Telling No Lies

The baby was crying - again. The sound was something between the cry of a banshee and a siren - it hurt your ears to the point that they started bleeding, but you were unable to ignore it. Suppressing a yawn - and the curse that was already on the tip of his tongue, as well - Draco swung his legs over the edge and hoisted himself out of bed, leaving it empty. Harry wasn't home, and wouldn't be for a couple of hours yet. Draco knew he should be used to it by now, but he couldn't help feeling put-out - aside from feeling lonely, emotional and cranky. Draco had never assumed he would be stuck home playing housewife while his husband became Minister of Magic.

'Well,' the blond thought with a small smile. 'Youngest Minister in a century... I'm proud of you, Harry.' With that thought in mind, Draco pushed open the door leading to the nursery. "I'm coming, princess," he cooed. "Daddy's here..."

Draco picked up his small baby girl, carrying her to the changing unit. He took a tentative sniff, turning slightly green at the prominent odour. "Guess who's not smelling of roses right now?" he asked lightly, eyes tearing. He quickly changed the soiled nappies for fresh ones, eternally grateful that their second child was a girl - he couldn't count the times that he had been standing under the golden shower with their son during nappy-changes.

A few minutes later, the girl was smelling fresh again. She stuffed half of her right fist in her mouth and started sucking, eyes drooping.

"Sleepy, are we?" asked Draco softly, blinking his eyes to keep them from falling shut themselves. "Well, then let's get you back to bed, princess."

Carefully, he lowered his daughter into the beautifully crafted crib that had once belonged to the Snape family. It wasn't that they didn't belong to the Snape family, as well, but they were no blood relatives. And Severus was still pissed about the fact that Remus and his offspring (they were expecting twins in September) wasn't going to lie in the same crib he himself had slept in as a baby.

Draco sighed and watched his daughter slumber for a moment longer, before he left the nursery. He headed to the bathroom, washing his hands and splashing cold water into his face. He took a moment to scrutinize his reflection. He couldn't remember a time when he had been this lax with his appearance. There were dark bags under his eyes, his features were flaxen, his hair needed a cut, and - he unbuttoned the top of his pyjamas - his stomach had once been firmer, as well.

"My God," Draco whispered, somewhat flabbergasted. "I'm getting chubby." He was only twenty-five, damn it! He didn't want to end like Longbottom, or worse yet - Draco shuddered violently - Crabbe or Goyle.

"Nonsense, darling," soothed the mirror, sounding just like Draco had always imagined his grandmother would talk. "You had two pregnancies in quick succession. You're going to be fit in no time at all, you'll see!" If the mirror had had eyes, they would have glanced nervously at the wand sticking out of Draco's pyjama bottoms.

"Easy for you to say," Draco muttered, but didn't argue any more. He chucked the top of his pyjamas into the laundry and went back into the bedroom. After checking that the spells protecting his children were still intact, Draco crawled back into bed on his husband's side. A quick glance at the clock - it was ten to eight in the late evening - and the blond was sound asleep again, cuddling Harry's pillow close to his chest.

+#*#+

Draco woke to the feeling of gentle fingers drawing patterns onto his back. Purring happily, he snuggled closer into his husband's embrace. "Mmmm."

"Sorry, honey," Harry whispered, nuzzling his cheek against Draco's soft hair. "Didn't mean to wake you."

"S'okay," the blond mumbled sleepily, stretching his back. "What's the time?"

Harry craned his neck to take a look at the clock. "Just past nine," he said, then adding, "Don't I get a kiss?"

"Mmm," sighed Draco, offering his mouth and continuing in a sing-song voice, "Help yourself to my lips..." Ah, the joy of Muggle music.

Harry needn't be told twice. He fitted his mouth gently to Draco's, sweeping his tongue out and begging for entrance, which Draco granted only too gladly. Their tongues slid wetly against each other, breath got exchanged and teeth and lips nipped gently. The situation would have progressed even more, if it hadn't been for the cry that echoed suddenly through their bedroom.

Draco grinned wryly. "Our princess is hungry..." he said, a touch of disappointment in his voice. He disentangled himself from his husband and got out of bed, Harry following not far behind. Draco had always liked to be in the centre of attention, that much hadn't changed, and he still enjoyed to show off with his cultivated paternal abilities. He lifted his daughter out of her crib, cradling her in the crook of his arm, and went to the rocking chair next to the softly crackling fireplace. Her crying only subsided as her searching mouth found one of Draco's nipples and started sucking greedily.

Harry went to knee next to his husband, a look of wonder still on his face after all those times he had witnessed Draco feeding their children. "I love you," he whispered, voice husky from emotion, as he pressed a kiss to Draco's shoulder. He didn't want to disturb his daughter while she fed. "Both of you..."

Draco smiled, letting their daughter drink from his other nipple, before she had enough, tiny fingers flexing at his chest. Harry took her out of Draco's arms, cradling her close to his heart, so Draco could clean the surplus milk from his nipples. After burping her, Harry gently lowered his daughter back into the crib.

Draco, who was still behind Harry, took out his wand, pointed it and cast a quick spell, careful to not let Harry hear him. His smile was angelic when his husband turned around and they went back into their bedroom. They checked up on their firstborn, and, finding him soundly asleep, went back to sleep themselves.

Once settled comfortably in the covers and snuggled together, Draco couldn't hold back anymore. He grabbed Harry's right hand, caressing the back of it gently, fingers tracing long-healed scars. "Harry?"

"Yes, love?" Harry's free hand was at its favourite spot; tangled gently in Draco's soft hair.

"Do you - do you think anything has changed?" the blond asked hesitantly.

"Changed? In what aspect?" Harry asked back.

"I mean - do you think that I changed?"

Harry frowned thoughtfully, his fingers not stilling in their movement in Draco's silky locks. "Of course," he said then. "You're much sweeter now."

"No, I meant - physically," Draco said, blushing despite himself. "Did I change physically?" he asked, moving back a couple of centimetres so Harry could get a better look at him. He knew Harry would be forced to say the truth, because of his spell, but he wasn't sure whether he wanted to know this truth.

"Of course," Harry said emphatically, causing Draco's heart to drop for a moment, before Harry went on, "You're even more beautiful after carrying our children." He drew his husband in for a deep kiss, enjoying how Draco immediately melted against him. Sweet insecurities. Harry trailed his right hand down, caressing Draco's now wider hips.

"Okay," Draco gasped after breaking the kiss. He moved to tuck his head under Harry's chin, which was his favourite sleeping position.

Harry embraced his husband tightly, arranging the words in his head. Well, best without preamble. "I have to admit something," he said quietly, waiting for Draco to show that he was listening. "I lost our crib."

"What?" Draco shot upright. "How did you- And who-?"

Harry sighed deeply. "Well, I made another bet with Severus..." Draco merely lifted one brow, and Harry went on to explain. "I wanted the pram... It's just perfect... And I thought it was a sure bet..."

"And what was this bet about?" Draco asked. "Why did you think it was such a sure bet?"

"Severus said they'd have three children by the end of the year," Harry muttered darkly.

Draco frowned. "But that's impossible. Sev can't carry children, and Remus can't be pregnant for only three months."

"Just what I thought," Harry said. "Severus hinted that he could invent a potion to hurry the progress along. I'm no Potions master, not by a far shot, but even I can tell that's impossible."

"But how did Severus win the bet, then? It's not the end of the year, yet."

"Remus is expecting triplets," Harry said flatly, adding with a petulant voice, "He tricked me. Not fair."

"Huh?" said Draco. "But - but they said they're going to have twins. Even Pomfrey said so..."

Harry nodded bitterly. "It was a conspiracy." He pouted. "I liked the crib. It was so pretty..."

Draco sighed. "Well, then we'll have to get our own Family Crib, won't we?"

Harry nodded, the smile creeping back on his features. The Snape Crib was only a subject, after all, it could be replaced - at least for them. He didn't really want to keep the heirloom from their adopted father.

"You're right," Harry said, drawing Draco back into his arms. "We're going to need it soon enough, I'd imagine..."

Draco was already half asleep, but those words ripped him back into consciousness quickly enough. "What?" he asked hastily, a touch of panic to his voice.

"Oh, well," Harry danced around the subject. "I was just reminded of a prediction someone once made..."

"What kind of prediction?" Draco asked in dread, already fearing the answer.

"Well, that I would live very long," Harry started, "that I would become Minister of Magic and well, another tiny thing..."

Draco fixed Harry with an unyielding gaze. "And that tiny thing would be?"

Harry gulped, twirling strands of Draco's hair between his fingers. He mumbled something unintelligible, but repeated himself clearer at Draco's stern glare.

"WHAT?!" cried Draco, looking precariously close to fainting - or exploding. Good thing that their children had Silencing Charms around their beds. "TWELVE - TWELVE," he stopped to draw in another deep breath, "I AM NO BREEDING MACHINE!!"

"I know, honey," Harry said, rubbing soothing circles on Draco's back that did nothing to calm his husband down. "Twelve children is quite a lot, I know-"

"Quite a lot? QUITE A LOT?!" Draco repeated, as if in shock. "That are ten - TEN, I REPEAT, *TEN* - more than we have now!"

"We could give the Weasleys a run for their money?" Harry suggested weakly.

"What money?! The Weasleys don't have any!" Draco looked as if he would start hyperventilating any second now, so Harry refrained from chiding him.

"Don't you want a large family?" Harry asked. "With a bunch of children?"

Draco seemed to calm down a bit at that. He knew that Harry had always craved a home, preferably full of laughing children. "But twelve?! When someone asks, 'And? How many kids do you have?' we'll be able to answer, 'Oh, only a dozen.' A DOZEN!" he repeated emphatically.

"It could have been worse," Harry said. "It could have been two dozens."

Draco nearly passed out at that. "Merlin, please tell me that you're joking," he said weakly. "I would be pregnant for the rest of my live!"

"We could try for twins?" Harry suggested helpfully.

Now that was an idea.

"Or triplets - like Remus?"

Draco glowered at Harry. "I am delicate," he said pointedly. "I can't carry three babies at once."

"But we're going to have them all?" Harry asked hopefully.

Draco's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "There is a prediction, isn't there?" he asked. "You're not tricking me, are you?"

"No, I'm telling the truth," Harry said softly, kissing Draco's brow. "Even though your Truth Forcing Spell didn't work - it's too much like Imperio - I'm not lying."

Draco let himself be tugged closer into his husband's embrace. Oh well. Twelve children. 'It isn't that much,' Draco tried to convince himself. They could form two whole Quidditch teams, he thought, desponded.

As he drifted slowly to sleep, a smile crept onto his features, as he thought of all the physical work they'd had to do in order to get those children. Ah well. Something to look forward to, at least.

-End-