Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every second and fourth Saturday!
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The month following Draco's wedding quickly passed, although the time went by slower for Narcissa than others.
Narcissa had never had her only son leave her side for such a long time before and his absence pained her more with each passing day.
"Perhaps he'll come home soon." She frowned one morning as she and Lucius enjoyed their breakfast at the ebony dining table in their elegant dining room.
"Let the boy know a bit of happiness, 'Cissa." Lucius answered, "It may very well be the only chance to do so that he has in this life."
Narcissa scowled at her husband before she turned back to her meal and sliced through her omelette with a fork, "He mentioned in his first letter that they'd be away for a fortnight."
Lucius said nothing while he chewed his food.
"Although that fortnight has come and gone…..Draco hasn't returned since and the letters have stopped coming." Narcissa sniffed.
"What are you suggesting, 'Cissa?" Lucius sniffed.
"Perhaps something's gone wrong." Narcissa frowned.
Lucius frowned in silent reply to his wife's ominous wonderings.
He opened up his mouth to encourage her but was interrupted as a huge, black owl flew out of the chimney, screeched through the room, dropped a letter onto his plate, and promptly exited the same way it had entered.
"What's that?" Narcissa snapped as Lucius opened the letter and read over its lines.
A soft smirk curled his lips as he replied, "It seems that nothing's gone wrong, 'Cissa. However, I don't believe we'll see our son back here for quite some time."
"What do you mean?" Narcissa asked worriedly as she narrowed her eyes.
Lucius used his wand to float the letter across the table, which Narcissa hastily snatched out of the air to hurriedly read over:
Dear Mother and Father,
I apologize for the delay in my correspondence. We've really come to enjoy ourselves here and hope to stay a while longer. Astoria is too weak to travel right now and I'm not sure when she'll be recovered enough to make the trip. Perhaps after the baby arrives?
With high hopes that you are well,
Draco L. Malfoy
Narcissa's blue eyes snapped over to Lucius as he shrugged.
The desperate, injured look on his wife's face forced him to offer with a sigh, "...Very well, 'Cissa. If you are adamant about the matter, I suppose we can go and…...visit them."
The elder Mrs. Malfoy wore a content smile on her face while she finished her breakfast that morning.
Surely Draco and his expectant bride would be thrilled to have her and her husband stop by for a visit?
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Hermione's eyelids fluttered softly as she slowly woke to the sound of chirping birds outside of the arched window.
The bedchamber that she shared with Draco was regal, opulent, and unbelievably enchanting.
A warm rug covered the ancient floor.
Around the stone walls, tapestries and old family trinkets hung on display.
The canopy bed that Lord and Lady Malfoy slept in each night was arguably Hermione's favorite part of the room. She had delighted in making her nest there, amongst the soft blankets and sumptuous sheets, during the past month since their arrival at the castle.
Hermione opened her eyes with a quiet sigh when she heard a voice whispering softly, "Your mother and I will do all that we can to protect you…….From whatever comes our way, here in the castle, you're safe. We're all safe here."
Hermione's amber gaze flickered towards the direction of that soothing, smooth voice.
She drew in a deep breath and sighed contentedly when she found her alpha talking to the part of her abdomen that he had exposed from the covers while he stared down at the slight swell in contemplative wonder.
Lady Granger had only developed the hint of an expectant mother's belly. The slight proof that she carried Draco's child could be found in the private moments that the couple shared, when her gossamer nightdress thinly covered her, or when she laid in her husband's arms bare.
Those intimate times were the most cherished by the couple.
Hermione smiled as she reached a hand out and gently stroked her alpha's pale, blonde hair, but instead of greeting his wife, he continued to speak to his son or daughter, "Your mother and I cherish you very much, little one. We're counting the weeks until you can join us……...We hope that you'll be happy here…….Don't worry, I'll do everything that I can to see you grow happy and well."
As Hermione's fingers drifted through Draco's hair, he bent down and pressed a delicate kiss to the minuscule swell on her abdomen.
Hermione watched the look in his eyes as he pulled away and gazed at the part of her that held their unborn child.
The awed look of loving devotion that she found in her husband's steely gaze made her heart lighten.
"Good morning, Draco." Hermione whispered once she felt sure that he had finished his chat with the baby in her womb.
"Good morning, my love." Draco whispered back as he leaned up and kissed her lips softly.
As he pulled away, Hermione smiled softly at her lover, but Draco didn't seem content.
She laughed as he stared down at her like a hungry wolf.
He didn't quite understand which parts of her he liked best, her lustrous hair, that vibrant light in her eyes, or the way that her beautiful body had begun to reshape itself as she nurtured the life that their love had created.
Draco leaned back down and nipped at Hermione's lips for a moment.
She sighed quietly to herself as Draco moved away from her mouth and placed gentle kisses across her jaw, over her throat, and down her chest.
Hermione's breath hitched when her husband found her breasts with his lips and fingers.
From the possessive way that Lord Malfoy hovered over his bride as he began to stir her heart, Lady Malfoy's pulse raced in anticipation.
It was always the very best way for Hermione to wake up, encountering an amorous alpha as soon as she opened her eyes.
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Hermione's lips were as red as her nipples by the time that she finally left her nest to dress for the day with her husband's thoughtful assistance.
Most fine ladies had maids to help them with their daily preparations.
Hermione used to have one such attendant herself, but her marriage had taken away the need for any such assistance.
Lord Malfoy was more than eager to brush his wife's hair and let his elegant fingers slip over her skin while he helped her into her robes for the day.
Robes, as long and intricate as a fine bride's dress, that was what Draco had insisted his wife wear as soon as he had noticed that her figure had started to change.
"Most women continue wearing dresses." Hermione frowned while Draco helped position her sensitive breasts inside the top portion of her outfit for the day with the utmost care.
"My child won't be restricted by seams that are too tight or undergarments that are too prohibitive." Draco reasoned as he glanced Hermione over, "An expectant mother needs room for her child to grow."
"You're far too preoccupied with my condition, Lord Malfoy." Hermione sighed as Draco lifted her chin and kissed her lips again.
"I beg to differ, Lady Malfoy." Draco purred as he gazed at her from half-lidded eyes.
When Hermione's belly growled out in protest at the lateness of their waking, Draco smirked and urged her, "It seems that it's time to find you two something to eat…Come on, love. I won't allow my little family to starve."
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Draco's grey eyes softened even more as he watched his pregnant bride greedily devour her breakfast a few moments later.
Hermione's struggle with nausea had vanished and with the subtle rounding of her belly had come a great surge in her appetite.
It made Draco's trousers tighten to watch her ingest her meal so voraciously because he knew what would come.
Her curves would enhance, her belly would grow, her-
A single screech made the Malfoys and the Grangers look up from the table.
Hermione's parents had made their way to the castle a few days after the couple.
Although they were disguised as the maid and butler of the estate, they were no more servants than Draco or Hermione.
All four of the diners watched a single, grey owl soar into the room, drop a letter into Draco's lap, and then exit through the massive chimney.
Draco frowned as he picked up the parcel, opened it, and read over its lines.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger frowned too.
"Well? What is it, Draco?" Hermione asked, "What does it say? Who is that from? I don't see an address on the envelope."
Draco's pale face became even paler as he looked up to scowl at his mate and in-laws.
"...My parents," he began in a tense voice, "...are coming for a visit."
"Here?" Hermione asked, "To the castle? For how long?"
"Hopefully not long at all, but I see little that we can do to stop them if they wish to lengthen their stay." Draco replied very solemnly.
Hermione glanced over at her father and mother.
News that Lucius and Narcissa had planned to come to the castle was not welcome in the least.