Rose woke up with a jolt, remnants of her scary nightmare still lingering in her terrified mind. Tears steadily streamed down from her face as she shot a panicked glance at her mother. Hermione was sleeping soundly on the bed with her hair messily sprawled all over her pillow.
She knew her mother was incredibly tired after today's work. She had sensed she and her Uncle Harry had worked hard for today when Hermione came by to pick her up from the Ministry daycare. Therefore, despite the fear in her heart, she didn't want to wake her mother up.
Rose had this inkling her mother had been crying a lot because of her for the past few days. Her mother and Draco never really told her anything at all, but Rose knew something big and bad had happened to her after she woke up in St. Mungo's. Ever the curious little tyke, millions of questions ran inside her head. Strangely, though, she knew she couldn't ask her mother out loud, lest she brought her mother into tears once more.
She hated a lot of things in life, like how Mrs. Figg always forced her to wear that itchy scarf around her neck or Sophie Boot boasting that her parents were the bestest – there was no doubt that it was her mother, seriously! – and how people seemed to always glare at Draco when he had been really nice and good, trying his very best not to say bad words anymore. But the thing she hated the most was seeing her mother cry.
Therefore, it was decided. Rose jumped down from the bed she shared with her mother and shivered slightly with the cold. The shadows seemed frightening tonight but she steadfastly ignored them, mustering the Gryffindor courage she knew she inherited from both her mother and father to venture out of her mother's bedroom.
It didn't take long before she finally arrived in their living room. Draco's unmistakable form was sprawled inelegantly on their couch and despite her tears, Rose giggled when she heard him snore.
Rose barged quickly towards the blond and shook him awake. "Draco," she urgently whispered. "Draco, wake up!"
The blond groaned irately and batted her hand away. "Rose," he rasped out, voice still scratchy from sleep. "I don't want to eat cookies tonight." He turned his back from her and buried his blond hair underneath his comforter.
Frustrated and scared, she shook him awake once more. "Draco, please, wake up," she pleaded. Her eyes watered and her bottom lip quivered. Her Gryffindor courage was running low, and she needed Draco to wake up. Now!
She took a huge sniff and felt Draco froze against her hand. Immediately, he shot up from the couch and peered at her worriedly. He grabbed his wand and illuminated the closest lamp from the bed just to give him enough light to see her.
"Why are you crying?" he demanded, grasping on both of her wrists to survey her. "Where's your mother?"
"Mama's asleep." Her voice had quietened down considerably now that Draco was awake. Her nightmare came back to her once more and her tears increased. "D-Draco, I had a nightmare."
Alarm flashed in his eyes as he tentatively pulled her closer. "Was it..." He paused and swallowed. "Was it the same masked men you dreamt before?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "How did you know?" she asked in wonder.
"Lucky guess," he mumbled. His grey eyes darkened with worry as she wordlessly lifted her hand up and wriggled her fingers.
Sighing, he effortlessly stood up and brought her into his arms. Rose tightly wound her arms and legs around him and buried her face against his neck. Draco's hugs were always warm and comforting; Rose already felt loads better just being held by him.
"Does it bother you?" he then asked. "About those... those nightmares?"
She slowly nodded her head against his neck. "But it's okay," she continued. "I feel better now, Draco."
"Maybe we should tell your mother -"
"NO!" she exclaimed loudly, surprising Draco. Rose's cheeks colored when he furrowed his eyebrows. "Mama is... she's always crying because of me..." Her bottom lip quivered in shame. "I don't want her to cry anymore."
A fond snort escaped from Draco's lips. "Barmy menace. Your mother will never stop worrying about you." He shifted her in his arms in a more comfortable position. "I still think we should tell your mother. She'd know what to do."
She had no answer to that because she knew it was the truth. Maybe her mother would know what to do to stop those nightmares from coming already. But for now, she wanted her mother to rest first.
"Can you sing to me?" she asked, widening her eyes innocently and protruding her bottom lip. Rose found out years ago that when she did that, people seemed to do what she asked for. Uncle Harry always snapped and bought her the things she really liked, which her mother always got angry about.
To her utmost surprise, Draco glared instead. "No," he curtly replied.
"Please, Draco, please," she whined, tightening her arms around him. "Mama always sang to me when I have a nightmare."
"I'm not your Mama," he pointed out with a frown.
"But you'll be my Daddy soon, right?" she insisted. A horrified expression appeared on his face, but Rose hedged on. "Right, Draco? And to be my Daddy, you have to sing to me every time I have a nightmare."
He growled and made a move to put her back on the floor but she held on tighter. "Go back to your mother and sleep, menace," he warned.
Panic gripped her tiny heart, realizing that Draco wasn't relenting. The thought of going back to her bedroom, with her mother sleeping, while the shadows in the room hovered near their bed terrified her to bits and pieces. The memory of the masked men circling above her would most likely keep her awake. Desperate sobs escaped from her lips and she buried her face against Draco's neck.
"Rose?" he called, worry in his voice as he gently rubbed her back.
Rose didn't know what to do anymore. She didn't know how to convince Draco to sing for her to dispel her nightmares away. Maybe she should have woken up her mother instead. Rose would hate herself if her mother started crying, but she was so scared! What was she going to do?
Her cries quietened down in shock, however, when she heard Draco's low, raspy voice. She instantly recognized 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' but his lyrics were wrong and weird. His singing was bad, too; her mother sang the song the bestest, after all.
But this would do, she thought. Draco started to rock her a bit and Rose actually felt comforted. He didn't know the lyrics anymore, but he was humming under his breath, and that was enough for Rose.
"Thank you, Draco," she sighed, eyes already drooping close. She felt him smile against her hair and Rose sleepily grinned in return.
She really loved Draco the most.
__________
Hermione rolled over the bed, expecting to feel the warmth of Rose beside her. When all she felt was cold and emptiness, she fully opened her eyes and sat up.
"Rose?" she called in the dead of the night. Panic rose when she didn't hear any reply.
The brunette convinced herself she was just being too paranoid. Rose's abduction was still too fresh in her mind and she just had to make sure that her daughter was safe.
Hastily retrieving her wand, Hermione checked their bathroom. Her heart was pounding when, again, there was no Rose in sight. All rational thoughts flew out of the window when she jogged towards Rose's bedroom. She didn't care if she opened the door a little too forcefully.
Fearful tears formed in her eyes when Rose was still nowhere to be found. Hermione blindly ran down the stairs towards the living room, intent of waking Draco up and reporting that her daughter was missing. Again. She mentally cursed herself for being too complacent once she thought Rose was safe. But then, she forgot that the world is a dangerous place. As an auror, she should have learned this by heart by now.
"Dr-"
The words died down from her lips as she took in the scene before her eyes. Draco was facing away from her, a slumbering Rose in his arms. He was still oblivious of Hermione's presence as he hummed the unmistakable tune of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow', gently rocking Rose to sleep.
Her heart stuttered at the sight, her mind becoming a jumbled mess. Emotions threatened to spill out from her heart and Hermione had no idea what to do.
She stood rooted on the spot and watched as Draco finally turned around. His lullaby instantly ended when his surprised gaze fell on her form. A lovely blush spread all over his face in embarrassment at being caught; at the same time, he narrowed his eyes, accusatory.
"Granger," he snapped in an angry whisper. "What the hell are you doing there?"
She stepped out of the shadows and sauntered closer to her sleeping child and the man who had unknowingly caught her heart. Her eyes were wide with awe and disbelief, questioning how such a wonderful man came into their life. Hermione mentally kicked Fate for waiting for a very long time for her to realize that he was the one for her – the only one for her – and she lamented at all those wasted times she had, dawdling away from him. But then again, maybe if she realized about it too early, Rose might not exist. Hermione didn't want that either.
"Hermione?" he called, his embarrassed fury completely melting, replaced by genuine worry.
"I... I thought Rose was missing," she breathlessly replied. She took a few more steps forward and stopped when she was merely inches away from Draco.
A look of understanding crossed his features. "She had a nightmare," he softly explained. Hermione's eyes widened as he sadly smiled. "The same masked men." Draco growled and protectively tightened his hold around Rose. "I hope Lestrange rots in Azkaban for even daring to lay a hand on Rose."
Hermione's heart hummed as a tear slowly slid down from her face.
This... this was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
"Why are you crying?" he asked, alarmed. Draco absentmindedly traced a finger against her wet cheek and frowned. "Rose is safe, Granger. I told you I'll protect you both."
His cheeks reddened more with his words and looked away from Hermione's bright, glassy eyes.
Her mind and heart chanted for her to finally tell him, that he had been in her heart for the past few months, and perhaps take their friendship to the next level. Her everything ached for him, and Hermione knew she'd start going insane with her unimaginable restraint.
Her hand seemed to have a mind of its own, placing itself against his warm cheek. Draco stiffened under her touch, his eyes growing a little too wide with her gentleness.
"Draco," she fondly called, taking another step forward. "I..." A huge grin bloomed on her face and she didn't care if she almost looked like a madwoman in his eyes. Merlin help her but she was hopeless. She feared that she'd get rejected, but... but she had seen his eyes. She'd seen how he sometimes looked at her when he thought she wasn't looking. She'd seen how he sometimes stopped himself from reaching out just to touch her. She'd seen how his breath hitched when she was a tad near to him.
"Draco, I -"
She paused as Rose steered and sleepily opened her eyes. "Mama?" she asked in a raspy voice, before releasing a huge yawn.
Hermione knew the spell was already broken. She sighed at her bad timing, shook her head fondly at her daughter, before lifting her out of Draco's arms. "Draco said you had a nightmare, sweetheart," she gently said.
Rose panicked and angrily looked at Draco, who merely rolled his eyes in return.
"It isn't Draco's fault, Rosie," Hermione appeased. "Don't get angry with him."
"But Mama," her daughter tearfully replied. "You're... you're crying again. And it's because of me!"
She was confused with Rose's words and shot a glance at Draco. "She didn't want to bother you because she thinks she's making you cry too much for these past few days," he explained.
Hermione's heart swelled as she fondly looked down at Rose. "Oh, sweetheart, your Mama will prefer it very much if you tell her you're having nightmares," she lightly admonished. She cuddled her daughter close to her chest and sighed. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Rosie. Mama feels a little emotional these past few days. It isn't because of you. I promise."
It was a white lie. Of course she had been crying a lot because of her daughter, but Rose did not need to know that.
Her words somehow did the trick because Rose relaxed in her arms. "I saw the scary masked men again, Mama," she finally confessed, daintily sniffing when tears filled her eyes once more. "I was really scared." The child haphazardly wiped her tears away and threw a bright grin towards Draco. "But I'm okay now! Draco sang me 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow', but his words were wrong. And his voice isn't pretty."
"Thanks, menace. I'm glad to know I've been appreciated," Draco snarled with a glare.
Hermione chuckled while Rose stuck out her tongue at the blond. "You're really okay now, Rosie?" she tentatively asked. She touched her daughter's cheeks and wiped the remaining tears away.
Rose vigorously nodded her head, prompting her to smile.
"Okay, since you've been very brave, I think I'll allow you to eat a cookie tonight." Rose gasped in surprise and Hermione hastily added, "Just one, young lady."
"Oh, Mama, you're the best!" the redhead squealed and tightly wound her arms around Hermione's neck.
Hermione grinned and looked above Rose's shoulder. "You're allowed to eat with us, Draco," she invited, her belly flipping over when a devilish smirk spread across his handsome face.
"Will you be mad at me if I get more than one?"
Rose whipped her head and childishly glared at Draco. "No fair!" she whined. "Mama said we can only get one."
Draco rolled his eyes and grumbled all the way to their small kitchen. Rose chattered their ears off, Hermione only half-listening about her adventures with Frank Longbottom and the daycare.
It felt like they were a proper family. She was suddenly fueled with the desire to finally tell him about her feelings.
Such was her happiness she even feigned ignorance when she caught Draco sneakily handing another cookie to Rose, who immediately chuck it wholly inside her mouth and giggled.
__________
Her heart jumped into her throat when she spied Harry already waiting on a table near the huge window of the Muggle restaurant. Hermione originally planned to arrive at least ten minutes before her best friend to gather her thoughts, but Davies cornered her earlier to talk about this new case she was handling. Thus, she was late for fifteen minutes for their lunch date and her head was still a jumbled mess.
After last night's events with Rose's nightmare and all, Hermione decided to finally tell Harry that she was harboring not-so-platonic feelings for one Draco Malfoy. Not that things would change if Harry did not give his blessing because damn it all, she was grown woman capable of deciding things for her own.
Still, Harry was Ron's very first friend. She was always the third-wheel in their wonderful friendship. Eleven-year-old Hermione sometimes felt an outsider and had been admittedly hurt by it, but she came to accept it as she watched their friendship blossom before her eyes.
And so, Hermione couldn't help but feel that if she started dating Draco, she might be betraying Harry, too.
"I assume Davies gave you another pep talk about your new case," Harry greeted once she slipped on the chair opposite him.
Despite her nerves, she was surprised. "How did you know?" she asked.
"Really, Hermione, I've known you for years," he pointed out with a wide smile. "You are always, painfully so, on time. Seeing that we are currently working under a rather overzealous department head, I hazarded Davies gave you one of his infamous 'talks' after getting a new case."
She flashed a small smile and nodded. "Davies can really be a handful sometimes," she said, prompting Harry to snort at her gross understatement. "Better Davies over McLaggen, though, yeah?"
"Oh yes." His eyes comically widened at the prospect of working under Henrik McLaggen. "I still cannot understand how Malfoy was able to survive working under that buffoon for a month."
At the mention of Draco, the nervousness she felt came back with a full force. Harry looked worried at her sudden change of demeanor.
"Is something the matter, Hermione?" he asked. He reached forward to grip her hand. "I had a feeling that you have something important to tell me when you invited me over for lunch today."
'Oh, fuck it,' she thought to herself, then unhesitatingly blurted out, "I like Draco."
His grip slackened, but his face remained impassive. "Well," he slowly drawled, "I admit he is still a bloody wanker, but I'll be lying if I say I don't find him... err... tolerable now. More tolerable, actually."
"No, no, Harry," she persisted. "I mean like like him. Very much, if I were honest with myself."
Her best friend looked confused for a while, before realization dawned on his face. His emerald eyes widened in surprise. "Oh," he gasped out. Hermione braced herself for an inevitable outburst – because really, he would never be Harry Potter if he never had random bouts of explosive emotions – but to her utmost surprise, Harry managed to crack a small smile. Granted, it was weird and almost lopsided, but it was a smile nonetheless. "Took you long enough, I guess."
"W-what?" she sputtered out.
Harry sighed and gave her a pointed look. "It's painfully obvious, Hermione," he supplemented. "Between Ron and I, you know I wasn't the thick-headed one."
Hermione gaped. "You're not... you're not mad?"
"Why would I be?" he asked, looking genuinely surprised she thought he would be. "Should I be?"
"No," she hastily replied. "I mean... yes? Maybe? This is Draco Malfoy we are talking about, Harry. And Ron was –" She swallowed thickly and looked down at the table. "Ron was your best friend."
Silence met her claim. Hermione braced herself for Harry's outburst this time, but when none came – once again – she was very confused. Instead, Harry pulled her into a tight, comforting hug that made her eyes water.
"You're my best friend, too," Harry whispered against her ear. She could hear his smile and Hermione felt a little stupid for being too choked up with emotions. "And I want you to be happy, Hermione. You've gone through a lot – heck, we've gone through a lot together – and we deserve to be happy. Although it's still so bloody weird and surreal, I firmly believe that Malfoy obviously made you happy."
She smiled against his neck. "He really does," she whispered in reply.
Harry sighed and pulled her away. "Blimey, it's still odd to see that he can handle Rose very well," he said. "I think... I think Malfoy might become a brilliant father to Rose, more than I can ever be to your daughter."
Hermione's cheeks tinted red. "I just said I like him, Harry," she admonished. "I never said I'd marry him." Though, she did quite think about that a little too often.
Snorting, Harry shook his head. "Like I said, you're painfully obvious, 'Mione," he fondly said with a smile. Her cheeks inflamed more, and Hermione couldn't help but sheepishly smile. "Honestly, I know you won't listen to me at all when I said he's bad news and forbid you from dating him."
"You know me too well," she said with a bright smile.
He matched her grin and pulled her into his arms once more. "You're like a sister to me, Hermione," he continued. "And so, I think it's my obligation to give Malfoy the big brother talk and threaten to blast his ball sacks off if he hurt you or Rose."
"We're not dating yet, Harry."
Harry snorted once more. "Really, Hermione, you're not the only painfully obvious one," he pointed out. "You're not the one observing Malfoy's sappy look every time you are in the same room."
Her cheeks reddened a bit as hope bloomed in her heart. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much," she reminded him. "I already have a list of spells at hand if he dared to even hurt us."
She felt his chest rumbling with laughter. "Now, I kinda feel bad for the poor sod – OW! Hermione!" he whined, pulling away to rub his smart shoulder.
She smiled brilliantly and placed a kiss on Harry's cheeks. "Thank you, Harry," she sincerely replied. "I... this means a lot to me."
"You're my best friend," he reiterated, fondly tucking a strand of curly hair behind her ear. "I want you to be happy."
If it were more possible, her beam widened, thanking the universe for giving Harry Potter to her.
__________
The very next day, Hermione found herself in the same restaurant she had been with Harry. Only this time, Theodore Nott sat across from her.
It came as a surprise when Theo barged into the DMLE and practically dragged her out of the ministry building. Hermione tried to search for Harry to ask help, but her bespectacled friend was nowhere to be found. Thus, she had no choice but to let Theo Nott pull her into the said restaurant.
A waiter already came to get their orders, but Nott still would not explain his reason for bringing her here. Hermione silently observed him and noticed that his laid-back, sarcastic attitude seemed to be entirely missing today. In fact, Nott looked deadly serious and Hermione felt a little nervous.
Their orders soon came and Hermione wordlessly sliced through her chicken. She debated whether to break the silence first, but wondered if that would be a good thing to do.
"How do you feel about Draco?"
She choked on the chicken meat and hastily emptied her glass of water. Hermione glared through her watery eyes, noting that Theo was unfazed and stoic. It was truthfully starting to unnerve Hermione.
"Honestly, Nott, that's none of your business," she pointed out with a frown.
"It's my fucking business, Granger," he snapped, leaning closer to the brunette. Hermione was astonished with the vehemence in his voice. "Draco is one of the most important people in my life right now. Without him, I might have killed myself ages ago because of all the fucked up things I went through" – Hermione flinched at his casual confession – "so yes, Granger, this is my fucking business because one of the things I fervently wished after the end of the War was to see Draco happy... bloody, truly happy."
Hermione gaped after his small tirade, watching as Theo composed himself and leant back against his chair.
"You and I both know this world is unforgiving to Draco," he continued, this time softly. "Frankly, Granger, Draco will not be able to take it if he discovers you are merely stringing him along; that you are merely keeping him close because he's fucking good to your daughter. If this is honestly your only intention, then I really think you should just fuck off and not lead him on."
Her eyes dangerously flashed at his insinuation, but Theo wasn't finished yet.
His eyes had considerably softened, and she was able to see that Theo Nott she had become acquainted with for the past months. "I have watched Draco struggle with his feelings for you for years, Granger." His voice was now gentler and sad, and Hermione couldn't understand why her eyes started to water. "Your pregnancy and subsequent marriage with Weasley were one of the worst days of his life; trust me."
A tear slipped down from her eye and Theo considerably mellowed.
"He had been waiting for you for so long, Granger," he grounded out with a sad smile. "If you have no intention of ever reciprocating his feelings, then you have to tell him now so he could stop waiting and finally move on."
She hiccupped a laugh, slightly amused that Nott was now starting to grow uncomfortable with her tears. "Draco is quite lucky to have you as his best friend," she finally croaked out in reply.
His cheeks reddened.
"But Nott, your little tirade was uncalled for," she continued with a wide grin. "I like Draco. Very much if I were honest with myself."
Theo didn't bother hiding his sigh of relief, prompting her smile to widen.
"I actually talked with Harry yesterday in this very same restaurant, breaking the news to him about my newfound feelings for Draco." She blushed and shyly peered into his eyes. "Harry was just telling me about giving Malfoy the big brother talk. I never expected I'll be receiving one the very next day."
The brown-haired wizard opposite her nervously cleared his throat, his cheeks reddening once more. "Yeah, well..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I wasn't sure what you felt about Draco and I have this funny inkling the bastard's about to make a move on you. I figured I'd give you this talk first before he did something and make a fool out of himself."
"He's not going to make a fool out of himself," she assured with a pretty smile.
Theo flashed a boyish grin and leaned closer to her once more. "Let's keep this conversation a secret between us, yeah?" he suggested. "If Draco found out I revealed his well-kept secret, he will not hesitate to kick my arse to the next millennium. I'm sure of it."
Hermione grinned, her eyes twinkling in mischief. "It depends," she slowly said. "I still haven't forgiven you for bringing my daughter to one of your dates."
"With Luna," he reasoned out. "Beautiful, brilliant, lovely Luna Lovegood."
"Still," she replied, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.
Theo snorted and shook his head. "Sometimes, I wonder why you weren't Sorted in Slytherin," he confessed.
"Maybe because I'm Muggle-born and your Founder hated people like me?" she helpfully suggested.
He chuckled and nodded his head. "Maybe if Rose got sorted in Slytherin instead -"
"Tough luck, Nott," she said with a smile. "She is a Gryffindor through and through."
"Quite true," he said with a defeated sigh. "What a shame."
__________
"Oi, Malfoy."
Draco looked up from the rows of Quidditch supplies he was inspecting and frowned. "Potter," he politely greeted. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion at how obviously uncomfortable The-Boy-Who-Lived was. Beside him stood Ginny Weasley, who merely shrugged at her boyfriend's strange behavior.
"Looking for new supplies, Weasley?" Draco drawled, leaning against one of the shelves and lifting an eyebrow. Although he still felt terribly uncomfortable around Potter, the feisty Weasley was someone he could actually easily joke around. If only she would stop giving amused, knowing looks when he and Hermione were interacting.
"I need to buy a new set of gloves for my next match," she coolly replied, a hint of challenge in her eyes.
He smirked. "Scared of the Tornados, Weasley?"
Ginny scoffed confidently and crossed her arms against her chest. "You wish, Malfoy," she replied, the corners of her lips twitching.
Draco allowed himself to genuinely smile at her for a moment. Potter was actually gobsmacked with the expression on his face. "Anyway, I've got to run," he bid as his goodbye. "Good luck on your match, Weasley."
Ginny merely nodded her head and returned his smile while Potter continued to have that constipated look on his face. Draco lifted an eyebrow at his strange behavior once more but brushed it away.
"Oi, Malfoy!" Harry called out to him before he could completely step out from the shop.
Furrowing his eyebrows, he looked at Harry and frowned. "What is it?"
He was silent for a minute, looking as if he was debating whether to tell him something or not. Beside him, Ginny rolled her eyes and elbowed him against his ribs. Potter winced, took a deep intake of breath, and glared. "If you hurt her, I will kill you. You hear me?" he threatened.
Draco did not need to ask who this 'her' Harry was pertaining to. Ginny snorted a laugh and fondly shook her head, pulling Harry towards the rows of gloves to save him from embarrassing himself further.
The blond, admittedly a little flustered with Harry's words, frowned at his retreating back.
Nothing has happened between him and Hermione yet, after all.
Draco was very confused.