July 2009
"Open it."
Hermione tapped the letter with a single finger. "I really think you should."
Draco shook his head, "You do it, please."
Hermione tapped the seal with her wand, and a single parchment floated out in front of her.
Draco cringed and dropped his head to the table.
"I'm sorry, love. The letter is very vague— " the corners of her mouth turned down. "Their reason for rejection is…"
"Bullshit. It's my name they're rejecting. " he scrubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hands.
The letter folded itself away, and Hermione only squeezed his hand in response.
August 2009
Marietta had a grin on her face that could only be described as victorious.
She dropped the folder full of black and white photos onto Hermione's desk and folded her arms across her chest. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't sell these to the Prophet?"
Hermione shuffled through the pictures carefully. Pansy and Draco could be seen in various shops along Diagon Alley, including a jewellery shop and a flower shop in which he left with a bouquet.
"Well, for starters, I can have you charged and fined for stalking and invasion of privacy. Then Pansy and Draco can dig into their rights to sue for defamation and whatever else the solicitors can dig up." She closed the folder and tossed them back on the desk. " They are just friends; everyone knows that. Pansy is an event planner. I made Draco get out of the house and away from his mastery theory for a few hours. The flowers were for me." At that moment, her secretary came in with a large vase bursting with deep burgundy sunflowers. "Give it up, Edgecombe; it just looks pathetic."
Hermione thanked her secretary as the former Ravenclaw stormed from the office. She yelled at someone in the hall just before they revealed themselves at the doorway.
Draco motioned to where Marietta had been. "What's her problem today?"
"You aren't having an affair with Pansy." His nose wrinkled. "I know. How dare we retain friendships with the opposite sex." He rolled his eyes. "I'm glad you're here, but I have a meeting in five minutes."
"I know I was coming to tell you I'm going home early. The nanny owled and said Lyra has a fever-" he shrugged and poked at things on her desk absentmindedly.
"Is it just that, or are you going home to reread that rejection letter again?" She said quietly, putting her hand on his to steady his movements.
"No. I'm fine with it. I could solve all of wizardkinds' problems with a single potion, and they'd still never let a marked Death Eater into their ranks. So maybe I'll just sell the whole theory to the highest bidder, and we'll go on holiday again." His eyes fell on a stack of law books on the wooden bookshelf behind her.
She grinned as something clearly fell into place for him. Although she could guess what it was, she didn't want to spoil the surprise. "I have to go. I'll see you at home."She lingered in the doorway, "and I'm sure the nanny can handle the fever for a few hours."
September 2009
The book that had just arrived by owl post was black leather-bound with gold-plated lettering. While not a particularly heavy or thick book, it held its own sort of regal aura.
The Granger - Malfoy theory.
By Draco L. Malfoy.
(Complete with full Sacred 28 family tree and forward by the author )
When you opened the first folded page, a large family tree was projected at eye level, starting at Phineas Nigellus Black. Those members that had been disowned and their names recovered sat below the profile of the witch or wizard. It was a relief to see included such familiar names towards the bottom as; Sirius and Andromeda, with Tonks and Teddy branching out beneath her."
But what took her breath away was a tiny detail next to her and Draco's names. Instead of a simple straight line, there was a minuscule infinity sign connecting them—a nod to the connection between them for everyone to see for centuries to come.
The rest of the book contained Draco's extensive theory on how different blood statuses handled potions. Purebloods often had a higher tolerance due to genetics, earlier exposure, and the heavy enchantments on many of the ancestral homes they inhabited. Muggle-Borns experience less than half the tolerance due to late exposure but rarely report their symptoms. Half-Bloods should just take their own parentage into account.
The book featured everyday potion recipes like dreamless sleep, pain/ fever reduction, and contraceptives with recommended new guidelines based on blood status.
Even in all her research, it was the first time Hermione had seen the word Muggle-Born as part of the magical community. Not as a spectacle or a novelty and the variant on an otherwise homogenous group. Most of the time, if blood status was mentioned, it was usually to the detriment of anyone not Pureblood, even if the jabs were subtle.
But here she was, a part of a magical world as much as anyone.
She traced the name with her finger. "And who would have thought it would have been you?"
The note next to it read:
Happy birthday, love,
To my witch, the mother of my children, my swotty-er half.
This is for you. My name for the good and bad it brings, my legacy, everything I am, everything I ever hope to amount to.
For you,
All my love,
Draco
P.S wear the green thing tonight. ;)
Laughing quietly to herself, she stowed the note in the top drawer of her desk. The framed picture of Lyra, fresh out of the bath, wrapped in a towel with an otter-shaped hood over her head, clapping her chubby baby hands in the loop, seeming to applaud her decision. Rose and Evelyn in the picture next to it spun in circles around Draco at the wedding, none of them looking at the camera.
An alarm blared from the Auror's bullpen from down the hall. Hermione dropped everything and sprinted to the sound, wand at the ready.
Harry was leading a raid team in from the Atrium fireplace, calling for warm blankets and chocolate, pepper up potion if they had it.
Hermione set to conjure thick woollen blankets and sending them to shivering Aurors in rapid succession. "What happened? This was supposed to be a level one raid, practically a training exercise, you said!" She called to the lead Aurors, still helping in stumbling new trainees who looked as though they'd been dunked in a frozen lake.
"It was. It was, but our intel was wrong. It was …" Harry swallowed hard. "They were breeding dementors on an old unplottable island property. Cliffside caves, where they thrive. We were the first other humans they had felt, so when we broke down the wards...they were everywhere." He pulled the broken glasses off his face and handed them to Hermione. "We need a Patronus refresh course. It was just me and a few others. I'm spent." The witch pursed her lips but fixed the glasses.
"How many were there? Were you able to contain them?"
"20...many 30. They...they scattered. We were really remote; I'm not even sure they could leave the island."The colour returned slowly to Harry's face, and chatter among the other Aurors changed from scared whispers to more coherent mutterings.
Her secretary had several memos poised and ready to go from Hermione's office. "I know we should call an emergency meeting with Creatures, though I think their head is on holiday. Shall I inform the Prophet as well?"
Everyone fell silent, all eyes on Hermione. It was her first major call as a solo Department head, a moment that would define how the rest of the Ministry saw her for the rest of her career.
"No. Don't tell the Prophet. The last thing we need is false reports from people panicking. We don't even know if they made it to the mainland. We'll tell the public if we need to, but for right now, everyone just brush up on Patronuses. Use one to tell your families we're all staying late to make a game plan. Like so - Expecto Patronum." Her familiar otter burst forth and hovered in the air, waiting for its orders. "Draco, I'm so sorry I won't be able to make it. Save me a piece of cake, girls; I'll see you in the morning."
Harry gave her a singular nod as the room filled with a menagerie of luminescent creatures.
30 had certainly kicked off with a bang.
October 2009
Hermione held the delicate silver chain in one hand and the Draco constellation charm in the other.
With a frown, Draco put aside his notes on the work he'd brought home and took them in hand.
"Lyra grabbed it while throwing a tantrum about bedtime. It seemed more complex than a Reparo…"
He pocketed the broken pieces. "I'll figure something out. I'm glad you're home tonight; the girls and I missed you."
She walked around the table separating them, wincing at his words. "I'm sorry, the Department for Control and Regulations of Magical Creatures needs a massive overhaul. Most of the employees there should have retired before they reached this utter state of apathy, and I'm bogged down in so much red tape- " she stepped into his arms, burying her face in his chest. "I might need another holiday around Christmas. Something warm."
Draco stroked her hair. "That's good that you're thinking like that. Don't let yourself get too burnt out. You have a whole Ministry to conquer."
"If I can't even run Law Enforcement -"
"You can, Granger. You are. You're trying to fix a very broken, outdated system of doing things, and you are only one witch. Take breaks. Come home to us. The stupid people will still be there in the morning."
She sighed heavily. "Okay. I hear you. Thank you for telling me that."
"One more thing you should know about. Happened while you were still at work. Falkor got out to the back garden -"
"Oh no!"
"Caught a cross-breeze and took off into the sunset."
"Poor Evelyn. Must be heartbroken."
"Not after I promised her a cat for Christmas."
She sighed again. "Fine. But the girls are doing their part in caring for it."
November 2009
"I want ice cream." Whined Rose. "Why would we even come here without getting ice cream?"
Evelyn huffed on the other side of Hermione. "To buy things, obviously."
" It's November and not nearly warm enough for ice cream. And we're going to look at Flourish and Blotts. I'm told they have a new bestsellers display." Hermione announced, shepherding her children through the crowded Diagon Alley, one on each hand, Draco wearing Lyra in the baby carrier behind him. She hadn't been a fan initially until she realized how much more she could see from the vantage.
"Dada, cat!" She pointed her finger at a picture of a cat in the window.
"I see it. Very good."
"Dada, dog!" She announced, pointing to a tiny dog in a handbag. Draco didn't respond, distracted by something behind him. "Dog! Look! Dog!" She insisted.
"Alright, alright, yes, I suppose that's a dog well done. Just like your mother, Merlin's sake."
"That's not a bad thing. Don't say that like a bad thing!" Hermione called over the now squabbling Evelyn and Rose.
"Two years, and I never have to come home for the holidays and go shopping with you!" Rose grumbled.
"Don't be silly, you have...oh my god…" Hermione's voice cracked. "Two years is still enough time; get along."
Flourish, and Blotts finally came into view. The window display featured a forest green backdrop and a black leather-bound book with gold lettering. One of the books lay open, displaying a huge family tree.
"That's daddy's book!" Evelyn let go of Hermione's hand and bolted towards the window, Rose close behind.
The curly-haired witch fell back beside him. "Well...what do you think...want to try one more time for the Mastery?"
Draco moved to the window in a trance. "I don't think I do. This is better. No one can say I bought or bullied my way -" he froze as his eyes darted up to the corner of the window. Hermione followed his gaze and saw a wizard in a dark overcoat with both hands in his pockets, watching them a few feet back. "That bastard has followed us since the Leaky."
"Should we just go?" Hermione didn't move and continued to watch the man carefully.
"No. Let me handle this-"
"Draco, you can't...let's just go home, and we'll report it -"
"We have the children, Hermione. Whoever this is, isn't a friend of ours and who knows -"
"I..I...what if it's just a...from the Leaky? Really?" She twisted her hands together.
"Yes, he was waiting behind us when we came through. I can handle him. Let me take care of this."
Anger was rolling off his very being. He would probably just charge off and ask for forgiveness later if she didn't grant it now.
"Alright!" She squeaked on the verge of anxiety. "Give me Lyra. Harry isn't in today, do not get caught. And be safe." Draco handed her the baby carrier, and it magically sealed around her chest.
Without another word, Draco turned around to confront the man, who immediately started to hurry through the crowd. They disappeared into a short alley between buildings.
His fist curled tighter to the stranger's coat as he shoved him harder to the wall.
"Why the hell are you following my family?" Draco growled in his face.
"I was paid! Please let me go. I know who you are, I don't want - "
"Who paid you?"
"Edgecomb! Marrietta Edgecomb gave me a few galleons in the Leaky. Just wanted to know what you lot were doing -"
"Fucking bitch!" Draco swore and dropped the man's collar. He fell on his arse and scrambled back up. Draco sniffed and straightened himself. "Didn't anyone ever tell you stalking people was wrong?"
The wizard chewed his lip nervously. "I really needed the money."
"What'd she give you? I'll double it if you -"
In the distance, Lyra's cry carried through the air. An unnatural mist fell upon them, and the temperature dropped so much little flurries fell from the sky.
Five dementors were descending on Diagon Alley. Screams and cracks of apparition broke the stillness, panic, and hysteria taking over the crowd.
Draco sprinted out to Hermione, who had Evelyn and Rose hidden behind her and a hand pressed to shrieking Lyra's head.
Memories were starting to creep into his own mind, but the dementors had decided that Hermione should be their main target.
Their eyes met.
Hermione's mouth formed the incantation he couldn't hear over his own imposing terror.
It wasn't the corporeal form but a huge white shield that emitted from Hermione's wand. There was a brief, blinding light as it reached its zenith and the dementors scattered.
"Cool." Intoned Rose, loud enough to be heard by everyone on the street.
The picture on the cover of the Daily Prophet was spectacular. Hermione's silhouette against the brightness of the shield, the children behind her, re-enforced her image as a protector of all wizardkind.
But the articles and opinion pieces inside were not so kind. They criticized Hermione's very call made as head of the DMLE thus far and demanded to know why and how this could have happened.
Marrietta Edgecomb, Head of the Department of Transportation, reports. "This wasn't even known throughout the Ministry. We couldn't protect our families or inform the public for ourselves. I believe this calls for the immediate resignation of Hermione Granger as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for making such a terrible choice."
To her credit, Hermione took it all in stride. She handled the crisis with grace and mostly kept the balance of family and work the same, only calling off the holiday abroad for this year.
For the first time, they truly felt like a unified force that could handle anything, anything at all, that the universe would throw their way. Nothing could shake them or surprise them anymore.
Chapter 26: Four
Summary:
An anniversary trip leads to an unexpected development ;)
Notes:
Peep that chapter count though. Currently have up to 30 drafted. Coming into the last quarter of this fic has me feeling everything and I'm so grateful for everyone who's been along on this ride with me. Thank you all so much
Talonwillow is the sweet to my tea :)
Chapter Text
Late April 2010
Avignon, France
The hotel suite could only be described with words like opulent and grandiose . Overkill of the highest order and on the list of things she refused to look at the bill for.
But this early anniversary getaway was sorely needed by both parties. Draco had stolen her magical calendar, inked it in, and set it in a permanence charm. He then sent out an (un)official memo to the entire department that Hermione would be out that weekend no matter what. Hermione had been so drained of energy the only scolding he received was, "Don't do that again."
The last 6 months, their lives had been dominated by the dementor incident, even after they had been rounded up. The press hounded her every move, eager to find more flaws with the "Golden Girl". All while she threw her weight behind reforming the essentially defunct Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures who had proved more than useless in helping the Auror's with the dementors. Just as she had predicted the moment after the sighting in Diagon Alley, they had been swarmed with false sightings, wasting even more time.
But since it had been rebuilt, she proposed an official rename to the Department for Magical Creatures, and no one objected to the change. The fact that the meeting for the name change was held at 4:30 on a Friday, may have played a small part in that.
Technically it wasn't even her job, but since she couldn't do her actual job properly without it….
She had been head of both departments, with no extra help and paparazzi watching her every move.
Now she sunk into the blissfully steamy waters of the bathtub for two, eyes closed, the knots in her shoulders starting to loosen. Even with her legs stretched out before her, there was still plenty of room for Draco.
When he was done with whatever he was up to.
The sound of his shoes on the tile met her ears.
"I re-enforced the privacy wards around the room. The last thing we want is the Prophet saying you were on holiday abroad while Britain was plagued by dementors."
The sound of his belt buckle clinking echoed next, and she tried to quiet some of the lust roaring to life after a long hibernation. Without opening her eyes, she responded.
"Thank you. I'd prefer if you just punched any reporters at this point, though."
He chuckled. "Granger, are you giving me permission to be violent on your behalf?"
"No, I'm giving you permission to punch, with your fist, once, anyone who follows us on the off chance we manage to leave this room." She opened one eye and was rewarded with the sight of her husband shrugging out of his shirt.
"I like the sound of that."
Both eyes open now, she watched him finish getting undressed and ease gracefully into the bathtub. After giving him a minute to settle, she nudged her foot against his hand. He scoffed but started kneading her arch with a knuckle.
"Thank you," she mumbled.
"It's what I'm here for. Someone has to look after you. Did you take your anti-anxiety potion? The first night is always the worst when you're away." She nodded, a stray curl bouncing on her forehead. "Good. Did you take your contraceptive potion?"
She hedged, then nodded. Yes, of course, she did. The last Thursday of every month, just like always. Thursday had been rather chaotic...but she had gotten to it.
Even if she hadn't, it was one month. Nothing was going to happen.
Draco stopped moving. "Are you sure?"
Irritation flared. "Of course, I'm sure. I'm a grown woman I can remember to take my damn potions."
He dropped her foot lightly back in the water. "You are. But you're only one grown woman doing the job of many. Too many."
"You say that all the time; you sound like a broken record!"
"I don't know what that means, so I'm electing to ignore it. No matter how brilliant you are...and you are..exceptionally so -" she insistently kicked his other hand with her other foot. "Alright, alright. You can be shite at taking care of yourself."
Hermione snapped, losing all pretense of being relaxed. "I know, I'm trying, Draco! It's a lot to balance, and I am doing my best! "
He said nothing, and the formerly romantic atmosphere was replaced with tension. The irritation turned inward at herself for ruining the moment.
Determined to salvage the first night, she sat up to her knees and moved to straddle his lap, giving him a coy smile. The stoney facade melted after a few gentle kisses. "It's a good thing I married a man who spoils me in gifts and orgasms to make up for my shortcomings then, isn't it?"
"Yes, it seems I'm just the man for the job." Draco gave her a salacious look that meant he was definitely planning on doing both of those things very soon.
Late April 2010
Paris, France.
"This was a marvelous idea, my love. Just the one night in Paris is all...is all we really needed. And they call me the smart one." Hermione's eyes fluttered as Draco turned her wine into water in the glass still clutched in her hand after checking to see if anyone was watching them.
"Excuse you. Rude."
"You will thank me tomorrow when we take our ridiculously early Portkey home, Granger. Now do the thing to make the taxi come so we can get you to bed." He held up her arm gently and shook her hand.
"I have an idea!" she practically screamed, causing passersby to look their way this time.
"If it involves more wine, no."
"No, no...I want to go to the Lestrange Mausoleum and show that psychotic bitch what I've done to her precious nephew. That I've got you standing in the middle of Muggle Paris, with the mobile and pockets full of muggle money, hailing a taxi." She wrapped her arms around his neck in either a move to show her affection or steady herself; it wasn't quite clear. "I'm so...proud of you, and I love you. Let's have...let's have a thousand more babies, Draco."
He tried to stifle the laugh but failed. Instead, he resigned to wave a wad of cash in the air at any automobile, knowing they needed to get back to the hotel before Hermione started an international incident.
"And another thing. Marrietta Edgecomb can suck it. Things we're finally good again, and she had to -"
"Edgecomb is just jealous. Finally!" a taxi screeched to a halt, almost hitting the curb. "Into the car...there we go." Draco had to practically pour his wife into the car, but after some careful maneuvering, got them both in. "And for the record, things are always good. I knew what I was signing up for when I married you. Never once had the impression things would be simple or quiet."
Hermione gave him a crooked grin, illuminated by the yellow of the Parisian street lamps as her head lolled back against his chest. Draco told the driver the name of the hotel in rapid French, and she giggled. "Tell him to hurry up; we have a thousand babies to make."
June 2010.
"Dad, let's go! Go go go!" Rose was shouting. "The match starts in an hour; we're running out of time!"
Evelyn sniffed and pushed her sunglasses further up her nose. "Yes, please, let's get this over with. Perhaps the keeper will catch the...shiny thing very quickly and we can leave."
Rose stopped and stared her sister in the eye. "My grandad knows more about Quidditch than you do, and he's a bleeding muggle, Evelyn!"
"Calm down, Rose, we're leaving!" Draco yelled, descending the stairs. He stopped and swiftly kissed Hermione waiting at the bottom. "Are you sure you won't come with us?"
She shifted Lyra on her hip. "Oh no, you'll have a much better time if I just stay with her. Have a fantastic time at the match. Then be sure to meet your mother at the Portkey office at 5, don't come back here in the meantime. I'll see you tonight." She beamed and tried to plaster an innocent expression on her face.
"Granger, if there are extra people in his house when we get back, it's going to ruin the whole day."
"I know, you don't like surprises; there is no surprise party tonight. None at all." Rose and Evelyn giggled. "Best be off, for your only thirtieth birthday celebration. Have a good time!" She ushered them all through the Floo, Draco scowling all the while.
As soon as they were gone, Hermione collapsed on a chair, pushing her hair from her face. Merlin , she was tired. Lyra climbed off her, babbling all the while.
She would open her eyes in just a second. One more moment of blissful darkness…
"Granger." startled her awake.
Pansy's face was in the Floo.
"Hi, Pansy! Um, Draco's not here yet, and the party doesn't start - "
"Good. I'm coming through."
The witch materialized in her living room a second later. Lyra came running and squealed happily. Pansy scooped her up and cooed, "Hello, favorite niece! Are you planning the party today?" Lyra nodded happily in response, talking a million miles a minute in toddler speech and pointing. "Well, that's good! I need to talk to your mother now, ok?" Her face turned serious as she turned to Hermione, setting the toddler down. "Granger, I need your utmost discretion on an issue. Please."
"I am head of the DMLE -"
"It's not that. Nothing like that. I just…" she looked around again, double-checking they were alone, save Lyra. "I need you to show me how to do the pregnancy charm."
"Oh...oh my...I didn't even know you were seeing someone."
"I'm not. I mean, it's not serious. It was just...a passing thing. And if I am, well … I don't know, quite frankly."
Hermione solemnly, feeling relieved that Pansy felt she could come to her with this sort of thing, but shocked she hadn't sought out her best friend.
"Is there a reason you came to me?"
"I knew you wouldn't judge me. Daphne is my best friend and all, but she's only been in love with one person who's absolutely mad about her back." Pansy wrapped her arms around herself. "And not to mention you're a far better teacher than her."
She reached out and squeezed Pansy's hand reassuringly. "Of course, I won't judge you. Only one way to know for sure. The incantation is Foetus Revelio, and you scan your wand over your abdomen. If you're pregnant, they'll be a little gold ball of light."
"Show me the motion?"
"Of course." Hermione took a step back, held out her wand horizontally, and scanned down from the bottom of her rib cage, slowly, for Pansy's sake. " Foetus Revelio." She didn't bother to look down.
Pansy's eyes grew wide. "A little ball of light like that?"
"Excuse me?" Hermione looked down to see a tiny pea-sized ball of light. She tried to blink it away in her shock. "But that…" She reperformed the spell with the same result.
Pansy did it on herself with no light to speak of. "Oh, thank Morgana. All I wanted was to get a leg over on the hot florist. I didn't even know you and Draco were trying though, congratulations."
"We aren't. We weren't." her voice sounded small even to her own ears. "I took...I took my potion, and then we went on holiday…" The room tilted and spun, and she had to collapse back into the chair. "I can't be...even if I didn't take it, I just missed the one dose. It doesn't work like that for me."
The dark-haired witch busied herself summoning the hidden party decorations and setting them around the room with practiced ease. "This time, it did. This is great though, you two are amazing parents and…"
"And I'm never going to be Minister for Magic at this rate." Hermione couldn't even summon the energy to cry. The truth seemed too overwhelming to even settle in as if it were too big to fit. "I'll be surprised if I can hold on to my current job like this. And our marriage...we just got to a good place, Pansy. It's been so uphill this whole time…"
A balloon that had been inflating burst, scaring Lyra and making her cry. Pansy bent to soothe her easily then rounded on Hermione. "Stand up."
"I'm too tired."
"Stand up and look me in the eye and tell me you can't do it. Up up." She ordered.
Hermione got to her feet, exhaustion still raw on nerves. "I can't do it."
"Do you want this pregnancy? I won't judge the answer."
"I do."
"Do you want to stay married to Draco? I will have to judge that answer. I am biased."
"I do want that as well."
"And do you, Hermione Granger, the real savior of the wizarding world— because we all know Potter can hardly tie his own shoes— want to run for Minister for Magic after you fix the rest of that bureaucratic nightmare?"
"Of course I do, Pansy, but- "
"But nothing! You are a powerful, strong, progressive witch, and you can have it all!"
"You're right, I suppose-"
"I know I'm right. Come on, Granger, let's hear it. You are…"
"I am a strong, powerful progressive witch, and I can have it all! The girls deserve it, Draco deserves it, and I do too!"
"Damn right!"
Lyra let out a screech mocking Pansy's rising voice. "Yes, exactly. So what's next? How are you going to tell Draco? You have a terrible habit of just blurting out; you need a plan."
Hermione's mouth fell open. "Oh...oh no...no, I can't tell Draco. If I tell him, he'll know he was right about the potion…"
Pansy made a face. "Well, we will be hearing about that for at least the next 50 years. Brilliant. But I'm afraid you should tell him at some point."
"Is...when I'm in labor a viable option?" Hermione only half-joked. "I suppose I should tell Narcissa while she's here as well…"
Lyra ripped down a balloon free that was hanging on the banister with a bright golden 30 on it and presented it to Hermione like a lost treasure, giving her an idea.
Narcissa came through the Floo with Evelyn chattering at her side. She was so immune to magical travel, even a face full of ash couldn't deter her speech. Rose and Draco came through, still excited from the match, equally sunburnt and decked in Falcon's merchandise.
None of them noticed the balloons on the stairs behind Hermione all had 4's on them.
The Malfoy matriarch planted a swift kiss on both of Hermione's cheeks before summoning Tilly to take her purse and agreeing with whatever Evelyn was saying.
She kept her eyes fixed on Draco, who was hoisting Rose up and then dropping her, yelling, " DIVE DIVE DIVE! AND SHE CATCHES THE SNITCH! FALCONS WINNN!" Catching his breath, he approached Hermione, bringing her in for a brief kiss. "I know I'm early; I ruined the surprise. I'm terrible."
"It's okay. I've already decorated, look." Hermione pointed to the balloons, but Draco wasn't paying attention, picking up Lyra and doting on her, freeing a few pieces of confetti from her hair.
Of course, it was Narcissa's keen eye that landed on the balloons first. "Hermione, dear, I believe there's been a mistake, these say four…" her eyes flitted to the other witch's small smile, back down to the balloon, then back up. "Or...is this intentional?"
"Yes. It's intentional."
"I don't get it! "Rose announced. "Who's four?"
"What's four?" Draco asked, finally clueing into the conversation, looking at a balloon Lyra presented to him in the same way she had Hermione.
"We are," she answered quietly. "parents of four…"
Draco frowned, thinking hard about something. "But...you can't be…we...weren't trying…"
"I said the same thing. I guess I just forgot…and it just happened. Are you upset?"
Their eyes met in another moment that cemented itself in their memories. So many times of looking to the other for comfort, for understanding, in a heartbeat changed everything. Recognition dawned in his stormy gray eyes, and he closed the space between them again, taking short stammering breaths before crushing her body to his.
"Are you okay? Please say something." Hermione mumbled against him.
"I'm ecstatic." His voice was muffled, his face buried in her curls. "I knew you forgot that potion, but I didn't dare hope- "
"You did not!"
He sniffed and pulled away as the children started to crowd in around them demanding answers, but grinning from ear to ear. "We're having another baby. Circe, help us."
Rose groaned and threw her balloon. "A baby?! I told you it wasn't kittens Evelyn."
Late June 5th...possibly June 6th
Granger Malfoy residence.
"Potter."
"Nott."
"Potter."
"Zabini."
Harry Potter nodded and held his lit wand higher. "Looking for Malfoy too?"
Theo nodded. "Granger send you out here?"
"Yeah, she was pretty upset. Was convinced Malfoy had just ...fled but wouldn't tell me why she would think such a thing. Do you ...happen to know why?"
Blaise sighed. "He's been acting weird all night. But good weird, not secret Death Eater planning weird."
"I bet she's pregnant again," Theo grumbled, kicking over a rock.
"Got a problem with that, Nott? " Harry shot at him.
"Nope, just weird to me, is all. Luna and I are child-free, forever and always thank you very much." He held his wand up to search up some tree branches. "We'll leave it to the rest of you to procreate productive citizens."
"Found him," Blaise announced, pointing to a small clearing where Draco was laying on his back, clearly inebriated beyond standing. "Malfoy, you git! "
"A thousan' babies! '' Draco answered, throwing an arm over his eyes. "I'm gon' to run outta constellation names Blaise."
"There is an elocution teacher in Wiltshire weeping somewhere," Theo muttered, prodding Draco with the toe of his shoe.
"His name was Mr. Perkins he wa' very nice. But look Cassiopeia!" he pointed straight up, and the other three wizards looked. There were only a few clouds and the moon overhead. They exchanged concerned looks.
Harry groaned and dangled a sober-up potion directly above his face. "Take this Malfoy."
"I'd jus' thro it up."
Blaise looked at Theo. "If Mr. Perkins was still alive, he's not anymore. Shall we levitate him on three?"
"Wait." Theo leaned over Draco's face. "Is Granger pregnant? Is that why you're acting like a twat?"
Draco held a finger over his lips and tried to make a shushing noise but laughed instead.
"Knew it. Alright, on three. One, two, three! Up!"
Bonus Reel
Draco looked over the edge of paper -the evening edition of the Prophet- to see his daughters staring at him intently. Even Lyra, who was holding a plastic food dish for a pet.
"Daddy, remember when you promised me a cat? For my birthday, you said." Evelyn started shifting something behind her back.
"Why?"
"Well, when I was out with Grandmother today...I found...and she doesn't have a home, so she needs one .."
"Quit waffling and just show him," Rose grumbled, hoisting a big black fuzzy something from the box.
It largely resembled a cat in shape and size but lacked distinction in the face. With one large orange eye and a long bottom tooth and a squashed nose, it resembled more of a bulldog.
"Her name is Leo! " Evelyn exclaimed proudly, bundling the mass of black fur in her arms.
"Wait, my mother let you actually pick that up?!"
"No, she hovered her into the box and charmed her clean Daddy! And then said we should give her a family name.
At that, Hermione snorted into her tea, and Draco's eyes went wide.
"Cat! Meow-meow! My cat!" Lyra chimed in.
"Our cat. We'll all take care of her. Promise." Rose nodded solemnly.
Draco looked at Hermione, who was smirking. "I don't have a problem as long as they do the upkeep. She does conveniently come with a family name."
He grumbled, "Been out Slytherined by my own mother. Fine, she can stay, but she sleeps in your rooms."