“Nineteen, twenty!”
Draco paused before removing his hands and opening his eyes. Looking around the house, he couldn’t spot any blond or brunette heads.
“Ready or not, here I come!” he announced loudly.
Standing up from the couch, he made his way towards the corner leading into the dining room. He peered around the furniture, hands at the ready. His eyes scanned everything, under the table, around the china case. He heard a giggle and flipped around, facing the wooden cabinet. Stepping closer quietly, he touched the door knob. He heard another giggle from behind the doors.
Grinning, he yanked open the door. A small body fell forward onto the carpet.
“Found you!”
The little brunette boy pouted up at Draco. “That’s no fair! You checked this room first!”
He chuckled. “That’s how the game goes, Leo,”
The boy only crossed his arms as his frown deepened.
“What do you say we go find your older brother?”
Leo’s frown disappeared and his eyes lit up. He nodded vigorously as Draco pressed a finger to his lips, signaling him to be quiet. The pair went into the next room, Leo bending down to look under everything.
Draco had to admit he was used to boys. Growing up, all of the children he played with were other pureblood boys. When he began Hogwarts, his main friends were Crabbe and Goyle. He felt immediate relief when their first son was born. They had decided to keep the gender a surprise and when the doctor announced it was a boy, they were nothing short of overjoyed.
Scorpius was an angel. He was a quiet baby, only crying when he was hungry. He was similar to his father in both expressions and hair, even at a young age. He kept to himself and his studies.
His younger brother, Leo, which Hermione blessed them with only four years later, was different. Not only was his head a dark brown, his temper was more like his mothers. He was always frowning or yelling. His cries made Draco’s ears hurt and his heart ache. No matter how much he had rocked him as an infant, Leo would not calm down. When Draco handed the small bundle who was flailing his little hands over to Hermione out of desperation, his cries immediately ceased. He cooed like an angel and eventually fell asleep in her arms. Since then, it seemed to only be Hermione who could calm him down. Draco was still learning.
Draco and Leo advanced into the sitting room. Nothing was out of place, Draco had to hand it to his eldest, he was extremely good at this game. Draco checked in with Leo who still had not found anything. Draco’s eyes caught on his study, the door ajar. Getting his son’s attention, he pointed towards it.
Leo’s eyes lit up in a mischievous way as he tiptoed towards the door. Draco followed shortly behind. Opening the door, Leo peered behind it. It was clean and quiet. As Draco was a Potions Master, his study mostly contained bottles on shelves upon shelves. There was a small fireplace against the far wall, a large cauldron in the other. It looked very similar to Snape’s classroom with a large table in the center. Draco prayed that Scorpius hadn’t ruined anything.
Both boys made their way around opposite sides of the table, looking around. They both found nothing. Draco eyed the large cauldron. He smiled to himself and walked closer to it. Peering inside, he caught eye of a blond head.
“Found you, Scorp!” he announced. The boy flinched and his head shot up, his eyes wide.
“How did you find me so quick?” he exclaimed, his face falling.
“You left the door open,” Draco chuckled, helping him out of the large bowl. Setting him on the floor, Scorpius crossed his arms.
“I still won.”
Leo ran forward, pointing at him. “Only ‘cause you cheated!”
Scorpius frowned and shook his head. “Nuh, uh. You just didn’t try hard enough.”
That only made Leo more upset. Draco could feel the headache starting in the back of his head. “Leo-”
“DAD'S ROOM IS OFF LIMITS! YOU CHEATED!” He shouted at the top of his lungs, his tiny face turning red. Draco sighed as Scorpius began to yell back.
“YEAH AFTER YOU SPILLED EVERYTHING ON THE FLOOR!”
“Boys-” Draco said calmly, trying to calm himself. They were just small boys who never agreed. They were siblings after all.
“IT WASN’T MY FAULT! MOM SAID IT WAS OKAY!” Leo screamed.
Scorpius’ shade began to match his brother’s as he clenched his fists at his side. “I’M STILL MORE CAREFUL. DAD SAID IT WAS OKAY TO BE IN HERE!”
Draco tried again, louder this time. “Boys, please-”
It was going to take forever to try and calm Leo down and he didn’t have any chocolate to bribe with him. Granger had finished the rest of it off last night. It was a new craving of hers. Draco remembered the fact that she was at work in an important meeting. There was no way he could bother her with a crying child, let alone their child. He was an adult, he could do this.
“BOYS!” He shouted above both of them. The yelling stopped as both turned to look at him. Finally, silence.
“Thank you. Now, yes this room was off limits, you know that Scorpius,” He turned to the eldest. Scorpius’s cheeks singed pink with embarrassment as he looked away in shame. He crossed his arms over his chest.
“And Leo, no need to yell at your brother. Yelling does not solve anything.”
“But you and Mommy yell at each other all the time,” Leo protested. He wasn’t wrong. He and Hermione got into a few yelling matches every so often. She would say something, he’d politely disagree and she would object and they would go at it. Though, he would like to add that sometimes it ended with a silenced room and in their comfortable bed, which he did not protest against. Ever. Regardless, Draco felt bad that his son noticed he and Hermione’s spats. Bending down to his level, Draco looked at him.
“I know. But your mom and I also love each other a lot. Do you love Scorpius?”
Leo’s face contorted with disgust before he nodded his head.
“Good. Now, who wants lunch?”
Both boys immediately perked up and raced for the kitchen. Draco’s shoulders relaxed. He needed a nap. Following them into the kitchen, he rubbed his head.
“Misty,” he called out.
A small house elf wearing a little flowered dress, courtesy of Molly Weasley, appeared in front of him with a ‘pop’
“Yes, Master?”
“Would you be able to make the boys some lunch? I think I need to lay down for a few minutes.”
She nodded before disappearing with another ‘pop’.
Going into the bedroom, he leaned back, falling into the bedding. Closing his eyes, he gently rubbed his forehead. Two boys. Both young. Always arguing, always fighting. And here he was, all alone with them. He was a boy, so why couldn’t they ALL get along?
Draco needed a drink and a nap. He didn’t know how Hermione did this when he had work. He opened his eyes. She was a war hero and Minister of Magic. Of course, she could do this. He groaned audibly as the fireplace roared to life.
He opened an eye as the very woman he was thinking about walked through, brushing soot off of her robes. Draco’s heart skipped a beat. He always loved her in her work clothes. Today her skirt was below her knee but fitting at the legs. Her shirt was collared and pressed. Above it were her robes. She mixed magical and muggle styles. Finally was her hair, one of his favorite features of hers, which sometimes was at the base of her neck or cascaded over her shoulders in dark brown ringlets. Today it was over her shoulders.
Her eyes caught him and she smiled. Then the sides of her mouth twitched down as she noticed him laying flat over the made bed.
“Draco, what’s wrong?”
He shot up from the bed immediately wrapping her in his arms. She hugged him back before looking at him again. Her face showed pure confusion.
“No more children, Granger. Please,” Draco said hurriedly. He had to tell her now, before they got very busy.
“Excuse me?”
He clutched her hands tightly, his eyes pleading. “We have to stop having more children. I’ll start wearing condoms or applying the charm or get that section-y thing you were telling me Muggles do. Please, no more kids,” He couldn’t imagine any more small feet running around. Not when he could barely handle the four feet they had running around now! Hermione stared at him through squinted eyes before she let out a large sigh.
“Did they start fighting again?” She asked him. He opened his mouth to respond, to make up an excuse. She beat him to it.
“Draco, they’re boys,” she let their hands drop. “They’re going to fight. It’s natural.”
She walked past him to the closet, hanging up her outer robes. She slipped out of her heels, dropping a few inches in height. She came back over to him.
“This doesn’t mean you’re a bad father,” she assured him. That statement made his shoulders drop. He forgot how well she could help, especially when she knew the right words to say. He nodded. Perhaps he was getting ahead of himself. They would grow out of this, surely.
“We are still figuring it out, both of us. Besides, maybe with her, she’ll be just the balance we need.”
Draco nodded before his mind came to a halt. Wait, what?
“She?”
Hermione’s cheeks reddened, her eyes widening slightly. Draco felt the blood leave his face. He knew that expression.
“Hermione,” he croaked. She chuckled uncomfortably.
“Possibly. It’s not official.”
Draco thought he was going to pass out. Even if it wasn’t official, he wouldn’t be surprised. Hermione always had great intuition.
Another child. Another set of feet. He sat down on the bed, steadying himself. Another child. Another baby in a crib.
“I know it’s not ideal if I am pregnant. I’m in the middle of a bunch of new law regulations and hiring and you’re going to take a business trip soon, but maybe-” she stopped.
Draco looked up at her. Her eyes were staring off into space and she was kneading her palms. Her face had lightened a few shades and her lips were pressed in a thin line. He could almost see the gears in her head turning a million miles per second. He stood up and grabbed her hands, pressing a kiss to each of her palms.
“Granger,” he whispered. She was still looking off into space.
“Hermione.”
Her eyes shifted to him.
“Stop thinking so much for a minute. It’s definitely going to be challenging but I’m sure we can handle it.”
This caused her to smile and grasp his hands tighter.
“I suppose you’re right. We’ve handled it this far!”
He nodded to her words. They had. They had handled it like CHAMPS! Feeling rejuvenated, Draco jumped off the bed. He was a new man. He could handle anything. He could go through another nine months with Hermione, attending to her every need whether it be obscure cravings, backrubs, foot rubs, taking the children to give her space. Whatever needed to happen, he was there for her. For their family. He could handle anything that was handed to him.
“Who’s turn is it for bath night?” Hermione asked, whisking her hair into a bun and securing it with her wand.
Draco paled. Almost anything.