As always my work is rated M for a reason, I curse a LOT if that offends you, prepared to be offended. No graphic sexual scenes here, I write them elsewhere. I promise not to rag on you if you post them on this site though, not even should you link me one night when you are bored and they are my favorite shipped couples. My other work Negotiating With Dragons is still ongoing and is meant to be a 4 novella series covering years 4-7, this is meant to be about 20 chapters to long if you ask some people.
Hermione thought she knew what the press would say. The Golden Trio, alone or together, could not bear to go on a simple shopping trip in Diagon Alley without creating a scene. They would say that they were glory hungry and reveled in the press's attention. None of which was the truth. Harry, Ron and she would love to be left alone with their spouses to raise their children. But even now seven years after the Battle of Hogwarts the press still stalked them
Or she would have thought that. But for only the second time in her life, Hermione did not stop to think. No plan. No list. No trip to the library. She just acted. It must be something to do with the last name, because someone else with the same last name caused this same response in her once, the overwhelming desire to do violence.
Three men were blocking a woman about her own age pushing a pram with a baby inside. "Yer kind in't wanted 'ere, go shop wif the other filf like you". Hermione was impressed with the woman's composure, she had to be terrified, but she answered evenly, "I have come here to shop like anyone else, please remove yourself from my path and leave us alone, my son is sleeping and we only want to be on our way". The man sneered "Your filfy blood tain'ed son ain' got no more bidness 'ere than snot 'as inna teacup", that was the final straw for Hermione. She knew the child was the same age as her Rose.
She stepped forward, her wand was not drawn but she did not need it to be dangerous. Not anymore. "Leave them alone. In fact, just leave. Now". She did not raise her voice, she did not need to, the war had changed her, when she wanted to she could sound menacing while calmly sipping tea. The man was either too drunk or too stupid to notice. He also did not notice his friends backing away and trying to pull him along. "err.. Stu…" one said "No no Larry, le's fin' out what the lil girl here thinks she kin do abou' it"
Hermione stepped forward, close, too close, the man, Stu, grabbed her arm, this is what she had wanted. "What CAN I do Stu"? She hissed? "I CAN wait for my husband and my best friend to show up, you might know them as Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, neither one will be thrilled that you grabbed me" his eyes got round as he finally recognized who he was holding on to, he tried to let go but the wandless and silent sticking spell she had cast on herself prevented that, "I CAN wait for her husband to show up and find out you accosted his wife and child in the street. As I recall he has a vicious mean streak that almost rivals mine", her eyes seemed far away for a moment. "I CAN call a full Wizengamot to hold you accountable for assaulting me in public, her husband, my husband and Harry have seats on the Gamot by the way… that will not end well for you…" his swallow was audible, his terror was in full force but she forced him to hold her gaze. "What I AM going to do is this" she brought her knee up forcefully into his groin; he vomited from the sudden pain. "Now we are going to have a chat" she said calmly, ignoring the fact that he had vomited down the front of her robes. "Stay where you are" she shot a look to his friends who tried to get away, they did not dare move again, "We fought a war, I had to fight, to kill children, FUCKING CHILDREN, and maybe they would have always been vile, loathsome, evil, little cockroaches but we will never know because they never had a CHANCE TO CHANGE"! She screamed this last part, "Children that I had gone to school with since I was ELEVEN FUCKING YEARS OLD, DEAD, because maniacs like you think blood is important, do you think I did that so you could bully a woman and her child in the street because they ARE pureblood"? He moaned "Answer me". "No… no ma'am, but ma'am thems got's the mark, they do they were supporters of…" She suddenly released him and grabbed her arm, "Get out, and leave before I do something to you that will be on the front page of every paper in the wizarding world. And if I EVER see you attack someone for scars or marks forced on them during that war I will use the only time turner left in existence to send your eyes into the future where they can see I am STILL kicking your arse, but first, apologize to Mrs. Malfoy, ALL of you"
They needed no more encouragement, stuttering out hasty apologies they ran like Voldemort himself was on their tail.
Without turning around, Hermione asked quietly "is your son still asleep"? Astoria, somewhat in awe of the tigress who had unexpectedly and viciously defended her, but now, inexplicably, sounded defeated, "Yes Mrs. Granger, he is, thank you". Hermione's shoulders slumped; "Granger-Weasley "she automatically corrected, without thinking about it, "Scourgify" she cleaned the front of her robes "you won't thank me when we are splashed across the front page tomorrow, I am sorry for that. I should have left it for Malfoy". But she hadn't, she couldn't. It did not startle her to hear Draco speak up. She had known he was there, just as she knew Ron and Harry were now behind her. She heard the sneer in his voice, "Yes, you should have, I will take care of the Press, Granger" She flinched slightly at his tone but said nothing about it. She just nodded. She never turned her head to look at him, at any of them.
No one missed the fact that she had not taken her hand from her arm, everyone but Astoria knew what she was covering with long sleeves and now her hand, what was carved there. Ron reached out for her, but knew she welcomed no touch when she was reminded of that day and he dropped his hand. "Mione, love, are you ready to go home" he whispered quietly. She walked a few feet to a low wall and stood against it her back still to them so they would not see how close she was to losing her composure again. "No Ronald, I need to be in a very dark place for a while" she apparated away.
"You better go talk to her mate" Ron said to Harry, "You know I am no good at this stuff, you fix these things better than I do".
They heard a derisive snort from Draco. "You got a problem with me wanting my wife to feel better, Malfoy" he sneered at them both "No, no, please, go 'fix' things again, both of you know sooo much about being marked in the war". Harry waved his hand towards his scar "Yeah, that is EXACTLY the same, Potter" Draco smirked, "the famous lightning bolt seen as a badge of hope and courage given to you as an infant so that you have no memory of receiving it EXACTLY the same as being tortured and having a slur carved into you". Astoria was appalled at her husband's demeanor "Draco…" she admonished her hands covering her mouth, she had never seen this side of her husband, Ron's face turned redder than his hair, just as he opened his mouth to speak Harry said "Fair point, you are right, so what do you suggest"? Harry knew Malfoy would not have spoken up unless he wanted to voice his opinion; years of sitting on boards with him gave him that experience. Ron stared at Harry as if he had taken up breeding garden gnomes as a hobby. "I suggest you leave it to the expert in marks. Me". Harry nodded, Ron shouted "hell will freeze over first" and Astoria looked at Harry and Draco like they had lost their minds. "Wait" she said thoroughly confused, "You don't even like her, why would you help her, I love you Draco but… ". He smiled wolfishly at his wife "random acts of kindness are not in my character". She laughed "No my love, they are not". He kissed her cheek "This is not random, and it is my responsibility to… it is something that a member of my family needs to make …" he found he could not find the right words. Ron looked at him speculatively "I don't trust you" he said plainly. Draco smirked again "YOU shouldn't, I don't much like you Weasley, in case I had not made that clear before today". Ron glared at him "But I am going to let you do this because Hermione REALLY doesn't like you and by the time she is done with you, your inflated ego won't fit in a thimble, she isn't that same girl from school" Draco's eyes raised "YOU are going to let me, maybe you should listen to your own words, I doubt anyone allows Granger to do anything".
Draco turned to his wife, "You OK with this, Tori"? Astoria nodded "I am, not that you would not have handled those men, but she did come to my aid, I could not even go for my wand without risking Scorpius", she shuddered," if you can help her, please do, there was something so sad, so defeated in her. And ask her to have tea with me next week" Draco folded her in his arms, "I will ask love but don't hold your breath, there is no way Granger is going to have tea with anyone carrying the last name Malfoy". Astoria smiled, "Don't be such a pessimist love, people may surprise you". He laughed, "Perhaps, you did after all". Harry and Ron were a bit surprised that for a moment Malfoy was neither smirking nor snarling just a man very much in love with his wife.
"I will just take my wife home and go talk to her". Harry looked to Astoria, "If you don't mind, Mrs. Malfoy, Ron and I can escort you home" she nodded "It is Astoria, and I don't mind if Draco doesn't" Draco rolled his eyes, "You couldn't be safer, the Chosen One risk his reputation by allowing one hair on your head to be damaged? Not in this life time" his words were sarcastic but Harry noticed his eyes were actually sparkling at his wife. Astoria asked "But where will you even find her? She never said where she was going just a very dark place. There are hundreds, thousands of places that could mean". The three men laughed "Not to Hermione", Ron said "that means only one place" the three men said in unison "the library"