Divorce, disaster and denial

Ok, here we are nearly the end. Next chapter will be the last. Wanna know how it all ends? Well, in this chapter there will be some clues. Keep on the look out and you might be able to guess. This chapter is basically three chapters in one, a very very very long chapter to thank all of you for sticking with me through it.

This chapter is about six months from the last one and it is in Harry’s point of view.

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I woke up this morning with the strangest feeling, kind of like the feeling I got before the final battle with Voldemort. It was a feeling of certainty, that nothing would ever be the same.

They’re moving out today, our children are moving out.

But I take comfort in the fact that they won’t be far, still in the Malfoy estates. Only a Floo away.

Lucius is heart broken. He’s trying to hide is but there isn’t much you can hide from your mate. He feels like he’s losing them. And no matter what I say, he still feels it. I keep walking in on his staring into space. I know what he’s doing, he’s remembering, thinking about the first time he lost her, the first time he lost him. He lost them the first time the moment they were born.

Andie, married woman and mother that she is now, was lost from him the moment she was conceived. If she had been found out Voldemort would have taken her and used her. And now she and her small soon to expand family are moving out.

The Malfoy family estate includes a house in London, not too far from Diagon Alley. It’s a nice house, five bedrooms but still small and cosy enough for Andie to keep an eye on Freddie now that she’s toddling around and scaling stairs like a mountain climber. It has a nice sized kitchen, and new little domain that Andie can use to keep her family whole. George has had the decorators and movers go to and from the house and manor for a month now. There’s even a room for me and Lucius when we want to stay.

Draco, well, he became Narcissa’s only when she realised she could used their son to keep Lucius in line. But, over the years, Draco found his own ways to get past his mothers little games. Draco once told me that by the time he took Percy as his mate, he was plotting ways to get away from his mothers grasp. He found the way when he realised he could have Pansy distract his mother for days at a time. Slytherin through and through.

The Malfoy family estate also includes a nice house in Avesbury, between London and Oxford, where the manor is. Roughly the same size as Andie’s new home in London, this one is attached to about 50 acres of land and a small lake. Draco and Percy keep arguing about how young is too young to begin teaching Gemini the finer art of riding a broomstick. If Percy gets his way, the other side of never will be the right time for her to learn. Little does he know that Draco has already bought her a toy broom that hovers just far enough off the ground to have her toes skim the grass.

I walked into the greenhouse to find Lucius. The greenhouse is empty, Andie has had all of her plants moved to the new house.

“Hey.”

He turned and offers me a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

I moved behind him and wrapped my arms around him, no mean feat as he was entering his final days of pregnancy. Shock to me when I did some reading and found out that if Lucius is the one carrying then the pregnancy is only six to seven months. Boy, do I wish I’d been half Veela when I found that one out. The babe is lower than before, proving to me and Lucius that it won’t be long before Lucius is threatening the hex my bollocks off. I asked Andie why her pregnancy wasn’t shorter and she said that Elfin pregnancies were usually closer to a year in length, so her different backgrounds cancelled it out.

“I was thinking, maybe I could fill this up with plants, see if she’s taught me anything,” I said quietly.

“Andie would help you,” he replied.

I took a deep breath. “Luc, they’re not going far, one floo and then they’ll be here, or us there. You’re not losing them. They just want their own space. You so know that they’ll still be here more than they’ll be at home.”

Lucius smiled and I felt instantly better. “You’re right. I just got so used to having them here. Didn’t think that they’d actually go through with this.”

“Well, now they have.”

We stood like that for a very long time.

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The house was eerily quiet once they had left. It took them a whole 20 minutes to get through the Floo network. Two infants who didn’t want to leave, then two grown children who were worried about their father being here without them.

It took all that time to reassure them and see them off.

And then all hell broke loose.

Not even five minutes after they left did Lucius scream in pain as his waters broke.

Told you so.

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3RD PERSON POINT OF VIEW

Lucius gripped the kitchen counter in a death grip. No wonder Harry screamed, this was like going twenty rounds of Crutacious curse when the Dark Lord was in a really bad mood.

“Harry!”

Harry came running into the room and skidded to a halt in front of the gasping blonde.

He was cool and calm as he spelled away the mess of Lucius’ waters and then he took Lucius into his arms and, slowly and gently, guided him up to the bedroom.

He helped Lucius into a loose robe and helped him to the bed. He moved to the Floo and fire called Healer Jenkins and then Andie.

Andie arrived before Jenkins and fixed Harry with the familiar Malfoy smirk.

“I haven’t even been gone a day, missing me already?” she joked.

“Funny, very funny. Did you bring it?”

“Yes, I brought the herbs. Now, teapot and my father?”

“Bedroom.”

Andie and Harry waited for Jenkins to arrive and then the three of them moved to the bedroom.

Andie began to prepare the herbal tea while Jenkins checked Lucius over.

“Ok, Lord Malfoy, your penis was absorbed but considering your age, are you sure you want to do this? We discussed this, your options. No one would think any less of you if you opted for a caesarean,” Jenkins said calmly.

“No. I want to do this the way I planned it unless health issues force me to change my plan. If Harry can do it, so can I. I’m a Malfoy, we’re not ones to opt for medical intervention,” Lucius insisted stubbornly.

Jenkins looked at Harry and then Andie, each of them shaking their heads. “Don’t bother, he won’t listen. Father is the most stubborn Malfoy since his great-great-grandfather, and he chose death rather than give into a Ministry legislation. Come to think of it, that legislation was the one allowing same sex marriage,” Andie said thoughtfully.

“Alright, but if things start going haywire, it’s straight to St Mungo’s for a caesarean.”

“Fine fine,” Lucius ground out as another contraction hit.

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An hour later and Lucius was beginning to tire. He had taken all painkiller that was safe and now Andie was trying to placate an anxious Healer Jenkins. He was walking around the room before, trying to get the babe to move down into the birth canal.

Harry was kneeling behind Lucius, massaging his back while Lucius sweated out another contraction on all fours.

“Harry,” Lucius said.

“Yes, Mela?”

“I want them out.”

“Luc, you’re only having one. I had the twins.”

“Funny, Mr Weasley,” Lucius snapped. “Andie and Jenkins, I want them out.”

“Luc…”

“Harry, please, Andie has done all she can here, and Jenkins is making me nervous. Please?”

“What is something goes wrong?”

“Then I will go to St Mungos without complaint. If something starts going wrong you can pull Jenkins back in here and I won’t say a single word. Please?”

“How will I know if something’s wrong? I’m no healer Luc.”

“I know that, but you’re my mate. You’ll know. I trust you to keep me safe, just like I trusted you the night we ended up like this.”

Harry sighed. “Alright, but I’m in charge here.”

Lucius nodded and Harry signalled Andie over.

“No need to worry, I got Jenkins covered. Just get that little one into the world,” Andie said before escorting Jenkins from the room, locking the door behind her.

“I hate it when she does that,” Harry grumbled.

“I know but you must admit that it comes in handy sometimes,” Lucius said as he felt an unbelievable pressure down below. He screamed.

“Wants out huh?” Harry said as he slipped from massaging Lucius and down to the business end.

“Get. It. Out.”

“I will but you gotta push Luc. When you feel the pain next push with all you got.”

Harry went back to rubbing his back until he felt his mate tense. He moved down again helped Lucius remove his robe. It was quite an experience for Harry to see one of his favourite parts of Lucius missing and his child’s head peaking out from a whole different set of parts.

“Push Luc.”

Lucius bore down and pushed with all that he had, screaming as the head crowned. “It burns! It‘s got a big head!”

“I know, but it passes. Breathe.”

“How the fuck can you be so calm!”

“Because you were calm for me. And besides, on the inside, I’m shitting myself here.”

“Ever eloquent, Mela.”

“Look who’s talking. Ok, now push!”

He pushed with a strength he hadn’t felt since he was tortured and tried not to cry out in pain.

He let out a cry of relief as the head passed. He looked behind him and saw Harry looking worried.

“What?”

“You’re bleeding, a hell of a lot. And the cord is round the babes neck. Don’t push, I’m gonna try and move the cord.”

Lucius let his head fall onto the bed on which he was leaning and found himself thinking that maybe he shouldn’t have kicked Jenkins out. He felt Harry’s fingers slip into him, stretching his abused opening. He hissed and heard no apology as Harry was fully focussed on the task at hand. He felt the babe move slightly as Harry’s fingers fastened around what he assumed was the cord. The fingers were removed and Lucius felt something pull inside him as the cord was slipped over the babes head. Harry looked up triumphant.

“Got it,” he said calmly.

“Never a doubt. Can I push yet?”

“When you’re ready, go to town.”

Lucius took a deep breath and bore down, screaming with a renewed vigour as he felt Harry tug gently on the child.

“Sweet Salazar, it’s got big shoulders!”

Harry chuckled. “Just push, Luc, soon over.”

Lucius pushed and collapsed on his arms in relief as the babe fell free from his body, crying as it left it’s warm cocoon.

“Thank you sweet Merlin,” Lucius gasped.

The door clicked open and Jenkins came bustling in. “That could have been very dangerous.”

“Well, you making him nervous couldn’t have helped. He’s bleeding a hell of a lot,” Harry said.

Jenkins severed the cord and Harry passed Andie the baby. He moved to the bed and Lucius rested his head on Harry’s lap, their hands entwined.

Jenkins was waving his wand, healing the places where Lucius had torn.

Lucius groaned. “Harry, something’s happening.”

“It’s just the afterbirth.”

“No, something else.”

“Healer Jenkins…”

“I heard. Give me a moment.”

Lucius’ grip tightened as Jenkins slid two fingers into him.

The fingers were withdrawn. “Well, Mr Potter-Malfoy, you’re full of surprises. When you feel the need, I want you to push.”

“Why? I though it was over,” Lucius gasped.

“Not quite, only half way there. You’re having twins, Lucius. One must have been hiding behind the other one. I feel a head at your cervix. Now, when a contraction comes, I want you to push.”

Lucius groaned and then gasped as a contraction hit. He gripped Harry’s jeans in a death grip while Harry smoothed his hair and rubbed his back. He felt a pressure like before moving down inside of him and pushed harder, desperate to get away from the pain.

Andie gave him a towel to bite down on when it started to look like he would break his teeth from clenching them.

He screamed as the burning returned.

And then he threw a few non magical curses into the world as Jenkins slid his fingers in to loosen his opening.

Once the fingers were removed Lucius decided that enough was enough and pushed as hard as he could. Head, shoulders and body all came out in one fell swoop.

The cord was cut and Andie took the second baby to join it’s twin. The afterbirth was delivered and Lucius was cleaned up before he lay back in bed, holding the two little girls.

Harry saw Jenkins and Andie off home through the Floo and then curled up with his mate, holding Orion and Cassie as his mate stared in wonder at the two sleeping newborns.

“I hope you’re pleased with yourself. Jenkins may as well have flayed me alive. He was ready to feed me to a basilisk after what you had me do today,” Harry complained before placing their sleeping eighteen month olds into the crib in their room.

“Ah yes, but wasn’t it worth it?”

“I guess. Do I get to hold one then?” Harry asked as he sat down beside his mate. Another pair of fraternal twins. Lucius passed Harry the twin with black hair and shifted so he was holding the blonde twin more securely.

“Seems we have a sudden influx of twins in the family. What with Andie expecting twins as well, the Malfoy family will soon match Molly’s brood.”

“Well, between us we have eight. We out do her by one.”

“Very nice. I think we can stop now.”

They were silent for a while until Harry spoke again. “They need names.”

“Hmm?”

“These two. They need names. We can’t very well keep calling them blonde and brunette.”

“I suppose not. Any names in mind?”

“Well, are we continuing to name our children after constellations?”

“I supposed so, can’t break that tradition.”

Harry accioed a book of constellations to him and began to thumb through it. “How about Vela and Phoenix?”

Lucius looked thoughtful for a moment. “I like it. Which one for which?”

“Hmmmm, well, Vela is ‘the sail’ so how bout twin A, the blonde, is Vela and twin B, the brunette is Phoenix?”

“Very good.”

Harry took Vela from Lucius and tucked the two girls up in the crib with their brother and sister and walked to the kitchen. He had just finished having a sandwich and was about to take Lucius something to eat when the Floo sprang to life and James came hurtling out, his face a mess of tears.

Harry held his eldest biological son until the crying stopped some twenty minutes later and then sat his son at the table.

“Alright now, want to tell me what’s wrong?”

“No.”

“James Sirius Remus Potter Malfoy, spill it or I find some Veritaserum.”

“Dad, I’m in trouble.”

“What kind of trouble? Oh no, please tell me you didn’t upset Filch again.”

“No, not trouble at school. Dad, I….I….”

“James, whatever it is, I won’t be mad, I promise.”

James looked his father in the eye, took a deep breath and summoned all of his Gryffindor courage. “Dad, I’m pregnant.”

Harry had nothing to say for a good hour.

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(AN: I’m not that evil. No cliffie this time. Read on to find out what happens next.)

Lucius’ eyes fluttered open. He quit the bed, checked on his children and moved slowly to the bathroom. He took a shower and donned a pair of loose trousers and an overly large t-shirt. Harry had certainly been right about Muggle clothing being comfortable.

He moved slowly though the house and found Harry and James sitting in silence at the kitchen table. James looked like he had just been given a death sentence and Harry was in a state of shock. He called one of the house elves that Andie had left with them and asked her to go and get Draco and Andie.

He fixed the two males hot chocolate, Harry’s laced with brandy for the shock and waited.

He was halfway through his own cup when his children arrived with their spouses, having left their children in the nursery upstairs with house elves.

“Alright, what’s happened?” Draco asked.

“I have absolutely no idea. I found them like this,” Lucius replied. He fixed four more hot chocolates and they all waited.

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“How far along?” Harry asked ten minutes later.

“Five months,” James replied.

Draco was about to ask what this was about when Harry exploded.

“Five months? How could you be five months pregnant, James! I thought you’d learnt just how easy it was to get pregnant from all of us! Why didn’t you come to us? Why weren’t you careful! James, you better start explaining this!” Harry yelled at his son, pacing.

“You said you wouldn’t be mad!” James yelled before bursting into tears and running from the room. They heard a door slam and the cry of three of the babies upstairs.

George stood up. “Me and Percy will handle the babies, you three handle this,” he said before the two red heads disappeared upstairs. Lucius and Draco forced a calming draught down Harry’s throat.

“Harry, what is going on?” Andie asked confusedly.

“James is pregnant. He’s five months along.”

The Malfoy’s were stunned. “Yeah, that was my first reaction.”

Andie left the room and returned five minutes later with a tear stained James. “Ok, now, seeing as James is adult enough to get pregnant, we’re going to sit down and talk about this calmly, like adults,” Andie ordered. The two of them sat down at the table.

“James, I’m not mad, I swear. I’m shocked. Please explain,” Harry said evenly.

James took a deep breath and Andie rubbed his back soothingly. “Me and Phili decided that we should, you know…”

“James, if you’re old enough to do it then you can say it sure enough,” Lucius interrupted.

“Fine, me and Phili had sex, we were in too much of a rush to put our brains into gear and this is the result. I didn’t figure out because I didn’t get sick until two days ago. I told Phili this evening and he told me that I didn’t mean anything, that I was ‘just a fuck’, that it was my problem. And now I don’t know what to do,” James said slowly and then broke down into more tears. Andie gathered him into a hug.

They all took a deep breath. “Ok, I’m going to go and call McGonagall and tell her James is here, then call Neville and Luna and ask for their input,” Draco said before leaving the room.

Harry moved round the table and took his son from Andie. He held him while he cried and then made him look at him. “It’ll all be ok, James, I promise. We’ll figure this out. We’re you’re family, we’re not going anywhere.”

“First off, do you want the baby?” Lucius asked.

James nodded.

“Then that’s what we do, we get you to a Healer to check that everything is alright and then, if Phili doesn’t come round, we help you.”

Draco re-entered the room with the Longbottoms, Professor McGonagall, Molly and Arthur Weasley and Ron and Hermione behind him.

Lucius took charge while Andie took James to bed, returning once he was asleep.

“We have a slight situation. It’s not a problem, just a situation. Please take a seat.”

They all sat round the table.

Harry took over the explanations. “James and Phili have been in an intimate relationship and now James is expecting their child. Neville, Phili refuses to take responsibility for this, says that it is my sons problem and not his, that it meant nothing. I know the both of you, I know you didn’t bring him up to do this.”

“No, Harry, we didn’t, but Phili has eloped with the young Greengrass girl. There is nothing we can do with regards to him and this situation. Phili is seventeen, there’s nothing we can do to get him to take responsibility. But, rest assured, that child is our family and we will not walk away,” Neville said sadly.

“Appreciated Nev, really. I’m sure James will be very greatful for your help. Now, James has expressed that he wants to have this baby. Which means that he will need to be home schooled, Professor,” Harry said to Minerva.

“Of course, I will have his teachers prepare his lessons and have them sent. I trust the Malfoy clan to take care of their own. It is just a very unfortunate situation for James to find himself in. Not wishing to overstep my mark or to cast dispersions on your son Neville, but many people did try and warn him not to get involved with young Phili. He wouldn’t listen. Definite Gryffindor, just like his father, much too headstrong. And it’s Minerva, Harry,” She said kindly.

They were all calmly discussing options, the best healers and the plan for James to continue his future with a baby when Molly exploded.

“He can’t have this baby, Harry! He’s fourteen for Merlin’s sake!”

“Molly, you are his grandmother and I respect your opinion, but this is not your call. This is James’ decision and he has chosen to do this without Phili. He is old enough to get into this situation, he is old enough to have his adult decisions respected by everyone in this family and at this table. Now, respectfully, if you can’t support him I must ask you to leave, along with anyone who can’t support him in this,” Harry said calmly.

Molly looked like she wanted to argue back but sat down quietly instead.

“It’s ok, nana, I know I’m an idiot.”

They all turned to see James standing at the door. Andie pulled him in and sat him between her and Draco. As parents they were protective of him, but as Malfoy’s they were positively terrifying.

“James, no one is mad. This is your decision and we’re with you all the way,” Hermione said. James nodded and she smiled at him. “Now, would you like to know how we’re all going to help you with this?” He nodded again and she carried on. “Well, I’m going to tutor you at home with Draco helping in potions. We’re going to get you the best healer and we’re going to move you into Andie and George’s old room, so you have more space and it has a nursery attached. We’re going to try and talk to Phili. Apart from that, your life is going to be pretty quiet until the little one arrives.”

James nodded and then spoke. “I don’t want you to talk to Phili. He’s made himself clear. He doesn’t want to be here, I’m not going to force him. He knows where I am if he changes his mind.”

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4 MONTHS LATER

“I hate him!” James screamed as Poppy Pomfrey checked him down below. Harry and Lucius were with him, smoothing his hair, rubbing his back, wiping away the tears.

“That’s it, scream at him, this is the time!” Harry yelled over his son’s screams.

Lucius knew it was killing Harry to see his son in pain but he was impressed at his mates ability to keep his own emotions quiet. The rest of the huge combined family were waiting in the living room, apart from Andie, who was waiting for the baby.

All checks had been done, James was having a healthy baby boy. Phili had sent a bunch of flowers in the sixth month with a letter telling James how happy he was with his wife and he was glad that James had not forced him to take an interest in 'that mistake'. James had burned the letter and helped Andie turn the flowers into potpourri.

“Merlin, he should be castrated!”

“Ok, James, you’re crowning, just breathe!” Poppy said.

James leaned into Harry’s chest and cried. “Dad, I changed my mind, I don’t want to do this!”

“Too late. Don’t worry, it’ll all be over soon. Just a little bit more and then you’ll have a beautiful little boy.”

“I don’t want a baby, I want sleep!”

“Well, once this is over and you’ve held him, we’ll have him while you sleep. How’s that sound?”

“Really? That would be really really nice.”

James stayed in his father’s embrace until he started to feel pain building on his already excruciated body.

“Argh, dad, I can’t do this! It hurts too much!”

“Yes you can! Come on James, push!”

James screamed and pushed, gripping his thighs as Harry wiped his tears and Lucius rubbed his back.

James fell back panting and crying as the head passed.

“Ok, just wait a moment as the babe turns and then just one or two more pushes and you’re done James,” Poppy said calmly.

James looked panicked. “Dad, I’m not ready, what if I can’t do this, what if I drop him? Dad, I can’t do this, I’m gonna screw it up!” James said.

“No, you won’t, we won’t let you,” Lucius said calmly. “Look how well you do as a big brother. Same skill set. Taking care of your son is just the same as taking care of your siblings. And we’ll be here to help you, you’re not alone James. Now, ready?”

James nodded and they pulled him forwards. He gripped his thighs and pushed with a new determination. The shoulders slipped free and he gasped before giving that final push to expel the body. The baby boy came forth with a rush of fluid and blood and a healthy shriek that announced he had arrived.

James fell back panting and gasping “I did it. I did it.”

Poppy cut the cord, Andie cleaned the baby and James pushed out the placenta. Poppy cleaned up the mess and Harry and Lucius tucked James into bed. Andie passed him the tiny little boy and went to tell the family of his birth.

“Oh, look. He’s so small,” James breathed.

“Yeah, but he’ll grow. What are you going to call him James?”

“Jesse. It means gift and he is one. He’s my gift. He’s mine.”

Harry and Lucius smiled. They stayed until James was falling asleep sitting up before tucking Jesse in his crib and leaving the room.

Lucius took Harry in his arms and kissed him. “Hey grandpa.”

Harry smiled and let Lucius lead them to bed, where they fell into an exhausted sleep.

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Well, there you go, last chapter is next. Hope you like this very very long chapter. Please review and tell me what you think, was I too mean to James with Phili? Well, I wanted to show that there are always consequences to our actions, as James has just learnt.

Please review. I really wanna know what you thought. Even if you hated it, please tell me.