Peeking into the room like it was used to, the sun illuminated the emerald-decorated master bedroom with pleasure of seeing the owner in another mishap so early in the day. Not disappointed one bit, the sun flashed its rays on Draco Malfoy's glare as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest.
A loud giggle echoed in the room.
Another second ticked on the clock, signaling his loss of time and patience. He inhaled deeply to steady his anger before saying through gritted teeth, "This will be far more painful than you can ever imagine."
Plop.
Draco narrowed his silver eyes as a large stream of liquid fell from his ceiling, damping the metallic bedding that had been washed the previous night.
"That's it!" His patience was done for. He pulled his neck back, facing the ceiling. "Demetria Malfoy, if you do not come down here right this second I will curse you back into your mother's womb!"
Another loud giggle broke through the room. A blonde, chubby, beautiful toddler stared at Draco upside down from her place on the ceiling. She was on all fours, the lid of her bottle still clutched between her teeth as the actual bottle that contained her milk was discarded on her parents' bed. There went her breakfast; Demi was perfectly capable of understanding she would not be getting a new, warm bottle after this.
"Demetria—Wait! Okay, no, no!" Draco's would-be hiss was cut short as panic pounded into his chest as his child waved a pink palm at him, letting go of her unsafe, but still safe hold on the ceiling. "Demi, no! Do not let go of that bloody ceiling, do you hear me?"
Demi opened her mouth, the lid falling from her mouth, and gurgled. Her brown eyes glittered with mirth.
"How did my morning end up like this?" Draco contemplated to himself with his eyes still fixed on his two year-old daughter. "Being woken by that bloody beeping contraption, no breakfast, no trousers," he glanced down at himself, frowning at his black boxers, "finding my daughter dangling in the air, my wand in her pocket..."
He stopped before his anger intensified. It was impossible for things to get worse.
"Morning, mate!"
At the voice that now echoed in his bedroom, Draco knew that somewhere in hell his Aunt Bella was laughing hysterically at his luck. Draco was close to banging his head on a wall to welcome unconsciousness.
"Oi, Demi, what are you doing?"
Cursing silently, Draco rubbed his temples in hopes his headache would dissolve. "She's hanging from the bloody ceiling, you idiot. What do you think she's doing?"
"I'm guessing she knicked those MoonSocks from Weasley when Ginny took her to the shop yesterday, eh?" Blaise waved a dark palm at the baby. "Kids. They do the darnest things."
Draco made sure his daughter still had her hands on the ceiling and her little feet—coated in the brightest of yellow material—were still firmly on it too as he turned to glare at Blaise. "I'm glad you're having a pleasant morning, Zabini. Couldn't be happier that Cho let you two give it a go before you came here, honestly. But could you please get Demetria off the blasted ceiling before her mother murders me?"
"Can you really tell?" Blaise chuckled more, completely oblivious to his friend's deep irritation as he blushed lightly, pulling out his wand to point it above his head. "It's the glow, isn't it? Yeah, mate, I get rather peachy-looking when I've satisfactorily completed my husbandly duties."
Trying not to gag or just plain sucker-punch Blaise on the head, Draco outstretched his arms as the words 'Wingardium Leviosa' came from Zabini and Demi came floating down, giggling like the proud half-Malfoy she was.
As soon as a pair of brown eyes looked on him, Draco frowned; even though thick eyelashes were being batted at him with innocence. "Well," his tone was stern, "do you have something to say, Demetria?"
Contemplating it for a second, Demi settled on sending her father a clueless grin.
"Draco!" Footsteps were heard coming towards the master bedroom. "Dra — oh, there you two are."
Lifting his hands up in a what-the-bloody-Merlin manner, Blaise glared at Hermione. "What the hell am I?"
"Easily ignored," offered Hermione nonchalantly, making her way to her husband and child. Blaise gasped dramatically. "Breakfast is ready, Malfoy. So stop wasting your time doing nothing and go eat before you go to the Ministry."
Placing their daughter in Hermione's outstretched arms, Draco said, "Get those socks off of Demi's feet, Hermione, or she'll end up giving you a heart attack while I am at the Ministry." He then rubbed his temples again, the headache already present. "And, please, find a way to make our home Apparation-Proof."
"What's got his knickers in a twist?"
"I've made your favorite, Draco," Hermione replied calmly, smiling at him as Blaise shouted 'Stop ignoring me!'. "Tea and Pumpkin Juice on the side of the plate and the Daily Prophet ready to be read."
Feeling like some of that pressure was off of his chest, Draco exhaled after a few moments. "Thank you."
Smiling a little wider because of the gratitude in his voice, Hermione raised herself on her toes to press a kiss on her husband's cheek. She knew something was going on in his head recently because he had been quiet lately, only randomly taking off by Floo to Harry's house when he found the need to speak. (She was ready to curse him so he'd fess up what it was, but she knew she'd find out soon enough.) "Now, off you go. Hurry. I don't want you to be running late. And, oh, here," before Draco could head for the door, Hermione tossed him a pair of freshly washed trousers.
"You're like a maid, 'Mione, you know that?" Blaise chirped, watching with the same suspicion as his best friend walked out looking a little too pensive for his liking. "Cooking for him, washing his clothes, cleaning his dishes, sexing his needs—"
Wham.
"Oi!" Zabini hissed, clutching his face as Hermione retracted her palm away from his right cheek; he gaped incredulously as she balanced the giggling two year-old on her hip and marched out of the room. "I thought you said I was easily ignored!"
X
"No, Beta!" With a hysterical squeak, Narcissa Malfoy shot daggers at the figure approaching the grand window in the ancient sitting room of Malfoy Manor. "Away from the windows!"
Trying her hardest not to raise her thin eyebrow, because she could not even if she wanted, Beta the house-elf nodded her head obediently. "As you wish, Mistress," trailing off for a slight second, the house-elf cleared her throat and spoke again. "But Beta would like to...inform... that the windows have been getting dusty, Mistress. Beta hasn't been able to clean them for the past two weeks."
"Forget about the windows, Beta," muttered Mrs. Malfoy with trembling palms over her lap. She visibly relaxed after Beta steered away from her original direction. "A little dust is the least of my concerns at the moment. Why don't you go clean the rooms upstairs? My grandson left a disastrous mess in his bedroom last time he came to visit. I'm sure the higher levels of the Manor could use some cleaning."
Beta twirled her long, bony fingers with one another as she looked down at her hands. She did not dare look at her mistress as she was about to go against house-elf codes and contradict her. "But Beta has cleaned Master Scorpius' room three times this week, Mistress."
With hands still shaking, the house-elf noticed Mrs. Malfoy did not hear her comment, and so, she proceeded to look up at the other woman sitting in the room, too.
It was widely known nothing ruffled Narcissa Malfoy's feathers. She was austere in the best of occasions, and unshakable in the worst; even without her title of Brightest Witch, Hermione could spot the turmoil her mother-in-law was currently experiencing from a mile away. So, with a small nod in Beta's direction, Hermione said, "Narcissa, is something the matter?"
Accepting that, regrettably, her masking skills were failing her, Narcissa still chose to return, "Everything is fine, dear."
Narcissa should have known better than to think her daughter-in-law would be easily distracted with her fake, reassuring smile. "If there is anything I can help you with, tell me. We are family, are we not?"
"We are," agreed Narcissa, "but, really, it's an odd case of nostalgia, Hermione. I am getting rather old; I'm prone to it now. I miss my grandchildren and the Christmas holiday seems so far away."
Hermione narrowed her eyes, but accepted Narcissa's choice to stray from the topic. "Scorpius tells me he writes to you frequently. He misses you just as much, as does Ana. Besides, Teddy visits often, too, does he not? With Andromeda, I hear."
Narcissa held on to her feigned smile. It would not do to mention the Black sisters were forced to stop visiting each other a few days back. "Of course, dear. Teddy is required to visit me at least twice a week. He knows I love how he brightens up this place." With a clever clearing of her throat, she reached for her forgotten teacup and said, "Ariana's birthday is approaching. Any plans for her thirteenth?"
"Cho wants to throw a conjoined party for her and Savanna. It seems like the best idea so far given that Ana never wants any form of celebration. You know how she is, terribly shy and all."
"She reminds me of Draco," Narcissa whispered into her cup before taking a careful sip. Her fingers titters on the handle, but both women pretended it had not happened. "During war and post..."
Before Hermione could ask her mother-in-law what she meant, the doors to the sitting room opened, allowing Mister Malfoy and Demi in.
"There you are, sweetheart." Hermione fixed her eyes on her daughter, wobbling her way closer to her with the help of her grandfather. "I'm sorry for the disruption, Mister Malfoy. I didn't realize she had crawled away."
With a blank expression, but with very adoring eyes, Lucius Malfoy looked down at his youngest granddaughter with that unapproachable affection that invaded his heart from the very first time he held her. That fond memory brought forth the ones of his first holding of Scorpius and Ariana, too. They were his greatest joys in what was left of his godforsaken life.
"It is no trouble at all, Hermione. I always have time for her."
Hermione let a smile appear on her face, stretching it with feigned emotions as he moved turned his silver eyes on her.
After all this time—after these fifteen years, things between Hermione and Lucius Malfoy had not gotten warm. Their interaction was always polite, but very forced. Neither of them ever spoke more than what was required, and both knew perfectly well that a relationship of in-laws was never going to exist between them. They just shared their love for Draco, their affection for Narcissa, and their blood with Scorpius, Ariana, and Demetria.
She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the awkward silence. "I hope she didn't interrupt your business meeting with that Ministry Official."
"Business meeting?" Mister Malfoy raised his blonde eyebrow, staring at Hermione with a slight confusion. "What business—" Stopping, Lucius caught the expression his wife was wearing, her worry glowing strongly in every centimeter of her face. "Oh. Well, yes. Auror Johnson was here with a memo from Mister Potter, but nothing important."
Turning to get her cup of tea, Hermione rolled her eyes at her husband's parents. If there was anything that got her so annoyed, it was when they treated her like a common idiot. As if she did not notice every little action they were making, like she could not see the change in Draco, Narcissa, Lucius, or even in her two best friends in the past few days. She knew something plagued their every waken moment, enough to not be able to hold a conversation with her. Was Hermione not a war hero? Was she not renovated over time to handle anything? Had she not already proven that she was capable of surviving any hardship?
She would find out the truth soon enough, that she vowed.
Standing from her seat, Hermione handed Beta, who appeared as quickly as she sensed the impending departure, her teacup. "It's been lovely. Thank you for having us over."
Hermione might be all but ready to leave, but her two year-old daughter had other wishes. Demi's wide, brown eyes flashed sadly at her mother. She begged silently for them to prolong the visit.
"We've imposed for three hours, Demi," Hermione laughed at her daughter's pout. "Besides, we promised Ginny we would go to the Burrow with her. You've not seen Molly and Arthur in days."
Demi's pout grew, her bottom lip trembling.
"Narcissa," sighed Hermione, "do you mind if she stays for another while? I'll be back to collect her after my visit to the Burrow."
Startling those in the room, Narcissa leaped to her feet, her hands once again shaking terribly. She looked out of sorts, so much so that Lucius and Hermione both contemplated to themselves whether they should call for a Healer. "Absolutely not. You take her with you, Hermione."
"Cissy," called Lucius, trying to reel in the moment. "It will just be for a few hours. Demetria will stay with me at all times."
"It is not safe for her here, Lucius. How could you even think of risking out granddaughter—?" Despite being on the verge of tears, Narcissa stopped. Her body went rigid.
Hermione did the same. An odd pressure clutched at her heart, a knot grew thick in her throat, making her oxygen come back out uneven. She felt like her body had suddenly been taken over by a greater force, a force that was telling her something was approaching, that it was time to run.
Her ears perked up, her breath hitched as she heard movement somewhere outside and Mister Malfoy pulled out his wand instantly as the odd tension grew.
"No one move," he whispered harshly, his long white-blonde hair swaying in front of his pale face as he leaned toward the window, trying to listen to every little creak.
Demetria whined, her short legs wobbling when her grandfather let her hand go and she was on her own.
Lucius turned to his granddaughter, a finger on his lip.
That's when the windows and walls exploded.
"Demetria!" Lunging herself to the little girl who had fallen after the blow, Hermione pulled her daughter up to her arms when loud sounds invaded the room and flashing of lights appeared at every corner.
"Get her out!" Lucius shouted, slashing his wand in the air to stop a spell from hitting him. He turned, pushing Hermione back as he continued to block the spells heading their way. "Cave Inimicum!"
"—No!"
"—Don't let them escape!
"—Get them! Destroy their protection!"
"—Spare no one!"
After hearing and processing several of the angry-filled voices, Hermione gaped at the limp figure of her daughter. Her heart beat with such force and pain that she thought it was going to cause a hole in her chest. Her hysteria rose to several levels of insane at the blood gushing at the side of her little girl's head.
"Expulso!"
"Protego!" As soon as the protection that Lucius had conjured was blown away, his wand expelled out a large clear bubble. A charm protected the ones behind him as smoke filled the air around them and his home was getting destroyed every fading second that shoved by them. "Get her out!"
Seeing as the moment was calling for her duty, Beta the house-elf pushed past her Mistress and leaped forward to the brunette and her child, ripping the little girl from Hermione's arms, her shock rendering her immobile.
"My baby," Hermione murmured. "M-my baby..."
Through the explosions and shouts of spells, Beta disappeared with the tiny girl she had stolen from the mother.
"Everyone dies!"
"Stupefy!" As a figure emerged in front of Hermione, Narcissa acted as quickly as her senses would allow her. "Hermione, move! Move!"
Shreds of plaster and marble were flying all around, accompanied by the things that occupied the grand sitting room. All of it flew past the victims as a group of three became largely visible to the Malfoys. The Protego Charm was still on its hold as the intruders sneered and aimed bright colored lights at them, trying to break the shield that prevented them from ending the lives of those they were sent to finish.
"Avada—"
"Imperio!" The eyes of one of the attackers went blank, his deadly curse cut short as Narcissa Malfoy managed to cast an Unforgivable on him before he did it to her.
"Expelliarmus!" Taking the distraction of the man closer to him, Lucius sent a body soaring backward, knocking him out cold. "Hermione!" he then shouted, rushing for her as the other man sent a flash of green light at her.
Looking up at the exact moment, Hermione was thrown a few feet away as Mister Malfoy dove into the flash—his body landed with a haunting thud as that lethal green light got him and took him completely.
Raising her wand higher, with a murderous gaze, Narcissa screeched at the bewitched man with all of her wrath. "Kill your friend!"
Before the final man could react, a wand was pointed at his head. "Avada Kedavra!"
"My baby...My baby...My baby," lowering herself onto the littered ground, Hermione's eyes became overwhelmed with devastation. She shed tears as she shook her head, her mind unfocused to her thoughts as her body began trembling and the screams of agony echoed from Narcissa.