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!
—————————————————————
"Mother, I can explain!" Draco shouted while Hermione squeezed his hands as she started to groan again.
The midwife whispered sweet words of encouragement to the younger Lady Malfoy who gasped on the bed, overcome by pain and fear, which heightened as her mother-in-law approached her side.
Would Narcissa apparate away and tell the Dark Lord what she had seen?
Would Hermione be murdered before she could hold her child?
……..Or would she watch her newborn die in her arms?
Mrs. Granger scowled at the frown that she saw form on Narcissa's fair face as the witch approached her daughter.
Hermione's mother understood that she would be powerless against Narcissa Malfoy in a battle, but like any decent mother, she braced herself to do what was necessary to protect her child, even if that meant confronting her own doom.
Hermione's panting increased as her face contorted in pain while she threw her head back with a moan and moved her knees further apart.
As Narcissa came closer, Draco moved behind his wife on the bed. He protectively pulled her against his chest as he stammered, "Mother…..listen to me…..I'm in love with Lady Granger…..I'll love her until the day that I die…...Neither you nor Father can change that, alright? I love Lady Granger and if you want to have us killed for that, then…..then…….then so be it! I cannot alter my heart!"
"AAAAAAGGGGHHH!" Hermione screamed out over Draco.
She had done her best to muffle her cries but as her baby began to make its way into the world, she couldn't withhold the wail of pain that left her lips.
"That's right, dear…...blow out your breath…..a moment more and you'll be able to bear down." The midwife whispered soothingly to Hermione.
Hermione felt like she herself had become pain itself, agony….despair…...
Hermione gnashed her teeth as she squeezed Draco's hand while her mother blotted her forehead.
A low groan left her throat a moment later.
Draco and Mrs. Granger braced themselves as the midwife nodded, "Alright, dear, go ahead and bear down!"
Hermione gripped the sheets in her free hand before Narcissa bent down beside her and let her clutch her fingers instead as she bore down, "NNNNNGGGGGHHH!"
"That's it, dear! That's it!" The midwife called excitedly.
"You're doing well, my darling." Mrs. Granger whispered to her daughter as she wiped the perspiration from her neck.
"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart..." Draco purred as he kissed his mate's damp forehead when her tedious push finally ended.
Everyone watched Hermione's amber eyes widen as an unbearable burning sensation flared between her legs.
She had never felt such pain before.
As Hermione glanced around the room, she was no longer worried about Draco's parents, or Voldemort, or the war…..the agony of childbirth would surely claim her life.
"I…...I CAN'T!" Hermione shouted in an uncharacteristic surrender against her mortal suffering.
The voice that spoke gentle words of confident reassurance surprised everyone, "...You can."
Hermione felt a very delicate pressure on her hand as she turned to stare into Narcissa's piercing, blue eyes.
"I fought for three days to bring Draco into the world." Narcissa told her daughter-in-law with a smile, "The healers were frightened I'd bleed to death if exhaustion didn't take me first, but I was determined to meet him and love him. I considered my own grave in the seconds before I heard him wail….When you think it's the worst, my dear, that means you've nearly won."
A bittersweet smile settled on Mrs. Granger's face as she gazed at Narcissa, grateful to the woman for helping her daughter.
Draco frowned at his mother, but Hermione gripped Narcissa's hand tightly as she closed her eyes, blew out another breath, and prepared to face the pain that once again constricted her insides.
"Go on, dear, bear down as hard as you can!" The midwife ordered.
Hermione gripped Draco and Narcissa's hands as she curled forward.
She felt her mother grab her forearm supportively as she used every fiber of her being to push that awful weight out of her body once and for all, "NNNNGGGGGGGGHHHHH!"
"WWWWAAAAAA!"
"WWWWAAAA!"
"Well done, love!" The midwife commended Hermione as she worked quickly between her legs, "Well done!...Your babe is here! Your babe is here!"
Hermione collapsed back against Draco as he kissed her cheek and nuzzled her lovingly, proud of his beautiful wife.
Mrs. Granger and Narcissa both exhaled silent sighs of relief that the birth had gone well.
"You have a handsome, strong son, Mrs. Malfoy!" The midwife beamed as she lifted a tiny bundle over Hermione's belly and laid the squirming blanket on her chest.
Hermione gasped as fat tears started to roll down her face while she gazed at the tiny life wrapped inside.
She felt like she was looking into Draco's eyes as her newborn blinked up at her with his grey gaze.
Shocks of platinum blonde tufts lined the newborn's round head.
Although he frowned at the cold world he had been ejected into, Hermione risked angering him by kissing his chubby little cheeks.
Draco gasped as he held back his own tears while he reached out and gently slipped a finger into his new son's small hand.
Mrs. Granger beamed as the tiny infant grabbed onto his father's finger.
Narcissa wept nearly as hard as Hermione while her eyes lingered on her new grandson.
The baby seemed to be a perfect replica of his father.
He could have passed for Draco during his first moments of life, the two of them looked so similar.
Struck by the tender sentiment that dwells in a mother's heart, as Narcissa gazed at Draco, Hermione, and their new baby, she found it impossible to hate.
—————————————————————
While the midwife assisted Hermione with the afterbirth, Narcissa obtained permission from the new parents to take Draco's newborn son to meet his grandfather.
Lucius sat in the wingback chair close to the fireplace in one of the castle's downstairs rooms when Narcissa walked in holding the whimpering bundle.
Although Lucius had wanted to avoid the birth at all costs, he stood from his chair and rushed towards Narcissa as soon as he saw that she held the baby, eager to meet his first grandchild.
"What news do you bring, 'Cissa?" Lucius asked as Narcissa handed him the small bundle.
"A healthy boy! He looks just like Draco, see for yourself, Lucius!" Narcissa proudly declared as her husband stared down into his grandson's adorable little face.
"...The boy does look like Draco, indeed." Lucius nodded in agreement.
His words were cold, but Narcissa saw the pride that danced in her lover's steely gaze.
"...I have something else to tell you." Narcissa went on.
"Twins?" Lucius asked as he glanced up.
"No." Narcissa said as she shook her head, "You understand that as a mother, my ultimate duty lies in protecting Draco, don't you, Lucius? After all these years?"
"Of course." Lucius replied very seriously, "What kind of mother…..What kind of wife would you be, 'Cissa, if you didn't look after my heir?"
"...Now your heir has an heir." Narcissa added.
"He does, yes….." Lucius scowled, anxious about what else Narcissa had to say.
"I need you to promise me, Lucius, that as my husband, my alpha, my mate...you'll help me…..do whatever is necessary….to keep Draco and his family safe." Narcissa declared.
"...What are you hinting at?" Lucius asked with a suspicious glare.
Silence fell between them before Narcissa revealed, "Lady Granger bore the child."
Lucius's mouth fell open in shock.
"I...I beg your pardon?" He asked.
"Draco deceived us, my love, and nurtured his own heart. The Grangers were not slain that night as he boasted…...He married her right in front of our eyes, using skillful magic, I'm sure of it." Narcissa explained.
Lucius's mouth stayed open as Narcissa nodded, "I'm less than pleased with his choice, but he's a man, Lucius, and he's made up his mind...We have a new generation to think of now…..I'm not willing to hold onto my prejudices if it means seeing harm come to that innocent babe…..or my own….I don't care about politics or wars. Draco is my son, and that," Narcissa said as she nodded at the bundle in Lucius's arms, "...is my grandson."
Lucius was quiet for a long moment as he cradled the baby.
After some time had passed, Narcissa furrowed her brow as she spoke, "...Am I forbidden from knowing your thoughts, my love?"
"I should think that you would already know them." Lucius snapped. A solemn resolve settled itself into his handsome features as he gazed at his wife and nodded, "Family must be protected above all costs, Narcissa. By witch, muggle, or mudblood, the boy has been born to us."
—————————————————————-
Narcissa had a brief chat with her son, who then had a brief chat with Hermione after she woke from her restful nap.
A sense of lovely tranquility enveloped the castle that evening as Hermione nursed her newborn while she cuddled her alpha in her nest.
"Everything's going to be alright now, love." Draco whispered to her as he stroked her brown hair and kissed her cheek, "Mother and Father will help us…...We'll all survive this war…..then once it's over, we'll be a family, a real family."
Hermione sighed while she gazed at Draco and clutched their baby close, "I love you….."
"I love you too, my darling." Draco whispered as he leaned in and gave her lips a loving kiss.
"You were so very strong today." He complimented her as he pulled back.
"I didn't feel strong." Hermione chuckled as she glanced down at their son who greedily ate his dinner.
"He needs a name." Draco reminded them both with a soft smile.
"I haven't even thought of any." Hermione said with a yawn, "...We've been so preoccupied with other matters."
"Scorpius?" Draco suggested.
He expected his wife to reject it.
As he waited for her response, he smirked at his lover.
"...Scorpius….?" Hermione asked incredulously as she raised an eyebrow at Draco.
"I was named after the dragon." Draco chuckled, "It seems fitting to name our son after the scorpion. He'll grow to be strong, sly, and brave."
The more Hermione thought about the name, the more it pleased her.
"Scorpius." She nodded as she leaned down and kissed her small baby's forehead.
Baby Scorpius whimpered and clutched onto his mother's breast while he delighted in her loving embrace.
The youngest Malfoy remained ignorant of his parents' circumstances.
Regardless of the fact that little Scorpius had only lived a few hours, he could already sense how much his family cared for him……and the comforting depth of his parents' love.