A/N: Another little drabble from me since I can't seem to focus on anything over 500-1000 words. Angst this time around.
Disclaimer: Still don't own it.
Warning: This is the first thing I've written that is epilogue-friendly. :)
Tears
It wasn't the first time she'd been crying.
Draco opened the door to receive Hermione Weasley in the biggest sunglasses he'd ever seen. She thought it would cover her red eyes, but Draco knew.
He always did.
The cheeks of her face were always flushed, like she'd blistered her face trying to rub away any evidence of her emotions.
"Hey, Draco," she exhaled shakily, taking a step into his London flat and trying to glance around casually, the hand clasping her tote bag strangling the handle. "Is Rose ready to go?"
"Sure," he said gently, steering her towards the sofa. Once she was seated, he turned away, not able to watch her in this pain. "I'll go collect her."
He returned shortly after, her redheaded daughter and his blond son in tow. The two twelve year-olds were still laughing about something they'd been talking about in Scorpius' room; neither could sense the tension between the two adults. Mother and daughter greeted each other before Rose said goodbye to her friend.
"Rose, why don't you go down to the car? I'll be down in a moment."
The girl nodded, waving once more to his son before ducking out the door. Scorpius wandered back to his room after a polite farewell to Rose's mother.
"Thank you for keeping Rose on such short notice," she stated once his son had left the room. "When I floo-ed you so early this morning, I was sure you would say no."
"Not at all," Draco replied. "You know she's always welcome."
He wanted to ask how bad the fight had been this time, if she was okay, if she was finally ready to leave that idiot, but he knew he couldn't. The questions were on the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn't be polite and they weren't that close.
"Where's Daphne?" she asked suddenly. "I wanted to say hello while I was here."
"She's visiting friends," Draco answered tersely, the question catching him off-guard.
"Oh, well, thank you again," she voiced as she switched her bag over to the other shoulder, her grip unrelenting, before moving unsteadily towards the doorway.
"Of course," Draco maintained as he opened the door for her. Before she could leave though, he stopped her with a hand on her elbow. All he saw were those dark sunglasses, but he could imagine her red-streaked brown eyes staring confusedly up at him.
"Don't be afraid to call on me again," his tone clearly stated he meant for anything.
Her face rearranged itself into a wane smile as she nodded slightly before moving through the door and disappearing around the corner.
It killed Draco to see a strong and fierce woman like Hermione Granger let herself be bullied by such a man; Weasley was nothing compared to her. She reminded him of his mother in some ways.
But the war had changed her. It had changed all of them.
No, it wasn't the first time she'd cried, and it wouldn't be the last.
Fin
A/N: The bit of irony, that I just have to explain, is that they're actually fighting about his family. Ron doesn't want Rose to be friends with a Malfoy and Hermione is fighting for her daughter to be friends with whomever she wants. I always thought Ron's temper was far too explosive than anything I would want in a husband and he's not afraid of what he says to win an argument. Just look what they went through over Crookshanks.
Reviews are love. :)
