Lion Cub / A Dramione Story

November 1st, 2005 / November 7th, 2005

 November 1st, 2005

XXX

There had been a flurry when Draco stepped through the Floo into the cottage and informed Hermione of the situation. She'd nearly gone into shock then too. Two whole months early? Padma was barley seven months pregnant, and not considered full term by magical midwifery standards. The survival rate of a baby that premature and weak was low. The chance that baby would develop normally and develop magic was even lower.

Draco had to back to St Mungo's to oversea the babe's treatment as the Resident Peadatric Healer on the case, and Hermione wanted push him aside and jump through the Floo right to Padma's bedside.

But Leo was asleep in Draco's spare room. And if Draco had to head back to St Mungo's, that meant Scorpius would need somewhere to go as well.

"There's a daycare at St Mungo's" Draco had said, side-stepping her in the direction of his youngest son's room. "II try not to send Scorpius there because I'd prefer him to be with someone i know, but they are good enough in a pinch. tI's open for staff and visitors, I know you want to get to Padma, Leo can go there" He had clarified.

Hermione didn't need telling twice. She went down the hallway to the neutral guest room Draco kept, the one where her son was sleeping soundly in the centre of the queen sized bed. He looked so comfortable that Hermione momentarily thought she could just call Betty to come and watch both the children. She had her muggle cell phone in her purse at all times. But while she figured that Betty would have no qualms about coming in the middle of the night to watch her son, and likely no objection to watching Scorpius as well, Hermione figured Draco wouldn't be as comfortable with that.

It had taken him a year to be comfortable with Theodore Nott to watching his son. And Theo had gone to school with Draco and was presumably a very close friend of his. Draco even had apprehensions about leaving Scorpius with the St Mungo's daycare. Leaving Scorpius with a stranger, a muggle stranger at that, would likely not fly. Besides, she had no idea where she was because she had not been watching outside the windows on the way there. Wherever she was, she doubted there was a bus stop near.

Hermione began to nudge Leo's shoulder while sitting on the bed beside him. "Leo" nothing from her son, so stir, no movement, nothing. "Leo", she tried again, raising her voice slightly. He moved, but in more of a manner to shove her away than in compliance. They had to go, she had to go to Padma and to the Weasley's and to Ron.

Hermione scooted closer to the centre of the bed where Leo was. Taking a shoulder in each of her hand, she rolled Leo so that he was laying on his back to the bed and his face to the ceiling. The action awakend him more than her nudge and he opened his eyes, blinking to accomadate the light she had flicked on.

"Mummy?" Leo's voice was groggy and faint, clearly he was still very sleepy. He had only been asleep for an hour. Maybe the daycare had beds? Hermione thought.

"Leo, we have to go sweetheart, there's somewhere I have to be" Keeping her word choice as vague as possible in order to not startle her son, Hermione placed a hand under his head and helped him into a sitting position, leaning his bodyweight on her side, and leaning his head on her shoulder. "C'mon love, you can go back to sleep when we get there..." He was essentially dead weight in her arms, half asleep and definlty not going to walk, or operate his magic.

Hermione ran her hand through his silky blonde hair. They were going to St Mungo's. They were going to a public wizarding setting and not only would she be recognized, but so would Leo after Skeeter's article a few weeks ago with that photograph of the two of them in Diagon Alley. Leo had to have hair that matched hers. Especially since they would be arriving with Draco Malfoy and his son who all sported identical blonde hair.