I SPY || 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

Chapter 30. Rotten

"Now don't all crowd around at once!" Madame Pomfrey ordered, "She's still got strict bed rest orders, and I don't want you lot-" She pointed her finger at the group of visitors, "- sending her into a frenzy, you hear?" With a huff the woman walked away, her heels clicking against the tiled floor of the hospital wing.

            Astrid was happily sat up in her hospital cot, a bundle in her arms, she beamed down at her bonny baby, completely ignoring everything Pomfrey had just said. Her father sat in a chair to her right, Molly Weasley to her left. Remus Lupin and Tonks sat on a near by hospital bed, hand in hand.

            "I think we should make one of those," Tonks whispered to her beau, Remus shook his head with a smile. At the foot of the bed stood the golden trio, Harry, Ron and Hermione.

            "Yes Madame Pomfrey," Hermione nodded. Once the irate matron was out of sight Hermione came to sit on the bed with no hesitation, she reached her arms forward and Astrid handed her baby over.

The first time she let her baby leave her arms was difficult, she handed Everly over to her father, Alastor, to hold just a few hours after the birth. Since then, two days had passed and practically everyone and their mother had come to see and hold the child. Her father and Molly had never left her side in that time. Her father muttered something about protecting her, and not letting her out of his sight. Molly just wanted to be supportive, and feel useful, she told Astrid of how difficult things were in the wizarding world now, how she barely left the Burrow. She had filled Astrid in on everything she missed in her captivity, Harry's fight against you-know-who in the flesh and the craziness that ensued after.

"She's so cute, does she have a name?" Hermione asked as she smiled down at the sleeping baby girl.

"Everly," Astrid smiled, "Everly Winnifred,"

"Moody." Alastor butted in gruffly.

"Moody-Malfoy," Astrid corrected with a sigh. Her father made a distasteful noise from beside her, shifting in his seat he took out his flask and took a long gulp. They had argued a lot over the name, over the surname anyway... Her father was sour and full of hatred still, it made Astrid glad she was in captivity when he found out about her and Lucius. Apparently, it was Ron that blabbed, but it didn't really matter to Astrid who it was, her father was bound to find out eventually, and perhaps it was for the best it happened whilst she wasn't around. Ron didn't go into detail about her father's reaction, he just said it was 'explosive' and by the way he nervously stood at the end of the bed eyeing Mad-Eye in his chair, it certainly must have been quite the reaction.

"Has Draco come to see yet?" Hermione asked curiously, she looked up from Everly when she got no reply, reading the awkwardness in the room she apologised immediately. "Sorry, I was just wondering aloud,"

"No, he hasn't, I haven't yet asked him to honestly..." Astrid sighed, she didn't know why she hadn't sent word to Draco, perhaps it was too painful, he was little version of his father, a hurtful reminder. She was also worried what his reaction would be... she remembered what Lucius had told her... about Draco being regretful, but she didn't know what to believe anymore when it came to that man.

"Probably for the best, Draco is trouble," Harry told the room with a disgruntled look.

"Harry thinks Draco is becoming a death eater," Hermione half laughed as she handed the bundle of joy back into Astrids arms.

"There's no way that coward is becoming a death eater, only thing he's guilty of is being a right creep," Ron shook his head.

"Even if he is, it might not be his choice," Astrid said sadly, "I was nearly one too,"