Written for the Pick a List Competition prompt #4 (calming draught), the OTP Boot Camp Challenge prompt #49 (practical), and the Monopoly Game Competition story 2, levitate used for prompt.

Crying for a Second Father

Hermione Granger was a practical person as far as practical people go. She kept a level-head about her in every situation, she fought valiantly in a war, and she knew how to keep herself alive. In all respects, she should be able to handle anything.

But death is a different story. Death signifies that you've lost someone, and they are never coming back. Death is a terrible, terrible thing. And she couldn't keep it together the day Ron's father died.

Arthur Weasley had been like a father to her. After the death of her parents in Australia, she hadn't had a family really. The Weasley's took her in as one of their own, just like they'd done with Harry. And in such close proximity to Ron, she found that her relationship with him ended. They were just too different.

And then along came Draco, strutting back into her life in expensive leather shoes and high class couture. She hated him from the ghetto, from back when they were children. Nothing could make her tolerate him ever again.

How wrong she was. It only took one moment for them to grow closer, and a year for marriage to become the ideal option. Her choice wasn't very rational back then, but she ended up with two glorious children and a marriage she never expected.

Life was okay. The untimely pain that came with war and death wavered off into nothing. For many years, life was normal again.

But with old age comes death, as inevitable as passing out from exhaustion. The day Arthur Weasley died the Weasley household grew very quiet, and Hermione wept at home with her husband. It was like losing her father all over again.

And at his funeral, like most everyone else in attendance, she couldn't hold it together.

"Breathe darling," he said from beside her, arm wrapped around her shoulder as she wept. The others in attendance might not favor her husband, but no one was going to argue with his presence today. Not today of all days. "Deep breaths."

She cried during the speeches, during the ceremony, and during the burial. She cried the entire time, like Ron and Harry and George. She didn't say a work to them, mostly because she couldn't get her lips to form words.

Eventually, he pulled her away from the ceremony. They stayed long enough to pay respect to Molly Weasley and the other members of the family, but Draco pulled her away soon after. She wouldn't calm down, and had reduced herself into a crying puddle of snot and tears by the time he got her back to their home. Thankfully they hired a nanny that night, who could look after their children a bit longer. He used the floo connection directly to their room.

"Breathe Hermione," he whispered, head resting against hers. He produced a handkerchief and handed it over to her, briefly disappearing as she attempted to calm herself. He reappeared only a moment later, a small bottle in hand.

"I'm n-not drinking that," she said, her voice shaking in time with her cries.

He kissed her cheek, sitting down beside her. "You don't even know what it is. Please, drink it for me? I want you to feel better."

"It's not g-going to help."

"You never know unless you try." He placed the bottle in her hand, sitting back as he waited for her to take a sip.

Hermione downed the potion in one gulp, having sniffed it beforehand. He sat rubbing her opposite hand until her shoulders stopped shaking.

"I should've brought one of those along with us to the funeral. You were an absolute mess love."

"Did you expect something else?" she asked her voice scratchy from crying. He handed her a cup of water, waiting for her to drink the entire thing before vanishing the empty cup. "I wouldn't have taken it then either. I just would've thrown it away."

"I know," he sighed, pushing her hair out of her face. "You're stubborn like that." Flicking his wrist, he levitated a blanket over to them and draped it over her, gently pushing her to lie down. "Try to sleep off the pain Hermione. I'll go home and send Leanne home. I'm sure she's ready to go. It's time to for the children to go to bed anyway. I'll put them to sleep and be back soon, okay?"

"Okay."

He gave her hand a squeeze. "I love you Hermione."

"I love you too."

He kissed her knuckles before stepping away, turning towards the door. "It's going to get better overtime, I promise."

Deep down, she knew he was right, but she had a hard time believing him today.