A Welcome Return

Thanks to the Healer's advice Artemis was finally able to embrace her role as mother, though it certainly wasn't easy. For three months, after Draco's leaving her alone with baby Lucius, Artemis attended weekly counseling sessions with the Healer some of which Draco attended as well. The two discussed what was troubling her in regards to her new role in life, as well as anything else that was causing the new mother grief. In no time, Artemis was as good as new and was taking steps to becoming the mother that she had always hoped to be, much to the relief of her husband. Draco couldn't believe how much easier it was to raise a child when you had help. Not to say that Luce made things easy for his parents.

Unfortunately for the Malfoy's, baby Lucius began showing signs of having magical capabilities when he was just seven months old. One afternoon while Draco's parents were over visiting, baby Lucius, who was being held by Lucius, got a hold of his grandfather's wand. All of a sudden poor Bitsy was blasted across the room. At first Draco accused his father of attacking the poor house-elf but Bitsy quickly corrected her young master. All Little Lucius could do was giggle while poor Bitsy was helped up by Artemis and Draco. The young couple couldn't help but feel terrible for what their son had done. Bitsy had been working herself to the bone ever since the baby had been born. What worried Draco the most was that he suspected that his head house-elf was taking on more than she could handle. This was when he decided to approach his wife about hiring an elf who would be the one to help them with Lucius, instead of relying on Bitsy to do it.

"Why would we need more help?" asked Artemis, irritated at his suggestion. "I'm pretty sure I can handle him and when I can't Bitsy is there." She knew that things had gotten off to a rough start but they were past that, at least she thought that they were.

"I'm not saying that you can't manage it but eventually you're going to want to get back to designing your lines and you won't be able to focus on that with a one year old running around," Draco explained, turning down the covers and getting into their bed, his wife following closely behind.

"Well that's true. Luce is a bit of a handle full already and he's only just over a year old," muttered Artemis, snuggling up against her husband and resting her head on his bare chest. "I suppose that would be alright but only if Luce approves of her. I won't force him to be around someone he doesn't like."

"Of course, if you don't mind I'd like to pick who watches him. I've already got someone in mind, someone I think would be pretty perfect for the job,"

"Who?"

"Oh, it's just someone I used to know. Night, love."

"Well if you're going to be all secretive I'll just wait until you introduce us" Artemis grumbled, playfully elbowing her husband in ribs.

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Draco was excited, not mention worried. Today was the day he would find out whether or not he would be able to hire the house-elf that he wanted to help with the care of his son. Draco had thought long and hard about who he could trust with his son's well being and, in the end, the choice was obvious.

"You ask's to see me," said the tiny house elf, as he entered his current employers large office.

"Yes, I did. As you know you are free to leave whenever you please. You are a paid employee and if at any point you find a position better suited for yourself than I would expect you to take it. Now with that said there is someone here who would like to see you," explained the old wizard, gesturing towards the slowly opening door.

"Master Malfoy!" exclaimed the nervous elf, his eyes darting from his current employer to Draco.

"I'm not your master, Dobby," corrected Draco, taking one of the empty seats across from the Headmaster's desk. "I've come here today to offer you a position at Malfoy Estates. A little over a year ago my wife gave birth to our first child and in order for her to return to her career we will need someone to help out with Little Lucius." Dobby cringed at the sound of his former master's name, hundreds of terrible memories coming back to him. "Don't worry he's nothing like my father was. "Dobby, I know that your time at Malfoy Manor was unpleasant but I can't think of anyone else I could ever entrust the care of my son to. He means everything to me and I will not allow just anyone to look after him. I know that you are free now and I'm not asking you to return to a life of servitude but I am asking that you work for me," Draco explained, hoping that his previous mistreatment of the house-elf would not ruin his chances of convincing Dobby to come back. "You would receive five hundred pounds a week, your own living quarters down the hall from the Luce's nursery and you would have weekends and Holiday's off." Dobby's eyes were wide with disbelief. He couldn't have ever imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that one of his previous masters would ever practically beg him to return to their service. That, coupled with the wages and perks that he would receive, was enough to make the tiny house-elf consider the offer being made to him.

"What of your Father?" questioned Dobby, avoiding looking the young man in the eyes.

"My father doesn't spend much time at Malfoy Estates but when he is there he will not lay a hand, foot or cane on you. He will not be your Master. I won't even be your Master. I'll be your employer, which means you're free to leave whenever you wish, in no way are you tied to the Malfoy family."

"Dobby," interjected the Headmaster, "this sounds like a wonderful offer. It is certainly a much better position than the one you currently occupy."

"Yes, Headmaster, it is," whispered Dobby, his face wrought with confusion. "but, you have been so good to Dobby, sir. Dobby couldn't possibly walk out on you."

"Nonsense," muttered Albus, smiling down at the loyal elf. "Dobby, you have been good to us for several years. Now is the time for you to do something good for yourself. Take the position, Dobby, you owe yourself that much. If you do not like it you are free to come back to Hogwarts." Dobby's already large eyes, widened even further at the assurance that he could return to Hogwarts if he didn't like working at Malfoy Estates.

"Dobby, accepts," said the ecstatic creature as he shook Draco's hand.

"Wonderful, when can you start?" asked a very relieved Draco. He couldn't believe that after everything he and his father had done to the poor creature he would still come back and work for him. Luckily for Draco, their former servant was a great deal more forgiving than he should be. The young father vowed that this time he wouldn't let anything happen to damage Dobby's trust in him. After all, he and his wife desperately needed someone reliable to watch their son and any other children they would bring into the world.

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Dobby's return to working for Draco went smoother than one could have expected, thanks in part to Artemis' informing Lucius that he was not to visit Malfoy Estates until the tiny creature had a chance to get acclimated. At first Lucius was a bit offended but after recalling some of the horrors he had inflicted upon Dobby, he realized that it was all but necessary. It didn't take long for Dobby and Little Lucy to become attached to one another, after just three weeks the toddler had ceased his high pitched screaming every time the unfamiliar creature entered his nursery and had instead opted for high pitched squeals. Lucius' attachment to his caretaker finally allowed Artemis to return to work. She spent most of the afternoon locked away in her office working on new ensembles for their fashion lines. As much as the young mother loved her job she couldn't help but feel like she was missing out on watching her son grow up. Though she and her son's relationship had gotten off to a bit of a rough start, after her husband and Mr. Mortimer's help, Artemis had gotten over her fears of motherhood and Lucius had become the center of her entire world. Just eight months after returning to work Artemis decided that perhaps she wasn't ready to go back to her full-time schedule, especially considering the new information she had. As the Thanksgiving Holiday approached Artemis decided that now would be the best time to inform her husband and father-in-law that she wasn't going to be able to work her usual schedule.

"Lucius', Draco do you two have a minute?" asked Artemis, as everyone settled into the sitting room after having just eaten the huge feast Bitsy had prepared for them. Since it was Thanksgiving, Dobby had the day off so Artemis had her son nestled in her arm as he slept soundly.

"Yeah, babe, what did you need?" Draco asked, following his wife into the library, Lucius following suit.

"I just wanted to talk to you two about work," she replied, taking a seat on the leather love seat, her husband sitting down right next to her while Lucius sat across from them in a matching armchair.

"Work?" questioned the elder Malfoy, his face drawn into a grimace, "but its Thanksgiving."

"I know but it'll only take a minute," she assured. "I know I've only been back to work for less than a year now but Luce is nearly two and I can't help but feel like I'm missing out on so much. When he took his first steps I wasn't around because I was working and that's the sort of thing I can't really bear to miss out on. And with the new baby, I just don't think that it's a good idea for me to be so busy all of the time. Mr. Mortimer mentioned that a big part of my troubles with Luce's birth came from undue stress."

"So you don't want to head the department anymore?" questioned Lucius, the expression on his face not giving away how he felt about what she had just said.

"Umm, well I was thinking that maybe we could bring in designers to head each individual line. That way one designer wasn't stretched so thin and each line could have the opportunity to expand," she replied, hoping that they would agree. "Though, I would like to head the bridal line myself."

"That sounds good to me," Lucius decided, liking her idea of making the most of each of the individual departments. Expanding the already flourishing sub-departments could prove to be quite lucrative. "We'll get started on bringing in some new designers for you to tryout."

"That's a great idea," replied Draco, a big smile on his handsome face. "I think your being home with Lucy more would be great."

"Me too," agreed Lucius, leaning back and removing a cigar from his jacket. Just before Artemis had the chance to ask him not to smoke his cigar in the house, Draco interjected.

"Father, please, not in the house." Draco gestured towards his sleeping son.

"Of course," muttered Lucius, putting the foul smelling convection back into his jacket pocket. "Shall we return to the festivities?"

"Sure," replied Artemis, gently standing so as not to wake Lucius.

The next three hours of the families Thanksgiving celebrations went of without a hitch. Shortly after returning from their chat in the library, Severus Snape stopped by to visit bringing with him Dobby, who had spent most of the day at Hogwarts. Immediately upon returning the house-elf gathered up Little Lucius and retreated to the nursery, hoping to occupy the young child while his family caught up. Which they did, for several more hours the small group conversed animatedly taking the time to catch up on how things were going in their respective lives. At one point, while everyone else was preoccupied with their own conversations, Lucius snuck away from the group heading up to his grandson's nursery.

"Dobby," greeted Lucius, the tiny elf freezing in place at the sound of the unwelcome voice. "I was hoping that I would have moment to speak to you in private. I have something for you." Lucius reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a small item handing it to the creature.

"A sock?" questioned Dobby, confused by the gesture.

"Yes, a sock... clothing. This time I've given it to you on purpose, not because the boy wonder tricked me into it. You deserve your freedom, Dobby. I should have given it to you when you first exhibited signs of wanting it. Furthermore, I should have treated you better. We wizards are a proud, mighty bunch and the time will come when we all have to learn the lesson that I have now learned. But until then, know that I truly sorry for the horrors I inflicted upon you and taught my son to inflict. I am glad that you do not hold it against him and I hope that at some point you can forgive the grievances that I had placed upon you." Without waiting for the elf's reply, Lucius quickly turned and left, not even bothering to ask Dobby to keep his apology between the two them, as he already knew full well that he would. Not a single person noticed Lucius' having left, nor did anyone notice his return. Upon entering the sitting room Lucius saw that everything was just as he had left it.

"Wait a second, Artemis!" shouted Draco, jolting his wife from her joyful conversation with their mother's. It was in the middle of speaking to his former Potions Master and Head of House when Draco recalled something his wife had said earlier that evening. "You said 'the new baby', Luce isn't new."

"It took you long enough," grumbled Artemis, waiting for her husband to actually piece together just what was being said.

"You mean... you're pregnant?" asked Draco, still not sure if he was on the right track.

"Yes you dolt. I'm pregnant!" she beamed, glad that he had finally been able to figure it out. She was beginning to think that he hadn't even been listening to her. Narcissa and Persephone laughed quietly to themselves, both having found out about Artemis' being pregnant again, weeks ago. Lucius and Perseus were ecstatic as neither had been told. Somehow, though, Severus did not seem at all surprised by the news.

"How far along are you?" he asked, curiously.

"Oh, I believe she said something like four months," Artemis replied happily, staring at her former Potions Master oddly as he scrutinized her lower belly.

"Four months!" exclaimed Draco, unable to believe she was that far along already. "How can you be pregnant for four months and not know?"

"I've known for about seven weeks but I was just waiting for the right time. Besides, it's not like you missed much," his wife informed him, as she continued to stare at her former professor who was still focusing his gaze on her stomach.

"At four months you shouldn't have begun to show, at least not this much," declared Severus, smoothing out her blouse so that he could determine just how pronounced her bump was. "Really Draco haven't you noticed how much larger her stomach is than usual?" Artemis looked mortified and on the verge of tears, as the two men scrutinized her form.

"No, I hadn't really noticed, she's still quite small," Draco defended as he attempted to untuck her blouse from her skirt so that he could see her stomach. Artemis slapped his hand hard making sure that he knew just how unhappy she was.

"All I'm saying my dear is that at four months you shouldn't have such a pronounced lower belly. And if you really are just four months along than that is one big baby," Severus explained, grimacing at the thought of how painful the delivery would be.

"I think the medi-witch know's what she's talking about, Professor," she replied tersely.

"What ever you say, Love" he laughed.

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Three months after revealing to her family that she was pregnant with her and Draco's second child, Artemis was beginning to think that maybe Severus had been right when he said that she was going to be giving birth to a very large baby. At this point during her first pregnancy Artemis had been able to wear some of her non-maternity empire waist dresses. However, this time, there was no way she would ever be able to waddle over to her closet and squeeze into one of those dresses. Even Draco had begun to notice just how much larger she had gotten this time around.

"Artemis, you're about as large as you where just before Luce was born," he laughed, as his wife struggled to raise herself up off of the bed. After attempting to sit up and falling back down onto the bed her husband lost what little control over his mirth that he had.

"I can't fucking get up," she laughed, as she tried to roll onto her side and push herself up. This caused Draco to laugh even harder. "I'm so freaking huge... Draco really I can't get up and I have to pee." Artemis continued laughing as her husband struggled to control his own laughter long enough to get up from his chair and help her.

"You look like a turtle stuck on his back," laughed Draco, as he finally reached the struggling young woman.

"I feel like a turtle stuck on my back, now help me up damn it," she joked, reaching out for her husband. Still unable to control his laughter, Draco helped his unusually large wife up off of the bed and walked her over to her lavatory. Once she was finished, Artemis returned to her bedroom hoping to speak to her husband seriously for a few minutes. Lately it had been very difficult for either of them to hold a serious conversation thanks to her engorged state, which both happened to find absolutely hilarious.

"Draco," she called, noting that he wasn't in the room.

"Yes, love?" he replied, leaving his closet and returning to their bed.

"I know that we agreed to leave all the details about the baby's sex and everything like that until the delivery but I really think that maybe we should find out. As you know this pregnancy has been absolutely nothing like my pregnancy with Luce. I really would like to know what lies ahead," she explained, hoping that he would agree.

"Alright, what ever you want. You know what we should do?' he questioned.

"What?"

"We should have sex," he exclaimed, a huge smile on his face.

"Draco, I'm huge!"

"Yes, but you're still hot. Besides, there's just more of you to love," he declared before attempting to mount her.

"Not fair! Not fair!" she shouted, lurching backwards. "You know I can't out run you!"

"Exactly, I'm just taking advantage of you in your vulnerable state," he agreed, before continuing his plight.

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"I believe the words, I told you so, are in order," declared Severus, a cocky smile on his face. Artemis and Draco had just returned from their appointment with their new medi-witch and had decided to stop by Hogwarts to give Draco's Godfather the good news.

"How modest of you, Severus," laughed Artemis, knowing that the Professor was relishing in his having been correct.

"Twins..." muttered Severus, he couldn't believe it. The young man wasn't even twenty three years old yet and he was already the father of three children.

"Yep, girls," Draco beamed, her grin stretching from ear to ear. "I was thrilled when I found out that we were having a son but when she told us that we were having girls, I don't know, something just clicked. I've got daughters... two of them!"

"He's been like this for the last hour," informed Artemis, her own smile just a big as her husbands.

"Well, congratulations," replied Severus, still at a loss for words.

"Get this bullshit!" exclaimed Draco, "Potter and Weaselby went and knocked up their witches too. Trying to steal my limelight."

"Yes, Draco I'm sure that's what it is," scoffed Artemis. Leave it to her husband to believe that the other young couples newest additions were simply a way to get at him.

"Remind me to retire from teaching before the spawn of the Golden Trio is admitted to Hogwarts," requested Severus, far from pleased at the prospect of having to deal with yet another seven years of his life surrounded by anything that reminded him of his own years as a student plagued by the Marauders.

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SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE. MY ASSHOLE NEIGHBOR POISONED ONE OF MY CATS SO WE HAD TO NURSE HIM BACK TO HEALTH. MY MOTHER AND I TAKE CARE OF THE STRAY CATS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD (THERE ARE ABOUT TWELVE OF THEM. OUR HOUSE IS NEXT TO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ABANDON THEIR CATS WHEN THEY MOVE... ASSHOLE'S) AND STUPID JACKASS ACROSS THE STREET DECIDED TO PUT TYLENOL IN THEIR FOOD, EVEN THOUGH THEY NEVER GO ANYWHERE NEAR HIS HOUSE. TYLENOL CAN BE LETHAL TO ANIMALS, BUT ALL'S WELL, KOOKEY (ONE OF THE CATS) IS ALL BETTER AND BACK TO HIS USUAL LOVING SELF. AND OUR GOOD OLD NEIGHBOR IS IN A GREAT DEAL OF TROUBLE WITH THE POLICE. (NEXT TIME HE DOES SOMETHING SO STUPID, NOT TO MENTION ILLEGAL, HE OUGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR OTHER NEIGHBORS AREN'T WATCHING.

UNTIL CHAPTER 31, SEE YA AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS ONE : )

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