Birth
Harry and Hermione sat in a cafe drinking hot chocolate. The table was covered with slices of various cakes. Hermione couldn´t make up her mind and Harry didn't dare to say something.
"I´m not mad that Ron proposed to Susan! I´m glad he is showing more responsibility, I just want our friendship back!"
"You were always fighting," Harry replied and she glared at him.
It was true Ron and her were never well-matched and while the young witch loved her husband and could never imagine being with somebody else, it still stung. It stung that Ron was growing up for someone else and not for her. It hurt that she wasn´t reason enough for them to return home and it humiliated her that he didn´t even have the grace to break up with her.
The young war-heroine was also ashamed of herself for being happy that Susan, no matter how hormonal and in love she was, declined, wanting to see how things work for them as a family before tieing the knot.
"Hermione? Are you alright?"
"I´m fine," she snapped.
"You don´t look fine."
Chewing on her apple-pie she tried to swallow down her anger. The young witch shifted her weight in the chair trying to find a comfortable way to sit. They talked about their jobs when the young witch felt a sharp pain in her back. She inhaled sharply. Harry looked worried.
"I´m fine, really. I just think my contractions have started. About time, I can´t take it much longer."
Her statement did little too ease Harry´s nerves. The young war-hero started to panic. He didn´t know what to do. Should he call someone? Susan? Lucius?
"Relax. We got plenty of time. Let me at least finish my cake and then you may bring me home."
Back at home, Hermione looked for her husband. He was busy with their tax-report so she sat quietly down in her sitting room not wanting to disturb him. Once he finished the young witch made him take a walk with her.
As her contractions got closer together she told Harry to inform Susan and made Rose play with her brother. The kids needn´t witness anything too disturbing.
By the time the young medi-witch arrived the worst of it was already over. She found Hermione and Lucius in a generous bathroom, sweaty and exhausted leaning against the wall. They looked happy and a little surprised at the speed of it all, holding their not so little baby in their arms.
"You are late. Your services are no longer required," Mr. Malfoy said when the young witch entered the room.
"I still have to check on the mommy and the baby," Susan replied unboxing a few potions.
"I presume, I should check on you as well Mr. Malfoy?"
"I am fine. Just a broken finger."
"I see, Hermione was rather tame this time."
They showered and an hour later entered the drawing-room.
"It is a boy," the former death eater announced proudly.
"Great. `Cause you never had one of those before," Draco said rolling his eyes.
"Do you want to hold him?" Hermione asked her best friend handing Harry her newborn.
"He´s so small," Harry said.
At nine pounds that was far from accurate and the Lord of the Manor felt offended by this statement. His wife did not bear small children.
They sat there and jokingly discussed if they could now prove that Draco was all Narcissa´s fault. Hermione disagreed. There was a very small but real chance that their baby shared none of its chromosomes but the Y with Draco and therefore it was impossible to estimate his ex-wife´s influence on their son´s personality. Also, Lucius didn´t have nearly enough children for a proper statistical analysis.
Draco stood up and left the room. Hermione stood up and followed him. Everything felt wired.
"You do know that Lucius won´t disown you or love you any less just because he now has another son."
"Hmpf. Easy for you to say, you always get what you want from him. Father won´t even look at my business-plans," the blonde wizard said frustrated.
"Well, I also don´t wait for his or anyone's permission. You make your own money. You know how hard you have to work for it. If you want to invest it you can do so without your father. If things work well he would entrust you with more of the Malfoy-enterprises and if not, well, you don´t have to tell him.
"When have you become so wise?" Draco asked.
"I´ve known your father for a very long time."
They hugged each other and the young wizard carried his stepmother on his back back. Hermione placed Rose on her lap. The little one didn´t quite know what to make of it all. They discussed names and possible god-fathers. Hermione suggested Harry.
The Malfoy-men weren´t convinced that he could do the job. But Hermione didn´t plan on dying and Harry wouldn´t abandon her ever again. the war-hero was far too scared of the young witch being able to track him down. Once they settled on Harry as a godfather they thought about which of their favorite names would fit him best. They settled on Richard as in Richard Lionheart. The associations with a name like that were too funny to pass.