Chapter 7
Shock. That was everything Malfoy, Snape and Wilson felt when her water broke. Panic. That was the emotion which mixed with the previous jolt, leaving them at loss. Luckily, Angelica reacted.
"I cannot give birth in here! I need to go to a hospital!"
It took Severus a few moments before he made up his mind and apparated the three of them near a muggle hospital. He transfigured their wizarding clothes into muggle ones in order to go unnoticed and conceded, "There's a hospital five minutes from here. I'm sorry, but we'll have to walk. We cannot simply apparate in front of muggles."
The mulatto woman groaned in stress, "Fucking wizards! Why did I have to stumble with you of all people!"
She was poking his chest to emphasize her point and her lips were pressed thin in annoyance.
"Dammit, Angelica! There is no time for your frenzied tantrums now! You are in labor!"
"I don't need you to remind me! It's me who has to deal with it, not you!"
"Well, I think that taking into account that you are stuck with us now, I can affirm without a sense of qualm that we have to deal with it too!"
Draco could already picture in his mind the two adults bickering non-stop in the middle of nowhere, just five minutes from the medical center, until his cousin actually gave birth. He had to do something. Before he could regret it, the words had slipped from his mouth.
"Stop it! Just shut up! Both of you! It's not the time to have one of your endless bitter and childish exchanges of snarky remarks! We need to get to the hospital! Now!"
His unexpected intervention did the trick, for both adults quietened down instantly. Draco figured that this response was purely out of shock, but he was glad it had resulted in the desired outcome. Angelica huffed and started to walk with some difficulty towards the building she could see from afar. Severus gulped and followed her, Draco close behind him. They caught up with the muggle soon enough and joined her side silently. Wilson stopped abruptly and inhaled sharply as she squatted down, her hands on her voluptuous womb. She shut her eyes and tried to fight the cry that was threatening to escape her throat.
"Angelica!" yelped the youngster as he kneeled down next to her. "Are you okay?"
Wilson gulped and exhaled slowly. After what felt like an eternity, she nodded and muttered under her breath, "Fucking contractions!"
"Can you walk?" wondered Snape.
Angelica got up with Draco's help and gave him a nod. Fortunately, she didn't have another contraction until she was already in front of a nurse. She took her to a room and laid her in bed. Severus and Draco followed them, but the nurse hindered them before they could actually enter.
"Only family members can come in."
"I am her cousin!" cried out the boy immediately.
He didn't trust those muggles one bit. He wanted to be there, just to make sure she was OK. Well, it wasn't like they were really close or anything, but they were still family.
The nurse raised an eyebrow skeptically and scoffed, "Sure, because you look so alike… I've been working here for years, lad. You two aren't related."
"He is my cousin, indeed," intervened Angelica, who was overhearing the conversation. She seemed to have trouble breathing, but her voice had been confident.
The nurse sighed and finally said, "You must authorize his presence then."
Angelica wondered if that was for the best. Did she really want this teenager by her side while she gave birth? She had disposed of nine months to become aware that she would be alone at that special moment of her life. She had accepted it. However, the moment she locked her hazel eyes with his grey ones, a memory of two nights ago flashed to her mind…
Angelica had gotten out of the tent. She couldn't catch sleep as thoughts about how uncertain the future she would provide to her sons plagued her mind. She could hear some owls hooting. The stars sparkled against the darkness of the night. Their sheen wasn't enough to make out the trees of the forest, but somehow she didn't care. Her gaze was fixed on the full moon. That was all she needed, that was the most soothing sight. Suddenly, a noise disturbed her peace. With a start, she turned around and roared in an intimidating tone, "Who's there?"
"Blimey! Do you have to be so aggressive?"
She recognized the voice instantly: Draco Malfoy, her out of the blue cousin. Angelica disregarded his somehow offensive comment and asked, "What are you doing here? You should be inside."
"So should you," he retorted.
"I asked first."
"I couldn't sleep."
"Me neither…" the woman muttered more to herself than to him. She raised an eyebrow and questioned, "What's keeping you awake?"
"It's just a stupid nightmare. I needed fresh air," he replied after some hesitation. The boy thanked Merlin it was dark enough for his blush of embarrassment to go unnoticed.
There was a short pause until she proposed, "Do you want to tell me about it? It may help…"
Malfoy gulped and stared at the ground, but images of what he had dreamt still haunted him. She seemed to be willing to listen, and he knew he needed disclosure.
"It wasn't just a nightmare. It was a memory. My mother…"
He trailed off, but Angelica had gathered what memory he was referring to. She had the impulse to hug him tight, but she wasn't sure of what his reaction would be. Instead, she chose the safe path and squeezed his shoulder, trying to offer him solace.
"I know what it feels like, Draco. If you ever need to talk about it, you can count on me, OK? Even if we are still getting to know each other, we are family."
The wizard was stunned by her words, nonetheless he smiled in appreciation. All of sudden, she gasped and a soft giggle escaped her throat. 'What was wrong with this woman?' thought Draco, 'First, she offers comfort and now she's laughing.' He had never seen this facade of hers. Despite the lack of light, the muggle must have intuited that he was furrowing his brow in confusion, for she gushed, "The babies, they are moving. Do you want to feel them?"
Before he could mutter a response, Angelica had grabbed his hand and put it on her belly. They waited for some seconds until Draco felt a kick, making him giggle too.
"No wonder you couldn't sleep. When are they due?"
"Soon. It could be right now…"
His eyes widened in fear and Angelica chuckled. "Don't worry, I think they still want to be inside me…"
Well, now the babies wanted to get out and this boy looked like he really wanted to be there for her.
"He may stay."
Draco made to enter, but halted and looked at his godfather. "He can stay too, can't he?"
Nobody knew to whom this question was directed: Severus, Angelica or the nurse. Anyway, the old woman repeated bored, "He must be family and she must authorize it."
At first, Angelica looked at Draco. The woman imagined that he would probably faint if there wasn't someone else he knew among so many muggles. Her hazel eyes turned to Snape. He was eyeing her intently, yet his expression was emotionless. Did he want to be there? More important even, did she want him to be there? Angelica wasn't sure, but as she felt another contraction building inside her, she blurted out, "He's my husband! He better stays with me through this or I will kill him as soon as I can stand!"
Malfoy smirked amused and glimpsed at his godfather. His pupils had dilated and he sucked in a brief intake of breath. Had Angelica just lied so that he could stay with her? Apparently. Damn this woman, now he had to play the part.
"Why hasn't he said anything until now then?" inquired the nurse, looking at them distrustfully.
"You know how men are. He is still in shock."
"Very well then."
Five hours, five exhausting hours of screams and pain. That was how long it took the babies to come out. Wilson was happy that both wizards had stayed. Their presence had tranquilized her somehow. Angelica had taken Severus's hand when she thought she couldn't take the pain anymore. The black-haired wizard would have never presumed that she had such strength. For a moment, he thought that she'd break his fingers because of the strong grip. Snape was cursing himself. Why did he get in this mess? Malfoy, on the other hand, had been tempted to leave the room when Angelica shrieked so agonizingly. He had felt dizzy. Hearing the cries of the babies had been liberating for the three of them. Angelica sighed and smiled tiredly the moment the matron brought the twin babies dressed up. She indicated her how to hold them and Wilson instantly learnt it. It seemed to come naturally to her. The baby from the left had a birth mark on the crook of his neck, which made it easier for everyone to distinguish them. After all, they looked the same: their skin was still pinkish and their eyes were of a dark blue color, there was the beginnings of some brown curly hair on their heads and they had inherited their mother's nose.
"How am I supposed to breast-feed them?"
The matron smiled kindly and explained everything to her. "At first you'll find the position uncomfortable, but you'll get used to it. It is the best for the three of you."
The woman left the room quietly as Angelica fed her children for the first time. There was a goofy grin she couldn't erase for anything in the world. Severus felt like an intruder. He had already doubted that staying by her side during labor was a good idea, but this was crossing the line. He gazed at the floor and slightly blushed while the woman exposed her breasts, not caring that the wizards were there. Draco simply looked away, following his godfather's actions. This was a pretty intimate moment and they felt awkward just standing there. A few minutes later, cries invaded the room.
"Oh no! Don't cry! Please! I am new at this, please, don't hate me! I love you so much and I can't stand to see you like this!" she pleaded, at a loss of what to do. She had just breast-fed them, after all. What else could they need?
Anybody else would have laughed at the situation, but Malfoy and Snape were just as lost as Wilson, even more. Thankfully, something came to her mind. She began to hum a sweet melody. When she noticed that their cries were subsiding, she smirked for a second before returning to the task at hand. Angelica grew more confident, and now she was fully singing while rocking them at the same time. Malfoy had never heard the song before, but Snape was familiar with it.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top
That's where you'll find me
Severus stared at them. They looked so… perfect. That was the word. When he noticed her glistening eyes and her pure smile, Severus found himself feeling drawn to her. Her voice wasn't that good, but somehow, it didn't matter. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever witnessed in his life. Draco had a soft smile on his features too.
The mother let her sons sleep in their little cribs.
"Have you named them?" wondered Malfoy.
"Yes. The old one, the one of the birth mark, is Ezra Joshua Wilson. His brother is Samuel Davion Wilson…"
"Joshua was your father, right? You named him after him…" observed the boy.
"Yes. And Davion was my grandfather."
So Davion Bennet had been the muggle that had gotten his grandmother pregnant. Now he knew. Malfoy directed his gaze to the newborns and he stepped forward to take a better look at them.
"Why did you want me here?" asked Snape, now that his godson was distracted.
The woman smiled sadly and confessed, "I had accepted that I would be alone when I gave birth… But I hadn't counted on an unexpected cousin and his godfather to walk into my life. I just didn't want to do this alone anymore. Draco is my only family right now, well, he and my sons, but at that moment I just knew that I only felt pain and that I wanted him there…"
"That was a meager attempt to avoid my question. Now, may I know why you wanted me here? Why did you say I was your husband?"
She sighed and said as her eyes began to close, "I don't know… I guess that since you promised to protect me and my children, I assumed that you would also help me if something went wrong during labor… I felt safer. I didn't know what else to say for the nurse to let you in. I couldn't precisely tell her that you were my brother… We look nothing alike and she had already suspected of Draco… Pretending you were my husband was the only feasible option that came to my mind…"
He couldn't see her hazel orbs now, and her chest was rising and falling in a regular rhythm. She had fallen asleep.
There had been something that had been perplexing Severus and Draco since the moment they knew about her terrible experience with Death Eaters. It had been the blond boy, the one to ask her during breakfast, endeavoring to have a casual conversation about it even though the topic was delicate to say the least.
"Why did you help us when you met us?"
"Excuse me?" she croaked, forgetting about the food. "There was a half-dead man in front of my apartment. What was I supposed to do? Let him bleed to death?"
"No. I mean that you still helped us out when you recognized the Dark Mark… After everything you went through, why would you assist us?"
"I didn't want to, at first… But I… When I knew that your father was in prison and that your mother was probably dead, I just couldn't… I had to help you."
A silent atmosphere swept over them, which was broken by little Samuel. He was wailing and as expected, his twin brother was rubbed off by his attitude. Angelica tried to calm them down by cradling them at the same time, but her non-existent experience didn't make things better.
"Dammit! Please, take one of them! I can't cope with two crying babies right now…"
She was supplicating at Severus, who snorted and said in a monotone tone, "I'm not their father. I'm not holding any of them."
"What? Why? Being related to the babies isn't a requirement to hold them! I am a new mother and a single one at that! And not only that, I had two babies in a roll. I'm in need of assistance! You promised you'd help me!"
"Correction. I promised I'd protect you. They are different things."
The cries of the babies were getting louder and Angelica was losing her patience.
"Just take one!"
"Draco would do a better job."
"Draco isn't here!"
It was true. He had gone to the loo the moment he noticed that an uncomfortable silence would follow. Before he could object farther, she laid Samuel caringly on the bed and made to hand Ezra to the snarky man. When he felt the baby getting close to him, Severus put his hands securely behind his back.
"Merlin, woman! I. won't. hold him!"
"Why the hell not?"
"Because I will probably hurt him or he will fall or something! I don't know how to do it! I'm not good with kids!"
She looked at his deep eyes for a moment, only to see vulnerability there. Angelica's eyes softened for a second before she carefully moved his hands and put them in the right angle to cradle the baby. She had been so gentle that Snape had been too shocked to deny her wishes. She tried to give him a reassuring smile and deposited little Ezra on his arms. Severus lost his breath. He had never held a newborn. He hadn't even held Draco when he was so little. Ezra already looked petite in Wilson's arms, but he sure looked even tinier in Snape's grip. Angelica kissed the baby's forehead and whispered, "Please, Ezra, be good for mommy and stop crying…" She glanced at Snape and added, "I know this cranky man seems dangerous, but really, he would do nothing to harm you… You are safe and sound with him."
There was a twinkle in her hazel eyes that made her golden bits more noticeable as she teased the man. Severus was out of breath for the second time in the same minute. Merlin help him.
Then Angelica took Samuel and began to rock him.
"That's way easier," she breathed out relieved.
She glanced at Snape, who was frozen in the same position she had left him. Wilson suppressed a chortle and told him, "Move your arms like this…"
Snape had never felt so exposed, except when this muggle tended to his wounds, perhaps. Sighing, he gauchely followed her rhythm and soon, the room was filled with silence again. Severus fought a smile when little Ezra hushed in his arms.
"Those are my sons! Well behaved! Mama is proud of you!"
Then she kissed Samuel's cheek and put him in the crib, indicating with her head that Snape ought to do the same with Ezra. Severus did just that and watched as the two brothers seemed to hold hands. Angelica's eyes were tearful and she was grinning from ear to ear. This time, Severus also simpered unconsciously at the scene. Angelica's hand somehow found Snape's. At first, he stiffened at her touch and was tempted to push her away, but when she intertwined their fingers he let her be. He didn't want to ruin that magical moment for her. Besides, he quite liked the tingling sensation that had travelled through his body at the physical contact.
"I wish I could take a picture…"
Severus pondered the situation and transfigured the flowers the hospital had given to congratulate the new mother into a muggle camera. Angelica let out a disbelieving giggle and threw her arms around him, not really thinking through her actions. Severus stopped breathing once again. His heart was pounding so strongly he was afraid Angelica would perceive it. A hug. It had been years since someone had hugged him. In fact, he couldn't remember anyone but Lily who had ever done so, and little Draco, of course. He didn't reciprocate; nay he stood awkwardly, holding the camera with one hand. That was the moment Malfoy decided to come back. His grey eyes went wide. Severus felt the heat rising to his cheeks and pulled the woman away more brusquely than intended, even though she didn't appear to mind it. He suddenly felt cold.
"Look, Draco! They are holding hands!" Angelica exclaimed with a lovely smile as she took the photo.
Her enthusiasm was cut short when Snape voiced, "We cannot stay in the middle of the forest with two newborns. We need a home, somewhere we can get supplies from."
"And what do you suggest? It's not like we can go to your house or to my manor!" Draco reminded to his godfather.
"No. But somebody can help us," he whispered with a mischievous smirk.
"Who?"
"Your aunt."
