Chapter 16 – The Best Laid Plans

Harry pouted when he looked at the clock.

"Are you alright Sweetie?" Hermione asked, running a hand through his hair.

"I have to go now and Draco isn't here so I can't say bye," he pouted deeper, making Hermione laugh softly.

"That just means you get to deal with him when you get back doesn't it?" she announced, mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

Harry looked at his sister and smirked in answer. It was time for a little of his daemon to appear. With a nod he vanished.

Hermione turned and came face-to-face with Remus, Sirius, Severus, Lucius and Draco. She allowed an evil smile to form on her lips that forced Remus and Sirius to back up as they paled.

"Someone's in trouble," she announced in a sing-song voice, her smile widening into a grin.

"Who?" Remus gulped.

"Someone who wasn't here in time to say bye to his mate," she continued in the same voice, making Draco pale and Sirius and Remus to gain a little colour.

Sirius put his hands on Draco's shoulders and looked at him seriously. "I suggest that you don't run – it makes it so much worse. Answer everything honestly and do everything he tells you to do. Nothing will be more important than getting his forgiveness."

"I don't understand," Draco stuttered softly. "I thought I had lots of time to get here."

"Well you didn't," Hermione giggled, "now you have to pay the consequences."

Lucius frowned as Hermione danced out of the room and Draco's face lit up in recognition before running from the room.

Remus startled everyone by laughing hard enough to grab his ribs. "I – I feel sorry for Draco and Blaise," he wheezed.

"Why?" Severus asked his eyes narrowed.

Sirius grinned suddenly. "Oh I'm such and idiot! It all fits!" he burst into laughter.

"What is going on?" Lucius growled.

Remus held up a hand in the world wide gesture of waiting as he attempted to calm himself.

"What happened this last week?" he asked once he calmed down to the odd chuckle.

"A lot more than other weeks," Severus sneered. "But to answer your real question," he continued under Remus' glare, "we met Harry and Miss Granger, discovered they are mated to Draco and Blaise, met Tom, saved Willa's twins, signed bonding contr …" his eyes widened and he spun around to face Remus and Sirius so fast his robes snapped much like a whip. "No," he whispered, eyes wide.

"It's the only thing that fits, including Tom leaving when and how he did," Remus replied.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?" Lucius roared.

"The bonding contracts between Harry and Draco and Hermione and Blaise were signed on Wednesday. They would have been acknowledged on Thursday sometime and Tom left on Friday, severing his bond to them," Sirius stated. "Think about it Lucius! You aren't normally this slow!"

Lucius blinked a few times before it hit him and he burst into laughter. "They are testing them, aren't they?"

Remus grinned and winked at the man, "And Draco has until Harry's birthday to put up with it. Blaise has a few weeks of a few months to go through it as his and Mione's instincts will be appeased in that time. Harry's instincts however …" he shook his head slowly. "Harry's instincts will not stop until he is claimed."

Lucius shook his head in amusement. "And knowing my son, he is probably looking forward to it. I think that I will go and find him to keep myself amused until Harry returns." Ignoring the chuckles behind him, Lucius set out in search of his son – who knew when the next time he would be able to see his heir like this again?

-Ivegotalovelybunchofcoconuts-

Harry only just managed to brace himself before two small projectiles hit him with a thud. He smiled down at the two girls who had attached themselves to him.

"Will you be able to show us the babies again?" Carla asked excitedly.

"That depends," Harry said, kneeling down so he was closer to their heights. "Have you two been good girls since I last saw you?"

"I'ph been good," Layne injected with large, earnest eyes. "Cawa too. Mama'th been bad dough."

Harry widened his eyes, catching sight of Blaise, Nicholas and Willa out the corner of his eye. "Really?" he asked with mock-shock that made Carla giggle and Layne to nod seriously.

"Yeth. The didn't eat all her dinner tho the had to go to bed early."

"That is bad," Harry managed to say seriously. "How about I look at your Mama now and before I go I look at you, Carla and your papa?"

"But I'm not thick," Layne said, wrinkling her nose in confusion.

"No, you're not sick," Harry agreed, tweaking her nose playfully, "but I need to make sure your papa is okay because he is helping your mama so much that if he gets sick, then so will your mama and the babies."

"But why doth that mean I need to haph a Healer appointment?"

Harry smiled slightly and leant forward, causing the two girls to copy him.

"It's because your papa is scared of his appointment," he whispered to the girls as though he was telling them a secret. "If your Papa sees his two girls sit through the appointment with no trouble, then it might just make him see how silly he is for being scared. Remember, shh! We don't want to make your Papa embarrassed about it okay?"

The two girls nodded seriously then pulled Harry to his feet and over to where the rest of their family was. Harry grinned to himself when Layne say on her Father's lap and Carla sat close to him, making sure that the man remained where he was. Closing his eyes, Harry cleared his mind of all thoughts and placed his hands on lady Zabini's forehead and stomach, pushing his magic into her, muttering words and numbers out loud that Blaise quickly wrote down, even if they made no sense to him.

Harry removed his hands with a smile and opened his eyes. "Both little ones are recovering nicely, as is their mama. I want you to continue on all the potions until next time I see you, which will be on Wednesday. I also want you to eat smaller meals over the day. Have as much as you can handle in the morning but stop when you feel comfortable. Have a piece of fruit or vegetable sticks between breakfast and lunch. Have lunch and have something between lunch and dinner then have dinner and supper before going to bed."

Willa nodded her agreement with a sigh of relief.

"And here are your sons," Harry said with a soft smile, projecting an image of the two boy above their Mama's stomach. "From what I can gather, they will be born mid to late November. Things are starting to get rather cosy in there for them now"

He looked at the five Zabini family members and gave an honest smile. Willa was watching the two unborn babes with tears of love glittering in her eyes, her hand tightly gripping one of Nicholas'.

Nicholas was gazing at his wife with love, devotion and pride, barely glancing at the image floating above her. When he did look up at it, his chest visibly swelled and he straightened in his seat, proud of himself and his growing family. Blaise gazed at the unborn twins with a fierce protectiveness that took Harry's breath away.

"This is the man Rinie will spend her life with," he thought to himself. "He is protection. He is safety. He is family." He was unsurprised when the almost golden eyes of his sister's mate locked onto his own and their owner bowed his head slightly in acceptance of the wordless acceptance bestowed on him.

With a small smile at the older teen, Harry turned to look at the two girls and only just managed to contain the urge to coo at the two of them. Both girls were watching the image with eyes full of wonder. He stopped the image with a small pang of disappointment, smiling softly when a few whimpers of protest came from the small family.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I will put it up again next week. I'd like to check everyone else over before Blaise and I have to go."

"I understand," Willa smiled sweetly. "You have people to get home to, not just us."

"And a few reports to write as well," Harry laughed. "Not to mention making up a folder for everyone as Healer, now," he turned to the three seated on the lounge, "who wants to go first?"

"Me!" Layne shouted, jumping off Nicholas' lap and bouncing over to Harry. "Me pwease."

Harry laughed softly and sat her down beside her Mother. He shot Blaise a thankful look when he saw the older teen seated with a quill at the ready. Harry closed his eyes and put a few fingers on each of Layne's temples before calling out words, numbers, signs and colours. When he was finished, he smiled down at the girl and pat her head softly.

"You are in very good health, my Dear," he smiled. "Your adult teeth are forming really well and your bones are very strong." He looked up and caught Nicholas' eye and spoke directly to him. "Cut down on the amount of fruit she is eating and add more protein to her diet. Adding nuts of some kind to her morning and afternoon snack will do the trick. I'll send you a copy of some ideas if you'd like."

Nicholas smiled thankfully at him for the suggestion as Layne grinned and slid down from her seat and ran back to sit on her father's lap, only for a grinning Carla to appear in it.

"My turn!"

Harry smiled and began the entire process again.

"You have good strong muscles," he told the happy eight year old, "but your bones are a little bit weaker then what they should be. I'll give your papa some recipes to try with you as well, how does that sound.

Carla nodded her agreement. "Why did you put your hand on Mama's belly but not me or Layne?"

"Layne or I," Blaise, Harry, Willa and Nicholas corrected her, making everyone laugh.

"Layne or I," she parroted cutely.

"I put my hand on your mama's belly because it is the closest I can get to touching the babies. It's easier for my magic to check people I'm touching," Harry explained.

"Okay, thank you. Blaise's turn!"

Blaise laughed. "No, not Blaise's turn, munchkin. I got my turn done this morning before I came here. I'll say that it's Papa's turn."

"Yeah! Pap'th tuwn! Layne sang out before putting a hand on each of his cheeks. "Don't wowwy Papa, it dothn't huwt."

Nicholas nodded his head seriously, hiding his confusion masterfully. "Okay, I won't be. How about you go sit with Mama and Carla so I get my turn over with."

Layne nodded and stood up. "No wunning away."

Nicholas, Blaise and Willa looked at the girls in confusion while Harry just giggled to himself as he prepared to check his final patient. Once he got Blaise's attention, he dove right into this work, ignoring everything around him. He was frowning when he pulled his magic back.

"You need to start taking better care of yourself," he scolded the older man gently. "You have a wonderful family you need to take care of. I'll write up what I've found so you all understand what is going on with each other and I'll write up what everyone needs to eat more of so potions won't be needed in the near future."

Nicholas nodded his agreement as Blaise hugged the girls' goodbye and helped his mother sit up. "I'll expect an owl from you in a day or two."

"Owl?" Harry asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"I'll explain it to you later Harry," Blaise cut in with a smile.

"Okay," the young cat daemon chirruped happily, bouncing over to give both girls a hug and a gentle hand running through their hair with a wistful, longing look. He was shocked to find himself in a hug instigate by the Zabini family Matriarch.

"I know it's hard on you my dear," she whispered. "Your time will come, I promise. I can tell just by watching you with my girls that any children you and Draco have in your future will be the luckiest children in the world to have you as their Mama."

"I agree," Nicholas added, wrapping his arms around the two of them, steering them into the foyer. "Neither of our girls have ever behaved like that during a check-up before. How did you do it?"

Harry giggled softly, noticing Blaise listening carefully to them, neither girl in sight. "I told them that you needed a check-up and were a little bit scared but if you were to watch how brave your two girls were during their appointments, and then you wouldn't be so scared." He joined into Willa Zabini's laughter at the look of shock on both Nicholas' and Blaise's faces.

"Yes, young one, your future children will be lucky indeed. I also hope you will take something into consideration over the next few days for me," she said when she had completely calmed down.

Harry tilted his head in curiosity.

"I want you to be the one to deliver the twins. Normally it would be an elven healer who does it, but Nick and I trust you more than any of the elven healers we have met."

"What does the position entail?" Harry asked in all seriousness.

"Generally nothing," Nicholas answered. "The problem is that Willa's elven family will try to discourage you from doing so using all the dirty low-down tricks at their disposal. They will not go so far as to harm you as you are a submissive creature who is being courted and who's dominant can and will take every ill-wished thought out of their hides: but they will try to drag your name through the mud. They will try to turn you into a scandal and they will try to get your Healer's certificate removed for malpractice of because of your youth."

"We are also naming you and Draco godparents," Willa explained. "That will make them even more annoyed since being a godparent is an important delegation to elves, and it is almost never given to someone who is not family."

"Thank you for telling me and I accept," Harry answered. "Rinie belongs here with Blaise. This is her new family and family is important to us. Your magic and mine have already accepted us as family and nothing will change that. Not Rinie marrying Blaise, not the birth of the twins and most assuredly not a few jealous elves."

"If you are sure," Willa stated, worry still evident on her face.

Harry smirked at the woman making the three elves gape at him as he reminded them that even though he was a submissive, he was still a daemon.

"Envy is often called a green-eyed monster," he stated with a mischievous glow to his eyes. "Let's see what happens when elves possessed by the green-eyed monster meet a green-eyed daemon with connections to the Marauders, a fox daemon and a cat's natural ability to find trouble."

With a grin that Willa couldn't help but return, he grabbed Blaise's arm and shadowed away.

Willa rested against Nicholas, feeling giddy. "Is it wrong of me to hope that they family does try something against him?"

"If they do, then they deserve everything that comes their way," Nicholas stated firmly. "No matter what, we will stand by that young man because as he said - family is the most important thing. They threw you out of the Clan due to what that light elf did, so they are not family."

"I agree Nick, now, how about you get me to bed before you need to roll me up the stairs."

"Ma'am yes Ma'am!" Nick saluted playfully before swooping in and picking her up bridal style and carrying her to their room

-inolongerhavecoconutstheyranaway-

Everyone in the room looked up when the shadows in the room darkened and seemed to solidify until the two missing teens stood before them. Blaise walked briskly to Hermione and bowed over her hand. "My Lady," he purred.

"My Lord," she replied with a curtsy, blushing prettily, making Harry giggled even as his body language screamed with disappointment when his own mate was nowhere in sight.

"Why don't you go put that stuff upstairs in your room Kitten," Remus suggested with a sad smile. "Lunch is almost ready. You can do whatever you need to do with it after you have eaten."

Harry nodded and trudged up the stairs, not noticing the slight twinkle in Remus' eye. He frowned slightly when he got to the room. Something felt off about the room. Cautiously, he opened the door and gaped in shock at what was inside. A petition had been erected in the middle of the room, separating his belongings from Hermione's. The room was now done in monochrome with everything in white, black or differing shades of grey. Looking up, he was greeted with the over-cast sky of that day with fake rain falling for two meters below the ceiling.

His jaw dropped as he caught sight of his bed. Where before stood a single four-poster bed with hideously coloured hangings that made him think of the sun throwing up, was now home to a vaguely familiar sight. It wasn't until he got closer that he realised why it tugged at his memory. Standing before him was a physical representation of the nest-like bed that Arthur and Will Denison were first exposed to at the Egg Hatchery in Dinotopia.

The circular structure and the large semi-conical foot were solidly built of bronze. Another step forward bought him within touching distance and Harry discovered just how heavenly soft the top felt. Without hesitation, he climbed onto the bed, purring at the firm inner structure while the soft outer structure attempted to pull him deeper into them.

"I'm sorry to say that none of this is permanent," Draco softly stated, looking lovingly down at his mate. "Everything is transfigured so it won't last long, but it was the best I could do at such short notice. I took my memories and photos to a crafts hall with the hope that they would know of someone who could craft it for me. They found someone, but they said it would take a long time to get it perfect."

Harry just looked at Draco in silence, no longer disappointed with his mate's inattention to him that day but also unwilling to let him know that fact.

Draco looked away and around the room that was slowly fading to its original design as his spell work wore off. "It is my hope to have found a property to build a house of our own design on in time for our bonding. I want it to be our place – a place just you, me and our younglings can go to and feel safe." He cleared his throat uncomfortably and looked his surprised mate in the eye, ignoring how sensual the younger male looked as he half-knelt, half sat on the now regular-issue bed. "Father and I started looking this morning and it would be a delight if you would consent to allowing me to escort you to the properties that Father and I deemed acceptable after the midday meal. Remus and Severus have agreed to come as chaperones, just in case Father is called away or has to leave for any reason."

Harry looked around the now familiar twin-share room, noting with disappointment that everything he had loved about the area was no longer evident. A slight movement caught out the corner of his eye had Harry whipping around and staring in shock.

"Draco," he asked incredulously, "what happened to my hangings?"

The blonde vampire smiled as he looked at what had caught his mate's attention. "I entered this room for the first time this morning after you had left for the Zabini residence and the first thing that caught my eye was the eyesore disguised as bed hangings. After determining that it was your bed and not Hermione's, I decided to buy a new curtain that was more suited to your tastes.

Harry gave the charcoal grey velvet fabric another soft stroke before looking at Draco with clear, bright eyes. "It would be my pleasure to allow you to escort me to a possible housing site."

Draco smiled and held out his hand to help his mate from the bed. Once Harry was standing before him, Draco raised the hand in his to his lips and placed a gentle open-mouthed kiss to the back of it before tucking it into the crook of his arm.

It wasn't until the two of them were almost at the door that Harry realised that they weren't alone. Hermione and Blaise stood just inside the doorway and Lucius filled the entranceway. With a reassuring look at Draco, Harry removed his hand from its place on his mate's arm and took a tentative step towards Lucius. Taking a deep breath, he surprised everyone by dropping into an elegant curtsey that had Draco's mind producing X-rated images of his mate before his mind blanked out with a near silent 'GAH!'

"I apologise for this interruption, Lord Malfoy," he said softly, yet clearly. "It wasn't not my intention for this to occur today - I was hoping that business could have waited until I was settled, but it seems that it isn't just the wicked that get no rest."

"Lucius, please Harry. You are family so calling me by one of my titles is pointless and I understand completely about business getting in the way of plans. If I am to be completely honest, I am a little disappointed about not spending time with you this morning since I will be returning to my usual schedule tomorrow until Narcissa is allowed to come with me, and even then it will only be for meals. I am, however, so very proud of you for what you have managed to do for Willa and Nicholas. The Zabini family are close friends of the Malfoy family and have been for a very long time. Hearing about how diligent you have been with Willa's care in this stressful time cancels out any disappointment, jealousy or annoyance I might have felt at loosing time with you."

Harry flushed lightly at the praise and turned back to Draco as he straightened from the curtsey. It wasn't until he was close enough to see himself reflected in the silver eyes of the young vampire that he noticed something was wrong. Frowning slightly, he allowed a sliver of his magic to check over his mate. When the result came back clear, he gently shook the blonde as he called his name. After getting no response, Harry turned around until his eyes locked with the worried eyes of his soon to be Father-In-Law.

"I think I broke Draco," he whimpered.