Happy Tears

Draco and Hermione sat alone with their three children for a while after they were born, just watching them and smiling every once and a while. It was nice to be by themselves getting to know their babies. Hermione's mind wandered to what each child would like to do and what their individual personalities would be. She smiled at the thought of all of them enjoying something completely different, that would surely keep her and Draco on their toes. Perhaps Scorpius would love flying and Quidditch the way his father does, and Hyperion would spend all of his free time in the library like her. Ara would be the one that was always pushing the rules to the limits, never quite breaking them, but surely stepping a toe out of line. Hermione wasn't sure how exactly, but she sensed that Ara would cause her the most trouble. Not in a terrible way, but she just thought she would be clever and ambitious and Slytherin just as her father was. 

Meanwhile, Draco was thinking about all the fun that having children was going to bring along. He was just so excited to do everything with his children; he was thinking about all the days ahead and what Hermione could teach them, and what he could as well. He was just so excited to be a father, to prove to others and himself most of all that his past mistakes wouldn't define him. He smiled at the thought of this new beginning with Hermione and their three little babies. He couldn't help the small tears forming in his eyes; he was just so incredibly happy.

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, I do believe many people are waiting to meet these three bundles of joy." The Healer had popped open the door, and both Hermione and Draco could see their friends and family waiting outside to be let in, "Would that be alright?"

"Yes, of course," Hermione smiled and sat up a bit more in bed, clutching Draco's hand. She looked back at him once more before everyone came in. He was still gazing at his babies; in awe, she could tell. She knew he was going to be a great father.

Narcissa came in first, already crying, she had the biggest smile that Draco or Hermione had ever seen. "They are beautiful," She cooed as she looked over their cots and wiped her tears away, "Did everything go alright?"

"Well, Hyperion gave us a slight scare, but everyone is alright now," Draco squeezed Hermione's hand at her mention of it, and she gave him a small smile.

"Well, I am glad you were in such good hands and that all of these precious little ones are alright." Narcissa conjured up a chair, sat it on the other side of Hermione's bed, and took out a book to read. Hermione was glad that she was so welcoming of her and felt as though she had a mother again.

Though she smiled and thought of the other mother, she had had since she met Mrs. Wealsey and a tear fell as she remembered how wonderful she always was to Hermione. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came in next, and Mrs. Weasley picked up Scorpius and rocked him back and forth before repeating the action with the other two. It was amazing how perfect she was with the children. Draco had tried to pick up one of the sleeping infants earlier before everyone came, and it had resulted in a screaming fit with all three children. When Molly picked them up, it was almost like they fell into an even deeper sleep. Hermione would have to ask her all of her tricks if she would survive being a mother to three little ones. 

Mr. Weasley had smiled each time Mrs. Weasley picked up a baby and commented on something about them, but other than that, he seemed to be quiet and reserved, leaning in the corner observing his wife with a smile on her face. Little did Hermione know he was thinking of all the late nights that his wife would let him sleep so he could get up and go to work in the morning, as she took care of all 7 of their children. He was mostly thinking about Fred and how proud he was of everything that he had done. He wished at this moment more than others that he could tell him just one more time how much he loved him.

After the Weasleys left, Ginny cooed over the babies as she had done before, and Harry looked at them with a half crooked smile and thought about the baby that he would have soon. He was worried slightly, of course, but he was excited to show someone love as his mother had shown him. He knew that Ginny would be understanding as he figured everything out and that she would help him through everything. She was wonderful like that.

"They are all so precious," Ginny smiled at the happy couple and hugged Hermione. Harry followed suit and then shook Draco's hand.

"Take good care of them." Hermione was glad that her friends had accepted her and Draco being close. She was glad she wouldn't have to go through life having no relationship with the partner she was assigned.

Soon after Harry and Ginny left to get back to studying and Draco's mother spent about an hour more with them before returning to the Manor, she wanted everything to be ready for the babies when they arrived in a few short weeks. Hermione and Draco were not expecting any more visitors, but Hermione's heart swelled when she walked in.

Minvera McGonagall would not have missed these babies being born, just as she hadn't missed the wedding of James and Lily Potter. Hermione was one of her best students that she had ever encountered, and they had a special bond that grew through the war. Draco, too was brilliant, and she was the one that let him come back to Hogwarts and finish his schooling. She knew that he was just a scared boy that needed to help to get back onto the right path, and even though she was skeptical of the pairing at first, she knew now that these two were everything the other needed to heal from everything that had happened less than a year ago. She didn't want to miss the first of her students from this year taking a new step into family life. She had always wanted kids but loved her work and knew that she was a mother to many of these students in a sense. She was very proud of all of her students, especially this paring.

"Headmistress," Hermione was at a loss for words when she saw McGonagall walk through the door into her room. Hermione was certain that there were many more important things that she could be doing during this time, and she was so grateful that she was here. 

"I wanted to see how the two of you were getting along now that you are outnumbered," Draco couldn't believe that McGonagall had just smiled at him, and he was even more surprised when she started to coo over the babies as the other women had done before her.

"We had a little scare, but nothing the staff here couldn't handle. Thank you so much for coming to Ma'am; you are such a big part of our lives. It means so much to me," Hermione sounded to herself as though she was babbling, but McGonagall just smiled at her in a motherly way and then picked up little Ara.

"Isn't she perfect?" Draco hadn't realized he was talking until after he had asked the question, he turned slightly red, and Hermione let out a giggle.

"She certainly is," Minerva put the Ara back in between her two brothers and then sat in the chain that Narcissa had been in previously, "I just wanted to discuss with the two of you what this means now. Mr. Malfoy, I am permitting you the rest of the week to spend here with Hermione and your children, but then I would like it if you would complete your studies and finish your schooling. NEWTS are around the corner, and I wouldn't want this law to get in the way of your future that you had planned on before all of this. Hermione, I have been in touch with the Minister and the council, and as they didn't expect anyone to be giving birth to this soon, to triplets no less, and given your academic record, you are going to be excused from the tests."

"I have to take them; how am I going to work for the Ministry if I don't take the NEWTS?" Hermione was suddenly crashing from her euphoric state of mind. Did they expect her to keep pushing out children after she graduated?

"Don't worry; I have a feeling you are going to be visited by the Minister any day now to discuss all of it. 

"I am sure everything is going to work out, Hermione; it sounds like they are trying to actually do something decent after all they have made us do. Relax, you are going to be able to do whatever you like once you are done with school." Draco rubbed Hermione's hand with his thumb and tried to get her to relax.

"I was just hoping I would be able to pick up a normal schedule again," Hermione, of course, knew that nothing about her life was going to be normal now, and she wasn't mad about it in the slightest. She was glad that she was a mother, and that she had a big family, and that she was with Draco. It was just a lot of changes that she was still getting used to. It was just something new that she was going to have to learn how to excel at. 

"You both are going to be wonderful parents, and I am going to be quite pleased when I sort these three." McGonagall gave a wink to Hermione and went on her way back to the school. 

"So," Hermione looked at Draco, "Are you happy?"

"Happy?" Draco smiled at Hermione, and then the three little miracles he helped make, "I'm perfect now."