Disclaimer: I own nothing involving the Harry Potter Characters. Just the plot
Chapter 2: Unstable Ground
~*~Chapter 2~*~
Two weeks later and Draco Malfoy was no closer to finding the elusive Hermione Granger and her daughter, but he'd made a promise to his son and he didn't intend to break anytime soon. After all Malfoy never goes back on his word. A soft knock at the office door brought him out of his battled thoughts.
"Enter."
"Mr. Malfoy" a small balding man squeaked and scrambled up to the desk "I have some information"
"Well?" He drawled when the man paused and made no motion to continue.
"A Ms. Hermione Granger applied for a business license four years ago. It was for a bookstore." He shuffled the papers in his hand "called Flourish and Blotts. I have the address here" he handed him the papers with a scribbled name and address
"Thank you Mr. Nott my secretary has your payment please see her." The small man nodded and left almost as quickly as you come into the office
"A bookstore Granger?" He chuckled "how predictable" leaving strict orders to cancel or postpone all of the meetings for today Draco quickly disappeared.
The bookstore was small and quaint something that Draco Malfoy thought reflected Hermione Granger very much. It even seemed to almost resemble the real bookstore in Diagon Alley. He couldn't help but think that matter how hard she tried to get away from who she was she still couldn't deny it she was a witch.
"I'd like to speak with your boss" he said stiffly too young girl at the register
"Mia. Some guy here to see you" she yelled towards the back of the store and turned back towards Draco with the same bored expression she'd worn when he saw her.
"Send him back here Denny." Came the muffled reply of what he would assume to be Hermione Granger. The girl Denny pointed him to the back row of shelves. He walked back slowly and found Hermione with her back to him. She was holding onto the back of a girl's legs that was standing atop a rickety looking ladder. Draco leaned against the shelf unable to contain his amusement.
"Ms. Granger?" He finally laughed out.
Hermione gasped and turned around quickly causing the girl on the ladder to wobble slightly. The girl screeched and grabbed onto the shelf to stabilize herself.
"Mia" she yelled causing Hermione to focus once again on her
"Shit. I'm sorry Kari. Why come down. We'll finish this later" Hermione held tightly to the ladder as the petite girl climb down.
"You okay?" She asked when she finally got on the ground again"
"Yeah it just startled me." Kari reassured her emotional employer.
"Ms. Granger. May I have a moment of your time please?"
"Not now or ever Malfoy" she snarled "Because of you my employee almost got hurt"
"Get a new ladder Ms. Granger."
"You can leave now Malfoy."
"You know as a parent I had you pegged for someone to be concerned about child's well-being"
As soon as he said it Draco realized how the statement sounded Kari's eyes widened and she pretended to look anywhere else that the two in front of her. Hermione's eyes narrowed and she struggled to bite her tongue.
"Kari go to the front of the store. Now." Hermione demanded flatly. Kari didn't need to be told twice she scrambled away leaving them alone. "Are you threatening my daughter Malfoy?"
"Quite the contrary Ms. Granger, in fact referring to the well-being of my own child"
"And what pray tell does your child have to do with me?"
"Have lunch with me and we'll talk"
"No." She said firmly. "But because as a child is involved I will talk to you. In my office though."
Draco sighed that nodded anyway. He needed her to listen so lunch or not they still need to talk. He followed her to the front and passed the register to a small office in the corner. She closed and locked the door and looked at him pointedly waiting for him to talk.
"You'll probably get a right laugh out of this Granger but I need your help."
She stared blankly. I Draco Malfoy just asked for her help? He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Even though she wanted to she found she couldn't laugh at him.
"What exactly do you need my help with?"
"You might find this hard to believe that my son and I live in Muggle London. And my son attends a small local primary school."
"You're right I don't believe you..." she muttered and he chose to ignore it.
"Scorpius is a social child but the other kids are scared of them because -"
"He makes things happen -" Hermione finished off she knew this argument well. Rosie was extremely friendly and trusting but the other children were afraid to play with her because of the 'accidents'. Several times she picked her up from school while other students taunted "freak freak you're a freak" she herself had faced the same ridicule for years before attending Hogwarts.
"Yes, your daughter made quite the impression on my son at the park a few weeks ago. And he really would like to see her again."
"So you're suggesting a play date, your son and my daughter?"
"Yes Granger I am. I would move the stars for my son and he desperately wants a friend and sometimes I'm just not enough." He said glumly
"I hate to admit it but I know the feeling. Poor Rosie comes home from school crying at least once a week. Children can be so cruel."
Draco nodded and they sat in silence for a few uncomfortable minutes. Hermione began to panic slightly at the thought of incorporating anything to do with the Wizarding world back into her life. She left that all behind when she ran and she didn't plan on going back anytime soon.
"Malfoy I need you to swear that you will tell no one about me and Rose."
"If that's the way you want it Potter and Weasley can go on thinking you're dead. I don't know what happened between the three of you all I care about is making sure my son is happy. And your daughter is the only person who hasn't been scared of him in quite some time." Hermione nodded filling slightly relieved that her cover would stay intact.
"Rosie and I are going out to eat tonight, nothing big just pizza and a game room. If you like you and Scorpius can join us."
"I think Scorpius would like that. He's been begging me for weeks to find you." He said scratching the back of his head it was clear to Hermione the Draco didn't have any idea what he was getting himself into with this outing.
"All right meet me here at seven."
She opened the door and let him not to the main building. Draco gave her curt nod and without the door faster than light. Hermione sighed and headed back towards the cast register.
"Denny, what time are you here till?"
"You have me closing tonight Mia"
"All right, go ahead and go to lunch now when you get back I'm going to head out to get Rosie."
Denny nodded and handed the register key to Hermione. She threw her apron behind the counter and shouted she'd be back in an hour. Denny had always been a colorful character and Hermione was glad she always kept her around.
"Kari!"
"Yeah Mia?"
"You got cash. I'll finish stocking."
"Oh umm, Are you sure?"
"You're never going to get any better if I keep letting you pass it off to everyone else. I'm sure there will be times when you are here by yourself and I need to know you'll be okay. I'm right here if you need me." She assured the girl before returning to the stocking she'd been doing before Malfoy arrived.
