Draco and Kate sat inside the Leaky Cauldron like they did every Friday since coming up with the bait plan. This time was different though. This time Kandi was perched at the bar with her hidden muggle earpiece waiting for Draco or Kate to give her the sign to make her move. They were tasked with looking for members of the sacred 28 or ministry workers that should've been at work. Currently, the day wasn't going any better than the rest of them had so far. The hope that today would be the day was fast dwindling and Kate felt the wind leaving her sails yet again.
"This is the most frustrating task I've ever been assigned," Kate took a bite of her fish.
"I mean," Draco reached for a chip off of her plate. "It could be worse. We could be stuck at the office or playing burger bitch today. At least we have a task albeit a boring task but it's still a task."
"I suppose you have a point," she eyed him, taking another chip. "You know when I asked you if you wanted to eat and you said no thank you? That didn't mean let me buy a plate and you can eat all of it."
Draco's smirk held an infuriating resemblance to his aunt, "if I wasn't welcomed to share you would've stabbed me with your fork ten minutes ago. Face it, you are my hufflebuddy and hufflepuffs love to share."
"Hufflebuddy? Are you actually joking?"
"I didn't get to find my Hufflepuff companion during my school years. It's refreshing to have you now so I can mooch off of your fish and chips at my leisure," he gave her a cheeky smile before stealing a bite of fish.
Kate swatted at his hand, "chips only. Touch the fish again and you lose a finger."
"Noted."
"Guys?" Kate and Draco both heard in their earpieces. "What about him? 7 o'clock by the door. He definitely doesn't look like he belongs."
"Give us a few minutes. Don't talk to anyone yet," Draco called back to her. "You see him?"
"Not yet," Kate and Draco were sitting in the back corner away from sight so the perp wouldn't be able to see them. "Oh shit," Kate dropped her fork. "There's no way. This person's poly juice is just getting ridiculous."
"Is that Arthur Weasley?" Draco whispered.
"He is definitely at work and definitely not a murderer. His wife would kill him."
"Do you have his number?" Draco asked Kate.
"I think I have at least one of the Weasleys in here," she pulled out her phone and started scrawling. "George but it's better than nothing." She shot George a quick message asking him to see if his dad was working today and that she would explain at a later date. "Now we wait for George."
They watched as Arthur walked up to the counter and ordered a drink then slowly made his way to a booth near them. They saw the way he looked Kandi up and down as he walked by her. She smiled at him and watched him walk away. Kate tried to hide a snort of laughter. "Shh," Draco admonished her. "Just because we know it isn't him doesn't mean we should laugh."
"Come on," she threw a chip at her partner. "Arthur Weasley stepping out on Molly and making eyes at a prostitute…"
"Reformed prostitute," Draco corrected her.
"Reformed prostitute is funny and you know it," they laughed quietly and waited as Kate's phone lit up with a message. "It's from George. He said he just popped into his dad's floo and he's at work. He also said he wants the full story later and to spare no details. Then he sent a rude joke. He must be desperate for entertainment."
"Kandi?" Draco spoke into his microphone. "That's him. Don't make any movements yet. Let him get at least one drink down so we have him inhibited. Plus the longer we hold out, the faster his poly juice will wear off after we have him subdued."
"Is the plan to still get him upstairs to our room?"
"Yes," Kate confirmed. "Stick to the plan."
"Tell me the plan again," they heard the nervousness in Kandi's voice. The girl was desperate to stay out of Azkaban but knowing that she was soliciting a known murderer seemed to be getting to her.
"You'll just need to go up to Mr. Weasley and proposition him. When he tries to get you to go outside just tell him you have a room upstairs and we will be up there waiting," Draco went over the plan again.
"Okay," she confirmed that she knew what she was supposed to do. "Just tell me when to go."
They sat and waited as the Mr. Weasley imposter finished his drink and signaled for another one. "Damn he can drink," Kate smirked.
"The real Arthur would've been on the floor by now," Draco finally let a laugh go. "Ready?" He asked his partner.
"I'm ready to put this fucker behind bars," she nodded and silently slipped up the stairs of the Leaky Cauldron and made her way to their room.
"Okay," Draco spoke to Kandi. "Kate is upstairs and ready. I'll stay down here and watch until you start up the stairs then I'll follow at a distance. Once he's inside, Kate will subdue him and we will go from there."
"Got it," Kandi let out a long breath she had been holding. She stood up and Draco watched as she straightened her dress, pulling up the bottom a little to reveal more of her legs. He internally rolled his eyes at her actions but watched as the woman introduced herself and casually sat at the booth. Draco stared at her anxiously waiting for the Mr. Weasley imposter to finish his second drink. He kept a watch on the pair as Kandi's leg was bouncing up and down, he imagined it was due to nervousness but it didn't seem like the perp had picked up on her body language.
His phone illuminated and he rolled his eyes when he saw it was Harry. He let it go, not bothering to answer the call. He sent a quick text to Kate letting her know the perp was finishing his second drink and Kandi was getting antsy. Another call from Potter came less than two minutes after the first. Draco didn't want to answer but something told him that he needed to. "What is it, Potter? We almost have the guy upstairs."
"Draco. It's Bella."
"What?"
He heard the panic in Harry's tone, "we rushed her to Mungos. She went into labor and she lost a lot of blood. They have her back in a laboring room but it's not looking all the great. Get Kate and call it off for today before you get in too deep. You should be here with your aunt." He went over what happened at the office as quickly and briefly as he could while expressing the importance of Draco coming to the hospital.
"Okay," Draco saw Kandi already heading up the stairs with the imposter Weasley following suit. "Fuck they are already heading upstairs. I'll handle it. If you see my aunt or my mum tell them I'm on my way." Harry said he would and was about to hang up when Draco added, "thanks for the call, Harry and thank you for being there for Bella."
Draco dug through his pockets and pulled out enough to cover the cost of Kate's meal and his butterbeer and quickly headed up the stairs. He walked down the hallways and stopped at room 5. He heard a crack and a bang followed by a thud, "fuck." He quickly opened the door and went inside. "No no no," he looked at the Arthur imposter lying motionless on the floor and a proud looking Kate.
"What? I didn't kill him. Only stunned him. He will be out for a while. He didn't even see me."
"Good," Draco sighed. "Look, we need to let him go. Obliviate him, leave him here and go."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Kate was angry. "We are just getting started, mate."
"I know," Draco held his hands up. "Good work but Harry called and there's been an emergency."
"We got him, Draco. What could possibly be more important?"
"Aunt Bella went into labor. She was rushed to the hospital and Harry says that it's not looking great. He told us to call it off and get over to Mungos."
Kate's face remained neutral. "Okay," she softened slightly. "You go on ahead and Kandi and I will set a scene for him then obliviate his memories so he has no recollection of what happened here today but so that he still remembers Kandi so we can do this again."
"And that's it," Draco gave her a look knowing his partner a little too well. "Right?"
"Right," Kate thinned her lips and nodded. "Then I'll be right over and Kandi can go home and wait for further instruction and a new go date." Draco stood unmoving, his eyes darting from the lump of a man on the floor to Kate. "It's fine Draco. Trust me. Go, Bella needs you. I'll be there shortly."
He hesitated before shaking his head and apparating from the hotel room. "So how are we going to do this? I'm not good with memory magic," Kandi started to clean up the bedroom.
"Oh we aren't doing that."
"But you said…"
"I know why I said but we have the murderer here and if he honestly though I was just going to let him walk away then Draco doesn't know me all that well."
"Oh he knew," Kandi's smart mouth was coming into play. "What makes you think we can handle him?"
"He's unconscious and we have his wand. We can bind him and make him talk. Keep him incapacitated and when the poly juice wears off, we wake his ass up and get a confession."
"And when Harry and Draco can't come because your supervisor is in hospital giving birth to what I assume is a premature baby?"
"I haven't worked it out that far in advance yet but give me a minute," Kate started pacing the room while Kandi shook her head and went over to get comfortable on the bed.
"I can't do this anymore," Bella growled out when the nurses were trying to transfer her from the gurney to her hospital bed. The laboring rooms in the muggle wing were private and brightly colored with magical windows that changed to whatever the patient wanted to see. Fourteen years in Azkaban was nothing compared to laboring. She was currently cursing her sister since she was the one who made the potion in the first place. "It's too soon," Bella looked at Hermione as the nurses were putting pads underneath her to catch some of the blood. They already stripped Bella from the waist down and Hermione had helped her out of her blouse and into a hospital gown. "She can't be coming. I'm only 30 weeks," she groaned as the contraction was passing. "I'm not ready. I'm not strong enough for this. It fucking hurts."
"I know it hurts, my love and I know she's not meant to come yet," Hermione tied the strings on the back of her gown. "She's just eager to meet everyone and I know you can do this."
"She can't survive. She needs more time," Bella reached out and grabbed one of the nurses, "can she survive at only 30 weeks?"
"There's a high survival rate of babies being born at 30 weeks, ma'am."
"Bella," Hermione grabbed her cheeks and rested their foreheads together, "Cass is ready whether we are or not and she's coming today."
"She has to be alright. If Cass isn't okay I will never get over this. My baby needs to be fine. We've already bonded," Bella sighed when Hermione was pulling all of her hair on the top of her head and binding it with an elastic into a top knot. "Do you think it was all the burgers?"
"I don't think so, love," Hermione chuckled, kissing her forehead. "Cass is just anxious to meet you."
"But what will we do if she's not okay?" Hermione looked and saw tears in her wife's eyes. "I need her, Hermione probably more than she needs me and I don't know what I'll do if she doesn't make it."
"Let me be the strong one this time," Hermione wiped some of the sweat off of her wife's forehead. "I'll be strong for the three of us."
"We need to get a monitor around her stomach," Cissy was still bossing the nurses around. "And someone go fetch the obgyn. We need extra hands in here. You," she shouted at the one who was putting the IV into Bella's hand. "Draw some blood. We need to find out her blood type. She's lost a lot of blood."
"She's going to need a transfusion?" Hermione asked with worry etched on her face.
"We don't know that yet, Hermione." Cissy's voice softened slightly. "We won't know until we get the stats on the baby and when we see what happens with the birth. Dr. Montgomery will be able to tell you more."
"Montgomery. That sounds suspiciously like a muggle doctor." Bella was about to cackle when another contraction took over her body.
"She's a perfectly lovely doctor and one of the top rate obgyn and neonatal surgeons in the world. You will be nice to her," Cissy scolded her sister after the contraction resided.
"So she's cute," Bella looked up at her sister. "Doesn't Aviya know you are working with a cute doctor?"
"Should we just knock her out for this?" Cissy look to Hermione for confirmation.
"Is she cute?"
"Bella's been the worst of influences on you," Cissy rolled her eyes and got a calming potion and a pain potion for her sister to have until the doctor came in.
Bella noticed her sister's smirk, "what's that face for?"
"You called her Aviya."
"Momentary lapse of sanity. It won't happen again," she sighed when the pain and calming potions ran through her system. "Well that's a little better."
"Has the bleeding stopped?"
Cissy's face gave the answer without having to say anything. Bella closed her eyes and started rubbing her stomach, "listen here," she was talking directly to the baby now, "I know you just want to be heard but you have to cut your mummy some slack."
There was a knock at the door and a tall redhead wearing scrubs came into the room exuding a presence that immediately put the women at ease, "Bellatrix Black?" When the older witch nodded she continued, "Im Dr. Montgomery I'm the oncall women's health doctor here at St. Mungos. I was asked to join the staff by the Minister here when she found out you were pregnant."
Cissy and Bella turned to look at the brunette, "Dr. Hoffman recommended her and you deserve the best."
Bella raised an eyebrow and turned back to the doctor, "are you the best?"
"Yes," the doctor replied without hesitation.
"Pretty cocky for a muggle," Bella chuckled. "So how can we stop this so she can finish out her 7 weeks?"
"May I?" She asked once she got her gloves on and began rolling up the sheets to get a better feel for what was going on. Bella consented and raised the flats in her feet up and spread her legs. She laughed when she saw her sister look away. The sheets were draped over Bella's legs so nothing could be seen except for Dr. Montgomery who was ducked under the blanket. Bella hissed when she started feeling around and Hermione grabbed her shoulders. It was painful and sensitive down there and if Bella was being honest, it felt very strange having someone feeling around her private area. "Unfortunately there is no stopping the labor. You are already 7cm dilated. This little one is eager to meet everyone."
"She lost a lot of blood, is that something to be concerned about?" Hermione looked more nervous than she intended.
"Blood loss is normal during labor but we will be monitoring everything to make sure there aren't any red flags." She walked over and looked at all the machines that the nurses hooked Bella up to. "The baby's pulse ox is normal, her blood pressure is a little low. As long as it doesn't drop anymore you should be able to have a vaginal birth. If the baby's pulse ox or blood pressure drops to a dangerous level we will need to do an emergency c-section. Does that make sense?"
Bella nodded, "is she going to make it?"
"Babies that are born at 30 weeks have a very high survival rate. Barring any major birth complications, I don't see why she wouldn't. Let's focus on getting to see your baby today. You keep saying she. Do you know it's a girl?"
"She has a gut feeling that the baby is a girl and refused to find out," Hermione rolled her eyes.
"She's a girl," Bella patted her stomach.
"I suppose we will all find out shortly. I'll have the anaesthetist come in for your epidural. That is something you'd like, right?"
"Can I get two?"
"I'll take that as a yes. I'll be back to check your progress soon. If anything happens, you just call for me and I'll be here," Dr. Montgomery smiled and took her leave of the room.
"She is pretty cute," Bella said after she was sure the doctor was out of ear shot. "She seems like she knows what she is talking about."
"I feel a little more relaxed," Hermione pulled a chair over so she could sit next to the head of the bed. She grabbed the remote and raised Bella up to a seated position. "That's better."
"Are you two okay in here for a few minutes so I can go set the potions I was working on before you came in?"
"Go," Bella waved her out. "We are fine." She held up the call button. "I have this and will not hesitate to use it."
"Salazar, help us all."
Bella cackled when her sister left the room. She slightly adjusted her butt to get more comfortable in the bed, "I'm sorry if you were scared earlier. I was scared, too."
"None of that," she shook her head.
"Is Potter still here?"
"He went to go get my parents, why?"
"I was working on the case when Cass started fussing. I need to speak with him," she leaned her head back on the pillow.
"Oh," Hermione remembered, "he said he was going to call Draco and tell him to abort the mission for today and to come to the hospital. Let's not talk about work," she smiled at her wife. "I can't believe we are going to meet our little girl today."
"None of her clothes are going to fit," Bella rubbed her stomach. "She hasn't moved since we left the office. "Should we call the doctor?"
"I read in one of those labor books that the baby stops moving when labor begins. At 7cm I'd say your labor has more than begun."
"Cass just knew she wanted to come out before Potter and Draco's babies so she could be the leader of the pack," she laid her head back and closed her eyes.
"Even if she was born last, I'm sure she still would've been the leader of the pack," there was a knock at the door. "Come in."
The anesthesiologist came in the room with a nurse wheeling a big cart full of drugs, "oh look, pet. The happy medicine muggle doctor has arrived." The doctor explained how the epidural works and Bella looked at him like he was insane. "So let me get this straight. You are going to shove a plastic tube into my spine and inject me with muggle medication?" The doctor nodded, "and this is completely safe?" She asked, waiting for the doctor to nod again. Bella looked to Hermione who shrugged and told her that this was up to her if she wanted the epidural or not. "Well fuck it. Shoot me up doctor. I'm ready to feel nothing."
Bella had been in active labor for a few hours and had been pushing for the last 45 minutes. "This baby is so fucking stubborn," Bella growled when the doctor told her to stop pushing. She was tired, frustrated and the baby wasn't making any progress. "It's eviction day, Junior. Last call," she took a deep breath and started pushing again.
"Stop," the doctor instructed. "Don't push anymore. We will wait a few minutes and then try again." Hermione noticed the doctor working between Bella's legs with a concerned look on her face.
"I need to push," Bella looked at her wife with pleading eyes. "It hurts."
Hermione was trying her best to keep herself calm so Bella would remain calm, "I know love but Cass needs a minute to settle." Bella nodded her head and let it fall to the bed. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she started seizing before going completely limp. "Doctor?" All of a sudden all of the machines started making blaring noises. "What's happening?" Hermione shouted over the machines. "What's wrong with my wife? Bella?!" The desperation in her eyes was clear when she turned to look at the doctor.
"Bella's stats are dropping, the baby's blood pressure is dangerously low. I know she wanted to have a vaginal birth but this baby needs to come out now. Your wife needs to have an emergency c-section. She can't make this call for herself right now and for the safety of them you need to make the decision. Do you consent to the procedure?
Hermione looked panicked and tried to look around for Narcissa who was just staring at her with wide eyes, "yes. Yes. Anything. Do what you need to do."
"Let's move. Get her to OR 2 and prep her for a c-section." Dr. Montgomery took off her gloves and started to help unhook Bella. "You can't come, Hermione. I'm sorry. But someone will be out to keep you updated. Once we get her on the table everything will happen quickly. Your wife and baby are in the best of hands."
"Wait," Hermione stopped the doctors and nurses and ran over to the bed. She leaned down and kissed her wife's cheek and whispered in her ear, "you promised me forever and I expect the two of you to come back to me." She placed a parting kiss and nodded for them to go on. "Forever then," she started to play with her wedding band, willing her tears to stay in.
Narcissa came over and put her arm around the brunette's shoulders, squeezing comfort, "she's a stubborn and strong woman, Hermione."
"I know," Hermione wiped a few tears away. "I just wanted to be there."
"Bella survived 14 years in Azkaban. Birthing a child is a day in the park for her," Cissy assured the younger witch.
"I don't know if she'll survive another heartache if things don't go as planned," Hermione cried a little, leaning on m her sister for support. "Should somebody call Andy?"
"I'll call Andromeda," Narcissa kissed the top of Hermione's head and walked over to the window to try her sister's cell. "She's not answering. I left her a message and ten texts. She's going to be pissed."
Not even two minutes after Bella was wheeled out, Harry came through the door with the Grangers. The minute Hermione saw her mom, she fell apart in her arms. "Oh honey," her mother kissed her forehead. "What happened?"
Hermione retold the events of the day, "I'm just so scared for her and the baby. I wanted to be in there so badly to see our daughter come into the world."
"Did I miss it?" Draco came running into the room almost colliding with Harry who held his arms out to stop him from toppling over. "Where's Auntie Bella?"
"They took her in for an emergency C section," Hermione waited while Harry took Draco aside and recounted everything Hermione had just told them. "Now we wait while the doctor saves both Bella and our daughter's lives."
"Everything is going to work out, buttercup," Jack wrapped his daughter up in a hug.
"Where's Kate?" Harry asked, a little suspicious.
"Obliviating the perp then sending Kandi home," he assured him. "She said she'd be minutes behind me."
"Oh Draco," Harry sighed. "You didn't believe her again, did you?"
"She promised."
"Now isn't the time to fight about Kate and her asinine ideas," Hermione shouted while pacing. "If she gets herself murdered, we will deal with that when the time comes," she kept pacing.
"Wow," Draco looked at his once enemy. "It's true. Married couples do start acting alike."
Hermione turned around more quickly than anyone had anticipated, "listen here Malfoy." She started charging towards the blonde with her fists clenched at her sides.
"Hermione, sweetheart," Jack walked over and grabbed hold of his daughter. "Tensions are running high right now but it's really not the best time for physical violence.
"It's always a good time to punch Draco, dad."
"I'm with your father in this one," Draco said ducking behind Harry who was just rolling his eyes.
"Why won't Andromeda pick up her damned phone?" Cissy was heard from the corner, as Hermione tried to squirm out of her father's arms while Harry and her mom tried to calm her down.
With all the calamity inside of Bella's hospital room they hadn't heard the door open until a man cleared his throat, "Minister?"
"What?" Hermione turned, anger dripping from her tone. "Oh," she softened when she saw it was one of the nurses who went back with Bella. Then fear crept in when she saw the amount of blood on his scrubs. "What happened?"
"Can we have a moment alone?"
"They can all stay. We are all family whether we like it or not. How is Bella? Our baby? Is it a girl?" She tried to keep the hope out of her voice.
"There were a few complications during the birth."
