Chapter XVV:

AN: This is the last chapter apart from one flashforward! It's difficult to choose where to end this story but I thought the birth of their child would be a good place, as it's a new start for them, the ending of the flashforward also has a nice link to the marriage law. I'll try to get it out tomorrow. Let's get to 100 reviews!

"Draco fucking ferretface let go of my hand!" The heaving woman shrieked, then pulled him back. "You piece of shit!"

Ginny covered her infant son's ears with a little giggle. Draco wasn't amused. This fucking hurt! Maybe that was a little insensitive considering what his wife was going through, but she certainly seemed to seek to exact as much pain as she was drowning under. "One more push Mrs Malfoy!" Encouraged the midwife for the third time. Hermione flipped her off. "Really, I mean it this time!" And to be fair, Draco could see the head. Salazar that had been a fun conversation.

Draco ran into the room at full speed. "Did I miss it?"

"Only the first three hours," scowled a clearly un-muggle medicated Hermione. He couldn't hide his pleasure.

Hovering awkwardly beside her, he moved his hands uncertainly to either side. "Should I move up, down?"

"Wherever you want," She gulped down some of the water Ginny had brought her, otherwise ignoring him. "That's what you always do anyway."

He raised a confused eyebrow. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

She fixed her glare on him once again. "Are you kidding me? You're kidding me. Even you aren't that much of an idiot."

"Don't worry about that," said the midwife with an anxious smile. "Labouring women get like this."

"Don't tell me what I get like!" Draco thought she was going to throw her plastic cup at the poor woman. "He's an arsehole and he always has been! It's not me, it's him!"

It was a tiny head, and an even tinier body. A little baby girl's body. "Yes!" Hermione exclaimed victoriously. "That'll teach you to be a know-it-all prick." A girl. He didn't know what to do with a girl! How was he supposed to raise a girl? What did girls even want? Then she looked at him with familiar amber eyes and he felt his broken heart begin to knit together again. "Is she alright?" Asked Hermione worriedly, cradling the pink bundle as if it were the Crown Jewels. She was. She was better. His little girl.

The midwife nodded. She'd been a good sport with all the screaming Hermione had done at her. They should get her a card, or some flowers, maybe chocolate. He wasn't sure what was social etiquette in this situation. His Pureblood lessons hadn't taught him that. "They usually survive from week 28, and she's strong, not just a good weight; she released some magic when we weighed her, nothing huge," she inserted, when the two of them both widened their eyes. "Little sparks. The lights flickered briefly. She's very powerful, but it's nothing to worry about. It should calm down in a few hours, although little spurts will be common throughout childhood."

"Oh thank Godric." Hermione grabbed his hand, this time with a companionable rather than a violent grip. "I've been so worried with all this magic she's been displaying in my stomach."

Draco turned to her. "You didn't tell me that was still going on. I thought it stopped before the end of term."

She looked momentarily guilty, but not for long. "You didn't tell me lots of things either."

"I'll be heading to my next patient," announced the midwife, leaving the two of them and the snoring baby.

"I know you weren't at Theo's today."

"No." He snapped. "I was at Malfoy Manor punishing my father for trying to make you hurt our child!"

"How did you find out about that? What have you been snooping in?"

Their yelling woke up the now existing child, who immediately began to cry. They both looked down with the distinct feeling that they were off to a bad start with their parenting. Draco fussed with the blankets as Hermione pulled down her shift. "What are you doing?"

"Feeding her like Pomfrey said! What do you think I'm doing? Stripping for the fun of it? I don't do this for your enjoyment. In fact I'd prefer it if you looked away." He did so, but he could hear her helping the baby to suckle like they'd learnt in BAM. "This is more awkward. Just look." He did so. "Well don't stare!"

"Salazar!" He exhaled. He looked at Seraphina instead. She was perfect. Really. All fathers said that. But his baby was the best. And quiet now too. "I didn't snoop." He said quietly. "Whilst I was torturing him he tried to torture me by putting a wedge between us, but I didn't care. I know that he's the only one of you who's evil. As should you."

She sighed. "Maybe not evil, but I was nutty to go along with it. I should have figured out how to get out sooner."

"But it sounds like you did."

"I did."

"Then you really are the swot I always thought you were."

She scoffed, but her eyes seemed pleased, even more so when she looked down at Seraphina again. "No more secrets. We're in this together from now on."

He dusted his hand along the tiny sprig of blonde hair. "Okay."


Hermione was understandably exhausted so it was left to Draco to give the news to friends and family. The other two thirds of the Golden Trio were lounging in the waiting room, along with Ginny and Blaise. Wide eyed, Hermione's parents were glancing around every time something magical happened, whilst his own sat on the other side of the room with a leg crossed over the other, not talking to one another nor anyone else. "Mother and baby are both healthy and doing well!" He announced somewhat awkwardly, shocked and uncomfortable when his wife's compatriots embraced him in a group hug. "Get off me you two oafs!"

"Welcome to the family Ferret!" Announced the weasel.

"We're still watching you," warned Pothead. "But Hermione seems much better recently, so keep on treating her right and we won't have any reason not to give you the occasional hug."

"Please don't." He deadpanned, but he was glad others thought he was doing better. Maybe it meant he was.

"Congratulations son!" Draco looked up in surprise as Hermione's father held out a hand for shaking and then shook his head and instead hugged him as well, followed by his wife doing the same. Too many hugs today. Hold on: son? His father had glanced over with an unreadable expression, he wasn't even sure if it was because he was hugging a muggle or because someone else had just called him 'son' with an emotion other than disdain. He wasn't sure how he felt about it either. The Grangers certainly didn't seem as stupid as the idiotic imps of the heroic Wizarding fairytales his father had made the house elves read him as a child. Those muggles had been one of the only sources of his laughter, but it had been cruel humour even then. "So when can we go see our grand..."

Oh. He hurriedly clarified, "daughter," watching as the Grangers clapped with delight. His eyes cut across to his own parents for their reactions; a soft smile from his mother, a relieved exhale from his father. Clearly the reality of a mudblood heir was more threatening than he'd let on. He ushered Hermione's parents in, followed in a more contained manner by his nonetheless excited mother, relieved when his father didn't make a move towards the door. If he had his way, Lucius would never get within three feet of his little angel. That was probably too much to hope for though.