As soon as it was light the following morning, Draco left his son in the care of a house elf against his better judgement, and apparated to the Lovegood home.

Luna's father opened the door and promptly pointed his wand at Draco.

"Leave!" the older man barked.

Draco raised his hands in submission. "I just need to talk to Luna." He pleaded.

"I think you've done quite enough." Xeno snapped.

Luna pushed past her father. "Is Trajan all right?"

"He's fine." Draco assured. "Get dressed. I'm going to take you to see him."

"Why?" Her father asked.

"Because he needs her and she needs him." Draco answered.

"Then why don't you just give him back?" Xeno pressed.

"I can't." Draco shook his head. "I need him."

"I'll be right back." Luna promised, backing into the house.

"Put shoes on!" Draco called after her.

"You're just like your father." Xeno grumbled. "Always think everything and everyone should bow to your whims."

"I wish things were different." Draco said softly. "For all our sakes. I really do."

Xeno huffed but didn't answer.

Luna returned quickly, dressed in jeans and a jumper with her hair in a ponytail.

"Do you really … " her father began.

"It's fine." She assured. "I'm going to see Trajan. I'll be back soon."

Xeno glared at Draco as Luna followed him down the steps.

They were barely an acceptable distance from the house when he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a sidealong apparition.

They landed near a side entrance to the Manor, and he led her inside and up the western stairs.

"Why are you doing this, Draco?" she asked softly.

He paused for a moment, looking back at her, before continuing on toward the nursery.

"I owe you." He answered, charging up the stairs, not looking at her. "You saved my life, and you brought my son into the world alone. I don't want you to … Just promise me you won't do anything stupid, all right?"

She stopped, forcing him to turn and look at her.

"You thought I would harm myself because you took Trajan?" She frowned.

"I don't know what I thought." He tugged on her arm to get her moving again. "Just don't, all right?"

"I won't." She promised.

"And his name is Scorpius now." Draco snapped.

He flung open the door of the nursery, to find Storie attempting to spoon feed the child.

By the looks of it, more food was on her and Scorpius than in his mouth.

Draco's wife looked over his shoulder, and then into her husband's face. "You can't be serious."

Scorpius also noticed the person following his father and began bouncing in his seat. "Mumma!" He shouted.

Luna rushed across the room, freeing her son from his highchair and swooping him into her arms, regardless of the sticky hands grabbing at her hair and the oatmeal covered cheek that pressed against her shoulder.

Draco watched mother and child until Storie pinched him, hard.

"May I speak with you in the hall?" She glared.

Frowning, he followed her out of the nursery and waited while she silenced the door.

"What do you think you're doing, bringing her here?" His wife fumed.

"She asked me to hire her to be his nanny." Draco answered. "She said she would work for anything. And you don't want to take care of him when he cries for his mumma ... "

"So you just thought you would bring her here without even talking to me about it first?" Storie shook her head incredulously.

He shoved his hand through his hair. "I just ... First of all, my mother said if she was in Luna's place, she would consider harming herself. I had to make sure Luna didn't do that. And I wanted her to see Scorpius, to hold him and realize how much she misses him, so she will agree to what I ask."

"And what exactly are you going to ask?" She demanded. "Or do I even want to know?"

"I haven't talked to you about it yet, but I was going to." Draco sighed. "I talked to the people at the muggle baby clinic. Our records indicate that my sperm and your eggs are not compatible. They said they could replace one or the other, and we could have a healthy baby. We already know Luna and I are compatible. I was going to ask her to donate her eggs to us so you and I could have a baby. In return, I'll give her access to Scorpius. If she balks, I'll offer to give her another child, one she can keep, in exchange."

Storie stared at him for nearly a full minute.

Then she slapped him across the face.

He recoiled in shock, his hand coming up to cover his stinging cheek.

"I knew you were a selfish bastard, but this, even for you, is just too much!" She raged. "Did you really ever stop to think how I would feel about this?"

"You don't want to take care of him when he cries for his mumma." Draco pointed out. "And you want your own baby."

"That's right, I want my baby." She snapped, and then choked on the sob that burst from her throat. "But I can't have her! So you think the answer is to take your girlfriend's baby and give him to me, and then another of your girlfriend's babies after that?"

"No, Storie, you don't understand." He tried to pull her into his arms, but she pushed him away. "When we go to the muggle clinic, you'll actually carry that baby and give birth to it. It just won't be your egg, that's all."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" She cried. "Why does it have to be my egg that gets replaced? Why can't we replace your sperm? Did you ever think about how much it would hurt me to carry a baby that really isn't mine? Or how much it would hurt me to see you watch Luna with Scorpius and know you'll never look at me like that?"

He recoiled as if she had struck him again.

"Storie, you're being ridiculous." He protested.

"You really think I'm the one being ridiculous?" She shook her head sadly, then turned and walked away.

"Storie, come back here!" He ordered.

She didn't even look at him.