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The Rise of the Drackens: The Scaled Bits	By : StarLightMassacre Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Threesomes/Moresomes Views: 169456 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 21
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All rights of Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling. I am making absolutely no money from this piece of fictional writing.

Chapter List
- 52
- 53
- 54
A/N: This chapter might cause some distress to certain readers and it contains some trigger warnings. Please read with caution.

Braiden – 30
Rowan – 31
Boden – 29
-
Briallen – 12
Byron – 9
Isaac – 6
Declan – 5
Tate – 16 months

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A Day of Devastation

15^th March 2028

Braiden Blaise Enzo Zabini sat at his kitchen table and he eagerly drank down a cup of coffee. His Dad Nasta would kill him if he found out, but Braiden was not planning on letting his Dad find out that he was now basically surviving on a dozen coffees a day. He blamed his mate Rowan, for introducing him to a Tassimo coffee machine several years before, and his Dad Blaise too, for being such an avid coffee drinker throughout his whole life, because that was bound to have made an impression upon him.
Rowan was older than he was, as Braiden was the middle of both of his mates, and Rowan had been eighteen when they had mated while he himself had been sixteen when he’d mated to Rowan in the middle of July, on the sixteenth. He’d been just turned seventeen when he’d mated to Boden, five weeks later on the twentieth, six days after his birthday. Their top dominant Boden, despite being the biggest, and all huge and muscly, was actually the youngest of them. He had still been sixteen when they had mated, but he had certainly not looked like it.
They were all older now, Rowan had just celebrated a birthday nine days before and had turned thirty-one, he himself was still thirty, at least for a few months more, as he turned thirty-one in August. Boden was still twenty-nine and he was going to be twenty-nine until the end of November. Both he and Rowan would be thirty-one before Boden turned thirty. He was their toy-boy, as they liked to joke at his expense.
Braiden chuckled into his coffee and he looked proudly over at his four children playing, or at least the four children that he had home with him. His oldest, and only daughter, Briallen had just turned twelve a few weeks before, just days before Rowan had turned thirty-one, and they had sent her, her cards and presents via owl as she was away at Hogwarts. She was a very proud Gryffindor and though Braiden would have liked for her to be a Hufflepuff like himself, he could not say that he was at all disappointed or all that surprised really, she definitely took after her Nana Harry and that was one of the highest compliments that Braiden could give to anyone.
Their second baby was Boden’s son, Byron, who was nine and would be ten in September. Their third child, Isaac, was also Boden’s and he was six, a few months from turning seven. Declan was five and their baby, Tate, was sixteen months old. They had no more babies on the way and no heat periods either, but that was usual for their mateship as they kept to a sporadic, rather random pattern. Truly Isaac and Declan being a year apart from one another was very unusual for their mateship, which preferred several years between clutches, not that any of them were disappointed of course, they loved their five babies and they still had a hundred odd years to go before they would be naturally infertile, they’d just gotten off to a rather slow start.
His Mum however, was pregnant and nesting. He was having just the one child this time, so none of them were particularly worried. This would be his Mum’s twenty-first pregnancy and after the sextuplets almost fourteen years ago now, he was pretty sure that his Mum could do anything. Out of twenty-one pregnancies, with forty-two babies, his Mum had only ever lost two of them. His brother and sister Jaime and Cassie, who had been born far too early, with his baby sister Mollie. They had been triplets, but only Mollie, the youngest of them, had survived. Jaime had been a stillborn and Cassie had died in their Mother’s arms a few hours after being born. He shivered and laid a hand over his own belly, feeling a phantom wash of empathy for his parents. He couldn’t ever imagine losing a child, it was too devastating to think about, but he’d been much too young to remember the deaths of Jaime and Cassie. He’d never even seen them outside of the scant photos his parents had. He knew them as a concept only, not as real people. He knew that they were his brother and sister, but he’d only been five at the time of their loss, he had been more concerned with playing, sneaking cookies and crying for his parents to come back once the excitement of being at Grandma Kimberly and Granddad Alexander’s house had worn off.
He sighed and looked at the four playing children. He hoped that he and his mates never suffered such a devastating loss, nor that anyone in his family would suffer in such a way, not again, though the chances of that were rather slim. Dracken pregnancies were notoriously delicate and there were a lot of them who were actually Drackens in his family. It was a miracle that his Mum hadn’t had more deaths or miscarriages over twenty-one pregnancies. Braiden hoped that he and his mates were as lucky, but so far they had been fine with all five of their children, but as Boden had pointed out, ever the worrier, they had only had singletons thus far. Their luck might change if…when they started having multiples. It was only inevitable with Drackens. No Dracken in history, ever (that anyone knew of) had ever had all singletons over their lifetimes, there was always some multiples slotted in, even if it was just a few sets of twins or triplets. Not without some mark of traumatic devastation that usually capped their number of children at just a handful anyway, like his grandparents, Myron, Richard and Ashleigh.

“Dada.”

“No, Tate! I’m Isaac!” Their six year old told their sixteen month old, who called everyone and everything ‘Dada’ without discrimination. It was Tate’s only word.

“Dada!” Tate replied happily, grasping for his big brother.

“No, Tate!” Isaac complained. “I’m your brother! Not Daddy!”

Tate giggled again happily and rocked on his nappy clad bottom, his chin wet with dribble. Braiden smiled at them lovingly.

“He doesn’t understand, Izzy.” Braiden said patiently. “He’s just a baby. He’ll learn in time.”

“But he’s calling me Daddy!” Isaac said incredulously. “Me! I’m not his Daddy, I’m six!”

Braiden had to laugh and he got up and went to sit on the floor with his babies. Tate immediately moved to plop himself onto his lap and declared him ‘Dada’ and Braiden just smiled and kissed him.

“Can you say mama, Tate?” He encouraged softly.

“Dada!” Tate declared and Braiden smiled, their little boy wasn’t ready to say anything else yet. Braiden blamed Boden for Tate’s single word vocabulary, as he’d been so insistent on one of their children saying Dada as a first word that he’d pressed Tate for it and now it was all his baby would say.

“Are we going to go see Nana?” Byron asked. “He’s having a baby in the garden.”

Braiden chuckled. “He is, we can go and see your Granddads’ if you want to, but I’m not sure if Nana will be there. He’s nesting.”

“But Granddad Max will be there?” Byron asked.

Braiden smiled. Byron, who took after Boden and reminded Braiden of his brothers’ Farren and Mace, idolised his Grandfather Max.

“He will, yes.” Braiden said with a smile.

“Can we go now?!” Byron asked excitedly.

Braiden nodded. “Okay, let me pack a bag for Tate and we’ll go.”

“Yes!” Byron cheered.

“Will Lala want to play?” Declan asked.

“I’m sure Larsen will want to play with you.” Braiden said distractedly as he packed several nappies, a pack of wipes, three dummies, a change of clothes and a jar of food, just in case.

Braiden’s baby brother, Larsen, was actually the same age as his fourth child, Declan, but that happened within Dracken families. He was his parents’ oldest child after all and his Mum had been sixteen when he’d conceived him and only two weeks over his seventeenth birthday when he had been born. Braiden smiled as he remembered the familiar tale of how his Mum had started nesting with him, on the roof, on the same day as his birthday, just a little while after he’d cut his own birthday cake.

“Come on.” Braiden chided as he held out his hand, his fingers splayed out, for his three older children to each grab a finger. He was carrying Tate, just in case. He was now an expert at Apparating with all his children at once. It was a very difficult skill to learn, but he’d been determined and with both Boden and Rowan working, it had been a necessary thing for him to learn too, especially as he was the primary carer for the children, as he was able to take the option of working from home where his mates couldn’t, so he had taken up working from home in a heartbeat in order to support his family and his mates. He much preferred it too. He loved picking and choosing when he could work and he loved spending all day with the kids, always being on hand if they needed him.
He landed, in one piece, with four children, on the very familiar front steps of his massive childhood home. As always a pang of familiar nostalgia resounded within his chest. He didn’t remember his Dad Max’s house, the one that he’d been born in and where he had spent the first year or so of his life, but this was the only house that he’d ever known, the only one that he remembered and every room was filled with memories of mischief and joy.
He knocked on the front door, trying to make a play of being polite and stopping Byron from just walking in to teach his oldest son some manners.
His biological Dad, Blaise, opened the door and then rolled his eyes as soon as he saw him.

“How many times, Braiden, stop knocking like you’re a stranger or unwelcome. Get in this house.”

Braiden grinned and he accepted the tight hug he got from his Dad, not minding that Tate was immediately taken from him and greeted his Grandfather with a loud ‘Dada!’

Blaise chuckled. “He’s still saying nothing else I see, he takes after your Mother, he was a stubborn bas…basketball too.”

“Basketball?” Braiden couldn’t help but snicker.

“Shut it, you. Your Mother has been complaining about our language again lately, as if he’s not the worst of us! So we’ve been getting a little…creative with the substitutes. Go in the living room, I’ll get you coffee.”

“Is Dad Nasta not home then?”

“He’s on nest watch.” Blaise grinned. “I’m making the most of it while I can. Max relieves him of duty in twenty minutes and I want another three cups between then and now.”

Braiden chuckled and he heard a massive roar and he rolled his eyes as he heard his sons screeching in joy. They’d found their Granddad Max.

“Braiden! My son, my oldest child, come! Let me look upon you!” Max called from the depths of the house and Braiden shared a look with his Dad and he chuckled happily.

“How have you put up with him for all this time?”

“Coffee. Lots of it.” Blaise insisted seriously. “It’s a life saver sometimes.”

“Braiden! My boy, where is my boy?!” Max called out again and Braiden had to laugh.

“You better go before he carries on. I will kill him if he gets any more excited.”

“This is your first baby for five years, especially as you all thought that Mum wouldn’t fall pregnant again after Larsen was born. I think you’re all entitled to be a little excited over it.”

Braiden went to the living room before his Dad could call again and as soon as he cleared the door he was wrestled to the floor when someone grabbed his knees and pulled. He landed in his Dad’s lap and he had the life squeezed out of him.

He laughed. “Dad! Let go.”

“But I love you and I’ve missed my baby.”

“I’m thirty years old!”

“You’ll always be my tiny baby!”

“Not worried about breaking a hip already, are you?” His snotty brother, Xabiere, teased.

“No, but I’ll break your jaw if you’re not careful.” Braiden teased right back.

“Enough of that!” Their Dad said. “Or I’ll bash in both of your skulls.” He laughed.

Xabiere was mated too and he’d brought along his two children, Oliver and Ffion. Oliver was two years old, just eight months older than his Tate, and both he and his Father, Xabie, were born in February and had celebrated a birthday last month, Xabie at the end on the twenty-third, Oliver at the beginning on the seventh. Taren and their Dad Nasta had a birthday on the same day, also at the beginning of February, on the third.
Ffion was Xabiere’s youngest child and she was now six months old. She was younger than his Tate by ten months and she was currently on her Father’s lap as Xabiere kept her entranced by jingling his car keys at her.

“Where are our adorable twin Faeries?” Braiden asked, referring to his seventeen year old identical twin Faerie brothers, Cyneric and Kallan, who both still lived at home while they were both so young still.

“Napping.” Max said. “They’re in the middle of a major growth spurt, Ric has shot up four inches and Kallie has shot up by five. Now that they’re closing in on their eighteenth they’re doing some major growing and developing, so they’re eating a lot and sleeping a lot. Do you remember when Leolin went through it?”

Braiden nodded. “It must be such a relief though to have them coming up to eighteen.”

“You have no idea.” Blaise sighed, putting Tate down on the floor and then placing a tray down on the coffee table and picking up his own coffee. “Having three Faeries under the age of eighteen to constantly watch over is…it’s…”

“Terrifying.” Max finished with a nod. “It’s terrifying because we had these three tiny, vulnerable little babies who could get sick so easily and had no defence against those illnesses. If they got sick we literally had to just watch them suffer and hope for the best. It was awful. Now that Leolin is an adult and off doing his own thing, living his own life, and the twins are almost adults too. It’s such a relief! Just six more months and they’ll be safe and strong too.”

“Just don’t lax your watch on them. Knowing them you’d look away and they’d both get colds.” Xabie said.

“We won’t.” Blaise said seriously. “We absolutely won’t. Not until they turn eighteen and even then, probably not until they’re assuredly safe. It would be devastating now to lose one or both of them so close to the finish line, so to speak.”

Braiden removed himself from his Dad’s lap and snatched his coffee, then watched as his Dad crawled over to the kids and roared at them, making them shriek and giggle, they all started attacking him and Braiden was free to just sit and rest a little.

“Any sign of a heat period?” Xabiere asked him.

“None at all.” He said. “We’ll have to keep Tate as our baby for a little longer. How about you?”

“Nope.” Xabie grinned. “We’re alright with just Ollie and Fee for a while longer. This princess is only six months old after all.” He added as he rubbed a hand over his daughter’s hair.

Braiden had just finished his coffee when his Dad Nasta came in through the larger family room.

“Is Harry alright?” Was the first thing asked, by a very worried Max. That put Braiden on edge, that it was the first thing mentioned meant that they’d had trouble already and that his Dad was worried made Braiden worried too.

Nasta shook his head. “He’s still unsettled. I think something’s wrong.”

“I’ll call Draco back.” Blaise said immediately.

“Call a Healer too, from the way he’s acting he’ll be having this baby today.”

“I’ll go out with him.” Max said, but Nasta shook his head.

“You’re more use here, Max. I’d be useless keeping these kids entertained.”

“We can leave.” Xabie said immediately and Braiden nodded.

“You shouldn’t have to. This will always be your home.” Nasta said, scrubbing a hand through his greying hair before scratching at the scruff on his chin. “We’re likely worried for nothing it’s just…”

“The last time Harry didn’t settle in his nest was when he gave birth to our first triplets. That he won’t settle is an indicator that the baby is distressed for whatever reason.” Max finished sadly.

Braiden swallowed. He’d only been thinking of Jaime, Cassie and Mollie earlier that day. He bit on his lip and chewed on it.

“Draco’s on his way back and Healer Almus is coming over to sit with us, he’s bringing Healer Cole just in case. I’ve called Georgio in too.” Blaise said worriedly. “It might be a bit much, but I’d rather have them here and not needed than to need them and be scrambling about when time could be crucial.”

“Do you want me to call anyone?” Braiden asked. “Granddad Aneirin? Granddad Lucius?”

Nasta and Max shared a look, then Nasta nodded.

“Call them all, love. I’m going to go back outside. I don’t want your Mum to be on his own.”

Braiden nodded and he set himself to calling in the family. The house was going to be full to bursting, though it would be better to remove all of the children. He’d take them to Granddad Alexander.
Xabiere had the same thought as he was packing up Oliver and Ffion.

“I got them, Bray.” Xabiere said. “Come on, Byron. Izzy.”

“But we’re visiting Granddad Max, Uncle Xabe!” Byron complained.

“We’re going to go and see Granddad Alexander now.” Xabiere told him.

“Go with your Uncle, Byron. Be good.” Braiden said, even as he shot off a quick text to Rowan and Boden, letting them know what was going down and where their babies were.

Boden immediately replied asking if he needed him as support. Merlin Braiden loved that man so much. He replied that he didn’t need anyone just yet, that nothing was certain, but something was definitely happening. That he’d text later if anything changed. Rowan answered not three minutes later asking exactly the same thing. He had the greatest mates in the world, even as he shot off the same reply as he had to Boden, that he’d text later if he needed them.
The house became a hive of activity as family started arriving quickly and everyone was asking what was wrong, especially as there were three Healers among them. Healer Almus, Healer Cole and Healer Alessandri. It was all really worrying.

“Braiden, what’s going on?” Leolin came over to ask him.

Braiden shook his head. “It’s Mum. Something’s wrong and he’s not settling in his nest. It’s only happened once before, when he gave birth to Jaime, Cassie and Mollie.”

“You don’t think…” Tegan trailed off looking worried and upset.

“One good thing counts in Mum’s favour, Tee.” Regan said gently. “This baby is a singleton, not triplets. This has happened before and our Mollie survived. This baby can too, especially as Mum’s further along with this baby than he was with the triplets. If that is what’s wrong in the first place, of course, and Mum hasn’t just smelt a threat nearby or something.”

“Regan raises an excellent point.” Their Grandad Aneirin told them soothingly. “Your Mother might have smelt something off, but it’s too late for him to move his nest, so he’s unsettled because he wants to move it, but can’t.”

“I hope that that’s all it is.” Farren said, being supported on both sides, his mate and lover tucked under his arm. His mate Georgie was pregnant and this sort of situation was not going to help her.

“Georgie, why don’t you go to Granddad Alexander’s? Grandma is watching all the kids there.” Braiden told her gently.

“I want to support Farren.” She said stubbornly.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Tegan asked looking at the baby bump.

“We’ll be just fine.” Georgie said, putting a hand over her belly. “I’m not due for another six months.”

Farren gave her a kiss and he sighed. “I really hate this waiting.”

“Everyone does.” Calix said softly, understandably. He was still single and still childless, but then he moved around a lot, going to different dig sites all over the world. Braiden reasoned that it was a little difficult to find someone, or to maintain a relationship with them, when you flew off to another site in another country just a few months after first arriving. Calix’s life was rather unstable due to his chosen career.

There was a loud screech and they knew then that something was wrong. Their three remaining Dads’ were just gone, taking off running to their submissive mate and clattering on the stairs preceded two sleepy Faeries coming down.

“What’s going on?” Kallan asked worriedly.

Their Grandfather Aneirin went to them and he tucked one on either side of himself, holding them as the tiny twins held onto him, their fear palpable. Then Faeries always, always, had incredibly strong bonds with their Mothers.

“Your Mum is having some problems with the baby, boys.”

“Will he be okay?” Cyneric asked.

“I’m sure he’ll be just fine.”

“The baby?” Kallan asked.

Aneirin sighed. “That I’m not sure about.” He admitted truthfully.

“But…Mum will be okay?” Cyneric asked and Braiden couldn’t hold it against him that he didn’t really care for the baby.

Cyneric was a Faerie and a young one at that. He remembered what Leolin was like, just four months younger than he was himself, when their Mum went to nest and he would ask after just their Mum, if their Mum would be alright. The twins didn’t understand the concept of a baby coming from their Mum yet, as Leolin hadn’t and truly they were even more disadvantaged than Leolin had been, as even though Leolin had been one of five, they were identical twins and it had taken them several years just to understand that they were actually two separate people with the same face and not just one person and that had set them back years in their development.
For all the twins cared (and the same had applied to Leolin when he’d been young too) their Mum had walked to the shops and bought the baby from a shelf. As long as their Mum came back, they didn’t care about anything else. Leolin had been exactly the same, Braiden still remembered arguing with Leolin when they were around fourteen about their Mum being a boy, trying to explain what a boyfriend was and how two boys could love one another. Leolin had been fourteen and he just hadn’t understood and no amount of explaining it to him had helped him get his mind around that concept.
Another loud screech that was equal parts distressed and desperate and Braiden knew that something was seriously wrong and he sent a look to his brothers and sisters, trying to be strong because he was the oldest, but it was difficult when he wanted to breakdown into tears for the desolation that he could hear in his Mum’s calls.
Too quickly, much too quickly, he heard his Mum call for his Dads’, if the baby was fine and healthy, if his Mum was fine and healthy, then he would have preened with the baby for a few days to recover from the birth, that he’d called immediately…it did not bode well.
Everything happened too quickly then as they heard several more screams. Something was seriously wrong and without really thinking about it, he and his sibling found themselves outside in the garden. Braiden looked for his parents and he found them on the grass, not that far away. They’d moved to flatter ground that was brighter so that they could see.
His Mum was being held tightly by his Dad Nasta, who was almost wrestling with Harry who was trying to get to the baby in his Dad Max’s arms, having spell after spell cast. That was a bad sign too, that they were casting magic on a newborn.
The three Healers went to lend what help they could and Braiden’s heart was in his throat. His Mum wailed again and Braiden heard a sniffle. He turned to see Eva in tears and he pulled her forward by a delicate wrist and he tucked her into his body, holding her, even though he wanted nothing more than to join her in her tears.
Braiden closed his eyes and he tried not to wobble on his feet when he saw Healer Almus pull back and shake his head. The baby was dead. There was nothing that they could do.
Braiden felt the breath leave his lungs, he was only thinking about this a few hours earlier. Perhaps he was more intuitive than he realised, his Mum always did say that he was the most like him and that their bond was very strong, perhaps he’d been picking up on a little something more than nostalgic memories earlier.

“I think you’d best go inside. Braiden, Farren, go on.” Their Grandfather Aneirin chided them. “Your parents need a moment of privacy.”

Braiden pulled Eva with him as they went back into the house. They could no longer see their parents, but they could hear them. As soon as they were out of sight, the awful, heart breaking screams and wails started as his parents mourned their dead child. His brother or sister. Their first child in five years, the baby that they’d been so excited to have, that they had been so happy for and eagerly awaiting. Now that baby was dead. The miracle baby that they hadn’t believed that they would get after Larsen. It was almost too cruel. It just wasn’t fair.
Braiden sent a quick text to Boden and Rowan. He just wanted the comfort of his mates, like Farren had. Both of his mates replied that they’d be there immediately…they’d been waiting for his text to go through. He excused himself and he went to wait out in the front garden for his mates. Boden arrived first and Braiden threw himself into those arms and he tried to control himself so that he didn’t start all out bawling.

“Braiden, it’s alright.” Boden told him, holding him tighter.

“It’s not.” He cried. “Mum doesn’t deserve this!”

“No one ever deserves this.” Rowan’s voice came from behind him before he was sandwiched between both of his mates and he tried to absorb their comfort.

“Do they know what happened?”

Braiden shook his head and brushed his eyes of tears. “No, I think the baby was stillborn though. Mum must have known, he was crying before he went into labour. Then when the baby was born he called for my Dads’ immediately. The Healers couldn’t get the baby breathing again.”

“I’m so sorry, Braiden.” Rowan told him gently.

Braiden nodded and snuggled in tighter to Boden, reaching behind to pull Rowan tighter to his back and he tried to take safety and comfort from them. It took him several minutes to calm himself down before he separated himself from them and he sniffed and brushed his eyes again, breathing deeply.

“Do you feel a little better?” Boden asked him.

Braiden just nodded and he looked back to the house. He walked back in, leading his mates and there was his Mum, clutched on his Dad Blaise’s lap, being held tightly, wrapped in a blanket. He was deathly pale and quiet. His green eyes were too wide and glassy. His body was shaking. It would be a combination of grief, pain and the after effects of giving birth only a short while before.

“Mum.” He called out, trying to control the waver in his voice. He went to his knees in front of his parents and he rested his hands on bare, skinny, knobbly knees.

His Mum reached out to him and wrapped quivering arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. Braiden offered him no words. There was nothing that he or anyone else could say, but he could offer up his body to comfort his Mum, letting him hold him and hug him.
After just a minute, his Mum burst into tears and clutched at him desperately. A hand clenching in his hair, nails digging into his shoulder, but he didn’t care as he felt hot tears sliding down his neck.

“Why did he die?” His Mum’s voice demanded, his voice harsh and rough as he came back into his human self, from the feral Dracken he’d been staying as for the last few weeks. “He was fine yesterday. He was kicking and moving. Why did he die?!” He screeched. “What did I do wrong?”

“You did nothing wrong, Harry.” Blaise told him. “Nothing. Our boy just wanted to meet us too soon. He came out too soon.”

“Why did he come too soon?!” Harry cried.

“The cord was wrapped around his neck, Harry.” His Dad Nasta told him, leaning over the back of the settee to touch his mate. “Nothing and no one could have prevented it. It was just one of those things. If you’d left him where he was, he would have strangled himself, you had to try to get him out and you did, but he couldn’t survive, it was too soon.”

“Where is he?” Harry demanded. “Where is my baby?”

“Max has him.” Nasta said softly.

“I want him, I want to hold him.”

Nasta nodded and he turned to call Max, but he’d already heard Harry’s cries. He brought over a white blanket and Braiden swallowed a painful lump of grief as he saw the beautiful face of his dead brother.
Someone had dressed him, he was wearing a sleepsuit, scratch mitts and a hat. It was almost like he was sleeping, except he was far too pale and his chest wasn’t moving. There were no little snuffles or cries of annoyance as he was disturbed from his much desired sleep as he was passed from person to person.
His Mum sobbed and took the baby gently and Braiden moved back to Boden and Rowan, tears obscuring his vision.

“Why did he have to die?!” Their Mum demanded again through his own tears and his Dad Max went to his knees in front of Harry and the baby, taking Braiden’s vacated spot, and he bowed his head and started crying. He didn’t even cover his face as his hands were on either side of his Mum’s waist, holding him as they both looked at the baby that they had lost. It was just truly devastating.

Braiden turned to his own mates, pressing his wet cheek against Boden’s shirt and clutching at Rowan’s hands.

“Kids, why don’t you all go to Granddad Alexander’s? I think we need some time to say goodbye.” Their Dad Nasta told them gently, his eyes filled with tears he hadn’t let fall yet. He was trying to be strong for his mates too, but it was much more difficult with a house full of people. “You shouldn’t have to see this.”

They each said goodbye to their Mum and baby brother, then their four Dads’ before leaving to give them the privacy they needed, that they felt they couldn’t have while they were there, to breakdown with their grief.
Several of them had gone to their Granddad Alexander’s, he was sure, but Braiden needed a moment to cry himself, without his own kids watching.

“Our house?” Rowan asked, always so perceptive to his feelings and needs.

Braiden nodded and Boden wrapped him and Rowan in his arms and he Apparated. Braiden found himself in their bedroom and Boden pulled him to the bed. Boden sat on the bed and then pulled Braiden into his lap. Rowan snuggled up beside them and wrapped an arm around Braiden’s back.

“He was my baby brother.” He said, a small hiccup to his voice.

“You heard your Dad, there was no saving him.” Boden said gently. “If your Mum hadn’t gotten the baby out then he would have died anyway. It really is just one of those things, my love.”

“He had to try.” Rowan said. “He would have felt worse if he’d left the baby where he was and he’d died inside him without trying to save him. At least with getting him out there was a chance to save him, even just a small chance, leaving him where he was there was no chance, he would have strangled himself with the cord.”

Braiden nodded, understanding what was being said, but it didn’t really make anything better. He understood why it had happened, but he didn’t know why it had to happen. He just let himself cry in Boden and Rowan’s arms for a little while longer before he pulled back and sniffed hard, reaching up to wipe his eyes, but Boden got there first, brushing his large thumbs under his eyes to wipe away the tears.

“Let’s go get our babies, I need to hold them.” He said softly.

“I’ll get their dinner on while you get them, if we get them to bed early, we can cuddle.” Rowan said.

“Byron won’t go for that.” Braiden said with a watery smile.

“He will.” Boden said. “He’s nine and he will listen to us, we’re his parents. You need some time to yourself and you need some peace. You will have it. Byron will just have to suck it up for a few nights.”

Braiden kissed Boden and stood up. He took his mate’s hand and the two of them went to get their four children while Rowan started an early dinner.
Braiden’s great-grandfather, Alexander, greeted them gently and he kissed Braiden’s forehead gently.

“Are you alright, sweetness?” He asked.

Braiden nodded. “Yes, I’ve had a good cry and now I just need my own babies.”

“Have they given you any trouble?” Boden asked.

Alexander laughed and patted Boden on the arm. “Of course not. Your boys are as good as gold.”

“You’d say that even if they weren’t.” Braiden accused with a smile. “I still remember messing up your house and pulling out all the cupboards and you still telling Mum and Dad that I was as good as gold.”

“Well I’m your granddad, you’re allowed to get away with murder in my house.” He said right back.

Braiden greeted his Grandmother with a kiss and accepted her gentle hug and he greeted his brothers and sisters too, those who hadn’t wanted to go back home, or those who had no families, like Calix, who wanted the company and comfort but had no one to give it to them.

“Dada!” Tate declared as he came toddling over to them and Braiden picked him up.

“Is Nana okay?” Isaac asked, following his beloved baby brother.

“He’ll be fine.” Braiden said softly. “He just needs some time to himself.

“What happened?” Byron asked. “Is his baby really dead?”

Braiden closed his eyes and he swallowed painfully.

“Yes, love.” Boden answered. “Sometimes it does happen. Babies are very delicate and vulnerable. They need so much care and attention, but sometimes they get into difficulties and they don’t make it.”

Byron looked so upset. “Could we have lost Tate like that?”

“We could have.” Braiden said honestly. “Any one of us could lose a baby, Byron. Sometimes they get sick, but sometimes we don’t know why they die, they just do.”

Byron licked his lips, but he nodded his understanding. “I’m sorry that Nana has lost his baby.”

“We all are, sweetheart.” Alexander said. “But we’ll support him and get him through it. It is a very upsetting thing, to lose a child, but we’ll see him treated carefully and the baby will be laid to rest respectfully.”

Braiden swallowed. Their brother would be laid to rest in the family cemetery that belonged to the Maddisons. There were hundreds upon hundreds of graves in the family plot going back a dozen generations of Drackens. It was also where Jaime and Cassie were buried. Every year, on Mollie’s birthday, she demanded to go and see her triplet brother and sister before she even thought of opening her presents. She would buy her brother and sister a present each, always the same thing. A candle that was charmed to never blow out. The candle would burn continually for a month and it made Mollie feel better to do so. Their baby brother would be joining Jaime and Cassie there.

“Come on, we’re going home.” Boden said to the boys, picking up their five year old Declan.

Braiden got Tate and Isaac and Boden used his hand on the back of Byron’s head to get him moving. It was going to be a harsh couple of weeks. It would be even worse when they would have to bury the baby. It even sounded wrong, burying a baby. Braiden tried to hold himself together, at least for the next few hours until his four boys were in bed. Then he would break down with his two mates to comfort him.

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Braiden clenched his hand around Boden and Rowan’s, one on either side of him, and he closed his eyes. He swallowed as he looked at all the unhappy, upset faces around him as everyone tried to come to terms with all that had happened.
The funeral of his baby brother, Eurion Bevan Potter-Delericey had been earlier that day and ever since, well, they had convened back at their childhood home, but Braiden couldn’t even sit down.
The sermon had been lovely, respectful, but it still couldn’t cover the fact that it had been for a newborn baby who hadn’t even gotten to taken his first breath of fresh air. His Dad Nasta had been able to hold the tiny coffin by himself.
Braiden swallowed and he closed his raw, gritty feeling eyes. He squeezed his mates’ hands and Boden moved Braiden’s hand to hold it with his other hand, the one on the far side of his body. His free hand, the one closest to Braiden’s body, went around his shoulders and Braiden turned his face into Boden’s neck and he sniffed.

Boden kissed the side of his head. “We love you.” He whispered. “If you need to leave…” He offered.

“My parents have the kids, they will be more than willing to keep them for a sleepover if you need some time.” Rowan added and it sounded so good to Braiden.

He nodded his head and Boden immediately went to excuse them. Braiden was worried that it would come across bad that he was the first to leave, but before Boden had even come back to them, others were excusing themselves as well. He wasn’t the only one who needed a bit of space and his Mum actually looked a little grateful and relieved. Perhaps that was his intuitive coming back into play again. His Mum needed his space too. Eurion had been Braiden’s baby brother, but he’d been his parents’ son. It must have hit them so hard to lose him, they would need time to themselves.

“Mum, do you want me to take Lyran, Caronwyn and Larsen?” Mace asked. “If you want some time to yourself, they can come have a sleepover with the kids.”

Larsen immediately perked up. “Can I, Mummy?” He asked.

Their Mum looked up, his eyes bloodshot and teary still. “Do you mind, Mace?”

“No, I wouldn’t have offered otherwise, Mum. Between the four of us we’ll look after them. Right?” He directed at his three mates, his submissive Tara, nodding seriously, her two other dominants, Lazarus and Steffon, nodding too. Tara was rather tall for a submissive, as she was five foot ten, but it reflected with her choice of dominant mates, as all three of them were nearer to seven feet than six. Both Lazarus, who preferred to be called Rus, and Steffon were subordinate to Mace, who was naturally their top dominant as he was such a stubborn, dominant personality and he topped in at seven feet of hulking muscle, he couldn’t be anything other than a top dominant and Tara had been smitten with him from first sight, mostly because he was the biggest lunkhead ever and had stood a good head taller than everyone else in her meeting hall.

Their Mum nodded gently. “I’ll…I’ll pick them up tomorrow.”

“You won’t.” Mace answered back sternly. “We’re keeping them for the week so you can actually have some proper time to yourself. They’ll be fine with us, just focus on yourself.”

“Thank you, Mace.” Their Mum said seriously, gratefully.

Braiden was so thankful to his brother in that moment. He didn’t think he had the strength to even have his own children around him at the moment, let alone his youngest brothers and sister. But Mace was always better at dealing with his own emotions. He could hold off his emotions and he could release them when he wanted to, usually in the form of running or in the gym. It had to have been his mastery of several different styles of martial arts that helped him, it was all about controlling one’s emotions and releasing them constructively. Mace had a steel control over his body and his emotions, he was the perfect person to take in Larsen, Lyran and Caronwyn so their parents could deal with their own grief. Cyneric and Kallan had already been taken by Leolin to spend some time with their older Faerie brother.
Mace collected up the three kids and Braiden hugged him gratefully. Of course hugging his baby brother, who was five years younger, was rather strange, as he felt like a tiny baby in those huge arms being rather slim and slender himself, to be squashed by the huge, bulky Mace who was several feet taller than him, was very strange.
Boden came to hold him and then they were making their own way home. Rowan was a huge help to him, pulling him by the hand up to their bedroom, getting him out of his suit and helping him into his softest, most comfortable pyjamas.

“I know you might not be hungry, but I ordered from our favourite take away place, you can just pick and nibble if you want to.” Boden said when he and Rowan both came back down in their pyjamas.

“Thank you, Boden.” Braiden said with a small smile.

“I set up the living room too. The food should be about half an hour, let me go get into my pyjamas and we’ll cuddle up on the sofa.”

Braiden could have cried as his mates did everything that he needed to feel better. A cuddle on the settee in their pyjamas with take away was probably the best thing he could have asked for.

“I’ll put ‘Up’ on.” Rowan said and Braiden let out a watery chuckle. “I know, I know.” Rowan smiled at him. “But you like that film and you need to be surrounded by all the things that you like today. You’re upset and we understand. So Boden and me will sandwich you up on the settee, we’ll eat take away, I’ve got chocolate ice cream in the freezer for afters, I made that shortbread that you love too and we’ll watch some Disney to cheer you up.”

“Thank you so much.” Braiden said, covering his face with one hand as he started crying.

“Shh, it’s alright, love. You’ve just buried a brother. You can cry and sob and get me and Boden all messy. It doesn’t matter. You are our beloved mate and we’re going to take care of you.”

“We will.” Boden said strongly as he scooped up him and Rowan, one in each arm. “Because we love you and you’d do exactly the same for us if we needed it.”

Braiden smiled as he saw that Boden had put three footstools in front of the settee and covered it with pillows and a blanket. There were plates and cutlery on the coffee table along with a bottle of Rowan’s favourite red wine that was always stocked in their house. There were several candles lit, but no other lights on. There was a box of tissues at the ready and Braiden couldn’t have loved these two people any more than he did in this moment. Everything was perfect for him to have a night with his mates, where he could eat if he wanted to, binge on junk food if he wanted to, drink if he wanted to and cry if he wanted to, all the while snuggled up in his pyjamas with two people whom he loved dearly.
He had buried his baby brother today, tiny Eurion Bevan, who hadn’t even gotten a chance to live, but who would never be forgotten. He was a member of their family, just as Jaime and Cassie were, and he was very much a loved person, just because he hadn’t gotten to meet them didn’t make that any less so.
The take away arrived and Boden brought it in and Rowan started ‘Up’ for them as Boden dished out all of Braiden’s favourites, which made him smile. He ate as he watched the film, resting against Boden as Rowan rested on him. It was his favourite position, to be sandwiched between both of his mates, all that was missing was a baby bump, but as the three of them were enjoying the wine, perhaps that was a good thing, for tonight at least. They watched another film, then Rowan went to dig out the ice cream and the shortbread. They didn’t even bother with bowls. Rowan just brought in three spoons, Braiden had the tub as he was in the middle and then he and his mates just ate right from the tub, the blanket covering their legs.
After all the food and the films were done with, Braiden finished his wine and he snuggled into Boden and then it took just several minutes before the tears came as he thought of Eurion. His mates made comforting noises and petted him and kissed him as he cried, but they knew exactly what he needed, they always did, and they knew that right now he needed to cry as a form of release. His crying would give him a headache, it always did, but tomorrow he would wake up to a headache reliever with his morning coffee and as he wiped his dribbling nose on Boden’s pyjama top, he realised exactly how lucky he was to have these two amazing people all for himself.

“I love you both so much.” He said through his tears.

“We love you too.” Rowan said gently, patting his back.

“Well you know I love you, you’re using my shirt as a tissue and I don’t give a fuck. That’s true love right there, Bray.”

Braiden had to laugh and he wiped his eyes with his hand and he lifted himself up to kiss Boden’s mouth, before he turned around and kissed Rowan. He had no idea how he would have gotten through this without the both of them, but thankfully he didn’t have to. He snuggled back into Boden and Rowan pressed in tighter to his back. He truly did have the greatest mates in the world, at least from his humble, incredibly biased view point. He was so grateful to have them right at this moment as he thought of his tiny baby brother. As he said his own private goodbye to Eurion Bevan, who had come just a little too soon.

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A/N: This truly is a devastating chapter, but a lot of you were curious about some of the noted deceased babies and well…this one started as a look in on Braiden’s adult life and it turned into something much worse, but also more informative. It’s only at times like this when you see how incredibly strong the bonds of love can be and even though it’s devastating, it is truly wonderful to see. So we have a rather sad chapter, but it’s still a lovely chapter in its own way and despite the nature of it, I like it and I hope that you do too.

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The Rise of the Drackens: The Scaled Bits