Oh my gosh I am THE MOST happy person in my house right now. Your reviews are awesome! I love you all!
As for this chapter, um, not only is it VERY late in the day, but it's short. It's just not up to par, but I need it to be short so that I can focus on the next chapter (as it is the one that I've been waiting to get out since the beginning). I'm very sorry about this! Really I am! –sniff- I hope you'll still think it's somewhat acceptable...
Anyway, I still hope you enjoy it and, as my new English teacher says, "There is a method to my madness!"
xXTRIPLETS!Xx
Zacchia had taken the news of having little siblings pretty well. She had told her new best friend Jessica O'Neill (a cute black, magical girl that lived a few blocks away) and the two were looking forwards to having little babies to take care of. Draco found it really adorable, and Harry found it helpful. If they were willing to get him some watermelon in the middle of winter, that would be great.
Ron (who thought that Zacchia was adopted after they got out of school) and Hermione routinely came to visit him, and Severus stopped by every weekend. The three were satisfied that the pregnancy was going well, but still pressured him to take care of himself and not do too much.
Harry screwed that rule to cook for everyone on Christmas Eve. Ron, Hermione, Severus and Draco were in the living room, sitting on the couch and talking while Zacchia and Jessica played with their dolls. Shane and Janessa O'Neill were over as well and were putting up some last minute stockings by the tree, and over the fireplace. Zacchia and Jessica had picked out their own Christmas stockings and were finally allowed to hang them up. Jessica's brother, Darrel, was sprawled out on the couch, reading 'A Standard Book of Spells Grade 1'. He was still only ten years old, but he had borrowed Harry's own copy to read.
The peace was disrupted when there was the sound of glass shattering and a pained gasp from the kitchen. Draco was the first one by Harry's side, followed closely by Hermione and Severus. Harry had buried his head into Draco's shoulder and was biting his lip to keep from screaming.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Draco asked, almost panicking.
"C-contractions!" Harry gasped out.
"His water broke," Hermione said. "Oh, now I'm scared..." Draco flashed the pregnant woman a sympathetic smile; at seven months pregnant, Hermione was expecting to go through the same thing soon.
"Enough chatter," Severus snapped. "Get him upstairs, into his room."
Draco helped Harry waddle up the stairs and Hermione went to the living room to reassure an almost bawling Zacchia. Shane, Janessa and Darrel were glancing up the stairs in concern. Jessica was trying to calm her friend down.
"Your daddy will be fine, honey," Hermione said as Ron slipped upstairs to help his friend. "He's going to be giving birth now, and you'll have little babies to watch out for." Zacchia latched onto Hermione's reindeer sweater, sniffing.
"But... But he's HURTIN'!" she wailed. Hermione winced as her own child kicked her.
"Yes, but he's okay. He's a strong man. Now wipe those tears away, it's Christmas. It's a happy time," she said. Jessica joined in on the hug.
"Yeah! Your daddy's getting' a Christmas present!" Zacchia managed a small smile.
"Yeah... present..."
xXWhee! Birth!Xx
Upstairs, within the protection of a silencing charm, Harry held onto Draco's hand in a death grip, crying out in pain. Severus was again the wizard in charge of the delivery while Ron helped Severus in any way possible.
"Whoever said the second time around is less painful should DIE!" Harry bit out so only Draco would hear.
"I totally agree," Draco said. "But you're doing fine, love. Keep going..."
An agonizing ten hours later, at 3 in the morning on Christmas Day, triplets Gwen, Winoa (both girls) and Kent were born. Ron was twitching, Draco rubbing his hand but glowing, Harry was sleepy but holding his children, and Severus was ridding the room of blood. Harry grinned over at Draco.
"Why do I get the feeling they'll be blonde?" Draco chuckled and gently gave him a kiss.
"I get that feeling too. Should I go bring Zacchia?"
"It's two in the morning!" Ron said. "It can wait until later. We all need sleep."
"I totally agree, Weasley," Severus said. Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Actually, can you do us a favor?" he asked, eerily reminded of his question to Severus after Zacchia was born. "The kids' treats are in here, under the bed, all carefully labeled and sorted. Can you play ol' Saint Nick? Please?" The two men stared at each other defiantly for a bit before Ron rolled his eyes.
"Get a move on Severus. You can have the milk, I'll eat the cookies."
As the two left, Draco looked to Harry in question. Harry smiled.
"He was playing Santa already, with delivering these three. There was no reason to stop." Draco chuckled.
"Right." Draco conjured up three separate cribs, planning to change them later. He placed the triplets in the cribs and then slipped into bed with his lover. Through a yawn, he managed to smile. "Our little Christmas miracles..."
Harry's only reply was to turn over and sleep against him.
xXAww!Xx
Harry should have known that the peace would not last forever. Really, he should have anticipated the destruction of his bubble of happiness, but he had allowed himself to live in a happy haze for so long, forgetting about the constant threat he had been under ever since is birth.
It had finally come, in December of the following year. The happy family of six had gone Christmas shopping that morning in Diagon Alley. Zacchia had pleaded for a TykeStyle Broom 4000, and Harry had promised her to contact Santa (Severus) about it. Gwen, Winoa and Kent were sleeping in their Trio Carriage, with Draco watching over his husband and daughter. Kent had suddenly awoken screaming, two seconds before and explosion went off in the shop near Harry and Zacchia.
The effect was horrendous. People started screaming in terror, running around. Most older wizards and witches were grabbing children and pushing them through the doors of the Leaky Cauldron and others apparated away as soon as they breeched the entrance of Diagon Alley. Draco was horrified as another explosion went off, and he had to use his body to shield his three screaming children. Once the dust had partially cleared, Draco lifted his head slightly.
"Harry!" he called. "Zacchia!" When he received no answer, he panicked. "HARRY! ZACCHIA!"
A high-pitched scream made him sick to his stomach. He turned and went pale when he saw Zacchia in the grips of the one man he wished dead. She was kicking and screaming and crying in fear.
"Father! Help me!" she cried out. Draco wanted to call back to her, but suddenly found that he was too terror stricken to say much. His eyes darted back and forth, in search of Harry. When he found a crumpled body laying a little ways off, he sucked in a breath. The cruel laughter of Voldemort rang out, as well as the laughter of about a hundred Death Eaters.
"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Voldemort said, kicking Harry's body, making it roll towards him. Draco was momentarily shocked when he saw Harry open his eyes, but kept his face masked with grief and pain. "It took far too long to regain my strength, but now I have my heir in my hands, and my enemy dead!" Gwen, Winoa and Kent were still bawling, and Draco whirled around to try and comfort them. "And what do we have here? Potter's gone and left more children behind. Pity." As the Death Eaters laughed, Draco turned and glared.
"You touch my children and I swear I will kill you," he said. "Let go of my daughter." For effect, Draco drew his wand. Voldemort chuckled.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken. This is my daughter, my heir, and it's time for you to die."
Draco flinched and turned back to the triplets as a hundred different curses and hexes flew at him at once. His eyes widened as he was hit with them, and a cold numbness shot through his body. Not a word slipped past his lips as they parted in shock, and only a dull thud rang out as Draco slumped over, and blackness engulfed his world.
xX...Xx
Insanely short, but as soon as you guys read the next chapter, you'll find out why. I need to add a bunch of things I found interesting and/or relevant to the development of the plot, but yeah. –sigh- Almost done. It's sorta creepy... And you guys are all so faithful! I love you all!
Next Review: I have no clue. Since school, I don't have that much time on the computer anymore. It's my grad year, and I have to make it count. –shudder- Grad... how creepy is that? Expect it... maybe Sunday or Monday. I love weekends!
Please keep on reviewing!
Um, I'm trying to scroll right now through my story quickly and the scroll on the mouse is not working. Due to that, if there are glaring errors that I missed, someone please point them out to me. The laptop works differently than the regular computer, and there is sweat running in my eye from DDR ( - awesome game, that is). So yeah... Review!