It was late at night. The Hospital Wing was empty and dark, except for the single room that remained occupied. Screams and cries came from the room, causing anyone within earshot to shudder and cringe. The sounds would last minutes before ceasing, only to start again in timed intervals.

Outside the room were Ron and Theo with worried expressions on their faces. They stayed as close to the room as they could without going insane from the noises that came from inside. It pained them to know that they could do nothing to stop the screams. All there was left to do was wait.

Inside the room was completely different. Hermione Granger laid on a hospital bed, writhing in pain as another contraction came. She screamed and cried and begged for it all to stop. Next to her was Madam Pomfrey, who was trying her best to sooth the suffering girl. In the far corner stood Dumbledore and McGonagall, both of which were whispering frantically. Neither of them were aware of what was wrong, nor were they aware of what to do.

All the meanwhile, Draco Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. Harry and Blaise had took off to find the missing Slytherin. The last time anyone had seen him was at dinner.

Harry and Blaise entered the Great Hall at the same time, both talking quickly but with grins on their faces. They were discussing their newborns. Harry boasted about how beautiful his daughter was, and Blaise argued that his son was the best looking baby out there. As they got to the Slytherin table, they noticed that Hermione, Draco, and Theo were already there. The three of them were smiling as Theo talked lively.

"Leo is a loud little bugger. Winnie is the opposite. She's quiet and so precious. A bit like you, Minnie," Theo said, winking at Hermione.

Hermione laughed and shook her head. "Theo and Leo. Minnie and Winnie?" she mused. "Just a coincidence or did you and Luna plan this?"

Theo shook his head. "Leo is short for Leonid, but we're just calling him Leo. As for Winnie... well, we wanted to name her after her godmother." Theo looked pointedly at Hermione.

"I'm her godmother?" Hermione gasped.

"You and Drake are Winnie's godparents," Theo clarified. He turned to see Harry and Blaise, who had sat down beside him. "Blaise and Ginny are Leo's godparents."

Blaise's smile widened further. "Are you serious, mate? I'm his godfather?" He felt slightly bad that Theo and Luna weren't his son's godparents, but he and Ginny agreed that there was only one couple that deserved the title.

"Yes, but we both know who the godparents of your son is," Theo said, eyeing Hermione and Draco. "What's the little demon's name anyways?"

"Sebastian," Blaise said proudly. He nodded at Harry and said, "Weasley and Brown are Amara's godparents?"

Harry nodded and smiled brightly. Hermione squealed and congratulated him on his daughter. She asked all three of the new fathers about their newborns until Ron showed up. He was beaming like the others as he sat next to Hermione.

"Felix Luke Weasley," he informed them as Hermione threw her arms around his neck.

"Ron, you must be so happy!" Hermione's face was beginning to hurt from how much she was smiling. "Is Lavender okay?" She turned to the others. "And Luna, Ginny, and Pansy- they're okay too?"

Ron nodded. "After an hour she was just fine. She's back at our flat already, but she's out cold."

"It took ages to get Pansy to leave Amara," Harry said. "I had to put a sleeping charm on her."

Blaise snorted, recalling the memory of how angry Ginny was when she was told she had to leave Sebastian. "Ginny hexed the medi-witch."

"Did she really?" Hermione gasped.

"Bat-Bogey hex," Blaise replied with a nod.

She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off when a letter suddenly landed in front of Draco. It was stamped with the Malfoy seal, which somehow made it seem intimidating.

Draco tentatively reached out to grab the letter. He frowned and got up from his seat. "I'll be back," he said before kissing Hermione's forehead. He left the Great Hall rather quickly, which worried Hermione. Ron placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly.

"Malfoy will be okay."

They continued eating their dinner, and Hermione listened as all of the guys gushed about their newborns. She was elated to know that she was the godmother of both Winnie and Sebastian. She felt bad that Theo and Luna were not godparents, but Theo didn't seem to mind. He was too busy obsessing over his son and daughter to care.

As dinner came to an end, Hermione began to worry about Draco. Where was he? She wanted to go look for him, but Blaise and Harry stopped her immediately.

"You're still pregnant, Hermione," Harry said.

"And you must be tired," Blaise pointed out.

They were both right, much to Hermione's dismay. All four guys led Hermione to her dorm. She had hoped that Draco would be there, but instead the dorm was quiet and empty.

"Do you want us to stay until Drake comes?" Theo asked.

Hermione gave a soft smile and shook her head. "Oh it's alright. You all should go back to your families."

Harry shook his head and snorted. "They're all sleeping, and the babies are in the Nursery. Madam Pomfrey won't discharge the babies until tomorrow."

"Still, it's not necessary for you guys to-"

"We aren't leaving," Ron stated as he plopped down on an armchair. He sighed as he relaxed for the first time that day. "We'll leave once Malfoy arrives."

The other guys followed suit, leaving Hermione with no choice but to let them stay. The five of them stayed up in the common room talking, but more importantly, waiting. It was clear to see that Hermione was staying up, waiting for Draco to come into the dorm. But hours passed and the blonde never showed.

When ten o'clock came, Harry attempted to get Hermione to sleep, or at least take a nap. But she refused and demanded for him to tell her more about his daughter. By the time eleven o'clock arrived however, Hermione felt exhausted. She could feel her eyelids getting heavy.

"Hermione, you should really sleep," Harry pressed. He looked at the others, who nodded in agreement.

"Harry, I'm f-" A stabbing pain in her lower back cut her off. The awful sensation traveled to the rest of her body, causing her to whimper.

"Hermione?" Harry got up immediately and rushed to her side. Ron followed suit and placed a hand on her shoulder. "The baby?"

All it took was one nod before all four guys sprung into action. Harry and Ron helped her get up and supported her as they rushed out of the dorm. Theo and Blaise were in front of them as they walked through the dark halls, their wands illuminated.

"Where's Draco?" Hermione asked helplessly.

"I'll go find him," Blaise said reassuringly.

"I'll come with," Harry added, surprising everyone. They looked at him in shock until he said, "Marauders Map."

Hermione and Ron nodded in understanding, although Theo and Blaise were still confused. The two Slytherins didn't question it though. Theo took Harry's place by Hermione's side as he and Blaise took off.

When they arrived at the Hospital Wing, it was dark and seemingly empty. They called out for Madame Pomfrey, only for no response. Ron moved ahead and opened one of the rooms. He waved for Theo and Hermione to come over.

The room was dimly lit by candles, but was still the same as the rooms the other births had taken place. Ron and Theo helped Hermione get onto the bed before Theo left to find Madame Pomfrey.

"Ron, I'm scared," Hermione whispered.

"Don't be," Ron said. "It's going to be okay." He smiled and kissed Hermione's forehead. "You're the brightest witch of our age. You'll be just fine."

She wanted to believe him, but something felt wrong. Something felt out of place. And as she was about to say something else, another contraction came.

"Bloody hell!" Hermione shouted.

She grabbed Ron's hand, which was already bruised from Lavender's earlier grip. But he didn't complain as he tried to placate her. "You'll be okay," he promised. "You'll be okay."

It was then when Madam Pomfrey and Theo rushed into the room. "Out! Out!" Madam Pomfrey said to Theo and Ron. The older witch shooed them outside the room. She had a worried expression on her face. "One of you, please go get Professor Dumbledore," she whispered so Hermione wouldn't hear.

Ron was the one to leave. He was running as he left. Surely if Dumbledore was needed, then something was wrong. He prayed to Merlin that things would be okay. He made a promise to Hermione, and it would break his and her heart if he failed.

"Where is Mr. Malfoy?" Madam Pomfrey asked Theo.

His blue eyes were sad as he shook his head. "We don't know."

It was two hours ago when Harry and Blaise left to find Draco. At this point even those two seemed to be missing. Ron found himself crying as he heard Hermione scream once more. He wanted to cast a silencing charm on her, but doing so would leave him and Theo ignorant to what was happening in the room.

Ron glanced at the Slytherin, only to find him staring at the door with a grim expression. Theo had grown fond of Hermione, that was sure, and a part of him died as he heard her in pain.

"Where is Malfoy when you need him?" Ron groaned as he tried to block out the screams.

Theo could only nod in agreement as he sat on the floor, leaning against the wall across from the room Hermione was in. Suddenly the sound of footsteps reached their ears. Ron and Theo looked up with hopeful eyes, only to see Harry and Blaise and...McMiggins?

"We couldn't find Draco," Harry said. "He isn't at Hogwarts anymore."

Everyone flinched as a scream rang out. McMiggins's eyes widened in horror.

"Mr. Malfoy is not present?" she asked worriedly.

"No, he-"

"He needs to be here in order for that baby to come," she hissed. "If he doesn't show then the labor won't end." McMiggins flinched as another scream came. "Go find Professor Snape. He will know how to find Draco."

Blaise was leaving before she finished her sentence. He couldn't bare the thought of letting Hermione suffer any longer.

Draco, where are you?

Draco hadn't meant to disappear for so long. At first he had gone to the Black Lake to read the letter his father sent him.

Draco,

I have been informed that as of today I will be a grandfather. Saturday will be a visitation day for family to meet the sprogs. Your mother and I will be coming. We expect a letter back informing us of the child beforehand.

-Lucius

The letter was brief and straightforward in a very Lucius Malfoy way. Draco couldn't help but to snort at the letter. After reading it several times, he had crumpled the letter then tossed it into the Black Lake.

Then he sat. He was on the ground, watching as the sun was setting. He thought about returning back to Hermione. Hell, he wanted to go back to her. But he couldn't bring himself to move. Every time he did, he was reminded of the baby.

The thought of becoming a father tormented him once more. He couldn't risk becoming like Lucius. He wanted to be better. He wanted to do better. But how? How can he be different from his father when he didn't even know how a father should be?

"You're different from him, Draco," Narcissa had once told him. "You are not like your father."

Then why did it not feel like that? His cold grey eyes were from Lucius. His shiny platinum hair was from Lucius. His infamous smirk was from Lucius.

Just the thought of his resemblance to Lucius made his blood boil. He ran his hand through his hair and scowled bitterly. Lucius might have changed, but the memories stayed. Draco could recall the day his father came back. It was the day that Draco knew he hated his father.

"Happy birthday, Draco," Narcissa said warmly. She held his hand as they walked through Diagon Alley.

In the young boy's hand was an ice cream cone. He licked the ice cream quickly to prevent it from melting all over his hand. The weather was hotter than usual in June, which didn't go unnoticed by Draco. Something was off about that day, and everyone seemed to know it. Still, Draco acted ignorant. After all, it was his ninth birthday.

"Mum, can we go home soon? It's awfully hot out," Draco said.

He pretended not to notice the falter in his mother's step as he said that.

"Oh, why don't we go to Hogsmeade and stop by Zonko's first? You can buy anything that you'd like." Narcissa's grip on Draco's hand tightened slightly. A fake smile was plastered on her face as she looked at him with hopeful eyes.

Draco slowly nodded, and tried to ignore the nervousness in his mother's tone. "Okay," he agreed. He watched as Narcissa visibly relaxed.

They spent the whole day out. Narcissa even allowed Draco to eat at a muggle restaurant in London callled Nandos. She was obviously trying to distract the boy. She even went as far as to take him around to muggle stores. It wasn't until it was nearly sunset when Narcissa took Draco back to the Malfoy Manor.

She held his hand and walked slightly in front of him, as if she was shielding him from something. Her face was etched with worry as they walked down the walkway towards the large front doors.

"Draco, you know that I love you," Narcissa said softly. "And I will always love you."

"I love you too," Draco said, slightly confused at what brought this on. "Mum, what's wrong?"

"Please don't hate me, Draco. I had no choice, and he really does seem changed."

"Who seems changed?"

His question was answered when the front doors flung open, revealing a blonde haired man with cold quicksilver eyes. Lucius Malfoy stood a mere yard away from his son and wife. He looked slightly older, due to the three years he had spent away from them.

"Draco," Lucius said smoothly, causing the boy to jump in fear.

Draco hid behind Narcissa and closed his eyes tightly. "No," he whispered quietly. "No, no, no."

"Draco," Lucius said more firmly. "Come give me a hug."

He did not move. He couldn't, even if he wanted to. Just hearing Lucius's voice sent chills down his spine and paralyzed him in fear.

"Lucius, he's tired. Why don't we have a proper welcoming in the morning?" Narcissa reasoned.

Draco flinched, knowing that his father would be staying.

"A hug won't take too long," Lucius argued. "Draco, come here."

It was out of fear and instinct that Draco moved out from behind Narcissa. His eyes were on the ground as he slowly made his way to Lucius. He could feel his throat tightening as he got closer. His lungs burned as he seemed to forget how to breathe.

Cold rough hands grabbed his shoulders, causing him to shudder and flinch. The emotionless embrace between father and son felt like it lasted an eternity. Draco refrained from cringing and pulling away, terrified of what might happen if he did so.

"Happy birthday, Draco," Lucius said before stepping back. He laid a hand on Draco's shoulder, causing him to recoil back. If Lucius noticed, he didn't say or do anything. "Come inside."

Slowly he walked into the Manor. His eyes were wide and alert, cautious of everything around him. As Lucius led Draco to his room, he contemplated running away. He wouldn't make it far, he knew that for sure, but it being around his father was torture.

Lucius opened Draco's bedroom door. To Draco's surprise, the room was covered in wrapped and unwrapped presents.

"This is all for you, to make up for the birthdays I missed," Lucius said, eyeing Draco for his reaction.

Numb. That was how Draco felt at the moment. He wasn't sure what to say or do. He wasn't sure of anything around him except the gifts and Lucius. But slowly and surely, red clouded his vision. Anger and hatred surged through Draco.

Had Lucius expect a warm welcome? Had he expect for Draco to forgive him for the past? Had he expect for anything to change?

How dare he? How dare he destroy his family, leave, then come back as if nothing had happened?

"Thank you," Draco spat out. He looked at the monster in front of him, his face expressionless. "It's good to have you back, father."

For years Draco tried to forgive Lucius. For years Lucius tried to atone for his past. But it never happened. It never could. The only change was that Draco no longer feared his father.

"I'm not him," Draco said aloud. "I'm not him." He repeated those words like a mantra. He would do better than his father and love his child, fake or not.

It must have been an hour or so before Draco got up to return to Hermione. The sun had already set, leaving him to walk back in the dark. Each step he took towards the castle felt heavy. His throat slowly began to close up. He was just about to enter the castle when he realized that he couldn't go to Hermione. Not yet anyways. There was something he needed to do first.

How do I get out of Hogwarts?

"So this is it," Lucius drawled. "This is the day you get your revenge." He eyed the wand that was pointed at his chest.

Draco stood in front of him, eyes narrowed and wand pointed at his father. All that stood between them was an office desk. Draco didn't know what he planned on doing when he arrived at the Manor. All he had known was that he needed to see Lucius, and the moment he saw him in his office, Draco had his wand out. His hand didn't shake as he stared at his father.

"I'm just here for an answer," Draco said through gritted teeth. He slowly sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. Lucius said nothing as he watched his son glare at him. "Why did you do it?"

There was no reply.

"Why did you do it?" Draco repeated more forcefully.

Grey eyes clashed as they stared at each other. Minutes passed before Lucius finally responded.

"I don't know."

"You don't know," Draco repeated. He waited for Lucius to say something. To say anything. But when no words came, Draco snapped. His shoulders shook slightly from the anger that surged through his veins. "You don't know," he spat out. A hollow laugh escaped his lips. "You don't know? You abused me for years!" Draco roared. "You destroyed anything that could have been good in my life! You destroyed me. And now you can't even give me a reason why!"

"Draco-"

"No," he snarled. "Don't 'Draco' me. I pretended for years that everything was fine, but it's not. You made sure of that, didn't you?" He gave a bitter laugh. "I'm supposed to be a father today. I don't know if it's a boy or girl. I don't know if the birth already happened. I don't know, because I can't be a father until I say this."

The young Malfoy got up, his wand lowering by his side. His cold expression softened slightly. "Thank you."

Lucius's eyes widened in surprise.

"Thank you for teaching me what not to do as a father. You ruined my childhood already, but I won't let you ruin my child's. The child is my flesh and blood- my family. I'll learn from your mistakes and I swear on Salthazar's grave, I'll give my child a better life."

He turned around and began to walk out of the office.

"Draco."

He paused by the door. Reluctantly he turned around to face Lucius. Their eyes met, grey on grey.

"Congratulations on becoming a father."

"Mr. Zabini," Snape drawled. He looked at the student with raised eyebrows. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Blaise rolled his eyes. "It's important," he snapped. "Draco's gone missing and Hermione is in labor. We need your help finding him."

"I'm sure Mr. Malfoy will turn up-"

"Hermione's suffering, Professor," Blaise hissed. "She's been going through the labor for hours now. It won't end until Draco's with her."

Snape said nothing for a moment. He stepped to the side and motioned for Blaise to step inside, much to the younger Slytherin's surprise. Still, Blaise went inside Snape's lair. He couldn't help but to observe everything about Snape's quarters. Though, there was nothing that really stood out.

"Three hours ago, Draco came here asking for a way to go back to the Malfoy Manor," Snape said. "I made him a portkey- Oh don't look at me like that, Zabini." Snape scowled at the judgemental look Blaise sent him. "It is against the law to make unauthorized portkeys, but it had to be done. Draco had to talk to Lucius."

"Why? And why so long?" Blaise asked.

Snape pressed his lips together. He was the only person outside of the Malfoy family that knew of Lucius's abuse. Narcissa and Draco had asked him to keep it a secret, so he did.

"Only Draco can answer that question."

"Well make me a portkey so I can get him back here," Blaise said.

"Mr. Zabini, I-"

There was a was a sudden break in the air, followed by a thud. The atmosphere of the room seemed to shift as another person appeared in the room. In front of Blaise was Draco, who was red faced and disheveled.

"Blaise?"

"There you bloody are!" Blaise exclaimed. He scowled at his best friend and fought the urge to punch him. "Hermione's in labor. She's at the Hospital Wi-"

Draco was gone before he could continue. He stormed out of Snape's chambers and sprinted towards the Hospital Wing as if his life depended on it.

I'll be there soon, Hermione.

Hermione's throat was raw from her screams and cries. She was holding Ron and Harry's hands as she struggled to stay awake. Every now and then she felt Harry tapping her cheek to keep her awake. They were the only people in the room besides Madam Pomfrey. Everyone else was outside, waiting. Theo had tried to come in and check on her, but the screams. They were so loud and heartbreaking. He couldn't handle it, so instead he remained on the floor outside the room.

The three professors outside the room were attempting to find loopholes to the pregnancy simulation spell. McMiggins suggested a Confundus charm to trick Hermione into thinking Draco was there. Dumbledore shot the idea down by saying the charm would have no affect on the spell.

"Well there must be something we can do. Perhaps a-"

"Shh!" Theo cut in.

"Mr. Nott-"

"Be quiet!" he barked. Theo got up from the ground then cocked his head to the side like a dog. He listened, trying to figure out if his ears were deceiving him or not. After a few seconds, he knew that his ears heard correctly. "They're here!" Faint footfalls progressively became louder and clearer.

Everyone turned to the doors of the Hospital Wing to see two figures running towards them. There was a flash of blonde that signaled Draco's presence. Theo sighed in relief. He opened the door to the delivery room and stuck his head in.

All eyes turn to him as he smiled brightly. "He's here. Draco's here."

Draco felt his chest burning as he saw the others in the distance. Blaise was not far behind him. As they were running to the Hospital Wing, Blaise had briefly told Draco about the situation.

"'Mione...stuck in labor...needs you there...to have the baby," Blaise panted.

Draco couldn't fathom what Hermione was going through, and it was all because of him. It was because of himself that Hermione was suffering. Draco heard Hermione before he even saw her. He pushed himself to run faster. As he neared the room, all thoughts of anything other than Hermione left his mind. That included slowing down, which he failed to do. Instead, he ran right into Theo, knocking both of them to the ground.

"Bloody hell, Drake!" Theo cursed.

Draco scrambled to his feet and ignored Theo completely. He stepped into the delivery room, his eyes landing on Hermione immediately. He sucked in a sharp breath as he saw the scene before him. Hermione was on the hospital bed, exhausted and drenched in sweat. Her body looked frail as she looked at him with half closed eyes. Next to her were Ron and Harry, both of which seemed to be tired as well. Madam Pomfrey was the the end of the bed by Hermione's feet, looking older than usual. In the dim lighting of the room, everyone seemed to age several years.

"Draco," Hermione cried in relief.

His heart broke a million times as he hear her say his name. He made his way to her side. Ron and Harry left the room, closing the door as they left. But before Harry left, he whispered something into Hermione's ear. Whatever he said, it made her smile.

"You look awful," Draco said softly. He looked down at Hermione and grabbed her hand before kissing it.

"You don't look to good either, Malfoy," Hermione shot back, taking in his disheveled form. He almost looked as bad as her. His face was red and hair awry. His clothes were wrinkled and crooked on his body. "Where have you been?"

"I'll tell you later," Draco murmured. "Right now, we need to have a baby."

There were more screams that followed, followed by orders from Madam Pomfrey. Draco did his best to comfort Hermione. He kissed her hands, her face, the top of her head. He whispered soft encouragements and sweet nothings.

"You and me, Granger," he said softly. "We'll be the best damn parents there ever was." Hermione nodded as Draco wiped the tears away from her cheeks. He kissed her lips softly. "I'm sorry for not being here for you," he said. "But I swear I'm here now, and I'm staying. No more disappearances. It'll be you, me, and the baby."

Hermione cried, but not from the pain. She felt her heart swell from Draco's words. "You, me, and the baby," she repeated.

"One more push," Madam Pomfrey said.

Hermione gripped Draco's hand as she pushed one last time. The dark room lit up with a blinding light. Draco shielded his and Hermione's eyes will his hands. Once the light began to dim down, he looked at Madam Pomfrey.

In her arms was a newborn wrapped in pink. Soft, pale pink. Not blue, but pink.

"A girl," Hermione breathed. "We have a girl." She cried out in happiness and squeezed Draco's hand.

Madam Pomfrey gave the newborn girl to Hermione. The young witch cried as she held her daughter. The baby quietly fussed. Her face was pinkish and slightly contorted as she tried to adjust to the outside world. Hermione stared down at her daughter in awe. The hours of pain was worth it, she thought. It was all worth it. After a few moments, she realized that Draco had not said anything. She looked up at Draco and found him staring intently at his daughter. He looked at her as if she was a strange creature.

Draco didn't know what to do or say. He couldn't take his eyes off of the small baby in front of him. She looked so innocent. She looked so perfect. He slowly fell to his knees so that he was at eye level with her. Her eyes were still closed though. Still, Draco remained there in front of her, staring. She had brown curls like her mother. Almost cautiously he reached out to touch her. His hand rested on her side.

Her fussing stopped, and Draco's breath caught in his throat. Slowly her eyes opened, revealing grey orbs. It was then when Draco Malfoy knew he was in love.

"I'll do better," he promised in a soft whisper.

A/N TADA! Sorry that it took forever to reveal the baby's gender. I stressed over this so much. Originally I planned for a girl then thought about switching to a boy. But after a lot of consideration and helpful advice, I settled for a girl. Her name will be revealed in the next chapter!

As a refresher for everyone else's babies' names: (Going in the order of first born to last)

Theo and Luna: Leo Carson Nott and Winnie Ella Nott
Blaise and Ginny: Sebastian Alessio Zabini
Harry and Pansy: Amara Lilly Potter
Ron and Lavender: Felix Luke Weasley

First names were decided on by the most voted name. Middle names were decided on by the second most voted name.

Thank you for the support!

A special thanks to Dark-Supernatural-Angel who helped me with the chapter.

~KittyKat