Fatherhood | drarry teen adoptive parents au

twenty one | draco the healer

Harry and Draco followed Ron as fast as they could down the winding corridors of the castle to the girls' toilets outside the Gryffindor Common Room. Neville was waiting outside for them, chewing his lip nervously.

"I'm not sure we're allowed to-" he started, but Ron sighed, grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him through the door behind the others.

Inside, Hermione was leaning against the sink, groaning quietly. Luna was already with her, rubbing her back gently and offering her some odd-smelling tea, which they later found out was a strong natural pain reliever from Neville.

"Hermione, what happened?!" Harry asked, although admittedly it was pretty clear what had happened.

"Her waters have broken," Luna said quietly, indicating a small puddle on the floor. "She's been in mild pain for most of the day but it's getting slightly worse now. It won't be too long."

Ron looked terrified. "Do you - do you want me to stay, Hermione?" he asked. "I will, if you want me to. You can hold my hand."

He and Hermione had been spending a lot of time together since he'd come back from the Burrow after Christmas, and it was clear to see how much he loved her now.

She looked up at him gratefully, momentarily distracted from her pain. "Thank you, Ronald," she whispered.

She took a deep slurp of the mug Luna offered her, then straightened up. "Thank God that contraction is over," she sighed. "That tea is really wonderful, Neville. I can't thank you enough."

"How regular are they now? And how long are they lasting?" Draco asked. A serious look had come over his face; Harry could tell he was reflecting on everything he'd read on labour recently so he could be a Healer.

"Every four minutes or so?" Hermione guessed. "Maybe more frequent now. And they're lasting about a minute. It started this morning, like Luna said, but it's got much faster recently."

"Luna's right then, not too long now," Draco nodded. "Do you want to go and have a bath, see if that relaxes your muscles? Have that tea too, whatever herbs Neville suggests. And while you're doing that I can get changed into something more sterile, then come and help you if you'd like me to?"

Harry was amazed at how easily Draco took control, how calm and knowledgable he was. It was clear he was born to be a Healer.

It seemed that Draco's decisiveness and confidence made everyone else calmer too; it was clear the atmosphere had changed. Neville and Ron certainly looked less petrified.

An hour later, Hermione was fresh out of the bath, dressed in a blue slip dress and feeling much better. She wasn't sure the herbs Neville had given her were even legal, but they were making her labour distinctively painless, easy and fast. She'd have to remember to get him a thank-you present when it was all over.

And as for Draco - he was amazingly collected, more so than Hermione had ever seen him. He seemed much older than his fifteen years as he calmly instructed her on what to do, his slender fingers cool and capable on her arm.

The same couldn't be said for Ron, who appeared to be valiantly battling the urge to faint, or be sick, as labour progressed.

It got marginally better once he was told that the herbs were working and Hermione was in very little pain, but he'd always been squeamish.

She told him to leave at several points, but it was no use. Ron was determined to stay and support her, for whatever the cost to his digested breakfast.

Occasionally, when the redhead looked particularly pale, Draco or Luna would send him on a little "mission" - either to get a glass of water, or more blankets or a pillow to keep Hermione comfortable on the bathroom floor - which he did, willingly, but he always came back.

He supposed that was what love would do for you.

________________________________

a/n: a really short filler chapter sorry, but i couldn't work out how best to split it up! the next one will be posted straight after so it doesnt matter too much, i suppose

hope everyone is having a lovely week!

~ paradisedraco