A/n: Here's another new story! I took it kind of from a different perspective, but I hope you enjoy anyway :)
Title: Like Mother like Daughter
Written for the Sherlock Competition Part 1 #3. Due November 10
Also written for the Rivlary Boot Camp prompt #27 (galleon) and the Holiday Spirit: Christmas Boot Camp prompt #11 (December).
Hermione was busy picking out some new books one December day. Her daughter Rose was home for the Holidays from Hogwarts, and at the age of twelve she was more concerned with flying around on a broom than studying over break, despite her high intelligence. She had a little of both her parents inside of her.
She wasn't paying attention though to what Rose was currently doing. She wasn't even aware that her daughter was in the middle of a conversation until someone cleared their throat behind her. Glancing over her shoulder she gave them a rather uninterested look, then did a double-take.
"Oh rubbish. Malfoy, I really don't want to talk right now."
Seeing Malfoy wasn't as unexpected as many people believed. He had a son that was the same age as Rose, and he often frequented Diagon Alley in between business meetings and paperwork. She'd seen him many, many times over the past twelve years, but they rarely spoke. They might be on civil terms, but that didn't actually mean they had something to talk about. On the rare occasions that they did bother talking, their conversations were bland and boring. It was simply easier to ignore one another.
"Trust me Granger, I had no intention of actually speaking to you today. But you might chance a glance over to the coffee counter. I just happened upon this, and you might find it interesting as well."
"How many times do I need to remind you that it's Weasley now? I did get married." She turned anyway to humor him, and froze.
Now, she'd never really technically had a conversation with Scorpius Malfoy before. They exchanged pleasantries when the moment called for it, but they didn't actually talk about anything. Usually if she had to speak to one of the Malfoy's, it ended up being Scorpius' father, and they kept those conversations as brief as possible.
Yet there stood the quiet little blond boy she often heard about, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck while he spoke to her daughter. Her eyes widened, but before she could say anything Malfoy pulled her behind the bookshelf she'd been looking through earlier.
The brunette spun around. "Why on earth is your son talking to my daughter? I was under the impression that they didn't like each other."
"Oh, trust me, they didn't. Then I guess she punched someone who was going on and on about Pureblood superiority and now he's kind of smitten with her. It sounds like she takes after you."
Hermione immediately remembered the punch she delivered to Malfoy's face during third year and smiled. Ah, the things she would never forget about her time at Hogwarts. Then she shook her head, remembering the conversation at hand. "Are you sure she didn't just punch Scorpius? It sounds an awful lot like how you used to talk-"
"I've learned my lesson," he snapped, cutting her off. "The war did reform my thinking, and you know it."
She nodded solemnly, the smile gone from her face. Malfoy really had changed his attitude over the years. It was nice to watch. Now she could talk to him without being insulted every other sentence.
"It was Marcus' kid, and we both know that he hasn't changed his thinking one bit since the war ended."
"I see that you pried a name from your son then."
"Well I had to. I wanted to know if I should be expecting to see black eyes over the holiday. Now, what are they up to?"
The two adults peered around the shelf, studying their two children who were still enthralled in conversation. People passing by sent them odd looks, but they were famous enough that no one worried too much about it. They were just parents watching their children.
"I'm pretty sure he just handed her a galleon," Draco mused.
"Does that mean you two think we're poor?"
He glanced down at the brunette. "Why do you read into things so much Granger? He handed her one Galleon, not one-hundred. Look, they're buying a gumball, not everything on the menu. Calm down, it's not an implication that you're poor."
She huffed. Malfoy tried to give her money once when he decided that she didn't make enough or something like that. It was at a Hogwarts reunion ball two years back. She threw punch on him and Astoria, his annoying wife, was very unhappy about it.
Well, he shouldn't have tried to make it seem like she didn't have any money! Ron played for the Cannons and made quite a sum of money, and her Healer job paid her more than enough. Sometimes she thought he acted like this just to be a cocky jerk.
"So why exactly is your son interested in Rose?"
"How am I supposed to know? We were passing by and I'm pretty sure he saw her buying a coffee. He really wanted to come in, and then he told me that he had to go talk to someone. He told me if I followed he wouldn't love me anymore."
Hermione stifled a laugh. "He tried that line on you?"
"Oh yes, all the time."
She grinned, surprised that her conversation with the blond was lively for once. "Rose does that too. I usually just tell her that we won't go see her father play then when Quidditch is in season. She usually pouts and then goes away, and I have to spend time assuring my youngest, Hugo, that I didn't really mean it."
"Sounds like a lot of work there. I'm happy that we stopped at one. If I had two children I would probably lose my mind."
"Yes, you probably would. Oh look, he made her laugh."
The pair stopped talking briefly to watch the children interact. For a few minutes they sat together talking, and Rose kept laughing at something he said. At length he pulled something out of his pocket and enlarged it. Hermione felt a huge smile take over her face when she realized what it was.
"Aw, he bought her a book! That's so sweet. I wonder which one it is."
Draco gave her a funny look. "You're excited about this? Merlin Granger, that's such a nerdy present."
She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Like I care? You do remember who you're talking to, right? I live to read. While my daughter's fascination with the written word isn't as thorough as mine, she enjoys a good read nonetheless."
He shook his head. "Talking about your day much consist of reading lines out of books or something."
She stifled a second laugh. "We might actually have to try that sometime. Oh look, here they come now."
"Ah, lover boy makes an entrance."
"Malfoy, your son must be afraid to tell you things. You've made a joke out of everything so far."
"He's only a little apprehensive sometimes. He knows I care."
"I'm sure." She grinned at her daughter as the two walked up together, staring at the child's books instead of the several sitting in her own arms. "Well hello there. What are the two of you doing?"
The children exchanged a glance. They were probably a little freaked out that their parents were standing together, talking.
"Scorpius gave me this book," Rose said, flipping it over so her mother could read the title. Draco laughed.
"Badass Witches?" Hermione asked, arching an eyebrow. "And what exactly is this book about then?"
"Witches that know how to defend themselves," Scorpius replied, speaking up. He shoved his hands into his pockets, obviously a bit nervous. "I thought she might like it… since she punched Anthony the other day."
Hermione's eyebrows drew together, pretending that she hadn't yet heard this story. "Oh really? And why did you punch Anthony? That's not how you should behave Rose."
"He was making mean remarks about you and dad," she replied defensively. "I couldn't let him do that."
A smile graced her mother's face, and she couldn't help thinking that Malfoy was right after all. Rose really was like her. "I see. Well then, good job. But now it's time to go Rose. We were technically supposed to leave ten minutes ago."
The girl's expression dropped a hair. She glanced at Scorpius, then immediately back to her mother. "Scorpius wanted to take me to the candy shop. Is that okay?"
Hermione exchanged a knowing look with Malfoy. "Well… I suppose. I guess I'll just have to keep talking to your father Scorpius."
The boy nodded, but he looked slightly horrified at the idea. Now she could hear Malfoy attempting to not laugh.
"Go on then," she said, shooing them away. "We'll be along once I pay."
The children were out the door in a moment, hurrying off to the new shop. "Think he was successful?" she asked, moving up to the register.
"I would say so. They seem pretty connected at the moment."
"Agreed. I guess we should watch them over the Holiday. They are write young to be in any sort of serious relationship."
"Granger, do you even realize what I was off doing in second year?"
She sighed, ignoring the fact that he didn't even use the right name. The woman behind the counter handed over her change, and Hermione shoved her hands into her pockets. "Shall we go and spy on them some more."
Malfoy grinned. "Well of course."
A/n: Just a humorous story :) If I did well let me know in a review!
