Title: The Perfect Wife
Author: slytherin-nette
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you recognize from the HP books in this story. All I own is the plot. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling. She rocks.
Pairings: DM/femHP, RW/LrM, BZ/HG, SB/RV, BM/??, AM/?? and many others.
Warnings: This is a Post-Hogwarts story so it will be slightly more mature than TPG but equally insane. Wahaha. Also, this story contains PREGNANCY, RATED scenes and SLASH relationships.
A/N: I'm sure you're all excited to read the chapter so I'll shut up for now. Enjoy! :D
Chapter 9 – More Malfoys, More Trouble
"BLOODY HELL BLOODY HELL BLOODY HELL BLOODY HELL!"
Draco was already rushing into the dining room when he crashed into Anton's rousing form, causing the both of them to end up falling to the floor. Failing to see them in time, Byron yelped as he accidentally tripped over their sprawled figures and ended up stumbling to the floor beside them.
Harry cringed when she saw this and took a step backwards from them, her efforts focused on trying to will herself not to panic and trying to regulate her breathing. She watched as all three Malfoys jumped to their feet, faced each other in a circle and began screaming rushed sentences in shrill, panicked voices that echoed throughout the entire manor.
"BYRON, WHY THE BLOODY HELL DIDN'T YOU CALL ME SOONER?!
"I DID CALL YOU! ANTON FAINTED SO I RAN OUT TO FIND YOU—"
"YOU LEFT MY WIFE HERE ALL ALONE?! YOU STUPID MORPHING IDIOT!"
"WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?! WE HAVE TO TAKE HER TO ST. MUNGO'S, YOU FOOL! STOP SCREAMING IN MY FACE! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M TRYING TO THINK STRAIGHT?!
"B—BYRON, YOU'RE GAY! ISN'T IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO THINK STRAIGHT?!" Anton pointed out, causing two pairs of eyes – on silver, one golden brown – to turn and level him with fierce, angry glares.
"SHUT UP, ANTON!" Draco and Byron snapped simultaneously, their loud voices causing Anton to jump away from them and laugh in embarrassment. Turning back to Draco's flushed features; Byron growled and placed both his hands on the blonde's shaking shoulders.
"DRACO, ARE YOU NOT UNDERSTANDING THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION HERE?! YOUR WIFE IS GOING TO HAVE HER BABY RIGHT NOW! YOU HAVE TO BRING HER TO THE HOSPITAL!" Byron's words completely flew over Draco's head. His older cousin just blinked dumbly at him, his wide eyes looking dazed and disoriented as he stared off into non-existence.
"DRACO!" Byron growled again jostled Draco to his senses while Anton ran clumsily behind them to fetch a glass of water from the dining table, splashing it ungracefully onto Draco's face. This seemed to work as Draco immediately flinched back and began coughing for breath. He looked up, grabbed Anton by his robes and snarled at him in anger.
"YOU STUPID VEELA—"
"Uhm…HELLO?!"
Hearing Harry's exasperated voice for the first time since Draco had burst into the dining room, all three Malfoy sons turned to gape at her glaring face. She ran a hand through her tangled mane of black hair and gestured pointedly at herself from where she was still standing, her eyes wide and incredulous as she met all their stunned gazes from several feet away.
"A little HELP here would be APPRECIATED! If you PLEASE!"
Completely oblivious to the sarcasm in her voice, the three males suddenly seemed to burst into different, simultaneous reactions. Byron jumped about a couple of feet in the air and ended up crashing his head painfully into the wall behind him while Anton and Draco both cringed and broke off into a sprint towards separate – unfortunately very opposing – directions.
Harry winced to herself in sympathy when she heard the nasty 'SMACK' indicating the violent crashing of both their bodies. She walked over to them, her hands placed nervously on her stomach. "R—right…Uhm…C—could one of you escort me to St. Mungo's before I freak out again?! Please? Draco?" She stammered in a cracking voice – finally drawing Draco's attention to her form.
Scrambling his limbs back up off the floor, Draco forced a sheepish laugh – or rather a wheeze– at her and grabbed her firmly by her hand. He broke out into a sweat at this point but the next few words out of his mouth earned him a nervous, though reassuring smile from his wife.
"L—let's do this, H—Harry…"
Just as Byron was rubbing the forming bruise on his head and was in the act of helping Anton back up from the floor, Draco squeezed Harry's hand and began to lead her frantically out of the room. Taking the hint, Byron hauled Anton up by his feet and dragged him along after them, their shrill voices echoing very loudly along the long maze of corridors of Malfoy Manor.
"ANTON, SEND AN OWL RIGHT AWAY TO MY PARENTS! ALSO TO GRANDFATHER AND GRANDMOTHER! TELL THEM NOT TO WORRY AND TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE HOSPITAL!" Draco shouted as they passed the other irritated Malfoys rousing and walking sleepily about in the halls – all of which had evidently just woken up rudely from all the noise they had been making.
"A—ALRIGHT, I—I'LL OWL THEM RIGHT NOW!" Anton had jumped again at having been addressed but nodded frantically at Draco's words and tore off towards the other wing of the Manor. After he had gone off, Draco turned to Byron and gave his cousin a similar, frantic look.
"BYRON! I NEED YOU TO GO AND PACK SOME OF HARRY'S CLOTHES FROM THE BEDROOM! I'LL MEET YOU IN THE HOSPITAL IN TWENTY MINUTES!" He continued in a strangely calm voice that betrayed his nervousness, wincing when Harry nearly tripped in their haste. Sighing loudly, Draco stopped and finally scooped her up in his arms before continuing down the corridor.
"I'M ON IT, I'M ON IT!" Byron stopped in the middle of the hallway and raised a hand to scratch his head in , he called to their retreating backs. "Uhm…I'm new to this 'packing women's clothes' thing so… how many pairs of panties and bras do you think she'll need?"
Draco resisted the strong urge to punch his cousin in the eye. "BYRON, GODDAMIT—"
"Alright, alright! I'll make a rough estimate! I'm going!"
When she realized where they were headed, Harry's eyes widened and she tried struggle in her husband's arms. "D—Draco, what are you doing? You can't carry me all the way to St. Mungo's while I'm a whale like this! Put me down—" She stopped when Byron and rounded the corner to separate from them and Draco finally pushed through the doors of the Apparition room.
"Draco, NO!"
Growling, she yanked his wand out of his grasp and looked at him as though he was the slowest person on the planet. "Draco, NO APPARITION DURING MY PREGNANCY, REMEMBER?! IT'S DANGEROUS AND I WON'T RISK IT!" She struggled to free herself from his arms again but Draco held onto her tighter and slapped a hand over his forehead.
"Damn it! I forgot all about that…Here! Let's use this fireplace to floo out of here!" Draco set her down in front of the large floo-connected fireplace and reached a trembling hand up to grab the bag of floo powder. Unfortunately, his fingers were fumbling so much that the bag slipped from his hand and fell listlessly to the floor – powder scattering all around their feet.
Harry groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Draco, CALM DOWN—"
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! I'M FINE! I'M CALM – I'M PERFECTLY CALM!" Draco shouted loudly right back at her, his voice cracking. He dropped desperately to the floor and began scooping up the powder into his hands, flinging it messily into the flames of the fireplace.
"Draco, you're wasting floo powder! I really think you're on the verge of having a nervous—" Harry never finished and the words died right on her lips as Draco shot back up as though he hadn't heard her, jumped right into the fireplace and shouted out his destination in a loud, assertive voice.
"ST. MUNGO'S!"
After a clean, single 'POP' indicating his disappearance, Harry's jaw was gaping uselessly at the molecules of air that had once been where her husband was standing. She slapped a hand noisily against her forehead and groaned out loud in another impatient, exasperated grumble.
"DRACO YOU IDIOT! YOU FORGOT ME!"
The former Slytherin popped right back into the room just as she finished her sentence, laughing nervously in embarrassment. Fumbling for more floo powder from the floor, he tossed it right back into the fire before jumping back up and meeting her glare with a sheepish smile.
"SORRY!"
With that, he reached out, grabbed Harry's snarling, cursing figure by her hand and pulled her into the fireplace with him.
"ST. MUNGO'S! UHM…AGAIN!"
About fifteen minutes after they had arrived at St. Mungo's, a nervously flustered Jaimee looked up from where she was seated and smiled wanly at the sight of Ron, Hermione and Sirius rushing into the waiting lobby. Lorraine, Ginny and Regina ran in after them, all three women looking extremely excited as they crowded over Jaimee's seated form.
"Harry! We just heard a couple of minutes ago! Blaise is on his way from work right now. Oh you must be so nervous! How do you feel?!" Hermione gushed out as she enveloped her best friend into a tight hug, causing Harry to roll her eyes and gently push the other woman away.
"'Mione, don't crush me. At least let me get these babies out first." She kidded weakly, causing Ron to laugh at their antics. After acknowledging Draco seated beside Harry with a rather reluctant nod and sneer, Ron turned and rewarded her with one of his trademark grins.
"For what's its worth mate…You're looking awfully calm for a former man who's about to pop TWO kids out of her." Ron failed to see the warning glare Lorraine was giving him and let out a snigger. "I'll bet this does nothing for your masculinity, does it Harry?" He teased lightly, earning himself a very disgruntled glare from Harry as she narrowed her eyes at him.
Scoffing in derision, she raised a single eyebrow and gave him a pointed smirk. "I slept with about twice as many women as you did back when we were at school, Ron…You really want to talk about masculinity? I'll shoot you down any time." She retorted in a deadpan voice, causing even Draco – who was sitting stiffly and was as pale as a ghost – to emit a short snigger.
Ron scowled when Lorraine and Hermione laughed at Harry's quip, both women sitting down the seats across Draco while Ron took the seat beside them. Sirius sat himself down right on Harry's other side and took his goddaughter's hand, giving her fingers a firm squeeze.
"You're doing wonderfully, Prongslet…Most women would be screaming their heads off at their husbands at this point but you're still calm as ever. I mean, look at Regina…She was driving me crazy on the way to St. Mungo's—OW!" Sirius' scowled as his wife punched his arm when she sat down beside him, giving a weakly chuckling Harry a calm smile.
"Don't listen to Sirius, Harry…He just didn't understand how painful those bloody contractions were. It's great that it seems you're not getting any yet." Regina grumbled, leveling her husband with another punch to the arm. Sirius scowled at her while Harry simply turned to give her a confused look.
"You know that's strange…I don't really understand why women get so worked up over this pregnancy thing. Honestly, I think they exaggerate it so much…I actually feel fine." She told them and while Sirius and Draco looked incredibly relieved at this, Hermione, Lorraine and Regina simply met each other's eyes and shared a very similar smirk of amusement.
"See if you still feel that way later, Harry…" Lorraine answered with a sweet smile, reaching over and squeezing the black-haired woman's hands. Harry gave her an odd look of confusion but Lorraine didn't say anything else and simply leaned back against her seat with a chuckle.
A couple more of their friends and relatives rushed into the waiting lobby within the next few minutes after that – including Blaise, Byron and Anton. They seated themselves beside Draco and gave the nervous father-to-be encouraging pats on the shoulder. They were followed by the older Malfoys – Lucius, Narcissa, Lawrence and Genevieve. Before Harry had the chance to greet them properly, Richard Wickham – decked out in his complete Healer robes – finally rushed into the lobby.
"Master and Mistress Malfoy! Right on schedule!" He exclaimed with a bright smile, a bottle of strange pink potion in one hand and a small stack of medical records in the other. Walking over to Harry, he handed her the potion and gave her another kind smile of encouragement.
Harry took the potion reluctantly from his hands and stared at it in question. "Not that I don't trust you or anything, Wickham…But I've learned from past experiences never to take in random potions without being completely aware of its consequences." A couple of sniggers were heard all around them – including Draco's as he took the papers from Wickham's offered hand.
Wickham chuckled at her quip but nodded and indicated to the potion in her hand. "That's just a little something to speed up the contractions and the dilation process, Jaimee. I assure you that it's completely harmless. Just take it in and we'll be done with the delivery in no time, I promise." He told her, watching as Harry drank it all in one gulp while Draco turned to look back at him in question.
"Wickham, do I have to fill out these documents NOW or can I—"
Narcissa cut off the rest of Draco's question and rushed over to pull Harry into a tight hug, the smile on her face absolutely beaming with joy and excitement. "Oh darling! You're about to give birth to my two wonderful grandsons! Are you in pain, sweetie? Would you like me to get you anything?" She gushed out worriedly, pulling away and placing both her hands on Harry's flushed cheeks.
Lucius rolled his eyes at his wife's smothering. After exchanging a formal handshake with Wickham, he led Lawrence and Genevieve to the seats near Draco and sat them down beside Anton and Byron. Giving her mother-in-law a forced smile of reassurance, Harry set the empty potion bottle back on the table and shook her head at all the worried looks everyone was giving her.
"Honestly, everyone! I'm FINE. I actually felt a lot worse DURING the pregnancy than right now and I can assure you that I'm not about to throw a hissy fit right here in the middle of the lobby—HOLY BLEEDING MOTHER OF A BANSHEE'S COW! WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME WAS THAT?!"
Everyone around her jumped in surprise when Harry's calm, laughing voice had suddenly exploded into a high-pitched, shrilly scream. Draco looked up in shock just in time to see Harry clutching tightly at her stomach in pain and looking at Wickham with murder in her eyes.
"Wickham! You bloody bastard! What the HELL was in that potion?! What am I turning into THIS time?!" She screamed at him and sensing her anger, Wickham winced and glanced at the watch on his wrist. "It speeds up the biological workings of your body, Mistress Malfoy…Those would be your contractions already. Come with me—" He reached out to pull her up but Harry yanked her arm away from him and looked at him as though he had turned into a flobberworm.
"Oh NO! Are you INSANE?! You think I'm going to come with you NOW?! I can't believe you gave me something that – HOLY BLEEDING MOTHER OF HELL THAT HURTS JUST LIKE A CRUCIATUS! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!" She shot up from her seat and latched onto Wickham's offered arm like a lifeline, turning around and glaring very venomously at her trembling, stuttering husband.
"DRACO MALFOY, YOU STUPID, ARROGANT PRICK! THIS IS ALL YOUR BLEEDING FAULT! THE MINUTE I GET THESE BABIES OUT, I AM GOING TO SKIN YOU ALIVE AND FEED THE REST OF YOUR SORRY CARCASS TO A HIPPOGRIFF!" She screamed at him, ignoring the stares they were receiving from the other people in the lobby and causing Draco to pale and gape even more in horror.
Hermione and Lorraine were obviously trying very hard to hold in their laughter while Blaise and Sirius were looking at Draco with a hint of sympathy in their eyes, their lips quirking upwards every now and then as they tried to hide their smiles. Ron simply crossed his arms over his chest and smirked at Draco's trembling, ashen figure while Byron and Anton stared at the scene in keen interest.
Wickham gestured frantically to the group of Healers approaching, waiting until they had helped Jaimee into a magically floating stretcher. "Right! Let's go get those babies delivered, Jaimee. Young Master Malfoy! If you'll please come with us now…Everyone else, wait here and wish her luck!" Draco jumped out of his seat and grabbed onto Jaimee's free hand.
Narcissa and Genevieve both rushed over one last time to give Harry a brief kiss of encouragement on her cheek while Lucius and Lawrence leaned back against their seats and brought their pipes out of their robe pockets. Sirius jumped up from his seat and managed to reward his goddaughter with a brief hug and kiss to the forehead before Wickham began to lead her away.
Just before Jaimee was ushered through the doors of the maternity section, Draco let go of her hand and turned around to give his parents one last pleading look. Lucius and Narcissa gave him a smile, nodding and gesturing for him to go on ahead. Instead, the Malfoy Head gulped loudly and finally spoke up in a meek voice for the first time since they had arrived in St. Mungo's.
"I—Is this really happening?"
Lawrence took one look at his nervous face and smirked. He took a long puff from his pipe before speaking. "Stop being a child and go to your wife. You're going to be FATHER now, Draco…That's a big responsibility." He drawled bluntly, causing Draco's eyes to dilate in realization.
"I—I'm a…FATHER…"
After emitting one last sound that sounded suspiciously like a choked-up whimper, Draco's eyes finally rolled up to the back of his head and his body fell backward limply to the floor with a loud 'THUD', causing the rest of their watching friends and relatives to cringe in exasperation.
Seeing Hermione shaking her head in frustration and Blaise, Byron, and Anton sniggering to themselves, Ron shook his head in disgust and smirked at Draco's unconscious form.
"Stupid FERRET…"
"GET THEM OUT OF ME! PLEASE, GET THEM OUT! GET THEM OUT!"
At this point, Jaimee could feel that her throat was already sore from all her screaming but she didn't care. Her entire body was drenched in sweat as she looked up helplessly at the bright lights of the delivery room and squinted, her breaths coming in very rapid, shallow gasps.
Her eyes blurring with tears of pain, she shut them tightly and held back another agonizing scream just as another contraction plagued her body. When the pain seemed too unbearable for her, she began screaming again – shaking her head furiously at the surrounding healers.
"PLEASE GET THEM OUT! GET THEM OUT! OH GOD THAT HURTS SO MUCH! PLEASE! PLEASE! HELP ME GET THEM OUT!" Her voice broke near the end and a sob escaped her lips. The Healers crowded hastily around her and began to spread her legs apart to start the actual delivery.
Wickham reached over and gave her a hand a firm squeeze. His nose and mouth were already covered by the surgical mask he had on but Harry could tell it was him from the familiar kind look in his eyes. "Try and relax, Jaimee…Okay? We'll try to get through this as quick as we can. I promise." He reached up and wiped the sweat off her forehead, earning a very weak smile from Harry.
She flicked her gaze around the room once, her eyes dimming in confusion. "Wh—where's Draco? Wh—where's my husband?! I—I c—can't do this w—without him, I—" She stopped and her eyes widened again when she felt another excruciating contraction ripping right inside her insides.
Pushing Wickham's hand off her head, she clenched her eyes shut and another scream tore itself right out of her throat. "STOP! MAKE IT STOP! I CAN'T DO THIS, PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP! GET THEM OUT!" She bit her bottom lip until she tasted blood, her shoulders racking with terrified sobs.
Wickham rushed to the front of the room immediately to gather the necessary instruments while the other assistant Healers began readying themselves near her legs. "Your first son is ready to come out, Mistress Malfoy! We already see his head!" One of the nearby female Healers shouted to her, reaching up to tie her own surgical mask over her face.
Harry was no longer listening to her and was shaking her head frantically again in a mixture of pain, fear and panic. "PLEASE GET THEM OUT, I CAN'T DO THIS MUCH LONGER! I CAN'T! IT HURTS SO MUCH, PLEASE! I'VE NEVER FELT ANYTHING LIKE THIS! CAN YOU GIVE ME A POTION OR SOMETHING! ANYTHING! PLEASE! PLEASE!" She surprised herself when she realized she was crying, her cheeks flushed in exertion and beads of sweat trickling down the sides of her face.
She had endured countless curses and the worst of spells from Voldemort and the other Death Eaters during the final battle but in her opinion, nothing compared to the pain she was feeling right now – coupled with the fact that if she screwed this up, her sons' lives were on the line.
Harry had never been more terrified in her entire life.
Wickham stood near the end of her bed and gestured out more orders to his assistant Healers. "Jaimee, the babies are coming out right NOW! I need you to work with me, alright? I can't do any more magic or give you any more potions at this point; it's too dangerous and too risky during delivery! I want you to listen very carefully to what I have to say!" His words were flying over her head but he continued, looking directly into her eyes and giving her a firm look.
Jaimee was still sobbing and her breathing was coming out rapid and very shallow. Her hands were clenched so tightly on the armrests of her bed that her knuckles had turned white in exertion. She looked so completely scared and helpless that Wickham had to shout to get her to listen to him.
"I DON'T WANT TO BE A WOMAN ANYMORE! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE—"
"HARRY!" He finally got her attention by shouting out her given name but the look she gave him was one a five-year-old would have looked like when she realized that she lost her parents.
Wickham tried to speak in the most calming, reassuring voice he could. "I'm going to need you to start PUSHING now, okay…? Remember how I taught you about that, Harry? Do you remember?" He asked gently, watching as she finally blinked and nodded reluctantly in understanding.
"I—I think so…" She whispered, her voice shaking as she swallowed and tried to get a hold of her flaring emotions. Wickham nodded and reached over to wipe the sweat off her forehead again. "Good…Now remember what I also taught you about breathing? Regulating your breathing? I want you to do that now…In…Out…In…Out…" She nodded again and began to breathe in time with his words, closing her eyes and inwardly willing herself to calm down.
"Very good, sweetie…Now I'm going to count to three, okay? On three…I need you to start pushing as hard as you can. As HARD as you can, Harry…Can you do that?" Wickham waited for her to nod once more before continuing to speak. "Wonderful…Alright then…On three. One…Two—"
"Wh—where's Draco?" Harry asked again, her voice breaking as she scanned the room once more for a sign of her husband. When she realized that he still wasn't with her, she felt her fear returning full force and she had to clench her hands into fists again to keep herself together.
Wickham looked around the room once before shaking his head at her question. "He isn't here right now, Harry…Okay? He'll be here soon, I promise. Maybe he's still looking for the room. I need you to FOCUS here. Okay? Look at ME!" She glanced back timidly at him and met his eyes.
"Push, okay? Ready? ONE….TWO…THREE…PUSH!" The female standing near her feet kept her legs firmly apart as Jaimee willed her strength and did exactly as Wickham instructed – she got up into a sitting position and PUSHED as hard as she could – so hard that she felt her eyes blurring with tears again at the excruciating pain that was ripping throughout the lower half of her body.
"OH G—GOD! I—I C—CAN'T P—PUSH ANYMORE, WICKHAM! I C—CAN'T—IT HURTS TOO MUCH!" She collapsed back onto the bed on her back and began to sob again in helpless frustration. The Healers kept her legs apart and continued to shout orders at each other – their words echoing clearly around the room but sounding like meaningless garble when it reached Jaimee's ears.
"A LITTLE MORE, MISTRESS MALFOY! HE'S ALMOST OUT! JUST A LITTLE MORE!" Another female Healer shouted to her, reaching up to wipe the sweat from her forehead in comfort. They forced her back up into a seating position, urging her on frantically but Harry was already on the verge of giving up – shaking her head furiously to herself and stuttering through her pained sobbing.
"I—I CAN'T…I C—CAN'T DO IT A—ANYMORE…I C—CAN'T…I'M SORRY…I CAN'T DO THIS…" Tears continued to stream down her cheeks as she said this and just as she was ready to break down entirely, the doors to the delivery room burst right open. The Healers turned to see Draco running hastily into the room, his face already covered with a surgical mask and a look of guilt in his eyes.
"I'm here! I'm here, Harry! I'm so sorry!" He stopped right beside her and knelt down onto the floor so that he was looking at her face, his hand reaching down to intertwine his fingers with hers.
Blinking through her tears, Harry took one look at him and gave him a small, shaky smile of immense relief. Before Draco knew what was happening, she raised a hand and slapped him hard – causing his head to snap back in surprise for a brief second before he turned back to glare at her.
"Wh—what was THAT for—" Draco didn't finish as she broke out into an exasperated, tearful laugh and pressed her forehead against his, closing her eyes in exhaustion as another tear rolled down her cheek. "Malfoy, you stupid JERK! You're LATE! I needed you HERE!" She choked out, crying softly against into his shoulder as she tried to regulate her breathing.
"MISTRESS MALFOY, YOU HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING—"
Ignoring the Healers around them, Draco's eyes softened and he used his free hand to gently brush a lock of sweaty black hair from her forehead. He leaned in and nuzzled her cheek in comfort. "I'm sorry, Harry…I was scared too…" He whispered, pulling back so he could look right into her eyes.
"But I'm here NOW…And I'm not going anywhere."
She couldn't see his lips through the mask but the look in his intense silver eyes and the smile in his voice told her all the unspoken words and feelings she needed from him. Sensing her rekindled strength, Draco stood up and helped her back into a sitting position. He reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes, using the same gesture to brush her long hair back behind her ears.
"Come on, Potter…Don't you DARE wimp out on me now. I'M the Slytherin remember?"
Another choked-up laugh escaped Harry but she nodded carefully at his words and bit her lip again, steeling her nerves and clenching her eyes shut. Wickham smiled at this and signaled to her one last time. "Alright, Harry…One more time…One last push…One…Two…Three…PUSH!"
She clasped tightly onto Draco's hand and summoned the remaining strength inside her to push again – all the muscles in her body screaming in pain and agony. Draco winced as he felt her fingers tighten around his hand but he squeezed them back tightly and watched with wide eyes as Harry gave one last relieved cry before she fell back onto the bed and shut her eyes in exhaustion.
A high-pitched sound of a baby crying filled the room and Draco's eyes widened immediately, flicking up and watching in absolute childlike wonder as Wickham straightened and stood back up – holding in his arms the most beautiful and perfect, tiny living being Draco had ever seen in his life.
"8 pounds! He's a healthy baby boy, Master Malfoy! Congratulation to you both! I'll go and get him cleaned up right now." One of the female Healers called out to the new parents as she inspected the newly born infant crying loudly in Wickham's arms.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Draco somehow found the voice to speak. "I—is that..I—is that really MY son…?" He whispered achingly, his eyes a little misty as he watched the female Healer take the baby from Wickham's hands and began to towel him off. "C—can I h—hold him—"
"Oh dear….The second baby is about to come out now. Everyone back to their positions now!" Wickham and the rest of the Healers were already beginning to gather around Harry once more and were repositioning themselves near her parted legs. "Alright, I already see his head! Looks like he missed his brother too much! Same procedure, Harry…I need you to push on three. On my count—"
Jaimee shot up from her seat and was screaming again in pain, her fingers re-clenching dangerously around Draco's hand and making him wince. "OH GOOD GOD! I THOUGHT IT WAS OVER! I FORGOT THERE WERE 'TWO' OF THEM IN ME! DAMN YOU AND YOUR STUPID SPERM, MALFOY!"
Draco could literally hear the bones in his fingers being crushed. "I—I'm sorry, l—love—"
She turned and began hysterically slapping away the hands of the Healers who were trying to usher her back into the proper sitting position.
"I ALREADY GAVE BIRTH TO A BABY! WHO SAID I HAD TO POP OUT BOTH?! WELL… MAYBE HE 'WANTS' TO STAY IN THERE! NO STOP! LEAVE ME ALONE! DRACO, YOU JERK! I HATE YOU!!!!"
Draco…?
Harry had absolutely no idea how long she had been asleep or where she was that morning. She heard the faint, familiar sound of her husband's voice several feet away her bed, causing her to stir slightly and shift underneath the blankets. Forcing her eyes open, she cringed when she was met with the bright sunlight pouring into her private hospital room from the window beside her.
Where am I…? Wh—what happened…? My babies…Where? She yawned softly and closed her eyes again, trying to stretch her sore muscles underneath the covers but stopping midway to wince in pain. I feel so tired…So sleepy…So drained…She thought weakly, her mind only half-awake as she blinked up and tried to accustom her eyes to the glare the sunlight cast on her bed.
When her vision finally began to refocus, she forced herself up into a sitting position against the bed rest and looked around the room. Placing her hands on her suspiciously flat stomach, she was just about to panic when something caught her attention from the far corner of the room.
The scene that greeted her, however, was one that brought a small, tender smile to her face.
Seated on a couch near the window, Draco was peering down and cradling a squirming bundle of blue blankets to his chest – chuckling softly every now and then as he answered his baby son's nonsensical gurgles and sounds with softly whispered sentences.
The window beside him cast several rays of light onto his handsome features – illuminating his blonde hair and allowing Harry to see the look of genuine awe in his eyes as he gazed into the face of the baby in his arms. He was looking at his infant son with so much wonder and amazement written in his features that the sight of his childlike expression brought a smile to Harry's lips.
Silly Slytherin git… She thought fondly to herself with a smile, shaking her head as Draco leaned in again and gave his son a soft kiss on his forehead. I would gladly give birth to a dozen more of his children if it means I can see him acting like a little boy like this each time… He looks so happy.
She watched with a contented grin as her husband chuckled softly and leaned down to nuzzle his son's soft, baby cheeks. It was a hidden side to Draco that even SHE hardly ever saw and she would have given anything to just watch him silently like this for as long as she could.
Unaware of the way she was staring at him, Draco peered down closer to inspect his son's adorable baby features and began to speak to him in a soft, cajoling tone of voice.
"Did you know…That you and your brother look an AWFUL lot like me…? My hair…MY nose…My chin… I'll bet you're going to grow up drop dead gorgeous one day, aren't you?" He grinned impishly at this but his baby son just yawned at him, obviously not understanding his father's words.
"Hmm…Except for your eyes…You've both got your mother's green eyes. I was actually hoping you would, you know… She's got the most beautiful eyes…Although don't tell her I said that. She's a real downright, annoying prick, your mother. But you know I love her." Draco smirked and shook his head at himself, failing to hear the quiet laugh that had escaped Harry's lips.
Draco leaned down again to inspect his son's face more carefully. "Hmm…Now that I think about it, you look a TAD bitlike your mother too. When she was a boy, I mean. Actually…You're kind of like a mixture of us both. Your mother was a REALLY gorgeous male too you know but…er…yeah, let's not get into that discussion until you're much older alright?" He winced after he said this, watching as his son merely opened his eyes and looked up sleepily at him.
"Humph. I know that look. You think I'm a boring father, don't you?" His infant son gurgled again and squirmed. "Oh DON'T try to play cute with me, Garrett Draco Malfoy. I'm your FATHER, I'm not supposed to be drawn in by your…adorable…baby-ness…" Draco broke out into a grin at the end of his sentence and he laughed helplessly when his infant son gurgled and squirmed in his arms again.
"Alright, so maybe you are deceitfully too darn cute for your own good. You should know that Malfoys do not DO cute, Garrett."
"Garrett, huh?"
Draco nearly jumped out of his seat at the sudden sound of his wife's amused voice. Looking up at her from across the room; he flushed in embarrassment and managed to give her a small, sheepish smile. "I was just trying it out, actually…You can still say 'veto' if you don't like it." He assured her hastily, slowly rising from his seat with their son tucked carefully in his arms.
Harry smiled at him in thought as she propped herself up against her pillows and watched as Draco sat down onto the bed beside her. "Hmm…Garrett Draco Malfoy, huh? Well to be perfectly honest, Draco…I actually like it." She teased, looking around the room in search of her other son.
Draco's eyes brightened at her words and he smiled back at her, turning back to peer at Garrett's adorable face just as he let out a soft yawn. "He's the older twin; actually…Our firstborn son…His brother is sleeping in the crib. Would you like to hold him…?" He looked up and smiled when Harry nodded gratefully at him before placing Garrett carefully down on the bed beside her.
"Was I asleep long?" She wondered idly as she straightened up, pulling the blankets wrapped around her legs tighter around herself. Draco nodded in response as he got up and helped fluff up the pillows behind her. "About a day, actually…You fainted right after giving birth to our second son. They gave you a sleeping draught and you've been out like a light since then."
As Draco walked back over to the crib in the corner of the room to their sleeping younger son, Harry took that opportunity to lean down and peer into Garrett's squirming figure – her eyes softening with affection when she took in her son's beautiful features. As though sensing his mother's attention, Garrett gave a soft gurgle and opened his eyes, allowing Harry to see a pair of bright green orbs.
"He's beautiful isn't he..?" Draco asked with a small smile, carrying their sleeping younger son as he walked back over to the other side of her bed. He deposited the baby gently into his wife's arms before picking Garrett up again and sitting himself down on the bed beside her.
Harry could only nod back silently, her throat too constricted to speak as she stared up close at the sleeping, angelic face of her baby. Cradling him gently against her chest, she peered down into the bundle of blankets and gently reached out to stroke the wisps of silver blonde strands on his head.
The baby turned slightly in his sleep, allowing Harry to smile at the sight of his pale skin, his perfect, asymmetrical baby nose and the unmistakable Malfoy chin. His eyes were closed but since he and Garrett were identical, she knew he had green eyes as well. She leaned down and dropped a soft, loving kiss onto her son's tiny baby hands, her eyes growing slightly misty with tears of emotions.
"My god…H—he's gorgeous…H—he—" She bit her lip and her words ended up sounding choked, causing Draco to laugh gently at her reaction. He leaned toward her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Potter, are you crying…? Come on, what happened to that 'masculinity' remark you gave Weasley awhile ago?" He teased gently, reaching up and brushing her hair out of her face.
Harry glared weakly at him and tried to wipe away the tears from her eyes. "Shut up, Draco. I—I c—can't help it…Wickham warned me about this. My hormones are all over the place right now and H—Hermione was right…J—just looking into my s—sons' faces, I—" She stopped and wiped her eyes again, looking down at her son's sleeping, adorable face.
"I'd gladly go through that labor crap again…I understand now why women are so attached to their children…" She whispered, smiling as she reached out and touched a finger gently to her son's soft, baby cheek. "He looks like an angel, Draco…They both do. They look like you…" She looked back up and smirked at him before Draco could make an arrogant comment about her quip.
"Although UNLIKE their Father, they probably don't turn into nasty obnoxious FERRETS the minute they wake up and start to open their mouths." She teased, earning herself a growl from Draco as he poked her lightly in the ribs.
"Shut up, Potter." He grumbled irritably, turning his attention back to Garrett's sleepy green eyes. "See? What did I say? I told you your mother was an annoying prick." He drawled, earning himself another gurgle from the infant and an amused laugh from his wife.
After another minute, Harry relented and stared affectionately at the dozing baby in her arms again. "In all honesty though, Draco…Save for my eyes, they do look an awful lot like you. They've even got that stuck-up, arrogant chin you have and your perpetually angry eyebrows." She kidded, earning herself another poke from her mildly indignant husband.
"I do not have 'perpetually scowling eyebrows', Potter!" He snapped, wincing when Garrett began to whimper loudly at the sound of his father's loud voice. Harry sniggered at him and waited until Draco had calmed the infant back down. After a couple more minutes, Draco spoke up again in a softer whisper – his eyes not on her but on Garrett just as the baby was beginning to fall asleep.
"In some angles, they look like you too, Harry…When you were male, of course." He noted idly with a smirk, causing Harry to flinch at his words. "Yes but you try explaining that to them when they ask what that means, 'Co…" Draco laughed and shook his head at her words.
When they fell into another comfortable silence – both of them just staring intently at the baby in their arms – Draco looked at Harry again and quirked the corner of his lips into a half-grin.
"You did wonderful, Harry…How are you feeling now…? You look tired…Are you okay?" He asked her gently, chuckling in surprise when all Harry did to answer him was to make a face.
"I just pushed about 16 pounds out of me, Malfoy… Do I look that horrible?" She kidded, rolling her eyes and sticking her tongue out at him in response. Draco offered her a smirk and raised one eyebrow in amusement. "Would you blame me if I said you did?" He retorted wryly, laughing about a second later when he was answered with a punch to his arm.
"Screw you, Malfoy."
Draco's smirk widened. "Already? Tsk. But you just gave birth, Potter! Don't tell me you want another baby? Not that I mind really but I'd rather we take these things one step at a time—"
"Bite me, Ferret."
"Hmm. Maybe later, Scarhead. Not in front of my sons."
"Arrrghh!"
His smirk transformed into a genuine smile at this point and he reached out to place a kiss onto the back of her hand. "You look beautiful as always…" He murmured, watching with a fond laugh as Harry looked hastily away from him to hide the flush that rushed into her cheeks.
Leaning down to give her sleeping son a kiss, she leaned back against the headboard of the bed and stroked her son's cheek with a gentle finger. She was unable to say anything else in those next few moments and Draco was content to just watch her from the corner of his eye, noting the look of pure amazement on her face. Finally, looking up at him, she gave him a small, shaky smile.
"It's amazing isn't it…?" She whispered, her eyes flicking back to their younger son. Draco looked up from Garrett's sleeping face and blinked at her in question.
"What is…?"
Harry bit her trembling lip and took a deep, shaky breath. "I finally understand what Hermione told me before about children. J—just being able to look at them now and r—realizing that th—they came from me…Th—that we actually made something…created something so beautiful…" She looked back up into her husband's curious eyes and offered him another smile.
"You probably don't understand the physical connection as much since you're still a male but there's just this strange emotion associated with the fact that I know they grew inside me…Maybe it's because I'm a woman now…" She whispered more to herself than anyone else, unaware of the way Draco was watching her with a hint of gentleness in his eyes.
"Is that…bad?"
Hearing the concern in his voice, she looked up at him and laughed softly, shaking her head and giving him a reassuring grin. "No, Draco…" She reached over and used her free hand to intertwine their fingers together, giving his a firm squeeze.
"It's not bad at all. It's good. It's…perfect…" She told him, chuckling softly when she was met with her husband's dimpled, boyish smile.
Lifting her hand, he kissed her fingers before smiling and gesturing to the baby in her arms.
"You name him, Harry…"
At her surprised look, Draco shrugged and gave her a teasing grin. "Actually, if it's alright with you…Since our firstborn is taking my name as his second, I kind of wanted our younger son to have 'Harry' as his second name…Would you like that?" He looked at her intently in question.
The corners of her lips quirked upwards slowly into a fond smile and she nodded at him, her green eyes glowing with warmth and affection. "I would love that, Draco…" She whispered, turning her attention back to the baby in her arms and smiling when she looked into her son's cute face again.
Draco contented himself with watching the emotions running all over his wife's exquisite face. He felt the familiar feelings of love, pride and utter, idiotic happiness bursting in his chest as he gazed upon his beautiful family but he refused to let it show – keeping his face stoic and calm.
He watched her as she looked intently at their younger son in thought, her eyebrows fusing together in an expression of deep contemplation. "I'll say it again... They look so much like angels when they're asleep. You'd almost think they were so innocent…" She thought out loud in amusement, earning a laugh and smirk from Draco when he heard her words.
"I'll bet you didn't think of them as being 'angels' when they were coming out of you, Potter—"
"Gabriel." Harry suddenly blurted out, cutting right through Draco's teasing remark as she looked up at him and gave him a questioning smile. Draco blinked for several times to process what she had said before raising a eyebrow and mulling over the name in thought.
"Hmm…Gabriel Harry Malfoy… Garrett and Gabriel Malfoy…" Draco shifted Garrett carefully in his arms and pretended to stroke his chin in thought. Harry bit her lip and watched his reaction closely, shifting impatiently on the bed as she waited for her husband's opinion.
Draco was gazing back and forth between their two sons in silence.
"Garrett Draco and Gabriel Harry…Hmm…Interesting." He finally turned back to meet his wife's nervous expression and rewarded her with a small, teasing smirk. "I like it, Potter…Thank Merlin you finally chose a name that won't get my son manhandled in the playground." He drawled, causing Harry to laugh in relief and punch him lightly on the arm.
"Arrogant prick."
"Annoying bitch."
"Slimy Slytherin."
"Good-goody Gryffindork."
"You bloody FERRET—"
"I love you, Harry."
Blinking at his unexpected response, Harry glanced up in surprise and found herself looking into Draco's intense silver eyes. Cradling Garrett gently against his chest, he stared at her for a long time before flicking his gaze back down to his son's sleeping face and allowing a tender smile.
"They're beautiful, Harry…I love them already…And I love you…Thank you." His voice had come out in a very soft, shaky whisper but she caught every word. She watched as Draco continued to stare at Garrett with an expression of reverence and absolute wonder written all over his face.
When she couldn't find the voice to answer him, Harry swallowed the lump in her throat and looked down at Gabriel instead, trying to fight the mistiness forming in her eyes once again. Damn these stupid female hormones! Stop crying, Potter! Stop it already! She thought desperately to herself, shutting her eyes and leaning down to place a soft kiss on Gabriel's forehead.
After a long moment of silence, Harry finally sighed in defeat and allowed the tears to fall from her eyes. She shrugged helplessly and gave her smiling husband a shaky, tearful smile.
"I—I love you too, you git. B—but I swear, if y—you don't stop exploiting my stupid female hormonal state like this, Malfoy…I'm going to kick your arse—" Her voice broke near the end of her sentence and Draco laughed, setting Garrett back down carefully on the bed.
He reached out and pulled her trembling form towards him, tilting her chin up he could look into her beautiful face. "You're such a girl, Potter…" He teased gently and before she could utter a retort, he leaned over Gabriel's sleeping form and caught her lips in a deep, loving kiss.
Ginny was about to follow Hermione and Lorraine into the nursery room of St. Mungo's that afternoon when she heard a familiar voice calling out her name in an urgent whisper from behind. Turning around to check the hallway, she frowned in confusion when she saw that no one was actually behind her and that the rest of her friends and family were already inside the nursery.
I hate hospitals… They give me the creeps. She thought irritably, wrapping her arms around herself. She was just about to enter through the doors of the nursery when she heard another whisper coming from the empty room across the hall, causing her to look up in confusion.
She was just about convinced that she was hearing voices in her head when the handsome, smirking face of Anton Malfoy peered out from behind the door across from her. He gave her a lazy half-smile and beckoned her briefly into the room, his bright blue eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Are you insane scaring me like that?! What do you want, Malfoy?!" She hissed back, flicking her eyes back to the rest of their friends and noting with relief that they were busy trying to look for the twins inside the nursery. Anton shook his head and beckoned her into the room again, pointing his finger impatiently at his wristwatch to indicate for her to hurry up.
Rolling her eyes, Ginny sighed in exasperation but followed him into the room, raising an eyebrow in question when he closed the door immediately and cast several charms on the lock. "What do you want, Anton? If you're trying to seduce me, I doubt that a hospital room is the way to go." She mocked sarcastically and at that, Anton chuckled in amusement and shook his head.
"That's not why I called you in here, Ginny. Though let's talk about that after this discussion." He winked suggestively at her, earning another irritated look from the redhead. Looking around the clean white room, she leaned against the door behind her and gave him an expectant glare.
"Well? Hurry it up, Malfoy. I don't have all day. What do you want to say?" She snapped, watching as Anton mirrored her position and leaned against the bed behind him with a lazy grin.
"I have a proposition to make, Miss Ginevra Weasley. One you can't refuse." He drawled smugly, watching as she crossed her arms protectively over her chest in growing suspicion.
"What do you mean by that? What kind of proposition exactly, Malfoy?" She asked, her eyes narrowing into tiny slits. Anton smirked at her and used a single hand to casually brush back the strands of silver blonde hair that had dislodged itself from his hairclasp and had fallen into his eyes.
"I heard from a very reliable source…Your friend Hermione to be exact…That your family is somewhat…encouraging you to marry soon. You're two years past your hunting season now, correct?" He asked nonchalantly, causing an irritated flush into Ginny's pale cheeks.
"So what if I am? What's that to you, Malfoy? Not all women become debutantes with the sole intention of marrying the first idiot that comes her way. I'm just picky with men, is all." She huffed indignantly, the defensive tone in her voice causing Anton to snigger to himself.
"Picky or not, Miss Weasley…One more year and you're practically labeled 'old hag' by pureblood society. Besides, it isn't seemly for a beautiful woman like you to still be single." He pointed out, causing her cheeks to flush even darker in frustration.
"I don't need a man to be successful or happy, Anton. I'm sure you feel the same way about women." She snapped at him and at her words, Anton's face broke out into a wide, conspiratorial grin.
"Exactly…" He drawled, chuckling and straightening up from his leaning position to walk up right to her. "That is exactly what I meant to say, Ginny. We both have similar views regarding marriage…Don't you think so?" He asked idly, flicking his eyes down to inspect his nails in boredom.
Ginny simply raised an eyebrow again in growing impatience. "And your point is?"
Anton grinned at her deadpan tone of voice and gave her a mischievous wink. "Ah but you see we have a similar problem, Miss Weasley. You see...My family at the moment is…shall we say pressuring me to find a suitable bride before the end of this season."
Ginny looked slightly surprised at this but he continued before she could ask him anything.
"My grandfather has already threatened me with the possibility of being disowned from the family if I refuse to marry…Can you see the problem in that for me, Ginny?" He looked up and pretended to give her puppy-dog eyes, causing Ginny to scoff at him in derision.
"Why should I even care, Malfoy?" She asked bluntly, smirking when she saw a brief flash of irritation in Anton's eyes. He sighed dramatically and walked closer to her, raising a hand to touch her cheek. "Don't you see it, Ginny? We just may find the solution to each of our problems in each other." He smirked at her in triumph but Ginny was lost and she just blinked at him in question.
It took her a couple of seconds to actually realize what he was suggesting and the minute she did, a choked-up laugh escaped her lips.
"You mean…GET MARRIED?! You want ME to marry YOU, Malfoy?! That's ridiculous! No bleeding way!" She scoffed, turning around and making to walk out of the room but Anton sighed again and grabbed her by her arm to keep her in place.
"Just listen to what I have to say first—"
"No way! You're nutters, you are! That is the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard!"
"Is it?" Anton challenged with a glint in his eye, his fingers tightening around her arm. "It's the perfect solution, Ginny. You and I obviously have no qualms with each other sexually. We know that from past experience. So there won't be any suspicions about our marriage…Plus, we understand each other as kindred spirits. We're very much alike, you and I." He pointed out but Ginny was still looking at him as though he was the dumbest person on the planet.
"Why ME, Anton? I'm a Weasley, your family and mine hate each other! Your father would hang himself when he finds out you're marrying a Weasley too. Besides, why not get another one of your slutty, ex-girlfriends to do it?" She mocked pointedly but Anton just laughed and shook his head.
"Another reason I chose you is exactly because you're a Weasley. Think of it as a form of spiteful rebellion against my family if you will. And besides…I want someone who's experienced and emotionally unattached like me. I don't want someone who clings onto the chance of me being a loyal, perfect husband to her." Anton rolled his eyes, looked utterly disgusted at the idea.
"I want someone who's just as jaded about the entire experience of a relationship as I am…That's you, Ginny. I want you to be my bride." He ended this with another smug smirk, watching as Ginny seemed to consider his words a bit more.
"B—but this is ridiculous! You can't expect me to—"
"I'm looking for a PARTNER, Ginny. I'm not looking for a WIFE. I don't want some blushing, innocent girl who thinks she's going to have the perfect fairytale ending with me. I've lived and gone through so much deceitful women in elite pureblood society too long for me to know that doesn't exist." He sounded sardonic as he said this, rolling his eyes to himself.
"Harry and Draco—"
"They're the EXCEPTION, Ginny." Anton cut her off coldly, rolling his eyes at her words. Ginny frowned, her features still creased with doubt and uncertainty but Anton continued anyway.
"I don't want some gushing bride who's going to promise me her loyalty and smother me with her love, attention and dreams of romantic escapades together. That's rubbish. I want a business-like arrangement. Pure and simple. You and I get married…You get your benefits, I get mine. Consider it a mutually beneficial relationship." He finished, looking up and meeting Ginny's narrowed eyes.
She remained silent as she pondered the meaning in his words. "And what benefits would those be, Malfoy? What's in it for me?" She asked, biting her lip in careful consideration.
Anton shrugged at her words and rewarded her with a roguishly handsome smile.
"You acquire the Malfoy name…I give you enough money to spend as much as you want on clothes, jewelry and all other rubbish women enjoy. Your name gets you inside access to all the elite parties around Europe…Think of all the gossip you'll gather for your job. Need I really say more, Ginny?" He paused after this and gave her a self-satisfied smile, crossing his arms over his chest.
Ginny raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "And your benefits, Malfoy?"
He grinned again and answered her with a cajoling wink. "You don't bother me when I have mistresses or affairs with other women…You don't rat me out to my parents or grandparents either. And eventually…When the time is right, you give me one possible heir—" He stopped abruptly when Ginny laughed and gave him a mocking smile.
"So do you still expect that I sleep with you at night? What about MY own dalliances, Anton? Will I be allowed to have relationships with other men as well?" She challenged knowingly, failing to see the way Anton's jaw had clenched in annoyance at her question.
"Of course. You're entitled to that as well. But ONLY with utmost discretion. I don't want other people talking about us in the society tabloids. Plus, I really don't want my male friends mocking my manhood either about not being able to satisfy my wife sexually." He drawled darkly and his irritated reaction caused Ginny to snigger to herself in satisfaction.
After a moment of silence, she looked up at him again – straightening up from the door and walking right up to him. "What makes you think I even want to marry you, Anton? Maybe the whole concept of marriage is something utterly mundane to me altogether…Ever think of that…?" She challenged again and if anything, her words only caused Anton to smile even wider in self-assurance.
"That, my dear Ginny, is exactly why I chose you." He paused and leaned down to place a suave kiss onto the back of her hand. "You're my kind of woman, Miss Ginevra Weasley. Also…I'm not exactly opposed to the idea of sharing a bed with you every night, if you know what I mean." He added a suggestive wink to this last statement, eliciting a helpless laugh from Ginny at his antics.
"So do we have a deal…? Will you be the future Mrs. Anton Malfoy?" He asked again, smiling genuinely this time as he took a step back from her and offered her his hand.
She stared at it for a moment, her eyebrows fused together and a dubious expression on her face. Then, after nodding to herself in assurance, she finally smirked and slipped her hand through his.
"It's a deal."
"They're absolutely darling! I can't believe how much they look like my Draco." Narcissa gushed adoringly as she cradled Gabriel in her arms in the middle of the hospital nursery, smiling and leaning down to nuzzle her grandson's cheek. Lucius and the rest of the other Malfoys were gathered around her and peering over her shoulder with similar smiles of pride on their aristocratic faces.
Hermione, Blaise, Sirius and Regina were beside them and gathered similarly around Garrett's crib – the older Malfoy twin cradled gently in Lorraine's arms. Blaise peered over Lorraine's shoulder and smirked at the blonde infant. "Yep, I can see it now…You're going to be one of the biggest pricks of your generation just like your father, Garrett…" He drawled, earning himself a nudge from Lorraine.
Sirius and Ron both laughed at Blaise's quip while Lorraine smiled and deposited Garrett into Hermione's arms next, leaning over the other girl's shoulder to coo at the baby in adoration.
"They're so CUTE, Auntie Narcissa…Uncle Lucius…They're such a beautiful blend of both Draco and Harry. I just want to bring them home and hug and squeeze them all over." She mused, earning more amused chuckles of agreement from the crowd of Malfoys beside her.
"Of course they are, Lorraine…With both their parents' good genes…" Lucius answered back proudly, peering over his wife's shoulder again so he could gaze into Gabriel's face.
"Little buggers look like their mother too… Amazing how they look so much like both their parents. More of Draco though." Byron quipped with a chuckle as he reached a hand over Narcissa's shoulder and tickled Gabriel's stomach – causing the baby to squirm in his grandmother's arms.
"Aw…Aren't they just absolutely adorable? I could just cuddle them up like teddy bears…" Genevieve cooed out loud, giggling as she leaned down and gave Gabriel a kiss on the cheek.
Lawrence rolled his eyes at her words and simply raised an eyebrow at all their actions. "They're not pets to be coddled, Genevieve. They are Malfoy sons and they will learn to be proper aristocrats just like all Malfoys when the time is right." He drawled in a serious voice, causing Sirius to roll his eyes just as Hermione handed Garrett to him.
"You talk as if they're not babies, Lawrence. They've just been born! Give them a break before you ladle on all that proper aristocratic upbringing rubbish." He retorted, chuckling when Regina began to coo over his shoulder at Garrett as well. Lawrence looked as though he was going to say something else as a retort but Genevieve beat him to it and spoke up before him.
"In any case, I think their names are wonderful. Garrett and Gabriel Malfoy…They're a delightful addition to the Malfoy family. I'm so proud." She gushed happily, failing to see the way Ron was rolling his eyes at all of them from where he was standing by the nursery entrance.
Walking over to stand behind his wife, Ron turned and gave Hermione a snort of amusement. "They're not that cute, are they? I mean…They can't be that cute if they look more like Draco of all people—" All sets of Malfoy eyes turned and glared daggers at him – including his wife's.
Laughing nervously, he ducked his head behind his hand and gave them all a sheepish look. "I—I mean…What I meant to say is… Ehehe…. Uhm… Hey, where's Ginny? Did any of you see her?!" Ron suddenly asked, his eyes darting around the nursery room in worry when he didn't see his sister.
Lorraine frowned at his question and followed his gaze, noting with a scowl that her brother was also missing. "Hmm…You're right. Even Anton isn't here…I wonder where those two went off to." She thought to herself, her eyes narrowing in suspicion when she looked up and met Hermione's.
The brunette sighed and shook her head, leaning over to brush back the strands of silver blonde hair from Garrett's forehead. "I don't know where they are either, Lorraine. Ginny was right behind me when we left the lobby." She offered and at this, Lorraine sighed heavily and stalked out of the room, muttering under her breath about searching for her 'libertine brother'.
Ron watched his wife leave for several minutes before he realized that the other Malfoys in the room were still glaring angrily at him. "Ehehe…Sorry about that little comment. I—I didn't mean it like that at all, I actually think Draco's quite…cute…too…" He winced when he heard his own words coming out of his mouth, oblivious to the way Byron and Blaise were sniggering at him.
Lucius raised an eyebrow at Ron's bizarre response, a sneer tugging on his lips as Narcissa deposited Gabriel into his arms. Peering at his grandson briefly, he flicked his silver eyes back up and narrowed them at Ron's embarrassed face. "I'll never understand you Weasleys…" He drawled out loud, causing Ron to wince again while the rest of the people in the room laughed.
Hermione giggled at this and took Garrett from Blaise's arms again, leaning down and cooing over the adorable blonde baby. "Honestly Ron, come here and take a look at them and you'll see why we're all so drawn in. They're really cute." She told him, beckoning him further into the nursery.
Ron grumbled but sighed and relented, walking through the maze of cribs over to where Hermione was holding Garrett in her arms. "Fine…But just to tell you, I was never good with babies. Even Francesca cried all the time when I held her back when she was born. I think it's a curse or something." He grumbled, wincing when Sirius grinned at him and clapped him on the shoulder.
"That's probably because you're still just a kid at heart, Ronnie-boy." He teased, causing Ron to glare at him and snap out in a loud voice. "I am NOT a kid, SIRIUS! Don't call me RONNIE-BOY!" He growled, cringing when everyone in the room glared at him and shushed him sharply to be quiet lest he wake up the other sleeping babies in the nursery.
Blaise smirked at him and shook his head. "Unless you want the rest of the babies screaming their heads at you, Weasley…I suggest you keep quiet." He pointed out, sniggering when Ron scowled at him but let his voice fall into a softer whisper anyway.
"Oh shut up, Zabini! It's not like you're any more of a quiet person than I am." He taunted, rolling his eyes as Sirius leaned over Hermione's shoulder again so he could look into Garrett's face.
Frowning, the former Marauder looked up questioningly at Narcissa. "How can you tell which one of them is which? I mean… They look exactly alike, don't they? It's confusing!"
Narcissa answered him with an irritated glare. "What kind of silly question is that, Sirius?! I just KNOW, that's all! They're MY grandsons, why wouldn't I be able to tell them apart easily?" She huffed indignantly but Sirius merely scoffed at her words and smirked at her.
"Alright…If you're so good, then which one is Lucius holding right now, 'Cissa?"
The blonde woman colored slightly in embarrassment. "U—uhm… W—well…He's holding Garrett obviously! I'm positively certain of it—"
Sirius laughed loudly again and shook his head at her response. "WRONG! He's holding Gabriel. Hermione is the one holding Garrett. See?! I TOLD you! Even YOU can't tell which twin is which!" He said out loud, wincing when he was shushed sharply again by Hermione and Regina.
"Sirius, SHHHH! You might wake up the other babies!" Regina swatted his arm in irritation, causing her husband to sigh and nod sheepishly. Finally looking up from tickling Gabriel's stomach, Byron looked around the nursery room once before giving them a questioning glance.
"Any news about Harry, though? Is she okay? How did the delivery go?" He directed his question mostly to the other Malfoys, waiting until Genevieve answered him with a comforting smile. "She's just fine, love. I spoke to Draco about twenty minutes ago and he said she's resting in her hospital room. We should be able to visit her a little later." She assured him, much to Byron's relief.
Lawrence nodded and gave both his grandsons an appraising look. "She just delivered two Malfoy sons, Byron…As far as I'm concerned, she's allowed to do whatever she wants right now." He drawled, causing the other Malfoys to chuckle in agreement as they peered down at Gabriel again.
Looking up from Garrett's wide, green eyes, Hermione gave Ron an amused smile. "Do you want to hold him, Ron? I remember Harry talking about naming you as one of the twins' godfathers." She pointed out, indicating to the baby in her arms. At this, Ron paled slightly in nervousness.
"Lorraine hasn't really taught me how to handle baby boys yet, Hermione. Is it any different from handling a girl?" He asked, earning a snort of derision from Blaise as he watched their interaction.
"Honestly Weasley, it's just a baby. You act as if you don't have a kid of your own" He retorted, rolling his eyes when Ron glared at him and gave him an angry scowl. "That's different! My little daughter is the most beautiful, most angelic baby in the world!" He scoffed but Hermione simply rolled her eyes again and gently deposited Garrett into Ron's arms.
The redhead made a face at first as she did this, holding Garrett stiffly as though he was afraid the blonde baby was going to bite his head off. Sirius and Hermione both watched him with smirks on their faces, trying to keep themselves from laughing at the look on Ron's face.
"Ugh…He's drooling all over me now. Is it just me that feels uncomfortable with holding him like this? I mean, how do I even know which is which? Which twin do I have?" Ron looked up and glared at Hermione again, watching as she rolled her eyes at him and indicated to Garrett with a grin.
"He's the older twin – Garrett. Gabriel is the twin with the tiny mole behind his left ear." She told him with a smug smile, causing both Ron and Blaise to roll their eyes at Hermione's self-satisfied smile. "Must you know everything about anything, Hermione?" Ron grumbled, wincing again when Garrett began to squirm more insistently in his arms.
Blaise was pretty much looking at his wife with the same expression of ire on his face but Hermione simply shrugged and leveled them both with a nonchalant smile. "I'm just keenly observant, Ronald. Not everyone is as oblivious to his surroundings as you are." She retorted, earning herself another indignant glare from her redheaded best friend.
While the rest of the Malfoys continued to fawn all over Gabriel several feet away, Ron finally relented and peered down closely at Garrett's squirming figure – raising an eyebrow when he was met with a pair of sleepy, emerald green eyes and short silver blonde locks of hair. The young Malfoy blinked up quietly at him, his tiny baby hands moving impatiently underneath the blankets.
"Hmm…So alright, maybe they are a little cute—" Garrett gurgled in his arms and squirmed impatiently, his tiny baby feet kicking gently at Ron's chest. "—in a weird, Malfoy-ish sort of way, I suppose… At least he got Harry's eyes. Those are cute too…Somewhat…" He mumbled, shifting the impatiently squirming baby in his arms again and trying to get him to hold still.
"Ugh…I just wish he would stop moving around and kicking so much though…It's kind of hard to hold him like this—" Ron winced and unknowingly jostled Garrett a few more times in his attempt to adjust to his squirming. Narcissa and Lucius looked up and glared cautiously at this while Regina winced beside Ron and tried to take Garrett from the former Gryffindor's hands.
"Ron, you have to be extra careful not to jostle him. He just fed several minutes ago—"
"Regina, it's fine. I can handle it! Carrying the little bugger just needs some getting used to—" Ron cut himself midsentence when Garrett winced briefly before whimpering and coughing up milky white baby vomit all over the front of Ron's shirt – immediately causing the redhead to exclaim in disgust and the rest of the adults around them to hide their smiles behind their hands.
"EWWWWW! That's just…GROSS!"
Garrett's emerald green eyes began to water instantly at the sound of Ron's loud, angry shout.
"Ron, SHHHH! You're not supposed to shout in the nursery room—"
Before any of them knew what was happening, Garrett clenched his eyes shut, opened his mouth and let out a terrible, high-pitched baby wail that echoed sharply in the silence of the nursery.
Once again, Ron was the unwilling recipient of several death glares from the other Malfoys around the room. He held up his hands in an 'I surrender pose' and gave them all an innocent look.
"I didn't do it—"
Unfortunately, Gabriel seemed to sense his twin brother's distress and he followed him immediately – opening his own mouth and crying as loud and as shrill as his baby lungs could manage.
Blaise and Hermione glared accusingly at Ron's sheepish face.
"Sorry! Ehehehe. It was an accident—"
One by one, the rest of the other sleeping infants in the nursery room of St. Mungo's awoke rudely to the sound of Garrett and Gabriel's shrill screams and began to cry as well – their baby wails joining in together into one excruciatingly loud, single mass of noise that began to eat at Ron's ears. Several panicked healers came bursting into the nursery room in a state of uproar, circling around the cribs and as they struggled to figure out how to stop the babies from crying.
Covering both his ears with his hands to drown out the sound, a flushed Ron Weasley looked up and offered a nervous smile at the horrible sneers he was receiving from Lucius and the rest of the Malfoys behind him – all of which were now circled around Genevieve as she swayed Gabriel in her arms from side to side in her efforts to get him to stop crying.
Sirius, Regina were circled around Garret cradled in Hermione's arms and were pretty much trying to do the same thing – wincing and hushing the crying baby gently to get him to calm down. In the midst of all this, Ron had ducked down behind the cribs and was trying to slip out of the nursery unseen – only to be stopped by Blaise placing a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"I don't think so, Weasley…You started this. You fix it. Make him stop crying!" He growled, hauling him back up to his feet and dragging him where Garrett was crying in Hermione's arms. Ron winced and tried to struggle free from Blaise's grasp. "Me?! I didn't do anything! He just started crying on his own!" He protested, looking down at Garrett's flushed, tear-streaked face.
The minute the blonde infant caught sight of Ron, however, he immediately stopped crying and blinked up curiously at him – a strange hint of what almost seemed like a smirk tugging on his tiny, baby lips. Ron noticed this immediately and his eyes widened in absolute horror, pointing his finger frantically at Garret's face in indignant realization.
"I KNEW IT! He's smirking at me! Look, that baby is SMIRKING at me! I swear! Look at him!" Ron screeched out, causing more babies to cry around the nursery room again at his loud voice.
Hermione glared impatiently at him, tutting loudly in growing annoyance. "Ron, don't be ridiculous! Babies don't even know HOW to smirk yet! You're being completely nutters—"
"I'M TELLING YOU! HE'S SMIRKING AT ME! THAT CHILD IS PURE EVIL, I TELL YOU! LOOK! HE'S TAUNTING ME! HE'S TAUNTING ME WITH THOSE CUTE LITTLE GREEN BABY EYES! I SWEAR TO MERLIN!" Ron exploded, watching in horror as Garrett gurgled happily in Hermione's arms.
"Ron, what are you TALKING about?! STOP shouting, they're going to kick us out of here—"
"WEASLEY!" Byron had growled and pulled away from the rest of his family to stalk towards Ron's panicking form. He pulled the hysterical redhead back up onto his feet and grabbed the front of his robes, hoisting him up until their faces were mere inches apart.
"If you don't shut your trap right NOW, I'm going to admit you to the emergency ward! There are DOZENS of babies in here right now and in case you haven't noticed, they're all CRYING because of YOU!" He growled and at this, Ron finally fell silent and scowled. He sulked to himself as Byron let him back down onto his feet and walked back over to help his grandmother with hushing Gabriel.
Once the metamorphagus had gone, Ron's scowl deepened and he looked at Garrett again. His eyes grew wide with indignation when he saw that the blonde baby was staring and blinking right back at him, gurgling and squirming contentedly in Hermione's arms while the rest of the babies in the room – his twin brother included – continued to cry and wail in loud, shrill voices.
Ron grumbled darkly and glared at Garrett's bright green orbs, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"You are JUST like your father aren't you…?"
Garrett blinked and answered him with another happy gurgle.
A/N: Heehee. Poor Ron. Payback's a bitch, huh? :P I hope you all liked the names I chose. It took me several days to think of possible names for them. The next chapter will be the last one before I go into the 2 year time lapse so keep a lookout mmkay? :D We're just about nearing half the story. :D
Next Chapter: A cute parenting D/H scene, Harry receives an important letter, and perhaps a little Byron/Vincent :D
PLEASE REVIEW! CHEERS!
