“I’ll be back in time before that baby gets there.”
“Can’t you just say you want to go on vacation?”
“I can’t, it’s really important I go to this for my job.”
“Who’s going to keep my company and keep an eye on me while I’m here?”
“Scorpius will be here.”
“Because I want a moody teenager here to keep my company.”
“Look, I’ll call your friend. Erm...”
“Hermione, you’ll call Hermione.”
Draco looks at me with those eyes of stress. He sighs as he picks up the phone and dials the number. He walks into the other room and I can only hear muffled conversation. He comes back minutes later and puts the phone down. “She’s going to stay here now while I’m gone. AND she’s bringing the twins.”
“Adelaide and Henry!” I correct him. “They’re separate people.”
“Right, right, right,” He says dryly. He looks at his clock. “She’s going to be here any second. I’m leaving before she gets here.”
I sigh as he kisses me. “I hope one day you two will be friends,” I dream.
“When pigs fly,” He teases as he kisses me on the head. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I won’t!” I reassure.
“I doubt that. You’re my wife.”
“Just because you take risks doesn’t mean I do also!”
He laughs as he begins to walk out the door. “Oh erm... hey Hermione.”
“Hello, Draco,” The familiar voice rings. She walks into the living room to see me sitting. She parks the double stroller and picks out the baby carriers and places them on the island in the kitchen. “How have you been?”
“Why are you so happy?” I ask. “You have one month olds! You should be tired! Not to mention postpartum depression!”
“Coffee can sometimes save people's lives,” She says smiling as she shakes her to-go mug. She leans down on the island. “How you feeling? Do you need anything?”
Scorpius comes downstairs. “Hey Mrs. Weasley, is Rose here?”
“Bloody love birds you are!” She says laughing. “She’s not here though, sorry sweet. I brought Henry and Adelaide though.”
Scorpius goes to the carriers and begins cooing inside them. Hermione tosses him some bottles. “It’s almost time for their feeding, would you mind?”
Scorpius begins to object but stops after I give him a look. Hermione looks at me and begins to dig through her bag. “I brought some entertaining stuff.”
“Gosh that bag is gorgeous!” I say as she reaches her arm through the bag. The baby gives a happy kick as she rolls over.
“Do you like it? I made so I can carry all the babies stuff and it doesn’t look like I’m running away! How clever is that?”
“Clever!” I say as she begins to unload a lot of things. “What is all of this?!”
“Some movies, a couple books, some games, old home movies, candy, and other things. Mostly muggle movies though, but I think you’ll like them.”
I squeal. “You are the best!” I say trying to move so I can hug her.
“Would you mind helping me with something first?”
“Anything.” I say. “What else can I possibly do now?”
“Well, did you read the Quibbler a while back?” she says embarrassed.
“Yeah, they had no right to do that. I mean, I thought that Luna was your friend.”
“It wasn’t Luna that wrote it. It was Rita.”
“Why?”
“I kicked her off of the Daily Prophet. Someone had to go. I thought I made the right choice,” She sighs as she puts a pile of letters on my lap. “But others thought differently.”
“What are these?”
“Hate mail from the awful editorial they wrote,” She tosses me a pair of gloves. “I thought we can read them for a laugh. Put the gloves on though, they’re magic proof. Some of these letters have some nasty curses in them.”
I gasp as I open the first letter to read it outloud. “How dare you cheat on your husband with a demon! Wait until he finds out! I have an inside source to the Ministry and you’ll pay for what you did!” I turn to Hermione. “Hermione, this is horrible!”
“It’s all a lie!” She reassures. “Ron knows it’s a fake, he saw the magazine on the rack,” She opens one. “I’m so sorry for what is going to happen to your baby. My prayers go to your family but in my opinion, I think you deserve it. I mean, you cheated on your husband with a copy of the devil! How selfish is that!” She sighs as she tosses the letter to the side. “Well that one ended up nice at first, but I doubted it.”
“These people are so stupid. This is the Quibbler we’re talking about remember?” She opens another. “Ah here’s a funny,” She read it outloud. “I know this whole thing is a lie because it’s Rita Skeeter and the Quibbler. I’ve been telling all my friends that, but they are so mad that you fired Rita when her father just died and they are secretly in love with your husband. I’m so sorry if they send you any hate mail. Don’t worry! I’ll hex them in their sleep!”
“You fired after her father died?!”
“Her father’s very much alive, I spotted him in the Three Broomsticks. She’s saying that to get sympathy,” She shakes her head. “What people will do these days astound me,” We finish the last of the letters and we throw our gloves off. “Well now that we have that over with!” Hermione says laughing. “Now what?”
I look at her and grin. “Horrible muggle movies?”
She laughs and rolls her eyes. “I guess!”
Hermione
The first couple of days were iffy at the Malfoy house. I kept finding things around the house while I was cleaning. First, it was a book of Hogwarts: A history and the chapter of the dark lord was sticky noted. Then, I saw in Malfoy’s office a bunch of books about the life of the dark lord. It was all a bit uncanny. But the days were relaxed. I made sure not to drive Hermione crazy and helped her by cleaning up and made sure she wasn’t moving too hastily (Even though a doctor didn’t diagnose her, I put her to bed rest)
After almost completing all the muggle movies I brought for the countless time, a knock was heard at the Malfoy door. I look to Astoria and get up and walk to the door.
“Hello?” I say opening. “Rose, Hugo!? What are you doing here?!” I say annoyed. “You were supposed to stay home!”
Rose looks past me. “You can’t just keep our new baby brother and sister away from us for that long and not expect us to come visit them!” She begins to stand on the tips of her toes to see if Scorpius was around. “Dad said you would be here.”
“Hi Rose!” Scorpius says walking in. Rose runs up to him and gives him a hug.
“You too both know that I was staying with a friend for a week. I distinctly remember telling you both what the plan was this week!” I say staring as Rose continues to hug Scorpius. “Are my words making any impact at all?”
“Hermione?” Astoria calls out in the other room. “Who’s at the door?”
I rush back to the living room. “It’s just my kids. I told them I was staying here and yet they show up anyway.”
“Well they’re welcome to stay.” Astoria says.
I nod as I walk back to the kids and shoo them inside. I slam the door and stare hard at the two. “Look. I don’t want any problems while we’re here, okay? Rose, no making out with your boyfriend the whole stay. Hugo, try to stay out of other people’s stuff. And both of you are going to help with Adelaide and Henry. Deal?”
The two nod and walk in. “They’re in the other room,” I say talking about Adelaide and Henry.
The two walk in and I spot Scorpius holding Henry and rocking him and giving him his bottle. Rose goes over and sits next to him. “Sorry,” I say embarrassed.
“Why? I don’t care!” Astoria says as she picks at her sandwich I made her.
“Okay,” I say after picking up Adelaide and hand her to Hugo. “Well I’m going to do the laundry for you.”
“Oh you don’t have to!” Astoria says. “Binky can take care of it.”
I cough awkwardly, though it was ages ago, I’m still passionate about S.P.E.W. Rose stares wide eyed at Astoria. “You still have a house elf working with you?!”
“Oh bloody hell not this again,” Hugo says rolling his eyes.
“Rose,” I warn with a hard stare. “Don’t start.”
She stares at me and then at Astoria and storms off. “What’s that all about?” Astoria asks.
“Rose is crazy about that spew thing Mum started in Hogwarts.” Hugo explains.
“S. P. E. W., Hugo.” Rose and I correct at the same time.
Rose storms out of the room with an angered look on her face. “Let me go see if she’s okay.” I grab Henry and rock him in my arms as I walk to the grand hallway where Rose is sitting. She’s toying with her wand.
“You alright?” I ask sitting down as I’m rocking Henry.
“It’s horrible what they’re doing to that poor elf,” She says sadly.
“I know, I know. But Rose, just can you just let it go for this one day? It’s really important I stay here so please,” I plead.
“Mom?” I hear Scorpius ask with concern in his voice.
“Mum!” Hugo says rushing in. “It’s Mrs. Malfoy!”
I skipped Ron and Draco.... they’ll come back later.
Rose
Mum looks at me and rushes back into the other room. “Rose!” She shouts scared. “G-grab Astoria’s things and get the car started.”
“Mum I can’t!” I say scared. “I-I don’t have my muggles licence!”
“Rose!” She shouts back over the panic cries of Mrs. Malfoy. “You need to!”
I nod as I rush upstairs to the second floor. Instantly as I walk upstairs, I was lost. There were many hallways with doors on either side. A family of three people, one on the way, do they really need this many rooms? I didn’t know which way to go, there was no time to make mistakes. Scorpius runs upstairs and runs into me causing me to almost fall. “Oof!” I say falling down.
“Rose!” Scorpius says getting off of me and helps me up. “You okay? I’m so sorry!”
“I’m fine!” I say back. You can tell we were both stressed and rushed. “Where’s your parents room?”
“Third door to the left in the second hallway!” He says running in the direction of his room.
“Scorpius! Wait!” I say rushing towards him. He turns around and comes back. I grab him and hug him tight. He puts his chin on the top of my head. “It’s going to be okay.”
He nods and goes to his room. I run to the room and grab the blue bag and run outside to attempt to start the car. Thankfully it didn’t take long for me to figure it out. I rush back inside as Mum was walking slowly Mrs. Malfoy to the car. “Rose! Grab the twins!” She says to me.
“Adelaide and Henry!” I correct her.
“Now’s not the time!” She orders me as she’s helping Mrs. Malfoy in the car.
I run back inside as Hugo almost runs into me with the baby carriers in hand. He struggles with Adelaide’s and I grab it and rush outside to buckle them in. Hugo runs out with the huge baby bag, filled with diapers, bottles, formula, and almost everything in between. I see Scorpius running out of the house and practically jumping into the car. Once we’re in and situated, we’re on our way.
“Call Draco! Call him!” Astoria says in the front seat. Mum throws her phone back and almost hits me in the neck.
“Call Draco!” She shouts at me.
“555-0142!” Astoria cries.
I dial the number, why Draco of all people owns a muggle phone, I’ll never know. “Hello, you’ve reached Draco Malfoy, I’m sorry I can’t get to the phone right now, so please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can, thanks.”
“It went to voicemail!” I say.
“Keep trying!” Mum orders over Mrs. Malfoy’s wailing.
“Hello, you’ve rea-”
“Nothing again!”
“Rose! I don’t care how many times you hear that damn voicemail, keep calling!” Mum orders again. “And maybe this time leave a message or two!”
“Or seven!” Mrs. Malfoy wails.
I keep dialing. What do you say to your boyfriends Dad?”Hello, you’ve reac-”
“Erm, a hiya, Mr. Malfoy. It’s Rose, umm Rose Weasley..... anyways um we just wanted to call and say that uh Mrs. Malfoy is kinda in labor right now. So I don’t know about you, but I think you should get back up to England pretty soon. Ok umm bye,” I hang up.
That was probably the most awkward message I’ve ever left on someones phone. Ever.
I keep dialing and every single time I get that message and I leave pretty much the same voicemail. We’re rushed to the maternity ward and Mrs. Malfoy is settled in with a hospital gown and an IV in her arm.
“You sure you don’t want an epidural?” Mum asks with a concerned look to her friend.
“No,” Astoria snaps at her. “I just want Draco!” She whines. She looks at me with an angry look. “Why hasn’t he called!”
I could say a lot of things to this woman right now, a lot of things. I look to Mum for a back up but she gives me a look to let it go. “Uh, I don’t know,” I say quietly looking at my shoes.
“Well you should keep trying!” She snaps at me. I’m not going to take this any longer if this lady keeps treating me like I’m dirt.
Another contraction comes and Mrs. Malfoy screams. “Where’s Draco?!” She cries.
Mum rushes to her side. “I don’t know!” Mum cries back.
“Why hasn’t he answered his phone?!”
“I don’t know!”
“Why?!?” Mrs. Malfoy screams again as another contraction comes. “Why won’t it stop?!”
“Stop what?!”
“THE PAIN! There has to be some spell, some potion to make it stop!”
“An epidural!” Mum yells back.
I remember Scorpius saying that she was completely against an Epidural, she didn’t want to trust some muggle invention with her baby.
“There has to be something else! Something a wizard made!”
“Astoria. There’s nothing that’s going to work besides an epidural!” Mum says over her wails and wimpers. Mrs. Malfoy begins to breathe heavily. “You’re just going to have to endure it.”
“Why is it this painful!?”
“I don’t know!”
“Where’s Draco!”
“I don’t know!”
“When’s the baby going to get here?!”
“I don’t know!”
Adelaide woke up from her nap and begins screaming too. Mum was screaming, Mrs. Malfoy’s screaming and now Adelaide’s screaming. You would probably think it was a psycho ward.
Mum stares back at the baby carriers as Henry joins his older sister. “Shit,” She whispers.
She walks to go and comfort Adelaide. As soon she walked away from Mrs. Malfoy’s side, Mrs. Malfoy would scream. She was right in the middle of a tug of war and she was the rope.
“Ugh!” She cries out and practically rushes to Mrs. Malfoy’s side. “Can’t you three do anything?!” I stand up straight as the three of us go take care of Adelaide and Henry. She sits down on the chair next to her as she’s still crying out in pain. “Can’t I just get one freaking break!?” No one answers her, it must have been a rhetorical question. She shakes out her hands and walks up to Mrs. Malfoy’s screams. “Okay,” She says calmly over Mrs. Malfoy’s screams.
She too then begins to scream and through the biggest temper tantrum I’ve ever seen her do. There was screaming and wailing and shaking her hands and almost everything in between. It’s official, my mother has gone insane.
Scorpius grabs me and Hugo by the arm. We follow Scorpius as he grabs both Henry’s and Adelaide’s baby carriers and we slowly creep out of the room. “We’ll leave the two Mental Patients in their padded room,” He says grimly. “Besides,” He says going back to his serious smolder. “Adelaide and Henry needed some peace and quiet.”
We head out into the waiting room as he grabs Henry and begins to rock him as I do the same with Adelaide. He looks up from staring at Henry and smiles at me. I smile back feeling that fluttery feeling I always get.
Scorpius
The waiting room in the maternity room became our new temporary home. We comprised three sitting day beds out of the two comfy chairs. Rose, Henry and I alternated the baby time so that everyone can all have a fair chance to hold the twins. Rose found the remote to the tv and we changed it from the horrible muggle soap operas. Hugo found a supplier of nice blankets, not the scratchy hospital kind and we used that to cover our feet. I was able to grab the food trolley lady and we stocked ourselves up with different types of food. We were set because we were sure as hell not going back into that psycho room.
Henry slowly falls asleep in my arms and I pass him to Hugo. “What’s on?” I ask Rose who is channel surfing.
“I don’t know. Some stupid Muggle show,” Rose puts the remote down. “We’re in a magic hospital, you would think they would have some wizard channels.”
I chuckle as Rose is rocking Adelaide to sleep. “Do you think she’s going to have red hair?” I ask.
“She’s a Weasley,” Rose says. “But I don’t know,” She begins to pet Adelaide’s head. “I think she’s going to have Mum’s hair when she’s a baby. Then it’s eventually going to go Weasley red. I was that way when I was a baby,” She smiles. Adelaide’s sharp blue eyes stare straight at Rose. She gives her a toothless grin.
I smile back. “First time smiling?” I ask Rose about Adelaide.
“No, she’s done it before. Hugo and I made a big deal about it. But Mum says it’s just gas,” She giggles. “Which will mean it’s time for a diaper change soon,” She passes her to me.
“Really?” I ask as Adelaide is grinning at me now.
I roll my eyes and get up to change her. I have to go all the way back to the maternity ward because that’s the only men’s room that has a child changer.
As I’m walking past the main entrance, I almost get run over by a flustered man. “Really man?! What the heck? I have a kid right here!” I hiss as I step out of the guys way.
“Oh sorry,” The guy mumbles rushing in. I begin to walk away but turn around abruptly. “Dad?” I ask.
Dad turns around quickly and sees that I’m holding Adelaide. “She had the baby already?!”
“What?!” I say looking funny at him. I look down at Adelaide who is still smiling. “Dad, this is Adelaide. Rose’s new sister?”
Dad looks at Adelaide and points at her. “So, this isn’t ours?”
“No Dad”! I say as I follow behind him.
“Where is she? Where’s your mother?” He says looking around for the door with his wife.
He walks past our sitting area and Rose and Hugo stand up. They stand near me and Rose crosses her arms. She probably wasn’t happy with my dad.
“Where’s Astoria,” Dad ordered.
“Mr. Malfoy. You don’t want to go in there,” Rose warns. “It’s a psycho ward in there.”
“Well I bloody better get in there! My wife is giving birth!” He glares at his son. “What room.”
“24E,” Rose says quietly. He storms off for that room and the three of us follow him.
“Sorry Addie,” I say to Adelaide. Adelaide is just too long of a name for a baby. I like to think of it as my secret nickname for her, maybe it can be our secret thing when she’s older. “But I’ll have to let your Mum change you.”
“Knock first,” Rose says as Dad looks at her and then knocks on the door.
“Come in!” Mrs. Weasley calls out. The screaming has stopped.
“Draco!” Mum says.
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