A/N: Alright guys, there's a couple more slow chapters I think and then it starts to pick up so, please, be patient! I promise it will be worth the wait. Also, if you guys want to post anything about this story to Tumblr or whatever else there is that shares Fanfiction stories, please do, I won't object. If anything, I'd be flattered! Thanks for the love, you guys! I appreciate it. Oh! One more thing: check out Work Song by Hozier. I don't know why but that song just screams Dramione to me... I don't know, maybe it's just me but I love that song and I love Hozier so go check it out anyway!

Tallyho!

Chapter 18:

Three weeks later, Edward Remus "Teddy" Lupin was born. Named after his grandfather and father, he inherited the metamorphmagus gene from his mother, much to his father's relief. When Tonks and Lupin brought the baby to Grimmauld Place for the first time, Andromeda was with them. She was smiling but her eyes held pain and sadness. Narcissa stayed by her side the entire time, something her sister seemed to be extremely grateful for.

As for Harry and Hermione, seeing their godson brought some light back into their lives. Neither could stop smiling. The moment Hermione held Teddy in her arms her eyes lit up and she fell in love. He gave her a toothless grin that caused her to laugh. Draco was standing next to Tonks, watching Hermione as she cooed at the little bundle in her arms. Suddenly, he had flashes of Hermione doing the same thing to a baby with blonde hair and soft brown eyes; her eyes. He couldn't help but want to smile at the image as he thought about what it would be like to see Hermione holding their child as he looked on proudly. Instead, he frowned as he realized that was a thought for another day; if they ever made it out of this nightmare alive. He quickly shook his head to rid himself of the image but the feeling he got when he saw it lingered.

Hermione saw him shake his head and looked at him questioningly but was only answered with a shrug. She pursed her lips as if considering to push the subject but let it drop as the baby squirmed in her arms. She adjusted her hold on Teddy as Draco walked over to her.

"Hey." he said.

"Hey," she replied, smiling as the baby relaxed in her arms again.

Draco noticed. "You're a natural." he remarked.

She chuckled. "I've always been good around kids. I used to babysit for my neighbors during the summer and they were always amazed because I was able to get the kids into bed at a reasonable time with hardly any fuss. It's just something I've always been good at."

"Along with everything else," Draco muttered.

She opened her mouth to retort but thought better and just shrugged instead. He chuckled. She smiled. "You want to hold him?"

His eyes widened slightly and he shook his head. "No thanks. I'm more of the observant type."

She looked at him incredulously. "Come on, Draco, he's your cousin. You should get to know him as best you can."

He looked as if he wanted to argue but couldn't come up with anything so he just huffed in defeat. Hermione smiled as she passed the baby over to Draco. "Mind his head," she said quietly. The baby squirmed as Draco seemed awkward about how to hold him. Hermione chuckled. "Chances are, if you're uncomfortable, he will be. Relax." She put her hands on his shoulders to relax them from their hunched position. He loosened his shoulders and adjusted his hold on the baby which immediately felt more comfortable as Teddy stopped squirming.

"See?" she said, smiling.

Draco didn't say anything. He just looked at the baby who looked back at him with big blue eyes. Teddy gave Draco a toothless grin and the blonde smiled back unconsciously. He was amazed how something so small and happy could be born in a time of destruction and despair. But then he realized that Teddy was for everyone else what Hermione was for him: the light in the darkness. The little flicker of hope in a world that seemed hopeless.

Teddy yawned and fell asleep in Draco's arms. "Hm." the blonde said, "he's not so bad once you get past the drooling."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You were a baby too, once, Draco."

"Thank Merlin I don't remember any of it." he joked.

She shook her head and smiled. "I give up."

He smirked at her but it turned into a smile as Tonks walked up to them. "I see you got him to fall asleep early. Thanks. That makes my job easy tonight."

Hermione quietly laughed as Tonks took the baby from Draco's arms, careful not to wake him up. They left shortly afterwards and everyone retreated to their rooms. Hermione was reading a book and fiddling with her locket as Draco walked into the room after saying goodnight to Narcissa. He sighed as he laid down next to her on the bed and kissed her temple as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Hermione bit her lip. "Draco."

"Hm?"

"Do you like kids?"

His hand froze as his brows furrowed. "Where'd that come from?"

She shook her head. "Nowhere. I was just curious 'cause I realized the only time I'd ever seen you around kids was tonight with Teddy."

He thought about that before shrugging and resuming playing with her hair. "I do like kids. I just haven't had a lot of experience around them which tends to make me a bit uneasy." His eyes widened for a moment. "Please tell me you're not asking because you're pregnant."

Hermione laughed and shook her head. "No, thank God! I have no intention of that happening for years!"

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay good, me too."

Hermione bit her lip as she considered what Draco said. He could have just meant he didn't plan on becoming a parent for years but it was the way that he said it that made her think he meant with her. She couldn't help but smile a little at that idea but pushed it to the back of her mind for the time being. There were bigger issues at hand at the moment. But that didn't curve her curiosity.

"What do you want to do for a living?" she asked, closing her book and setting it on the bedside table. "I mean, after all this is over, what do you want to do?"

Draco thought about it for a minute as Hermione laid down next to him on the bed and propped herself up on one arm. "As a kid, I just assumed I wouldn't need to work since I had such a healthy inheritance coming. I always imagined I'd just be a philanthropist of sorts and maybe travel the world or something since I wouldn't have to work. But now, I don't think I want to do that. I don't think I could stand not having any work and just staying home all day, especially after being locked up in this house for so long. I don't know, I haven't thought about it much. I guess I'd probably work at the Ministry or start my own business. Who knows; maybe I'll end up being a Healer at St. Mungo's."

She smiled. "I think you'd be a good Healer."

"You think?" he asked looking at her. She nodded and he pursed his lips. "Hm, we'll see what happens. What about you? What do you want to do?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I'm not crazy about picking up a job at the Ministry since I don't like how things are run there. Too many politics. But I would like to do some work where I'm helping House Elves and other mistreated creatures; someone has to stand up for them. But like you said, who knows; maybe I'll end up at Oxford studying Dentistry like my parents. God, I hope that doesn't happen."

Draco chuckled. "What's Oxford?"

"A university in muggle London. University's where you can continue your education after you finish high school (or Hogwarts for us) in the muggle world; you study a certain field, Dentistry for example, and get a degree in it so that you can get a job in that field."

"Sounds exhausting."

She chuckled. "Yeah, it's a bit time consuming. But if you're studying something you love, it's worth it."

Draco was quiet for a moment. "You think I could get into Oxford?"

Her lips curved up into a small smile. "I'm sure you could. But you'd be surrounded by muggles and you wouldn't be allowed to use any magic."

He shuddered at the thought. "Merlin forbid. Can't use magic, what a terrifying idea."

Hermione couldn't help the grin that was on her face. "What?" Draco asked.

"Nothing, just… just that the idea of not being able to use magic is more terrifying to you than going to school with muggles makes me happy. You've come such a long way and I couldn't be more proud of you." He smiled at her as she moved so that she was resting on his torso as she brushed some hair out of his face. He entwined his fingers with hers before closing the distance between them to kiss her. They fell asleep into each other's arms not knowing that that would be the last night of peaceful sleep they would get for a while.