Desolation Row | A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction

Chapter 27

Elisa had been keeping Draco and I updated on the pregnancy ever since we had left her house five days ago and I was beginning to get excited. When Elisa had first found out about her pregnancy, I was terrified for her. She was only 16 and was living alone, what if she couldn't cope? I had assured her that Draco and I would be by her side for as long as she needed us but that hadn't stopped me worrying about what would happen when we weren't by her side. I had been sending a Patronus to her every day and she had been responding with a detailed letter on everything that she had done that day, even the most mundane things. It was one of these letters that I read now, sat on the sofa with Buchanan and Duchess asleep either side of me. Elisa was currently debating names. For a girl she liked Veronica or Juliet but for a boy, she was torn between Lucas and Arthur. Personally, I liked Juliet or Lucas.
"Dray?" I called, loudly.
I heard footsteps on the stairs and then Draco poked his head around the living room door. 
"You alright, love?" he asked and I nodded before holding up the letter.
"Elisa is deb-debating b-baby names. Which d-do you l-like L-Lucas or Ar-Arthur?"
Draco pondered my question for a second before smiling.
"Lucas."
"Juliet o-or Ve-Veronica?"
Again, he pondered before grinning widely.
"Juliet."
I chuckled and nodded, agreeing with him as he disappeared back around the corner. I placed the letter on the coffee table before me and looked over at my cats. Placing a hand on each of their exposed stomachs (for some reason my cats had a tendency to sleep on their backs) I stroked them a little before staring at Duchess. I ran my hand over her stomach again before furrowing my brow and calling out for my boyfriend again.
"F-feel Duchess' st-stomach." I said, removing my hand so that Draco could do as I had asked when he entered the living room.
He looked a little confused but did as I said and rested his hand on our cat's stomach.
"Do you n-notice an-anything different?" I asked, a slight smirk playing on my lips.
I would be so happy if I was right.
"She feels bigger but-"
"But on-only ar-around her st-stomach. N-nowhere el-else." I said smugly, grinning now.
"You don't think..." asked Draco in bewilderment.
I nodded.
"I th-think Duchess is pre-pre-pregnant."
Draco's jaw dropped and he slid his hands underneath our cat, lifting her up and looking her in the eye, his voicing jumping up about four octaves as he spoke to her. I giggled and lifted Buchanan onto my lap before standing up swiftly with him.
"W-want to c-come with me t-to take h-her to th-the vets?" I asked and Draco nodded.
"Muggle vets?" he asked, keeping Duchess in his grasp as he moved towards the door.
"Yes, it's s-safer for u-us th-that way."

It wasn't long before Draco and I had reached the muggle vets. It wasn't much of a walk from the house - not that we had much of a choice of transport anyway. Draco and I had taken it in turns to carry Duchess' basket along the way and I had it in my arms now as Draco pushed the door open. I scanned the waiting room quickly, checking the muggles' choice of clothing and sighed in relief when I noticed that Draco and I fitted in fine. We wandered over to the counter and I sat Duchess' basket atop it. Draco explained our situation and the Veterinary Assistant behind the counter smiled and nodded.
"If you would like to go and sit in the waiting area, please."
Draco and I did as we were asked, sitting a few seats away from an elderly lady with another cat. It wasn't long before a Veterinary Nurse poked her head out of a door behind us and called Duchess' name. We headed in and I placed Duchess' basket on the table, letting her out.
"Hello, Duchess," said the vet, lifting her up and busying herself with checking her weight. "you're gorgeous aren't you. You're very big but no need to be concerned, she's not overweight just large and wow, look at those ears! And that tail, it's almost like a lion's!"
Draco and I looked at each other in amusement as the vet looked up, clearly done noticing all of Duchess' Kneazle features.
"So why was it you brought her here?"
Draco explained what we had noticed this morning and the vet got to work on figuring out whether or not our cat was pregnant.

A quarter of an hour later, Draco and I were heading home with a confirmed pregnant Duchess in our arms.
"C-can you bel-believe it, Dray?!" I exclaimed. "We're go-going to have m-mini Buchanans and Duchess' ev-everywhere s-soon!!"
Draco laughed.
"Oh joy," he said sarcastically and I hit him playfully.
We continued to talk about Duchess' new state until we got home and let her out.

"Do you reck-recon we-we'll k-keep any?" I asked curiously as I sat down on the floor to play with Buchanan, who seemed highly offended that we had left him alone for any period of time.
Draco seemed to think about this for a second before he nodded.
"Well, I mean, one day, we won't have these two anymore and-"
Buchanan meowed loudly as if Draco talking about his passing in front of him was highly unacceptable and he shot him a look that almost said 'I've still got nearly 20 years left, thanks, Dad'. Draco laughed and scratched Buchanan's head, apologising to him as he did so. As Draco disappeared into the kitchen to make us lunch, I pulled my wand from my pocket and conjured up a Patronus, watching it happily canter off out the window as I sent it to tell Elisa the news.
        As I was ploughing through the lunch Draco had so lovingly prepared, an owl fluttered in through our open window and deposited a letter on my lap, Elisa's recognisable handwriting was scrawled across the front. I quickly read the letter over and sent back a Patronus in answer to it. It made me very happy to know that my best friend was safe. Even talking about something so simple as my cat getting pregnant made me smile. I supposed it was the trivial nature of our conversation that made me so happy. Even while both in hiding, we were able to talk about such simple things. I was thinking this over when Draco broke the silence.
"Lia, have you got a licence to breed Kneazles?"
I nodded, swallowing my mouthful.
"My f-father g-got one when h-he bought me Buchanan, it b-became m-mine when I t-turned 17."
Draco nodded and I smiled. Recently, I couldn't stop smiling. I didn't know what it was. Somehow despite the death and destruction caused by the war that was raging on around us, I felt happier than I had been for a long time. Don't get me wrong I was scared. Fucking terrified actually. But it was times like this where it just didn't register. I couldn't comprehend that my father was missing, that my siblings were probably scared out of their minds and that my best friend was pregnant at 16 years old. I knew that one day, soon, I was going to have to face it all, I was going to have to face Them, Him, this goddamn war. But I also knew that when that day came, I'd be ready. I'd be able to do it. I knew that when that day came there was no way I was letting Lord Voldemort tear my family apart.

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Hey guys!!

Two pregnancies now!! Thoughts on Duchess being pregnant?? Personally, I'm very excited, the prospect of tiny Buchanans running around is going to be hilarious!!

Anyway, thank you for reading this short chapter!! Remember I love you all!!

- Izzy xx