60. M.I.A.

'Mum, is Daddy back?'

Standing at the hallway, Scorpius held his Hippogriff stuffed toy in one hand and rubbed his eye with the other.

Hermione looked up from her large pile of documents. She knew that Scorpius must have waken from a nightmare again. Every time after he was scared from sleep, he would ask for Draco.

But no. Draco was not back.

'Scorpius, Daddy is not back yet,' she forced a feeble smile, 'look, it's just three am. You'd better go back to sleep.'

Hermione gently took Scorpius' hand and led him back to his room. She tucked him in and watched him sleep.

'When will Dad come back?' Scorpius murmured dully. He was obviously disappointed with Draco's absence.

'He'll be back soon,' Hermione once again cast him a weak smile.

Of course both of them wanted him back so damn much.

Scorpius often had nightmares about him. Sometimes he would wake up and cry because he saw Draco eaten by a Hungarian Horntail Dragon. And sometimes he would simply shout 'Dad! Dad!' in his dreams. Hermione knew he had kept a secret log book just for Draco. At night, Scorpius would document his life when he thought his mother was working. He used a little wooden box which Draco made with him to save some good comics or tasty sweets. It was supposed to be a surprise for Draco.

That always triggered a complex surge of emotions for Hermione.

On one hand, she was glad that Scorpius was such a sweet child. He was just eight but he was already so thoughtful. He tried very hard to make his log book as detailed as possible. And he always helped his mum with chores. He said, 'Mum, I'll take care of you for Dad. I promised him.' Scorpius was indeed a very lovable child. On the other hand, she was heartached. She knew very well he needed Draco so badly, just like herself.

Hermione needed him desperately.

Her world was tumbling down. She simply no longer had strength to keep it intact, not when her mother had gone too. She was exhausted, desperate and depressed.

Hermione picked up the photo frame on her desk. The photo was not exposed for a while. Draco was smiling to her – a smile so warm that her frozen heart began to defrost. The melted ice slipped freely from her cheeks to the photo.

His disappearance was too much for her. She had been tough for a year. If she didn't keep herself hectic, she wouldn't have the numbness to live a normal life. And she had no option to break, not when Scorpius needed her.

'I am going now,' Draco said to Hermione, 'I'm sent to France.'

She shut her eyes, inhaled deeply and thought, 'Why France? It's just the Great War with Voldemort all over. Le Sorcier is just as powerful and evil.'

'Frontline?' she asked curtly.

'I'm a spy close to Le Sorcier, just like Snape.'

Hermione did not utter a word. She was frozen.

'I will be back, I promise,' Draco assured his wife.

Gazing into his grey orbs, she caressed Draco's face slowly. She wanted to remember his every feature, the feeling of touching him and his temperature. She was afraid that she would forget a tiny detail.

'Please say it again, Draco,' her voice trembled softly.

'I will be back, I promise.'

Draco pulled her into his embrace and kissed his wife. It was intense and demanding, as if he would never have the opportunity to feel her lips again.

'Hey Scorpius, why don't you come and kiss Daddy goodbye?' Draco tried to say lightheartedly.

Scorpius immediately dropped his toy broom and ran to Draco.

'Dad, where are you going this time?' Scorpius asked curiously.

'I'm off to France to kill some bad guy,' Draco replied smilingly and messed his blond hair.

Scorpius nodded.

'When I'm not home, take care of Mummy for me, okay?'

Scorpius nodded with determination.

'Good boy,' Draco hugged Scorpius tightly.

Draco turned his gaze back to Hermione.

'I have to go,' he sighed.

'Please come back for us.'

'I will.'

He simply disappeared.

On the day the Dark side fall, it was reported that Draco disappeared from Le Sorcier's headquarters. Allegedly, Draco's identity was revealed and he fought viciously with the Dark wizard.

'Hermione, I'm sorry to inform you that Draco is missing in action,' Kingsley Shaklebolt told her heavily, 'we cannot find him or his body. Please stay strong.'

And she immediately broke down. She fainted.

It was already a year. And he was still labelled M.I.A.

'You said you'd come back,' Hermione wept.

Clutching at the family photo, she sat still and let sorrow consume her. It felt good to cry her devastation out.

'Why is that our farewell?'

She cried and cried and cried, until she was too exhausted to carry on.

It was dawn when she woke. The darkest hour had gone.

Hermione was startled by some noise. It sounded like someone hitting on glass. She looked at the window of her living room. An owl was hitting the window using its beak. She wondered who would send her a letter so early in the morning. The handwriting on the envelope was messy but somehow familiar.

Hermione,

Good new! We've found Draco. He is fine. Don't worry. We'll send him back to London ASAP.

Harry

She couldn't believe it! She was so shocked that she couldn't utter a word. But tears of joy did cascade to celebrate that.

'Scorpius! Dad is back!'