Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
Saturday 24th July 2010
Draco gathered his sleeping son up into his arms and pressed a kiss to his forehead, carrying him up to the nursery. Kicking open the door with his foot, he gently took him into the room and placed him in his bed. He smiled down at him as he pulled the covers up tight around him. Walking back across the room he periodically bent to pick up toys and books, placing them back where they belonged, before shutting the door with a soft click. He missed having his son at home full time, cherishing the moments when Scorpius was with him. His heart ached as he thought of his son's mother who, he thought, belonged here as the manor as much as little Scorpius.
When the journalists had pressed him for answers as to why they were divorcing, he realised he had no answers. He loved his ex wife as much today as the day he married her. But he couldn't overcome the past and felt constantly as though he was dragging her down. She deserved better. Their relationship had always been volatile, he mused ironically, remembering their spats in school, the punch that broke his nose, the spectacular fights they had after the war. Even after she split from the Weasel when he was picking up the pieces and helping her heal her broken heart, with Firewhiskey-induced-rows that resulted in passionate sex on every surface possible, every position covered, he had thoroughly feasted on her, fucking her every which way until Sunday. Everything had been fantastic; dating, engagement, marriage and then little Scorpius. They had been married just 5 years, but they had been together nearly 10; a whole decade of his life had been dedicated to her. Adjusting to without her was proving harder than he thought, especially when he couldnt remember why.
He sat down in the wingback chair in his study and unscrewed the cap of the bottle of Ogden's finest he had in his hand, foregoing the glass and necking the bottle. He hissed, the amber liquid warming his throat as he sat back in the chair. He knew when it had started. A month after Scorpius' 2nd birthday. His heart clenched in his chest with the pain, causing him to close his eyes to stop the tears that threatened to break free from the corners of his eyes. Unannounced to the world, everyone bar his best friend, Blaise, and her closest friends, Potter and his wife Ginny, knew the pain that Hermione and Draco lived with that had eventually driven a wedge between them.
His reverie was broken by the sound of the floo followed by the all too familiar screams that haunted his nightmares, and for a moment he wondered if he had fallen asleep in his study yet again. The screaming continued, rousing him from the chair, the bottle crashing to the floor and smashing, amber liquid pooling on the floor as he raced out to the atrium.
Struggling to process the scene in front of him, his mind flashed between images of Hermione clutching her stomach, screaming, and the reality in front of him as Hermione, collapsed in front of him, screaming hysterically. He caught sight of the smears of blood on her legs and rushed to her, concern etched across his face as he wrapped his arms around her tight.
"Hermione, what happened? Where is the blood from? Where are you hurt?" his questions rushed out as he searched for the source of the blood.
"Not mine" she cried, pulling at his t-shirt, grasping at him as though her life depended on it.
"Who's? What happened?" he asked, trying to calm her enough for her to answer, hands smoothing her hair, lips placing gentle kisses on her skin. She didnt pull away and he wasnt sure he would have let her in this moment either.
Her sobbing subsided "My flat, He was there, he killed her, fuck, he KILLED a woman in my flat!" she rasped out.
Draco's eyes widened with fear "WHO?"
"That bastard, LeStrange" she cried, starting to sob again.
Draco scooped his ex wife into his arms, as he had done countless times in the past, and carried her bridal style into the lounge, placing her gently on the sofa. He extracted himself from where he hands grasped tightly at him and went to pull away.
She clutched at him again "where are you going?" she cried.
"To alert Potter. It's Ok love, I wont be long" he whispered pressing a kiss to her forehead "You're home, you're safe" he murmured against her skin.
She didn't argue with him.
12 Grimauld Place
Saturday 24th July 2010
Stepping out of the floo, he yelled for his friend, mentor and boss "POTTER! POTTER!"
Ginny came rushing in "What's wrong Draco? He's upstairs putting the boys to bed" she searched his face as he crumpled onto his knees.
182 Richmond Avenue
London
Saturday 24th July 2010
Lightbulbs flashed and for a moment he was back at the press conference her solicitor had held to announce their impending divorce. Potter's voice pulled him back into reality as the MLE technicians processed the crime scene.
He wasn't sure he had ever felt this level of rage before. He literally shook with fury as he read the text on the wall, his heart wrenching at the realisation that as a child he had spoken those exact words to her:
"You'll be next Mudblood"
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
24th July 2010
"Hermione" he whispered, stroking her face with the back of his hand. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at her husband. For a moment she forgot about the divorce as she smiled up at him. Then reality came crashing in like a ten ton truck, hitting her with such force it sent her spasming into sobs once again.
He pulled her into his arms "Hey, shush, dont cry love, you're home, you're safe" he whispered, stroking her hair as she clutched tightly at him.
.
He carried her up the stairs, kicking the door open with his foot, before placing her gently on their bed and pulling the covers up tight around her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He smiled at the realisation he had done this to their son just a few hours ago. He crossed over to the couch and settled down onto it.
"Draco?" she whispered
"Yes?" he replied, taking off his shoes, before looking up at her. She lay there with a pleading look in her eyes and for a moment he was unsure what she would want him to do. He walked into their closet and pulled out a lightweight pair of track pants and removed his trousers, pulling the pants on.
Three purposeful strides took him to his side of the bed and the silent tears that dampened her pillow ceased at her pulled her into his arms.
.
