Mother: Unknown - HufflepuffMommy - Harry Potter (2024)

Chapter 1: Prologue

Chapter Text

Prologue

May 2, 1998

Draco Malfoy was off to the side of the Great Hall, exhausted and slumped on one of the benches along the wall.

Potter had managed to defeat the Dark Lord, again , and the war was finally over.

His parents had been next to him, unsure of what to do, until Aurors took them to the Ministry for some questioning.

As the dust settled, Draco watched and waited until it was his turn to be taken into custody—he knew it was only a matter of time. There were witches and wizards all around him, and even more pouring in from the entrance, most likely family and friends looking for those who fought in the battle. He was surrounded by people, though none seemed to pay him any mind. Some were crying for those who were lost, others were crying for those found, safe and alive, and even more were searching for the missing among the rubble.

He saw Daphne Greengrass enter the hall, and she seemed to be searching for someone. He was shocked when her eyes landed on his and relief fell across her dainty features. When she started walking towards him, Draco noticed she was carrying something—a baby, swaddled within the crook of her arm while her other hand carried a leather-worn, pink suitcase. Standing, he eyed the baby with Malfoy-blond hair, and gave the witch a curious, cautious look as she approached.

“Hello, Draco,” she said, almost breathlessly, as if she’s been searching everywhere for him.

He gave her a short nod. “Hello, Daphne.” He motioned to the baby in her arms. “Who’s that you got there?”

Daphne smiled as she set the suitcase down and shifted the infant in her arms so that he could see her properly. "Her name's Lyra. Lyra Jean Malfoy. She's yours, Draco."

"Mine?” His eyes snapped up to hers. “But, how? We've never..."

Daphne shook her head and placed the baby in his arms. "Not mine. Yours . Yours and— "

But before she could say anything else, a commotion nearby interrupted her; a hidden Death Eater emerged from the shadows, shouting how the Dark Lord will prevail, even in death, and started shooting spells around the room haphazardly.

Before the Aurors could contain the Death Eater, a flash of green headed straight towards Draco. He turned his body on instinct to block the curse from the baby while next to him he heard Daphne gasp then push him away, putting herself in the line of the Killing curse.

Draco swirled around and watched as she fell to the floor, her lifeless eyes still open. The baby in his arms started to cry from being jostled, and in that moment, with the Death Eater confined and being dragged away by the Aurors, and others running over to the fallen girl in front of him, he realized he still had no idea who the mother of this child was.

Chapter 2: Bar Harbor

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Six Years Later

Hermione Granger took a deep breath of the salty-sea air and knew she made the right decision.

She buttoned up her coat and wrapped a dark purple scarf around her neck before setting off to walk the streets of the small coastal town in Maine for the first time since she had moved herself to the States.

It had been an impulsive decision, one that had both terrified and excited her, to move so far away from home, but it was one that needed to be done.

Her relationship with Ron had fizzled out nearly as fast as it had started, and her job at the Ministry had become mundane and boring. Plus, while she had hoped she would be able to propose, write, and pass bills to help the Wizarding World at large, all the Ministry seemed to care about was having all three parts of “The Golden Trio” in their employment. While Harry and Ron were thriving as Aurors, Hermione knew she needed something different for herself. It was difficult to figure out what that was when she was one of the most popular witches in London; everyone watched and scrutinized her every move, especially the papers.

So one day, she’d decided to let the fates decide and threw a dart at a map on the wall. It landed in the state of Maine in the United States. Trailing a finger along to the different cities, Hermione felt a pull once she read Bar Harbor on the map.

Her decision made, she quit her job, packed up, and left England a few weeks later. It had been raining in Maine when she arrived, and it hadn’t stopped for two solid weeks. She spent that time in the little townhouse that she found to rent, unpacking and decorating the muggle way, just to pass the time.

Now that the streets were dry, she walked along with a smile on her face, the people of the town nodded in greeting and she returned the gesture, happy to not have to look over her shoulder for Daily Prophet reporters. They had gotten relentless the past few years, making headlines and stories of everything she did. Hermione smiled to herself, knowing that she was finally free of the scrutiny for the first time since she learned she was a witch.

As she passed a nearby park, she couldn’t help but notice a little girl with curly, blond hair—so blond it looked white in the sunlight that was shining through the few lingering clouds—laughing as she swung high on the swing. Hermione stopped to watch, leaning forward on the wooden fence that circled the park and reminisced about when she was a child.

She loved to swing and liked to pretend she was flying; a few times she was even daring enough to jump off, loving the weightlessness for the few seconds before her feet touched the ground. She half thought about embracing her inner child and going over to the swings to do that again—after all, a jump off a swing was nothing like flying a broom, something that still terrified her to this day. One was a few moments in the air while the other relied on nothing but a charmed branch to keep one from plummeting from the ground.

Hermione returned to the present when a woman, most likely the child's mother, called out to be careful. She was answered with a pearl of laughter, and Hermione couldn’t help but chuckle at the child’s glee. Still leaning on the fence, the witch took in the sights around her.

The park was in a grassy area, with large oak trees whose leaves were already starting to turn for fall. Beyond them was the ocean, where she could make out a few sailboats still out on the water, most likely heading towards the marina to dock for the night.

Something in the corner of her eye made her glance towards the park again. The little girl had hopped off the swing and was running up to a man in a dark blue trench coat and matching platinum blond hair.

“Daddy!” the girl shouted as she launched herself into his arms.

Once again, Hermione smiled to herself; the love between a father and daughter was special, as it had been with her and her own father.

An ache in her chest bloomed as she watched the two from a distance. She missed her parents, who were still in Australia and unaware of their grown daughter, and while she didn’t regret charming their memories away for their safety, she did regret not being able to reverse the charm.

When the man turned, Hermione saw his face and squinted, not believing what she thought she saw.

If she hadn’t known any better, she could have sworn the man was Draco Malfoy, which struck her as a near impossibility.

No one had actually seen him since the war, having been on house arrest up until his trial. Once he was cleared of charges, he had moved away from London and no one had seen, or heard, from him again.

The woman who was with the girl walked over to the father-daughter duo, shook his hand and gave the little girl a hug. As the woman walked away, she heard the child call out, “Thank you, Miss Natalie! See you later!”

So the woman wasn’t her mother, simply a caretaker, Hermione thought to herself.

Malfoy—at least she thought it was Malfoy—walked in the opposite direction, holding the little girl's hand as she talked animatedly until they reached a car that was parked at the curb.

Baffled, and slightly stunned to see Malfoy driving a car, she watched as it drove past her going towards one of the nearby neighborhoods. She thought she saw him glance at her as he passed, but whether he recognized her or not, she wasn’t sure.

Don't be silly, she chided herself as she continued on her walk towards the shops. Why on earth would Draco Malfoy be in the States, and in a small, muggle town no less?

No, the man she saw simply looked similar—there were other people in the world who had that shade of blond, not just the Malfoy's.

The moment she reached the street with the row of shops, all thoughts of Malfoy left, and in their place was excitement about what she would find within the stores.

She had a mental list in her head of all the friends she wanted to buy souvenirs for and entered the first little shop, full of knick-knacks that she knew a certain elder Weasley would love.

Three hours later and laden down with bags of her wares, Hermione finally hit the end of stores. With a tired, yet happy sigh, she glanced across the street and her heart leapt at the sight.

The three story bookstore, sandwiched by two other shops—a coffee shop with a bakery on the right and an apothecary on the left—looked like heaven to the book-loving witch.

She nibbled her bottom lip as her arms protested about buying anything more. She’d need to save her exploration for another time. It had been a full day, and she was already planning on returning the following day, as she heard that the Farmers Market was something she couldn’t miss.

With another longing glance towards the bookstore, she turned back the way she came and headed home.

The light-gray colored house was nestled between trees, with neighbors just far enough away to give some privacy. There was a small front porch which was big enough to fit a small wicker chair and matching side table. The door, which was the same navy blue as the trim, reminded Hermione of her father’s favorite show, Doctor Who, and helped in the decision making when picking a place to live.

The walk from the shops took less than a half hour, but by the time Hermione walked through her door, her arms were screaming. She dropped her bags as soon as she entered, sighed with relief at the loss of weight, and vowed to either buy less next time or bring her wand so she could at least make the bags weightless.

She walked around the house, opening windows to let in some fresh air and sunshine. The two-story, 1,000 square foot home might have felt cramped to some, but it was just right for Hermione. The front door opened up to a living room area that flowed straight into a small dining room and kitchen towards the back, with a small powder room off the side and a set of stairs that led to her bedroom and master bath. A sliding door at the back of the house led to a large back porch, big enough for an outdoor table, some chairs, and even a grill. That was all she needed for now, she rationalized, especially if she decided in a year or so to move to another place if this one didn’t suit her. As of right now though, the town of Bar Harbor was exactly what she needed and her little house on Strawberry Lane suited her just fine.

Hermione started taking things out of her bags and sorted them for shipping. She planned to send everything the muggle way to Harry, who would then distribute the gifts among friends through owl-post.

She spent the next hour writing letters to go along with the gifts, then shrunk and boxed everything so she could drop the package off at the post office the next day. Exhausted from her outing, Hermione put a quick meal together before settling down with a book and a glass of wine and looked forward to another day of exploring her new town.

The following day had a few more scattered clouds and a gustier breeze. Hermione brought an umbrella, just in case, as well as a few cloth bags—and if they were charmed so that whatever she put in them would weigh next to nothing, no one would be the wiser—and made her way into town once again on foot.

The Farmers Market was even better than she thought it would be and she took her time checking out all the stalls of fresh produce, seafood, baked goods, and homemade crafts. As she mingled and shopped, she made sure to talk to local people and introduce herself so she could learn about her new community at the same time. Already she’d learned the bookstore she saw was currently looking to hire a new manager since the current one was planning on retiring within the next few months. Hermione made a mental note to stop by the shop on the way home, to both inquire about the position as well as check out the store's wares.

As she browsed a stall with trinkets, a little girl with curly, blond hair—the same little girl from the park, Hermione realized—entered, going straight to a set of necklaces. The child picked out a pair of “Best Friend” necklaces and Hermione watched from the corner of her eye as she proceeded to pay the owner.

“I’d like to buy this, please,” the girl politely said as she handed a fistful of dollar bills into the woman's hand.

The owner counted out the bills then looked apologetically at the child. “I’m sorry sweetie, but you’re a few dollars short.”

“Oh… But that’s all the money I have from the tooth fairy.”

“How about I hold onto it for you while you get the rest of the money, okay?”

“Alright…”

Hermione heard the sadness in the little girl's voice and after a moment’s debate, went up to the owner. “I couldn’t help but overhear… You said she was missing a few dollars?” She took out a five dollar bill from her pocket. “Will this cover it?”

The owner gave Hermione a smile. “Yes ma’am, it will. What do you say to the nice lady, sweetie?”

The little girl looked up at Hermione and gave her gap-toothed grin. “Thank you!”

Hermione couldn’t help but smile back. “You’re welcome.”

With her purchase in her hands, the little girl ran off.

“That was very kind of you,” the woman said, handing Hermione the change from the purchase.

“It really wasn’t a problem. I remember when I was a child and—” she lost her train of thought as the tall, blonde man from the day before walked past the stall and turned down another aisle. “Sorry,” she said, giving the woman a quick, apologetic smile. “I have to go. I think I just saw someone I know.”

Before she could get a response, Hermione left and quickly walked in the same direction she saw the man going. She had had a much closer look at him this time and was sure it was Malfoy. However, after she walked down a few aisles and having no luck, Hermione decided that maybe it wasn’t him after all—just her overactive imagination.

Resigned that it was all in her head, she made her way to the bookstore, where she hoped she’d find a job opportunity, and perhaps a book or two.

Chapter 3: Stardust Apothecary

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Draco thought he was losing his mind.

After all, there was no other logical explanation as to why he had seen Hermione Granger—not once, buttwice!—in the last few days.

If he were still in London, he wouldn't have thought anything of it. Seeing her in the small townhelived in, however, made him question all rational thought.

It was impossible, let alone improbable.

But then, there were also the dreams he'd been having of the same witch for the past two weeks. They started innocently enough—The first was at Hogwarts where he sat in class and Granger was in front of him. In another dream, they were talking and she smiled at him. Then there was one where she kissed his cheek. In the latest one, they had done a lot more than kissing and he had woken up hard, frustrated, and in desperate need of a cold shower.

It unnerved him, seeing as how he had never thought of Granger in that way. He had been too busy being a pure-blooded prat to even think about her like that, then he was too busy doing what Voldemort had commanded he do in order to survive. There was a moment during the Yule Ball in fourth year where he thought she looked sort of pretty, but he didn't dare say it out loud.

As he drove home from the Farmers Market, Draco listened to his daughter talk excitedly about the sleepover she was going to have that night at her friend's house, while also keeping an eye out for that Granger-like woman, in case it reallywasher.

"And Dad... Dad! Did I tell you that Emma hasthreepets! A dog, a cat, and a bunny. Isn't that so cool?" Lyra asked from the backseat.

"Mmhmm."

"And Emma said that her mommy was going to get us pizza and we'll get to rent a movie from Blockbuster!"

"Sounds like you're going to have a great time, Princess," Draco said, glancing at his daughter in the rear-view mirror. She was all smiles, looking out the window as they passed houses in their neighborhood.

She looked just like him, with the same near-white blond hair and storm-gray eyes. But her hair was curly, and thankfully, her nose looked nothing like the patrician nose that countless generations of Malfoy men had sported—features she had inherited from her mother he assumed.

As soon as he pulled up into their driveway, she hopped out of the car and ran into the house.

"I'm going to go pack for Emma's!" she called out.

"Don't forget your toothbrush," Draco said after her and chuckled when he heard her groan.

He walked outside to check the mail, taking the stack of envelopes from inside the mailbox. He flipped through the papers, sorting the junk from the bills and tossed them on the dining table to be dealt with later that night as Lyra came back downstairs with a purple duffle bag.

"Okay, I'm ready!" she announced.

"You packed everything you need? Pajamas?"

"Check!"

"Change of clothes?"

"Check!"

"Toothbrush? Toothpaste?"

"Check, check!"

"What about Otis?"

Lyra pulled out her beloved stuffed otter from within the bag. "Check! Can we gonow, Daddy?"

"I suppose you're packed up sufficiently. There's just one thing you're missing."

Lyra looked in her bag with her brows furrowed. "What am I missing?"

Draco scooped her up and squeezed her to him, swaying back and forth dramatically. "A hug for me, since I'll be all alone tonight."

Lyra giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed. "Daddy, you're silly!" she laughed.

Draco set her down and kissed the top of her head. "Okay, I suppose that'll do for now. Let's go wait outside. Mrs. Watt said she'll be here at two to pick you up."

Once his daughter was safely in her friend's vehicle, Draco headed to his shop to check on a few things. Being a shop owner, especially in a muggle town, was something Draco had never thought he'd be doing in his adult life, but, like many things, fate had a way of working things out.

When he had first arrived in Bar Harbor over six years ago, he had no idea what sort of job he would be able to do, and with a six month old in tow no less. Hetechnicallyhad no need for a job, since he had transferred a hefty amount of wizarding coin to American currency. However, he knew as a single father of an infant, one who moved to a small town where everyone knew everyone, it would have raised suspicion if he didn't work—and that was something he didnotwant to do.

What he wanted was a normal life for his daughter, away from the prying eyes and harsh whispers of his past that would undoubtedly follow them if he had stayed in Wizarding Britain.

The best thing about moving to the States was that no one knew the name Malfoy.

No one cared what he had done in his youth, in an effort to protect his family.

He chose Bar Harbor because his Aunt Andromeda, who had reconnected with him and his mother after the war, vacationed there years ago and mentioned the area as a place that was out of the way of the Wizarding community, but still reachable if needed for emergencies. Reluctant to live in the Wizarding community, in case rumor of his actionsdidfollow him, Draco decided this would be the best course of action—live alongside muggles and raise his daughter without the same prejudices he'd been raised with.

Once he and Lyra had gotten settled, he decided to use a skill that he knew best as a means to start a business—potions.

Of course, he couldn't sellactualpotions, but he could incorporate the principles and ingredients into items Muggles could use. He created candles that contained both calming and healing properties, teas that helped with headaches, remedies for hang-overs, soaps that calmed anxiety, lotions that healed wounds faster, and a variety of other odds and ends.

Initially, he had brought his wares to other shops, hoping that someone might like to display his products. Being a stranger though, meant everyone treated him with caution and therefore, no one seemed ready to take the risk.

That was, until he met Mr. Porter, an elderly man who owned an antique shop. He took a chance on Draco, first giving him a small display to sell his wares, which turned into a corner of the shop, given their popularity. When Mr. Porter was ready to retire, he'd sold the shop to Draco. Some remodeling and a name-change later, Draco now owned his own business, Stardust Apothecary.

Having his own shop meant he could take Lyra to work with him when she was younger, and he could work around the days when she was ill and not have to worry about childcare. Now that his daughter was older, and he'd come to know most of the residents of the town, he was more willing to hire the occasional babysitter, such as Natalie. She was Mr. Porter's granddaughter and married to a captain of one of the crab boats.

Over time, business for Draco had picked up and by the time Lyra started school, he hired on a few employees to help around the shop. These days, Draco left the shop in other capable hands when he picked up Lyra from school, but sometimes, when he was working on inventory—or in reality, making more potions—he needed a sitter for a few hours. On those days, Natalie was more than happy to watch after Lyra.

Such was the case the previous day, which had worked out in his favor when Natalie took Lyra to the park after school to release some pent up energy. Being cooped up because of the rain had been hard on the active girl.

Draco parked his car behind the building and entered the store from the back. His employees, Graham Miller and Melissa Thompson, two locals in their early 20's, were stocking shelves as he walked into the room.

"Hey, boss," Melissa said cheerily. "Lyra off at her sleepover?"

"Yes, though I don't know how much sleep she'll actually be getting tonight, given her level of excitement," he said with a chuckle. "How did sales go at the Market after I left?"

"We sold a good amount. We'll need more stock of the lotions and teas as those were a big seller this week. Receipts are on your desk upstairs," Graham informed.

"We also had a good flow in the shop up until about a half hour ago," Melissa added. "Though it'll probably pick up a bit after dinner hours."

"Good to hear. I need to do a few things upstairs for a little bit, then you two can head on out early. I'll close up tonight."

"You sure?" Graham asked.

"Yeah, we don't mind staying," added Melissa.

Draco waved them off. "Lyra's not home and I'm sure you two would rather be with your mates than working on a Saturday night. Just give me an hour."

He went up the stairs to the second story of the shop, which was one large, open area. On one side was a typical office setting, with a desk, computer, phone, and some filing cabinets. The other side served as his production area, where he made lotions, soaps, waxes, and everything else that was sold in the shop. He'd alsoDisillusioneda closet on the far end of the room, which stored the ingredients that were used to enhance the muggle products he sold.

Draco booted up the computer he had learned to use with Graham's help and set about catching up on the day. He checked on emails from vendors and updated spreadsheets until his time was up, then relieved Graham and Melissa. Only a few customers came in while he was there, but he managed two more sales before closing up for the night.

Business started slowing down this time of year as it got colder and the tourist season waned. Soon, all the shops in the area would start closing earlier until the following Spring, including his own. Draco didn't mind the slower season. He looked forward to having more time to come up with new product ideas for his shop.

As Draco drove home, he wondered how Lyra was doing at her friend's house, and even though he was grateful for a night where he could do whatever he wanted without interruptions, he also knew he'd miss his little girl terribly until he picked her up in the morning.

That night, Draco dreamed of Granger again. They were in a room, though the edges were vague and fuzzy so he couldn't pinpoint exactly where they were. He was preparing tea for the two of them—one sugar and a splash of milk for her, two sugars for himself—and when he turned to give her the piping hot mug, he found her asleep on a cream colored chaise lounge chair.

Affection for the witch bloomed in his chest.

He set down the mugs and conjured a blanket that he recognized from his dorm at Hogwarts. He covered her up then bent down and kissed her softly on the forehead, letting his lips linger for a few seconds.

"I love you," he whispered.

Draco woke with an ache in his heart, as if something was missing, and wasn't all sure if his dream had anything to do with it. One thing was for sure—he needed to figure out if Grangerreallywas in his town, and what it meant if she was.

Chapter 4: Unexpected Encounter

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Luck was on Hermione's side.

Not only had she obtained an interview at the bookstore for the following day, but on her walk home she noticed a car for sale in a neighbor's driveway. And not just any car, but a red VW Beetle. Ever since she was a child, she'd admired their unique shape. It was more whimsy than she was used to, but maybe that was exactly what she needed in her life, especially given the experiences of her youth. While she'd never needed one in England, it seemed like a necessity here. The weather would soon be colder and it wasn't feasible to walk to and from the bookstore if she got the job. She already took care of getting a U.S. license, submitting the paperwork before she arrived in Maine.

Her mind made up, Hermione wrote down the number written on the window and called the sellers as soon as she got home.

By the next day she was the proud owner of a new-to-her car and was on her way to the Sherman's Bookstore to meet up with the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis. From what she had gathered during her conversation with them the day before, they owned and ran the bookshop in town, as well as three others in different parts of Maine, but their main residence was in Bar Harbor. However, their children were grown and their eldest was expecting their first grandchild. They wanted to be closer to their growing family and to step back from the day-to-day operations. Ideally, they wanted to hire managers to run them in their place, while they, themselves, would still own the stores.

Main Street in Bar Harbor was busy as ever, even for a Sunday. Hermione had to drive past the shop and didn't find parking until she was two blocks away. She walked briskly up the street until she could see the coffee shop next to the bookstore, then halted as Malfoy—for it wasindeedMalfoy, she was now sure—exited the coffee shop while holding onto the hand of the curly-blond haired girl. They were walking towards the direction of the bookstore, so Hermione slowed her pace to stay behind them and crossed her fingers that they would pass the store and continue on.

However, as soon as they were in front of Sherman's, the little girl started tugging on Malfoy's hand to go into the shop.

Hermione was only a few yards away and heard him say, "You go in, Princess. I need to check on something real quick, then I'll find you."

As soon as the child entered the store, Malfoy abruptly turned to face Hermione, his face impassive, and she stood there, unsure of what to say.

"Did the Ministry send you?"

Taken aback, Hermione shook her head. "No. No one sent me."

His face hardened. "Then what are you doing here, Granger?"

Hermione took a few steps closer, as it felt awkward to speak with so much distance between them. "I live here. In Bar Harbor."

"Really?" he asked skeptically, raising a brow. "Since when?"

"Since two weeks ago. I was on my way to the bookstore when I happened to come across you and…" She glanced towards the shop entrance, her voice trailing off.

"My daughter, Lyra."

"Lyra," she said, a soft smile spreading across her lips. "That's a pretty name."

"Thank you," he said stiffly.

Hermione looked at him again. "I'm honestly not checking up on you. I didn't mean to cause alarm—"

"You didn't, I'm just surprised," he said. "It's been over six years since I saw anyone from London. The fact that it'syouis equally surprising."

"What does that mean?" she asked defensively.

"Well, for starters, I don't think I've ever seen you without Potter and Weasley by your side. Unless they're here too?" He made an act of looking over shoulder, as if the two other wizards would appear suddenly behind her.

Hermione couldn't help but smile, just a little, and shook her head. "No, it's just me."

"I see," he said. He stared at her for a moment and Hermione felt like he was trying to decide if he believed her not—Merlin knows if the roles were reversed, she'd be equally skeptical.

He opened his mouth to speak when a small voice said, "Daddy?"

Hermione and Malfoy both turned their heads to the little girl standing in the shop's doorway, looking curiously between the two adults.

"I'll be there in just a moment, Lyra," Malfoy told her, but Lyra walked out and stood next to him, grabbing onto his hand.

"Who's she?" Lyra asked, pointing to Hermione.

"This," Draco said, motioning towards Hermione, "is Hermione Granger. Granger, this is my daughter, Lyra."

Hermione smiled down at the girl and held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Lyra. We've actually met before, at the Farmers Market, remember?"

"Oh! Yeah, I remember!" Lyra said, shaking her hand. "You helped me get that necklace!"

Malfoy looked down at his daughter with confusion. "The necklace you got for Emma? You didn't tell me you didn't have enough money for it." He looked back at Hermione, reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet . "How much do I owe you?"

Hermione waved him off. "Oh, that's not necessary."

"It is when my child is asking strangers for money."

"No! Daddy, I didn't—"

"Actually, I offered," intervened Hermione. "She was trying to pay when the owner informed her of the price. She was only a few dollars short so I covered the rest. Lyra was very polite and thanked me."

Draco frowned and looked at Lyra. "Is that what happened?"

Lyra nodded.

"It was really no big deal," Hermione insisted and was relieved when he put his wallet back in his pocket.

"Well, thank you, for helping her. We need to be going though."

Malfoy turned and started to walk, tugging Lyra along, but the child let go of his hand, looking at Hermione curiously.

"Do you know my dad?" Lyra asked. "From before today I mean."

"I do," Hermione said with a nod. "I used to go to school with him a long time ago."

The little girl's gray eyes brightened. "Oh! So that means you're a wit—"

Draco's hand covered his daughter's mouth quickly. "Lyra," he said stern yet softly, kneeling down in front of her. "Remember what I said?"

Lyra dropped her eyes to the ground. "That I can't talk about it when we're not at home." She looked hopefully at her dad. "Can Miss Hermione come over to our house then?" She rounded her wide eyes at Hermione. "Please?"

"Oh, well—" Hermione started to say.

"I'm sure Grang—Miss Hermionealready has other plans for today," Draco said to his daughter as he stood.

The little girl's excitement fell from her face. "Oh." Followed by immediately perking up. "How about tomorrow? Do you have plans tomorrow, Miss Hermione?"

"Lyra, tomorrow's a school day," Malfoy reminded her before Hermione could respond.

"But what aboutafterschool—"

"Lyra, the answer's no."

Lyra's bottom lip started to tremble at her fathers stern voice and looked down at her feet. "I was only asking because we never see other people like….likeus."

Draco sighed and Hermione watched as he knelt down by his daughter once more. "Maybe… maybe we can invite Miss Hermione over another time, but not right now, okay?"

Lyra looked at Hermione then back to her father. "What about Saturday? You always make puh-sgetti and meatballs on Saturdays. She can come over for dinner." Lyra suggested hopefully, looking at Hermione. Lyra nodded her head, as if trying to coax Hermione to agree with her.

"Well… I mean…. if it's alright your dad?" Hermione asked questionably, looking to Draco to gauge his reaction.

She honestly didn't know how anyone could say no to such a sweet child.

Draco lifted one shoulder slightly in a defeated shrug and gave Hermione a slight nod. Apparently, he didn't know how to say no to her either.

"Spaghetti sounds lovely," Hermione said, smiling at Lyra, then she looked at Malfoy again. "I'll need your address, of course, and would six be a good time to come over?"

The wizard nodded. "Six is good. We live on High Street, house number 17."

"Should I bring anything?"

"That's not necessary—"

"—How about chocolate cake?" Lyra interjected hopefully. "That's daddy's favorite…and mine too."

Hermione gave the child a nod and a wink. "Cake it is then"

She looked at Malfoy. "I guess I'll see you next Saturday, Malfoy."

He held out his hand. "Might as well call me Draco, considering you're having dinner at our house."

Hermione smiled and shook his offered hand. "Alright, Draco. See you next week. You too, Lyra," she added, smiling at the girl before heading into the bookstore.

"Bye, Miss Hermione!" Lyra shouted when the door was shut, causing Hermione to chuckle.

The nervousness about her interview all but vanished, and she couldn't help but think it was all due to Malfoy—Draco, she reminded herself—and his precious daughter.

She was hired on the spot.

They even offered the third floor living quarters for her to move into, but she declined, content with her little house she was currently renting.

Hermione celebrated her new job with a bottle of Merlot and some chocolate truffles she purchased from the Chocolate Emporium on Main Street. She indulged in both while taking a bubble bath then followed up with writing in her journal about her day.

She wanted to write letters to her friends, but that would include another trip to the post office as it would be international.

Perhaps it would be wise to purchase an owl, she mused. Her new job didn't start for a few more days—she could make a day trip into Augusta, check out the Wizarding Community there, and get an owl in the process. The trees around her home would provide excellent cover for its comings and goings.

With her decision made, Hermione tucked herself into bed, the excitement of the day finally caught up with her, and she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Compared to Bar Harbor, Augusta was positively lively, though neither held a candle to London. She sighed with relief when she found her destination, an abandoned Fotomat booth located within a shopping center, and parked her car at the nearby grocery store before walking over. The window near the door of the booth was covered in stickers and Hermione needed to find the ones of the state animal, bird, and flower in order to gain access to the magical community. She glanced around and made sure no one was watching, then tapped the vinyl stickers of a moose, black-capped chickadee, and a white pine cone three times each. The door to the booth opened on its own and Hermione stepped through, and into, Dirigo Square.

The magical shopping district was far smaller than Diagon Alley—more like what one would find in a town like Hogsmeade—but it had all the shops that wizards and witches needed. Hermione first checked out the bookstore, Magical Pages, then had lunch at the local eatery, The Cracked Pot, and explored the rest of the square before she made her way to the pet shop, Bazaar Animals.

There were long-eared, short-eared, and screech owls a-plenty, but the one that caught her attention was a large great-gray owl.

He was beautiful—with silver-gray and white feathers and large, yellow eyes that looked right at her. She had wanted an owl large enough that she could send parcels to her friends, but she hadn't imagined getting one quitethisbig.

He was more than what she planned on spending, but she didn't care—this beautiful creature was meant to be hers.

She thought Shakespeare might be a fitting name, as his large head surrounded by feathers looked like the ruff the famous writer was known for wearing.

She purchased a bag of owl treats and a cage large enough to hold the magnificent creature—though she imagined he'd spend most of his time outside, then shrunk her purchases for easy transportation while Shakespeare flew off towards his new home. Hermione went back to exploring the rest of the shops in Dirigo Square before she, too, went home, where her new owl would be waiting for her.

Chapter 5: Questions

Chapter Text

Draco wasn't lying when he said he hadn't seen anyone from England since the war—the only other magical person he and Lyra ever saw was his mother, and she now lived in France.

Logically, he knew that someday he'd see someone from his past, but the fact that Hermione Granger moved to his town? Well, he hadn't seenthatcoming.

To top it off, Granger was all that Lyra wanted to talk about for the rest of the week. Question after question pouring from her eagerly—after all, Granger was the first magical person his daughter had encountered outside of family.

Of course, his lack of familiarity with the Gryffindor did not deter his daughter and her myriad of questions. He had absolutely no idea what the witch's favorite color, subject in school, animal, or seasons were. At least, he got a reprieve from all the questions when his daughter was at school, though even at work he often found his thoughts drifting to the witch who now resided in what he consideredhistown.

He hoped, like his daughter, to get some answers while she visited for dinner—something to put his mind at ease.

Lyra's questions petered out by mid-week, but when Friday evening came around, she started back up again. Draco breathed a sigh of relief when she went upstairs to shower after dinner while he took care of the dishes.

A short while later, his daughter's footsteps pounded down the stairs, nearly shaking the frames of the pictures on the wall. He smiled softly at the sight of her hair tumbling free from the towel piled on top of her small head. She padded forward, holding out the comb and conditioning spray clutched in her tiny hands.

"Daddy, can you brush my hair?" she asked.

"Of course, Princess," he said, as he sat on the sofa and patted the seat next to him. He unwrapped the towel and began to spray her wet hair.

"Were you friends with her, daddy?" Lyra asked as he worked the conditioner into her curls.

"With who?" he asked distractedly, working on a particularly snarled knot.

Lyra huffed. "WithMiss Hermione," she clarified.

"Oh, uh, no. We weren't friends," he said.

"Why not?" she asked simply.

Draco had always made a point to be as honest with his daughter as possible, so he sucked in a breath and began to explain as he picked up the wide-tooth comb and started working on her hair. "I was taught that there are different types of witches and wizards and how they come to be. One type is pureblood, which means that both parents have magic, as does everyone in their family. The other two types are half-bloods and Muggle-borns—"

"What's a Muggle?" Lyra interrupted.

"It's what witches and wizards in Britain call a person without magic. In America, they call them No-Maj, meaning someone who has no magic."

"Oh, okay."

"Half-bloods are when one parent is magical and the other is either a Muggle or Muggle-born. Muggle-borns are those born with magic but both of their parents are Muggles. Does that make sense? It's okay if it doesn't."

Lyra nodded her head slowly. "Uh-huh, I think so. You're pureblood, right? Since Gramma Cissy has magic and so did your daddy?"

"That's right. Everyone in my family has had magic in them so we come from a whole line of pureblood witches and wizards, which is important because it's why Miss Hermione and I were not friends in school. You see, growing up, I was taught that anyone who wasn't a pureblood wasn't important—that they were beneath us and we were better than them."

Lyra turned her head to look at him as she frowned. "But, why? They have magic, too."

Draco sighed and kissed his daughter's forehead. Already she was wiser than he'd been at twice her age.

"That's just what we were taught by our parents, as they were by their parents before them. We were raised to think that Muggle-borns, like Miss Hermione, stole magic from someone who had it and that those like her were beneath us."

"That's silly, Daddy," Lyra scolded. "Why would you think that?"

Draco sighed. "I don't know, Princess. I guess I didn't think for myself…and because of that, I was really rude and mean to Miss Hermione at school."

Lyra's mouth dropped open and she turned to face him again. "You mean you were abullyto Miss Hermione?"

Draco gave a nod. "I was, back then."

"Well, did you say you were sorry?" she demanded, crossing her arms.

Draco sighed and shook his head. "I left England soon after you were born and haven't seen her since."

"Then you can apologize tomorrow," she stated, as if that would solve everything, and turned her head back around so he could continue brushing her hair.

"I don't know if she'll accept my apology."

"Of course she will," Lyra said confidently.

"You think so?"

"Daaaaad," she said, and he could practically hear her rolling her eyes, something she picked up from school. "She wouldn't have said yes to dinner with us if she didn't think you were sorry."

"To be honest, I think she's just coming over because you gave her your pleading eyes," he said tugging on one of her curls playfully.

Lyra was quiet for a moment before she asked, "AmIa pureblood?"

Draco lifted his daughter and set her on his lap. "Honest answer?"

She nodded her head.

"You are either pureblood or half-blood, depending on who your mother is. But no matter what, you are mine, andthatis the most important thing. You could even be a Squib and I'd love you just the same."

Lyra scrunched her nose. "A squid?"

Draco chuckled. "No, not a squid. ASquib," he said, enunciating the last syllable. "That's someone who has magical parents but doesn't have magic themselves. You don't have to worry about that though, as you definitely have magic in you."

Lyra perked up. "Really? Are you sure?"

Draco nodded. "Very sure. When you were a toddler and threw a tantrum, usually something flew across the room and broke." He shrugged as her mouth dropped open. "It's normal and happens all the time. Nothing a simpleReparocouldn't fix," he said with a wink. "Anyway, I think I'm done with this mess you call hair. Why don't we go upstairs and read a book before bed…unless you have more questions?"

Lyra fiddled with the hem of her pajama top, then asked in a quiet voice, "Do you still think Muggle-borns are less than purebloods?"

Draco shook his head as she gathered her up. "Absolutely not. I don't even think those without magic are beneath wizards, especially not after living among them for as long as we have."

That seemed to appease his daughter as she smiled and wound her arms around his neck in a tight hug as he carried her up the stairs to her room.

Lyra rushed to her overflowing bookshelf, her eyes immediately zoning in on her favorite book series,Junie B Jones, First Grader. Draco smiled as he turned down her fluffy blankets, settling himself and making room for Lyra to climb in next to him. Her voice didn't stumble at all as she read her book aloud. Draco loved that she had such an affinity for reading, just as he did when he was a child. When her yawns started to interrupt her reading, he took over to read the rest of the chapter and only stopped when her head drooped and her breathing even out.

He slipped out of her bed quietly, making sure to tuck in her stuffed otter Otis, and bent down to kiss her forehead. "Good night, Princess."

Lyra sighed and snuggled into her pillow as Draco closed the door behind him.

He made his way downstairs and poured himself a glass of Merlot while he turned on the telly. As the program played however, his mind went elsewhere.

He thought of the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts, of Daphne handing him his daughter, and the chaos that ensued.

People rushed to the fallen witch while he had only stood there, stunned, holding onto the crying infant that had been placed in his arms. McGonagall pulled him aside, wanting to see about the baby. Her eyes widened in surprise when he told her the baby was his, though he had no idea how that had come to be. McGonagall nodded once, sternly, before leading him to her office. There, Madam Pomfrey examined them both and declared the baby to be healthy. Somehow, the Headmistress secured permission for Draco to return to the Manor with the infant, with the understanding that someone from the Ministry would contact him about any pending charges for his role in the war.

Thank Merlin for house elves. Draco didn't know a thing about infants, but the elves were thrilled.

His own nurse elf, Mipsy, took charge, insisting that she would care for her. Draco, who had never been around babies before, gladly accepted the offer and made sure to learn everything he could—he already decided he would be more involved in his child's upbringing, unlike most pureblood fathers who left that task up to the mothers and house elves.

Once Lyra had been changed, fed, and placed in a small cot that Mipsy had procured from the attic, Draco wandered into his father's study, where the Malfoy Family tapestry hung.

All throughout his youth he'd been made to study the tapestry, as he learned the history of the Malfoys. He was quick to find his lone branch under his mother and father. Now, another thin branch appeared under his, with the name Lyra J. Malfoy, and her birthday, 10 March 1998. Since he was not married though, the mother's name didn't appear on the tree, but at least Draco found out two important things—that Lyra was undeniably his, and the day she was born, putting her at nearly two months old.

Turning off the telly, his mind still in the past, Draco drank the rest of his wine before heading up to his room.

Under his bed, he pulled out an old suitcase, the pink-colored leather dusty and the brass hinges tarnished and scratched with age. It was the one that Daphne had with her when she brought Lyra to Draco. Originally, it had been filled with baby clothes, nappies, blankets, bottles, and even formula. He opened it now and the memories it brought forth made him smile.

The suitcase was lined with light pink satin, with ribbons along the sides. Inside the suitcase he kept a few of Lyra's baby outfits, some baby books, and even a few small toys that Draco wanted to keep from Lyra's first year. Underneath those items were two leather-bound notebooks, both with blank pages, but he could feel a shimmer of magic just above the surface. He wondered if it was something special for Lyra from her mother so he'd kept them, and even hoped they might hold a clue as to who the mother of his daughter was. Lyra was still young though, so he planned to hold off on giving the notebooks to her for a few more years.

With a tired sigh, he put everything back and closed the suitcase, returning it under his bed before starting his nightly routine.

As he laid in bed that night, his thoughts circled back to Granger, wonderingwhyshe'd accepted their invite to dinner… and if she would accept his apology for how he treated her all those years ago.

The following morning, Lyra was practically buzzing with excitement as she fidgeted in her at the table.

"Do you think she'll come over earlier than six?" she asked as Draco set her breakfast in front of her.

"Probably not," he said.

"We should've told her to come earlier, like…. after lunch," she said as she shoveled eggs in her mouth.

Draco watched his daughter in amusem*nt as she ate. "We have errands to run and things to do before she comes over," Draco reminded her, digging into his own meal. "Time will go by fast, don't worry."

"I know, I'm justsoexcited!" Lyra said. "I've never met another person with magic before, besides Gramma Cissy. Do you think I should draw her a picture? I'm going to draw her a picture. Maybe with a rainbow, since I don't know her favorite color. I wonder if she has any pets. Should I make up ones for the picture? How about a unicorn? Or maybe a puppy…. Do you think we can stop at the pet store later and look at the puppies?"

Draco was used to how fast Lyra could hop from one subject to another and fire question after question nodded absently in agreement while he ate. But at her last question, he stopped and narrowed his eyes.

"Trying to be sneaky I see," he said, pointing a forkful of eggs at her.

Lyra giggled. "Can we, though? I just want tolookat them."

"'Looking' always ends up with you falling in love with a puppy and me having to say no. So I'm just going to say it now—no."

"Pleeease, daddy," she begged.

"Lyra, I said no," he said more firmly.

"But—"

Draco raised a brow, cutting off her entreaties. Lyra went back to eating her eggs, mumbling, "Okay, fine."

Draco shook his head as he finished his breakfast. Lyra had been asking for a puppy since she was nearly three. It wasn't that he didn't like animals, on the contrary, he liked them just fine seeing as how he grew up with dogs and cats at the Manor. However, with him out of the house all day while Lyra was at school, he was afraid what a dog would do to their house in their absence.

He knew, eventually, he'd give in, but only when the time was right.

"Come on, Princess," he said with a smile when they were both done with their meal. "Let's get ready to head out. I need to stop by the shop and check on a few things before we do our other errands"

"Can we get Miss Hermione something from the shop?"

Draco thought about it as he put the dishes in the sink. "That's not a bad idea. Now, go on and get dressed."

Lyra smiled widely at him before she bounded up the stairs.

As Draco followed, he thought about how nice it would be to not have to hide who he truly was , and hoped that having Granger over for dinner wouldn't be a complete disaster—-for both him and Lyra's sake.

Chapter 6: Dinner at the Malfoy's

Chapter Text

The morning sun rose over the Atlantic Ocean and the inky sky turned into varying shades of pink and oranges. The water reflected the colors and they intensified as the sun rose higher.

With a steaming mug of tea, Hermione watched the sunrise from her porch, her legs tucked under her as she sat on the small wicker chair. Even though her porch was a ways from the water, it still afforded her a decent view.

The past few days had been both busy and fulfilling. She'd started her job at Sherman's, instantly thrown into the manager role, working alongside the owners.

What better way to learn than to do? Mrs. Curtis had told her, and Hermione agreed.

She learned how to work the registers, create and update spreadsheets, learned about the different vendors, employee schedules, how to fill orders, and so much more.

She was exhausted by the end of each day but she felt deliriously happy at the same time.

It was Saturday and her first day off in four days. She planned to relax and enjoy her tea for a while then head into town to run some errands.

Shakespeare hooted from a nearby tree and flew down to perch on the railing.

"Have a good night hunting?" Hermione asked the owl as she reached out to run her hand down his feathers. He hooted softly in response.

He had warmed up to her quickly, she thought, once he realized she wasn't going to keep him in a cage. She'd yet to actually use him to deliver letters, instead wanting to gain his trust first, but thought maybe it was time to try him out. She had a letter to Harry and Ginny she penned the day before, telling them all about her new job.

She'd left Malfoy, and their impending dinner, out of the letter for now. She wasn't sure if he wanted anyone to know where he was and wanted to respect his privacy, especially since it concerned not only him, but Lyra as well.

For reasons she couldn't quite place, Hermione felt protective of Lyra, and if Draco didn't want anyone to know where he was, then she'd honor that.

Shakespeare started to doze on the railing and Hermione smiled at him as she finally uncurled her legs and stood.

"Rest up, Shakespeare," she said softly. "I have a letter to send tonight, and it's quite a long journey."

The owl hooted in response then returned to the tree as before.

Hermione stretched her arms as she walked back into her house, set her mug in the sink, then went upstairs to get ready for her day.

Eggs. Milk. Cocoa powder. Sugar. Flour.

She rattled off the ingredient list in her head as she walked the aisle of the grocery store, collecting what she'd need to make the chocolate cake that she'd promised a little girl she would bring to dinner that night.

She supposed she could have gone the easy route and bought a premade cake, or even gotten a box mix that only needed three ingredients, but she decided to make it from scratch. That was the way her mother used to do it, though it had been years since Hermione had done much baking. If she were honest with herself, she was mostly curious if she remembered how to do it. If all else failed, she could always buy a cake before heading to the Malfoy's.

As Hermione drove home, she was surprised to find she wasn't nervous about joining them for dinner. It had been years since she'd seen Malfoy, but she didn't feel hesitant in the slightest. After all, they'd both grown up. And his daughter was adorable. No one with a little girl like that could still be the monumental git he'd been at Hogwarts—or at least she hoped.

Once home, she gathered all the ingredients and placed them on the counter. She sifted the flour, measured out the sugar, and cracked the eggs. The process came back to her as if it were muscle memory.

While the cake was in the oven, Hermione set about making the buttercream frosting, also chocolate, as well as the filling, which consisted of fresh, sliced strawberries combined with homemade whipped cream—her personal favorite.

Once the cake finished baking and cooled down, she added the filling and started the task of icing it. As a finishing touch, she added three large strawberries on the top, one for each of them. She didn't use a lick of magic and she was proud of the results.

She glanced at the clock to find she needed to head out shortly. With a squeak of surprise, Hermione rushed upstairs for a quick shower—it wouldn't do good to go over covered in flour and smelling of chocolate.

An hour later, Hermione pulled up in front of Malfoy's house. As she exited her vehicle, she heard a deep chuckle from the porch. She glanced up to find Draco leaning against the door frame, arms crossed loosely over his chest.

"Really, Granger? Could you be any more of a Gryffindor with that obnoxiously red car?"

Hermione planted her fists on her hips. "For your information, I've wanted a red VW Bug since I was a child—longbeforeI was sorted, thank you very much."

Draco laughed again and raised his hands in surrender. "My apologies."

A head of blond, curly hair peered around Draco and Lyra's face split into a huge grin. "Miss Hermione! You're finally here!"

Lyra bounded down the steps to greet her. "Is this your car?! I like how red it is."

Hermione couldn't help but look up at Draco and gave him a knowing smirk before looking back at Lyra. "Thank you. I do too."

Hermione opened the passenger side and picked up the container that held their dessert. "I brought chocolate cake, as requested."

"Yay!" Lyra jumped up and down in excitement.

"Alright, Lyra. Let Miss Hermione come inside," Draco said, amused by his daughter's enthusiasm.

"Come on." Lyra grabbed Hermione's free hand and pulled her towards the house. "Daddy made sure I picked up all my toys before you came over and he even usedmagicto clean so you didn't think we lived like slobs."

"Lyra." Draco pinched the bridge of his nose.

Hermione chuckled and whispered as she passed him. "She's adorable."

"She's something alright," he muttered, following them in and shutting the door. "Would you like a glass of wine? I have a Merlot breathing in the kitchen right now. Or if you prefer, a bottle of elf-made wine that I keep for when my mother visits?"

Hermione barely had time to request the elf wine before she was pulled further into the house.

The living room was cozy, with cream colored walls, dark blue curtains and a chocolate-colored leather sofa with two end tables on either side. The walls had framed pictures, mostly of Lyra, but a few contained Draco as well. The living room was next to the open kitchen and dining area so that Draco could see Lyra anywhere within the first floor, which made sense for the parent of a young child.

Overall, the home felt light and airy and Hermione couldn't help but smile.

As Lyra pointed out her favorite spot to color and where her father liked to read, Draco emerged from behind the kitchen counter with two glasses of wine, handing her one.

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip and looking around once more as Lyra ran off. "Your home is lovely."

"Thank you. My mother helped decorate when I first got here. But not much has changed since then, except for Lyra's room which went from a nursery, to a toddler room, to a big kid room… all too fast for my liking."

"I bet," Hermione said with a chuckle, taking another sip of her wine. "Kids tend to grow up rather quickly. How old is she?"

"She turned six back in March, but if you ask her, she's six-and-a-half."

Lyra returned with a piece of paper in her hand and brandished it towards Hermione, waving it in her face excitedly. "I made this for you. Look! There's Daddy, and me, and you!" she said proudly.

Hermione took the drawing and smiled at the three people holding hands under a rainbow.

"It's beautiful," she said sincerely. "I'm going to put it on my fridge as soon as I get home."

Lyra's smile only widened, pleased with herself. Then she turned to Draco. "Daddy, did you apologize to Miss Hermione yet?"

Hermione frowned and looked between father and daughter. "Apologize? For what?"

Lyra huffed and crossed her arms. "Because he was a bully to you in school," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Hermione gave Draco a curious look. "You… you told her that?"

His chin dipped briefly in a nod. "I did."

She continued to look at him as he turned to Lyra. "Princess, can you go set the table while I talk to Miss Hermione?"

"Alright. I'm going to have you sit next to me, Miss Hermione, Daddy said it was okay."

When Lyra went off towards the kitchen, Draco motioned with his head for Hermione to follow as he sat on the couch.

Once they were both seated, the blond wizard ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I've always made a point to be as honest as possible with Lyra. So, when she asked if you and I were friends at school, I told her the truth—that I was raised to think Muggle-borns were lesser than purebloods and I was mean and treated her horribly because of that."

"And… you don't anymore?" Hermione asked curiously.

He shook his head as he stared into his wine glass. "No. I haven't thought that for a while, honestly, not when you were clearly the smartest witch in that whole school."

Hermione hid her blush by taking a sip of her drink. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you just complimented me."

Draco smirked before he turned to her and looked at her seriously. "Iamsorry, by the way. For being such an arsehole to you at Hogwarts. That couldn't have been easy, dealing with learning you're a witch as well as dealing with people like me."

"No, it wasn't easy," Hermione agreed. Then she shrugged and added, "But, it made me stronger. So, apology accepted," she said, tilting her glass towards him. "To starting over?"

Draco clinked his glass against hers and finally let his smile come out. "To starting over."

Dinner was pleasant and the company even more so. Hermione was completely smitten with the little girl sitting to her right, who was currently regaling her with a tale of what happened on the playground at school the day before.

"And so Dylantriple-dog-daredRider to eat the worm and guess what? He did!" she exclaimed excitedly, as she twirled a large portion of pasta on her fork and then took a bite. "It wa'soogross" she said with a mouthful of food.

"What's gross is you talking with your mouth full." Draco gave Lyra a pointed look.

Lyra grinned sheepishly and Hermione had to hide the chuckle that slipped out behind a napkin.

"Do you like school?" Hermione asked her.

Lyra nodded and made sure to swallow her food before answering. "Yeah! I'm in first grade and my teacher issonice! She lets me read chapter books when everyone else is still working on their worksheets."

Hermione looked impressed. "You're reading chapter books already?"

Lyra nodded. "Yup! Mrs. Gates says I'm the bestest reader in the whole first grade."

Hermione chuckled. "You sound like me as a child. I was always reading anything I could get my hands on."

Lyra beamed at Hermione. "Me too!" She took a sip of her milk. "Do you have any pets? I want a puppy but daddy keeps telling me no. Ifyouget a puppy, maybe I can come over and play with it some time."

Hermione chuckled. "Actually, I just got an owl the other day when I visited Dirigo Square."

"Anowl? That's so cool!" Lyra said. "Dad said he used to have an owl, but we can't have one here because it would be too 'spicious."

"Suspicious," Draco corrected her.

"Yeah, that. So how comeyouhave one?"

"Well, I live by a lot of trees and my neighbors aren't so close, so an owl won't alarm anyone."

"Can I meet him? What's his name?"

"His name is Shakespeare—" Hermione ignored the light snicker that came from Draco, "—and as long as your dad says it's okay, sure."

"Cool! Do you have any other pets?"

"No, just him, but I was thinking of getting another cat someday. I used to have one, but he passed away last year and I miss having one around."

"Maybe we can go with you, and I can look at the puppies while you get a cat."

"Why don't we have dessert?" Draco cut in, an attempt to change the subject.

"Yeah!" Lyra rapidly agreed.

Draco stood and gathered the plates while Lyra told Hermione about what type of puppy she wanted.

"You do know that puppies grow up, right? They don't stay little forever," Hermione pointed out.

Lyra scrunched up her nose. "That's what my dad says."

"Well, that's because I have a point," Draco interjected as he walked back into the room.

Before Lyra could argue, he placed a slice of cake in front of her and her eyes grew wide and her smile seemed to grow even more.

Hermione couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Lyra shovel the cake into her mouth.

"This is so good!" she said with a full mouth.

Draco sampled a bite from his own slice and gave a nod of agreement. "Not bad, Granger." He took another bite, bigger this time. "Not bad at all. You might just be invited again now that we know you can make chocolate cake like this."

Hermione beamed, happy that the cake turned out just as she'd hoped, and started on her own slice.

"So, I've been curious," Draco started. "How exactly did you come to find yourself here in Bar Harbor?"

"It's really not that interesting," Hermione said with a slight shrug. "I put a map on the wall, closed my eyes, and threw a dart and it landed in Maine. I decided I wanted to live near the ocean so I read all the coastal town names and this one stuck out. Shortly after, I packed up my things and moved here."

"Just like that?"

"Well, I talked about it at length with Ginny, Harry, and Ron beforehand, so it wasn't completely out of the blue. But besides them, I didn't have anyone or anything in London that I needed to stay for. So, I quit my job at the Ministry and let my landlord know I was moving out, packed up my things and bought a plane ticket."

"How do you like it here so far?"

"Oh I just love it," she gushed. "A few days before I ran into you was the first time I'd really been able to go out to check out the town and shops since it rained so much when I first arrived and I didn't have a car yet. But, from what I've seen and read about the area, I have a feeling I'm going to love it here."

"Daddy owns one of the shops in town," Lyra informed. "Stardust Alpaca…..Appaco…"

"Apothecary?" Hermione asked as she turned to Draco. "You own that shop? What a small world—I just started a job next door, at Sherman's."

"Small world indeed," Draco said. "Lyra, why don't you get Miss Hermione what you picked out for her."

"Oh, right!" Lyra wiped the crumbs of chocolate cake off her face with a napkin before she went into a room off of the kitchen and came back with a small, sparkly gift bag.

"Daddy told me to pick out one thing from the shop, but I told him you needed two things, one from me and one from him. I picked out the candle," Lyra said proudly.

Hermione lifted up the light purple candle with etched carvings of lavender right on the wax. "It's beautiful," she said and brought it up to her nose to smell it. "Is that lavender and… vanilla?" she asked Draco.

"It is. It's also infused with small amounts of elements similar to Draught of Peace."

"Really?" Hermione asked, impressed. "You'll have to tell me later how you came up with that idea."

"There's something else in the bag too," Lyra reminded her. "Daddy picked it out."

Hermione reached in and found a container of cream inside.

"It's one of my best sellers amongst women. It's a face cream that hydrates and helps get rid of blemishes. Not thatyouneed it," he added. "There's no scent to it so it won't clash with any other perfumes or lotions one might wear."

"Smart," she mused, unscrewing the top to look at the cream. "And practical. I can see why it would be a bestseller."

"Which one do you like best?" Lyra asked.

"Oh, well, it's not a contest. Both are very thoughtful gifts."

"I know. But if itwere…. Which was your favorite?"

Hermione pretended to think about it before she poked Lyra's side, making her giggle. "I'd have to say yours."

"Told you, dad!" Lyra said triumphantly.

"So you did," Draco conceded, and Hermione saw the amusem*nt in his eyes. "I guess I'll have to do better next time. Would you like a refill?" he asked her, nodding towards her empty wine glass.

"Just half a glass more. I still need to drive home in a bit."

Draco nodded and poured them each some more wine before gathering the dessert dishes.

"So, Miss Lyra," Hermione said, facing the girl once more and taking both of her hands into her own. "You wanted me to come over because you want to talk about things that you can't talk about outside, is that right?"

Lyra's face lit up. "Yes! Things like magic and Hogwarts and wands! Doyouhave a wand?"

"It just so happens, I do." She glanced over at Draco. "Is it okay if I show her?"

At his nod, she got up and led Lyra towards the living room where she'd set down her handbag. It no longer seemed odd not having to carry it on her person all the time as she once did, a habit she'd maintained even after the war.

"Watch this," Hermione said to Lyra, her eyes twinkling.

She opened the bag and stuck her whole arm inside.

Lyra's eyes grew as large as saucers as she gasped. "How'd you do that?"

"Undetectable Extension Charm," both Hermione and Draco said in unison.

Hermione glanced at Draco and smiled before looking at Lyra again. "It's a charm that lets me put more things inside than would normally fit. Aha! Here it is."

She held up her wand.

"Oh, it's so pretty!' Lyra said, reaching out, then drew her hand back. "Can I touch it? Daddy says I have to ask before I touch anyone's wand and I should never use one that isn't mine without asking."

"Your dad is correct," Hermione said, holding the wand in both of her palms face up. "You can hold it, but just be very careful, okay?"

Lyra nodded as she lifted the vinewood wand from Hermione.

"It's lighter than daddy's, and longer," she said and brought it closer to her face. "I like the carvings on it."

"Me too," Hermione said. "I remember when I got it from Mr. Ollivander. He's a wandmaker in London. It seemed like forever ago, but also not so long ago either."

Lyra gave her a puzzled look. "That doesn't make sense."

Hermione laughed. "One day you'll understand. Do you have any more questions for me?"

"Loads!" Lyra said enthusiastically, and spent the next hour peppering Hermione with any and all questions that came to mind.

Chapter 7: Lazy Lounge Day

Chapter Text

As Lyra interrogated their dinner guest, Draco took a seat on the other end of the couch and listened. One could learn a lot, just by remaining silent—a lesson he wished he'd learned at a younger age. He found out that the witch's favorite color was dark purple, the first spell she learned wasLumos, followed byNox, and her favorite book was a tie betweenMatildaandHogwarts: A History. He even got an in-depth description of the Gryffindor common room and what their dorms looked like—Draco was surprised how the Gryffindor's of their year were grouped together in one room while Slytherins all had separate rooms.

When it was nearly an hour past his daughter's usual bedtime, Draco informed Lyra it was time for bed.

She grumbled at first and begged to stay up 'just a little bit longer'but Granger convinced her to go by promising one more spell, but only if she got ready quickly.

As Lyra ran upstairs, Draco leaned over. "Thank you. She's loving this. I've told her about the Wizarding world of course, but I think hearing it from another person makes it more exciting."

"She's such a treasure, truly. Has she shown any signs of magic yet?"

"Here and there, especially when she was younger. Toddlers with magical powers having tantrums result in some pretty interesting accidents."

"I can imagine," Granger mused. "No issues at school though?"

Draco shook his head. "No, thank Merlin. She loves her school and her friends. I'm not sure what I'd do if she accidentally used magic there."

"I'm sure MACUSA has protocols in place, just like the Ministry for Magic, which usually involves the obliviating of the Muggles," Granger informed. "Depending on the severity of what happened, it might also mean relocation for you."

Draco nodded as he drank the last of his wine and set the glass down. "I know all that. I meant what I'd do about Lyra." He turned his head to make sure she wasn't coming back down the stairs. "She'd be heartbroken if we had to leave. Bar Harbor is all she's known—she grew up here."

"Why didyoumove here?" she asked.

"It was suggested to me by a family member," he said, then tilted his head as he heard his daughter coming back down the stairs and lowered his voice. "I can explain later."

Granger nodded then looked up and smiled at Lyra as she entered the room again, dressed in purple pajamas with cats all over them.

"I'm ready!" Lyra said, sitting next to the older witch once more. "Do you like my pajamas? I picked them out because they're your favorite color and because you like cats."

Hermione seemed equally enamored. "I love them! They're very cute."

"Can you do your spell now?"

Granger nodded then picked up the empty wine class Draco had set down and used her wand to transfigure it into a glass jar.

"Wow! That's neat!"

Granger chuckled. "Thanks, but there's more. Watch…" She whisperedfrigus ignisand a blue flame sparked to life within the jar.

"Wow…" Lyra looked at Granger with wide, mystified eyes. "Can I hold it?"

Granger smiled and handed her the jar. "It's a cold flame, so it won't burn you. It will only last a few hours but I figured you could place it in your room like a night-light."

"Can I, Dad?" Lyra asked.

He couldn't resist her charms. "Sure, Princess. But, now it's really time for bed. Why don't you say goodnight to Miss Hermione and thank her for coming over."

Lyra handed Draco the jar so she could use both arms to hug Granger, burying her face in the witch's curls.

"Thank you for coming over," Lyra said, her voice muffled.

Granger hugged Lyra back, a soft smile on her lips as she cuddled his daughter. "You're very welcome. Thank you for inviting me."

"Can we have dinner at your house next time?" Lyra asked when she finally let go.

"Lyra, it's not polite to invite yourself over to someone else's house," Draco scolded.

"Sorry." She looked out of the corner of her eye towards Granger. "But, can we?"

Draco sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Lyra…"

Granger took it in stride. "I'll talk to your father about it, okay?" Then she lowered her voice just above a whisper. "But you should probably head to bed before you get in trouble."

Lyra giggled, taking the jar back from her father and heading to the stairs.

"I'll be up in a moment to tuck you in." Draco stood. "I'm just going to see Miss Hermione out."

Lyra took one step up and turned. "Are you going to kiss her goodnight?"

Stunned at the question, Draco froze. It wasn't until Granger stifled a laugh that he realized his daughter was still expecting an answer.

"Erm, no. I'm not going to kiss her."

"Oh. Well, you should." Then she hustled up the stairs.

Granger, who was covering her mouth and with laughter in her eyes, had turned a light shade of pink.

"I'm sorry—" he started but the witch finally let out a laugh and waved him off.

"It's fine. Honestly." She slung her bag onto her shoulder and headed outside

When they reached the car, Draco paused. "Thank you, again, for coming. I'm sure Lyra will be talking about this dinner nonstop for the next couple weeks."

Granger chuckled as she opened the passenger side door and tossed her bag inside. "Thanks for inviting me. I had a good time as well," she said, rounding to the driver's side. "Well, I guess I'll see you around, considering we work next to each other."

This time, Draco let out a chuckle. "I suppose so. See you around, Granger."

He'd started walking back to his house when he heard her call his name. He turned and raised a brow in her direction.

"You know you can call me Hermione, right?" she said, her eyes twinkling with amusem*nt. "I mean, after all, I did have dinner at your house."

Draco leaned against the doorframe and pretended to think about her suggestion. "I think I'll stick with Granger. Much less of a mouthful," he teased.

With a laugh, she slipped into her car, waved, and drove off down the street.

Draco watched until she turned the corner, then went upstairs to find Lyra settled in bed, reading a book. She looked up at him as he entered. "So, did you kiss her?"

Draco shook his head and turned off her light. In the dark, the bluebell flame bathed the room in a soft glow. He sat on the edge of her bed and brushed some of her curls from her face. "No, I did not. Miss Hermione and I are just becoming friends."

"Oh. Well, maybe next time. Do you think Miss Hermione likes me?"

"Of course she does." Draco didn't hesitate to answer.

"Good," Lyra said. She let out a yawn and closed her eyes, snuggling Otis to her. "Because I think she might be my mom."

Draco frowned slightly as he watched his daughter drift off to sleep. He'd have to ask her in the morning why she thought Granger was her mum.

He had told her, of course, that he wasn't sure who her mother was and, maybe because she was still too young to understand, she'd never questioned him about it.

Hadn't he just told Lyra the other day that he and Granger didn't get along in school? Apparently such things were of no matter when it came to the mind of a six-year old girl.

After Draco left Lyra's room and closed her door, he walked down the hall to the last bedroom, which was magically locked and, in the off-chance he somehow left it open, an age line was placed to keep out his curious little girl.

His house boasted five bedrooms, which was more than needed for the two of them, but he put all the rooms to use. The master bedroom was his, as was the room next to it which was Lyra's. His mother claimed one for her visits and the downstairs bedroom was converted into an office.

The fifth bedroom he used a potions lab as well a place where he prepped ingredients for his brewing. Even though he didn't use the potions from his lab in the products he sold to Muggles, he enjoyed the hobby and made various potions to donate to the hospital in Dirigo Square when he visited.

As he did every night, he walked around and checked the cauldrons that were simmering, adjusting temperatures and adding ingredients as needed. One potion, Calming Draught, was ready to be bottled, but Draco set that aside to work on preparing ingredients for another he was planning on starting the following day.

It may be tedious to some, but Draco liked the methodology of slicing, crushing, weighing, and measuring ingredients. He turned on the Muggle radio to listen to music—he found he quite liked rock, Aerosmith especially—and lost himself in his work.

The next morning, as Lyra jumped onto Draco's bed to wake him up, she asked if she could have a slice of cake for breakfast.

"Cake? For breakfast?" he asked groggily as he grabbed his daughter and tucked her into his side, hoping for a few more minutes of sleep.

"It's basically like a donut, just a different shape."

"I suppose you have a valid point," he mused, knowing that she'd probably thought about this before asking. He sat up and stretched. "Well, I guess cake for breakfast it is then."

"Really?! Yes!"

Draco watched in amusem*nt as his daughter shoveled cake in her mouth a few moments later. He took his own bite of breakfast-cake and hummed in thought. "We should thank Miss Hermione for making so much cake so that we could get a breakfast out of it," he said.

As soon as he mentioned the witch's name, memories about what Lyra said the night before came to mind.

"Speaking of her… Do you remember what you said before you fell asleep?"

Lyra looked up and frowned. "No."

"You said you thought she was your mother," he said carefully, gauging her reaction. "Is there any particular reason why?"

Lyra bit her lip as she looked down and her fork pushed around some cake crumbs. "I just… I had thisfeelingafter I saw her at the Farmers Market, that…that I know her from somewhere."

"Princess, that's impossible," he explained softly. "You were only a baby when you were in England and even then, she never met you. Plus, remember when I said that I wasn't nice to her in school?"

Lyra nodded, still not looking at him. "Yeah…"

"So that means she and I were never in a relationship to have had you," he explained.

Lyra's brows furrowed as she finally looked up at him. "Do youhaveto be in a relationship to have a baby?"

"Well, it's usually preferred, yes," he said. "Though sometimes it does happen by accident when two people are not in a relationship."

Lyra perked up. "So that means itcouldhave happened?"

Draco shook his head. "No, love, it couldn't have. Not between Miss Hermione and myself. There's something that a mum and dad have to do to make a baby and we didn't do that."

"What do you have to do?" she asked curiously.

"Thatis a conversation that needs to be had at a later time, when you're older."

"ButDaaaaaaad."

"Lyra," Draco said with a tired sigh. "Not now, okay?"

Lyra huffed. "Fine."

She drank her milk then slowly looked up and smiled at him mischievously. "If I'm right about Miss Hermione being my mom, can I get a puppy?"

Draco took their empty plates to the sink. "Princess, if you're right, you can havetwopuppies."

"Yes!" she said under her breath, loud enough to make Draco chuckle and shake his head.

"Alright, why don't you go pick out a movie to watch and we'll start Lazy Lounge Day."

"Can we watch The Little Mermaid?" she asked hopefully.

Draco raised a brow at her. "Again? Haven't you watched it enough that you can say all the words at this point?" he teased.

Lyra giggled then nodded. "It's my favorite princess movie because she only has a daddy, just like me.Pleeeeeeese, can we watch it?" she begged, sticking out her bottom lip and batting her eyelashes.

Draco rolled his eyes comically. "Fine, I suppose."

Lyra cheered then went to the living room to put the movie into the DVD player.

Draco had come up with Lazy Lounge Day a few years ago, making an entire day of just watching movies, reading books, or doing whatever Lyra wanted to do. As a child, he was never allowed a "lazy day"—his days were always filled with lessons of some sort, whether it was languages, dance classes, or reading old, dusty, boring books from the Malfoy library. He wanted Lyra to have a better childhood than that.

After the dishes were done, Draco sat on the couch and Lyra snuggled into him before she sighed contentedly.

This, right here, was why he endured watching this movie for the hundredth time, so long as it made his daughter happy.

"You know," he said after watching the movie for a few minutes, "realmermaids don't look like that. They look more like fish with arms and their hair looks like seaweed."

"Shhh!" Lyra said, jabbing him playfully with her elbow. "No talking during the movie….unless you're singing along."

Draco chuckled, then picked up a book that was on the side table and read while his daughter sang with Ariel.

Chapter 8: Mr. Sexy-Pants

Chapter Text

Despite working next door to each other, Hermione didn't run into Draco for four days. She wondered if he was avoiding her and was worried that maybe dinner at his place didn't go as well as she thought it did.

Perhaps she stepped over the line with Lyra somehow or said something inappropriate.

She went over all the conversations she'd had with both Draco and Lyra but couldn't find anything that stuck out. She knew she could have reached out too—popped by to say hello, but she wasn't quite comfortable, assuming that he was upset with her and didn't want to make it awkward.

At least she was busy. Most days, she worked open to close at the bookstore, getting accustomed to her new role. If she tried to keep an eye out for the blond wizard from the windows, she never seemed to spot him.

On Thursday, she went into work early to grab coffee and a croissant from the bakery, and, if she was honest with herself, she still hoped to spot Draco, if only to ask him how Lyra was seeing as couldn't get the charming little girl out of her mind. She was surprised however, when she literally ran into him coming out of the coffee shop just as she was headed in.

"Oh!" she said after nearly making him spill his coffee. "Sorry, I didn't mean to run into you. Well, actually, Iwashoping to run into you, but not in the literal sense, just that I was looking for you, and…and I'm rambling," she said, catching the amusem*nt in his eyes.

"It's alright, Granger." He held up his to-go cup. "The lid is still intact, so no harm done."

"Good. That's… good," she said, suddenly feeling awkward.

He lifted a brow in her direction as he took a sip of his coffee. "You said you were looking for me? Any particular reason why?"

"Yes. Well, no. Not really. I just hadn't seen you around since I had dinner at your place and I was worried if perhaps I did something to make you upset, or I overstepped with Lyra, or…"

Draco frowned then tugged her to the side so they weren't standing directly in front of the coffee shop's door. "You did nothing of the sort. I've just been busy, is all. I wasn't going out of my way to avoid you."

Hermione let out a small sigh of relief then smiled at him. "Okay. Good. I'm glad to hear that."

Draco motioned to the one of the small tables that was set up outside. "Why don't you get your coffee and maybe we can talk?"

Hermione nodded. "I'd like that, thanks. I'll be just a moment."

She ordered a coffee for herself then decided to buy two croissants as well, and offered him one when she returned.

"Thank you." He bit into the flakey pastry-bread. "They make the best scones and muffins here, too. If you haven't already, you should try their cranberry orange scones."

"I'll be sure to try them," she said, taking a bite of her own croissant. "I'm actually glad I ran into you, because I wanted to make due with my promise to Lyra and invite you both over to my place this weekend. If you're not busy, that is."

"Aside from the Farmers Market Saturday afternoon, we're free. Unless Lyra invited Emma over for a playdate without asking….again."

Hermione smiled. "I assume that happens often?"

Draco sighed and shook his head. "Too often. Thankfully, Emma's a sweet girl, so it's not really an issue. I feel bad for her parents when Lyra decides she's going to their house though."

Hermione let out a laugh and swatted his arm playfully, "Stop it. Lyra's precious."

"No argument there." He smiled before he took a sip of his coffee. "I'd been debating bringing this up, but I'd be remiss if I didn't at least warn you about something Lyra told me."

Hermione raised a brow. "Oh? What's that?"

"She told me she thinks you're her mother. Don't worry," he added quickly, "I've told her that that's not possible, but… she can be insistent and I don't want it to be a surprise if she brings it up."

Hermione looked at him curiously. "Doesn't she know that her mother died during the battle?"

Draco frowned. "Why do you think that?"

"Well, I heard about what happened to Daphne Greengrass…" Her voice trailed off as Draco's frown deepened.

"Daphne wasn't Lyra's mother."

"Oh." She hadn't known this. She, Harry, and Ron had been elsewhere, and in the grand scheme of things that had happened that day, she'd never questioned the popular narrative.

"I can understand why you'd think that though," he added. "Considering those who were in the Great Hall saw her hand me a baby."

"If you don't mind me prying, whoisher mother, if not Daphne?"

Draco took a sip of his coffee before he answered. "I don't know. Daphne died before she could tell me who her mother was."

Hermione frowned. "I don't mean to be insensitive, but, how do younotknow who she is?"

His eyes never left hers as he took another sip of his drink. "I just don't. I have theories as to why that is, but it's not a discussion to have in public."

Nodding in understanding, Hermione reached over and placed her hand on top of his. "I'm sorry, Draco."

Draco's eyes shifted briefly to her hand but didn't move his from under hers. "Thank you, but there's nothing to be sorry for. Lyra knows that I don't know who her mother is. I'm thankful that she's young enough to not ask too many questions about it right now because I'm not sure what I would tell her."

Hermione nodded and moved her hands to wrap them around her cup, warming them up. She bit her lip as she contemplated on asking the question that was on the forefront of her mind, but was unsure if she should.

She looked up to see Draco watching her, and, as if sensing her curiosity, shrugged once more. "So…. Saturday? My place, around six?"

The corner of Draco's mouth twitched up slightly. "Six works. Lyra will be ecstatic."

Hermione beamed at him. "I can't wait." A quick glance at her watch had her jolting in surprise.

"Oh! I've got to run." She reached into her bag and pulled out a pen and a scrap of paper and wrote her information quickly on it. "Here's my address and phone number, in case you need to get a hold of me for some reason."

Draco took the paper and after a quick glance, placed it in the pocket of his jacket. "Thanks."

Hermione felt better, lighter even, after talking with Draco. She couldn't pinpoint why she needed to see him and confirm that everything was okay, only that sheneededto.

As Hermione pinned on her name tag, one of the other employees, Rachel, came up next to her and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Sooooo…what's going on between you and Mr. Sexy-Pants?"

Hermione rounded the counter to make sure the register was ready for the day. "Who?"

"Don't play dumb," Rachel teased, leaning on her elbows. "I saw you having coffee with that hot British dude that works next door."

Hermione laughed. "Oh that. Well, his name is Draco, as you probably know,notMr. Sexy-Pants; and we were just having a conversation."

"Well, I still find it rather serendipitous how the only two British people in our town happen to have coffee with each other as if they've known each other for years."

"Well, we do, actually. We went to school together."

Rachel's eyes widened. "No sh*t? That's even more serendipitous!"

"I think the word you're looking for is coincidental." Hermione turned on the "OPEN" sign in the window. "And yes, we discussed how strange it was that we both moved here last weekend."

"You guys went on a date?!"

"No, no. Nothing like that. I had dinner at his place with him and his daughter. She's actually the one who invited me over. She wanted to know about what it's like living… in London, and what her dad was like back then."

Rachel picked up a box of new books that needed to be shelved, and turned back. "Still. Very serendipitous."

Hermione rolled her eyes at the young lady before shoo-ing her off as the first customer of the day walked in.

After an entire week of working long hours, Hermione tucked herself into bed early Friday night. She was just about to turn off the bedside lamp when her phonepingedwith an incoming text.

Apologies for the late message, but Lyra is insisting I ask if we should bring dessert tomorrow.

Hermione smiled and was in the middle of responding when another message came through.

This is Draco, by the way.

Shaking her head, she deleted what she was typing and started over.

Thanks for clarifying, I was confused about another Lyra who was also coming over tomorrow. Haha.
If you want to bring a dessert that's fine. I was planning on baking chocolate chip cookies, but I can do that another time.

Less than a minute passed before a response came through.

Cheeky.
Bake the cookies.
We'll bring something to go along with them.

Well now you have me curious...
What goes along with chocolate chip cookies besides milk?

I guess you'll have to wait to find out.

Now who's being cheeky?

Hermione rested her head on her pillow with her cell phone in her hand, waiting for his response. She was nearly asleep when itpingedten minutes later.

Sorry, I was putting Lyra to bed, which was difficult because she's excited about tomorrow.

It's alright. I am also heading to bed. It's been a long week.

Should we reschedule? If you're tired I understand.

Don't be silly. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. It'll be fun.

To answer your earlier question, I'm never cheeky.
An arse, yes. But not cheeky.

Hermione giggle-snorted.

No argument there.
Tell Lyra goodnight for me.

I will do no such thing.
She's nearly asleep and me relaying the message will amp her up.
I will tell her in the morning.

Spoil-sport.
Goodnight, Draco.

G'night, Granger.

"Hi Miss Hermione!" Lyra waved enthusiastically as she got out of the car.

Hermione smiled from her spot on the front porch, where she sat reading a book, waiting for her guests to arrive.

"Hello, Lyra!"

"Guess what?!" Lyra ran up the walkway and onto the porch.

Hermione laughed. "What?" She smiled at Draco in greeting before turning her attention to Lyra again.

"It's almost Halloween! And Daddy said tomorrow I can pick out my costume!"

"That sounds like fun!" Hermione responded with equal enthusiasm. "What do you want to be?"

"I'm not sure yet," she said with a frown. "Emma said she's going as the pink Power Ranger and her brother is going to be Spiderman. Iwasthinking of going as Ariel or Belle, but Olivia is going as Belle and Caylee is going as Ariel and I don't want to match with them because we get to wear our costumes to school and I want to choose something that no one else will be."

"I see," said Hermione. "Well, I bet you'll find something that's perfect and unique. Just. Like. You," she said, tapping Lyra's nose at each word.

Lyra giggled. "Are you going to dress up too?"

"Maybe," Hermione said as she stood up. "But like you, I don't know what I want to be."

"You could be a bookworm," Draco suggested.

Hermione looked over at him and rolled her eyes even though a smile formed on her lips. "Ha. Ha. Very funny,Malfoy."

Draco shrugged. "I like to think so."

Hermione shook her head and held out a hand for Lyra. "Come on, I think the cookies should be cooled. You can help me taste-test them." She then looked at Draco and pointed. "But not you."

"Hey—!"

"Youcan wait until after dinner."

As she led a giggling Lyra inside, Draco followed behind them, trying to plead his case for a fresh-out-of-the-oven cookie.

Hermione ignored him and instead poked at the princess backpack that Lyra was wearing. "What's in here?"

"Oh, Daddy said I may get bored here because you won't have toys or kids stuff. So I brought some things."

While Hermione used a spatula to loosen the cookies, Lyra pulled out a variety of objects from within her backpack.

"I have a few books, crayons, paper, a couple of dolls, and the Beauty and the Beast movie. It's my favorite princess movie because Belle only has a daddy, just like me," she informed.

"That's one of my favorite movies too," Hermione said as she put the cookies on the cooling rack.

"Can we watch it later?" Lyra asked with a hopeful smile.

"Perhaps, though that's up to your dad and how long he plans for you two to stay after dinner."

Lyra looked at Draco and clasped her hands together. "Pleeeeeease?"

"I don't know…" He rested his chin in his hand as if he were thinking. "I might need something to help me make my decision," he suggested, motioning his head at the cookies.

Hermione laughed as Lyra grabbed a warm cookie from the rack and handed it to her dad. She even kissed his cheek for added effect.

Draco bit into the cookie. "Alright, I suppose we can stay and watch a movie after dinner."

"Yay!" cheered Lyra as she took one for herself.

"You're sneaky, tricking your daughter into getting you a cookie after you've been banned from them," Hermione said, leaning on the counter and taking a bite of her own.

Draco shrugged as he popped the rest of his in his mouth, then pointed to himself. "Slytherin."

Hermione scoffed, then took a small spoonful of leftover batter that was still in the bowl and flicked it at Draco, which landed directly on his cheek.

At his surprised expression, she smiled cheekily and pointed at herself. "Gryffindor."

Chapter 9: Dinner at Granger's

Chapter Text

Dinner was delicious. Granger, he found out, was quite skilled in the kitchen. She made a dinner of roasted chicken and vegetables along with homemade mashed potatoes. He was tempted to ask if she secretly harbored a house-elf, but thought better of it—Merlin knew he didn't want her going on a rant about house-elf rights. He had heard plenty ofthatwhile at Hogwarts.

Lyra, as usual, talked endlessly throughout the meal. They got back on the topic of Halloween and were currently discussing favorite sweets when Lyra asked, "Do you want to go trick or treating with us?"

Granger looked at her apologetically. "Sorry sweetie, I have to work at the bookstore that night. But, if you and your dad stop by, I'll be handing out candy to anyone who comes in."

Lyra gasped happily. "We always go trick or treating on Main Street! Daddy says it's to support all the businesses there."

"She just likes going because everyone knows her and gives her extra candy," he said, looking knowingly at his daughter.

His daughter shrugged sheepishly but didn't deny it.

"Well that settles it," Granger said with a nod. "You two will have to stop by the store so I can see your costumes."

"Costume," Draco corrected. "I don't dress up."

"Well, that's no fun. Right, Lyra?"

Lyra nodded vigorously in agreement. "Yeah, Daddy. No fun at all."

Draco shook his head and continued eating while the other two carried on with their conversation.

After dinner, Lyra asked if she could go outside and explore a bit.

"Alright," Draco said. "But don't go so far that we can't see you from the house."

Lyra opened the back door and raced off towards the trees while he and Granger gathered the dishes and placed them in the sink.

"We can sit outside and watch her," she suggested. She took her wand out from the front pouch of her sweater and set the dishes to wash themselves before grabbing two wine glasses and a bottle of Merlot. "Care for a glass?" she asked.

"Sure."

He followed her out and sat in one of the deck chairs, facing the backyard that stretched up onto a hill with trees.

"Not a bad place," he commented as she sat. "With the trees and extra space between neighbors, you have a lot of privacy."

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip of her wine. "It was definitely a perk in picking this place. I didn't want to risk anyone seeing me use magic on accident."

Draco nodded. "I can understand that. I have to be extra careful if I ever use magic at the house, or at least make sure the curtains are closed."

The two watched as Lyra ran around, inspecting rocks and sticks and looking up at the trees.

Draco glanced at Granger, who was looking at him curiously.

He turned back towards Lyra as he took a drink. "I figure you're trying to figure out how to ask me about Lyra's mother, without seeming rude or nosey," he said. He looked at Granger and raised a brow in question and she gave him a sheepish look.

"Guilty," she said, then shifted in her seat to face him better, tucking her legs under her. "I'm just curious. You said before you have an idea about why you don't know who she is, but I wasn't sure if it was something you wanted to discuss with me."

"You're probably the only person around here that Icandiscuss it with," he admitted. "Usually, if anyone asks where her mother is, I say she left after Lyra was born, which then deters any more questioning."

Granger nodded "Yes, I can see why you'd say that to Muggles, but it's more complicated than that, isn't it? You actually don't know her identity." She looked at him pensively. "I'm assuming it's not because you slept around with a bunch of witches during sixth year and impregnated one of them but are unsure which one."

Draco chuckled darkly as he looked away from her and stared into his glass of wine. "No. I didn't have time for anything like that. Too busy doing the Dark Lord's bidding," he said bitterly.

Granger drummed her fingers on the table as she frowned in thought. "My best guess—and I'm assuming yours as well—is that your memories were modified. But….why?"

"Why indeed," Draco repeated. "Probably because I was a Death Eater and she wanted to make sure she and the baby would be safe."

"Maybe it was to keep youbothsafe?" Granger suggested. "Maybe she was someone that, when either Voldemort, or your parents found out about, would make things hard for you."

"I've thought of that," Draco admitted with a nod. "But then what about after? After the war was all done with, why not come forward about Lyra? Surely the person I was with isn't ashamed ofher," he said, gesturing towards his daughter.

Granger shook her head. "No. No, how could she be?"

"Now, ashamed ofme, I can understand, but not—"

"Stop it," Granger hissed, annoyed. "You were put into an impossible situation. Whoever you were with had to have known that, Draco."

Draco shook his head and sighed. "Then I can only assume that whoever she was…. she died during the battle. Why else would she completely abandon her child?"

"Or," Granger said thoughtfully. "Shealsohad her memories altered. Perhaps after giving birth, to keep Lyra safe."

Draco pondered that for a moment. "I suppose that's another possibility, yes. And since Daphne knew the mother, she was probably tasked to reverse the memory charm, but—"

"—But died before she could," Hermione finished.

Draco rubbed his temples and sighed. "Either way, there's no way to determine who her mother was, or is, unless I have blood tests done on every witch who attended Hogwarts that year, or their family to find a biological connection." He glanced at Lyra again, who was running back over to them. "I don't want to put her through that."

Granger nodded then turned to Lyra who was calling out her name.

"I couldn't find him," Lyra said when she was back on the porch.

Granger looked at Lyra curiously. "Find who?"

"Your owl," Lyra stated.

"Oh is that what you were doing?" Granger said, chuckling. "I guess I should have told you that I sent him off to London a couple days ago. He won't be back for a few more days. It's a long flight and he'll need to rest before returning."

Lyra slumped into a vacant chair dejectedly. "Oh."

"Why don't we have dessert now?" Draco suggested and was happy to see his daughter's smile return.

"Okay! I'll go get the stuff from the car," she stated before running around the house to where their car was parked.

"That's right," Granger said as she stood up. "You brought something to go with the cookies."

Draco nodded and opened the sliding door just as Lyra came back in through the front, carrying a grocery bag.

"Let's see what we have here." Granger looked inside. "Some ice cream, which I assume is under a stasis charm since it's still frozen, and chocolate sprinkles."

Draco took the bag. "You're to go sit and wait at the table while Lyra and I fix up the dessert, then we'll bring it out to you."

"Alright, but don't make a mess of my kitchen," she said, mock-glaring at him.

Draco rummaged through the kitchen to find some plates and spoons while Lyra set four cookies on each plate. He scoop out some ice cream, placing them on two of the cookies. When there was enough piled on, they placed the second cookie on top. Draco poured sprinkles on another plate and rolled the ice cream part in them, completing the dessert.

"Oh!" Granger said happily when Lyra handed her her plate. "An ice cream sandwich! How creative!"

"Me and Daddy make themaaaaaallthe time," Lyra said, biting into her sandwich which made the ice cream ooze out the sides.

Granger chuckled softly, handing her a napkin. "My dad used to crumble cookies on top of his ice cream and would sometimes add chocolate syrup too."

"Daddy does that too! With whipped cream and a cherry on top!"

"Sounds like you and your dad really like ice cream," Granger said, glancing at Draco and smiling at him.

"Daddy says we have sweet teeth."

"A sweettooth," he corrected.

"Yeah, that," she said, eating the last of her dessert. "Can we watch the movie now?"

Granger nodded. "Only if you go wash your hands and face first." She pointed to the bathroom.

Draco gathered the plates and placed them in the kitchen. When he returned to the living room, he found Granger putting the DVD into the player. "Are you sure it's okay if we stay to watch the movie? I don't want to intrude on all your free time and we can easily go home and watch it there."

Granger waved him off. "It's fine. I wasn't lying when I said it was one of my favorites." She sat down on the end of the couch.

"Just beware," Draco said, sitting on the other end. "She knows all the words so she'll probably recite them line for line."

"I used to do that as well." Granger gave a soft, wistful smile. "It drove my parents crazy."

Draco noted that that was twice now that she referred to her parents in the past tense. He was about to ask after them, but Lyra entered the room and claimed a seat between the two.

"Can we have popcorn?" she asked after Granger pressed PLAY.

"Lyra, we just had dessert," Draco reminded her.

"I know but you can't watch a movie without popcorn." Lyra sounded as if she found his reasoning completely lacking.

Draco glanced over Granger to find she was stifling a laugh. "She must be hanging around you too much, seeing as how she is starting to sound like you now."

The laughter bubbled out of the witch, and Draco couldn't help but smile.

By the time the movie ended, Draco glanced around the room and winced. There was a large bowl of half-eaten popcorn, empty cups, and copious amounts of paper with drawings all over them scattered on Granger's coffee table.

The culprit? Currently fast asleep, with her head on Granger's lap.

"Sorry for the mess—" he started, but Granger, again, waved him off.

"It's fine. Nothing a quick flick of the wand can't fix."

Draco watched as Granger ran her fingers absently through Lyra's curls. "She really has taken a liking to you."

The witch glanced down at the child and smiled. "I'd say the feeling's mutual."

They both sat in silence as Lyra slept peacefully.

"I've been meaning to ask," he said quietly. "About your parents. You've mentioned them a few times but I couldn't help but notice it was in the past tense. Are they…"

Granger sighed and rested her head on the back of the couch and looked at the ceiling. "They're alive. I just…. I haven't seen them in several years."

Draco frowned. "I'm sorry to hear. If you don't mind me asking, why is that? Did you have a falling out?"

Granger shook her head. "No, nothing like that." She turned to look at him with sad eyes. "They don't remember me. I used a memory charm on them before sixth year, to keep them safe in case…." she pressed her lips together and closed her eyes before continuing. "In case Voldemort might think to use them to get to me during the war."

She'd lost her parents because of the war. The one where he'd been on the opposite side. Draco swallowed, biting back the wave of emotion that threatened to overcome him.. "I'm sorry—"

"Don't," she said firmly but in a low voice as to not wake Lyra. "Stop apologizing for things that were beyond your control. I did what I needed to do to protect my family. I don't regret it."

Draco looked at her, stunned, for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Can I ask you something though?"

At her nod, he continued. "Why haven't you reversed the memory charm?"

Granger's body folded in on itself, and he felt bad for pushing. "I tried. Right after everything was over, I went to Australia and I tried to reverse it. But, I couldn't. I feel like there's something I'm missing but I don't know what it is. I tried for years to figure it out, but just… couldn't." She looked at him again. "The Ministry checks in on them from time to time, and gives me reports. I was doing it myself, but it was just too hard after a while."

Draco nodded though didn't know what else to say.

"What about your parents?" she asked quietly.

The question caught him by surprise—after all, his father tried to kill her and her mother tried to turn her over to the Dark Lord. Perhaps she was being polite, since she told him of her parents.

"My mother lives in France. She visits a few times a year and spoils Lyra rotten," he said with a smile.

Granger smiled back. "That's what grandmothers are for."

"True," he agreed. "Mine would sneak me chocolates."

Granger chuckled softly.

"As far as my father goes, he passed away in Azkaban."

"Oh…I wasn't aware. May I ask what happened?"

Draco hesitated—he never really talked about his father but decided he trusted Granger to know this information. "My mother paid to keep that information private. As far as the Wizarding world is concerned, he's still rotting away in Azkaban. I'd appreciate it if it stayed that way."

Granger nodded. "Of course."

"He couldn't handle the prison life, or the guilt for that matter, and ended up…." he glanced at Lyra to make sure she was asleep then went back to Granger. "Taking his life."

"That must have been hard," she said quietly. "For you and your mother."

He gave an acknowledging nod. Lyra shifted in her sleep and Draco glanced at the clock. "We should get going." He looked at Granger. "Thank you, by the way."

She gave him a curious look. "For what?"

"For dinner. For entertaining my daughter and enduring her endless questioning. For the conversation. It's been nice being able to talk without being guarded about who or what I really am."

"It's been my pleasure. I adore Lyra and, believe it or not, I enjoy your company too." She gave him a smirk. "It's nice having a familiar face here, even if it is yours," she teased.

Draco's lips twitched upwards and he shook his head. "Cheeky." He pulled out his wand from his pocket and with a flick, everything of Lyra's flew back into her bag.

Granger bent over and kissed Lyra's forehead. The action made his insides twist, though he was unsure as to why.

Lyra stirred and her eyes fluttered open. "Is the movie over?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes.

Draco picked her up. "Yes, Princess. We're going home now."

"Aww, I missed the best part."

"Don't worry, I'm sure your dad won't mind watching it again with you tomorrow," Granger said.

Draco groaned. "Thanks for that."

The witch had the audacity to smile sweetly at him. "Any time."

Chapter 10: Halloween

Chapter Text

The stark, white room was brightly lit by harsh fluorescent lights and smelled of bleach and sterilization, but all Hermione could focus on was the pain and pressure in her abdomen as she pushed through another contraction.

"You got this, Hermione. Just one more, alright?" said a female's voice.

She gripped the bedside rail tighter and let out a scream, just as her baby was birthed into the world.

"She's precious, Hermione. Simply beautiful. And look at all that hair." The same female voice from before chuckled next to her. "Definitely inherited that blond from her father."

Hermione smiled down at the tiny bundle in her arms, running a finger softly along her daughter's face.

"What's her name?" the voice asked.

"Lyra. Lyra Jean Malfoy." She turned to look at the woman next to her. "You'll take care of her, won't you, Daphne?"

Hermione woke with a start, one hand on her chest, her heart thudding against it, the other on her abdomen, where the phantom pains of labor started to ebb away.

She'd had vivid dreams before, butnothinglike this.

On shaky feet, she got up to splash water on her face and drink some water.

Of course, the dream was only a dream, most likely sparked by her conversation with Draco and lots of wine.

But it felt so…real.

She glanced at herself in the mirror and a feeling of heartbreak threatened to overwhelm her. Her face crumpled at her reflection and before she could stop them, tears streamed down her cheeks. No longer able to hold herself up, she slid to the floor where she continued to sob into her hands.

She found out two years after the war that the damage done to her reproductive system from theCruciatus Cursewas irreversible. The healers didn't know why her reproductive system was affected in such a way, but she would never be able to conceive or carry a child.

The dream she had would never be a reality for her—she'd never carry a child and feel them grow inside her. She'd never experience giving birth and bringing life into the world.

As she pulled her knees up to her chest, Hermione started the breathing exercise that her therapist taught her to help with the panic attacks that used to come regularly after the war. She counted as she took a deep breath, held it, then counted again as she exhaled. She reminded herself that even though she couldn't have children of her own, she could still adopt, when the time was right. Adoption was always something she had thought of doing, whether or not she had children of her own, but it was still heartbreaking knowing that she didn't even have the option anymore.

After repeating the breathing process a couple of times, her tears had stopped and she was no longer shaking.

Hermione crawled back into bed, exhausted from crying, and took a dose of Dreamless Sleep. She hoped to get a few more hours of sleep before she started her first solo week as manager. The owners had finally moved, so now she was really on her own.

Thankfully, she loved her job and the people she worked with. The camaraderie with her fellow employees made it so she actually looked forward to going to work and the work environment was much more relaxed than the Ministry had ever been.

And the best part, she thought as she drifted off to sleep, was no moreDaily Prophetreporters camped out front, waiting for a glimpse of the 'Golden Girl.'

A week later, Hermione found herself dressed up as Dorothy fromThe Wizard of Ozfor Halloween. Her co-workers each dressed as a different character in the well-known tale. They had made sure to set up a display right in front of the shop that featured all the differentWonderful Wizard of Ozbooks, spin-offs, children's editions, as well as toys, bookmarks, and treats. It was a hit throughout the day and when nighttime came, and the trick-or-treaters started coming around, Hermione stood just outside the door to welcome everyone inside.

As the time passed, Hermione handed out candy to a variety of children, but she had yet to see Lyra and Draco. Draco had texted her the day after they had dinner at her place, saying that Lyra picked out a costume and that it was "all her fault." He wouldn't elaborate, no matter how many times she asked, even when she ran into him before work a few times, he remained tight-lipped.

As she refilled the picnic basket she was carrying with candy to hand out, she heard a loud "Roar!" behind her.

Hermione swirled around and gasped dramatically. "Oh my! A lion!"

The little lion laughed. "It's okay Miss Hermione! It's just me, Lyra!"

Hermione bent down to look at the little girl's face. "Oh! Itisyou." She stood upright and glanced behind Lyra and gave a surprised look. "And I see you are accompanied by your… lion tamer?" she asked, giving Draco's costume a once over.

"I'm the ringmaster, thank you very much."

Hermione bit her lip to keep from smiling too widely. "I thought you didn'tdocostumes?"

"Yes, well,someonegot it into my daughter's head that I should dress up too."

"I've no idea what you're talking about." She gave Lyra a wink, which made the little girl giggle.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Sure, Granger, deny it all you like. Lyra, aren't you forgetting something if you want candy from Miss Hermione?"

"Oh, yeah!" Lyra held out her plastic pumpkin. "Trick or treat!"

Hermione placed a handful of candy in her bucket, then winked at her again and put in a few more. "I do love how you chose the lion costume out of all the circus animals. Did you know that that was my house mascot at school? Your daddy's was a snake!"

Lyra scrunched up her nose. "Ewwwww!"

"Ew is right!" Hermione agreed, stifling a laugh.

Draco's eyes were narrowed, though there was no heat behind them, and took Lyra's hand. "Well, we'll be seeing you Granger. Me and mycircuslion have to visit more shops."

"Can you come with us, Miss Hermione?" Lyra asked hopefully. "Please?"

"Aw, I'm sorry sweetie, but I can't—"

"I can take over for a bit." Rachel, who was dressed as Glinda the Good Witch, joined them in the doorway. "You've been out here for a whileandyou opened today. You deserve a break."

"Oh, but… are you sure?"

Rachel took the basket from Hermione and gave her a wink. "Yup. We've got it handled here."

Hermione looked at Draco, then at Lyra. "I guess I can join you after all."

"Yay!" Lyra shouted. She handed Draco her candy bucket then used her newly freed hand to grab Hermione's. "Let's go!"

Hermione laughed at Lyra's excitement and when she glanced back at Draco, she saw a small smile on his face as well.

They crossed the street, Lyra between the two adults, holding each of their hands. When they were safely across, she let go and raced ahead to the next shop, leaving Hermione to walk side by side with Draco.

"So, who are you supposed to be dressed up as anyways?" Draco asked after a moment.

Hermione gave him a curious look. "I'm Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz."

At his confused expression, she said, "Have you really never heard of it? There are books and a famous movie, too."

"Unless it has princesses, I probably haven't seen it," he said with a shrug.

"Well, we'll have to fix that," Hermione said with finality. "I own both the book and the movie. You'll just have to come over with Lyra and we'll do another movie night at my place."

Draco chuckled and shook his head. "I'm sure Lyra won't argue with that. But, I do believe it's our turn to host dinner."

Hermione shrugged. "Either way, you both need to watch it. Though I do suggest you read the book first."

Draco slid his hands into his pockets. "What's the story about?" he asked.

While Lyra continued collecting candy along the downtown strip, Hermione explained the storyline to Draco, then went on to suggest other movies and books she knew from her childhood that she thought Lyra might like. When they ended up back at the bookstore, Hermione was surprised to learn that an hour had passed.

"I suppose I better head in and help close up," she said.

Draco looked down at Lyra, who was trying to stifle a yawn. "Yes, we need to be heading home anyway.Someonehas school in the morning."

"Awww, does that mean I can't have any of my candy tonight?" Lyra asked, turning on every bit of charm she possessed.

Draco sighed. "You can haveonesmall piece on the car ride home, okay?"

Lyra smiled widely and nodded at him before rummaging around her bucket.

Draco sighed again as he looked at Hermione. "I dislike Halloween when there's school the next day," he said quietly. "It'll take her forever to fall asleep, and it's nearly past her bedtime as it is."

Hermione winced. "Good luck, and I mean that with sincerity."

"I'll need it," he said, then looked at Lyra. "What do you say to Miss Hermione?"

With her chosen candy in her hand, Lyra hugged Hermione around her middle. "Thank you for trick-or-treating with us."

Hermione gently squeezed her back. "You're very welcome. I'll see you soon, okay?"

She watched as the lion tamer and his charming lion walked away and waved when Lyra turned around one last time to say goodbye.

All thoughts of crawling into bed disappeared when she got home and saw Shakespeare waiting for her. She gladly accepted the scroll from his leg and gave him two treats before she told him to go rest. Shakespeare hooted then flew off towards the trees while Hermione made her way to the couch and began reading her letter from Harry.

Dear Hermione,

Sorry that it took so long to send your owl back, but I wanted to make sure he was able to rest after such a long journey. Plus, if you'll notice, I've tucked a few other letters in with mine. You're welcome.

Your owl is huge, by the way. He nearly gave me a heart attack when he tapped on the window in the middle of the night. Ginny found it quite hilarious and now won't let me live it down, so thanks for that.

Stanley was afraid of him at first, but thankfully he realized Shakespeare wouldn't hurt him and eventually let him share his cage. It was rather comical considering Shakes took up most of the space.

It's weird not being able to talk to you every day, and I'm rubbish at writing letters, which is why we need to start a weekly or bi-weekly floo-call to one another. You're five hours behind us, so that's not too bad. Let's plan for you to floo-call us at around 5pm your time, 10pm for us, on November 2nd. I know we both have mobilesbut the rates for calling and texting internationally are outrageous. Thank Merlin for magic!

We all miss you terribly, but I'm happy that you're happy in your new place.

Love from across the pond,
Harry

At the bottom of the letter, she saw a note from Ginny.

Hermione,

I hope you're using your new anonymity wisely. And by that, I mean I hope you're finally letting yourself find a nice bloke (or two or three, I don't judge) who will finally break you of your dry spell, if you know what I mean.

Love you,
Gin.

P.S. I meant sex. Please have lots of it.
P.P.S. You should have seen Harry's face while reading this. Priceless.

Hermione chuckled and rolled her eyes. Ginny would be sorely disappointed to learn that there hadn't been any blokes helping her with her dry spell. The ones she worked with were either married, too young, or preferred the same gender as she did. Apart from her work colleagues, the only man she interacted with regularly was Draco. And while Hermione could admit he was quite fit and much more tolerable now that he wasn't sneering at her or calling her names, she was enjoying their newly-formed friendship too much to consider him an option, especially because of Lyra.

Though, that hadn't stopped her from wondering how he looked under his button down shirts he wore to work every day…

Hermione groaned.Thanks, Ginny.

She set aside the letter from Harry and Ginny and began reading the others that he'd attached. When she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, she fell asleep on the couch, surrounded by letters from her friends, and dreamt of stolen kisses, heated touches, and whispered promises.

Chapter 11: Dragon Tattoo

Chapter Text

Draco sat up, startled awake by a shriek coming from Lyra's room. He jumped out of bed and grabbed his wand as he made his way to his daughter's room. The light outside his window suggested his alarm would have gone off shortly, which was lucky since he knew he'd never be able to sleep after waking up like this. His heart pounded in his chest as he neared her door, thinking the worst...

However, instead of being in distress, Lyra excitedly bounced on her bed. "Look Daddy!" She pointed to her window. "An owl!"

Sure enough, a large, gray owl perched on the frame.

"Bloody hell," he mumbled, relieved that her shriek was from excitement and not terror, and went over to open the window.

"Wow," Lyra said softly as the owl glided in her room. He dropped a wrapped package onto her bed then landed on one of her bed posts. "Do you think that's Miss Hermione's owl?"

"Most likely," Draco said. He examined the package to find it was addressed to both of them. "Looks like she sent us something."

"Can I open it?" she asked.

Draco untied the letter attached to the owl's leg. "Hm, this seems to be addressed to you," he said, handing his daughter the note.

Eyes alight with wonder, Lyra unscrolled the letter and read it out loud, with only a little help from her dad.

Dear Lyra,

Good morning! I hope Shakespeare didn't wake you, but he finally returned from London a few days ago. I wanted you to meet him properly, so I sent him to your way before I left for work this morning.

I am sending him along with a book that I mentioned to your dad on Halloween. It's called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I think you will both enjoy it. Once you are done reading it together, we can watch the movie at my place.

Have a great day!

Love,
Hermione.

P.S. Shakespeare loves to be pet softly and will especially love it if you give him a treat. Ask your dad to help you give him one then you can send him home.

"What kind of treats do owls eat?"

"Depends on the owl." Draco ran his fingers along the bird's feathers, marveling at its size and beautiful coloring. "The magical pet shops carry special treats you can buy, but they'll also eat anything you offer. I had an owl who liked toast with strawberry jam on it."

"Do you think Shakespeare would like that?" Lyra asked, mimicking her father's hand movements.

"Wouldn't hurt to try. I was going to make some bacon this morning, which is usually another owl favorite."

"Can I write Miss Hermione back so when she gets home from work today, she'll have a letter waiting for her?"

Draco kissed the top of Lyra's head. "I think she'd like that very much, Princess."

For the next few weeks, Lyra corresponded with Granger through her owl, writing short letters or drawing her pictures—usually of animals, especially puppies and kittens. They made sure to send Shakespeare at night so he wouldn't cause any suspicion about an owl flying around town during the day.

Once Draco finished readingThe Wonderful Wizard of Ozto Lyra, Granger kept her promise to hold a movie night at her place, even though Draco argued that it was their turn to host dinner. Since Draco lost that battle, he banned her from doing the dishes since she had cooked. She conceded to the dishes so long as he didn't mind her keeping him company while he did them.

He didn't mind at all, and told her so as he rolled up his sleeves and began washing.

"It still baffles me that you do the dishes the Muggle way rather than charm them to clean themselves," Granger said after a minute of observing him.

"Habit now, I suppose," Draco responded.

Granger leaned a hip on the counter and watched him pensively. "I've been wondering about something."

Draco raised a brow in her direction as he picked up a plate to rinse it off. "And that would be?"

"How did you learn to do all…" she waved vaguely with her wine glass in his direction, "this?"

"This?" he repeated. "You mean washing dishes?"

"Yes, dishes. Driving, cooking, cleaning. Basically all the Muggle things."

"What makes you think I didn't already know how?"

"Really?" she deadpanned. "I bet you a hundred galleons that you never even stepped foot inside the Muggle Studies classroom while at Hogwarts."

Draco couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. "I suppose you have a point."

Granger smiled at him. "Of course I do." She took a sip from her wine glass. "But really, howdidyou learn everything?"

Draco turned off the sink and wiped his hands on a tea towel before he slung it onto his shoulder. He leaned against the counter, mirroring her stance. "I got lessons," he said with a casual shrug. "From the Ministry."

Granger frowned. "The Ministry gave you lessons on how to be a Muggle? I didn't know they did such a thing…."

He smirked. "Well, I don't think it's something they normally do, but I owled Minister Shacklebolt about my plans to move to the States and asked for help on how to blend in. He got in contact with some wizards and witches to assist me. For instance, someone taught me how to drive an automobile, and another taught me how to use a cellphone, basic computer functions, kitchen appliances, and all that sort of Muggle stuff. Then someone else helped me obtain a driver's license—after passing the written and practical exam, of course— as well as getting a visa, passports, and identification for myself and Lyra, birth records… everything. I even had someone help me purchase this house."

"That's amazing." Granger gave him a genuine smile. "I'm glad you got the help you needed. I just wish— Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, her eyes snagging on his left forearm.

She quickly set down her wine glass and tugged his hand toward her, palm up, so she could see his arm better. "Draco…. this is… this is beautiful," she said.

Draco glanced down at his arm as well, no longer ashamed of what he saw.

The Dark Mark gone— covered by a dark green dragon, circling around his arm. White flowers were entwined with the dragon, and along its back, white colored scales formed a constellation, connected by a shimmery, white trail. Granger traced the lines, sending a chill up Draco's spine.

"It's the constellation Lyra. And the flowers are—"

"Daffodils, or rather, narcissus, for your mother?" Granger asked, looking up at him.

Draco dipped his chin in a nod. "I couldn't look at it anymore," he said quietly. Granger fingers continued to explain the tattoo. Draco's heart thumped in his chest. He wasn't sure if it was because of her touch or because he was talking about something he'd never told anyone before. "It was a reminder of something dark…something evil. Something I thought I wanted. But I was wrong."

He turned his head to look at Lyra, who was currently playing with her toys in the living room. "I didn't want her growing up and having to see that mark on her father. Or rather, I didn't want to explain to her what it meant and what I was. It sounds cowardly, I know—"

Granger stepped closer as she shook her head. "Not cowardly at all. You put the past behind you. And if this—" she gestured his arm "—was what you needed to do to help with that, then you did the right thing."

Draco took Granger's left hand in his and pulled it towards him. He lifted the sleeve of her jumper a few inches, where the scarring from his aunt's knife could still be seen. He rubbed a thumb along the jagged lines and could have sworn he felt her pulse jump. "Why haven't you covered this up?"

The Gryffindor bit her lip. "Because… while you want to forget, I want to remember." She glanced at him again and he could see the fierceness in her eyes. "Remember that I can overcome anything. That I'm resilient and that I'm a survivor." She let out a soft chuckle and stole the tea towel from his shoulder before moving around him. "Besides…" She grabbed a plate from the dish rack. "I'm terrified of needles. I could never get a tattoo."

Draco reached into a drawer to replace the towel he'd lost and picked up another plate. "Well, if you change your mind, I know a guy. His name is Tom and he has a chocolate lab named Willow that acts like a emotional support animal for those that need it while getting tatted."

Granger laughed. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, thanks."

"Come to think of it, that's probably why Lyra is so enamored with dogs. She would sit in her pram, playing with toys and happily watch Willow while Tom worked on me."

Granger looked over at Lyra. "When do you plan on getting that girl her own dog? You can't hold out forever, you know."

Draco sighed as he dried the last dish, handing it to her. "I know. Besides, even if Iwasplanning on getting her one, I can't discuss anything of that nature with her nearby. That child has the ears of a house elf, I tell you."

As if she sensed they were talking about her, Lyra appeared in the kitchen. "Can we watch the movie now? I want to see Toto in real life!"

"Hm, I don't know. I was thinking about doing some more chores around the house first…"

"Please, please, please can we watch it, Miss Hermione?" Lyra clasped in front of her.

She scooped Lyra up and spun her around. Draco watched as his daughter wrapped her legs and arms around the witch while the two laughed with glee.

"Yes, we can watch the movie now," Granger declared.

Placated, Lyra bounded back into the living room, calling over her shoulder "Don't forget the popcorn!"

Later, as Draco tucked Lyra into bed, she looked up at him with big eyes, and he knew he was in trouble. "Daddy, do you like Miss Hermione?"

"Of course. She is our friend, after all."

She shook her head. "Not like a friend. I mean, do youlike-like her?"

"Like-like her?" He was both amused and confused at the same time. "I'm not sure I understand the question, Princess."

Lyra huffed. "You know, like a girlfriend? I saw you holding hands in the kitchen."

Draco chuckled and shook his head. Apparently his daughter was more observant than he thought. "We weren't holding hands, love. She was looking at my tattoo."

"Oh! Did she like it? Did you show her my constellation?"

Draco chuckled as he kissed her forehead. "Yes, I did and she liked it very much. Now, no more questions. It's time for sleep."

"Okay." He could hear the resignation in her voice. She snuggled Otis and yawned. "Night, Daddy."

Draco turned off her light. "Goodnight, Princess."

As he closed the door and headed to his lab, Draco couldn't help but ponder Lyra's original question and found he didn't quite know the answer.

He enjoyed spending time with Hermione Granger and found it was easy to talk to her and keep a conversation going. He liked how natural she was with Lyra, even from the very beginning, and knows he can trust her with his daughter. He could be honest with her and not have to hide who he was. But that was because of what they had in common: they came from the same place and had the same secret,notbecause he had feelings for her.

Did he feel something when she touched his arm and traced his tattoo with her fingers? He'd be lying if he said no, but he wondered if that was due to the fact that he hadn't had a woman in his bed in a long time, putting fatherhood ahead of all else. The sudden proximity was probably the reason why Granger now appeared in his dreams, usually naked and underneath him.

After mulling it over while he worked in his lab, he decided that while he did like Granger, he didn'tlike-like her.

However, the dream he had that night, and the raging erection he woke with the next morning, made him question otherwise.

Chapter 12: Reece's cups and a Snickers bar

Chapter Text

Hermione sat behind the counter of the bookstore, tapping her fingers idly as time ticked by. Work was slow—absurdly so. They had a few customers after opening, but nothing since. When the shop bell rang after hours of silence, Hermione perked up, ready to greet the newcomer.

She was even more pleased to find Lyra in the doorway.

Hermione stepped around the counter and spoke in her most formal voice. "Good afternoon, Miss Malfoy. How can I help you today?"

Lyra giggled. "I'm not Miss Malfoy! I'm just Lyra!"

"Ah, my apologies." Hermione winked and smiled at the girl. "What brings you in here?"

"Daddy said I could come over and say hi, so long as you're not busy."

Hermione looked around her shop. "Hm, well, it looks like you're in luck. We're not busy at all. Are you helping your dad next door?"

"Uh huh," she said with a nod. "I was helping put stuff on the shelves."

Hermione tapped her chin in thought. "You know, I think we just got a new shipment of books that haven't been set out yet. Perhaps you'd like a job to do?"

Lyra nodded vigorously, her eyes wide and hopeful. "Can I?Reallyreally?"

"Reallyreally. Come on." She held out a hand. "I'll have Miss Rachel show you what to do."

Ten minutes later, Lyra was happily chatting away with Rachel as she helped shelve books.

A vibration in her pocket had Hermione checking her phone messages.

She's not being bothersome, is she? If so, you can send her back.

She's never a bother. Besides, I put her to work.

You know there are laws against child labor, right Granger? Wouldn't want you getting tossed in Azkaban.

Funny, she told me you had her stocking shelves as well. Looks like we'll be cell-mates.

That doesn't count since I'm her father and it's a family business. Plus, I'm paying her five whole dollars.

I plan on paying her handsomely as well. I seem to recall her favorite chocolate is Reese's Cups, right?

That it is. Her father prefers Snickers and is not above bribery to avoid being reported.

Looks like we won't be cell mates after all.

Pity.

Hermione smiled as she pocketed her phone, ignoring the smirk Rachel sent her way.

An hour passed before the other Malfoy came into the bookshop.

"And what can I do for you, good sir?" Hermione asked pleasantly.

"I'm here to collect my daughter," Draco said half-seriously. "I hope she hasn't been working so much that she doesn't have the energy to go get a Happy Meal with me."

From a few aisles over, the two adults heard a voice squeal "A Happy Meal!?"

Hermione smiled at Draco. "I think that answers that."

Lyra came hustling around the corner.

"Walk, please," the two adults said at the same time.

The girl slowed her pace and grabbed Hermione's hand. "Miss Rachel said you should go to lunch with me and Daddy."

Hermione rolled her eyes and chuckled. "That's very kind of her to suggest that, but I already brought my lunch from home," she said, her voice rising slightly so that Rachel could hear her from where she was shelving books.

"Doesn't mean you can't go," Rachel responded in a sing-song voice.

Hermione sighed and glanced at Draco, who was watching her with amusem*nt then shrugged. "It's up to you."

Hermione contemplated going, but ultimately shook her head. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass. Rain check?" she asked, lifting a brow.

"Sure. Come on, Princess." He held out his hand for Lyra. "We have some burgers to eat."

As he opened the door, Lyra turned and waved. "Bye, Miss Hermione!"

Hermione smiled and waved at the two. When she turned, she found Rachel leaning against the counter, arms crossed over her chest.

"What?" Hermione asked defensively.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous. Why didn't you go with them?"

"I already said why—I have lunch here and there's no reason to waste it."

"Oh, I can definitely think of at least one reason."

Hermione planted her fists on her hips and looked at her expectantly. "Which is?"

"A sexy, blond-haired man with stormy gray eyes—" Hermione groaned and started to walk away, but Rachel followed "—which,I may add, are always on you."

"I thinkyoureyes are playing tricks on you," Hermione said over her shoulder.

"No, I just see things you don't."

Hermione stopped and sighed before turning back around and looking at her friend. "And what do you see?"

"Just that he can't keep his eyes off of you," Rachel said with a knowing smirk.

"Well, itisproper etiquette to look at the person you're talking to. The same could be said to a handful of people we see here."

"Yes, but he looks at you even when you're not looking at him. Like when you're helping someone else or your back is turned." Rachel lowered her voice as she leaned in closer. "I'm telling you, Hermione, helikesyou."

Hermione opened her mouth to argue but Rachel cut her off. "And don't deny you don't like him either. I see the way you smile and how your face lights up whenever you get a text from him."

Hermione shook her head. "We're just friends, Rachel, nothing more. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take my lunch break."

Rachel sighed again as Hermione turned and walked away but let it drop.

Once she made her way into her small office and closed the door, Hermione bit her lip in worry. She could admit to herself that she was starting to like Draco more than a friend, but she would never act on it—she didn't want to ruin their newly-formed friendship, especially since it would affect Lyra too.

Hermione sat at her desk and pulled out her lunch. After taking a bite of her ham sandwich, she regretted her decision to not join the Malfoys.

The rest of the day went by without incident and Hermione was glad when closing time came. She grabbed her coat and handbag then stopped in front of Draco's shop on the way to her car. The sign on the window read "Closed" but the lights were still on and Hermione could see the owner walking around inside. She rapped lightly on the door, while trying to ignore the small fluttering feeling in her stomach when Draco looked up and smiled as he spotted her. He unlocked the door and invited her in.

"Granger. Come on in. I'm just reorganizing a few things before heading home."

"I won't keep you," Hermione said, following him inside. "I just came to see Lyra."

"Ah… She's back at home with a sitter. I knew she'd get bored by lunchtime so I arranged for Natalie to pick her up after we ate." Draco looked over his shoulder and pretended to glare at her accusingly. "Why? Have you come to take my child to squeeze some more child labor out of her?"

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. "No, actually. I came to give her these." She rummaged around inside her bag and pulled out two packs of Reese's Cups. "Payment, for her hard work today, as promised."

"That's all well and good, but I do believe you are still short of the finder's fee." He stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the counter.

Hermione laughed. "I thought you were joking!"

He merely co*cked his head to the side and raised a brow, waiting expectantly.

With an exaggerated roll of her eyes, Hermione reached into her bag once more and pulled out a Snickers Bar.

"Better?"

Draco walked over and plucked the bar from her hand, followed by the two Reese's. He gave her a wide smile as he unwrapped the top of his candy bar and took a bite. "Payment in full. Thank you for your business."

Hermione couldn't help but shake her head in amusem*nt. "You're ridiculous." She glanced around the shop curiously. "Mind if I look around? I don't think I've looked properly at all your items and I still have to buy a few Christmas gifts."

Draco gestured around the shop with one hand while he continued to eat his candy bar. "By all means, take a look." He grabbed a handbasket from the stack by the front and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she said.

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you buying for?" Draco asked as she inspected one of the candles on display. "It may help me give you some ideas."
"Oh, just the usual—Mister and Missus Weasley, Ginny, Percy and his wife Audrey, Angelina Johnson, now also a Weasley, Fleur…. Basically all the Weasleys…oh, and Luna." She placed two candles of different scents into her handbasket. "Harry and Ginny have talked me into going to London for Christmas, which means we'll be going to the Burrow—"

"I'm sorry, but what's 'the Burrow'?" Draco interrupted.

"It's the Weasleys' family home. And if you snicker or laugh at the name, Iwillhex you," she warned, poking a finger into his chest. Even though she wasn't dating Ron anymore she still felt fiercely loyal to the family that took her in almost every summer.

Draco held up his hands in surrender. "Wouldn't dream of it. After all, my father had pet albino peaco*cks, so, really, I have no room to mock."

Hermione nodded before returning her attention to the wares on the shelves and placing a few other items in her basket. "As I was saying, I can't spend Christmas at the Burrow and show up empty-handed, so I figured I'd support some of the local shops and get my gifts around town."

Draco nodded as he reached above her and took down a few things, placing them in her basket as well. "Well, as a local business owner myself, I thank you for thinking of us during the holidays."

Hermione chuckled. "What about you? Do you have any plans for Christmas?"

Draco inspected a box of tea before he added it to the pile. "If by plans, you mean my mother coming to visit for a few days while she spoils Lyra with toys and sweets, then yes."

"That sounds like fun."

"It's been the tradition since we moved here, though she has been hinting about wanting us to go to France for the holidays one of these years."

"Why don't you?"

Draco shrugged. "It was just easier having her come here when Lyra was younger. Now that she's older, though, I think we might start traveling more, with France being the first stop."

"I think your mum would really like that."

"I hope so." He peered into her basket. "I think you've got one of everything in there."

Hermione looked in the basket as well. "Seems so. I suppose I ought to purchase these things and let you get home to Lyra."

Draco walked to the register and began to ring her up.

"So, any chance you might want to come over for pizza and a movie tonight?"

Hermione grinned. "That sounds absolutely lovely."

"And who knows," he added as he handed over a bag filled with her purchases. "If we're lucky, maybe Lyra will even share her chocolate with us."

Chapter 13: Christmas

Chapter Text

Chapter art created by artoferi

Christmas had always been Draco's favorite holiday. As a child, he enjoyed waking up absurdly early to open the piles of gifts given to him by his parents and other various relatives. He had never paid much attention to who got him what. By the time lunch was served, he had left a mess of wrapping paper and ribbon all around the Manor. The gifts, while flaunted in front of his friends, were rarely touched once the holiday was over, except for one or two of his favorites. Christmas dinner was always grand, with enough food to feed the whole of Slytherin house even though it was just him and his parents. He would forgo the main dish, instead choosing to stuff himself with various desserts that the elves had made, though he had learned at a young age to not eat too much lest he end up vomiting.

As an adult, he still loved Christmas and while he loved spoiling Lyra, he made sure to not do so to the degree he had been—he didn't want her to grow up feeling entitled or spoiled.

His mother, on the other hand, held no such regard.

Every Christmas, she would appear in his home via an International Portkey, her bags laden with presents for her only grandchild, along with a house elf in tow with a full meal ready to be prepared.

He stopped arguing about extravagance years ago.

Christmas this year started like any other—he and Lyra opened gifts in the morning and then they ate cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Lyra spent the next few hours playing with her toys while Draco made sure the house was in order.

At noon, his mother appeared in the living room and Lyra ran over to her, arms stretched wide.

"Gramma!" she squealed!

His mother, regal as ever, knelt down and scooped up her granddaughter into a tight hug.

"Hello, my darling! My how've you grown!" she exclaimed, planting a kiss on the child's cheek.

Lyra giggled. "Uh-huh! I also lost another tooth, see!" Lyra opened her mouth and pointed to the space between two of her baby teeth.

"My goodness! Your pocketbook must be just filled with money you've made from the Tooth Fairy."

Lyra nodded enthusiastically. "I got five whole dollars last time!"

"Well, the Tooth Fairy seems surely generous this time of year." She glanced up at Draco and flashed a knowing smile.

"Yes, well, I suspect the tooth fairy was tired that night and might have accidentally put the wrong money under her pillow…. But I guess we'll never know." He smiled at his mother and engulfed her in a hug. "Happy Christmas, Mother."

"Happy Christmas, Draco," she said, kissing his cheek. She stood back and assed him. "You look good, my dragon. Perhaps a little slim, but nothing Mipsy can't fix with a good meal. I've instructed her to head straight to the kitchen so she can start on dinner."

Once again, Draco was glad to have remembered to shut the curtains before her arrival. "Shall I take your things up to your room?"

Narcissa waved a delicate hand. "No need." She pulled out two miniature suitcases from inside her cloak. Once enlarged, one took itself up to her room while she opened the other and gave her granddaughter a knowing look.

"Presents!" Lyra squealed again, jumping up and down.

Draco tried not to groan at the amount. "Mother, I thought we talked about how many presents were acceptable and how many were just too much."

"You may have mentioned something to that effect, yes, but I chose to ignore it. After all, it's not every day a grandmother gets to spoil her grandchild. Come, come." She took Lyra's hand and made her way towards the couch. The two sat side by side as Narcissa handed Lyra present after present, the smile on both of their faces radiating in so much such joy, that Draco couldn't stay mad at his mother for ignoring his request.

He sat in an armchair and summoned the awaiting tea he left in the kitchen, served both himself and his mother, then sat back and watched the two with a small smile on his face.

"I don't think I could possibly eat another bite," Narcissa declared as she dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "Mipsy, you have outdone yourself once again."

Draco gave the small elf a nod. "Yes. Thank you. Mipsy."

"Yous is very welcome, Mistress Malfoy. Master Draco," the elf squeaked as it gave a low bow.

"Thank you Mipsy! Can I have dessert?" Lyra asked.

Mipsy looked to Draco, who gave a nod. "Just once slice though."

As Lyra dug into her pie, Narcissa reached over and placed her hand on top of Draco's. "It is so nice to spend time with you, my darling. I sure do miss you. Both of you."

Draco gave her a smile. "We've missed you too, Mother. In fact, I was thinking maybe this summer, Lyra and I could come and visit you."

His mother's face lit up. "That would be marvelous! We would have such a grand time. We can take Lyra all over the city and show her the sights, both wizarding and Muggle, of course. And, if you're agreeable, I can introduce you to a few of my friends' eligible daughters—"
"I'm not," he cut in. "Agreeable, that is. I do not wish to be set up on any dates."

Narcissa gave a soft sigh. "Draco, darling, it's high time you found someone—a companion. A mother for Lyra—"

"Lyra is doing just fine without a mother," he said stiffly.

His mother smiled warmly. "My apologies, Draco. I didn't mean to discount that. You've done a fantastic job raising Lyra on your own, there's no doubt about that. But, if you find someone, you can share the load, maybe even have more children. Someone special to love who will love you back."

Draco sighed, knowing his mother only had the best intentions, and tried to tamper down his irritation. "I understand where you're coming from, I do. But that can only happen when the time is right, and the right person comes along. I don't want to be forced into meeting random witches and go on awkward dates."

"Well, how else are you supposed to meet witches, darling? It's not like there's an abundance of them here—"

"Miss Hermione's a witch," Lyra piped up.

Draco closed his eyes and groaned inwardly.sh*t.With all the excitement of the holidays, he forgot to tell Lyra not to mention a certain Gryffindor to her grandmother. He didn't need his mother asking questions, though it seemed it was too late, as she was already looking at him curiously.

"Miss Hermione?" his mother repeated questioningly.

"Uh-huh. She went to school with Daddy," Lyra added.

Narcissa's eyes widened slightly. "Are you saying Miss Granger is here?"

Draco gave a nod. "She is. She moved here a few months ago. She works at the shop next to mine."

"That can't be a coincidence. Do you think she's here because of the Ministry? Perhaps to check in on you?"

Draco shook his head. "If that were the case, she would have come and gone. Yet, she's still here. According to her, she needed to get away from the Wizarding world. Being a public figure, she couldn't go anywhere or do anything without reporters and photographers from theProphetfollowing her. I'm sure you can understand." He gave her a pointed look. "So she chose a small town in the states in hope of finding anonymity."

"And you believe her?"

"She's given me no reason not to."

"It just seems awfully coincidental that she finds herself in the same town as you and Lyra…" She paused, looking between Draco and Lyra, when her eyebrows raised ever so slightly.

"Is Miss Granger, by chance, Lyra's….mother?"

"—No."

"—Yes."

Draco sighed and looked at Lyra. "Princess, we've talked about this. Miss Hermione isnotyour mother."

"Yes, she is!" Lyra insisted as she stood up from her chair. The light above them flickered ever so slightly and he wondered if that was due to his daughter's outburst or from the snow falling outside.

"We have the same hair and we're both smart and we both love books and reading and animals and all sorts of the same stuff."

Draco pulled Lyra into his lap and brushed some of the curls away from her face. "A lot of people have curly hair. And I'd like to think that you got some of your smarts from me as well as your mother."

Lyra crossed her arms in a huff. "Iknow, but–"'

"I promise we'll talk about it later, but for now, why don't you go upstairs and put on your Christmas pajamas? Then we'll watch a movie with your grandmother," he suggested.

Lyra sighed heavily. "Okay, fine." She hopped off his lap and made her way to the stairs, but before she reached them she turned around "But remember. If I'm right about her being my mom, I gettwopuppies."

His mother had the good mind to not say anything until Lyra was without hearing range. "Are you quite certain, Draco? Because looking at Lyra, and from what I remember of Miss Granger, therearesome similarities."

"I'm sure," Draco said as he stood up. He went to gather plates when Narcissa placed a hand on his arm.

"Mipsy, would you please clear the table?" She called for the elf even though she kept her eyes on her son.

With a snap of the elf's fingers, the table was cleared and Draco could hear the sound of the dishes washing themselves in the kitchen.

"If I may be so bold to ask, what is your current relationship with Miss Granger?"

"We're friends," he admitted. "We ran into each other by chance and Lyra became enamored with her from the beginning, so much so that she invited her to dinner."

Narcissa looked at him, surprised. "You've had her over for dinner?"

"Several times. And we've eaten at her home as well. It's become routine to have at least one meal together a week. Not to mention that since we work next door to each other, we usually see each other daily."

His mother was silent for a moment, watching him. "It sounds to me that perhaps what you two have might be more than friendship, but you're too cautious to pursue anything more," she said carefully.

He thought about what she said. "I do enjoy her company and to say that I haven't thought about asking her out would be a lie. But, there are risks—our friendship for one. But most importantly, Lyra would be heartbroken if we pursued something and it didn't work out. She's become so integrated into our lives as is it, that if things were to go sour between the two of us, it wouldn't only affect me, but Lyra as well."

Narcissa placed her hand on top of his once more. "But darling, that would be the same with any woman you bring along. Are you going to avoid havinganysort of relationship to avoid hurting Lyra's feelings her whole life?"

Draco frowned. "If it were anyone else, I would simply not bring them around Lyra until I knew it was serious. With her, that's not possible."

"Has there been anyone since you moved here that you have thought about dating?" his mother asked curiously.

Draco shook his head. "No."

"And yet, you've thought about asking Miss Granger out. That might be something to ponder," she said, giving him a knowing look. "Well, I suppose I ought to change into more comfortable clothes before the movie starts."

As she passed Draco, she leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "Whatever you choose to do," she said softly, "I trust you'll make the right choice."

Draco sat at the table a few minutes more before he reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone. He hadn't texted Hermione since she left for London and wasn't planning on texting her. However, the conversation he'd just had with his mother made him realize that he wanted her to know he was thinking of her. And he hoped it might bring a smile to her pretty face.

Happy Christmas, Hermione.

Chapter 14: Visiting the Potter's

Chapter Text

Happy Christmas, Hermione.

The fact that Draco used her given name instead of his usual ‘Granger’ gave her butterflies in her stomach and she couldn’t help the smile that formed on her lips.

She was used to him calling her ‘Miss Hermione’ when Lyra was around, but it was rare for him to use her given name, even in text form.

She was about to text him back to wish him the same sentiment, when there was a knock on her bedroom door.

Stowing her phone under her pillow, she called out, “Come in,” and wasn’t surprised to see Ginny’s head poke through.

“I can’t sleep so I was thinking of making some tea. Want to join me?”

Hermione stood. “Yes, please.”

It was nearly midnight, yet Hermione wasn’t tired. Her body was still on Maine time and she felt it was better to keep it that way since she was only going to be gone for another day.

Even with the busy day behind her, filled with laughter, presents, and good food, she still felt wide awake.

The announcement of Ginny’s pregnancy made her giddy as well.

Hermione sat down at the small table in the alcove of the Potter’s kitchen. “I still can’t believe you’re going to be a mum, Gin.”

“You and me both,” Ginny said, handing Hermione a steaming mug of tea before taking a seat across from her. “Plus, you know what that means?”

Hermione raised a brow in question.

“It means Harry’s going to be a father!”

“Oh Merlin, that’s right!”

Both girls giggled, trying to be quiet so as to not wake up the aforementioned wizard. When they finally settled down, Hermione spoke quietly. “He’ll be the best dad.”

Ginny smiled wistfully. “The very best.”

Hermione’s mind couldn’t help but think about another certain wizard who was also an excellent father and she hid her blush by taking another sip of her tea.

A moment passed between the two as they drank their tea in the quiet of the night.

“So how have you been? Truly?” Ginny asked at last. “Do you like it over there in the States?”

Hermione smiled reassuringly at her friend. “I love it there. My house is so cozy, with views of both the mountains and the ocean. I love my job and actually enjoy going to work. I’ve even made some friends! One of which is my co-worker, Rachel. She reminds me of you in a way,” she added pensively. “Always pushing her limits and has no regard for my personal life.”

Ginny smiled. “Oh, I like her already.” She paused. “Wait, what kind of personal life is she disregarding?”

“sh*t, nevermind, forget I said anything—”

“Hermione Jean Granger! Have you been holding out on me? Are you seeing someone? Because from what you told me, there hasn’t been anyone—”

“—there isn’t! It’s just—”

“Unless, of course, you've been lying this whole time and actually have a handsome bloke waiting for you, naked in your bed the moment you get home—”

“Ginny!” Hermione gasped, trying to hold in her laughter. “Stop!”

Ginny wiggled her eyebrows in suggestion and Hermione rolled her eyes.

“No. I do not have anyone waiting for me in my bed—”

“Not even naked?”

“Especially naked.”

“Damn.”

“Besides, my job keeps me rather busy so it’s not like I have time to date or anything like that.”

"Um, I never mentioned anything about dating, just shagging," Ginny pointed out.

Hermione groaned as she rested her head on the table. "Must you be so crass?"

"Yes. Harry quite likes it too."

"What do I like?" Harry asked sleepily as he entered the kitchen.

Hermione’s head popped up and she looked at Harry worriedly. "Harry! We didn't wake you, did we?"

Harry sat down next to Ginny. "Nah. The room was too quiet to sleep. This one—" he leaned towards his wife as he took Ginny's cuppa and took a sip. Unsatisfied, he scrunched his nose and passed it back to her. "—snores louder than Hagrid's motorbike. She's like my own personal sound machine and when she’s not there, I can't sleep."

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "I don't know if I should be insulted or flattered."

Harry grinned as he took Ginny’s hand and kissed it.

She rolled her eyes before turning to Hermione. "Anyway, before we were rudely interrupted, I was simply suggesting you find a nice, fit bloke to f*ck your brains out every once in a while."

Harry, who had taken the opportunity to steal Hermione's cuppa and was mid-sip, started choking.

"Serves you right," Hermione chastised, taking her drink away from him while Ginny patted him on the back.

“Geez, Gin,” Harry wheezed.

Ginny pretended to pout. “I thought you liked it when I talked dirty.”

The tips of Harry’s ears turned pink. “Well, yes, I do, but not in front of who I think of as my sister.”.

Ginny waved him off. “Hermione doesn’t mind.”

“Well, actually—”

“Besides, you agree with me, don't you?” Ginny asked Harry. “She shouldn’t worry about relationships right now and should just have some fun. Live a little, right?”

Harry shrugged. “I think Hermione should do whatever makes her happy.”

“I’m right here you know,” Hermione said, exasperated.

Ginny crossed her arms and glared at her husband. “If you’re not going to be on my side then you can just go back to bed.”

Harry grinned and kissed her cheek. “Fine. But don’t be too much longer or I'll have to come down and haul you back into bed so I can sleep properly.”

Ginny fought to keep a straight face as Hermione chuckled. “I promise I won’t keep her from you much longer.”

“Appreciate it.” He kissed the top of Hermione’s head before he headed out.

“So who is he?” Ginny asked once Harry had left the room.

“He?”

“The one you’re ‘too busy’ to be in a relationship with.”

“I’m not—”

At Ginny’s pointed look, Hermione couldn’t help the blush that spread across her face.

“I knew it. I knew there was someone.” Her friend grinned in triumph. “Tell me about him. Give me all the details.”

Suddenly feeling weary, Hermione sat back in her chair. “There are no details, Gin. We’re just friends, that’s all.”

“But… you want it to be more?” Ginny guessed. “Why can’t it be?”

“It's complicated.”

“Complicated how? Is he married or something?”

“What? No! Of course not. I wouldn't even entertain the idea if he was.”

“Okay, so, what is it?”

Hermione groaned as she tilted her head up and closed her eyes. “He has a child, Gin. A lovely little girl who I’ve grown quite fond of.”

Ginny’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Why is that a bad thing?”

“Because, well, what if we start something and it doesn’t go anywhere? What if it ruins the friendship we already have? What if….what if I lose both of them?”

Hermione’s eyes watered at the thought and Ginny reached over and squeezed her hand.

“It’ll be safer, yes, to continue on as you are; stay friends to ensure your relationship will stay intact without risk of hurting anyone involved. But, how do you know you’re not missing out on good? On something better?” When Hermione remained silent, Ginny continued. “Maybe this bloke is just who you’re looking for, but you’ll never know unless you try.”

Hermione looked up and sniffed. “What if he wants more kids, Gin? I can’t… I won’t be able to give him any more children.”

Ginny shrugged. “There’s other ways to have children. Surrogacy. Adoption. But that’s probably not something you need to figure out right away. Just enjoy getting to know him as more than a friend. Maybe go on a few dates or something but not tell his kid. This way, if it doesn't work out, she won’t be upset.”

“It still might change everything,” Hermione said quietly.

“And that change might just be what you’re looking for.” Ginny squeezed her hand again before letting go. “I’m going to head up to bed before Harry comes back. Are you going to be alright?”

Hermione nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be alright. Thanks, Ginny.”

“And remember, if you do end up with him, I want details.” Ginny winked then left Hermione alone in the kitchen.

She sat there for a few more minutes, finishing up her cuppa before placing the mug in the sink.

When she was back in her room, she pulled out her cell phone from under the pillow and opened up the text message from Draco and finally sent a reply.

Happy Christmas, Draco.
Can’t wait to see you and Lyra in a few days.

Chapter 15: Chinese Take-out

Chapter Text

The doorbell rang and Draco heard Lyra’s feet run down the stairs to answer the door.

“She’s back! She’s back!” she squealed with excitement.

Draco looked over from the kitchen just in time to see Hermione pick up Lyra and give her a hug, her bags discarded on the floor and the front door wide open.

“Alright, Lyra. Let her come inside so she can shut the door and not let all of winter in the house.”

Hermione set Lyra down and smiled sheepishly as she closed the door. “Sorry.”

Draco waved her off. “All good. Make yourself comfortable. I’m just finishing up in the kitchen then I’ll be right out.”

Lyra dragged Hermione over to the couch and the only indication he knew the witch heard him was the subtle nod and smile she aimed in his direction.

He finished plating the cookies Lyra insisted they make and when he entered the living room again, he found Lyra sitting on the floor with half a dozen wrapped packages around her.

“What’s all this?” he asked.

“Presents! From Miss Hermione!” Lyra said excitedly. “But I had to wait for you to open them, so can I open them now?”

Draco set the plate of cookies on one of the side tables and sat down next to Hermione. “Sure, go ahead, Princess.”

Lyra grinned and tore through the wrappings.

“You didn’t have to get her anything,” he said, leaning closer to the witch. She smelled of honeysuckle and lavender, a combination of scents he’d recently come to favor.

Hermione's eyes were on Lyra, a soft smile on her face. “I wanted to.” She turned her head and glanced at him, a soft pink blush bloomed across her cheeks. “I have a gift for you as well.” She picked up a silver box with green ribbon from the floor near her feet and handed it to him.

“You also didn’t have to get me anything,” he said as he untied the bow. When he lifted the lid of the box, a large grin formed on his face. “I take it back. This I’ll take.”

Inside the box was a large variety of sweets from Sugarplum's Sweets Shop, with an abundance of his favorite, Cauldron Cakes.

“I figured I’d bring back a bit of London for you.”

Draco opened up one of the Cauldron Cakes and bit into it, enjoying the gooey, chocolatey center. He closed his eyes briefly as he hummed approvingly. “I appreciate it. Truly. Thank you. Usually the sweets my mother sends in her care packages are for Lyra.”

Hermione chuckled. “I see you’ve been pushed aside now that you’ve given her a grandchild.”

“Well, now that I have you to give me sweets, I suppose it's alright.”

The blush on Granger’s face deepened and she turned her attention back to Lyra, who was currently unwrapping her third present.

Draco finished off his treat as he took stock of his daughters gifts—a stuffed, purple dragon that warmed when hugged, a box of sweets similar to his own but smaller, some hair bows and headbands, a necklace and earring set in her birthstone, a snow globe that featured Hogwarts, and of course, books.

“What do you say to Miss Hermione?” Draco prompted when Lyra had finished opening everything.
Lyra threw her arms around Hermione’s neck. “Thank you! I love my gifts.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.”

“We have something for you too!” She pulled out a red bag from under the tree.

“I picked it out all by myself,” Lyra grinned as Hermione extracted the white tissue paper from the bag. She smiled when she extracted a pair of dark purple, leather gloves.

Hermione tried them on, finding them to be a perfect fit. “They’re beautiful! And so soft too.”

“I may have also charmed them to keep your hands warm and dry, no matter how cold and wet it gets.” Draco hadn’t been able to resist adding his own touch. Just because they lived in a Muggle town didn’t mean they couldn’t take advantage of some of the perks of magic.

“That’s very sweet of you, thank you.” Hermione leaned over and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. The widening of her eyes told him that she was just as surprised by the action as well.

He dipped his head in a nod. “Any time. We made some chocolate chip cookies before you came over. Lyra was hoping to watch a Christmas movie.” He picked up the plate next to him and offered it to her.

Lyra, who had busied herself with flipping through one of her new books, looked up. “We’re going to watch the Grinch movie. Not the cartoon one, but the real life one!”

“Oh! I haven’t seen that one, but I hear it’s good.” Hermione took a cookie and bit into it. “Should I order us some pizza?”

Draco waved her off. “Food’s already taken care of,” he reassured. “Lyra, why don’t you take your things to your room so we can clean up and start the movie when the food gets here?”

As Lyra set to her task, Draco and Hermione picked up the wrapping paper from the floor.

A text-message notification sounded and Hermione pulled out her mobile to check it. Her brows furrowed slightly as she read the message.

“Everything alright?”

Hermione nodded as she stowed her phone back in her pocket. “Yes, everything is fine. That was just Rachel. She was letting me know that everyone from work is planning on getting together for New Year’s Eve at The Barnacle.”

“Sounds like fun,” Draco commented. “I’ve been there a few times. Nice atmosphere. And the music is pretty good too. Are you planning on going?”

“I think so.” She glanced at him then looked away shyly. “I was wondering… that is, if you didn't have plans already, if you... If you’d like to go… with me.”

Draco studied her for a moment before a smile formed on his lips. “Why Hermione Granger… are you asking me out on a date?”

The witch blushed furiously. “We can go as friends, if you like. I only meant I’d like it if you came along. But I understand if you already have plans, or can’t go because it’s last minute, or—”

He chuckled, amused at her rambling. “Emma’s parents offered to take Lyra for New Year’s, if I needed them too. At the time I didn’t have plans, so I declined, but it looks like I'll have to take them up on their offer after all.”

Hermione’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Really? You’ll go?”

“Yes,” he couldn’t help grinning. “And even though you asked me, I’ll pick you up at your place. Does around nine sound good?”

“Nine sounds great”.

Draco walked over to Hermione. “And as far as it being a date, or just as friends,” he said quietly. “Why don’t we just see where the night takes us? No pressure or expectations.”

Hermione looked up at him, her eyes wide. “I like that plan.”

Just then, the doorbell rang.

“Food!” cheered Lyra as she came back downstairs, pulling Draco’s attention away from Hermione.

“I’ll get it,” he said, reaching for his wallet. “Lyra, why don’t you get the movie queued up? Hermione, if you wouldn’t mind grabbing some forks and napkins?”

After he paid for the food, he turned around to find Hermione staring at him quizzically.

“You called me Hermione. Not Miss Hermione…not Granger. Just... Hermione.”

“Well, that is your name.” He gave her a wink as he walked past her.

“Also, that’s not pizza,” she said, motioning to the bags in his hand. “That smells more like Chinese food.”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “You mentioned before that you and your parents always had Chinese food on Christmas night. I know it’s a few days past, but I was hoping since you were celebrating with us tonight, that you wouldn’t mind?”

Her eyes softened as she nodded. “That’s perfectly alright.”

The three of them sat on the floor, a container of food in front of each of them, and they tucked into their meal as the movie started.

Hermione showed off by expertly eating her food without dropping a single grain of rice, and while Draco was skilled with chopsticks, he still found himself fumbling every now and again.

Lyra attempted to use chopsticks but eventually switched to silverware when most of her food ended up back in the take-out container or on the floor.

“If we had a puppy, he’d clean up this mess for us,” she said out loud.

Hermione eyed him over Lyra’s head and shrugged as if saying She’s got a point before going back to her food.

When their bellies were full, Draco and Hermione returned to the couch while Lyra stayed on the floor to color. Even though there was plenty of room to sit, he found he didn’t quite mind when Hermione relaxed and leaned into him slightly. He breathed in her scent once more and relished in the warmth from where their arms brushed against each other. He knew that if he shifted his arm slightly, he’d be able to hold her hand and his fingers itched to thread themselves between hers.

He wouldn’t—at least not yet—and the only thing he could think of for the rest of the night was how New Year's Eve couldn’t come soon enough.

Chapter 16: A New Year's Eve date

Chapter Text

A thousand butterflies fluttered inside Hermione’s stomach.

Draco would be there within the hour to pick her up for their New Year’s Eve outing—she refused to call it a date yet—and she was both giddy with excitement and nervous beyond reason.

She looked in the mirror and gave herself a pep talk to calm her nerves. She had faced a troll and rode on a dragon's back to escape Gringotts. Surely going out with the Slytherin wizard shouldn’t be this terrifying!

She took a deep breath and assessed her outfit—a knitted sweater and skirt set, both in deep blue, paired with thick, black stockings. The skirt brushed just below the knees. It should keep her warm enough in case they went outside and also comfortable enough if they sat down for a while.

Now all she needed to deal with was her hair and makeup.

Lately, she’d been wearing her hair in a low ponytail, to keep it from flying around when it was windy and out of her face while at work.

Tonight they’d be mostly inside, so Hermione pulled out all the products that helped tame her curls so she could wear her hair down.

Images flitted through her mind of Draco kissing her and she could barely contain the shiver of excitement that ran up her spine.

When she was satisfied with her hair, she started on her make-up—nothing extravagant, but enough to enhance her eyes and lips. A few spells to keep everything in place didn’t hurt either.

A quick spritz of her favorite perfume and Hermione deemed herself ready.

The butterflies appeared again as she made her way to the living room to wait for Draco and they intensified when she heard him knock.

With a steadying breath, she opened the door and found him on the other side with a bouquet of red roses in hand and a dazzling smile.

“Hi,” she said softly.

“Hi,” he echoed. “These are for you.” He held out the flowers towards her then chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair. “Though I suppose that’s obvious.” His cheeks turned slightly pink and Hermione realized that he was just as nervous as she was, and knowing that gave her some comfort.

She took the offered flowers and inhaled their fragrant scent. “Thank you, they’re lovely. Do you want to come in while I put these in water?”

He nodded and followed her inside before closing the door. She brandished her wand and conjured a vase then filled it with a quick Aguamenti. She set the vase on her dining table, adding a quick stasis spell so they’d last longer

“Ready to go?” she asked as she turned around and stifled a gasp when she realized how close Draco was standing.

“Ready.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “And I just wanted to say, before I forget, that you look lovely tonight.”

She ducked her head to hide her blush. “Thank you.” She stepped back and assessed his own attire—dark blue jeans with a green v-neck jumper. “You look rather handsome yourself.”

The right corner of his mouth ticked up in a smile. “Shall we go?” he asked as he held her jacket open for her.

She slipped her arms into the sleeves, then obliged him by holding onto his elbow as he led her to his car. He opened the door for her and bowed extravagantly, causing her to chuckle.

“So how excited was Lyra that she got to spend New Year’s Eve with Emma?” she asked conversationally after they started driving down the road.

Draco’s smile widened. “Extremely. Though, she was curious as to why I was dressed nicely and smelled so good—” Hermione laughed as he continued, “—which I said something to the fact that I was meeting some friends from work.” He glanced at her. “I thought it was better I didn’t tell her that I was going to be with you , in case she got ideas and got too excited.”

“Because we’re not putting a label on this?” she asked, amused.

“Correct. Just seeing where the night takes us.” He glanced in her direction again and gave her another smile.

Hermione was grateful for the darkness inside the car as it would hide yet another blush that she knew was present on her cheeks.

When they arrived at The Barnacle, it was already crowded with patrons. The live band was in full swing. A handful of people were on the dance floor with most of the tables and booths full of people she knew from town that visited the bookstore regularly.

Hermione looked around and finally found her co-workers at one of the back booths.

“I see them,” she half-shouted to Draco over the music. She took his elbow and led him to the table where five people had just taken a shot of something.

“Hermione!” Rachel exclaimed as she gave her a hug. “You came!” She glanced over Hermione’s shoulder and smiled. “And you brought Mr. Sexy-Pants! Nice!”

Draco looked at Rachel curiously. “Who’s—”

But Hermione cut him off. “What’s that you’re drinking?” Hermione nodded towards Rachel’s drink she had just picked up.

“It’s called an Appletini,” Rachel said, taking a sip of the bright green co*cktail. “You should totally get one! They’re delish!”

“I think I will,” Hermione said.

"I’ll get it for you,” Draco offered. “Anything else?”

“Maybe some chips—erm, fries I mean?”

“As the lady wishes.”

As soon as he walked away, Rachel squealed. “I can’t believe you two are finally dating!”

Hermione rolled her eyes good naturedly. “We’re not dating, Rach. We came together, that’s all. We’re not labeling it, so there’s no expectations.”

Rachel waved her off. “This is totally a date. You arrived together, he’s getting you food and drinks, and I bet you ten bucks he’ll kiss you at midnight, maybe even slip you a bit of tongue,” she added, wiggling her eyebrows.

Hermione groaned. “You sound just like Ginny, my friend from back home,” she explained at Rachel's confused look.

“Sounds like my kind of girl! You should have her visit and we can all hang out or something.”

Hermione laughed and shook her head. “I don't think I can handle the both of you together, honestly.”

Draco returned with her drink and a pint of ale for himself. “Here you go, one Apple-tini for the pretty lady,” he said with a wink.

Hermione blushed as she thanked him then took a sip. The sweet and tart mixed together with the alcohol was surprisingly delicious. “Oh, this is good!”

Draco smiled. “Glad you like it. The bartender said they’ll deliver the fries soon,” he informed.

“Sounds good. We should probably find somewhere to sit,” Hermione said as she looked around the crowded bar.

“No need, we have plenty of room!” Rachel said loudly as another song began to play. “Hey, Chris, Brandy—you two scoot over to let them in!” she said as she sat on the opposite side with two other co-workers, Nina and Daniel.

“Sorry,” Hermione said apologetically as she sat down, scooting over to make room for Draco. There wasn’t much room so his leg brushed against hers and stayed there. A warmth spread over her, which she suspected had nothing to do with the alcohol from her drink.

“It’s totally fine!” Brandy said, as she sat at an angle against the wall to allow room for everyone. “Besides, we’ll probably head to the dance floor in a bit, right?” she said as she elbowed Chris.

Chris, who was rather shy and introverted around a lot of people, nodded into his glass.

The waitress arrived with the basket of fries and the group around the table dug in. Draco motioned for the waitress to bring another and she couldn't help but stifle a giggle at his generosity. She snagged a handful of fries from the rapidly dwindling basket and placed them on a napkin between them. “We can share until more arrive,” she said, taking one and eating it.

The group around the table talked and drank until the waitress returned with the second basket of fries and a chair to place at the end of the table.

“You looked a little cramped there, sweetie,” she said, giving Draco a wink. “Figured you could use this.”

Draco thanked the woman as he moved to the chair, though Hermione was slightly disappointed in the loss of his touch against her.

That is, until he scooted his chair in at the same time she moved over to make room for Chris and Brandy and their knees knocked together.

“Alright?” he asked with a raised brow as he nudged her foot with his own and left it there to rest against hers.

Hermione nodded. “No complaints.”

He took some fries from the basket, placing another pile between them to share.

Before long, both baskets of fries were empty and Hermione’s co-workers decided to head to the dance floor.

Hermione stood to let her friends pass. Draco got up also and placed a hand on her lower back as he stood behind her.

“Did you want to dance?” he asked in her ear.

She tilted her head to look back at him. “I’m not really good at it, to be honest. But… I will if you will?”

As an answer, he held out his hand and she smiled as she took it.

The music was upbeat and lively and Hermione had enough alcohol in her that she didn’t quite care if she was good or not. Draco had a goofy grin on his face as they danced and laughed, with his hands on her hips.

They stayed on the dance floor for a while before they decided to head to the bar to get another round of drinks.

In their absence, the booth they’d been seated at had been taken up by another group of people, but she and Draco were lucky enough to find a table for two.

“Are you having fun?” Draco asked as he took a drink of his ale.

“I am. Are you?” Hermione asked, sipping on her second Appletini. A quick glance at her watch told her that it was nearly midnight already.

Draco gave a nod. “I am as well. Though, I admit I’m not usually into dancing. But,” he reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. “I find I don’t quite mind, considering the company.”

Hermione could feel the warmth bloom across her cheeks as she took another sip. “Same. I don’t know the last time I went out dancing, but I do know that it wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as it is with you.”

“Maybe we can do it again some time when it’s not so crowded?” he asked.

Hermione smiled, threading her fingers between his. She felt totally at ease with him. “I’d like that.”

He smiled back at her and she could have sworn he was starting to lean in closer when the music suddenly stopped.

“Can I have everyone’s attention!” the band leader said into his microphone. “I just wanted to say that it's been a pleasure playing for you all tonight here at The Barnacle!” The bar erupted in whoops and hollers and he waited for it to quiet down before continuing. “We have just about a minute left until midnight, so grab your guy or gal and head on down to the dance floor for the countdown!”

“Ready?” Draco asked and Hermione answered with a nod and took one last sip from her drink. He removed his hand from her hold and she was about to protest, but he slung his arm around her back instead, keeping her close as the crowd gathered all around them. She responded in kind, slipping her arm behind him as well.

The lights in the bar dimmed just as the New Year’s Eve countdown from New York was projected on a giant screen above the band.

Everyone in the room began to count down together.

“Three!... Two!... One!... Happy New Year!”

The noise in the bar was deafening with all the cheering and shouts, and Hermione couldn’t help but join in with everyone's excitement.

“Happy New Year, Draco!” she shouted so he could hear her over all the noise. She lifted onto her toes and kissed his cheek soundly, giggling as she pulled back, but his hold on her waist tightened ever so slightly.

Suddenly, it felt as if it was just the two of them in the room, the noise of the people around them faded in the distance. His eyes bore into hers, flicking down to her lips and back up again as he pulled her even closer.

His eyebrow ticked up in a question.

She licked her lips in anticipation and, with a slight nod, he brought his lips to hers.

Art created by Ectoheart

Chapter 17: Apples with a hint of alcohol

Chapter Text

She tasted like Granny Smith apples—equal parts sweet and tart.
Delicious.
Delectable.

Hermione’s lips were plump and full and they glided over his own as if they were made to meld together.

He pulled back slightly, just to make sure she was okay, but she gripped his jumper and pushed up on her toes to kiss him some more.

He angled his head to run his tongue along her lips, urging her to open for him and she complied without hesitation.

She tasted even more divine.

Apples with a hint of alcohol—his new favorite flavor.

His hands gripped her hips on each side, not wanting to let her go or to stop.

When her arms wound around his neck and their kiss turned more passionate, he came to his senses and realized they were in the middle of a very crowded— and very public —bar.

Hermione must have realized the same thing, as she pulled back, with a look that was a mix of surprise and bashfulness.

“It’s awfully warm in here, don’t you think?” she asked. “Perhaps a bit of fresh air—”

“Fresh air, yes. Couldn’t agree more.” He took her hand and led her towards the door, making sure to grab their coats and slip them on as they headed out.

The two of them practically ran, hand in hand, to the side of the building. The moment they were out of sight, he pushed her up against the brick wall and couldn’t get his lips on her fast enough.

When her arms wound around his neck, his hands slipped into the opening of her coat and gripped her hips, pulling her flush against him to keep them both warm. His fingers explored the exposed skin along her sides and back. He only hesitated briefly before he brought them to her breast.

She moaned into his mouth and the feeling went straight to his co*ck.

He kneaded her through her bra and pinched her nipple through the thin fabric. Hermione removed her lips from his and rested her head against the wall, panting softly.

He let her catch her breath as he peppered kisses on any exposed part of her he could find—her cheek, her neck, along her collar bone, and behind her ear. She hummed in approval until she nudged his nose with her own.

“We ought to go back inside, or at least somewhere out of the cold,” she said, her breath wispy in the crisp, night air.

His own breath mingled with hers as he rested his forehead against her. “I think I’ve had just about enough of other people for the time being.”

She giggled, burying her face into his neck. “Shall we head on out then?” she asked. “I don’t know about you, but I’m famished.”

He smiled and took her hand, leading her back to his car.

They sat in his car in a parking lot while they ate cheeseburgers and fries, seeing as how the only place open at midnight that had food available was a drive-thru.

Hermione leaned back in her seat and turned her head to study him.

He mirrored her. “Sickle for your thoughts?” he asked.

“I was just thinking how I owe Rachel ten dollars.”

Draco laughed and reached over to lace his fingers with hers. “Why’s that?”

“Because she bet you would kiss me tonight.”

“Well, technically, you kissed me first,” he corrected and tapped his cheek to remind her where her lips had first brushed against him.

Hermione ducked her head. “She also mentioned something about tongues too….”

Draco used his finger to lift her chin so she could look at him. “Like this?” then leaned over and kissed her.

The taste of apples was gone, but that didn’t mean kissing her wasn’t enjoyable.

He enjoyed exploring her mouth; finding the perfect pressure of his lips that made her sigh; teasing her with his tongue until she opened for him.

They kissed each other slowly, familiarizing one other through their mouths and tongues.

One of her hands cupped his cheek, drawing him closer which allowed him to deepen the kiss as his own hand found purchase in her hair.

After a few moments of snogging, they broke apart.

“I hate to say it, but we should probably call it a night,” he said, peppering her with kisses between words.

“I suppose we should.”

He kissed her three times more, then finally started the car and drove to her place.

Being the gentleman he was raised to be, he walked her to her door, his hand within hers as she leaned into him.

“I had a great time.” She turned to face him. “Did you want to come in for a night cap or…something?”

Merlin wanted to. He cupped her face and kissed her against the door. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He nipped her neck then licked the small blemish he left behind.

He felt her shiver as she moved her head, giving him more access to her skin. “Why’s that?” she asked breathlessly.

“Because.” He pressed his lips to hers. “If I go inside, there’s no way I’m not leaving before I have my way with you on whatever surface is closest, whether it be your dining room table or your couch, maybe even both.”

She grabbed onto the lapels of his jumper, pulling him close. “Who says I don’t want you to do just that?”

He smirked at her. “Easy there, Lioness.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I made a rule for myself a long time ago that I won’t take a woman to bed on the first date. That’ll be reserved for the third.”

Her brows shot up in surprise and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“But…. why? ” she asked.

“Because.” He dipped his head so he could whisper in her ear. “Waiting makes it all the more sweeter.” He pecked her cheek. “Good night, Hermione.”

A shudder seemed to ripple through her before she rasped out, “Goodnight, Draco,” and then she slipped inside her house.

He knew he would regret not taking her up on her offer, but it seemed like the right thing to do. He was interested in more than one night, which meant taking his time with her, even if it meant taking care of his own sexual needs for the time being. His erection was already prominent through his jeans but was nothing a good wank in the shower wouldn’t fix, especially with the new memories of how she tasted and felt beneath his hands.

Draco groaned the next morning as his alarm went off. He had gone to bed later than anticipated, seeing as how he’d needed to take care of himself twice before he was sated enough to fall asleep.

As he sat up, he thought about what had transpired between him and Hermione the night before and was pleasantly, and happily, surprised with how flawless it felt slipping into something more.

The moment she asked him out for New Year’s Eve, he knew it would be different—that their relationship would change. He couldn’t deny he had developed feelings for the witch, but he hadn’t known if those feelings were reciprocated and he didn’t want to risk losing her by acting on it.

If anything, their date that night made it clear that he needn’t have worried. Sitting in the car scarfing down burgers had given them a chance to talk and he’d been relieved to find Hermione was on the same page as him. And, they both agreed that while they navigated this new thing, they wouldn't tell Lyra just yet.

He knew Lyra had come to love Hermione and that she’d be ecstatic to find out they were dating, but the two of them needed time to figure out if a relationship would work before they said anything to her.

As far as relationships went, especially serious ones, Draco’s history was practically non-existent. It was for this reason he’d made rules for himself when it came to any woman he planned on pursuing something more with—of course, that hadn’t happened until now.

He’d dated Pansy Parkinson briefly in his youth, but that was mostly on the insistence of their mothers. It worked out in their favor though—being friends since diapers meant they knew each other well and were comfortable enough to explore and figure out what they both wanted in a partner.

Unfortunately for their families, it wasn't each other.

Pansy had been a few of his firsts—giving him his first kiss that led to his first snog; letting him feel up her shirt to touch her breast; he even received his first hand job from her. That had all been during the summer between fifth and sixth year. Once the school term started, he had an impossible task from the monster who lived in his house, and being in a relationship wasn’t his top priority anymore.

Apparently though, he’d been wrong, seeing as how he did have a relationship during sixth year that created Lyra.

He had been truthful to his mother about not dating anyone since moving to the states, but it was only a half truth. There had been a few times, usually during the summer months, when some tourist or visitor would ask him out for a night of fun. Draco had originally turned these offers down, then realized that he had needs that could be better met than always wanking.

He always took precautions on these nights as he didn’t want to accidentally father another child with someone who was a stranger.

It all felt different with Hermione—she was such a prominent figure in both his and Lyra’s lives already. So much so, that when she was away during the holidays, he found himself missing her and he knew that Lyra felt the same way.

He hadn't expected that from Hermione Granger—how could he have? But here he was, well on the road to falling for her.

If he were honest with himself, he was already halfway there.

He glanced at the clock and realized he had been lying awake in bed for the last half hour. Lyra was due home soon so he figured he’d better hop in the shower and get ready for his day.

His cell phone pinged, he knew it was Hermione before he even checked. A smile formed on his face as he reached for his phone.

Dinner at my place tonight?

Absolutely. Just tell us what to bring and we’ll be there.

Great! You and Lyra bring dessert, I’ll take care of the rest.

Yes, he was definitely starting to fall head over heels for the witch.

Chapter 18: Disgustingly Adorable

Chapter Text

Hermione ignored the knowing look Rachel gave her when she slipped her the ten dollar bill.

"Not a word," Hermione said, pointing at her friend warningly.

Rachel pretended to zip her lips and Hermione nodded in satisfaction before she turned around and went to open up the bookstore for the day.

Two weeks passed since New Year's and while she and Draco hadn't gone on any more dates, that didn't mean they didn't spend time with one another.

On the contrary, they now started having dinner together a couple times a week, rather than just once on the weekends.

She smiled to herself as she thought about the night before, when Draco pulled Hermione into the hall to kiss her thoroughly and quickly before slipping back into the living room where Lyra was waiting for them to start a board game. She had been flustered the rest of the night and when Lyra was tucked into bed, she took matters into her own hands and straddled Daco's lap on the couch and snogged him until they were both panting.

If Lyra suspected anything had changed between her and her dad, she didn't say anything—she just seemed happy that the three of them were spending so much time together.

"Hermione…Hermione? Earth to Hermione."

A pair of fingers snapped her back to the present and she saw Rachel standing next to her.

"Hm? Oh, sorry, I must have zoned out for a moment."

"Thinking about your hot, British boyfriend?" Rachel said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm British too, so technically you can just say boyfriend. Now, what did you need?" she asked as she went back to work on the computer, taking log of their inventory

"Just that Draco's looking for you and waiting at the front of the store," she said, nodding her head towards his location.

"Oh!" Hermione said, happily surprised. She left her office, leaving behind a chuckling Rachel, and found Draco leaning casually against the counter.

"Sorry," Hermione said as she walked up to him. "I was in the office, logging in inventory."

Draco kissed her cheek in greeting. "Nothing to be sorry for. I was just wondering if you will be available later to pick Lyra up from school? I have to go to Augusta to pick something up and I won't be back in time."

Hermione's eyes suddenly felt watery. "You want me to pick up Lyra?" she asked quietly.

Draco seemed to notice the emotion in her response and reached out to thread his fingers between hers. "Only if you're comfortable doing so. I was going to ask Natalie, but—"

"No, I'd love to," Hermione said, squeezing his hand softly. "Am I on the list to be able to pick her up?"

Draco nodded. "Yes. You've actually been on the list since before the holidays."

"I have?"

"Mhm," he said as he pulled her closer and gave her lips a quick peck. "Thank you. I'll pick up dinner on my way back. Oh, and here's a house key so you can get in."

"I can make something." Hermione tucked the key into her pocket. "I'll take Lyra to the store after school and get something to make."

"Whatever's easiest for you. Just text me around five if I need to pick up anything on the way back, otherwise, I should be home by half past."

"Sounds good. Lyra gets out at 2:30, right?"

"Correct." He kissed her again, this time a little softer; a little longer. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Any time," she said quietly, matching his tone. "Drive safely."

"I always do." He gave her a wink then headed out of the shop.

Hermione watched him as he turned towards his store and sighed with content.

"You two are disgustingly adorable."

Hermione jumped as she turned around. "Sorry," she said, blushing. "I never know what's too much in public and what's not." At Rachel's confused look, she elaborated. "You know, with the kissing and stuff."

Rachel laughed and waved her off. "Don't be. Am I super jealous? Yes. But am I happy that you twofinallygot your heads on right and are now dating? Also yes."

Hermione chuckled. "Well, I guess Idohave you to thank for that. If you hadn't invited me to the New Year's party, I wouldn't have invited Draco and we wouldn't have kissed at midnight."

"Hm, I suppose you have a point. I'll make sure to point that out during my bridesmaid speech at your wedding one day," she said with a wink.

"Who said anything about m—"

"Although," Rachel continued as if Hermione hadn't just started sputtering, "I do believe you two would have gotten there on your own…eventually. You're both very hard-headed, did you know that?"

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "I think we need to get back to work. Oh, and I have to leave at two."

"Oh? Why? Everything okay?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, everything is fine, I just need to head out early because I'm picking up Lyra from school. That's why Draco was here, to ask me if I could."

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Rachel said, pretending to swoon. "Anyways, no prob. Jay and I are scheduled to close anyway."

"Thanks, I appreciate it. Call me if you need anything though."

Rachel gave a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."

Hermione went back into her office to continue her work, making sure to set an alarm on her phone for two o'clock.

"Miss Hermione!" Lyra squealed as she exited her classroom. She ran over, arms open wide and hugged Hermione around her middle before looking up at her. "Are you picking me up?"

"I am. That's okay, isn't it?"

"It's great!" Lyra said.

"Excuse me," said a woman walking towards them. "Sorry, I just need to verify you are on the list to pick up Lyra."

"Yes, of course," Hermione said as she handed the teacher her driver's license.

"Thank you, dear. And how do you know our little Lyra here?" the teacher asked.

"I'm a friend of the family."

The teacher, Mrs. Gates, appeared to be a woman in her late 50's, with graying hair and kind, blue eyes. She checked Hermione's ID before handing it back.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Miss Granger. Will you be picking up Lyra often?"

"Oh, um, I'm not sure. Her dad just had to go into another city for a bit and wouldn't be able to get here in time."

"Well, it was nice to meet you. I'll see you tomorrow, Lyra," Mrs. Gates said and gave Lyra a hug.

"Bye, Mrs. Gates!" Lyra said as she walked with Hermione, hand in hand.

"Are we going to your house?" she asked.

"Actually, we're going to the grocery store to pick up something for dinner then heading to your house. I figured you can help pick something out to make."

"I can choose anything I want?"

"Well, within reason."

Lyra decided on lasagna and garlic bread. Hermione added in some lettuce, tomato, and cucumber to make a salad to go along with it. When they passed the bakery section, Lyra requested they get something for dessert as well. She knew that Draco normally doesn't give Lyra sugary desserts on weekdays, so Hermione got some angel food cake and some strawberries and whipped cream to put on top.

When the two got back to the house, Lyra sat at the dining table to work on her homework, while Hermione started boiling the lasagna noodles and browning the meat.

"Miss Hermione?"

"Yes, sweetie? Are you all done with your homework?"

"Uh huh. It was really easy," she showed Hermione the work and then stowed it away in her backpack. "Can I help make dinner?"

"Of course! Go wash your hands and then I'll show you what to do."

Hermione showed Lyra how to layer the lasagna—sauce, noodles, ricotta cheese, meat, then repeat.

"Now we just top it with sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese before we put it in the oven. It should be ready by the time your dad gets here."

"Can you read me a book while we wait?" Lyra asked.

Hermione smiled. "I'd love to. In fact, I think I have the perfect book we can read together."

Hermione rummaged through her bag and pulled out a well worn book.

"Hogwarts, A History," Lyra read out loud.

"It's one of my favorites," Hermione said as she sat down on the couch. Lyra cuddled up next to her and watched intently as she opened the book. "It's not a story-telling book like you're used to, but it contains a lot of information about Hogwarts. And, it's filled with loads of interesting and amazing facts and pictures. See, look! That's Hogwarts."

"Wow… It's so pretty." She snuggled closer into Hermione's side. "What's that?" she asked as she pointed to another picture when Hermione turned the page.

They sat on the couch together until dinner was nearly ready. Hermione let Lyra look through the book while she put together the salad and had just got done setting the table when Draco walked in.

"Daddy!" Lyra hopped off the couch and ran to him, giving him a hug. "Miss Hermione showed me this awesome book that's all about Hogwarts! Look!" She held it up so Draco could see.

"Ah, yes,Hogwarts, A History," he glanced up at Hermione and smiled. "I see some things never change."

Hermione offered a sheepish grin. "Guilty. Anyway, you came home just in time. I just pulled the lasagna out of the oven."

"It smells amazing," Draco said as he slipped off his coat and hung it up. He walked towards the kitchen as he loosened his tie. "Looks amazing, too."

He was so close that she could smell his cologne and she almost leaned forward to kiss his cheek, when Lyra spoke up and reminded her of her surroundings.

"I helped make it!"

"Really?" Draco asked. "Does this mean you're taking over cooking from now on?"

Lyra giggled into her hand. "Sorry Daddy, you still have to cook, but I can help! I'm almost seven, you know."

Draco laughed as he scooped her up and peppered kisses on her cheek.

"Seven, you say? Where did my tiny, little girl go? Who gave you permission to grow up?"

Hermione leaned against and she watched the duo, her heart melting in the process.

He was so good with Lyra and she knew he'd be an amazing father to any other children he might have.

The thought nearly brought tears to her eyes and she turned around quickly to start cutting into the lasagna.

Draco told Lyra to clean up for dinner, and a moment later, strong arms wrapped around her middle and his chin rested on her shoulder.

"Thank you for keeping her today, and for making this delicious dinner," he said before kissing her cheek. She let out an involuntary sniffle and he stiffed behind her.

He turned her around and lifted her chin up so she could look at him. His brows knit with concern. "What's wrong?'

Hermione shook her head. "It's nothing."

He rubbed his hands up and down her arms in comfort. "It's not nothing. You know you can talk to me, right?"

Hermione nodded as she wiped at another tear that slipped away. "I know. It's just…. It's not something I usually talk about. But, I'll tell you later, okay?" she looked up at him before wrapping her arms around his middle for a hug.

His arms encircled her, hugging her back. "Promise?" he asked quietly.

"Promise," she said as she pulled away moments before Lyra came back into the kitchen, blissfully unaware of anything different between the two adults.

"Daddy, can Miss Hermione read to me tonight?" Lyra asked.

"Sure, Princess, as long as she's able to stay a bit longer," he asked, glancing up and raising a brow in question.

"I'd love to! Go get ready for bed and I'll be up in a moment, okay?"

"Okay! I'll pick out my favorite books since you showed me yours," Lyra said as she bounded up the stairs.

Draco chuckled. "Now you've done it. She has at least ten favorite books so she'll try and weasel you into reading them all. Don't fall for it."

"I will read as many books as I like, thank you very much," Hermione said, poking his side.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close and the smirk he gave made her stomach flip-flop as it always did when he was about to kiss her.

He pressed his lips to hers, with just enough heat to spark a flame in her belly.

She knew he enjoyed teasing her like this, when Lyra was in another room and they couldn't properly snog until later.

He went to pull back, but she wound her arms around his neck, locking him in place. She nipped his lower lip, then licked the spot. The heat pooled in his eyes.

When he went to kiss her again, she pulled back and smirked as Lyra called out for her.
She lifted on her toes and whispered in his ear. "Remember, waiting is all the sweeter."

She gave him a peck on the cheek then went up the stairs to read a bedtime story…or ten.

Chapter 19: Hermione's Confession

Chapter Text

Draco slowly opened Lyra's bedroom door to find both his daughter and Hermione fast asleep in the twin-size bed.

The sight of them together, so comfortable with one another, brought up feelings Draco wasn't sure he was ready for.

He walked into the room and gently shook Hermione's shoulder. She opened her eyes and smiled as she caught his gaze.

"You fell asleep," he whispered.

"So I did," she said with a yawn. She held out her hand and he helped her out of the bed, careful not to jostle the sleeping child.

They exited the room and Draco shut the door before he turned to the witch beside him.

"Care for some wine?"

"Yes, please."

Downstairs, with a glass in hand, Hermione curled up into him on the couch. He slung an arm around her shoulder and his fingers found their way into her curls, playing with the ends absently.

"Did your trip go well?"

"It did. I had a shipment I needed to pick up personally from Dirigo Square. The contents were fragile and not advisable to be delivered by owl." He took a sip of his wine. "How was Lyra for you?"

"She was wonderful, as always. She did her homework without complaint then offered to help with dinner. She did tell me to tell you that she really,reallywants a puppy for her birthday," Hermione batted her eyes, just as Lyra had.

Draco chuckled. "I know she does. I might just break down and get her one this year."

"Really?" Hermione asked, surprised. "What changed your mind?"

He shrugged. "She's getting older so she can handle some of the responsibility of having a dog. I'm still unsure what to do with a puppy while I'm at work all day though."

"You can always bring him or her to work with you. They can be like the shop's mascot."

Draco pondered that suggestion. "Perhaps." He turned his head to look at her and smiled. "Would you want to come with me to pick one out? It won't be for another few months, but I was thinking we could take a drive to one of the bigger cities where there are more options, just the two of us."

Her smile widened. "It's a date."

"Speaking of dates," he segued, pulling her closer. "I do believe it is my turn to ask you out."

"I was wondering when you'd get around to that," she teased.

"How about Saturday? We can be like a couple of teenagers and go snog at the cinema." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

She smacked his chest playfully. "Or, now hear me out, we can just go out to dinner and then head back to one of our places to snog properly…Among other things."

Draco's grin widened. "Other things you say?" He set down his glass and lifted her chin so he could slant his lips over hers. "What might that be?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and see," she said, slipping onto his lap and snogging him breathless.

This was his favorite time of day; when it was just the two of them alone in the dark living room, with nothing but either the fireplace or the telly for light.

His hand slipped up her shirt where he undid the clasp of her bra with a simple twist of his fingers before cupping her breast.

She moaned softly against his mouth and he used the opportunity to kiss along her neck.

"f*ck," she muttered as he nipped and licked up and down her throat. She ground her hips into him, and he nearly came in his pants at the friction.

"f*ck," he echoed, placing his hands on her hips to still her movements. "If you keep doing that I'm going to do something really embarrassing really soon."

The grin she gave him was wicked and sinful. Her hands dragged slowly down his chest until they reached the waistband of his jeans.

"You know," she said, popping open the button. "Our first date took place over two days, two differentyearsactually, if you think about it." She unzipped his trousers slowly, ungodly so. "So, technically, Saturday will be our third date." She cupped his bulge and applied gentle pressure. "And, what was it you said you waited to do until the third date?" she asked, stroking him through the cotton fabric.

Draco's eyes rolled back as he closed them and rested his head against the couch. "I'm starting to think you were placed in the wrong house." He opened one eye and peered at her. "You most definitely have Slytherin qualities."

She smiled and she slipped her hand inside his boxers and pulled him out. It took everything not to come right then there, with her hand wrapped around co*ck as she sat on his lap with swollen lips and bite marks he'd made.

"You know, the Sorting Hat did say I'd do well in any of the houses. That's why it took so long to choose."

She gave him a wicked grin and slipped off his lap before kneeling in front of him.

"What are you–" His voice caught in his throat as he took him in her mouth. Warm and wet, she glided him in and out all while stroking him.

"f*ck," he groaned. "Fair warning, I'm not gonna last long."

In answer, she picked up the pace and before he could utter a warning, he exploded in her mouth.

She swallowed, which was one of the hottest thing he'd ever encountered, then licked him clean before placing his co*ck back into his pants.

He looked at her, stunned, as she simply sat back down on the couch and snuggled into him.

"Don't worry," she said, patting his leg, as if she hadn't just blown more than his mind. "You can return the favor this weekend."

He flipped her onto her back and hovered over her. "Cheeky witch. Or I can return it now."

He kissed her again, this time tasting himself on her tongue. Her hands slipped into his hair and tugged softly at the ends, something he never knew he liked until just that moment.

His hand fumbled with her jeans and she smiled against his mouth. "If you get me naked on your couch, I don't think we'll make it until Saturday."

She moved his hand back to her chest and he took the hint as he slipped it up her shirt once more and tweaked and pulled on her nipple.

Their fevered kisses turned soft until he stopped to rest his head against hers.

"I'm going to tell Lyra that I'm going to take you out on a date," he said. "Are you okay with that?"

"Yes. More than okay."

Draco sat up and helped her up as well.

"I also wanted to ask about earlier—about what happened in the kitchen," he said cautiously as he grabbed both of their wine glasses and handed her hers. He wanted to understand why she'd reacted the way she did in the kitchen.

Hermione swirled the contents of her wine glass as she looked down when she finally spoke. "Do you remember when we were brought to Malfoy Manor?"

All of the veins in Draco's body suddenly felt like ice flowed through them. They had, up until this point, not discussed that particular event from the war. He knew it was bound to come up, but he had hoped, perhaps selfishly, that it wouldn't.

"Yes," he said in a hoarse whisper. "That was a constant nightmare for me for years after."

Hermione nodded. "Same." She took a large drink of her wine and continued. "When Bellatrix was torturing me with theCruciatus Curse, it was so powerful that some of the damage was long-lasting. One of which is infertility." She took another sip. "The healers don't understand why it affected me that way; they've never encountered infertility as a side effect of the curse. But, a year or so after the war, I realized that my cycles were few and far between. When I was examined, they found a lot of scarring in my uterus."

A tear slipped down her cheek and Draco used the pad of his thumb to wipe it away as guilt wracked through him. He knew he should have done something—anything—to stop his deranged Aunt that day, but all he had cared about was his own self-preservation.

Hermione leaned into his hand and closed her eyes. "I'm telling you this because now that we're in a relationship, you need to know." She looked up at him as more tears threatened to spill over. "I can't have children. And I don't want to be presumptuous in where our relationship is going, but this is something I feel you should know."

She was infertile because ofhisfamily—the thought made him sick to his stomach—yet here she was, worried abouthim. Draco pulled her close. "I understand and appreciate you telling me. It doesn't change anything between us, unless….it changes things for you." He felt his throat tighten at the thought.

She glanced up at him, her brows knit in confusion. "Why would it change things for me?"

"Because it was someone frommyfamily that did this to you and I didn't do anything—"

Her gaze hardened slightly. "I've told you before, don't apologize for things that you weren't in control over. I don't blame you for what happened. If I did, I wouldn't be here, right now, with you. Alright?"

A wave of relief passed through him as he tightened his hold on her.

She sunk into him. "When you and Lyra were in the kitchen, talking and playing around, I was just overcome with so much emotion. You'resoamazing with her and I just know that if you ever have any more children, that you'd be an amazing father to them as well. I just…. I can't give you that."

Draco cupped her face. "Hermione, look at me. I'm okay with having just Lyra."

"You don'tknowthat. One day you might want to have another child, a son perhaps, to carry on the Malfoy name, or—"

He kissed her—her lips, her cheek, and the tears that fell from her lashes. "I don't want you to worry about that right now. I'm completely content with having only Lyra. If that changes while we're together, we can talk about it when the time comes." He kissed her forehead. "Besides, there's more than one way to have children."

Hermione sniffed. "I know. Ginny said something similar."

"The youngest of the Weasley clanwasalways the smartest," he said and he was happy to hear her watery chuckle.

She burrowed into his side. "Can we just sit here for a bit? I need to head home soon, but I just…. I want to be with you for a little longer."

Draco kissed the top of her head as he tugged her closer. "For you? Always."

Draco called Natalie in hopes she would be available to watch Lyra on Saturday and sighed in relief when she said could. He knew Emma's parents would watch her if he asked, but he felt bad asking them to watch heragainsince they just had her over for New Year's Eve and he hadn't had a chance to return the favor yet.

Now that he had a sitter, he needed to tell his daughter of his plans. He wasn't worried about Lyra taking the news badly, but he felt he should still make sure she was okay with it.

He picked Lyra up from school as usual but stopped by the ice cream parlor on the way home for a treat.

"How would you like it if Miss Natalie came over and watched you Saturday night?" Draco asked once they started on their cones. It was no Fortescue's, but it would do.

Lyra's smile was covered in chocolate ice cream. "That would be awesome! I haven't seen Miss Natalie in forever!" She took another lick of her cone and he could see the wheels in her head begin to turn. "How come she's watching me? Where will you be?"

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'll be taking Miss Hermione out on a date."

Lyra stopped mid-lick to stare wide-eyed at her father. "You're taking Miss Hermione on a date?"

"I am. Are you okay with that?"

Lyra nodded vigorously and her smile widened in the process. "Yeah! Where are you going to take her? Are you going to hold her hand? Are you going tokissher? Are you—"

Draco chuckled. "Slow down there, Princess. We're just going out on a date. If it goes well, we'll probably go on more." His daughter didn't need to know that they'd already been testing the waters—quite successfully, he thought.

Lyra bounced in her seat. "This is so exciting!"

Draco picked up a napkin. "I think all that chocolate you just consumed is making you a little hyper." He wiped her mouth until it was clean. "There, better."

"How come it took you so long to ask her out?" she asked after eating more of her ice cream.

"Well, I wasn't planning on it, honestly, but we've become friends. Over time I realized that I wanted to ask her out on a date. After talking to her, I learned she felt the same, so I suggested we go to dinner, just the two of us."

"And she said yes!" Lyra exclaimed with a bright smile on her face. "Will you kiss her?"

Draco sighed and pretended to be annoyed as he poked her side. "Why are you so obsessed with me kissing her?"

"Because that's whatallthe princesses do in the movies! They kiss their true love and then they live happily ever after!" Her eyes widened again and she leaned forward, her face suddenly serious. "Doyoulove Miss Hermione?"

Draco chuckled, amused. "Well, Idolike her, quite a bit, and… I think I can see myself loving her, when the time is right."

"How will you know when it's the right time?"

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly. "I think I'll just know."

"Do you think you'll marry her?" she asked. He could hear the hope in her voice, but everything was still so new for all of them. He didn't want to make promises he wasn't sure would happen, even though part of him could see spending the rest of their lives together.

Draco sighed and pulled Lyra into his lap. "You're asking a lot of questions I don't know the answers to yet, but, I promise, I won't make any big, life-changing decisions without discussing with you first, okay?"

"Okay."

"We should probably head home," he said while setting her down. "I need to make something for dinner, even though you probably won't eat it because you've had your fill of ice cream."

His daughter simply grinned up at him.

Chapter 20: The Third Date

Chapter Text

Ever since Hermione talked with Draco about her infertility, her dreams had been riddled with images of either being pregnant or having a baby.

It felt like a cruel joke, dreaming of an infant with blond curly hair, swaddled in a soft blanket, only to know that would never be a reality.

However, for as many baby dreams she had, there were others she didn’t mind as much. There were also dreams of being intimate with Draco, and many mornings she woke up with an ache between her thighs.

A vibrator could only do so much.

She knew it was because of their upcoming date—with all the teasing they'd been doing, since it was almost guaranteed they’d end up in bed together.

Hermione thought she might be nervous, knowing she’d be sleeping with Draco Malfoy for the first time. But, if she were honest with herself, she felt more than ready.

Part of her wanted to tell him to come over before the date to get it over with, then they could enjoy their night without all the anticipation looming over them.

He’d tease her senseless if she suggested such a thing, and would probably prolong the date just to make her squirm.

Merlin, she hoped he would make her squirm, among other things.

Pulling herself away from thoughts of Draco and sex, she rummaged through her closet, trying to find something to wear, before she picked up her mobile and called for reinforcements.

“I don't know what to wear,” she said when the receiving end picked up.

“I’ll be right over!”

Rachel came equipped with a bag full of clothes as well as her make up kit. She rummaged through Hermione’s closet, trying to find the perfect outfit, but ultimately ended up digging through her own stuff.

“I think we’re about the same size,” she said as she pulled out dresses, tops, and skirts. “I’m sure I have something that will work. Do you know where he’s taking you?”

Hermione shook her head. “He just said out to dinner. Knowing him, it will be some place fancy though.”

“Hmm… Well, there’s a few nice places in town, but nothing overly formal. I think a dress would be nice, and you have that dark gray wool coat to keep you warm. Here-” She handed Hermione a couple dresses. “Try these on.”

Hermione obliged, trying on the various dresses until she came out wearing a long sleeve, dark green wrap-around dress that fell at her knees.

“Oh that looks gorgeous on you!” Rachel said. “So much better than it ever did on me! Oh! And you have to wear these boots with them.” She plucked a pair of black, zip up boots that went up just below her knees.

“Yup, that’s the winner right there. Just add a bit of jewelry and some makeup and he won’t know what hit him. What time is he supposed to pick you up?”

Hermione glanced at her watch. “About an hour.”

“Plenty of time then.” Rachel opened up her make up kit and held up various items from within. “You trust me, right?” she asked.

“Um…”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Hermione glanced in the mirror after Rachel finished and was surprised with how well her makeup turned out.

Rachel kept it simple but applied a darker shade of eyeshadow and lipstick than what Hermione normally used.

She then put in a pair of topaz teardrop earrings and used a curler to tame some of her more unruly parts of her hair.

“Well, I think you’re ready,” Rachel said as she packed up her things and headed for the door. “Oh, just one more thing…. You are wearing something sexy under that dress, right?”

“Of course. One does not go on a date unprepared for such things.”

Rachel grinned. “Excellent. Call me tomorrow with all the details. Bye!”

Hermione waved as Rachel walked to her car, just as Draco stepped out of his.

“She’s all yours,” Rachel announced as she passed him.

Draco had a grin on his face as he walked to the door. He then bent to kiss her cheek. “Hi.”

“Hello,” she said softly.

He took her hand and spun her in a twirl. “You look stunning.”

Hermione blushed. “Thank you.” She stepped back to look him up and down. He wore a dark blue, button up shirt with black slacks. “You look rather nice yourself.”

He pulled her back in and his lips found hers.

“Oops,” She used her thumb to wipe the lipstick off of his lips. “I didn’t get a chance to charm it in place since Rachel was here.”

“I don’t mind.” Draco lifted her hand to his lips. “Are you ready to go or do you still need to finish getting ready?”

“I’m ready, I just need to grab my coat.” She plucked the wool coat from the coat rack and slipped it on.

“You know, you never told me where we’re going,” she said as he walked her to his car. “Only that it was a surprise.”

“That’s usually what a surprise means,” he drawled and Hermione couldn’t help but laugh.

“What about a hint then?”

“Hmm,” he said, pretending to think. “Okay, here’s a hint—you’ve been there before.”

“Please don’t tell me it’s McDonald’s,” she deadpanned.

He looked at her aghast. “And here I thought splitting some fries and a chocolate milkshake would be romantic. Well, I guess we’ll have to reschedule.”

Hermione giggled at his antics. “Alright, fine. I suppose when you put it that way, it does sound nice. But please be aware that I will be planning the rest of the dates from here on out.”

Draco reached over and held her hand as he drove. They sat in companionable silence until he turned away from where she thought they were headed, and instead wound up on his street.

She was even more confused when he parked in his own driveway.

“We’re here,” he announced as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

Hermione watched him curiously as he rounded the car and opened her door. When she got out, he offered his elbow and escorted her up the porch steps.

“I don’t get it,” she finally said. “We’re having our date at your house?”

“Yup.” He opened the door then gestured for her to enter. “After you.”

Hermione walked in, expecting everything to be as it normally was, but stopped and looked around in astonishment.

Draco had charmed his ceiling to look like the night sky and there was soft music playing all around them. The only light was from the floating candles that hovered just above the ceiling.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, turning around to smile at Draco. “It looks just like the Great Hall.”

“That's what I was aiming for.” He slipped her coat off and planted a kiss on her shoulder before he led her to the table.

She had eaten there many times before but she had never seen it decorated like this—it was smaller, only big enough for the two of them, and covered in a dark blue tablecloth, with silver, shimmery stars sewed into the fabric. A single rose sat in a glass vase in the middle of the table with tall candles lit on either side of it and there were sparkling white china and navy cloth napkins that completed the place settings at the table.

Draco pulled out her seat and when she sat down, he summoned a bottle of wine with his wand. He filled two glasses and offered her one before finally taking his own seat.

He held up his glass. “To….us,” he said.

Hermione smiled and nodded approvingly as she clinked her glass with his. “To us.”

He served them a five course meal. How he managed to do it was a mystery, but Hermione suspected magic, or rather, a house-elf, might have been involved.

When she finished the last of her crème brûlée, she leaned back in her chair.

"I don't think I could possibly eat another bite.”

Draco chuckled. "Same." He set his napkin down on his plate and with a flick of his wand, only the rose, candles, and their wine were left.

He studied her for a moment and Hermione took a drink from her glass to hide her blush.

He held out his hand for her across the table. "Would you care to dance?"

She gladly accepted and they both stood together, hand in hand, until their bodies met. They swayed to the music while Hermione rested her head on his chest and sighed contently.

"This is nice," she said, closing her eyes.

Draco hummed in agreement, one hand splayed across her lower back while the other held her own.

"It is rather odd though, not having Lyra around." She looked up at him. "Where is she anyways? At Emma's?"

Draco shook his head. "Not this time. Natalie has her. She was going to watch her here, but her sister came to visit with her nieces, so she asked if she could take Lyra to her place instead."

Hermione smiled. "I bet she's having a blast."

"I'm sure she is," he agreed. "But do you know what this means?"

Hermione looked at him curiously and shook her head.

His grin grew wide as he dipped down to kiss her. "It means we don't have to worry about getting interrupted."

Hermione smiled against his mouth. "That does sound rather nice."

He gathered her up and kissed her again until she had to pull away to catch her breath.

"What time is she supposed to come back?"

Draco looked into her eyes and she saw they looked like molten silver.

"Tomorrow morning," he answered.

"Perfect," she said before closing the distance between them once more.

Chapter 21: Sex with Granger...finally

Chapter Text

It was difficult to walk and kiss at the same time, no matter how much Draco wanted. On the way to the stairs he backed into a number of things as he maneuvered the two of them across his living room.

At least Hermione seemed just as distracted as she bumped into a side table along the way. Eventually, he gripped her hips to guide her, having her walk backwards up the steps.

She smiled into his mouth and murmured something about how she liked this new angle, with her finally being slightly taller than him.

Her hands found purchase in his hair and she tugged him along, all while she teased and nipped at his lips.

She pulled away as they reached the top of the stairs. "You know, I've never actually gotten a tour of your second floor, except Lyra's room of course."

He gripped her hips as he spun her around to nip at her neck as he pointed at the various doors. "Lyra's room, bathroom, guest room, potions room, linen closet."

"Did you say potions—"

He turned her again, sealing his lips to hers in a searing kiss. "Later."

He led her to his room, where there were candles lit all over the place as well as another rose in the middle of the bed.

Hermione raised a brow. "A bit presumptuous about getting me in your bed tonight, are we?" she teased.

With one hand he pulled her to him. "Tell me you don't have on something sexy under that pretty dress of yours."

Hermione leveled a look at him as she stepped back. "I guess there's only one way to find out."

She reached for the tie around her waist but Draco reached out and stilled her hands.

With deft fingers he undid the knot at her hip and let the fabric belt fall to either side of her. He slid one side of the fabric her shoulder off while he grazed her arm, eliciting goosebumps on her skin. He did the same to the other side, letting the dress pool at her feet as he stepped back to look at her fully.

She wore black lace and silk as well as a pretty blush that stained her cheeks.

"You're gorgeous," he whispered. His lips twitched as he smirked at her. "And a complete hypocrite."

She laughed and scoffed at the same time but before she could retort, he scooped her up and deposited her on his bed.

She propped herself up with her elbows as he lifted one of her boot-clad feet, and slowly unzipped the side before pulling it off and tossed it to the side. As soon as he did the same with the other boot, Hermione sat up on her knees and pulled him close to give him a searing kiss as she started to unbutton his shirt.

He kissed her neck and let his hands roam her body as she went to work.

He smiled when she let out a frustrated huff. "Too many buttons?"

She glared at him before ripping the offending garment down the middle so that the buttons popped off.

"Not anymore," she said with a satisfied grin.

He crawled up her body and pinned her arms above her head.

"That was one of my favorite shirts," he said before he dipped his head to graze his teeth around one of her lace covered nipples.

Hermione arched her back and let out a soft gasp. "I'll buy you a new one."

Draco switched to the other breast as he let go of her wrists to skim his fingers along her sides while hers threaded his hair.

He trailed kisses down her stomach until he reached the seam of her knickers and without hesitation, licked her right through the silk.

She let out a delectable moan as her fingers gripped his hair and his co*ck throbbed to be released from the constraints of his trousers.

"Do that again," she pleaded.

He complied and she arched into him, as if trying to get more friction. He crawled back up her body, kissing any exposed skin he could find until his mouth reached hers.

His fingers found her apex and stroked her until she was soaked through.

"More," she said then gasped when he slipped in one, then two, fingers inside of her.

His co*ck was rigid with anticipation as his fingers slipped in and out of her warmth, her juices coating them.

Hermione's fingers grappled with his belt and when she finally released the clasp she made quick work of his button and zipper. She plunged her soft hand into his pants and grabbed his length, stroking him in the same rhythm he was currently doing to her.

It took everything in him to not come. He focused on pumping her with his fingers while his thumb rubbed her cl*t in fast, small circles.

Her breathing became erratic and when she arched one last time, her head thrown back against the mattress, he felt the fluttering of her walls that accompanied her org*sm.

He pulled his fingers out and gave slow, open kisses all over chest and neck, waiting for her to catch her breath.

"I need you inside of me," she said as she reached for him and stroked him with one hand while the other helped him push his pants down.

He had to stand briefly to toe off his shoes and pull his trousers and pants completely off. He reached over and hooked his fingers on the sides of her knickers, pulling them down her legs slowly, appreciating the silkiness of her skin and the glistening wetness between her legs.

"You're so f*cking beautiful.” He slipped his hands under her back and shifted them so that she now sat on top.

Hermione reached behind her to unclasp her bra and tossed it aside as his hands ran up her body until they reached her bare breasts.

They were so soft and plump and fit perfectly in his hands. He circled her hardened nipples with his thumbs and she moved her body slowly against him, her wetness coating his co*ck.

Her hand splayed across his chest, as she took what she wanted from him and he couldn't take his eyes from her. With one hand he continued to tweak at a nipple, while the other worked her cl*t.

He knew she was close again when her breathing came in short, puffy breaths, one after another, and she lifted herself to line his co*ck with her entrance.

When she slowly slid down and he was fully sheathed inside of her, Draco felt like he was finally complete—that she was the piece he didn't know was missing.

Her warmth surrounded him and he looked up at her and watched her face as she started to rock on top of him, her eyes lidded and her pretty mouth making a small O.

Her movements sped up and Draco placed his hands on either side of her hips as he helped her keep the motion.

He was close—so close to feeling relief.

When Hermione reached a hand between them and started rubbing her cl*t on her own, it sent him over the top. He exploded inside of her and just as he finished, Hermione also came one last time.

Exhausted, she collapsed on top of him and the two laid there, breathing heavily as they caught their breath.

“Wow,” she finally said with a tired chuckle as she rolled off of him and snuggled into his side.

“Should I take that as a compliment?” he teased.

She playfully smacked his chest lightly. “I don’t want to make your already large ego even bigger, but you did make me org*sm twice. It’ll be a miracle if I can walk to the loo.”

Draco chuckled as he reached for his wand on his nightstand and cast a quick cleansing spell over the two of them. “There, no loo needed.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Thank you, but I actually need to use the loo.” She scooted herself off the bed and picked up her knickers from the floor.

“Would you mind terribly if I borrowed one of your shirts?” she asked.

Draco placed his hands behind his head and eyed her body. “And cover up those amazing tit*? No can do.”

Hermione muttered something about “men” and walked into the adjoining bathroom.

Draco got out of bed and opened a dresser drawer. He took out a pair of dark gray sweatpants and slipped them on before also grabbing one of his t-shirts and placed it on the bed.

He knocked on the bathroom door. “I’m going to go downstairs to get something to drink. I’ll be back in a moment.”

After hearing her confirm she heard him, Draco half jogged down the steps and into his living room.

Gone was the enchanted sky and floating candles—his living room was back in order.

As he entered the kitchen, he found Mipsy putting away the last of the dishes.

“I is all done, Master Draco,” Mipsy said.

Draco smiled down at the elf. “Thank you, Mipsy. I couldn't have done any of this without you.”

“You is very welcome. Is Mispy to head back to Missus Malfoy?”

Draco gave a nod. “Yes. Tell Mother that I’ll floo-call her next weekend.”

Mipsy took a small bow before she silently popped out of the room.
Draco opened the fridge and took out a few bottles of water as well as a few snacks; because if he had his way, he and Hermione wouldn’t leave the bedroom for the rest of the night.

When he entered his bedroom again, he stopped at the threshold—the sight of Hermione wearing his shirt and fast asleep in his bed made him feel something he couldn’t explain. He did know however, that he wanted to see it more, and as often, as possible.

He walked in quietly, setting the water bottles and snacks on his nightstand before he slipped into the bed, careful not to startle the witch beside him.

He used his wand to extinguish the candles in the room then pulled Hermione close and wrapped his arms around her. When she sighed in her sleep, Draco closed his eyes and did the same, feeling the most relaxed in years, and was soon asleep as well.

Draco startled awake when he heard “Daddy! I’m home!” followed by the front door slamming shut.

Hermione sat up next to him and looked at him wide-eyed.

Oh-no she mouthed to him then covered her mouth quickly to hold in a chuckle.

Draco cast a locking charm on the door seconds before the handle jiggled.

“Daddy?” Lyra said on the other side. “Daddy, are you in there?”

“Just a minute, Princess,” he called out. “Where’s Miss Natalie?”

“She dropped me off but waited until I opened the door before she drove away.” She jiggled the door handle again. “Why’s your door locked?”

“I’m getting dressed,” he called out.

“Oh. Well, did you kiss Miss Hermione on your date yesterday?”

Draco glanced over at the witch beside him, who was now two shades of red. He reached over to grab her hand and kissed the top of it softly before addressing Lyra once more. “I did.”

“Yesssss,” Lyra cheered. “Can I have a snack?”

“Why don’t you go downstairs and watch some cartoons until I come down, then I’ll make you something.”

“Okay!” said the voice on the other side of the door, followed by footsteps going down the stairs.

He sighed with relief then looked at Hermione, who was still covering her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

A mix of a snort and chuckle escaped Draco and he, too, had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

“I should probably go,” Hermione whispered as she slipped out of the bed quietly.

Draco followed suit and grabbed another shirt from within his dresser and put it on. He turned back to Hermione who was picking up her articles of clothing from the night before.

He walked over and tugged her close by the shirt she was wearing. “Keep the shirt,” he said before he kissed her quickly. “Looks better on you than me anyway.”

Hermione blushed then bit her lip as she looked around. “I think I left my bag downstairs…along with my wand. I can still Apparate home without it though.”

Draco ran his hands up and down her arms. “Does this mean you’ll have to come back later to retrieve it?”

Hermione playfully rolled her eyes. “Yes, it does. I’ll stop by in a few hours, okay?”

“Okay.” He pulled her in for a soft, lingering kiss.

“I had a great time last night,” Hermione said against his lips before she stepped back. “We should do it again some time.” She tossed him a wink before she Disapparated with a soft pop.

Chapter 22: Belle and Berlioz

Chapter Text

As much as Hermione tried to give Draco and Lyra time together, as her relationship with Draco blossomed, she found herself at their place nearly every day.

The evenings were spent having dinner, watching a movie or playing a board game, and reading to Lyra before bed.

In the quiet of the night, with the little girl sound asleep and a silencing charm placed around Draco's room, the two adults talked and explored each other's bodies.

It seemed as if there wasn't anything that Draco didn't know about her and she felt the same about him.

She still made sure she was gone by the time Lyra woke up each morning, not wanting to confuse the little girl as to why she stayed the night in her fathers bed.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Draco said one night as they laid in bed, his fingers making tiny circles on her bare back. "Lyra requested a sleepover for her birthday. Would you be willing to help me out with that? She invited five schoolmates and while Emma's slept over before, I've never had to entertain that many little girls at once."

Hermione chuckled as she looked at him. "I'd love to. Is that next weekend?"

Draco let out a small sigh of relief. "Thank you. And, yes. I was thinking that sometime this week I'll go to Augusta and get everything I need for the party."

"Would you like some company? I can take some off and go with you; make a day trip out of it."

Draco kissed the top of her head. "That works for me. Plus, I'll need you there to help me pick out a puppy."

Hermione sat up quickly in surprise and stared at him with an open mouth. "You're actually going to get to her one? Oh my gods, she's going to be so ecstatic!"

Draco chuckled and pulled her down on top of him. "I hope so. I also need to ask for another favor from you."

"Do I get to host a puppy at my house until her birthday?" she asked hopefully.

"If you wouldn't mind?" he asked as his hands started roaming up and down her back.

She gave him a kiss. "I don't mind at all."

"Good. Now that that's settled." He flipped her on her back and hovered over her. "I think I need to thank you properly."

Hermione threaded her fingers in his hair as he trailed kisses down her neck, along her collar bone before stopping at her breast, giving them each a nip and lick before moving down her stomach.

He glanced up at her before he moved down her body like he normally did. "I'd like to try something new, if you're up for it?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. "Sure. What do you want to do?"

Draco sat up and pulled her into an upright position. "Turn around and sit up on your knees then hold onto the headboard."

Hermione nodded and did as he asked. She waited to see what he was going to do and was surprised when his hand came between her legs from behind, stroking her lightly.

"Spread a bit more, love," he said as he dropped kisses along her shoulder.

When Hermione complied, he stopped stroking her and she nearly whimpered at the loss of friction when his head was between her legs, facing up towards her.

When she looked down and saw his eyes she was about to ask what he was doing, when she felt his tongue on her.

"Oh my gods," she said, her grip tightening on the headboard. "Draco, if you keep—" he licked her again and pressed more firmly on her cl*t. She let out a soft moan, "—doing that I won't be able to hold myself up for much longer."

His hands cupped her buttocks as he continued to lick and suck on her sensitive bud.

Her legs began to shake as she became closer to climax.

"Draco, please…" she rasped.

His eyes opened and met hers from between her legs. "Sit on my face, love. I want you to."

"You… youwantme to? But, how will you—" he licked her again and her whole body shuddered, "—how will you breathe?"

"Trust me." He kissed the inside of her thigh. "I won't suffocate. And if I do, then I will die a happy man."

Hermine huffed out a shaky laugh as he returned to his tongue to her sex. His hands on her buttocks helped him deepen his tongue and apply more pressure to her already sensitive cl*t.

Her knees gave in as she climaxed. She sat fully on Draco face while he licked and suckled as she rocked against him.

She moaned, loudly, and was grateful Draco was diligent in putting up the silencing charm every night.

She rolled off of him, still worried he couldn't breath, and he gave her the most satisfied grin she'd ever seen.

"That was amazing," he said as he licked his lips.

Hermione covered her face with her hands as she laughed nervously. "I can't believe I sat on you."

Draco pulled her hands away. "Yes, you did. And if I have my way, you'll do it many more times."

Hermione glanced down at Draco's large erection. "And what about you?" she asked as she reached for him. She pumped him slowly and he closed his eyes as he hissed in satisfaction.

"Would you like me to suck you off?" she whispered silkily. "Or would you rather f*ck me?"

He opened his eyes and saw they were blown wide with lust.

"On your hands and knees, love," he said.

He slammed into her as soon as she was in position and she gasped at the sudden contact. He put a hand on her back as he gently pushed her down on the mattress so that her chest was down and her arse was up as he continued to pump in and out of her.

She reached between her legs and rubbed her cl*t, feeling another org*sm build. When it crested and spilled over, he came along with her before falling on top of her.

He kissed her back lazily as they caught their breath.

"I should head home," she said sleepily.

Draco rolled off of her and brought her close. "Stay. I'll set an alarm so you're awake before she is."

Hermione simply nodded as she drifted off to sleep.

Later that week, Hermione apparated to Draco's house once he texted her that he was taking Lyra to school. When he returned, they drove to Augusta together where they shopped for supplies for Lyra's princess themed sleepover then had lunch before heading over to the Humane Society.

"I looked on the website before coming here," Draco said as he loosely held her hand while they walked up the path to the center. "There's a few cute dogs that I think Lyra would love, but there's one I especially have my eye on. I just hope she's still here."

When they walked in, they were greeted by a worker who showed them around. Hermione found herself gravitating toward the cat area and made cooing noises at the kittens before they went to see the dogs.

There were so many varieties and species, but Draco seemed zeroed in on one in particular.

The paper on the door said her name was Belle and she was a 2-year old Maltese-mix who was good with kids and already potty trained.

"Oh she's adorable!" Hermione knelt down to see the white, furry dog properly. Belle, who was currently jumping up and down with excitement, tried to lick Hermione's fingers through the cage.

"Can we meet with this one?" Draco asked the worker and they were soon led to a nearby meet-n-greet room.

They brought in Belle and she ran straight over to Draco, wagging her tail and sniffing him before going over to Hermione and doing the same.

"She's precious," Hermione cooed as she sat on the floor. The little dog climbed into her lap and licked her face. "And she has the same energy as Lyra," she said with a laugh.

Draco joined her on the floor and the two of them played with the dog and gave her lots of love.

It didn't take long for Draco to agree to adopt her.

"I'm going to go up front and fill out the paperwork for her. I'll come get you both when I'm done."

Hermione nodded as she played tug-o-war with Belle with one of the rope toys in the room.

By the time Draco returned, Hermione was still on the floor, but with Belle asleep in her lap.

"I think we tired her out," she said as she looked down at the dog while stroking her back softly. "Did you get everything set up?"

"I did. We'll need to stop by the pet store and get some more things but they gave us a leash to use until we get a better one. I, uh, also got something else."

From behind his back, he held out a small, gray kitten.

Hermione gasped softly. "You're getting her a kitten too?"

Draco smiled and shook his head as he knelt down in front of her. "No. I got this little guy foryou. That is, if you want him?"

Hermione covered her mouth as she gasped again and reached out to hold the kitten.

He purred softly against her and didn't seem to mind that there was also a dog on her lap.

"He's precious," she said as she nuzzled his head. "Does he have a name?"

"The paper on his cage said Berlioz, but you can always rename him."

Hermione scratched the kitten under his chin. "Aww, like the kitten fromAristocats. I think that fits him perfectly." She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you. I had been meaning to get another cat, I just never got around to it."

"I know," he said, holding out his hand for the kitten so she could scoop up the dog. "That's why I got him for you."

"You spoil me," she said as she leaned forward to kiss him quickly. "Thank you."

Belle had woken up and was trying to sniff Berlioz while she wiggled around in Hermione's arms. Draco pulled out the leash from his pocket and slipped it over the dog's head before she set her on the floor.

"Well, looks like we have quite a few things to get at the pet store," Hermione said as they walked back to his car.

Draco smiled at her as they got in. "It's all worth it."

They walked out of the pet store an hour later with pet carriers, food dishes, food, toys, and treats for both pets. They made name-tags at the kiosk and put them on newly purchased collars before they slipped them on each pet. Draco picked out a yellow collar and a gold princess crown tag for Belle, and Hermione chose a red collar with a fish-shaped tag for Berlioz.

The ride back to Bar Harbor was filled with excited dog yips and soft meows, but overall, both animals did well with the trip.

Draco stopped at Hermione's place to help unload all the stuff and get both the dog and cat set up before he had to head out to get Lyra.

"Why don't you come over tomorrow before Lyra gets out of school with Belle, so she's there before she gets home," he suggested.

Hermione nodded as she smiled. "Sounds good. I can't wait to see her face when she sees her."

Draco smiled back before planting a kiss on her lips. "Me too. Thank you for coming with me."

She rested her hands behind his neck and played with the hairs on the nape of his neck. "Any time. And thank you, again, for picking out Berlioz for me. He's adorable and I think will fit in perfectly. I just hope Shakespeare doesn't think he's a snack."

Chapter 23: Lyra's Birthday

Chapter Text

"It's my birthday!" Lyra jumped onto Draco's bed, even though it was still dark.

"Your birthday? No, it can't be. You had one last year," he said sleepily as he pulled the comforter over his head.

Lyra yanked off the cover and got face to face with him. "I have a birthday every year, silly!"

"You do?" He grabbed her and started tickling her, then peppered her face with kisses as she giggled. "Well then, happy birthday, Princess. What does the birthday girl want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes!" Lyra declared. "Chocolate chip ones!"

"Chocolate chip pancakes, it is. You get dressed and ready for school while I whip those up for you."

"Can I wear a pretty dress to school?"

"I think it would be illegal not to on your birthday," he said seriously then grinned at her.

Lyra ran into her room as Draco went downstairs to make sure her birthday sign and presents were in full view before going into the kitchen to start mixing up ingredients.

"Presents!" Lyra said as soon as she took the last step and ran over to them.

"You know the rules," Draco reminded her. "Presents are for after school so you can play with them right away."

"Can't I open just one?"

Draco piled pancakes on a plate. "We'll see. Now, do you want syrup, powdered sugar, or whipped cream on these pancakes?"

"Whipped cream, please," Lyra said. She poked at the presents before she sat down at the table.

Draco shook the can then squirted out a large pile on top of her pancakes. He had grown up eating flapjacks, which he found out was called a crepe in the states. However, he had learned to make, and enjoy, the American pancake, especially when adding chocolate chips or blueberries in the batter.

"Eat up," he said and kissed the top of her head.

"Will Miss Hermione come over today for my birthday?" she asked before shoveling food in her mouth.

"She's planning on it. And Grandma Cissy said—"

Draco was interrupted by his cell phone and saw Hermione was calling him.

"Hello," he greeted. "We were just talking about you."
"Hopefully good things. Now, let me talk to the person I wastrulycalling for."

Draco chuckled as he handed his phone to Lyra.

"Hi Miss Hermione!... Thank you!... Uh-huh….Yes…He made me chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream! Uh-huh…. No, I have to wait until after school…. Uh-huh….uh-huh. Okay, bye!"

Lyra handed the phone back to Draco but when he put it to his ear, he realized Hermione had already hung up.

He pretended to pout as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. "She didn't even say stay on to talk tome."

Lyra giggled. "She told me to tell you bye and she'll talk to you later."

"I suppose that'll do." He took a fork and used it to swipe a piece of her breakfast.

"Hey!" Lyra said indignantly. "These aremybirthday pancakes."

"Yeah, well, I'm your dad, so I should get some too," he said, trying to get another bite from her plate.

Lyra moved her plate out of reach and laughed. "Get your own, Daddy. These are mine."

"Fine, fine," Draco conceded.

The two ate breakfast, then Lyra finished getting ready for school. She talked excitedly all the way there, trying to guess what presents she might get.

Draco smiled to himself, knowing his daughter was going to have the best birthday surprise of her life.

He worked in his shop the rest of the day, grateful that the weather was warming up, considering he'd need to start walking a dog regularly. Hermione popped in around lunchtime and the two got some sandwiches while they finalized plans for when Lyra got home from school.
"I was thinking...Why don't I pick her up from school?" Hermione suggested. "This way, when she sees you with Belle, she knows the dog is really for her."

"Sounds good to me. Plus, it will be like a birthday treat being picked by the wonderful Miss Hermione."

"Speaking of treats, I picked one up for her that I think I'll give to her on the way home"

"So I'll have a hyper child with a hyper dog for the rest of the evening. Swell," he said sarcastically.

Hermione lifted on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Don't worry, handsome, I'll be there to help you out."

"Oh, that reminds me," he said. "My, uh, mother is planning on stopping by for dinner tonight. She owled a few days ago but I just received the letter this morning, otherwise I would have given you more than just a few hours of warning."

"Oh. That's fine. Did… did you want me to be there while she's there? I can always leave after I drop Lyra off and—"

Draco cupped her face softly and waited for her to look at him. "I would like it very much if you were there for dinner tonight, as long as you're comfortable."

Hermione nodded. "I'll be there then. Not only for Lyra, but for you too." She wrapped her arms around his middle and leaned into him. "Does she know about me?" she asked into his jumper.

"Yes, she does. She's known about you since Christmas, actually."

Hermione lifted her head and looked at him curiously. "Christmas? You told her about me before we even started seeing each other?"

Draco rubbed the back of his head. "She wanted to set me up on a few dates when I go visit her in France over the summer and complained about how there are no witches in Maine. Lyra overheard and said something about you being a witch and my mother recognized your name right away."

"Oh! And was she…" Hermione swallowed thickly. "Was she okay with the idea of us being in a relationship?"

"Even if she wasn't, it's not up to her," Draco said seriously. "But, yes, she's okay with it."

Hermione's body relaxed. "That's good. So, you'll be by around two to get Belle and I'll pick up Lyra at two-thirty?"

"Sounds like a plan."

At two o'clock, Draco unlocked Hermione's door to find a very excited pup waiting for him. The dog jumped and barked as Draco gathered her things and shrunk them down in his pocket.

"Hello to you too, Belle. Are you ready to come home now?" He stroked her ears.

Hermione had mentioned how well-behaved the dog was. She hadn't had an accident in the house and took to using the charmed dog door with ease. It made him feel better knowing he picked the right dog.

He looked around for Berlioz and found him curled up on Hermione's bed.

"Lucky little bastard," he said warmly and he scratched under the kitten's chin, earning him a soft purr in response.

While Hermione had spent numerous nights at his place, he still hadn't had a chance to stay the night at hers. He vowed that the next time Lyra had a sleepover he would stay the night at Hermione's, and bring Belle along, too, knowing Hermione wouldn't mind.

He said goodbye to the cat, picked up the dog, and apparated back to his house.

He had just enough time to attach a large bow to Belle when Hermione texted that they were nearly there.

He waited inside, starting to feel nervous about how Lyra might react. She had been asking for a dog for so long. He only hoped she wouldn't be too upset that they went without her to the shelter.

He heard Lyra before the door opened as she talked happily to Hermione on her way up the steps.

As she opened the door, she called out, "Daddy! Miss Hermione picked—" and froze.

With wide eyes, she looked at the dog, then to Draco, then back to the dog before she let out the loudest squeal he had ever heard.

"Ohmygod ohmygod!" Lyra gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in surprise. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Is she mine?"

"Yes," Draco said, his voice cracking with emotion.

Lyra ran over and the dog licked his daughter's face. "Oh I love her! What's her name?"

He cleared his throat. "Her name is Belle."

"Just like the princess!" Lyra said and hugged the dog again.

Hermione walked around the pair on the floor and slipped her arm around Draco's waist. He noticed tears in her eyes as well.

He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer as they watched the child and dog get to know each other.

Draco knew, without a doubt, that this was going to be a birthday that none of them would forget.

Later, while Draco and Hermione worked on dinner together—spaghetti and meatballs, per Lyra's request—they heard a softpopfollowed by Lyra calling out "Gramma Cissy!"

Draco glanced at Hermione who gave him a nervous smile.

"Ready?" he asked as he extended his hand.

She gave a nod and slipped her hand into his. "Ready."

They walked into the living room and Draco found his mother on the couch with Lyra. Belle had her paws on his mother's knees as the elder woman rubbed the dog's face.

"You have a very sweet dog," his mother said to Lyra.

Draco cleared his throat to gain his mother's attention. When she glanced up and saw who was with him, she offered a smile before she stood up and walked over to the couple.

"Hello, Draco darling," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Mother," he said in greeting before turning to Hermione. "I'd like toformallyintroduce you to Hermione Granger."

Hermione gave his mother a smile. "Hello, Mrs. Malfoy. It's nice to meet you properly," she said, extending her hand.

His mother looked at Hermione, then her hand, before accepting it with a genuine smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear. Lyra talks about you all the time. My son, however, has been quite tight lipped," she said with one delicate eyebrow raised in his direction.

"Yes, well, I want to keep my personal life and relationships private," he said. "At least until I feel it's time to introduce someone to my family."

"I see," his Mother said, looking between the two with a gleam in her eye. "Well, why don't we go into the sitting room so I can give my one and only grandchild her birthday presents."

"Presents?" Lyra said, popping up from the floor where she was playing with Belle.

"But, of course. A grandmother does not visit without bringing gifts, especially when it's someone's birthday. Now," she sat down primly on the sofa as she enlarged the gifts she'd brought and set them on the coffee table. "Which do you think you should open first?"

Draco pulled Hermione to the side and into a side chair so they could watch Lyra open up her gifts from her grandmother.

Dinner went well, even if Lyra did try to sneak Belle a meatball from her plate. After a quick lecture on appropriate table scraps for dogs, Hermione brought out a small chocolate cake that she made—the same cake she made for them when they first had dinner together, but with an added strawberry for his mother.

Later that night, when the house was dark and quiet, his mother back in France, and his daughter sound asleep with her dog in her bed, Hermione sat in his lap, naked, and rode him in front of the fire.

His fingers dug into her hips and they both bit back moans as they went over the edge together.

Lyra's princess-themed slumber party was a success, if the sound of six giggling little girls in the living room was evidence enough. They'd started with a dance party, then ate pizza before devouring cupcakes and ice cream.

They'd played dress up, complete with princess dresses, jewelry, and makeup. Hermione then gave each little girl a manicure and pedicure with a variety of nail polish colors that she'd brought over just for the occasion. Draco even let them put makeup on him and paint his nails as well.

With the living room furniture pushed back to make room for each of their sleeping bags, the girls ate popcorn and watched Beauty and the Beast, in honor of Lyra's new dog, as they wound down for the night.

"I'm exhausted," Draco said as he sat on the kitchen counter and ate a spoonful of ice cream straight from the carton, all evidence of makeup and nail polish finally removed. "Remind me next time she wants a sleepover that she can only have two or three friends. Six little girls is just too many."

Hermione chuckled as she grabbed a spoon from the cutlery drawer and joined him on the counter, taking a spoonful of ice cream for herself.

"They'll pass out soon enough," she reassured him. She rested her head on his shoulder as they sat there and quietly finished off the last of the creamy dessert. "It was a really great party, though. I know Lyra had the time of her life."

"Thanks to you," Draco said as hung an arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple. "Honestly, I don't know what I would have done without you helping out."

"I think you would have managed just fine." She nudged him playfully. "You're great with kids."

He tugged on one of her curls. "So are you."

When they checked on the girls a few moments later, nearly half of them were passed out in their sleeping bags while the others would soon be on their way.

"See," Hermione whispered. "Give it another ten minutes then we can head to bed as well."

"And you're sure you want to sleep out here on the couch?" he asked as he pulled her close and kissed her neck, a spot he knew made her weak in the knees. "My bed ismuchmore comfortable."

Hermione rolled her eyes good naturedly as she playfully shoved him away. "One night won't kill you, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco clutched his heart dramatically. "Are you sure? Maybe we shouldn't test the gods."

"You're ridiculous." She gave him a quick kiss. "And a complete spoiled prat who won't take no for an answer."

Draco shrugged. "Guilty."

Hermione chuckled as she shook her head. "I told you, someone should be down here with the girls in case something happens. You never know if one of them might wake up confused as to where they are, or if someone gets a stomach ache, or if one of them needs to use the loo and forgets where it is."

"I suppose you have a point," he conceded with a sulk. "But tomorrow?"

"I'm all yours, I promise," she said and she kissed him again. "Now, go upstairs and get some sleep, because I have a feeling these girls will be up at the crack of dawn, ready for breakfast."

"Fine, I'll go," he said and walked towards the stairs. "But remember, if you get scared and need someone big and strong to help you feel safe, you know where to find me."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said with a soft chuckle. "Goodnight, Draco."

When Draco finally went upstairs, he couldn't help but think how Lyra's seventh birthday was one she would never forget.

Art by elivrayn

Chapter 24: Chicken Pox

Chapter Text

It was nearly the end of March and the weather brought rain showers. Hermione didn't mind, especially on slow days at the bookshop.

With the soft tapping of raindrops on the window, Hermione hummed to herself as she stocked some new books that just came in.

"Someone's in a good mood," Rachel said.

Hermione looked over her shoulder and gave the other girl a smile. "I am, actually. I love this kind of weather."

"Mhm. The weather, yeah. You sure it's not about, oh I dunno….you and Draco?"

Hermione bit her lip as she tried to stop herself from grinning too much. "Maybe it has alittlesomething to do with that."

"Uh-huh, that's what I thought," Rachel teased. "Anyway, I'll be over in the romance section, looking for my own love story, if you need me."

Hemione chuckled as Rachel walked away and continued with her task.

During lunch, she went over to Draco's shop, but instead of finding him behind the counter, she found Graham and Sydney instead.

"Where's Draco?" she asked them curiously.

"He got a call from Lyra's school. I guess she wasn't feeling well," Sydney said.

Hermione's brow furrowed. "I hope she's alright. Thanks." She waved to the two as she exited the shop, cell phone already in hand.

Heard about Lyra.
Hope she is okay.
Give her a hug and kiss from me.

She has a slight fever and is currently resting on the couch.
I'll keep you updated.

For the rest of the day, Hermione checked on Lyra. Draco reassured her that Lyra was doing well except for the fever, but it was probably safer if she didn't come over that night. She agreed and told him that she'd check on them in the morning.

Hermione's cell phone rang, jarring her awake. She glanced at the clock and noted that it was nearly one in the morning. She picked her cell phone and upon seeing the number on the screen, was full of worry.

Draco never called her in the middle of the night.

"Draco?" she said as she sat up, now wide awake. "Is everything alright?"

"Sorry for waking you." She could hear the exhaustion in his voice. "Lyra's fever has spiked, and now she has these spots all over her body. I think it might be chickenpox, but I'm not entirely sure as I just heard about it today, so I can't be positive."

Hermione got out of bed and put on a pair of slippers. "Do you need a hand?"

Draco sighed with relief. "If you wouldn't mind?"

"I'll be right there."

"Thank you. Just come to my room when you get here."

As soon as they hung up, Hermione grabbed her robe and wand then Apparated into Draco's room.

Lyra was in Draco's bed, fast asleep and most definitely covered in chickenpox.

Belle, the ever diligent and loyal dog, was laying at her feet and perked up, wagging her tail as soon as she spotted Hermione.

"Poor thing," Hermione said, taking a seat next to the sleeping child. She felt her forehead then used her wand to check her temperature. "You've given her some fever-reducing medication, I assume?"

Draco nodded tiredly. "Yes, about two hours ago her fever read 39 degrees on the thermometer. I had to change it to Celsius because it was set in Fahrenheit and I nearly had a heart attack when it read over 100. I checked it again before calling you and that's when I noticed the spots. It was down to 38.2 at that point then."

"It's still around that." She glanced at Draco. "I'm going to guess that you've never had chickenpox?"

The wizard shook his head. "I had a mild case of Dragon pox when I was around five, but I'm assuming they're not the same."

"No, they're not. And unfortunately, chickenpox is contagious to those who've never had it before, and it's actually worse for adults to get it."

Draco looked at her wearily. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you probably need to keep your distance from her, at least until she's not contagious anymore."

"How long will that be?"

"Just a few days until the spots have scabbed over."

Draco's mouth dropped open slightly. "I can't keep my distance from her for that long! Who'll take care of her?"

"I can," she offered. "I had chickenpox when I was younger so it's not as much of a risk for me as it is for you."

Draco shook his head. "You don't have to do that."

Hermione rested her hand on top of his. "I know I don't, but I want to. Let me help you….please?"

"Alright." Draco ran a hand over his face, his exhaustion showed. "I'll go sleep in the guest room."

"Hang on," Hermione said as she took out her wand again. "Let me make sure you aren't getting sick as well."

Hermione used her wand to check his temperature, relieved it showed him feverless. "You're good to go. I'll stay in here with her tonight, just in case anything changes. Okay?"

He nodded and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Thank you. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

After Draco left, Hermione crawled into the bed next to Lyra and shut off the bedside lamp.

She pressed her lips to the little girl's forehead, giving her a small kiss and also seeing if she felt any warmer than before. Satisfied Lyra's temp wasn't rising, she tucked her into her side where Lyra instinctively cuddled against her, and Hermione soon drifted off to sleep.

"Miss Hermione?" said a tired, confused voice beside her.

Hermione opened her eyes and saw that Lyra was looking at her with sleepy eyes.

"Hi, sweetheart." She placed her hand on the girl's forehead and noted that she felt hot. "Your fever seems to be back. How are you feeling otherwise?"

"Yucky," Lyra pouted. "And itchy." She went to scratch her arm but Hermione stopped her.

"I know it's hard not to, but try not to scratch them, okay? It'll only make it worse."

"But they'reeveryyyyyy wheeeeere," Lyra whined then let out a sniffle. "Where's Daddy?"

"Your dad slept in the guest room so he doesn't get chickenpox, too."

"Won't you get them though?"

"Well, I already had them when I was about your age so I'm okay to be with you," Hermione explained. "I remember it being absolutelyawfuland all I wanted to do was scratch and scratch. But, my mum did something that really helped me so we'll see if it works with you too, okay?"

"What did she do?"

"She gave me an oatmeal bath."

Lyra wrinkled her nose. "I don't want to take a bath in oatmeal. Won't that make me all sticky and plug up the tub?"

Hermione chuckled. "It's not like the oatmeal you eat." She brushed some of Lyra's curls away from her face. "How about this—I'll bring you breakfast in bed then go get some things from the store to hopefully help you with all that itching, sound good?"

"Okay."

"What would you like for breakfast?"

"Oatmeal kind of sounds nice," Lyra said with a small grin.

Hermione grinned back. "Oatmeal it is."

Hermione found Draco at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee and the newspaper spread out.

"Good morning," she said as she walked over to him.

"Morning," he said as he tugged her into his lap and gave her a kiss. "I peeked in on you two when I woke, but you were both sound asleep."

"Yeah, we just woke up. Her fever seems to be back and she's really itchy. I told her I'd make her some breakfast in bed then I'll pop off to the store to get a few things."

She stood and walked over to grab a pot and filled it partly with water. "Are you going to work today?" she asked as she started mixing in the oatmeal.

"I wasn't going to, but then I figured it might be best for me to be out of the house to lessen the risk of getting sick. So, yes, I am going into work, but not until later. I called Graham and he's opening for me. I wanted to make sure you two were settled before heading in."

"If you wouldn't mind waiting until I go home and get some clothes then go to the store, that would be great," Hermione said, stirring the hot oatmeal as it thickened.

"I can do that."

Hermione walked over to him again and felt his forehead. "What about you? How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. I was a little worried when you said I was at risk of getting it myself since I snuggled her all day yesterday on the couch."

"We'll have to keep an eye out, just in case. It may take a day or two for symptoms to occur." She went back to check on the oatmeal and stirred it some more. "So what happened yesterday? Graham and Syd said you left to pick up Lyra from school early?"

Draco took a sip of his coffee then gave a nod. "I got a call from her school that Lyra was feverish so I picked her up. It wasn't until a few hours later that her teacher called and informed me that a few other students were out with chickenpox."

Hermione winced. "That's unfortunate. Hopefully this passes quickly for Lyra. I remember having them when I was little and I was miserable."

She poured three bowls of oatmeal, adding cinnamon and sugar to each.

"I'm going to give this to Lyra in bed, if that's okay?"

"That's fine. I have a bed tray around just for this type of thing. I also have a smaller telly I can set up in the room for her as well."

He went to stand when Hermione held up a hand. "It's okay, I got it. Here," she set the second bowl in front of him. "I made you some too."

He took her hand and kissed the top of it. "Thank you. Give Lyra my love since I can't."

"Of course," she said.

Once Lyra was set up with her breakfast and the small telly was up in her room, Hermione took an hour for herself to go home to shower, change, and grab an overnight bag where she packed a few days worth of clothes. Much to Berlioz's chagrin, she also placed him into a pet carrier. It would be easier to look after him at Draco's than to run back and forth. Then she headed to the drug store to gather the supplies she'd need.

"All right, I have what we need for the oatmeal bath, some calamine lotion to help with the itching afterward, more children's acetaminophen—I wasn't sure how much you had left. Plus, I figured some snacks and treats wouldn't hurt either."

Draco peered into the bag. "Anything for me in there?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but reached into the bag and pulled out a Snickers bar.

He gave her a wide grin. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah. Now, go to work and I'll give Lyra a bath. I'll put her in her bed afterward so I can wash your linens and you can sleep in your own bed tonight."

"You don't need to do that," he said. "I can wash them when I get home."

"Honestly, Draco, it's not a bother. Now," she kissed his cheek. "Go. I'll text you if I need anything or if anything changes."

"I feel bad leaving her," he admitted as he glanced towards the stairs.

Hermione squeezed his arm reassuringly. "She'll be fine, I promise."

Belle came over and sat down while she stared at the two adults. Hermione reached down and rubbed her head. "Belle, Berlioz, and I will keep her company and make sure she's comfortable."

It took a few more minutes of convincing, but Draco finally left for work.

Hermione checked on Lyra and gave her some more medicine for her fever before she ran her bath.

Lyra watched as Hermione put in the baking soda and oatmeal into the water. She looked at the concoction skeptically. "Are yousurethat stuff will help me?"

Hermione chuckled. "Yes, I promise." She grabbed a hair tie and put Lyra's hair in a bun at the top of her head.

"Do you want me to give you some privacy while you undress and get in the bath?" Hermione asked.

Lyra shrugged. "I dunno."

"Alright. How about I go and get some clean pajamas for you while you get into the tub. Make sure to rub the water all over your body, okay?"

She left the bathroom, but made sure to keep the door cracked so she could hear if anything were to happen, and set about gathering new clothes for Lyra then took off the sheets from Draco's bed.

"Miss Hermione?" Lyra called out. "I think I'm done. My fingers are all wrinkly!"

Hermione glanced at the time and saw that she had been soaking in the tub for ten minutes. "Alright, go ahead and unplug the tub and I'll be there in a moment."

She used her wand to quickly put on the new sheets then went to help Lyra dry off.

"Before you put on your pyjamas, I need to put some of this lotion on you." Hermione grabbed a cotton ball and put some of the calamine lotion on it.

Lyra giggled as she dabbed each pox. "It's pink! Now I have pink spots!"

Hermione smiled, grateful to hear the little girl's laughter. "Yup. This lets us see that we got all the chickenpox covered. Once it dries a bit, we can put on your pjs and get you back into your bed."

It didn't take long to cover all the pox and within a short time Lyra was tucked into her own bed.

"Can the little T.V. be in my room?" Lyra asked sleepily.

"I don't see why not." Hermione used her wand to bring the TV into the room and put on a channel that she knew Lyra liked. She used her wand to check Lyra's temperature.

"You're still a little warm, but better. How are you feeling?"

Lyra yawned. "Fine. Not as itchy anymore."

Hermione smiled. "Good."

She sat with Lyra as she ran her fingers through the girl's hair and saw that the child's blinks were getting longer each time.

"Miss Hermione?" Lyra asked sleepily.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Can you get Otis for me?"

"Sure I can." Hermione glanced around the room. "Do you know where he is?"

"Daddy's room," Lyra said with her eyes already closed.

Hermione went into Draco's room and glanced around, not finding the stuffed otter. She looked under the bed and found the beloved stuffie next to an old, pink leather suitcase.

Frowning, she reached under the bed and pulled out the stuffed animal as well as the suitcase.

"That's funny," she murmured to herself. "It looks just like the one I had as a child."

She turned the suitcase around and gasped—on the right, brass hinge were the initialsHJG, the same ones she had etched into hers when she was six years old—the day her mother gave her the suitcase.

"Miss Hermione," Lyra called out. "Did you find him?"

Hermione stared dumbly at the suitcase as she clutched the stuffed animal to her chest.

"Miss Hermione?" Lyra called out again.

Hermione snapped back to attention. "Yes, I found him." She hurried to Lyra's bedroom and handed her the stuffed animal.

Lyra snuggled Otis. "Thank you."

"Lyra," Hermione said as she glanced towards the door. "Whose suitcase is that under your dad's bed? The pink one?"

Lyra mumbled something that sounded like "mine" but Hermione knew questioning the little girl was useless—she was nearly asleep.

Hermione slipped out of the room and closed the door. She walked over to Draco's room and stood at the doorway, staring at the bed.

Why would Draco have her childhood suitcase? The last time she remembered seeing it was at her parent's home right after sixth year.

She bit her lip as she went downstairs and debated whether or not to call Draco; it wasn't an emergency though, so she felt it could wait until he got home.

She decided to keep herself busy while Lyra napped and cleaned the bathroom, then changed the sheets in the guest room before she started making lunch for when Lyra woke up.

When she woke, Lyra devoured every bit of the tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich Hermione had prepared. After another application of the calamine lotion, Hermione sat next to Lyra with Belle at the foot of the bed, and Berlioz curled up in Hermione's lap while they watched a new movie she had brought over,The Little Princess, though all Hermione could think about was that suitcase.

Lyra napped again and Hermione was relieved when Draco walked through the door with take-out. After a quick check on Lyra, the two sat down and started eating.

Draco bit into an egg roll. "How did today go?"

"It went well," she said as she picked at her chow mien and gave him a rundown of the events.

"I do have one question though," Hermione asked. "Where did you get that suitcase that's under your bed? I came across it while looking for Otis earlier."

Draco frowned. "The pink leather one? Daphne gave it to me when she gave me Lyra. It had all of Lyra's things in it like nappies, clothes, and bottles. Why?"

Hermione swallowed thickly before she said quietly, "Because I think it's mine."

Draco stared at her. "Yours? Why would you think it's yours?"

"Because…. It has my initials on the hinge."

Draco shook his head. "No, I think you're mistaken. Those are just scratches."

Hermione bit her lip. "No. I'm sure. I can show you. Although, it doesn't make sense."

The two went upstairs and peeked in on Lyra first before going to the bedroom. Draco kneeled on the floor and pulled out the suitcase, then placed it on the bed.

Hermione turned it around and pointed at the small initials. "HJG…..Hermione Jean Granger. And here," she pointed at another set of scratched initials that read KJB. "Those are my mothers initials from when it was hers, Kathleen Jean Becksworth." She looked up at him with watery eyes. "I don't understand…"

Draco's eyes widened. "Lyra's middle name is also Jean," he said quietly.

Hermione opened the suitcase to look at the contents. She picked up the top journal and when she opened it, words began to appear.

"Do you see that?"

Draco nodded. "I seesomething, but it looks gibberish to me. I think the journal must be charmed so only certain people can read it. But whyyoucan…"

Hermione frowned as she inspected the journal again. "It's in a language I'm not familiar with… possibly French." She glanced at Draco. "Do you know French?"

He nodded. "I do."

"Can you get me a pen and paper? I'll copy the words down for you to translate."

Draco handed her the items and Hermione started copying down the words. When she was done she handed it back to him and watched as he read the words to himself with a frown.

"Well?" she asked. "What does it say?"

"Souviens-toi de ce qui a été perdu.Which essentially translate to 'remember what's been lost.'"

"What does that–"

Her head felt like it was about to explode. Memories from nearly eight years ago rushed forward, crashing down on her with such intensity that the last thing Hermione remembered before blacking out was Draco's face, terrified, calling out her name.

Chapter 25: September 1996

Chapter Text

September 1996

Hermione was grateful for the fact that she decided to continue her studies in Ancient Runes. If anything, it gave her a reprieve from Harry and his obsession over Draco Malfoy being a Death Eater.

Honestly, Malfoy a Death Eater? Surely Voldemort wouldn't recruit a 16 year old into his ranks. The idea seemed utterly impossible, but Harry was persistent. It was driving Hermione barmy.

She walked into the 6th floor classroom and went to sit in the empty spot by Daphne Greengrass.
"Hi, Daph." She gave the Slytherin girl a hug. "Thanks for saving a seat for me."

"Of course!" Daphne said. "Though, I was tempted to go sit by Terry." The witch looked longingly at the Ravenclaw, who was currently talking to his table-mate, Zacharias Smith.

Hermione chuckled. "You know I wouldn't be mad if you did."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Well, maybe next class I will do just that," Daphne said with determination.

Hermione smiled at her friend, knowing the witch was actually rather shy when it came to boys, then turned her attention to Professor Babbling who was about to start class.

Hermione's friendship with Daphne had come as a surprise. She and the other witch shared a few elective classes without many of their other housemates. They'd started working together during their third year; and now, three years later, Daphne had become one of her most loyal and best friends.

They kept in touch over the summers using Daphne's owl until she sent Hermione a two-way journal, after which they could "talk" to each other instead of having to wait for her owl to fly between houses.

It made communication easier when she visited The Burrow or Grimmauld Place, so the poor owl didn't have to figure out where she was. It also kept any questions from the boys to a minimum, so they didn't interrogate her about why she was friends with a Slytherin.

The best thing about the journals was that when someone else besides the writer looked at them, they would only see gibberish on the page.

Not that they talked about anything serious or important, but it was rather nice she didn't have to worry about anyone snooping in her private life.

Daphne was the only one who knew of her crush on Ron, for example, and she knew of Daphne's crush on Terry.

As Professor Babbling talked about what to expect from the course this year, Hermione glanced around the room at the handful of students who had elected to take the N.E.W.T. level course. The class only consisted of eight students—herself, Daphne, Zacharias Smith, Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Lisa Turpin, Mandy Brocklehurst, and, to her utter dismay, Draco Malfoy.

He sat by himself at the back of the room, managing to look both bored and surly while he stared out the window.

She turned back to the front of the classroom, determined to ignore him. Instead, she wrote down important notes and dates for an upcoming project that would take until December, but she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder from time to time.

Couldhe be a Death Eater? Her eyes trailed to his crossed arms, as if she could see the Dark Mark through his jumper. Hermione shook her head, berating herself—she was acting just like Harry.

There was movement around the room and Hermione realized that she missed the part where Professor Babbling told them to choose their partners for their project.

Hermione swiveled in her seat to look at Daphne, but the chair next to her was empty.

Confused, Hermione looked around the room and saw that the other witch was sitting next to Terry.

Daphne glanced her way and gave her a wide grin with a discreet thumbs up.

Hermione smiled back, happy for her friend, then looked to see who else she could team up with.

Zacharias had partnered with Anthony.

Lisa sat with Mandy.

That meant….

Hermione closed her eyes and groaned inwardly.

DracosoddingMalfoy was the only other student available to partner up with.

She glanced his way again and noted that he hadn't moved—his gaze still towards the window.

Hermione gathered her things and went to join him. She stopped in front of his desk and when he didn't look at her, she cleared her throat to capture his attention.

Stony, gray eyes met hers. "What doyouwant, Granger?"

"We're partners for the project," she stated.

"What project?" He looked around her at the information that was written on the board and swore under his breath. He glanced back at her and waved her off. "I don't need a partner. Go find someone else to bother."

Hermione sighed. "There isn't anyone else, and the instructions state that this is agroupeffort. Now, may I please sit down so we can figure out a time and place to meet to work on this?"

One of his brows lifted. "Why would we have to meet? Can't we just do it during class?"

Hermione shook her head as she adjusted her shoulder bag, wondering if he had paid attention to the instructions at all. "It's too big of a project to work on just during class. Professor Babblinghighlysuggests we work on it at least two times a week for an hour, in addition to the time given in class."

Malfoy pinched the bridge of his nose. "I knew I shouldn't have taken this bloody class," he muttered. "Fine. Whatever. Take a seat and let's figure this out."

"You know it's not ideal for me either," she said irritably as she pulled out a piece of parchment. "Right, so, when are you available to meet up?"

Malfoy shrugged, returning his gaze out the window. "Whenever. I don't care."

"Well, I'm free Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays from six to seven or Tuesday and Thursdays from seven to eight. Which days work for you?"

"I don't care," he repeated.

"Well, which will conflict with quidditch practices? I know Harry's planning on having practices on Mondays and Thursdays, so—"

"Potter'scaptain?" he scoffed. "Wonder how that happened. Let me guess, Weasel will continue his Keeper position without having to try out?"

Hermione glared at him. "For your information, Harry is making Ron try out for the position, just like everyone else. Now, which days will conflict with Slytherin quidditch practices?"

"How the bloody hell would I know? I'm not playing this year."

Hermione gaped at him, surprised. "You're not? How come?"

"Why do you care? I'm just not, that's all. Too much bloody stuff going on for me to worry about trivial things like quidditch."

"What are you–"

"Tuesdays and Wednesdays," he cut in. "We can meet on those days."

"Oh—alright." She wrote the days down on the paper. "Library?"

"Sure, whatever," he said dismissively.

"You know, you should probably write down the parameters of the assignment."

"Why? I know you've already done that for us. There's no need for both of us to have it."

Hermione grit her teeth so hard, she thought they might break. "Because, it might help you prepare for what we need to do when we work on it."

"I guess I'll just take that chance." He glanced at the large clock on the wall. "Class is nearly over. You can leave me alone now," he said, shooing her away.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the permission," she mumbled.

Maybe Ancient Runes wouldn't be the reprieve she needed after all.

In the library the following day, Hermione opened her journal to find a message from Daphne.

I'm sorry you got partnered with Draco. He's really not so bad once you get to know him, I swear!

I'll believe that when I see it. Don't worry though, I'll be fine.
How's being partnered with Terry? Did you ask him or did he ask you?

He asked me! When Babbling said to find a partner he turned right around and looked at me! I couldn't believe it. He's even more handsome up close!
And he's sooooooo nice too!

I'm happy for you, Daph, truly!
I have to go. Malfoy should be meeting me soon at the library.
Wish us luck that we don't kill each other!

Hermione waited with the books they needed spread out, along with blank parchments of paper.

All she was missing was her partner.

She started working, figuring that Malfoy would show up soon, but when an hour passed, she realized she'd been stood up.

With a huff, she gathered her things and placed them back into her bag.

The blond git would get an earful from her the following day, that was for sure.

The next day in Ancient Runes, she walked over to where Malfoy sat with his feet propped up and deposited her bag on the desk with a loud thud.

His feet fell to the floor. "What the–"

"Do you think you're being funny?" she asked angrily as she sat down.

"What are you on about?" he asked defiantly.

"Yesterday? Library? Seven o'clock? Ring any bells, Malfoy?"

"Oh, that." He shrugged. "I decided not to go."

"What do you mean youdecided not to go?" she fumed. "It's for a project, Malfoy, one that I would like to get good marks on."

"Hate to tell you this Granger, but I don't give a flying f*cking Hippogriff what you would like."

Hermione resisted the urge to scream. Instead, she closed her eyes and took three deep breaths before she was calm enough to speak again.

"Malfoy, look, we need to work on this project. Can we please put aside our differences just this once to work on this?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes as he turned his head. "No."

Hermione glared at him as he continued.

"But, if we can meet somewhere that isn't going to be crowded with people, then maybe I can be more inclined to meet up."

She bristled. "Are you serious? You don't want to meet up to work on this project because you don't want to be seen with me? That's rich. Like I want to be seen withyou." She stood, ready to go beg the professor to be assigned another partner. "Go kiss a dementor, Malfoy," she muttered sourly.

He scowled in her direction. "Wouldn't you find it rather annoying when people start asking questions about why we're working on a project together?"

"We will just explain that it's for a project—"

"Oh, so you've told Potter and Weasley about this project then?" he asked sarcastically. "About how you and I are supposed to meet up twice a week for the next few months to work on it?"

"No, I haven't told them. They'd want to tag along to make sure you don't—" Her voice trailed off, irritated that he had a point.

"That I don't do what, Granger?" he pressed. "Tease you? Hurt your little feelings?" he sneered. "I told you, I have better things to do than such trivial things."

"So you've said. Fine then. You've proven your point—No working together in a public space. So where doyousuggest we meet up?"

"There are a plethora of empty classrooms. Pick one."

"I'd want to be near the library so that we can get books as we need them," she mused. "And I don't think there are any empty rooms near there."

"Then I guess you'll just have to check them all out and haul them all around with you."

Hermione gave him a fake, wide smile. "Or, here's an idea, you could shove them up your arse."

He shrugged. "Can't. They're already so far up yours that I don't think it's possible to retrieve them."

Hermione huffed out a breath. "Fine. How about this? Do you remember where the Room of Requirement is?"

"You mean the place where you and Potter had the little army thing? Yes, why?"

"Meet me in front of the tapestry at six. Don't be late," she warned. "Or I'll take a page from Ginny's book and bat-bogey hex you."

"Like I'm scared," he sneered.

"Good," she said, taking out her things from her bag to finally start working. "You should be. Now, you translate these—" she circled a set of words on a large list—"and I'll do these."

He muttered something under his breath but took out a quill and parchment and got to work.

They worked quietly until the professor dismissed them. Malfoy gathered his things and started to stalk out of the room.

"See you at six, Malfoy!" Hermione called.

He answered her by raising two fingers and walked out without even looking in her direction.

At five-till six, Malfoy showed up by the 7th floor tapestry. He inspected it with distaste before looking at the blank wall across from it.

"So how does this thing work any way?"

"It's pretty simple. You have to think of what you need, focus on it, and walk past the area three times. On the third time, a door should appear and inside will be a room that will help you."

"That's it?"

Hermione nodded. "That's it. Stand back, I'll show you."

She paced in front of the wall as she said "A place where Malfoy and I can do our project" three times. On her third pass, a door materialized in front of them.

Hermione gestured towards the door. "Take a look."

Malfoy walked forward and tugged on the handle. He peered in before taking a step inside and Hermione followed behind.

The room held a large desk, with plenty of pens, pencils, parchment, quills, and inkwells. Tufted chairs sat on either side of the desk and behind it was a bookshelf with books similar to the ones in the library.

Two fireplaces flanked the room, one near the desk and the other with a comfortable-looking sofa facing it. The room was well lit, with floating lanterns all around the shelves and desk area.

"Not bad, Granger," he said as he set his bag down and took out his parchment from class. "What if we need anything else? Are we limited to what's already in the room or can more be added while we're here?"

Hermione took a seat as she pulled a piece of parchment paper toward her. "The layout and size will change as we need it while we're here. But wearelimited. For example, food can't just appear because of—"

"Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, yes, I'm aware of how magic works."

Hermione gave a nod. "Right. Beverages are an exception though. There's been times when I've wished for a cuppa and one would appear."

Malfoy took the other seat. "I see. Let me try something."

Hermione watched as he closed his eyes briefly and a tea cart appeared seconds later.

Hermione raised a brow as Malfoy reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out some biscuits wrapped in some cloth.

"You know we just had dinner, right?"

"Yes, well, I didn't have time to finish or else I'd get hexed," he said sarcastically as he took a bite.

Hermione winced slightly. "Oh, right. Well, we can change it to six-thirty if that will give you time to finish your meal."

Malfoy shrugged. "That's fine." He finished off his biscuit before he turned to the cart and started making himself a cuppa.

"Can I—" Hermione started, but paused when Malfoy's gaze flicked up to her.

"I suppose," he finally said.

"Thanks," she stood and walked over to the tea cart, pouring the beverage into one of the cups along with a splash of milk and two sugars before returning to her chair.

"Now," he said as he set his cup down on its saucer. "What exactly are we working on? Just translating runes?"

Hermione sighed with irritation as she pulled out the instructions. She tapped it once and duplicated it. "Here, this is everything we need to do for the assignment but basically, yes, we're translating a thousand different runes from different areas and finding their origin."

Malfoy groaned, and for the first time, Hermione agreed with him.

They worked quietly for an hour, talking only when one or the other wanted to verify their translation.

"We should probably stop for the night," Hermione suggested. "I don't know about you, but my eyes feel a bit wonky after all that."

"Same," Malfoy grumbled. He stood and slung his bag over his shoulder. "I actually have some free time tomorrow if you want to meet up?" he suggested.

"Oh. I actually can't tomorrow. Harry is holding quidditch try-outs and, well, Ron is trying out for Keeper again, and—"

Malfoy scoffed as he rolled his eyes. "Weasel couldn't block a quaffle even if it had biscuits tied to it. Potter should just cut his losses and get someone else."

Hermione huffed as she stood, fists at her hips. "Ron is actually quite good, I'll have you know. He's been practicing a lot. I have a lot of faith in him getting the position."

"Yeah, through nepotism maybe," Malfoy said as he walked towards the door.

"You're such an arse!" she yelled after him as he left the room.

"Ronwillbe Keeper," she muttered to herself as she stowed away her belongings in her bag. "I'll make sure of it."

Even if Hermione had toConfundCormac, no one would blame her—or suspect her. As it was, she was getting rather good at non-verbal spells.

Besides, the scowl on Malfoy's face the next time they met up would be worth it.

Chapter 26: October 1996

Chapter Text

October 1996

"I think we can call it a night."

Nearly two weeks into October and Hermione noticed that Malfoy seemed on edge during their study session—his leg kept bouncing and instead of working on the assignment, she'd caught him staring off into the fire, as if lost in his thoughts.

He jumped slightly at her words, coming back into the present.

"Great." He began packing up his things.

"Are you and your friends going into Hogsmeade this weekend?"

Malfoy stopped his movements as he frowned at her. "Why?"

Hermione shrugged. "No reason, just making conversation."

"Well, don't," he said as he slung his bag on his shoulder. "We're not friends, Granger. This little arrangement is for our assignment only."

She crossed her arms in defense. "I know we're not friends, Malfoy. I just thought it would be nice to have a normal conversation for once that didn't involve translations or an argument. Guess I was wrong."

Malfoy stalked over to the door before glancing over his shoulder. "Yes, you were."

The cursing of Katie Bell had everyone on edge. Hermione nearly canceled her meeting with Malfoy, but she couldn't find him beforehand to let him know. She didn't want to be rude and just not show up—though she had no doubt he'd do just that if the roles were reversed.

When she made it to the 7th floor, she was surprised to see that he had created the room already. She slipped inside and found him sitting on the couch, staring into the fire, with a glass of Firewhiskey in his hand.

"What do you think you are doing?" she hissed as she walked over to him. "If any of the professors found out you brought Firewhiskey onto the school grounds, you'd get in serious trouble."

"Oh, loosen up, Granger," he said with annoyance. "I've had a sh*t few days and this helps take the edge off."

Hermione perched on the opposite end of the couch and crossed her arms over her chest. "We've all had a few sh*t days, Malfoy, but you don't see anyone else drinking."

He chuckled as he took another sip. "Not that you know of, anyway."

She rolled her eyes and stood. "Whatever. I'm going to work on our assignment."

"f*ck the assignment," he said, downing the last of his drink. He rested his head against the back of the couch cushion. "I'm too damn tired. Let's just skive off for tonight."

Hermione sighed and sat back down, too tired to argue. "Fine."

Malfoy's brows raised in surprise as he turned to look at her. "Fine?"

"That's what I said. We've all had a sh*t week. I was actually going to cancel our meeting tonight but I couldn't find you beforehand to let you know."

Malfoy regarded her for a moment before conjuring another tumbler and poured whiskey into it as well as his own.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"What does it look like?" He handed her the second glass, then raised his own.

"Cheers," he said, and took a sip.

Hermione sighed and muttered "Cheers" before taking a small sip of her own.

She coughed as the liquid burned down her throat. "Ugh, that stuff is foul!" She wiped her mouth with her jumper's sleeve. "How can you drink this?"

Malfoy shrugged. "It gets easier the more you do it." As if to prove his point, he took another sip.

Hermione frowned into the tumbler and took another tentative drink from it. She coughed again, and she still thought it tasted foul, but she couldn't deny the warmth she felt after she drank it felt rather nice.

They sat there, each nursing their drinks for a few moments until Malfoy spoke.

"Blaise mentioned that theSlug Club—" he sneered at the word as if it insulted him personally, "—is having a Christmas party."

Hermione looked over at him curiously, surprised by his willingness to actually engage in small-talk. "Yes, that's correct."

"I still don't understand why I haven't been invited to the join," he said sourly.

"Probably because he has enough purebloods in the club as it is," she stated, taking another, larger, sip of her whiskey.

Malfoy scowled and downed the rest of his before pouring himself another fingerful.

"Look, if you want to go to the party, then have Blaise or someone else take you. We're each allowed a guest."

Malfoy seemed to ponder that information for a moment. "I just might." He glanced at her sideways. "You'll be taking Weasley then?"

Hermione blamed the blush that crept upon her face due to the alcohol. "I still need to ask him, but yes, I plan to."

"Well, don't dawdle," he said. "Otherwise someone else might ask him." He took a hearty sip, "And this time, there's no Bulgarian Quidditch star to save you."

Hermione glared at him over the rim of her tumbler and took another sip. "At least I wasinvitedto be in the group," she muttered, loud enough for him to hear.

"Oh f*ck you, Granger," he said. He stood, a little wobbly from what Hermione saw, and started his way towards the door.

She should just let the prat go—let him get caught being drunk in the halls.

She groaned inwardly. "Malfoy, wait," she called out with a sigh.

He turned, nearly falling in the process. "What?" he bit out.

"You should probably wait to go back. I don't think you'll make it back to the dungeons without falling down a flight of stairs, resulting in your untimely death."

Malfoy huffed. "As if you care."

"I do," she said in earnest, walking over to him.

He leaned against the wall to steady himself. "Why?"

"Because, if you kill yourself—or worse, get expelled—then I'll have to finish this Runes project on my own and I'd rather not."

As she walked over to the tea station, she swore she heard Malfoy snort.

"Only you would think that getting expelled is worse than getting killed," he said as he made his way back to the couch, snatching up his whiskey in the process.

Hermione wondered why she even bothered making tea as she walked to where he sat. She took the tumbler from his hand and traded it for the cuppa.

"Drink that," she said, pointing to the tea.

He looked at the tea skeptically.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I didn't poison it, you arse."

"It's not that. I'm just particular on how I take my tea," he said as he sniffed the contents of his cup.

"Two sugars, right?"

He frowned. "Yes. How did you know?"

"It's not that hard to remember," she said with a shrug. "You've made it the same way every time we've studied for nearly a month. You probably even know how I take my tea, as well. Am I right?"

He scowled, then took a sip. He didn't complain, which Hermione took as a sign that she'd done an all right job.

She made herself one before settling back on the couch.

"Where'd you even get the whiskey anyway?" she asked. "The room doesn't provide that sort of thing."

"Tried it before, have you?"

"No."

He raised a skeptical brow

"Ron might have tried once or twice."

"Of course it would be Weasley," he said, taking another sip. "To answer your question, Gryffindors aren't the only ones who keep their own stock of liquor in their dorm rooms."

"Gryffindor's don't—" She stopped when he gave her a look. She thought of her fellow housemates. "Oh…I suppose you might have a point."

"Just because you're a goody-goody doesn't mean everyone else is."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, obviously. And I'm not a goody-goody."

"Yeah? Prove it." He sat back. Hermione noted that he seemed almost… relaxed.

"Let's see," she said, sitting back as well. She held up one finger. "In first year, I set Professor Snape's robes on fire during a Quidditch match."

Malfoy's eyes popped open. "That wasyou?"

"I thought he was cursing Harry's broom," she defended. She held up a second finger. "I've snuck out of the dorms after hours many times."

"Who hasn't?" he said, bored.

She ignored him and continued. "I've snuck into the Restricted section of the library." A fourth finger. "I trapped Rita Skeeter in a jar for a few months to teach her a lesson." Finally, she raised the smallest finger on her hand. "I left school on a Thestral and went to the Department of Myst—"

She stopped there, remembering that his father was one of the people she dueled.

"No, keep going. Tell me how you fought a bunch of Death Eaters and put them in Azkaban," he said sourly. "Not like I was affected by that or anything."

Hermione bit her lip. "Look, I'm not going to say I'm sorry your father's in prison, but Iamsorry how much it affects you—that can't be easy." She was about to say something about how actions have consequences but the look on Malfoy's face told her he knew and didn't need reminding.

"Yeah, well, sometimes we don't have a choice in the matter."

"What do you mean—"

"I think I'm good to head back now," he said, standing. He walked over to the door once more and stopped. "Thanks, by the way, for the cuppa."

He left before she could respond.

Hermione had finally done it! She asked Ron to Slughorn's Christmas party!

Of course, it all started because of an argument due to Ron's jealousy, but she was happy it had ended the way it did.

She smiled all the way to the seventh floor to meet up with Malfoy.Nothingcould make her good mood go away, not even him.

Since she was there first, she made the room, adding more personal touches than usual to express her happiness.

Setting her things on the table, she got to work just as Malfoy walked in.

"What's with all the flowers?" he asked as he set his stuff down.

Hermione glanced up and looked around. There were vases, pots, and hanging planters full of dark purple flowers everywhere.

"Oh, well, purple is my favorite color and I like flowers, so," she shrugged. "I thought the room could use a bit of color."

He wrinkled his nose "Alright." He sat down and pulled out his work to start on his list of runes.

"So what'syourfavorite?" Hermione asked, looking back at her parchment.

"My favorite what?" he asked distractedly.

"Your favorite color," she clarified. "Don't tell me it's green."

Malfoy looked up at her. "It's not, actually. It's blue."

"Light blue or dark blue?"

"I don't know Granger, just blue," he said with a touch of irritation. "Now, if you're done with your interrogation, I'm trying to get some of this project done."

"Fine." She waved him off.

They worked for a little while until Malfoy glanced up at her, looking more irritated than before.

"What?"

"Your humming is distracting."

"Oh, I wasn't even aware I was doing it," she chuckled. "Sorry."

His eyes narrowed. "Why are you so chipper anyway?"

"No reason.".

Malfoy drummed his fingers on the table as he stared at her. Suddenly, he stopped. "You finally asked out Weasley," he stated.

"Yes, well, sort of." she said, flustered. "I asked if he'd go with me to Slughorn's Christmas party."

"Ah, well, congratulations," he said before returning to his work.

"Did you ask Blaise if he could take you?" she asked.

"No, and I'm not going to. I have other things to focus on."

"Oh? Like what?"

"That's none of your business," he retorted.

"No need to get snippy, I was just asking a simple question."

"Well, stop. I told you before—we're not friends."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm just trying to have a conversation."

"Can we just work on our project?In silence?" he asked as he glared at her.

She glared back. "Fine."

They worked in his requested silence for nearly ten minutes before Malfoy said quietly, "Dark blue, by the way."

Hermione kept her head down as she continued to work, but a smile formed on her face, for she had finally learned something new about her Slytherin partner.

Hermione's friends always told her she was too ambitious. On top of her normal studies, she always gave herself personal challenges each year.

In First year, she'd hoped to make friends, something she struggled with all her life.

The following year, her main goal had been to keep Harry and Ron from getting killed, or worse, expelled, which had been more challenging than expected

In Third year, she'd wanted to take all the Elective classes available, though this plan had been a littletooambitious.

In Fourth Year, she'd created S.P.E.W. and used nearly all of her free time making clothes for the house elves of Hogwarts on top of helping Harry with the Triwizard Tournament.

Last year, she'd wanted to get as many O.W.L.s as she could—the ten she received was more than she anticipated and she couldn't have been happier.

For some reason, she hadn't yet set a goal for this year. But maybe she'd stumbled upon one anyway. Maybe this year her challenge might be the most difficult one she'd attempted – to try and get to know Draco Malfoy.

While it seemed a daunting task, maybe all she had to do was learn something new about the Slytherin each week. She had already learned how he made his tea and that his favorite color was dark blue. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
And as her father always said, every journey started with a single step.

Chapter 27: November 1996

Chapter Text

November 1996

Hermione was angry.

So angry and hurt.

StupidRonald Weasley had gone and gotten himself a girlfriend.

It didn't matter that he had agreed to go to Slughorn's Christmas party withher—it didn't matter that she harbored feelings for the stupid git. All that was moot now that he and Lavender Brown were together.

The thought made her angry, sad, and made her want to throw up all at the same time.

She couldn't very well hang out in the Gryffindor common room, seeing as that was where Ron and Lavender spent most of their time, glued to each other's faces. Her dorm room wasn't much better either since she and Lavender shared the same space and all the girl wanted to do was talk about how good of a kisser Ron was.

So, she found reprieve in the study room that she'd created for herself and Malfoy.

It wasn't their normal day to meet up. Still, Hermione retreated to the space to sulk, work out her anger, and most of all, to nurse her heartache.

She worked on her homework.

She practiced non-verbal spells.

She worked on the Runes project.

She even ate a pint of ice cream.

But nothing took away the ache in her chest.

Resigned to the fact that she was just going to feel miserable for the foreseeable future, Hermione curled up with one of the throw blankets on the couch and simply cried.

Some time after, the door to the room opened and Hermione sat up quickly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, swiping at her tear-stained cheeks.

Malfoy stopped a few feet into the room and looked at her. "I came here to get some peace and quiet. I take it you're here for the same reason?"

Hermione looked away and sniffled. "Something like that." She laid back down on the couch and stared into the fire. "I'm afraid I won't be much company at the moment, but you're welcome to use the room."

He didn't say anything else but she heard him shuffling around—making tea it sounded like—and she closed her eyes to help quell the urge to cry.

A moment later, he cleared his throat. She looked up at the Slytherin.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked.

"Here." He thrust a mug into her hands, though his face looked uneasy.

She looked at the offering, surprised to find it filled with hot chocolate.

"You…. you made me hot chocolate?"

"Well,Ididn't, the room did." He sat down and picked up a second mug from the coffee table.

"Well, thank you nonetheless," she said, taking a sip. The warmth of the chocolate spread throughout and she realized this was just what she needed.

"He's not worth it, you know," Malfoy said quietly a few moments later. Hermione glanced his way and watched as he sipped his drink and stared into the fire.

"How did you know?" she asked meekly.

He rolled his eyes. "Please, everyone knows. They were snogging in the middle of the Great Hall during breakfast."

"Oh, right," Hermione groaned and took another sip.

"I think you dodged a bludger," he said with a shrug. "I don't know what you saw in him in the first place."

Hermione frowned. "You don't know him like I do," she said defensively. "He's actually really kind, and sweet, and—"

"Completely selfish," Malfoy remarked. He looked over and stopped her before she could argue. "Don't deny it. He wasn't thinking of anyone but himself when Brown threw herself onto him even though he agreed to go withyouto that Christmas party."

While Malfoy had made a good point, Hermione still felt anger when he talked about Ron like that. "That's rich, coming from you. You're probably the most selfish person I've ever met."

Nonplussed, Malfoy shrugged. "While that might be true, at least I would never snog another witch when I agreed to a date with someone else in just a few weeks time. I have more respect than that."

She shook her head as tears started to threaten again. "He and I never agreed that we were going as anything but friends. I didn't even call it a date, just if he'd go with me.Ijust assumed that him agreeing to go with me meant he might like me the way I like him."

He scowled at her. "Stop f*cking blaming yourself, Granger. You're smarter than that."

She glared at him, eyes filling with tears again. "I'm allowed to have feelings, Malfoy. Maybeyouhaven't liked someone only to realize they don't like you back in the same way, but I have." She swiped at an errant tear, hating that he's seeing her cry. "Ithurtsalright? It hurts and it sucks and I don't know what todoabout it."

"You don't know what to do about it?" he asked in such a quiet, icy tone she barely heard him. Then his face hardened. "I'll tell you what you do. Act like it doesn't bother you that he's with her. Ask another bloke, preferably one he dislikes, to take his place at that Christmas party. But one thing you should never do is let him see you upset about this—never let him know how much he hurt you. Because he'll use it against you, Granger. If you lay all your cards out on the table, then he knows how to make you fold."

"Ron's not like that," she whispered, horrified at what he said. "He wouldn't—"

"Trust me, he would," Malfoy said flatly.

She didn't know how to respond as she watched the wizard next to her.

Harry had mentioned how Malfoy and Pansy acted on the train to school, him lying with his head in her lap. From what Hermione could recall however, she hadn't seen them together at all since school started.

Had Pansy hurt him the way that Ron hurt her?

Her heart broke all over again. Not over Ron this time, but for Malfoy, who felt he had to be so guarded with his feelings and emotions that he could never be his true self with anyone else…maybe not even with himself.

It was hard to not view Malfoy differently after that night. Hermione could only wonder how perfect his life really was.

Without meaning to, she started to look for him, trying to discern what was the truth and what was a facade about her study partner. She noticed he barely ate and when hedideat, it was rushed. He always seemed to leave the Great Hall in a hurry, shortly after the meal started. There had even been times when he didn't show for meals at all, leaving her to wonder where he was.

His mood was also all over the place when they met to work on their project—some days he was snappy and irritable and other days they actually held a conversation.

One evening she found him asleep on the couch during their planned study time. They were over halfway done, but it was rather inconvenient of him to take a kip just then.

She walked over, intending to wake him up, but when she saw him sleeping, she stopped and just looked at him.

He really was quite handsome when he wasn't scowling or sneering. Her annoyance all but disappeared when she noticed the bags under his eyes and she decided not to wake up the Slytherin.

Hermione worked for nearly a half hour by herself before Malfoy finally woke up. He mumbled an apology as he made his way over to the tea station to prepare himself a cuppa. After a few sips, he seemed to wake up more and sat at the desk area to begin work as well.

Working with him now, even in silence, wasn't nearly as bad or uncomfortable as it was in the beginning—she didn't mind their study sessions. She knew she didn't have to worry about checking his work or worrying about him needing to copy her notes.

It also helped that he didn't feel the need to fill the silence like most people she knew, especially with things she wasn't interested in, like quidditch.

"I think I'm going to take your advice," she said when she was done working for the day.

He raised a brow. "What advice?"

"Where you suggested I ask someone else to Slughorn's party. Someone who'll make Ron jealous."

Malfoy set down his quill on the desk, giving her his full attention. "Who did you have in mind?"

"Well, actually, I originally thoughtyou'dbe the person who'd piss him off the most, but I thought better of it."

Malfoy chortled. "That would have been fun to watch his face though. Potter's too, for that matter.'

"Yes, well, if I did bring you, Harry would assume youImperiusedme or something."

A bit of color drained from Malfoy's already pale face. "Why would he think that?"

Hermione grimaced. "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but Harry thinks you're up to something." She chuckled softly. "I told him he's being ridiculous."

"Yeah, ridiculous," Malfoy said quietly, looking away.

Hermione continued on. "Anyway, I think the next best option would be Cormac." She bit her lip. "What do you think?"

Malfoy seemed to ponder her suggestion for a moment before he smirked. "Not bad, Granger. Asking the bloke who almost beat him out of his Keeper position. That'll definitely mess with the Weasel."

Hermione grinned. "That's what I was going for."

He stared at her for a moment, as if assessing her.

"What?" she asked, feeling nervous under his gaze.

"Just thinking how Slytherin wouldn't have been a bad house for you."

Hermione shrugged. "The Sorting Hat said I'd do well in any house."

"I'm surprised it didn't put you in Ravenclaw."

"You and me both," she laughed and was surprised when he actually gave a small smile.

"What house would you want to be in if you weren't predestined for Slytherin?" she asked.

"Ravenclaw," he said without hesitation.

Hermione rested her chin on her propped up hand. "How come?"

"Well, I'd probably get disinherited if I ended up in Gryffindor," he deadpanned. "And I'd rather transfer schools than be in Hufflepuff."

"Hufflepuff isn't that bad of a house!" she defended as she crossed her arms. "In fact, you know the bookFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? It was written by Newt Scamander. AHufflepuff. Also, I happen to know one of the youngest Aurors at the Ministry, and she's a Hufflepuff too. Not to mention, if the Triwizard Cup hadn't been tampered with and spit out Harry's name, Hogwarts only champion would have been Cedric, also a Hufflepuff. And—"

"Alright, alright, I get it," Malfoy said, holding his hands up slightly in surrender. "Hufflepuff wouldn't have been that bad to get sorted into," he conceded.

She nodded in agreement. "So, back to our conversation, I'll ask Cormac to attend the party with me. He's a bit arrogant and self absorbed, but I think I can handle him for an evening."

Malfoy smirked. "If you can handlemefor two nights a week, I'm sure you'll manage with McLaggen."

Between classes and working on the project with Malfoy, Hermione had less time for Daphne—she only saw her during classes and even then their talking was limited due to the amount of work they were doing.

However, the notebooks provided a way for the friends to stay in touch.

Hey Daph! How's your project with Terry going?

It's going so well! We're nearly done. How about you and Draco? I see you two haven't killed each other yet, so that's good!

It was a rocky start, that's for sure. But we've developed a system that works for us.

Where do you two work anyway? I never see you in the library.

We found a room so that no one would bother us or ask questions as to why we're working together.

Ooh, So you've been alone with Draco have you? I'm waggling my eyebrows, in case you couldn't tell.

And I'm rolling my eyes. Nothing is going on between us. Just working on the project. We're also nearly done.

Oh my goddess, I forgot to tell you! Terry asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him the next time we go! He said he'd buy me a butterbeer and some sweets from Honeydukes. How sweet is that?

Sounds like you've got yourself a date! Be sure to tell me how it goes! I think Tomes and Scrolls has some new books. Plus, I also need to start my Christmas shopping.

Are you going to get Draco a gift?

I wouldn't know what to get him if I did.

He's got a pretty big sweet tooth, if you haven't figured that out already.

I've definitely noticed. I don't know about getting him a gift, though. Do you think it would be weird?

Not at all! I mean, you hang out with the guy a few times a week. You're practically friends!

I wouldn't go that far. We tolerate each other, at best. But, I'll think about the gift idea. For now though, I'm going to go to bed before everyone else comes back to the dorm.

Still avoiding Lavender?

Do you blame me?

Not at all. Goodnight, Hermione! Sweet dreams!

As Hermione laid in bed that night, she thought about what Daphne suggested.

Should she get a present for Malfoy? It wouldn't hurt to look around Honeydukes and see if anything caught her eye.

Maybe she should be prepared, in case he got her something. Not that it was likely, though thought made her chuckle.

And if she were honest with herself, slightly nervous as well.

Chapter 28: December 1996

Chapter Text

December 1996

The winter chill seeped into the cracks of the castle and Hermione was grateful for the two fireplaces in their study room. Lately, she'd taken to curling up on the couch to work on her translations. They only needed about a hundred or so more to go until the project was finished.

"So," Malfoy asked, kicking back in his chair. "Have you asked McLaggen yet?"

"Not yet. I was planning to do it when it got closer. This way no one will tell Ron ahead of time, and he can't cause a scene if he reacts the way I think he will."

Malfoy gave an approving nod.

"Ifyouwere in the Slug Club," Hermione said, returning her attention to their project. "Who would you take as your guest? Pansy?"

Malfoy frowned. "Why would I bring Pansy?"

"I thought you two were dating?"

"No," he said, returning to his work. He looked back up and raised a single, inquiring brow. "Why did you think Pansy and I were dating?"

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, then bit her lip. "Well, on the train, when Harry was…." Her voice trailed off as Malfoy scowled.

"When Potter was spying on me." He finished the sentence. "What he saw was Pansy being Pansy. She's very in tune with her friends and their emotions and she likes to comfort her friends. All Potter saw her doing was trying to help me relax."

"Oh," Hermione said, genuinely surprised to hear about this side of Parkinson, or the fact that Malfoy said anything at all about it. He was usually tight-lipped about his personal life.

"So, to answer your original question, no, I wouldn't take Pansy, or anyone else for that matter. I'm a bit too busy to worry about chasing after witches right now."

She stopped herself from asking what she really wanted to ask—what was he doing that was keeping him so busy? Part of her wanted to know and the other part was afraid of the answer.

A few days before Slughorn's Christmas party, Hermione finally asked Cormac to be her guest.

He eagerly agreed.

The look on Ron's face when she mentioned her date to her group of friends at dinner was priceless. She looked forward to describing it to Malfoy when they next met.

Cormac was ever the gentleman as the party started, standing by her side and getting her a drink when they first arrived. He must have gotten bored though because within thirty minutes of their arrival, he started boasting about himself—a trait she was rather annoyed by.

When he guided Hermione under the mistletoe, she figured a quick peck on the cheek would appease her fellow Gryffindor.

What she got instead was a mouthful of Cormac. His lips were on hers and he tried desperately to stick his tongue into her mouth.

Thankfully, she was able to escape and found refuge with Harry and Luna. From that point on, the better plan seemed to try and hide from her date.

When Filch came in dragging Malfoy behind him, she was shocked, but was even more surprised when his eyes found hers for the briefest of seconds before he looked away.

She swore the tips of his ears turned pink, though may have been due to the fact that Filch had grabbed them.

*"I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?" Filch wheezed.

Malfoy pulled himself free of Filch's grip. "All right, I wasn't invited!" he said angrily. "I was trying to gate crash, happy?"*

As Hermione watched the conversation between Filch, Professor Slughhorn, and Malfoy, she had a feeling she knew what had really happened—Malfoy had been heading to the Room of Requirement to study and got caught by Filch in the process. Of course, she couldn't say anything because it would cause more questions than answers, particularly from Harry.

Slughorn relented and told Malfoy he could stay, but then Professor Snape appeared and pulled him from the room.

Harry excused himself to use the loo, though Hermione wasn't daft—she knew he was going to spy on Malfoy and Professor Snape's conversation.

"I'm going to go," Hermione told Luna, giving the witch a hug. "Tell Harry for me?"

"And Cormac? Should I tell him you're gone as well?"

Hermione gave the witch a grateful smile. "If you wouldn't mind. See you Luna, and Happy Christmas!" she said as she left and quickly went back to Gryffindor tower.

On the train back to London, Hermione was doing her Prefect rounds when she found Draco sitting alone in one of the compartments towards the back. His eyes were closed as he rested his head on the back of the seat. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Hermione slipped in and closed the door quickly.

"I already told you Weasley, f*ck off, I'm not doing rounds," Malfoy grumbled.

Hermione cleared her throat.

"Oh, it's you." He cracked open an eye for a moment, then let it drift shut. "What do you want?"

"I, uh, I just wanted to give you this," she said as she reached into her pocket.

Malfoy opened his eyes and sat up as she pulled out a small box and enlarged it to its full size.

He looked at it hesitantly. "What is it?"

Hermine couldn't help but smile as she offered the gift to him. "It's a present. You know, for Christmas."

"I know that. But why did you get one forme?" he clarified.

Hermione felt her cheeks grow hot under his gaze. "Oh, well, I figured since we spent all that time together working on the Ancient Runes project and studying that I thought, well, I'd get you a little something." She bit her lip. "It's really no big deal."

Malfoy continued to stare at the gift and Hermione chuckled. She sat on the edge of the seat next to him. "Well, are you going to open it?"

Malfoy's eyes glanced over to her and she could have sworn she saw the briefest hint of a smirk before he untied the ribbon on the box.

Inside was a Muggle fountain pen and a Cauldron Cake. Malfoy took out the pen first to inspect it.

"I noticed that you've been using the pens more than the quill lately while we worked on the project," Hermione explained. "So, I got you your own. This one is a fountain pen. It writes most like a quill, but without needing to use an inkwell. Youwillhave to fill it with ink when you run out, but I can show you how to do that when the time comes."

Malfoy gave a nod as he placed the pen in the pocket of his cloak then pulled the treat from the box. He teared into the packaging and took a large bite. "And, well, the Cauldron Cake," she laughed, "because I know you favor them out of all the sweets at Honeydukes."

He finished off the cake then looked over at her. "I didn't get you anything," he said at last.

Hermione shrugged as she stood. "I didn't get you a gift so I could get one in return." She walked over to the compartment door. "Happy Christmas, Malfoy."

"You too," he said with a nod.

As Hermione opened the door, Malfoy said, "Oh, and Granger?" She turned back towards the blond wizard. "Thanks," he said quietly.

Hermione gave him a small smile and a nod, then closed the compartment door and continued on her rounds.

Christmas at the Grangers' was always a quiet affair. Hermione's parents waited until she returned from Hogwarts to trim the tree and decorate the house. They spent evenings watching Christmas movies while drinking hot cocoa and most mornings were spent reading quietly in the living room together, with nothing but the crackling wood in the fireplace for sound. They baked cookies, cakes, and pies and delivered them to neighbors and friends as they caught up with various people, telling them all about the "school for gifted children" that Hermione attended.

Both of her parents had been only children so there wasn't a big, grand gathering of family around the holidays and Hermione found she quite liked it that way.

She loved the Weasleys, but the sheer amount of people at the Burrow made her crave her small family whenever she visited their home.

This year, between Harry speculating about Malfoy being a Death Eater and Ron dating Lavender, Hermione decided she'd spend the entirety of the Christmas break with her own family.

After a day of opening presents, eating too much food, playing board games, and putting together puzzles, Hermione climbed into bed, ready to pass out from exhaustion.

A tapping sound on her bedroom window made her bolt upright in surprise.

She had already received her gifts from Harry, Hagrid, and the Weasleys—all except Ron, of course. Perhaps, he had sent something after all.

She wasn't sure if she even wanted a gift from him, but she knew it would be rude to make the owl sit out and wait, especially if he'd sent Pig, who didn't need to be ignored just because Ron was a prat.

When the large, gray eagle owl flew into her room, Hermione stared at it with confusion.

The only person she knew who had an eagle owl was Malfoy, but surelyhehadn't sent her anything.

The owl looked at her with wide, curious eyes as she walked over to him.

"Hello, there," Hermione said softly so as not to scare him off. "Do you have something for me?"

The owl stared at her for a moment more before he lifted its large leg out to her. Attached to it was a tiny package. Hermione untied it and stepped back, just in case he wasn't as friendly as the other owls she'd met.

"Thank you," she said. "Um, if you'll just wait a minute, I have some treats in my nightstand."

The owl watched her as she rounded her bed and took out a treat. She held her breath as she offered it to the owl, hoping he wouldn't nip her fingers like Hedwig and Pig did, for surely she'd lose a finger.

But the owl was gentle, and she watched with awe as he spread his wings and flew out her window.

Her heart began to race as she opened the box, wondering what Malfoy could have sent her.

The first thing she saw was a note on top and she picked it up to read it.

Granger,
I know how you have an affinity for old books so I thought you'd like this.
–DM
PS The fountain pen works well.

Hermione pulled an old book out of the box.Memory Modifyingby Mnemone Radford. She gasped when she opened the cover to find it was a first edition. The book had to have been nearly 400 years old!

She'd heard of Mnemone Radford in Charms class of course. Radford was the witch who first developed the Memory Modifying Charm and became the first Ministry of Magic Obliviator.

Hermione wished Malfoy's owl had stayed a bit longer, so she could write him back and thank him for the amazing gift, but instead, she'd have to settle for thanking him once they returned to Hogwarts.

Back in bed, but now wide awake, Hermione opened her new book and began to read well into the night.

Chapter 29: January 1997

Chapter Text

January 1997

*portion in asterisks is text from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*

It was the first day back at Hogwarts since the break and Hermione was listening to Harry as he *recounted all that he had overheard between Malfoy and Snape. When he had finished, Hermione sat in thought for a moment and then said, "Don't you think—?"

"—he was pretending to offer help so that he could trick Malfoy into telling him what he's doing?"

"Well, yes," said Hermione.

"Ron's dad and Lupin think so," Harry said grudgingly. "But this definitely proves Malfoy's planning something, you can't deny that."

"No, I can't," she answered slowly.

"And he's acting on Voldemort's orders, just like I said!"

"Hmm… did either of them actually mention Voldemort's name?"

Harry frowned, trying to remember. "I'm not sure… Snape definitely said 'your master,' and who else would that be?"

"I don't know," said Hermione, biting her lip. "Maybe his father?"

She stared across the room, apparently lost in thought, not even noticing Lavender tickling Ron. "How's Lupin?" she asked.*

Hermione had hoped that changing the subject would make Harry forget about Malfoy, but his mind was a single track, turning time and again to his theory that Malfoy was a Death Eater.

She tried to dispute it, but Harry simply said *"We'll see who's right… You'll be eating your words, Hermione, just like the Ministry. Oh yeah, I had a row with Rufus Scrimgeour as well..."*

The rest of the day, Hermione thought of nothing else but what Harry had told her had transpired between Malfoy and Snape. She tried to play it off as Harry overthinking things. But now that Hermione had gotten to know Malfoy a little bitter, she couldn't help but be worried.

Hermione went to the Room of Requirements that evening to figure out how to talk to Malfoy privately now that their project was finished. Luck was on her side, for the Slytherin showed up ten minutes later, looking exhausted and run down.

Her interrogation died from her tongue and instead worry took its place.

"Malfoy, are you alright? You look horrible."

"Pleasure to see you as well, Granger," he said dryly. He dropped himself onto the couch and let out a sigh. "I'm fine. Just tired is all."

She joined him on the couch. "Did you not rest at all during the break?"

He shrugged. "Some, yeah. Not as much as I hoped."

"Why not?"

Malfoy closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the couch. "Nothing you should worry yourself over."

"Well, I find that might not be possible, especially if what I heard is true."

He opened his eyes and sat up slowly. "What, exactly, have you heard?"

There was no backing out now. Hermione took a breath and said, "That you're a Death Eater."

He stared at her for a few seconds before he barked out a laugh.

It sounded insincere to Hermione's ears and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Me? A Death Eater? Who on earth did you hear that from?"

"I have sources," she said, crossing her arms.

He looked at her pointedly and she let out a sigh. "Fine. Harry's been saying he thinks you're a Death Eater all school year. And while I've been saying there'sno waythat could be true, I'm not so sure anymore."

Malfoy scoffed. "Potter's daft. He's just—"

"He heard the conversation you had with Snape during Slughorn's party."

Malfoy looked at her with concern. "How? What exactly did he hear?"

"I can't tell you how, but he heard you two talk about some sort of mission? From your 'master'?"

Malfoy pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to kill him. Potter has stuck his nose too far this time. I swear to Salazar—"

"Is it true?" Hermione asked softly, looking down at her lap where her hands were clasped together. "Are you?"

"Am I what?"

She met his eyes. "Are you a Death Eater?"

"Don't be ridic—"

"Show me your arm then. Prove it to me."

He scowled. "I don't have to prove anything to you." He stood to walk around her and she took the opportunity to grab his left arm.

"Don't!" he shouted angrily as he pulled his arm back quickly.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "It's true," she said hoarsely. "Youarea… a Death Eater."

Malfoy groaned as he started to pace. "Stupid f*cking Gryffindor's and not being able to let things be." He dragged a hand through his hair and then pointed directly at Hermione. "You don't know a f*cking thing about what I am—about what I'm going through."

"Then tell me! And don't tell me it's nothing, becausesomethingis going on with you. You look like you haven't slept, or eaten a decent meal, in ages. If you keep going the way you are, you're going to fall flat on your arse."

"You wouldn't understand." He turned away, and she reached out for him again, but kept her grip loose so he didn't feel like he was trapped.

"Please, Malfoy. Justtalkto me. Help me understand."

Malfoy pulled his arm free again and started to pace some more.

"It's not like I had a choice," he said finally. "With my father getting tossed into Azkaban, Ihadto do it."

She wanted to ask "do what?" but she held her tongue, knowing that if she interrupted now he'd probably shut down.

"I didn't ask for it—foranyof it. I didn't have a choice in the matter. I didn't choose this. I thought I wanted it—stupidly so—but the reality of it is, I don't. It's too much. And the mission," he looked at her now, almost pleadingly. "Don't ask me about the mission. I can't tell you, even if I wanted to."

"Alright. I won't ask." She sat down, trying to take everything in. "So, that night at Slughorn's party… were you really on your way here?"

Malfoy sat down as well. "Yes, but not to…" he motioned around them, "thisroom."

Hermione frowned. "Then where—"

"The Room of Requirement has more than one name, did you know that?"

She gasped as she realized what he meant. "The Room of Hidden Things…"

Malfoy gave a nod. Hermione sat in thought, trying to put pieces together.

"But if you were on your way here, why were you near Slughorn's party? It would have been out of your way, unless…" Her eyes widened with realization. "Were you spying on the party?"

Malfoy grumbled. "Something like that."

Hermione regarded him for a moment. "See anything of interest?"

The look he gave her made her go quiet.

"I sawyou," he said finally. Then his face hardened "And I saw you with McLaggen under the mistletoe."

"Oh…" Her cheeks warmed.

"I thought you were using him to make Weasley jealous?"

She looked at him, confused. "Yes, that's right. And it was successful from what Harry told me."

"And is that why you were snogging him? To make Weasley jealous?" he sneered.

Hermione huffed with irritation. "No, actually. He caught me under the mistletoe and when I went to kiss his cheek to get released from the charm, he turned his head and snoggedme. If you were really watching, you'd see that I pushed him away and left to talk with Harry and Luna," she said, annoyed that she had to explain this to him. "Why do you care anyway?"

"I don't," he snapped.

"Really? Because you almost sound like you're jealous."

"Me? Jealous of McLaggen? That's ridiculous."

"You're right, that would be ridiculous," she said. "Because in order for you to be jealous of McLaggen kissing me, it would mean thatyouwanted to kiss me, and that's just—" He looked at her again, his face illuminated from the fireplace and her voice caught in her throat. "—ridiculous," she whispered.

She looked away and Hermione bit her lip, wondering what, if anything, she should say.

Malfoy broke the silence first. "I should go. I headed up here to work on something, but if you wanted to use it to study, I can leave you to it."

Hermione shook her head. "No, actually. I came here trying to think of a way to talk to you privately about Slughorn's party and to thank you for the book you sent me."

A ghost of a smile formed on his lips. "Did you finish reading it already?"

"Twice," she admitted sheepishly. "It was really fascinating. Are you sure it's okay that I have it? Won't your parents notice it's gone, considering it's a first edition?

"I doubt they will, since we have more than one copy, as well as loads of others like it. The Hogwarts Library has only a fraction of what we have."

"That's fascinating," she said with awe. "I'd love to see it someday."

Malfoy winced slightly. "Some day, maybe…."

Hermione reached over to place her hand on top of his, squeezing it gently. "Thank you, by the way, for being honest about what's going on." He stared at her hand but didn't say anything. "And if you want, we can still meet up to study together. That is, if you want to?"

Malfoy gave a curt nod. "I'd like that. We can keep the same schedule as we did before, to make things easier on when to meet up. And this way, I'll know when the room is clear to work on… what I need to work on."

The words escaped her before she could stop herself. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He looked at her like she had three heads.

"Never mind," she mumbled. "I just realized how weird that sounds."

An awkward moment passed. "This goes without saying, but you won't tell Potter, or anyone else about this, right?"

Hermione thought about what he asked and finally shook her head. "No, I won't, because I don't know what exactly you're doing and I never saw evidence of you being a Death Eater. If either of those happen though, I won't have a choice."

"That's fair." He glanced at her again. "So, have you finished the Charms essay already?"

"You know I did," she deadpanned.

He pulled out his assignment from his bag. "I'll read over yours if you read over mine?" he offered and she gave him a smile.

Later that evening, Hermione borrowed Harry's cloak and made her way back to the seventh floor, this time to visit the Room of Hidden Things. The door materialized and was unlocked, which she took to mean Malfoy elsewhere.

Perfect.

She made her way inside and glanced around. The room was piled with things from centuries of students losing items.

She passed rows of discarded books. Her fingers itched to look through them, but she reigned herself in and promised she'd be back later.

She passed discarded socks, robes, and scarves. Another pile had homework assignments, quills, and inkwells. Discarded owl cages, broken trunks, doors, and cupboards lined along the walls.

There were paintings everywhere, with most of their occupants asleep or gone.

She looked around for nearly an hour before she gave up—she couldn't figure out what Malfoy could possibly be doing in there that would help Voldemort. Knowing the Slytherin, he'd most likely hid whatever it was; and with the amount of things in the room, it would be impossible to look through everything.

Resigned, Hermione made her way back to Gryffindor Tower, hoping that maybe, someday, Draco would let her in on what he was really doing.

Chapter 30: February 1997

Chapter Text

February 1997

January flew by and in the weeks since their conversation, Hermione felt something shift between her and Malfoy. He seemed more relaxed when they were in their room together. Relaxed enough that while she sat on one side of the couch, he would lay down on the other end and take a small kip.

The sneers and rude remarks had stopped, except for days when he seemed to be frustrated about something and he would snap at her. She would use that opportunity to make him some tea and put it in front of him. After a while, he'd mumble an apology and things would be well again.

When Harry told Hermione that he was going to start tracking Malfoy using the Marauders' Map, Hermione thought that the Slytherin should know.

Malfoy scowled upon the news. "How can he keep track of me like that?"

Hermione bit her lip. "I can't say."

"Great. That's just f*cking great," he muttered as he worked on an assignment. She noticed that he pressed a little hard with his quill on the parchment, causing it to tear. He swore under his breath, fixing the paper with a quick spell, and started again. He glanced up at her at moment later. "Thanks, by the way, for letting me know. You didn't have to do that and honestly, I'm baffled as to why you did..."

Truth was, she was baffled as well. She knew that helping Malfoy meant she was helping him with his mission for Voldemort, but part of her was also worried what would happen to him if he was caught, or worse, if he failed his mission.

Instead of answering his questioning eyes, she decided to change the subject. "So, how did Apparition lessons go for you?" she asked.

Malfoy's scowl returned. "Abysmally. You?"

"Same, though, I hear that's normal when first starting out. I'm just glad no one got seriously injured. I just wish we were able to practice outside of lessons so we can be more successful at the next lesson."

"Could you imagine?" he asked with one of his rare small smiles. "The whole of 6th and 7th years Apparating everywhere? Or at least attempting to?"

Hermione let out a small giggle. "No, I suppose that wouldn't be the best thing to happen. Probably why Apparating at Hogwarts isn't allowed in the first place."

"It would make getting around the castle easier though," he mused. "And I wouldn't have to worry about the likes of Potter spying on me."

She bit her lip in contemplation. "Well, he doesn't knowwhereyou're going, if that helps?"

"Not really," he said, then nudged her foot under the table. "But I appreciate the heads up either way."

They worked for an hour before they packed up for the night but all Hermione could think about was Malfoy's foot, resting against hers, for the remainder of the time.

Hermione wouldn't say she hated Valentine's Day, but she had a great dislike for the holiday, especially this year.

Shedidhate the fact that all Lavender seemed to do was either talk about Ron in their dorm room—loudly for that matter—or plant herself next to him at the Great Hall and snog him silly. With the reactions from everyone else near them, however, she seemed to not be the only one annoyed by their actions.

However, Hermione realized she didn't feel jealousy overthemany more, but more of the fact that they, as well as loads of other people, were in a relationship. The closest she had ever gotten to having her own relationship was with Victor, but she was young and the most they had ever done was a few kisses at the Yule Ball. Everywhere she turned the rest of the day, there were couples holding hands or snogging in dark corridors and she felt like the amount of people coupled up had sky-rocketed over night.

During classes, Hermione started to search out the pale hair that belonged to Malfoy, relieved when she spotted him. She told herself it was because she was happy he was still taking his studies seriously, but even she knew that was only a half-truth—she just liked knowing he was there and it brought her comfort. They never spoke to one another outside of their study room, but there had been a few times when he'd covertly look her way and send her a nod in a way of greeting.

In Ancient Runes however, she noticed that Malfoy was heading towards her desk and she tried not to be disappointed when Daphne sat down next to her first, talking animatedly about how Terry had officially asked her to be his girlfriend. Malfoy ended up taking a seat at the table on the other side though, and she tried not to smile at the fact.

When evening came and she left to do homework in the study room, she was grateful for the reprieve from all of the other people.

And, if she were honest with herself, she was looking forward to being able to talk to Malfoy—freely and openly.

When she reached the room, she was surprised to find him already there, sitting on the couch and drinking a cuppa.

"Hello," she said as she walked over and sat down next to him. She studied his features and how his face seemed more tired and sullen than normal. "Everything alright?" she asked.

He took a sip of his tea and gave a nod. "Yes. Just tired. I've been working on my project in the middle of the night so that Potter can't look for me," he explained. He looked at her as he rested his head against the back of the couch. "How was your day?"

"It was alright," she said, getting comfortable on the couch by tucking her legs underneath her. "I'll be glad when the day's over though."

"You mean you don't like all the hearts and cupids flying all round?" he asked dryly.

"It's so cliché!" she said with exasperation. "And the amount of red and pink in the Great Hall is nauseating. I might be a Gryffindor, but even I'm tired of the color."

Malfoy chuckled and he shook his head. "So, did any blokes ask you to be their Valentine this year?"

The question caught her off-guard and she gave him a funny look. "No. But then again, no one ever has."

"That seems surprising, seeing as you're one of Potter's best friends as well as one of the smartest witches at this school."

"Well, unlessyouplan to ask me, I suppose I'll just have to wait until next year to see if anyone else comes to that conclusion." The words had spilled out before she realized what she was saying and she found her heart was beating loudly in her chest, waiting for his answer.

He glanced at her and she thought she saw some defeat behind his gaze. "There'd be no point in it. It's not like you'd be able to go off and tell anyone, like how Daphne did with Boot."

Summoning her Gryffindor courage, Hermione moved slightly closer to Malfoy and placed her hand on top of his.

His hand twitched and for a moment Hermione thought he meant to move it away from her touch. Instead, he simply flipped his hand over and laced his fingers with hers. The action set off butterflies in her stomach.

They sat quietly together, fingers threaded, and stared into the fire until it was time to head back to their respective dorms.

"I have something for you," Hermione said the next time they met up.

Malfoy was sitting at the table, working on an essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts. "What would that be?" he asked without looking up.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione took out a coin from her pocket and set it next to him. Malfoy glanced at the coin then looked up at her and raised a brow. "A galleon?"

"Not just any galleon," she said, not being able to hold in her smile. "Go on, look at it."

Malfoy picked up the coin and studied it. A ghost of a smile also formed on his lips. "A communication coin?" he asked.

"Yup," she confirmed, taking another out of her pocket. "I have the other. I made something similar last year for our D.A. meetings but, well, we don't use them anymore. I was thinking I could let you know when Harryisn'tspying on you so you can head to the Room of Hidden Things. This way, you don't have to work in the middle of the night and can actually get some sleep for once, and—"

"Granger, stop rambling and take a breath," he said lightly as he continued to study the coin. "Won't Potter see that I'm in the room though?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, not this room. So as long as you can get here when he's not looking, he won't know you're here."

Malfoy rubbed his chin in thought. "Interesting." He chuckled as he pocketed the coin. "I still can't believe you're helping menotget spied on by Potter."

Hermione sighed. "Trust me, I question myself everyday."

He looked up at her from his seated position and he reached out slowly to take her hand into his, tugging her closer. "I appreciate it. I know it can't be easy, lying to Potter all the time."

"I'm managing," she said softly. "It's not like he actually asks me anything. He's too preoccupied speculating, spying, and going with Dumbledore on—" She shut her mouth quickly and winced.

Malfoy raised a questioning brow. "Dumbledore's taking Potter somewhere?" he pressed.

"Well, it's more like he's showing him things—memories, actually—but you can't tell anyone I told you that," she added quickly.

When he squeezed her hand, Hermione realized that he was still holding hers. "Don't worry, Granger. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks," she said softly. "I, uh, I should probably go. I already finished my essay for Professor Snape, but I see you're still working on yours, so—"

"Actually, I'm done,'' he said, finally letting her hand go to roll up his parchment. "I was thinking of making a cuppa and reading a bit."

"Mind if I join you then?" she asked as she pulled out a book from her bag.

Malfoy walked over to the tea station. "Milk and two sugars?" he confirmed as he started to pour the tea.

She smiled at him. "Yes, please."

Hermione made herself comfortable on the couch, slipping off her shoes and tucking her legs under just as Malfoy came by and handed over her cuppa.

"Thanks," she said as she levitated her book in front of her so she could hold her cup with both hands, warming them up from the chill of the castle.

Malfoy sat next to her, so close that their legs were touching and Hermione shifted slightly so that she leaned her shoulder against his.

When her tea was gone and the cup set aside, she shifted some more until her head rested on his shoulder. Between the warmth of his body next to hers, the tea inside her, and the fire in front of her, Hermione drifted off to sleep.

She woke up on the couch hours later and Malfoy's head was tilted to rest atop of hers. From the way he was breathing, Hermione suspected he had fallen asleep too.

Shifting slowly so as not to wake him up, she realized it was fruitless; the moment she would move, his head would drop onto the couch.

"Malfoy," she whispered. When he didn't move, or respond, she whispered his name again, louder this time.

With no response once more, she elbowed him softly in the ribs, trying to jostle him awake. The weight of his head on hers lessened and Hermione knew she was finally successful.

"We should go," she said softly even though she already missed the warmth of his body against hers.

"Yeah," he said and yawned as he stretched his arms above his head. "Was a good kip though," he said sleepily.

Hermione glanced over at him and saw that his hair was tussled, which was the first time she had ever seen it not in place. She chuckled and reached over, carding her fingers through his hair to fix it. He froze at her touch and Hermione halted her movements.

"Sorry," she murmured and placed her hands in her lap. "I was just fixing your hair."

Malfoy cleared his throat before speaking. "It's alright. I just wasn't expecting you to do that." He looked at her and reached out his own hand, tucking a strand of her curls behind her ear. "There," he said. "Now we're even."

Hermione let out a soft chuckle. "I should go," she said as she stood. "It's rather late and if Filch catches me he'll have a field day."

"Just say you were doing Prefect duties," Malfoy suggested. "It's what I do."

She chuckled and shook her head and she made her way towards the door. "Good night, Malfoy."

He gave a nod. "Night, Granger."

By the end of February, everyone was feeling discouraged with Apparition lessons, even Hermione.

Feeling broody, she made her way to the Room of Requirement, passing a couple of Second Year Hufflepuff students in the corridor. Malfoy emerged from the room, just as she reached the door.

"Oh, Mal–"

He held up a hand to stop her then looked over her shoulder at the two Hufflepuffs. "Oi! No wandering the halls this late. Get back to your common room before I assign you detention."

The girls squeaked with surprise and hurried out of the hall towards the stairs.

Hermione gave Malfoy a questioning look and he answered her with an indifferent shrug. "Don't need some kids seeing us together and start to spread rumors," he said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "They're just a couple of little girls."

"And girls like to gossip. Trust me, I hear my fair share in the Slytherin common room. I'm sure Gryffindor is just the same," he said with a knowing look.

"Suppose you have a point," she murmured, then noticed a package on the table. "What's that?"

He glanced over to the table as he made them tea. "Oh, my mother sent me a care package. Take a look," he suggested.

Hermione gave him a questioning glance before pulling the box towards her and peered in. The amount of sweets was ridiculous, but Hermione didn't expect anything less especially since their Hogsmeade trips had been canceled since the incident with Katie Bell. She knew Malfoy had a sweet tooth and now she knew how he was getting his fill.

"Nice assortment," she said, sifting through everything. "I see your mother sent you at least half a dozen Cauldron Cakes, Cocoballs, Chocolate Frogs, and—oh! Are these Sugar Quills!" she said, pulling out three of them. "The blue kind too!"

Malfoy gave a nod as he set her cuppa on the table and took out a Cauldron Cake. "They're for you, actually."

Hermione's head swiveled to gape at him. "For me? You had your mother send sweets for…forme?"

He took a bite of the chocolate cake. "I didn't tell her who they were for, but I did request them on your behalf, yes."

As she simply stared at him, Malfoy ate the last of his treat. "You mentioned before that you favored the blue Sugar Quills and that the last time you visited Honeydukes they were out, so…." he motioned to the quills. "I got you some."

Hermione held the Sugar Quills to her chest. "Malfoy…"

"It's no big deal," he said, waving her off as he sat down at the table. "I request sweets for my friends all the time."

Hermione couldn't help herself. She walked over to where Malfoy sat and bent down slightly to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you," she said as she pulled back. She knew her cheeks were as red as tomatoes. As she stepped back though, Malfoy stopped her by grabbing onto her wrist and stood so that he was looking down at her.

His eyes bore into hers as he stepped even closer. He lifted a hand up to cradle the side of her head before he dipped down and captured her lips with his own.

The complete shock of his action froze her in place. It was only when Malfoy pulled back slightly that she regained her senses and lifted onto her toes to press her lips back onto his.

Her hands lifted to grip his shoulders and his free arm wound around her waist, pulling her flush against him, as his other hand dug into her curls. Their lips glided over each other over and over until they opened at the same time, and his tongue prodded hers.

He tasted like chocolate.

Decadent, silky smooth, and sweet.

Her new favorite flavor.

"Gods, I've been wanting to do that for a long time," he murmured against her lips.

She pulled back to look up at him. "You have?"

He nodded then kissed her again. "Yes."

Her hands moved behind his neck and she played with the ends of his hair. "I've been wanting to as well, I just wasn't sure if—"

He stopped her with another kiss. "Granger?"

"Hm?"

His lips twitched against hers. "Shut up," he murmured and then kissed her some more.

Chapter 31: March 1997

Chapter Text

March 1997

The meetings with Malfoy in the evenings increased from two nights a week to nearly four, sometimes five. They still studied and worked on homework some of the time, but the majority of it was spent snogging. Harry and Ron didn't seem to notice that she was gone so much, but she found she didn't quite care—it meant less questioning about where she was, though they probably assumed the library.

It never went any further than that and Hermione wasn't sure if she should initiate something more or if she should wait to see what Malfoy was comfortable with.

Classes with the Slytherin felt exhilarating most days as well. They didn't want to let on that something was happening between them, but neither could help accidentally touching the other when passing by or giving the other a hidden smirk.

Daphne was the only one to know what had transpired between Hermione and Draco. Knowing she'd be the only person in the whole castle who wouldn't judge her, Hermione told her before one of their shared classes.

"I knew it!" she half-whispered excitedly, making sure to keep her voice down as other students filed into class. "I knew something was going on between the two of you."

"Nothing was going on until just recently," Hermione justified. Then she groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Gods Daph, am I insane for liking him? There's so much history between us…"

An arrival into the classroom had the two girls looking over at the door as Malfoy entered. His eyes roved around until he found Hermione's. He gave a nod in greeting as he made his way to the desk next to them. The girls turned to each other and giggled quietly.

"I think it's safe to say he likes you too," Daphne whispered knowingly but then Terry entered the room and shot Daphne a wide grin. "Well, I'm going to go sit with Terry. See you!"

Hermione watched as Daphne went over to her boyfriend, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before he took her hand, and led her to their table.

Hermione glanced over to Malfoy, who was sitting at the table to her right, and for the first time wished he'd sit with her as openly as Daphne did with Terry.

However, since they were no longer partnered up with a project it wouldn't have made sense if he sat with her now—not without raising questions anyways.

He glanced her way and lifted a brow in question and she answered with a slight shake of her head. She turned her attention to the front of the room, getting ready to take notes on the lecture, when the coin in her pocket warmed.

Confused, she pulled it out and read the message.

I want to kiss you.

Hermione felt her cheeks grow hot and tried not to glance at the wizard next to her as she responded.

This is not what the coin is for.

Seeing you blush was worth it.

Her face grew even hotter as she stowed the coin away, but for the rest of class she couldn't get rid of the small smile that was across her face.

News of Ron's poisoning and subsequent hospitalization swept through the castle. Hermione, who had planned to spend most of the day avoiding the redhead on his birthday, rushed to the hospital wing in search of answers.

Harry explained what happened several times throughout the day and each time brought Hermione more and more guilt.

How could she have let something as silly as him getting a girlfriend ruin their friendship? He'd been her friend for nearly five years; that had to account for something!

The coin in her pocket warmed.

In the room. Where are you?

At the hospital wing.
Ron was poisoned!

Malfoy didn't respond, which she took to mean that he knew she wouldn't be meeting up with him that night and went back to waiting outside of the Hospital wing doors diligently until Pomfrey let them in.

She held back the tears as she watched Ron lay in the bed and she vowed she would make an effort to try and restore their friendship when he woke up. No more petty arguments or other relationships should get in the way of true friendship. She even vowed to be nicer to Lavender.

Thankfully, when Ron did wake up he was in good spirits. Hermione was thankful he was speaking to her again and he as well seemed just as relieved that their friendship was on the mend.

That evening, when Hermione went to the Room of Requirement, she found the same two Huffepuff girls that were there before. After shoo-ing them off, she tried to gain access to the room but found that the door would not materialize no matter how much she tried. Frowning, she looked around to make sure the girls were truly gone before she sent a message to Malfoy's coin.

Are you in the room?

Yes.

Can I come in?

Not right now.

Later?

Maybe.

Still frowning, Hermione made her way to the library to work on homework, pondering why those Hufflepuff second-years were always around. Perhaps Harry wasn't the only one stalking Malfoy, though they were probably doing it because they just had a crush on the Slytherin blonde, not because they thought he was up to something.

Not that she could blame them—hewasvery fit.

Thinking about him made her smile to herself and she buried her face in a book to hide her blush.

She waited two hours for Malfoy to let her know that she could come, but he never did, and when she asked him again on the coin, he didn't respond.

She tried not to sulk—after all, they never said they were meeting that night, and it wasn't like they were in a relationship, but she couldn't help but feel a little hurt that he wasn't wanting to see her.

The thought made her miserable.

The next day Hermione noticed that Malfoy was avoiding her and she hated it. He wouldn't even make eye contact with her in any class, in the halls, or even the Great Hall. Instead of going back to the Tower after dinner, she went straight to the Room of Requirement, knowing Malfoy was still in the Great Hall, and hoped he would come.

He never showed up that night.

Or the night after.

Nor the night after that.

It had been a week since Ron's incident and she had yet to talk to Malfoy. Hermione's mind whirled at all the possible reasons why:

Was he working on the task from Voldemort? Maybe his family was urging him to work on it more before something bad would happen to him?

Was he hanging out with someone else instead of her? She tried to taper down the jealousy that was starting to form at the thought.

Maybe he was just tired ofher? After nearly six years of teasing and bullying her to now becoming more, perhaps he wanted to move on to someone else?

Even though they weren't officially anything, she still felt she deserved an explanation from him if he wanted to end things

She finally had enough and messaged him on the coin once more.

PLEASE meet me at 7.

Even though he didn't respond, Hermione made sure to go to the Room of Requirements just before seven to set up the room. The butterflies in her stomach intensified when she heard the door open and Malfoy stepped in.

They looked at each other, neither one of them moving closer or saying anything.

"Hi," she finally broke the silence, unsure of what else to say or do.

He gave a nod. "Granger. You wanted to meet?"

His voice was stilted and cold.

Hermione let out a sad sigh. "Did…. Did I do something wrong?"

He shifted on his feet before looking away. "No."

"Then why are you avoiding me?" she asked, hoping the tears she felt forming wouldn't spill.

He shook his head as he walked into the room some more. "Because you don't need me anymore," he said as he looked towards the fireplace, still not meeting her gaze.

"Don't need you?" she repeated. "What—?"

"You and Weasley have made amends, yes?" he asked, finally looking at her.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with us?"

He scowled as he dropped his bag to the floor and walked over to tower over her. "There is nous, Granger. There never was. I was using you, alright? I wanted to see if I could get the swotty Gryffindor Princess to loosen up a bit."

She shook her head as a tear slipped down her cheek. "No, you're lying. You wouldn't do that."

"I did!" he shouted. "I took advantage of you because Weasley broke your poor little Gryffindor heart. But now you got your revenge, I had a bit of fun, and you're back with Weasley. Happy now?" He stalked away from her, going over to the fireplace.

Hermione wiped angrily at another tear and followed him. "I don't believe you. Because if that were the case, you would have kissed me back in November when the hurt from Ron was fresh. Instead, you waited until months later when you had to have known I wasn't interested in him anymore."

When he didn't say anything, she grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face her. What she saw made her anger dissipate.

Hot, angry tears fell down his face. "I'm no good for you, Granger. Just leave, alright?" He pointed towards the door. "Go back to your Gryffindors where it's safe and uncomplicated and where you don't have to sneak around to just talk to them."

"Draco…" she said softly and cupped the side of his face.

He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. "You're better off being with someone else.Anyone else. No good can come to you if you stay with me."

She lifted on her toes and kissed him softly. "I don't want to be with anyone else," she said and kissed him again. "I likeyou, Draco Malfoy. As complicated as being with you is, I choose you."

He shook his head. "It can't last," he whispered.

Her heart broke at the realization and nodded sadly. "I know. But, I'll take what time we can have. Anything is better than nothing."

His arms wrapped around her as he pulled her close and crashed his lips to hers, kissing her feverishly.

"You're the best f*cking thing that has happened to me in a long time," he said as he rested his forehead against hers.

They stayed like that for a few moments, standing in front of the fire, forehead to forehead. Finally, Hermione took his hand and led him to the couch to sit down and snuggled into his side.

Draco sighed tiredly as he rested his arm across her shoulders and his fingers played with the ends of her curls.

"I thought you were back with Weasley," he admitted. "The way Brown kept complaining to anyone who would listen how oftenyouwere visiting him in the hospital wing and all that."

Hermione shook her head. "Ron and I are just working on mending our friendship, that's all. Even if he'd break things off with Lavender, nothing will change between him and I. And if he does end up asking me out, I'll just tell him no,"

He moved his head to look at her. "And if he asks why?"

She shrugged. "I'll tell him I think he and I are better off as friends."

He kissed her forehead before he rested his head atop of hers. "I'm so bloody tired," he said. "I don't think I've slept properly all week."
"Me either," she admitted.

Draco shifted until he was lying down then tucked Hermione between him and the couch cushions.

"Is this okay?" he asked once they were settled.

"More than," she responded.

She was tired, but lying so close next to Draco, with his arms around her, had stirred something inside of her. She only had to tilt her head up slightly to press her lips against his neck and when Draco simply hummed in response, she did it again, this time suckling his skin slightly.

"Granger?"

She kissed his neck again. "Yes?"

"I don't think I'm nearly as tired as I thought I was."

She smiled against his neck. "Me either."

He moved so fast that she only had time to let out a squeak of surprise before she was on her back with him hovering over her. His eyes roamed her face for a moment before he leaned down to kiss her softly and slowly.

Her hands worked their way up to his hair, her fingers threading through his impossibly soft strands. The action seemed to encourage him as he kissed her more firmly and prodded her lips with his tongue. She happily obliged, opening up to him to deepen the kiss.

After a few heated moments, Draco moved to kiss down her neck and collarbone.

Hermione used this opportunity to sit up slightly and push him up into a seated position. Before he could question what she was doing, she straddled his lap and brought her mouth to his. His hands went to her waist where they gripped her tightly right above her skirt, as if he was unsure to place them anywhere else.

She pulled back and without breaking eye contact, began to undo her oxford.

Draco licked his lips as he watched her fingers undo button after button. He lifted a hand to still her movements. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly.

Hermione nodded. "I want you to touch me," she said boldly as she resumed her task. When she got the last button undone, she slipped her oxford down her arms until she was just in her brazier. It was cotton and plain looking, but with the way Draco was looking at her chest, one would think she was wearing silk and lace.

She took his hand and placed it on one of her breasts.

He squeezed experimentally then rubbed the pad of his thumb over her nipple. When it pebbled and hardened, he smiled and brought his other hand up to do the same to her other breast.

Hermione closed her eyes as Draco explored and touched. When his hand reached behind her back, she didn't stop him when he toyed with her clasps, undoing it with little trouble.

Light as a feather, his fingers pulled the straps of her bra down her arms, eliciting goosebumps along her skin.

When she was bare in front of him, she waited a moment before she opened her eyes.

He was looking at her again, with a mixture of awe and uncertainty. "You're bloody gorgeous," he said huskily then leaned forward and took one of her pert nipples in his mouth, sucking it softly.

Hermione let out a soft moan at the new sensation, which only seemed to spur Draco on. One breast was fondled and squeezed while the other was suckled, licked, and nipped before he switched sides and resumed his actions.

Her hands found purchase in his hair as he explored and touched, finding all the spots that made her breath hitch or let out a soft moan.

He didn't argue when she undid his own shirt and when his chest was exposed, she ran her hands up and down his chest, using her nails to softly scratch his skin.

Their lips met again and he squeezed and kneaded her breasts harder as their kissing deepened. When she instinctively ground herself against him, he froze.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I think," he swallowed thickly. "As much as it pains me to say this, I think we need to slow down."

"Oh.."

Before her mind could spiral into reasons why he didn't want to go any further, he cupped her face and kissed her softly. "It's not that I don't want to. Trust me,I do. I just think we should wait."

Hermione nodded. "You're right." She bit her lip and looked at him. "We can still snog some more, right?"

He answered her by pulling her close and kissing her. Lips still together, they shifted on the couch until they were laying down, facing each other, her bare chest against his.

Their kisses started strong then slowly tapered off, until it was just a few brushes against each other. When Draco's lips stopped moving against her own, she opened her eyes and saw that he had fallen asleep.

With a smile on her face, she kissed him once more before snuggling in, her eyes fluttering shut with sleep a moment later.

The following day was nothing short of a disaster. Harry had his skull cracked open by Cormac during the Quidditch match with Hufflepuff and was now in the hospital wing along with Ron. When she went to visit him, he was still passed out and continued to be even when Madam Pomfrey ushered her out after visiting hours were over. She told Ron that she'd be back in the morning to take them down to breakfast.

She met with Draco, who greeted her with a searing kiss the moment she walked into the room.

"I can't stay long," she informed him. "I just came to say hi."

He grinned against her lips. "You came for a snog, admit it."

She huffed indignantly, but couldn't stop the smile. "Alright, fine. Maybe that too."

Draco glanced at his watch. "Ten minutes then?"

"That ought to do," she agreed, then rose up to kiss him some more. "Though, I did notice that your little fan club wasn't out there today," she teased as she nipped his lip.

Draco founded. "What fan club?"

"Oh you know, those second year Hufflepuff girls that are always around, waiting foryouit seems."

Draco winced slightly as he ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, them. Well, I have an explanation for that…"

Hermione raised a brow. "Oh?"

"They're not really second year girls… They're actually Crabbe and Goyle. I've been brewing Polyjuice potion in my dorm and giving it to them."

Hermione's mouth dropped open as she stepped back. "What?"

"I've been using them as lookouts," he explained with a shrug. "Though not a lot of good they can do when you or I keep shooing them away I suppose."

Hermione thought about how Draco's friends must be feeling, having to be stuck at girls for hours at a time. The thought made her giggle.

The times Hermione and Draco met up were spent more on each other than studying nowadays. She still made sure to study, of course, usually in the library with Daphne and Terry, or Ginny and Luna, but when she left the common room in the evenings, under the guise of going to study some more alone, she used that time to spend quality time with a certain Slytherin.

She was briefly concerned when she found out that Harry was having Kreacher and Dobby follow Draco around to see what he had been up to, but thankfully they didn't figure out that the two of them had been meeting up. Once Harry realized Draco was using the Room of Requirements, as well as Crabbe and Goyle as Polyjuice girls, she made sure to act surprised at all the new information. However, now Hermione started using their communication coin more before meeting up, just in case.

The day before they had to leave for Easter holiday, Hermione was able to sneak to the room and meet Draco, who happened to come in right behind her. With a squeak of surprise, he spun her around before lifting her and set her on top of the large desk.

He tangled his fingers in her curls as he kissed her deeply and she gripped the front of his oxford to tug him close.

"Hi," he said finally when he took a breath.

"Hello to you as well," she said with a grin. "Are you ready for the Easter holiday?"

Draco groaned as he stepped back and helped her off the table. "Not really," he said, linking his fingers with hers as he led her towards the couch. He sat down and tugged her into his lap with ease, his hand resting on her leg.

"How come?" she asked.

"There will be visitors there that I don't really like," he said grimly. Then his mood shifted as he looked at her and gave her half a grin. "Congrats, by the way," he said as he let his hand run up and down her leg softly. "For passing your Apparition test."

Hermione ducked her head down shyly. "Thanks. Oh! That reminds me." She hopped off his lap and went over to her bag. "I got you something from Honeydukes."

She handed him an assortment of chocolates from the shoppe and sat down next to him. "Ron gave me a funny look when I purchased all of these, but I just told him I was on my monthlies and he shut right up," she said, giggling.

"Smart," he said, biting into a cauldron cake. "Want some?" he offered.

Hermione leaned forward to take a bite and a bit of the gooey chocolatey center fell and landed just above her cleavage, just missing her shirt.

"That was close," she said, but before she could wipe it off, Draco leaned forward and licked the confection away, sending a chill up her spine.

"Maybe you should take this off," he said as he started undoing her buttons. "Don't want to get stained with chocolate.""Hm, no, that wouldn't be ideal," she agreed sagely, then hissed out a breath when his teeth grazed her nipple through her bra.

Chapter 32: April & May 1997

Chapter Text

April & May 1997

Draco seemed to be even more pale and exhausted since returning from Easter break. Hermione was worried about him and made sure the room had an assortment of snacks for when they met up by stopping by the kitchen before each meeting. She urged him to eat, but he would only take a few bites until he ushered her out as he mumbled something about needing to work on his task.

From the apologetic look in his eyes and grimace on his face, Hermione could tell he felt turmoil over the situation.

She knew once they started their relationship, that she had to at least try to see if she could help him but she hadn't yet had a chance to bring it up. In the time being, she did her best to steer Harry away from spying on Draco and instead reminded him of his task from Dumbledore to retrieve the memory from Slughorn. Thankfully, he begrudgingly listened.

A week after they returned from their break, Hermione convinced Draco to take the night off from his mission as she straddled his lap and kissed him deeply. He kissed and nuzzled her neck before settling into the space between her neck and shoulder and sighed heavily.

A moment went by where he didn't move and Hermione thought maybe he'd fallen asleep.

Wetness and warmth trickled on her skin when she realized he was crying.

She wished she could say it'll be alright; that everything would be fine, but they'd both know it would be a lie. So instead, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as she ran her hand up his neck and into the hair on the back of his head over and over. His arms snaked around her middle and held her tight, his own body shaking softly as he cried.

Not saying a word, she let him cry until his body finally stopped quivering and the grip he had around her loosened.

"I'm sorry," he murmured into her neck. "I'm just sof*ckingtired."

She nodded slightly and kept carding her fingers through his hair, letting him talk without interruption.

"I'm tired of pretending that everything is normal. I'm tired of all the pressure I have and thinking about what I have to do. And I'm not even close to figuring it out even though I'm working my arse off, and I'm just…tired."

Hermione kissed his temple. "I wish I could help," she finally said.

Draco chuckled ruefully as he sat back and looked off to the side. "No, you don't, trust me."

She cupped his face and waited until he looked at her. This was her chance. "We can help you, you know. The Order, I mean. We can get you out—get you safe."

He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "I can't. He has my mother. He'll kill her if he finds out." He opened his eyes and looked at her warningly. "And don't say your Order can get her out too, because he's living in myf*ckinghouse."

She gasped at the admission as she slid off his lap to sit next to him instead. "What?That's horrific! Your poor mother….and he's… he's living at the Manor?" She shuddered at the thought and her mind whirled at the new information.

Draco gave a nod as he ran a hand through his hair. "Yes. Since last summer. He moved in shortly after my father was thrown into Azkaban."

"Oh, Draco," she said softly. "No wonder you didn't want to go home for Easter break," she said.

"Or Christmas," he grumbled. "He's given me an impossible task,twoactually, and I know he doesn't think I'll succeed. He takes any opportunity to remind me of that."

"If he doesn't think you'll succeed, then why give you the task in the first place?"

He looked her in the eyes. "Punishment, for my family falling out of favor with the Dark Lord."

A shiver ran up Hermione's spine as he spoke the words. "And what will happen if you don't complete the tasks?"

"I'll be lucky to get the killing curse, but the Dark Lord isn't usually so kind," he stated gravely.

Hermione sucked in a breath. "Then you need to complete them," she said firmly. She looked at him pleadingly. "Let me help you."

He shook his head. "No. Absolutely not," he said firmly.

"Draco, please—"

"No!" he said angrily as he stood up. "I won't let you defile yourself with this. You're too…good.Too pure for something like this."

She shook her head. "I'm not. I've done things too. I—"

"It's not the same, Hermione. You and Potter and the rest of that army of yours go storming into the Ministry tofightDeath Eaters. That's not the same as what I am and what I have to do." He sat down, deflated, and buried his face in his hands. "It's too late for me. But you…" he looked at her now, with so much emotion behind his eyes that Hermione's breath caught in her chest. "I'll be damned if I drag you into this."

Hermione blinked back tears. "Iknowwhat you are, Draco. Most importantly, I knowwhoyou are. And I'm still here, aren't I?"

Draco shook his head. "You shouldn't be. But…. I'm too selfish to let you go," he admitted.

Hermione pressed her forehead against his temple. "I'd like to see you try and get rid of me, because that will be impossible."

"Do you still have that book I gave you? The one by Mnemone Radford?"

They were sitting on the couch, one on each side with his legs stretched out and hers resting on top of his while they worked on homework.

Hermione arched her brow. "I do. Why? Do you want it back?"

He chuckled. "No, it's yours after all. I just wanted to see something in it."

She went over to her bag and pulled out the thick tome. She walked back over to the couch and handed it to Draco before she sat back down.

He gave her a curious look. "You carry it around with you?"

She gave a shrug. "I put a featherlight charm on my bag. I keep a couple of my favorite books in there for when I'm bored and need something to read."

Draco chuckled softly then opened the book and skimmed the pages.

Hermione waited a moment before asking, "What are you looking for?"

"A specific memory charm," he said. "One that selects and pinpoints a certain person, item, or event, but leaves everything else around it."

"Why?" she asked hesitantly. "You're not planning on altering my memory, are you?"

"No," he said, never taking his eyes off the book. "You'll be altering mine."

Hermione simply blinked at him. "I'm sorry….what?"

He closed the book and tossed it onto the coffee table before he sat up. Hermione scooted over to sit next to him and waited for him to explain.

"I've been thinking a lot about…us," he finally said. "And, when all of this comes to a head, or if something goes wrong, you'll need protection."

Hermione instantly bristled. "Iknowhow to protect myself," she defended.

"Oh I have no doubt about that, love," he said, wryly, taking her hand. "But, the Dark Lord is one of the most powerful Legilimens there is. Even if I use Occlumency to block him so he doesn't find out about you, he'll break through eventually."

"But—"

"But," he interrupted, squeezing her hand, "if you alter my memories, he can't access them, because they will be gone."

She shook her head. "There has to be another way—"

"He almost found out about you during Easter break," he said flatly. "Thankfully, mydear Aunt Bella"—he sneered the words—" is good for something and has been teaching me Occlumency since last summer."

Hermione bit her lip as she thought about what he said. "If…if I agreed to altering your memories, can I un-alter them? Or will it be permanent?"

He sighed and gave a small shrug. "That's what I want to see. I figured your book might be the first place to start."

Hermione gave a nod. "We'll have to test it out, somehow…" Her brows furrowed in thought. "I can check the library and see what they have on modifying memories, maybe even look in the Restricted Section."

Draco brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the top of it. "I knew you'd be on board once I said we needed to research something."

With her mind racing with what she needed to look for, she stood up. "I should go. The library closes soon and I want to see what I can find." She quickly bent over and kissed Draco. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Granger," he called out as she headed towards the doors. She looked over to see him smirking and gave a quick wave of her hand before heading towards the library.

Hermione felt like she was leading a double life—one with her Gryffindor housemates and friends, doing things like watching Quidditch games and practices, studying, and reading over and correcting Harry and Ron's assignments.

The other life was with Draco, just the two of them, where they spent a few evenings a week also doing homework and studying, but with the added task of exploring different types of memory charms and how they could create one to their liking.

Draco was adamant that he didn't want to be obliviated—that would raise too many questions if he didn't remember most of the school year—plus, it was permanent. What he wanted was a charm, one that could be un-done, where he could pinpoint on one specific thing to block, but be able to remember other things during that same time frame.

After weeks of pouring over books, an idea struck Hermione.

"Couldn't we use some of the Runes we studied in class?" she queried. She dug around in her bag until she pulled out her Ancient Runes books and started flipping through the pages. "Look, both Agiz and Eihwas are used for protection…. and Laguz means memory. Maybe we can make a charm for protecting memories?'" she asked.

Draco looked over her notes and gave a nod. "What about Isa? That one is used for psychological blocks."

"Yes, that would be perfect! We can apply these rune symbols to our wandwork when we do the memory charm."

Draco tapped the pen he was using—the one Hermione had given him for Christmas—as he thought aloud. "We need to be able to test this theory." He raised a brow in challenge. "Up to try it?"

"Now?" Hermione asked nervously. "But what if… what I mess up? What if I make it so that you don't remember anything about us? What if—"

Draco reached across the table for her hand. "I don't mean something as big as charming yourself away. I mean something small. Something that, if we can't get the memory back, it won't be important."

Hermione relaxed slightly. "Alright. What do you have in mind?"

Draco thought for a moment. "How about you write something down on a piece of parchment—something you've never told me before—then you charm that memory of me reading the note so I can't remember it. If that's successful, then you can try unlocking the memory. This way, if it doesn't work, it's no big deal and we can try again until we get it."

Hermione gave a nod. "Alright." She ripped a piece of parchment paper from her notes and scribbled something down. With a blush that she was sure adorned her cheeks, she handed it to Draco.

I wear lace knickers every day in hopes that you'll see them.

He looked over the top of the note and raised a brow. "Really?" He tossed the paper in the air and strode over to the other side of the table where she sat and knelt down in front of her and placed a hand on her knee. "You know, I really should verify that what you say is true."

Hermione licked her lips. "If you must," she said, trying to sound indifferent.

Without breaking eye contact, Draco slowly ran his hand up her leg and under her skirt. When he touched lace on the seam of her knickers, he froze.

"May I see them?" he asked.

For an answer, Hermione slowly inched her skirt up to reveal a pair of black, lace knickers.

Draco sucked in a breath as he trailed the lace. "Let's do the charm and if I remember, I get to take these off."

Hermione shivered. "And if it works? If I make you forget?"

Draco stood and kissed her softly before whispering into her ear. "Then you'll just have to remind me, won't you?"

Hermione nodded as she stood and righted her skirt. "Ready?" she asked.

He gave a nod and closed his eyes.

Hermione took a breath and lifted her wand. They had chosen these words together and she hoped the new spell would work. "Celare Memoria," she said as she drew the runic symbols for Agiz, Eihwas, and Isa above Draco's head. In her mind, she pin-pointed him reading the note and their conversation after.

She waited until Draco opened his eyes. "Well?" she asked nervously.
Draco seemed to think for a moment. "Well, I have good news and bad news. Bad news is, I remember the note you wrote."

Hermione's shoulders slumped. "Damn. And the good news?"

He gave her a cheshire grin. "I get to take off those knickers."

"I suppose a promise is a promise—ah!" she let out a squeal as Draco lifted her up by her arse and her legs wrapped around his waist automatically.

He started walking them over to the couch when he stopped and frowned.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"One moment," he said and closed his eyes. When he opened them a second later, he looked over her shoulder, grinned, then looked back at her. "Had to change something in the room real quick."

"What did you—" but she never got a chance to finish her sentence since Draco had tossed her on what she thought was the couch, but had been replaced with a chaise lounge chair that was bigger than her bed in the Gryffindor dorms.

The soft, velvety material of the cream colored chaise was like lying on a cloud, but all Hermione could think about was how Draco was looking at her like a man starved. The way his eyes swept over her body had her heart racing in anticipation.

He had deposited her on her back and was soon crawling up her body until his lips crashed into hers with a heated kiss. His hand ran up her leg slowly until it was under her skirt again and rounded behind her to cup her arse before running it back down her leg to the back of her knee. He hitched her leg so that it rested over his hip as he kissed down her neck and suckled right under her ear—a spot she was particularly fond of.

"Tell me, Granger," he whispered silkily into her ear. "Do you touch yourself?"

Hermione blushed furiously at the question and nodded slowly. "Y-Yes."

"And have you brought yourself to org*sm?" he asked as he kissed along her collar bone.

"Yes," she answered breathily.

"Good." He kissed her lips again before looking into her eyes. "Show me." He took her hand and guided it between her legs. "Show me what makes you unravel."

She blushed at his forwardness, but curiosity and anticipation won over to push away her shyness. She lifted her skirt up and slipped her hand inside her knickers and began rubbing circles around her cl*t and slowly gained momentum. Draco ran his hand up and down her thigh as he watched.

"Touch me," she said as she felt her org*sm start to build.

He kissed her shoulder. "Where?"

She grabbed his wrist and replaced her hand with his and repeated the motions she started. "Right there," she said, guiding his hand and her hips lifted involuntarily, seeking friction.

His mouth found hers as he rubbed up and down her sex and the coil in her belly wound tighter. She lifted her hips in time to his rhythm before one, then two of his fingers slipped inside of her and stroked her in just the right spot.

"Ohhh!" she moaned as she arched her back. "Yes, more ofthat."

He smiled against her mouth as he pumped her with his fingers while his thumb ran circles over her sensitive bud, faster and faster.

Her hips rocked against his hand and she felt herself unraveling, sputtering incoherent things as her org*sm built.

"More. Faster," she instructed. Draco did as he was told and within seconds there were lights shooting from behind her eyelids while her walls quivered around his fingers as she spilled over.

"Oh my gods," she said as soon as she caught her breath. Her whole body tingled and she felt like she could float to the ceiling if it were possible. She opened her eyes to find him watching her, his eyes blown wide with lust. "I've never…. I mean Ihave, just not likethat."

He bent down and kissed her softly. "Ready for another?"

"Another?" she asked blearily, still trying to regain some strength.

He shifted so that he was between her legs and hooked two fingers on each side of her knickers and gave a small tug, as if asking permission. She lifted her hips and he slowly took off her soaked-through knickers.

"I think I might keep these," he teased as he tossed them on the floor.

She tried not to feel uncomfortable, but this was her first time being bare in front of him–of anyone, actually—and she felt uncertain and vulnerable.

He was staring at her sex and she squirmed slightly, her shyness rising the more he did so, but then his mouth was on her and her already sensitive bud was being assaulted by his tongue and all her shyness flew out the window. His fingers worked in and out of her once more and she found purchase in his hair, gripping the soft strands as Draco alternated suckling on her cl*t and licking her folds.

The different sensation was overwhelming and new—from his soft tongue probing and licking to his hot breath on her heat—and she loved every second of it.

When her second org*sm hit, her whole body buckled against his mouth as every nerve in her body felt like it was tingling with desire. His tongue never left her core as he licked her clean through her org*sm. When she finally stopped quivering, he looked up and gave her a satisfied grin.

"You taste so good," he said and she felt her face heat with another blush at his declaration.

He crawled up her body and it took all her strength to lift her hands to hook them around his neck. He kissed her again, slow and softly, and she moved her hands to undo his tie, tossing it on the floor next to her discarded knickers and started undoing his buttons next. She went to push his oxford off his shoulders but he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. "I need to keep it on… I don't want my arm uncovered."

She nodded in understanding and trailed her hands down his chest and over his abdomen until she reached the buckle to his trousers. "May I?" she asked.

He rubbed his nose against hers as he nodded and she slowly undid his belt, as well as the button and zipper of his trousers. She took a steadying breath then slipped her hand inside, cupping his hardened member through his pants and gripping him gently.

Draco let out a hiss then started kissing her again. He trailed down her neck and started working on her oxford's buttons, kissing each new exposed part of her chest as he did so, eliciting goosebumps along their path. Hermione moved her hand to slip under his pants, feeling his hard co*ck in her hands and she was surprised with how soft it felt despite its hardness.

"f*ck," he said shakily, his lips hovering between her breasts. He moved his mouth so that he sucked on one of her nipples through her shirt and bra and the sensation spurred her to start pumping him slowly.

"Yes, just like that, love. Keep that pace because if you go any faster, I won't last long and I don't want to finish just yet."

Hermione nodded as she continued to pump and Draco went back to work on undoing her shirt, pushing the sides apart and using his fingers, he moved the cups of her bra down to expose her breasts. His teeth grazed her nipple before sucking on it and Hermione's grip instinctively tightened around him as her arousal heightened.

"Gentle," he murmured against her skin. He switched sides to give her other breast the same treatment and it took all of Hermione's willpower not to pump him harder as he worked her up.

"I think you should take these off," she said, tugging at his trousers and pants.

He kissed her once more before he moved to stand to rid himself of the clothing. Hermione watched and stared as his co*ck sprung free.

She licked her lips instinctively before looking up at him then back to his co*ck. "I want to…" she reached out, stroking him before she brought her tongue to the slit of his co*ck, tasting his precum.

"f*ck," Draco hissed. "That feels fantastic."

Hermione smiled at his praise then licked him from shaft to head, eliciting more mumbled curses from the blond before she took him fully in her mouth. She'd never done this before, but from his responses, she knew she was doing something right, and tried to remember what she read about in one of her books.

She swirled her tongue around his head then sucked gently before taking him to the back of her throat and back out again, and was happy she only gagged slightly. She did it again, taking him in further, making sure to suck gently as she did so.

"Wait wait wait," he panted, his whole body stiffening.

Alarmed, Hermione looked up at him. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

"No," he said, pushing her down and kissing her passionately. "I just don't want to finish without you," he said.

"But I've already—" she let out a soft, whimpering moan as his fingers entered her once more and all coherent thoughts were gone.

He took her hand and placed it back on his co*ck, as if reminding her where she had left off, and she started stroking him in time with him pumping her. They pleasured each other simultaneously, working the other up, as they watched one another intensely, their breaths mingling as they did so.

Hermione's body clenched with the incoming org*sm and she stroked him faster and harder, until it felt like her body was exploding with ecstasy. As she let out a moan with her third org*sm, Draco followed suit and spilled over and onto her hand.

Breathing heavily, they both laid there until Draco finally said, "Grab my wand?"

With her free hand, she reached over the lounge and found his wand, handing it to him.

He cleaned up his mess, then tossed the wand to the ground again before pulling Hermione close.

"That was amazing," he said.

Hermione hummed in response as she rested her head on his chest.

A few quiet moments went by before she said. "I wonder why the charm didn't work…"

Draco let out a laugh as he rolled on top of her. "Please tell me you weren't thinking ofthatwhile we pleasured each other?"

Hermione gave him a shy smile and shook her head. "No, I promise I wasn't. But, we will have to figure out why it didn't work."

He kissed her then rolled off her and tucked her into his side once more, rubbing small, lazy circles on her back. "We'll figure it out," he reassured. "But for now, let's just relax and take a break. We've been researching for weeks and I think a night off will do us some good."

Hermione nodded and closed her eyes as she took a deep, relaxing breath. "Sounds good."

Draco continued rubbing circles on her back and she soon found herself fighting sleep, lulled by his ministrations and the beating of his heart.

Chapter 33: June 1997—Part 1

Chapter Text

June 1997—Part 1

Draco's birthday was nearing and Hermione was worried about what to get him.

It had been easier to pick out his Christmas present, as that was just a gift amongst friends, but now they weresomethingand she didn't have a clue what to get.

She searched out Daphne, feeling guilty once more that she had been neglecting her friend. Daphne waved off her concerns once the two met up in the library one afternoon, surrounded in a privacy bubble to keep away any eavesdroppers.

"Don't worry about it," Daphne reassured. "I've been busy with Terry most of the time anyway, if you know what I mean." She wiggled her eyebrows for added emphasis.

Hermione blushed and looked away. "Actually, yes, I do know what you mean."

Daphne gasped. "What? Really? Tell me everything!"

Hermione chuckled, excited that she can actually share her relationship with someone.

The two talked about their boyfriends—though Hermione felt weird calling Draco her 'boyfriend' since they never used labels—and after an hour, she finally brought up her question to Daphne.

"So, what do you suggest?" she asked nervously.

"You can always get him a book?" Daphne suggested.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin with that, he has a whole library it seems," she grumbled.

"Well, what about something for when he plays quidditch?"

"I thought of that, but he hasn't played all year so getting him something for that doesn't make sense, I think," Hermione said as she rested her chin on her fist.

"A blowj*b?"

Hermione blushed then mumbled, "I was already planning that."

"Well, what else does he like?" Daphne asked.

"You're his friend, that's why I'm coming to you," Hermione pointed out.

"Yes, true, but you probably know him better than I do at this point," she said with a wink.

Hermione pondered for a moment. "Well, besides quidditch, he likes high-end clothing and shoes, but I don't want to get him clothing. He likes chocolate…"

"Oh!" Daphne said suddenly. "What about getting him some Muggle chocolates?"

Hermione smiled. "That's a good idea! I can get him a variety of things to try."

"He'll love that!" Daphne said with a nod. "That wizards' got a sweet tooth I tell you."

Hermione laughed. "I know. But is chocolate enough? I mean, it's his 17th birthday after all. Shouldn't I get him something more…..special?"

"Well, most wizards get a family watch on their 17th, but that's usually from their parents or a close relative."

Hermione shook her head. "No, nothing he can wear or that can be seen—It would raise too many questions."

"Oh, that's right. Secret relationship and all that," Daphne said with a playful eyeroll. "Which I still think is silly, by the way."

Hermione sighed. "You know we can't go public. It would cause an uproar between our houses and our friends. Not to mention Harry already thinks Draco's up to something anyway and if I tell him I'm in a relationship with him, he'll think DracoImperiusedme," she said with her own eye roll.

"Ok, so, nothing he can have that will be seen or at least questioned. What about something he can wear when his mum throws one of her galas? Something small that won't gain attention buthe'llknow it's there?"

"You know, I saw a pair of cufflinks in Hogsmeade during Christmas that had emeralds in them," Hermione mused. "I bet they're still there and if not, they'll probably have something similar."

"Perfect! Now," Daphne said as she leaned over with a twinkle in her eye. "What are you going to wear?"

On the evening of Draco's birthday, Hermione made sure to set up the room ahead of time, complete with balloons, a larger size cauldron cake with a candle, and something sexy, lacy, and green underneath her uniform.

When he arrived at their regular meeting time, she greeted him with a kiss as his hands rested on her hips.

"Happy birthday," she mumbled against his lips.

He answered with a smile and a nip at her bottom lip. "Thank you." He finally looked around the room and his eyes widened slightly in surprise. "What's all this?"

Hermione chuckled as she took his hand in hers and led him to the table. With a wave of her wand, she lit the candle then looked up at him. "Make a wish."

He smirked as he glanced sideways at her then leaned over and blew out his candle.

"What did you wish for?" she mused.

"Now, Granger," he said as he plucked the candle out of the cake and licked off the gooey chocolate that clung to the bottom of it. "If I tell you, then I might not get it. I really,reallywant it to come true."

Hermione licked her lips as she watched him. "Wouldn't want that now, would we?"

He tossed the candle on the table and pulled the cake closer to him as he sat down. "So now the question is, do you have anything else planned right now, or can I see if my wish came true?"

"Well, I do have a couple presents for you, but those can wait if you want?" she offered with a glint in her eye.

He grinned mischievously as he tugged her onto his lap and her arms wound loosely around his neck.

"I can't stop thinking about that night," he said as he started kissing her neck in open-mouth kisses.

Hermione closed her eyes as he found the spot right under ear that she loved. "Me too."

"Do you think we can do that again?" he asked as he nibbled, then licked that particular spot and Hermione squirmed in his lap.

"It's your birthday," she said breathily. "We can do whatever you want."

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Anything?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Well,almostanything. I'm not.. I mean, I don't think we're ready for—"

He stopped her rambling with a kiss. "I agree," he finally said.

Hermione instantly relaxed against his mouth as her fingers played with the short hairs on the back of his head.

"I have a surprise for you," she said once she pulled back.

Draco lifted a brow as the corner of his mouth ticked up in a barely-there smirk. "Yeah?"

Hermione nodded as she slid off his lap and stood in front of him.

She pulled off her jumper vest first then slowly, teasingly so, she began to undo the buttons of her oxford. When she slipped the shirt off her shoulders and dropped it to the floor, she heard Draco's breath take an audible inhale.

Her bra was mostly lace with silk shoulder straps in dark, Slytherin green.

She blushed as his gaze raked over her chest and she bit her lip. "Do you like it?"

His eyes lifted to hers. "Do I like it?" he repeated. He stood and took a few steps closer. He lifted a finger and softly ran it under the swell of her breasts, causing her breath to hitch. "Do I like it? No, Granger, I don't." He leaned forward and whispered. "I f*ckingloveit."

A shiver ran up her spine at the huskiness of his words and the heat of his gaze. As he stepped back, she undid her skirt and let it drop to the floor so that her matching knickers were on full display. All that was left to remove were her shoes and stockings, but when she went to get rid of them, Draco stopped her. "I think you should leave those on."

Before Hermione could question him, Draco scooped her up and carried her over to the lounge chair that seemed to be in the room more often than the sofa lately.

As she lay on the soft cushions, Draco hovered above her and his gaze seemed to drink up every inch of her and she couldn't help the blush that she knew spread across her face.

"If all my other birthdays are like this," he said quietly. "I'd be one lucky wizard."

He dropped his head to capture her lips in a soft, gentle kiss then trailed down her neck to her collar bone.

Hermione squirmed as his tongue licked a trail between her breasts. "Whatever makes the birthday boy happy," she said as her fingers started to work on his oxford buttons. She nearly faltered when his teeth grazed her nipple through the lace fabric and heat pooled between her legs.

When she finally got the last button undone, she scraped her nails lightly over his chest before making her way to the buttons of his trousers but he stilled her hands before she could unzip him.

He answered her questioning look by kissing her fingers, one at a time. "I know it's my birthday, but I hope you don't mind if I see to your needs first." He dipped his head again and suckled her nipple through the lace. "And I plan on taking my time."

Her fingers ran through his hair and tugged softly. "I don't mind at all. So long as I get to return the favor."

He lifted his heated gaze to hers and she didn't even need him to respond with the way his eyes were blown wide. He continued to kiss, nip, and suck her breasts, giving each one the same amount of treatment before he kissed softly down her stomach and past her navel. When he reached the seam of her lace knickers, he grazed her skin with his teeth before going between her legs and licking her through the lace.

The texture of the lace mixed with the heat and softness of his tongue had Hermione bucking her hips for more. He licked her once more and when she whimpered, he pulled the lace to the side, baring herself to him, wet and dripping with need.

"You taste so good," he mumbled against her, the vibrations of his voice nearly sending her to the edge. "Better than a Cauldron Cake."

"That's high praise, coming from you," she teased, then gasped as he nipped the inside of her thigh teasingly.

"Tell me, Granger, what do you want me to do?"

"I want… I want…" she panted as he licked her again, his tongue probing inside her folds. "More of that."

"You mean, this?" he asked and he repeated the action once more.

Hermione hissed out a breath. "Yes. More."

"Should I use my fingers too?" he asked and she nodded her head vigorously.

"Yes, fingers, thumb, and your tongue."

He smirked as he kissed the inside of her thigh. "As you wish."

She barely had time to take a breath before he entered two fingers inside of her, stroking her in the perfect spot just as his tongue began to suck gently on her cl*t.

Her whole body felt like it was on fire as her org*sm built up, up,up.

With one last suck to her bud, and his fingers stroking her just so, the coil in Hermione's belly snapped and released her org*sm with a hurried, breathy moans.

Draco lapped her up as she came, her walls quivering against his tongue, and her whole body felt tingly as she came down from her org*sm.

When the last of her waves calmed, she pulled Draco to her and crashed her mouth to his lips. When they broke apart, she flipped him on his back and straddled him. "My turn," she said.

Draco smirked at her, his arms resting behind his head as his oxford lay open. Hermione kissed down his chest and let her tongue circle and suck gently on his nipples and she was pleased to hear him hiss out a breath. She made her way down his stomach until she reached his trousers, undoing his zipper in one quick motion.

Draco helped divest himself of his trousers and pants and his co*ck sprung free from the confines of his clothes.

Hermione licked her lips as she stared at his length before reaching out and grasping him in her small hand. She stroked tentatively at first, adjusting her grip and angle until it was just right. She looked up at Draco who was watching her intently and while maintaining eye contact, she opened her mouth and took him.

She watched as he closed his eyes as she pumped and sucked his co*ck simultaneously. Her tongue swirled around the tip and head then took him back in until he hit the back of her throat.

"f*ckthat feels good," Draco said through clenched teeth. "A little bit more and I'm not going to last much longer."

Hermione tightened her grip slightly and stroked and sucked faster. Draco's whole body started to tense up.

"Granger, I'm close, so close," he panted. "I'm about to cum," he warned.

She sucked even harder and faster and with one last groan, Draco came in her mouth. The warm thickness of his cum was different than anything she had ever tasted, but not horrible. She maintained eye contact with the blonde wizard as she swallowed and with a faint pop, she finally removed her lips from his co*ck and smiled sweetly at him as she wiped the corner of her mouth.

He sat up and cupped her face as he kissed her. "That was bloody fantastic," he said as he caught his breath. "Thank you."

She smiled shyly at the praise. "You're welcome. And, just so you know, I do have other gifts for you as well."

"Is it another blow j*b? Because you'll have to give me a minute before I can do that again."

Hermione smacked his chest playfully before she grabbed her wand andaccio'd the other presents.

Draco loved the different chocolates and declared that Cadbury chocolate was his favorite, followed closely by the Snickers bar.

When he opened the cufflinks, green emeralds set in silver, his eyes softened as he looked up at her.

"Daphne said that your mother likes to hold galas. I thought that maybe, even if we can't be together, you can wear these and think of me," she said, looking away, suddenly overcome with emotion.

Draco moved her face so that she faced him again. "I love them," he said and kissed her softly.

"Happy birthday, Draco," she mumbled against his lips, then kissed him some more.

Chapter 34: June 1997—Part 2

Chapter Text

June 1997—Part 2

Hermione and Draco tried various charms, incantations, and runes to try and hide memories with no success. Hermione noticed Draco seemed paler than normal, almost sickly in color, with sunken eyes, and that he was barely eating again.

"We might just have to resort to Obliviating me," he grumbled one evening.

Hermione shook her head adamantly. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm sure we can figure something out." She twined her hand with his. "I don't want you to forget about me—to forget aboutus."

"I obviously don't want that either, but when the time comes and we don't have this figured out, it might be the only choice we have." He looked at her and squeezed her hand. "Because I'll be damned if they use me as bait to get to you so they can get to Potter."

Hermione sighed as she rested her head against his shoulder. "There is another option…"

"And I've said before that I cannot run and hide with your Order. He has my mother and he'll kill her."

"I'm sure we can come up with some sort of plan—"

"Just drop it, Hermione, alright?" He pulled his hand from hers and stood up. "I have to go."

Hermione watched sadly as Draco gathered his notes and stuffed them into his bag before stalking out of the room. She knew arguing with him would be useless as they've had this conversation before—she just hoped one day soon he'd take her up on her offer.

She let out a tired sigh as she leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes. She wouldn't be able to meet up with Draco again for a few days and she hoped by then, they'll have a few more things to try. She decided to hit up the library one more time…maybe there was a book she missed the other five times she'd gone.

Fear and panic tore through Hermione when she heard that Harry nearly killed Draco in the girls' lavatory the following day. It took everything in her not to run to the infirmary to check on him, but she held firm. She reprimanded Harry countless times nonetheless, telling him she knew that that Prince person was no good, and didn't feel guilty with how horrible he felt about the whole situation.

What on earth was he thinking using a spell he didn't know?

Thankfully, he got rid of the book—for now. She couldn't believe he was planning on going back to retrieve it. She secretly hoped that he would have forgotten where he put it.

Later that night, Hermione was doing her rounds and hoped she would be able to check on Draco. Thankfully, it was a quiet night and when she passed by the infirmary she crossed her fingers that Madam Pomphrey wouldn't be near.

She opened the doors quietly and saw that the Healer was nowhere in sight. There was only one occupied bed, located at the end of the row that had curtains drawn around it, so she quickly made her way over, using a silencing charm on her feet so as not to cause any noise.

She slipped inside the curtained area, castingMuffliatojust in case, and tried not to gasp at the sight of Draco.

He was laying in the bed, his skin ghostly white with bandages wrapped around his chest.

He seemed to be sleeping, though with the frown etched on his face, she could tell it wasn't very restful.

She walked over and sat on a nearby stool and gently placed her hand on top of his. She didn't want to wake him, only to watch over him for a few minutes, but his eyes fluttered open and his hand turned over to grasp hers.

"Hermione," he whispered raspily.

"Hi," she whispered back and scooted closer to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Like sh*te," he said tiredly. "Pomphrey gave me dittany to help with scarring and then put some healing valve on my wounds to numb the pain. Unfortunately for Potter, aside from scarring, I'll make a full recovery."

Tears pooled around her vision. "I can't believe Harry did this to you."

He reached over with his free hand and wiped away one of her tears with the pad of his thumb. "I'm fine now, you don't have to worry."

"But you may not have been fine!" she said in a harsh whisper. "If it wasn't for Professor Snape being nearby, you could have been—wouldhave been—"

He tugged her hand. "Come here," he said quietly and scooted over in the bed, wincing only slightly. Hermione crawled under the covers with him and sniffled into his chest. "I'm so sorry," she said.

"Why? It's not like you taught Potter the spell."

"No, but I know the book he used and I should have made him give it back a long time ago. If I had, maybe he wouldn't have seen the spell and used it on you."

Draco sighed. "You can't control the choices others make, no matter how hard you try. Besides, Potter and Weasley have always been idiots."

Normally, Hermione would have defended her friends, but she was too tired to do so at the moment, plus, in this instance, she agreed with him.

"Anyways, it doesn't matter… If I don't figure out how to do what I need to do, then I'll be as good as dead anyway."

Hermione bit her lip. "Harry said he heard you talking with Myrtle."

Draco groaned. "Of course he did," he muttered sourly.

"He said that you said something about being killed if you don't do what he wants you to do." She looked up at him. "Is that true?"

He kissed her forehead and let his lips linger for a moment. "My Mother sent me a letter the other day and on the bottom was a written warning… fromhim. It's why I've been working my arse off to finish my task as well as figure out how to keep you safe when everything comes to a head."

"I hate this," she sniffled. "I hate that you're in this position and that I can't help you."

He gathered her close as she clung to him. "You're helping me more than you know," he said quietly.

They laid there for a little while longer before Hermione eventually had to leave. As she stood, she cupped his face and kissed his forehead. "Get some sleep, okay? I'll try and sneak in tomorrow night if I can."

He took her hand to kiss her palm and her heart thudded in her chest. "Draco, I—" she started. She wanted to say more—something important, but the words wouldn't come.

As if reading her mind, Draco stared into her eyes and they warmed ever so slightly. He gave a slight nod and squeezed her fingers softly. "I know… Me too."

Hermione sat in the Great Hall as she ate breakfast with Harry, Ron, and Ginny. She sat across from them as they chatted about the upcoming Quidditch match, and how Harry wouldn't be able to play due his detentions with Snape. Because,obviously, there were no other pressing issues, like Harry almost murdering someone.

"It's not fair," Harry grumbled into his eggs. "Why did it have to bethisSaturday?"

Hermione wanted to point out that what he did to Draco wasn't fair, but forced herself to hold her tongue and take a bite of her slice of toast instead.

"Oi, look," Ron said as he nudged Harry and motioned with his head somewhere behind Hermione. "Looks like Malfoy's out of the hospital wing."

At the mention of his name, it took all of Hermione's control to not whip around and look. Instead, she schooled her features and slowly glanced over her shoulder as everyone else did.

Draco was indeed back, looking a little better than he had the night before. He was sitting between Crabbe and Pansy, the latter currently hanging on his arm and crying. Draco winced slightly as he tried to disentangle his friend, the only real sign he had been injured, and continued to talk with his fellow housemates.

"See, look," Harry gestured toward the Slytherin and huffed out an annoyed sigh. "He'sfine. Only in the hospital wing for one night."

Hermione couldn't help but glare at her friend. "He's only out so early because of Professor Snape and his quick healing."

"Yes, true, but—"

"You could havekilledhim, Harry," she said in a low voice, barely holding back her anger. "And here you are complaining about missing a stupid quidditch match."

Harry gaped at her and gave her a look that was a mix of hurt and guilt.

"He almost used an Unforgivable on me, I told you that," Harry defended.

"Are you sure though?" she countered. "Did he actually get the curse out or did it just seem like it?"

Harry frowned at her. "Why are you defending him? It's just Malfoy."

Hermione sighed and crossed her arms. "I'm not defending him, I just think your priorities are a little skewed if you think getting detention isn't fair for nearly killing someone."

"I never said that," Harry grumbled. "It's just missing the game that's not fair."

"Yeah," Ron piped up, his mouth full of sausage. "It's the last match of the season."

"He's also Captain," Ginny pointed out. "It's kind of important for him to be there."

Hermione sighed and stood up. "I'm going to go."

"You're still going to the game, right?" Ginny asked.

Hermione nodded. "Of course, Gin. I'll be cheering for you from the stands. You too Ron. And Harry," she waited until he looked at her. "Have a good time in detention."

She only felt a little guilty at the hurt look he gave her as she walked away.

She went to the library first, still determined to find another book that could help her and Draco figure out a way to hide memories.

The coin in her pocket warmed an hour later and she read the message.

Meet me?

Be there soon.

As soon as she saw Draco in the room she rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his middle.

He hissed out a breath and his own arms wrapped around her shoulders. "Careful there," he said as he kissed the top of her head. "Still a little tender."

"Sorry," she mumbled into his shirt, inhaling his scent of soap and sandalwood with just a hint of mint toothpaste. She pulled back slightly and looked up at him. "I'm just glad you're okay."

He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her softly. "Getting better by the minute."

She smiled against his lips before he kissed her again, harder this time.

It took one more kiss before his tongue prodded at her lips and deepened it even more.

"We probably shouldn't," she said regrettably as she pulled away after a moment. "You're not healed one-hundred percent and I don't want you to overdo it ."

He lifted a brow in amusem*nt. "It's only a bit of snogging."

She lifted her brow in return. "We both know snogging can, and will, lead to more." She rose on her toes and kissed him quickly. "I'm just being cautious."

Draco let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine." He snagged her hand within his and tugged her towards the couch. "Why don't you show me all the new books you found in the library?"

Hermione sighed as she pulled books out of her bag. "I didn't have much luck, but who knows, maybe one of these will have something." She handed one book to him and took another for herself and the two began to read.

An hour later, Draco's head was in Hermione's lap and she played with his hair idly while a book hovered in front of her. Draco's book was also hovering as he flipped through the pages.

Hermione used her wand to skim through the book before she closed it and made it float to the coffee table where at least five other books lay.

She let out a tired sigh and closed her eyes, which were strained from all the reading. "Nothing," she said.

She heard Draco's book close and land on the table as well. "Same."

She glanced at the time. "Just as well. I need to head to the quidditch pitch to watch the match." She glanced down at him and ran her fingers through his hair once more. "Are you staying here?"

He gave a nod. "Yes. I'll use the time while everyone is out of the castle to work on my task. Thanks to Potter, I lost hours of time to work on it."

Hermione nodded; she expected that answer. "Alright." She bent down and kissed him as her hair cascaded down around both their faces. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Draco tugged on a curl that was hovering above his face. "Maybe. I'll let you know through the coin."

She nodded, kissed him one last time before he lifted himself so she could move from the couch, and left to go watch the last match of the season.

Hermione found herself free most of the following week. Harry was either with Ginny—they hadfinallygotten together—or in detention with Professor Snape. Ron and Ginny used the free time and good weather on Saturday to run quidditch drills with the rest of the team, wanting to keep up their stamina. That left Hermione to her own device, which she mostly spent in the room with Draco.

Hermione flipped through yet another book. "I just don't know what else to try," she said as she closed it with defeat and set it aside.

Draco had been sitting and staring into the fireplace, lost in thought. Hermione glanced over at him and rested her hand on his shoulder. "Everything alright?" she asked.

The action seemed to have pulled him out of his revere and he startled slightly before he turned to look at her. "We should ask the room."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Asked the room what?"

"To help… or give us the resources to help at least. It can change or give us anything just upon our thinking of it, why won't it be able to give us the right book we need?"

A little bit of hope bloomed in her chest. "That's true, and it won't hurt to try." She bit her lip nervously. "Do you want to do it, or me?"

Draco shook his head and took hold of her hand. "You do it."

Hermione nodded as she thought about what she wanted.

I need a book that will help us lock away memories but be able to unlock them later.

She closed her eyes and repeated the request three times, just for good measure, and squeezed Draco's hand upon completion.

When she opened her eyes, she had hoped that a book would have appeared in front of her and her shoulders sagged when it wasn't.

"Hermione," he said softly as his shoulder nudged hers. "Look."

She looked where he pointed and gasped softly. The bookshelf in the room, which was usually full of books, was empty for all, except one.

Hermione got up to inspect the lone book. She leafed through the pages as Draco looked over her shoulder.

"It's a notebook," she said, surprised. She looked around the cover for a name of the owner but didn't find any. "I wonder who it belongs to?" she asked and handed the book to Draco.

He flipped through a few pages. "It looks like a mix of English and French. Whoever the owner is, is probably long gone by now. The pages are so worn and yellowed that I'm guessing it's a few hundred years old."

"We ought to be careful with it," Hermione concluded. "I'll get some paper and we can copy down what it says."

It took almost an hour to copy everything over by magic before they started the task of translating the parts that were in French. Hermione learned that Draco was fluent in the language, and was relieved that it wouldn't take nearly as long to translate as she anticipated.

"This is fascinating," Hermione said. "This person is clearly a smart and powerful witch or wizard."

"I think witch," Draco mused. "Some of the things in the book are similar to Mnemone Radford's book. I wonder if this is her notebook, or perhaps her daughters."

"That would make sense," Hermione agreed then pointed to a section of notes. "See how she talks about 'going into the mind'? Do you think she means Legilimency?"

"Possibly. They may not have had a word for that kind of magic back then."

"True. But, if that's the case, and it's needed to be able to do the spell, we might have a problem since I don't know how to do it," Hermione admitted. "I mean, I know the basics from what Harry told me back in fifth year when Professor Snape was trying to teach him Occlumency, and I've read up on it, of course, but I've never practiced it."

"I can help with that," Draco offered.

Hermione nodded and went to read the notes. "So, from what I understand, we go into the person's mind, find the memories, and box them up. Then we say an incantation,verrouiller la mémoire*, and give a word or phrase that will unlock them."

Draco read over the notes as well. "That sounds about right. And the word or phrase will have to be something that isn't common otherwise there wouldn't be a point in locking them in the first place if a random conversation can unlock them by accident."

"Right," Hermione agreed.

"Well, I guess first things first," Draco said as he looked at her and she could have sworn she saw some excitement in eyes. "We need to work on your Legilimency."

*verrouiller la mémoire translates to "lock memory' or "memory lock". I used Google Translate so please don't come at me if that's wrong lol

Chapter 35: June 1997—Part 3

Chapter Text

June 1997—Part 3

Legilimency lessons were more difficult than Hermione imagined and by the end of each one both she and Draco had the start of headaches—her from the extra effort on her magic and him because of someone trying to enter his mind. They persisted though and Hermione was finally successful in accessing a specific memory.

Sweat trickled down her temple as she concentrated.

"You got it. Now, imagine a box surrounding that memory and do the incantation," she heard Draco instruct, though his voice sounded far away and a little strained.

Hermione gave a nod, focused on the memory then she made a box within his mind, and put it in there. She muttered, "Verrouiller la mémoire. Crookshanks!"

She pulled out of Draco's mind and waited until he opened his eyes.

"Well?" she asked as she wiped the sweat from her brow. "Do you remember the numbers?"

They had resorted to writing random numbers on a slip of paper, using a different set each time they tried the charm.

Draco's brows furrowed as he thought. "Was it 6, 2, 4, 4, 2?"

Hermione gasped. "No….that was last time. Think abouttoday'snumbers."

Draco closed his eyes again as he concentrated and opened them again a moment later. "I can't remember," he said. A grin formed on his lips as he picked up Hermione by the waist and kissed her. "I don't remember!"

Hermione giggled as he spun her. "Okay, now let's see if the codeword works," she said and waited until he set her down. She looked him in the eyes and said, "Crookshanks."

He closed his eyes again and winced ever so slightly before saying, "3, 7, 2, 2, 6."

"Yes!" she squealed and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "We did it!"

"No," Draco said, smiling wide. "Youdid it." He crashed his lips to hers for a brief second then cupped her face. "My smart, intelligent, beautiful witch."

"I couldn't have done it without you though," she said, her cheeks flushed from the kiss and the praise.

He kissed her again. "Ready to do it again?"

She smiled wide. "Absolutely."

They tested more random numbers and eventually moved to phrases, then memories that happened the day before, then the week before, to finally a month before.

The spell worked every time.

Each time was easier for Hermione and she found she didn't have to work quite as hard to access the memories, which meant no more headaches.

The same couldn't be said for Draco though. It seemed as though the further away the memory occurred the bigger headache he had when they were unlocked again.

As he rubbed his temples, he waved off Hermione's apology. "I'd rather have a headache and know you'll be safe then not. It's nothing some pain potion can't remedy."

"I think we can stop testing now at least," Hermione said as she walked around his chair to massage his shoulders. He sagged and lulled his head forward as she worked on a particularly hard knot.

"Just make sure when it's time for you to unlock the memories that you have the largest vial of pain potion you can find."

Hermione bit her lip as she continued her ministrations. "Are you sure we have to doallthe memories?"

He sat up and moved his neck side to side before turning around to look at her. "Yes," he said. He took her hand and tugged her onto his lap. "The more memories the better. And I'll help. I'll bring everything up front for you so all you'll have to do is lock them up."

Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "How much longer do you think?"

He gave a sigh as his hand ran up and down her leg idly. "I'm not sure. I'm close though…very close."

Hermione swallowed thickly, forcing back the tears and fear that threatened to take hold, and buried her face in his neck. "I don't want to lose you," she admitted quietly.

His arms wrapped around her and held her tight. "When this is all over, you'll get me back, I swear it."

She looked up to meet his gaze and she found her vision was blurry with tears. "What about your parents? They'll never—"

He kissed her softly, just a faint brush of his lips against hers. "I don't care what they'll think. Let them disown me and burn me off the tapistry for all I care." He kissed her again, more firmly. "Or, they can just get over the fact that I'm in love with the smartest Muggle-born witch I've ever met." He gave a shrug. "Either way, when this is all over, I'm yours."

Hermione's breath hitched at his declaration—he said it so matter-of-factly that it caught her off-guard. She cupped his face and kissed him. "I love you, too." She shifted so she was straddling his lap and kissed him some more as she fisted his shirt in her hands. "I love you so much it hurts."

So much emotion was poured into their kiss that Hermione felt she couldn't breathe without it. His hands roamed up and down her back while hers ran through his hair, gripping the strands and tugged gently.

He growled against her mouth as he stood up and she continued to kiss him deeply as she wound her legs around his middle. He carried her over to the couch-turned-lounge chair once more where they both fell onto the soft cushions with him landing on top of her, their lips never once parting.

The weight of him on top of her only spurred her on as she reached for his shirt and began unbuttoning his oxford and he lifted up on his elbows to help her gain access. She froze when she saw his scars, the ones caused by Harry.

"Oh, Draco…" she said softly as she lightly ran her fingers along the longest one. His stomach clenched in reaction and she pulled her hand back quickly.
"It doesn't hurt," he clarified. "Just…sensitive."

She glanced at his scars again before she leaned up and brushed her lips against one, then used her tongue to lightly trail along another. When she went to push his oxford off his arms, Draco sat up. "Close your eyes and count to five," he instructed.

She did, and when she opened them again, his oxford was on the floor while a bandage was around his left forearm.

She glanced at him and smirked. "Sneaky." She pulled him back down to her again and kissed him hard. "And brilliant."

He deepened the kiss and they broke apart just long enough for him to tug her jumper off before their lips were attached once more.

His hands were on her chest, tweaking and squeezing her breasts before he reached around and undid the clasp of her bra and tossed it aside.

He kissed down her neck, his lips making their familiar way down her body until his teeth grazed her nipple before sucking gently. She sucked in a breath at the sensation, wanting more as wetness pooled between her legs. Her hand went to tug and play with her other breast but Draco smacked it away playfully and took over.

"Mine," he stated and moved his tongue over her sensitive, pert nipple then did the same to the other side. Hermione squirmed beneath him, her whole body humming in need ofmore. She lifted her hips to rub her heat against his and was pleased to find him already hard.

Boldened by this fact, she reached for his trousers and began undoing the button and zipper before tugging them down his hips.

Draco stood as he rid himself of his trousers and pants while Hermione worked in undoing her jeans. As soon as her zipper was undone, Draco tugged them, along with her knickers, off her body, leaving her bare before him.

His eyes roved over her naked form as she did the same with him.

She wasn't shy being nude anymore; she was embolden.

She was ready.

The heat of his gaze seared through her and Hermione knew without a doubt that she wanted to give herself to him fully.

Heat pooled at her belly in anticipation and her cheeks flushed at the thought.

He crawled back onto the lounge and slowly made his way up her body, his eyes never leaving hers. She reached up to cupped his face with one hand and leaned up on her other elbow to kiss him.

"Draco, before we go any further, I need to tell you something," she said as he started kissing her along her neck.

"Hm?" he asked, his lips never leaving her skin.

"I've never... that is to say…if this is going where I hope it is, that this would be my first time."

His lips made his way back to hers as he braced his arms on either side of her head. "That's alright, love. We don't have to do anything you're not ready for—"

"I want to," she said, one hand snaking behind his neck and pulling him for a deeper kiss, while her other hand reached for his length. "I want to. With you."

He hissed out his pleasure at her touch and closed his eyes for a second before looking at her. "If we're in the realm of being honest, I need to confess something."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't need to know who you've been with—"

"I haven't been with anyone. Not like this."

Her hand stilled as she gapped slightly at him. "You've never… this would be your first time as well?"

He kissed her softly. "Yes. Purebloods are actually really cautious when it comes to this sort of stuff—don't need illegitimate children and all that—but I want to do this. With you."

She bit her lip. "Are you sure?"

As an answer, his hand slipped between her legs and into her heat. His thumb circled her cl*t as two fingers entered and stroked inside of her, the pace rhythmic and slow.

She reciprocated in kind by stroking him in the same pace and had to remember to loosen her grip as her org*sm built. Her thumb swiped the precum on the tip of his head and she brought it up to her mouth to licked it off. The action had Draco rubbing her sensitive bud harder and faster.

Light burst behind her eyelids as her org*sm crested and spilled and when she finally opened them again she saw Draco licking his fingers clean.

"You taste divine," he said.

She sat up and kissed him, tasting herself on his lips. "On your back, please," she whispered in his ear.

When he was flat on his back, she straddled his waist and his hands came up to fondle her breasts. Hermione rocked against him, his hardness on her pelvis as she readied herself.

Lifting up on her knees, she positioned herself over him and with his help, guided his co*ck towards her entrance. Her body clenched in anticipation.

Draco's hands went to her waist and rubbed small, soothing circles. "Hey, look at me," he said softly.

When she did, he gave a reassuring nod. "We'll go slow and I won't move until you tell me to."

Hermione nodded, took a breath, then slowly began lowering herself onto his length.

She gasped at the fullness she felt the further he entered her and when she felt the light pinch of pain she stilled her movements and took a deep, bracing breath.

His fingers on her hips squeezed softly. "Are you okay, love?"

Hermione nodded and let her breath, "Yeah, I'm good." She lowered herself more, until he was fully sheathed inside of her.

"You feel so good," he murmured, his hands squeezing her hips as if to keep her in place. "Sof*ckinggood."

Hermione shifted slightly, the uncomfortableness starting to make way for something else, and she began to rock her hips slightly.

Draco closed his eyes as he also moved along with her. She braced her hands on his chest as she, too, closed her eyes and just let her bodyfeel.

When she leaned forward, her cl*t rubbed against him just so and her already sensitive bud started to build up another org*sm.

She rocked faster, seeking relief as Draco used his hands on her hips to help her move back and forth against him.

He was muttering explicits under his breath which only spurred Hermione on more. She reached for her cl*t and rubbed circles, hard and quickly, until she was nearly undone.

"I'm close, I'm close," she panted.

"f*ck," he moaned. "That's it, just like that, Granger. I'm close too, so close…" His hands reached for her breasts again and the overwhelming sensation sent her over the edge. Her eyes locked with his as her mouth made a small O and she gasped small, short breaths, panting her org*sm out.

Draco rocked against her until he finally stilled and she could feel warmth spread within her.

Still seated on top of him, his co*ck still buried inside of her, she collapsed on top of his chest, exhausted.

His arms wrapped around her and held her close as he, too, caught his breath.

"I need to do the contraception charm," he murmured sleepily.

Hermione shifted slightly, her hand feeling around the floor until she found his wand and handed it to him.

She felt another wave of warmth as the charm washed over her. When he pulled out of her center, he did a quick cleansing spell over the pair of them before dropping his wand to the floor once more.

She shifted to his side and he tucked her head under his chin while his hand played idly with her curls.

"You alright?" he asked softly.

"More than," she said.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She shook her head. "No. There was some slight uncomfortableness and a pinch of pain, but after that it felt good…. real good. And I think," she lifted up so her face hovered over his and kissed him softly, "The more we do it, the better at it we'll be."

He gave her a cheshire grin as his hand slipped between her legs once more. "I like the sound of that."

Later, when they were finally spent and exhausted, they dressed back into their clothes and started getting ready to head back to their respective dorms, though it seemed as if both were biding their time on leaving.

"How about a cuppa before we head out?" Draco suggested.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, please." She yawned into the back of her hand. "I'm just going to close my eyes for a second until it's done."

She woke up an hour later, covered in a thick, green and gray blanket that smelled like Draco, and a cuppa on the side table, still hot from a stasis spell.

Hermione couldn't help the smile that spread across her face and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered even more.

On the last day of June, Harry pushed the map in Hermione's hand, instructing her to keep an eye on Malfoy while he went with Dumbledore on one last mission. She tried to argue, plead with him even, but Harry wasn't having it.

When he left, Hermione and Ron stared at the items in their hands—her the map and him the vial of Felix Felicis.

"What do you reckon' we should do?" Ron asked as he inspected the vial.

Hermione thought quickly, knowing she needed to get to Draco fast. "I'll… I'll keep an eye on Malfoy. Maybe even spy on the Room of Requirements. You stay here and if something happens, I'll send a message through the coin and you start distributing the potion to everyone, alright?"

Ron nodded. "I need to get it first, it's in my trunk. Should I… do you think I should warn them that something might happen?" he asked quietly, motioning to others in the common room.

Hermione bit her lip as she nodded. "Yes, I think that would be best. Try and get everyone around and await my message."

Ron nodded as he got up to run to his dorm and as Hermione left out of the portrait hole, the other coin in her pocket warmed.

Need you. Hurry!

Hermione rushed along the corridor, ignoring the calls of greeting and questions from fellow classmates along the way until she reached the 7th floor corridor.

The door was already there but when Hermione walked in, it wasn't their usual room that was created, but the Room of Hidden things.

"Draco?" she called out.

"Over here!" she heard him say from within the maze that were lost items.

She followed the path where she thought she heard him and was even more puzzled when she found him pacing wildly back and forth in a small section, surrounded by an old, worn out sofa, a broken cabinet, and books stacked up high.

"Draco?" she said again as she walked over to him slowly. "Is everything alright?"
His eyes lifted to meet hers and she noted that he looked relieved to see her. "I did it," he said as he walked over to her and pulled her against his chest.

She wrapped her arms around him as he held on tight, his body shaking—from relief or fear, she wasn't sure.

"I did it," he murmured again softly into her hair.

Hermione squeezed her eyes tight. "How long?"

"Don't know. A few hours, maybe?"

She tightened her grip around him. "So this is it then"

The chin that rested on her head nodded. "Yeah."

She pulled back slightly and looked up at him through her lashes. "I love you."

He cupped her chin as he brushed his lips against hers. "I love you, too."

Her arms wrapped around his neck as she deepened the kiss. Desperation, love, and fear poured through her veins as tears streamed down her face while she kissed him. His hands roamed all over her body, touching every part of her until he pulled her flush against him again.

"I need you… one last time… I need you," he begged.

She nodded in agreement and the two stumbled over to the couch, fumbling with their clothes, trying to get rid of them as quickly as possible.

She fell onto the couch first with him landing on top of her.

There was no soft caresses or teases–there was no time, only urgency and need.

As soon as her jeans were off and his co*ck was free, he lifted one of her legs to rest on his hip, aligned himself with her entrance, and slammed into her.

She saw stars. Beautiful, bright stars.

"You alright?" he asked as he started to rock slowly against her.

"Yes, perfect. Go faster, please?"

Draco complied as he pumped faster in and out of her. Hermione wrapped her other leg around him and lifted up slightly, the new angle hitting her just right.

"Faster, faster, I'm close, Draco," she panted beneath him.

His fingers found her cl*t as he began to rub circles, bringing her closer to the edge.

Her legs tightened around him and her toes curled as he brought her to climax. When she was spent, he lifted her up and pressed his forehead to hers as he came inside of her, holding her close.

They panted together, their breaths mingling as they calmed down from their frantic coupling.

His nose rubbed against her own. "You need to do it now," he said shakily.

She shook her head. "I can't," she said and let out a sob.

He cupped her face with both hands and kissed her fiercely. "You have to. You're… you're my best kept secret and if someone were to find out, I don't know what I'd do if I knew you were hurt because of me." He kissed her again and again. "Please, Hermione," he pleaded softly.

Sniffling, she nodded. "You're my best kept secret too." She took a shaky breath and met his eyes. "When this is over, I'll find you, I swear it," she promised fiercely.

"That's my girl," he said, his thumb wiping away the last of her tears.

When they were dressed and their clothes righted, she stood before him.

"Ready?" she asked.

He gave a nod. "Ready."

With a shaky hand, she lifted her wand. "Legilimens."

With Draco's help, Hermione gathered all of the memories of herself from the school-year—from working on their project together to their current point—and put them in a box. They had talked endlessly about what phrase to use when it came time for this, and Draco suggested something in French, making it even more difficult to unlock if someone were to try.

When all the memories were stored, Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath to gather her courage. "I love you….Verrouiller la mémoire."The box closed and pulsed with a bright light and Hermione spoke the phrase she had been practicing for nearly a week. "Rappelez-vous ce qui est caché."

She pulled out of Draco's mind, his eyes glazed over as the charm took hold. She left before he returned to the present, sobbing quietly as she made her way back to the door. She turned, one last time as she slipped through. "Good bye, Draco," she whispered, and went back to Gryffindor tower.

When she arrived, a group of Gryffindors were huddled together.

"Hermione!" Ron called out and waved her over. "We got the younger ones to their dorms and told them not to leave. Did you see Malfoy?"

"I—no, I didn't," she lied. "I can't find him on the map so I think he may already be in there. I realized I forgot my coin so I decided to come back to get it."

"It's alright, Neville used his coin." Ron said and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Here, let me take the map. Me, Ginny, and Neville will go back and keep an eye on the Room of Requirements. Luna said on the coin that she'll meet us by The Fat Lady. Why don't you go with her and watch Snape's office? Make sure he isn't up to anything?"

Hermione nodded. "Alright." Ron handed her the Felix Felicis and she took a sip.

"Be careful, everyone," she said quietly.

Ron hugged her. "You too, 'Mione."

Hermione hugged him back then exited through the portrait hole again to find Luna waiting for her. The two snuck down to Snape's office to keep watch and await the storm that was about to come.

Later that night, Hermione sat on the shower-stall floor, and quietly sobbed uncontrollably as the hot water washed over her.

Guilt, grief, and fear raked through her body.

She cried for Dumbledore, who was dead at the hands of someone he had trusted.

She cried for Draco, who disappeared with Professor Snape, and probably feeling just as guilty as well as alone, thinking no one cared about him now.

She cried for Bill, who was lying in the hospital wing, his face disfigured beyond recognition though thankfully should make a full recovery–even if side effects are unknown.

Finally, she cried for what was to come. There was talk of the school closing, students being pulled early, and what will happen now that Dumbledore, the only person Voldemort was afraid of, is dead.

She knows Harry won't return next year, even if he hadn't said so yet. She knows she'll join him, and Ron, in whatever quest Harry needs to do to defeat Voldemort.

Then there were her parents—her parents who, up until this point, have been blissfully unaware of what had been happening in her Magical world. She felt guilt over that too, not telling them everything so they wouldn't try and keep her home. Now it seems she doesn't have a choice—she'll need to let them know and figure out how to keep them safe.

When she could cry no more, Hermione got out of the shower and charmed herself dry, not caring what state of disarray her hair was in.

As she crawled under the covers of her bed, she ran through her last moments she had of Draco, trying to hold onto those memories of him.

It was then she realized she had the perfect plan for saving her parents—the same she had done for Draco just hours before.

The only problem now was how to convince them.

Chapter 36: July-August 1997

Chapter Text

July-August 1997

Hermione sat at the dining table in her childhood home while her mother, Kathleen, and father, Joseph, sat on the other side, their hands clasped together tightly. It took hours of talking, explaining, and reassuring, but Hermionefinallyconvinced her parents to agree to her plan.

"And…and you're sure, that this Vold–Voldemort person will come after us?" Kathleen asked worriedly.

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

"I suppose we have no choice. We'll do it," Joe said with a firm nod. His face softened over-so-slightly. "I just wish you'd come with us."

Hermione gave him an apologetic smile. "I need to help Harry, dad, I told you that."

"I know, but you can't blame a father for trying one last time." His face turned serious once more. "You must promise me—promiseus—that when this is all over, even…" he cleared his throat as he looked at his wife, who gave a small nod, before continuing. "Even if something happens to you, that someone will come and retrieve us and give us our memories back."

Hermione nodded as she reached over and placed her hand on top of theirs. "I promise."

"Will it hurt? When you do the charm?" her mother asked nervously.

Hermione shook her head. "No, not at all. From what I've been told, your brain goes kind of fuzzy and then when your head clears, everything seems normal again."

"You've done this before?" her father asked.

Hermione hesitated but eventually nodded. "Yes. I had to do it to someone very important to me." Her eyes filled with tears and she hastily swiped them away. "I'll explain when this is all over, I promise, but right now, we need to get started on everything for when I do the charm. I have to not only erase myself from your memories, but from the house as well."

Joe and Kathleen looked at each other once more then back at their daughter.

"Let's get to work then," her mother said with determination.

It took only a couple of days with the help of magic, but Hermione was able to erase herself from her home.

First, she altered all the photos in the house that contained her picture so that she wasn't in them anymore—not before duplicating them so she had what they originally looked like. Then, she went into her bedroom and took one last look around before she gathered all of her belongings. She shrunk everything down—her books, clothes, stuffed animals, posters, and trinkets—and placed them in a box. When the box was also shrunk, she put it inside her charmed beaded bag along with her old, pink leather suitcase that she filled with pictures of her and her parents that she didn't alter.

While Hermione worked on her room, her parents started to make arrangements about moving temporarily out of the country. Hermione suggested Australia because she knew they always wanted to go there. Plus, it would also be the last place Voldemort would have his Death Eaters look.

The dentist office her parents worked at seemed surprised about them relocating, but told them that they would have a spot open for them if they were ever to return.

With a bit more magic, Hermione was able to alter her parents passport IDs as well as their driver's license to a new name, to make it even harder for them to be found.

She helped them find a realtor that would work with them on finding a furnished place to rent in Australia. Finally, they bought their flight tickets and packed their bags with as much clothes as they could fit into them.

They had one last meal together as a family then, after tearful goodbyes with promises to come back to them, Hermione erased herself from her parents lives.

Joe and Kathleen Granger—now Wendell and Monica Wilkins—left for the airport the following morning while Hermione stayed at a nearby hotel. When the house was empty, she returned and sat in the quiet, trying to figure out what to do next.

She promised her parents that if anything were to happen to her that she would have someone retrieve them and give them their memories back, but she had yet to tell anyone what she had done.

Taking out her beaded bag, she pulled out her two-way journal and hoped that Daphne would check it soon.

I need to talk to you about something important. Can you meet me?

After she penned her message, she set her book aside and went to make herself a cuppa. When she returned, Daphne had already responded.

When and where?

They met in Muggle London, just a few blocks from the entrance of The Leaky Cauldron at a busy coffee shop. Hermione wasn't sure if she was being watched yet and didn't want to risk Daphne being seen with her, just in case.

The blonde witch slid into the seat across from her and put the sunglasses that were on her face to rest atop of her head. "Hey," she said. "Everything alright? Your message sounded urgent."

Hermione nodded. "It is. But, before I say anything more, I need to ask you an important question—and no matter the answer, I promise our friendship will remain intact."

Daphne frowned with curiosity as she nodded. "Of course, ask me anything."

Hermione glanced around before she leaned forward slightly and whispered. "What's your family's standing when it comes to You-Know-Who? Are you parents sympathizers? Is your father a…" she grimaced. "A Death Eater?"

Daphne shook her head quickly. "No, absolutely not. They stayed out of the first war and will do so again. They may be pureblood and follow a lot of the customs, but they'd never align themselves with a mad-man like that."

Hermione let out a soft sigh of relief. "That's wonderful, because I'm going to need your help with something and I don't want you or your family getting punished because of it."

Daphne reached over and squeezed Hermione's hand. "Whatever it is, I'll help."

Tears sprung from Hermione's eyes and she gave her friend a watery smile. "Alright. Let's go to my house where we can talk in private. It's not far from here, but we'll apparate in a few blocks, just in case."

When they got to her house, Hermione led her friend to her living room then went into the kitchen to prepare some tea.

When Hermione opened the cupboard, she saw an old coffee mug in the back that said "World's Best Dad!" on it.

She pulled it out of its spot and looked at it for a moment before she broke down in tears.

All the stress and emotion of the last few weeks came rushing forth and Hermione couldn't help but let the flood of tears pour out.

She crumpled to the floor, sobbing, and it was only a moment later when Daphne's arms wrapped around her shoulders in comfort.

"Shh," her friend said in a soothing voice. "It's alright. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not that bad, and if it is, well, we'll fix it."

Hermione cried harder as she leaned into Daphne. "I erased their memories of me," she confessed.

"Who?"

"My parents," she said. "I–I erased myself from their memories in case someone came after them." She finally pulled back and looked at her friend. "Harry has a mission he needs to do and I'm going to help him. I didn't want Voldemort getting to my parents to get to me to get to Harry."

Daphne only winced slightly at the name. "What does Harry have to do? Is that why you needed to talk to me? Do you need me to help in some way?"

Hermione shook her head and looked at her friend apologetically. "I can't say what the mission is. We're not telling anyone in case people get captured for information and there's no way I'm going to put you in that position, even if your parents aren't sided with him."

"Then what do you need my help with?" Daphne asked curiously.

"When this is all over, if, for some reason, I cannot retrieve my parents and lift the memory charm, I'm going to need you to do it."

Daphne clasped her hand with Hermione's. "Of course! But, if youObliviatedthem, I don't think—"

"I didn't Obliviate them," Hermione said with a shake of her head. "Draco and I, we found a spell in an old journal that we think belonged to an ancestor of Mnemone Radford, the witch who invented the Memory charm."

"What? No way! That's amazing!" Daphne said.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, it took a while to figure out what to do and perfect it, but we figured out a way to hide and lock away memories and they can only be released again with a code word or phrase that we made up."

"Okay, that sounds amazing, and I want to hear more about this, but do you think we can go back to the sofa? My legs are starting to hurt sitting on the tiled floor of your kitchen."

Hermione chuckled as he wiped away one last tear. "Yes, let's go get comfortable and I'll tell you everything that I can."

After explaining everything—including the part where she erased herself from Draco's memories as well—Hermione finally handed Daphne a letter.

"What's this?" she asked.

"That is the location and the phrase you need to say to unlock my parents memories. Don't read it yet, only if you need to."

Daphne nodded and stuck in her pocket. "I promise to keep it safe. Can I ask you a question though?"

Hermione nodded.

"If something does happen to you, what about Draco? Is his phrase in the envelope too?"

Hermione bit her lip as tears started to swell again. "No. I think it would be better for him if he didn't remember anything about me."

Daphne looked sadly at her friend, but thankfully, didn't argue.

Hermione let out a tired sigh. "You should probably head home. I don't need your family wondering where you're at."

Daphne waved her friend off. "I told them I was at a friend's house. Besides, if they get worried, they'll send Trixie to find me."

"Trixie?"

"My personal house elf—Don't look at me like that! They're treated very well and we give them days off."

Hermione smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. I actually have to head out as well though. I owled Ron a few days ago and told him I'd be at his house by the end of the day today."

Daphne pulled Hermione in for a hug. "You keep safe, alright?"

"I will, promise."

Daphne pulled back and looked sternly at her friend. "I want you to message me at least once a day. If I don't hear from you for three days in a row, I'm coming to find you."

Hermione gave her friend a weary smile. "I promise to send something at least once a day, but I don't think you should go looking for me. It might be dangerous, not to mention I've been brushing up on my protection and hiding spells so that we can't be found."

Daphne sat in thought before she took off her charm bracelet that she wore. "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but, these aren't just any charms. They'reactualcharms."

Hermione's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, they're charmed to be portkeys in a way, but instead of going to a specific place, they go to a specific person. They're used for emergencies."

"Oh!" she peered at the charm bracelet again. "That's brilliant!"

"I want to use one for you. This way, if you need me, I can activate it and I'll be with you within seconds."

"Oh Daph, you don't need to do that—"

"I know I don't need to, but I want to. You're my friend, one of my best ones, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

Hermione's eyes prickled with tears once more as she hugged Daphne again. "Thank you, Daph." She pulled back as she wiped a tear away. "So how does this work?"

"I'll need a drop of your blood, to put on the actual charm. I think the book one will be the one I assign to you," she said with a smile.

Daphne placed the bracelet on the coffee table. Then, she took Hermione's hand and used her wand to prick her finger, eliciting a small drop of blood to form at the incision.

She held her finger over the book charm and when it dripped onto it, it sizzled then absorbed into the small silver charm.

Hermione looked up at Daphne. "Wow. You'll have to tell me how that works one day."

Daphne put her bracelet back on. "Of course. Anything for my best friend."

They hugged again then Daphne apparated back to her family.

With one last look around her childhood home, Hermione put a stasis on the house, locked it up, then went to The Burrow for the remainder of the summer.

Hermione made sure to check in with Daphne daily, telling her all about the upcoming wedding of Bill and Fleur. She inquired about Draco, to see if Daphne had heard anything about him or his family, but her friend hadn't—other than his father escaping Azkaban with the help of the Dementors.

Her coin, which she still kept in her pocket, had yet to warm with a message from Draco, which she chose to believe meant her memory charm held up. She only hoped he was doing well considering who was residing in his house.

She knew that something was coming; she could feel it within her soul that something bad was about to happen.

During the weeks leading up to the wedding, Hermione managed to pack her beaded bag with supplies she thought they would need—an old tent she found in the Weasley's shed which was already furnished with blankets, pillows, and cooking supplies. She smuggled clothes out of Harry's trunk and Ron's wardrobe, just a few things here and there so Molly wouldn't notice. She read up on her charms book, making sure she knew all sorts of protection and hiding spells. She even nicked a book from Molly's collection about what foods were edible in the wild.

When the time came, Hermione knew she would be ready.

She just didn't realize how soon that time would actually come.

Chapter 37: September 1997—February 1998

Chapter Text

September 1997—February 1998

It wasn't until early September while she was in hiding and on the run with Harry and Ron that Hermione realized she hadn't had her monthly cycle. She had read that missed cycles were common during stressful times and these were certainly stressful times for all of them. She also didn't think much of it when she became nauseous at random times during the day—they ate very little and the food they did eat wasn't filling or flavorful. It wasn't until her breasts started to become tender that she started questioning all of her symptoms and realized that they were all classic signs of pregnancy. When she thought back to the last time she was with Draco, with the rush of everything around them, neither of them had done the contraception spell.

Cursing herself, she told Harry and Ron that she was going to sneak into the nearby town to see if she heard anything and to also pick up some supplies. While at the grocery store she bought a pregnancy test and, in the stall of the bathroom of the nearest petrol station, she found out she was, indeed, pregnant.

She had hoped she was wrong—that something else was causing the missed cycles, tenderness, and nausea. The pregnancy test infront of her said otherwise.

Shock, disbelief, and sheer panic tore through her.

How could she have let this happen? There was no way she could bring a baby into this world, not when the magical community was at war. Her child would be a target—by not only having Hermione as a mother, but their father being a Death Eater—and heir to two pureblood houses. She knew she had options—ones that scared her—and she had little time to decide what she wanted to do. She couldn't tell Harry or Ron of course—they wouldn't understand and ask too many questions.

There was only one person she could talk to and as soon as she returned to the tent, she opened her journal and sent a message to Daphne.

I need to talk to you. Something has happened…

It was only a moment later when Daphne responded.

I'm here. Is everything alright? Do I need to come and get you? Just say the word.

No, nothing like that. I just out found that

Her hand shook as she hovered her pen over the journal and she had to take a few calming breaths before she continued her message.

I'm pregnant.

What?

Yes. I took a pregnancy test just a little bit ago and it was positive.

There was silence from her friend.

What am I going to do, Daphne? I can't have a baby! Especially Draco's! It would put him in danger if it was found out a Muggle-born was carrying his child at a time like this!

I know this sounds cliché, but maybe this was meant to happen?

What do you mean?

You know, to show that love conquers all.

I'm not sure about that. What I am sure of is that I'm pregnant, nearly two months along, and if I'm going to do something about it, I need to makea decision and fast.

You mean terminate the pregnancy?

Yes .

It was another moment before Daphne's message came through and Hermione wondered if abortion was something that was practiced in the Wizarding World or frowned upon….

I'll support whatever decision you make, but I think you should think about it some more. I really think this happened for a reason.

Thank you, Daph, that means a lot to me. I've never thought I'd be in this position so I'm really unsure of myself right now. If I did decide to keep the baby, how would I go about it? What do I tell Harry and Ron?

Boys don't really notice things like that right away, so you probably have time to come up with something. You can enlarge your clothes so that they lay baggy on you. Plus, I know of some pureblood witches who put charms on themselves so that they look skinny even while pregnant.

Really? Why would someone want to do that? Unless hiding a pregnancy is normal within the pureblood circles?

No, not really, but pureblood witches are rather vain in their appearance and have found ways to make them look perfect, at least outwardly.

Well, depending on what I decide, I'll have to get that spell from you.

You can always just tell Harry and Ron. I'm sure they'll understand. And it's not like you have to tell them that the baby is Draco's.

I'm afraid if I say anything, that they'll want me to leave.

That wouldn't be such a bad thing, you know. I can hide you here. No one would ever know.

I appreciate the offer but I can't help but feel like I need to be here, to help Harry.

Well, the offer stands nonetheless. Let me know what you decide to do about the baby. And remember, I'm here for you!

Thanks Daph, I'll write to you in a day or two.

"What are you writing?" Ron asked curiously as he stood behind Hermione.

Hermione jumped and closed her notebook quickly. "Oh, uh, nothing important. Just… a diary of sorts."

Ron frowned as he stuck his hands in his pockets. "I hope you're not putting anything in there that might let others know what we're doing. You know, in case it gets into the wrong hands or something."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "I know, Ronald. I'm not writing about our mission. I just need an outlet of sorts with all this stuff going on."

Ron nodded as he sat down across from her in one of the vacant chairs. "I get that, needing an outlet. And I'm not saying you were writing about our mission, just… be careful, yeah?"

Hermione sighed. "Yes, of course. Besides, even if I were, which I'mnot, it's charmed so that the words won't appear for anyone but me, and even if someone were to read it while I was using it, it would just look like gibberish to them."

Ron gave her a lopsided grin. "That's brilliant! Did you add those charms yourself."

"Some, yes."

"You'll have to show me how you did it one of these days," he said as he stood. "I'm going to go outside and get some fresh air and maybe skip some rocks on the lake." He looked hopeful at her. "Would you like to join me?"

Hermione gave her friend a smile and nodded. "Sounds like fun. I've never gotten the hang of skipping rocks. Perhaps you can teach me?"

Hermione took Daphne's advice and took a few days to really think about what she was going to do with her pregnancy.

She knew the smart thing to do would be to terminate—she had no business bringing a baby into this world in the current state of things.

But, at the same time…

She rested her hand on top of her stomach, still flat due to the little food they'd been eating, and just knew she couldn't do it.

She and Draco made this child out of love…That had to account for something.

When she messaged Daphne her decision, her friend was fully supportive, even offering to copy down parenting books into their journal if need be. She also informed Hermione that while she and her sister weren't going to Hogwarts that year, that they were still learning at home and that she decided to study to be a Healer so when the time came to deliver the baby, she could help.

Hermione was incredibly touched that Daphne chose a profession so that she could help her in this time of her life. Hermione vowed to make it up to her friend some day.

With the falling out between Harry, Ron, and Hermione, which resulted in Ron leaving, it wasn't until another few weeks passed before Hermione finally went to her first obstetrician appointment under the name Mallory Hermon—a play of words for Malfoy and Hermione. After the obstetrician checked her vitals, and commented on how she needed to eat more to start gaining a healthy weight for the baby, he measured her stomach and guessed that she was about 12 weeks along, which calculated correctly with what Hermione had determined as well. He said everything else looked healthy and all that was needed was to check the heartbeat.

Hermione held her breath as the doctor placed the doppler on her stomach and was immediately overcome with emotion the moment she heard the heartbeat.

"There we go, a nice, steady heart rate of about 170bpm," the doctor said with a kind smile. "Now, I'm going to prescribe you some prenatal vitamins," he said as he wrote down the prescription on his notepad. "And when you head out, just stop by and speak with Judy at the front desk; she'll book your next appointment four weeks from now."

Hermione gave the doctor a smile and nodded. "Thank you, Doctor Miller. I appreciate you seeing me on such short notice."

Doctor Miller regarded her for a moment. "May I ask you something, Miss Hermon?"

Hermione looked at him nervously and nodded.

"Are you in a safe living situation? Do you have food and shelter?"

"Oh, um, yes. I'm perfectly fine, thank you. I do need to get going though so I should probably—"

"Hold on a moment," he said and tore off the prescription from the pad of paper. "Don't forget to pick these up. And take them every day, alright?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, thank you. I will."

When the doctor's back was turned, she obliviated him then did the same with the receptionist on her way out—just in case.

Hermione did pick up the vitamins though and made sure to take them daily, per the doctors orders.

As weeks turned into months, Hermione noticed that she started getting bigger around the middle. She took Daphne's advice and enlarged some of her jumpers so that they lay baggy on her as well as charmed her pants to fit around her growing mid-section.

She felt guilty that she was keeping this secret from Harry, but she still maintained the fact that him not knowing would be better all around. With Ron being gone, she didn't want to risk Harry leaving to keep her and the baby safe, or then he'd surely be alone and without help.

When the months started to turn colder, Hermione looked at the calendar she created and realized that she was already nearing 20 weeks into her pregnancy–nearly halfway done.

She knew she ought to see an obstetrician again, just to make sure the baby was growing on the right track and healthy, but they were currently nowhere near a city or town.

They were due to move locations in a few days and Hermione requested that she pick the next spot—one that was closer to places with food they could gather and knick from stores.

Harry heartily agreed as he was tired of fish and mushrooms—and if Hermione were honest with herself, she was as well.

When they were settled in their new spot, Hermione made her way into town under the guise of getting supplies—which she planned on doing after her appointment.

She used Matilda Malloy at the new clinic and was glad to hear that she was measuring right on track for 22 weeks, even if she was underweight.

"Since you're over 20 weeks, we need to do an ultrasound to make sure the baby is growing properly," the obstetrician, Dr. Lipton said.

Hermione waited with bated breath as the ultrasound technician got the equipment ready.

When she saw her baby for the first time, tears threatened to spill. She wished Draco was with her to see this—he'd probably never seen an ultrasound before, and the little glimpse he would have of his child would surely make him smile.

"There's the head, chest, legs, arms," the technician said as she pointed to all the parts of the baby on the screen while she did some measurements as well. Hermione watched in wonder as the little baby inside of her wiggled around.

"Do you feel that? You have a feisty one," the tech said with a smile.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I do. I felt something similar before but I wasn't sure if that was the baby."

"Would you like to know the gender?" the technician asked.

Hermione nodded, scared that if she spoke her voice might just crack with all the emotion that was built up.

The tech moved the doppler around and after a moment smiled over at Hermione and said, "It's a girl."

A girl.

Hermione couldn't believe it.

She and Draco made a little girl….and he had no idea.

She was even more determined than ever to help Harry with his mission and finding the remaining Horcruxes.

When she returned from town, with fruits and vegetables she'd taken from a stand, as well as other supplies, she went to the area in the tent that she claimed for herself and messaged Daphne.

I'm back from my appointment.

How did it go? Is the baby doing alright?

Yes, the baby is fine. I found out the gender.

Well? Don't keep me in suspense!

It's a girl!

Awe! Congratulations! Have you thought of names yet?

No, not yet.

Well, I'm not sure if you know, but Draco's mothers side uses constellations and stars for their names.

Do you think he still wants to keep on with that tradition?

I would think so. It is tradition after all. He probably even has names picked out for whenever he has kids.

Well, we've obviously never talked of kid names in the brief time we were together. I'll have to see if I can find a list of constellations and stars and see if any stick out for me. Do you have any suggestions?

Not off the top of my head. I can probably get a list together for you of the names that have been used, in case you wanted to use one of those, or know which ones not to use if you wanted something new.

I'd appreciate that, thank you Daph.

Of course! Not much else going on around here.

Have you heard anything on Draco?

No, I haven't, sorry. He's probably at Hogwarts. I'm sure his mother sent him there so he didn't have to be at home with You-Know-Who. Oh, I did see you in the Prophet though!

Let me guess. I'm still the Number One Muggle-born wanted for interrogation?

Right on the first guess!

As Christmas approached, Hermione realized that she'll need to start gathering supplies for her daughter. She still had time though and decided to wait until after the holidays—she already felt guilty about knicking food and other supplies but now with the holidays coming up she felt even more so.

It wasn't until after the New Year—after the close-call of getting captured at Godric's Hollow as well as the Lovegood's—that Hermione started to prepare for her daughter.

Every time she went into a neighboring town to get supplies, she made sure to get something for the baby as well, whether it was a package of nappies, formula, bottles, or clothes. The pink suitcase she had brought along with her was now the case that carried all these items with the photos that had been inside now tucked in between books.

Her stomach grew more and more as time went on and she finally had to ask Daphne for the charm to make her stomach look skinny again.

It was odd at first, looking in the small mirror inside the tent and seeing her stomach look flat. It was only a visual charm though, as Hermione still felt the weight and strain of the growing baby inside of her.

As March approached, as well as her due date, Hermione made sure to have one more obstetrician appointment. The remarks were the same as the others—she was underweight but her baby was still growing and had a strong heartbeat.

That was all Hermione could ask for.

Chapter 38: March 1998

Chapter Text

March 1998

Hermione was irritable. Everything the boys did or said made her snap at them. She couldn't help it; she was uncomfortable and moody, not to mention it was hard to sleep at night with her ever-growing stomach.

The boys, however, still hadn't a clue what was really going on—she just told them it was her monthlies and they left her alone.

The charm that she placed on her ever-growing stomach was the best thing she had learned so far. She still couldn't believe that she was less than two weeks away from her due date and yet still looked like she did last summer.

Her back had started aching in the middle of the night, making it even more impossible to sleep. Hermione took some pain medication in the morning and told the boys that she was going for a walk, maybe forage for some food, and would be back later. She took her beaded bag with her, as she did any time she left the tent, and walked around the perimeter.

Her water broke ten minutes later.

Thankfully, they were near a town and Hermione quickly apparated to an alleyway she had scouted just a few days before.

A contraction hit as she wrote to Daphne, telling her that it was time and to come as soon as possible. They made a plan weeks ago about what to do when she went into labor and Hermione was grateful she didn't need to think of what to do on the spot.

It took nearly ten minutes before Daphne appeared a few yards away.

"Hermione!" the witch said as she rushed over to her. "I came as soon as I saw your message. How far apart are your contractions?"

"I've only had one so far but—-" she started to breathe heavily again as another contraction hit. "I just had another one. So about 10 minutes. But my water broke already so I should probably head to the hospital."

"Do you know where it is?"

"Just around the block."

"Alright. Grab my arm and I'llDisillusionus real quick," Daphne said.

Hermione felt the tell-tale sign of an egg being cracked on her head, then the two walked slowly towards the entrance of the hospital.

It was small compared to the ones in the bigger cities, but Hermione was grateful for it. They wound their way through corridors, making sure not to bump into anyone. When another contraction hit, Daphne cast a quick silencing charm around them as Hermione let out a moan.

"That's it, just breathe through it. It's almost over," Daphne coached softly.

When the contraction was over, the two found an empty room in the Maternity ward. Hermione made her way over to the bed as Daphne set up wards and charms around the room so that no one would come near.

"I think they're coming on faster," Hermione said as she grit teeth.

Daphne filled a basin with cool water and conjured a washcloth to place into it.

"Let me run some vitals," Daphne said. "As well as take off the charm around your stomach."

Hermione nodded as her friend waved her wand and numbers appeared over her as her actual stomach size came into view. She placed a hand over her mound as if trying to sooth the baby within.

"Your heart rate is a bit elevated, but still within normal range," Daphne said as she read the numbers. "Baby girl is doing fine. Her heart rate is nice and steady." She waved her wand again and another image appeared, this time with what looked like wave lengths.

"What's that?" Hermione asked.

"It tracks your contractions. I read up on Muggle hospitals and they have a machine that does the same thing. However, I'm trying to use very little of their stuff so there's no trace of us here."

"Great. Good. I'm hoping this doesn't take long. I told Harry and Ron I was just taking a walk."

Daphne sighed at her friend as she took the washcloth out of the basin and wrung it out before placing it on Hermione's head. "This is your first baby, Hermione. It could be hours, even days of labor."

"I know, I read the text you copied into the journal. I'm just hoping it won't actually take that long." Hermione moaned as another contraction crested over.

Daphne timed the contraction. When it was over, she set about adjusting Hermione's pillows behind her back. "Well, with how close your contractions are coming and how long they're lasting, it may just be a few hours." She glanced nervously at her friend. "I need to do a cervical check, if you're comfortable with that."

Hermione nodded.

Daphne helped Hermione undress and put on a hospital gown before setting about her task.

"You're about 5, almost 6 centimeters," Daphne informed a moment later.

"That's good, right?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, very good. But I've heard stories of women sitting at six centimeters for hours before progressing."

"Is there anything I can do to speed this along?" Hermione asked.

"There are medications, yes, but it's really better if you let things progress naturally."

Hermione sighed. "Alright. Am I allowed to at least get up?"

"I highly encourage it," Daphne said with a grin.

The two girls walked the small maternity room at least a hundred times. Hermione's contractions were coming closer together and getting stronger.

After nearly four hours, Daphne checked Hermione again and declared she was almost at ten centimeters.

"Thank Circe and Morgana," Hermione muttered as another contraction crested.

Daphne prepped the area, making sure to sanitize anything she touched with a wave of her wand then sat herself in front of Hermione.

"Are you ready?" she asked Hermione.

Hermione gave a nod and when the next contraction came, she began to push.

An hour later, Hermione sat in the hospital bed admiring her beautiful daughter.

"She's precious, Hermione. Simply beautiful. And look at all that hair," Daphne said as she chuckled. "Definitely inherited that blonde from her father."

Hermione smiled down at the tiny bundle in her arms, running a finger softly along her daughter's face.

"What's her name?" Daphne asked.

"Lyra. Lyra Jean Malfoy." She turned to look at her friend. "You'll take care of her, won't you, Daphne?"

Daphne gave her a quizzical look. "Take care of her? What do you mean?"

Hermione sniffled as she held Lyra closer to her body. "I can't bring her with me," she said quietly. "I promised Harry that I'd help him end this, and I still plan on doing that. This needs to end, Daph, so I can raise my daughter without a target on my back, or hers for that matter."

"But whyyou," Daphne asked, exasperated. "Why can't Harry do this on his own? Or with just Ron?"

Hermione shook her head. "I have this feeling that Ineedto be there–I have to help." She looked at Daphne again, her eyes pleading. "Please, Daphne. You're the only one I know that I can trust with her."

Daphne sighed and held out her arms. Hermione transferred Lyra to the other witch and watched as her friend smiled down at her child.

"I'm to be her godmother," Daphne declared. "And I'm allowed to spoil her rotten as she grows up. You're not allowed to tell me no when I buy her her own abraxan one day and when I visit and give her baskets of sweets, she'll be allowed to eat them until she gets sick."

Hermione laughed as tears spilled over her cheeks. "It's a deal."

Daphne kissed the top of Lyra's head before handing her back to Hermione.

"Trixie!" she called and seconds later a small elf in a floral gown appeared.

"Yes, Miss Daphne?" the little elf said.

"This is my friend," Daphne said as she gestured to Hermione. Hermione waved to the little elf and the elf waved back in return before turning her attention back to Daphne.

"I'm going to take care of her baby for a while. I need you to set up my room with a baby cot—I'm sure mine and Stori's are somewhere in the house."

"I knows where it is, Miss," Trixie squeaked happily.

"Great. Now, this is very important, Trixie." Daphne knelt down in front of the elf to look her in her eyes. "No one in the house must know about the baby. You must not tell anyone. Not mum, not dad, not Astoria. Not even the other house elves. Alright?"

Trixie's eyes widened almost comically as she nodded her head vigorously.

"And I'll need you to put silencing charms around my room. Strong ones. And I'll probably need your help with the baby."

Trixie nodded some more. "Yes, Miss. I can help Miss Daphne with the baby. I took good cares of you when yous was a baby."

Daphne smiled at the elf. "Thanks, Trix. I just need one more thing before you get my room ready. I need you to go into dad's study and get the box that is on the top shelf. Can you do that for me? Bring it back when you can."

Trixie nodded again. "I'lls be right back," she said and left the room with a soft pop.

"Can you take Lyra a moment?" Hermione asked.

Daphne nodded as she took the baby and made cooing noises as she walked around the room.

Hermione summoned her beaded bag and pulled out the pink suitcase within before enlarging it to its regular size.

"What's in there?" Daphne asked as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"It's stuff I've picked up for Lyra the past few months—nappies, clothes, bottles, formula. It should get you by for a few weeks, but you'll have to purchase more. I'll pay you back—"

"Don't even think about it," Daphne said. "This is my goddaughter. I'll gladly pay for supplies for her."

Hermione smiled softly at her friend. "Thanks."

Trixie returned with another soft pop and handed Daphne the box.

"Thanks, Trix. You can head back to the house now and get the room ready."

Trixie nodded, then bowed, before disapparating once more.

Daphne handed Lyra back to Hermione then opened the box, pulling out a familiar looking necklace.

"You have a time-turner?" Hermione gasped. "I thought the Ministry collected all of them?"

Daphne gave her an incredulous look. "Please. Nearly all of us have kept at least one in our possession."

"What are you going to do with it?" Hermione asked.

"Well, once you're ready, we're going to use it to send you back to just a little after you left Harry and Ron. This way, you wouldn't have been gone for as long as you actually have been."

"Daphne, I think I love you," Hermione said with a tired sigh.

"I know," the witch said. "And I love you. And Lyra too, of course."

"I have been trying to think of what I was going to say to them when I returned and couldn't come up with anything." She grasped her friend's hand. "Thank you. When this is all over, I'll make it up to you, I promise," Hermione vowed softly before she drifted off to sleep.

Now that she knew she could take her time, Hermione took a few days to be with Lyra.

Daphne came and went, letting the two bond before Hermione had to inevitably leave.

Lyra was the perfect baby, at least in Hermione's eyes.

She nursed like a champ and only cried when she was wet or hungry.

Hermione memorized every feature of her daughter; from her curly, soft, blonde hair, to her tiny fingers and toes.

When Daphne arrived on the third day, Hermione decided it was time to head back.

"I have one more favor to ask you," Hermione said as she stared at her sleeping baby.

"What's that?" Daphne asked.

"I need you to erase my memories. Of Draco; Of my pregnancy; Of…her," she said as she looked down at Lyra.

Daphne sighed. "I knew you were going to ask that. Lucky for you, I'm a quick learner."

"Do you know Legilimens?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"I do, actually," Daphne said with a nod. "My parents taught Astoria and me after Fifth Year."

Hermione explained the memory charm process to Daphne, and, after just a few practice runs, she was able to successfully lock away one of Hermione's memories.

"I can't believe you don't remember my birthday," Daphne pouted.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just unlock it already."

With a grin, Daphne said, "Alright fine. Abracadabra!"

Hermione winced at the slight pain but realized she could now recall her friend's birthday. "May 27th, 1980."

Daphne smiled. "That's it!"

"I have to admit, I'm a little jealous of how fast you learned the spell. It took me days to get it."

"I just have a good teacher," Daphne said reassuringly.

Hermione sighed as she looked down at Lyra, who was currently chewing on her closed fist and looking up at her.

"I guess there's no use prolonging this any longer," Hermione said quietly.

"Wait, before we go, I have something you should take."

Hermione watched curiously as Daphne pulled out a vial from her cloak pocket. The contents in it was a shimmery, light blue liquid.
"What is it?" she asked as Daphne handed it over.

"It… doesn't really have a name," Daphne said. "But, remember when I said that pureblood witches are rather vain?"

Hermoine nodded.

"Well, that potion will return your body to how it was before you got pregnant. It shrinks your stomach, dries up your milk, and even lessens the bleeding to that of a regular cycle."

Hermioine's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really."

"Well, thank Circe for pureblood vanity I suppose," Hermione said, then uncorked the vial and downed the contents in one swallow.

She could feel the effects working instantly as her stomach tightened and her breasts shrunk.

"Wow…." Hermione said, then looked over at Daphne. "You weren't kidding."

"Come on," Daphne said softly. "Let's get out of here."

Hermione apparated them to the clearing where she and boys had set up camp. It had been a few days, so they probably changed locations by now, which was a good thing since Lyra was currently wailing.

"Shh, shh, it's alright little love," Hermione said softly as she snuggled Lyra close. "I know apparating is no fun. But you'll only have to do it one more time with Aunt Daphne okay?"

Once the baby quieted down, Daphne took out the time-turner and placed the chain around them.

"Ready?" she asked.

Hermoine nodded as she held Lyra close to her body.

Daphne turned the dial and the area surrounding them whizzed by in a blurring pace. When it finally stopped, Hermone could sense the wards of the tented area nearby.

"We did it," she said quietly. She made sure that where they stood was far enough away that they wouldn't be detected. They disillusioned themselves, just in case, as they waited.

They watched as the other Hermione appeared suddenly as she left the confines of the wards and headed out on her walk the day she went into labor. The two followed quietly, using silencing charms around them. Hermione placed a dummy in Lyra's mouth, which the baby suckled on as the two adults waited for the right time.

They watched as the other Hermione's water broke then quickly disappeared as she aparated into the town.

"Alright," Hermione said. "This is it." She looked down at Lyra and her eyes suddenly welled with tears again.

Daphne gave her friend a small smile then gave a nod. "I'll give you a moment to say goodbye."

Hermione sniffled as she snuggled Lyra close. "You be good, okay? I'll come back for you, I promise. Then you, me, and your daddy can all be together."

She kissed Lyra's head, letting her lips linger as she inhaled the intoxicating newborn smell.

"I love you, Lyra. Always know that," she whispered softly as tears streamed down her face.

With one last kiss, she handed Lyra to Daphne, who's eyes were also glittering with unshed tears.

"Ready?" she asked.

With one last look at her daughter and best friend, Hermione gave a nod. "Ready," she said, then closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, she was alone. She looked around, her brows furrowed. She came out here for something, but now she couldn't remember.

With a shrug, she blamed it on lack of sleep and food, then walked back over to the tent, where she joined Harry and Ron on planning their next course of action.

Chapter 39: Memories Returned

Chapter Text

Hermione's head felt like it was in a vise.

Any movement caused her whole head to throb in pain and she didn't even want to think about opening her eyes yet. She had migraines before, but nothing quite like this.

She tried to figure out where she was as the moments before her blackout were fuzzy.

She knew she was in a bed as the mattress was soft under her and her head was cradled on top of a pillow.

There was movement next to her. "Hermione?" a worried voice said quietly.

She turned her head slowly towards the sound. "Draco?" she rasped out.

A sigh of relief and a press of lips against her forehead let her know she was correct on who was there.

"Thank Salazar," he said as another kiss was pressed against her temple. "Are you alright?"

Hermione nodded her head then instantly regretted it as her head throbbed harder and pain shot down her spine.

"Can I get a vial of pain medicine?" she asked through gritted teeth. "And turn off the lights, please?"

She heard him mutter a quicknoxthen anacciofor the vial of potion.

"Here," he said as a cool, glass vial was pressed against her lips. "This is the strongest stuff I have. You can take another if needed."

Hermione drank the liquid slowly and the cool potion spread throughout her body.

"Do you need another?" Draco asked.

She shook her head tentatively and was glad when the movement didn't cause any additional pain. "I think I'll be alright now."

She opened her eyes slowly and Draco's face swarmed into her line of vision.

He smiled at her as he cupped her cheek softly. "Hi," he said quietly.

She placed her hand over his. "Hi."

He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers as he let out a shaky breath. "You scared me half to death," he whispered. He lifted his head as his eye searched hers. "What happened?"

Tears blurred her vision as she buried her face in her hands. Draco shifted on the bed so that he could hold her properly.

"I'm sorry… I'msosorry," Hermione cried between sobbing breaths.

"What are you sorry for, love?" Draco asked.

"Lyra… she's…. she's my daughter. You and I…" She grasped both of his hands in hers. "She'sours, Draco. We made her."

His brows knit in confusion. "I don't understand… We've never—"

Hermione cupped his face and leaned forward to brush her lips against his. "We did. You just don't remember. I didn't either until you read that message out loud. It was a special phrase—a passcode of sorts—that Daphne used to unlock my memories she hid away. She must have written it down for me in case something happened to her…" Her voice trailed off as she thought of her friend then looked up at Draco who was watching her with curiosity. "We locked your memories away as well."

Draco's eyes widened. "If that's the case, why didn't the passcode work on me? How do I getmymemories back?"

"You have a different one that I need to say. Only I know it. Bringing forth the locked memories will hurt afterward, but—"

"I don't care," he said desperately, squeezing her hands. "Do it.Please."

Hermione nodded as she brought her forehead to rest against his once more. Her fingers threaded through the hair at the back of his head as she whispered, "Rappelez-vous ce qui est caché."

Draco's whole body clenched as his memories came rushing back to him. Hermione cried softly as she held him, knowing the physical, as well as emotional, pain he was going to feel upon waking up.

She wasn't sure how long they sat there, an hour maybe, but when Draco started to groan and shift in her arms, she quickly summoned the vial of pain potion.

"Here," she said as she pressed it against his lips. "Drink this."

He drank the potion and Hermione waited until he opened his eyes a few minutes later before speaking.

"Feeling better?" she asked as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Much," he said as he sat up slowly and rubbed circles on his temples with his fingers. He stopped suddenly to turn and stare at her. "You and me…sixth year…."

Hermione nodded.

"You're Lyra's mother…"

Hermione sniffled as she nodded again. "I am."

He pulled her close as he crashed his lips to hers. "I can't believe it," he said as he kissed her again, the force of it causing her to lay down on the bed with him hovering over here. He pulled back and his eyes flicked between the two of hers and she noted they were glossy with unshed tears.

"I love you," he said as he kissed her again, softly this time. "I didn't want to say it before in case it scared you off. But, I love you… I loved you then and I love you now."

Hermione smiled as a tear ran down her cheek. "I love you, too."

He kissed her one more time before he rolled off of her and pulled her close, his fingers playing with her hair while she rested her hand over his heart.

"Tell me about her birth," he asked quietly.

Hermione closed her eyes as the memories came forth with ease. "I was still on the run with Harry and Ron. I hid my pregnancy from them with baggy clothes and charms around my stomach. When my water broke, I apparated to a nearby hospital where Daphne met me."

"How were you able to get a hold of her?" Draco asked. "And how did she find you so quickly?"

"We had a two-way journal that we communicated with—the ones that were in the suitcase—and she had a charm bracelet that contained mini portkeys set to certain people instead of places. As soon as I wrote I was in labor, she activated it and came to help. We snuck into a hospital and when we found an empty room, we warded it so that no one else would come near it."

Draco kissed the top of her head. "I'm just glad you weren't alone."

Hermione shook her head as emotions coursed through her. "Daphne delivered Lyra. I promised her she'd be her godmother…"

Draco's arms tightened around her. "She will be. We'll make it official."

Hermione nodded as she continued. "I made her promise to take Lyra, so I could help Harry with his task from Dumbledore. She had her elf, Trixie, come to the hospital and told her to get her room ready for Lyra and that no one was allowed to know of the baby. Then she had Trixie get her fathers time-turner. This way, I was able to spend a few days with Lyra without the boys wondering where I was. When it was time for me to return, we used the time-turner to go back the few days prior to me leaving them. Then…." her voice hitched in her throat. "Then I had her erase my memories. Of you, my pregnancy, and of Lyra." She sniffled as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to quell sadness that was blooming her chest. "She was supposed to find me after the war ended, to lift the charm, but…" Tears spilled as she thought of her friend who was no longer with them.

"She found me first," Draco concluded.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. It was during the time Harry asked Ron and I to take a walk with him outside, to tell us what happened when he faced Voldemort in the woods." She looked up at Draco. "Did you know your mother lied to him? Told him that Harry was dead when he wasn't?"

Draco's eyes widened slightly. "I didn't, no. My mother never mentioned it."

"Well, she did. She's part of the reason why Harry was able to defeat Voldemort."

Draco chuckled softly. "I'll have to thank her the next time we see her."

Hermione nodded as she snuggled more into Draco. "Tell me about Lyra growing up?"

Draco tightened his arms that were around her. "I can do better than that. I can show you."

He led her to his potions room. When the door was closed and locked behind them, he went over to a nearby wall and tapped it three times. An alcove appeared and inside was a small pensive as well as hundreds of bottles that lined the shelves above it.

"What are these?" Hermione asked as she walked closer.

"Memories," Draco said as he plucked a vial from the top shelf. "Memories of Lyra. Anything that was of importance I bottled up and saved. In case…." his voice trailed off as his eyes found hers. "In case I ever found her mother."

Hermione's voice caught in her throat as she watched Draco pour the vial into the pensive then stepped back.

"This was right after I got her," he said.

Hermione walked tentatively towards the pensive then looked over at Draco before she plunged her face into the basin.

When she landed, she looked around and saw that Draco was sitting in the Headmasters office. Or rather, Headmistress, seeing as how it was Professor McGonigal who was bustling about the room. Hermione walked over to Draco and watched as he simply stared at the tiny bundle in his arms.

Tentatively, he lifted a finger to gently rub against the baby's soft cheek, her nose, then the top of her hands. Slowly, he leaned forward and kissed Lyra's head softly. He hadn't said anything, but she could feel the love that he had for his daughter—a daughter he had just met less than an hour ago.

The room swirled again and she found herself back in Draco's potions room. She turned around to find Draco watching her with so much intensity in his eyes that her heart clenched in her chest.

"I just wanted you to know—to show you—that I loved her from the very beginning."

He took a step forward and gestured to the vials. "They're all for you. You can come in here any time you want to watch them. Some are labeled, some aren't. If there's anything you want to see that's not in there, I can get it for you."

Tears spilled from Hermione once again as Draco gathered her close.

"I missed out on everything," she whispered.

His hand rubbed soothing circles on her back. "It's not your fault."

"Isn't it though?" she asked as she looked up at him. "If I hadn't had Daphne erase my memories, I could have unlocked yours right after the war. We… we could have been together all this time."

She buried her face in his chest as he held her tight. "If you hadn't though, it could have put a lot of people in danger. You, me, the Greengrass's…even Lyra." His voice was thick with emotion. "He would have found out…he would have used me to get to you, to get what he wanted."

He lifted her chin with one of his fingers. "You did what you thought was right—what would keep our daughter safe." He kissed her softly. "It was the right choice," he said and Hermione cried even harder at his confirmation, whether from relief or something else, she wasn't sure.

He held her as she sobbed and when she finally calmed she looked up at him again.

"What do we do now?" she asked softly.

"I think for now, we head to bed. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."

Hermione nodded tiredly in agreement, followed by a yawn. "As am I."

Draco took her hand in his and tugged her towards the hall. When she passed by Lyra's room, she quietly opened the door and just stared at her daughter.

"I never thought I'd have a child of my own," she said softly as her hand rested on her abdomen. "I'm so glad I do and that'sher."

Draco's arms wound around her middle, his fingers interlocking with hers, and his chin rested on her shoulder. They watched the sleeping child for a moment longer before finally turning around, shutting the door quietly behind them.

When Hermione realized Draco was leading her to his room, she halted his steps.

"I should go home, or at least to the guest room. I don't want Lyra to wake up and see that we slept in the same bed together. I know we've done it many times before, but I'm so exhausted that I don't think I'll be able to wake up in time before she does."

Draco smiled softly at her as he pulled her towards him and walked backwards into the room.

"Youarehome. As for Lyra, she'll just have to get used to the fact that herparentssleep in the same bed together."

Hermione smiled as he tugged her onto the bed. Her eyes fluttered shut as she said, "I like the sound of that," and promptly fell asleep.

Chapter 40: Family

Chapter Text

Lyra had crawled into the bed and squeezed between the two adults sometime in the middle of the night. When Draco woke, he found his daughter snuggled against Hermione and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of them together—mother and daughter.

As if sensing him, Lyra's eyes opened and slowly turned to look at him.

"Good morning, Princess," Draco said quietly as he pulled her over and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Not as itchy," she said as she snuggled into him. "Daddy?" she whispered.

"Hm?"

"Do you know that Miss Hermione is in your bed?"

Draco chuckled. "Yes, I do." He looked down at her. "I like snuggling with her."

Lyra giggled. "Me too."

Draco leaned closer and whispered into Lyra's ear. "What would you think if Miss Hermione moved in with us?" he asked.

Lyra gasped softly as she nodded her head vigorously.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Hermione asked sleepily as she scooted closer to them.

"Nothing," they both said in unison.

"Mhm, right." Hermione started tickling Lyra, who was soon wrought with giggles.

"Okay, okay!" Lyra conceded. "Daddy was saying you can move in with us."

Hermione's gaze rose to his and he saw the question in her eyes. He raised his brow in his own question and she smiled before looking back at Lyra. "Well, if that's okay with you, I would like that very much."

Lyra threw her arms around Hermione's neck. "Yes, yes, yes!" she said. "It would be like you're my mom if you lived with us!"

Draco saw Hermione's eyes fill with tears as she hugged their daughter closer. He met her gaze again over the top of Lyra's head and he knew that now was the time to let Lyra know the truth.

He placed a hand on Lyra's back to get her attention. "Lyra, there's something we have to tell you."

Lyra looked at him with a frown. "What is it?"

"Hermioneisyour mother—your real one."

Lyra's eyes widened as she looked at him then at Hermione.

"You mean…you're my mom? My real, true-life mom?" Lyra asked in disbelief.

Hermione nodded as tears flowed freely down her face. "Yes, sweetie, I am."

Lyra's eyes filled with tears too as she hugged Hermione again. "I knew it," she said softly.

Hermione hugged her back and Draco waited a moment before speaking.

"I know you probably have questions," he said softly. "And we'll answer them the best we can."

Lyra looked between the two. "How come you didn't tell me sooner?"

"Well, we didn't find out ourselves until last night," Hermione explained.

Lyra looked at her with confusion. "How come you didn't know? I grew in your tummy, didn't I?"

Hermione ran her hand over Lyra's curls then cupped her cheek. "Yes, sweetheart, you did. But, after you were born, I had a friend erase my memories. And your father had his erased too."

"How come?"

"There was a very bad man who didn't like Muggle-borns—people like me—and he would have hurt me, your father, and maybe even you if he knew about you."

Lyra gasped. "Why would someone want to hurt us?"

Draco pulled Lyra close and tucked her into his side while Hermione moved closer so that her arm laid across both of them.

"Remember when I told you how some witches and wizards grew up thinking that those who were Muggle-borns were beneath them? Well, there was a bad wizard a long time ago who wanted to get rid of them and if a pureblood, like me, was in a relationship with one, they would be punished."

Lyra sniffled as she buried her face in Draco's chest. "That bad man isn'therenow, is he?"

Draco shook his head. "No, Princess. He's gone for good." He looked over at Hermione. "Your mum actually helped a friend of hers defeat him."

Lyra lifted her head to turn and look at Hermione. "You did?"

Hermione nodded. "I did."

"How?" Lyra wondered.

"That's a story for another time, maybe when you're a bit older," Draco said.

Lyra shifted so that she faced Hermione all the way. "I'm glad you got rid of the bad guy," she said.

Hermione kissed the top of Lyra's head. "Me too, sweetheart."

"And now that your memories are back, you can be my mom?" she asked hopefully.

Hermione smiled down at Lyra. "Of course. Nothing can stop me."

"But," Draco interrupted. "This also means that you won't be able to tell anyone the truth about this," he said seriously. "You can't tell anyone that she's yourrealmum, not even Emma."

"Why not?" Lyra pouted.

"Because it would be hard to explain why she didn't know she was your mother in the first place. Muggles won't understand how memories can be erased with magic."

Lyra chewed on her bottom lip—an action similar to her mothers, Draco realized—before she spoke. "Can I still call her mom though?"

"Well, I plan on marrying her, so, legally, she'd be your mum anyway," Draco said with a shrug. "But only the three of us know she's yourrealmum."

"Wait, excuse me," Hermione interjected as she sat up. "Did I hear something about you marrying me?"

Draco grinned over at her. "Yes, you heard that right."

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest with a huff. "I haven't agreed to any such thing nor do I remember even being asked."

"Well that's because I haven't….yet." Draco glanced at Lyra and gave her a wink as an idea came to mind.

Lyra covered her mouth with a giggle as Draco got out of bed and opened the top drawer of his dresser. He dug around the contents until he pulled out a small, velvet bag.

"When I was choosing things to move here," he said as he walked back over to the bed and sat down. "I had an unexplainable urge to bring these along. I didn't really know why," he glanced up at Hermione. "Now I do."

He undid the cinch at the top of the pouch and dumped the contents into Hermione's palm.

Hermione closed her hand and held it against her heart. "The cufflinks I gave you for your birthday."

"Yes. I never used them because I never remembered receiving them, but when I came across them in my room at the Manor, I placed them into my luggage. They've been in my dresser drawer since." He took Hermione's hand and softly pried them open, taking the cufflinks from her. "Until now."

He glanced at Lyra again, who was watching with rapt attention and quietness that he had never seen from her before.

"Watch this, Princess," he said with a smirk. "Your mother isn't the only one who's good with charms and transfiguration." He grabbed his wand from the nightstand and with delicate wandwork and a whispered spell, he transformed one of the cufflinks into a ring.

Lyra gasped softly. "It's so pretty!" She looked up at him. "Are you going to give it to Miss Herm…I mean, mommy?"

He glanced up at Hermione who was watching him with watery eyes. "That's the plan."

He stood up to stand in front of Hermione before going down on one knee.

"Hermione Granger—"

"Oh, Merlin…" Hermione gasped quietly.

"I had planned to ask you later—closer to when we first met up again, but the timing seems to be better now." He held the ring up between his thumb and forefinger—a silver band with an emerald in the middle—and he heard Hermione's breath hitch.

"Would you do the honor of becoming my wife? Of being in mine and Lyra's life, forever?"

Hermione gaped at him and it wasn't until Lyra tapped her shoulder and whispered loudly "You're supposed to say yes!" that she finally smiled and nodded.

"Yes. Yes, of course I will!" She launched herself into Draco's arms and he kissed her as they fell to the floor.

Lyra jumped up and down on the bed cheering and when he and Hermione broke apart she leapt into Hermione's arms.

She pulled back to smile at Hermione then looked over at Draco coyly. "You said if I was right about Miss Hermione being my mom, that I could get two puppies, remember?"

Draco barked out a laugh as he stood and helped the girls up. "Yes, I do remember that."

Both Lyra and Hermione looked at him expectantly and he let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine. I suppose we can get Belle a little brother or sister."

"Yay!" cheered Lyra. "And Berlioz and Shakespeare will come live with us too, right?"

"Absolutely," Draco said as he took her hand and the three headed down the stairs towards the kitchen.

"And maybe we can get a brother or sister for Berlioz," Lyra suggested.

Hermione and Draco looked at each other.

"We'll see," Draco said cautiously.

"Mommy," Lyra asked in a sing-song voice as she looked over at Hermione and smiled.

Hermione smiled back. "Yes, sweetheart?"

"Can we get a brother or sister for Berlioz?"

Hermione laughed as she kissed the top of Lyra's head. "Sure."

Draco crossed his arms over his chest. "Is this how it's going to be? You two teaming up to get what you want?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

"Merlin what I have gotten myself into," he said as he pulled Hermione close.

She pecked his lips. "You've got yourself a family."

Hermione left shortly after breakfast to pack up some of her things from her place and Draco took this opportunity to talk with Lyra alone.

He tucked her back into bed—she did still have the chicken pox, though thankfully they didn't itch anymore—and he sat on the edge.

"A lot has changed in the past 24 hours," he said as he reached over and tugged on one of her curls playfully. "Are you sure you're okay with everything happening so fast? If it's too much, I can call Hermione right now and tell her to wait on moving in. The choice is up to you."

Lyra shook her head as she sat up. "No, I want her to move in! I love her. You…you love her too, right?" she asked worriedly.

"Of course, Princess," Draco said softly. "I love her very much. I loved her before I found out she was your mother, but now that I know she actually is, well, it's an added bonus," he said with a grin.

Lyra giggled as she laid back down and snuggled Otis.

"Do you have any other questions for me?" Draco asked.

"Do I get any pretty jewelry too?"

"Well, usually it's just the bride who gets a ring, but, I think we can make an exception." He pulled out the second cufflink from his pocket and with another transfiguration spell, he turned it into a necklace with a silver chain and the emerald jewel dangling from it.

"There," he said as he placed the chain around her neck. "Now you and your mum match."

"It's so pretty," Lyra said softly as she examined the necklace. Then she wrapped her arms around Draco's middle. "Thank you, Daddy."

He kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome. Now, any more questions before you rest up a bit?"

Lyra frowned in thought. "Do I call hermomormum?"

"Well, that's up to you. I saymumbecause that's how we say it in England. But you grew up here in the States, where everyone saysmom. So, just say what comes naturally to you."

Lyra gave a nod. "Okay. When do you think you'll get married?"

Draco chuckled. "I don't know yet. That's something we still have to decide on."

"Do I get to be in the wedding?" Lyra asked hopefully.

Draco smiled. "I'm sure we can work something out. I hear the role of flower girl is pretty important."

They told Narcissa first.

Draco invited his mother over for Easter dinner and when dessert was served, he and Hermione explained everything. When they were done, the elder witch looked at the two quietly before she stood, walked over to Hermione, and hugged her.

"Thank you," Narcissa said softly. "Thank you for loving my son all those years ago and for giving me my beautiful granddaughter."

Hermione hugged the witch back. "You're welcome." She looked over at Draco and reached for his hand. "I will admit it wasn't easy at first, way back then; he was a git, truth be told."

Draco chuckled as he squeezed her hand. "You weren't that nice in the beginning either, love," he teased.

Hermione smiled fondly at him. "But, I got to know the real him and what I found was a young man who would do anything to protect the ones he loved." She looked back at his mother. "Something I think he learned from you."

"From me?" Narcissa questioned. "Why do you say that?"

"Harry told me what you did in the Forbidden Forest," Hermione said softly. "How you knew he was alive and instead of letting Voldemort know, you lied to him. You do realize that that action alone helped Harry win the war, don't you?"

"I… did not," Narcissa admitted. "I was merely trying to get my son; to get him out of there."

Hermione nodded. "That was one of the reasons why Harry spoke on your behalf at your hearing. He didn't mention what you did, in case there were still sympathizers out there who would want to hurt you for betraying their 'Dark Lord', but he did appeal for your release."

Narcissa nodded. "Yes, I was aware that Mr. Potter spoke on mine and Draco's behalf, I just never understood why."

"I suppose I'll actually have to thank Potter when he and his wife come to visit," Draco muttered as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Oh? When will that be?" his mother asked.

"Tomorrow, actually," Hermione supplied. "We want to tell those who are close to us in person about everything. No one knew about me and Draco during our 6th year, except for Daphne, but…"

Hermione trailed off as her eyes saddened and Draco squeezed her hand in comfort.

Narcissa nodded gravely. "Yes, it was such a tragedy what happened to her. She was always the sweetest girl when she and her sister came around the Manor with their parents."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, she…she was one of my best friends. I didn't have very many at Hogwarts, really, aside from Harry and Ron."

Narcissa reached out and took Hermione's hand. "We'll make sure Lyra knows all about her. I'm sure Florian and Adorabella, Daphne's parents, would be willing to send over some pictures of her, if you were to ask."

Hermione wiped at an errant tear as she sniffled. "That would be wonderful."

Chapter 41: Travelers

Chapter Text

Harry and Ginny arrived by airplane, a first for both, at the Bar Harbor airport the following day.

"Dad would have loved that!" Ginny said as she followed Hermione to her car in the parking lot. "Mum, not so much."

Harry placed their luggage in the boot of Hermione's car. "This is strange, having the boot in the front," he commented as he closed it shut.

"All Beetles are like that," Hermione said with a grin and opened the driver's side door.

"Wait, why…oh yeah, the driver sits on the opposite side of the car here," Harry said as he opened the passenger door for Ginny to let her in.

"And the road to," Hermione said as she slipped inside. "It takes some getting used to, but it's not bad."

"How far is your place?" Ginny asked. "I gotta pee."

"You just went when we landed," Harry said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, well, when you have a child pressing on your bladder, then you'll understand my need to pee so much," Ginny said, glancing at Harry over her shoulder to the backseat.

Hermione patted Ginny's leg. "I don't live far, only about 10 minutes."

"So," Harry said as Hermione began to drive. "You mentioned that you needed to talk to us about something?"

"Does it have to do with that bloke you vaguely told me about during Christmas?" Ginny asked.

"It does, actually," Hermione said with a nod. "But it's not really a car conversation. Once I get you guys settled at my place, I promise to tell you everything."

"That seems a bit ominous," Harry mumbled from the back. "Don't tell me you're married to the guy or something."

"No, not married," Hermione reassured, though she added an unspoken 'yet' in her mind. She glanced at her left hand, where the engagement ring was currently concealed, and smiled to herself.

When they got to her place, Hermione set them up in the master bedroom and told them to meet her downstairs when they were settled.

She put a kettle of water on the stove and took out three mugs from her cupboard. By the time the kettle whistled, Harry and Ginny made their way into the small dining room.

"This place is gorgeous," Ginny said.

"I agree it is very nice, but I was curious about something," Harry said.

Hermione poured water into the mugs. "And what's that?"

"If Gin and I are going to sleep in youronlybedroom, where exactly willyoube sleeping?"

Ginny elbowed him in the ribs. "You know exactly where she'll be," she stated then looked at Hermione. "You'll be athishouse, right?"

Hermione handed the two their cuppas before she took a seat across from them. "Correct. Though, I suppose it'sourhouse now, considering I moved in with him."

Harry choked on his drink while Ginny simply grinned at her.

"Moved inwith him?" Harry sputtered. "Already? Didn't you two just start dating?"

"Technically yes, and… technically no," Hermione hedged.

Harry set his mug down as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Alright, enough with the evasiveness. Who is this bloke? Why are you going so fast in this relationship? Does he even know you're a witch?"

Before Hermione could answer, her floo roared to life and Draco stepped out of the green flames.

Ginny and Harry sported matching looks of surprise, complete with their jaws dropped, as Draco walked over to the table.

"Afternoon, Potters," Draco said with a nod in their direction. Hermione stood up and kissed his cheek before linking her fingers with his.

Ginny spoke first. "Wait wait wait….Draco Malfoyis the guy you were talking about? He's the guy you've been seeing?"

Hermione nodded. "It is. He's been living here since he left England nearly seven years ago, along with his daughter."

Draco squeezed her hand lightly. "Ourdaughter, she means." He glanced at her hand and frowned, before using his wand to reveal her ring. "That's better," he said.

Hermione glanced at her friends. "We're engaged, too."

"Engaged?" Now it was Ginny who was sputtering. "Even I didn't seethatcoming. When did this happen?"

"Less than a week ago," Hermione assured. "I wanted to tell you by owl but figured this was something that had to be told in person."

Harry ran a hand through his already-messy hair. "I don't think tea is going to be enough for this conversation."

"Agreed," Ginny said. "Too bad tea is what I have to stick to. Drink something stronger for me?"

"Told you," Draco said with a wink at Hermione.

As they took a seat, he conjured up a bottle of Firewhiskey, followed by three tumblers.

He poured them each a fingerful and handed them out—except for Ginny, who pouted at her tea—before lifting his glass. "How about a toast?" he suggested. "To secret relationships, extraordinary memory charms, and…." he glanced at Hermione, and smiled fondly. "A mother unknown."

They downed their drinks, except Ginny who sipped idly at hers while she glared at everyone else, and when Draco set his tumbler down, he and Hermione explained everything.

Once they were over the shock, Harry and Ginny agreed to go over and have dinner at Draco's, mostly at Hermione's insistence, so that they could get to know the real him and also to meet Lyra.

"So you're the guy that got rid of that bad man?" Lyra asked Harry skeptically. They hadn't told Lyra many details, but they did tell her that one of the persons who was coming to visit was Hermione's friend whom she helped in the war.

They were all sitting around the table, eating Shepherds Pie that Hermione prepared earlier that day.

Harry frowned. "The bad man?—oh, you mean Voldemort?"

Lyra nodded and Harry gave an indifferent shrug. "I did, yes, but not without the help of Hermio—your mum."

"Daddy said that if mommy wasn't with you that you probably would have co*cked it all up," Lyra stated matter-of-factly as she shoveled some peas in her mouth.

Draco covered up his laugh with a cough and Hermione elbowed him before looking at Lyra. "Sweetie, that isn't a word you should be saying, even if your father did use it in front of you."

Draco shrugged, nonplussed at the glare she shot at him.

"It is true," Harry conceded. "I wouldn't have gotten half as far as I did if she didn't help."

"Did you know that everyone called her the brightest witch of her age when she was only thirteen years old?" Ginny asked.

Lyra's eyes lit up. "They did? How come?"

"Well, besides having top marks out of everyone of her year, she was taking so many classes in her third year that the Ministry actually gave her a time-turner to use!"

"Wow!" Lyra exclaimed, followed by, "What's a time-turner?"

The rest of the evening was filled by answering questions from Lyra and playing board games. By the end of the night, Lyra had won the hearts of Hermione's closest friends.

"She's adorable," Ginny gushed as Draco ushered Lyra to bed.

"She's alright," Harry huffed.

Ginny rolled her eyes at her husband. "You're just mad she beat you at Candyland."

"Stupid gingerbread man," Harry muttered. "I was this-close to winning too."

The girls giggled as Draco came back from tucking in Lyra. "She passed out the moment her head hit the pillow," he stated as he sat on the couch next to Hermione and slung his arm around her shoulders.

"I still can't believe you two made a child together," Harry said with a shake of his head. "Or that you two had a relationship to begin with."

"Would you have even accepted it, though?" Hermione queried.

"Erm, well—"

"Because you had been very adamant that Draco was a Death Eater and that he was up to something-–"

"—technically, I was correct on both of those things—"

"Which wasn't his choice, by the way."

"I…I understand that now. Back then, I didn't."

Harry looked at Draco. "You were an arse at Hogwarts."

"True," Draco agreed with a nod.

"But, I also know that people can change and Hermione wouldn't be with you if you hadn't. So I guess what I'm trying to say...you're alright, Malfoy. And Lyra's a great kid. You did a good job raising her."

Draco gave Harry a nod. "Thanks, Potter. And, if you need any parenting tips, I can write down some notes for you."

Ignoring Harry's glare towards the blond, Ginny sighed dramatically. "Awe, look at that, they're friends now!"

Draco rolled his eyes, but Hermione caught the smirk that spread across his face.

Harry and Ginny stayed for a few days and explored the small town that Hermione fell in love with. The weather was cold and breezy, so Ginny's dreams of playing in the ocean would need to wait until another visit—one she promised to do after the baby was born.

Before they left, Hermione wrote a letter that explained what had happened, then copied it and placed them in different envelopes with directions to Harry to deliver to her friends upon his return. If she ever visited London, she didn't want to explain to everyone what had happened.

After her friends left, Hermione started to plan a trip to Australia for herself and Draco, who wanted to go with her for support. Narcissa offered to come and tend to Lyra—along with Mipsy—for the few days Draco would be gone, while Hermine planned to stay behind with her parents for a week, or more, if necessary.

Once Narcissa was settled at the house and hugs and kisses were given to Lyra, the two traveled by Floo to the MACUSA where they obtained an International Portkey. They only had to wait a few hours for their assigned slot and were then whisked away to slightly warmer temperatures of Australia.

Since they arrived in the middle of the night, they booked a hotel room and waited until the next day to visit her parents. Hermione knew where they lived, having secretly visited them after the war a few times—even once in person when she pretended to have her car run down—and was pleased to know they were still in the same house.

Draco slipped his hand in hers as she took a deep breath, then knocked on the door of her parents rental house.

Her mother answered and it took all of Hermione's willpower not to hug her. She noticed how her mother now sported graying hair and a pair of reading glasses and realized with a jolt that time had passed by way too quickly.

"Yes?" the woman asked as she looked between the two at the door. "Can I help you with something?"

"I…I know you don't remember me, but–"

"Oh! You're the young lady who came around a couple years ago, the one whose car broke down in front of our house!"

Hermione was shocked she remembered. "Yes, you are correct. I, uh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

Her mother gave her a welcoming smile. "Not at all, dear! What can I do for you? Don't tell me your car broke down again," she said with a laugh.

Hermione smiled back and shook her head. "No, nothing like that. I'm just visiting again and I brought my fiancé along with me," she said as she looked over to Draco. "And I wanted him to meet the people who helped me the last time I was here."

"Well isn't that sweet! Why don't you two come in and we can catch up properly. Wendell!" she called as she ushered Hermione and Draco inside. "Come here darling, there's someone here to see us."

"Who is it?" Hermione's dad called. A moment later, his head popped around the corner and he broke into a wide grin. "Why, it's that young lady who we helped a few years ago."

"It is! She says she's back visiting and this time with her fiancé," she said with a grin.

"How do you do? I'm Wendell and this is my lovely wife, Monica," her father said, his hand out to Draco in greeting.

Draco smiled and shook the man's hand. "Pleasure to meet you both. I'm Draco."

"Draco? Well, isn't that an interesting name," her mother said as she brought out some cookies on a plate "These are fresh from the oven. I don't know why I felt the need to make them this morning, but it turns out it was luck seeing as how you two came to visit."

Hermione took a bite of one of the cookies and closed her eyes. These were the same cookies her mother made her as a child.

Sniffling slightly, Hermione set the cookie down. "Monica….Wendell… I need to be honest with you about something."

"Oh? What's that dear?" her mother asked.

"It… it wasn't an accident that had me visiting you all those years ago. I just needed an excuse to see you…To talk to you."

Her father looked at her curiously. "Why did you want to talk to us?"

Hermione glanced up and looked between her father and mother. "Because, you're my parents," she said as a tear slipped down her cheek.

The two adults across from her wore matching frowns of confusion.

"I don't understand—"

"I think you're mistaken—"

Hermione shook her head as she reached out and placed her hand on top of her mothers. "I promise it will make sense soon. I just... I just need you two to trust me, alright?"

Her parents looked at each other, their eyes conveying a conversation between themselves, then they brought their attention back to her. "I told Wendell, after you left last time, that you seemed…familiar, somehow. I don't know how this could be but, we're interested in what you have to say."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you, both of you." She took a deep, steadying breath and said, "Vos noms sont Joe et Kathleen Granger. Votre fille est Hermione Granger."

Her parents grabbed at their heads before passing out on the couch. Hermione and Draco used their wands to levitate them to their bedroom and placed them on their bed.

Draco squeezed her hand as they stood at the doorway, watching them. "You did good, love," he whispered as he kissed her temple.

"You have the pain potion, right?" she asked though she never took her eyes off her parents.

Draco pulled out the vials from within his pocket. "Right here. Do you still want me here when they wake up?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

Draco kissed her temple again then the two waited for her parents to wake up.

It took nearly three hours before they started to stir. As soon as her mother groaned, Hermione rushed to her side. "Mum? Mum? I know it hurts, drink this, it will help."

Kathleen took the potion then rasped out. "Hermione?...Is that.. Is that you?"

Hermione sniffled as she nodded, then realized her mothers eyes were still squeezed shut. "Yes. It's me. Just hang on a moment and let the potion do its work. You'll feel better in no time."

Her father mumbled something on the other side of the bed and Draco helped him take the pain potion.

Hermione held her mothers hand and waited for her to open her eyes. When she finally did she engulfed her in a hug.

"I've missed you so much," Hermione whispered. She felt a hand on her back and when she looked up, it was her father looking at her.

"Dad.." she said and threw her arms around him.

"Is it over?" he asked as he pulled back. "Is your war over now?"

Hermione wiped at a tear as she nodded. "Yeah, it's over. It's been over for seven years."

For the second time that day her parents looked at her with confusion.

"I don't understand," Kathleen finally said. "If your war ended seven years ago, why are you justnowgiving us our memories back?"

"Because mine were erased as well. It wasn't until recently that I remembered how to give you back your memories." She stood up and glanced over at Draco then back at her parents. "I promise I'll explain everything, but first, I want you both to meet someone very special." She walked over to Draco and held out her hand for him to take. "This is Draco Malfoy….My fiance… And father of our little girl, Lyra."

"Fiancé—"

"Your little girl—"

"You must have a lot of questions," Draco said with an easy smile to her parents. "Hermione and I, we'll answer what we can. But first, would you like to see a picture of your granddaughter?"

They talked for hours, ordered some take out, then talked some more.

"Now you just need to decide what you plan on doing….do you want to stay here in Australia? Or go back to England?"

"Do we even have a house back in England?" her mother asked.

Hermione nodded. "You do. I actually lived in it before I moved to the States. Everything is still in working order, so all you'll need to do is move back in."

"And you guys?" her father asked. "Will you be moving back to England as well?"

"Oh, well, we haven't really talked about that," she said with a glance at Draco. "But, I wasn't planning on moving back, no. Lyra grew up in the States. It's all she's known. We're already changing so much of her life, I don't want to uproot her to England and change even more."

Kathleen nodded. "That makes sense."

"But who's to say we won't move back in the future," Draco said, and Hermione looked at him, perplexed.

"Really?" she asked.

"Well, I always thought I'd let Lyra choose which school she wanted to go to when she turns eleven. Since she was born in England, she's already on the Hogwarts registry. But, since we live in the States, she also has the opportunity to go to Ilvermorny." He gave a shrug. "The choice will be up to her. If she wants to go to Hogwarts, I planned on moving back there. Not to Wiltshire, but in the country, maybe."

Hermione smiled at him. "I like that idea."

"Well it looks like your mother and I have some things to discuss," Joe said. "Whether or not we move back to England or see what's so great about this Bar Harbor you two seem so keen on."

Hermione beamed at him. "It's a lovely place. But, if you decide to go back to England, we can easily come and visit you through magical means, so don't let the distance sway your decision."

Draco nodded. "Yes, now that Lyra is older, we plan on traveling during the summer holidays. My mother resides in France so we'll be visiting there a lot—a trip to London during that time can certainly be planned.

"We can also set up our Floo for international travel, so visiting won't be an issue," Hermione said.

"Well that certainly does make things a bit easier," Kathleen said. She looked over at her husband. "I do miss London… quite a bit, actually."

Joe gave a nod as he grasped his wife's hand. "I do too."

He looked back at Hermione and smiled. "Looks like we're going home."

Joe and Kathleen Granger moved back to England a month later, but not before stopping by Bar Harbor to meet their granddaughter.

Lyra was ecstatic to have another set of grandparents, and Hermione's parents wasted no time on doting on their only grandchild.

They took her to all the stores on the boardwalk, as well as toy stores in the bigger cities, letting her pick anything she wanted—according to her father, they had seven years of birthdays and Christmases to make up for.

Draco and Hermione exchanged vows at the beach in Bar Harbor. The guestlist was small, with only a few close friends, Hermione's parents, and his mother in attendance. The wedding was simple and completely Muggle. If anyone would have ever told Draco that he'd be getting married barefoot, wearing a white, cotton button up and a pair of khakis, he would have called them mad.

But now…

He wouldn't have had it any other way.

His bride and daughter wore flowy, white summer dresses with flowers in their hair and matching smiles.

When rings were exchanged and their vows sealed with a kiss, Draco took his bride for a walk along the water, the waves crashing gently over their feet.

"Today was perfect," Hermione said as she linked her fingers with his and leaned into him.

Draco raised their hands and kissed the top of hers. "Indeed it was."

"I think your mother was hoping for something a bit more…grand."

Draco shrugged. "I was never into all the pomp and circ*mstance of the elaborate weddings most of the pureblood community held."

"Well…I may have told her that she can plan something when we visited, a late engagement party of sorts," Hermione admitted. "She promised it would be small."

Draco chuckled as he stopped to stand in front of her and cupped her cheek. "You do realize that 'small' to my mother is at least 100 guests, right?"

Hermione gaped at him. "A hundred? Oh…. "

"Don't worry, love," he pecked her lips. "I'm sure I can get her down to 75, perhaps even 50."

Hermione sighed and rose on her toes to give him a lingering kiss. "You're lucky I love you."

He wrapped his arms around her, lifting her and twirled them around, causing her to laugh. "And I love you."

"Spin me, spin me!" Lyra said, running over to them.

Draco set Hermione down just in time to catch his daughter and spin around as well.

Their laughter could be heard up and down the beach.

The family of three made their first trip to France as soon as Lyra was on Summer break. They visited Narcissa at her Villa then she sent the adults away, ordering them to take a honeymoon while she spent time with her granddaughter.

They traveled all around Europe, staying in lavish hotels and eating at the finest restaurants. Draco lived comfortably in the States, and he found he preferred it that way, but, a honeymoon happened once in a lifetime and he wanted Hermione to experience the best of everything.

Plus, spoiling her was one of the things he loved to do, and the blush across her face always made it worth it.

They returned to the Villa a week later and found a house full of people waiting for them.

His mother had a select few come to celebrate their marriage and she indeed cut down on the guest list. Instead of the pureblood families that usually attended his mothers social gatherings, she invited those that Draco would have never thought would ever step foot in a Malfoy residence.

The Weasleys were there, too many to count, along with their partners and even some children. The Weasel, or as his wife calls him, Ron, was there, with his now-fiancé, Lavender Brown, who was currently showing off her engagement ring.

The Potters, along with their newborn son, were also in attendance. Draco had to admit that the tyke was cute, even if he was related to Potter. As Hermione held James, he could see the longing behind her smile. She had told him before that the Healers said it would be impossible to reverse the damage done to her uterus—he wondered if she'd be open to checking again, now that a few years have passed.

He was honest when he said he was okay with having only Lyra, and Hermione was relieved that she had a child, but deep down, he knows they both wonder if another child would be possible—one they could raise together.

Luna Lovegood had walked over to him and hugged him before he had time to react. She told him she forgave him for what happened during the war and a sense of relief washed over him as he hugged her back.

Longbottom, Thomas, and Finnigan were there too, and Draco was surprised to find that they didn't find any animosity towards him and instead talked about Quidditch as if he was an old chum.

His Aunt Andromeda welcomed him with open arms and he quietly thanked her for suggesting Bar Harbor as a place to raise Lyra. She smiled and patted his cheek before returning to talk to her sister.

Lyra and Teddy bonded almost instantly, being only a month apart in age, and two of the eldest children in attendance.

The guest who was most surprising though was Theo Nott, even if he did look out of place. Draco hadn't seen, or talked, to any of his housemates since the war, but after a conversation with Theo, he found that he had denounced his fathers beliefs and was now an outcast among most of the pureblood community.

Thankfully, Hermione's friends had welcomed both him, and Theo, into the mix, with plans to meet up in London the following week and have a friendly game of Quidditch at the Weasley home.

While they were in London, they checked in on Hermione's parents before heading over to visit the Greengrass family. Hermione had written them a letter, asking to meet up to talk about Daphne.

Florian and Adorabella Greengrass had never known the true reason why Daphne was at Hogwarts the day she had died—after all, they had begged her to stay home, along with her sister, Astoria.

After Hermione and Draco explained everything that happened, they were surprised to find out she had been hiding a newborn in their house for two months.

Mrs. Greengrass smiled softly at Lyra, who was sitting between her parents. "I take it you're the baby our daughter was looking after?"

"Uh huh! Daphne is my godmother. She took care of me while my mommy helped fight the bad guys."

The elder witch's eyes watered. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Draco felt Hermione quivering beside him and found her crying softly. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It was my fault, and—"

Before she could finish, Mr. Greengrass interjected. "Mrs. Malfoy, there's no need to apologize."

"ButI'mthe reason why Daphne—"

"Astoria, dear, would you be so kind as to take Lyra out to play?" Mrs. Greengrass interrupted.

Astoria, who had been sitting next to her mother, smiled at Lyra and offered her a hand. "Come on, let me show you all the animals we have."

When the two left the room, Mrs. Greengrass moved to sit next to Hermione and grasped her hands. "My dear, you are not at fault for what happened to Daphne. It was the Death Eater that fired the curse that is."

Draco conjured up a handkerchief and handed it to Hermione. "She's right, love."

Hermione sighed and she wiped her tears away from her eyes. "But if I hadn't asked her to watch over Lyra, she wouldn't have had the need to come to Hogwarts that day."

"While that's true," Mr. Greengrass said. "Daphne was an adult and she made the choice to go over there. She probably would have gone anyway, to check on her friends. She always was a very strong-willed child," he said fondly.

Mrs. Greengrass nodded. "Yes." She glanced out the window and Draco followed her gaze. Lyra was in Astoria's lap and the two were playing with a litter of puppies.

"She was a hero," Draco said. "She blocked the curse from hitting me and Lyra." He looked over at Mr. Greengrass. "If there's anything you need, anything at all, I'll get it for you. It's the least I can do."

Mr. Greengrass shook his head. "I'm just glad to finally know the truth of what happened. We had asked around, of course, but no one had real answers. Those who saw her there said she was carrying a few things, a blanket and a suitcase, but when we arrived, both were gone. Now we know why."

"If you wouldn't mind, we'd love any pictures of Daphne that you could give us, to show Lyra." Hermione squeezed Draco's hand as she continued. "We want her to know Daphne, and her family, if… if that's something you would be interested in?"

Mrs. Greengrass smiled at the two. "We wouldn't have it any other way."

"Mom! Dad! Astoria said I can have one of the puppies! Can I?Please? You did promise me two dogs, remember?"

Astoria looked sheepishly at Draco and Hermione. "Sorry. She was asking if she could have one and I said she needed to ask you guys first."

"I like this one!" Lyra said as she held up a wiggly puppy. "I'm going to call him Max, like the dog from The Little Mermaid!"

Hermione chuckled besides Draco. When he glanced at her, she gave a shrug and Draco sighed. He turned back to Lyra and held out his hand for the puppy.

When the dog licked his nose, Draco softened.

"Welcome to the family, Max."

Chapter 42: Epilogue

Chapter Text

Four Years Later

Headmistress McGonagall stood at the front of the Great Hall.

The sorting hat was in her hand and Lupin, Edward "Teddy" had just been sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Malfoy, Lyra!" she called out from the list in her hand.

Lyra sucked in a breath and made her way to the front of the Hall. She ignored the whispers all around her—her parents had warned her ahead of time of what might happen when she chose to attend Hogwarts.

She didn't care. She was proud of her motherandher father and nothing anyone said would change her mind.

She smiled nervously at the Headmistress before she sat on the stool. She looked around the Great Hall, wondering which table she would soon be seated at.

Would the hat sort her in Gryffindor, like her mother?

Or perhaps Slytherin, like her father?

Or maybe a different house all together, like Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff?

Her eyes scanned over to the Hufflepuff table where Teddy was easy to spot with his turquoise hair.

He gave her a smile and a thumbs up.

They had become fast friends after meeting, being the eldest of all the children whenever they got together, followed closely by Victoire Weasley.

The Headmistress placed the sorting hat on top of Lyra's head and she closed her eyes to await the Hat's decision.

"Hm, interesting…." the Sorting Hat said. "I remember your parents. Your mother had many qualities of all the houses—smart, brave, loyal, and ambitious. In the end, her bravery won over my decision. Your father, however, was arrogant, cunning, and a pureblood through and through and the choice for him was an easy one. But, perhaps, he was judged too soon and would have done well elsewhere. You share many qualities that your parents had and that is why, I think you will do well in a house they both would have thrived in…"

"RAVENCLAW!" It shouted at last.

Lyra slipped off the stool, her smile wide, as she sat with her new housemates. When she looked down at her tie, it had transformed to her new school colors of bronze and navy blue. She pulled out the thin chain of her necklace and placed the emerald so that it laid on her chest.

As she waited for the other First Years to get sorted, she thought about her life and how she got to this point.

She loved living in the States, in the small town where everyone knew her. It was where she made her first best friend. It was where she went to primary school. Most importantly, it was where her mother came back after she had been gone her entire life.

At seven years old, Lyra knew magic was the reason why both of her parents forgot about each other, but it was also magic that gave them their memories back. She still hadn't quite understood how it all happened, but at that point, she didn't care—all she knew was that she hadbothher parents now and nothing was going to separate them again.

When she was older, her parents gave her the choice of which magical school she wanted to attend—Hogwarts, like them, or Ilvermory, since they lived in the States. Ever since she was a little girl, she had always dreamed of going to Hogwarts, just like her parents, so the decision was easily made—even if it did mean moving away from everything, and everyone she knew.

When she was ten years old, her family moved from Bar Harbor to England during the summer. They lived in a wizarding village called Falmouth, which is known for her father's favorite quidditch team—though her dad was adamant that that wasn't the reason, though she and her mother had their doubts.

Their house boasted eight bedrooms, an indoor pool, land for a small quidditch pitch, and a stable for her very own abraxan, who she named Daphne. Lyra was sad that she never got to know her godmother, but her sister, Aunt Astoria, had stepped up and taken on the role.

When they moved back to England, her father explained that there was no reason for him or her mom to work, as they were really well off. The only reason why he worked in the States was because it would have been difficult to explain his lifestyle to Muggles. However, that didn't stop them finding careers in things they both loved doing.

Her father made potions in a dedicated building that he built right outside of their home and distributed them to St. Mungo's and other wizarding hospitals around the world.

Her mother worked at Godric's Book, a bookstore in Godric's Hollow, and in her free time, worked on translating the journal that they found in sixth year into an actual book. Six months later, the book was published.

She also did an interview with the Daily Prophet which talked aboutwhyshe needed the journal and spell in the first place. Her mom explained that she did this because now that they were back in the Wizarding World, everyone was talking and wondering about them. Her father insisted it was 'none of their damn business', but her mom wanted everyone to know so people would stop staring and asking questions or whispering behind their backs. Once the article was published, the whispering and questioning only seemed to escalate, but it did eventually die down and her father wasn't seen as only an ex-Death Eater, but as a regular wizard, doing good in the world.

In between moving to London and going to Hogwarts, Lyra and her parents spent a lot of time with the Potters and the Weasleys—two families that her father always complained about but she knew, deep down, he was friends with them. They held monthly quidditch matches at either their house or The Burrow and it was there she got to hang out with Teddy. They had become friends when they first met at the age of seven and kept in contact with each other by owl for many years until she moved back to London. She was happy to know that she would have at least one friendly face when she started her schooling at Hogwarts.

Lyra still kept in touch with her childhood friend, Emma, and sent her letters the Muggle way, but was still sad that she couldn't tell her oldest friend her secret. When she was younger, she had hoped and wished that Emma would also be magical so they could go to Hogwarts together. Now, she just hoped their friendship will last the long distance and be able to see each other again one day.

Once the sorting ceremony was done and the feast finished, Lyra made her way to the Ravenclaw Tower. The amount of books in the cozy common room would have had her mother swooning and she could picture her father chuckling at her reaction, while also being impressed.

In her dorm, her black cat, Binx—named after the Hocus Pocus movie, a family favorite—was waiting for her on her bed.

"Hi Binx!" she said as she scooped him up. "Can you believe it? Ravenclaw! Mom and Dad will be ecstatic! Oh! I should probably write them and let them know."

She dug in her trunk, which was actually the old pink, leather suitcase transfigured into something bigger, and found a journal her mom had put in there as well as a supply of fountain pens from her father.

The journal was the same one her Aunt Daphne had used all those years ago. With few tweaks and updated charms placed on it, Lyra was now able to use it to communicate with her parents.

(L) Mom? Dad? Are you there?

(H) We're here sweetie! Are you in your dorm now? How was the feast?

(D) Who cares about the feast, which House did you get into? Slytherin, right?

Lyra giggled at the two different handwritings from her parents. She could imagine them fighting over the journal on their end.

(L) The feast was great! I've never seen so much food in my life! Well, Mrs. Weasley has come close a few times.
Sorry dad, I didn't get into Slytherin. I got into Ravenclaw!

(H) That's wonderful, sweetheart!

(D) Congratulations Princess! I'm very proud of you. Especially since you didn't get into Gryffindor either.

(L) Dad!

(D) I'm just kidding.

(L) Also, Teddy got into Hufflepuff!

(H) I had a feeling he would. That was the house his mother was in. Tell him congratulations from us.

(D) I'm just glad he didn't get into Gryffindor. Now Potter won't be able to brag about his godson being just like him. He's my cousin, if anything he should have gone into Slytherin.

Lyra chuckled and rolled her eyes. She knew her mother was probably elbowing him at that moment.

(H) Are you all settled in? Did Binx arrive alright?

(L) Yes, he's here. He was waiting for me on my bed. I should probably go to sleep soon.

(H) Yes, you need a full night's sleep for your first day tomorrow. Write to us after your classes if you can! I can't wait to hear about your first day. I love you, Sweetie!

(L) I will! Love you, mom!

(D) Love you as well, Princess. Have a great day tomorrow.

(L) Love you too, daddy!

(D) And remember, make some friends, just not any lions—
Your mother just hit me. I might be concussed.

(H) Your father is fine, don't worry. He's just being a big baby. Goodnight, Lyra!

(L) Goodnight! And give Scorp a big hug and kiss from me!

When she was done, she placed the journal back in her trunk and got ready for bed.

Her mother was never able to have any children on her own, however, through magic, healers, and the selflessness of her Aunt Astoria, they were able to have another child through surrogacy. Scorpius Astro Malfoy was born nearly three months ago and now with him, along with all their pets, the Malfoy family finally felt complete.

As she laid in bed that night, she smiled as she knew this was the beginning of many adventures and magical journeys to come.