5th June 1980 - St Mungo's Maternity Ward
Lucius tried and failed to hide the wince of pain on his face caused by the vice like grip of his wife's hands as she screamed for what seemed like the thousandth time.
"That's it Mrs Malfoy, you're doing so well. You're almost there, just one more push." The midwife said eagerly, a sheen of sweat on her brow from the many hour long labour, one of the more difficult she had presided over.
Lucius spared a paranoid frown at the woman before his eyes were quickly drawn back to Narcissa as she struggled to give birth to his children.
It wasn't necessarily safe for him to be here, in St Mungo's, given the war, but he'd been willing to risk the Order's wrath... and his Lord's for that matter, to be there for Narcissa in her time of need.
She may not have been a Death Eater like he was, but where his battlefield was one of wands and brooms, hers was here. Birthing the next generation of pure-blooded wizards that would continue both his House and their reign over wizarding Britain.
But he wouldn't leave the fate of his wife and children to anyone but the very best, so it couldn't have been anywhere but St Mungo's. He didn't really think Dumbledore would try anything in a hospital of all places, however, and for once he found himself thankful for the weakness of the old fool.
With a final agonised cry, and a crushing squeeze of his hand that Lucius swore broke some of his bones, the wailing of a babe cut through the private room and set Lucius' heart thundering.
"A healthy baby boy," the midwife said with a smile, tying off the umbilical cord before gently handing the young boy off to Lucius who tore himself from his wife's grip to gently cradle the baby. "That's one, let's see about number two."
They'd known Narcissa was carrying fraternal twins, and boys at that, for some time. It had taken nearly as long as the pregnancy to agree to the names but, inevitably, Lucius caved to his darling Narcissa, which meant his firstborn was...
"Draco," he whispered softly, looking down with a bright smile that was a truly rare occurrence on the usually magnanimous man. The baby continued to cry, although he'd been assured that was normal, a silver tuft of hair already growing on its head.
Narcissa continued the struggle, however, her eyes squinting with agony even as she glanced over at her son in Lucius' arms, love like she had never known blossoming in her heart.
A few moments later a second babe landed in the midwife's arms, green-eyed unlike the firsts nearly grey eyes, but with that same tuft of platinum blonde hair that matched their fathers. It looked up at her with what she almost mistook for intelligence, yet it did not scream.
She frowned in concern, that was worrying. She quickly drew out her wand and tapped the babe on the chest as she muttered a diagnostic spell.
Blinking in surprise she absorbed the result, the baby was... fine. Nothing wrong with its lungs, or anything else for that matter. A perfectly healthy baby boy... yet it continued to be silent.
Narcissa grow worried as she heard nothing and propped herself up on her elbows as she looked down at the frowning midwife. "What is it?" She asked with panic in his voice, "what's wrong?"
The midwife shook her head and snapped out of it, looking up at Mrs Malfoy with a smile on her face, although it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Another perfectly healthy baby boy, a little quiet but I assure you he is fine." She said, moving to hand off the baby to its mother.
Narcissa hugged the oddly silent child to her breast and looked down at him with an exhausted, but blinding bright smile. She glanced up to find Lucius watching her with a similar grin on his face, looking at her firstborn and then back down to the second.
"Orion Hydrus Malfoy," she muttered, "my son."
Then, finally, the baby began to cry.