Divorce, disaster and denial

Sorry it took so long, but I had to deal with some paperwork and then my internet died on me. Not my fault, this was ready days ago.

I love all my reviewers. *throws out stuffed bunnies*

Now, because I received a request for the children’s reactions to babies, this chapter is dedicated to love2bug63670.

Now, on with the chapter.

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George and Percy helped the very pregnant Andie out of the car, while Draco and Lucius were helping Harry. Lucius had hired a car from the Ministry for the day, so they could all go and pick up the boys from Kings Cross.

They walked into the station in their respective couples, Lily being given a piggyback ride by Lucius.

Harry smirked as Lucius put her down so they could walk through the barrier. “You know, the only reason she wants you to carry her is because you’re the tallest. She gets a better view,” Harry said as George and Percy went to get coffees from the shop.

“I know. But I don’t mind. It’s been quite a while since I had a little girl looking at me like she does,” Lucius said.

“And what way is that?”

“She has complete faith in me that I will protect her. Been quite a while since Draco and Andie had that kind of innocence.”

Harry was about to say something but was interrupted by the Ticket Master coming through the barrier and announcing that the Hogwarts Express had just arrived and the children would be sent through in twos and threes.

Scorpius, James and Albus were some of the first to come through, followed closely by Rose, who ran to her parents and started babbling immediately.

But the boys were very quiet. In fact, they were silent.

The adults looked at each other in confusion and Lily clung to Harry and Lucius. Something was wrong with this scene.

“Jamie, did you have a nice trip?” Andie ventured.

“Fine,” James said, not meeting her eyes.

Lucius took charge. “Well, let’s all go home, shall we? I’m sure the boys are tired and hungry.”

They led the boys to the car and soon enough they were home. But the boys had remained silent for the entire trip. They hadn’t even made eye contact with anyone else in the car.

They pulled up and the three boys took their places at the table and sat silently. Lily stood with Andie in the kitchen, making dinner, while the men of the house sat down to try and persuade the boys to talk. No such luck.

Harry stood up and walked to Andie. “What’s going on? I don’t get this, they’re too quiet,” he said to her.

“I’m not going to go into their minds, Harry,” Andie said simply.

“Why not? They’d never even know it was happening.”

She turned and looked him straight in the eye. “No. That’s my final answer. Now try talking to them.”

Harry sighed and walked back to the table. He sat down and they all sat in silence until dinner, when the whole situation exploded.

They were nearly finished their meal, when Andie gripped the table and place a hand on her swollen stomach.

Cutlery hit crockery, glasses hit the table. She held up a hand. “I’m fine. Baby just gave a very hard kick.”

“And so, it begins.”

All the adults looked at Scorpius.

“What begins?” Draco asked. Scorpius avoided his fathers gaze. Draco’s temper snapped. “Scorpius Ophiuchus Malfoy, you will answer me and you will look at me when I am talking to you! What begins?”

“I told you, didn’t I?” Scorpius asked James and Albus.

“Told them what?” Lucius asked.

“All about this! What would happen!”

“Am I the only one confused here? How did my baby kicking become a game of I told you so?” Andie said, looking at Albus.

“Scorpius told us that we’d be forgotten, that when we came home it would all be about the new babies. That you wouldn’t want us because we were too old to be your babies now,” Albus said.

Draco saw red. “Scorpius, is what he’s saying true? Did you tell them that?” Draco asked, alarmingly calm.

“So what if I did? It’s true!” Scorpius said, squaring up to his father. They were both on their feet, chest to chest. Scorpius rivalled Draco in height.

“No, Scorpius! It is not true,” Harry said angrily. “Just because me and Lucius have two new little ones on the way does not mean that we love James, Albus and Lily any less. All it means is that for a little bit, the babies are going to need more of our time. We love them all the same.”

“Forget it! Just forget it!” Scorpius yelled at them all and ran to his room. They heard the door slam above them.

“Well, that was a different welcome home than I expected,” Percy said calmly.

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Draco was still standing at Scorpius’ door at 2am, trying to reason with his son.

“Open the door. Please?” Draco said sweetly.

“No!” was the muffled reply.

“What are you doing?”

Draco turned around to see Harry standing behind him.

“I’m trying to reason with him,” Draco said tiredly.

“Give it up for the night. He’s not going to come out of that room. And besides, Percy is currently bent over your toilet, throwing his guts up.”

Draco paled and glanced at the door, throwing up his hands and walking off towards his room.

“You can come out now, he’s gone,” Harry said, and the door opened, revealing Scorpius.

“He hates me doesn’t he?” Scorpius said quietly, looking at his feet.

“No. He’s just upset. And confused. What on earth made you think we would love you any less?”

“Bade Bulstrode. He said that that’s what happened when his mum had a new baby.”

“And you listened?”

Scorpius looked sheepish.

“Scorpius, your dads love you, we all do. There is nothing on earth that will change that. Now, go and talk to your dad. Say you’re sorry and it’ll all be ok.”

Scorpius nodded and walked off to his fathers room.

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By the next morning, the whole blow up from the day before had been forgotten and the children were all behaving like Christmas had come early.

Andie locked herself in her greenhouse when James and Scorpius wouldn’t stop bugging her with questions about the baby. Albus had taken to the library, reading every single book that mentioned pregnancy or babies.

Harry and Lucius decided that a shopping trip was in order to stop Andie from killing someone.

For the first time in weeks, no, make that months, Andie was completely and blissfully alone. Everyone else was out shopping, the house elves were off at Hogwarts helping with some of the clean up.

Big mistake.

“Oh no. Not now,” Andie moaned as her waters broke.

She spelled the puddle away and waddled to the nearest fireplace.

She floo called Jenkins, and for the first time in her whole pregnancy, he was on holiday, visiting his niece in Jamaica.

“Typical! Just fucking typical!” Andie screamed at his secretary before pulling out of the fire.

She grabbed the chair to her left as another contraction hit.

She was gritting her teeth and trying desperately to think of who to call next, when her salvation arrived in the form of Teddy Lupin.

“Oh Merlin! I came to see Harry and the kids,” he said as he stepped out of the fire.

“Help. They’ve all gone shopping, and the house elves are at Hogwarts and my Mediwizard is in Jamaica!”

Teddy smiled and took her gently, leading her to the sofa. She sat down and he walked to the fireplace, calling the Burrow. Where he got no answer.

“Fuck. Can’t you just call a house elf?” he said.

“That only works if they’re bound to you, all mine are free.”

She groaned and gripped his hand as another contraction hit. “Fuck,” she gasped.

“Bad?”

“Teddy, you may want to think really fast here, because I need to push.”

He paled. “What? You can’t, I don’t know what to do!”

“Well, think fast then, because if you can’t find someone else, you have no choice here!”

Teddy walked to the fireplace and called Hogwarts. Minerva answered.

“Minerva, I need help!” Teddy yelled.

“With what?” she asked calmly.

“Andie is in labour and I have no idea what I’m doing. I can’t get hold of anyone.”

Minerva sprang into action. She shooed him away from the fireplace and in seconds the living room was filled by Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey.

Pomfrey took charge. Andie was taken up to her bedroom and was gripping a hand for dear life, not giving a damn as to who’s hand it was. It was Teddy’s.

Andie whimpered as Pomfrey checked her down below. Teddy wiped her brow and she was vaguely aware of him saying something to her.

“I want George,” she cried.

“Ask and you shall receive.”

She looked at the doorway and let her tears fall in relief. George was standing there, walking towards her, gripping her hand, taking Teddy’s place.

Teddy and the other members of her family left the room as she clutched at George, burying her head in his shoulder, screaming as she felt the baby’s head move down.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered.

He forced her to look at him and kissed her gently. “Yes, you can. Come on, you’re a Malfoy remember? You can do anything you want,” he soothed, pushing back her hair from her sweaty forehead.

“George, get behind her and help her support herself. Princess, I need you to push for me now,” Madame Pomfrey said from the end of the bed.

George climbed behind her, settling her between his legs. She gripped his thighs, his hands running up and down her arms as she began to push.

She could feel it, an unbearable pressure inside her, something solid trying to rip her in half. She screamed as it moved downwards, moving out into the world.

She collapsed back onto his chest, screaming. She kept pushing, trying to get rid of her pain.

“Don’t push! The head is crowning and you need to stretch so as not to tear. Just try and relax and breathe!” Pomfrey instructed, her hands holding the babes head and forcing Andie’s legs further apart.

“Are you mad? I have to push!” Andie screamed.

“Don’t!”

She gripped George’s hands and tried to relax. “It’s ok baby. Soon over,” George soothed. Her temper snapped.

“Like you would fucking know!! You did this to me! You are never, ever touching me in bed again!!” she screamed at him. Madame Pomfrey smirked at his scared look.

“Ok, Andie, you can push now,” she said. Andie pushed.

And pushed.

And pushed.

After what seemed like an eternity, the main pressure passed, leaving a different kind of pressure.

“Heads out. Just rest for a bit, while the babe turns,” Pomfrey said, slipping the cord over the baby’s head.

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“You think she’s ok?” Lucius asked Harry.

Harry, Lucius, Draco, Percy, Scorpius, Albus, James, Lily and Teddy were all pacing the hallway outside the bedroom, wincing at every scream.

“I think she’s fine,” Harry replied, placing a hand on his swollen stomach as his children kicked.

Percy leaned into Draco. “I can’t do what she’s doing,” Percy said, panic in his voice.

“Yes, you can. And you still have months to go. Don’t worry so much,” Draco soothed. He pulled Percy closer and kissed him. They broke the kiss as another scream echoed through the door.

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“Ok, now I want to you give me a really big push,” Pomfrey instructed.

Andie grabbed onto George’s thighs once more. She pushed with all she had but it wasn’t enough.

“I can’t. It hurts and I’m tired and I just want it out,” she said as tears streaked down her face, mingling with the sweat.

George smoothed her hair back and rubbed slow circles on her back. “Come on Ocean. You can do this. Just one more and it’ll all be over, I promise. Come on baby, just one more,” he urged, leaning her forward slowly and holding her hands.

Andie had no idea where the last push came from, she was sure that she had no strength or energy left, but she did it. She bore down and pushed with all she had, screaming loader than she had before as the shoulders passed.

The rest of the body slipped from her in a rush of water and blood. And then there was silence.

Andie had fallen back against George and they were both scared out of their minds.

The next few seconds stretched out into eternity.

And then there it was, a piercing shriek from their baby. The cord was cut with a wave of Pomfrey’s wand and then it was in their arms, their baby, crying as loud as it could.

“Congratulations, you have a beautiful baby girl,” Pomfrey said, before turning to the task of the afterbirth. Andie gave a small, considering what she had just achieved, push and gave their daughter her full attention.

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George walked out of the room, a small, pink wrapped bundle in his arms. “Lucius, would you like to hold your granddaughter?” he said.

Lucius smiled and held out his arms for the tiny little girl.

“She is beautiful,” Lucius breathed.

“What’s her name?” James asked, peering into the blanket.

“Freddie. Her name is Fredrica Molly Malfoy Weasley.”

“What’s her Elvin name? With those ears, you can’t mistake her heritage,” Draco said, stroking one fine finger over the pointed ears.

“Dreyla Oakarin Greenleaf.”

“How’s Andie?” Scorpius asked.

“She’s fine, exhausted, but fine. She’s sleeping. Scorpius, would you like to hold her?” George said.

Scorpius nodded and Lucius gently put the little girl into his arms, Harry adjusting Scorpius’ hold so she was cradled comfortably.

“I think being a big brother might not be so bad after all,” Scorpius stated simply as he slid down the wall, sitting cross-legged as the other three children sat down with him, the four of them holding her little hands, tickling her little feet.

All the adults breathed a sigh of relief.

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So, there it is, the first baby.

What did you think?

Please review and let me know.