The next morning, Harkin woke up alone with a tray of breakfast food on the table next to their bed. "Draco?" Harkin asked into the room, with no response, she was about to get up when there was a small pop and a house elf was standing before her.
"Mistress Harkin, yous awake. Master Draco is already up with Mistress Cissa going through the Malfoy accounts. Master Draco wished me to wish you his apologies, and to enjoy you breakfast." The elf stated.
"Thank you. Tell Draco I understand." Harkin said with a sad smile. The elf nodded before popping out of the room.
Harkin quietly ate her breakfast, and when she finished the same elf popped in to quickly gather the tray before popping back out. Harkin sighed as the elf left the room again. From that day forwards, Harkin ate alone in her room most days, Draco going through the accounts his father had and sort out the dark accounts from the regular accounts.
Hermione kept her company quite often for she was staying at the Manor for the rest of break as was Theo, who took the news two different ways. First he was upset because it was his fault Harkin was in his father's custody, but after he was reassured that it wasn't his fault, he was excited to have a younger sibling, and that Harkin and Draco decided to make him the godfather for the twins. He also decided that he would help them take care of the twins during the school year as much as possible; he wanted to try to make up for his mistake, though Harkin and Draco both stated they didn't blame him.
Both Theo and Hermione, being two of the top students in their year, helped Harkin catch up on the homework and lessons that she missed while in Voldemort's custody. Harkin missed Hermione while she was gone, and it was still a little weird not having Ron around, but he was being weird ever since the potion incident and even more so after the Malfoy's Christmas Party. He found out she was pregnant, and he's been avoiding her a little bit ever since. Fred and George though picked up his slack and visit at least every other day; they love watching the twins' sonograms. Harkin feels like they are going to be the biggest spoilers of her twins except Narcissa. The Twins came over so often that Melody had to teach Hermione the spell for the sonogram.
Harkin loved watching as everyone's faces light up as they watched the little beans move around inside her, but when everyone left and it was just her again, she felt so alone in the giant manor. Draco usually would come to bed after she fell asleep and would be gone before she woke, which upset her, but she understood.
The day before they had to go back to school, Melody came to do a checkup, and she cleared her as long as she took it easy and that there will be checkups every third Saturday of the month. Narcissa sat in on all of the official healer appointments, and after Melody left, Narcissa didn't leave right away like she normally did.
"Do you need something, Cissa?" Harkin asked.
"I just wanted to check in with how you're doing with all of the life changes in the past couple of months?" Narcissa asked.
"Change doesn't bother me. The alone feeling is what gets to me." Harkin admitted.
"Oh, I'm sorry, dear. I guess we should have thought about you being trapped in this room by yourself. Do you want me to tear Draco away from what he's doing for you?" Narcissa asked.
"No, it's fine. He's busy, and he's cleaning up Lucius' mess and reestablishing the Malfoy name. He needs to do this, and I understand that." Harkin stated.
"If you are sure, darling." Narcissa said.
"Yes, I have the rest of my life to be with him. Thank you, Narcissa, for checking up on me." Harkin said.
"You are welcome, darling. I do have to get back and help Draco finish going through the rest of the accounts today." Narcissa said as she stood up and walked out of the room.
Harkin sighed as she finished up the last of her remaining homework, and then she organized them by class for easy turn in when she gets back from break. Severus paid her a visit later that night, and he informed Harkin that he had rearranged her schedule to coincide with Draco's; he also had got a separate room so they could share for the rest of their schooling. When he left, Harkin laid back down and tried to sleep for the next day they were heading back to Hogwarts.
When she woke the next morning, she found her trunk packed and waiting by the door next to Draco's already packed trunk. "Morning, my love." Draco said from the bathroom doorway with a towel wrapped around his waist and another drying his hair.
"Morning, Dray. Did you pack my trunk already?"
"Yes, I figured if we didn't have to worry about packing, we could spend some more time together. Since I spent so much time going through my father's accounts since Christmas."
"No, it is fine. I understand that was something you had to do, so you didn't have to worry about it later. You have to fix what your father messed up. Unfortunately."
"But because of that, I neglected you, my fiancée, and my other half. You look pale." Draco said as he walked over and brushed his fingers over her cheek, and she leaned into his touch.
"I'm fine; Mel cleared me to go back to school."
"That doesn't make you fine, love." Draco said as he stared her down. "You are pale, and you are running a slight fever." He finished. "I'm calling Mel. I'm surprised she cleared you in this condition." Draco stated as he moved towards the door, but didn't get too far with Harkin's hand wrapped around his wrist.
"Would you listen to me, please?" Harkin shouted. "She cleared me because she knows exactly what's wrong and how to fix it."
"Then why haven't you done anything to help yourself?" Draco questioned.
"Because I need you. You are the way to help me, Draco." Harking yelled, and Draco stuttered.
"How…how am I the solution?"
"Our bond, you dumb arse." Harkin yelled. "Our bond makes us one being. We are healthier with each other, and since I'm pregnant my system needs both of us to help keep my body stable. It is why Severus switched our schedules around and got us our own room to share."
"Love, I'm sorry. I forgot about the bond for a moment." Draco said as he walked over to Harkin, and he wrapped his arms around her pulling her into a tight embrace. He then pulled them down into a lying position on the bed. They laid on the bed entangled like that until 10:30, when Narcissa knocked on the door to tell them to get ready, so they uncurled themselves from each other and walked over to their wardrobe to get dressed. Harkin picked one of her baby doll style dresses to cover her small baby bump, while Draco went with his normal black slacks, dress shirt, and tie. Draco shrunk their trunks and slipped them in his pocket before taking Harkin's hand, and they walked downstairs to meet Narcissa, Severus, Hermione, and Theo in the foyer.
"Alright, now that we are all here. Draco and Harkin are going to apparate with Severus, and Hermione and Theo are going to apparate with me. When we get there, the four of you are going to find a compartment and stay there. I don't want any possibilities of any type of incident to happen. I have also used some of my power in the Ministry to get Umbridge removed and someone more capable put into the position." Narcissa said with a smirk in Severus' direction, and Harkin smiled at the prospect of Severus finally getting the job he wanted.
Severus took Draco's hand, and Draco took Harkin's hand; and Severus apparated. When they reached the station, and Severus pulled them straight to the train and into a compartment. "How is Remus doing?" Harkin asked Severus as she was pulled behind Draco.
"Not well. It is his first full moon without Black in two years, so his wolf misses him. Narcissa has a room specifically designed for his condition, when his first moved in though, and I feel it helped a bit." Severus stated as he continued down the train.
"Where are we going?" Harkin asked.
"A special compartment."
"Why?"
"If you asked this many questions in class, Ms. Potter, your grades would definitely be better." Severus stated.
"Hey, I'm working on that, and can you just answer the question?" Harkin defended.
"Fine, it is a special compartment to keep you and what is inside you safe from Death Eaters that are still at large. They will be after you, and if they find out about other things they will most definitely be after you." Severus said as he quickly pulled them into a compartment. "They will want the babies to try and raise them to make them a weapon against you; to train them to kill you if you aren't already dead from them trying to take the children."
"They would do that?" Harkin questioned as Severus latched the door.
"Yes, they wouldn't even second guess themselves. These people, the most devoted ones are just as mad as Voldemort himself. It's why Lucius was willing to kill you and his own son."
"I don't think Lucius tried to kill Draco, he just didn't want me and the abominations he thought the twins were to sally his family name." Harkin tried.
"No, he wanted you out of our lives and didn't care what he had to lose. Including his wife, son, and grandchildren." Draco stated as Narcissa walked into the compartment with Hermione and Theo.
"Talking about Lucius again?"
"Unfortunately." Draco drawled.
"I'm sorry." Harkin whispered as she burst into tears and tried to escape the compartment before Severus caught her and pulled her into his chest. Harkin cried into his chest until she fell asleep, and Severus picked her up and placed her on the bench.
"Why are you being so nice to Harry now?" Hermione asked.
"Because one Draco would kill me; two she isn't the spitting image of her father anymore and three Lily will haunt me from the grave if I hurt her pregnant daughter." Severus stated as he stormed out of the compartment.
"Let's just say that Severus Snape is a unique creature, Ms. Granger." Narcissa stated. "Now, don't leave this compartment until you reach Hogwarts. Understand?"
"Blaise and Pansy can still join us, right?" Draco asked.
"Yes, Draco, they can come in. Just no one can see you inside this compartment. There are some massive wards around this compartment." Narcissa stated, and she left the compartment.
Draco walked over to the bench Harkin was asleep on, and he pulled her into his lap. Theo and Hermione sat down across from them, and when Narcissa came back, she had Pansy and Blaise with her.
"You kids stay safe, alright?" Narcissa stated.
"Yes, Mum, we will." Draco stated.
"And you, young man, just because you are the head of the family now, doesn't mean you can start acting like your father. She is precious as are the two children of yours she is carrying. So please treat her better and with care. You two are bound together more tightly together than anyone in our world; it is also permanent, Draco, so don't mess this up for both of you. I love you."
"I love you too, mum, and I will." Draco said as he bowed his head. Narcissa then walked over to Draco and Harkin and gave them hugs before giving everyone else a hug, and then she left the compartment.
"Well, that was interesting." Pansy observed. "Almost as interesting as your Yule Ball this year. Is your family going to now continue to be this interesting?"
"I hope not, but Har is now part of my family, so who knows." Draco said with a shrug.
"That is true." Pansy responded.
The group moved to how their break went and casual talk after that, and nothing exceptional happened; Harkin woke up about halfway through the trip, and apologized to everyone. The rest of the ride went smoothly until they pulled into the station at Hogsmeade.
The group stepped off the train and towards the carriages, when they bumped into the Weasley's. "Hey, watch it…" Ron said as Draco ran into him, because he was paying attention to Harkin and not to where he was going. Oh, it's you. Stealing all of my friends now?" he accused.
"Ron, stop." Hermione tried, but he interrupted her.
"No, Hermione. You decided to stay there for the rest of break instead of with us."
"For Harry. I stayed for her. She needed a friend more than you. And honestly, you decided to go home instead of supporting a friend. You didn't even visit her like a real friend would. The Twins visited your best friend. What does that say about you, Ronald?" Hermione shouted before grabbing Harkin's hand and pulling her towards the carriages, while everyone else stared dumbfounded after Harkin and Hermione.
Eventually everyone started moving again. Ron tried to pick a fight with Draco, but Ginny smacked him on the back of the head and pulled him into a carriage, apologizing to Draco as she went. "It's not you who should apologize." Draco stated as he climbed into a different carriage. Finally, everyone was up at the castle, and Harkin was already seated at the Gryffindor table worrying about Draco when Ron walked in before him. Hermione apologized again, and she pulled Harkin closer and rubbed her back. "Stress isn't good for you, Harry." Hermione soothed as Ron sat down next to her. Hermione felt as the air started to chill around them, and she looked around the room for Draco. Their eyes met as Draco walked into the Great hall, and he immediately started fast walking to Harkin. Draco could feel her cold slowly seep into the room, but it didn't affect him like everyone else. He could tell Hermione was barely able to touch Harkin to keep her as calm as she was. Draco finally reached her and placed his hand on her back.
"Love, why don't you come sit with me?" Draco said, and Harkin turned around and the cold instantly went away as Harkin sprung out of her seat and into Draco's already outstretched arms.
"Draco, you're alright?" she whispered.
"Of course, I am. Come sit with me?"
"You can't just take a Gryffindor over to the Slytherin table." Ron insisted as he stood up, and Draco tensed as he felt Harkin twist in his arms and swung her fist to collide with Ron's face, which caused him to stagger. "You bitch!" Ron shouted, and he swung his fist towards Harkin, but before his fist made contact with Harkin, Draco caught it, and he twisted his fist, so it was now behind his back.
"No matter how much a woman pisses you off, you never lay a hand on them in anger." Draco stated as he pulled Harkin behind him, and he shoved Ron forwards before walking away with Harkin in tow. Harkin smiled the whole way to the Slytherin table, and when they got there Draco sat down, pulling Harkin into his lap.
"Can't go ten minutes without Draco keeping an eye on you?" Pansy chuckled.
"I just punched my best friend in the face for you Slytherin's. I wouldn't judge me too harshly, Parkinson." Harkin stated with a sideways glance at Pansy.
"Touché, touché Draco she's a keeper."
"Already taken care of." Draco said as he took Harkin's left hand and kissed her palm; showing off Harkin's engagement ring in the process.
"Bloody Hell!" Pansy exclaimed as she snagged Harkin's hand to get a better look at the ring. "I'm kind of upset about breaking that marriage contract with you, but I couldn't handle making babies with my best friend."
"I agree, and I'm also glad that my father never finished the contract with the Greengrass' before he went to Azkaban." Draco stated.
"What?' Harkin said as she whipped her head around to face Draco.
"I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you. When I was going through my father's study, I found a marriage contract that he had been writing up with Marvin Greengrass about me marrying his youngest daughter, Astoria. The contract looked complete except for my father and her father's signatures. Which I through in the fire." Draco stated as he pulled Harkin closer to him. "Because I love you, and I am bonded to you, and I don't want my father to be able to intervene in that anymore. You and the twins are what matter to me now, and my father can rot in Azkaban." Draco finished as he kissed Harkin's cheek.
"Isn't that sweet. You've thawed his frozen heart, Potter." Someone said, and Harkin looked up to see someone she recognized from their year, but she couldn't think of a name.
"Daphne, how are you?" Draco asked.
"Better than my little sister. Astoria was devastated when father told her the contract wouldn't be going through. That's the third one father has tried to negotiate for her, all of them leaving because they fell in love. She wouldn't even come back to school because of it."
"Maybe marriage contracts are going out of style." Draco stated.
"Try telling that to my sister, who thinks no one will love her." Daphne said before standing up and storming out of the Great Hall.
"Well, looks like we're pissing off both of our houses." Draco chuckled.
"Yeah, but it's difficult for change to settle in and have it become the new normal." Harkin stated.
"You are right." Draco stated as Dumbledore stood up.
"Listen, listen." He said. "I understand there has been a lot of commotion this meal, but it is time for bed, so pip pip." Dumbledore stated, and everyone stood to leave and headed to their respective common rooms.
"Have a great night." Draco said as his friends stood to head to the Slytherin common room.
"Aren't you coming with? Or are you waiting for everyone to leave so the two of you can have a make out session before bed?" Pansy teased.
"They have their own room. They have to wait for Professor Snape to show them where it is, I'm sure." Theo stated.
"What? How'd you swing that?"
"Got pregnant." Harkin smirked waiting for Pansy's reaction.
"Never mind, don't want my own room."
"Yeah, no you don't. Pregnancy sucks. The after math not as much. The constant vomiting and having to use the loo." Harkin stated.
"That also makes me want to get pregnant even less." Pansy stated.
"Keep it that way for a while." Harkin stated as Severus walked up to them.
"Miss Potter, Mr. Malfoy come with me. Miss Parkinson, please head to the Slytherin common room." Severus said.
"Of course, Professor." Pansy said with a small head nod, before she turned and walked away.
"Come." Severus instructed, and Harkin and Draco followed Severus out of the Great Hall. They went up to the fourth floor and turned towards the East Wing taking the first right and the third left, and Harkin counted the seventh door on either side before turning towards the eighth door on the left. "Unus." Severus said at the door, and Harkin heard the faint click of the lock before reaching for the doorknob and opening the door. He opened the door and shuffled them inside before closing the door. "Unus is your password. Do not give it to anyone. Your friends can know where your room is just not the password to get inside. Understood?"
"Yes, sir." Draco said while Harkin did a quick head nod.
"Good. Unpack and get some sleep. I have your new timetables for you, and Harkin for all intents and purposes you are under my charge. Minerva has agreed to turn you over a Slytherin charge. She isn't incredibly happy about it, but given that I am your guardian now, at least until Black is cleared, she is willing to let me have you."
"How will that go now Lucius is in Azkaban? He was supposed to be helping."
"I will be helping. No matter how much I think he should be there for some of the things he did in school; I understand that 13 years of unnecessary imprisonment should be suitable for his punishment for school. So, I will be helping to make sure he is cleared along with Albus, though I'm not sure how much help he will be."
"Thank you." Harkin stated. "Though I am tired and would like to get some sleep." Harkin finished with a whisper as she turned and walked towards the door to the bedroom, and she closed the door and started towards the bathroom. Harkin slipped out of her school robes and turned on the bathtub. She turned on the bubbles as Draco walked into the bathroom.
"It's a little smaller than mine, but I think we can deal." Draco said as he stripped to climb into the tub. "Did you see the nursery?" Draco asked as he pulled her closer to him.
"No, I didn't really look around much. Though I find that nice of them to give us a room with a nursery for the twins." Harkin said as she rubbed her small baby bump. "Is it weird to say that I feel if this would have happened in the muggle world, I would have been judged just a little bit more for having kids while still in school?"
"You realize that people are judging you, they are just not doing it anywhere near you. Your friends are with you 100 percent but some people are still stuck in the old ways, and they think that you should be kicked out of school for getting pregnant. A few generations ago you would have been, but we are slowly evolving and that isn't the case anymore, because you can't become successful unless you have schooling too." Draco explained. "Though the people who matter aren't judging you and don't care what others are thinking. I sure as hell don't care. These are my children, no matter what the biological tests are saying, and I will blood adopt them as soon as they are born so they will legally be mine. Thaddeus Nott will have no say in what happens to either of these children. I will fight the Ministry if I have to, and Mother will too. We will make sure they are safe and completely ours, and ours alone." Draco said as he kissed the side of her neck.
"I love you, Draco. And what you just said means more to me than anything in the world. People will judge, but I shouldn't care what they say as long as the people that matter are with me." Harkin said as she turned in Draco's lap to kiss him on the lips. "Though I am somehow still really tired." Harkin commented as she stood up in the tub and stretched before getting out and grabbing a towel to dry off. She walked out of the bathroom, and she walked over to the door on the opposite side of the room. She opened it to see a decent sized walk in closet, and she closed the door to turn and look around for the door to the nursery, and she found it on the side of the room that lead in from the main lounge area, and she walked over to open the door and find a room with two basinets for the twins and two dressers with changing tables on top and in the two opposite corners of the room were two rocking chairs. The walls were this cerulean colored blue that was just beautiful, and the molding around the room was this whitish-silver color that matched the rocking chairs and the dressers, but the basinets were this lilac shade of purple that somehow worked in the room. The small closet in the room was already stocked with various sizes of baby diapers and supplies.
"The closet is self-stocking. When we are running low on something it will refill. When the babies move up in diaper sizes the smaller sizes will disappear from the closet." Draco explained.
"Meaning house elves are restocking it for us." Harkin stated with slight distaste.
"Yes, but they will be Malfoy elves, not the school elves. Severus said Mother worked something out with Dumbledore so only our elves can enter this room. Including Dobby, who Mother has taken back in and is paying him one galleon a week. Which for us is really nothing." Draco explained. "Mother and Uncle Sev wanted to make sure no one could get inside this room without permission. They want the babies' safe, and us to not have to worry about the possible Death Eaters that are still out there, and they didn't want me to tell you, but I feel if anyone deserves to know it is you. Thaddeus Nott escaped from the Aurors again. He is still out there, and no one is more upset than me, because if I could get my hands on him, I would kill him, but you need to know, he might try something. Severus is doing everything to make sure the wards around the school are in tacked and impenetrable."
"Everyone is being just so helpful and kind to me with this transformation, and it is a little overwhelming with how much has happened and been overcome in the last two months. I'm nearly two months pregnant with twins, not to mention I'm female. I was kidnapped by Voldemort and raped by one of his followers, who wants revenge on me and is trying to kill me. I am bonded and engaged to my former school rival, and now basically living with him because I am pregnant with his kids. Not to mention that I can't play Quidditch this year which is going to make this year a long drag, because that was how I could just be myself and have fun."
"You were just having fun playing Quidditch?" Draco asked as he wrapped his arms around Harkin.
"Yes, actually, because it was something that I was actually good at and I didn't have to pretend that I wasn't for my cousin's sake, so I didn't get my arse kicked every time." Harkin stated.
"I'm sorry I made it more of a competition for you." Draco apologized.
"No, don't be. You make it more fun and made me want to work to be better and learn new tricks." Harkin stated.
"Did you ever think about becoming a professional Quidditch player?" Draco asked.
"I did, but I know that will only last me a few years. I'm going to get older and not be able to do the same things I was able to when I'm younger and I won't be able to play anymore, so what would I do then, because I would have to do something. I couldn't just sit around home and be a stay at home mum. I would have to be doing things all the time." Harkin said, "But I would also want to be in my kids' lives and do things with them too, so nothing that would take me away from that." Harkin finished.
"Well, there are many options for that, and being fifth years, we'll be having talks with our head of house about where we want to go after school, since we'll be able to drop classes after we take our O.W.L.s this spring, and focus our schooling more onto the career we want to go into."
"I'll think about it. But would you be alright with me being a professional Quidditch player?" Harkin asked, because she was unsure of herself.
"Of course. It is something that you love, and you would be able to do it well, and you might be able to get onto the Holy Head Harpies' team." Draco smirked. "But it is getting late and we should be heading to bed." Draco stated.
"You are right. I did originally come to take a bath to go to bed after." Harkin said as she turned in Draco's arms, and he picked her up and carried her to their bed. Harkin laughed as Draco spun her around in the air before he placed her on the bed, and he crawled in next to her. Draco curled around her, and they fell asleep in each other's arms.