ZILLIAH is holding Vivianne in her hands, rocking her back and forth, her whole attention devoted to this tiny human who giggles up at her. She could even give Draco a run for his money, and he'd love every second of it. The little girl is clothed in a little white frock, with a white bow on her head, and she looks like a damn miracle.
"Isn't she beautiful?", Aneesia mumbles, her tone holding all the warmth and proudness of a mother, as she appears behind them wearing a long dark blue dress, held by thin straps around her neck. And Zilliah can't help but snap her head at her and stare for a moment in pure awe.
It's truly unreal to think of how women yield the power to make a whole human being inside of their bodies. People, too often, say women "carry" these babies, and have grown accustomed to that phrase, but when you think about it, that's far from the truth. Every single cell of this whole new organism is made inside the mother's womb, as it latches onto her body like a hardcore parasite, draining the mother of all the nutrients and energy she intakes and using that to grow itself. It's actually creepy when you think of it that way. But the pure joy it brings those mothers makes it seem all okay.
Well, most mothers, anyway.
"Yes, she's beautiful", Zilliah breathes, snapping back to her senses and looking back at the beauty in her hands- the beauty she and Draco are going to be godparents to in a few hours. She couldn't control her excitement over it, not even with the curse reigning within her and tiring her down with even the slightest movement.
This is special to her. And she isn't letting some fucked up magic get in the way of that.
Blaise appears beside Aneesia, a wide smile on his face despite the dark circles underneath his eyes. No one ever told taking care of a baby was an easy task but he looks happy about it. He loves his child too much to even bother complaining about the sleepless nights and constant diaper changes. It's evident from the way he holds Viv and plays with her or helps her sleep or reads to her or talks utter gibberish like he has completely lost his senses. He runs his hand down the dark blue shirt hugging his frame, tucked into a black formal pant beneath, and asks, "Where is Draco?"
Almost like he was waiting for his cue, Draco waltzes in through the door of the hut, his hands inside the pockets of his black pants. Aneesia had set blue as the color theme for the event so he was wearing a simple light blue shirt that seems to be stitched right down to the exact millimeter to fit him. And Zilliah, well, she just stares.
It's not like anybody could blame her for it either. He was a bloody spectacle, demanding attention everywhere he went. And he would get it. He would always get it from her.
Tough luck, Viv. This competition's harder than you thought.
"Good morning", he mumbles out in a cheerful tone to Blaise and Aneesia. It's only after he lets his eyes glance upon Zilliah, that she instantly picks up the distress in them.
However, he covers it up quickly and plasters a smile onto his face, taking her from head to toe. He tilts his head, the corner of his lips twitching upwards. Zilliah, herself, was wearing a light blue dress that extended to her knees, with white flowers bordering the low neckline. It was simple, nothing too glossy or shiny, but he seems to be absolutely enamored by it- by her.
"If you're done eye-fucking her, maybe we can actually get going to the cathedral?", Blaise comments, diverting both their attention to him. He laughs a little too as Draco pulls his features into a solid scowl.
Draco rolls his eyes and walks up to Zilliah, and pecks her on the cheek before doing the same to Vivianne who giggles at it. "Well, that's highly hypocritical of you, mate. Because last time I checked, this kid's name is not Vivianne Malfoy. It's Vivianne Carlson-Zabini."
It's Blaise who scowls this time, and Aneesia chuckles, blushing while at it. And Zilliah can't help but find it all so adorable.
She likes this. She likes that even though Blaise and Aneesia have decided they'd only think of their wedding after the war, they're conducting Viv's baptism, not because either of them is much devoted to the religion. But because they know it represents a sliver of hope amidst the darkness that the war has cast over all their lives.
And they need it. They all need every single instance of hope they can get. It's the one thing that keeps them going.
•
The rituals were over. Vivianne Marie Carlson-Zabini was christened, and Zilliah wanted to cry. She wanted to cry because she never would've thought she would have the privilege of occupying such an important place in a person's life. She wanted to cry because it made her think of Sirius and all the days she had spent in that house with him, laughing and cooking and cleaning and playing, never knowing she would have to lose him so quickly.
Draco had sensed the change in her and drew her away right after the ceremony. And now they were standing at the entrance, slanted against the walls of the cathedral, watching as her people showered the baby in gifts and blessings, despite their hostility towards outsiders.
"Zilliah?", Draco's voice is mellow and tender as he calls out to her, and she melts at it without even much realization. She nods her head from where it is resting against his side, his hand wrapped around her lower back. "You think we could have that, one day?", he asks, the hope in his voice much prevalent.
She thinks about the disaster it would be. An heir of Zilliah- forced to become the leader of the Supernovian people when the time inevitably comes- having to carry the shame of being a descendant of the cruelest wizards of all time- getting criticized and humiliated for being a half-Acquirer and half-Argive. All of those things make Zilliah want to shake her head no. But deep within her bones, she knows that isn't the truth.
For she does want a kid with Draco one day. She really does want to see a second or even a third or fourth pair of blonde hair and silver eyes for the rest of her life. She wouldn't care if all their kids looked completely like Draco. In fact, she would love it all the more. "How many of them would you like?", she asks, answering his question with her question, a soft smile playing on her lips.
He pulls her closer to him at it, a burst of laughter escaping his lips, as some of the unexplained tension he holds, oozes away. "That's completely up to you, my darling. I'll never be the one to make decisions on what you do with your body."
She melts further at it, feeling herself becoming a roasted marshmallow from his comfort and his words. "I would like three", she tells him, turning his head to meet his face.
"Three it is, then", he turns his eyes upon her as well and smiles, the skin beneath his eyes crinkling. His gaze darkens as it drops down onto her lips and then to her neck and then to her breasts. "And Merlin, I would evade all reason and fuck one into you right here, right now."
She can feel her skin heating up at his words and the smirk crawling onto his features show how she is not doing a very good job at hiding it. She chuckles nonetheless and shakes her head at him. "Not too fast, blondie. Besides, this is a church."
Draco groans and draws his hand back to plunge both of them into his pockets. He then steps in front of her, his eyes utterly dark and mischievous. If he had a pair of wings sticking out from his back, he'd represent the fallen angel all too perfectly. "First of all", he breathes, right down her nose, making every part of her ache, but this time, for him, "I don't give a damn if this is a church. Second of all, blondie? Seriously?"
Zilliah laughs, feeling like a ticking timebomb under his heavy gaze. She drops her eyes to his neck and lifts her hand, unbuttoning the collar. "Well, I thought it would be a good nickname for you."
"No", his reply is crisp and stern. "You are not going to call me that."
She teases him by running her hands down his chest lightly, lifting her eyes to him, and pouting while at it. "But it's cute."
He huffs and smiles, shaking his head and placing one of his hands beneath her chin. He runs the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip and it takes everything in her to not crumble then and there.
"Ahm", a woman passing by them to exit the cathedral, looks at them scornfully with a forced cough. It makes Zilliah's cheeks grow even redder but Draco retains his usual unbothered manners and smiles at the old lady.
But once she has left, Draco meets her eyes again with the same desire and passion burning in them. And she would be lying if she said it didn't affect her. Because it does. It really really does because she can already feel every inch of her skin craving his touch, his lips. She can feel the wetness that has started to form between her legs- the need, the longing.
And wasting no time, Draco lifts her by the waist and throws her over his shoulders, running straight out of the cathedral and into the woods that surround it. "Draco", she gasps as she squirms and tries to get down, for she knows how much it will wear him down. But he just tells her to stay still as he weaves and ducks through the branches, running at a steady pace for almost six to seven minutes. He then sets her down on the ground and instructs her to close her eyes. She is too thrilled to question it so she does as he asks and shuts her eyes and covers it with her own hands. He places his hands on her hip from behind and tells her to walk. And she does, not having any sense of her surroundings but not caring about it in the slightest because she knows she is in safe hands.
After a while, he breathes in her ears to stop and she stops. "Open your eyes now", he says, and she does that too.
Her mouth falls wide open as she takes in everything that is in front of her. The never-ending array of bald cypresses and weeping willows surround a very clear lake situated in the middle of it all. And the freshness of the breath she takes in, makes half the throbbing pain in her head recede. She turns her head to Draco, her jaw still slackened and her eyes mesmerized by the beauty of it all. "How did you even find this place?"
He just shrugs and pulls her body closer to his chest, wrapping his hands around her. "I just stumbled upon it."
And she can't possibly fathom how because the cathedral itself is a solid fifteen minutes away from their residential area. But she doesn't get to press on it because his lips already crash down on her neck and she loses all her sense of reason at it. Pushing her hair to the front, he feathers kisses all along the back of her neck, teasing her with bites and nibbles occasionally. And consumed by the fire in her, she arches her body into him, making a low groan erupt out from his lips.
"Don't make me bunch up your dress and take you here right now", he breathes into her ears.
She tilts her head to the side and rubs herself against his already hard length, making him groan again. "I wouldn't mind", she mumbles, turning her whole body to face him.
He instantly crashes his lips down on hers, his hands finding the base of her head to angle it in a position that would allow him to stick his tongue down her throat the deepest. Her own hands fly up to his hair, pulling and tearing at his roots as she grows weaker and weaker for him. And when he pulls back to meet her eyes, it doesn't help that he looks like a damn demigod with his crystal silver eyes, tousled hair, and breathless demeanor.
"Let's go for a swim, shall we?", he mumbles as he grabs the underside of her dress and pulls it over her head, walking her backward, towards the lake. Disposing of the dress somewhere on the ground, his eyes hungrily drop to her breasts, his hands already unclasping the hook of the bra. Zilliah lets her own hands unbutton his shirt and he lets go of her for a moment to get rid of it completely. He then removes his pants and his boxers, leaving her to stare at his hardened length, her core throbbing for it.
"Eyes up here, my love", he demands, as he makes quick work of removing the last pieces of the clothing around her, leaving the both of them naked to the wind, the woods, and to each other. "Gods, you're beautiful", he mumbles, his voice rough and ravenous. And she wants to tell him the same but words become something so foreign to her in that moment.
As they reach the lake, he stops and gets in first, leading her in later with his hands grabbing purposely onto her bare ass tightly. The cold water bites at her skin, making her want to get out instantly. She should've known it would be this cold as the end of November is nearing already.
"You okay?", he asks, bringing his hands to cup her face, sensing her discomfort.
She nods, willing her body to just fucking deal with it because there was no way she is putting a stop to this.
He leans in and kisses her again, this time, more slowly and deeply, like he wants this moment to freeze in time forever. But after a while, breathless and panting, he breaks away and smiles, plunging himself wholly into the water. Shaking her head and thinking him to be raving mad, she follows suit, ignoring the way it freezes her brain. His eyes crinkle as she meets him underneath and in an instant, he turns and kicks his feet, swimming away from her. With zero hesitation does she swim after him, towards the other side of the lake, resurfacing only twice to take deep breaths.
It isn't a much tiring swim as the lake is not that long. When they reach the end, Draco pulls her out of it, lifting her up and making her hook her legs around his waist in one go. This time, it is Zilliah who closes her eyes and commences the attack upon his lips, biting it and sticking her tongue inside, fighting against his dominance. He lowers her on top of a grassy surface, a bit far from the lake so the ground isn't mushy. And because the grasses aren't too pointy, she is unbothered as she bites down on his neck and sucks at it, sure to leave marks there with her actions.
He balances himself on his elbows and presses his lower body against hers. It makes her pull back and writhe underneath him, and he takes advantage of that to dip his own teeth into her neck and suck on it.
"I love you", he mumbles as his lips trail down to her collarbones, her cleavage, her stomach. "I love you", he whispers over and over again, and it's music to her ears as he worships every inch of her skin.
When his tongue finds her wet core at last, she moans out in pure bliss and pleasure. Her hands automatically find his hair like always and she pulls at the wet strands, earning a grunt out of him. He works his tongue against her folds at the perfect pace, making her a mewling and tossing mess underneath him.
"I'll cut my tongue out before I ever get tired of this", he draws back briefly to rumble out, and wasting not a second more, he gets back to it like it's the ambrosia that keeps him alive.
"Draco, oh fuck-", she gasps out as she can feel her climax approaching, her back arching off the ground as every muscle in her lower body tightens. He outstretches his hands and kneads her nipples, only adding to the feel of it all with his cold fingers.
He pins her down in place and fastens the movements with his tongue, feeling her thighs clench around his face, tight and suffocating, as she comes undone. She rolls her head back in the feel of it, seeing stars against her shut eyelids, her heart pounding in her chest, as he works his way through her euphoria, downing every last bit of her release.
"So fucking good", he rasps out, biting down on the inside of her right thigh, making her gasp out in sheer rapture despite the pain.
She shoots her eyes open and lifts her head to watch him lick her clean and kiss his way back up to her lips. And when he breaks apart and those silver orbs gaze deep into her, she could swear the world stops moving.
"You know", he says, lifting a hand and brushing all the hair away from her face, "I do want you to be the mother of my children."
"I know", she tells him, scratching his bare back slightly with her nails. "What would you name them, though?"
He lifts his eyebrows and looks to the side at that, pulling his features into a thoughtful expression. "Maybe Silas. Or Nathan or Quinn, if it's a boy. And perhaps, Natasha or Alexa if it is a girl."
Zilliah can't help but break out into a grin at his answer. He's clearly thought about this before and it brings her a certain type of warmth.
"What?", he asks, his wet strands hanging loose and his eyes examining every inch of her face like his very essence to live lies hidden there.
She just shakes her head and pecks his lips, feeling her heart doing somersaults within. "I like Nathan and Natasha. Has a nice ring to it."
"I know right!", he beams with a full-on smile as he dips his face and hides it in the crook of her neck, kissing her skin there.
Feeling his hard-on pressing against her lower stomach, she guides it to her entrance. He moans into her skin at the feel of it, biting down there to cut short whatever unholy words he was about to groan out. And when she teases the tip of his length against her wet folds, he grunts out in desperation, his hands snaking around her throat. "Zilliah! The things you do to me, my love", he says, and she smirks because she knows the power she has over him.
He lifts his head and meets her eyes, balancing on one hand while the other still remains on her throat, feeling her gulp. "Tell me to stop if you want me to, alright?" And knowing she is already going to protest and say he doesn't have to, he crashes his lip down on hers and shuts her up. "Just fucking tell me if it gets too much for you."
And she nods, desperate herself, with the need to feel him inside of her.
He dips down and takes one of her breasts into his mouth, and licks her nipples while kneading the other with his hand. And when he finally slides his length in, the synchronized moans from their lips feel just like the ocean waves lapping against the shore on a perfect starry night.
She can't control her screams and gasps as he starts to pound into her, drawing back up to kiss her lips. And he doesn't attempt to muffle them either because they're his fuel as he goes in and out of her with intense ferocity. Gazing into those silver eyes, scratching against his muscular back, she mewls against him in nothing but pain and pleasure.
This man could tear her apart and she would thank him for it- she's so fucking sure about that.
But the thing is he would tear himself apart before even the thought of causing her the slightest harm passes through his head. Because he is Draco.
He is her Draco.
He is her Luci.
And he is all she needs in the whole goddamn world.