Narcissa walked out of Flourish and Blotts with two very happy children and a stack of new books. "Can we get ice Cream before we go home Nana?" Scorpius asked,
"Only if Rose would like to get ice cream. She might prefer to go to the candy shop instead." Rose looked down the street- the candy store was right next door to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes where her father worked. Ice cream was in the other direction. After watching him attack her mother over the weekend she didn't want to be anywhere near the man. Afraid he'd hurt her or Narcissa or Scorpius like he'd hurt her mother.
"I think ice cream." she said firmly. So hand in hand, the three walked down to Florean Fortescue's and got ice cream. They had just sat down with their delights when the shop door swung open again and Rose's face went pale as her father walked over to the counter across from them. She turned away from him toward Scorpius beside her and let her hair fall over her shoulder to obscure her face. Narcissa caught the movement and made the connection instantly, having noted the tall Weasley as well. Leaning across the table she tapped the crown of Rose's head with her wand, turning her auburn curls pale blonde with a nonverbal charm.
"There, now you're a Malfoy dear." She said softly as Rose lifted her hand to her hair. Scorpius grinned at her.
"We're twins!" He laughed, and Rose smiled back at him and relaxed as Ronald Weasley barely glanced at the table where Narcissa Malfoy sat with her blond grandchildren on his way out the door.
"I could be Rosamund Malfoy." Rose giggled once the danger of being spotted was gone. "I wonder what mum will say about my hair." She twisted a curl about her finger.
"I want to know what Dad says." Scorpius added. Narcissa was just glad that the children found it funny.
Finally they finished their ice cream and headed back to the Manor, Rose's hair still charmed blonde and Scorpius calling her 'Rosamund' every chance he got.
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Hermione went straight up to bed to rest while Draco took the time without the kids to take care of some paperwork he'd been avoiding.
"We're back dad!" Draco glanced up and did a solid double take- Two- Yes TWO curly blonde heads stood in front of his desk grinning at him. With her hair the same color as Scorpius' and both of them with those big brown eyes- they could pass as siblings. "What do you think dad?" Rose asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Draco pursed his lips,
"That is what you were wearing this morning right? Did you get new shoes?" He looked her up and down.
"No!" The two said in tandem, laughing. Draco stood up and came round the desk, sitting instead in one of the arm chairs he had set up in front of it. Scorpius immediately leaned against the arm of the chair. "Guess again." He insisted, excited. Rose twisted a curl around a finger.
"Mmmmm" he hummed thoughtfully, "come closer." She stepped up opposite Scorpius and Draco looked between the two of them several times.
"Blonde hair. Curls. Brown eyes. Big grins... Not sure what I'm missing. One Malfoy" he pointed to Scorpius then to Rose, "Two Malfoy's."
Scorpius giggled, "That's what Ronald Weasley saw too."
Draco's eyes hit his son and only long years of practice hiding his emotions kept the smile on his face.
"What happened?"
"We got ice cream after the books, and Rose's dad came in, but Nana turned her hair blonde and he didn't even see her."
Draco turned to Rose, "Are you alright?" he asked taking her small hand in his own,
"I was scared for a minute, but then Nana Cissa fixed my hair and I wasn't scared after that." she said, looking down at their hands.
"Rosamund, your hair is perfect as it was. It's pretty like this too, but you don't have to change who you are or what you look like for anyone, ever. Alright? You just be true to you. We'll love you no matter what." she nodded, tears filling her eyes. Draco hugged her tight. "Have you shown your mother?" he asked after she let go.
"Not yet, Gadsby said she was resting. Nana said it'd wear off before bed." Rose sniffed.
"Well, let's go see what she says." Draco took her hand and the three of them went up to the master suite, talking about the books they'd found.
Hermione was sitting in the window seat reading in the late afternoon sun when Rose and Scorpius came in the open door, "Mum!" They called together. Draco leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed as he watched.
"Well hello my dears. Did you have fun at Flourish and Blotts?" She put her book down and took in the two blonde heads. "You match!" she exclaimed.
"We're Twins!" they said in tandem.
She smiled softly at the children, lifting a hand to Rose's blonde curls. "Nana said the charm would wear off before bed. But I'm Rosamund Malfoy until then." Rose said with a fragile grin. Hermione swallowed back more tears, she'd fled upstairs as soon as they got back and cried for nearly twenty minutes. She wasn't sure she wanted to know why Narcissa had felt like she needed to charm Rose's hair blonde, but she knew it probably had something to do with Ronald. Hermione glanced up at Malfoy who still stood in her bedroom doorway, the question she telegraphed across with her eyes was answered with a slight nod. Definitely something to do with Ronald then.
"Oh!" Scorpius reached into his pocket. "You'll have to unshrink them- but we got you these." He held out his hand and Hermione took the galleon sized books and tapped each with her new wand, returning them to their original size before reading out the titles.
"Advanced wandless magic, Tales of Beedle the bard and-" she choked on the last title, running her hands across the achingly familiar cover of Hogwarts: a History. 2000 edition.
"Nana picked out that one," Scorpius said. As Head Girl and one of the Golden Trio she'd been asked to contribute to the latest chapters about the Battle of Hogwarts and the subsequent rebuilding and return to classes.
"We thought these would be a good start to rebuilding your library." He added. Hermione did start to cry at that.
"Oh, Scorpius. Thank you." She set the books down and hugged the boy tight. "They're wonderful. This was very thoughtful. Thank you so very very much." she sniffed. Draco crossed the room and handed her the second handkerchief of the day. The Malfoy crest was embroidered in the corner of this one. She probably ought to dig out her own from the bottom of her bag if she was going to continue to end up in puddles of tears.
"It's ok, mum." Rose said, wrapping her arms around her mother, and Hermione patted her back as she did her best to catch her breath. "Thank you. This is just too lovely and a bit much at the moment." she sniffed. "Did you have fun in town?"
"We got ice cream after the book store! I got a chocolate sundae, and Scorp got pistachio. I tried it- but it was weird."
"Was not. I like Pistachio Ice cream."
"Well you don't have to worry about sharing it with me." Rose said. Hermione chuckled and Draco grinned.
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Narcissa said her goodbyes before dinner, Scorpius and Rose both begged her to stay. "I'll be back in a few weeks when you start for summer vacation dear." She hugged both of them, then her son. "You behave yourself." She admonished her adult son as if he were the 8 year old.
"As if I would even consider misbehaving, seriously mother." he said, kissing her cheek. She gave him a look that said she knew him too well to believe that, and then pulled Hermione in for a hug as well to her surprise.
"I'm very glad you and Rose are here, darling." she said in Hermione's ear. "You stay as long as you like, it will do these two cavemen good to have some ladies about." She pulled back, keeping her hold on Hermione, "I trust that you and Rose will at least come visit next time I'm in town."
"Of- of course." Hermione stammered, floored by the unexpected maternal affection.
"Good. I wish you luck on all your endeavors darling." Narcissa hugged her hard once more then released her and stepped to the coffee table which held the chipped china cup that was her portkey. "Ready Pipsy?" she addressed the house elf that stood with her bags.
"Yes ma'am" the elf chirped. And the two of them touched the port key and were gone.
"How does pizza and a movie sound for tonight?" Draco asked after a long silence, everyone just kind of staring at the spot where Narcissa had been standing.
Scorpius and Rose both sighed and agreed somewhat sadly. "I don't like when Nana has to go home." Scorpius complained.
That night Draco read chapter two of the children's book, and Rose's hair faded back to its normal auburn by bedtime. Once the children were tucked in for the night, Hermione turned in pretty much right away.
Draco was sitting up reading in his common room when Gadsby popped into the room
"Mr. Potter is here for Ms. Granger, master Draco." He looked up at the elf in surprise then glanced at his watch, it was quarter to ten. Not absurdly late, just late. He sighed, "Bring him up. I'll wake Granger."
Gadsby nodded and disappeared. Draco stood up and knocked on Hermione's door. "Granger." he waited a couple of beats then knocked again, more insistently this time and he finally heard the sound of human life beyond the door. "Granger. Potter is here to see you." he called.
"Harry?" she replied, and a moment later the door swung open and she came out tying the belt of a quilted red and gold housecoat that fell to her ankles. She pulled a silk bonnet off her hair and tossed it back into the room. "Am I presentable?" she asked as she fluffed her curls, and he just stared at her for a minute, lost for words. Aside from the fading bruise on her face she looked breathtaking. He lifted a hand to her face, brushing his fingers across the bruise. He wanted to heal it for her. She looked up at him, eyes surprised at his touch, but she didn't draw away from him.
"You look lovely," he told her. She blushed and looked away, fidgeting with the belt of her robe.
"Thank you. I'd hate to be a bad reflection of your hospitality."
Draco didn't know what to say to that, but there was a knock at the half open door just then and he stepped away from her as Harry Potter let himself into the room. "Hermione!" He crossed the room with long strides and pulled her into a tight hug "Are you alright?" then released her and ran his hands down her arms checking her from head to toe for visible injuries. His hand cupped her face, tilting the bruised cheek into the light. "Ginny told me Ron did this" he brushed a thumb across the worst of the bruising "And then he had the audacity to come to me and claim you'd been having an affair." Hermione looked up into Harry's face, and Draco saw the tears pool in her eyes for the third or fourth time that day. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner- I tried to make it work Harry. I really did. But after this" she covered his hand with her own, "and- and my books" she nearly broke down, "I couldn't stay. I was making plans to leave when Malfoy called. I'm sorry I ran away instead of talking with you- he's your best friend and I wasn't sure you'd believe me." she clutched at the front of his robes and Harry pulled her into his arms again, cradling her against his chest.
"You're my sister, Hermione. I'm so sorry I didn't see how things were going for you sooner." he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, one hand smoothing her hair back from her face as she wrapped her arms about him and just rested in his embrace. "It's been a while since you've worn Gryffindor colors." He commented after a minute.
"Narcissa gave this to me."
"It does look like something she'd pick out."
Draco cleared his throat, "I'll let you two have a moment." He said, excusing himself as he was sure they'd have things they'd need to talk about without him standing there awkwardly.
He checked on Scorpius who was snoring lightly, then peeked in Rose's room. She gasped and dove under the blankets as the door opened.
"Rose, are you sitting up reading?" Draco called softly from the doorway. She moved the blankets off her head and smiled winningly at him in the light of her bedside lamp. "Perhaps." She hedged.
"I'm sure your mother said not to stay up late with your books." He leaned against the door frame,
"It was just getting to the good part." She pulled the book out from under the covers.
"What are you reading tonight?"
"The princess and the goblin. Princess Irene has just met her grandmama, and she has the most wonderful magic."
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Once Draco left Harry turned to Hermione. "I'm exceedingly happy you're safe- and Ginny said you're here because you want to be- but I have to ask, is he forcing you...?" he let the unfinished sentence hang, not quite sure how to say what he was thinking without making her upset. She pushed away from him to see his face better.
"Forcing me to do what? Sleep with him? To stay here?" He had the good grace to blush slightly, embarrassed. "I'm not sleeping with him and he's not forcing me to do anything but allow him to spend his bloody money on me. And to my eternal embarrassment I made a complete fool of myself on the high street about that this afternoon."
Harry couldn't help but chuckle at that. "You have to let people take care of you 'Mione."
She sighed and brushed a bit of invisible lint from the shoulder of his robes, focusing on the embroidered Department of Magical Law Enforcement insignia instead of his face as she calmed down.
"That is essentially what Malfoy said, told me that we were under his protection and that he'd take care of us." Hermione met Harry's bright green eyes, "I won't lie, it's taking some getting used to but it is nice to not have to worry about how I'm going to make ends meet right now."
He took her hand and pulled her into a hug again. "You know we'd take care of you too, Hermione."
"I know Harry– I just- we're settled here." She laid her head against his chest as her arms wound about him, safe in her brother's arms. "Rose adores Scorpius and Draco handles her so well. She's calling Narcissa Nana, and–"
"You don't have to make excuses to me, 'Mione." he pulled back to see her face "I'm not asking you to leave. I'm just happy you're safe and happy here. And I want you to know that you're always welcome with us if you need somewhere else to stay." He brushed a curl from her face, and sighed as the clock struck ten. "I ought to go and let you sleep. I came straight here the minute Ginny told me everything." He pulled her in for one last bone crushing hug, before the two of them headed for the common room door. "I'm one hundred percent on your side with this, Hermione. Ron made some very bad decisions and they're beginning to bite him in the ass." he stepped out to the hall and they began walking back toward the staircase
"I've already sent him the divorce paperwork. Another Malfoy donation to the Granger charity fund." she quipped.
Harry chuckled, "I wonder if he can count that as a tax write-off."
"MacReynolds would know." Hermione smiled at him.
Draco leaned back out of Rose's doorway, and shot a good natured wave at the approaching duo before folding his arms across his chest.
"Is she staying up reading again?" Hermione asked softly as she joined Draco in the doorway.
"The princess and the goblin is apparently a page turner." He half smiled at her as she sighed, some things never changed.
"Mum!" Rose called.
Harry watched as Hermione, distracted by her daughter, brushed a hand across Draco's arm as she moved past him into Rose's room, his hand unconsciously lifting to meet hers for a brief moment.
He took this all in as Draco turned to join him in the corridor, "Thanks for taking care of them." Harry said quietly. Draco shrugged,
"I'm only doing what I can."
"She told me she made a fool of herself this afternoon out at Diagon Alley, I'm sure I'll read all about it in the papers tomorrow." he sighed.
Draco smirked. "I doubt it. I pay good money to keep my family out of the gossip columns," he looked toward Rose's open door where the men could hear Hermione and Rose talking softly "and now hers too." he took a deep breath and shifted his stance slightly, "I don't want this to come across as me threatening you, Potter, because I can see how much she means to you, but for Weasley- if he doesn't sign the papers she sent him by weeks end, I will sell his ass to the media piece by piece until the entire wizarding world knows exactly what he did to her." Draco's voice grew cold and Harry didn't doubt he'd do exactly that.
"Ginny told me about the books, and her face." he stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Did you know about the five miscarriages?" Draco asked carefully as he leaned against the wall near Scorpius' door.
"Of course, but that's not–" Harry shook his head, disbelieving.
"There's a potion. It's common among the pureblood families." Draco said softly, "Purgare utero. Taken any time before the second trimester, it will 'naturally' terminate the pregnancy by 12 weeks." Harry's eyes went wide as he stared at Malfoy.
"He wouldn't." He breathed,
"I believe he did." Draco said firmly,
"Does she–" Harry turned toward the room, "she doesn't know. She couldn't." he spoke mostly to himself
"She has no idea." Draco confirmed, "She'll need to be told one day, but not now."
"God no. It'd kill her." Harry pushed a hand through his hair as he huffed out a sigh, suddenly very, very tired. "I ought to go. It's getting late and I came out here as soon as Ginny told me." he stood for a long moment before he held out a hand to Draco, "thank you again for taking care of her. She needs it, though she won't admit to it." Draco stood straight and shook his hand,
"Rose means a lot to Scorpius, and it's what Stori would have wanted." He dismissed the idea that he had any personal stake in her safety and happiness. He didn't. It was just the right thing to do.
"Well, regardless. Thank you." Hermione stepped out of Rose's room and pulled the door shut behind her.
"What kind of trouble are you planning now, Harry?" She asked as she pulled her dressing gown closer about her.
"Just a little world domination, I think between Malfoy and myself we could afford it, don't you?" He gave her a cheeky grin, she rolled her eyes at him.
"I've had my fill of world domination, thank you very much." Draco tucked his hands in his pockets, "I'd rather stick to my simple domesticity."
Harry's phone buzzed and he pulled it from his pocket. "ah, speaking of domesticity, my wife awaits." He pecked Hermione on the cheek. "I'll see you soon, 'Mione. Malfoy, thanks again. I'll see myself out." He waved as he turned to the stairs, striding away from the two of them.
"Is he always like that?" Draco asked, turning back to Hermione. She smiled lovingly after the tall man she considered a brother.
"Pretty much, so long as he's not in the middle of saving the world." she shrugged and yawned, "Sorry, I'm knackered."
Draco stifled a yawn himself, humming in agreement, and they turned back toward their rooms in mutual exhaustion.
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"Rose!"
"Mum! I'm over here!" The tall green hedge blocked Hermione's path.
"Over here Mione!" Hermione spun, the bright blond head of Scorpius dodged behind the bush.
"Mum!" Rose sang out, "over here!"
"Rose! Come here!"
"Mione!" Scorpius called her from a different direction, his voice changed from laughing to scared,
"Scorpius?" The hedges formed a maze and every direction she turned was a dead end, the sky darkened menacingly. "Rose?" She heard the screech of a crow. "Styx? Where is everyone?"
Hermione was terrifed, she turned another corner, Narcissa stood pale as a ghost- "where's Scorpius?" She asked, breathless with fear. But she received no response from the willowy blonde woman who glided past her, eyes unfocused, face blank.
"Rose! Scorpius!" She yelled again, turning away from Narcissa only to find herself face to face with Ron as large as a giant, looming over her. Rose clutched in one massive hand, Scorpius in the other. Both children limp as ragdolls.
Hermione woke up choking on a scream. She flung herself out of bed and pulled on the red quilted housecoat for the second time that night then made her way silently through the main room and down the hall to check on the children.
Rose was sprawled out like a starfish, snoring lightly. Hermione pulled the blanket up to her shoulders then moved across the hall to check on Scorpius. He had one arm flung above his head, his hair all in his face. He probably ought to have either a haircut or a sleeping bonnet like Rose. Hermione gently repositioned his arm tucking the blanket around him and brushed the curls out of his face. She sighed. Everyone was safe. Her nightmare was just that. A nightmare. She pulled her robe closer about her and headed back to her room.
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Draco dreamed it was the annual yule ball his mother hosted at the Manor every year. But instead of his parents in their glittering finery at the landing, waiting to welcome their guests, it was Astoria with baby Scorpius in her arms smiling down at him as he climbed the stairs, the familiar weight of his formal robes on his shoulders. "Drake!" He turned to see Rose coming up the stairs after him in a black and white party dress, "wait for me!" He held out a hand to her, she took it and they began climbing the stairs together. When he looked back up to Astoria, instead he saw Hermione in a rich green gown hand in hand with Scorpius dressed in black. "Isn't it beautiful, Dad?" Rose asked as they reached the landing and he looked at her again, this time she was grown and looking like Hermione had at the yule ball during the Triwizard tournament all those years ago- blue frock and all.
"The Zabini's are coming aren't they?" Scorpius asked, and he was taller than Hermione now- perhaps in his 6th year, his voice deeper.
"Carmen said she'd make sure to save you a dance." Rose grinned at him, equally grown to her later teenage years- looking so much like her Aunt Ginny but with her mothers firewhiskey eyes and glossy curls.
"Are you still planning on keeping Lysander out of my way so I can actually speak with her this time?" Scorp drawled,
"Are you still planning on simply 'speaking'?" She shot him a cheeky grin and his cheeks went pink- his suave facade failing.
"Shut up."
"Rosamund. Stop teasing your brother." Hermione admonished before turning bright eyes up at him "Happy Christmas," Her smiling face morphed back into Astoria's mid sentence. "Love, Let me go." she said softly, her eyes sad, her hand drifting to his face- "let me go."
Draco lay staring at the ceiling for a long time after he woke from that dream attempting to parse out what his subconscious was trying to tell him, before he decided he wasn't getting back to sleep. He rolled out of bed and pulled his housecoat on. Seven and a half years. He'd gotten help, learned to live with his grief. He'd not dreamt of her in months. But having Granger and Rose in the house kept bringing Astoria to mind. "Let me go Drake." the breath of the whispered memory raised the hair on the back of his neck. The wafting scent of rosemary from who knew where put a lump in his throat. Astoria had always smelled of rosemary and mint. He swallowed thickly. It was 4am, and he was 100% going to slam a double espresso and a shot of firewhiskey and see what he could get done with his work load before the rest of the house got up.