Love Thy Enemy

CHAPTER 47: The Heir is Born





APRIL 12 –







Hermione huffed again as she shifted on the settee. She really wished she could focus on the tale of Aphrodite being played out on the stage below, but her back was killing her and no matter what she did, she couldn’t seem to draw a deep enough breath to satisfy her. Not to mention the fact that she felt as though she were sitting in a sauna as a fine sheen of perspiration began to form on her upper lip and forehead.







Lucius was watching her through his peripherals. She hadn’t been still all evening. Every few minutes she would shift yet again, huffing or groaning softly. He felt a little bad, he had thought the trip out for the evening would make her happy since she enjoyed the theater so much, but perhaps she was too close to her due date for him to have brought her out.





“Are you alright, love?” He asked softly against her ear.







“My back hurts and it’s too hot in here.” She hated to whine, he had thought to please her, but she just couldn’t enjoy the show.







“Come then, let’s take you back home.” Lucius stood and helped her to her feet, holding her steady as she balanced the weight of her rather massive belly. Before she could take that first step her hands clutched her belly and she stumbled. “Hermione, what’s wrong?”







“I think I just had a contraction.” She panted, looking up at her husband in shock.







“Could it be a false alarm?” He asked, suddenly nervous.







“It could be anything, Lucius, it’s the first one I’ve had.” She snapped, walking out of their box and into the lobby of the theater.







“Let’s get home, now.” Lucius didn’t call for the car they had come in, he wrapped her tight in his arms and disapparated them into their bedroom.









“Good grief Lucius, we could have come home in the car, its not like I was going to drop the baby right there in the theater.” Hermione walked into the closet and changed out of her evening gown and into a sleeveless, cotton nightgown.







“Get into bed.” He ordered, removing his robes and rolling up the sleeves on his dress shirt.







“I don’t want to get into the bed, Lucius, I want to walk around.” She made her way to the windows to look down at the gardens when another pain hit her. “Okay, that hurts.” She said, rubbing the small of her back.







“I’m sending for the physician.” Lucius said as he disapparated from the room. He was back momentarily with a glass of water for her and a tumbler of scotch for him.







“Hey! You aren’t supposed to be drinking Lucius.” Hermione frowned at him as he tossed it back.







“I need it, medicinal purposes. The physician should be here soon.” He tried to settle into his favorite chair to relax as she paced back and forth across the room, but he just couldn’t settle. His heart leapt in his chest every time another pain hit her and she groaned softly through it.







The physician arrived and declared that their baby would be born before the sun would rise. He tried to ease Lucius’s fears but the blonde wizard continued to fuss and fidget until Hermione sent him to retrieve Ginny and Harry so that she could have a few moments of peace.







When he returned with her friends, Hermione was nestled into the bathtub, filled with warm water.







“Why are you taking a bath?” he noticed that she was wearing a sleeveless shirt in the tub. “Why are you bathing in your clothes?”







“Mr. Malfoy, you can get in with her if you like, it won’t be long now.” A female voice said from behind him. It was the physician’s spouse, a midwife.









“What won’t be long now?” He asked.









“The baby, she’s ready to push…..”







“Then get her out of the bath!” Lucius said, starting to panic a little.









“Lucius, we talked about this remember? I’m going to have the baby in the water….”







“But it could drown!”









“Lucius! Calm down, its perfectly safe. Now get a grip or you won’t get to stay.” Hermione said just before her face began to turn red and scrunched up.







“Oh yes, very soon indeed…….would you like to get into the tub with her?” The midwife asked as she and the physician set out blankets and towels and other paraphernalia needed to deliver the baby.







“No thank you, I’m fine out here.” Lucius looked ill at the thought of being in the tub with her while she gave birth.









“Very well, why don’t you sit there behind her and I think we will soon meet the newest little Malfoy.”







Lucius didn’t think he liked the overly cheerful midwife. She smiled too easily and seemed way to calm given what was taking place.



“Alright, with the next contraction I want you to grab your legs behind your thighs and pull back, push hard and steady for as long as you can.” They waited patiently and when Hermione felt the telltale pains that radiated from her abdomen and into her back she grabbed the backs of her thighs and pulled her knees up, pushing strong and steady .









“Should she be turning so red?” Lucius asked, staring down in horrified amazement as Hermione worked to deliver their child. Again and again she pushed and after an hour the baby’s little head was finally out.







“Alright Mrs. Malfoy, one more good push should do it!” The midwife smiled. She had assured Lucius that everything was going as it should and that Hermione was in fact having an easy time of it for a first baby, but he wasn’t so sure the chipper woman knew what she was about. His wife had been screaming and panting for hours, surely that couldn’t be right. Of course he wouldn’t know, when Draco had been born Lucius had waited in his study until they came to tell him his son had arrived.





“That’s it! There you go, a little harder!” The midwife was leaning over the tub with her arms sunk to her elbows between Hermione’s legs. Lucius looked down and saw the tiny body of their child slide into the water just as Hermione slumped back in exhausted relief. “And welcome to the world little one!” The midwife pulled the baby from the water, still attached to its mother and held it up for Lucius to see. “Would you like to announce the sex?”





Lucius stared at the screaming infant, its little face scrunched and bright red as it howled.







“It’s a boy.” He croaked, his voice strained with emotion as the woman laid the baby in Hermione’s arms.







“Oh my gods, Lucius look at him!” They handed her a towel to wrap around him and dry him off. “He’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!” She said through her tears.







“Mr. Malfoy, would you like to cut the cord?” The midwife handed him a pair of medical shears and showed him where to sever the tie from child to mother. The physician stepped in and took the baby from Hermione and Lucius followed him into the bedroom staring over his shoulder the entire time the man examined his son.







“Well, Lucius, you have a big, healthy baby boy.” The physician put the baby into a nappy and small undershirt, and then bundled him into the blanket that Hermione had left out for him. He laid the child in Lucius’s waiting arms and excused himself to go assist his wife.









“Hello, little one.” Lucius said softly as he looked down into his son’s tiny face. The baby’s lips were pursed and his brow furrowed as though he were angry. Little fists were balled tight and pressed under his chin. There was no doubt that he was a Malfoy. The child had a head full of white blonde hair that stuck up slightly.







Lucius looked up as the midwife and physician assisted Hermione from the bathroom and into their bed. She had changed gowns and was bundled into her robe as they eased her onto the mattress and helped her settle.







“He needs a name, Lucius.” Hermione yawned and then smiled sleepily at her husband as he stood rocking slowly side to side with the baby in his arms. “Why don’t you carry him down to see Harry and Ginny, and introduce him to his big brother.”







“Are you alright, love?” Lucius asked, noting how tired and pale she was.







“I am wonderful. I just need a little rest, go on now and think of a name for our son while I nap a little.” Lucius sat on the edge of the mattress and leaned in to kiss her softly.







“Thank you.” He whispered. “I’ll be right back.”









Lucius descended the stairs slowly with his precious bundle. Harry and Ginny cooed appreciatively over the heir to the Malfoy Dynasty. Lucius explained that Hermione was exhausted and so the Potters made their way home, promising to visit the next day.





He approached the still portrait and waited, knowing Draco would sense him and animate the image soon enough.





“Hello father….is that the baby!” Draco smiled as Lucius held the little one up for him to see.





“This is your little brother Draco.” Lucius said pride evident in his face and in his voice.









“What is his name?” Draco asked.









“He doesn’t have one yet. Would you like to name him Draco?”







“I would love nothing more, except maybe to hold him.” Draco said somewhat sadly.







“I wish you could too son.”







“Daschel Abraxas.” Draco said softly. “Hello, Daschel. I’m your big brother Draco and even though I can’t be with you, I promise I will teach you everything I can.” The baby watched him intently, his blue eyes alert. His little eyes narrowed and he began to scream, his little face red and his white hair practically glowing against his bright skin.







“I should probably get him back to his mother so he can feed.” Lucius said, rocking the baby slightly.







“Congratulations Dad.” Draco said softly, he cast one last look at his little brother and his image went still.











Hermione sat up slightly when Lucius returned with the fussy baby. Hermione took him and settled a pillow on her lap as she positioned him to nurse. It took several attempts to get him to latch on comfortably, but soon she had him nursing happily as Lucius settled onto the bed beside her.





“Did you decide on any names?” Hermione asked.





“Draco wanted to name him. He chose Daschel Abraxas.” Lucius told her, fingering the soft curls atop the baby’s head.







“Daschel? I like that. Hello to you baby Daschel.” She cooed. “I cant believe we have a family Lucius.”





“It’s only the beginning, love. So many good things are in our future. Just wait and see.”











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Daschel is pronounced DASHEL. If anyone was curious : )