Cafe

Chapter 25

Hermione and Draco arrived at her flat late that Christmas night** and they were both tired and wanting to go to bed, but Hermione wasn't going to forget about Draco's sad look from earlier that easily. She waited a bit, and when they had gotten ready and into bed, she decided to ask him. 

"Draco, why were you so upset earlier?"

Draco sighed and leaned back, looking at the ceiling, not daring enough to make eye contact with Hermione. It was the thing that he had always wanted and known that he could never have, and it was hard to admit that to himself, let alone someone else. 

"You can tell me anything, darling, you know that, don't you?"

"I know Hermione; it is just that I have never spoken this aloud to anyone."

Hermione waited for what seemed close to an hour in silence before she finally heard Draco start to speak again. 

"Sitting at dinner, it just brought back desires that I have always wanted, and I know that I will never get them." 

"Like what, Draco?" Hermione was trying not to rack her brain for answers, but instead, she tried to be there for him. 

"Ever since I was little, I had always envied those who had a large family. Siblings that grew up together and shared a bond that I will never know. I have always, for as long as I can remember, wanted a large family, and I know that I will never have one,"

"Why won't you have one, dear? Who said you couldn't have one?"

"It is just that Malfoy's have one son. It is just the way that it had been for as long as I can remember. Looking back on our family. It is just how it is,"

"Well, there is no reason that you can't change that. You changed how you view the wizarding world; what is to say that you can't change how many children the Malfoy line carries on."

"Well, what if I cannot? Then my child will be just as lonely as I was,"

"Well,' Hermione was trying to think of the best way to word this, "Perhaps your ancestors were just marrying and having children with the wrong people," 

Draco looked up, astonished by what Hermione had just said. She was looking at him like it was the obvious answer that maybe if they hadn't been only marrying purebloods, then maybe something would be different. But also, she was looking at him like she could be the key to his dream. He was trying to read the expression on her face, trying to understand what she was thinking. 

"Hermione?" Draco wasn't sure what he wanted to ask her, but he felt 100 questions rush into his mind simultaneously as he said her name.

"Draco, you know that I love you, right?"

"Yes,"

"Well, I am not going to hide the fact that I wouldn't move in with you unless I saw this going somewhere. I want a future with you. I don't think that is coming as a surprise to you. I want you to know that I want a large family as well. We can make it happen, Draco. There are plenty of ways that we can make that happen."

Draco was speechless. He just pulled her into his lap and kissed her lovingly. That was all he needed to say right now. 

When Hermione woke up the next morning, a great idea hit her suddenly. It would be New Year's Eve in less than a week, but she felt compelled to throw a party at her flat with her friends. She thought it would be a nice thing to do before she started her new position. Who knew how much time it would steal from her once again. Though she was determined not to let it control her life, she wanted to succeed in the position.