{Strawberry Tea} ✔️

Chapter 111

Atlas (11 months 3 weeks)
Ivy, Iris, and Asher (7 weeks)  I realized I had messed up the time somewhere which is stupid because I worked so hard to remember!

  
 

Draco's POV

"Okay baby can you walk to dada"  I encourage Atlas as Harry takes Atlas's hands into his. He wobbles over to me still holding tight to Harry.
  Once he's close enough he lets go of Harry and grabs onto my leg.  "Good job my little prince" I whisper picking him up.
  Harry comes over and kisses his cheek "you're doing so good" he adds handing Atlas his stuffed owl.  "Hey, can daddy have a kiss?" I ask making him turn back to look at me.
  He grabs my collar to pull himself up more and basically eats my cheek.  I laugh at his failed attempt at a kiss which was mostly putting his mouth on me.
  "That was nice you give good kisses" I whisper throwing him up.  He squeals as he comes back down and I continue throwing him before spinning him around. He keeps laughing and I stop and set him down. Atlas stands and reaches his arms up wanting to go again.
"Hey, can you say daddy or dada," I ask and Harry starts to snicker next to me. Atlas just stomps his foot wanting to get picked up again. "Can you say dada?" I ask again and he plops onto his butt turning to look at Harry.
This child looks back to me and points at Harry before shouting "Papa" I sigh and fall to my knees. "Do you think... he even loves me" I cry falling onto my stomach next. "Am I not a good dad" I continue crying as I turn my head to the floor.
Atlas starts squealing and screams "yay" before crawling over to me and jumping on my back.  "No no we're not falling asleep yet" Harry intervenes picking Atlas up.
  He squeals as I turn around so I'm laying on my back.  "Draco calm down you're fine it's probably just easier for him to pronounce papa"  he groans setting Atlas back on the ground.
  Atlas immediately comes back over and jumps on my stomach "see he does love you" Harry laughs as I rub the baby's back. "Yeah, I guess he does" I laugh sitting up still holding Atlas to my chest.
Fred and George come out of the kitchen Fred holding Asher. Asher was half asleep attempting to hold his bottle which really was all Fred. They come over and sat on the couch giving us warm smiles.
"What are you guys doing?" they ask as Atlas wiggles out of my grasp. "We were practicing walking but got kinda distracted" Harry chuckles.
"How's he doing," I ask nodding my head towards Asher. "We have another appointment scheduled for tomorrow" George quickly says looking at the small child not exactly answering my question. "Just a check-up" Fred adds and I nod.
"He's been having a hard time swallowing" George continues looking over to the boy. Fred takes the bottle out of the baby's mouth and his eyes slowly close all the way as he drifts off to sleep.
I give them a look of sympathy before being attacked by a very hyper Atlas. I fall over with an "oof" as he lands on my chest.
"Hey Georgie do you think we should wake him up his breathing is starting to get bad again... I don't want him to hyperventilate" Fred whispers from the couch. I listen continuing to play with Atlas as they attempt to wake him up.
Fred starts poking and tickling his stomach and sides, but no response. I sit up holding Atlas to my chest as George begins tapping his arm. George's eyes widen as he stands quickly and points to Harry.
"Harry get us a carriage to Ophelia's right now" George shouts taking the baby out of Fred's hands. Harry nods his head as I take Atlas to the nursery not wanting him to witness the chaos.

Fred's POV

I look at my now empty hands after George had taken the baby. He didn't wake up... why didn't he wake up! I look down into my hands to notice them dotted with tears... I'm crying...
I wipe the tears away grabbing some shoes as George comes running back down the hall. "The smelling salt didn't work" George shouts holding the lifeless baby close to his chest.
"He was fine a minute ago" I yell back as we pace back and forth waiting for the carriage. I freeze when I feel a hint of pain in my heart. Was it my fault did I do this. I must have fed him wrong... or maybe too much...
"He's still breathing but barely" Draco calls after checking the baby's pulse. A chime goes off signaling the carriage was here and George and I scramble out the door not even bothering with coats.
Draco follows close behind going up to the coach. "Get them there as fast as you can I will pay you as much as you want" the rest is cut off by me slamming the door behind us.
"Please be ok" I cry holding George's hand as the carriage takes off. Eventually, George let go of my hand and attempted to wake the baby again. In response we got little scratchy coughs or him taking a deep breath just to go silent again.
"When we arrived at Ophelia's I waited for George to get out first before racing up the stairs with him praying we wouldn't slip. I went to knock on the door, but George immediately kicked it open as he went over to Ophelia. I had to stop and fix it quickly saying a quick spell before following behind him.
"He won't wake up" George screamed letting his emotions loose as he handed her the pale baby.  I fell to my knees once I realized how awful he looked in the light.  He was pale as snow, his lips were purple and blue, and his nose and under his eyes were pink. She took the baby patting his back lightly to make sure he really wasn't waking up before turning back to us.
  "You have to stay out here I will be back soon," she says quickly before entering a separate room.  George falls next to me as I cry into his shoulder "I don't want to lose him yet- I don't want to lose him at all" I shout as George hugs me back "he's going to be fine I know it" he whispers but with every word his voice breaks.
"Please don't leave us" he begs Asher even though the baby is unable to hear him or understand him. I fall forward clutching my stomach as George runs his hands through his hair wiping the tears from his face.  "It's my fault" I scream as George looks at me with wide eyes.
"I fed him too much or something and he probably ended up choking I-". George cuts me off "shut up you know damn well it isn't your fault" he shouts pulling me back as I try to get to the room Ophelia had taken Asher to.
  "He can't be taken from us yet!" I sob becoming a trembling mess.  "He won't be Fred!" George shouts shaking me.  "So don't blame yourself for something you didn't do! We all know who really caused this.... but we are going to love this child no matter what!" He continues shouting as I let my head hang.
"Got it?" He continues as I slump to the floor completely "got it" I reply trying to calm myself.  I stay on the ground staring at the room Ophelia had taken our precious baby boy.
  I try not to cry, but I can't help it so I cry softly thinking of his lifeless body.  The way his arms laid limp no matter how much we moved him.
  "Merlin" I gasp bringing my hands to my mouth I need to clear my thoughts.  A loud thump sounds behind me as George slams his fist on the floor.  "He's gonna be fine damn it" he grumbles through gritted teeth.  I know for a fact though he wasn't talking to me. He was just trying to calm himself down.
   I curled up into more of a ball and continue to cry.

*

All of a sudden I feel myself being shaken. I sit up looking around, realizing I had fallen asleep.  The feeling of sadness and urge to puke come back immediately once I realize the reason we were here.
"She's coming" George whispers his eyes red and puffy as he points to the door which now began to open.
Ophelia opens the door coming out without Asher... I bite my lip trying to not assume the worst. 
   "He's alive and well... he's going to have stayed here for a few days though.  Because of his weak immune system, he conducted a bacterial infection" she informed us as we both look at each other with worry.
   I used a few spells to remove as much of the infection as I could, but the rest is up to his immune system. His body will be shut down and he will be sleeping until he overcomes it or.... yeah until he overcomes it" she says smiling an obviously forced and fake smile.
  Or what or until he dies! Is she telling me that I might have just spent my last day with him and now I just wait?  I turn into George and sob again. 
   Ophelia comes over and puts a hand on my shoulder "I promise you he will be fine by next week no matter what... he just needs to sleep and you're more than welcome to stay here the whole time" she reassures us as we stand to go see the baby.
   I stand over his new little bed staring at him and I almost start crying again when I see his arm move.
"You have to be strong... you have to continue being our little blessing"