I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's broken up a bit into pieces as I wanted this to seem like an evolution of Aria's experience. I hope I did it justice.

I probably have about two more chapters to this main story... :(...although like I said I will of course be doing one-offs here and there. I love Aria and Lucius' story too much.

Thank you for being with me on this journey.

xoxo

The night was agony. Not only for Aria of course, but Lucius too. He was getting strong flashbacks of when Aria almost died from the poisoning Narcissa had inflicted upon her a while ago, as the pain and desperation he saw in Aria's features were quite the same.

About every five minutes Aria would cry out in pain and clutch to her stomach as contraction after contraction occurred. The labor process seemed to be going quite quickly, as if the baby was ready to enter the world as soon as possible, and yet Aria's body wasn't quite yet ready…which was the part that feared Lucius the most.

As Aria's contractions grew more and more, so did the glowing light within her stomach. It was ever brightening, and it almost looked as if she was a sun ready to explode with the last of its life.

The doctor had tried rubbing salves and healing lotions on Aria's lower belly to try and alleviate her pain but what Aria was feeling was so severe that nothing seemed to be working.

"LUCIUS!" Aria would cry out often, as he would hold onto her and tried to pour all of his love and comfort into her.

"Yes my love. I am here!" He would say gently and calming into her ear. He was trying to be calm outwardly, despite his inward battle with anxiety.

His anxieties weren't calmed at all actually, as whenever the doctor would check on Aria's progress, she consistently had a slight line in her brow, as if she was rather concerned. The witch would look at Lucius, see his grey eyes piercing over in her direction, and he could tell she was scared. Scared that the power of this baby would rip Aria's petit body apart from the inside out.

Lucius had told the Doctor that she would get Aria through this night, and he knew that the look he was giving her now reinforced that demand. The witch scurried away briefly to her medicine bag, and she rummaged through it haphazardly as if trying to find something…anything…that would ease Aria's pain and slow down the progress of the baby.

Lucius watched the doctor rummage through her bag, his heart beating in his chest so quickly, he was surprised it didn't beat right out and onto the floor. He was quickly distracted however, as Aria cried out louder than ever, causing Lucius to jump a bit.

"AHHHHHH," she screamed, as tears ran down her face, her hair damp from the heat of the pain that her body was trying to dispel.

"Aria!" Lucius cried as he moved his hand gently behind her neck and pushed her head forward so that she could scream into his chest, instead of out into the room. He hoped by holding her tight and close, that she could mentally try and put some of her pain on to him. He so wished that was possible.

Aria screamed into his chest so hard Lucius could feel the reverberations of her pain through his soul, and his heart was breaking. "DO SOMETHING!" He yelled across the room at the doctor who was now examining two bottles in her hand, her face very contemplative. At Lucius' scream in her direction, the doctor jumped and turned to him with wide yes.

"Mr. Malfoy! I….I'm sorry, I'm just trying to figure out what could help her. Usually during labor we don't like to use any spells or potions as it could impact the birth and the baby!" She squeaked as she rushed over to Lucius with the two potion bottles.

Lucius looked at the bottles that the witch held out in her hands. One was a sleeping draught and the other was a slowing potion, which had the same effect as the Arresto Momentum spell.

"These are the only other things in my bag I would consider using…although I am very wary to use these at all on a woman in labor….I really would only recommend the creams and salves I have put on her…..I"

Lucius cut her off, "And clearly those haven't been working!"

"Mr. Malfoy, then I leave it up to you to decide! Which of these should we use? Neither one I have used in a labor before. I leave it in your hands to decide if we should use either of them at all," the doctor said sternly.

With her stern tone, Lucius second guessed himself on if he should try and give Aria anything to take her pain away. Perhaps the doctor was right. Perhaps he should let nature take its course. But was it natural…their baby? Their baby was a lot more powerful and magical than most, and he knew this birth was different. However, after seeing the concern in the doctor's face he decided he wouldn't push fate and give Aria a potion that he had no idea of what it would do to her. He hated not knowing what to do and not being able to help Aria with her pain.

"AHHHHHHHH," Aria cried again as another contraction started. Lucius closed his eyes and held her tight in his arms again, as he whispered soft words of encouragement.

Hours later and Aria was still in labor. Her pain getting to unbearable heights. Her hands had been squeezing Lucius' so hard, he had nail marks that were bleeding on the palms of his hands. The most the doctor could do was continue to monitor her progress, apply the lotions for the pain and get cool clothes for her head.

"Isn't there something that will numb the pain?!" Aria cried, tears running down her face. "I should have gone to a muggle hospital to get an epidural!" She screamed.
Lucius and the witch doctor looked at each other confused.

"Epidural my love?" Lucius asked, having never heard that word before.

"Yes! It helps the pain of labor. They inject you with a big needle in your lower back. Can't I go to the muggle hospital Lucius?!"

Lucius wanted to of course grant her every wish and request, but the truth was that she really couldn't go to the muggle hospital. This baby was too concentrated in magic. Too many things could happen that would reveal who they were to the muggle doctors. It sadly wasn't possible.

"My love I wish you could…but…I'm…I'm sorry. We have to stay here," he said as he kissed her head and wiped her tears away off of her cheeks.

"You say it's numbing medicine in your lower back? Perhaps I can try and do a minor spell on your lower back…that could be an interesting tactic," the doctor chimed in.

"Please! Try anything!" Aria said.

Lucius looked at the doctor with a mix of pleading, as he wanted her to help Aria and also of disdain. While he was happy the doctor was finally willing to do something, he was mad that Aria had to suggest a method that the doctor didn't know about. Lucius had trusted the doctor for many years and had thought that she was the best, but now he was starting to think differently.

"Yes, do it. Now!" Lucius said as he helped Aria roll over onto her side so that they could get to her back.

The doctor rushed over and pointed her wand on the base of Aria's back and muttered a quick spell. Instantaneously Aria breathed out a huge sigh of relief and closed her eyes as she welcomed the sweet embrace of less pain.

"It worked," she muttered into her pillow.

"Thank the Gods," Lucius whispered as he rubbed her back comfortingly.

The doctor smiled briefly to herself, enjoying this newfound treatment.

More hours went by. And although Aria still experienced contractions, some of which were rather strong and painful, the pain wasn't nearly as bad as it had been before she had the numbing spell. The other problem however was the fact that the baby was still trying to come faster than Aria's body was ready for. The doctor had told her that she wasn't where she needed to be in terms of dilation, but Aria kept insisting that she felt a lot of movement and that she felt as if she needed to push. And now with her lower-half numbed, she was having a hard time controlling that urge to push. Her body was now working on its own.

She had luckily managed to fall in and out of sleep, despite the contractions, giving her body a chance to rest. But soon everything changed….

Aria awoke to feel something warm between her legs. She pulled back the blankets from over her, to reveal that there was some blood spotting on the sheets. Lucius saw what Aria did as well, and yelled out to the doctor who was just in the other room taking a quick break.

"DOCTOR!"

The doctor came rushing in and straight over to the bed, where she saw Lucius and Aria staring very worriedly at the blood.

"Oh! Ok don't fret now Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. Spotting is very normal!"

"You're certain?" Lucius asked.

"Yes, but I will monitor her closely," she assured him.

More hours went by and Aria was becoming more and more uncomfortable again. She had positioned herself so that she was in bed with Lucius leaning against his chest, his arms wrapped around her like a protective cocoon. Her contractions were becoming rather strong again, and although the numbing spell was still in place she could still feel a very deep, internal pressure that she needed to push. The glowing light in her belly pulsing more and more as the light dropped a bit lower into her pelvic area.

As she squirmed a bit in Lucius' arms she squeezed her eyes shut as she could feel her muscles beginning to really push on their own. She really had no control over her body.

The doctor heard Aria beginning to push and she quickly checked Aria's dilation to see where she was at.
"No, no dear…you mustn't push yet! It's not time!"

"I can't control it!" Aria cried as she dug her fingers into the sheets and Lucius hands, as he held her.

"AHHHH!" Aria cried out, the numbing spell now having almost completely wore off.

"Dear, you mustn't!" The doctor said, a rather useless demand, as Aria couldn't help what was happening.

"I CAN'T HELP IT!" Aria cried as she arched her back into Lucius' comforting body.
He was holding her tight and close as he kissed the top of her head. He would never show his fear, and he was glad she couldn't look directly into his eyes for she would certainly see how scared he was.

"Can't anything be done!?" Lucius asked the doctor, who was looking concerned.

"No! I can't slow down the process of nature. Not without that potion. But we decided not to use that!" She said, showing her own nervousness at the situation.

"AHHH! It hurts! It hurts so bad! Lucius" Aria cried out. As she shifted her body, in her writhing agony, Lucius saw that she was now bleeding rather profusely from her womanhood.

"Doctor…." He said, his grey eyes frozen on the sight of Aria's blood staining the pure, white sheets of the bed.

The doctor saw what Lucius was seeing, and ran to her bag to collect lots of towels, which she used to try and stop the blood flow. The towels were quickly all turning a dark red, as Aria's hemorrhaging seemed to never end.

"Can't you get the baby out via surgery!?" Lucius asked as he felt Aria's body becoming slightly slack in his arms.

"No! I can't! The baby is already coming on its own!" The doctor responded back. "I….I don't know what to do…" she admitted in defeat, ashamed as she looked at Aria's weakening body.

Lucius glared at the doctor, so disappointed in her. He had told her to get Aria through this, and he felt as if she was letting them down.

Aria was slipping away fast, and there was no way Lucius would ever get close to losing her again. Her body was limp, and her eyes were closed. Her skin was pale white and the glowing light in her pelvis was beginning to fade. Lucius himself turned white as a ghost at seeing her and the baby fading away, and with a low roar of desperation and everlasting love he knew what he had to do. He knew the only thing that could truly get Aria through this somehow was their soulmate connection and the power that it had.

And so without even wasting a beat, he opened up their mental connection, as he placed his hand upon her chest and used the first spell that came to his mind….the spell that had really showed them their soul mate connection almost two years ago under the stone circle of the Callanish Stones.

"Lumos Interius," he said gently. He saw a soft glow beginning to form in her chest where his hand had been when he said the spell. He instantly felt their mental connection open up as he could feel everything she was feeling. Her pain, her worry, her slowly fading body. He couldn't hear her thoughts as he usually could when their connection was open though because of how weak she was. Time was running out, and he knew there was one thing more he had to do.

"Hold on my love…just hold on," he whispered to her as he brought his wrist up to his mouth and bit down hard so that it started bleeding.

"MR. MALFOY !" The doctor cried, as she had been watching Lucius with wide eyes as she took in his desperation.

Lucius ignored the witch and gently put his bleeding wrist to Aria's mouth so she could drink him in.

In Aria's mind everything had been happening as if she was in a strange dream. She remembered she had been in agony from the contractions. She felt as if her baby was trying to rip her from the inside out. But then all she had remembered was feeling herself slowly lose consciousness until she was inside her mind where it was all swirls of different colors. Blues, purples, pinks, white, gold…so many different beautiful colors. Was this what it felt like to die? Surely it was, because her body was no longer in pain and she could smell so strongly the amazing musky, pine-like scent of Lucius; his essence engulfing her. Although she no longer felt pain in her stomach or her pelvis, she did feel a warming sensation in her chest where her heart was. And she felt an overwhelming sense of her Lucius. Ahhh this was heaven. She could even taste him in her mouth, like on all of those special nights her and Lucius had drank each other's blood. It was that sweet taste of vanilla, and mint and love. She was happy and at peace. She wanted to stay forever and never leave, and she would wait for Lucius to physically join her in this heaven.

As Lucius fed her his blood, he saw her color coming back. Her cheeks becoming rosy once more, the light in her pelvis brightening again. He removed his wrist from her mouth, a bit of his shining silvery-red blood gracing her lips.

"It's working" Lucius said with so much relief. "My Aria." The doctor looked at Lucius as if he was some sort of God, but all Lucius could focus on was Aria.

Suddenly Aria's eyes opened rather quickly, and with one last big push, Lucius saw the most amazing thing he had ever seen in his life. The glowing light in her pelvis moved all he way down and in one magical instant, his baby was born. Aria had passed out again after her final push, her strength having been brought on by Lucius connection, and while she had missed the moment, Lucius had seen every precious second and all he could do was sob, as the doctor handed him his baby, as she immediately went to tending to Aria.

The first thing Aria saw when she woke up was Lucius' shining diamond-like eyes looking down on her with so much adoration, that look he was giving her was one she would remember forever. She immediately had the sensation of being a bit hazy and buzzed in her mind. The same type of feeling she got whenever she drank Lucius' blood. She also felt internally empty, and she immediately knew that she had delivered the baby while she had been unconscious. Her heart started beating very fast and she couldn't help it as she cried out "My baby?!" As she reached her hands out unknowingly, her eyes still locked on Lucius as if paralyzed.

"Look here my love," Lucius said, his face beaming with pride and happiness as he held out his arms.

The next thing Aria saw was the most beautiful sight. Her and Lucius' baby. She saw the strands of very white hair on the baby's head, as white as Lucius' mane, and the skin a rosy pink color that was only highlighted by the slight glow it still had. Her precious baby was born on Beltane, and glowed with the same special glow just like her parents had on this day and night. Aria reached out her arms, as tears began streaming down her face. Lucius put the baby in her arms and immediately Aria felt completion.

Lucius sat next to her on the bed and held her in his arms as she held the baby. "Beautiful just like her mother," he said sweetly in her ear.

"Her!?" Aria said looking back into Lucius eyes.

"Mhm," he nodded sweetly, as he wiped away a tear of his own, as Aria cried more tears of happiness at finding out it was a girl.

Their little girl briefly opened her newborn eyes and stared up at her parents. Aria could immediately tell they were the same brilliant green as her own, and she had never seen anything so amazing. Their little girl had the perfect balance of Lucius' striking features and her own, and it was themselves perfectly combined into one tiny being.

"Astraea," Lucius said as he ran his fingers over the baby's soft, white-blond wisps of hair.

"Astraea?" Aria repeated back in question.

"Goddess of the stars…."Lucius mused as he looked lovingly at his baby girl. "You are my sun goddess, I am of the night and the moon….so surely she must be the stars…" he said with a hint of a smile on his lips.

Aria and Lucius hadn't discussed names, as they hadn't known the sex of the baby, but as soon as Lucius said Astraea and explained the meaning, Aria knew it was perfectly her name. It was her. She was Astraea.

"Astraea…our baby girl," Aria said closing her eyes in bliss and kissing the top of her baby's soft, warm head as Lucius held Aria within his arms.

Their perfect little family was complete.