Let's Try Again

Chapter 16: The Year 2000

St. Mary's Hospital - January 7, 2000

Lucius was once again standing in a muggle hospital. Looking to his wife, he once again thought she was the most beautiful thing to ever exist. She held a sleeping twin in each arm.

Athena Diana Malfoy had been born first. She was quickly followed by Ares Apollo Malfoy.

Two perfectly healthy babies. He couldn't wait to go to camp, where Lyra and Draco had gone during the labour. Draco, and Hadrian had both been hoping they would get at least one boy. The little boys had said they needed a boy to at least balance things out, they were being overwhelmed by girls. It also probably came from the fact, that as much as the boys loved their little sisters, they were also terrified of them.

Going into the room, Lucius gently took the babies from his wife so that she could get some well deserved rest. Lyra had had the silver blond hair of the Malfoy family since the day she was born, but the twins looked like they were going to get their colouring from Narcissa's side of the family.

Lucius chuckled lightly at his own joke. He had already had to memory charm a few people as the twins had clearly inherited the Black's metamorphmagus gene.

Dr. Greta North looked into the hospital room a few minutes later. She loved her job. Helping families have the child they had always dreamed of always made her feel great. But this was one part that made her happiest. She could see the love the twins would grow up with as she glanced in the room to see their father staring down at them like they were the most precious things in his world. She remembered that he had been the same way with his daughter Lyra.

During some of Narcissa's appointments they had brought the two older children with them. Greta had been happy to see how they were doing. She could tell that the Malfoy's were clearly a very good family. Their son had been well behaved and polite, and Lyra had been every bit as troublesome as a two year old should be. But even when Lyra was causing trouble, they had never snapped at her, Lucius or Narcissa would always correct the behaviour in a calm manner making sure the little girl understood what she had done wrong. No child learned properly from parents that did nothing but snap and yell at them without explaining what they had done wrong.

Going into the room, she had Lucius help her do a few quick checks to make sure everything was good with the twins before she continued on her rounds. She told them that she wanted to keep the twins in for the night, but after another check in the morning, if everything was still ok, they would be able to go home.

St. Mungo's Hospital - January 17, 2000

It was only a little over a week after the birth of the Malfoy twins that Alice went into labour unexpectedly. They had used their portkey to send Neville over to Peru, Frank and Alice were worried that Neville was still to fragile to be around for the labour, they didn't want to scare him with Alice's yelling. It had taken a while, and more than a few threats to Franks manhood, but 11 hours after they first went into the hospital the new Longbottom arrived.

Alexander Severus Longbottom.

He had gotten his first name from Alice's own father, and they had decided to name him after Severus, because without Severus's potion they would still be in the Janus Thickey unit, and Neville would still be with his abusers.

Alice and Frank couldn't wait to introduce Neville to his baby brother.

Aguas Calientes, Peru

It had been just after midnight when Neville had arrived in the dining room of the tent. He had been so tired that he had stumbled directly into Hadrian's room and crawled into bed with him.