Rosanna hasn't played a game of quidditch in over two years, when Draco informs her that the Holyhead Harpies are in need of a beater.
Surprisingly, there aren't many females that play the position. Ro always loved hitting the bludgers away. But she's out of practice, her arms aren't used to the constant swinging and she's not steady on her broom.
Draco is supportive, as he is with everything, and he is more than happy to assist in her conditioning.
Leo, now six months old loves to watch from her bouncer, surrounded by her own protective enchantments. The little girl jumps and screeches happily, as her parents whirl around the large backlot of the Malfoy estate.
By the time she shows up for tryouts, Rosanna receives a call from Gwenog Jones, Holyhead captain, and fellow beater; telling her she made the team the next day.
The preseason practices are brutal, her body aches with exertion.
In addition to quidditch, she's working toward finishing her standard wizarding degree. As well as honing her gift for legilimacy. Her tutor, Mr. Samuel Marshmen, is another friend of her parents. He is paid well and therefore doesn't mind working around her new, hectic schedule.
Burning the candle at both ends, and raising a young child, puts a strain on her relationship with Draco. Their wedding is put largely on the back burner, which is frustrating to Draco.
They fight, a lot. They've bickered plenty over the years, had a spat or two. But full out yelling, screaming their frustrations at one another, is an entirely different story. It shakes both of them to the core.
"I'll quit the harpies," Rosanna whispers against tense shoulders. "I haven't signed the contract for the year."
Draco is turned away from her, his blood still boiling from their quarrel. "You're not going to quit, you've worked too hard."
"Marrying you, is so much more important to me. I thought I could have my cake and eat it too. But there aren't enough hours in the day, something has to go." She needs him to be happy.
"What'd you say I handle the wedding?" He begins toying with her hands, twined around his waist.
"You don't want to do that," she shakes her head, between his shoulder blades. "You'll turn into Dracozilla."
He chortles, turning to face her. "I'm halfway there as is, but you knew what you were getting into."
"You already have Leo by yourself a lot." She cups his cheeks, "If you give me two months, I'll only have a couple games a week. I can do more then."
"You have your owls coming up." Draco reminds her patiently, peppering her face with kisses.
"Shit." She scowls, "give me three months." Ro amends.
"Have you asked Samuel if he's willing to travel?" He holds her close, as he always does after an argument. Assuring them both that everything will sort itself out.
"Are you willing to travel?" She chews her lip nervously. She hadn't considered all the logistics of being part of a travel team. Rosanna just assumed he would be coming with her, but with their recent track record she's not so sure.
"You've just thought to ask?" Draco smirks, as if he wouldn't follow her to the ends of the earth.
"Unless you're trying to get rid of me." Her tone is teasing, but holds a note of nervousness.
"No, I'm holding onto you." Draco pulls her closer, inhaling the familiar scent of her hair.
"Good." Rosanna melts into him, they'd make it work. No matter what.
It's a leap of faith, when Rosanna marks her jersey Malfoy. It's a surprise to Draco, who's fully expecting to see McVay as she flies onto the pitch. Her welcoming roar from the crowd only adds to her nerves. Then she finds Draco, holding a nearly nine month old Leo in his arms. Their little angel sporting two adorable pig tails with bows that compliment her little pink dress and sparkly tights.
"That's my girl!" He shouts proudly, when she manages to stop a rouge bludger that nearly cost them the game. Her jerseys sell out in record time.
They celebrate later that night with the other members of the team and their plus ones. Narcissa and Lucius have taken Leo for the night, it's one of their last before Ro and Draco's little family sets off to Ireland.
Rosanna is all done up, in a deep red dress and matching lingerie. Draco has been dying to get his hands on her ever since he zipped her into it.
Draco himself is dressed to the nines in all black, knowing how hot he can make his ladylove with just a simple suit.
"Malfoy!" A, burly brunette, gentleman greets Rosanna as they enter. "Great game." He holds a hand up for a high five.
"Oh, me." Rosanna still isn't used to the name, "I'm Malfoy." She awkwardly slaps their palms together.
"You guys newly weds?" The man smiles, flickering his eyes between them.
"Nearly weds." She explains, "I'm Rosanna, this is Draco; my fiancé."
"Pleasure." Draco extends a hand to shake.
"I'm Danny, Gwen's husband." The other man gives a solid shake. "Can you believe, I still can't get her to change the name on her jersey? We've been married for two years! Some rubbish about marketing."
"Are you still on about that Daniel?" Gwenog overhears the conversation, and joins them. "If I had known the hell I'd receive from this one," she jerks her thumb at her husband. "I'd have gone with Chapman instead of Jones straight away."
"Thank you guys for having us, by the way." Rosanna smiles at her captain, she doesn't really know any of the girls well enough to consider them friends. Especially because most of them are still single and without children. "This is my Draco."
"It's an honor to meet you," the fair haired man nods. Draco has impeccable manners.
"Likewise, Rosanna talks about you all the time." Gwenog leans in, as if telling a secret.
"All good things I hope." Draco flashes a smile at Ro.
"At least you're being mentioned," Danny guffs.
"Oh stop it," Gwen laughs, kissing him soundly on the mouth. "Come on in, make yourselves comfortable. We have drinks, finger sandwiches, sweets, whatever you fancy, help yourself."
"Thank you," Draco nods, his hand at the small of Rosanna's back, as she leads them forward.
Ro all but runs to the dessert table, "don't mind if I do."
Draco chuckles, "so what is it you've been saying about me?"
Rosanna flushes, "stuff."
"Now I'm interested," he cocks his head to the side, swiping a drop of run away chocolate from her chin and sucking it from his thumb.
Her lower stomach tightens as she watches him. "I just...love you a lot." She shrugs. "Sometimes it comes up as word vomit."
"I'll need an example." Draco hums, twisting a bit of her hair around his finger.
"Say we're talking about...strawberries. I would be like, 'Draco really likes strawberries.'" The girls elaborates. "It's pathetic."
Draco is quite needy really, needy for her time, for her affection, her love. Her confession sets a warm wave of reassurance radiating through him. "Come here you," he draws her in for a chaste kiss.
They break apart just as Marge comes to a stop beside them. She holds a box up to Rosanna, without a word.
"This is it?" Ro asks, taking it from her.
Marge, the short brunette seeker, nods in excitement.
"Thank you." Rosanna smiles, squeezing Marge's arm giddily.
The other girl nods, still silent.
"Draco, Marge." Rosanna introduces the pair. "Marge, Draco."
Draco holds a hand out to her, they shake. "Good to meet you. Brilliant game, especially the catch."
She places a hand over her heart.
"Marge!" An out of view voice yells. "Come try the bubbly."
Marge jerks a her finger in the direction she's been called, waving before she departs.
"Love?" Draco leans in.
"Hmm?" Her mouth packed with sweets.
"Is she mute then?" He whispers.
"Oh no," Rosanna laughs, softly. "Laryngitis," she taps her throat. "This is yours by the way." She hands over the box.
"For me?" Draco lights up.
"I know this hasn't been easy. I love you so much, I'm proud to have your name on my jersey. I'm proud Leo has your name. Anyway, I know it's not much, but you have literally everything. You're a pain in the ass to buy for." She watches as the box flips open and Draco sees inside. "It's the first one ever made. I had them save it."
He runs his fingers over the soft material, a jersey that matches her own. "I love it, thank you." His response is brief, because he's tearing up.
Rosanna's recent claim to fame earns them unwanted attention, namely from Rita Skeeter. Who has announced she's in the process of writing a tell all book, just as she had for Dumbledore and the golden trio.
Slowly but surely, the whispers become impossible to ignore. Draco is beginning to question if they should just call off the wedding all together. But Rosanna will hear none of it. Immediately sending out save the dates, that coming July, they will be joined in holy matrimony.
"I was thinking...never mind it's stupid." She shakes her head.
"Nothing that makes you happy is stupid. Maybe to some," he says teasingly, "but never to me."
Ten month old Leo abandons her building blocks, to join them at the circular dining table of their suite.
"Mama," she bats at Rosanna's lap.
Ro reaches down with a huge smile, "Lele." She attacks her with kisses.
The child giggles, wildly.
Draco all but melts at the sight of them. Leo is the perfect mix of her parents, his hair and Rosanna's brown eyes.
"What were you going to say?" Draco knocks on the table to get Rosanna's attention.
"Maybe it could be like our Yule Ball. Winter wonderland kinda, trip down memory lane. I know it'll be summer-"
"That's a lovely idea darling." Draco makes a mental note of her request. This is the first real suggestion she's made, he's not about to discourage her.
"You sure?" Ro lights up, bouncing her daughter on her leg. "It's not going to mess up everything you have planned already?"
Yes, he'll have to change everything. "It's no trouble at all."
It's a gorgeous summer day when they wed, in the backyard of Draco's childhood home. Leo is just shy of two, she tears down the aisle toward her father. Petals spilling from her basket.
Rosanna's dress is one of the few parts of their nuptials Draco had no involvement in. He's in tears when he sees her, veil and all, in the ivory gown. It hugged her curves like a glove, fanning out at the knee, in a mermaid style.
Teddy Lupin is their ring bearer. After everything, Narcissa and Andromeda were somehow able to mend their broken relationship. It's not perfect, but then again few things are.
"My dearest Rosanna-" Draco breaks off, overcome with emotion that doesn't allow him to speak.
Ro couldn't care less about tradition. She wraps her arms around him, swaying them gently. "Take your time. This is for us," she whispers, kissing his cheek.
He put weeks into writing his vows, his bride to be has done the same.
He nods, pulling back slightly, so their hands are still touching. "I'd like to say it was love at first sight, but we both know that'd be a lie. We could hardly stand each other, that first day of potions class. No matter how much I detested your accent, or you mine; there was no denying that we made a damn good team. You are soft where I am hard, light where I am dark, and understanding where I am ignorant. You are loud, bossy and can't listen to save your life. But you are also humble, wise beyond your years, and incredibly kind."
Rosanna smiles, as he cups her cheeks, thumbing away tears.
"I've never met anyone quite like you, I know I never will again. You make me want to be the best version of myself, every hour of everyday. You push me to my limits, you reach parts of me that I never knew existed. I can't believe I get to spend the rest of my life with you." He slides the diamond wedding band into place.
Then it's Rosanna's turn, she's still crying. "If you ask someone to walk through hell with you; I think the answer across the board would be something along the lines of, 'hell no.'"
Their guests laugh and Draco chuckles, smiling so widely his cheeks ache.
"I couldn't have asked for a more loving, patient, supportive partner. And I hope you know that I wouldn't be where I am today without you. You told me to follow my dreams, that nothing I wanted was unattainable. You carried me when I was weak, you loved for me when I couldn't love myself, you stood beside me in my darkest hour. You walked through hell with me and you didn't leave me alone. You never turned back. No one else could, or would, do what you've done for me. I love you so much. I can't wait to share the rest of my life with you," Ro slides his white gold ring into place. Kissing him ten times over before she's supposed to.
"I'd like to have my name on her jersey." Someone from behind Draco remarks as Rosanna zips past their seats; swinging her bat at full force.
"Shut off John." A second voice chastises.
"Don't act like you've never thought about. All the stamina trapped in that hot little body. Probably likes it rough too." There's a pause and a loud slap. "Hey! What'd you do that for?"
"That's her husband and kid, right there." The man's voice gets lower still, "Draco Malfoy, death eater, of Voldemort's inner circle."
"How'd she end up stuck with him?" The more brazen of the two ask.
"He used the imperius curse, locked her up in his basement and got her up the duff. Sick really; they were school sweethearts, he took full advantage. Rita Skeeter wrote a book about it. If you ask me, he shouldn't be allowed within yards of her, let alone the kid."
Draco's blood boils, Leo is standing on the bleacher beside him, facing the game.
What's he to do? He can't very well leave. More over he can't sit there without a word. He really shouldn't hex them, the last thing he needs is more media attention.
Instead he turns calmly to the men two rows up, speaking over the people between them. "Rita Skeeter is an attention seeking cow. I love my daughter, she is well tended, she has everything any child could possibly dream about. My wife is loved, showered with affection. She's happy. But no one wants to read a book about that. No, they'd rather delve head first into the pain and suffering of two sixteen year olds forced to have a child."
They begin working on their own book when Leo is about two. They want her understand that she is not a mistake, not a burden, or simply something used to escape their own demise. Instead she is a miracle, the light of their lives, all of their dreams wrapped into one perfect little girl.
Writing about all that happened is odd. At times uncomfortably intimate and raw. They both experienced the same events in entirely different ways. Reliving her pregnancy and feeling closer than they've ever been, sparks something in Rosanna. Draco is elated by the amount of times she shoves the parchment and quill aside to go at it.
Draco brushes sweaty hairs away from her face, his actions a stark contrast to the harsh snapping of his hips. "There you are," He leans down, pressing his lips to her cheek.
"Let's have a baby," she murmurs, against the sheets.
"Love?" Surely he's misunderstood, he stops moving entirely.
"Let's have another baby." She reaches back to cup his face. "If you wanna."
He's waited years to hear those words. "I do."
"Ok," Ro grins. "Back to work then."
"Well not like this." Draco pulls out, turning her onto her back.
"But I liked that," she protests.
"Not while we're trying for a baby!" He shakes his blonde head.
"You act like they're gonna know what position they were conceived in." Ro laughs, giving a nose nuzzle.
"Well, we know this way works." This is how Leo was made. Easy, breezy, missionary. "Why fix what isn't broken?" He arches a brow.
"You're so soft Malfoy." Rosanna grins contently, twisting a bit of hair around her finger.
He trusts into her without preamble. Burying himself to the hilt and stealing the breath from her lungs. He smirks at her expression. "Don't worry sweetheart," another churn of his hips. "I'm still the self righteous prat you fell in love with."
"Baby-"
He slaps the outside of her thigh just hard enough to sting.
"Again." She bites down on her plush bottom lip.
He chuckles, "you're still the same unnerving girl, with the accent, giving unnecessarily instruction." Draco gives her another love tap.
"You love my accent," she pants, "and my instruction."
"It grows on you, doesn't it?" Draco remarks, attempting to sound displeased.
Rosanna taps his temple lightly, signaling that she wants to share thoughts.
He leans his forehead against hers, letting the wall around his mind fall away. He shares the world with her, and she shares her world with him.