I hope you enjoy - a little more D/H to appease those who feel I've strayed away ;)
In the next few days, after a thorough investigation of how Draco's father managed to escape Azkaban, it was realized that he managed the escape himself with a little help from Daphne Greengrass, who over the years managed to somehow start a physical relationship with one of the guards. Early on the day of Lucius' appearance, Daphne managed to get her lover's wand from him, stun him, sneak out of her cell and freed Lucius. She gave him the wand she snatched from the guard and watched as he evaporated, leaving a trail of black smoke as he flew away from the prison.
This of course, landed Daphne in solitary confinement, with guards that were hand picked by Harry Potter himself to keep watch over her. She didn't appear to be as unhinged as Lucius was, but confessed that over the years, Lucius' mind had begun to wander, often managing to "live" in two different periods of time at the same time. Had she had some remorse for her part in his escape, she might have managed to avoid solitary confinement, but it was quickly apparent that her only regret was getting caught.
On the sixth night of Katie's screams echoing throughout the mansion in the middle of the night, Draco realized his daughter might not be as resilient as he previously thought. Sure, he was quick to launch out of bed the moment he heard her, but Hermione was like a firebolt, off the bed and the door before his eyes could blink twice. By the fourth time, however, he waited for Hermione to return to the room with a terrified Katie in his arms, and soon his little girl was snuggled right up against his chest, only taking a few minutes before she fell back to sleep. Tonight seemed to be no different than the others.
Hermione lightly brushed her hand over her daughter's head, lying close to her and Draco as she sighed. "Maybe you're right," she said. "Maybe we should remove her memory."
This was Draco's suggestion the first night, as Katie's screams terrified the elves and caused Harby to go into a full out panic attack because he was guilty about being too frightened to stop Lucius before he came to get him from James and Anya's flat. He had to find Vexo to smack the panic attack out of him - literally.
"We can ask her in the morning," Draco whispered. Hermione's argument against removing her memory was at that moment; Draco wanted to do it without her consent. He of course, countered back with the fact that she was four, so how much consent could she really give if they were her parents and they agreed to do it. For him, that was all the consent he needed. But Hermione shook her head, not wanting to alter her daughter's memory without her understanding what they were doing. He almost asked her how much Hermione thought Katie would understand, but swallowed that remark, because he knew that she'd tell him Katie was obviously smarter than most children her age - which she was - and that she would understand more than he realized.
He was surprised, however, when Hermione shook her head and turned back towards her nightstand, pulling her wand out of the drawer along with a small phial.
"Why in the name of all that is holy would you have a phial in your nightstand?" he asked.
"Because sometimes I would remember something when I was writing those books, and I didn't want to forget them, so I'd duplicate the memory and store it so I could review them in the pensive later," Hermione said a bit defensively.
He shook his head as Hermione sat up in the bed. "You're sure you want to do this?"
"She's too little to have these sorts of terrors," Hermione said with a sad sigh. "And the sleeping draught is clearly not working. I'm not going to destroy the memory. I'll just preserve it, and when she's older, if she wants, we'll put it back. Unless you've changed your mind?"
Draco shook his head no. "You were just…adamantly against me doing it the other night - I just wanted to be sure."
He watched as she began to tear up, furiously blinking tears away as her breath caught in her throat. "She's my baby, Draco," she all but cried. "And I can't stand it. I just can't."
"Alright," he said, reaching his free hand over to calm her down, as his other arm was preoccupied, wrapped underneath Katie as she hugged his hand to her small chest. "Just do it, Hermione."
Pointing her wand at her daughter's temple, Hermione's voice was barely above a whisper as she muttered the legilimens incantation. Her eyes closed, she could see herself sifting through Katie's mind, almost impressed with the mass of memories she had for someone who was four and a half, as Katie corrected them the other day at dinner. My birthday is six months from now, she said. And there's twelve months in a year. So I'm four and a half now. It didn't take long for Hermione to find the memory she was looking for, her skin prickling with goose pimples as she began to relive the experience of being at the wrong end of a wand held by Lucius Malfoy. Now that she had it, she reached ahold of it with her magic, and as she opened her eyes, she slowly pulled her wand away from Katie's temple, a bluish silver strand following the end of her wand until she held the entire memory. Carefully, she placed it in the phial and sealed it tight with a cork. After putting her wand and the phial back into her nightstand drawer, Hermione turned to look at her daughter again, and could already see by the look on her sleeping face that she was much more peaceful, which lifted the weight she had on her heart. "See if you can't put her back to bed," Hermione suggested.
Draco nodded, carefully scooping Katie up in his arms before he climbed out of bed, carrying her in a cradle hold as he exited the bedroom. When he returned, he found his wife curled up on her side of the bed, hugging her pillow. He noticed her stuttered breathing and climbed back into bed, kicking his cold feet under the warm covers and pulled Hermione over to him, spooning her backside as he kissed her shoulder. "She'll understand," he promised.
"I know," she replied, sniffling slightly. "I've removed some of my own memories. I know she won't really notice."
"Really?"
She nodded. "From the night at the Manor." Sniffling, Hermione felt Draco's muscles tense and sighed. "I remember being tortured," she told him. "But I removed the memory of what it felt like. That's what I did to Katie. I didn't take away the memory per say - I just removed the feeling." Without removing his arms that had a firm hold around her, she managed to turn over so that she was facing him, burying her face into his chest as she allowed the smell of him to calm her nerves.
"Hermione?"
"Hmm?"
Draco sighed, his hands roaming the backside of the shirt she slept in. He rolled back over to his back and pulled the covers up over the two of them as Hermione's head moved to the middle of his chest with her arms snaked around his middle. "I'm sorry…you had to remove your memories."
She shook her head against his chest. "You know how I feel about you apologizing for that."
"I know," he said with a tired drawl. "I just…I'm sorry."
"I know you are," she whispered. "Let's just go back to sleep. I love you."
"Mmhmm," he hummed, closing his heavy eyelids. "Love you too."
"You really are the most wonderful wife ever."
Anya looked over at James as she tugged her plum covered sweater dress down, slipping her swollen feet into similarly colored flats. Sitting down on the bed, she bent over to the side as best as she could to straighten out a place on her black tights that felt twisted, before dropping her leg back down to the floor with a thud. James approached her where she sat on the bed and took a seat next to her.
"My mum is really excited about going to lunch with you."
"I'm sure she is," Anya said, not doing well at hiding her lack of enthusiasm.
"I already made her promise not to talk about a list of things," James added for good measure.
Anya laughed. "Like that's going to work with your mother."
James laughed as well. "I know, but it's worth a shot."
She leaned towards him, dropping her head on his shoulder as she sighed. "I just want your mum and me to get along again. "I've always loved your mother. But ever since we told them about getting married and having a baby, I feel like she's just been different."
James couldn't agree more, which was why he thought it would be nice if the two of them had a little brunch date – just the two of them – so they could talk to each other. It took a patient person to be stuck in the middle of Ginny Potter and Anya Malfoy, to which James believed he managed fairly well before he and Anya were married. But now he was stuck between his mother and his wife, and he wasn't sure how much more he could take before picking a side caused Wizarding War Three.
The owner of Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor had opened up a small bistro inside, which served breakfast and lunch. It was a welcomed addition to the shops of Diagon Alley when it officially opened two years ago, and much like the new owner did when he took over Fortescue's after Florean Fortescue was viciously killed by Death Eaters during the lead up to the war, he left the name the same, and carried it over to the new bistro - appropriately named Fortescue's Bistro. With Harry as the Minister of Magic, Ginny's security detail always put up a fuss when she wandered into Muggle London without at least a weeks worth of notice.
James drove the two of them over to the Muggle entrance of the Leaky Cauldron and parked along a side street. Anya wasn't up for apparating anymore, and both of them preferred to avoid the floo network with possible, because the soot would cause James to sneeze for hours upon end. Like a proper gentleman, James held the door open for his wife, following her as they meandered through the pub to the Diagon Alley entrance. Hand in hand the two of them walked at Anya's slow pace down the cobblestoned street. Halfway down to Fortescue's, the two of them spotted Teddy, his teal colored hair peeking out from underneath his Weasley knit hat.
"Is this your entertainment while I'm at brunch?" Anya teased James.
"We're ring shopping," he said, squeezing her mitten clad hand. "He figures if he's going to propose when Victoire finishes school, he ought to have a ring."
"Learning from your mistakes?" she teased again.
James playfully rolled his eyes. "It worked out for me in the end."
"It certainly did," she agreed.
"Hey guys!" Teddy called out, jogging the rest of the way towards him. "How's the vessel for my favorite nephew doing?"
Anya gave him an unruly swat on the arm. "You git! Did you just refer to me as a vessel!"
"I thought it was better than referring you as the uterus rental," Teddy retorted, earning him another swat. "Hey! That hurts!"
She hit him one more time for good measure. "Ass."
"Violent one, this is," Teddy said to James.
"You inflict this upon yourself, you know," James said with a snort.
Teddy laughed. "Too true."
The three of them trekked the rest of the short walk into Fortescue's, finding Ginny already inside, eagerly waving at the three of them from her small table for two. James pulled out the chair for his wife and helped her shed her coat so that she could sit down comfortably. He then walked over and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek, which she returned, before doing the same to Teddy.
"I thought Albus was going to be with you guys today," Ginny said.
Teddy shrugged. "Me too - but he said he was headed over to the Malfoys."
Ginny frowned. "He's kind of been a homebody since he's returned, either at their house or ours. I know he's upset about Grace saying no -"
"I don't think it has anything to do with being sad about Grace," Teddy said with a slight chuckle.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, Mother," Teddy replied, giving her another kiss on the cheek.
James pecked Anya on the lips, then kissed her forehead for good measure. "Have fun - we'll be back in a bit."
Ginny eyed the two of them. "Where you going?"
"Nowhere," they said in tandem.
"Boys…"
James huffed at his mother. "If you must know, I'm off to buy some baby things so that I can feel like I've made a contribution to the massive piles of baby things in our flat."
"And naturally, I've decided to help perpetuate the problem," Teddy added.
Ginny smiled, as Anya ducked her head down, staring at her bulging belly as she tried not to laugh. She didn't blame the two of them for lying to Ginny. If she knew they were ring shopping, she would have questioned Teddy nine ways to Sunday as to why he was waiting so long, considering they'd been together longer than she and James had been. Those two became glued at the hip when he was five and she was four. There was the most adorable photo in Molly Weasley's house on the mantle of Teddy and Victoire at Teddy's sixth birthday party. Teddy was sitting at the kitchen table, with his birthday cake and candles lit, with an adorable, bashful face as Victoire kissed his cheek. It was positively darling.
As the boys bid their farewells, a waiter came over, took their orders, and finally, Ginny and Anya were left alone.
"How have you been feeling?" Ginny asked, breaking the silence first.
"Better, now that I've been able to get some sleep," Anya truthfully answered. "It really is nice being back in our flat."
Ginny nodded, moving her hands back as the waiter returned with their drinks - a coffee for her and a tall glass of water for Anya. "Hermione never ceases to amaze me with her muggle things - like that silly pillow! I swear they've got something for everything! I understand my father's infatuation with Muggles and muggle things more and more now that I'm older."
"Well they have to have something for everything - they don't have magic," Anya replied with a laugh.
"This is true," Ginny agreed with a chuckle. "I'm sure you're ready though for the baby to be here."
She gave her mother-in-law an exaggerated nod. "I'm ready to breathe normally again, and ready to be able to bend over without feeling like I will just somersault onto my back."
"That's probably the worst part of it all at the end, aside from the lack of sleep -"
"And the horrendous heartburn," Anya added.
Ginny gleefully clapped her hands. "That means he probably has a ton of hair - I had heartburn with all three of my kids and they came out with mops on their heads. Your mum had heartburn with you too, but not so much with Claire and Scorpius. They had these little fuzz ball heads, but you, I mean, you had a bow clipped in your hair quite securely when we all left St. Mungo's." She leaned back in her chair and gave Anya a warm smile. "I actually bought you the bow you wore home. You already know your mum and I spent a lot of time together, pregnant and alone with our husbands out on missions."
Anya took a drink of her water, swallowing as she gave Ginny a nod.
"Hermione and I spent ten minutes in the gift shop at St. Mungo's before your mum and I were discharged, Hermione wheeling me around in the wheelchair, and we bought out every bow in the store, and then went right back upstairs to your mum's room. We must have spent an hour dressing you up."
"You're barking!" Anya exclaimed with a genuine laugh.
"I'm not," Ginny replied with a smile. "It was probably the first time we'd been with her without her parents or Draco's parents in the room, and so there was no one there judging her, scowling with disapproval because she couldn't control that you came out as a girl."
She reached over and grabbed a piece of bread from the basket sitting between the two of them, and pulled apiece away. "It's been ten years, you know. Ten years today."
Ginny nodded. "It's hard to believe it's been that long."
"I know." Anya said, popping a piece of bread into her mouth. "I've been thinking about her a lot, obviously, once I got pregnant." Picking off another bite, she rolled the piece of bread around, smashing it into a ball before putting it into her mouth. "And I just…I just want you to know, Ginny, that I know you've been feeling left out. James told me about it and it was never our intention - honest." Sighing, she looked up at her mother-in-law and dropped her shoulders a bit.
"And I know that you two are independent - you especially," Ginny confessed. "I just get excited, and lack any ability to hide disappointment. I feel just awful that you two eloped because you didn't think we couldn't pull off a small wedding."
"It wasn't just that," Anya said. "I mean, it was a big part of it, along with my batch of issues…but everything about our existences is just so public. In the Wizarding world, James is famous for his family, and I'm infamous for mine. Dad always says they're two different things, and he hates being known for the latter. In the Muggle world, I'm famous for ballet, and it's overwhelming because I refuse to do interviews, which only makes Muggle paparazzi pry even harder - and let me tell you what - Rita Skeeter has nothing on Muggle paparazzi. They're fucking crazy."
Ginny nodded as she picked up her coffee mug to take a drink. "James has told me some stories."
"It's horrifying sometimes," Anya said. "The other day, there was a picture of me grocery shopping - and I never saw them. Not once. Rita Skeeter and her crew have all the abilities in the world to conceal themselves, yet you can always spot them. Muggle paparazzi, though, when they want to be, are frightening stealthy." She ate the remainder of the bread she held in her hand, washing it down with a drink of her water before speaking again. "James has always respected that I am a private person, and I just…I wanted to marry my best friend in a place that was special for us, and in a way that didn't take away from the fact that it had nothing to do with anyone else, but everything to do with us."
Swallowing her pride, Ginny reacted with a reassuring look and a nod of her head. "I do feel terrible, still, about how I reacted to your wedding news."
"Water under the bridge," Anya promised. "It's not like we helped, keeping it a secret and all."
"And I'm sorry if, well, my excitement for becoming a grandmother has been overwhelming for you guys," Ginny said. "When I really sat down and thought about how it was like when I was ready to have James…well, Harry reminded me that there was more than one moment where I thought I was going to kill my mother during that time."
Anya giggled at Ginny's confession, as Ginny smiled, stifling a laugh of her own. "Sometimes, you intimidate me," Anya confided. "You've always been this super mum - and well, we all know what I got - and I know that Hermione has more than made up for it in ways, but sometimes, I think about you, and how James adores you, and that I'm afraid that I won't live up to the expectation…that I won't be the mother to my son that you were to him."
"If I tell you something, do you promise not to internalize it, and just take it for what it's worth?" Ginny asked.
"Ginny, you should know I can make no such promise," Anya replied with a snort.
She reached across the small table that separated them, and grabbed one of her hands. "You are your mother's daughter." When Ginny felt Anya's hand automatically start to recoil, she held on tight and looked her right in the eye and continued. "You are stunningly beautiful, you have a grace about you that cannot be taught to others - barring moments when the fuse of your temper has been burned to the end of the line, and you're incredibly passionate about the things you love. Your mother had these same qualities." She gave Anya's hand a squeeze. "You inherited the best parts about your mother. And lucky for you - Hermione rounded out the rest."
Anya gave an indifferent sort of nod, biting her lips together as she squeezed Ginny's hand.
"And I see how you are with your siblings, and with my own daughter," Ginny continued. "You don't need to worry about what kind of mother you'll be. I know you'll be brilliant."
"That's what Hermione said."
"And when is Hermione ever wrong?" Ginny asked with a quirk of her lips.
Anya gave a halfhearted laugh. "Never."
"It's a bit annoying isn't it?" Ginny teased.
"Only when it isn't in your favor," Anya remarked. "Which is always."
Ginny squeezed Anya's hand again once more before letting go. "I really do promise to try to not smother you two. It was really never my intention."
"I know," Anya said. "And I promise to try to be less…well, me. I don't mean to be standoffish towards you and Harry - you two have always been wonderful to me and I cannot - I do not know how I could ever convey that to either of you."
"Well, that's because we love you, Anya. We always have."
Strolling down the hall, Draco walked past Claire's room, stopped, whipped himself around, and walked back to her door. Claire was lying in bed, watching a movie, and none other than Albus Potter was lying in bed with her. Katie was snuggled in between them, a big bowl of popcorn setting between her crisscrossed legs. Instead of heading down towards the kitchen, he made a beeline for the study. "Granger!" he shouted a few feet before he reached the door. "Granger!"
Working on some edits, as Harry's autobiography was nearly complete, Hermione put down her quill and leaned back in the large leather chair and waited for Draco to appear. "You bellowed?" she asked as he walked in, hastily shutting the door behind him.
"Albus Potter."
"What about him."
"Is laying in my sixteen-year-old daughter's bed."
"She turned seventeen in October, Draco."
His eyes went wide. "Not making me feel better!"
Hermione could hardly contain her laugh.
Draco's nostrils flared. "This is unacceptable. Unacceptable!"
"They're watching a movie, Draco," she stated. "And it's a movie Katie picked out - so it's either Mary Poppins or Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Besides - why do you think I sent Katie in there?" She walked past Claire's room about an hour ago, and the two of them were again, lying in bed - on top of the covers - just talking and watching television. Assuming Draco would have a full blown stroke had he seen the two of them in there, she told Katie to put on her best 'do what I want because I'm Katie' face, and then make them watch a movie. Katie was instantaneously successful at this request. Albus, much like James, was a sucker for Katie.
She stood out of sight and watched Katie in action as she slowly walked around the bed to where Albus was and pouted her lip out just a bit. "Will you watch a movie with me Al?" she asked. "I never gets to see you anymore."
"But Katie, I'm back now."
"I know…but I never get to do anything with you. And Claire's home, and I never get to do anything with Claire until summer and I hate it. But don't tell Mummy I said hate."
Claire laughed as Albus leaned towards Katie. "Well, Katie, what do you want to do?"
"Watch a movie?" she suggested, just a little bit pitifully. "And eat popcorn…with extra butter."
"We can watch a movie in here," Claire offered. "Albus can go make us popcorn."
"Ok!" Katie exclaimed, perking right back up the moment she got her way. "I'll pick out a movie!"
"And just so you know," Hermione said to Draco as she stood up from her chair. "With Katie's earlier performance, she may have put Slytherin House in the running. You would have been proud of her - she was quite cunning."
Draco didn't crack a smile. "I'm being completely serious about this. He's what, twenty-one now? This is not appropriate."
"They're just friends, Draco," Hermione reasoned. "Albus isn't an idiot. He's just coming off his breakup with Grace, Claire's got her own set of issues - they aren't going to do anything stupid - especially considering that Albus is returning to Hogwarts as a teacher." She slipped her arms around her tense fiancé's waist and looked up at him. "Trust your daughter, Draco."
"Isn't that what you said to me right before you showed the other daughter how to make a contraception potion?"
"I figured if she was going to attempt to brew it, she may as well brew it right," Hermione countered. "And we trusted them with it, and oddly enough, it worked. They were well out of school and married before they decided to bestow a grandchild upon us."
Draco shook his head. "Claire's not Anya. She's different."
"I think if we've learned anything about Claire since she's come home for break, it's that she's got a good head on her shoulders when the situation calls for it," Hermione argued. "So trust her."
He dropped his shoulders and made a face. "It's not that I don't trust her," he said to Hermione. "You know how I feel about Claire."
This was true - Claire was different - the ultimate Daddy's girl. Anya was independent and his partner in crime, Katie was obsessed with both of her parents quite equally, but Claire - from the moment she came into this world - only had eyes for Draco. No one was better, and no one was more aware of this than Hermione. She stood up on her tiptoes and pecked his lips. "Trust your daughter, Draco," she gently told him.
"It's not my daughter that I don't trust."
"Albus Potter isn't an idiot."
"All boys are idiots, Hermione. We don't know any other way to be. And we certainly don't grow out of it, either."
Hermione laughed. "Clearly speaking from experience."
"Exactly!" Draco exclaimed. "I'm going to talk to him."
"I really don't think that's necessary."
"I think it's incredibly necessary."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine, Draco. If you really think it's necessary to talk to him, do it. Talk to him."
"I will!"
"Fine."
Silence filled the study. Hermione went back to her editing, picking up her quill and dipping it into the inkwell before resuming her place. Draco paced for a few moments while Hermione jotted down notes and corrections. "Wait a second," he finally said in an accusatory manner. "You're tricking me, aren't you?"
She didn't even bother looking up from her editing. "Tricking you how, Draco?"
"By being all…Hermione Granger like."
"I can't be all 'Hermione Granger' like because I am, in fact, Hermione Granger."
"You're trying to get me to not talk to Albus."
Hermione shook her head as she dipped her quill again, dabbing the excess against a scratch piece of parchment. "I told you - if it will make you feel better to talk to him then talk to him."
Draco shook his head. "But you really mean don't talk to him."
"Draco, I never say anything that I don't mean," she told him, looking up at him with an arched eyebrow. "If it will make you feel better - talk to him - but for Merlin's sake if you're not going to talk to him, don't spend the next thirty minutes unspooling about it. Make a decision and stick with it."
He paced for a few more minutes, then stopped and stared at Hermione once more. "I'm not going to talk to him."
"Ok."
"Because I trust Claire."
"Of course you do."
"Which is why I'm not going to talk to him."
"Sounds like a plan, sweetheart."
He walked out of the office without another word, leaving the door open in his wake. Hermione sat there, shook her head, laughed, and went back to her book editing. "Works every time."
"What's your fancy today, Mr. Potter?"
"Um, can I have that bouquet of daisies up there?"
"Certainly - that'll be one galleon and seven sickles."
James traded his wizard money for the bouquet from the flower street vendor. Teddy tucked away his purchase in the inside pocket of his coat while he waited for his brother. "I thought the anniversary was tomorrow," he said as the began to walk away."
"No - it's definitely today," James said, holding the bouquet at the base of the stems. "Though I have to tell you - I thought this morning was going to be awful, with her pregnancy hormones and everything, but it wasn't."
Teddy laughed. "Do you think she's saving it for later?"
"There's always that possibility," James half joked. "It's much better than it used to be though."
"Can I ask a stupid question?"
"Have you ever asked permission before?"
Teddy smacked his brother upside the head. "Funny."
"I thought so."
"Anyway," he continued, ignoring the jab. "Why do you think she lets her mother affect her like she does?"
James shrugged. "I think it just boils down to the fact that all Anya wanted was her mother to be a mother, and when Astoria finally figured it out, it was for the wrong reasons and ultimately too late." He nodded towards the Magical Menagerie and the two veered towards the shop entrance. "You said you needed owl treats, right?"
Teddy nodded. "I mean, I get sad you know, from time to time, when I think about my parents. I didn't even know them. All I know about them are stories and pictures. At least she has actual memories of Astoria."
"I'm not sure she'd count that as a positive," James said as he opened the door for a couple of patrons who were getting ready to exit as he and Teddy entered. It didn't take long for Teddy to pick up some treats, and while he did, James stared at the various baby owls ready to be owned. Most of them were various shades of brown and black, but there was one that caught his eye - a snowy white bird with a smattering of black at the ends of its feathers. It looked just like the picture of the owl his dad had in his office on a shelf, sitting next to a frame of him and his parents when he was baby. "Hey Teddy - come look."
His purchase in hand, he walked over to James and followed his brother's pointed finger to the white owl. "Doesn't that look just like Hedwig?"
Teddy admired the bird for a moment. "Yeah…it does actually."
"Too bad Dad will never own another white owl," James said.
"Well, when the owl manages to be your best friend while your summers are spent in perpetual hell, I can see why he wouldn't," Teddy said. "Mum always said there were very few moments where she saw Dad completely upset - and his owl…on top of Uncle George's ear when they brought him back to the Burrow was one of them."
James had heard the same story from his mother as well. Sometimes James felt bad, knowing how he grew up and then thinking about his dad grew up. He told his dad that once, and was quickly dismissed with a smile from his dad.
"You shouldn't feel bad about that, son."
"But I do!" twelve-year-old James protested. "It's not fair."
Harry ruffled his hair and laughed. "Life isn't fair sometimes, James. But you know, there's a reason why your mother and I work hard and do what we do for you. You're right - I had an awful childhood. And your mother - she grew up in a house with six brothers, which made finances hard sometimes. We do for you what we didn't have, and we don't do it because we feel bad about what we didn't have - we do it because that's what parents are supposed to do. Parents are supposed to make a better life for their children."
James glanced down at his watch. "We better go rescue Mum and Anya from each other."
Teddy chuckled. "You know what I find funny about Mum and Anya?"
"What's that?"
The two of them walked out of the Magical Menagerie and towards Fortescue's. "That the two of them are practically the same person."
James rolled his eyes. "They are not even close!"
"Bull shit!" Teddy exclaimed with a laugh. "Mum is strong willed, hard headed, fiercely protective about those she loves the most, and an overwhelming force to be reckoned with. Anya's the exact same way." He draped an arm around his brother's shoulder and hugged him. "Face it. You married Mum."
"Shut up, Teddy."
"I'm not saying it's a bad thing!" Teddy added with a laugh as he let his brother go. "I'm just saying, there's a reason why those two can butt heads - and it's because at the end of the day - neither will cave. If ever anyone could keep up and outlast a Ginny Weasley Potter standoff - it's your wife."
James laughed. "You have a point there."
"And let's be honest - she's always been headstrong - and you secretly love it."
"I do," James admitted with a chuckle. "Oh - and speaking of my wife - I need you to do me a favor."
"Name it," Teddy said.
The two of them stopped right in front of the window at Fortescue's and from the outside, could see Anya and Ginny finishing up their brunch, laughing and having a good time - which released a weight off of James' shoulder. "I need you to talk to Albus about Claire."
Teddy laughed, shaking his head. "Why don't you do it?"
"Because I don't know what it is," James said. "I tried asking him the other day, he shut down…and I don't know. I don't know if he's still upset about Grace. I don't know if he even likes Claire in that way. But he won't talk to me about it - and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that her sister is my wife - and to be honest - if he does like her - it's safer for everyone if I know nothing -"
"Because you have no ability to lie to your wife," Teddy stated with a smirk.
"Would you lie to my wife?"
"Probably not," Teddy said. "But if I have to - I know I'll be better at it than you. I'll talk to him. See what's in his head."
James sighed. "Thanks," he said. "Oh - and if Claire is in his head, please remind him that she is still in school, and that Draco Malfoy will obliterate his general existence if he even thinks about Claire in any sort of way that could be interpreted as inappropriate. And that's if my wife doesn't get to him first."
Teddy smirked. "Is that what happened for you?"
"Oh God no," James said. "I mean, he was a little intimidating, and then there was that brief moment where I though there was a chance that I could possibly become severely maimed when he found out that Anya and I had sex but luckily Aunt Hermione saved me. But what I endured will be nothing compared to what will be endured by the man who attempts to court Claire Malfoy. She has different rules."
The two of them walked into the cafe side of Fortescue's and made their way to the table, snagging empty chairs from a nearby table and pulling it up to Ginny and Anya's, the girls excited to see them both. "Did you accomplish your tasks?" Anya asked as James pulled his chair close to his.
"We did," James said, handing her the daisies. "How are you feeling?"
Anya nodded. "I feel fine." She leaned over and gave him a kiss for the flowers. James wasn't one to give flowers a lot - mainly because before now, neither were ever home long enough to enjoy them before they died - but he always bought her daisies on this day. "They're beautiful," she said as she pulled away. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"You two ladies behaving yourselves?" Teddy asked with a glint of his eye.
"Of course we are," Ginny said. "We've had a wonderful time, haven't we?"
Anya nodded. "We have. Your mother has given me quite a few tips that I'm sure will prove to be helpful in the coming days."
"You've been saying that you've been feeling 'fine' for the past two days, you know" James quietly spoke to Anya. "You sure you're ok?"
Anya shifted slightly in her chair. "As fine as I can be…you know, considering I'm the size of a house."
Ginny scuffed Anya's remarks. "You are not the size of a house - in fact - you're fairing pregnancy much better than I ever did. Each time I swelled up everywhere. My hands, my feet, and my face - I looked like I was a balloon. You're just all belly."
"That's what he says," Anya said, jerking her head in James' direction.
"You really can't tell you're pregnant from behind either," Ginny added. "That was not the same story with me, I can tell you that."
Anya gave Ginny a smile. "There's a picture of you in our flat from when you were pregnant with James - you were not swollen."
Ginny looked over at her son. "You have a picture of me - pregnant with you?"
James nodded. "Dad gave it to me ages ago - I think he said it was of you at your baby shower at the Burrow. You're sitting in a big chair outside in the shade, laughing at something. It's on my dresser, isn't it?"
"It is," Anya said. "It's a really sweet picture."
Ginny smiled. "You know, I must say, that is one thing I regret the most…not having many pictures of me while I was pregnant. I was of course, completely against being photographed at all in that state during the time, but I wish I would have given in a few times."
"Katie and I did a weekly picture once James left - just so he wouldn't miss anything," Anya said with a laugh. "Katie, as you can imagine, took this job quite seriously."
"No - not Katie," Teddy teased. "Speaking of my little munchkin - how is she?"
"Alright I suppose," Anya said. "Dad says she's been having night terrors. Hopefully they find a way to stop them."
Ginny shuddered. "I still cannot believe what happened. When Draco came back to the flat and told me…I mean…I can't even believe it happened!"
Anya quirked her eyebrows as James slipped an arm around her shoulders. "At this point…nothing surprises me." She suddenly leaned forward slightly, placing her hands on the sides of her stomach, and inhaled slowly. As she exhaled, everyone at the table stared at her with concern. James reached over, putting a concerned hand right against her thigh, sliding it up underneath the hem of her sweater dress ever so slightly, and realized her tights were damp. "Anya?" he said, squeezing her thigh slightly.
She exhaled, and looked over at him, incredibly wide-eyed, and slightly terrified. "I think my water just broke."
When Claire walked down the stairs into the kitchen, she stopped at the short landing. Her father's back was to her, as he was clearly doing one of his 'I need to stop and think about what I was doing' things - so deep in thought that he didn't realize anyone had come down the stairs.
Not one to ever miss an opportunity to make her father shout, she smirked, took a leap, and latched herself onto Draco, wrapping her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist, and kissed his cheek as he shouted.
"Goddamnit Claire!" he shouted, clapping a hand over his chest. "Are you trying to give me another fucking heart attack? Fuck!"
"How did you even know it was me?" she asked, sliding off of his back. "You didn't even look."
Draco turned and gave his daughter a look. "There is only one child that likes to randomly sneak up and/or attack me for her own personal amusement. This child, is you. And I'm too old for it."
"You aren't even forty-five yet," Claire countered. "I'll stop when you turn fifty."
"You may break a kneecap before then if you keep it up."
"Are you calling me fat?" she incredulously asked.
Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm calling you a leggy, seventeen year old girl who is too old to be assaulting her father."
"Better," Claire said, wandering over to the kitchen island. She pulled an apple out of the fruit basket and took a bite. "Though I probably won't stop."
"I'm aware it's a waste of breath at his point," Draco said. He nodded towards the stairs as he took a seat on one of the bar stools. "Where's your shadow?"
"Katie?"
"The other one."
Claire made a face. "You've noticed."
"I almost asked Granger if he moved in."
She rolled her eyes and took another bite of her apple. With her good arm, she helped push herself up enough with a jump, now sitting on the kitchen island countertop next to her dad. "I think he's having a hard time with the Grace thing - or, well, I don't think, I know, because he told me earlier."
Draco motioned for Claire to share the apple, which she did. He took a bite and returned it to Claire. "And that translates into him being here all day every day how?"
"I don't know!" Claire exclaimed. "He just moved back - he likes hanging out here. The boys love it when he's here and so does Katie. The two of them are currently passed out in a popcorn coma in my bed. I figured since Katie hasn't been sleeping well, I'd just leave her be." She took another bite, and then offered the apple back to her father, who accepted. "I see that look on your face," she added.
"I have no look," Draco informed his middle daughter.
"You have a look," Claire argued. "And I know…I mean…I've given you cause for the look, after the whole Dexter thing, but Daddy - I don't, I mean, I can't like Albus. Not like that. I'm still in school. He's going to be a teacher. It's…that's just weird, Daddy."
Draco swallowed the last bit of apple in his mouth. "Claire - you've been in love with Albus since you were four."
"I think that's a bit exaggerated."
Sighing, Draco dragged a hand through his hair. "I'm going to tell you something that I've never said to you before. It's my favorite thing about you, and at the same time, it's the one thing about you that scares the living shit out of me." He looked back up at her and waited until he had her full and undivided attention. "You are an abnormal Malfoy."
Claire snorted. "Gee, Daddy, that was about the nicest thing you could say to me."
"You," he continued, ignoring her sarcasm. "Should not be wired with the genetics that allow you to wear your heart on your sleeve. You should not have the ability, based upon the insurmountable evidence left behind by the history of both the Malfoy and Greengrass families, to love as easily as you do - and so openly, I might add."
"And this is bad because…"
"It isn't bad," Draco said. "But, it's just - look -" he stammered, not really sure how to go about what he was about to say. "I'm not usually blunt with you. It's mostly saved for your older sister. But I'm just going to say it, and hope that you don't cry at the end of it."
Claire sat up a little bit straighter, crossing one of her legs over the other. "Go for it," she confidently replied. "After Dexter Boot and Grandfather - I can handle anything you've got."
"Sometimes I'm afraid that because you don't know how to keep people at an arms length, you are going to find yourself in a world of trouble," Draco matter-of-factly. "And I don't know how you do it, Claire, I really don't. Again - you should not be wired with this ability."
"Leo is the same way, you know, and he's a Malfoy."
"Then clearly Granger's exposure to you at such a young age has the same affect as birthing a Malfoy," Draco drawled. "But this is my point." He stood up from his bar stool so that he was right at eye level with her. "You put everything out there. You always have. You've always wanted to be liked, you've always wanted to be loved, and it's easy for you because everyone loves you. It's incredibly hard not to love you - even when your version of fun is assaulting your father."
"Assault is such a strong word," Claire joked.
"I wish I had half of your ability to just throw myself out there," Draco told Claire. "If I did - I would have married Hermione years ago. But I don't. It's not how I was raised. Your sister may look like your mother but she is wired like me. We're private people - it takes a crow bar to crack us open. And maybe we could use a little bit of you in our lives - but at the same time - you could use a little bit of us in yours, you know what I'm saying?"
Claire nodded, finishing off her apple with a final bite. "I hear you, Daddy. And to be honest, I kind of came to that conclusion the night Dexter…well…let's just say that while crying in bed, I kind of yelled at myself. I even cleaned out my closet the other day."
"I did notice your wardrobe change," Draco said. "And I am much pleased at this development."
"I thought you would be."
He leaned forward and kissed Claire on the cheek. "You're smart, Claire Bear," he said. "You're smart and you're beautiful, and I'm afraid sometimes that because you're so willing to give someone everything you have because you know no other way, you'll be taken advantage of, and then you'll get hurt."
She held up her splinted arm. "Like this?"
He nodded his head. "But worse," he said as he picked up her splinted arm. Opening her hand, he placed it right over her heart and pressed his hand into hers "You'll get hurt here, too."
Claire nodded, placing the apple core in her hand on the counter. "So…I need to be more like you, huh?"
"And I could learn to be a little more like you," Draco candidly replied.
The two stared at each other for a moment, Claire cracking a smile first, before Draco followed suit.
"Claire?"
"Yes Daddy?"
He knew he was going to regret asking the question, but he was going to do it anyway. "You said you couldn't like Albus. Does that mean you do, but you know better enough not to?"
Claire shrugged as she chewed on the inside of her cheek. "I've been in love with him since I was four, remember?"
"I was afraid of that," Draco mumbled.
"But I'm not stupid, Dad," she added. "I'm going to finish school, just like Hermione told me to, and I've decided to go to Muggle University so I can become a dentist. I talked to Grandpa about it over Christmas, and he says he will take me to where he and Grandma went to school when I come home on spring break for a formal visit. I'm going to be a dentist, Daddy - a brilliant one at that. And I don't have time to be distracted. Just like Hermione said - I need to focus on me, and getting what I want, and then…well, we'll see what happens then, won't we?"
Draco took a step back as Claire hopped off of the counter. She gave him a big hug, which he enthusiastically returned. "And Claire?"
"Yes Dad?"
He swallowed hard. "Despite the fact that the thought of having two children with the last name Potter makes me want to hex myself, do me a favor - even if you do decide to…date…Al, or anyone because it doesn't have to be Al, you know, while you're at university, it could be anyone as long as he's good enough for you - don't keep it a secret. Tell us."
Laughing, Claire gave her father a playful pat on the chest and then pecked his lips with hers. "Oh don't you worry, Daddy," she reassured him. "You know I'm terrible at keeping secrets."
"This is what I hang my hopes on with you," he teased.
"And if somehow Albus Potter lands in my future," she added. "I promise you - the entire universe will know."
Draco dropped his head and shook it as she laughed. "Merlin help me," he muttered.
Suddenly, a large, magnificent patronus in the shape of a horse manifested itself into the kitchen, and Ginny's voice echoed from its form. "We're at St. Mungo's - Anya's water broke at brunch. Don't panic - she's all right. They're just getting her settled into a private suite - room 3831."
"Oh my God!" Claire screeched. "I'm going to be an Aunt!"
"I'm going to be a grandfather," Draco said rather calmly. "I'm forty three and I'm going to be a grandfather."
"That's what you get for having a kid at nineteen," Claire snarked. "I'm going to go tell everyone!"
Draco nodded, taking a seat as Claire leapt up the stairs, two at a time. He dragged a hand through his hair and sighed. "Holy shit," he said to himself. "I'm going to be a grandfather."