ETERNITY
Narrator
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𝐒 𝐄 𝐕 𝐄 𝐍 𝐘 𝐄 𝐀 𝐑 𝐒 𝐓 𝐇 𝐄 𝐑 𝐄 𝐀 𝐅 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑
Elysia dragged her feet tiredly to her kitchen where her phone was ringing. It had been ringing nonstop for the last few minutes and the sound was beginning to give her a severe headache-which did nothing to help how terribly ill she felt anyways.
Leaning a hip against the counter, she sighed as she picked up the phone. "Ginny, what's wrong so early in the morning?"
"Lys?" Ginny's confused voice sounded through the phone. "You sound indisposed. What's wrong with you?"
Elysia wearily ran a hand down her face as she scowled at the foul taste in her mouth. "I'm ill, Ginevra! Draco hasn't come home since last night-Merlin knows what him and the lads have been up to. I don't even want to know but I could really use some of that-that ghastly green tea he makes for hangovers."
Draco had been gone since last night, spending a night on the town with the three Weasley boys, Lorenzo Silvius, Blaise Zabini, and Theodore Nott.
Ginny paused for a long moment. "You're ill and your husband is out partying?" She scoffed. "I'll kill him. That's what I'll do."
"I'll help!" Pansy's loud voice sounded distantly through the phone. "We'll get rid of their bodies with some sulfuric acid! I heard that works-at least in the muggle films."
Elysia croaked a weak laugh. "It's alright. I'm glad they're enjoying themselves." Her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Why were you calling again?"
"I was just going to tell you to come out with us girls tonight. Hermione and Luna will be there-oh, and we need to plan this bachelorette!" Ginny rambled on excitedly. "But seeing as you're ill, perhaps we can rain-check."
Groaning as she pinched the bridge of her nose, Elysia shook her head-though Ginny couldn't see that. "No, no. I'll just take a hot shower and see if I feel better. Luna's remaining calm as ever but I know she's internally freaking out about all the wedding planning needing to be done."
Ginny snickered. "It doesn't help that Blaise is adamant on a summer wedding. We only have so many months left-I told them they should get married in the autumn instead."
"It'll be perfect either way," Elysia spoke sluggishly and she lugged herself through her quaint estate, into the living room where she plopped down on the couch. She quickly buckled over when her stomach began roiling once more, afraid she would spew all over the Persian rug.
"Lys?" Ginny asked worriedly. "What's wrong with you-seriously? You sound terrible, I can practically hear you gagging."
"I don't know, Gin." Elysia wiped the sweat from her forehead with the sleeve of her jumper-Draco's jumper that she wore, actually. "I woke up ill yesterday as well. I thought it must be a stomach bug, maybe food poisoning. It passed after some time but returned when I woke this morning."
Ginny hummed thoughtfully. "That's strange. What's the date today?"
Elysia's eyes narrowed disbelievingly. "Why is that important-good Lord, Ginny-it's-what? The fourteenth?"
Ginny was silent for a moment.
Then a loud crack sounded in the air in front of Elysia and Ginny had suddenly appeared, having apparated with no warning.
Elysia's eyes widened as she gawked at the red-head. "What the-Ginny!"
"Ginny?" Elysia still held the phone to her ear, Pansy's distant voice sounding. "Where the hell did you-did you really just-UGH!" Another crack in the air and Pansy had appeared.
Elysia's phone slipped from her hand as she stared at the two girls who she thought were manic. "What are you guys-oh, Merlin-" She was cut off by another churning in her stomach. She doubled over, groaning as she held back the urge to vomit.
Pansy rushed over to her friend's side, sitting on the couch beside her and rubbing her back soothingly. "Did you eat something defunct?"
"I don't know," Elysia grumbled, closing her eyes as she leaned back on the couch and craned her neck back.
While Pansy continued rubbing her back, Ginny stood in front of her with her arms crossed over her chest. Her expression was far more amused than Elysia was appreciating.
"Perhaps we should take you to a healer to find out what's wrong." Pansy suggested, her tone laced with concern.
"No need," Ginny said nonchalantly as she walked over and poked Elysia's breast.
"Ow!" Elysia yelped as she flinched away, swatting Ginny's hand. "Good Lord, what the fuck is wrong with you, Ginevra!"
"Have you been peeing a lot more often?"
Elysia gaped. "What-"
"Ginny..." Pansy's eyes narrowed. "What are you on about?"
"We don't need a healer. I'll have this diagnosed in no time." Ginny pulled out her wand. "Accio." Using the summoning charm, a box came flying through the room, landing in Ginny's palm. She smiled innocently as she held it out to Elysia.
Hesitant and almost fearful, Elysia slowly took the box. Her heart missed a beat when she saw what it was. "No." Her mouth fell open.
Ginny crossed her arms over her chest smugly. "Tell me my suspicions are right."
Pansy squealed loudly. "No fucking way! Draco's going to-he's going to-bloody hell! He's going to bawl like a-like a baby!" Pansy burst into a fit of laughs. "In a good way, of course. Tears of happiness, excitement."
Elysia was frozen, in utter shock.
"Well, go on." Ginny urged. "Take the pregnancy test and find out yourself."
After spending the next fifteen minutes calming Elysia's nerves and giving her comforting words, she finally left to take the pregnancy test. Pansy and Ginny could hardly contain their excitement as their legs bounced and they quietly squealed with one other while Elysia wasn't in the room.
When Elysia returned from the bathroom with the stick in hand, she looked ghostly. Eyes trained on the pregnancy test, expression unreadably blank.
"What is it?" Ginny asked excitedly.
"Are you pregnant?" Pansy shot up from her seat.
"Go on, Lys! Tell us."
Slowly, Elysia turned to face her friends. "I'm-I'm-"
Impatient, Pansy rushed over and grabbed the test. Her mouth fell open when she saw the result.
"Holy shit."
"What is it?" Ginny asked fervently. "Fucking hell, someone tell me already!"
"Bloody hell," Pansy spoke between laughs as her jaw dropped. Her gaze lifted to meet Ginny's. "We're going to be aunties!"
The two girls were literally jumping up and down, their hands clasped together as they yelped excitedly. They were overjoyed, ecstatic-on the bloody moon itself.
Elysia, on the other hand, was frozen as a statute; blankly blinking at the marble floor. The news was the last thing she expected-and was far more than she could currently fathom. She didn't know how she could have missed this.
When Ginny and Pansy's initial excitement settled down, they noticed Elysia and grew quiet. Their springing ceased as they shared wary looks and walked over to their friend. Standing on either side of her, they guided Elysia to the couch to sit down.
"Lys, are you alright?" Ginny asked quietly. "This is good news, isn't it?"
"You've always wanted to have kids and start a real family with Draco," Pansy added, cautious as she spoke. "I know this is huge and shocking and you need a minute but-"
Elysia clasped a hand over her mouth before she could choke on a sob.
Ginny and Pansy were equally panic-stricken by Elysia's reaction.
"Oh, God," Elysia cried as her eyes became glossy. "I'm going to be a mother."
"Lys-"
"Holy shit," she mused as the tears began falling. She glanced at Ginny, then at Pansy who sat on either side of her. "We're having a kid-Draco and I-we're really-"
Leaning back on the couch, she glanced down at her stomach that didn't seem any bigger than it did before. Slowly, gently, she placed a palm over her belly and outstretched her fingers.
She looked between her friends once more, this time with a smile stretching across her face. She laughed disbelievingly. "Holy shit."
"Elysia Malfoy, a mommy!" Pansy's hands shook with excitement as she struggled to sit still. "I'm already jealous of the eyes this little angel is going to have."
Elysia sat straighter, her eyes widening. "How am I going to tell Draco?"
"I reckon he'll be just as ecstatic as you are," Ginny said, grinning wildly.
"I reckon even more so," Pansy added.
Elysia looked down at her stomach again. "I'm going to be a mom," she exhaled, speaking more to herself than to her friends. She was still struggling to comprehend this but her heart had never felt more full. She smiled wildly. "A mom."
-
Elysia paced the living room for what felt like hours. She was restless and unable to sit still as she waited for Draco to return home. The news she had yet to share with him was suffocating her-in a good way, if it were possible to suffocate contently.
When she heard the front door open, she froze. Her body went rigid as every worst-case scenario ran through her mind-worried about his reaction, worried if he'd absolutely hate this, worried about it all.
She couldn't begin to list the number of things she was worrying about-the whole idea of pregnancy and motherhood being something she held many anxieties for. Was she ready to be a mom? Would she be good at it? What if she had no idea how to even change a tiny baby's diaper?
She hadn't allowed herself to really indulge in all her concerns-not until she told Draco.
As soon as his gunmetal blue eyes landed on her, a smile transcended over his face. He walked right over and pulled her into a hug, inhaling her sweet flowery essence and nearly growing tipsy off it. "Are you going to mock me if I admit that I missed you though it was only one night?"
Elysia sighed softly as she hugged him back. "Are you going to mock me if I admit the same thing?"
"No."
"I won't either."
"In that case," Draco pulled back slightly. With his arms still around her, he just looked at her. "I missed you."
Elysia exhaled a trembling breath. "I missed you too."
He cupped one side of her face, with his other hand he ran his pale fingers through the dark strands of her hair. "Mon coeur," he exhaled. "You somehow get prettier every time I look at you, you know that?"
Elysia's heart still turned to mush from his words. She leaned into his warm touch that she missed dearly though it only being absent for one night. "Was the boy's night fun?"
Draco nodded, smiling at her. "As fun as it could be. Nothing ever seems much fun when you're not there."
Elysia laughed breathily, her heart fluttering away.
Draco's eyebrows drew together when he quickly grasped the strain behind her eyes; he could see right through her and something seemed off. The bother in her eyes, the slight downturn of her eyebrows, the way she nervously gnawed on her bottom lip.
He frowned. "Darling, what's wrong?"
Elysia sighed quietly as she pulled away from him. "Draco, we need to talk."
Draco's heart plummeted to the pit of his stomach from the mere few words. "Oh, God." His hands dropped to his sides. "It was that-that bloody Weasley wasn't it?"
Elysia's eyebrows furrowed.
"I always thought perhaps I was an idiot to become friends with that Fredric." His fretting eyes met Elysia's. "He told you, didn't he?"
Elysia's own heart dropped. "W-what?"
Shaking his head, Draco ran a hand through his hair. "I told him I would tell you myself but he-well, Merlin bless his soul for his loyalty is one thing I actually respect him for."
Elysia's lips parted as she stared at her husband. The absolute worst scenarios ran through her mind like a storm, the possibilities of Draco's coming confession endless. "Draco..." her voice wavered. "What did you do?" She was afraid to ask the question.
Draco sighed defeatedly as his eyes bore into hers. "It's not that terrible, really."
"What did you do?" She asked again, this time with her voice much sharper.
Draco hesitated for a moment. "I sort of-well-really it was Lorenzo who gets the most brilliant ideas when he's drunk-or at least they seem brilliant when I am also just as drunk-"
"Draco!" Elysia snapped, growing breathless.
"I bought an island, alright?!"
Elysia's shoulder were yanked down.
She exhaled sharply, slowly running a hand down her face-before nearly exploding as she marched over to her husband and swatted the side of his head.
"Ow!" Draco exclaimed. "Bloody hell was that for?"
"You scared the life out of me, you wanker!" Elysia swatted his arm this time. Her face was glowing red with frustration and lack of patience. "You can't have such a-such a nerve-wracking build-up to something so-so-so foolish!"
Draco failed to suppress a smile as he placed his hands on her arms and pulled her into his chest. He beamed a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry, my love," he laughed quietly as he kissed the top of her head. "I really did think you would be mad."
"I am!" Elysia tried to wiggle out of his hold-but she didn't really. "Why would you-an island, Draco? Are you serious?"
"No, that's my uncle," he drawled boyishly.
Elysia tossed him a tired look.
Draco sighed as he wrapped an arm around her and guided them over to the couch to sit down. Pulling her close in his hold, he held her tight. "I'm sorry. Really. It's quite small and useless-I should have bought a better one."
Elysia scoffed as she pulled back to look at him. "You're not funny."
Smiling adorably, Draco leaned his face close to hers so his nose brushed against hers. "But I love, love, love you, mon coeur." He whispered against her lips before kissing them softly.
Sighing into his mouth, Elysia's eyes closed as her hands cupped his face. She kissed him delicately as tingles spread across her skin. For a moment, as they kissed, all her worries and concerns floated into non-existence and she felt herself melting in his hold
Draco pulled back, smiling widely.
"Wait-you said we need to talk." His eyes narrowed. "If you didn't know about the island-what is it?"
Elysia grimaced as she slightly shifted her body away. "Oh-I-well-" Her eyes flickered onto the coffee table.
Sitting on the dark wood, a little piece of green. She leaned over and plucked the four-leafed clover that she had spent all evening searching the gardens for.
Smiling timidly, she turned to face Draco and held out the little clover. "I extend my found luck to you in hopes that with this good luck, you-we-I-" she faltered, sputtering as her nerves returned.
Confused, Draco took the clover. He looked between it and his flustered-looking wife whose face was glowing red. "What is going on, Elysia?"
"I extend this found luck to... wish you-or perhaps wish us good luck in-in-in parenthood."
Squeezing her eyes shut tightly and covering her blazing face with her hands, Elysia's stomach was giddily fluttering away with nerves that made her feel she would truly explode into pink mist.
The clover fell from Draco's fingers as his mouth also fell-open.
"What?"
Elysia's legs bounced nervously.
"Elysia..." he said slowly. "Look at me."
Elysia lowered her hands and peaked her eyes open. She looked at Draco sheepishly while holding her breath.
Inhaling deeply and holding his own breath, Draco moved closer to her and took her hands in his. "What did you just say?" He asked curtly, speaking deliberately slow.
Elysia blinked. "I-well-we-you're going to be a father, Draco."
Draco's eyes widened massively as his gaze flickered from Elysia's face to her stomach, going back and forth many times before settling on her eyes. "A father?" He exhaled sharply, his open mouth tugging upwards. "Bloody hell."
"Are you-you're not mad?"
Draco stared disbelievingly. "Mad? Are you crazy?" He shook his head frantically. "I'm-" Beaming a smile, he wrapped his arms around Elysia and stood, spinning her around. A squeal escaped her lips as Draco laughed excitedly. "Merlin-this is-"
He placed her down slowly, holding her close with his arms around his waist. He smiled tenderly, the warmth of it sending electric currents through every one of Elysia's nerves. "This is wonderful," he said softly, leaning his face close to hers. "We're having a baby."
"We're having a baby," she laughed, the words sounding surreal on her tongue.
Draco exhaled deeply as his eyes flickered onto her stomach.
His smile was eternal.
His hands slowly moved from around her waist and onto her stomach, his pale fingers delicately stretching. His touch was gentle as a feather's stroke. "A baby," he mused thoughtfully. His eyes flickered back onto hers. "Mon coeur. I'll have to share my heart now. Is that alright?"
Elysia's eyes pooled with tears as she fought to blink them away.
Her chest swarm, her heart illuminated, her entire being felt like it was floating.
Elysia grasped his face in her hands and pulled him into her, kissing him deep and with her entirety. She poured an eternity of adoration, a lifetime of 'I love you's', and her whole soul into one kiss and Draco kissed her back with the same feverish love.
With one kiss, they vowed each other an endless bliss.
"I love you. Je t'aime. I'm in love with you." She breathed against his lips, speaking between kisses. "In every language, in every life, I love you. Éternellement. (Eternally.)"
Draco pulled back the slightest, both their breaths heavy. He smiled whimsically. "And I love you. Always and forevermore."
Draco took a small step backwards with a cheeky smile dancing on his lips. He held out his palm. "What do you say? Dance with me, Missus Malfoy."
A giddy smile widened over Elysia's face. Her eyebrows raised. "Right now? This is what you want to do-dance?"
Draco shrugged softly. "The world is spinning, it would be a shame to only stand."
"But we have so much we should talk abo-"
"Oh, shut up and dance with me, mon coeur." He didn't wait for an answer though it would have been a yes anyway. He took her hand and twirled her into his arms, a gleeful laugh eluding Elysia's mouth as she fell into his chest.
Elysia's mind was clouded behind the sheer happiness she felt. Swaying in his embrace as the two moved together, it couldn't be more perfect.
She rested her head on his chest and listened to the quiet hammering of his heart while Draco's arms securely wrapped around her waist and held her tight.
"Lys," he spoke quietly, hesitant. "What if... what if I don't know how to be a good father?"
Elysia pulled back to peer up at him. She frowned. "Draco-you have the warmest, most loving heart I know." She cupped one side of his jaw, her thumb brushing over his pale skin the was warmed by her touch. "Your soul is one that can be felt in your mere presence. A glowing, beautiful, warming light, you are. You will be wonderful, I know it."
Draco smiled tenderly as he leaned his forehead on hers, closing his eyes. He exhaled slowly. "We're really doing this."
Elysia's smile was brilliant. "We are."
They loved with a love that was far more than love.
Draco's eyes flickered open and they glistened as he looked at his wife, his heart. Taking her hand, he twirled her around, spinning her out and back into his arms. Elysia's laughter was delighted and a symphony to Draco's ears.
He was smiling as he kissed her.
They bathed in one other's warmth, their hearts beating only for each other. He cupped her chin and tilted her head back, deepening their kiss as though he could somehow claim her soul; Elysia felt just that-her soul being claimed though it already had been for so long, her breath being stolen and her heart doing the tango.
"Eternity," Draco mumbled against her lips.
"Eternity."
And then he kissed her again. He would continue to do so for as long as he lived.
In this life, and every next one.