Domestic Wizardry (Dramione)

Chapter 13: Summer is for dancing

Both of their lives would be very different if Astoria sat in that chair across from him.

"I think she would be happy that you're here." He said finally.

Hermione hummed in agreement, then sat up and sighed deeply, "I'm going to turn in. Goodnight Draco." he looked up as she walked past the empty chair he'd imagined Astoria sitting in. "Goodnight Hermione."

~~~~

"There's Aunt Luna!" Scorpius called out to Rose as the two children took off across the muggle playground at a dead run, Hermione following behind them at a more sensible pace.

She dropped onto the bench beside Luna with a heavy sigh. "I got your favorite- iced caramel macchiato- extra caramel, and an extra shot of espresso to get you through the first Monday off school." Luna said, handing Hermione the plastic cup. "Bless you." Hermione breathed, wrapping her hands about the cold drink. "These two have been up since the crack of dawn. It's like they think they're going to miss out on their summer break or something."

Luna laughed.

"How was the visit with Narcissa and Lucius over the weekend?" she asked as Hermione took a long pull from the cup.

"It went surprisingly well. Lucius was actually more than half civil, and Narcissa and I went shopping Saturday while the men took the children to Gin's Quidditch game with Harry."

"Oh, I love shopping with Narcissa, did you find anything interesting?"

"It was mostly for new robes for work. But we also stopped by this old bookstore in Devon as well. I'd never been there before and the proprietor was an older fellow who reminded me of your father- in a good way." Hermione said, taking another sip of the sweet caramel goodness.

"Could have been my fathers cousin Tiberius, he lives over that way I think." Luna tilted her head to the side, eyes scanning the playset for the children. "Carmen!" Luna called out, "Don't eat the mulch dear." Hermione spotted Carmen at the bottom of a slide as she dropped the handful of mulch and grinned at her mother.

"I think the last name was Goldletter?" Hermione offered as she too took stock of where the kids were, Rose and Scorpius appeared to be playing tag with Lysander and another child.

"Oh yes. That's him. I haven't seen him in ages. But anyway, what books did you find?"

"Narcissa was after finding another copy of this one particular history text that I've been using quite a bit at home, so I could have my own to take with me when we leave for Hogwarts."

"That's just like her."

There was a Valkyrie shriek across the playground that set Hermione's motherly intuition on high alert and she stood up to see more clearly, only to spot Rose cornering a boy a full head taller than she was.

"Be right back, Luna." Hermione excused herself and took off toward her daughter, eyes automatically searching for Scorpius and Lysander as well. She spotted the two boys on the ground, Lysander helping Scorpius to his feet as she came close enough to hear what Rose was saying

"-and you leave my brother alone or you'll have to deal with me." she said menacingly, poking the taller boy in the chest with a finger as he looked down at her with wide, scared eyes.

"Children. What happened?" Hermione asked and Rose glanced over her shoulder at her mother.

"This Ponce decided it'd be a great idea to insult Lysander for his parentage." Rose said shortly, her words clipped like Draco's when he was angry, which she had to have picked up from Scorpius as Draco hadn't said a cross word to either of the children since they'd moved in.