Disclaimer: In its use of intellectual property and characters belonging to JK Rowling, Warner Bros, Bloomsbury Publishing, et cetera, this work is intended to be transformative commentary on the original. No profit is being made from this work.
"What are we going to do, Scorpy?" The weeping little girl clung to her older brother's arm. They stood before a large, ornate door. He shook the handle again, but it remained tightly shut.
"I don't know, Cassie! I don't know how to unlock the door. We need help." The towheaded seven-year-old was on the verge of tears, himself.
"Can't we get Boopsie to open it?" hiccupped Cassiopeia.
"No, we can't. All the house-elves are on holiday. 'Cause of Mum's orders," muttered Scorpius with a roll of his eyes. He brushed his blond-white fringe out of his face with the hand not being held in a death grip by his little sister.
She'll be trapped in there forever!" the four-year old wailed.
Scorpius shook his head. "No, she won't. Not when Dad hears about this." He looked down the corridor and gave a quick laugh with relief. "Look, there he is now."
Draco was smiling at his children as he strode toward them. Cassie dropped Scorpius' hand and ran to her father, shouting, "Daddy, Daddy! Come quick!"
Draco scooped her up. "What's wrong, little bug? Why are you crying?" He looked quizzically at his son while Cassie sobbed against his neck. "What's happened, Scorpius?"
His son shrugged and gave a huge sigh of exasperation. "Mum's locked in your bedroom. She won't come out. She won't even talk to us when we call." A worried look crossed his face. "Cassie thinks the Fairies of Snoozington might have got her."
His sister cried, "They must have! We haven't seen her for ages!" Cassie's face was a mask of misery.
"For ages?" asked Draco in wide-eyed wonder. His daughter nodded her curly-haired head emphatically.
"Ages and ages and ages," she said. "Please save her, Daddy!"
Draco kissed his daughter on the cheek. "Well, your mother is usually very good at saving herself, you know," he mused. Then he smiled at his little girl. "But I shall do my best." He put Cassie down and tried the handle for himself. A smirk momentarily crossed his features that he quickly hid from his children.
Instead, he stood back from the doors, gently pushing Cassie and Scorpius behind him. "Stand back, children. This might be dangerous." Drawing his wand, he theatrically raised his arms above his head, drew an intricate sparkling pattern in the air, and called out, "Alohomora! Reddi-Or-Notticus, Heer-Aye-Cummicus!" Lights twinkled all over the door. He tried the handle again. It opened soundlessly.
"Hurray!" both children shouted and began to dart forward, but Draco stayed them with his hands.
"Best to follow me in, kids," he whispered. "You know. Just in case the fairies are still around."
The two of them halted. "Okay, Daddy," Cassie whispered back. Scorpius looked up at his father with concerned grey eyes but said nothing.
Draco led the way into the bedroom he shared with Hermione. The room was dimly lit, and his beautiful wife was lying on top of the bed's rose-patterned duvet, motionless.
"Is Mummy dead?" Cassie's voice quavered.
"Let's get closer and see," suggested Draco. Holding hands, he and the children cautiously approached the bed and looked at Hermione. The corners of her mouth were turned up in a tiny smile. Draco gave a slight ahem. Suddenly she let out a soft snore.
"Nope, she's not dead," Scorpius sighed in relief.
"She must be cursed," said Cassie, ever the optimist. "She's been cursed by the fairies of Snoozington and she'll never wake up again!"
"No, that's not the way it goes, Cass," scoffed Scorpius. "If she's cursed, true love's kiss will wake her up. That's what all the stories say. Right, Dad?" He looked up at Draco for reassurance.
Bemused, Draco nodded. "That's what the stories say, all right." He continued standing there, gazing fondly down at his wife. The children looked at one another.
"Well, Dad?" asked Scorpius, after a moment.
"Hmm? Well what, Scor?" asked Draco.
Cassie planted her little hands against her father's bum and pushed him. "Daddy, you're Mummy's true love! Kiss Mummy and wake her up!"
Draco stumbled forward a step but kept himself from falling by planting one hand on either side of his sleeping wife. Chuckling, he looked back over his shoulder at his son and daughter. Scorpius looked hopeful. Cassie's hands were clasped together in anxiety, waiting to see what would happen. Draco wiggled his eyebrows and then turned to Hermione and kissed her soundly.
The kiss went on for some time. Nothing at all happened at first, but then Hermione stirred slightly. The room gradually filled with rather a lot of smooching and breathing sounds. Hermione's hands slowly rose to clutch Draco's shoulders, and he slid his arms around her and lifted her to a seating position, never breaking the kiss.
Scorpius watched in fascinated disgust. Cassie looked at her brother and smiled brightly.
"Mummy's awake," she said.
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I can see that," he retorted. He took his sister's hand. "C'mon, let's get out of here." He led her away from the bed where their parents were still embracing.
"But, but I wanted to see Mummy!" Cassie whinged. Scorpius' grip was firm as he pulled her out of the room.
"You'll see her soon enough," he said, looking back at the amorous couple. "She and Dad are just making sure all the fairies are gone."
"There must be a lot of them," Cassie remarked.
Scorpius nodded sagely, as only an older brother could. "There always are," he replied.