Chapter Eleven
As the group stepped out of the flames one by one and into the minister's office in Paris, there was no doubt that Henri Dulaine was completely shocked. That is until he saw Lucius standing in the back.
"Bonjour, Lucius." He smiled. "I see you have once again demonstrated the Malfoy's political prowess and schemed you're way right out of prison."
Lucius raised a delicate eyebrow and smiled. "But of course, cousin. And how is Fiona?"
"She is marvelous." He replied. "But I'm sure this is not a social visit, am I correct?"
"You are." Harry interrupted. The French minister turned and his eyes widened considerably as he finally recognized the Savior of the Wizarding World standing before him.
"Mon Dieu." Henri gasped. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Monsieur Potter."
"Actually I'm Mr. Malfoy-Potter, and we're here because my husband and mother-in-law have been kidnapped and are being held on French soil."
If it were possible, Harry could have sworn the man's eyes widened even more. "Who would even dare?" He asked stunned. "To kidnap my dear cousins, such disrespect is not to be borne."
"I would be happy to explain the circumstances to you, but I have been informed that the woman who had them taken has instructed my husband's captors to abort our son." Harry said his voice and mixture of anger and a just a thread of terror.
The minister nodded. "Very well, do you have the location? We shall apparate there immediately."
Lucius walked forward presenting the location to the French minister and they all apparated on the spot. Less than a minute later they were standing on the outskirts of a rather medieval looking castle, complete with turrets, and a draw bridge. Harry glanced around looking for anyone who could hinder their entry, but found no one.
"The wards around this structure are very strong," Lucius began.
"No worries." Fred interjected.
"We've disabled stronger wards…" George continued.
"Than these while we were still in Hogwarts." Fred finished.
"Just give us a sec." George grinned.
True to their words, Fred and George took the wards down almost effortlessly to the shock of everyone present including Lucius Malfoy, who could not help but be a bit impressed at their skills.
Harry strode forward. "Now we just need to go inside and find Draco and Narcissa."
In minutes they were inside the castle fanning out.
Further inside the castle, Draco lay on the floor, several cushions propping him up, as he panted in misery. His labor had began forty minutes ago and he was terrified. Narcissa held her son's hand and patted his forehead intermittently as she glared at their two captors.
"You have to let us go," Narcissa begged. "My son is in labor, I can't deliver this child, only a Madam Pomfrey knows the spells necessary."
"You aint goin' no where." The man snarled. "Yer spawn's sufferin' aint no body's fault but his own."
"How is it my fault…" Draco panted. "To want to carry my soul-mate's child?"
The other man spat on the floor. "Cause ye weren't never meant to have children."
"If that were true," Narcissa snapped. "He would not have found the spells in books older than your family line."
"Ye think jess cause your Malfoy's ye can get away with anything." The taller one snarled.
"No." The door burst open and Lucius Malfoy stepped inside flanked by Harry and Kingsley. "I think because they are my family you will regret ever having touched them." The Malfoy patriarch snarled before casting to very powerful binding spells that neither Harry nor Kingsley recognized.
"Those aren't dark are they?" Kingsley questioned. Lucius chuckled. "Absolutely not, that what I used on Draco when he was little and wouldn't sit still; he had terrible bouts of accidental magic and those were the only ones that would hold him." Kingsley nodded. Harry however was already on the floor next to his love, as Draco groaned in discomfort.
Harry turned worried eyes to his father-in-law. "We need to get them out of here now. Draco's in labor."
Casting a quick charm on Draco to make him lighter, Harry picked his husband up and walked to the door. Lucius was also busy helping his wife to her feet. "Where are your wand's?"
"They have them." Narcissa explained. With a quick wave of his wand, Narcissa and Draco's wands flew from the taller man's pocket.
With a few quick strides, Harry was out of the room and moving down the halls to the Apparition foyer where he Apparated directly into the minister's office, before flooing into the Hogwarts infirmary followed quickly by Madam Pomfrey, Harry's family and the others. It was no time before Poppy shooed everyone but Harry and Narcissa from the room while she situated Draco on the bed in a hospital gown. To Draco's delight he was placed in Harry's bed, magically altered for the occasion with stirrups and everything else one would need for child birthing.
"This doesn't look at all like when I had Draco." Narcissa commented. Poppy clucked appreciatively. "Well, I've been doing a bit of research for this birth, and over the last few years, St. Mungo's have be implementing some of the muggle methods."
"Muggle?" Draco panted. "Is that safe?"
"Of course, dear." Poppy replied. "You would be surprised by some of the brilliant things muggles have come up with the make up for their lack of magic. They are quite brilliant, actually." Draco nodded as another contraction hit him.
As Draco panted his way through the contraction, Harry couldn't help but voice his concerns. "How is Draco going to deliver? He's not made with those parts."
"Well," Poppy replied. "It's simple really. I did a bit of research as I was saying before, and what we will be doing is casting a spell to increase the flexibility of the pseudo-uterus that is attacked to your husband's rectum. This will make it possible for the baby to pass through the canal and out through the anus." The ashen face of Harry Potter as he listened to her explanation was almost comical. All the blood seemed to drain from his face the moment she suggested that Draco would push their baby out through his arse.
"And this won't hurt him?" Narcissa asked curiously between swabbing Draco's damp forehead, and glancing worriedly at her son-in-law.
"Mr. Potter," Poppy began.
"Malfoy-Potter." Draco corrected between pants.
Poppy didn't seemed deterred. "Of course, perhaps you would be better off outside waiting with the others."
Harry shook his head furiously. "Absolutely not."
Draco grasped Harry's hand firmly and squeezed through the contraction while threatening several forms of dire punishment should Harry even think of leaving him to deliver this baby with only his mother and the school nurse.
"In that case," Madam Pomfrey sniffed disdainfully. "I'll expected complete cooperation and no passing out or the like."
Harry assented nervously, but held Draco's hand tighter.
Without another word, Poppy whipped back the cover's over Draco's waist and with a flick of her wand hand him situated into the stirrups with his bottom at the very edge of the bed. A few more waves of her wand and Draco gasped in shock.
"What happened? What's the matter?" Harry asked.
"It feels like she shoved a hose up my arse." Draco groaned in discomfort.
"I did nothing of the sort." The nurse replied nearly scandalized. "That was a combination of the loosening spell on your rectum and anus and a cleaning spell." Draco felt certain that he might pass bubbles, but didn't want to mention it in front of his mother and the nurse. He squirmed a bit on the bed, and gasped when in no time, it felt as though a flood were gushing straight out of him. "I'm bloody pissing out my arse, something has to be wrong," He squealed.
"Hush," Poppy scolded. "Your water broke, it's perfectly natural, in fact I was bat worried I might have to do it for you, and that would have been quite difficult being male," she explained in a tone one of mild relief while clearing away the mess under him with a flick of her wand. "I'll come back when your contractions are constant and you've dilated, which is a bit tricky in these situations," she informed as she bustled off once again.
Harry sat nervously in his chair bouncing his leg to alleviate the energy as Madam Pomfrey examined Draco once more. He was frantic, running his hands through his now messy hair, worried for Harry.
Meanwhile, Lucius, Ron, Hermione, the entire Weasley Clan, Professor McGonagall, Remus, Severus, and several Aurors accompanied by Minister Shacklebolt waited outside nervously as they heard Draco's pained shriek.
Draco grabbed at the sheets so hard, so violently, he pulled them up from the bed, nearly tearing them into pieces. Harry, in some semblance of help, wet a washcloth he'd picked up from the bedside table, wrung it out, and wiped the sweat off of Draco's face. He ignored the irritated glare he received for his efforts and leaned in place a loving kiss against his husband's panting lips.
"I don't if I can take this," Draco panted fearfully, he was weak from exhaustion and unable to hold back another cry of pain, biting his lips so hard could taste blood, as his contractions began getting closer and closer to each other. For a while the contractions had been about five or so minutes apart, letting him rest in between each one, but now they were only a few seconds apart, and he knew the time was coming close.
"I must have been bloody crazy for doing this!" Draco grunted painfully as he clutched at both his mother and Harry for comfort.
"I know," Harry replied, soothingly. "But think about the reward. Our very own son."
"Don't give me that!" the enraged blond spat. "I've done all the bloody work and with my luck he'll look just like you damn it."
Pomfrey suddenly pulled back the curtains wheeling in a small medical trolley with covered in shiny sterile medical things that neither boy had ever seen, along with a traditional sort of basinet sitting to the side. Draco's eyes were drawn to it, glued, really, the reality slamming into him like the contractions when he was startled from his musing by Pompfrey removing his drapes and pulling a stool between his legs to sit on. "It's time, Draco," The nurse said breathlessly almost cheerfully which made him wonder what she had the right to be cheerful about when he was writhing away in misery.
"Okay," Draco said, nodding at once pausing a moment as a sharp wave of pain slammed into him, taking his breath away and making him cry out in anguish. "Let's hurry this up; I don't think I can take any more of this," came his breathless plea.
"All right, Draco, on your next contraction, I need you to push," Pomfrey said sternly.
"How am I supposed to do that?" Draco asked looking between the nurse and his mother.
"Like you're in the loo," the nurse replied, waving her wand over Draco's abdomen once more to check his vitals.
Draco gripped the bars on the sides of the bed's until his knuckles turned white while clenching his stomach muscles and pushing with all his might as he felt the pain flow over him again, locking his body in that position for as long as his exhaustion would let him. As the contraction ebbed, he stopped to take a deep heaving breath before pushing again, whining slightly as he felt the baby begin to move through his body. The pain was excruciating and He was forced to stop a moment in his pushing to take some panting breaths, breaths that made his chest hurt.
"Mr. Potter," Pomfrey snapped catching Harry's attention immediately. "I need you to hop up on the bed behind Draco and scoot close so he can brace himself against you because the hard parts just about here." Harry scrambled up onto the bed behind his weary blonde husband and scooted into place allowing Draco to lean back against him and bracing himself with Harry's knees.
"That's it, Mr. Malfoy one more good push, you're crowning. Your wee one will be here soon," Pomfrey encouraged. She flicked her wand to clean up the mess as Draco continued in his efforts, while Harry and Narcissa helped Draco to relax.
In the meantime, Narcissa was pressing cool compresses against Draco's neck to relax him, and trying not to look anywhere but at her son's flushed face, when she heard Pomfrey exclaim, "Ah! There we go. Keep pushing, Mr. Malfoy, the head's almost out."
Harry couldn't help it craning his neck over Draco's shoulder and chancing a look below; his mouth fell open in awe at seeing his child's head slowly emerge from Draco's exhausted body, first the crown with a shock of blonde hair and a little forehead, eyes firmly shut, nose, mouth, pointed chin. There he was, his son he had helped make that forehead, those eyes, that little chin, it was breath taking. Harry watched, transfixed, as his beloved continued to push the little person out of his body.
Harry held back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks--with some difficulty--at finally getting to meet his son, the little person made from Draco's desperation and their love, and lost the battle to his tears as the spilled over his cheeks. He murmured endless encouragements that only Draco, who was panting and gripping his knees for dear life, could hear. Encouraging him, cheering him on to keep pushing, Harry kept reminding him that their baby would be here soon.
With a desperate grunt, Draco lowered his head, chin to chest, and kept pushing, weary, the arms of exhausting gripping him firmly. Then with one last mighty push, he felt the baby slide right out, making his body go limp. Madam Pomfrey quickly took the baby once it finally came out, cutting the cord with a pair of surgical scissors and snapping a clamp onto the end still attached to the little one on the bed. She used a quick spell to suction out the nose and mouth to clear the baby's airway and started to used the towels on the cart the baby was wriggling on to clean, warm, and stimulate the little one into crying.
After a few squeaky and wet cries the baby was able to breath properly and let everyone in close range know it was not pleased with being removed from the warm, wet haven of Draco's womb. The little one let was loud wailing and flailing its limbs about, the little hands balled into tiny fists.
While Draco had been busy pushing, Harry stared in stunned shock as the baby finally emerged completely into the world. He quickly began counting ten little fingers, and ten little toes before allowing his eyes to dart a look between the baby's legs and found—that their little boy was in fact a perfect little girl. He frowned for a moment in confusing, though not in the least bit disappointed by this new revelation. Still he watched curiously for a moment as his tiny daughter appeared to be a bit pale at first, but sighed in relief as the skin began to pick up some color after she had taken some much needed breaths to wail out her displeasure.
Tear of joy were running down both Harry and Narcissa's cheeks and neither could keep the tears from flowing freely this time. Harry pressed a delicate kiss to Draco's brown as he lay limply against his husband, eyes shut, while he caught his breath.
"Well, gentlemen, it appears as though magic is once a again fallible. You are the proud parents of a wee little girl!" The nurse said with breathless excitement to the little family. Draco sighed in response, too tired to do much of anything else.
A sudden squeak caught their attention as Draco shuddered dispelling the afterbirth with an undignified, "Eek!" at the feel of something moist and squishy sliding out of his arse. It made him squirm at the feel, but he sighed as the strangely lingering feeling of fullness was now gone. Pomfrey picked the little girl from the nest of towels, and placed her gently into the basinet on the trolley a moment as with a quick swish and flick of her wand, the mess from the bed and covering Draco's arse was gone. Once Poppy was done, Harry slipped out from behind Draco and Narcissa conjured a lovely stack of down pillows to cushion her son's back and help him sit up boneless with exhaustion, but anxious to see his daughter. He smiled wanly at Harry a moment; sweat plastering his hair to his face, before turning his head to see his baby girl, who was now fussing in the pink basinet. Narcissa, a Pomfrey's request gently picked up the baby, now swaddled in a fluffy pink blanket, and laid her into Draco's arms. Draco looked down at his daughter, brushing a thumb softly across her baby soft forehead, and smiled up at Harry.
"She's got blonde hair like me." Draco murmured in awe.
"Yes, I know," Harry said quietly, not wanting to disturb the baby—their little miracle baby—while tracing his finger down the little arm and taking a small hand between his thumb and forefinger. Narcissa couldn't help petting the soft hair on her granddaughter's perfect head as she leaned over and kissed Draco's cheek. The baby quieted down between the caressing touches of her daddies and grandmama.
"Dragon," Narcissa whispered with so much emotion in her voice. "I'm so very proud of you."
"Congratulations, gentlemen." The nurse gushed as she came back through a genuine smiled on her usually stern face as she gazed fondly at the small family. "What will you be calling her?" Pomfrey asked curiously.
"Well…" Harry looked at her in confusion. "We weren't expecting a little girl so we hadn't even thought of it."
"If I might make a suggestion." Narcissa spoke.
Draco looked up. "Yes, mother. What is it?"
"After I had Draco, his father and I tried again and I miss carried. I was certain it was going to be a little girl but we never got far enough to find out. We often thought of naming her Aster."
Draco smiled. "Then she would be a star and a flower."
Harry gazed at his husband in confusion. "I don't understand, love. What does Aster mean?"
Laughing at him softly, Draco reached up and pressed a kiss to his lips. "An Aster is a star shaped little white flower."
"I think it's perfect, mum." Harry said gazing at the shock of platinum blonde hair adorning her little head. "We can name her Aster Lily Malfoy-Potter to honor Draco's sister and my mother."
Unable to hold back the radiant smile covering her face, Narcissa stood up quickly and made her way around the bed to pull Harry into a very un-Malfoyish hug. "I'm so very lucky to have two wonderful sons and a beautiful little grand-daughter as well."
While they continued their discussion, Madam Pomfrey opened the wing and allowed those waiting outside to come in and visit with the new family. The host of visitors poured into the hospital wing to see the new addition to the Malfoy-Potter family. Hermione, as usual, was the first to make the observation that Harry and Draco's little boy was indeed a little girl instead.
"Oh Draco," She gasped in delight. "You've a little girl."
Laughing at her excitement, Draco nodded and held out the infant for all to peruse. The most startling reaction, though, came from Lucius Malfoy who stepped forward and took the child in his large hands. Draco didn't miss the flash of pride in his father's eyes and he held his grand-daughter for the first time.
His voice held a twinge of emotion that Draco had not heard in many years. "What is her name?"
Harry regarded his father-in-law closely as he replied. "We've decided to name her Aster in honor of Draco's sister and Lily for my mum." Lucius nodded, little tears in his eyes as he thought of the baby that he'd never gotten the chance to meet.
Squaring his shoulders regally, the Malfoy patriarch nodded his assent. "I think it is perfectly befitting a Malfoy."
"I think she a right gem, mate." Ron said from Harry's side. "I reckon my son will have his hands full keeping up with her." Draco and Harry burst into laughter at the thought of Ron Weasley's son chasing after their daughter. "I hope you realize mate, that your son doesn't have a chance. I she's not getting married till I'm dead." Harry replied sternly. "Or at least not until Draco and Harry realize there is no hope trying to control a Malfoy." Narcissa interjected.
"Or a Potter." Fred and George added with a laugh.
"Good heavens," Minerva gasped. "I think I shall retire before that child ever enters Hogwarts, I don't believe anyone will stand a chance." Severus and Remus agreed good-naturedly.
"I don't believe my classroom could stand them either." The potions master's silky smooth voice added.
It wasn't long before the well wishers made their way out leaving just Harry, Draco, and Aster alone in the hospital wing for the night. Harry put Aster down for the night in her ornately decorated crib, transfigured expertly by the headmistress herself before enlarging the bed and crawling in beside and exhausted Draco who snuggled close to Harry and sighed with contentment. "I love you so much." Harry whispered into Draco's hair.
"And I love you, more that you will ever know." Draco answered pressing a kiss to Harry's collarbone. "Thank you for giving me such a beautiful baby, Harry."
"I hardly think I should be held responsible, love. You've done all the work and you should receive all of the credit for a job well done. She is beautiful and everything I could have ever hoped for, just like you.
Two months passed in a flurry of activity as Dolores Umbridge was incarcerated and tried for inappropriate use of authority, illegal abuse of Ministry privileges, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit murder. It seemed that the Wizengamot finally had their fill of the awful woman and it was an unanimous vote to put her in prison. In the time it took for Umbridge to be tried Harry and Draco managed to have the Marriage Law amended so that same sex couples would not receive discrimination; and it was not long after the amendment, that Severus was able to market the wizard pregnancy potions and made a tidy sum of money for both himself, Hermione, and Draco who took the his portion and invested it as any good Malfoy would. During that time, Hermione managed to go into labor and after twenty three hours of shrieking, grunting, and wailing misery she gave birth to Aidan Billius Weasley who took after his mother in intellect and his father in temperament.
It was a week after Umbridge was sentenced to life with out the possibility of parole, that Harry managed to have all of the anti-werewolf legislation the foul woman had recently passed completely rescinded so that Remus was hired once again at Hogwarts teaching Theory and Origins of the Dark Arts, and a class on the study of Dark Creatures after he was legally wed to Severus Snape in a small ceremony at Malfoy Manor.