March 2009
Nomaj Manhattan, New York
Sunday Morning

"Baby? Can we go see Harry and Ginny today?" Lyra called out to him from the bathroom as she did her makeup.

No response.

"I know you're listening," Lyra said with a smile in her voice.

He groaned and flopped over in the bed. "Why?"

"Because I didn't tell them I was leaving. I bet Harry heard it from Shacklebolt. You know how he gets. He's probably all bent out of shape about it," she explained.

"I could not care less how that wanker is bent," Draco grumbled.

"Well I care!" Lyra protested, peaking her head into the room. She walked over to the his side of the bed and sat next to him. He rolled onto his back and made a suggestive little noise with his throat at the sight of her with her hair and make up done wearing nothing but her underwear.

"Why in Merlin's name would I let you out of this room right now," he purred, taking her waist in his hands.

She leaned down and hovered her mouth over his, curling her fingers in the hair behind his ears. "Because you love me and you want to make me happy," she purred back before pressing a chaste kiss to his mouth and strolling into her closet.

Damn, he thought to himself.


March 2009
Wizarding London, England
Sunday Afternoon

Lyra fidgeted nervously in front of the door to Harry and Ginny's house. With the time change it was mid-afternoon in London and Lyra could see warm light coming from the upstairs sitting room. They were definitely home. She inhaled shakily.

Draco unceremoniously knocked on the door, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She heard noise and yelling from behind the door and smiled. Controlled chaos, Ginny had called it once. The door opened suddenly and James looked up at them.

"Hey! Are your mom and dad here?" Lyra asked the little boy.

James took in a deep breath. Lyra winced. Here it comes...

"MUMMY AUNTIE LYRA IS HERE AND SHE BROUGHT A FRIEND!" He bellowed, running back down the hall.

"Thank you, James. Mummy is deaf now," Ginny said, passing him and opening the door wider.

Her red hair was a mess, she was wearing jeans and an old jumper and she had an infant in her arms. She looked lovely.

"Ginny," Lyra said quietly.

"Oh thank the gods, Lyra. Here, take Lily," Ginny said, pushing the baby into her arms, ushering her inside and guiding her down the hall. "Malfoy, if you behave this time, I suppose you can come in the front door," she shouted behind her.

Draco quirked his lips and followed the women back towards the kitchen.

Lyra paced around the table cooing at the tiny redhead snuggled into her chest. "Aren't you just mommy's little clone? Oh I love you to bits."

Draco took a seat and watched her bounce the baby while Ginny scrounged up some snacks. He could hear the other two Potterlings yelling at each other upstairs.

Lyra had just rounded the corner of the table when Harry entered the room from the hallway.

Harry and Lyra locked eyes. He looked tired. Like he'd aged a year in the last five months. She'd seen him at Azkaban, but had been too unwell to actually take stock of him. Lyra frowned. Think of something nice to say, she thought to herself.

"Yikes. You look like shit, Potter," she said flatly, pressing a kiss to the fuzzy auburn head tucked under her chin.

Harry made a stunned look at her while Ginny and Draco laughed.

Harry narrowed his eyebrows. "You've looked better yourself, twiggy," he countered.

"Twiggy? You've had ages to prepare a retort for this moment, and you give me twiggy? My god, Harry..." Lyra admonished, shaking her head.

His facade broke and he grinned wide, coming over to her to give her a half hug while she held his daughter. "It's nice to see you," he said into her hair.

"You too," she replied. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before I left. I...I wasn't really myself," she mumbled.

"You have nothing to apologize for. Honestly, I'm glad you got out before the press or bureaucrats got a hold of you," he said. "I knew you'd come crawling back eventually. You can't give us up," he joked.

Lyra smiled. "That is true," she replied. "Nice baby you have here."

Harry nodded. "She's brilliant. Lily. After..."

"Your mom," Lyra finished. She looked back down and addressed the baby. "You know, Lily Potter, we were both named after your grandma. She and my dad used to be friends, and now we're friends! How fun is that!?"

Harry made a sappy dad face at them and Lyra rolled her eyes. "Stop," she admonished him.

"Right," he replied, coughing awkwardly, looking over the table at her boyfriend. "Malfoy," Harry nodded in acknowledgement.

"Potter," Draco replied coldly, sipping on a mug of tea. He looked over at Ginny and smirked. "Oy, Weasley. Where'd a little church mouse like you get a necklace that nice?" Draco teased.

Ginny looked up from her dinner preparations and grinned salaciously at him. "My secret admirer sent it to me after the baby was born. He knows how good I look in blue," she chirped sweetly.

Lyra snorted as the tips of Harry's ears turned red with annoyance. She looked back at the pale blue pendant around her friend's neck. "Beautiful," she confirmed.

Lyra came around and sat next to Draco, balancing Lily on her leg, so she could nibble on a biscuit or two. This, apparently, would just not do for baby Lily who began to fuss as soon as Lyra had a mouthful.

"Oh, sweetie. It's ok," Lyra chirped, bouncing the baby on her knee. After about a minute of trying to soothe her, Lyra realized that Lily Potter would not have it. Lily Potter demanded snuggles.

"Here, let me," Draco said, reaching across and snatching the crying infant from off her leg.

He expertly tucked the baby in the crook of one of his arms, using his perfectly tailored jacket to wrap under her and support her bottom. He did it so fast that it seemed to stun poor baby Lily in to silence.

"Whoa," Lyra said, mouth full of biscuit, peering over at them.

Lily stared up at him in awe for a moment before contentedly shoving one of her hands into her mouth to chew. She reached the other one up to grip on to Draco's silk tie.

Draco looked down at the baby and smiled handsomely.

Lily Potter smiled back.

"What's that you've got there, little love? Is that scrummy? Let me see," Draco said to her softly, taking her tiny hand off his tie and pressing some loud smacky kisses into her palm. She squealed happily.

"Yes, that's quite right," he confirmed.

Draco looked up to see three sets of eyes on him.

Potter looked...confused.

Ginny and Lyra looked about ready to swoon.

"Awwww. She likes you," Lyra noted.

"She has good taste," Draco quipped back, studying the little redhead's face. She can't be half Potter...she's so cute. Must be some kind of mistake, he thought to himself.

They stayed late at the Potter's chatting and eating. By the time they left, Lyra and Draco decided to stay in London, rather than make the long trek back to New York. Draco gave her one of his dress shirts to sleep in, seeing as she didn't have any clothes. The site of her was mouthwatering and he ached to have at her, but he could tell she was exhausted from the day, so he settled for wrapping his body around hers protectively and letting his warmth lull her to sleep.


March 2009
Wizarding London, England
Monday

Lyra woke up alone, but she could already smell the pancakes. She smiled to herself and made her way to Draco's closet to pull on a pair of his cloth pants.

She was halfway down the hallway when a little blonde cannonball barreled into her legs.

"You were asleep for forever!" Scorpius complained, gripping on to the hem of her shirt.

She smiled down at him and picked him up, carrying him into the kitchen, where Draco was opening styrofoam containers of breakfast.

"What time is it? Hey! Is that from the Savoy?" She asked.

"Ten-thirty and yes," Draco replied, not looking up.

Lyra couldn't believe she'd slept that long. She also couldn't believe Draco went all the way to Westminster to get her breakfast.

"You hungry, spider monkey?" Lyra asked Scorpius.

"Yes!" He exclaimed in exasperation.

"Oh my goodness! Won't somebody feed this child!" She lamented putting him in a chair next to her.

Draco set a plate in front of him and leaned over to kiss the side of her head.

They ate breakfast while Scorpius asked questions about New York. He was skeptical about it at first, but changed his tune when Lyra told him about the subway.

"They're under the ground?!" He exclaimed.

"Yep and they can take you anywhere. Well, anywhere on the Nomaj side," she explained.

"What's Nomaj side?" He asked.

"It's the Muggle side of New York," she replied.

Scorpius frowned. "Why do the Muggles get all the trains?"

"Well, because the Muggles can't fly and they can't use the floo like we do, but they gotta get around somehow," she reasoned.

"They can't use the floo?!" It's good they have the trains then. You know, so they can go see their daddies," he answered definitively.

Lyra beamed at him. "Exactly. Bunch of strung out investment bankers hopping on the train to go see their dads."

Draco snorted. Scorpius nodded seriously.

"What's investment bankers?" The little boy asked her.

"I am going to leave that one to you," she said to her boyfriend.

"Investment bankers. How do I put this? I like think of them as very useful idiots in suits," Draco said to his son.

Lyra laughed. Scorpius shrugged.

Lyra finished her breakfast and dressed quickly so they could take Scorpius to the park.

The sky was gray and it was a little chilly, but it was England, so that was to be expected.

They made their way across the green to a gnarled tree at the back corner of the little park. Being a Monday morning, there weren't a lot of people, but Draco noticed that those who were there had no qualms about staring at them. He put his best scowl on instinctively.

Lyra brought that to an end by running a gentle hand down his cheek. "Stop it, Frog. It's fine. They're just curious," she soothed.

Draco produced a little training snitch for he and Scorpius to chase, while Lyra lounged against the tree. Her morning was going quite well, she thought. Sitting on her duff and watching her boys play. She was happy.

Scorpius, being a tiny Malfoy, got mad after several missed passes with the snitch and pouted his way over to Lyra, pitching himself forlornly into her lap.

"What's the matter?" She asked, running her fingers through his silky white hair.

"I'm rubbish," he moped, snuggling into her arms.

She smiled. "Cut yourself some slack, kiddo! You're still learning and you're still growing!"

He frowned. "I'll never be big like daddy. He can catch it."

"Oh come on, now. You'll be exactly as big as you're supposed to be and you'll be just fine. Don't worry about being just like your dad. Be yourself. A little spider monkey who loves trains and pancakes and and his gran," she soothed.

"And Harpy," he whispered with a devious smirk on his face.

Lyra barked out a laugh.

"I love you too," she replied to him quietly, hugging him closer to her. By some miracle, he allowed it.

"What are you two buzzing about," Draco asked, settling into the grass next to them.

Lyra and Scorpius shrugged in unison.

"Suspicious," Draco remarked, with a raised eyebrow.

"We were just talking about how much we love you," Lyra teased. "Almost as much as pancakes and trains."

Draco frowned. "Praise indeed."

Lyra leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Are you going to get married like Mummy and Theo?" Scorpius asked them innocently.

Lyra went rigid and Draco shifted nervously against the tree.

"If you get married, does that mean I have to dress up again and take pictures? I don't like that one bit," the little boy said dramatically.

"Well, son, Lyra and I are doing what people do before they decide to get married or not," Draco explained.

"Oh. How long does that take?" He pressed.

"It depends. You have to make sure that you're in love and that you'd be willing to share your life with the other person," Lyra answered.

"Yeah, and make babies," Scorpius added.

Lyra sputtered and Draco coughed awkwardly.

"You don't have to have babies, son. I mean...unless you want to because I think that'd be brilliant and I should probably stop talking now," he said, shifting his audience from Scorpius to Lyra.

"If you have a baby, will it be my brother?" Scoripus asked, missing the weirdness.

"Scorpius..." Draco began, trying to stop him. Lyra was probably mortified. Her face was painted in a lovely blush.

"I suppose, it would," Lyra answered. "What would you think of that?"

Scorpius thought for a moment. "That's good, I guess. I could teach him about the trains," he theorized.

Draco was stunned silent.

Lyra beamed down at the child in her arms. "Regardless of whether or not your dad and I get married and have babies, you should know that we both love you very much. Always and no matter what," she said to him seriously.

Scorpius smiled up at her. "Yeah, I know," he replied with confidence.

She snorted. "When he's cocky, he's your son. His mother would never make that face," Lyra said to Draco while looking down at his smirking son.

"Marry me," Draco said softly to her.

Lyra pulled her eyes from Scorpius and looked over at her boyfriend.

"What?" She asked, blinking hard.

"Marry me. I love you, I want to share my life with you. Those were your conditions and that is my opinion. You should marry me. Soon too, before someone else snaps me up. I am quite the looker, you know," he quipped, adjusting his wool jacket.

"I...uh...sorry...what?" Lyra asked again.

Scorpius groaned and pulled himself up to trudge back out to the green to chase the little snitch.

"Oy, where are you going?" Draco called.

His son turned back and grumbled. "You're going to make me dress up and take pictures. I'm going to play."

"Right," Draco replied, turning back to his witch who appeared to going into shock.

"You don't have to answer right now. I had no intention of pressuring you, it was just...what you said was...and I couldn't help it. It just came out," he tried to explain.

Lyra furrowed her brow.

"I meant it," Draco reassured her. "I want you. I want this...all of it," he added.

Lyra instinctively circled her fingers around her wrist in search of her transfiguration bracelet and then shifted hoping Draco hadn't noticed, but of course he had.

"Sweetheart," he said gently, eyeing her wrist. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have sprung that on you now."

Lyra looked at him and frowned. "No, I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just...I..." she sputtered and tried to calm down. "I don't know what to say."

Draco leaned in and kissed her forehead. "You don't have to say anything, love. It's not the right time. I think we can both agree that it would be best if we waited and got to a point where the prospect being my wife didn't make you want to turn into a bear to escape," he said trying to diffuse the tension.

Lyra sighed warily and snuggled into his side to ward off the chill and settle her nerves. She felt terrible for rejecting him, not just because she could tell it hurt him, but because she wanted so badly to say yes. She just...couldn't.


Author's Note - Sorry for the delay, everybody! I've been working a lot on the prequel and have been trying to find good ways to wind the two together and it's been spreading me thin. I really like how the prequel is shaping up and hope to have a preview chapter out very soon. Thanks for reading, please review! -MM