„Why did you decline?” Hermione, who was launching on the sofa, nursing their almost four months old son Scorpius, looked up at her husband. “You said they love Scorpius.”
“They do.” Draco shrugged. “But since my wife was only invited because they want to spend Christmas with their grandson, we won’t go. I’m not making you spend Christmas Eve sitting awkwardly at a dinner table with them making you feel unwelcome.”
She sighed as she took Scorpius off her breast and rubbed his little back until he burped. Then she handed him to his father to readjust her clothes. “Draco, you love your parents and they love you. Yes, we had a bad start, but I know you miss them. They reached out and I think we should give them another chance.”
Draco didn’t answer immediately as he watched his little son fall asleep, cuddled up against his chest. Hermione knew it was hard for him. They had met again three years after the War and they had fallen in love. A bit more than a year later, they had married, but not on the Manor grounds as was tradition, and without his parents’ attendance. She knew it had hurt him deeply and while Lucius Malfoy had not disinherited his son, Draco had cut contact after a few unpleasant encounters, which had made it very clear what he thought of his son’s wife and her carrying the Malfoy name. It had hurt her, but she also knew that for all their faults, they had been good parents to her husband and she didn’t blame Draco for missing them.
Another year had gone by and Hermione had found herself pregnant. They hadn’t actively tried, but they had also done nothing to prevent it and nine months later, she had held her perfect little boy in her arms. Of course it had been in the press, the Golden Girl and the former Death Eater were still of interest to the public and a week after Scorpi’s birth, they had received a letter from both Lucius and Narcissa (although Draco thought it was probably sent by his mother), congratulating them and politely asking, if it would be possible for them to see their grandson.
After some days of Hermione’s coaxing, Draco had taken Scorpius to the Manor to meet his grandparents and according to her husband, they had both been so happy to see him and also to see their son again and Draco had agreed to visit them regularly as long as they didn’t talk badly about his wife in his or his son’s presence and as long as they would never try to influence Scorpius towards blood supremacy. They had both agreed to that and Draco had kept his part of the deal. Hermione knew that he was secretly enjoying the time with his parents and the way they doted on their grandson, and she was happy for him, although it stung that she wasn’t included. Still, she had lost her parents to her own magic (no one had been able to restore their memories after the danger had passed) and she didn’t want Draco to lose his as well. Also, they were the only grandparents Scorpius would ever know, so she would never take that away from him.
A month ago, she had been in Diagon Alley with Scorpi and had crossed the path of her in-laws. They had been polite, probably because they knew Draco would immediately cut contact again, if they weren’t, but they had been very sweet with Scorpius, even Lucius, which had somewhat come as a shock. Draco had told her about how close he had been to his father growing up, that he was different with his family than the side he showed to the public, but she hadn’t been able to imagine it. But Scorpi certainly hadn’t had a problem there. The moment he had spotted them, he had made happy gurgling noises and he had squealed in delight when his grandfather had conjured the magical illusion of butterflies fluttering around him. Hermione had almost passed out from shock, but it had also helped her understand that Draco hadn’t exaggerated. They loved their grandson and their son, which was why they hadn’t chosen to make Draco’s cousin or whoever was next in line the future Lord Malfoy, even though Draco had married a muggle-born. That had caused some backlash from other pureblood families. The moment Scorpius was born and Draco’s heir had therefore been a half-blood, the Sacred Twenty-Eight had become the Sacred Twenty-Seven. To their credit, she had never heard them complain about that, neither had Draco, and they most certainly didn’t hold any resentment towards their grandson.
Draco finally looked up from his sleeping son and Hermione saw that what he said next did somewhat hurt, because of course part of him wanted to spend Christmas with his whole family. Her heart hurt. “No. They see Scorpi regularly and I’m not putting you into this situation on our son’s first Christmas. We’ll spend Christmas Eve here at home and Christmas Day with the Weasleys and Potters, as planned.”
Nothing happened as planned.
Draco, who worked in a potions lab, had to go to work for just an hour or two to help a trainee finish a complicated potion in the morning of Christmas Eve. Instead of her husband, an owl arrived after a bit more than an hour. It was from St. Mungo’s, informing her that there had been a bad accident at the lab and that Draco was unconscious in the hospital. It was serious and she was asked to come immediately.
Hermione panicked. She wanted to floo there at once, but then she looked down at her son in her arms.
She didn’t know how long it would take and how his father was, it would probably be better for him not to be there. She knew Harry and his family and the Weasleys were spending the day in Romania with Charlie, so they weren’t available as babysitters. Their other friends also all had plans and she didn’t have the time to try to reach them one by one until she found someone who was willing to take Scorpius.
Lucius and Narcissa were the only option she could think of. She didn’t allow herself to dwell on her options for too long, she needed to know how Draco was. The thought of losing him, on Christmas Eve in the year their first child had been born no less, hurt so much it took her breath away.
She quickly packed a few things for Scorpius, a few nappies (Muggle nappies, his grandparents would have to figure them out, Hermione and Draco considered them far more practical than the ones made out of cotton most wizards and witches still used), some pumped milk she had thankfully kept in the fridge (which was kept cold by magic – neither of them was able to go long without magic and therefore Muggle devices didn’t work in their home), his favourite stuffed animal, a niffler, and a change of clothes. Then she dressed him warmly, threw on her coat and with Scorpius in her arms and the bag flung over her shoulder, she apparated in front of the Manor gate. It was his first time apparating and Scorpius immediately started crying from the top of his little lungs. Hermione wanted to cry with him. “It’s ok, darling, I’m so sorry, but I need to get to your dad.”
From Draco, she knew one of the house elves’ name. “Dippy?”
The elf immediately appeared on the other side of the grand gate. “Good morning, Mistress.”
Scorpius apparently knew the small creature’s voice, calmed down and looked around. Thank Merlin for small mercies.
At the moment, not even the elf addressing her as ‘Mistress’ could face her, of course he would recognise her as Draco’s wife. “Is someone home, Dippy?”
“Yes, Master is home, Mistress has gone to Diagon Alley, but will be home very soon.”
“I need to talk to him. It’s important.”
The gate opened and Hermione walked towards the Manor while Dippy vanished, probably to inform Lucius about her visit. She would have preferred Narcissa, but that couldn’t be helped. When she was halfway through the garden – why did the grounds have to be so huge? – the door of the Manor opened and Lucius appeared. When he saw her, he walked towards her, even though it was cold and had snowed all night and he wasn’t wearing a coat. He met her halfway. “Good morning,” he said in a carefully civil tone. “We did not expect you today, or Narcissa would have been home.” He probably saw her frantic look. “Is everything alright?”
“Not really. I need you to take Scorpius. I just got an owl from St. Mungo’s, there was an accident in the potions lab Draco is working for. He was unconscious when they sent the owl and they asked me to come as soon as possible. Please,” she added quietly and barely fought the tears gathering in her eyes. When she had come together with Draco, moved into their little flat with him, she had for the first time since the War, since she had lost her parents, truly been happy, truly felt at home. And now they had their own little family. She couldn’t lose him, too, she just couldn’t.
She saw the shock in Lucius’ eyes, but he acted without hesitation, took Scorpius from her and the bag she handed him. “Thank you,” she whispered and turned quickly to get off the Manor grounds where she could apparate.
“Hermione?” This was the first time he had addressed her by her first name and she stopped and looked back over her shoulder.
“Yes?”
“Please let us know how he is.”
She nodded. “I’ll send you a Patronus as soon as I know something.” It wasn’t before she had apparated away that it occurred to her that if the news were bad, she probably wouldn’t be able to conjure a Patronus, not even with her very favourite memory of her holding Scorpius for the first time after an exhausting 26 hours of labour and Draco sitting on her bed, one arm around her, looking in wonder at the tiny bundle in her arms.
She arrived at the hospital and for the first time she was glad to be a public figure. A healer, an older witch with grey hair and kind eyes, immediately recognised her. “Mrs Malfoy.”
“Yes. How is my husband?”
“First of all, don’t worry, it’s not as bad as we first thought.”
Her legs almost gave way from relief, but she managed to stay on her feet. “So he’s going to be alright?” Her voice wavered.
“He’s awake and if everything goes well, he’ll be able to go home in a few hours.” At that, Hermione couldn’t hold back the tears. He was going to be alright, she wasn’t going to be a very young widow, Scorpius wouldn’t grow up without his father. The healer sympathetically laid a hand on her arm and Hermione desperately tried to put herself together.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “It’s just, I was so scared. Our son is only four months old and he loves his dad so much.” That didn’t help her to stop crying at all.
“You have nothing to apologise for. Your husband will be fine, apparently the trainee put too much of a certain ingredient into the potion and it developed toxic fumes. At first the trainee breathed in most of it since your husband was getting something from a shelf a few steps away, but he went back to the cauldron to get the trainee out of the room with him. He managed to do that before they both collapsed. Thankfully, another employee found them quickly. There will be no lasting damage, but he’ll feel weak for a while and since his throat is very raw from the fumes, he won’t be able to talk much for approximately three of four days, but we’ll give you a potion he’s to take a sip of three times a day, that will at least numb the pain.”
Finally, Hermione managed to control her tears and nodded. “Thank you so much! Can I see him?”
The woman smiled. “Of course. Follow me.”
They entered one of the rooms – a two-bed room and Draco looked thoroughly miserable while the elderly lady in the bed next to him told him all about her ailments, obviously happy to have someone to talk to who couldn’t interrupt her.
Well, he could have afforded a private room, his parents had never restricted his access to the Malfoy vaults, but he stubbornly refused to touch their money and especially with Hermione not working now to be with her son and both of them still pretty much at the beginning of their careers, they just couldn’t afford it with their current salary and a small child to take care of.
When he saw his wife, his expression changed and he gave her a soft smile. His lips formed the words ‘hi’ and ‘sorry’ without making a sound. She hurried toward the bed and hugged him gently. “It’s ok. I’m just glad you’re going to be alright.”
When she pulled away, he mouthed their son’s name and Hermione smiled. “He’s fine. I didn’t know how bad it was and how long it would take, so I left him with your parents.”
His eyes widened a little and he looked slightly concerned.
“Don’t worry, according to Dippy, your mother was in Diagon Alley when I came, but your father was perfectly polite. Oh, wait.” She pulled out her wand. “Expecto Patronus.” Her little otter had been replaced by a dragon after she had fallen in love with Draco, a beautiful Opaleye, which hardly fit into the room. “He’s going to be alright and will be released in the afternoon. We’d be really grateful, if you could keep Scorpius until then.”
The dragon flew off to deliver the message.
Draco stared at her.
“What? He was worried, Draco. He asked me to let them know how you’re doing.”
Draco sighed and she took his hand in hers. She hated that his feelings towards his parents had to be so conflicted.
The elderly lady in the other bed just wanted to start talking again when another Patronus flew in. A peacock. Draco didn’t look too surprised, but Hermione stared wide-eyed. The peacock spoke in Lucius Malfoy’s voice. “Thank you for letting us know, we are really glad to hear that. Please don’t worry about Scorpius, he’s perfectly fine and we will be happy to have him for as long as you need us to. As you probably will not have the time to prepare Christmas dinner, maybe you would be willing to reconsider our offer? We assure you that we will both be on our best behaviour.”
Draco pulled on her sleeve, but she acted like she hadn’t noticed and produced another Patronus. “We will be happy to stay for dinner. Thank you.”
She turned to her husband after the dragon had flown away and she saw that it had been the right decision.
When they finally left the room in late afternoon, Hermione had a headache and knew far more graphical details about all kinds of illnesses than she had ever wanted to learn.
“I swear, next time you’re in the hospital and you’re too proud to use Malfoy money to pay for a private room, you’re on your own,” she berated her husband while holding firmly onto his arm to make sure he wouldn’t fall. He was still weak on his legs and sometimes swayed slightly. He nodded unhappily.
They went to the apparition spot and Hermione apparated them both to Wiltshire. He stumbled when they arrived and only stayed on his feet because Hermione held him. She gave him a moment to find his balance. “Ok?” He nodded again and they walked the few steps to the gate. She wanted to call for Dipsy, but Draco just put his hand on the gate and it opened for him.
They slowly made their way to the giant building and Draco, obviously tired from the walk, once more put his hand on the double door and Hermione heard the lock. She briefly wondered what kind of magic was used here, but then pushed the massive doors open.
After entering, they immediately heard approaching footsteps. Narcissa hurried towards them, worry evident on her face, Lucius followed with a very cheerful Scorpius in his arms.
Narcissa greeted Hermione with a faint smile before coming to a halt in front of her son. “How are you, darling?”
“He can’t talk,” Hermione explained when Draco shot her a helpless look. “The trainee made a mistake and they both breathed in some kind of toxic fumes so his throat is pretty raw right now. But he will fully recover.”
Draco gave his mother a reassuring smile while Scorpius made a demanding noise and held his chubby little arms out for Hermione. Lucius handed him to his mother and Hermione gently held him close and kissed his cheek. She had never been away from him for so long and it was good to hold him again. “Hello, honey. Did you have a nice day?” Draco gently stroke over his son’s head, which was already covered in white-blond hair. Scorpius gurgled happily and wriggled in his mother’s arms.
“Come, let’s go sit down, you look a little tired,” Lucius said to his son and Draco made a noise that sounded both like agreement and utter misery. Draco wasn’t good at being sick. Hermione still shuddered at the thought of the last time he’d had a flu.
She was relieved when they didn’t walk towards the drawing room, but upstairs, although she felt sorry for Draco that he had to take the stairs as well. This time, though, Lucius was walking next to his son, supporting him and making sure he didn’t fall. She followed with Narcissa.
The older witch smiled at her hesitantly. “At least he will not be able to contradict you for a few days. He has the tendency to do that from his father.”
And just like that, the ice was broken and Hermione chuckled. “It looks like there’s a bright side.” Both women laughed softly.
Draco looked back over his shoulder with a look of betrayal directed both at his mother and his wife.
“The joys of being married,” Lucius said dryly as they reached the top of the stairs and turned left. Draco nodded empathically.
Lucius opened a door and they entered a comfortable sitting room, decorated for Christmas, with a huge tree in a corner. With a sigh, Draco sank down on the sofa in front of the fireplace. He looked exhausted. Hermione sat down next to him and sympathetically brushing her fingers over his cheek. Maybe they should have gone home so he would have been able to lie down again.
But he smiled when she placed Scorpius in his lap and gently held his son close.
“Scorpius will miss his bedtime story. Apparently, Draco is so much better in reading to him than I am,” Hermione said with a small smile.
Narcissa returned the smile. “Draco was the same. It always had to be Lucius to read to him before bed.”
Her and Lucius exchanged a short glance before he spoke. “We are truly sorry for our initial reaction to your relationship with our son. We should have been there at your wedding and we should have welcomed you to the family properly. We would have understood, if you wouldn’t have wanted us to see Scoprius after that and we appreciate that you were more gracious than we were.”
It obviously wasn’t easy for him to say that, which made Hermione appreciate it even more. “We would have liked you to be at our wedding, especially Draco missed you that day. But … I would never want to deprive Scorpius of his grandparents or Draco of his parents. I love your son very much and I never wanted him to have to choose between you and me.”
“No, that was on us,” Narcissa said quietly.
“But … it’s not too late, is it? I’d be ready for a fresh start.” She smiled at Draco. “And he’s currently unable to contradict.”
Draco shook his head with a wry smile.
Surprisingly, conversation flowed freely after that. Hermione found that Narcissa was not at all as stuck-up at she had thought and Lucius had a rather sharp sense of humour. Draco, condemned to silence, watched in amazement as his wife chatted away with his parents, about general topics, current events, Scorpius, their jobs – Hermione was working for the Ministry, the topic of which somehow led to her and Lucius ranting about the various idiots working there in far too high positions and they generally very much agreed on the identity of said idiots and the respective degree of idiocy – and then some more Scorpius.
It really seemed that this little boy had made them question all they had believed about blood status, which had led them to finally educate themselves beyond what they had been taught. He wasn’t pureblood, but it was clear that they both loved him very much and that must be what had inspired them to re-think their position on his mother or blood status in general. The topic of the Sacred Twenty-Eight was mentioned briefly and they didn’t seem upset at all that it was now the Sacred Twenty-Seven.
When little Scorpius became fussy and Draco handed him to Hermione for feeding, Narcissa noticed the slightly uncertain look she gave her father-in-law, got up and led her to one of the adjoining rooms. It was a study that was very much not Lucius’ style so it had to be Narcissa’s, and there were a few comfortable chairs in a corner, where Hermione sat down gratefully. “Thank you.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t have wanted to feed Draco in front of my father-in-law either.” They exchanged a smile.
Hermione sighed when Scorpius had, as he still often did, trouble latching on. She loved nursing him, but that was a problem they didn’t seem to get under control and when a hungry Scorpi got frustrated, it didn’t make it easier. That was also why she usually had some pumped milk in the fridge, so she could use a bottle in case her son got too worked up. That had come in handy this morning, when she had had to spontaneously leave Scorpius with his grandparents, but it didn’t help her now. Molly had given her some advice, but that hadn’t helped at all and since the mother of seven apparently never had trouble when it had come to nursing, she didn’t have too many ideas either.
Ridiculously, she felt a little embarrassed about it in front of Narcissa. Overall, she thought she and Draco were doing a good job, but she often missed her parents, especially her mom, when little problems came up and they were unsure of how to handle them best. Most of the time, though, she thought it went well considering it was their first child and neither of them had a lot of previous experience with babies. Still, not being able to flawlessly feed her own son after almost four months felt like a failure, even if she knew intellectually that that was irrational.
When she looked up, there was no judgement on Narcissa’s face, though. Hermione smiled, still a little embarrassed. “He sometimes has trouble latching on, I haven’t been able to figure out why.”
“May I try something?” The question came almost tentatively, as if she wasn’t sure she was allowed to interfere so early in their acquaintance.
“Of course.” She would be grateful for any help at that point.
Narcissa got up and gently readjusted Scorpius’ position in his mother’s arms and the position of his little head and just like that he started to drink.
Hermione smiled brightly. “Thank you!” Who would have thought that it could be that easy?
“It’s quite alright.” The older with sat back in her previous chair. “I had the same problem with Draco, an aunt showed me that little trick. It’s a wonderful time when they’re so small, but also absolutely terrifying, with them being so dependent on you, isn’t it?”
Hermione nodded. “It is!”
Another moment of hesitation. “Draco told us about your parents. I’m so sorry. But if you ever need help or just want to talk, you can always contact me or just come over. I’m pretty sure Lucius wants to give you access to the Manor anyway.”
She refused to cry again, but that gesture really meant a lot. “Thank you,” she said quietly as Scorpius finished his meal, burped all on his own and yawned contentedly. Both women smiled at him and Hermione readjusted her blouse.
“And if I’m not home, Lucius is quite experienced, too. Not with nursing, obviously.” They both laughed. “But he was very involved in Draco’s upbringing.”
Hermione smiled. “Draco told me. And he is too. He’s so good with Scorpi.”
They went back to the sitting room, where Lucius held a monologue about their relatives, who mainly lived in France, to entertain his silent son. Hermione had the feeling that not being able to talk would become frustrating for Draco very quickly.
It turned out that Draco’s old baby bed had been set up again for Scorpi’s nap earlier that day and since he was always a bit sleepy after having his milk, Hermione put him back into that bed before they had dinner.
It was a pleasant affair, the food was amazing and festive, although Hermione did feel sorry for Draco. He cut himself very small pieces and had trouble swallowing even these.
But he did look happy about how amicable Hermione and his parents still interacted and he perked up at the dessert. The very best panna cotta Hermione had ever had and it seemed easier for Draco to swallow, so he had three portions.
Narcissa gave her son a fond smile. She knew as well as Hermione what a sweet tooth Draco was. The unfairness of it all was that he never gained a pound.
After dinner, it was, however, obvious how tired he felt.
“I think it’s time for us to head home,” Hermione said with a fond look at her husband. “Thank you, the dinner was wonderful. And thank you for watching Scorpius today.”
“Anytime,” Lucius said as Hermione gently lifted the still sleeping baby out of the bed. “If you two ever want to go out and have some alone-time, we’ll be happy to watch him.”
Considering they hadn’t been on a date since Scorpi’s birth, that was certainly an offer Hermione would remember when Draco was feeling better. She loved her son dearly, but she did miss going out with her husband sans baby now and again.
When they were back at the fireplace, Lucius looked at his son. “Can you stand for a moment longer?”
Draco nodded and Lucius turned to Hermione. “I think it’s high time for you to get access to the Manor, Mrs Malfoy. Give me your hand, please.”
Hermione gave her son to Narcissa and held out her hand. Lucius cast a numbing spell. “The wards work with blood magic. I know it’s illegal, but those wards are hundreds of years old and as long as no one tries to break in, I assure you no one will be harmed.”
Hermione shrugged. She only cared about the whether a spell was illegal or not, if it was actually harmful to innocents and these wards would only be harmful, if someone tried to enter their property without permission and if someone was that stupid when it came to a century-old wizarding property, she couldn’t bring herself to have sympathy, whatever the wards did. “I don’t mind blood magic as long as no innocents are harmed.” She knew that blood magic was strictly banned, but she also knew that many spells weren’t even really dangerous, but you had to be skilled enough not to cross a line and many were not and hence the ban.
Lucius smirked. “And here I was, thinking you’re a law-abiding citizen.”
Draco burst out laughing so hard that it hurt his throat and he had to sit down on the stairs. He looked at his wife’s dry look and laughed some more.
Lucius raised his eyebrows at his son. “Alright, I can admit, if I was wrong.” He moved his wand along her hand and produced a very shallow cut, which leaked just enough blood to perform the spell. “You can now come through the floo and open the gate and the door just by touching them.” Lucius explained as he healed the cut and lifted the numbing spell. “You can bring Scorpius, that is not a problem, he’s a Malfoy by blood.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
“And of course you may use the library, if you wish.”
Before she could say anything, Draco was back on his feet, walked over to her and gave her a pleading look. ‘Home?’ He mouthed.
“Oh, alright. But I’d love to have a look at the library some other time.”
“Anytime you want.” With a smile Narcissa handed her the still sleeping baby. “And if you need someone to watch Scorpius while you’re in the library, just let me know.”
“I will,” she answered with a smile before wishing them Happy Christmas and stepping into the fireplace with Draco and Scorpius.
The next morning, both father and son were still sleeping when Hermione got up. Draco had been really tired, so she was extra careful not to wake and quietly went into the kitchen to enjoy her first coffee in peace before Scorpius demanded breakfast.
Outside the kitchen window, three huge eagle owls sat on the window sill and stared into the kitchen. She opened the window and, with a dignified air, the owls stepped in, each one carrying two packages. A quick inspection showed that four of them were for Scorpi and the other two for Draco and her. She grinned. Someone would be spoiled.
“Wait a moment, please,” she told the owls and hastened to get the two gifts they had gotten for Lucius and Narcissa a few days ago. After initially declining their invitation, Hermione had insisted that they would at least get each of them a gift and she had dragged Draco into Diagon Alley so that she wouldn’t buy something they wouldn’t like. She attached the gifts to two of the owls and gave all three of them a treat before sending them off. Then she placed their gifts under the Christmas tree in their living room.
There were some others already, the gifts they had gotten for each other, some from the Weasleys and Potters, one from Luna and Neville and some from Draco’s friends (that were now her friends, too): Pansy, Blaise, Theo, Greg and Daphne. When Draco and Scorpius were up, they would open them together as a family for the first time and if Draco was feeling up to it, they would go to the Burrow in the early afternoon. If not, she knew their friends would understand and they would just spend a cozy day together.
Either way, she was looking forward to the day.
Two years later
It was the morning of Christmas Eve and Hermione wanted nothing more than go back to bed, curl up and sleep for at least three days.
“Mom?” She wanted to cry, instead she smiled at Scorpius.
“Yes?”
“When is dad back?”
“I don’t know, honey. Whenever the Wizengamot meeting is over. You know he and your grandfather wanted to attend.” And a slightly vindictive part in her fervently hoped that her husband had just as hard a time to stay awake as she did. It had been his idea, after all, to have a second child before there would be a huge age difference between Scorpius and his potential sibling. She hadn’t protested, of course, but he had brought it up, so it absolutely was his fault. She loved Lyra with all her heart, but the little girl had been born on 1 December and it felt like so far she had spent most of her time on this earth crying. She had never realised how much Scorpius had spoiled them, he had been such a quiet, content little baby. And now he was talking non-stop.
She had never felt so tired in her entire life.
A knock on the door and Narcissa came in, a sympathetic look on her face. “Would you like me to take the two of them for a few hours? You could catch up on some sleep.”
Merlin, how she loved that woman! Marrying Draco had been worth it, just to have her as a mother-in-law, even if it hadn’t looked like that at first. But they had become very close in the past two years and Hermione was grateful for that. And she was happy about the decision to move into the Manor. When she had become pregnant again, she and Draco had started looking for a new flat, as their old one would have been too small. They hadn’t found anything they’d liked and after a while, Lucius and Narcissa had brought up the possibility of them moving into the Manor. They had been a bit sceptical at first, but after six months of living there, that scepticism was gone. They all had meals together, but when they wanted alone time, their privacy was always respected. Scorpius loved having his grandparents available most of the time and he enjoyed the extra space of the Manor and the grounds, it was a great place for children to grow up.
“Thank you, if you don’t mind, that would actually be great. We hardly had any sleep last night. Again.”
Narcissa smiled. “I don’t mind at all.” She gently took Lyra out of her crip, held her with one arm and held out her other hand to Scorpius. “Come on, we’ll bring the peacocks some extra treats for Christmas.”
Scorpius beamed; he loved the peacocks as much as his grandfather did. “Ok!”
And then all three of them were gone and Hermione couldn’t get into bed fast enough to enjoy every extra minute of sleep she could possibly get.
She woke up when she felt a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Hey, sleepyhead,” Draco whispered and Hermione groaned.
“What time is it?”
“Almost lunch time. Lyra is hungry and we may have a chance to eat in peace, if you feed her before lunch.”
“Hmm … Alright.” She sat up and took their daughter from Draco. She was indeed a bit fussy, but she didn’t cry yet. As soon as her breast was offered, Lyra started drinking hungrily. Hermione smiled gently down at her. “Where’s Scorpi?”
Draco settled down on the bed next to her and gently pulled her into his arms, careful not to disturb Lyra.
“Following father around and asking every few seconds or so when Father Christmas will come.”
Hermione giggled and Lyra glared up at her. “I’m sorry, darling.” She did her best not to laugh anymore until her daughter was finished. Then she handed her back to Draco to get up. “Shall we rescue Lucius?”
“We can try, but you know that he won’t stop harassing us until Father Christmas was finally there.”
“I know, but Father Christmas will come tonight and Scorpius can open his gifts in the morning and not any sooner. It’s tradition.”
He got up, too, and gave her another kiss before they started walking towards the door. “Alright, alright. But if he drives us all crazy in the meantime, that’s on you.”
~The End~