Disclaimer: I don't own any Harry Potter characters.

Second Chances

Chap 2

Making her way back to the bed Hermione perches on its edge and runs a hand over Teddy's back, watching the child as he calms down. "You're going to have to help me, I know how to kill him but the pieces may be a bit hard to find."

"So we're going to be sneaking around killing him- with a baby on your hip." Draco states sardonically. "And what do you mean pieces?" Hermione opens her mouth to respond but freezes when someone knocks on the door. Both magic users share a glance and pull out their wands before Draco approaches the room's door. "Who is it?" He asks slowly, ignoring the hair in his eyes as he waits for a reply.

"It's your hottest stud of a cousin, Tom said you got yourself a bird, wouldn't be trying to hide her from us would you?"

"Oh honestly." Hermione mutters not loosening her grip on her wand as she relaxes against the bed frame.

Draco rolls his eyes and fights a smirk as he hears the same exclamation from the other side of the door, of course Lupin would react like Granger. Unlocking the door he blocks Hermione and Teddy from view as he slowly lets the door open, not loosening his grip until he's sure it's no trick.

Sirius smirks as he leans on the door shoving it open a bit faster. "Why so cautious? Afraid we'll tell Dora you got another woman on the side?"

James chortles and follows his friend into the room with a shake of his head. "Yeah, how could you break the poor girl's heart?"

Of the three, only Remus has enough sense to pause in the entrance as he notices Draco's protective stance. Tipping his head in greeting Remus waits for Draco to return the nod before slipping into the room fully and shutting the door behind him.

Draco scowls at his black haired cousin as Sirius pulls out the desk chair and flops into it without a care in the world. "Nymphadora is a child, Black, and our cousin- while that might not mean much to you it does to me."

"Oi!" Sirius barks jumping from his seat. "Just what are you insinuating?"

James opens his mouth to add in his own two-sense but freezes when a woman cuts in between the cousins, her wand raised threateningly at Sirius. The woman was short, with wild brown hair and narrowed eyes and James took an automatic step back before reaching for his own wand, only to stop when Remus grabs his arm. Throwing the werewolf a look James glances toward the bed at his friend's insistence, freezing when he finally sees the baby laying there.

"You will lower your voice this instant or you'll not talk at all." The woman hisses out darkly, straightening to her full height when Sirius puffs out his chest to retort.

"Silencio." Draco commands, his spell hitting the man before the situation could deteriorate any further. Ignoring Sirius' glare the blonde wraps an arm around Hermione and pulls her back against his chest. "It's alright dove, Sirius was just being his usual pounce self, he didn't know Teddy was sleeping." The Slytherin states, gently lowering Hermione's wand arm.

"Teddy? That's a cute name, very snuggly." James comments, trying to help defuse the situation with a bit of humor. When the witch looks at him her eyes widen and James automatically sends her a cheeky wink, only to frown slightly as all of the air goes out of the witch and she suddenly deflates in Draco's arms.

"It's short for Theodore." Draco informs the trio, ignoring Hermione's look as he easily adjusts the witch in his arms. "So what do you lot want?" He asks smirking as Sirius tries to talk even with the spell on him.

James snickers as Sirius waves his arms around and tries to yell at them. "What's that Padfoot? I can't hear you." The ex-chaser teases yelping when Sirius jumps him causing them both to hit the ground.

"Children." Hermione mutters darkly, finally leaving Draco's arms and checking on Teddy once more. The toddler opens his eyes as Hermione pulls him into her arms before grabbing some of her hair and easily falling back asleep.

Remus smiles at the duo, his eyes turn calculating when Draco takes a seat beside the woman and child and the witch automatically turns her body to accommodate the blonde. "Sorry for interrupting, but Tom mentioned you were here and well- by now I'm sure you noticed how impatient Sirius can be." The werewolf comments easily stepping away from said wizard as he tries to swat him before James pulls Sirius' attention once more. Walking around the pair he takes a seat in the empty desk chair previously occupied by his friend. "I'm Remus Lupin, the boys on the floor are James Potter and the one under silencio is Sirius Black."

"Hermione Gray." The woman states, granting her former professor a wide smile before glancing once more at the child in her arms. "And this is Teddy Black."

Sirius' head pops up and the wizard hurriedly rises off of the floor. Black? He mouths before frowning and motioning once more to his throat.

Draco rolls his eyes and leans back against the bed's headboard. "Only if you can control yourself, cousin, next time you'll face worse than a silencing charm. Finite." The blonde warns as Hermione curls against his shoulder, glancing at the girl he frowns at how exhausted she looked.

Sirius sputters for a few minutes, making vowel sounds to check his voice before turning on Hermione. "Black?" He asks again, reaching a hand down to help James off the floor.

However, it's Remus that answers. "He's your son." The werewolf states before continuing after Draco nods in agreement. "Tom said both of you were shocked to see each other, so I suppose you were under the impression that the other had died."

Hermione blinks back tears as she thinks over everyone who had died, including the three wizards in front of her. "Yes, the last time Draco and I saw each other we were attacked." She states, referring to Malfoy Manor, the witch flinches when Draco jerks away from her and begins angrily pacing the room once more. "Draco-"

"No." The Slytherin interrupts glaring at the girl he had one time bullied. Turning suddenly he pins the three remaining Marauders under his stormy expression. "You want to know what happened, right? All those bloody questions you keep hounding me with, you came up here to see what you could dig up, well let me tell you why I'm here!"

Hermione pales even more as she rises from her seat clutching Teddy to her chest. The toddler had awakened and was watching the room wide-eyed, his hair darkening to black as he looked at Sirius and James. "Draco-"

"The last time we saw each other she was being tortured. I watched while she writhed and screamed under the cruciatus, while her skin was being sliced open-"

Hermione's own eyes widen as sparks fly out the end of Draco's wand. Jerking forward she grabs the wizard, flinching when the empty plate on the side table explodes. "Draco stop!" The girl commands, her sharp voice and hard shake pulling the blonde's attention as Teddy starts to fuss. "Just stop!" Hermione automatically switches her grip on Teddy as she clutches Draco's shirt with one hand. Pressing her face against the soft material Hermione takes a shaky breath, trying to stop the panic that was coursing through her.

"You were pregnant." The words were soft, whispered in shock and Hermione thrust Teddy into Draco's arms as she turns partially to look at the other three men. It was James that had spoken, his face pale and slightly green as he looked between the time travelers.

"Three months." Hermione agrees softly glancing back at Draco and Teddy as she goes along with their story. Draco was still shaking slightly from the memories, like the witch, but his attention was turned to the baby in his arms and Hermione felt a rush of something shoot through her as she watched him act so paternal. He was still awkward slightly, looking rather frightened of accidently hurting Teddy, but Draco truly cared and Teddy calmed in his cousin's arms, his hair turning blonde to match the man holding him. Turning her attention back to James, Hermione tilts her head, baring her throat and the long scar displayed across it. "Additionally, they slit my throat. By all accounts- I should have been dead, or at the very least completely insane, but I had to live- to survive if nothing else. I was told Draco was dead, along with everyone else, and though the pressure from the cruciatus should have caused a miscarriage- Teddy came and he was all that mattered. I'm here because the only wizard He ever feared is here, because I had nowhere else to go and I can't raise Teddy on my own."

There was a brief moment of silence, accented sharply by the noise of the crowd downstairs. It was Sirius that broke the silence as he cautiously shuffled towards Hermione, offering the girl a smile. "Guess that makes you family, huh?" He comments, his smile widening when Teddy coos and reaches for him. "Dromeda's gonna love you, Dora too, when she realizes she's gonna have another metamorphigus to play with."

"You should get them home." James says suddenly, noting how ragged Hermione looked. "Before Andromeda starts to worry, I'll get the room tab."

Hermione opens her mouth to say something but stops when Draco wraps an arm around her. "Right, I'll see you lot later." The blonde states, taking advantage of the offered escape he passes Teddy back to Hermione before holding tightly onto both and apparating away.

The remaining wizards looked at each other silently before Sirius flops onto the bed and runs a hand over his face. "We nearly buggered that didn't we?" He asks finally, feeling the bed dip when James sits on the edge.

"Better then a scarlet tart." James agrees tilting his head back to look at the ceiling. "So, what happens now?"

"I guess we'd better talk to Lily and Alice, it might help Hermione to have someone to talk to." Remus states, rising from his chair and wincing as his joints pop. "I suppose we'll also need to spend more time with your cousin, get to know him better. Draco made it clear he was willing to fight, now that we actually have a reason for it, it would probably be best to see how competent he is."

James nods and rises as well, shoving his glasses back up on his nose. "Hermione too, she's- dangerous." Lord Potter comments, letting out a shiver as he remembers how Hermione looked threatening Sirius. The former head boy topples to the ground as he's hit in the back of the head with a pillow.

"We were raised by Black women, prongsy, you gonna let some little bird frighten you?" Sirius taunts before screeching as he's hit with a blast of cold water.

Remus merely sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose as his best friends degenerate into childish taunts and wrestling.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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