"Draco you better be dressed before Mrs Weasley arrives with Teddy," Hermione shouted from downstairs as she fussed about inside the living room and tidied up her husband's mess from last night.
"Calm down woman," she heard him yell from upstairs and she released an irritated huff.
Hermione silently scolded herself for being inconsiderate at keeping up with the time when any moment now Mrs Weasley would appear through the fireplace. Speaking of said witch, Hermione gave a startled jump when the fireplace erupted in green flames and the figure of a pump redhead and a small child clinging onto her appeared through the flames.
"Mrs Weasley," Hermione greeted with a smile and the older lady smiled back tenderly as she placed Teddy onto the ground who then ran up to her and hugged her leg.
"Auntie Hermy!" he said with a toothy grin and Hermione laughed as she bent down and managed to pick the chubby little blue haired boy up and brought him close to her and pressed her cheek against his murmuring, "I've missed you," as she walked them over to the couch.
Upon reaching the couch, Hermione went blanch. There, scattered over the cushions, were Draco's clothes strewn across the blue fabric. Quickly without Mrs Weasley's leery gaze, Hermione managed to sit on top of his clothing, silently cursing him. That husband of hers...
"How are you deary?" Mrs Weasley asked once she perched down comfortably on one of the sofas. "Draco's not in sight..." She pointed out as she craned her neck and peered into the dining room.
"He's getting dressed upstairs, after having a shower," Hermione added abruptly, her cheeks flaming when the older witch gave her a knowing look.
Since Draco was still occupied upstairs, or so she believed, Mrs Weasley had to rush after handing her a bag of spare clothing for Teddy and along with his toys and whatnot before she said her goodbyes and allowed herself to be engulfed by the green flames.
"Where is Unca Draco?" Teddy asked once he settled on Hermione's lap and gave the witch a wondering look.
"Yes, where is Unca Draco," Hermione repeated before she shouted, "Draco!"
Draco wasn't upstairs long. He had been dressed and casually resting on the bed for the last ten minutes, waiting patiently for Mrs Weasley to leave. The older witch never ceased to stop interrogating him ever since he and Hermione tied the knot. She seemed to be under the impression that he had Hermione bound and gagged when they had no visitors to attend to. Crazy the lot of them...
Hearing Hermione call out for him, he pressed his ear up against the bedroom door to make sure that Mrs Weasley had left. Safe to make his appearance, Draco descended downstairs and into the living room. Upon entering he discovered his wife and Teddy happily engaged in hushed conversation. He felt the corners of his lips quirk upwards to reveal a smile, experiencing that foreign feeling he'd feel whenever he saw Hermione interact with a child.
Hermione was in the middle of brushing back Teddy's hair when she gasped as the turquoise blue tuft slowly transformed into a much light blonde — ash-blonde. Who else has the exact same shade? She looked back at the stairs where Draco was walking into the living room.
"Unca Draco!" Beamed Teddy as he hopped off Hermione's lap and rushed over to the blonde male who effortlessly lifted Teddy into his arms.
"Hey there little man," Draco laughed, heedful to the change of his hair.
He walked them over to the couch where Hermione was staring pointedly at him. "What?" Draco asked furrowing his brows.
"Did you forget something?"
Draco arched a brow and shook his head.
Hermione suppressed from reprimanding him as she glared down at the spot on the sofa where she lifted her leg slightly to reveal his wrinkled up boxers and trouser. It came crashing back to him. His lack of patience from last night when Hermione whispered lewd thoughts into his ear after watching a movie with a risqué storyline made him in a rush to carry her upstairs half nude so he paid little attention to where he had thrown half his clothing.
"Ah well I was a little preoccupied you see," he smirked and gave her a wink.
Hermione glowered at him from behind Teddy, silently warning him to keep his subtle lewd comments to himself.
"Guess what Unca Charlie bought me?" Teddy interrupted as he broke free from Draco's grasp before running to his little carry bag where he hastily searched through the small opening before pulling out a little stuffed toy. He ran back to Draco and clambered onto his lap showing him a green stuffed dragon. "This is Rufus," he said as he proudly displayed the stuffed toy to both Draco and Hermione. "He's a dragon just like your name."
"Well would ya' look at that," mused Draco with a wry smile.
"Oh don't get too excited. Unca Draco's not a real dragon" Hermione smirked and Teddy clapped his hands in glee.
Draco gave her a sardonic smile. "What are you talking about Aunt Hermy," he grinned, "I could be a dragon if I wanted too! Why is his name Rufus?"
Teddy sighed and said in a matter-0f-fact voice, "Because he's a silly dragon!"
"Oh, right," Draco said seriously. "I forgot. Of course he is a silly dragon..."
As Teddy continued asking Draco the many questions which he had in store for him, Hermione had mused to herself how ironic this scene seemed to appear. With Teddy sporting Draco's hair color and now with his eyes turning a light shade of cocoa brown just as her own, Teddy could pass off as their own son. She blinked away the silly thought before hearing a rather delightful chuckle from the toddler after Draco whispered something into his ear.
"What's so funny?" She asked wryly.
Teddy who was able to contain his laughter turned to her. "Unca Draco says your name is like a hermit crab," he said before giggling. "Aunty Hermy..."
Hermione gave Draco a 'ha-ha' funny look.
"Hush up, Dragon," she said with a smirk of her own.
At the mention of dragon, Teddy looked down at his stuffed dragon. Hermione giggled as she watched the two boys interact, laughing at one point when Teddy shoved his toy dragon in Draco's face as he imitated a dragon's roar.
"Ah! Hermione! Help me! I'm being attacked!" Draco laughed.
She leaned forward and tickled Teddy's sides to which the toddler erupted in a fit of giggles, squirming to get away from Hermione as he threw his dragon at her face and she huffed.
"Hey!" Hermione said as she doubled up on her attack of his sides, leaning against Draco when Teddy covered himself under his arm while heavily panting.
Draco laughed as Teddy buried himself in between his arm and the arm of the couch. He lifted his other arm and rested it on the back of the sofa so that Hermione could rest on his side. Once Hermione stopped her attack on Teddy, he leaned down and whispered in the toddlers ear. "How about we get aunty Hermy?" Teddy nodded excitedly and the arm that was on the back of the sofa snaked down and poked Hermione in the ribs.
Hermione kept a watchful eye on Teddy who was whispering with Draco, both boys smirking to one another and she frowned. She felt Draco's hand snake down to her ribs and he poked her in a rather ticklish spot and she jerked. "St—" She was cut off when his fingers assaulted her sides. Laughing and squirming, Hermione begged them to stop once Teddy decided to join in and she leaned back against the couch.
"Ahhhh! N-no! Sto-p-p!"
"Say please."
"P-le-please!"
Draco grinned, "Does this mean you quit?"
She nodded, her chest hurt too much to speak. Draco stopped and gave her a wide grin along with Teddy who gave him a high-five.
"You're the best, Unca Draco," the little boy smiled and crawled over to Hermione as he curled up on her lap.
Panting for breath, Hermione gave an 'oof' when Teddy decided to jump onto her lap. She wrapped her arms around him. "You two honestly are a handful," she muttered.
Draco kissed Hermione on the top of the head. "Only when it comes to you," he whispered back. He couldn't help but notice how natural it felt, to be cuddled up to Hermione and with Teddy snuggled up on her lap it looked… right.
Several hours later as the couple along with Teddy settled back on the sofa after a filling lunch, Hermione watched as Teddy began playing with her fingers when he asked, "Why do you wear a ring like Aunty Ginny does?" he asked, pointing toward Hermione's ring finger where a large diamond stone glittered under the light.
"When two people, any two people love each other, often they confirm that love by giving them a ring." Hermione explained in the simplest form of way to the little trouble maker currently yawning in her lap.
"Does that mean you love Dragon?" Teddy asked and she smiled at the mention of his nickname which she had given him.
"I do love Dragon plenty," she answered as she looked up at Draco. "But the real question is: Does Dragon love me enough?" She smiled cheekily at him.
At Hermione's answer to the boy's cheeky question, and Hermione's equally cheeky response, Draco shrugged. "Maybe..."
Teddy looked up at Draco with wide eyes, "Maybe? You don't love Aunty Hermy?" he asked, his voice full of innocence.
Draco took a while before answering. He smiled and gave Hermione a peck on the lips. "You know Teddy? I think I do."
That cheeky smile on Hermione's face became a cheering grin at Draco's answer and she tilted her face closer as she captured his lips, her lips moving deeply against his.
"That's gross!" Complained Teddy at the sight of affection and he scrunched up his face. Draco laughed at Teddy as he withdrew his lips. "You'll be doing it soon enough," he said and Teddy shook his head.
"No way! I'm going to be like Unca Charlie and live with the dragons!"
Draco laughed. "Don't you love anyone Teddy?"
Teddy mused silently over his question before he brightened up and answered. "Ma and Da." His face fell. "Although I've never seen them… but Unca Harry says they're with …" He frowned over his next words before knowing what to answer. "With Unca Harry's parents." He sighed as he hopped off of Hermione's lap to retrieve his toy dragon.
Hermione appeared torn as she frowned at Teddy who was unable to sense her longing hurt and she turned to Draco, eyes blinking rapidly.
Draco frowned as Teddy answered. He turned to Hermione and saw her eyes glistening. "It's okay," he said softly and rubbed her knee. Draco then turned to Teddy and said, "I've never met your parents either, Teddy but I know they were probably the best wizard and witch. And I mean, ever. They would always be helping everyone, always kind and considerate. I'm sure they're having fun with Unca Harry's parents," he said.
Blinking away the unwanted tears, Hermione averted her eyes from Draco's as she opened her arms out for the little toddler who happily clambered back onto her lap with his stuffed toy dragon.
Teddy seemed to have lightened up at Draco's words as he lay his head down heavily on Hermione's breasts and shoulder. "They tell me that Ma can also change her hair color like me. I like blue — it suits me best," he said happily as they noticed the changing of color on his tuft of former blonde to now turquoise and Hermione smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair. Draco smiled at Hermione and Teddy.
"You look so suited to have a child," He said to her. Teddy looked up from where he was nestled into Hermione's shoulder. "If you have a little boy, Aunt Hermy, I'll look after him! And he can even share Rufus with me and we can both go work with Unca Charlie!"
"Are you hinting?" Hermione asked as she gave him a side leer, grinning as Teddy lifted his head up from the comfort of her shoulder. "Is that so?" She murmured, amused. "And what if it's a little girl?"
"Oh no… She'll be like Victoire!" Teddy groaned as he rubbed his face before yawning. Hermione had sensed the tiredness in his voice before not long after she heard the soft snores slowly exhaling through his nose. "He's all tired out," she murmured as she kissed his forehead.
"I'm just saying it looks very natural for you to be a mother." Draco pointed out.
Hermione leaned back against the sofa with a soft shrug. "I'm just good with children. I've been around them considering I have many nieces and nephews as surprising as it sounds." She smirked. "Not to mention I did babysit both Harry and Ron for over ten years."
Draco laughed softly as to not awake sleeping Teddy. "I've never even interacted with a child below a first year. My parents aren't friends with anyone that have children as young as Teddy here. I guess the only babies I've been around were Pansy and that but I was the same age as her so it doesn't really count," he said. "That's why I'm so worried I won't be a good enough father."
Hermione frowned as his doubts over him being a good father. "You will be a good father," she hissed, careful not to wake Teddy. Licking her lips to wet them she said, "Just because you lacked interaction with children younger than yourself doesn't determine if whether you're going to be a good enough father. From what I've seen today in this short time, Teddy seems to love your company. He adores you Draco."
"So you're agreeing?"
"Agreeing to what?"
"To start a family?"
The hand which ran through Teddy's hair paused and Hermione looked up at Draco with a frown. "I never said that."
"Well you just claimed I'd make a good father." He pointed out.
"But I never said 'let's have children'." Hermione said as she pursed her lips. Before Draco could open his mouth and state another valid point, Hermione muttered something about putting Teddy into bed. She gently picked up the sleeping child along with his stuffed dragon toy and carried him to one of the guest bedrooms upstairs.
Draco didn't take his eyes off Hermione's back until she'd rounded the corner and was out of sight. He stood from the couch as he ran a hand through his sleeked back hair. Did he really admit to Hermione that he wanted a family? That he wanted to become a father?... The idea wasn't completely illogical considering he and Hermione had been married for over a year now. He walked up to the mantle of the fireplace as his eyes roamed over the many pictures which Hermione had framed. Some of the pictures moved while the others remained a still shot. There was one particular picture of Ron who smudged cake all over Hermione's face and the entire room convulsing with laughter. It was her twenty-first birthday and the Weasley's had thrown her a surprise party. There was other various pictures scattered around, mainly with Hermione and her parents or with her and Ginny along with baby pictures of Teddy who she had grown overly fond of since he was in his nappies.
Once Hermione appeared downstairs and into the living room, she noticed Draco standing near the mantle.
"What are you doing?" she murmured as she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his shoulder — a difficult task considering his height.
"Just looking at your photos," he said and Hermione didn't appreciate the tone of his voice.
"What's wrong with you?" She asked as she withdrew her hands and took a step back.
"Nothing, just absolutely nothing," Draco answered with a shrug as he continued to stand with his back to her. Hermione released an irritated sigh.
"Is this about us wanting to start a family?" She asked, glaring when Draco gave a rather rude snort.
"You mean I want to start a family. There's no us as you pointed out."
Her nostrils flaring and Hermione snapped. "I never said that," she hissed. "What's wrong with you? Why all of a sudden do you have this urge to start a family... to have kids. I thought you wanted to wait at least three years."
"I've never said that!" Draco exclaimed, equally matching her glare. "This is the first time I've brought up the topic but it seems you're avoiding answering me."
Hermione flushed when she didn't have a reply ready for him. She had a hand thought her unbound hair. "Look," she began. "This isn't as serious as you're seeing it. I know you'll make a good father, but not just yet. We have plenty of time to have children Draco." She explained, hopefully the blonde understood. It appeared that he didn't...
"I think we're ready." Draco said unfazed.
"I don't." Hermione answered just as quick.
"Why don't you? It doesn't sound like a troublesome idea, right?... Harry and Ginny were married a little over four months when she was pregnant with James. We've been married for over a year." He pointed out.
Sighing, Hermione rubbed the bridge of her nose, "I'm not going to argue with you."
"It's a simple question," Draco whispered harshly.
"It's not that simple," she retorted just as severely.
"No it is. You're–" Draco was cut off when a bright green flame appeared inside the fireplace and he immediately took a step back.
Mrs Weasley appeared through the flames, brushing off the soot clinging on her robes when she lifted her head and realized the couple standing by the fireplace, both looking equally pissed about something.
"Is everything okay?" The older witch asked concerned.
"Everything is fine," Hermione said coldly as she refused to meet Draco's glare.
The atmosphere inside the room was tense Hermione who noticed Draco hadn't greeted Mrs Weasley or even acknowledged her in the slightest stormed off out of the living room.
"I'm sorry, he's just..." She tried explaining but Mrs Weasley shook her head.
"I understand," Molly said before frowning. "You two didn't argue in front of Teddy did you?"
"No of course not! He's asleep. I'll go get him."
Once Hermione packed all of Teddy's belongings into his carry bag and woke the sleepy child up so that Mrs Weasley could take him home, she cleaned up the living room as she tidied up the scattered pillows before moving into the kitchen and washing the remaining dishes inside the sink. Draco had made no attempt to apologize or even talk to her and locked himself up inside his study for several hours doing Merlin knows what.
That night as she lay on bed, Hermione slept facing Draco's side of the bed as she waiting for him to join her. He never came... Eventually as the hours passed, Hermione found herself asleep. She had no idea how much time had passed when she woke again, but given that it was pitch black outside, she thought it must have been several hours. When she glanced over the space which Draco filled, he still wasn't there. Disappointment filled Hermione. She stared at the empty spot beside her. Where was he? Why hadn't he not gone to bed yet?
This is my first fanfic. I've been contemplating if whether I should post an official fanfic of mine, but thanks to the lovely Lou (who also happens to be my beta) she gave me that extra push!
Please review!