Broken Strings
A Dramione Fanfiction by: TheOwlWriter
Original Characters Used/Mentioned: (In no alphabetical order) Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, The Weasley Family, Narcissa Malfoy née Black, Lucius Malfoy, Astoria and Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Luna Lovegood, and a some of original characters
Summary: After a night of drunken mistake in the graduation party of the Seventh Years and Eight Years, Hermione Granger struggles to be a single parent and live a nice quiet rural life in the Muggle World. But when she comes across the real father of her child, things get more complicated than ever; especially now he's married.
Setting: Novel Complaint (Up to The Battle of Hogwarts) after that, Post-Hogwarts is completely A/U.
Disclaimer: Even though J.K. Rowling have her blessing to use her (wonderful!) characters and plot, I dearsay that I do not own Harry Potter or make any money from this.
Prologue
"Mummy, can we go out? Please?" a little voice asked softly, following each repetitive statement with various pokes around Hermione Granger's sleepy body.
Hermione groaned softly as she opened her squinting eyes to the dazzling sunlight. When her vision cleared, she was face to face with a child with a sweet smile on her face. Her elegant dirty blonde curls are now flowing through her shoulders. Her liquid mercury eyes were shining with excitement. She was literally bouncing up and down as she wakes her mother.
"Good morning, Alexandria." Hermione greeted as she yawned huge.
"Morning mother!" she planted a kiss on her mother's cheek. Hermione smiled as she ruffled Alexandria's hair and kissed her forehead. "You're so early today, sweetie. What are you up to?" she said as she tickles her daughter.
She watched as her daughter burst into hysterical laughter. The sound of it is so delicious that she joined in. When they already calmed down, Alexandria said, "I wanna go to Auntie Gee-ney and see James and play with his cool toys!" She's bouncing again, making the bed shook. "And then let's go to the bookstore and buy me a storybook then let's go to the playground and play sands and make castle with magic!"
She smiled again, "We are going to Auntie Ginny's house. But you can't play with James yet, he's still inside your Auntie Ginny. As for the toys—" she cringed inwardly at the memory, "—I'm just gonna buy you one, okay?" She nodded, making the curls bounce. "Also, I have some work to do, darling, so we're really going to a bookstore." She's now one of the storeowners of Flourish and Blotts in the Diagon Alley. She's assigned in Segment B, (they expanded the area few years ago due to a lot of books crammed up.) where novels and other non-school related books are sold to this side. Things are going strong with that store nowadays.
Together, they start their lovely Saturday morning in the usual daily pattern. Hermione cooked the breakfast (well, duh) while Alexandria kept dipping her finger in the pancake solution no matter how much light scolding Hermione give her.
While they ate, Alexandria told her mum what she has dreamt last night. Mostly about her flying on a broomstick while unicorns followed her around, throwing Skittles (she love that stuff) on her way. Hermione patiently listened to her and gasp at the right points.
Things were interrupted by the sound whoosh in the fireplace. "Stay here," she told Alexandria. Who would Floo her in the earliness in this morning?
She cautiously approached the living room, a wand in hand and a hex in the tip of their tongue.
"Hermione? Hermione, are you here?" a male voice in the living room inquired.
"UNCA RON!" Alexandria shrieked behind her while she ran and attacked the red-haired bloke with a crushing hug.
"Hey Lexi!" beamed at the child in his arms. "How are you, little angel?"
The "angel" in his arms frowned. "My name is Alexandria, not Lexi."
"Yeah, sure you are." He conceded.
The red-headed bachelor has not changed a bit for the last four years. Except that he became more muscular than ever, thanks to his training with his internship with the Chuddly Cannons, which is now topping off the rankings of the best Quidditch Teams by Quidditch Illustrated. His gangly looks slowly morphed into a matured one. Ironic that he was still not as matured in the mind.
"Godric, Ronald! You gave me quite a fright here!" Hermione breathed, though she never felt better. "What makes you come this early?"
"Good news, 'Mione!" he chuckled. "And I will announce it later in the party I organized—"
"You organized?" she interrupted, raising a delicate brown eyebrow.
He sighed in defeat. "Alright. My mum organized. Wanna come?"
"Sure. Is Harry and Ginny coming?"
"They should. I'm gonna Floo them next, actually." He said with a casual shrug.
"Merlin's rod, Ron! Just Owl them!" She glared at him. "A pregnant woman needs rest with more than eight hours, or else she would be super cranky."
"Sure, sure, sure." He shrugged again. "Just come before six, okay?"
She sighed. "I told you I will come. Do you want me to mark it in your bloody arse?"
Alexandria giggled. "One swear word, mum."
Hermione smiled at her daughter. "Sorry sweet pea. I'll have a time out when Unca Ron leaves the house."
"Blimely Hermione! You sure don't want me around." He mocked, pouting. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be going now."
She rolled her cinnamon eyes. "Yeah, you should."
Ron chuckled and waved good-bye before he disappeared in the depths of emerald green flames.
Her day would have gone better if it weren't for that blasted owl.
"Look mother! An Owl!" Alexandria shrieked with laughter as she approached the fluttering, aristocratic screech owl by the window. Hermione fought back a smile. Lexi (yes, she called her daughter behind her back 'Lexi') is always curious about these Owl Posts. She does wonder how those owls locate the person if they haven't seen the person yet. And don't stop asking her for weeks on 'how'.
"Oh Merlin! Calm yourself down, sweetie!" She exclaimed when Lexi started hunting down the startled owl. Its amber eyes were glowing with dislike. When Lexi finally calmed down, she took the elegant looking parchment in its leg. The owl took off for the second Hermione give its treats. Wondering at the contents, she hesitantly took it out of the envelope. The golden words Granger in the envelope addressed her.
Her eyes quickly scanned the letter and became frozen as if somebody Stupefy'd her.
All those years of confusion, denial and anger rushed through her like a battling ram. She tried to flush it out but it was overwhelming. She wasn't sure of her feelings. Whether she's going to be jubilant, mad, or just shriek with mock laughter. The truth is, her thoughts and emotions are all in a snarl.
Alexandria seemed to notice the weird change happened to her mother.
"Mummy, what's going on?" she said, tugging the hems of Hermione's skirt down gently. "Did somebody get hurt?" she whispered fretfully.
This seemed to snap Hermione to reality.
"What? No, darling. No one's hurt." She blinked; words are rushing out of her mouth.
"What's that?" she said, pointing at the letter.
"It's―" she started, not sure of her words. "It's nothing."
Alexandria narrowed her intelligent grey eyes. Clearly stating that she is not fooled, Hermione gulped. But not because of the questions she might bombard her later, it's because she very much looked like her father. She winced internally.
She sighed. "Let's prepare going to the Diagon Alley, Alexie. The books are waiting to be read."
Alexandria frowned even more. "Something's wrong mummy. You called me Alexie. Is the paper giving you a muh― um, mih―"
"A migraine?" Hermione smirked at her daughter; she's been learning new words everyday so rapidly that she forgot how to pronounce the newfound words properly. "Um, no. Just―just another list of books that will be delivered." She lied, quite impressed at herself how natural that sounded to her own ears.
"Why do you react like that earlier?" she said. Her eyes are still in slits.
She sighed again. "Because they had been delivering so frequent that we almost can't manage it. And speaking of which―" she glanced at her wristwatch. "―we would be late if you don't stop interrogating me and our busy schedule will be lost in tract. Now chop chop!" she smirked at Lexi's annoyance.
"Mother's keeping secrets now to me." She muttered grudgingly.
"Pardon?"
"I said, 'I'll race you there' mum." She rolled her eyes. Then shot to the stairs in a blur.
She sighed for the third time and smiled sadly to herself. She looked at the letter and then to the spot where Lexi's been standing before.
"I'm sorry." She whispered. Not even sure who is she addressing the apology.
She scribbled something in the letter than threw it in the fireplace. Without looking back Hermione walked out of that room and followed the child that left her minutes ago.
The letter isn't accurately thrown into the fireplace, though. The parchment caught fire but instantly died a few seconds. The fire kissed some parts of the letter but died like the former did.
Although the words written in that elegant parchment is now barely legible, these golden words shone brighter due to the flame.
Nuptial Gala in the celebration of the matrimonial ceremonies of the eligible Draco Lucius Malfoy and Astoria Marie Greengrass here―
And below that, an illegible, clumsy scribble that Hermione left.
Author's Notes:
Okay, like I said, this is my very first fanfiction. I would really love reviews. Especially the constructive ones.
Please do tell me your full thoughts in this. Thank you!
~TheOwlWriter