The room was dark as usual. The coals had burned down further than normal though. Draco stopped and quickly built up the flames until the room was lit with a warm orange glow. Shadows danced along the ceiling, but everything else remained still.
Approaching the bed cautiously, ready to move back at the first sign, Draco watched the lump of material on the bed. He stepped on something, causing him to look down. It looked like a shirt. On closer inspection it was a shirt and two doilies. There was dried blood all over them. Not more than a foot away, Draco could make out other blood stained fabrics. Draco came up from his crouch and set the tray of food on the nightstand.
"Harry, I brought food," he said quietly, calmly. "Up to eating?"
No noise was heard but a slight tremor in the mound of material could be seen. Draco stepped a bit closer until his shins brushed against the bed frame. Fingers slid out from under a blue sweater of his that he had know idea had been missing. The fingers crooked and then pulled back a bit of the sweater. The firelight lit the green eyes ablaze as they peered out of the darkness under the heap. Draco went down to his knees and looked back at them on the same level. Acting purely on instinct, he reached his own fingers out to brush against his mate's. The hand came further out of the pile and brushed along his cheek softly and then was swallowed again by the darkness.
The pile shifted and then parted. Harry pulled the coverings back and Draco could see his mate was naked inside the cocoon he had made. His body was curled inward and there, nestled against his abdomen was...
"My child," Draco breathed. He leaned forward and with the gentlest touch, ran a finger over the infant's soft curls, accepting the child. Harry smiled up at him and Draco ran the same hand through Harry's locks and down the side of his face. "Thank you, Harry," Draco whispered. Harry smiled again and then pulled the fabric back over him and the baby, enclosing them in the warmth.
Draco stood up and made his way silently out of the room, leaving the tray for Harry to get when he was ready. He closed the door softly behind him and went downstairs. At the bottom a sea of curious faces greeted him. He stopped three steps up and smirked.
"I have a daughter," he announced and the crowd erupted in cheers. His father and mother, of course, did not do something so vulgar, but did come forward to congratulate him.
"A girl. It will be nice to have a little girl, will it not, Lucius?" Narcissa queried as she took her son's hand. "I will need to send word to the best modiste in Europe, of course, to arrange a wardrobe fit for her."
"Congratulations, my son. I hope that you will find all the joys of parenthood that I have," Lucius said solemnly. "I know that you will make a strong and skilful father."
"Thank you, Father," Draco said with a nod of his head. He looked over at the celebrating red heads and saw Snape standing in the back. The older man inclined his head in congratulations.
"Have you a name picked out yet, Draco?" Granger called out, a happy smile on her face.
"No," he answered and then relented, feeling the excitement in the room. With a smirk he said, "We will name her Maia Regina Malfoy."
"A fine traditional name," Lucius concurred.
"Regina?" Hermione scrunched up her face. "Figures a Malfoy would need the Latin word for queen in there."
"It is only appropriate to name her what she is," Draco said in a superior tone. His father smirked in agreement.
"And how is Harry?" Mrs. Weasley called out. "Does he need anything? Is he alright?"
"He is fine. He has everything in hand." Draco looked at Snape and the man made his way through the crowd with a sneer. Draco came down the steps and close to Snape.
"His stomach may need seeing to," Draco murmured. "There was blood soaked cloths."
"Normal with births but I shall see to him." Black eyes glared out at the gathering still chatting excitedly. "Once this house is cleared of the riff raff, we shall go in together." Draco nodded and set about getting rid of his still unwanted guests.
It took another half hour to get all of the Weasleys and a Granger out of the house. Another fifteen minutes of speaking to his parents and setting a time in which to speak with his father about signing the legal papers that would make the newest Malfoy an heir to the name and fortune. Finally, the house was silent and the two Superos went up the stairs and into the den.
The fire had died a bit but there was still plenty of light to see. The pile was very much like he had left it, but the tray of food had obviously been touched. The two men drew close to the bed and Draco called out to Harry as he had before and once again the heap shuffled until Harry was seen looking out at them. Snape moved closer to the bed slowly and the fingers came out, searching. Snape reached out and they touched, allowing Harry to feel and sense who was there in his domain. Then he was pushing the fabric back, allowing Snape to see the small and fragile infant. Draco moved close as well and went down on his knees again.
Stained hands moved forward and gently touched the child and Harry smiled once again as the other Supero of the pack welcomed and accepted the newest member. Then Harry was also touched, just as gently, in acknowledgment of his accomplishment.
"Harry," Snape said softly, "I would like to see your abdomen."
Harry looked closely into black eyes and then slowly lowered his knees from the partial foetal position he was in, allowing his stomach to come into full view. An angry red slash could be seen distending from his belly button down to his pubic hair. Snape slowly reached forward and examined the area.
"It has sealed remarkably well. I imagine that by morning, the inflammation will be gone." Snape looked at Harry. "You have eaten?" Harry shook his head.
Draco took a bit of turkey off the plate with his fingers and brought it to Harry. Harry accepted it and brought it to his mouth, biting a small amount. He chewed slowly and then reached into his mouth and pulled the moist pulp out. Draco watched in fascination as his husband then leaned close to the infant and placed it between her small lips. The baby began making small smacking noises and then the bit was gone.
"No, Harry," Snape said. "I know you have already been feeding her. It is you that needs to eat now." Harry took another bite and this time swallowed it. Snape had to redirect him two more times from feeding the child instead of himself. Draco gave him another piece of meat and that was quickly eaten as well. Harry then lay back down and the two other men pulled back, watching as Harry nestled the infant close against his body again and covered them with the fabric. When Harry was out of sight, Draco and Snape left the room.
"He never said a word," Draco commented once they were inside Snape's room.
"No." Snape went to his desk and began scribbling words onto his parchment. "I imagine it is his own version of basic self. As we lose the ability for human speech while in a blood frenzy, so has Harry lost his ability while doing what is most basic to his own Indago nature. He is ruled by instinct now."
"And when do you suppose he shall regain his words?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow. "Do not tell me that I have a mute and animalistic husband until the child sees fit to leave the home. It will seriously retard our social calendar."
Snape pulled a book down from a pile and flipped it open to a marked page and seemed to study it for a moment before picking up his pen again and rejoining the conversation. "I suspect that he will return to normal within a day or so." Snape turned to look at the other man. "Until then, I would get used to sleeping alone. He will not be coming out of there anytime soon."
Draco's eyes widened in realization of that thought.
Snape smirked. "Welcome to parenthood, Draco."
