Epilogue

Five weeks later

Harry awoke when a sharp stabbing pain engulfed his middle. His belly tightened and held, then suddenly relaxed. Looking at the time, he saw that it was only 2:00 in the morning. He timed his contractions, and they were about twenty minutes apart. After four hours of this, the contractions were six minutes apart, and Harry decided it would be prudent to wake Draco and send him to get Madame Pomfrey.

"Draco, wake up," he said, shaking Draco's shoulder insistently.

"Nnnnn," said Draco, batting Harry's hand away. He rolled to his other side and settled deeper into sleep.

"Draco, I'm in labour. Get up," he said more firmly, shaking Draco's shoulder even harder.

"Don' wanna. Leave me 'lone," said Draco, pulling the covers over his head.

"Good grief. Some father you'll be. I can't expect you to get up and help with the babies in the middle of the night if you won't even get up for your pregnant husband when he's in labour," yelled Harry in frustration. Draco didn't even stir.

Harry huffed in irritation and climbed slowly from the bed. He walked to the fireplace in their room, spelled a fire, and called Madame Pomphrey. For some reason, though, she wasn't answering the firecall in the infirmary.

"Well, this is just great. First I can't get Draco awake, and now Madame Pomphrey is nowhere to be found. At the rate I'm going, I'll end up delivering the twins myself," he whined in irritation.

He firecalled Hermione and didn't get an answer, so he tried to call Blaise with the same results. He tried calling all three members of the Olden Trio and found no one. As a last resort, he tried Dumbledore's office, but only Fawkes was present there.

"I've been abandoned," said Harry worriedly, tears streaming down his face. The contractions were now four minutes apart and he couldn't get anyone to help.

He went back to Draco and tried once again to wake him. Draco didn't even wake up enough to bat his hands away this time. Harry finally got frustrated enough to slap his face, hard. Draco woke up enough to blink blearily at him, and promptly went back to sleep. That was when Harry remembered to potion Draco had taken right before going to bed. He hadn't been sleeping well because Harry kept waking him up all through the night, going to the bathroom every hour and complaining of backaches. It figured the one time Draco broke down and took a sleep aide, it would be the one time Harry truly needed him awake.

Harry carefully made his way downstairs. The way he was feeling right now, he fully intended to take the Knight Bus to St. Mungo's since he obviously wouldn't be getting any assistance here. He walked into the living room and froze in shock. Everyone he had just tried to call was standing in the living room looking at him in surprise. They hadn't expected him to be awake yet.

"What the hell are you all doing here? I have been trying to contact you all morning to inform you," ranted Harry, pausing when his water broke to stream down his legs, "that I'm in labour and my water just broke. I can't wake up Draco because he took a sleeping draught last night, and I didn't know what to do." By the end of his tirade, Harry was sobbing in relief that he wouldn't have to go through this alone.

"Oh you poor dear. Let's get you back upstairs to get settled," said Madame Pomfrey, helping him back up the stairs. They had to pause every two minutes while Harry had a contraction. "How long have you been in labour?"

"I woke up at 2:00 but the contractions were twenty minutes apart. I tried to wake Draco at 6:00 when the contractions were six minutes apart, but that didn't go so well. Then I tried firecalling everyone, but apparently you were all here because nobody answered," panted Harry through the contractions.

Madame Pomfrey helped Harry back into the bed, and pushed Draco into the floor. Draco jumped up as soon as he hit the floor, ready to hurt someone for knocking him to the floor. He paled when he saw Harry and Madame Pomfrey glaring at him, mostly from Harry glaring at him. Harry looked very dangerous at the moment. Before he could move out of range, Harry had grabbed him by the arm and dragged him close.

"Draco, so good of you to finally awaken. I've only been trying for the past hour. Apparently, you aren't eager to help with the birth of your children," he said seriously.

"Harry, could you loosen your grip just a bit? I can't feel my fingers," asked Draco, futilely trying to pry Harry's fingers away from his arm. He flinched when Harry's hand gripped just a little harder before he shoved Draco's arm away from him. The Draco realized exactly what Harry had just said. "You're in labour? Oh elf, am so sorry."

Draco helped Harry out of the robe he had put on earlier, and Poppy examined him to see how far into the delivery he was. While she was conducting the examination, Harry felt the overwhelming urge to push. Poppy's eyes widened and she hurried to the door, shouting for Severus. Severus appeared in the doorway and she pulled him over to the bed.

"I have to back to Hogwarts to get a few things. You need to stay here and help him deliver until I get back," said Poppy, ignoring the incredulous looks she got from all three men in the room. She grabbed the floo powder and flooed to the infirmary.

"How could she leave me like this?" wailed Harry, gripping Draco's hand fiercely and pushing through the next contraction.

"I'm still here," said Severus, examining the birth canal (sort of). "Oh god, she better hurry. I see a head."

"Ahhhh," yelled Harry, pushing out the baby's head and panting once the contraction eased.

"One more push, Harry. You have to get the shoulders out," said Severus, cleaning out the baby's mouth.

With another scream, Harry pushed the baby's shoulders out, and Severus pulled her the rest of the way out. He quickly clamped and cut the umbilical cord, and handed the baby to Draco.

"Draco, clean her up and wrap her in a blanket. Okay, Harry. You're daughter is here, now you just have the boy left. Push," ordered Severus.

Another twenty minutes of pushing, screaming, and cursing, Harry finally managed to give birth to the baby boy. Severus clamped and cut the umbilical cord, handed the baby to Draco, and urged Harry to push out the placenta.

Poppy managed to get back just as Severus and Draco had cleaned the bed and Harry. Draco just calmly covered Harry and handed him his daughter, totally ignoring the mediwitch.

"Oh, she's beautiful," said Harry weakly. And she was. She had Harry's black hair and Draco's grey eyes. She looked just like Draco, though.

"Look at our son, Harry. He's just as gorgeous," said Draco proudly. Their son had auburn hair and green eyes and looked just like Harry.

"He's got mum's hair," said Harry, staring at the little boy in awe. His eyes started drooping more with every minute.

Draco took his daughter and handed her to Severus. He tucked Harry into bed and kissed his forehead. "Severus and I will take the twins downstairs to visit everyone. You just get some rest, okay?"

Harry just nodded sleepily and fell asleep almost instantly. Severus and Draco took the twins downstairs to visit the rest of the family. Lucius just adored his granddaughter and Remus just loved his new grandson. The twins got passed around to everyone present, and of course, they immediately captivated everyone.

Five hours later, Draco brought the twins back up to their bedroom because he knew Harry would want to see them as soon as he awoke. The twins began to cry and Harry immediately stirred. He sat up slowly and painfully. It felt like everyone muscle in his body was screaming at him. He looked over in the direction of the crying and saw Draco sitting in the chair with both babies in his arm.

"Give me one. Where's the bottles?" he asked, holding out his arms.

"They're right here," said Draco, handing Harry the little boy and a bottle.

What do you think we should name them?" asked Harry, cradling the baby close to him.

"Why don't we each name the one we're holding?" asked Draco. "You go first."

"Okay. I like Liam Michael Potter Malfoy," said Harry, smiling when the baby shook his hands excitedly. "You like that names, don't you?" he cooed to the baby.

"You're hyphenating the last name?" asked Draco.

"No, it's more of an extra middle name. Everyone else would just call him Liam Malfoy, but I want my name in there somewhere," said Harry quietly.

"I like it," said Draco, smiling at his husband. "Now for this little one. How about Michaela Lillian Potter Malfoy?"

"It's perfect, just like they are," said Harry with a smile. "I do believe this has been the best birthday ever."

The End