Chapter 17
The waiting room was full and silent enough that the only thing you could hear were the medi witches and wizards bustling in and out of the room. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Regulus almost found it funny how the medi witches were practically running away from the, though that shouldn’t be that surprising considering who were in the room, hell he would even laugh at the situation if it weren’t for the reason why they were all gathered in the small S.T Mungo's waiting room.
Today was supposed to be an exciting day, Pandora had found out the gender of their baby and they had arranged a baby shower of sorts for her to announce it to the rest of them. They couldn't do anything too big or taxing as Pandora was almost 8 months along in her pregnancy and shouldn’t do anything too active. So they had only invited their closest allies and family to the announcement. It was taking place in the garden of LeStrange manor as Rodolphus and Rabastan insisted on hosting their sister’s baby shower even though she was technically only the godmother and the surrogate. By noon everyone, the Malfoys with a month old baby Draconis, Evan, Barty and Antares with his husband, was there ready to find out the gender of their leards’s child.
Baby Draconis was born almost a month before the current meeting/announcement on the 5th of June, he was an adorable baby with pale skin, almost snow white hair and pretty bluish grey eyes that were pure Black family trait according to Narcissa.
Regulus was especially happy about Antares coming. He had a talk with him shortly after his honeymoon with Marvolo and explained everything to him before taking him to the goblins for some testing. Safe to say no one was surprised to see that Dumbledore was behind his kidnapping, what was surprising however was that their mother had helped him. Of course they had theories as to why their mother would ally herself with DUmbledore and give him her child but nothing concrete and no proof for anything as the lady herself was dead. After the blocks were removed from him Antares had all but burst out crying and grabbed Regulus into the tightest hug of his life while muttering about his baby Star growing so big without him and Regulus could do nothing but melt into the embrace of his big brother. After collecting himself Antares had immediately ditched his old…new? name and started using the one given to him at birth, later explaining that his adoptive parents hated him and neglected him most of the time so he wanted nothing to do with them.
Regulus’s favourite thing that day, except getting his brother back, was Severus’s face when they explained to him that his soulmate and bonded husband was a Black and that he was pretty much one himself as well because they combined their last names after marriage, now being Prince-Black. Antares told Regulus later that Severus was moping and cursing the entire Black family line but more specifically Sirius for days afterwards.
So Regulus was really happy they made an appearance at the babyshower. Regulus’s favourite part was opening the baby presents with Marvolo and Pandora. Everyone was a little shocked when even Marvolo was smiling at the little baby booties Evan had gifted them. Everything had gone well right up until the moment Pandora was about to announce the gender of their baby.
BOOM!
A huge crash echoed into the back yard from the front entrance of the manor and the wards started glowing, showing that they have been activated and are trying to keep something out. Within seconds Pandora, baby Draco and Narcissa were surrounded by everybody else and covered in protective charms. “Take this and go” Said Regulus, handing the panicking ladies a portkey to get them out of there along with the baby. And with an almost silent crack they were out of the garden. Just in time as well because not even 15 seconds later the wards fell and the order appeared. Nobody had time to say anything as spells started flying around immediately.
Marvolo did a quick head count of their assailants, instantly noting that Dumbledore and Moody were both standing in the back observing but not fighting just yet, other faces recognised were Potter, Sirius Black, the werewolf (Lupin was it?) the elder McKinnons, McGonagall… What was Molly Wealey doing there attacking them while pregnant !?! and a few other faces he didn’t immediately know.
Antares would like to say that this was the first he had heard of or interacted with Sirius but the truth was that after his visit to Gringotts with baby Star he had written to Sirius, leaving out some details of course. The only response he had gotten was that Dumbledore had already told him about him and that if he was with Regulus, he would not be acknowledged as Sirius’s brother. He would like to say that he was surprised but after hearing about the man from his husband and baby brother, he really didn’t have high expectations. That didn’t mean he wasn’t sad, of course he was that was his big brother after all, he just didn’t show it and it didn’t hurt as much as it should because he had expected it.
So when during fighting Sirius started shouting things like “It seems like I really was the only one in our family brave enough to not submit to the dark, LIKE YOU SLIMY SLYTHERINS” or “I wish I didn’t have another little brother if he was gonna be as much of a disappointment to me as the other one, Jamie is the only brother I have” At some point everyone started giving Sirius some serious (get it?) side eye and questioning his sanity for pretty much ranting about his family in the middle of a battle while looking like some deranged lunatic.
Luckily the fight didn’t last long with Marvolo being a dark lord and Regulus being the strongest/smartest wizard of his age both fighting together and some of the strongest dark wizards alive backing them. At some point Moody looked like he was going to join the fight when almost half of their side was down but Dumbldore held him back, it wasn’t much later when Dumbledore called retreat and everybody popped away taking their injured and dead with them, leaving the dark elite behind looking baffled.
Much to their relief nobody on their side was greatly injured, just some scrapes and bruises here and there, the worst injury on their side being Regulus’s dislocated shoulder which Marvolo fixed immediately. Once everybody was treated they apparated to the Black manor, where the portkey from before took the ladies and Draco.
Everyone grew concerned once they entered the Black manor because all that greeted them was silence, everybody who knew anything about baby Draco knew that the boy was almost never silent…neither was Pandora for that matter. Before anyone could start panicking a house elf popped in front of them and said “Lady Pandora’s water broke when they arrived, Lady Narcissa took her to hospital. Left little Master Draco here, he is sleeping.” Without saying anything, everybody apparated into Mungo’s, except Lucius who decided to stay with his child.
Marvolo and Regulus all but ran to the receptionist when they arrived and were promptly directed towards the maternity ward. Which was where they found themselves now, sitting in the white waiting room with all their closest allies around them and worrying about their child who was about to be born a month early. They had been sitting there and listening to Pandora’s screams for the past almost 4 hours when suddenly…they heard a different time of cry, a baby’s cry.
Immediately Marvolo and Regulus perked up from their chairs and stood up wanting to go in the room and meet their baby. They didn’t have to wait for long as the doctor came out of the room a few minutes later, with a smile on his face and said “I’m happy to announce that it is a baby boy, the child’s fathers are allowed in the room. The child while being born prematurely is very healthy” That was all they needed to hear before rushing into the room.
It was like time stopped for a moment when they laid eyes on their perfect little boy. He was currently sleeping wrapped in a baby blue blanket in his cot next to Pandora who was also sleeping. As quietly as they could they moved closer to the baby and just looked at him in wonder. “He has your hair” Said Marvolo while gently stroking the child’s full head of black curls “But he has your nose” Replied Regulus, holding his son’s little hand in his own.
Suddenly a thought occurred to Regulus and he looked at Marvolo “What should we name him?” Asked Regulus, much to his confusion Marvolo turned a little red in the face and looked embarrassed. Marvolo on his part stayed silent and thought about how he had asked himself that question months ago and had thought of multiple names, though only one name rang through his head now that he looked at his child. Promptly he gathered up all the courage he had and took the little boy into his arms.
Now cradling his child in his in arms he looked at his soulmate, thanks to whom he now had everything he ever wanted, now including a child and said “Hadrian…Hadrian Rigel Black-Slytherin”