Poison Ivy || Draco Malfoy

64 - S.H.M.

"It wasn't just down to you," I smiled, feeling oddly endeared by his rare show of awkwardness. "In all the chaos of walking away from Percy, it hadn't even crossed my mind to continue with the pill."

"Yes, well," Draco shrugged, his eyes giving a mischievous twinkle as his lips twitched up at the corners, "as I said, I'm glad."

"Can I see him?" I whispered, once again craning my neck to look around the room until my eyes rested on a cot in the corner. "Can I see our baby?"

He nodded, pressing his lips down upon my forehead before turning to stride over to the cot, where he reached inside and carefully removed from it a tiny little wriggling human being.

My son. Our son.

It felt too surreal for words.

I watched in wonderment as Draco cradled him to his chest, kissing the top of his head where white-blond wisps of hair lay. I suddenly felt hugely apprehensive.

"I don't feel like a mother," I said fearfully as Draco sank back down in the chair next to me, looking adoringly down at his mini-me. "I haven't even held him yet."

"Here, let me lay him next to you," Draco murmured, his tones soft and gentle as though he didn't want to risk alarming the child in his arms.

He carefully placed him down so that he was nestled in the crook of my arm. His little body felt so soft and warm next to mine and I could scarcely believe he was real and lying here, next to me. Wide silver grey eyes blinked up at me and I swallowed, feeling overcome as a sudden torrent of emotions engulfed me.

"He looks so much like you," I trembled, terrified to tear my eyes away and wishing I could sit up and hold him properly. "He's beautiful."

"He's beautiful like his mother," Draco said, leaning down to softly brush his lips against mine.

"Don't squash the baby, lovebirds!"

Draco and I simultaneously looked up to see a beaming Blaise bursting through the door dragging in with him a huge bunch of green helium balloons.

Pansy followed close behind him, looking rather apprehensive as she stepped into the room, her eyes bloodshot red as they fixed upon me.

"Oh, Ivy," she trembled, sounding most unlike my sister. "Don't you dare do that to me again."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, giving her a watery smile as my heart filled unexpectedly with a rush of love.

"Hey, don't be," Blaise said airily, tying the balloons to the end of my hospital bed, "I knew you'd pull through; they don't call us Slytherins cunning for nothing, man."

"Can I, can I hold him?" Pansy said hesitantly, peering down at the baby nestled into my side.

"You haven't yet?" I asked her surprised, before quickly shooting Draco a quizzical look who just shrugged his shoulders at me.

"It was nothing to do with Draco; I- I didn't want to," Pansy said, suddenly looking shamefaced, "not until I knew you were going to be okay. I'm sorry- I couldn't bear to."

"Don't apologise," I reassured her, feeling ridiculously touched, "I know I would've have been the same if it was you."

Pansy carefully reached down and picked up the baby, holding him out in front of her in the same way she'd probably hold a Quaffle.

"Christ, you need to support his head," Draco reprimanded crossly, jumping to his feet at once and swiftly stepping over to position him properly in her arms. "He's literally a day old, Pansy, he hasn't got the muscle strength yet."