Happy Friday! That's it, that's all I have to say.

Chapter 6

Charlotte stood on the Malfoys' front porch with a plate of chocolate chip cookies in hand, hoping they would accept her contrition and welcome her back into the family. Tired and rundown, Draco opened the door and attempted to smile. Maternal instinct took over, and she cupped his cheek. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" she asked.

With a sigh that turned into a yawn, he stepped back to allow her in. The cookies were set aside, forgotten now that she saw his haggard appearance. "Liam's not sleeping at night," he told her. "He kept us up most of the night. Hermione's sleeping. I had to force her to stay in bed. She's got some shoot lined up this afternoon, and I wanted her to be well rested."

"That's sweet of you," Charlotte remarked, watching Draco lift his son from the bassinet that formerly resided in the master bedroom. "Smart of you to take him with you too. I applaud your ability to get him out of the room without a fight."

For the first time, Draco smiled. "She made me compromise," he told her. "Clara's in bed with her. She said if I took one kid, she got the other. At least Clara sleeps."

"Small miracles," Charlotte murmured as Liam awoke with a cry. Draco groaned, but she was quick to calm him. "You could use your rest too. Let me take care of him."

Reluctantly, Draco agreed and sat down. His eyes closed as he inhaled, and opened again as he let out the breath. Charlotte rocked his son gently as she made her way to the kitchen for a bottle. A minute later, she returned and sat down beside him. "I heard shouting yesterday," she said calmly, holding the tip of the bottle to Liam's lips. "I'm sorry for allowing those two boys to come around. It didn't occur to me that they would cause so much trouble."

"I don't blame you," he replied, taking Liam from her when the baby wouldn't eat. He waited until his son took the bottle before speaking again. "It was just the one yesterday - Harry. The other one doesn't seem so bad. Doesn't seem to say much. Potter's quite loquacious though. He's got quite the imagination too."

Charlotte chuckled softly as she distracted herself by folding the laundry that Hermione had left out overnight. "You've never told tall tales?" she wondered.

"I've never slandered anyone," he shot back. "Well, never anyone I didn't know. I'll tell you this, I was mad at Hermione for inviting him over. In all the time we've known each other, I've never been mad at her. Something about that guy, though. He made me so angry."

Charlotte's hand caressed the fine blond hair atop the baby's head. "I'm sure she feels just as bad," she murmured. Chagrined, Draco agreed. "You've never lost your temper with her, not for as long as I've known the two of you. I know this will pass because the love you have for one another is so much stronger than any other feeling."

Draco set aside the bottle and shifted his baby boy to his shoulder. "You married young, right?" he asked. There was a fond, longing smile on Charlotte's lips as she nodded. "What was it like being so in love and losing him?"

"I don't know that we loved each other as much as you and Hermione do," she admitted. "Adam's passing was the most difficult thing I've lived through. You've both lost people you loved, but when it's the one person you're so in love with that you can't imagine living with them, that pain is a hundred-fold. I was sure I couldn't live without him, and then I just...did. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him or miss him or turn to tell him something I overheard that day, that's true enough, but you learn how to cope."

Once more, he shifted Liam to cradle him in his arms. "But it was worth it, right?" he asked. She nodded as she adjusted the little green bootie on the baby's foot. "I think so too. She didn't believe what Potter said, so I guess I've got that going for me."

Charlotte had heard the stories about the relationship the pair shared before coming to Connecticut. He was the stringent pureblood, she the poster girl for muggleborns. They were oil and water, unable and unwilling to mix. Somehow, it all changed. They never spoke of past animosity, choosing instead to portray themselves as best friends before the relationship evolved. It was something she could never asked about without outing her own secret.

"The two of you will have many, many years - decades - together," she assured him. "There will be happy years and sad days, and who knows, maybe more babies."

Draco smiled as he looked down at his sleeping newborn son. "I never thought I'd be a father," he shared. "I was an only child, and never got along well with other children. Hermione was the first friend I ever had. Even then, I never thought I'd want a family. Now...now I can't imagine there being anything better."

Beside him, Charlotte sniffled softly, but Draco heard it and quickly apologized. "Oh don't, sweetheart," she murmured. "I've been a mother. When two orphaned teenagers moved in next door to me, I got to experience being a mother. You and Hermione gave me that, and now you've been me the chance to be a grandma as well. I've never loved anyone as much as I love your family."

A tired-eyed Clara joined them and climbed quietly onto Mrs. Bradbury's lap. "You'll always have a place in this family," he vowed. His daughter snuggled against her and closed her eyes. "I don't think Clary could let you go."

"We'll see if she still feels this way in ten years," Charlotte joked. "By then, she'll hate us all because we just don't understand her feelings."

Draco chuckled softly, knowing that to be true. Even Hermione, the perfect daughter, had not managed to evade the trappings of her teenage years. Many nights were spent listening to her complain about her parents' incessant questioning of their friendship, insisting that boys and girls couldn't just be friends. "As long as she stays away from boys, I don't care if she hates me," he decided, knowing full well that he and his wife hadn't been able to remain just friends.

"Boys are yucky," Clara interjected, though her eyes remained shut.

"Remember that," Draco replied. He stood and gently laid Liam down in the bassinet. A lone figure, standing on his lawn, caught his eye. Clara awoke as he walked to the door, asking if she could go with him. He told her to stay with Nana, and disappeared. "You and your friend tag teaming us now?"

Ron Weasley, uncomfortable and nervous, lowered his head as he denied the allegation. "Came to apologize actually," he mumbled before saying that he was sorry for Harry's actions. "Look, I don't know what's going on. Maybe it's better that I don't. You two are happy, yeah?"

"Very," Draco said tersely.

The redhead nodded and stared at the lawn. "Good, good," he murmured. "You've got a nice family, and we have no right to interfere."

Draco shot him an incredulous look, but kept his retort at bay. "So, you two are leaving then?" he asked.

Ron smiled. "I have five brothers and a sister," he informed the man standing a good distance from him. "I know when I'm not wanted. Harry should know when he's not wanted, but he's got a bit of a savior complex. Plus, he's far more stubborn than I am. I'm sticking around only to keep him out of trouble, but I don't intend to bother you or Hermione anymore."