a bit funny. When Draco realizes this he tries to control his laughter and extends his arm, summoning me back over to him. "Come on, love", he says lightheartedly, "I'm sorry. It was just the look on your face…it was hilarious!". I try to make an angry face at him, but it doesn't work; I truly believe his smile alone could melt all the snow at the South Pole, and it makes my heart race to see him smiling.
I walk back over to Draco and sit in his lap again, taking care not to breathe on his neck, and he wraps his arms around me and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Now then…baby names", he says, "Let's try to focus on only one sex for now. Have you thought of any names for a boy?".
"Well, I've thought of one", I say quietly.
"And what's that, love?", he asks. "I think we should name him Draco, after his father…if it's a 'he'", I reply immediately, looking up into his eyes.
"Um…darling", Draco begins uncomfortably, "I really don't want him named after me… if it's a boy, that is; I don't want all my indiscretions being passed on to our son".
"But I love it!", I reply, "And you don't have any indiscretions".
"Ok, we'll compromise", Draco says, "We can let that be his middle name, but not his first name. Is that a deal?". I contemplate his offer for a moment before deciding that it's fair enough and better than nothing, and quickly agree. "Ok, so what about a first name?", he asks. I think for a moment, and though I've found several names that I like in the baby names book Draco bought in Diagon Alley, none of them come to mind.
"I can't think of any", I say quietly, "Are there any you like?".
"None that I can think of at the moment", he replies.
"Ok…well so much for talking about baby names", I say matter-of-factly. Draco chuckles and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
"Come on love", he says, "Let's get to bed". So I stand up and wait while Draco does the same, and I take his hand as the two of us walk towards the first flight of stairs up to our room.
When we reach the room I step into the closet and change into my pajamas before walking to the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I reach the bathroom I discover that Draco is already brushing his teeth, so I turn to walk out of the bathroom and wait my turn, but he stops me. "'Ome on, lub", he says with a mouth full of toothpaste, "Air's too sinks".
"Um…what?", I ask, laughing hysterically at his attempt at speaking with a full mouth, "Were there any words in that?".
Draco starts laughing, which causes toothpaste to spill out of his mouth and into the sink, and he quickly spits the rest of it out before trying to talk again. "I said, 'come on love, there's two sinks'", he says, much more clearly this time, "You might as well get used to brushing your teeth in front of me…it's not like it's really private or anything. And don't worry, I won't pick on you; I told you, you don't have to be embarrassed in front of me".
I nod my head in response and walk over to the unoccupied sink and wet my toothbrush before applying a generous amount of toothpaste to it. Then I self-consciously put my toothbrush in my mouth and begin scrubbing my teeth. Draco continues scrubbing his, also, and I keep glancing over at him. He's apparently not a bit uncomfortable about this and is paying more attention to his own teeth, however; he doesn't even glance my way, so I look back at the mirror in front of me and continue brushing my teeth. Draco and I stand there for a moment brushing our teeth in silence, the only noise is the sound of us brushing our teeth which becomes either more quiet or loud if one of us opens or closes our mouth. Draco finishes before I do and places his toothbrush back in the cup on the counter before giving me a kiss on the cheek and walking back into the bedroom.
When I've finished brushing and rinsing my teeth I also place my toothbrush back into the cup and walk back into the bedroom. Draco's still in the closet changing into his pajamas when I enter the bedroom, so I walk swiftly over to the bed and flop down on it. Draco comes to bed a moment later in a pair of grey and black plaid cotton pajama pants, once again shirtless. I can't help but stare at him as he pulls back the covers on his side of the bed and lays down beside me, and when he's completely settled in I slide closer to him and rest my head on his bare chest. "Goodnight, beautiful", he says, giving me a kiss on the forehead, "I love you".
"I love you, too, Draco", I reply, closing my eyes and breathing in his intoxicating scent as I cherish the cool touch of the smooth bare skin of his chest.
Draco then places his hand on my stomach and says, "And I love you, too, little bean". I giggle at the use of the nickname he chose for the baby, and he leaves his hand on my stomach as we fall asleep.
I wake up early the next morning when I feel Draco move away from me, sliding out of bed so he can get ready for work. Though he took care not to wake me, I'm now wide awake and sit up, watching as Draco rushes back and forth between the bathroom and the closet. Draco, in his haste, hasn't even realized that I'm awake now, and I hear him mumble, "Stupid bloody shoes" as he walks past the bed for what seems like the fifteenth time.
Shaking my head in silent laughter, I reach over to the wooden bedside nightstand and grab my wand, flick it in the air and say, "Accio shoes" quietly, hoping that Draco won't hear me. The black dress shoes come flying up from underneath our bed and land on my lap, on top of the sheets. The next time Draco passes the bed on his way back to the closet, I clear my throat loudly in the hopes of getting his attention. Completely lost in thought, however, Draco hasn't heard a thing. "Draco!", I say loudly, causing him to step out of the closet slightly and look at me.
"I'm sorry, love", he says, "I didn't mean to wake you; I can't find my shoes". I reach forward and pick up both of his shoes by the heel with my wand-free hand and dangle them before me as though they're an ornament hanging from a Christmas tree. "Oh", Draco says, the look on his face a mixture between relief and embarrassment. He walks over to the bed and sits on the edge, taking the shoes from me before giving me a passionate kiss and saying, "Good morning, beautiful…and thank you".
"You're welcome, love", I say quietly in response. "How did you ever get along without me?", I ask playfully as he dons his shoes.
"I didn't", he responds seriously, looking back at me as he does so, "The first day of my life was the day I met you". My heart melts at his tender words, and he stands up and straightens his suit. "How do I look, Mrs. Malfoy?", he asks, turning around for me to get a proper look at him.
"Very handsome, Mr. Malfoy", I say cheerfully.
"Ok then", he says, "I'm all ready. Come have breakfast with me before I have to leave?".
"Ok, love", I say before quickly getting out of bed and walking downstairs with Draco.
I feel terribly underdressed walking downstairs in my pajamas while Draco's wearing such a nice business suit, but all thought of clothing quickly leaves my mind as we enter the Dining Room and I smell the delicious food. My stomach growls and the baby kicks slightly, and I place my hand on my stomach and say, "Oh!", loudly.
"What? What's wrong?", Draco asks, immediately going pale in the face.
"Nothing!", I reply, "It was just a kick!".
"Oh…sorry, love", Draco replies, the color returning to his cheeks. The two of us walk over to the massive oak table and take our seats, immediately being served breakfast by one of the maids. As we eat, Draco brings up the baby-naming conversation we were having last night, and he starts suggesting ridiculous names, again, I might add.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy! We are NOT naming our daughter Medusa!", I exclaim loudly a few moments later. A loud laugh from just outside the Dining Room door lets me know that Lucius has overheard Draco's joking, and sure enough, a few seconds later Lucius enters the room with an enormous smile on his face.
"At it again, is he?", Lucius asks playfully.
I answer by simply saying, "Isn't he always?". Draco and Lucius both laugh at this statement, and the three of us are still carrying on when Narcissa comes into the room a few moments later, already dressed for the day.
"What's all this about, then?", she asks.
"Draco thinks that if the baby is a girl, he and Jayde should name her Medusa," Lucius says as seriously as possible. Clearly horrified, Narcissa's mouth drops open wide and she turns to me.
"You're not seriously considering it, are you?", she asks.
"No!", I reply, suddenly feeling as though I'm being attacked, "Why on Earth would I agree to name my daughter that?".
"Oh, thank Merlin!", Narcissa says, very audibly breathing a sigh of relief, which causes Draco, Lucius and I to burst out laughing again. Slowly, but surely, Narcissa comes around, and within a moment's time she's laughing heartily along with the three of us. When we've all settled down a few moments later, Narcissa speaks.
"Jayde, would you like to go to Diagon Alley with me, to help me pick out the new curtains and drapes?", she asks.
"Sure!", I reply, glad for any reason to not stay stuck in the house all day. Draco, however, is clearly uncomfortable with this idea.
He turns his face to the right and asks, "Are you sure that's a good idea, love? Mrs. Taylor said you should take it easy". Narcissa quickly jumps into the conversation, hoping to reassure him.
"Draco, I assure you there's nothing stressful or exhausting about shopping. We won't be out long, and I promise I won't leave her side for a moment! You know I'd never let anything happen to her, or the baby, so calm down, okay?". Draco still seems a little unsure, but I flash him a reassuring smile and I see the consent slowly begin to dawn on his eyes.
He slowly nods his head and then says, "Okay. But promise me you'll be careful".
"I promise", I reply, and then I lean to the left and give him a quick kiss. Draco finishes his breakfast and waits for Lucius to finish his, and then the two of them stand and prepare to leave for work. Draco gives me a tender kiss on the lips and bids me goodbye before he makes his way to the Dining Room door, but he stops in the doorway and turns around to face me again.
Staring me directly in the eyes, he slowly raises his left hand and presses a single finger, his pointer finger, to his temple. "I'll talk to you later; I love you", he says intensely, with his finger still resting on his temple, before flashing me a knowing smile and turning around and walking from the room.
Immediately after Draco leaves the room, I turn back to my breakfast plate, which I still haven't cleared yet. As I continue eating, however, I feel Narcissa's eyes burning a hole in me from across the table. Wondering why she's staring, I set my fork down on my plate and look up at her. "Narcissa, what's wrong?", I ask worriedly.
"What was that?", she asks immediately, a look of confusion clearly written across her face.
"Umm..I'm sorry, but I don't understand", I reply, "What was what?".
"What Draco did just before he left the room", she clarifies, "When he placed his finger on his temple. What was that? What did he mean?".
"Oh!", I reply, admittedly a bit flustered, "Um..nothing. I mean, I'm not sure what he meant".
Narcissa gives me a knowing look and presses on, knowing I'm not being honest with her. "Yes, you do know what he meant", she replies, "He was staring you straight in the eye, like it was some sort of private joke the two of you have. If it's too private for you to tell me, then just say so". I can't help but think that I've offended Narcissa, judging by the tone in her voice, so I quickly apologize and correct my previous statements.
"No Narcissa, wait", I say suddenly, trying to stop her from getting up from the table, which she's now attempting to do angrily. "It's not too private", I continue, "Just a little embarrassing".
Narcissa flashes me a reassuring smile and says, "Don't worry, dear, we're family now; you don't have to be embarrassed about anything around me".
"Ok", I say, nodding my head. Even though I know I should feel comfortable enough to tell Narcissa what I've got to say, I'm still not sure how to even begin; will she even believe me when I do tell her what Draco meant? Knowing that my continued silence will only upset Narcissa even more, I decide to throw caution to the wind and simply blurt out everything I have to say, and if she doesn't believe me, at least I can say I tried. "You remember when I first got back to the Manor?", I ask her, "When you walked with me up to our bedroom to let Draco know I was home?".
"Yes…", Narcissa replies earnestly, her eyes silently urging me to go on.
"Well, Draco said something very odd that day", I begin, "He said that he could hear my voice in his head and that it was driving him crazy".
"Yes, I remember", Narcissa says, seeming thoroughly confused now, "But he was just stressed out then; I don't understand what that's got to do with what he did earlier".
"He wasn't just stressed out", I quickly correct her, "Because when I was away, I heard his voice in my head; and that wasn't the first time either, I just thought it was my imagination".
"So what're you saying?", Narcissa asks in an astonished tone, "Do you think you and Draco can read each other's minds without using legilimency?".
"Well, I wouldn't call it 'reading each other's minds'", I reply, "It's more like talking to each other through our minds…it doesn't work unless we're purposely directing our thoughts to each other; we've been experimenting with it a bit since I've been back".
"But…that's not possible", Narcissa begins with a curious and disbelieving look on her face, "What you're describing is 'Amare Vinculum', but that only happens after two lovers get married".
Now it's my turn to be confused. "What's 'Amare Vinculum'?", I ask Narcissa.
"The love bond", she says, "On the day a witch and wizard are married, a special magical bond forms between them; the Amare Vinculum. Using this bond, the husband and wife may communicate through their minds without speaking to each other. But I don't understand how this could be; you and Draco aren't married yet. Do you remember when it started?".
"Um…honestly", I begin, "I think it started right after we found out I was pregnant".
"Hm…that's very strange", she replies, "Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that you're pregnant. Either way, we really don't have time to figure this out right now; we've got to get some shopping done so we can get back here and get this house ready for your guests this evening".
And at this, Narcissa stands up and walks away from the table, causing our strange conversation to come to an abrupt end. Now even more confused than I was a few moments ago, I push my chair away from the table and slowly stand up before making my way back up to Draco's and my bedroom to have a shower and get ready to go shopping in Diagon Alley with Narcissa.