Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!
Time with Friends
As soon as she walked down stairs Hermione knew something wasn't right. Stood by the open window with his back facing her Draco was focused on the letter in his hand, he showed no notion that he knew Hermione was near, it was something that instantly worried her as Draco was difficult to sneak upon. He was always aware of his surroundings, who was in them and where people were when they weren't around him so the fact she was stood only a few metres from him and he had no idea she was there unnerved her.
"Draco," Hermione said cautiously walking quietly towards him. When he turned around she frowned, his emotions were concealed behind a well-constructed mask, and the letter was held tightly in his hands. Reaching out she placed her hand gently on to his shoulder and his hand quickly wrapped around her waist and he pulled her close, burying his face into her hair. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck stroking the fine blonde hair at the top.
"Are you okay?" she finally asked pulling back slightly. Draco stayed silent for a few minutes until finally he pulled back and heaved himself onto the windowsill.
"Do you remember me telling you my father had a sister, she was a squib?" Hermione nodded her head. "Well after I went to speak to him he decided to see where she was, for a while he found nothing until the other day. He found out that she passed away four years ago leaving behind a husband and a young daughter. It was stated that she died in a car accident, relating to a drink and drive charge."
Dread filled her stomach at his words, it was the last thing she was expecting to be told. "Draco I'm so, I'm so sorry."
"I don't even know why it upsets me. I never met her, hell I didn't even know I had one until last year. So why the thought of her dead affects me I don't know."
"Maybe it was because you'd filled your head with the thought of having an Aunt. You knew her name, you knew your father was hoping to reunite with her. She was part of your family and it's upsetting to know you'll never get to the know her."
"You're probably right. Do you think there is a chance that her child could be magical?"
"There is every bit of a chance, but we'll never know until she comes to Hogwarts. Did your father say what her name was?"
Opening the letter Draco quickly skims the text before nodding. "He said her daughter was called Heather and her husband was called Giles."
"Such a beautiful name, it's such a shame that she died so young. My heart truly goes out to her husband and daughter. I can't imagine what it would be like losing my mother at such a young age."
"Me neither," he muttered placing the letter on the window sill. He turned his back to look out of the window and gazed at the rows of green grass stretching towards the out buildings further down in the garden.
Several hours later Draco had left the house with Blaise, telling her something about going to see the gang. Nodding her head she continued reading her book. Draco had informed Blaise of the news and the two had quickly formed a plan to play Quidditch with Crabbe, Goyle, Nott and a few others. If a game of Quidditch was all Draco needed to get his emotions sorted then she was happy for him to play as many games as it would take. She'd never understand how men could just thump one another on the shoulder and everything would be fixed. If someone had thumped her on the shoulder she'd have punched them in the nose.
Turning the page in her book she rested it on the top of her stomach watching with amusement as the book was raised from the perfectly timed kick. Closing her book she smiled down at her stomach, she had always found it weird listening to mother's talking to their stomachs but now heavily pregnant herself she had found the enjoyment of just sitting there talking to them. The boys thought she was crazy but she was okay with that because if someone had told her she would be pregnant with Draco Malfoy's and Blaise Zabini's children she would have deemed herself crazy.
She repeatedly ran her fingers across her stomach waiting for the moment one of the twins would raise their foot and press against her stomach. After a few minutes of tapping she watched in amazement as the foot poked from her stomach, with her fingers she gently tickled the bottom of the tiny foot through her skin before it sunk back inside her. Tapping her fingers on her stomach again the little foot reappeared. Grasping the foot in her hand she gently rubbed her hands along it.
"Hello my little man," she cooed tickling the heel as it disappeared for a second time. "Have you got ticklish feet? Do you like mummy tickling your feet yeah?" the foot reappeared a third time and Hermione laughed running her finger down the foot. "Looks like you do,"
There was a knock at the door and Hermione sighed, gripping the arm of the chair she pushed herself up and waddled to the door.
"Who do you think that could be boys?" she asked feeling two sets of kicks on either side of her stomach. Reaching the door she smiled. The familiar mop of striking orange and shaggy black hair was easily seen through the crystal glass in the door window. Pulling the door open she wrapped her arms first around Harry and then Ron.
"What are you both doing here?" she asked as she closed the door. They headed into the kitchen as she filled up the kettle.
"We've not seen you in forever Mione, so we decided to pay you a visit. Plus Pansy has gone out with Daphne Greengrass and Lavender is with Parvati and we've got nothing to do." Said Harry smirking as he grabbed three cups from the cupboard above his head.
"So how've you been?" asked Ron as he opened the fridge to get hold of the milk. Handing it to Hermione he pulled out one of the chairs and lowered himself into it.
"Not too bad actually. I've spent quite a bit of time with Tonks and Teddy as well as Bellatrix and Morticia, so I'm not feeling too anxious about being a mother."
"I can't get over how close you're with Bellatrix, she killed all those people and tortured Neville's parents and yet your friendly with her, I really don't get you Mione,"
"I know what she did Ron, you don't need to lecture me on it but I've seen a side to her that I've never seen, the way she is with the little girl Ron, it's hard to think she once did all those thing, it's like she's a completely different person." Explained Hermione as she carefully set down two sets of tea. She lowered herself into the chair facing Ron and Harry took the seat between the two of them.
"I guess she's family now, so really there isn't much you can do about it." Said Harry. "I don't know if I've told you Hermione but we've got a name for our daughter."
"Weren't you naming it after your mum?"
"Yeah, we're naming her Lillian Ashleigh Potter, I didn't want to name her just Lily I wanted her to have her own identity and Pansy was happy to call her Lillian."
"That's so sweet, what about you Ron have you got a name for your daughter?"
"Lav wanted to name her Pearl but I really don't like it but I think we're going to call her Zara. Zara Marie Weasley."
"I love that, Zara Marie Weasley it's beautiful and it flows perfectly. I can't wait for them all to be here, the children are going to grow up together and it's going to be great. Adi and Alex are going to drive me crazy but I'm just so excited."
"It's an exciting time, Gin goes into labour in five weeks. Neville was telling me how they sorted the bag out the other day so they're pretty much all sorted. They're just counting down the days."
"Are you scared?" Harry finally asked after a few moments of silence.
"I guess so, having a baby is a scary thing. But I know I'm not alone in this and if worst comes to worst I have three sets of grandparents to fall back on."
"Yeah, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it. I've never had a parental figure, the Dursleys didn't care for me, and they probably wished I didn't exit. So I have no one to look up to, I don't have a dad to guide me or a mum to tell me how to do things."
"You've got my mum and dad Harry, you'll probably be begging for her to get lost. I know I will be, she's great and all but she can be too over bearing and I'd love it if she'd just take a step back."
"Her heart is in the right place Ron," said Hermione finishing off her tea, she pulled herself up from the chair, using the table as a leverage. Once she was up she grabbed her cup and placed into the sink.
"Have you seen the twin's room?" she asked them as she took both their empty cups and placed them in the sink beside hers.
"No," they said.
Hermione steered them through the house and as they ascended the stairs she felt the twin on the left shift and kick. Placing her hand on her stomach to sooth him she pushed open the bedroom door.
"I can't believe you've actually got it all painted and all the furniture is already in place. How are you this organised?" asked Harry staring at the room in shock.
"I didn't do it. I was over at Ginny's and I came home to find Draco and Blaise had done this."
"I think when I go home I've got a nursery to prepare." Harry said as he wandered through the room. He pulled open the closet and looked at the clothes hung neatly.
"That makes two of us," muttered Ron as he ran his hand across the wood of the cribs. Smiling at them Hermione sat in the rocking chair swaying gently as she watched her best friends look around the room.
"Are you painting the rooms pink?" she asked.
"Lavender wants to paint it purple, but I'd rather paint it orange." Shaking her head Hermione looked at Ron. "Stop looking at me like that Hermione, there is nothing wrong with orange." He argued.
"Mate I'm pretty sure Lavender will chop your head off if you try to paint the nursery orange. Though it's got to be better than painting it green. Have you tried to tell Pansy that our child might not even go into Slytherin? She's insistent that she will, but a Potter has never been in Slytherin, I think I'm going to paint it a pale pink and she'll have to live with it."
"Please, try living with a Malfoy, their entire family has been in Slytherin. I don't know how the seniors will take a grandchild not in Slytherin."
"Best not thinking about it," chuckled Harry "I know I aint, the kids will be in whatever house they end up in and there's no need to worry about it.
"I hope my kid doesn't end up in Slytherin," said Ron, "Just imagine it, the thought of a Weasely in Slytherin."
"I wouldn't be surprised if one of Fred or George's kids end up in there," said Hermione frowning remembering the pranks that had been pulled on her.
"I hope their kids are pranksters like them, so then they'll know what it's like to live in a house where they're never safe from being pranked." Said Ron darkly, he, also was reminiscing over the years' worth of pranks he had suffered from.
"I think your mum is going to be overwhelmed with the amount of grandchildren she's going to have." Hermione told him as he helped her out of her chair. "You know I can't wait to give birth just so I can stand up with struggling," she grunted as she rubbed her sore back. "Plus this added weight is killing me, don't ever let me get fat."
"Whatever you say Mione," smirked Ron as he looked over her head to Harry who was hiding his own smirk.
They descended the stairs and Hermione said farewell to Harry and Ron as they left, their own nursery's to paint. Once she watched them walk from her garden she sighed as she rubbed her stomach, if her kids didn't have the skills to play Quidditch then maybe she could sign them up to play football, they sure liked to kick.
This chapter is nothing like I had originally planned, Hermione was originally meant to spend time with Bellatrix and her new daughter but I decided against it. Plus I've had Hermione interact with so many people that I completely forgot to include her with Harry and Ron, so I decided to have this chapter mainly about them. This chapter takes places a few weeks after Morticia being born, so we're around middle of June.
I had no idea what I was going to do with Araceli Malfoy for a long time, eventually I chose to not mention her again but I decided not to, maybe one day I'll write a one shot about Lucius and Araceli as children if lots of people are interested in it but other wise I decided to actually kill her off. As horrible as it sounds, I needed to have something not be such a happy ending. And I think Lucius never meeting his sister again is my sad ending.
Chapter 33 an over view of July and Baby Longbottom makes her apperance!
Please continue to review, favourite and alert this story plus keep voting on my pole! And here is a great big thank you to everyone who already has!