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Chapter 2

Hermione was overwhelmed. 'This is beyond anything I have ever felt before,' she thought. 'How can this small little person inspire such deep feelings of love and devotion so quickly?' She knelt down and embraced the little boy. She would spend the rest of her life making sure he knew that he was loved and safe.

"Mama?"

She felt a little hand on her cheek, and she gently placed her hand on his and brought his little palm to her lips. She stood him in front of her to get a good look at him. He had straight, white blond hair and delicate, pale features. His eyes were wide, and he was examining her face as well. He was a little on the thin side, but she knew Grandma Weasley could help in that respect. Weren't they all in for a big surprise this Sunday! His features looked so familiar to her. Who did this child remind her of?

Suddenly, she knew. She gave the matron a look, and the elder woman just looked at her and nodded.

"Mama, we go now?" The small voice startled her out of her thoughts.

The matron answered the boy's inquiry, "Not yet, Aquila. Your mum needs to talk to me for a little while first. You go play with your friends. She will be right back to get you."

He looked for a moment like he was going do what two year olds do best and have a fit, but Hermione gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. "You go say goodbye to your friends and get your things. Mama will be right back for you."

"You be back?" he said, biting his bottom lip and looking a little fearful. Hermione looked him right in his beautiful eyes and smiled.

"Yes love, I will be back for you."

He smiled, saying, "I go play," and ran over to a box of toys in the corner.

Hermione followed the matron to her office and sat down. She was giddy with excitement. A myriad of thoughts were jumbling through her mind. 'I'm a mother!' 'How am I going to do this?' 'But isn't he beautiful?' 'He already loves me!' 'Somehow his magic must have been calling for me all this time!'

It was beyond incredible!

The matron sat there for a moment watching this flood of emotions cross the young woman's face in front of her. She knew that Hermione had an idea about the child's parentage. Though he was a beautiful child, he had been brushed aside with barely a glance by several prospective parents for that very reason. But from what the matron had heard about the remarkable young woman in front of her, she knew that Hermione was the perfect person to protect him. It truly would not matter to her who his birth father was. He was now HER son.

"Miss Granger, I could sense you had already determined who Aquila's father is. Let me tell you how he came to be here."

"Before you start, I would like to send an owl to a friend of mine. I'm going to need to shop for Aquila this afternoon."

Hermione interrupted for two reasons. The first being that she was going to need Pansy's help as soon as possible to procure all the children's items she would need immediately. The second reason was that she wasn't sure she was ready to hear her suspicions confirmed.

"Of course, dear." She opened her desk drawer and brought out some parchment and a quill, handing the items to Hermione. Then she called for her assistant to fetch an owl for her.

Hermione wrote:

Pansy,

I have a two year old son! He's beautiful! I need help!

Meet me In Diagon Alley in two hours to shop for children's things.

Can you believe it?

Hermione

Once she sent her owl, the matron began her story.

"A young woman arrived on our doorstep one evening bearing a newborn son. She had given birth all alone in a field not too far from here. The baby seemed to be fine, but the mother had started bleeding badly after the baby was born. No one was there to help her, and by the time she made it here, it was too late. We made her as comfortable as we could, and blood replenishing potions helped for a very short time. It was long enough for her to tell us that she had been raped by a Death Eater. She could not bring herself to end the pregnancy, but she did not want to keep the child.

"She had been held prisoner with quite a few other people considered 'blood-traitors.' It was a horrible place, where people were regularly tortured and killed. Then one day, suddenly all the Death Eaters were gone and she managed to escape. She went into labor before she could get here.

"The child's father was Lucius Malfoy, Miss Granger, and the reason all the Death Eater guards left was because they were called to the final battle. Aquila was born the same day Voldemort was defeated; a new life beginning the same day that so many lost theirs."

"Miss Granger, I could tell that even though you figured out who Aquila's birth father was, it didn't change how you felt about him. I have every confidence that you are the best choice to be his parent."

"No child can decide who causes him to be born," Hermione replied. "Did his birth mother give Aquila his name? Aquila is the eagle constellation. It seems strange that she would give him that name when Draco has an astrological name also." She couldn't imagine a woman who had been raped deciding to name a child in the tradition of the rapist's family.

The matron replied, "His mother died before naming him, Miss Granger. He was named in a magical naming ritual used for parentless children. I have no idea why that name was chosen. You, of course, are free to give him whatever name you wish. I will get the paperwork right now." She stood up and left the office stating that she would be right back.

'Lucius Malfoy's child?' Of course it didn't matter to her, he was HER son now. But had they even tried to contact Draco? After all, this was his half-brother. Though, from what she had heard, no one had seen or talked to the younger Malfoy since the war.

It was rumored that he had left the country. Much of the Malfoy holdings had been taken by the Ministry, leaving him his mother's inheritance from the Black family, and Malfoy Manor. There were stories of him having been seen in France, Spain and even the United States. She decided to ask the matron if Draco was even aware of Aquila's existence.

The matron walked in at that moment.

"Does Draco Malfoy know about Aquila?" she asked the older woman.

"We kept Aquila's existence a secret from the Malfoy family while Lucius was at large for the child's own safety. Then Lucius was found several months after the battle and received the kiss from the dementors. And of course Mrs. Malfoy didn't survive through that last battle, but then you already know that."

Hermione choked up a little remembering Narcissa's bravery in lying to Voldemort about Harry being dead when in reality he wasn't. She was killed by a Death Eater shortly after Voldemort fell. Hermione could still see Draco's face as he watched his mother fall. The shock, followed by a rage she had never seen the likes of before. He turned on the Death Eater and sent a killing curse at him. He watched the evil wretch fall to the earth, then turned on his heel and disapparated.

The ministry had tried to contact him about funeral arrangements for his mother, but he couldn't be found. Harry took it upon himself to arrange her funeral. He felt it was the least he could do after what she risked for him. As he was the heir to the Black family estate, he had her buried in the Black family plot near her parents. Kreacher, Harry's house elf, had instructions to care for the grave, so it was always trimmed and had fresh flowers regularly.

"We tried to contact young Mr. Malfoy several times, but all our attempts at communication were unanswered. After a year of no response, Aquila became eligible for adoption. And now, of course, he is your child." The matron smiled and shuffled through some papers and Hermione began the lengthy process of legally claiming her son.

In the middle of signing document after document, the owl Hermione had sent to Pansy returned with a letter.

Hermione,

OH MERLIN! THAT IS WONDERFUL! SEE YOU SOON!

Pansy

p.s. Sorry, Ron was here when I got your letter. He's coming too.

'Uh oh,' she thought. 'Well, we can put him to work carrying packages. He can't be too upset about this, and he won't yell in front of a small boy. Besides, Pansy will keep him in line.'

A short time later, Hermione went back to the nursery to claim her son, Aquila Harry Ronald Granger. She kept the first name he was used to, but couldn't decide which of her best friends to name him after, so she finally just used both.

"Mama! We go bye now?" Her new son ran to her as fast as his little legs would carry him.

Her heart soared. 'I will never get tired of this feeling!' She knelt down, arms open, to scoop him up.

"Let's get your things, Aquila. We are going to meet Uncle Ron and Aunt Pansy and buy you some clothes, toys and a new bed."