Hermione Granger had been a mother for six years, but she still could not prepare herself every time her daughter would throw a tantrum.
Today was exceptionally exhausting, especially because Rose looked like she was inconsolable. Her bushy, red hair was messier than ever and ugly fat tears streamed down her big, blue eyes. Hermione had to bite back a smile when she spotted snot streaming out from her nose, too.
"Oh, Rosie," she said, trying to gather the child into her arms, but Rose dodged away from her and plopped down on the carpeted floor. Hermione felt a little sorry it had to be this way, but they had been intruding far too long in Draco Malfoy's flat and abusing his surprising kindness. She was, after all, completely cured from the dark curse Lestrange inflicted on her and Mrs. Figg was back in the country. She knew it was already time for them to go home to their flat and continue on with their lives.
"W-why do we have to leave, M-Mama?" Rose whined. Hermione expelled a soft sigh when the windows in their bedroom rattled from Rose's tumultuous feelings. "I don't want to go."
"Rose..." Hermione said, crouching down on the floor to level her eyes with her daughter. "We have to go home. Draco is busy with his own life, and we can't intrude further."
"I-I don't want to go," her daughter cried and proceeded to flop face down on the floor.
The brunette could feel a headache forming, but she knew she couldn't back down just yet. Once more, she cursed her genes and Ron's for producing such a stubborn, delightful, beautiful child. Hermione knew it was for the best if she broke the news to her daughter at a very early time of the day; she suspected they wouldn't be able to leave until nighttime.
A soft pop resounded in their room and a dejected Tippy appeared. His ears were droopy today, the tips almost touching the floor, and Hermione sadly smiled. She knew the house-elf had come to love her daughter; they were almost inseparable and Tippy would also be very sad when Rose was gone.
"T-Tippy has packed all your clothes, Miss Hermione," he said, followed by a loud sniff and a tear down his eyes. He sadly looked at the still crying Rose, his bottom lip quivering with emotions. "Tippy wishes you both the best, Miss Hermione, Little Miss Rosie."
His voice had cracked upon saying Rose's name, and immediately apparated away without being dismissed. Hermione thought she heard a loud wail somewhere in the humongous flat and sighed once more.
"We'll be leaving later tonight, Rose," Hermione said. "We still have a few hours for you to spend time with Draco."
Her wails grew louder when she mentioned the blond's name.
For the umpteenth time, Hermione sighed.
This would be a long day.
__________
"Where's Rose?"
"She didn't want to leave the room," Hermione said as she plopped down on the vacant chair beside him. The aroma of their lunch tickled her nose and her stomach softly grumbled in anticipation. One thing she would miss in Draco's flat was Tippy's cooking. She could cook decently, and even Mrs. Figg could whip up a wicked shepherd's pie, but they still all paled in comparison to Tippy's cooking.
A small smirk appeared on his face. "Still throwing a tantrum?" he asked.
She groaned and dug in. "Motherhood is hard," she said with a sigh. "This just makes me miss my mother all the more."
"Do you want me to talk to her?" he offered.
Hermione looked contemplative for a while, before slowly nodding her head. "You know what? I think that's a good idea," she said, followed by a sigh. "After all these years..." She let her words falter as she shook her head. It was sad, really, for she somehow knew the answers to all things magical. If not, she could still research about them in her beloved books, and she would instantly get an answer, no matter how long the journey took. But motherhood... There was no clear protocol on how to become one, and it had frustrated her so. Knowledge alone would not suffice, and Hermione knew that. It was something she had feared ever since Rose came into her life, and she didn't want to mess up.
"Stop thinking," Draco said with a roll of his eyes. "She's a child and she doesn't want to go. Of course she'll throw a tantrum. You're not doing anything wrong, Granger."
Unwittingly, she gave him a small smile. Lately, Draco had brought great comfort upon her and even her daughter. If people had told her ages before she would find herself in this situation with the blond, she would have marked them mental.
"I must warn you, though," Hermione said as Draco stood up from his chair. "Rose is inconsolable."
He waved her off flippantly, prompting her to raise an eyebrow. She then wordlessly watched as he padded into their bedroom.
Somehow, Hermione couldn't shake off the feeling Draco would be able to successfully drag Rose out of the room.
__________
He spotted a small grieving mound at the center of the vast bed, and Draco sighed.
"Rose," he said. "Stop this. You have to eat lunch."
The mound wriggled a bit, and he distinctively heard a sniff, but Rose was still out of sight.
"I'm not hungry," a tiny voice claimed, followed by a soft rumbling that very much disputed her words.
"Yes you are, you menace," Draco drawled, strolling closer and sitting at the foot of the bed. "Tippy made your favorite dessert, chocolate cake, and you won't be able to eat it if you don't take your lunch."
Silence followed his words, and then, "I don't like chocolate cake."
There was clear hesitation in the tone of her voice, and Draco smirked. Rose was bloody easy to manipulate; Hermione was too much of a Gryffindor to even know how to bribe a child. "Sure you do," he said. "Tippy placed extra frosting on the top because he knows you liked it that way."
He heard another small sniff and patiently waited until her mop of red, bushy hair finally popped out from her blanket. "Did he... did he put frosting flowers, too?" she softly asked.
"Of course," he smoothly said. "They are red in color since it's your favorite."
Draco watched as Rose turned contemplative, conflicting emotions flashing through her face. He noted how red her eyes and nose were, with tear tracks still staining her cheeks. She was clearly devastated she and Hermione would be leaving his home today, and it made his heart feel strange things.
"Okay," she finally said, slowly entangling herself out from her bedsheets. "But I still don't want to go."
"I don't think that's how it works," he said, lifting an eyebrow. "Your mother perfectly told you that you have to go home with her. Your Aunt Figgy can already take care of you and your mother can finally go back and work with your Uncle Harry."
Fresh tears welled up from her eyes again, but thankfully, she didn't throw another huge tantrum. "I don't want to go, Draco," she said, her bottom lip quivering. "I-I like it here. Can't we just stay here, Mama and me?"
Draco sighed and reached out for the six-year-old. Rose immediately buried her face against his abdomen and softly cried, while he rubbed her back to try to console her. "Let me tell you something I have learned ever since I was young," he said. "You can't always get what you want, Rose."
He could already feel her tears soaking through his shirt.
"Your mother is worried so I think it's best if you get out of this room now and eat your lunch," he urged. "Tippy's chocolate cake will go to waste and you know how emotional he could get."
To his utmost relief, Rose finally gave the smallest of nods and allowed Draco to pull her out of the bedroom. He kept her small hand enclosed in his, partly because he was a little afraid she'd change her mind and go back to being a sad mound on her bed.
When Hermione saw him with the devastated child, she didn't even look surprised he managed to get Rose out.
"Oh, Rose," she breathed out, mostly in relief. Rose broke away from Draco and crawled onto her mother's lap, tears still in her eyes. "It's not as if you won't be seeing Draco anymore. We can always invite him for dinner at home, and you can watch your favorite cartoons with him."
Her tears had abated, eyes wide and staring at her mother. "We can?" she asked.
"Of course," her mother replied. She then looked at Draco, slight hesitation on her features. "If Draco wants to come over."
He stiffly nodded his head, knowing he didn't really have any choice, and Hermione gratefully smiled at him.
Rose looked marginally better now and told her mother she was hungry. As the child wolfed down her meal (since throwing a tantrum had hungered her so), Hermione looked back at Draco and mouthed a silent 'thank you' to him. Draco once again merely nodded his head, prompting her to smile widely at him.
Inside, he thought, he would miss seeing the mother and daughter every day, in his home.
__________
"Gods, Granger, if you plan on leaving, go," Draco snarled in exasperation as he threw daggers at the smiling brunette. "Why are you even bothering me? I told you I'm busy."
"No, you're not," she shot back. "You've been staring at page one ever since I came in to talk to you."
He hated himself for blushing at her comment. Scowling, he chucked the stupid papers away and crossed his arms. "What do you want?" he finally demanded. "You've already said your goodbye."
She had this sad little smile on her face and he just could not understand it. "Rose is still taking her time saying goodbye to Tippy," she explained. "You know how attached they got and, well, your house-elf is also inconsolable." Hermione laughed and shook her head. "Merlin, it's as if they both seriously think they won't be seeing each other anymore."
Draco, not really knowing what to answer, merely shrugged his shoulders.
"Well... I know I've said it a thousand times already, and you sure as hell think I'm already too irritating for my own good, but I would just like to say thank you for everything you've done for us, especially to Rose."
"Ugh, Granger, yes yes," he said, expelling a soft sigh. "Maybe I'll see you in the streets with Rose or something. Not that I'm planning to get out often. I told you, I'm a busy person. I'm quite sure I'll be required to go abroad more than roam around Diagon Alley or any magical streets in London for that matter." He conveniently left the fact that now that he had no reason to go out and show his Death Eater face, Draco knew he'd be holed up in his flat until it was really necessary for him to venture out.
Granger gave him a strange expression. "I meant what I said a while ago," she said. "You're welcome to visit us in our flat."
"I've never been to your flat," he pointed out.
"And?"
A slow frown formed on his face. "You're allowing me to step into your flat?" he asked, highly skeptical.
Hermione guffawed. "Blimey, why do you still think I don't trust you at all?" she inquired with great humor. "Draco, you took care of Rose while I was away and she's happy and healthy. I don't think your presence in her life is a bad thing at all."
It was unspoken how she wanted him to continue meeting her daughter, but Draco completely understood her and he was confused.
"I... well... there isn't any good reason for me to visit," he lamely replied.
"Visiting Rose is a good enough reason," she said.
Draco still looked skeptical. "Why are you doing this, Granger?"
"What do you mean?" Her eyebrows had knitted together in deep confusion and Draco sighed.
"I know you asked me to take care of Rose as a huge favor while you ran off to catch your husband's murderer," he expounded. "Now that you're here and well, my job is done."
Hermione released a humongous sigh, a pretty smile on her face. "Rose has taken a shine on you, if you must know," she said. "And you know how she throws monumental, hissy fits that is classic Ron, so if she found out she couldn't see you anymore, all hell will break lose. And besides, you've been a magnificent babysitter. I already have a go-to person when things got a little hectic at work and Mrs. Figg couldn't take care of Rose."
"So, in short, I'm indispensable," he drawled with a roll of his eyes. "I didn't take you as a user, Granger."
"Godric, you're still so annoying," she exclaimed with exasperation. "I just want to invite you to have some dinners in my place and continue bonding with Rose. What is it with you and ulterior motives? Treat this as an invite from a friend to a friend."
He frowned, still highly skeptical. "Fine," he said with a sigh.
"Great," she said, standing up from her seat. "Expect to be invited very soon for dinner already. Rose will be relentless and I predict she'd want to see you soon."
He sighed once more. Why did he feel like he didn't really have any say on this matter?
__________
"All ready to go, Rosie?" Hermione asked.
There were no tears in her eyes, but Rose was wearing a stubborn pout. "Do we really have to go, Mama?" she asked for the umpteenth time. And for the umpteenth time, Hermione nodded her head. For her answer, Rose resolutely stared at the tip of her shoes, her frown deepening.
Hermione glanced at Draco for help, and the blond sighed.
"Aren't you even going to say goodbye, menace?" Draco asked.
Rose still hadn't looked up, but he could see how her bottom lip started to quiver.
"I might take you to Florean's this Saturday, but if you don't say goodbye, I can change my mind," he said, slightly smirking as she perked up at the mention of the ice cream parlor. "We must stay clear from anything with peanuts, of course."
Hermione gave him a withering glare, prompting his smirk to widen. She hadn't brought up how he almost killed her daughter from anaphylactic shock, but Draco suspected one day she would rub it off his face during his most annoying days.
"I'd like to try the blueberry cheesecake one," Rose quietly replied. "Uncle Harry said it was yummy."
"Of course," Draco said, his smirk turning into a smile when Rose finally looked at him. "So, a goodbye?"
Instead of echoing the farewell, Rose launched into Draco, her tiny arms wrapping tightly around his abdomen. Laughingly, he bent down and lifted her into his arms so she could properly hug him.
"Goodbye, Draco," Rose said, tears in her eyes once more. "I will miss you."
He normally sucked at saying anything sappy or sentimental. He still had a lot of trouble saying these words to his mother, despite how much he really, truly loved her. He was raised in a household that did not openly show affection to others after all. Thus, it came as a surprise how he easily replied "I'll miss you, too" to the tot. It wasn't also uttered in a way just to appease the devastated child; he actually meant it, and the fact that she and her mother would be gone in his flat soon finally sank in.
Emotions welled in his chest, feelings that were too overwhelming and foreign to him. It must have showed on his face for he saw Granger looking at him with that sad little smile on her face again, and something lodged in his throat.
"Goodbye, Draco," Hermione echoed, and he must be imagining things but were her eyes extra dewy today?
Draco never really understood why people sometimes get teary when they said goodbye to each other. He had snarled at his classmates during their Hogwarts days when there would always be tearful goodbyes at the end of the year. After all, they would be seeing each other the following year.
He knew he would be seeing them again, especially Granger. Wizarding London was fairly small, and one way or another, he would most likely bump into Granger. Which was why he could not understand why he felt so emotional that they would be moving out of his house today.
Not trusting himself to speak, Draco placed Rose onto her feet once more and smiled his farewell. Hermione immediately latched onto her daughter, with her other free hand grasping onto their small luggage.
"Goodbye," Rose exclaimed for the last time before she and Hermione disapparated back to their home.
Draco didn't know how long he stood on the same spot. All he knew was that his flat was eerily silent, too silent, and he had to get out of there.
__________
"I was starting to think you forgot about me," was Theodore Nott's greeting when Draco stumbled out from the Nott heir's fireplace. "I heard from Tippy you even had all the fun yesterday without inviting me."
Draco ignored his whining and trudged towards the plush chair just beside his best friend's. Unlike Draco, Theo opted to live in his ancestral house to continue the Nott business. The Nott Manor was fairly cheerier than the Malfoy Manor, despite all the dark undertones to live up with their last name, but it still brought too much memories during their Death Eater days. Draco could not understand how Theo could stand living in a place that still brought out the nightmares.
"They finally left today," the blond then said after a few moments of silence.
A look of understanding graced on Theo's features. "I heard," he replied. "From Tippy. I'm a little hurt you didn't invite me to your little farewell party. I know it sounds stupid, but I'll actually miss the menace."
Draco sighed and merely closed his eyes and massaged his temples. He hadn't done anything exciting today but he strangely felt exhausted. "My flat is... silent," he grounded out with a deep frown. "Has it always been like that?"
"Yeah," Theo replied, smiling sadly at his best mate. "You don't like entertaining guests in your flat, Draco."
Theo's answer made him frown because it was the truth. He liked the solace his humble flat offered, and he didn't really mind living alone. He had always been alone, that much he knew. The Malfoy Manor made sure he could feel that even at such a very young age. And he got used to it he wasn't even bothered anymore, even during his Hogwarts years.
But strangely, today, he felt like he didn't want to be alone anymore.
"Want to go and have fun in the Leaky?" Theo offered. Draco hated how his best friend had a complete look of understanding on his face and was trying to make him feel better.
"It's too rowdy in the Leaky," he pointed out, burying himself further into the comfortable chair.
Theo sighed and shook his head. "Then, you're free to crash in here for today," he said. "I'll ask Snooty to prepare your usual room tonight."
Draco thought it was a good idea to stay here for the night. He'd rather not go home at all.
It was too silent. And he didn't like it.