Chapter One
Hermione stepped out of the fireplace and sighed, looking around her. It's been five years since she's been in her parents' living room and somehow it felt so homey and lifeless at the same time. She looked at her surroundings, noticing that none of her organizing from five years ago was moved even by an inch. She felt a tug on her dress and looked down at the beautiful little girl with sunflower hair and brown eyes that looked like caramel. It made Hermione's heart melt to see the little girl holding on her mummy's dress and a book in her other hand; This was definitely Hermione's daughter.
"Yes, sweetie?" Hermione asked her.
"Mummy, is this Gramma and Grappa's house?" The little girl asked.
Just as Hermione was about to inhale to answer her daughter, the fireplace behind them roared again and revealed the man who held her heart since five years ago.
"Took you long enough." Hermione smiled at the man.
The man raised an eyebrow at her as Hermione laughed and cleaned his green button up shirt. He looked down and saw his daughter and picked her up and held her to him. "Yeah, Daddy! What took you so long!"
"Well, Daddy had to take care of our things first before flooing over here."
"What do you mean? We fixed all of them last night." Hermione asked.
"Yes, but someone left something in her room, I'm assuming by mistake." The blonde haired man took something from his pocket and when he had it placed on his palm, he blew on it, doing some silent wandless magic and it was transformed into a stuffed giraffe.
"Jerry!" The little girl let go of her hold on her father's neck and reached for the stuffed toy. Her father handed it to her and landed her back on the floor where she immediately sat down and hugged the stuffed giraffe to her chest. "I can't believe I forgot you, Jerry! I'm so sorry!" She looked up at her father and said, "Thank you for saving Jerry, Daddy!"
"Of course, my lovely." He looked at his wife who was no longer beside him but was at the couch, holding the blanket that was draped over the cushions. She wrapped it around her and smelled it. Draco Malfoy sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her and held her to his chest. He kissed the top of her head and placed his chin thereafter. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, Draco. It's been so long since I've been here. How do you think I feel?" Hermione said, looking at her daughter who was still playing with Jerry. Draco stayed silent and held her more tightly when he felt like she was going to start crying. Just as a tear fell from her eye, she stood up abruptly and wiped her eyes. Her daughter looked at her suddenly and Hermione had to smile. "Baby, would you like Tuna sandwiches for lunch?"
"Yes!" Their daughter said excitedly. Her mother smiled and headed to her then kissed her forehead. Hermione left the living room and went straight to the kitchen, leaving Draco and the little girl alone.
Draco watched her disappear and shook his head slowly. He turned to his daughter who went back to playing with her stuffed animal. He felt the miniature furniture in his pockets and also saw the small purse of their daughter's which also contained some of their miniature furniture. He noticed that Hermione didn't even make a move to check out the house. He sighed to himself and looked at his daughter, his Mia, Hermione's Amelia and their Amelia Krysta Malfoy. He stood up and crouched down to her.
"What do you think we check out the house, Mia?"
She whipped her head up to him right away and nodded vigorously. Draco smiled so warmly to her and then stood up. Just as he was about to carry her, she made him stop with her hand. "Daddy, can Jerry come?"
Draco laughed at her silliness. "Of course, princess, Jerry may come." Amelia giggled and then hugged Jerry with her right arm and then raised her left arm to reach for Draco. He carried her in with his own left arm and walked out of the living room. They entered the hallway and went straight into the kitchen where Hermione was opening the cabinet. Draco could tell she had just finished crying, and he was thinking maybe she heard them decide to go around the house. Draco walked over to her, wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. "We'll check out the upstairs, okay?"
Hermione nodded, the back of her head facing him. "Okay. I had Linda come over last week to fix up my bedroom to turn it into Amelia's and then my parent's bedroom to ours."
"Okay, then. Call if you need anything."
"Will do, darling."
When Draco and Mia got to the top of the stairs, there were two doors on their right, and another two on their left. Mia pointed to one on the right side and definitely made the right choice. It was a pale pink & mint-colored striped room, with a single bed in the middle, a mint-colored treasure chest at the foot of the bed, a pale pink mini library full of her favorite books in one corner, a small love seat by the window, and other pink & mint colored furniture, perfect for a four-year-old little girl.
"Daddy, it's beautiful!" Mia exclaimed. She jumped down to the floor from her daddy's arms and ran around the room chanting, "Mia's room, Mia's room, Mia's room!"
Draco laughed to himself, enjoying the little show of his beautiful daughter. He walked around while she looked inside her treasure chest and noticed that there was a picture frame on the top shelf of her mini library. It had a handsome photo of himself that was taken four and a half years ago at his wedding, Hermione's most beautiful photo ever, which was also at their wedding, in the middle, a photo of their little family on a hospital bed when Mia was born, and finally, Mia's pretty photo, taken two months ago at her birthday party. Draco smiled, looking at all the happy photos.
"What's in there?" he heard Mia say. He looked to his right and saw that she was looking at him with her finger pointing to a door. Draco walked to the door and opened it and found that it was only a bathroom. There was another door and when he opened it, he found himself in the hallway. "Oh, good! I needed to go anyways." Mia said and went into the bathroom.
"Okay, I'll go check on Mummy and I's room." Mia nodded and Draco closed the bathroom door. On his way to the left side of the floor, he called out to Hermione. "Hermione? We've seen Mia's room, would you like to come and check ours together?"
Hermione walked out of the kitchen and looked up to Draco from the end of the staircase. "Can we do that later?"
Being the good husband that he is, Draco sensed Hermione's tone and facial expression and went down the stairs to her. "What's wrong?"
"It's just – It's my parents' room, Draco."
"But we'll have to get in there sooner or later, my love. We can't sleep out here."
"I know, I know. I just prefer later, than now. After lunch, okay? Let's fix it up last, when we put in our other furniture." Hermione smiled weakly at him. Draco nodded, hugged her, then kissed the top of her head. "Where's our princess? How's her room? Does she like it?"
"She's using the loo. It's perfect for her, she loves it so much. Linda did a really good job."
"Oh, I'm glad! I'll check on it later. Please call her, the food's ready." Hermione said and went back into the kitchen.
Draco watched her from the kitchen entrance and shook his head slowly. He was starting to think this trip back home to Hermione's parents' house was a bad idea. He can only wish that he can help his wife from her state of depression.
Moving his thoughts aside, Draco called for Mia to come down for lunch. A few seconds later, Draco watched his little girl walk down slowly the stairs, Jerry still tucked in her little arm. Draco did not love anyone as much as Hermione and Amelia. He would do anything to keep them from harm and to give them a beautiful life. He always wanted to see the beautiful smile that Amelia showed when she was happy, which is why he spoiled her to no end. It annoyed the missus a lot, but at the end, Amelia's smile changed any sour mood to a happy one and ended up making Hermione smile as wide as her.
When Mia landed on the last step, Draco got a hold of her hand and they walked to the
kitchen together, ready to eat Mummy's yummy tuna sandwiches and drink apple juice.
While Hermione was wiping the dishes that Draco just finished washing after lunch, she looked behind her to check on Mia. She found the little girl with her right arm on the table (still with Jerry tucked) and her head on her arm, asleep. Hermione looked at the clock and saw that it was the perfect time for Mia's nap.
"Are you done -" Hermione cut Draco off and pointed to their daughter. The two smiled warmly at their daughter. "I'll take her up then." Draco offered.
"No, I will. You stay here." Hermione said then kissed his cheek.
"Okay." Draco smiled and watched as his wife walk to their princess, carried her, then left the kitchen.
Hermione felt sad and happy at the same time. As soon as she arrived on the second floor, she realized she still memorized every room. Now her room belonged to Amelia and her parents' room belonged to her and Draco. Aside from the living room where they used to have their family quality times together, her parents' room was a place she dreaded to see ever since her parents were killed.
She opened Amelia's room and smiled at the turn out of the room. Hermione placed Amelia on her bed and then sat beside her. She caressed her daughter as she hummed a familiar tune. When she was finished, she kissed Amelia's forehead, turned on the baby monitor (one of Draco's most favorite muggle gadgets - effects of an over protective father) then left the room.
When she closed the door, Draco was just coming up the stairs. He took her hand then they walked to the door of their room.
"Ready?"
"I think not, but this is so silly, being afraid of a room."
"It is kind of loony if you think about it. You fought in the greatest wizard war and yet you're afraid of a room." Draco said to lighten up the mood.
Hermione sighed then held the knob. She twisted it and opened the door. The room was a light brown color. It wasn't too dark, it wasn't bright at all with white linings, a king sized bed with a crème colored comforter and white pillows, a small desk by the big window, adorned with crème colored curtains, a small coffee table in the center of the carpet, placed at the end of the bed.
"It's grand." Draco said, looking around the room.
Hermione walked in the room and looked around her. "It looks so much better than before. There's so much more life." She sat on the bed and actually smiled at Draco.
"There's a pretty face." Draco said as he walked over and cupped her face. He kissed her lovingly and after a few seconds, let go. "Why don't you take a nap while I finish fixing around here?"
His wife shook her head softly then patted the space beside her. "Let's take a nap together. Work later."
The couple took off their shoes, turned on their part of the baby monitor, cuddled into bed and then fell asleep for the afternoon.
When Hermione woke up that late afternoon, Draco and Amelia just finished fixing the last of their furniture and were ready to cook dinner. The father and daughter insisted to make dinner while Hermione stayed in her father's old study/library. She fixed her stuff for work and even called her assistant to thank her for the fine job she did on her house. After finishing with her own stuff, she fixed Draco's stuff for work, too. She finished just in time for dinner.
"Mummy! Food's ready!" Amelia's small voice called out.
Hermione laughed at her daughter's angelic voice. "Coming, dear!" as she was about to leave the study, she saw a photo of her and her parents by the fire place. She picked up the frame and looked at how happy she and her family were. Hermione felt a tear on her face and didn't even to wipe it off.
She was so mesmerized by the photo that she didn't hear a person come in the room. "Mummy?"
Hermione turned around to see her little angel standing at the door, staring at her. "Come over here, sweetie." She crouched down to level herself with Amelia, and then showed her the photo. "Look at this."
"Mummy, is that you? Is that Grappa and Gramma?" Amelia asked excitedly.
"Yes, sweetie. That's me, Grandpa, and Grandma." Hermione said.
"You look so beautiful in that photo, Mummy!" Amelia said as she wrapped her arms around Hermione's neck.
"Your mother always looks so beautiful, Mia." said a male voice behind them. The two looked to see Draco with his hands in his pocket and looking at them. "Just like you." he winked. He walked over to the two and looked at the photo. "Although I must agree, you look beautiful here."
Hermione laughed. "Funny. I was fourteen in this photo. Just a few months right after I slapped your little face… Still think I'm beautiful?"
"Mummy, you slapped Daddy?" Mia asked with enthusiasm. "That's so wicked!"
"Tut tut tut… It was not wicked, Mia. Not at all." Draco said as he picked up his little girl. "Don't put bad ideas into her mind, Granger."
"I'll try, Malfoy." Hermione said as she placed the photo back on the fireplace.
Draco and Amelia walked down the hallway and on their way back to the kitchen. Hermione could hear Mia asking her father if she could slap him, too. This made Hermione laugh. She looked at the photo one more time then whispered, "I wish you were here, guys. I love them both so much. I'm sure you would have, too." She smiled, kissed the photo, left the room, and had a great night with her family.