Puer Natus Est Nobis—Chapter 11
A/N—Next chapter will be the epilogue. I won't do a sequel per se, but I may do vignettes to this story (and the alternate) to fill in gaps between this chapter and the epilogue. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Mid August. Lucy is 3 months old.
Things are really bustling for the Malfoy family. Lucius and Narcissa are getting accustomed to being new parents again; Draco graduated from Hogwarts, became engaged to Astoria Greengrass, and will begin his internship at the Ministry in a couple weeks; and Narcissa and Andromeda have reconciled and are still getting reacquainted with each other.
Narcissa and Andromeda are having tea in the gazebo. Both of the babies are napping in their prams.
"How are Draco and Astoria?" Andromeda asks. "He'll be starting his internship soon."
"Yes, and he's excited," Narcissa beams, "it's all he can talk about is how he hopes he'll be an auror after he completes the internship."
"And beat Harry Potter and Ron Weasley," the older woman adds.
"That too."
"Have he and Astoria set a date yet?"
"As far as I know, they're going to wait until next summer to get married."
"A long engagement?" The elder witch raises an eyebrow in surprise. "I would've thought they'd go for a Christmastime wedding."
"That's what Calista had suggested, but Astoria wants to take a couple courses over the Christmas holiday so she can graduate in June."
"And Draco's internship is a year?"
Lucy stirs and starts to fuss. Narcissa leans over the pram and picks her daughter up. "Yes, so I think the last weekend in August next year is what they're aiming for."
"Are they sure they can wait that long? I know my engagement to Ted seemed to last an eternity, even though it was about eight months long."
"Mine to Lucius was about six weeks long." The blonde witch adjusts Lucy so she could nurse. "It was so short, people started to talk!"
"I remember! Rita Skeeter did that piece on you after you and Lucius married."
"How did you know?" the younger witch coughs, mouth agape.
"Although you, Bellatrix and our folks disowned me, I still kept up with you as best I could."
"Same here, although I had to hide any articles from mother, father and Bellatrix especially." The sisters laugh as Narcissa continues, "One of Rita Skeeter's articles was so convincing, Lucius and I had a hard time convincing our parents that nothing happened before we married. It wasn't until they realized it was obvious I wasn't pregnant that they began to believe us."
"Oh my!" Andromeda chuckles. "I bet mother was furious!"
"She was, and Lucius's mother threatened to have the marriage dissolved." The witches crack up. "When she figured out Lucius and I were telling the truth, she threatened to have Rita Skeeter turned into a mute squib!"
"That would have been a sight! I think somebody should!"
"Yes, me too." Changing the subject a little, Narcissa continues, "How are Harry and Ginny? Are they adjusting to married life?"
"They are!" Andromeda smiles. "Harry's also getting ready for his internship, and Ginny will be playing for the Holyhead Harpies. She's one of their chasers."
"Great news!" Narcissa exclaims, "Harry and Ginny were always Draco's biggest competition. Good for her! I may have to get some Harpies gear for Lucy." Lucy finishes eating and detaches. Narcissa puts the baby on her shoulder and begins to burp her.
"Their first game is next month against the Wakefield Nymphs," Andromeda explains. "It's the Harpies' season opener and home game."
"I've heard they're quite a tough team. Emma Vanity's daughter, Jessamine is their newest chaser. She went to Beauxbatons because Emma thought her daughter was too good for Hogwarts." Andromeda raises an eyebrow. "Yes, I know. Lucius thought Draco was too good for Hogwarts too."
"The Potters, Weasleys and Teddy and I are going to the Harpies' double-header in a couple months. They'll be playing the Ripon Amazons. You, Lucius, Draco, Astoria and Lucy should come. Family get to use the sky box, and since you're family, you're welcome to join us."
With a wry grin, the blonde witch replies, "We'll do it. Won't Lucius just love that? It'll be good for him."
"You sure are trying to get Lucius and Arthur to spend a lot of time together."
Lucy lets out a burp. "Good girl!"
"Come to Auntie Andromeda!" she coos, as she reaches for the baby.
Narcissa obliges her sister and passes the baby over. She readjusts her clothing. "I know they probably won't ever been fast friends or such, but the two of them at least being friendly acquaintances may help keep the peace."
As the women continue visiting with each other, Dippy rushes over to the pair. "Miss...uhh... Mistress Narcissa...uhhh..."
"Dippy, spit it out." Narcissa frowns.
"Mistress Narcissa," the discombobulated elf begins, "Master Draco wants you and Missus Dromee...uhh...Andromeda to join him in the drawing room."
"Did he tell you what this is about?"
"No," Dippy answers. "I...I mean, no, Mistress Narcissa."
"Tell him we'll be along," she directs.
Adromeda lays Lucy in her pram and checks on Teddy, who is still asleep in his pram. She adjusts his blanket and pushes the pram into the drawing room, while Narcissa does the same with Lucy.
In the Drawing Room
Narcissa and Andromeda make their way to the drawing room. Draco and Astoria are seated on one couch and her parents on another. Lucius meets his wife and sister-in-law at the door, and plants a kiss on his beloved's cheek.
"Do you know what this is about?" Narcissa queries.
"Not in the slightest."
Draco sees his parents, sister, aunt and cousin at the doorway and rises. He escorts his aunt and cousin in and conjures a loveseat for her. Teddy stirs, and Andromeda lifts the child onto her lap. Lucius puts his arm around his wife's waist and escorts her to the vacant couch. Narcissa peers into the pram and sees that Lucy is fast asleep.
After everyone is seated, Astoria nudges her beloved. "I...uh," the young man starts, nerves getting the best of him.
"What's going on, son?" Lucius inquires.
"Astoria and I have some news..." He swallows.
Before he's able to continue, Calista interrupts, "Astoria, you're not pregnant, are you? Please tell me you're not pregnant!"
"No, mother," Astoria groans, rolling her eyes, "I'm not pregnant."
Lucius, raising an eyebrow, eyes his son, Adrian Greengrass appears as if he could explode at any minute, Andromeda looks away, wishing she could disappear, and Narcissa's face becomes ashen.
"Astoria and I," Draco spits, "are NOT pregnant. We haven't done anything to be able to get pregnant. Honest!"
"Then what did you want to discuss with us?" Calista fires back.
"Well," Astoria starts, "I start at Hogwarts in a few weeks..."
"...and I start my internship about the same time..."
"Yes?" the Lady Malfoy utters, confused.
"...and we originally planned to marry next Summer, after my internship ends..."
"...but that's a long way off," Astoria laments.
"It'll go quicker than you realize," Calista encourages. "Besides, it takes about a year to plan a wedding."
"We decided we don't want a big wedding," Draco interjects.
"And we want to get married right away..."
Andromeda looks at the young couple's hands and notices something shiny adorning both of their left ring fingers. She unsuccessfully suppresses a smile, which Draco notices. He sends a small smile back her way.
"So," the young Malfoy finishes, "So we did."
"Did what?" Narcissa eyes her son.
"We got married," he repeats.
"Please tell me you didn't say you got married," Calista begs. "You're not married."
"Mother, Draco and I got married."
Andromeda shoots her nephew and niece-in-law a sympathetic look.
"When?" Lucius booms. "When did you get married, and who performed the ceremony?"
"Shacklebolt did it," Draco answers. "We had Shacklebolt perform the ceremony."
"Why?" Calista, in tears, asks her daughter, "Why did the two of you get married without us being there?"
"I'm sorry, mother!"
"You robbed us of getting to see our younger daughter and the Malfoys of seeing their son get married. I wish you'd thought of that." The couple's eyes fall, downcast, as Calista continues, "it's not that you didn't want a big wedding or that you wanted to marry right away, but what bothers me is that we didn't get to be there. That's something a parent wants to be a part of with their child."
"Mother, Father, Adrian, Calista, Aunt Andromeda, I know that you would've wanted to be a part of it, and I'm sorry we didn't include you. We should've, but we didn't. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing."
-Flashback Sequence-
Draco and Astoria are walking through the gardens at Black Manor. Because Narcissa and Andromeda already have homes of their own, and Bellatrix and Nymphadora are deceased, Draco is the next in line to inherit the Manor. Narcissa and Andromeda decided, along with Lucius, that since Draco was of age, he could inherit Black Manor now.
"I can't wait to get married," Astoria declares, wistfully. "Next August seems so far away."
"I know. But your school year and my internship will keep us so busy, it'll fly by."
They walk in silence and then Astoria breaks the quiet again, "But we'll be apart. I'll be at Hogwarts and you'll be here and at the Ministry of Magic. We won't be able to see each other except on designated weekends...and we can't do any overnight stays."
Draco stops and looks his beloved in the eye. "What exactly are you saying?"
"I want to get married before I start school and you start the internship." Draco stares at her, not saying a word. Astoria grows concerned, "Draco?"
"I want to get married too...right away. But what about the big wedding you and our mothers were planning?"
"You mean, our mothers were planning," Astoria frowns. "I never wanted a big wedding."
"Never?" the shocked young blond chokes out. "I thought all girls wanted a big wedding, with the big dress, and the fancy decorations and all."
"Nope. Daphne does, but I just want an intimate wedding...just the two of us."
"Let's think about this," he suggests, as he leads her to a nearby bench. "If we marry right away, we'll need to figure out if you'll be allowed to go back to Hogwarts." Draco puts a finger to her lips as she starts to interrupt. "Let me finish. I'm all for marrying right away, even today if you want..." Her face lights up and she starts to speak, but thinks better of it. "I don't have to worry about my living arrangements, since I can live here and floo over to the Ministry. If you really want to do this now, or soon, let's go talk to Headmistress McGonagall and Shacklebolt to see what we need to do."
"Really?" She jumps with excitement, throwing her arms around her beloved.
"Yes, really," he grins.
The pair apparate to Hogwarts and make their way to Headmistress McGonagall's office. They knock on the door.
"Come in! The password is 'Catnip.'" a voice calls.
"Catnip!" Draco and Astoria call in unison, followed with a nervous giggle. They ascend the stairs and Draco opens the office door, allowing Astoria to enter before him. The headmistress is at her desk, and rises to greet the pair.
"Draco, Astoria, what do I have the pleasure of being assistance for you?"
"Astoria and I want to be married before the school year begins, and need to know what, if anything we need to do so that she can continue her education here."
Concerned, the elder witch asks, "Do your parents know you're here?"
"We're betrothed and engaged," Astoria begins, "so all the paperwork's legal. Their official approval for the date, time and venue for the wedding are not required."
"I take that as a 'no,'" she frowns.
"No, they don't." Draco answers. "This is just an inquiry. We just want to know if she'll be able to finish her education here, and if so, what are the rules and guidelines for married students, especially when the spouse is not a student."
"I actually don't know. This is rather unprecedented."
"Our whole Hogwarts experience has been unprecedented," the younger witch supplies.
"True." Minerva looks around and spies the book that contains the policies and procedures for the school. Accio 'Hogwarts Policies and Procedures' book!" With the flick of her wand, the book flies from the shelf to her desk. She opens the book and finds the appropriate chapter. "Hmmm," she muses, "here it is!" She invites them to sit and look with her. "You're in luck. Married students are allowed to attend Hogwarts. If both of you were attending, we would set up married housing for you, but since it's just you, Astoria, you can stay in the House dorms with your class. You can have overnight conjugal visits once a month..." The couple blushes. The headmistress ignores it and continues, "You can have overnight conjugal visits one weekend a month, and except for cases of emergency, you can have weekend visits away from campus once a month as well. So, that means you can have two weekends a month together. Of course, you can spend holidays together."
The couple look at each other and smile.
"Astoria," the elder witch calls, "you still have two years to go unless you take a couple classes over Christmas break and one next summer. You passed the one you took this summer, so if you stay here over Christmas, you'll be able to walk with the next graduating class. Are you sure you want to spend your first Christmas as a married couple apart? The rules still apply if you stay here."
"Yes!" Astoria blurts a little too loudly.
"Well," Minerva grins, "you'll need to send me a copy of your marriage certificate before visits will be allowed."
"Thank you, Headmistress," Draco replies.
"Congratulations, you two."
The happy couple leaves and apparates to the Ministry of Magic.
-At the Ministry of Magic (Flashback Continues)-
Draco and Astoria make their way to Minister Shacklebolt's office. The secretary hears footsteps approaching her desk, so she looks up, looking over her black glasses, "May I help you?" She eyes the couple and frowns.
"We need to speak with the Minister," Draco announces.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No," he answers, "we do not. Do we need one?"
The secretary thumbs through her calendar. "There's an opening in a couple weeks. Lessee...how is two weeks from this coming Thursday?"
"That's not going to work," Astoria hammers. "You look like you're the romantic type..."
The secretary just stares.
"What's your name, Miss uhhh?" the young witch tries.
"Berta," the older witch clips, "Berta Green."
"Yes, Berta Green. Haven't you ever been madly in love and couldn't wait to be married?"
"In fact," the older witch begins, "I have been."
Astoria smiles inwardly, excited that she may have gotten through to the older woman, "Then you understand our plight." Draco smirks, enjoying the scene before him. "You see, Draco Malfoy and I are in love and want to get married right away. Originally, we were to be married a year from now, and since we've been engaged for nearly three months already, that would make us have a long engagement."
"That is a long time," Berta acquiesces.
"So, you see our point. You wouldn't want to make us wait for such a long time. I'm starting school in a couple weeks and Draco's starting an internship, so we wouldn't be able to keep the appointment a couple weeks from this Thursday."
"Minister Shaklebolt," Berta pages, "Draco Malfoy and Astoria..."
"Greengrass," Astoria supplies.
"Draco Malfoy," the elder witch repeats, "and Astoria Greengrass are here to see you."
"You're really going to let us through?" Astoria smiles.
"Sighing, the woman waves them through to the Minister's office, "Who am I to stand in the way of true love?"
"Thank you!" Astoria smiles, "You won't regret it!"
The couple enter Kingsley Shacklebolt's office. "Draco, Astoria, what can I do for you?" He motions for them to sit in the chairs in front of his desk.
"Astoria and I want to be married," Draco states as the couple takes their seats, "today."
"What's the rush?"
Draco and Astoria explain their reasons for wanting to marry straight away, rather than waiting another year.
"I see," he muses, "What about your parents? Wouldn't they want to be here too?"
"Minister Shacklebolt," Astoria starts, "I've never wanted a big wedding or anything. I know most girls dream of that, but I never have. Instead, I've always wanted to elope. Besides, since everything's still messed up from the War, we don't have that many friends left. It's easier this way."
"What about you, Draco? How do you feel about all this?"
"I agree with Astoria. It would be easier to go ahead and get married, so we can start our lives and begin again."
"Since you put it that way," the Minister states, "I would be honoured to issue you a marriage license and perform your ceremony today. Do you have any witnesses in mind?"
"No," the young wizard answers. "We hadn't given that any thought."
"How about Daphne and Blaise?" Astoria suggests.
"You sure?" Draco asks.
"Yeah," she responds. "It wouldn't be a wedding without my sister and your best friend."
The Minister taps a button on his desk. "Berta? Please send an owl to Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zambini." He addresses the couple again, "Are you sure you don't want your parents here?"
"No," the young witch emphatically answers.
"It doesn't matter one way or another to me," the blond wizard adds.
"All right," Minister Shacklebolt concludes, "as soon as they arrive, we'll get underway."
-Flashback Ends-
"I am sorry that we didn't include you, but we're adults and so we went ahead and got married," Draco apologizes. "This is what we wanted."
"Mother," Astoria begins, "why not just be happy for us?"
"It's not that we're not happy for you," Calista explains, "but we really wish we'd been part of it. Your father and I and also Lucius and Narcissa would've wanted to be a part of it."
As Calista continues talking, Draco silently pleads with his aunt, "Help!" he mouths.
"Look," Andromeda interjects, "Draco and Astoria are married and although it would've been nice to have been there, the facts are what they are. Let's move on and celebrate that they're married and happy and are starting a new life together."
"Andromeda's right," Narcissa agrees. "Draco, I'm sorry that we lost sight of what's important. I'm thrilled for you." Lucy squirms in her mother's arms and begins to fuss.
"Cissa," Lucius begins, "let me take her." She nods and passes the baby over. Lucy settles in her father's arms.
"Welcome to the family, Astoria," Narcissa greets as she hugs her daughter-in-law. "Let us throw you a reception. We'd like to do something to celebrate your marriage."
"Yes," the Lord of the Manor adds, "we would be absolutely honoured to give you a reception."
"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," Astoria grins.
"Mum and Dad, if you'd like," Narcissa corrects.
"We'll have to get the guest list together," Calista supplies, "how are we going to do that before Astoria goes off to school?" She eyes her daughter, "You can STILL go to school, can't you?"
"Yes, mother," the younger Lady Malfoy groans.
"So, you'll let her complete her education at Hogwarts, or will you have tutors?" Adrian spits.
"First," the younger Lord Malfoy rebuts, "I love your daughter and want to spend the rest of my life with her. That's why we married today. Second, I didn't 'let' her do anything. She's my wife, not my child. She can make her own decisions. Third, we want you in our lives, but only if you're willing to accept that Astoria and I are a family now. When Astoria and I became betrothed and then engaged, you charged me to take good care of her. I am a man of my word. I will love and cherish her forever."
Adrian and Calista's faces fall. "You're right," Adrian admits.
"We're sorry," Calista apologizes. "Please forgive us."
"Always," Astoria assures, as she embraces her mother.
"Congratulations, sweetheart," Mrs. Greengrass celebrates.
That evening, in the master suite
Narcissa is nursing Lucy while Lucius gets dressed for bed. "I can't believe my baby boy is married," she sighs.
"He's grown up."
"Yes, but I do wish they would've let us give them a wedding. I agree with Calista. They robbed us of getting to see our only son marry."
"'Robbed' is such a strong term, Cissa.
"I know," she replies. Sighing, she continues, "but I understand. These past couple years have been so hard on him. He's been in the spotlight for a long time, and I do understand why he decided to wed in private."
Lucius nods in agreement.
"I still wish they'd at least let us be there." Lucy detaches, and Narcissa switches her to her other breast. "Still hungry, baby girl?" The baby latches and resumes nursing. "I am glad they're allowing Calista and I to plan a reception for them."
"And the two of you will plan a good one." He kisses his wife on the cheek.
"Draco and Astoria will have a wonderful future together," the Lady of the Manor muses. "I wonder what the future holds for this little one?" She looks at her daughter and wonders.
-End of Chapter 11-