Tuesday, 19 February 15:00 PDT, present day
Drew ran her palms over her white lab coat. She looked at the embroidered name badge over her left breast pocket. 'Drew Granger, M.D.' was written in blue thread. She nodded at herself in the mirror before turning her attention to the little child in his bassinet.
The baby boy smiled up at his mother as she picked him up. She placed him in his carrier that was set into his stroller. She picked up the diaper bag and pushed the stroller into the living room. She was heading to Malfoy Manor before her 4 p.m. hospital staff meeting.
o-o-o
It had been nearly a month since Junior had issued an open invitation for Phillip to come to Saturday lunch at the Chiswick house. Drew felt dreadful yet anxious with anticipation during the past two biweekly Sunday brunches at Malfoy Manor. She listened intently as Junior and Payton described their lunches with Phillip.
Drew had learned that Phillip's Wednesday physical therapy sessions were painful, as most knee rehabilitations always are. Phillip was getting to know Junior and his family. Hans had stopped by after lunch, the past Saturday and hung out with Phillip and Junior for a few hours. 'Oh, great,' she thought, 'another potential leak.'
She spent the last couple of weeks in January bonding more with her son before she was slated to get back to work at the beginning of February. Every day Andy seemed to surprise her with all his new learnings.
He added three and a quarter pounds over the past ten weeks; tipping the scales at twelve pounds. He measured twenty-five inches at his two-month checkup. His black hair grew slightly wavy and his blue eyes were always bright and clear. It was uncanny how much the infant reminded her of his father.
It was difficult for her to leave Andy the first time, two weeks ago. Her mother had rearranged her schedule so that she would be off when Drew was scheduled to work.
o-o-o
Monday, 4 February 16:00 GMT, present day
Drew locked the carrier into the baby stroller. She pulled the strap of the diaper bag across her body. She pulled Andy out of his bassinet and kissed the sleeping child on his forehead. She quietly placed the small sleeping bundle into the stroller and exited her bedroom. She pushed the stroller into the living room and headed towards the brick fireplace.
She had an hour before she was slated to start her forty-eight-hour schedule. She exited the fireplace in the foyer of Malfoy Manor and pushed Andy in his stroller toward the family room.
"Aunt Drew," both Paige and Hector said as they came rushing at her.
"Hey, you guys," Drew said as she stooped down to hug them both. Trey and Crystal walked over as well as their mothers and grandmother headed towards the new visitors.
Cathy kissed Drew on the cheek in greeting. Payton did the same.
"Are you guys heading home already?" Drew asked.
"Yeah," Payton said.
"The boys are expecting us," Cathy said.
"We'll see you both in one week," Payton said.
Drew nodded at them. She kissed Denton and Hans, Jr. on the foreheads as they rested in their mothers' arms.
Her sisters-in-law led their families to the foyer to Floo home. Mrs. Malfoy nodded at her daughter. Hermione picked up Andy, who was now wide awake, from his carrier.
"You ready to go back to work?" her mother asked as she carried Andy in her arms.
Drew chuckled. "Ready as I'll ever be, Mum," Drew said. "Although, I'm going to be thinking about this little guy the whole time."
Hermione smiled. "He'll be in good hands," her mother said. "We'll see you in another two days?"
"Yeah," Drew said. She kissed her mum on the cheek before taking her leave.
o-o-o
Monday, 4 February 09:00 PDT, present day
Drew Flooed to the Wizarding pub a few blocks away from San Agustin General Hospital. She quickly exited the pub and walked quickly to the Emergency Room ramp. Clapping began as she entered the receiving room. The nurses welcomed her with hugs.
"Glad you could make it, Drew," Marco said smiling.
"Shall we get to work then?" she smiled at them. They all laughed.
o-o-o
Going back to work was like riding a bicycle. She kept up with the fast pace of emergency care. It was as if she hadn't left for her maternity leave. She swung back into her routines.
The hardest part was leaving Andy for the two-day rotations. Her mother was a great help. Drew enjoyed the adrenaline rush that came with working in the ER but she also enjoyed the downtime that came with going home to her baby boy.
o-o-o
Tuesday, 19 February 23:10 GMT, present day
Drew and Andy walked out of the fireplace in the Malfoy Manor foyer and was greeted by the Malfoy matriarch and patriarch. Draco gave his daughter a hug while Hermione gently pulled Andy out of his stroller. Andy smiled at his grandmother.
"You're still awake?" Drew said as she smiled at her father.
"Well, I heard you two were showing up tonight," Draco smiled back. "Besides, you're stuck at work this Sunday; you won't be here for brunch."
"Andy will be her lieutenant," Hermione said. The three adults laughed.
"So, I thought your staff meeting wasn't until 4 p.m.," Draco asked.
"Yeah, I figured I'd hang out here until then," Drew said, hesitating.
Her father studied her face. She shrugged.
"It's Phil's birthday in a couple of days," she said.
Her parents looked at each other. Hermione smiled at her, "You've spoken with Phil?"
Drew shook her head. "Not yet," she gulped. Her parents nodded. "I just wanted to get him a gift that he'd appreciate."
"You want to go to Diagon Alley from here?" her father asked.
She laughed, nervously. "I, um, wanted to get him a book from the library."
"You do realize that most of the stuff in there are Wizarding, right?" her father smiled.
"Yeah," she shrugged.
"Alright, then," her mother smiled. "I'm sure Phillip will love whatever it is that you pick out."
"Do you need me to come with you?" Draco asked.
"I think I know my way around the library, Dad," she said as her parents laughed.
"Well," Draco said smiling, "You are your mother's daughter."
The three laughed again. Her parents nodded at her as she made her way out of the family room.
o-o-o
Drew ran her fingers over the spines of the books on the shelves as she smiled at the titles. Her father was right; Wizarding titles abound. She took in a breath as she canted her head, looking at the title on the spine.
She pulled out the leather-bound book. "Romeo and Juliet, a romance," she read aloud as she opened the cover.
She gingerly thumbed through the tattered pages. Words were crossed off and written over as if it were being edited. She turned back to the title page. She blew out another breath as she looked at the signature.
"Great grandfather always told the story of the Muggle playwright asking one of our ancestors for writing advice," the ethereal voice said.
Drew looked up as the opaque figure stepped out of the painting. "Hi Grandpa Lucius," she said.
"How are you doing, Drew?" the platinum blonde grandfather smiled at his only granddaughter.
"I'm fine," she smiled. "Did we really know William Shakespeare, Sir?"
"Well," he smiled, "That's how the story supposedly goes. So what's the interest in that manuscript?"
"Phillip's birthday is coming up soon," she said. "Romeo and Juliet was the first play Professor Ingles had us read in class."
"I think he'd appreciate it," Lucius said nodding at the bound manuscript.
Drew smiled. "Thanks, Grandpa."
Lucius nodded and smiled before heading back into his portrait. Drew blew out a breath as she pulled the leather bound edition to her chest as she walked out of the library.
o-o-o
Thursday, 21 February 23:45 GMT, present day
"Hey, Dad," she said as Draco Malfoy hugged his daughter as soon as she stepped out of the fireplace. "You're still up?"
"Mum said you'd be stopping by on your break," her father said as he nodded for her to follow him.
Drew followed her father to the northeast corner of Malfoy Manor where the tower held the family owlery. Drew carried the brown paper wrapped parcel in her hands as they walked up the stairs to the tower.
"Good evening, Minas," Draco greeted the female house elf who was minding the owls.
"Good evening, Mr. Malfoy. How may we help you tonight?" she said.
"Well, Drew here," the wizard said, "needs to send out a package."
"We can help with that," she smiled at Drew as Drew handed her the package. Minas looked at the package, "Where to?"
"The Martinez household on Grosvenor," Drew said as her father looked at the package before Minas nodded at the jet black owl to which she tied the package.
The large bird took off from the tower. Both Drew and her father watched the owl glide away. Draco nodded at Minas before he and Drew made their exit.
"You didn't put a return address," her father noted.
Drew shrugged her shoulders, "I'm sure Phil will figure it out."
"You do realize it's almost midnight, right?" Draco said as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "He might be scared out of his wits when he sees the owl at his window."
"He'll get over it," she said as the both of them laughed. They made their way to the Manor's foyer for her departure.