Last Time
Tomorrow was going to be hectic, just looking after the kids who would be missing their mother, particularly little Leolin. It was going to be loud and the kids would be upset and the boys overwhelmed and up to their eyes in everything. He would make time to call in the reinforcements. He also needed to call the healers and have them here, ready and waiting for when that baby was born…it could be the only difference in Harry surviving the birth or not.
Chapter One Hundred-Thirty-Eight – Baby Malfoy
Richard had truly never seen such a hectic house, and given that he used to help his children cause chaos when they were young, that said a lot.
If he had any doubts that Harry was the heart of this home then the way the kids were screaming for their mother would easily dispel any thought on the matter.
Braiden had cried himself sick…twice, Leolin was refusing to eat, Calix was hitting everyone who came near him, and Regan couldn't sleep.
Myron had made an executive decision, going over Nasta's head as the top dominant, and called in the family to help calm everything down.
Xerxes was currently resting on the settee with the twin girls, one in either arm. They were finally napping, but the one was still sniffling and huffing, even now still fighting true sleep.
Alexander had Tegan on his lap, reading a story to her and her several penguin toys, the oldest of which was her favourite and was named 'Pengy'. Richard knew that another was called Little Guin and another, the newest one which had come from their zoo trip recently, was called Softy. The others either didn't have names or Tegan hadn't felt the need to introduce him to them.
Myron was feeding Taren, who was very unsettled with the noise and stress in the house and he'd missed two naps and refused a feed before Myron had taken control of him.
Kimberly had Regan in her arms, singing to him softly as he cried into her neck, every now and then a soft, heartbreaking cry of 'mummy' coming from him as he still refused to sleep.
Leolin wouldn't tolerate anyone touching him, but Nasta was trying to calm the screaming, tantruming Faerie in the other room…they could still hear the occasional screaming through the doors.
Farren was just confused and incredibly unsettled as Alayla cuddled her nephew and tried to distract him from his siblings and reassure him that everything was alright, even though everything felt off without Harry in the house.
Calix was being such a terror that Max had his hands full upstairs, stopping the almost three-year-old from hitting, kicking, and now biting too. Calix was well and truly playing up and if they took their eye off him for a moment then he started immediately displaying destructive behaviour, such as throwing toys, hitting his siblings, or even pulling their hair as he tried to deal with emotions that were much too big for him.
It was Braiden who was breaking their hearts, however, as he broke his own heart crying for Harry and yesterday, they'd lost sight of him only to finally hunt him down, upstairs, checking every room as he called for his mummy. Nasta had had to show him every single room, and that Harry wasn't in any of them, but it hadn't helped and Braiden had cried himself sick when he finally understood that Harry wasn't in the house. He'd done the same this morning, when Harry hadn't shown up for breakfast. He had finally cried himself into a fitful sleep and he was in his bed, resting.
Richard had a headache as he brought everyone in the house tea and coffee. He'd put out juice and snacks for the kids who were still awake, but only Tegan had wanted anything. He headed carefully, quietly into the smaller of the two living rooms.
"How is he?" Richard asked Nasta quietly, just in case Leolin wasn't actually asleep and kicked off at hearing him.
Nasta shook his head, looking down at his son sadly.
"They're all unsettled and unhappy. It wasn't this bad when he went into his nest for Taren."
Nasta looked stressed and tired and Richard couldn't blame him for it with what he was witnessing.
"The older ones, especially, are old enough to remember a few months ago." Richard pointed out. "Having this happen twice in such a small amount of time has to be affecting them."
"I hope Harry doesn't fall pregnant again for a while." Nasta confided…showing a small hint of vulnerability.
"Don't worry, son." Richard said, giving him a supportive touch. "If he does, we'll help you. You don't have to bullheadedly forge ahead by yourselves. You have a lot of children now, you're about to get into double digits, even. Without Harry here, you're hopelessly outnumbered and don't think that the rest of us can't see how stressed and worried you all are about Harry."
Nasta sighed heavily and shifted Leolin in his arms, looking down at the little boy's face. He was frowning, even in sleep.
"I've been trying to hide it. I didn't want Harry to see me so worried, he was scared enough without anyone else adding to it, but now that he's gone…now that there is nothing we can do and his placenta is right where he'll open himself up…" Nasta trailed off and shook his head.
"There is nothing that you could have done to help." Richard said gently. "You couldn't exactly reach into Harry and shift that placenta yourself."
Nasta sighed heavily and used his free hand to press against his forehead.
"I wish that I could have." Nasta confided. "I wish I could have done something to help. Harry looks to me to help him and I couldn't."
"I bet your Dracken is riding you hard about that too." Richard said knowingly.
Nasta nodded.
"The curse of the top dominant. I'm glad in some ways that Myron took that pressure from me, but Nasta, there's nothing you could have done in this situation. Harry's bump has already dropped, he won't be long. I can guarantee he will not reach November with that baby."
"That gives him less than two weeks in his nest." Nasta said, shaking his head.
"His bump has dropped. If he had a cervix, that baby's head would be engaged already or I'm no judge…and just remember that my submissive is a woman, so I have experience in this matter. Your baby will be born in a few days. I'm guessing the nineteenth of October."
"That's in two days, Richard." Nasta said. "He's only been in his nest for two days. Surely, he'll be in his nest for a little longer than that?"
Richard shook his head. "I wouldn't count on it, Nas."
"Most submissives stay in their nests and preen for weeks. He's not due until the end of November."
"Harry has never been like 'most' submissives." Richard pointed out. "He would never want to preen in his nest and leave his babies for any length of time. Certainly not for any longer than necessary."
Nasta sighed. "That does sound like Harry."
"Because it is Harry." Richard said firmly. "He loves his family. He loves his babies. Of course he would go into his nest for just a few days and then pop back out again. Didn't he prove that when he brought you Taren all bollock naked and still feral?"
Nasta managed a small hint of a smile.
"No, you mark my words, son, Harry knows his babies will miss him and that would be driving him mad. He's gone into that nest just long enough to satisfy his Dracken and he'll have that baby before November. Though, I'm still putting my Galleons on the nineteenth."
"I hope so, even if it does mess with his Dracken instincts. These kids don't like Harry being gone. They can handle one or two of us being out. They get a bit wound up if all of us but Harry is out and they'll cling to us when we come home, but if Harry's gone all hell breaks loose. They hate it."
"I can see that." Richard replied dryly.
"I'm going to put Leolin in his cot, hopefully waking up around those plants will help his mood enough that he can eat after."
"I've got you a cup of tea waiting in the other room." Richard told him.
"Richard, thank you." Nasta said seriously.
Richard shook his head. "Think nothing of it."
He went back into the bigger living room via the kitchen and there was still some snuffling and whining going on, but the kids had, finally, settled down enough that his head had stopped pounding.
He went to sit on the arm of the chair that Myron was sitting in, Taren asleep up on his shoulder, his chubby little face still red from his crying.
"I'm glad he's finally sleeping." Richard said, running a gentle hand through Taren's black hair.
"He's barely settled for me. For once, my shoulders aren't enough to comfort him."
"He wants Harry. They all want Harry." Richard said, shaking his head.
"Then, let us hope your prediction of the nineteenth rings true because two more days of this is going to be too much as it is." Myron said, resting back and jostling the eight-month-old baby closer to his neck.
Taren let out a huge sigh, but he, thankfully, didn't wake. Richard let out his own sigh, this one of relief that the baby didn't wake. A crying fit now would set off all of the overwhelmed kids.
Richard looked around the room again and saw that Regan was finally asleep in Kimberly's arms, Tegan was drifting, both twin girls were asleep on Xerxes, and Farren was playing a quiet game with Alayla.
Max and Calix had not made an appearance and Richard's head was too sore to go and check on them, just in case.
The floo chime sounded and both Tegan and Farren lifted their heads hopefully, as if they thought it might have been Harry, but it was going to be Draco coming home from work.
It would have been amusing, if it wasn't quite so sad, to see how quickly Tegan and Farren's faces fell when Draco walked into the room, not Harry.
"I see they're not in any better spirits since the morning." Draco said, sighing, already unbuttoning his work robes to show the smart suit underneath.
"No. They've only just started calming in the last hour." Alexander said softly, as Tegan slipped the settee and went hurrying to Draco.
"Daddy, where is mummy?" She asked him.
Draco swallowed, even as he hunched down in front of her.
"Mummy has gone to have the new baby, Tegan."
"Why not here?" She demanded to know.
"He can't have the baby in the house, darling. He has to leave so that he's safe."
But, of course, she was too little to understand what that meant. She understood enough to know that Harry wasn't here and that he wasn't coming back, however, so she started crying again.
Draco picked her up and quickly took her into the kitchen and then further, before she could wake the others. Taren squirmed and opened hazel-gold eyes, whimpering, but Myron quickly shushed him back to sleep.
Farren, too, looked on the verge of tears, but Alexander quickly took over, picking him up and taking him into the kitchen with a promise of a biscuit. It wasn't the healthiest way to cope, teaching Farren to turn to food when he was emotional, but any port in a storm for the moment, while they waited for Harry to nest and then endanger his very life with a high-risk birth.
All of them had already gone through the garden and into the trees to scout out exactly where Harry's nest was, just in case. As per winter births, Harry had dug it into the ground and it would likely be padded out nicely with all the warm, comfort items that Harry had been pilfering for months, which apparently included a brand new dragonhide portfolio case that Draco had been using for work…it still had his client information inside it.
'Why would he even need it?!' Had been Draco's angry outburst when he'd found it missing and assumed that Harry had taken it.
Richard chuckled to himself and then shook his head when Myron sent him a questioning look. Harry was a certain kind of submissive who would take everything he needed, and then random comfort items into his nest. Richard had laughed when he'd been told of Harry taking a patch of carpet, some curtains, all of his mates' pillows, a pair of oven gloves, and a welcome mat into some of his previous nests.
No one knew why some submissives did this and why some didn't, though it was a working theory that those submissives who had such a close, loving bond with their dominant would take items that smelt like their mates, or otherwise reminded them of their mates to comfort them in their nest, during a long period of separation from them, but Drackens were very instinctual when it came to nest building, so they took everything and anything they wanted, for reasons unknown. Richard doubted that Harry knew why he took some of the things he did into his nest. Some of them just wanted random crap in their nests as well, he thought with a chuckle.
"You'll wake him." Myron growled lowly.
"He's deeply asleep now, dear." Richard said softly.
Myron tested his theory by pulling the baby from his shoulder and then breathing out a sigh of relief when Taren didn't fuss or worse…wake back up.
"Thank Merlin." Myron sighed, standing and going to put Taren up in his cot.
Richard stood and took another look around.
Farren was the only one still awake, but he had a biscuit and seemed happier for it. The others had all been taken to bed, several hours later than any of them should have been. Merlin, he was tired.
Max came into the room and Richard frowned to see that his neck was bleeding.
"Calix?"
Max grunted. "He really sank his teeth in. I was trying to calm him down and get him to sleep and he snuggled in and I thought he was just that tired, but he went straight for my neck. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear he was a Dracken."
"I'll deal with him tomorrow." Xerxes insisted. He was now free of the twin girls, who had been taken up to bed while Richard wasn't looking, but he was looking at his nephew with a protective gleam that Richard was used to seeing in Myron's eyes. Then, Xerxes was near enough Myron's twin, just older. They had the same chestnut brown hair and black eyes. They were both tall and broad, though Myron was taller and more muscular. Richard gave a smile. Myron was always going to be better in his eyes, of course.
"Uncle Zerry, it's not needed." Max insisted. "Callie is my son and I will deal with him."
"I don't like seeing you hurt." Xerxes explained.
"I understand, but Calix is my child and I don't care if he claws me up and bites bits off me like he's a Dracken, he's hurting too."
"You shouldn't let him hurt you, Max."
"I didn't. I still told him off and he told me he was sorry once he saw the blood. He just doesn't know how to deal with all the emotions he's feeling, so he's lashing out. It's my job as a parent to teach him how to deal with his emotions in a healthy way and that is what I'm trying to do."
Max picked up Farren and gave him a cuddle, before telling him that he was going to read him a story until he fell asleep.
Their jobs weren't done, however, as Leolin, at the least, would wake up early as he'd missed a feed in his upset. He was going to get hungry soon and he was not going to drop off to sleep easily again either.
Richard prayed that Harry did not stay more than a few days in his nest. He didn't want to see how distressed the kids would be if he went anything more than a week.
He was preening gently as his wings cradled his body, protecting it from the elements even as he wrapped himself in the softest fabric in his nest. He liked the feel of it against his skin and scales.
He was proud and pleased as his hands rubbed gentle circles over his protruding belly, where his newest baby nestled inside him. This one would be his tenth baby and he preened to himself, puffing out his chest with pride. Everything was going as it should.
He pulled the pillow closer and draped himself over it, tugging the soft fabric over himself more fully as he snuggled down, yawning. He needed to take a small rest.
His dominant mates were feeding him well…a little too well as he growled at them and threw away half of what they offered to him. He didn't like having his nest so cluttered up with objects he hadn't brought in himself, but he did appreciate that they were protecting him. That they were feeding him and their unborn baby. They were just a little overzealous.
His eyes fluttered and his body sank into the pillow. He just needed a quick rest. It was almost time for his tenth child to enter the world. Almost, but not quite.
The house was a terrible place to be at the moment. Richard's prediction of the nineteenth had come and gone. It was the twentieth of October and there was no sign yet that Harry would birth today. He had been in his nest for five days and the kids were desolate and distressed and there was little that they could do to help them, they were missing Harry and there was too much unrest in the house with the number of people inside it…not just extra family but healers were popping in and out too.
They were all just waiting. Waiting. Waiting.
It was stressful and anxiety-inducing and no one was getting much sleep.
Blaise himself felt wrung out and he was exhausted. He was running on coffee and little else and Nasta wasn't even complaining about it. Nasta was not complaining about anything lately. They were all in the same boat and they were waiting for Harry to go into labour. He was anxious over that too. He wanted Harry to be fine, but his placenta had not moved out of the way as of his last scan, which meant he would have to cut through it to get their tenth baby out. Blaise swallowed. Not only would that be unbearably painful for Harry, but it would lead to massive blood loss too, for both Harry and potentially the baby as well, which is why they had two healers waiting on them, one for Harry and one for the baby.
"Blaise?"
Blaise heard Max calling and he turned his head, just as his mate walked into the room.
"Oh, there you are. Are you feeling okay? Is it a headache?" Max asked, looking worried.
"No. My head is fine."
"Are you sure? You don't have to hide it from me, or any of us. I can get you a headache potion if you need it."
"It's not that, Max. I'm worried about Harry and the baby."
Max grimaced and came to sit beside him. "Yeah, I understand. We're all worried about them, but there's nothing we can do."
Blaise felt that all too keenly. That he was useless. That he couldn't help Harry in this terrible time.
"We all feel it." Max told him seriously.
Blaise turned to see Max staring at him intently, a knowing look on his handsome face.
"We're all useless to him in this." Blaise lamented.
"Yeah, we are. But you know how we are going to be useful to him? When he comes out of his nest with a new baby and he needs our love and support to get him through those first few weeks. We're going to be useful when we look after the new baby. We're going to be useful when we wait on him hand and foot so he doesn't have to shift a single muscle. We're going to be useful to him while we look after our nine kids so they don't accidentally hurt him as he recovers. Just because we can't be with him in his nest, or we couldn't move his placenta out of the way, doesn't mean we can't help after the fact, Blaise."
Blaise swallowed and tipped sideways to lay on Max, who wrapped his big arms around him and pressed a kiss to his head.
"It's hell now, while we wait for him to go into labour. It's the waiting that's the worst as we know what will happen, that it'll hurt him, but we can be ready to act the moment he births and calls for us. He's going to be fine, Blaise. Him and the baby, we can't think anything else."
Blaise nodded and then inhaled deeply, standing and reaching out his hands to pull Max up.
They headed back to the noisy living room. The kids were playing and laughing, but there was an edge of…something. Something unsettled and upset about them still.
"Daddy, I have biscuit?" Calix asked softly.
"Are you hungry, honey?" Max asked, picking him up and hugging him.
"Little bit. I want the animal biscuits."
"Alright, let me go and get the bag."
"Find me owl, Daddy."
"I'll find you an owl biscuit." Max promised.
Blaise stayed in the living room, watching the other kids as they played or when they would occasionally stop and look around the room, checking the faces of everyone there as if Harry would suddenly be hiding in the corner. It was heartbreaking to see them this way.
"Daddy, play with me."
Blaise looked down at Tegan and took her hand, which was held out to him. She pulled him over to where Regan and Braiden were playing with a wooden farm…they'd filled it with dinosaurs. Blaise chuckled softly as he sat and picked a dinosaur at random, making it trot around, occasionally 'eating' the other dinosaurs. It was nice to hear the kids laughing as he did this, a little more normal that settled him down. His Dracken side might be ripping him in half and driving him mad, but this little bit of normalcy helped to settle them both and likely the kids too. He truly hoped that Harry didn't stay in his nest for much longer, as selfish as those thoughts were. Every added day helped their unborn baby, but on the other hand, the baby was viable and…it all came back to that low-lying placenta. Everything would be fine as long as Harry and the baby didn't bleed to death during the birth.
It was late evening and they'd only just managed to get the kids into bed, sleeping, when the scream tore through the house, echoing into their very bones. Harry had gone into labour without their notice. He had made the first incision to birth their child into the world. It had started.
Everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing thanks to Draco's over-preparedness. He had a list and he had made sure that everyone had their jobs memorised for when Harry started his labour.
The Healers were informed and so was the entire extended family. They needed the support and the security of extra hands to help, just in case anything went wrong and Harry and the baby had to go to the hospital.
The screaming was terrible. Worse than usual, indicating just how painful it was for Harry to tear into his own body and through the temporary organ used to support their unborn baby.
They couldn't escape the screams. Each one increased their stress, the urge to swing into action and help Harry through this as he screamed and cried and they could feel his pain like an echo in their heads.
"It's been too long." Blaise fretted, pacing in short, stressed circuits.
No one said anything. It had been fifteen minutes since Harry had started screaming. It felt like it had been several hours.
Another scream…it pricked all of the hair on their bodies, turning their skin to goosebumps. It was terrible to hear, but it was also a sign of life, as much as they hated it. Hated hearing Harry in pain, screaming, his throat tearing, his voice breaking, but he was alive.
The next cry was haunting in its pain, making their very spines vibrate, their hands tremble. Their submissive mate was in such pain, such distress, and there was nothing they could do to help him.
"We should talk about intervention." Healer Jackson Moore told them quietly.
"He's still birthing." Nasta pointed out, his body almost vibrating, trembling with tension.
"We're almost at the half an hour mark." He told them gently. "He should have had that baby out by now. We know that blood loss is a huge risk, if he's lost too much blood to carry on, then we need to intervene to save both of their lives."
Nasta took a moment to look at his three mates, all of them nervous, anxious, stressed, and now terrified that their submissive was dying in his nest while they just stood here, debating whether to go and save him.
Another scream made up their minds. The noise was weaker, quieter. It still conveyed the pain that Harry was in, but there was something new…fear. Something had gone wrong.
No one needed to say anything or give permission. The four of them took off for the end of the garden, the healers following at a run. Myron came with them, but several family members remained in the house, with the sleeping babies who were none the wiser about what was happening.
They reached Harry's nest quickly and the smell of blood was heavy on the air. Too thick…too much of it.
Harry screamed again, still labouring, still desperate to find the energy to get his baby out, even if it cost him his life, but he knew they were there, a threat to him in such a vulnerable state, and he was furious.
Nasta had overruled the others and volunteered to be the one to slip into the nest to get Harry out and he had to dodge the blood-coated claws that lunged for his face the moment he entered. Harry, his own mate, was trying to claw out his eyes…or perhaps he was aiming for the throat, as Nasta caught the wrist on the next swipe just a whisper away from his neck.
Harry was sweating heavily, his lower body and his hands were red with blood. Nasta could barely breathe through the smell of blood and he could see their child's head, Harry was almost done with his labours, but it was taking too long and despite that they had intervened when Harry had clearly been able to get their baby out, Harry himself had lost too much blood. Under the sheen of sickly sweat, Harry was too pale. He was grey. His lips were white. They had needed to intervene when they did, Nasta assured himself.
Nasta held both of Harry's wrists in one hand and used the other to support Harry carefully, as he dragged him forcibly from his nest.
Harry was raging, thrashing, fighting, trying to bite him with four, dainty fangs that could, and would, sink through bone if Nasta wasn't careful. Harry had almost killed Cepheus once, by biting through his wrist and down into bone.
Nasta pinned Harry to the ground, holding his wrists above his head with one hand and using the other to pin Harry's chest down as the healers set to work. Healer Almus immediately took charge of the baby while Healer Moore started working on forcing blood replenishers on Harry, who was in no mood to take anything or be compliant as he tried to bite the healer.
The first blood replenisher was forced onto him and after it was swallowed, Harry screamed and it was a call for them…for his mates. He didn't recognise them while he was feral and none of them could smell anything over the blood. Nasta rumbled gently, trying to reassure Harry that everything was fine and as it should be, pushing aside the urge he had to answer that call for help with violence.
Nasta had to rationalise it to his Dracken that this was what was helping their submissive. That if they attacked the healers touching their submissive then he would die.
Harry tried to arch his back, scrabbling as Healer Almus pulled the baby free from him. Harry raged and screamed, calling for them, his dominant mates, to help, to help him, to help their baby. It was difficult to hear. It was even more difficult to push aside the automatic desire to help his submissive mate in his distress, but Harry sounded so weak, so tired. That scared Nasta more, even as he heard the thin wail of their newly born child as they were separated from the perforated placenta that had been leaking blood that the baby needed. That Harry needed.
Healer Almus took the baby immediately back towards the house, as they'd discussed. It was too cold outside, but Harry went ballistic and started screaming and raging. His distress call changed to encompass the entire family and not just his mates, but he would find no joy there either, as the entire family knew what was happening at the moment.
"We need to get him to the healing halls, Nasta. He's lost too much blood." Healer Moore said seriously. "I'm going to restrain his hands, but you need to take him at a run, are you ready?"
Nasta swallowed hard but steeled himself. Harry needed him. He nodded.
Healer Moore said a spell that bound Harry's wrists and covered his hands, making his claws absolutely useless, so that it was safe for Nasta to lift Harry into his arms and then run straight for the house.
There was more family in the house now, after Harry's distress call, but they all jumped out of his way, looking grim and sad as Nasta carried Harry through the house at a flat run and then flooed him straight to the healing halls.
They had called ahead when Harry went into labour and all the healers were on high alert, waiting for them, just in case.
"This way." Healer Georgio Alessandri instructed seriously, turning and jogging to the nearest surgery room.
Nasta followed him and saw the full team of healers were there, waiting for them.
"Place him here." Alfred Grant told him. "As high up the bed as possible, Delericey."
Nasta did as he was told and then stood back, out of the way as the healers swarmed his distressed, weakened mate. Harry had gone so pale that Nasta felt his heart clench tight. He swallowed and rested back against the wall for support as Healer Jackson came rushing into the room and started relaying everything he'd already done for Harry to his fellow healers. It was just words to Nasta, he wasn't a healer. He didn't even have first aid training like Max did. It all sounded serious to him, even as he watched, bile on the back of his tongue, as Harry was quickly and effectively knocked out.
"Nasta, we need the room." Jackson told him, looking at him expectantly.
"Is he…is he…?" Nasta couldn't get the words out. His throat felt so tight it was a wonder that he could still breathe.
"He's alive and we need the room to keep him that way." Jackson told him. "You can go to the lounge by the reception area, or you can go home to check on your baby."
That's right. They had a newly born baby at home…or perhaps the baby had been taken to the hospital too? He didn't even know.
"Please…" He coughed to clear his throat, even as Georgio and Alfred continually worked on Harry. "Please, keep us informed of…of anything."
"We will." Jackson replied understandingly.
Nasta nodded and took one last look at the grey-faced, white-lipped Harry before he fled the surgery room and back to the floo. He needed to check on the baby. He needed to know that Harry wasn't fighting for his life in vain.
Max was pacing when Nasta arrived home. He felt so tight he was close to snapping.
"How's Harry?" He demanded.
Nasta shook his head. "He's alive." He said quickly. "He's alive, but…they're working on him."
"We should have intervened quicker." Max said angrily, both hands balled into fists.
"Max…now isn't the time." Nasta said softly. "Where's the baby?"
"Upstairs." Max said, also softening his tone. "Healer Almus says the baby is fine. A little nick on the shoulder from Harry's claws, but the baby is fine. Draco and Blaise are up there. I needed to know about Harry."
"I was told to leave while they work, so they don't waste time minding me when they need to be looking after Harry."
Max stepped forward and embraced Nasta tightly. They took a moment to just hold one another. Max clung to Nasta and he felt the faint tremble in his top dominant. He turned his head and kissed Nasta's temple.
"I love you." Max said softly.
"I love you too, Max." Nasta said, settling in his arms and squeezing him tightly, one hand stroking his back.
"Is it Harry?" Draco asked, his voice shaky. He looked sick.
"He's alive, Draco." Nasta assured him. "The healers needed the room to work on him, so I was sent away. How is the baby?"
"A boy." Draco told them, smiling softly. "He's got a small wound to his shoulder. It looks like Harry either flinched due to pain or his hand spasmed because of the blood loss and it just scraped the baby, but he's fine. He needs some care, he's a little small for his gestation, but Healer Almus says he's going to be just fine once he's rested and been fed up a bit. He did need a blood replenisher, though."
"The full vial?" Max asked seriously.
Draco shook his head. "Healer Almus gave him two teaspoons from the vial."
Max relaxed and he felt Nasta following his lead. Two teaspoons meant that the baby hadn't been close to hypovolemic shock. Five teaspoons, yes. The whole vial would have meant the baby was close to death from blood loss. But, two teaspoons of the potion meant that they had intervened quickly enough…to save the baby, at least.
It was a relief. Such a relief to hear that the baby was going to be fine. A new little boy to join their family.
Max felt sick when he thought that Harry hadn't even had a chance to hold their newly born son. That Harry hadn't had any sort of chance to bond to him or scent him and if he…if the worst did come to happen then Harry wouldn't have even had the comfort of knowing their son was going to be fine.
Blaise came down and he was holding their newborn. He had been dressed and wrapped and seemed to be sleeping. He looked too pale to Max and he immediately went to check on the baby critically, even knowing that Healer Almus would have done everything for him.
"Do you want to hold him?" Blaise asked, offering the baby.
Max nodded and accepted the slight weight. Their son wasn't as small as any of their quintuplets had been, not even as small as Braiden, but he was smaller than Taren had been. Taren had been a big baby. He'd been over nine pounds born. This baby was six pounds if he had to guess.
"Wait, we have to do all of the records ourselves." Max burst out. "Harry never got to hold him, he's not going to know like he did with our others."
"Damn, you're right." Nasta said, shaking his head. "We have the scales and the soft measuring tape for Leolin in the kitchen."
"What do we need to record?" Blaise asked, even as they migrated from the smaller living room to the kitchen. The murmur of voices came from the bigger, family room where everyone was waiting for news.
"Birth weight and length, and his head circumference." Nasta rattled off.
Nasta set everything up and Max took the blanket from the baby and undressed him again. The nappy came off last and Max placed him gently into the bowl of the scales.
"Just shy of six pounds." Nasta read off. "Five pounds and fourteen ounces."
Draco had the tape measure and, as Max took him from the scales and laid him on the blanket he'd spread over the table, Draco carefully, obsessively measured the baby.
"Seventeen inches. He's a little small."
"Healer Almus said he was small for dates." Nasta reminded them.
"Head circumference is…" Draco very gently wrapped the tape around the baby's head. "Twelve inches, but we'll have to do it again in a few days."
"We'll remember."
The baby wailed softly at the cold and opened grey-blue eyes to glare up at them.
"Oh, he's definitely yours." Max laughed, giving Draco a soft kiss.
They all saw Draco swallow heavily, his hands nervously fluttering over the baby.
"He needs to be redressed, Draco." Nasta prompted.
Draco nodded and lifted the baby and started getting him back into his nappy.
"Let's go and introduce him to the family."
"Harry hasn't seen him." Blaise cut in angrily. None of them voiced that Harry might never see him.
"Harry would understand." Nasta said calmly. "We need to distract ourselves and everyone else. There's nothing we can do personally for Harry, we just have to wait for news. We can't cloister the baby away from the family when we're going to need their help. Harry could be in the healing halls for a while and we have ten kids to look after."
Blaise eased down and looked at their new baby, swallowing hard.
"It's okay, Blaise. This time now, while we wait for news, is going to be the hardest." Nasta said and Max took comfort from his words also. "Harry will forgive anything we do now to get through it."
Draco finished dressing the baby and cradled him in his arms, looking down at him with a look of clear devotion.
Max smiled at the sweet sight and he wrapped his arm around Draco.
"Your parents are here." Max told him. "You should go and introduce them to their grandson."
"The continuation of the Malfoy line." Blaise said, teasingly.
"You can laugh all you wish, but it's true." Draco replied with a sniff, then he cracked a small smile and Blaise reached forward to kiss him.
Max tugged gently and he led the way into the family room. Everyone stopped speaking, looking at them, waiting for news. Max found his throat was suddenly bone dry.
"We're waiting on news of Harry." Nasta said, sounding calm and completely rock steady. Max appreciated Nasta so much in that moment and he showed it by reaching back and pressing his hand to Nasta's waist.
"You acted quickly." Myron tried to assure him.
Nasta shook his head. "Not quickly enough. Our baby is going to be perfectly fine. Harry…Harry was very pale." Nasta finished lamely.
"The baby is going to be fine?" Lucius Malfoy asked seriously.
"He is fine." Max replied with a hard edge to his voice, almost a warning as his voice shook with emotion.
"Harry is strong." Lucius said quickly. "He's going to get through this."
"Lucius is correct." Myron added before anyone could attack the pompous arse. "Harry is strong. He will survive this. You acted quickly and he's getting the best care."
They were silent. The issue was, none of them knew what was happening at the healing halls, but, as the saying went, no news was good news, it at least meant that Harry was still alive.
"Was the baby a boy or a girl?" Kimberly asked them softly.
"A little boy." Draco said, shifting his arms to show he was actually holding the baby.
"Oh, he's not in the hospital?" Narcissa asked, walking forward to peer at the baby.
"He didn't need to go." Draco said protectively.
"Harry is a very good submissive." Richard assured them, holding his hands out. "No one is denying that. Of course he would do everything to make sure the baby was given the best chance at life."
"He did." Draco said softly. "Our son was given the best chance at survival, but…but it means that Harry wasn't."
"You intervened." Alexander said soothingly. "Harry is still alive and he's a fighter. He can come through this."
Max inhaled deeply and tried to picture it. His mind kept taking him back to when Nasta pulled Harry from his nest. He'd been stood, stanced to protect his mate from anyone who dared attack him in such a vulnerable condition, but as soon as he'd seen Harry…Max swallowed, his throat still as dry as dust. Harry had been covered in blood. He'd been so pale, sweating, he'd been straddling the thin line of hypovolemia even then. Max had known it the moment he'd seen Harry's white, bloodless lips.
He shuddered and then Nasta was there, an arm hooked around him, holding him, giving him support. It was impossible not to love Nasta. It was impossible not to admire his strength in times like this.
"Maxie?"
"It's difficult standing here, doing nothing, when all we want is to help Harry." Nasta answered for him.
"I hate thinking that we're absolutely no use to him." Blaise added. "That we can't help our own submissive mate. My Dracken is driving me crazy."
Nasta pulled Blaise into their hug and held him, giving over his strength to Blaise as well. Draco came and tucked himself into his side and Max wrapped his other arm around Draco and the baby.
"Boys, he's going to get through this."
"You didn't see him." Max's voice sounded like it had been dragged from his throat over sandpaper. "He was going into hypovolemic shock. His lips were bloodless."
"And Healer Moore got a blood replenisher into him immediately." His grandfather told him seriously. "I am not saying that Harry hasn't gone through an ordeal, nor am I saying that he won't need time to recover. I am saying that he's alive and he's a strong boy, he's going to be fine."
"We can't think anything else, Max." Draco told him, almost pleading with him.
Max swallowed, feeling like a dick for voicing the terror they were all feeling.
"I'm sorry." He said, squeezing Draco and Nasta, the two mates he was wrapped around.
"It's understandable, Max." Myron told him, stepping forward and using both hands to cup Max's face, trying, as any parent would, to ease his distress. "You're worried, but Harry is in the best place for him. He is going to be okay."
"He is." A new voice joined them and Max's legs almost went from under him as he turned and saw Healer Georgio Alessandri was framed in the doorway to the kitchen. He'd cleaned up, but there were still horrifying smudges of pale red on his skin that made Max's gorge rise, forcing him to swallow a gag.
"He's really going to be okay?" Blaise asked, voice trembling with emotion.
"I won't lie to you, it was very close and we did almost lose him. He's resting, but you can come to see him for a very short moment. I mean short too. Just enough to assure your Drackens that he's going to be fine so they don't go on a rampage, but Harry is going to be fine once he's recovered."
"When can he come home?" Nasta asked.
"Tomorrow at the earliest if everything stays absolutely perfect, but we want to keep him in for the rest of the night now, just to monitor him, but everything is healed up, we're going to get you to give him some blood as well, just to make him comfortable and give him the best chance of recovery, but Harry is going to recover from this."
Georgio looked at them then, as if he was looking through them.
"I cannot stress to you enough how much he's going to need rest and peace." He told them sternly. "He's going to be reliant on you all for a few weeks, at least. You need to look after him."
Max understood then, this was about the massive fight they'd had more than a year ago. It was almost a year and a half now. Georgio had been the healer to remove Harry from their care under the Submissive Protection Act…of course he would remind them to take care of Harry, but it made Max feel about an inch big. To think that there were people out there who thought he couldn't put Harry first, that he couldn't look after his own mate. That he wouldn't die in a heartbeat if it meant saving Harry. It stung, but he understood. What Harry had gone through under their care would never be repeated.
Max sent a sideways look at Nasta and that look conveyed so much. They would do better, for Harry. For all of them.
"Can we see him now?" Blaise asked, trembling with the urge to just flee towards their submissive mate.
Georgio nodded. "Of course."
"Darling, may I?" Narcissa asked, holding her arms out for the baby.
Draco looked at them.
"We can't take him with us, Draco." Nasta said gently, stopping short of giving verbal permission, but giving his permission all the same. Nasta had learned to tread that thin line with all of them perfectly.
"Harry hasn't held him. Harry hasn't even seen him. It doesn't feel right." Draco explained softly.
"These are unusual circumstances, Draco. Harry might not be able to hold the baby for a few days. We're just going to have to be aware that he will covet the baby when he wakes up. His Dracken will be screaming at him about their bond and he has to imprint the baby's scent into his instincts. It's best to let the family see the baby now, because they might not get to for a few weeks once Harry can get his hands on him."
That was going to be hell on all of them too. Harry would be raging to get his hands on his baby and if he was still weak from the blood loss then they wouldn't be able to indulge him.
Max closed his eyes and took a bolstering breath.
"Draco, please, just hand the baby to your mother so that we can go and see Harry." Blaise pleaded. "He'll understand. He's not cruel. He will understand we're going through hell right now and as long as the baby is fully protected, and given how many people are here, I'd say he absolutely was, he won't mind."
"We would never let any harm come to any of your children." Alexander said seriously. "This sweet little boy will be perfectly fine when you arrive back."
"It will only be a few minutes." Georgio told them, reminding them that they could only see Harry very briefly. That was going to be hell on them too.
"I need to see him." Blaise said, his voice wavering and Max realised he was close to tears.
He went and held Blaise tightly, offering what comfort and strength he could, one hand raising to play with the hair that had grown back to its original length, if not a bit longer, since the terrible fight that had almost taken Harry and Blaise from them.
Draco looked at them, then swallowed hard and nodded. He stepped forward and passed the newborn gently to his mother.
Max had to lock his arms around Blaise as he tried to bolt.
"Stay with me." Max whispered to him.
Blaise's eyes were too wide, he was on the edge of panic and Max sent a look to Nasta. He was their top dominant.
Nasta came over and took Blaise's hand casually, as if they held hands all the time while inside the house.
Max followed as Nasta walked quickly with Blaise to the fireplace.
Max was already steeling himself for what was likely going to be a grim sight. He was not a healer, but he had first aid training, enough of it to know that Harry wasn't going to look like he was merely sleeping in a strange bed. It was going to be hard on them all and Max slowed for a step, so that he was level with Draco, and he wrapped his arm around the trim waist, seeking comfort for himself as much as offering it.
"He's alive." Draco whispered softly, as if to himself.
"He is. He'll be back with us in no time." Max said softly.
They flooed to the healing halls and Max followed Nasta and Blaise as they headed past the first rooms, down to the back of the wing where the recovery rooms were kept.
The room they entered was big, light and airy, and the bed was large, made up with lemon yellow sheets and covers.
Harry looked tiny in that large bed and Max inhaled deeply to calm his heart at how terrible his mate looked.
He was still grey and his eyes were bruised black. His lips were still white and Max snapped his gaze to Healer Moore.
"He's fine, Max." Jackson told him carefully.
"His lips are still white. I know that a side effect of blood replenishers is a high flush in the cheeks and lips."
"He lost a lot of blood, Max." Jackson sighed sadly. "Did Georgio tell you that it was very close? That we almost lost him?"
Max nodded in a jerky motion. He was standing over the bed now, Blaise and Draco couldn't help themselves as they pressed up by Harry's head, leaning on the bed, touching him.
Harry was still and silent, his breathing was even and calm, but a little shallower than usual. There were rusty smudges of dried blood on him still and seeing it made Max's stomach turn and he had to look away before he puked.
Even breathing deeply didn't help. Under the sterile smell of the room, the unmistakable smell of blood lingered.
"Breathe, Caru." Nasta said softly, offering his own body to him.
Max put his nose to Nasta's neck, breathing in the calming pheromones.
"He's going to be fine." Nasta said louder, to all of them. "He's out of danger and he's going to survive."
"This is true." Jackson assured them firmly. "Harry is now out of the woods and he just needs time and a lot of care and he'll make a full recovery."
"Couldn't you have cleaned him?" Blaise asked.
Jackson gave him a soft smile. "We could have, but Harry needs rest more than he needs every spot of blood off him, which is why we've left him so that he can sleep, but we did give him a quick washdown before we got him into the medical pyjamas."
"Are you sure he can come home tomorrow?" Max asked. Looking at Harry as he was, there was no way that Max would have let him out of the healing halls.
"We're going to take some blood from you all and let Harry feed on it when he wakes and that'll go a very long way to healing him up and making him feel much better. If everything goes as we expect it to, then there is no reason why Harry can't go home tomorrow. We're keeping a very close eye on him for tonight, but in my personal experience, he's going to be fine and he will be going home tomorrow."
"What was the damage to the placenta?" Nasta asked.
Jackson grimaced and he turned to pick up a glass storage box. He took the lid off and he used his wand to manipulate the ruined organ. There were several tears through the entire thing and one of those went right over where the cord was attached.
"This was the culprit for the major blood loss." Jackson told them, pointing out the slash as if they hadn't seen it. "I assume the baby also suffered blood loss?"
"Yes, but he's going to be fine. He only needed two teaspoons of blood replenisher." Max said quickly.
"That's wonderful news. I'm really happy to hear that because, well, looking at this…" He prodded the ruined, shredded organ. "We were very worried for the baby. We couldn't tell what order the cuts were made and, I'll tell you now, if that cut here had been the first…"
Both Harry and the baby would have died. Max swallowed hard, the vomit rising in his throat.
"We think that this one might have been the first." Jackson told them, showing how one edge of the placenta was almost completely cut away. "He's birthed before and knew what he was doing, this cut shows no hesitation, but the pain of this…" Jackson shook his head. "All the other cuts show hesitation, as Harry knew the pain was coming and he would have instinctually flinched away from it."
"That's why he took so long, isn't it?" Draco asked.
"Oh, absolutely." Jackson nodded. "The pain made him hesitate, but his birthing instincts forced him to keep cutting. He's going to need all of you in the coming days as he comes to terms with everything. He might be upset that he put his own pain above getting his baby out at all costs."
Max closed his eyes. Of course Harry would carry that pressure, that guilt on himself.
"It's going to be your duty now to reassure him that he did everything right. He did everything he could have, and should have." Jackson told them sternly. "This would have been excruciating, yet, do you see how many cuts he made regardless of that?"
Here the healer flicked his wand and let the placenta float, showing off the tears and slices to full effect.
"He would have been in so much pain it was interfering with his feral instincts. He would have known he was dying. Let me stress that to you, Harry knew that he was dying and he still didn't stop tearing at himself to get his baby out. He didn't stop, he didn't try to save his life or save himself the pain. He did everything right, he just needed intervention and that isn't a bad thing, it's why we're here."
"We'll make sure that Harry understands this." Nasta said. "Because believe us, we already understand it."
Jackson looked at them all in turn for a moment, and then he nodded.
"Right then, boys. We need some blood from you and then we'll have to kick you back out. Harry needs his rest. You can come back in the morning to see him and, with some luck, he might be awake by then."
Blaise started murmuring to Harry softly, in French, before he kissed Harry's forehead.
Blaise set the trend and all of them gave some soft words to Harry, before kissing him. They all willingly gave over their blood and then they were forced to leave.
At least Max's Dracken was no longer beating the inside of his skull with the urge to protect their submissive mate. Harry was safe and he was going to be just fine. They would love him and pamper him now for weeks to come, for as long as Harry allowed them. This traumatising experience was almost behind them.
Narcissa held her first grandchild with reverent hands. She loved all nine of Draco's other babies, of course, particularly the tenacious Tegan whom she had already picked out as a future Slytherin, but there was something special about this little boy in her arms. He was pale, but with very flushed cheeks and lips, a side-effect of the small amount of blood replenisher she'd been told he'd needed.
He looked like Draco had as a newborn. His hair was noticeably fair. Damp still for the moment, but undeniably platinum blonde.
"Can you tell us why they were so…" Lucius started, then trailed off.
"Aggressive?" One of the Maddison's asked, smiling with too much teeth.
Lucius nodded.
"They were all on edge and very close to shifting to Dracken form." Alexander told them kindly. "The control they needed to exert to allow the healers to take Harry from them, to take their child from them, without shifting into their Dracken form to attack the threat and protect Harry would have been incredibly taxing upon all of them, particularly Draco and Blaise as younger men."
"They were almost entirely focused on Harry." Myron added. "As dominant Drackens, their instincts demand that they protect Harry at all costs, especially as Harry was injured, he was bleeding, for all they knew, he could have died and that thought in their heads would have severely tested their control."
"I'm surprised that none of them shifted." Max's sister, Alayla, said seriously.
"Is that why Draco was so defensive?" Narcissa asked, looking up from the baby in her arms. "When Lucius asked about the baby?"
"Yes. Honestly, they likely didn't mean to come across as so aggressive, but it would be better, always, in such situations where they're that close to shifting, to always ask after Harry first."
"I do find it rather strange that they could be so solely focused upon Harry and not upon their newborn child." Narcissa said.
"I'm sure it does seem very strange, but you have to always remember that they're not human, they are magical creatures. A dominant Dracken, at times, will only be focused on their submissive mate. The boys do very well to curb such overwhelming instincts, but they're not always going to be able to fight it off, or some small signs might show through, like just now when they got defensive over you asking after the baby before Harry."
The room fell into an awkward silence and Narcissa didn't care to break it. She turned her attention back to her grandson, still sleeping in her arms.
"He's going to have beautiful hair, look at how much he has." Kimberly said, smiling, forcibly changing the subject.
"In some photos we took of him, Draco looked as if he had no hair at all it was so fine. This little one seems to have thicker hair than Draco ever managed." Narcissa smiled fondly, running a hand over the damp head. The baby whined and scrunched up a tiny face.
"Oh, he looks a lot like Draco doing that." She chuckled. "Lucius, here, have a hold before the boys get back."
Lucius took the baby from her and cradled him. He would have been less stiff if they had been alone, but they weren't. She would have to ask Draco if they could come back to see the baby, just them, or as alone as they could get. Lucius deserved to get to know his grandson without an audience.
There was a slight commotion in the other room and Narcissa noticed that several of the men moved to stand between them and the two doorways. It was subtle, but she knew what it was…the dominant Drackens putting themselves in harm's way to protect the rest of them, especially her newborn grandson. Her hand twitched towards her wand, but she had been told it would be useless if it was another Dracken attacking them. Their scales repelled most magic.
"How is Harry?" Myron Maddison asked and Narcissa eased down as she saw the four boys walk back into the room, looking exhausted and stressed.
"He'll be home tomorrow." Nasta told them, looking the most put-together of all of them, though how much of that was a mask, she couldn't determine.
"Truly? They don't want to keep him for a few days?"
"They've taken blood from us and insist that once Harry has fed a little, he'll be ready to come home."
Two of the boys flinched, including Draco.
"I assume he doesn't look like he should be coming home?" Alexander asked them gently.
"He looks terrible." Max said softly. "I certainly wouldn't have released him."
"He hasn't taken the blood yet, you'll see that he looks much better once he has." Richard insisted. "It'll heal all of those little niggling wounds and give him a boost."
"He's going to need a lot of rest once he's home. We were shown the placenta and…" Nasta trailed off, shaking his head. Narcissa assumed it was very bad from that reaction.
"There was a cut right over the cord. Healer Moore said that Harry and the baby could have bled out if we hadn't gotten to them when we had." Blaise said, looking sickly and sweaty. His indigo eyes were pinned to the baby, watching. If she had found out that she might have lost her baby then she would have ripped him from Lucius' arms and clung to him, never letting him go again.
"Boys, enough thoughts of what if." Alexander cut in sternly. "Both Harry and the baby are alive and they're going to be just fine. Put it from your minds now, the worst didn't happen."
"It was so close." Draco said, his voice tight and his silver eyes were pinned to the baby as well.
"It might have been, but it didn't happen." Alexander said more firmly. "Your son is perfectly fine and Harry just needs some rest."
"They almost lost him." Max said as if the horror of that was just sinking in. He turned and clung to Nasta, who held him tightly.
"Boys, enough." Kimberly said, standing from her side and giving them a small glare. "The baby is fine and Harry is going to be home in just a few hours. Stop behaving as if both of them died in that nest!"
"Nana, it's difficult because…"
"You don't think I've ever been in that position?" Kimberly asked, her jet-black eyes narrowing. "Do you think I've never been on the other side of what Harry is going through?"
"We're not saying that it's not difficult." Alexander told them soothingly. "I know how difficult it is, we have lost babies, children, we know."
The mood turned sad and Narcissa was so very glad that she had never suffered such a loss. She had had issues conceiving and Draco was her only child, but she had carried him well and he had been born healthy. She felt sympathy for all of those who had lost a child, it was always a terrible tragedy.
"Harry is alive. Your newborn is alive. Stop behaving as if they aren't." Myron said sternly. "We all know what could have happened, what might have happened, but it didn't happen. Take care of your newborn, give Harry all the rest and care he needs, but stop thinking of what might have happened because it didn't happen."
Nasta nodded first and he turned to his other mates and touched all of them at the neck, cupping the nape and giving them a small pull, a small squeeze, almost like a reprimand. She didn't understand enough about Dracken behaviour, despite that she had been asking questions and learning, some things seemed too private to ask after and this was one of them.
The baby broke the heavy mood when he let out a small cry.
"Has he fed?" Nasta asked immediately, stepping forward and accepting the baby from Lucius.
"No, dear, this is the first time he's woken." Narcissa told him quickly.
Nasta nodded. "Max."
"On it." Max replied, already heading into the kitchen.
It was as if the spell had been broken and they turned all of their focus back to the baby and became more normal. The stern encouragement had worked.
Draco was the one to feed his son for the first time and the baby fed well, despite his blood loss…or perhaps because of it.
"He's gutsy, like Taren." Max said approvingly.
"Has Taren woken up at all?" Nasta asked then.
"Not yet, neither has Leolin." Richard reported.
"I'll go and check on them all." Blaise said, bending and kissing the baby's plump, flushed cheek before leaving the room.
"Do you need any help during the night?" Alexander asked.
"We're still staying here." Myron said. "We will handle any issues that crop up overnight."
"We appreciate the help." Nasta said. "This has been…"
Nasta seemed unable to think of a suitable word and he just shook his head.
"We will come to see you tomorrow then, to help you with the children and with Harry."
Narcissa stayed where she was until the others had left ahead of her.
"Draco, congratulations, darling."
Draco smiled at her and he gave her a small hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm just glad that Harry and the baby survived." He told her. "When I first saw Harry like…like that, I didn't think…I didn't think he would survive it."
"He did, darling. He's alive and he'll be home with you tomorrow. Just…try to enjoy your son."
Draco managed a smile and he looked over to where Max was cradling the baby having brought up his wind.
"After the issues I had with my fertility, it seems surreal to have him here, finally. I might have to steal a moment with him tomorrow, just for it to sink in properly, but, Mother, I am so grateful that Harry and the baby survived."
"I know, sweetheart." Narcissa said, her heart clenching as she saw the worry, the fear in Draco's eyes. "But keep that in mind, they did survive. Harry is going to heal, he'll be home tomorrow, and you have a son."
Draco swallowed and then inhaled deeply. He nodded. "It will get better when Harry is actually home and we can see him, touch him, talk to him. At the moment, with him out of the house, everything is too abnormal to ease all the way down. We don't mean to be so…so…"
"Aggressive." Narcissa supplied, watching as Draco's cheeks pinked up a little.
He shook his head. "No, we don't mean it, we can't help it. But everything will be better when Harry's home. Our son is fine, he's perfect, now we just need Harry to be the same."
"We will come and see you again soon, Draco, but if you do need help, you know where we are."
Draco nodded and he saw her and Lucius from his home. They would be back tomorrow to see Harry and their grandson again, but for now, the boys needed a bit of peace and privacy.