Chapter 31

Springing from the bed, Draco struggled with the blankets that had tangled with his legs before he bolted down the hall and the thread barren stairs all the while shouting for Molly. He paid no attention to the fact that he was wearing nothing but a pair of silk boxers nor that the house seemed to be filled with extra people. He shoved aside a body as he stumbled into the kitchen panting. His senses took in that Lupin, Tonks, the twins, Blaise and Theo were all seated around the table. His eyes sought out the woman that he was looking for, whom he finally found standing at the sink.

"Molly, the baby, it's coming!" he shouted at the older red head who immediately snapped to attention.

The entire house immediately erupted into a flurry of movements. Molly had dashed for the stairs-Draco on her heels-while Lupin went to summon a healer. Theo had followed Draco out of the room as he went to join his sister while Blaise followed Molly's hastily barked orders of preparing tea. Tonks had fled to another room where she would grab supplies for the impending birth.

That had been nearly six hours ago. Now everything had come to a standstill.

Cait had been in labor for nearly six hours and Draco was nearly as exhausted as she was. He was a bundle of nerves, his anxiety through the roof. He couldn't stand still, he couldn't sit in the chair near the bed, he could barely even think straight.

A wave of contractions had left Cait looking pale-brow was covered in a sheen of sweat, her cheeks flushed and her breathing labored. Draco cringed at the thought of the pain that was coursing through her body every time her abdomen clenched.

"Draco," Cait murmured as she turned to face him. Draco two took quick steps so that he was close enough to grab her hand, which he did.

"What is it," he asked her quietly as he thumb stroked the back of her hand.

"Could you get me some more ice chips?" Her pale lips were dry and chapped, her thirst clearly evident.

"Of course," he told her as he dropped a kiss on her forehead. He knew that she was sending him so that he could burn off some of the nervous energy that he was leaking into the room. "I'll be right back."

Taking the stairs two at a time, Draco made his way to the kitchen and stopped short. He could feel his features growing tense as he took in the tall, dark skinned man who was seated at the kitchen table conversing with Lupin.

"You are not welcome here, Shacklebolt," Draco ground out to the older man causing both Shacklebolt and Lupin to glance up at him.

"Now, Draco," Lupin began, but the blonde cut him off.

"No, he isn't welcome in this house right now," Draco growled as he glared at the darker man. "Not while Cait is up there preparing to give birth to our child."

"I'm not here about the child," Shacklebolt assured Draco.

"No, but I know how you feel about the situation. I know that you wished a miscarriage upon my wife. I know that you even plotted on how you could achieve a miscarriage even after Cait was in the clear. I don't care why you are here, but I have no intention of allowing you to be in this house while my child comes into this world," he told Shacklebolt, his face reddening, his breath coming fast, his teeth and fists clenching. The hatred that he felt for this man was on the same level as the hatred that he felt towards Voldemort and the unknown Death Eater who had killed his mother. It was nearly overpowering in its potency.

"I think it is best if you leave, Kingsley," Lupin encouraged the darker man. "We can continue this conversation at a later date."

Slowly, the man stood from his seat at the large oak table. He had a look of disgust on his face as he gathered up the papers that were spread before him. He gave Lupin a look that said that he had many things that he would be talking to the werewolf about when they saw each other again. Once he had his belongings, he exited out the back door and walked towards the apparation point on the edge of the wards.

Draco returned to Cait's room once he had obtained the chipped ice that he had set out for. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her features pinched in pain. Quickly, Draco set the glass onto a side table and made his way to Cait before placing his hand in hers. She squeezed his hand tightly and let out the breath she had been holding.

"They are getting worse," she told him as the contraction began to subside. Draco frantically looked to the healer.

"Is there anything you can do?" he demanded, wishing that he had the power to take Cait's pain away.

"It's almost time," the healer assured him. "The contractions are getting closer together and more intense. It won't be long before it is time to start pushing."

Theo appeared on Cait's other side with a damp cloth which he used to wipe her brow. She closed her eyes at the damp, coolness. He offered his sister a smile when she peered at him.

Not long after, a new wave of contractions came and went, this one appearing to be the worst yet. Draco wasn't sure how much more he could take. He watched as the healer waved her wand over Cait's swollen abdomen and then she was declaring that it was time to push.

Molly bustled around the room grabbing the blankets, towels and bassinet as Theo wiped at Cait's forehead with a fresh rag. Cait gripped Draco's hand tightly, her fear evident in the way her hand trembled slightly against his.

The moments that followed were a blur to Draco.

He could recall the healer telling Cait that it was time to push.

He remembered the way her face screwed up with pain.

He remembered the way she yelled out in pain.

He remembered the feel of her hand squeezing his.

And then he remembered hearing his child's first cry.

He remembered seeing the pink, wiggling body as it was placed into Molly's waiting hands to be cleaned.

He remembered smiling down at Cait and thinking of how beautiful she looked.

And then he remembered thinking about how she didn't quite look right-how her eyes seemed unfocused.

He noticed that her face was clammy and pale.

With increasing alarm, he remembered yelling out to the healer that something was wrong.

He remembered the way his heart rate began to skyrocket and the way her hand went limp in his.

He remembered the room filling with more healers who pushed him to the side.

He remembered Molly putting an arm around his shoulder and tug him to the side of the room that had the bassinet. He tried to focus on the words that Molly was saying to him, but his mind was too preoccupied with Caity's pale form.

His eyes swiveled to Theo who stood on Molly's other side, his face a mask of worry. Their eyes connected and the anxiety pulsed between them.

And then he remembered hearing his baby start to cry. He looked down at the perfect, pink little body of his offspring and he felt his heart melt. He reached his hand down and let the baby grasp his finger while he watched the healer's work on Cait. The moment that the baby's soft skin wrapped around his finger, Draco felt some of the tension leave his body.

He smiled down at the sleepy little face and felt his heart swell more than he could have ever imagined.