Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my plot.
A/N: Here it is chapter 1 to the sequel. I hope you all like it as much as you liked the previous story. Once again I give a huge thanks to those who've read and reviewed it! Couldn't have done it without you! On with the story! Enjoy!!
Summary: The war has past and new evil plots arise. Hermione on the other hand, is still struggling with her past. As she finally accepts life for what it is, what happens when the past rushes back into her life?
Bittersweet
Chapter 1: Past, Present, Future
It was only a few minutes before that she saw the article of her past love. The article that possibly broke her heart even more. She could continue seeing the picture of Draco everytime she blinked. She needed him greatly, especially now that she was about to give birth.
Hermione Granger rushed over to the fireplace and floo'd over to Hogwarts. She coughed while brushing off the ashes off of her as she entered her old Headmaster's office.
"Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked out loud.
"Professor?" She called out again and saw his office doors open. Her heart gave a leap as she saw him enter.
"Morning Professor," Hermione walked over to him in a fast pace. "It's time."
Dumbledore's eyes sparkled understanding what she meant. Before Hermione knew it, they were in the Hospital Wing and she couldn't have been happier. Hermione was going to give birth in St. Mungo's but decided to stay at Hogwarts. She was glad to hear that Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey were more than happy to help her.
"Take this potion," Madame Pomfrey gave Hermione a vial with a shimmering blue color. "It reduces the pain."
Hermione nodded and downed the blue potion grimacing at its taste. Soon after she felt a strong cramp and winced.
"Shit!" Hermione blurted out loudly after feeling another sharp pain.
"Lie back," Madame Pomfrey said calmly. "You're having contractions."
"So I noticed," Hermione said bitterly as she laid back on the bed. She continued to have more sharp pains and wondered if the potion that was given to her even worked.
"Ok Hermione, I need you to push now," Madame Pomfrey said in a soothing voice.
"Okay," Hermione gripped the sheets and pushed. She began to feel more pain with each push. "God, why does this hurt so freaking much?"
"Relax Hermione," Hermione heard the sound of a male voice. A very familiar voice. She then felt a hand grip hers. With the pain emancipating from within, she gripped the hand even harder and looked up to see whom was supporting her.
Bright and wide emerald eyes were watching her. Harry was watching her. A small smile played on his features as he watched the scene before him. The voice of Madam Pomfrey reached her senses once more.
"You're doing good Hermione. Now I need you to push a little bit harder," Madame Pomfrey said soothingly again.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Hermione snapped and began to feel all hot. She felt a small cloth be rubbed across her head and looked up at Harry.
"You're sweating like crazy here. You might want to try and relax more 'Mione. You're starting to look like a tomato with your face so red," Harry grinned.
Hermione would've laughed at this. But in the pain and position she were in, she only felt like screaming at someone. Soon another sharp pain hit her.
"Damnit! I thought you said the potion was going to work and relieve my pain! I only feel it getting worse!" Hermione yelled out loudly and squeezed Harry's hand even harder.
"No more need to worry Hermione, all I need is one more push," Madame Pomfrey said ignoring Hermione's comment.
"One more push," Hermione said mimicked venomously and pushed with all her might. She felt one more last pain and then all pain was gone. She could hear the soft cries from the little body in front of her.
All her anger from pain faded instantly. She now felt like crying as she watched Madame Pomfrey began to clean the baby up.
"That was great Hermione," Harry said with a small smile, but she noticed his face had a grimacing look on it.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked him.
"My hand," Harry said quietly and Hermione let go instantly.
"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry!" Hermione apologized after seeing how red and swollen his hand was becoming.
"It's ok," Harry sighed as he continued to rub his hand. "I must say, you've got some grip."
Hermione laughed softly then turned her attention back to Madame Pomfrey. She wondered who her child would look like. Draco or Ron. She couldn't wait to find out. She then heard the Hospital Wing doors open and grinned as she saw Ron rush in.
"Harry why did you leave me?" Ron said angrily to Harry as he ran over to her bed.
"You were taking so long. I guess my patience ran out," Harry said watching Madam Pomfrey check the baby.
"You guess?" Ron raised an eyebrow.
Harry was about to answer Ron back but he closed his mouth as soon as he saw Madame Pomfrey walk up to them.
"Hermione," Madame Pomfrey walked up to her with the baby in her arms. "It's a boy."
Hermione's heart lifted as she heard this and reached out to hold her creation. She smiled as she held him in her arms. He was so little yet he felt so warm. She loved hearing the little sounds he made. He was beautiful. He was hers.
Hermione's eyes clouded with tears as she observed her son. His skin had a pale color, his eyes had a beautiful grey color, his hair had the faint color of a silver blond. He had his father's features. Draco's features.
She wished that he was next to her. Wished that he saw his little replica. Hermione knew he would of been proud. She knew he would've been happy to know he had a son. Her warm tears fell from her eyes and she gave a loving smile to her newborn son.
Hermione figured that Harry must've known how she felt. She felt Harry's hand squeeze her shoulder gently and looked up at him to see him with a sad smile. She then looked at Ron walking closer to her and Hermione let him hold the baby. She noticed that he frowned.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.
"I wasn't the father," Ron said in a low voice. He then gave a soft smile. "It's amazing how much he looks like Malfoy."
"May I?" Harry asked and Ron gave the baby to Harry.
Hermione saw Harry smile as he held the baby. "Your right Ron, he does look like Malfoy. So Hermione, what's his name?"
Hermione stared at Harry thinking of a name.
"Dante," was the first name that popped up into her mind.
"Dante?" Ron asked with a smirk.
"Yes and wipe that smirk off your face," Hermione snapped.
"I think the name suits him," Harry said holding Dante in his arms. "Dante Granger."
"It's better than Draco," Ron joked and Hermione stared at him.
"Ron don't even think about it," Harry said warningly.
"I like it too Harry," Hermione said trying to ignore what Ron said. "Dante Nathaniel Granger," she said pleased with how his full name sounded and knew that he was definitely in safe hands.
"That was pathetic with what happened in that room."
"Master could have fought them off."
"There's no need to call him Master anymore. There is no more Voldemort. Oh stop your flinching."
"So if there's no more-"
"Go on, spit it out."
"If there's no more...V-Voldemort, why did you take him?"
"He has what I want, though I realize that I now have it."
"What may that be?"
"Power, Pettigrew, power."
"What are you planning to do?"
"Get some priorities straight. I want people to follow me, not like Voldemort though. I want to rule the Ministry, set my own laws in this world of ours. I won't kill the Mudbloods or the innocent for such a thing...That is unless unfortunate events happen to arise."
"And how do you plan on getting such power with him by your side? It was evident he was against such actions."
"Leave me to change his mind Pettigrew."
"He won't be happy."
"I figured he wouldn't. So I want to stay in hiding. I have a child that's coming in the mere months and I don't want to pressure myself yet."
"So why are you going to keep him here? Can't you just bring him back when you need him?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because he's going to do all the dirty work."
Draco Malfoy began to feel fresh air enter his lungs. His body felt drained and weak. His mind felt dizzy. His eyes didn't want to open but hearing the voices from the others wherever he was, he attempted to both speak and see who he was with.
"Hermione?" Draco's voice was scratchy and his vision was too blurry to see whom was speaking.
"Ugh, far from her standards Dray. It's good to see you're finally up," Draco's vision cleared up and he was staring into the brown eyes of Alexa.
"Where am I?" Draco said now looking at the all too familiar surroundings.
"I'm shocked to see that you don't remember your own manor," Alexa said softly.
"What the fuck am I doing here?" Draco said sitting up and winced at the great pain that came to his ribs. "I don't want to be here."
"Well you'll be here for a very long time," Alexa said staring at him.
"And what the hell are you doing here?" Draco said noticing Peter Pettigrew in the room.
"The s-s-same reason you are," Pettigrew said nervously seeing how angry Draco was becoming.
"Like hell I'm staying here," Draco said getting up and regretted this as he felt the muscles in his body ache and he had so sit back down onto the black sofa in his own room. "Fucking hell."
"My my Dray, you wake up grumpy," Alexa said with a smirk.
"Don't call me Dray, and I don't give a damn how I wake up," Draco snapped. "Why did you bring me here? How did you bring me here?"
"I brought you here by trying something I haven't experienced. It was obvious you didn't either seeing how you became unconscious. I tried to Apparate with you in my arms before we were smashed.
"I shot the killing curse at you but it never hit you since I wasn't intending to hit you anyway. Well, the Apparating worked but I knocked you out in the process," Alexa said calmly.
Draco's mind was trying to swallow all he was hearing. The more he heard, the more questions began to arise in his head. He vaguely remembered hearing Hermione's scream then seeing pitch black.
"What happened to Hermione?" Draco said giving Alexa a dark look.
"She thinks you're dead," Draco was sure he saw a frown on her face but shook the thought from his mind.
"That's bloody great," Draco mused.
"It can be, but I know it's not," Alexa sighed and stretched. "There's a reason I brought you here Draco."
"What may that reason be?"
"You remember how you and I had that talk about power?" Alexa asked and looked over at him.
Draco nodded slowly. He didn't remember, or more like he couldn't remember. To add insult to injury, his head was now beginning to forget more than expected.
"During the war I realized that I had that power but since I'm pregnant, I won't be able to use it since it causes great stress. Though when I've seen you use it, it was only when your anger was triggered. Back to where I was going, I need you for that power," Alexa said simply.
"No," Draco said trying to stand up again and cursed loudly when his muscles ached once more.
"I don't want you to be hurt Draco. I know keeping you from Granger is doing such actions but this is something both you and I can profit from," Alexa said frowning and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Draco moved as soon as Alexa's hand connected with his shoulder. He wasn't at all pleased with what he was hearing.
"Don't you understand?" Alexa said now getting up and walked over to the window.
"Having the power just like the Ministry. Just like Voldemort. Imagine the money and respect."
"And if I do help you?" Draco said looking up at Alexa getting the urge to kill himself for plotting to help her.
"You can be with Granger. You can be free, and I won't bother you, but I would hopefully expect for you to see me a few times," Alexa turned, her eyes looked bright and hopeful.
Draco took deep breaths as he thought over his answer.
"Call it a deal."
"See Pettigrew, I told you I can make him change his mind," Alexa smiled after giving Draco a soft kiss on the cheek.
A month later, Hermione strolled down the cheerful alleyways of Diagon Alley. She smiled happily at the people who congratulated her and told her what a beautiful baby she had. After shopping for quite a while, she got the belongings she needed and was about to head back to she and Harry's house.
She and Harry weren't in a relationship but the more she stood with him the more she felt love towards him. Unfortunately, her mind was still stuck up on Draco, so having Harry as a boyfriend wasn't in her plans.
As she walked back to the entrance of Diagon Alley she felt her back being burned from a stare from a stranger. She tried to ignore the annoying feeling. Finally, almost so unnerved to hex the one watching her, she turned abruptly, her hand in her pocket giving a death grip on her wand.
Hermione saw a person who was wearing a black cloak standing by a tree. She tried her hardest to see the face behind the hood it was wearing. Somewhere in the back of her head she could've sworn that she remembered seeing a cloak just like that.
Before she continued to ponder her thoughts on where she last saw that cloak the person turned slowly and walk away. She also noticed that when the person turned she could've sworn that she saw a trace of blond behind the cloak.
She felt like calling out to that person, problem was she couldn't. Her voice was stuck in her throat. As she watched the person walk away, she realized how proud and strong the walk seemed to be. Her heart began to beat fast when she began to think of Draco.
"Get over it Hermione," She thought angrily to herself. "He's not coming back. Draco's gone and that's that."
Hermione felt her eyes clouding up with painful tears. She wished that her speculations were correct. That it was Draco who was watching her. But deep inside, she knew he could've been gone. So she tried desperately to drop the feeling that rose inside of her.
She finally had the strength to move again and looked in the carriage at her small son who was sleeping peacefully. His angelic appearance made her tears fall.
She continued to leave Diagon Alley crying. Seeing all eyes on her giving questioning looks, she felt not only angry but now embarrassed. She hated to breakdown in front of everyone. She even hated to break around Harry.
As she gained composure, her once happy features now turned depressed. This is what the war did to her, this is what her life consisted of. The only ones to bring joy was Dante, Harry, Ron and Draco.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked walking into the living room. "Did you think of Draco?"
"Yes," Hermione said angrier than she meant to. "You want to know what happened to me today?"
"Shoot," Harry said looking at her.
"I'm starting to think that I saw him in Diagon Alley. Was it him? How would I know, the person was wearing a damn cloak and I couldn't see the face. Do I wish it were him? Yes I do. I do indeed.
"But it's becoming to much pressure on me Harry. Ever since I saw that article in the Prophet, I've been feeling horrible again. No not horrible, more like lost. Yeah, lost is what I'm looking for.
"I'm trying to find my way back Harry. I really am, but it's beginning to get so hard. I just wish that I could forget about him. It would make so much easier for me. And most of all, I don't want Dante seeing me like this, seeing me so hurt, so tired of it all. It'll rub off on him as he gets older, then he'll be just as serious as I'm becoming," Hermione frowned now thinking over her spoken words.
Harry sighed deeply as he sat next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"It's never easy to forget. And do you want to know why?" Harry said softly and Hermione nodded.
"Because we're not meant to forget it. When Sirius was killed..."Harry paused and Hermione looked up at him with a frown.
"...I didn't believe it. I didn't want to. But as days went by, and all those dreams of seeing him fall again and again, it made me realize that I wasn't supposed to forget. In fact, it made me stronger. Do I still think of it to this day? Of course I do.
"Do I cry when thinking of it again? I do and it makes me feel relieved, because I know I've done my justice with what happened and that Sirius is with my parents. Now for you and Draco, I know you think of him more than you want to.
"And I can hear your crying through some nights, but with Dante you'll strengthen up. You'll strengthen up, because Draco is in him. Just look at him, he's almost his twin! So with this know that if Draco is gone, he's watching you through Dante. Most importantly, know that wherever he is, he still loves you.
"So don't suspect anything, the Prophet may have said he was gone, and the Ministry might be giving up the long search, but remember that Dumbledore, Ron and I will search as long as we can until its confirmed," Hermione was now crying softly in Harry's arms. His words struck her heart once more.
She continued to cry letting her emotions empty out of her system. She was shocked to see Harry still with her and comforting her as much he could. She looked into his eyes and felt safe again. She felt loved. Before her mind made her do more than she wanted to she decided it was time to get up.
"I should get going to bed," Hermione said quietly getting up from the sofa, slightly sad about breaking the comforting grip Harry had on her.
"I should too, big day tomorrow," Harry gave her a look. "We're supposed to inspect Malfoy Manor first thing in the morning."
"Oh Harry," Hermione said, her blood rushing back into her. "I have to go with you."
"What about Dante?" Harry asked and looked over at him. "You can't leave him here alone."
"You're right," Hermione frowned. "Just tell me everything, Harry."
"I will. Go to bed, I'll put Dante in his room," Harry said softly and gave Hermione a kiss on the head.
"Thank you," Hermione said walking over to Dante and gave him a soft kiss and whispered so quietly Harry didn't hear her, "Daddy, might be coming back. Let's dream and pray. I love you."
Hermione then began walking towards her room with Harry and Dante close behind. Dante's room was right next to Hermione, and Hermione always left her door open to hear Dante's cries.
As she changed to her nightgown she thought about Harry's assignment for the next day. She's never been into Draco's manor, but thought of it being somewhat like the Riddle Manor. Large, with expensive materials.
She was just about to close the shade from the window when she noticed a hawk-like bird fly away.
"Birds aren't out at this time," Hermione said to herself.
"What was that?" Harry said walking in and Hermione lost track of her thoughts.
"Oh, it was nothing of importance. You know, just speaking my thoughts out loud," Hermione shrugged and looked out the window and saw the bird fade into darkness.
"I see, if you need me you know where I'm at," Harry said and walked out of the room.
"Goodnight 'Mione."
"Goodnight Harry," Hermione said now walking over to her bed. The bird was now on her mind. She remembered the night she and Draco had first made love, and Draco telling her the next day that a bird flew by and that this fly was none other than Alexa.
"Alexa," Hermione thought. "She disappeared too."
Hermionesprung up off of the bed and ran to Harry's room.
"Harry?" Hermione knocked on the door.
"Come in," Harry's muffled voice came.
Hermione walked into his room and stood by the door and noticed that he was already in bed.
"Harry, do you know whatever happened to Alexa Hermione asked curiously.
"She's also missing I believe," Harry replied. "Why you ask?"
"Just curious, thank you," Hermione answered and left his room shaking her head.
"Her animagus is a bird. That couldn't have been her. It just couldn't have. God, I need sleep. First I think I see Draco, now Alexa. Soon I'll see Voldemort in the living room."
she thought angrily as she got into her bed.
Hermione tossed and turned in her bed before finally reaching a comfortable position which had her cuddling a pillow. "Go to sleep already!" Her mind yelled at her and she obeyed and drifted off to sleep, dreaming about the actions of the following day.
A/N: There's the end of this chapter. I hope you liked it. I know its a bit short, but they'll get longer as I progress. Now I have a lot of ideas in this wicked mind of mine and unfortunately the best ideas I get are at the most unexpected times. Like at school or shopping and the most come while in the shower. Hehe, so because of this, school is too noisy to make me write my ideas out properly, and while shopping and bathing I have no pen and paper. So with this, time passes by and I forget what I wanted to write and this makes me really upset with myself. Hopefully during the little vacation coming up my thoughts would come back. And I can't wait, only a month until my birthday! I'll be 15 as of January 23, only one more year then I could drive! And last but not least, I'm so excited about hearing when HP: Half-Blood Prince is coming out! July 16 seems so far away though! Ooh, enough of my blabbering. I hope you all have a Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa! And remember to review! Love you all!!