Hermione sighed as she looked out the window of the small café in Diagon Alley. She gently rocked her newborn Rose, going over the argument with husband in her mind again. She was so tired of his attitude. She agreed to take off from work for them to have a child and here she was, every day and night, alone. She was tired of it, she was tired of his constant attitude...she had only agreed to have Rose to save their marriage in the first place and it seemed like that was a giant waste as well. That being said, she loved her daughter more than anything else. She looked down at her sleeping face and marveled at the pure innocence laying in her arms. After the war, the ministry reform, and her personal problems, Rose was a light that she wanted nothing more than to protect from all harm.
"Oy, Granger, is that you?" She looked up from Rose and into deep ocean gray eyes. She gave a small smile. "Hello, Mr. Malfoy. How are you doing today?"
He shuddered and frowned, "You know I hate being called that. You mind if I sit?" she shook her head as he sat across from her. "The office has been quite lonely without you. There's barely anyone that can hold up a conversation as well as you."
"Thank you, Malfoy. It's nice to hear I'm missed." She smiled softly. When she had returned for her seventh year, Malfoy had been a returning student as well, but he had been very alone after the events of their sixth year and to repair relations, they had become friends, though Ron hated it and constantly had to be the one to remind her of what was carved into her arm while at the Malfoy Manor.
"Is that little Rose? She's absolutely beautiful, despite the red weasel hair." He smiled at her frown.
"Still the king of backhanded compliments, I see. How's Astoria?" He sighed and grimaced as he looked down. "Well, now that she's having a child, she absolutely ignores me unless it's of the upmost importance." He sighed and looked back as Hermione laid her free hand in his.
"I'm so sorry, Draco. I know the arranged marriage is hard, but it'll be better after the baby. Then you'll have someone to hold on to, to feel like all of this is right." She gently squeezed Rose to her as Draco nodded.
"Things aren't panning out much better for you, are they Hermione?" This time,she sighed and shook her head. "Is it that obvious? He spends no time with me, is out all hours of the night, and I swear he's come back smelling like a girl quite a few times. He barely has the decency to hide anything from me anymore. I've tried so hard, Draco, buy it's going nowhere..." she let a tear escape and she frowned, quickly wiping it away with her free hand. "Stupid, bloody hormones. The can't stop making me feel like this is my fault."
"Hermione, it is your fault, not by a long shot. I know there are people who would love to cherish you, like you deserve. Weasel just doesn't know how." He shrugged his shoulders and took a bite of a biscuit from the plate that was sitting there.
"Oh, really? Like, who? And those are lactation biscuits…made from me.." Draco spit it out into a napkin with the worst look on his face. "Really, Hermione? That's so gross. I'm never eating anything near you again." Hermione titled her head down and laughed unto Rose.
"I'm sorry, Draco. I really am, but you should have asked first."
"Why the hell should I have to check if biscuits are safe to eat? Not made from.." he gestured towards her chest and she laughed again. He smiled at her. "There, you should stay smiling."
It had been a few days since her run in with Draco and Hermione somehow kept finding herself smiling. His friendship wasn't like how it was with Harry or Ginny or even Luna. It certainly was nothing like when she talked to Ron. "What are you smiling for? " Ron raised his eyebrow. He hadn't seen Hermione smiling in quite some time. It was kind of out of place.
"Just remembering my day out with Rose a couple days ago. I ran into a work mate and they told me how the department has been and that I've been missed." She folded a small onesie and laid it on the pile beside her, just because she was a witch didn't mean she wouldn't still do things the muggle way. "Oh really? Which mate" He crossed his arms as he leaned against the door frame.
Hermione sighed, "No one special, Ronald" "It was Malfoy, wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was." She laid down another outfit of Rose's. "I've told you that I don't want you seeing him Hermione. He's a snake and a deatheater!"
"And as I have told you! I will talk to whomever I please!" She laid what was in her hands down, visibly getting rather heated.
"You are my wife, Hermione! If I say no, that means no. You will listen to me or.. "
"Or what? You'll run to mommy? Or Ginny? Or whoever will listen?" Ron started to turn red, up to ears.
"Or you can be out on your bloody arse!"
"This is my flat, so you can leave. I don't need you, Ron. I make more than enough to support Rose and I."
"Fine, but you'll never be loved by any one. You were lucky to have gotten me." He shoved his way past her and slammed the door he left. She shook as she cried, feeling worse from the joy she felt. Rose woke in the other room and she scooped her up in her arms, kissing her delicate face and apologizing to the newborn. No matter how nasty her father was, she knew that Rose was everything to her. After Rose settled back down, she went to work changing the wards on the flat to exclude Ron and quickly packed his things and sent them to the burrow. Soon, the floo network lit up and a wizard with black hairand a very familiar scar stepped through and met a wand, immediately.
He threw his hands up, "I'm not pleading his case, I came to check on you Mione." She lowered her wand and sat back down next to Rose. She held her daughter's little hand, "He said I would never be loved by anyone and that I was lucky enough to get him…I'm done Harry. I just can't do it anymore." She shook her head. He sat next her and rubbed her back. "I know. He said you chose Draco over him."
She rolled her eyes and snorted. "I know, I know. I'm sorry he's being an ass."
"I never should have married him, the only thing that was good in our marriage was Rose" Harry nodded silently, knowing that this hurt them. "She is beautiful." He smiled at the sleeping infant. "yes, she is and she is the only thing that will matter now."