Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter – never have and, unfortunately, never will.

Warnings: SLASH! For Merlin's sake! If you don't get that by now then… well, I know someone who's in first-year psychology… I'm sure she could help you.

XoX

Chapter 9: A Rose by Any Other Name…

"A relationship is like a rose,
How long it lasts, no one knows;
Love can erase an awful past,
Love can be yours, you'll see at last;
To feel that love, it makes you sigh,
To have it leave, you'd rather die;
You hope you've found that special rose,
'Cause you love and care for the one you chose."
-Rob Cella, "A Relationship is like a Rose"

Okay, so naming a kid should so not be this hard. I mean really, for a little over an hour I've been sitting brain-storming ideas for names with Hermione and Ron.

"Elinor!" Hermione suggested eagerly, "After Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility!"

I wrote the name down, adding it to a list of twenty that Hermione was particularly fond of. Going through the list I almost groaned; I could tell that Draco wouldn't like many of them.

"Hermione, we're supposed to be finding really obscure names that no one will guess!"

"Well you can hardly name her Rumplestiltskin, can you?" she huffed, throwing the book of baby names she'd had – for a reason I didn't even want to think about – over her shoulder and onto the floor. "Let's get down to it then. Your mother's name was Lily so… Suzette."

"Suzette?"

It means 'little lily' and it's of French origin, so it's perfect. Hmm… I don't suppose he'd be fond of the name Daffodil? I think it's the closest I can get to his mother's name."

I paled. "So… You know then?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Honestly Harry, it's not as if you're being terribly discreet! And you should hear some of the rumors going around, they're worse then the truth!"

Ron snorted.

"You too, Ron?" I'd been a bit worried about what his reaction would be when he finally found out, but he seemed alright with it.

"Don't worry mate, I've gotten over it."

I smiled gratefully. "Thank god! Right… Can you really imagine Draco agreeing to name his daughter something like Daffodil?"

Hermione laughed. "I suppose not… Well, let's look into his father's name then. Bearer of light… You know, Elinor would still work, it does mean 'light'."

I rolled my eyes. "Hermione, if you like the name so much then save it for when you have a kid."

She blushed.

"How about Lucrece, it means Bringer of Light too."

Weturned to stare at Ron.

"How on Earth did you know that?"

"Umm…"

"Do we want to know?"

"Well…" Ron paused and blushed, "It's one of my middle names. My mom figured people wouldn't guess a girls' name for a boy."

Hermione tried to stifle giggles behind her hand and I found myself coughing as hard as I could to cover up my laughter. Ron shot us an affronted look.

"Honestly, it's not as if I'm the only boy with a girl middle name."

Cue Dean and Seamus.

"Did I just hear what I thought I heard?" Seamus asked, smiling evilly as I strolled into the room.

"I believe you did, Mr. Finnegan." Dean said, casually sitting down on his bed and raising an eyebrow at Ron.

Ron groaned and buried his head in his hands.

"I'm never going to live this down, am I?" he asked piteously.

"I don't know Lucrece," Seamus answered easily, draping an arm around Ron and shooting Hermione, Dean and I a quick wink, "how much money have you got in that trunk of yours?"

XoX

After a nice, long laugh and an awkward ten minutes while we waited for Dean and Seamus to leave I was strolling towards my rooms with a list of name suggestions. I didn't think Draco would like most of them – using Lucrece would be out as soon as I told him that our daughter would share a name with Ron – I'd highlighted some I was particularly fond of.

Our daughter would have 'Virendra' somewhere in her name or there would be blood!

After she was born of course… and not a whole lot of blood, just a bit. Well… Maybe not blood… bruising? Draco's so delicate though. Maybe a stern talking to would be sufficient. Any markings on Draco's body would be cause by something far more pleasurable then fighting.

Oh shit.

Did I just allude to sex… or at least serious snogging… with Draco Malfoy?

Gods I'm screwed.

XoX

I was ready. Glancing around the common room I shared with Harry I smirked. Cream colored roses lay casually on the coffee table and their scent permeated the air. My shirt was half open – charms firmly in place, thank you very much, I couldn't very well seduce Potter looking like a beached whale. My smirk grew as I bent over slightly with a rather undignified grunt and picked up one of the delicate roses, carefully avoiding the thorns. They were sharp – very sharp. Charmed that way in fact, all part of my master plan.

The door to the room clicked open and I schooled my eager expression, hooding my gorgeous, silver eyes and pouting my bottom lip out slightly.

Harry came into the room and smiled at me, leaving me dazed for a moment. "Hey Draco," he said, walking up to the couch and sitting next to me, "how're you feeling?"

Horny. I'm in my second semester you bloody idiot! Fuck. Me. Now. Of course, saying something like that would never work on a Gryffindork like Harry.

"Alright I suppose, I had another run in with that loony friend of yours. Keep her away from me there will be blood shed!"

Funnily enough, the mention of bloodshed caused Harry to blush slightly. I absently wondered what he'd been up to before coming here as I focused my attention on stroking the stem of the rose I was holding beseechingly.

It seemed to be working, thank Merlin, Harry's face was redder then ever.

"So," Harry squeaked, eyes fixated on the movements of my fingers, "I… um… came up with some more names."

"Oh?"

"Yes, um, what do you think of the name 'Virendra'?"

"Dammit Harry," it was becoming less and less difficult to call him that, "what did I say about putting weight on her shoulders?"

"How can you know it means brave! For Merlin's sake, it took me an hour to find that name!"

While the idea of Harry showing such a Slytherin side was appealing greatly to my libido, it wasn't doing anything for my mood swings.

"If you're so desperate to use a Gryffindor related name then fine! But, we have to have a name for every other house too!"

"Even Hufflepuff?"

"Even Hufflepuff!"

Dammit, did I just agree to give my daughter a Hufflepuff name?

"Excellent!" Harry smiled evilly, "What do you think then?"

I sighed, obviously the excitement of naming our daughter was over powering my seduction. Dammit all, my daughter hadn't even been born yet and she was already ruining my chances of getting laid.

"How about we start with Clover Virendra Emilie Leala Berit Hero Kaida Delaney Evangelia… err… Malfoy-Potter."

Harry's mouth was hanging open in shock. "Think about this much?"

"Well, gee Potter, no. I don't think about the name of the baby that I'm going to give birth to in four months time at all!" I snapped sarcastically, immediately regretting it. "Sorry. Mood swings."

Harry just nodded and got up off the couch. I almost screamed in frustration – mostly sexual in nature – as he walked out of my line of sight. What did I have to do to get laid around here? Brew up another lust potion for Harry Potter, The Boy Who Wouldn't Shag Me?

Hands reached out and began to kneed my shoulders.

Oh… wow…

I melted under Harry's touch, all but purring. The rose dropped to the ground, my plans of seduction forgotten.

"You're so tense!"

Was Harry using a cheap pick-up line on me, or was he that oblivious?

XoX

I winced as soon as the words left my mouth. Sure, Draco had a huge knot between his shoulder blades, but what 17-year old expecting father wouldn't be tense? I sounded so cheesy.

"Was that a pick-up line, or are you really that oblivious?"

Well, so much for hoping it was strictly a muggle thing.

"Yeah… Brain to mouth, no filter." I explained, shrugging even though he couldn't see me. "Besides, if that'd been a pick-up line we'd be taking a step backwards, don't you think?"

Crap, that was almost as bad as 'you're so tense'.

Draco laughed, thank Merlin, "I suppose it would be at that."

"So… Clover Virendra Emilie Leala Berit Hero Kaida Delaney Evangelia Malfoy-Potter, then? Sounds long and complicated enough. Care to explain?"

"Gladly Potter," Draco said as he leaned into my touch. "Virendra means brave, a Gryffindor name. Emilie means ambitious, a Slytherin name. Leala means loyal, a Hufflepuff name. Berit means intelligent, a Ravenclaw name.

"Hero is for you. What you are and will be. Kaida is for me, a dragon. Delaney – enemy's child, I think that one is self-explanatory. Evangelia, bringer of life. Malfoy-Potter strictly because she's going to use both of our names, and wear them proudly. And before you protest, they're in alphabetical order."

I bit my tongue just as the protest started to escape.

"So I really had no choice in this then?"

Draco snorted, "I certainly didn't want my daughter to have all four houses in her name. I would have been perfectly happy with Clover Emilie Hero Kaida Evangelia Malfoy-Potter."

"Of course you would have."

"Shut up and rub, Potter."

XoX

Author's Notes: Poor Draco! He's not getting any! –snicker- What do you think of their daughter's full name? Hero, by the way, can be a name and can also be used for both males and females. When addressing the issue of the name, please remember that they are middle names. Oh! There's something fun! What're your middle names/name? If anyone can guess mine then I'll send them the next chapter of whichever story of mine they like the most a day before I post in on ! You have until the next chapter or SKF, of until someone guesses! Hint: It stars with L and and ends with E!

Some of you may think that the rose was just in there to make the title fit the chapter, not so. The chapter was written before I added in the quote and title! The rose will show up next chapter, mua ha ha!

Reviews feed my muse!