The Whole Nine Yards

Chapter Twenty-Six - Isabella Or Ruth?

~ Harry and Draco's Room ~

"Drac! Honey, wake up!"

Draco opened his eyes sleepily and instantly snapped them shut again. He moaned and snuggled down into the blankets, trying to block out the light.

"Draco, you have to wake up!"

"It's too early," Draco protested.

"Hermione's having the baby."

Draco's eyes opened wide and he stared up at his husband in amazement for a moment before he leapt out of bed.

"Oh my god! Is she in the hospital wing?" Draco asked as he dragged on a pair of black jeans and a white shirt.

"Yes," Harry replied as he watched Draco dress.

Draco glanced over at him and was surprised to note that Harry was still wearing the same clothes he had been wearing yesterday. Obviously he hadn't come to bed. Draco thrust his feet into his boots and glanced at his watch. It was 2:34am.

"Come on, let's go," he said, running out of the room.

~ Hospital Wing ~

Draco was sitting in the waiting room listening to Hermione scream in the next room.

"Aahhhh! Get her out of me!"

Draco winced. He was glad that he was a male and therefore unable to have children. It sounded extremely painful.

He glanced up as the door to the rest of the castle opened. Harry entered with two mugs in his hands. Draco smiled at him gratefully as he took one of the mugs and sipped his coffee. Harry sat down beside him on the couch.

"Ron, you bastard, you are never touching me again!"

Harry chuckled. "I'm glad I'm not Ron, although I wouldn't mind being in there to see his reaction to that."

Draco agreed. Ron was most likely panicking in there. Hermione had been in labour for eleven hours now and had been screaming at him for the past five hours. Ron had always been the one to panic when under stress.

"I wonder if our son has been born yet," Draco said wistfully. He placed his mug on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch.

Harry reached over and pulled him into his arms. Draco rested his head on Harry's shoulder and snuggled closer to his husband.

"I doubt he's been born yet. He's not due until next week," Harry said quietly.

Draco was silent for a moment, considering his words carefully.

"Do you regret having this child with me?" Draco asked in a small voice.

"Oh sweetheart, of course not," Harry said, kissing the top of Draco's head.

Draco sat up and straddled Harry's legs. He gazed fervently into Harry's eyes, his hands cupping Harry's cheeks. "Then tell me what's going on. It it's not the baby, then what's wrong?"

"I can't explain it. It's like...like there's something dragging me down. Like a weight on my chest making me feel terribly sad. I don't know why but that's the way I feel," Harry explained. His hands were resting on Draco's hips. "I feel like I'm being swallowed by darkness, but it's a darkness that exists inside of me."

Draco blinked. This was not what he was expecting and he was shocked that Harry had finally opened up to him. Unfortunately Harry's timing was terrible.

Ron entered the waiting room.

"She's here," he said proudly. "She's just beautiful."

Draco stared intently at his husband for a second before standing up and turning to face Ron. "Can we see her?"

"Sure, come on in," Ron said, ushering them into Hermione's private room.

Hermione smiled tiredly at them, a bundle of blankets in her arms. Draco walked over to her and peered down into the blankets. A tiny face was just visible.

"She's gorgeous," Draco said softly as he perched on the edge of Hermione's bed.

"Would you like to hold her?" Hermione asked. Draco nodded and reached out to take the little girl out of her arms.

Draco held the baby against his chest, breathing in her new baby smell. He gently traced a finger over her face.

"How are you feeling, Mione?" Harry asked, sitting on the chair on the other side of Hermione's bed.

"Exhausted. Sore. Not eager to do that again for a while," Hermione said, grimacing.

"I thought we were going to have a large family, like mine," Ron said seriously.

"You want a large family, then you have the babies," Hermione retorted. "I'm sure I can find a potion or a spell that will allow you to get pregnant."

Ron looked horrified. "No! No, that's okay. We'll have as many children as you want."

Draco was intrigued by the mention of a potion or spell that would allow a man to carry a child but he didn't comment on it.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Draco asked with a grin. "I know you've been arguing about it for the past week but have you finally agreed on something?"

Hermione glared at Ron, who looked annoyed.

"I want to name her Isabella but Ron wants to call her Ruth," Hermione said.

"I'm sorry Ron, but she's definitely an Isabella," Draco said, glancing apologetically at the redheaded man. "She's too beautiful to be named Ruth."

"Isabella Weasley," Harry said thoughtfully. "Ruth Weasley."

They all contemplated the names for a moment. Ron took his daughter from Draco's arms and held her. Draco watched as he mouthed the two names while staring down at her.

"Drac," Harry called softly. Draco glanced over at him and raised an eyebrow curiously. Harry gestured for him to come over to his side of Hermione's bed. Draco walked around the bed and was startled to be pulled down onto Harry's lap. The dark-haired man's arms snaked around his waist, holding him close.

"You're right. She is Isabella," Ron said finally. Hermione smiled up at him gratefully.

"Am I interrupting?" a voice from the door enquired.

"No, not at all Sirius, come in," Hermione said.

Sirius entered the room, followed by Albus.

Ron beamed at them both. "I'd like to introduce you to our daughter, Isabella Weasley."

"Congratulations," Albus said, his eyes twinkling as he grinned at them all.

"She's adorable," Sirius said as he gazed down at the little girl.