The head medical witch gave a quick bow, gathered her supplies with a wave of her wand, and, knowing her presence was no longer needed, told them she would leave them alone.
When the room's white door closed with a soft click, silence enveloped the room, broken only by the twins' ragged breathing. From the hallway, filtering through the door, they could hear the anxious voices of Alaric and Selene Carrow asking the nurses if everything had gone well and if their daughters were safe.
Aurelian, standing next to the stretchers, looked at his wives and then lowered his gaze to the tiny bundles wrapped in green blankets. And something unheard-of happened to the unshakable Lord Gaunt—he didn't have the faintest idea what to do.
Over the past nine months, he had read dozens of books on parenting, child psychology, and newborn care. He knew the theory of how to be the perfect father. But when this very moment arrived—facing those little ones who were now his children—that vast library of knowledge vanished from his mind. His mind went completely blank; there was room only for the image his eyes were now taking in.
Hestia and Flora, noticing their husband's stiffness, shared a knowing glance. Despite being exhausted and sore, they both burst out laughing.
Aurelian blinked, shook his head, and looked at them.
"What exactly do you find so funny?" he asked, confused.
Hestia let out a weary sigh, resting her head on the pillow without losing her smile.
"It's just that never, in all the years we've been together, my love, have I seen you so… flustered. You look like a lost child, Aurelian."
Flora laughed too, tucking her baby more snugly against her chest.
"Hestia's right. It's really cute to see you like this."
Aurelian raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling very exposed.
"Like what?"
Flora looked him straight in the eyes, a tenderness shining on her face.
"Seeing you act so vulnerably—you look… so… sweet."
Upon hearing that word, an undeniable blush spread across Aurelian's pale cheeks. He looked down at the floor, which only made his wives laugh even harder at the unusual shyness of their normally intimidating husband.
However, the sound of their laughter interrupted the newborns' sleep. In unison, the two babies opened their mouths and began to cry with a force that revealed their strong lungs.
"Shh, shh, there, there, my love… Mommy's here," Hestia began to whisper immediately, gently rocking the little girl.
"It's okay, my little one, everything's fine," said Flora, soothing her son with gentle words as the crying filled the room.
The two witches, in the midst of their attempts to calm them, looked up and saw their husband standing right there, watching the scene with a dazed expression, completely in awe.
"What are you doing just standing there, honey?" Hestia asked him with a sweet smile. "Don't you want to hold them?"
Aurelian nodded quickly. He approached awkwardly, nearly tripping over the stretcher. First, Hestia placed their little daughter in his right arm, making sure the girl rested against his chest so the weight wouldn't hurt his bandaged hand. Then Flora handed him their son, carefully settling him in Aurelian's left arm.
With both babies in his arms, feeling their weight and warmth, Aurelian was taken aback.
As if they had recognized the person holding them, the babies slowly opened their little eyes, blinked a couple of times, and upon seeing Aurelian's face, stopped crying instantly, lost in the expression their father was giving them.
Aurelian felt his heart melt. He flashed the warmest smile of his entire life, bringing his face close to the little ones.
"Hello, my babies," he whispered in a soft voice so as not to startle them. "I'm Aurelian… your dad."
He looked into their eyes, etching every tiny detail of their faces into his memory.
"I swear… I promise I'll always protect you. I'll never let anything bad happen to you, nor will I allow anyone in this world to hurt you. I'll always be by your side; I'll give you everything you want, and I'll make sure you never stop smiling."
With infinite tenderness, Aurelian bent down and gently kissed his daughter's head, then did the same for his son. Feeling his touch, the babies stirred beneath the blankets, stretched their tiny hands into the air, and, instinctively, reached out toward their father's face.
Aurelian let out a joyful laugh, lowered his head even further, and gently rubbed the tip of his nose against his children's tiny faces. Feeling his touch, the babies let out tiny, adorable coos, oblivious to the darkness of the world around them.
From their stretchers, Hestia and Flora watched the scene. Tears of joy streamed down their cheeks as they silently sobbed, seeing the man who had once faced an archmage transformed into a father completely devoted to his children, openly showing his love for them.
Hestia wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, cleared her throat, and broke the silence.
"Aurelian… have you thought about names for the little ones?"
Aurelian slowly turned his face away from the babies, looked at his wives, and shook his head.
"Do you have any ideas? To be honest, I'm terrible at coming up with names. If it were up to me, I'd probably give them names that would make these little ones hate me in the future."
The twins smiled, grateful for the gesture that gave them the power to name their own children.
Flora looked at the boy resting in Aurelian's left arm.
"I've thought about this a lot… and I'd like to name my son Viktor."
Hestia nodded approvingly at her nephew's name and then looked at the girl in her husband's right arm.
"And I've decided I want to name my little girl Colette."
Aurelian nodded very slowly, savoring the words that made up the names.
"Viktor and Colette," Aurelian murmured, and his smile widened. "I like them. I like them very much. Viktor Gaunt and Colette Gaunt… my beautiful babies."
He lowered his face again, gently brushing the newborns' cheeks with his nose one last time to say a temporary goodbye, and with the utmost care, he approached the stretchers. He handed Viktor to Flora, and then placed Colette in Hestia's arms.
His wives instantly pressed them to their chests, closing their eyes and whispering their new names as if they were the most powerful spells in the universe.
Standing beside their beds, Aurelian Gaunt watched them. An immense peace filled him completely, but at the same time, his determination took even deeper root in his soul. He clenched his left fist tightly.
His family was his greatest treasure. And he was willing to bathe the entire world in blood to protect them with everything he had.
No sooner had Aurelian finished making his vow than the bedroom door slowly swung open.
Alaric and Selene Carrow entered with hurried steps, their faces reflecting the anguish they had endured in the hallway. Selene was the first to approach the stretchers. Upon seeing her daughters safe and sound, she let out a sigh of relief; as she looked down at her grandchildren resting in the twins' arms, a radiant smile lit up her face.
"They're beautiful," Selene murmured, tears welling up in her eyes.
Alaric, for his part, approached Aurelian and patted him on the shoulder, his chest puffed out.
"Congratulations, Lord Gaunt. You have ensured the continuity of your lineage and the greatness of our bloodline."
Aurelian nodded with a slight smile.
"Come take a look at them, Alaric," he invited, stepping aside to make room for him.
The man approached with obvious curiosity. As he leaned over the cribs and saw the faces of the newborns, Alaric's usual sternness melted away completely. He broke into a broad smile.
"Well… they're really cute," he remarked, amazed by the babies' perfection.
Hestia, gently adjusting the blanket, showed her daughter to her father with her chin held high.
"Her name is Colette Gaunt, Father," Hestia announced, brimming with pride.
Flora did exactly the same from her stretcher, showing off her son.
"And mine is Viktor Gaunt."
Selene leaned in tenderly, caressing the babies' soft cheeks with her fingertips.
"You must be immensely happy, my girls. You've brought two incredibly cute little ones into the world," their mother told them lovingly.
Before anyone could say anything else, the door to the room opened again.
Tom Gaunt crossed the threshold.
Alaric Carrow, recognizing his leader's presence, immediately dropped to one knee on the floor, bowing his head with a smile as he looked upon his Lord.
Lord Voldemort paused, glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and raised a hand.
"Stand up, Alaric," he ordered in a low voice. "There's no need for formalities here."
Selene simply bowed her head in a respectful gesture, greeting him silently.
Aurelian, his face radiant with joy, approached his father.
"Come, Dad. Come meet your grandchildren," Aurelian said, guiding him toward the stretchers.
The Dark Lord walked slowly, his hands clasped behind his back. He stopped between the two beds and stared intently at the tiny bundles breathing softly. His gaze scrutinized them from head to toe.
"They're… very small," Voldemort remarked in a low voice, almost as if he were examining an unfamiliar artifact.
Aurelian burst out laughing.
"That's how all babies are when they're born, Father."
Still in good spirits, Aurelian approached Flora and took Viktor into his arms with the same gentleness as before. He smiled broadly and affectionately kissed his baby's chubby cheek before turning to his father.
"Father, may I introduce Viktor Gaunt."
Voldemort held out his arms and, with a care and stiffness unusual for him, took the baby from his son's hands. The Dark Lord brought Viktor close to his face, squinting to examine his grandson's features.
Viktor, completely oblivious to the situation, blinked, raised his tiny hand in the air, groped around, and with a surprisingly firm grip, grabbed his grandfather's nose.
Silence fell over the room. Alaric and Selene held their breath, terrified that the baby had just offended their Lord.
But Voldemort wasn't angry. He simply let out a sigh, keeping his head still so as not to hurt the child.
"This boy definitely has spirit," Voldemort remarked.
The tension broke instantly, and everyone in the room burst into laughter.
Seizing the moment, Aurelian walked over to Hestia's stretcher and picked up Colette. The little girl had her eyes wide open, taking in the world around her. Aurelian gently kissed the tip of her nose, and the baby responded with an adorable, happy babble, waving her little arms.
Aurelian approached his father, who was still struggling with Viktor's grip.
"And this beautiful little girl here is Colette," Aurelian introduced her.
Voldemort, turning his eyes downward as best he could—since Viktor refused to let go of his nose—looked intently at his granddaughter. After a couple of seconds of assessment, the Dark Lord nodded.
"I have not the slightest doubt," Voldemort declared in a deep voice. "I am certain that both of you will be truly wonderful wizards and witches."
As if his grandfather's words had been a signal, Viktor finally let go of Voldemort's nose… and, feeling overwhelmed by his surroundings, opened his mouth and began to wail at the top of his lungs.
Hearing her brother's loud cries, Colette thought it would be a great idea to join in. The little girl frowned and began crying just as hard, her cries echoing off the walls of the room.
Panic broke out.
Aurelian quickly snatched Viktor from his father's arms and handed the babies back to Hestia and Flora so they could calm them down. The girls immediately began cooing to them, cradling them against their chests.
Voldemort, seeing the chaos that had just erupted and his son transformed into a desperate father, smiled slightly.
The Dark Lord approached Aurelian from behind and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You'll be a great father, Aurelian," Voldemort whispered sincerely.
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