The Marriage Decree

Chapter 129: Great Analogy

Waking up on Sunday morning, Hermione's head felt clearer after spending the late afternoon walking and talking with Draco about their meeting with President Cerys Harris. They had an understanding of what was expected of them over the next couple of months and years, but it was still overwhelming. Once they got back into Britain, they'd speak to their closest friends and pass on as much information as they felt necessary and seek their opinion. Today, their last day in New York, was for them, as a family, and they weren't going to waste it by worrying about Kingsley Shacklebolt.

She leaves Draco softly snoring in bed and enters the living area to find Scorpius stood up, his tiny hands gripping the edge of the crib. Eyes wide, she slowly approaches her son.

"Look at you Scorpius?" She grins.

Scorpius bends his knees and starts bouncing as he giggles from his mother's attention.

"DRACO!" She calls back into the bedroom as she fetches her camera off the coffee table.

"What?" Her husband's sleepy voice returns.

"Come here, quick." She replies, listening for his footsteps behind her.

"What's going on?" He asks, pulling his dressing gown around him as he walks into the living area, eyes scanning the room until they fall on Scorpius, bouncing in his crib. "Oh no!" he mutters. "It's far too soon for him to be standing. I thought we'd get at least a few more months before he became mobile." He admits to Hermione.

"He's eight months," she reminds him. "My dad was seven months when he started standing." She lines up her shot with the camera, snapping a few different angled pictures of their son smiling as he bounces.

"He's a fast learner," Draco coos, walking over to his son and picking him up. "You're so clever, son." He blows a raspberry on his cheek, causing their son to giggle louder. Hermione takes another picture.

"Okay, okay, don't get him too excited. We've got an exciting day ahead of us as it is." Hermione reminds him. "You can get him changed while I'll pack his bag for the day."

Draco whispers something to their son as he takes him into their bedroom, where all their clothes are still in the suitcase. Hermione packs bottles of milk for Scorpius and snacks for themselves into his changing bag, then collects a few spare changes of clothes from the suitcase before getting dressed.

They're all ready to leave for their Central Park adventure by ten o'clock, with Scorpius strapped into his pram, which Draco pushes. Hermione fiddles around with the settings on her camera, that's hanging around her neck on a strap and snaps a few pictures of Draco, Scorpius and New York City. There would be plenty of picture opportunities throughout their day to take photos of her young family enjoying new experiences.

It takes them an hour and a half to walk to the park's south entrance, nearest the zoo, so they decide to make that their last stop of the day before they head back to their apartment. Instead, they walk along the three miles of meandering pathways from the bottom to the top of Central Park, stopping at anything interesting to inspect and take a photo. Scorpius particularly enjoyed walking through the North Woods with all the tall trees canopying overhead and the birds twittering away. Eventually, they make their way to a small café that specialises in preprepared picnic baskets. They order one from the menu and wait for it to be made before taking their food to the East Meadow, where they lay out a blanket that came with the basket and set out their food. Scorpius sits in the middle between his two parents, and while they enjoy their sandwiches and snacks, he watches people walk by as he drinks a bottle of milk.

Afterwards, they leisurely walk another hour through the park, stopping at the boating lake to watch a few couples and families in rowing boats before continuing down to the zoo. It had already been a long day, and they were looking forward to a nap when they got back to their apartment before they went out for dinner, childfree thanks to Megan.