Disc.: You know the drill.

Chapter Twenty Three

Lily was exhausted. This little boy was bigger than Theron, stronger, and seemed bent on trying to bust through her body at times like some sort of horror flip. The doctor warned her that he was 'leggy', whatever that was supposed to mean, and Lily briefly asking Damon how big he'd been at birth had her feeling faint. She felt full, too big, and was sporting some not so pretty marks on her belly from this little boy. She glanced at the calendar. She still had ten weeks. She didn't know how her small frame would survive it.

"You're awfully quiet," Shana commented as Lily glanced up from her report.

"Just a touch worn," Lily admitted.

"You're carrying larger than your last," Shana commented. Lily smiled, her hand touching the tenderness hidden below her smock.

"His daddy is a huge man," Lily shrugged, finally able to take a breath.

"How have things been at home?" Shana asked. Lily grinned.

"The last six weeks have been really good," Lily admitted. "The boys have started on the nursery. It's coming along nicely."

"You deserve some happiness, Lily," Shana sniffled once. "I'm going to go do my rounds, m'kay? You just stay put, work on the reports. I hate that part, anyways."

Lily nodded and went back to working on the reports. She heard footsteps, but didn't look up until they paused at her desk. She jumped to see not Shana standing before her, but instead Minister Parker, staring down at her. Lily felt her heart racing, her hands grew clammy, and she felt sick to her stomach. The baby kicked her hard, reminding Lily she needed to take a breath.

"Minister, welcome to the Critical Care Unit. Can I help you with something?" Lily forced out, silently praising herself for keeping her voice even. His eyes seemed to flash angry.

"Your downfall, I swear, is that no matter what you've been through, you're always so damn nice," the minister offered.

"Okay," Lily replied glancing down the hall in hopes that Shana would be coming soon. Of all the times for Shana to take her time, this had to be the time. Lily wiped her hands on her pants and stood, so that the minister could hover over her.

"You've gotten quite pregnant, haven't you," the minister murmured and Lily felt her hand twitch, ready to hit him if he reached out to try and touch her son.

"Yes, well," Lily stepped back slightly.

"How does Scorpius Malfoy feel about raising another man's child?" the minister asked. Lily frowned crossing her arms. "I suspect he's probably come to terms with it, you always were a hard person to say no, to Lily."

"Sir? If you don't have business here, perhaps you should go. Visiting hours are over and my patients are trying to sleep," Lily told him firmly. She glanced up into his eyes to find him staring at her intently.

"I know for a fact Draco hasn't been very pleased with the situation," the minister continued. "Granted, I'm not pleased with him digging into my personal life much, either, so there's a whole lot of unpleasant feelings going around the ministry. Do you know how hard it is to get an audience with you?"

"Why would you want an audience with me, Mr. Minister?" Lily asked despite herself. He chuckled and it felt sinister. It was all that Lily could do to not physically shudder.

"Huh, you don't know do you? Well, I suspected that Draco would do whatever he had to protect his son, but to protect you, as well, that's surprising in and of its self. Then again, who wouldn't want to protect you from yourself or the world, if they could," the minister told her flippantly. "Well, far be it to me to shatter your perfect little world, Lily Luna." He laughed, the sound sending an icy finger of fear down her spine.

"Sir, perhaps you should leave now," Lily crossed her arms across her, spacing her feet firmly apart.

"What are you having?" the minister didn't even seem put off that Lily was basically dismissing him.

"A son," Lily replied through gritted teeth.

"A little boy, how lovely," the minister replied. Something in his tone made Lily want to step even farther away from him. He lifted his hand from the top of the short counter. "He must move quite a bit. May I feel?"

"Sir, I really don't feel comfortable being touched," Lily explained and this time she did shuffle back another half a step.

"Oh, now Lily my dear, you shouldn't lie, lest of all to me," the minister chortled. "I know for a fact that you are a very physically expressive woman." Lily shuddered, the cold chill and the uneasiness taking root deep within her. Lily opened her mouth to protest but the minister was checking his time piece. "None the less, I see I am running behind. You're a hard woman to get an audience with, and I will be seeing you soon."

"Good-bye," Lily whispered to the thin air. The minister had aparated straight out of the Critical Curse Unit, just as if he'd never been there. She didn't know that anyone could do such a thing, what with the wards and spells on the facility, yet she'd seen it with her own eyes.

"Honey are you okay?" Shana asked touching Lily's sleeve, making the poor girl jump.

"I-" Lily wondered if she'd imagined him there. No one could just aparate out of the wing. Maybe she was more tired than she believed. "I'm fine. Just thought I saw something."

"Oh, I bet it's that darn ghost, Florence. Ever since she was moved here from the maternity wing, it's been one thing after another," Shana apologized. "FLORENCE! You quit scaring the pregnant witches, will you?!" The two were met with silence.

"You're awfully quiet tonight, Lily," Damon suggested as the two of them walked the few short blocks home from the hospital.

"I'm fine," Lily murmured. Damon could see, plain as day, that Lily was not fine, but she had clamped down hard on what she worried might have been truth. Maybe the minister really had come and would come again to see her.

"You know, you can talk to me," Damon offered. Lily nodded and linked her arm with his.

"How's work?" Lily asked. Damon scowled.

"You know, I can't talk about work events," he chastised.

"I know, but it's kind of the same thing," Lily offered. As if that explained enough, Damon nodded and didn't bring it up again.

"I want to show you something before we go into your place," Damon told her as he pulled her by the hand and into his apartment. Lily let the curiosity get the better of her and she followed, even though all she wanted was a bath and her bed. "Stay right there."

Lily stood in the middle of his living room, thinking it was a perfect mirror image of hers, but decorated in a much more masculine way. Damon came back and held out his hand to her. She looked at it, tilting her head slightly to the side to understand what he was offering her.

"Damon, what is it?" Lily asked as she tried to move to a different position.

"Well, Lily, I know how much you despise the idea of being an unmarried mum the second time around, so it's an engagement ring," Damon replied as Lily poked it with her finger. She jerked her hand back.

"Oh, no, Damon, no," Lily shook her head emphatically. "I can't- I won't- I don't-"

"Easy there, Lily," a voice came from behind her, hands smoothing gently over her rounding stomach. Lily spun around, nearly knocking Scorpius upside the head. He ducked just in time, and grabbed her fist.

"Scorpius, did you know about this, what he-"

"Easy, Lils, really. Damon's just helping me out," Scorpius explained with a grin. He swooped down, kissing her cheek, before dropping to one knee. "Lily, if you'll have me and only me, you'd make me the happiest man alive. Will you?"

"Are you-"

"He's proposing to you, Lily," Damon whispered in her ear, handing Scorpius the object in his hand.

"It's our first engagement ring, Lily, the one that means forever," Scorpius explained holding it up for Lily to see. She couldn't speak, her eyes swimming in tears. She sniffled and nodded. Damon cheered and Scorpius slipped the ring on her finger.

"Yes!" Lily gasped as Scorpius pulled her against him.

"Finally, finally I'm going to get my girl, good and proper," Scorpius cheered, kissing her. Damon threw his arms around the two of them, still cheering loudly, and planted a kiss on both their cheeks.

"My two favorite people are finally going to get their 'Happily Ever After'," Damon exclaimed, sending Lily into a fit of hiccups and giggles.

"We have so much to plan in a very short amount of time," Scorpius took her by the hand and drug her over to the table. "We'll go tomorrow and just get the justice of the peace to take care of things, but the minute the baby's born, we'll have a big extravagant thing at Malfoy Manor. We'll invite everyone."

"Scorpius, you don't have to-"

"Lily, I want to. I've wanted to since before we had Theron," Scorpius said. "We're going tomorrow. I'm not waiting another moment."

"We'll need witnesses," Lily reminded.

"We've already taken off, and your brother will be there," Damon offered.

"What if I had said 'no'?" Lily grinned at Scorpius.

"You'd not have said no to me, Lily," he told her simply. "We're the love of each other's lives."

"Oh, don't be so smug," Lily chastised, her hand still linked in his. She couldn't keep from looking at him and smiling.

"We should go to bed," Scorpius teased.

"Not together," Lily shook her head. "It's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other on the wedding day."

"You can't stay alone," Scorpius thought aloud. He glanced at Damon.

"On it, man," Damon jumped up and grabbed his pillow from the room. He held his hand out to Lily. "I'm crashing at your place tonight."

"Sleep over with Damon, oh I am surprised that you're okay with that," Lily taunted. Scorpius made a face.

"The couch," Damon laughed, helping her up. "Strictly platonic..."

"Good night," Scorpius kissed her goodnight. "See you in front of the judge tomorrow."

"Don't stand me up again," Lily threatened. Scorpius kissed her again.

"If I could get married right this second, I would, the morning is the best we can do," he promised. "There's a dress hanging up on the back of your bedroom door, sweetheart."

Lily and Damon entered the apartment and Lily immediately went to look at the dress that Scorpius had hanging up for her. It was a simple white lace dress. Lily touched the fabric, grinning. Scorpius always had the best taste in undoubtedly expensive clothes for her.

"He did a great job, huh?" Damon asked her as they looked at the dress.

"I can't believe it's actually happening," Lily grinned. "I don't know that I'm going to sleep a wink."

"Let's lay down, then," Damon led her to the bed. Lily looked at him guarded. He grinned. "I just want to talk to my son. I'm not interested in messing with you."

"Of course," Lily grabbed her pajama clothes and headed to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower, first, though."

"Sounds good," he replied, laying down on the bed. "I'll just wait out here, then a bit of bonding with my boy before I head to the couch for the night."

"Sounds good," Lily nodded, heading in for her lengthy shower. Her tight muscles, the chill of her body from her earlier conversation with the minister seemed to have all disappeared from her mind, and her body. She towel dried her hair as she walked back into the room, Damon passed out cold on her bed, dressed in his sleep pants and a tight tank top. He wasn't a bad-looking man, by any mean.

She nudged him a few times to get out of her bed, but gave up and climbed in next to him. It was purely platonic, she reminded herself. Her and Scorpius would be married in a few short hours, and sharing a bed with Damon wouldn't be a bad thing. Still, a niggling of guilt tickled at the back of her mind as she drifted off, his arms snaked around her and his face buried in her neck.