The Erised Effect

Practice Makes Perfect

Post- Erised Effect.

One-shot.

Christmas in the Granger-Malfoy household... and Hermione knows what she wants...

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Christmas Eve 2012

At two and a half years old, the Granger-Malfoy twins were not quite accustomed to Christmas and the traditions and festivities that went along with it, but that didn't mean that their Mother and

Father could not get into the spirit and find the joy and pleasure that came with having children to spoil at Christmas time.

Scorpius very much had his Father's temperament and looks, which was something that his Mother was very fond of. Right down from his wavy blonde hair to his large grey eyes, he was every inch his Father's son. He would frown just like his Father, and his fists would ball up if he could not get

his own way and he would sulk on the first step of the stairs with his arms folded in petulance if he was made to eat his peas with dinner. But he wanted a toy Broomstick for Christmas.

Amalthea – or Thea, as she was aptly nicknamed by her Father – was the calmer of the two toddler- sized hurricanes. Her brown eyes matched her Mothers and her unruly blonde curls were usually kept in pigtails with her bows always matching. Thea was very particular about which toys she played with, always preferring the building blocks or something that required logic. This completely juxtaposed Scorpius, who liked to smash things up or play with things that he most definitely should not.

Parenthood had been a massive shock to both Hermione and Draco. No matter how prepared they thought they were for it from the day that Hermione had told him that she was pregnant, nothing could have readied them for the reality of having twins...

"I can see two heartbeats here, which means you are having twins!"

"Well, shit..." Draco held her hand silently and stared at the monitor in front of them, his eyes wide. "I mean..." He glanced down at Hermione, looking paler than she had ever seen him.

She bit her lip anxiously. She had suspected something was going on as soon as the Medi -Witch had started to look over at her, but this was the last thing that she had expected to happen to either of them.

"They're both happy and healthy sizes with good, strong heartbeats." The Witch had told them both happily as they sat there slack-jawed, looking at the monitor. "Congratulations!"

"Thankyou." Hermione told her politely, keeping her eye on Draco to make sure that he was not about to faint. "We're just a little shocked, that's all..."

Draco looked at her with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Just a little?" He asked he with a small grin. "Can you imagine the amount of sleep we are never having ever again now?"

All Hermione could do was shrug and smile. "I can always ask Molly for a few tips..." She answered him with a smile and she felt his hand clasp hers tightly... lovingly. "If she can raise Fred and George then I'm sure these two will be a doddle."

Draco kissed the back of her hand, still smiling rather giddily. "I honestly can't fucking wait, Granger." His eyes turned back to the monitor. "They're absolutely perfect."

And in that moment, Hermione did not think that she could ever love him more...

For weeks afterwards, they had walked around on cloud nine, absolutely in awe of the whole idea of bringing two babies into the world and had lovingly battled excitedly with names. Narcissa's intruding insistence that they use a name after a constellation as it was 'traditional' also did not help, as Draco appeared to agree with his Mother, saying that it was the only tradition he would like to pass on within his family.