BIGGER THAN US
Chapter 21
As with all new parents, Hermione and Draco were fearful to the point of paranoia for the health of the babies. For weeks, they didn't take the babies out of the manor for fear of them catching something or someone touching them. This presented a problem when they discussed the move back to their flat in Hogsmeade. The Malfoys were quietly disappointed at this. In their heart of hearts, they hoped that Hermione and Draco would perhaps stay at the manor, indefinitely. Just after the babies were a month old, Draco decided to pop in on his apothecary for a few hours each day. He wasn't too worried about Hermione and the babies. Hermione seemed to be a natural, happy mother and she had plenty of help, thanks to the doting Malfoys.. The manager of the apothecary had taken good care of things while Draco was away. Sales were steady, the books were kept, and the suppliers were on time with shipments. Back at the manor, Hermione was in the nursery changing Jill's nappy when she heard Narcissa from the parlor. She sounded upset.
"Lucius, I was hoping they would stay," she said sadly.
"Having them here has made you happy, hasn't it," Lucius stated.
"That young woman has brought life, love and joy into this manor," Narcissa said. "She has inspired us to try and bring another little one into our lives."
"We can't force them to stay," Lucius said. "I admit I would miss them, the girls are precious."
"Watching those babies leave would feel like having my magic taken again, it broke my heart," Narcissa said. "I'm not sure I could handle another heartbreak."
Hermione's heart fell. She knew they were attached, but not this attached.
"Dear heart, that is my fault entirely and I will be forever sorry for it," Lucius said softly. "I pleaded with the Wizengamot about your innocence, but-"
"I know Lucius, I know. Maybe someday, someone will listen," she said.
Someone was listening, and it was Hermione.
Later that afternoon, the babies were asleep in a crib and Hermione was quickly eating a sandwich in the dining room. It wasn't often that all three babies were asleep at the same time, so she used the time wisely. She was so tired and hearing the talk between the Malfoys made her feel wearier. Despite the welcome help from Narcissa and Lucius, the babies kept her hopping. A baby always needed to be fed, a nappy changed, a cry comforted. She couldn't remember the last time she got a full night's sleep or read a book. She lost count of the number of times the babies spit up on her. Just this morning, she was so tired that she wasn't paying attention when she put a new nappy on Julie. She picked the baby up to cuddle when she felt a gush of wetness on her lap. She looked down- Julie's nappy had slipped off and she had done her business on Hermione's lap. After cleaning her up and putting her in her crib, Hermione sat down again.
I just need to rest for a minute, she thought and laid her head on her arms.
Draco came home, this time bringing Arthur and Molly Weasley with him. They were eager to see the babies. He was careful not to shut the door too loudly. Narcissa was in the den with Jill, Julie and Jessica asleep in a crib in the nursery. He smiled when he saw Hermione asleep at the table. The Weasleys waited by the front door. Narcissa walked out of the den with Jill.
"Minister, Madame Weasley, welcome," Narcissa said.
Further down the hallway in the parlor, Lucius heard the "Minister, Madame Weasley, welcome" and quickly made his way to them.
They saw Draco gently rub Hermione's back and kiss her cheek. She woke and gave him a tired smile then her gaze fell on the Weasleys in the foyer.
"Arthur! Molly!" she said and stood up.
Lucius was a bit taken back at the familiarity between them when Hermione hugged them.
"Hermione, you're looking good," Molly said.
"Are you joking? I'm death warmed over," Hermione said ruefully.
"May I?" Arthur asked seeing Jill in Narcissa's arms.
"Of course," Narcissa said. "This one is Jill."
Arthur held and cooed at the baby. "My goodness, you're a sweet one."
"Yes, she's the most behaved of the three," Hermione said. "Come on, the other two are asleep."
Well, not any more. They heard the babies gurgling the closer they got to the nursery.
"My goodness, how precious!" Molly said when Arthur gave her Jill.
"Yes, they fuss when we put them in separate cribs, so we just keep them together," Draco said.
Hermione picked up the blonde baby. "This is Julie."
Draco picked up the brunette. "This is Jessica."
"You certainly have your hands full," Arthur said.
"Were it not for the Malfoys, I would be a basket case by now," Hermione said.
The Weasleys took a good look at the babies. Julie had blonde hair and Hermione's eyes. Jessica had brown hair and Draco's eyes. Jill was a pretty mix of the two with light brown hair and dark blue eyes.
"You must be so proud," Arthur said.
"They are going to be heart breakers," Molly said.
"Of course they are," Draco said and they all laughed. Unfortunately, the laughing startled all three babies, and all three started crying.
"Hermione dear, I wish we could stay longer, but I must be going," Arthur said.
"Of course, I understand," Hermione said. "But thank you so much for stopping by."
"We wanted to see the babies and let you know that Harry and Ginny have announced their engagement," Molly said proudly.
"What? When?" Hermione said.
"Just last night, Harry showed up at Hogwarts during dinner and proposed," Arthur said.
"I'm sure you'll get an owl soon," Molly said.
"Come Molly, we really must be going," Arthur said.
"Hermione dear, it's lovely to see you again," Molly said and hugged her again.
"Draco, again, congratulations," Arthur said and shook Draco's hand. "Good day to you," he said to the Malfoys.
"Ginny and Harry, wow," Hermione said after the Weasleys left.
Julie started fussing the loudest, as usual.
"Was Draco a fussy baby?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," both the Malfoys answered.
"Come on precious, let's get you fed," Hermione said and settled in a rocking chair with the baby. The other babies were taken to the kitchen for bottles. A few minutes later, Draco came back in with Jill sucking eagerly from a bottle. Julie was nursing contentedly.
"Father has Jess," Draco said.
"Sit down, there's something you need to hear," Hermione said.
Hermione first told him about Narcissa's distress over their leaving.
"I had no idea," Draco said. "I don't want to hurt Mother.," Draco said.
"Neither do I," Hermione said. "So we stay?"
"Yes."
"What about the place in Hogsmeade?"
"Sell it, rent it out, whatever," Draco said. "A wedding present for the Potters?"
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I also heard something else today that involves your mum."
"Is she pregnant?" Draco asked.
"No, not that I know of. Anyway, have you ever thought that there's a chance that your mum was innocent?" Hermione asked.
"Sure, I've thought of it," Draco said.
"You haven't said anything? Told anyone?" Hermione asked.
"Sweet, you have to realize that once "death-eater" and "Malfoy" was uttered in the same sentence, they had no chance," Draco aid. "It's unfair, but that's the way it is. They knew it."
"But what if your mum was innocent?" Hermione asked. "Someone needs to stand up to the Wizengamot and make them listen."
Sure enough, that night an owl came for Hermione. She laughed when she read Ginny's enthusiastic narrative describing the proposal, and all but begged Hermione to bring the babies to Hogwarts over the weekend so she could see them.
"Well, the staff would like to see them as well," Hermione said. "But we can't apparate or floo month old babies," she said.
"Drive?" Draco suggested.
"To Northern Scotland? From here?" Hermione exclaimed. "Are you joking?"
"Broom?" Draco joked.
Hermione snorted. She wasn't going to even justify that with a response.
"I suppose we can drive," Hermione said. "Or I can drive, seeing how you haven't learned."
"Ha.Ha." Draco said.
"We need to actually have a car first," Hermione said.
Draco shrugged. "Let's go to town and buy one."
Only the very wealthy could just up and buy a car as if they were going to pick up something from the market. Luckily, Draco was very wealthy. Hermione was nervous about leaving the babies, if only for a little while in town five miles away.
"Hermione, there's plenty of milk for them, thanks to all the pumping you do. I'm sure Mother and Father are capable of looking after them for a little while," Draco assured her. "It's your chance to get out for a bit."
Draco was right, so Hermione bundled up for her big day in Wiltshire. They apparated to the outskirts of town. Hermione sighed when they passed the library and breathed deeply as they passed a restaurant cooking the lunch hour meals. The new car could wait.
Draco was a car salesman's dream. Three car lots dealers and hours later, they drove off in a Range Land Rover Vogue SE, Supercharged Sport Utility Vehicle equipped with every amenity and gadget known to man, at the cost of a cool 73,000 pounds. Draco was enchanted with the vehicle.
"I'm definitely going to learn to drive this," Draco said as Hermione turned on the windshield wipers to wipe away the snow falling on the windshield.
"Merlin, I hate driving in this," she mumbled.
She turned into a Boots store.
"What are we doing here?" Draco asked.
"Car seats," she said.
And of course, Draco insisted on the fanciest, most expensive car seats available. Only the very best would do for his babies.
"Look, the seats detach from the car mounts and then reattach to these pushchairs, we are a getting these," Draco said. "And you can change out the wheels for different terrain!"
"Do you plan on wheeling our babies off-road?" Hermione asked.
Five hours later, they returned to a quiet manor. In a miracle of Miracles, all three babies were asleep in a crib. Hermione sat down to send a letter to Albus to inform him that she, Draco and the babies would be there sometime Saturday. Draco was showing off the car seats and pushchairs.
"Good heavens, what is that?" Narcissa said from the window.
"It's a Land Rover, Mother," Draco said proudly.
Friday night, Hermione and Draco looked over a map for the trip.
"I cross-checked Muggle and Magical maps, and apparently we can drive right up to the outskirts of Hogsmeade," Hermione said. "I hope the weather has calmed down by tomorrow, I detest driving in heavy snowfall."
Hermione's hopes were answered the next morning. The day was sunny and clear. Ploughs had been able to clear snow from the roads. Thank goodness for small blessings! she thought.
She laughed when she saw Draco packing the SUV.
"Draco, it's just the weekend, you're packing like we're moving out," she said then bit her tongue. She saw the crestfallen looks on the Malfoy's faces.
"You're right pretty one," he said, remembering their talk earlier in the week.
They needed room in the SUV for stuff they'd be bringing back to the manor from their home in Hogsmeade.
In the manor, Narcissa clicked pictures of the babies before Draco tucked them into their car seats.
"It's their first trip," she said.
"We'll be back sometime Sunday night," Hermione said. "Don't wait up."
They waved goodbye from the windows of the manor as the SUV drove away. The manor seemed eerily quiet as they ate breakfast.
After an hour on the road, Hermione was terribly annoyed at how much Draco was playing with every single button, knob and switch he could lay eyes on.
"Draco, I'm about to cast a binding charm on your hands," Hermione quipped.
After another hour, Julie started fussing.
"We have to pull over, babies need tending to. Plus, I'm hungry," Hermione said.
At a McDonald's, they went through the chore of taking three babies out of car seats and getting them in pushchairs. They went inside the restaurant and took in the scent of fresh chips.
"Nappies first," Hermione said.
Hermione took the double pushchair that held Julie and Jess, Draco the one that held Jill and they used the baby changing stations in the loos.
"You go ahead and get something to eat, I'll get their bottles," Draco said when nappy changing was done.
Some patrons were admiring the triplets when Hermione came to the table with a tray of food. Draco held a bottle for Julie and ate, Hermione doing the same with Jess. Jill was asleep as usual.
"I'm going to have to wake her to feed her," Hermione said. "Lazy little thing won't even wake up to eat."
After the meal, Hermione estimated another hour of driving before reaching Hogsmeade.
"Hermione, the other day when you said making someone listen about Mother, did you mean you?" Draco asked quietly.
"I'm no barrister Draco," Hermione said. "But Narcissa was convicted under Wizarding law, so she can appeal her case to the Wizengamot and have any counsel of her choosing."
"You would really do that?" Draco asked.
"She's innocent, we have to try," Hermione said. "She can't get her magic back, but the world can know of her innocence and she can take a walk in her gardens again."
"Hermione, it's enough that you believe she's innocent," Draco said.
"No it's not, everyone needs to know," Hermione said.
"First house elves, now Malfoys," Draco said with affection.
"Hey, I think that's Hogsmeade station!" Draco said an hour later.
"Huh? Are you sure?"
"It's probably charmed to look different to Muggles," Draco said looking at the map.
She pulled into the car park in front of the station that had two other cars parked and turned off the SUV. She got out and stretched. They again set to the task of getting the three babies out of the vehicle, gathered their things and made their way around the station.
"Hey, it is Hogsmeade station!" Hermione said when they arrived at the back.
Sure enough, the Hogsmeade Express was sitting quietly on the tracks.
"It looks like a Muggle rail station from the front," Hermione said.
"Let's get to the flat and get our things settled," Draco said.
As they walked through the village, the residents and patrons smiled and greeted them. They arrived at their home and sighed at the overgrown yard and noted some missing shingles. In the home, Draco frowned at the stale smell and thick layer of dust present. It sure wasn't the manor.
"We should have kept an elf here to keep the place," Draco said.
Hermione glared at him.
"Joking," he said with raised hands.
"Let's get this straightened out then head to Hogwarts," she said primly. "Jillian wants to see her namesake."