Imperio ⇢ D.M

Chapter Seventy Three

Early

"I think George is a nice name." George said, leaning his head gently against Arden's stomach to listen to the baby's movements. Fred swooped down next to them, trying to push George away so he could listen instead.

"Don't be stupid, Freddy Diggory has a better ring to it!" Fred laughed, "come on Arden, at least as a middle name!"

Before Arden could argue, Molly and Lena both walked into the room.

"We moved everything into your room," Molly said, "are you sure your parents are alright with it?"

"I haven't seen them since the beginning of the holidays." Arden sighed, "also my father works at the Ministry, perhaps he fled once he realised the Ministry was taken over..." Arden stopped herself before she could assume the worst.

Lena nodded, "the house has been deserted since July, so you're probably right."

"Well you'll have to tell them eventually, what if they come back and find their daughter with a child?" Molly asked, "what if you find your own place before they come back, how will you tell them?"

Arden shrugged, "perhaps I'll just send a Christmas card." She sighed, "I don't have a very close relationship with my parents after all."

Molly opened her mouth to argue but closed it, she didn't want to pry into Arden's family life, since she had already found her place with the Weasleys.

"You and I should head off there now, get you settled in before the little peanut arrives." Lena announced, holding Arden's hands as she helped her up. "I got those potions you made from Luna's house, they're over at yours so at least things can be a bit easier... Mrs Weasley talked me through everything, she'll be over to help us when we need it." Lena chirped.

Arden winced as she felt the baby kick again, harder than it was with Fred and George feeling her stomach.

"Merlin, he's going to be a runner!" She managed to let out as she winced again.

Lena placed her hand on Arden's stomach, grinning as she felt it move. "It may be nice for you, but right now he's really giving me hell." Arden joked.

Lena rolled her eyes and looked at Molly, "Mrs Weasley are you sure we can't find out if it's a boy or girl until birth?" She asked desperately.

Molly nodded, causing Lena to groan. "Fine, come on Arden let's head off."

-

Draco had never felt more on edge until Lena had joined the Death Eaters. It was her job to 'spy' on the Weasleys rather than waste time on secret surveillance. Lena would always come back and say the same thing in order to keep Arden and the Weasley's safe:

"They're too afraid to even leave their home."

This would often cause an uproar of laughter, the Death Eaters exchanging foul blood traitor jokes and laughing at how cowardly they were. Some of them were disappointed that they wouldn't be able to fly over to the Burrow and torture them, but Voldemort was always relieved that he didn't have to do any more work.

And before Lena would leave the manor again, she would always stop by Draco's room to tell him how Arden was going.

"Is she getting enough sleep? Is she getting enough to eat? Has she said anything about me?" His words would come out rushed, some almost being incomprehensible, but Lena still understood, because he always asked the same questions.

"Things are going smoothly, she just wants you to find a way to get back to her is all." Lena would say.

And even though Lena would tell him the truth, Draco still had trouble believing it. He wanted to be there himself. "I'll be moving her back to her place, her parents have fled as soon as the ministry was taken over. You could definitely visit without anyone knowing-"

Draco shook his head, "too risky. They'll ask what I was doing there, they always know where you are in some odd way. If I tell them I was looking for the Diggorys, they'll somehow find her and-" Draco cut himself off before he could continue assuming the worst.

Lena sighed as she began to close Draco's bedroom door.

"Don't let it drag out before it's too late."

-

Arden's room had been rearranged to fit numerous things that a baby would need. It felt less homey to her because of this, but it didn't really matter that much to her.

Her parents had started to pack up Cedric's room. They hadn't finished it before they left, so the room was missing a bed, clothes and all sorts of other things. Instead, his room had an empty dresser that had family photos and odd trinkets he collected, his broom, and boxes of his school supplies.

Arden didn't dare to go into his room and touch anything, she didn't even want his things to be packed away, but her parents were obviously finding it hard to accept his passing with his room still perfectly intact.

Lena sat behind Arden, carefully cutting her hair. Arden's curly hair had become out of control, becoming knottier and longer as she worried about it less. Her hair rested just below her waist, frizzy and unkept.

"I could go back there, tell him once you've given birth." Lena spoke up, "tell him if the little peanut has inherited his blonde locks," she laughed.

Arden sighed, "I feel like that'll make him feel worse, but if you can manage to tell him without anyone else eavesdropping, then please do..."

"So, you said Cedric for a boy, right?" Lena asked as she snipped off a few inches of Arden's hair.

"Of course, I wouldn't want any other name."

"You wouldn't even consider Cedric as a middle name?" Lena asked.

Arden rolled her eyes, "does Draco have a better idea? I am the one going through all of the pain after all..."

"Draco told me his family had some tradition, naming their kids after things in the galaxy: moons, stars and what not." Lena sighed, "just something so thought you might want to consider..."

Arden hummed as she thought, "well, there's always Rosalind I suppose."

As Lena kept cutting Arden's hair, the two kept talking about the look of the child, and how Arden insists that her baby will have brown hair, while Lena just thinks she was jinxing herself.

Lena took ahold of her hair, ready to cut straight across, until Arden hunched forward in pain, causing her to cut diagonally upwards, making one half of her hair at her shoulder blades and the other half barely touching her shoulder.

"Jesus Arden I almost-" but Lena's frustration was interrupted when Arden cried out in pain as she held onto her stomach. Lena dropped the scissors in shock, and froze as she was unsure what to do. Arden wasn't due for another two to three weeks.

"Oh my god..." Lena muttered, "it's early..."

~

Omg I'm having a cardiac arrest I can't wait.