Mrs. Malfoy

Chapter 3

Diagon Alley, as per usual, was a bustle of witches and wizards of all sorts. The Malfoy family, not yet seen in Wizarding London, were causing quite a stir of gossip through every shop or street they seemed to pass. With the fall turning to winter rapidly, the whole family donned hooded winter travel cloaks in an effort to both stay warm and save what shred of anonymity they could. While Hermione agreed not to hide her life anymore from those in the outside world, she did not want to make a public spectacle of her whole family.
"Flourish and Blotts is just up the alley girls. Any stories you want to get?" Draco spoke to his family only so loud as to allow them to hear, also trying to avoid any extra, unwanted attention his way. Hermione looked over her left shoulder at him walking hand in hand with Cassie,who's face lit up so bright at the prospect of new books, that it was no question that her parents were the two smartest spell casters of their class at Hogwarts.
Looking down to Lyra hanging on her right arm Hermione saw that the toddler had a look of alarm on her face and wide brown eyes fixed on the end of the alley. Concerned, Hermione bent down to scoop up the younger twin into her arms so she could be face level without bending and obstructing the walkway. When asking Lyra what was bothering her got met with silence, Hermione tried to follow her gaze in order to investigate for herself. At first, there was nothing of significance to Hermione, a candy cart, a bunch of witches coming from a dress shop, and other children playing about the alley. Hermione thought these were all very normal things for one to see in Diagon Alley, even first timers like Cassie and Lyra.
After a second or two more of searching Hermione saw what caused her daughter a fright, and cursed her husband inwardly for his recountings of their childhood to their daughters. Not four doors down from the Malfoy family stood a staring, no, glaring Ronald Weasley. His face set in a grimace fit for the villain in a childhood bedtime story. He stood right outside George's storefront of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes as though he had just left for the day. Now that Hermione had seen him his presence had seemed to take up the whole area and it was making her feel suffocated.
"Daddy, Daddy look! A Weasee!" Cassie was squealing and pointing  in pure excitement, always the more outgoing of the twins. Draco held the arm she was pointing with and quietly scolded her about being rude in public when he turned to look at his wife apologetically. Hermione met his concerned gaze with an anxious one of her own and turned to look back at the youngest Weasley son who now wore his own expression of confusion. Both adults, now quite certain Ron had heard and seen them, simultaneously decided to quicken their paces seeing as they were now both holding a toddler.
All they were looking for was to pass the joke shop with no incident, while they weren't hiding anymore Ron was the least favorable best friend to reveal themselves to first. Of course fate, it would seem, had let them have as many lucky passes as they were going to get. As the Malfoy family passed the threshold of the shop they were stopped dead in their tracks by Ron calling out.
" H-Hermione? Blimey is that you? What's going on?" 
Letting out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding Hermione passed a reluctant Lyra to her husband and told him to go ahead and head to the bookstore, she'd catch up in a little while. Watching Draco hesitantly walk away with their daughters she steeled herself for what was almost certainly going to become an argument that she did not want to have in defense of her husband and children. Turning with a smile stuck on her face Hermione greeted Ron.
"Good morning Ron, how has your weekend been so far?" Hermione thought if she didn't call attention to the fact that she was very obviously holding a child not a minute ago that Ron would not open the discussion. Obviously Hermione had put too much stock in this idea because she could see it was the only thing he wanted to talk about. Ron looked about ready to explode, he wasn't an idiot, he very obviously saw her with a man and two children. There were only so many conclusions one could come to when faced with that situation. Ron, however, would find a way to blow it all out of proportion and cause a scene.
To Ron's credit he did take a deep breath before he started talking out of his ass, as always.
"Who was that bloke? Who were those children? Got yourself a new boyfriend did you? Out and about playing house now are you?" Hermione could hardly believe the words coming out of the mouth of someone she considered a friend. She now felt thoroughly insulted because Ron thinks the worst of her, that she's "playing house" as he put it with another man's kids and life. After being married to a cunning Slytherin man for a few years now she has picked up a few lessons in snark and comebacks.
"For your information Ronald, that was, in fact, MY family. My loving husband Draco Malfoy. My darling twin girls Cassiopeia and Lyra. I haven't needed a new boyfriend since the end of 5th year. AND I can be out and about with my family if I so choose Ron Weasley!" With a huff Hermione turned on her heel to walk away ignoring the onlookers who very clearly heard her claiming Draco as her husband. After making it a whole step away from the joke shop she felt a firm grip circle her bicep and pull her backwards. Turning her head she came face to face with a freckled mask of what Hermione could only describe as pure rage.
"Malfoy? Did you just call Malfoy a loving husband?" Spittle flew at her face and she cringed as she tried pulling her arm out of his grasp to no avail. Looking around, Hermione was trying to find someone, anyone, who could help her when her eyes locked with George's from the shop window. She mouthed out a "please help" and he dropped what he was doing with the customer he was with to rush outside. Hermione had never seen Ron get this angry before, not even while wearing the horcruxed locket, it scared her.
"Ron mate. What the hell are you doing? That's Hermione you tosser!" George got in between Ron and Hermione and it forced Ron to release his grip on her bicep, which definitely had a bruise forming already. Hermione backed up a few steps and took out her wand to send a patronus to Draco to come back to the joke shop. As soon as the silky white otter was out of sight she turned angrily towards Ron for a final time.
"You complete immature arsehole Ronald Weasley. I can't believe you just did that to me after I just told you I was happy. I thought you were my friend." Poor George looked confused as to what had transpired between the two friends but continued to stand as a buffer which Hermione was grateful for. Ron opened his mouth, maybe to apologize, maybe to fire more insults towards her family, but whatever it was, she had no desire to hear it.
"What the hell did you do to my wife Weasley?" Draco was just a door down now and closing in fast. With both Cassie and Lyra in his arms he looked like Hermione's own personal superhero and she quickly took Cassie from his arms when he finally reached them. Cuddling her eldest daughter tight she watched her husband give Ron an earful.
"If you ever, and I mean ever, touch my wife again Weasley I will make sure you won't have hands to touch anyone with ever again." Hermione looked at her husband in awe, whenever he got protective of her it was such a turn on. "Now, because my girls are with us today I'll save my more colorful language for when you piss me off next." He took a deep breath before turning himself to the older Weasley brother. "George, nice to see you again, how have you been lately? How's Angelina?"
Draco put his free hand out towards George in a handshake offering and was met warmly by the older Weasley. George also turned and greeted the twins with high fives and smiles, never a judgment to come to pass. Hermione felt a relief at George's continued acceptance of her family. George was the first outside person who had known about the Malfoy family, as he is a huge client of Malfoy industries due to his products using Malfoy potions. He and Angelina have wholeheartedly accepted the pairing and were respectful of the couple's wishes to remain hidden from the public's eye, for now.
Ron had long since left in a huff of anger at George's lack of anger at the new development. Hermione couldn't care less, if he couldn't be happy for the happiness she has found in her new family then he didn't deserve the title of friend. Friends support one another in their endeavors, they don't bring them down and berate them because of old childhood feuds.
"Ok Hermione I have to ask, where did these two sweethearts come from? Last I heard you weren't going to try any time soon." George's question was valid but Hermione felt it a loaded question for the middle of Diagon Alley.
"I'd love to tell you more, George, but it's quite a long story. What if I told it over dinner one night soon? Malfoy Manor?" Hermione was nervous he'd reject the offer but his face wore his signature grin and he gladly accepted with a promise of bringing along Angelina and Fred Jr. as well. "I'll owl you the details George!" Hermione said as her family started to walk away towards the Leaky Cauldron to floo home, thoughts of new books long gone.