Hermione Granger-Weasley sat down at the table in the kitchen as her daughter dug into the apple crisp she'd made that afternoon.
"Rose. You know that what your father did yesterday was wrong, right?" She had glamoured the bruise on her face as well as she could to try and temper the fear she knew her daughter must feel.
Rose didn't look up from her plate, but her fork stilled.
"yeah. He scared me." She said softly. Hermione reached out and covered Rose's hand with her own, squeezing her fingers gently.
"I'm sorry that you saw that."
"I'm not." Rose looked up at her mother, a righteous anger burning in her eyes. "I don't want him to hurt you mum!"
Hermione smiled at her fierce little daughter. "Thank you, darling. I don't want him to hurt either of us." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Because he chose to do that this weekend, and because he's been doing other things that aren't right for a rather long time, I've decided that you and I are going to be finding a new place to live." She was careful to be firm and matter of fact- gently occluding and blocking the worst of the fear that simmered in the depths of her heart. There was no reason for that to spill over into her daughter's young heart any more than it already had.
Rose's eyes went wide
"Without dad?"
"Yes. Without your father. He's shown that he doesn't care if we're here or not, so we're not going to stay and let him hurt us any more." Hermione laced her fingers together on the table top.
"Where are we going to go?" Rose asked, ever the problem solver like her mother "Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry's? Uncle Bill's?"
"I don't know yet. I've just decided today and I wanted you to know just in case we have to leave quickly. But we can't tell your father that we're leaving."
Rose nodded. "Of course mum." She knew that there were things she couldn't tell dad or he'd get very very angry. Things like how Scorpius Malfoy was her best friend in the whole world.
Hermione's cell phone began to ring. She picked it up and looked at the number. Wiltshire. Luna Zabini had probably lost her phone again. She muted it and laid it down. If it was Luna on a borrowed line she could call Ginny. "I've collected a few of our more important things so if we have to leave quickly at any point we can. I need you to go through your things tonight and bring me anything you definitely don't want to leave behind alright? We won't be able to take everything with us." Hermione's heart ached at the thought of all the books she didn't have to worry about packing up any more, but she slammed the door on those thoughts. She would have to deal with that pain at a later date.
"Alright mum."
The phone began ringing again. Hermione flipped it over. Same number as before. She let it go to voicemail again.
"Mum, I showed Scorpius what happened this weekend over lunch."
Hermione looked at her daughter, who put her fork down. Metal clinking against ceramic. "We were talking about our weekends in class and I lied when the teacher asked what our families had done. I didn't want to have to explain to everyone. So I said we'd gone to the library. And Scorp wanted to know what books we'd got and all I could think about was how dad burned them all." The phone began ringing a third time, the tones almost seeming to become more insistent.
Wiltshire.
Scorpius Malfoy and his father lived in Wiltshire.
Hermione felt a tiny spike of panic worm out of the occlusion that held her almost numb to the fear that by rights ought to be making her hands shake and her heart pound. "Hold on Rose- I think I need to take this." She picked it up with falsely steady hands and answered it this time.
The first time Draco was sent to voicemail he was relieved to hear her voice fill in her name "you've reached the voice mailbox of"
"Hermione Granger-Weasley"
"Please leave a message after the tone." He had the right number anyway.
He hadn't bothered leaving a message, instead he hung up and tapped redial. The second time he didn't leave a message either.
If she didn't pick up this third time Draco wasn't quite sure what he was going to do. He could floo to the ministry and demand to speak with Harry Potter. Surely he'd take issue with his best friend abusing his wife. The phone rang. And rang. And just when he was sure he'd be sent to voicemail again–
"Hello?"
"Granger, thank Salazar you picked up." He knew he sounded breathless- he felt breathless.
"Hello Malfoy."
Draco couldn't tell what she was thinking with those two words, her voice was guarded, but not cold. He wondered how she had known it was him.
"I know it's strange my calling you like this but my son is in class with your daughter and he's afraid-" Draco stuttered "I'm worried–" He scrubbed his hand across his face, he was screwing this all up. "Would you and Rose come stay a few days? Rose and Scorpius talked about what happened at your place this weekend."
Hermione leaned back in her seat, her eyes caught unseeing on the kitchen clock to her left- it's second hand ticking along. This was the last thing she would have ever expected. Her last interaction with the family had been the letter she'd received after Astoria Malfoy's death. A simple thank you in response to the condolences she had sent.
She knew Malfoy had outgrown the pureblood surpremecy shite he'd believed as a teen, she'd seen that much during Astoria's pregnancy with Scorpius and their short lived friendship after the children were born. Her husband, Ronald, had found out about their friendship somehow and had insisted she cut ties with the younger woman. Astoria had been confined to her bed about that time and the friendship had fizzled out before the young mother's tragic passing.
Rose talked about 'Scorp' constantly, though Hermione had warned her against mentioning the young Malfoy boy around her father, Scorpius was her best friend. "They talked?" she glanced at Rose,
"Is it Scorpius's dad?" she whispered. Hermione nodded.
"Yes Granger. I believe they do that often." There was the snarky Malfoy she remembered, "sorry- that was unnecessary." He apologized, Hermione blinked.
He'd apologized. "Please Granger. I don't think you're safe where you are." He was nearly pleading with her.
Hermione choked back a shocked laugh. They definitely weren't safe where they were. She'd just been talking with Rose about leaving and here it was- Draco Malfoy was offering her a place to stay. If she were honest she'd rather move in with the Malfoys until she could get her feet under her than stay with any of her in-laws- none of them knew what was going on anyway. She hadn't told anyone what Ronald had been doing and wasn't sure they'd believe her enough to protect them from him.
"Rose, what do you think about staying at Scorpius's house for a bit?"
the girl lit up, "Shall I get my things right now?" she asked hopefully, Hermione nodded and Rose jumped up but stayed in the room, wanting to hear the rest of the conversation.
"We've got maybe thirty minutes before Ronald is supposed to get home, Malfoy. " If he came home instead of going straight to his paramour. But she wasn't going to risk it. "Does that work for you?"
"The floo is open. Malfoy Manor. My mother is here as well."
"We'll be there in fifteen minutes, if we're not it's No. 15 Terriers Court, Devon. If you come, come armed." She stuffed the phone in her apron pocket, but didn't hang up. "Rose, let's get your things, we're leaving." She said calmly as she headed toward the sitting room to unlock the floo.
Draco stayed on the line as he made his way down to the traveling room at the front of the house. He'd given her the call for the main floo, not the one in his office. He ran into his mother and Scorpius on the way and paused, twisting the phone away from his mouth but keeping it at his ear as he spoke quietly, "Mother, Granger and her daughter are on their way- can you-"
"It's already done, my dragon. Scorpius told me. We're on our way to the guest wing now." She dropped a hand to his arm giving it a light squeeze, "you really need a proper housekeeper though, darling. How on earth do you manage to entertain at all without a woman in the house?" She said equally softly,
"I don't 'entertain'." He heard Rose say something on the other side of the phone as Hermione gathered things calmly, and saluted his mother as he continued on to the traveling room.
Hermione glanced at her watch- it had been nearly ten minutes. "Get your school things too, sweetheart. Quickly,"
"Granger." Draco called, and the phone was out of her pocket and at her ear again, "just bring what can't be replaced. Don't waste time on the rest."
"Malfoy- that's not..." he heard a door slam shut. "Shit." She hissed,
"'Mione?" The woman's voice on the other end was muffled as the phone dropped back into her pocket.
"Ginny!" Her voice was oddly bright
"Hermione– what's going on?"
"We were just on our way out, Rose left her flute at school."
"Isn't that it on the table? And what happened to all your books?"
Draco glanced at his watch- he still had two minutes left of her fifteen. He decided to wait it out, pacing nervously before the fireplace that stood a good 7ft tall and 6ft wide. He wasn't sure why he was so wound up over this. He and Granger weren't actually friends. But the stories of the domestic violence he'd heard from his friends growing up, the things Astoria had told him about her own family- the way he'd felt unsafe in his own home during the late war... he couldn't stomach anyone he knew living in those conditions if he could help it. Even if he really barely knew them. Even if they had been enemies.
The women's voices were distant but he could hear them well enough.
"Your brother burned them all Saturday. I'm leaving Ginny. Rose and I are leaving, right now. Swear you won't tell him where I've gone."
"What? Hermione! He burned them?"
"Swear, Ginevra." Draco heard steel in her voice.
"I swear."
The fifteen minutes were up and Draco stepped through the floo into the Granger-Weasley's front room.
"Where are you going to go 'Mione?" Ginny gripped Hermione's arm as the older woman pulled her wedding rings off.
"She's going with me."
Ginny Potter looked up, shocked at his sudden presence, Hermione felt only relief. The door was wide open for her to leave and she was going through it as quickly as she possibly could.
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" the red head snapped, wand instantly in her hand. Hermione felt the spike of Ginny's magic. She might not have her wand anymore, but she still had her magic and she'd only gotten stronger and more aware of it since Ron took her wand. One thing she had found was that she could sense the magic welling in the people around her when their emotions ran strong. Draco's magical presence was subdued compared to the flare of Ginny's anger.
"Protecting my son's best friend." he replied coolly.
Rose walked into the room then, clutching a lumpy pillowcase. Her backpack slung across one shoulder.
"Hi Mr. Malfoy." she said, they'd never officially met before, but he was sure Scorpius had shared memories of him. "Hi Rose. You ready to go, Sunshine?" he replied, smiling gently down at the young girl. She looked just like Hermione had first year- only her hair had more red in it, and the curls were better tended than Hermione's had ever been at school.
"Yeah." she slipped her small hand into his and Draco looked over at the two women he'd gone to school with. Hermione looked thin and tired. Ginny glared at him.
"What do you think you're doing, Malfoy?"
"I already told you, Mrs. Potter."
"Protecting Rose from what?" Ginny half raised her wand and Draco instinctively stepped between Rose and her aunt as Hermione grabbed Ginny's wrist, yanking her hand away from Draco and Rose.
"From having to see her father strike her mother ever again." He tempered his voice as best he could, not wanting to scare Rose.
Ginny Potter's face went pale as she turned on Hermione, eyes wide, "he hit you?" There was uncertainty in Hermione's eyes as Ginny's hold on her got tighter. The two women still gripped each other, almost as if they'd start to grapple in a second. But then Hermione looked away, shame and fear coloring her face as she released Ginny's wand hand and tried to step away from her.
"Ginny, you're hurting me." she said her voice shaking slightly, Ginny let go of her instantly.
"Sorry Mione- but tell me what's been happening! How long has this been going on? Why didn't you tell us?"
Hermione glanced at the door, worry on her face, her mouth opened and shut again.
"Granger?" Draco said gently, she glanced at him and then at the clock- she'd said thirty minutes. It'd been over twenty. He held his hand out to her, "let's go."
She hesitated only slightly, then took his hand. Hers was shaking. She looked at Ginny again, then squeezed Draco's hand before meeting his eyes and letting go.
"Take Rose through, I'm right behind you." He nodded, then grabbing a fist full of floo powder from the jar on the mantle, he and Rose stepped into the fireplace.
"Malfoy Manor" he called, throwing down the floo powder.
Hermione returned to her sister in law and pressed her wedding rings into Ginny's hand, "Tell your ass of a brother he can enjoy his evening with Theodore Nott's wife. I'll be in touch." and she grabbed Rose's flute from the table and the small beaded bag off the mantle, Ginny snagged her wrist again just as she stepped into the floo, the powder still in hand.
"But why Malfoy? You could stay with us."
"He gave me an out, and I'm taking it. I don't want to put you in the position of having to cut your brother off Gin. I'll owl you, we'll talk once I've figured out what I'm going to do about Ronald. Now let me go before he gets home please!" Hermione begged, Ginny dropped her hold on her, the desperate tone of Hermione's voice shaking her.
"Alright just promise you'll call once you're settled, and don't stay if you don't feel safe."
"I won't. I promise. I'll be in touch." Then Hermione threw the powder down, calling out for Malfoy Manor.
Hermione ducked instinctively and unnecessarily as she stepped out of the floo into the Malfoy's traveling room. She looked around as she dusted herself off, taking in the soothing greens and whites that highlighted the room. Glossy tiles on the floor and warm wood wainscoting on the walls. A bench ran around two thirds of the room and another wall held a rack and hooks for coats and cloaks.
"Would madame like Gadsby to take your things?"
Hermione jumped at the sound of a house elf's voice and glanced around to locate the small creature. An older (though not elderly) male house elf stood in front of her, dressed in a smart grey suit, with a cream green tie and waistcoat, the Malfoy crest embroidered in silver, green, and black on his lapel.
"Oh! No, thank you." She responded, clutching the beaded bag close to her body. She had nothing against well treated house elves, but the bag was one she didn't want to let out of her sight just yet.
"That's alright Gadsby, can you please inform my mother our guests have arrived?" Draco said, running a hand along the floo to lock it for the time being. The last thing he wanted was for Ronald Weasley to show up uninvited just now. He turned to his guests, Rose was clinging to her mother now. Before he could figure out what to say the main door was flung open with a bang that made Rose jump and shriek. Scorpius came running into the traveling room "Rose!!"
The young girl let go of her mother and turned to his son. "Scorpius!!"
The two met in the middle of the room, Rose was the same height but with the added weight of her backpack she nearly bowled Scorpius over with the impact of her embrace.
"Rose, be careful, love." Hermione called as she collected the discarded pillow case that Draco assumed probably held a small collection of toys.
"Come see the room Nana and I picked out for you!" Scorpius dragged Rose after him into the main part of the house. But she pulled back, turning to look at her mother.
"Go on darling, just come let me know before you go outside please." Hermione knew she'd be safe inside, and some part of her knew even the grounds would be as well warded as Hogwarts had been.
"yes mum."
"Eh!" Draco called, and Scorpius spun, "no brooms without supervision."
"Yessir!" Scorpius replied, flashing a quicksilver grin at his father, and the kids were gone. Hermione sighed and straightened her shoulders, her arms full of all that was left of their lives. "Here Granger, let Gadsby take that up to the playroom." The elf was by her heels again a heartbeat later, small arms open for the case of stuffed animals.
"Thank you." She carefully handed the improvised luggage to the elf who nodded and disappeared with a pop.
"Are you ready to go in?" Draco had drifted to her side without realizing it, and was surprised as she was when she looked up and found him standing so close.
"Oh, yes, thank you. I suppose we ought. The children are probably running all over the house terrorizing your mother." Her ability to just roll with the punches was impressive.
They walked together from the traveling room along the portico to the front entrance of the manor. The tall dark wood doors stood open as Scorpius had expected his father to be right behind him.
Hermione gasped as she took in the foyer at Malfoy Manor. It was bright and welcoming in shades of green and cream and gold- nothing like the depressing black tile and walls she remembered from a decade past. Narcissa Malfoy was just reaching the bottom of the stairs as they came in, "Mrs. Granger-Weasley." she said, acknowledging Hermione cordially, almost making her feel like she ought to curtsy. She blamed the damn summer dress she was wearing.
"Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you for allowing us to stay here."
"Oh don't thank me." Narcissa waved a hand breezily "This is Draco's home, I'm only visiting this week dear."
Hermione flushed with embarrassment and glanced at the tall blond man beside her. He cleared his throat, his face also flushed,
"Sorry, this was all rather quick- perhaps some tea or coffee? In the kitchen?" He knew she'd likely be more comfortable there than the formal parlor, and his preferred relaxed hosting space was the conservatory- which although it had been built in the gutted remains of the original parlor- was still the same physical space where his aunt had tried to murder her some ten years prior.
Draco's house elf, Maudsley, popped up on the counter as they entered the kitchen. "Master Draco! Can I help with anything sir?"
"Thank you Maudsley, but not at the moment. We will have Mrs. Hermione Granger-Weasley and her daughter Rose with us for the foreseeable future though." He turned to Hermione, "do either of you have any dietary preferences or restrictions?"
"Rose and I are both allergic to shellfish, but that's all. Oh and she's not fond of olives." Draco chuckled as he pulled some mugs from the cabinet above the coffee pot.
"Scorpius won't eat them unless they're on a pizza." For some reason Hermione couldn't imagine the Malfoy's ordering pizza; it was such a mundane muggle thing, ordering pizza. The idea of some spotty teenage pizza delivery boy staring up at the massive manor house with a large pepperoni pizza and an order of breadsticks in his insulated pizza bag was almost ludicrous. "Tea or coffee?" Draco asked
"Coffee please." she sighed and set her bag and Rose's flute down on the counter, dropping onto a stool at the bar across from where he worked.
"Mother?"
"Tea, thank you Draco." Hermione hadn't realized Narcissa was still there and jumped slightly as the older woman settled gracefully next to her.
"I have selected rooms for you and Rose, both in the family wing with Draco and Scorpius, and in the guest wing on the other side of the house. You're welcome to choose whichever you're most comfortable in." Narcissa said to Hermione gently as Draco worked.
"Oh- um, it doesn't matter to me." she folded her hands in her lap and Draco actually looked at her for the first time since he'd seen her in Rose's memory. She looked tired and had a poorly glamoured bruise on her cheek from where her husband had struck her. She wore a faded summer house dress complete with a white apron. It seemed just like something the weasel would foist upon her, 'here be a good little housewife and keep to the kitchen.' He was surprised they'd only had one child. Scorpius and Rose came dashing into the kitchen through the back staircase,
"and we have a butlers pantry and a secret staircase over here. It's my favorite. Oh! Hey dad." he brushed past his father who skimmed a hand over his hair affectionately as the boy was instantly distracted by his grandmother, he stopped at her knee and took her arm in his small hands, "nana! Can I show Rose your jewelry box? It's so pretty." Narcissa smiled down at the young boy who reminded her so much of how Draco had been as a child.
"Ask Gadsby to bring it down and the two of you can sit at the table and go through it." Hermione's eyes widened- she knew that the contents of Narcissa Malfoy's jewelry box had to be worth more than her house and the entire contents thereof even before Ronald had destroyed her library.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she gasped,
"Of course, dear." Narcissa said as Scorpius politely asked another house elf to fetch the box. "It's highly educational." In another minute Scorpius and Rose were settled at the table with an ornate box which Narcissa opened for them after they'd washed their hands. "And there's the book, Scorpius." she said, laying a small volume down by the boy's elbow.
"Thanks nana." he flashed a grin up at his grandmother then turned to start going through the box with Rose who was exclaiming over all the beautiful pieces. Scorpius showed Rose how each piece was listed in the small book with all the information about it. Draco placed a cup of coffee in front of Hermione, the cream and sugar between the three of them.
"Granger. I— what made you so quick to agree to come?" He asked as she turned back to him and stirred some cream into her coffee. She glanced up at him. "I was expecting you to tell me to go to hell." He finished.
"It was the books." She took a deep shaky breath, angry tears flooding her eyes "I can forgive everything else he's ever done to me. But not my books." She clenched her jaw and clutched at the coffee mug, looking down into the lights reflected in the surface of the dark liquid.
Narcissa put a hand on her arm as Draco pulled a fine cambric handkerchief from his pocket and Hermione realized she was crying again.
"I have no idea what we're going to do now, Malfoy." She took the proffered handkerchief.
"You're welcome to stay here as long as you like. We've plenty of space." he assured her.
She sniffed and wiped at her eyes with the soft fabric. It smelled like fresh pine wood and Bergamot. She huffed out a sigh, trying to pull herself together. The sharp citrus scent dragging her back to earth. She swallowed.
"Thank you. I had been planning on leaving him as soon as I could figure out where to go and what to do. So when you called..." she shrugged.
"It was the open door you were looking for." Draco said softly, she nodded and took a sip of the hot creamy coffee. Hermione glanced over her shoulder at the two children going through Narcissa's jewelry box, the two curly heads bent over the book reading the histories of the pieces to each other. Rose got up after a minute and came over to Hermione, "mum, I'm hungry." She laid her head on Hermione's shoulder which was at just the right height for her. Before Hermione could respond, Maudsley was there with a tray of delights for the children and adults alike. Rose jumped with a tiny squeak. "That's just Mauds, Rose." Scorpius said, joining his friend and snagging a ginger snap. "She makes the most amazing biscuits!"
"Would miss Rose like a butterscotch crinkle?" The house elf asked, proffering the tray. Rose looked wide eyed at her mother who nodded encouragingly. Draco leaned across the counter past Hermione, using his superior height and arm length to snatch a piece of chocolate covered shortbread. The elf eyed him indulgently while Narcissa huffed, "Draco, have your manners completely deserted you?" He grinned at her as he savored the shortbread, merely leaning against the counter now instead of lounging across it.
"Maudsley's shortbread is worth any faux pas mother. Also, my kitchen, my rules." He waved the tray toward Hermione, "help yourself Granger, before the sprogs make off with the lot of it." She hesitantly took a piece of shortbread and then one of the butterscotch crinkles that Rose was piling onto a napkin. "These are the best!" the little girl said appreciatively around a half chewed bite.
"Don't get greedy, Rose, you'll ruin your dinner."
"What should we do for dinner?" Draco asked, eyeing Scorpius who turned an excited look from his father to his friend, Hermione saw the look change on Rose's face and knew they had to be using legilimency. Merlin, she hoped they didn't do that during tests at school. The two youngsters turned to Draco and said "Nandos." In perfect sync. "And ice cream." Scorpius added.
"How does that sound to you, Granger? Mother?"
"I've dinner plans with your aunt Andromeda tonight darling." Narcissa waved her son off, Rose latched onto Hermione's arm, making puppy dog eyes at her mother as she took her time considering. Hermione finally cracked, "Nando's is fine, Malfoy."
Rose squealed and Draco winced as the high-pitch noise echoed through the massive kitchen. Hermione couldn't help but grin as the two kids took off to another part of the house only to be called back by Draco to put the Jewelry box to rights. Once they were gone again, Narcissa excused herself to change before her meeting with Andromeda, leaving Hermione and Draco by themselves in the kitchen. Hermione enjoyed the shortbread as he pulled his cellphone from his pocket and dialed the number for the local Nando's from memory.
"How spicy do you and Rose like yours?"
"Medium. Rose likes their lemon herb." Draco nodded and ordered. Hermione watched him. He wore blue jeans and a deep teal henley shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His dark mark was gone, though she could see some silvered scarring on his arm that made her think he'd somehow found a way to remove it permanently rather than simply hiding it with a glamour charm.
The chicken ordered, they had about twenty minutes before he'd need to go get it. He set the phone down on the counter and took another drink of his coffee, "I know you left your rings- are you planning on actually divorcing him?" He asked after a long silence. Hermione sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging as she leaned on her elbows. "I've got a little money, but not enough to hire a solicitor."
"Granger." She didn't look up. "Hermione." That got her to meet his eyes, "I have the resources to help if you'll let me. My family solicitor can come by tomorrow, or we can go by the office if you'd rather. You can stay here as long as you like. Or if you'd rather not stay here at the manor, I've a collection of homes across Britain, you can have your pick. There's a particularly beautiful penthouse on the Thames–"
"That's not necessary, Malfoy." Hermione cut him off before he could start listing off apartments like an estate agent. "I'm sure Rose has already unpacked her things and made herself quite at home. We'll stay at least until I can find work that will support us." Draco felt himself relax at this. They'd be safe. His next thought was for the rooms his mother and Scorpius had chosen.
"Knowing Scorpius, she's probably in the room next to his." he warned, Hermione shrugged,
"That's fine. It'll be good for her to be near others she trusts. It's been a rather traumatizing few weeks." she covered her face with her hands and sighed as her mind ran through all that had led her to this point, "Why did this have to happen to me? My life was just fine- and then- then this! He planned this!" She pounded fists on the counter, "he tricked me into that damn unbreakable vow, then took my wand, and when that didn't work he went after my books. "
"He tricked you into an unbreakable vow?" Hermione didn't look at him. She couldn't handle the judgment she knew she'd find in his eyes.
"I was a bit drunk and he convinced me to vow not to use my magic against him a few months ago," she wilted against the counter, hands covering her face. "Just before I found out he was swivving Daphne Nott."
"Well shit." Malfoy said, shocked, "and you stayed even after that? You didn't swear you'd never leave him I hope."
"Of course not." She snapped, then stopped and took a deep breath. She felt so out of control and she hated it. "I was just naive enough to think he'd stop seeing her eventually- and too much of a coward to destroy my entire family by leaving him." She was cold now, drained. "and now I've done just that."
"Granger. He did that when he decided the grass was greener at Notts house."
"Oh ha ha." She didn't move from her dejected position despite his terrible pun on the Greengrass family name. His wife had been Daphne's younger sister.
"If he thinks my shrew of a sister in law is better than you in any way, he's worse than a fool."
She shrugged as she looked down at her hands now wrapped around the cooling coffee mug. She knew Daphne Greengrass Nott was everything she wasn't, physically at least. Trim and sleek where she had become tired and frizzy. Probably a better lay as well– especially since Hermione had refused to fulfill that marital duty the minute she'd found out he'd been sleeping around. She refused to risk her own health for him to bring home some idiotic STD. She ran her thumb along her ring finger, the pale skin there and the odd lightness of her hand made her chest feel tight. Ron would be supremely pissed when Ginny gave those to him– or when he found them if Ginny left before he got home. At least staying with Malfoy she'd have the benefit of generations of wards, some of which were probably already in place against her blood traitor husband. She might actually be able to sleep at night. "A meeting with the solicitor would be very helpful." she said finally, looking up from where she now rested a cheek on her fist.
"I'll owl him to come by tomorrow." Draco shifted, collecting his mothers cup and placing it beside his own. "I think you ought to keep Rose home from school until you can get some sort of custody arrangement in place- I could see Weasley picking her up from campus without telling you."
Hermione sighed,
"That's probably wise. She'll whine about the forced vacation though, she loves school."
Draco chuckled, "I wouldn't expect anything less from a Granger. I'll keep Scorp home too, they can do their work together in the library." His phone went off and he checked that his wand was in his pocket, "I'll be back in a few if you want to collect the children, Scorpius can get the table set."
"Alright. Thank you, Malfoy."
"I'm glad to help in any way I can Granger." And he disapparated with a loud pop.