Chapter 23 – Mothering 101
It was a surprise to everyone when the only person not to arrive early for breakfast was Harry.
"He didn't come back last night either," Hermione stated when it was bought up within her hearing. "He told me he was going to see someone and vanished right after you left."
"I went to see Bathilda," Harry said as he stepped out of Draco's shadow, "and I fell asleep." He snuggled into Draco's chest before happily purring as he licked along his mate's jaw line.
Draco's eyes widened and his pupils dilated making Sirius, Remus and Blaise burst into laughter, making Harry jump and give a half hiss, half growl.
While everyone was laughing, Harry pulled a jar of what looked to be burnt orange oil from his pocket and handed it to a no-longer breathing Severus Snape.
"This is … What … Huh?" the dark haired pale skinned man stuttered.
Harry smiled and pulled another, identical jar from the same pocket and held it up so the light from the morning sun caught it and changed the colour enough for a dusk pink shine to appear.
"It is," Severus mumbled as he held his own jar the same way, watching the way the substance moved within its container. "How did you get this?" he asked once he had shaken himself out of his stupor.
"I was asked to collect it," Harry said with a smile as he handed the jar he was holding to the still shocked man.
"What is it Severus?" Narcissa asked from her position beside Bellatrix.
"It's basilisk venom," he whispered in awe, "Pure, undiluted venom."
"Freely given from an unmated female of one thousand, three hundred and eighty two years of age," Harry said fondly. "She doesn't need so much venom since her home is never in need of defending against other serpents and she is fed by the house elves so she has no need to hunt. The build-up of venom was becoming too much so she asked for me to drain her sacks. She didn't care what I did with it, as long as it was no longer in her."
"Did you thank her for the gift kitten?" Hermione asked.
"Of course I did," Harry sounded offended, "What do you think I am?"
Hermione flushed slightly and mumbled an apology.
Harry nodded decisively once and turned back to Severus with a smile. "Bathilda has also offered her sheddings to your use if you wish it. She offered it to me, but I have no need for basilisk parts. My potion skills revolve around health and medical issues …"
"And potions containing basilisk are as far from medical as it is get," Severus finished for him with a smirk.
"Exactly," Harry said as he linked his arm through Severus' and moved towards the dining area, throwing Draco a loving smile as he passed.
"He really is a perfect addition to the Malfoy family," Narcissa remarked with a delighted smile. "He will be a wonderful host."
"Is it just me or is he more sociable than he was at our first meeting?" Bellatrix asked.
"He is," Hermione said with a sad smile. "It is the bond with Draco. Now that the two have started the courting process and Harry has been accepted and the bond started by his mate, Harry's inner self is maturing – for lack of a better term – to reveal who he really is. I keep forgetting he is no longer my responsibility: nor is he my innocent kitten. His instincts are telling him he is ready for kittens of his own."
"I know how you feel," the Malfoy family Matriarch said as she thought about her actions when her son's heritage was revealed. "You were his mother, sister and best friend all in one and now he is ready to fly the nest."
Hermione chuckled softly and linked her arms with both Narcissa and Bellatrix before following the crowd into the dining room. "At least I have practice for when my own little ones eventually need to spread their wings."
The two older ladies laughed at her and the three of them entered the room.
~~~Line'sgonnamakeitalright~~~
Harry giggled as Carla and Laynee pulled him into the house, both babbling about being able to see the babies again. Behind him, Hermione laughed as she ran to catch up with them. 'This,' she thought as she fingered the scroll Draco had asked her to give to the Zabini adults, 'will be interesting.'
"Girls," Nicholas' voice called out with poorly concealed amusement, "He needs to see your mother before he can show us the boys."
"Before Harry starts," Hermione interrupted, "I have something for both you and Lady Zabini from Draco; a request, if you will - and Blaise gave Harry a letter for the two munchkins so neither he nor they would hear it."
"We haff a letter fwom big bwoffer?" Laynee asked with large eyes full of excitement.
"Yes and a present for two of his favourite girls," Harry said with a smile. "So how about us three go into the room beside where your mama is so you can get them while your Papa and Rinie talk to your Mama. That way we are close by for when everyone is ready to see the twins."
"Yeah!" both girls yelled, each grabbing onto one of Harry's hands and dragging the laughing male down the hall.
Hermione and Nicholas followed them at a more relaxed pace.
"Is everything alright with Draco?" Nicholas asked when he was sure the three ahead of them couldn't hear him.
"It depends on your definition of 'alright'," Hermione replied. "He is well both mentally and physically but I think he may start stressing soon. This year isn't going to be easy on him after all."
"Easy on whom?" Willa's voice called out.
Hermione bowed shallowly, "Lady Zabini."
Willa waved a negligent hand as if trying to wave off the girl's politeness. "Please call me Willa. You are my son's mate, after all. Now, whose year isn't going to be easy?"
"Draco's," Nicholas replied, taking a seat beside his wife.
"Why?" she asked in confusion. "He doesn't start his training to take over from Lucius until he is out of school and the NEWTs, while stressful, shouldn't pose too much of a problem for someone of his intelligence."
"Harry and Draco signed their bonding contract last week," Hermione stated, shocking the two. "Not only does he have to prepare for his training with his father and sit his NEWTs this year, but he is also courting Harry, designing his own house, participating in that sport everyone here seems to love and he needs to control Harry's instincts while struggling with his own. That is why I am here," she pulled out the scroll Draco had entrusted her with and handed it to the couple.
After several moments of silence, Willa sighed then giggled. "Let us ask the girls what they thing about this. We will give you an answer for him before you leave."
Hermione bowed once again as Nicholas rose from his seat and exited the room.
~~~MyLine~~~
with Harry and the girls at the same time
The room Carla and Laynee had dragged him to made Harry smile. It was designed for comfort with its soft colours, obviously worn-by-use furniture and a carpet so luxuriously fluffy that he was positive an angora rabbit could be easily lost in it. He settled into the chair he had been lead to as he searched his pockets for the letter and package from Blaise.
The girls giggled at him when he let out a happy exclamation once he found what he was looking for before they clambered onto the seat with him, cuddling into his sides. With a soft smile down at them and moving so one arm was wrapped around Carla and the other arm began playing with Laynee's hair, he opened the letter.
"Hello my sisters," he read softly so he didn't break the silence of the room completely. "It has only been a week since I last saw you, but so many things have happened that it feels longer. I am learning a great deal from my Professors and have once again joined the chess and Defence Clubs. I was hoping that a new club or two would be operating this year, but I wasn't too surprised to discover that there wasn't."
Both girls pouted, making Harry giggle softly.
"I have been getting to know Hermione in my spare time and I can say that I am honestly happy she is my forever person. I am thinking of asking Mother's and Father's permission to have her stay with us for a while over the winter holidays so the four of you can get to know her. I won't say she is perfect, because she isn't, but where would the fun be if she was perfect?"
Harry stopped to giggle at the shock that was coming from his sister, who was listening to them through their link.
"I hope the two of you are behaving for Mother and Father and that you are helping them where you can. I have given Harry a package for each of you. They are a combined present from both Draco and I. We hope you enjoy them. Love … Your person."
The room was silent for a couple of moments before Carla moved.
"May we have our presents Harry? I promise we will write a thank you letter after we know what we got."
Harry smiled and pat both girls on the head gently. "Up you get, I need to find them first."
The girls obeyed with a giggle, watching as the teen followed them with a stretch. When he started to search for the gifts, both girls tried catching the lazily flicking tail, laughing when they failed, only for it to playfully bop them on the nose in retaliation while Harry giggled softly along with them.
None of them noticed that Nicholas was standing in the doorway watching them with a large smile on his face.
~~~Lineonthefloor~~~
Everyone in the room was silent as they watched the twins as they floated in their own little world. Hermione's eyes flicked between Harry, the girls, Willa and Nicholas and the babies on the screen. She was not the only one who noticed the almost desperate longing in the Shadow-Cat demon's eyes as he once again began feeling the urge to nest.
Willa and Nicholas blinked in shock when Laynee left her spot on the bed to clamber onto Harry's lap. Almost immediately, the dark-haired teen began purring and licking at the five year old's cheek. The spell slowly wore off as Harry's attention was transferred to the Kitten on his lap, pushing his hormone-flooded brain into a state of pure ecstasy.
Laynee, who had first been shocked into giggles at her Draco's forever person's actions, allowed herself to be eased to sleep by the combined effects of the soft chest rumbles and the soothing laps of a slightly scratchy tongue.
Once Harry had cleaned Laynee's face to his satisfaction, he stretched and curled protectively around the sleeping girl, purring his head off as he followed her into a deep sleep.
"Neither of you were kidding about him were you?" Willa stated softly with a bemused look on her face. "I could literally feel the desire he holds to be filled with kittens of his own. I don't understand how Draco can resist giving him what he wants."
"Everyone in our make-shift family have agreed that Draco is stronger than they are for not only stopping himself from giving into Harry's desires – particularly since they mirror his own so closely – but also for being able to hold him close while he does so."
Nicholas whistled, impressed with his son's best friend.
"It's alright if you leave him here," Willa said as Hermione debated on how to wake her boy up. "It might do him some good to spend time with the girls. We'll send him home after he and the girls wake up from their nap."
Hermione's head snapped up and looked at the lounge that her brother had claimed. True to Willa's statement, Carla had wiggled her way into a gap and had promptly fallen asleep as soon as Harry had welcomed her into his make-shift nest
"Tell Draco that he has our permission to take the girls this Sunday after Willa's appointment," Nicholas said with a small smile. "If this works out the way he thinks, then we will allow him to have the girls one day every second weekend until it is closer to the time for the twins to be born, where they can be gone all weekend. As godfather, it is only natural that, if anything is required along the line of babysitting, Harry will be our first choice. The first month will be us looking after them thought, unless an emergency occurs."
I will remember to inform him of that," Hermione responded with a soft smile. "I will see you again sometime soon." With one last smile, she left in a ball of flame.
Nicholas gently rubbed his wife's swollen ankles gaining a moan of appreciation. Both adults glanced guiltily towards the kitten pile on the chair beside them and exhaled in relief as all three remained asleep.
"Hot drink and a sandwich?" Nicholas offered.
"Please," Willa smiled, holding out her hand. "Does having it on the balcony sound alright?"
"That sounds wonderful," he responded, pleased that Harry had said that Willa and the boys were strong enough for small walks several times a day. He had been worried about the amount of time she had been without fresh air and direct sunlight.
"I can't wait to feel the sun on my skin," Willa purred as if reading her husband's mind.
Nicholas smiled and helped her to her feet. "Then allow me to escort you to your destination Dear One and allow our daughters and guest sleep."
With a soft laugh, Willa nodded and allowed herself to be lead from the room.
~~~PokemonLine~~~
Lunch had just ended when Harry walked into the room, smiling sheepishly.
"Did you have a good nap Kitten?" Hermione teased gently.
Harry nodded, flushing lightly. Draco chuckled and pulled the younger male tight to his chest.
"More importantly, did you enjoy your time with the girls?"
Harry smiled brightly, making his eyes sparkle. "I did. When we woke up we made lunch, had a tea party and played with the puzzles you bought them."
"That's good to hear Love, because I have a surprise for you."
Harry turned in Draco's arms and looked at him with his eyes larger than they should have been able to grow.
Draco smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his mate's forehead. "I am taking you out for dinner tonight after I finish my schoolwork and after my last lesson I am taking you to Diagon Alley and on Sunday after Willa's appointment you and I are going to be taking Carla and Laynee out to give Willa and Nicholas some time alone. I got permission from them today."
Harry pounced on Draco with happiness pouring from his body. Draco held him tighter. "I may not be able to give you kitten of our own yet," he whispered after gently kissing Harry's temple, "but I can give you the next best thing until I can."
Bellatrix, who was the only person left in the room, smiled and left the technically engaged pair alone to soak in the presence of their significant other.
