Mismatch

See Part I for Summary and Disclaimers~~

Draco combed his hair carefully and inspected himself in the mirror in the bathroom. After assuring himself that his hair was perfectly coiffed, he put the wizarding hair gel in it to keep it in its state of perfection.

Draco was annoyed that the bags under his eyes were particularly clear this morning. He hadn?t slept well last night. He?d turned the ?problem? over and over in his head. He?d come to the conclusion that he must find out the sex of the child he was carrying.

If it was a male, therefore qualifying to become his heir, he would have to seriously consider continuing the pregnancy. Common sense if nothing else told him that. To have a chance at producing his heir no matter the state of affairs that surrounded it was important. He knew that there was no guarantee that if, no when, he got married that he?d have a son to continue the Malfoy line.

His father would be angry of course that he?d kept a Weasley cross bred but, eventually, he?d get over it. The question of an heir would be settled and he?d still have a good chance to supplement the Malfoy fortunes by marrying another heiress. And, if he produced another son, well all to the good, he?d have the heir and a spare.

Well, there was only one way to find out. He?d have to stop by the infirmary before he went into Hogsmeade today with the rest of his House. He?d make an excuse and go and see Poppy Pomfrey. Even this early, there were spells that would tell them the sex of the fetus.

?Umm?ah?umm,? Draco heard a voice at the door of the bathroom.

Without turning or pausing in his ablutions Draco sighed.

?Yes, Crabbe, what is it?? Draco said in a bored tone.

?Well, me and Goyle wanted to know if you?d be going to Hogsmeade this morning,? he said carefully. Draco had been in a foul temper for the last twenty-four hours and Crabbe was genuinely nervous about approaching him. If Pansy hadn?t threatened to turn him into spider and then squash him with her petite foot he would never have approached Draco in this kind of mood.

Draco paused and pinched each cheek to bring a little colour back into his pale cheeks.

?Yes, of course I am. I don?t intend to miss a day in the village. Besides, I want some candy and a I need a new quill,? he said brightly.

Crabbe scratched his head in what, for him, was a form of question.

Draco tapped his foot impatiently. He watched Crabbe ponderously trying to formulate a thought in his head and finally got fed up.

?Yes?? Draco asked arching an eyebrow.

?But you?ve got loads of candy already in your cupboard you haven?t touched. Your mum sends it ever week,? said Crabbe looking a bit mystified.

Draco snorted and turned his attention back to the mirror.

?You?re gorgeous mate and you know it,? smirked the mirror.

Draco?s mood changed instantly. In a fit of generosity he decided to answer Crabbe.

?Yes, yes but there aren?t any Sour Apple candies and I must have them. I?ve been thinking about them for ages,? said Draco licking his lips lightly.

Crabbe winced and his lips puckered at just the thought of the super sour candies. Most students had tried them at least once on a dare but nobody had ever gone back for more.

?Alright, shall we wait for you?? said Crabbe still discomfited at the thought of the candy.

?No,? Draco waved his hand in the air. ?I?ve something to do first, I?ll join you later,? Draco said shortly, his good mood vanishing as quickly as it had come.

?Kay,? said Crabbe as he lumbered off in relief to join his friend Goyle. He?d now be able to give the pissy Pansy the information she?d demanded. It was hell being in Slytherin sometimes, especially if like Crabbe and Goyle, you knew you weren?t the sharpest knives in the drawer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

?Mr. Malfoy, what can I do for you today?? asked Poppy Pomfrey. She?d known Draco was waiting impatiently for her to finish her paperwork but she?d finished writing up her reports on the latest Quidditch injuries before she looked up and finally acknowledged his presence.

Draco Malfoy turned a hideous scowl on her.

?How dare the cow keep me waiting,? he thought.

?I need to have a test run,? he said shortly.

?Oh?? Poppy said.

?Damn the woman? he thought. ?She?s got to make this more difficult than it has to be.?

?Yes, I want to know the sex of the baby I?m carrying,? he said, not caring to try and meet her eyes.

Poppy studied the young man in front of her. He looked guilty and uncertain. Something she?d rarely seen before, he?d always seem so sure of himself and arrogant with it.

?Of course,? she said bly, ly, putting on her medi-witch persona. ?Just let me gather a few ingredients,? she said getting up from behind her desk and moving to her supply cabinet.

?Will it take long,? Draco said nervously.

?No, only about ten minutes once I?ve had you drink the potion,? she said calmly. Then you?ll either start to glow red if you?re carrying a boy and green if your carrying a girl,? she explained.

Draco looked around the Infirmary. It was deserted now but he couldn?t take any chances.

Poppy looked at him with empathy and said, ?We?ll take you into one of the examining rooms once the potion is ready,? she said.

Draco let out a sigh of relief.

?How long will I glow,? he asked truly interested in the phenomenon. He loved potions and he knew that fertility and conception potions had a high degree of accuracy.

?Only about a minute, and then it will naturally die away,? she said in a calming voice as she mixed the ingredients together in a clean vial she kept for the giving of medicines.

Draco shuffled his feet in a nervous gesture. The Infirmary had never seemed so empty before. He felt a pang of worry and almost wished that he had some company. His mind skittered away from the red-headed vision that came to mind.

?Come on then, the potions ready. We?ll go into exam room one for some privacy,? said Poppy in a soothing tone.

Draco wondered why his legs felt so wobbly all of a sudden. Perhaps some freak physical reaction to being pregnant? But, no, it was too early for that kind of thing. He wished fervently he had his sour apple candies right now because his mouth was getting drier by the moment.

Poppy gently shut the door to the exam room behind them.

?Here,? she said. ?Pop up here on the exam table and drink this,? she told him holding out a small vial that held a colourless liquid and a cherry smell to it.

Draco?s hand was trembling a bit as he took the vial and swallowed it down in two large gulps.

He handed the vial back to Poppy and dropped his hands into his lap where they moved restlessly.

Draco stared at the posters on the wall. They all featured children?s health issues including spells needed to avoid the common wizarding diseases of childhood. One such poster had a witch holding a crying young wizard as the medi-witch smiled and administered the spell vaccines.

?Ah, it?s a girl,? Poppy said quietly.

Draco?s eyes snapped down to his hands on his lap. They were indeed glowing a soft, jewel-like green. His heart plummeted.

He cleared his throat. A croak came out. He tried to clear it again.

?I?ll need the Keelium Potion for tomorrow morning then,? Draco said.

?You?re sure?? Poppy asked gently.

?Yes, I am,? said Draco hoarsely gripping his hands tightly together. He was trembling damnit.

?Alright then dear. I?ll need you here by six a.m. and you?re to have no food or water after midnight. You?ll be cramping most of the day as the potion works its way through your system, but you should be as right as rain by Monday morning. Do you have any questions,? she asked in her brisk, professional voice.

Draco numbly shook his head and jumped down from the exam table.

?No I understand. I?ll see you at six am. Thank you,? he said quietly.

Poppy just shook her head sadly as she watched Draco departing. The young man had made a decision but she was sure he wasn?t happy about it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco stood in a long line at Honeydukes waiting his turn while two harassed salesclerks. tried to keep up with the demand. The store was spilling over with both Hogwart?s students as well as locals who?me tme to check out the newest advertised special in the Honeyduke?s collection---a muggle form of candy called strangely enough---cotton candy.

Draco could barely see over the crowd where, to the delight of the crowd, a muggle machine was whirring away and producing what looked to be a pink cloud of delicate candy. The smell that wafted through storstore made his stomach growl loudly. Draco?s face blushed giving his normally pale face a rosy tint---thank goodness none of his housemates were around.

Draco tried to relax and keep in a good frame of mind but his decision about terminating the pregnancy kept nibbling at the back of his consciousness. Tomorrow he?d have a simple magical potion given to him and this mess would be over. It was the right decision to make. If he kept the child, chances are his life would be effectively ruined.

The bell over the door tinkled again and he felt a push as more people tried to squeeze into the small store. Draco turned irritably and saw a flash of red hair. Oh no. Sure enough it was Ron Weasley trying to elbow his way through the crowd to reach Draco?s side.

Draco fumed. Why was that idiot insisting upon pursuing him? It wasn?t like they had anything in common. They didn?t even like each other for Merlin?s sake.

?Jake, Bobby you will behave yourselves or mommy will take you out of here this minute,? said a young harried witch with three little ones.

?But Mama, we want to see the ice cream over there,? whined the older of the two.

?Yes Mama please!? chimed in the younger boy.

Draco stared at the witch with the two young sons and a baby of about eighteen months on her hip. The poor thing looked as if she was ready to cry.

Draco heaved a sigh.

The young witch suddenly noticed the Hogwarts student beside her, and made a quick decision as she felt her two boys tugging at her skirts. If she didn?t do something soon they?d drive her mad.

?Sir,? she said to Draco. ?Can you please help me for a moment? My two boys want to look at the ice cream but I don?t want to lose our place in line,? she said earnestly.

Draco glanced at her perplexed but his ingrained good manners came to the fore.

?What can I do to help madam,? he asked with a slight bow.

Before he could react she took her baby girl off of her hip and placed her into his arms.

?Here, you hold on to Matilda and keep our place in line, while I take the boys just over there to the ice cream section. Thanks, you?re a real life saver,? she said and before Draco could react she?d hustled her two boys out of line and was gone before Draco could open his mouth.

Draco looked down at the squirming bundle in his arms. Big blue eyes looked up at him and a little hand reached out and touched his face. The little girl cooed at him. Draco was mesmerized.

He gently pulled the curly-haired tot into a tighter, more secure embrace and the tot nestled up against his chest. There was a unique baby smell rolling off of her of powder, spilled milk and even a faint whiff of dirty diaper that all blended together that made Draco?s heart contract. This, this was what he was giving up---his own little girl.

As Ron finally swam forward through the crowd to reach Draco?s side he saw an unusual sight. Draco stood holding a toddler and murmuring to her. Ron saw Draco?s hips start to undulate as he rocked the young child. Ron?s mouth was agape. He?d never thought Draco would be good with children. Well, maybe, he just hadn?t thought about it.

As he approached Draco he said, ?You?re good with her.?

Draco turned his head and glared at Ron.

?Well you needn?t sound so surprised Weasley,? Draco snorted disdainfully.

The young witch looked back at Draco to check and see all was well and then turned back to the clerk to finish purchasing her sons their ice cream.

The little girl started to babble happily to Draco. He lifted an eyebrow in inquiry.

Ron reached out and tickled the little girl who squealed hap in in response. Draco winced.

?Are they always this loud?? Draco said plaintively.

Ron grinned at him.

?This isn?t loud, this is just giggly,? he smirked.

?Well, you would know since the Weasley?s breed like rabbits,? said Draco with a disdainful sniff.

Ron scowled.

?Look, we need to talk and we can?t it here. Will you meet me over at the three broomsticks after you?ve finished here? I?ll go in and try to snag us a booth,? said Ron.

Draco sneered and looked down his nose.

?Oh and that?s a brilliant idea with half the Hogwart?s student body swilling down butterbeers there,? he snorted.

Ron flushed. Draco was right. A delicate subject like Draco?s pregnancy couldn?t be raised there.

?Well, where then? said Ron with a pugnacious attitude. ?You pick,? he said in a sullen tone.

?Wait outside for me. When I?m finished here, I?ll join you and we?ll go for a walk around the lake,? Draco said in an imperious tone.

Ron bristled at Draco?s tone but decided this wasn?t the time or place to object to it. Draco had finally agreed to speak with him and it was vital that Ron talked to him before Draco made his decision about the pregnancy.

In fact, he wasn?t quite sure why Draco was even talking to him now. Ron fingered his wand inside his robe pocket for reassurance. He?d keep it handy just in case.

Ron nodded curtly and walked back towards the door. Draco watched him until he departed through the front door. The baby shifted and babbled something into Draco?s ear.

?Oh you were so wonderful to do this for me,? said the young mother as she returned with her boys in tow. ?They can be quite a handful in Honeyduke?s,? she said as she reached out to take her daughter back.

?I can imagine,? Draco said dryly, glancing down at the two young boys happily demolishing their ice cream.

Matilda the young toddler started to whine in her mother?s arms and reached out again towards Draco with her grubby little hands.

The young matron laughed.

?You?ve made a conquest there,? she said with a smile.

?I think rather it?s the other way round,? said Draco with some chagrin.

?Please excuse my bad manners, I haven?t even properly introduced myself yet. I?m Harriet Morgan and these two rascals are my sons Jake and Bobby and my little charmer here is Matilda. My husband Robert and myself have just moved to Hogsmeade from London. He works at the wizarding post office here.?

Draco bent over her hand and kissed it lightly his best continental manner.

?I?m honored to make your acquaintance. I?m Draco Malfoy and as you can see I?m a currently a student at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry,? he replied in a gracious manner.

?I?m very pleased to know you Mr. Malfoy,? she nodded. ?You?re actually the first person I?ve met in Hogsmeade. It?s rather hard to get out and around with three little ones,? she said with a impish grin.

?I can only imagine,? Draco said with a grin in return.

Just then Harriet finally reached the candy counter and she turned to place her order.

Draco watched the young mother balance her baby, the two older boys and her order and she gave him a friendly wave on the way out. How did she and her husband do it? They weren?t rich by wizarding standards and yet they had three children. A job at the Post Office couldn?t pay that much. And yet, she seemed happy?

?Your order sir,? said the raised voice of the counter clerk who?d obviously been trying to get Draco?s attention more than once.

Draco turned his best ?wither them with a glare? scowl he?d learned from Professor Snape. When the young clerk looked sufficiently cowed, Draco spoke again.

?Yes, I want the sour apple candies,? he said in a commanding tone.

?Yes sir, but how many? We do measurements by weight. Do you want a quarter of a pound, half a pound?? he said a bit nervously. This young man looked a bit dangerous to him. His eyes were flashing with an unholy light.

?All of them,? Draco said shortly. ?I?m going to need them.?

TBC