"We're strange allies
With warring hearts" DMB
Draco was reading the Daily Prophet in the morning while drinking his tea. He didn't sleep well last night, but that was nothing completely out of the ordinary. He usually had terrible dreams. Things he had done. Things he had seen. Things that he could have done if he wasn't so spineless. The dream that kept coming back to him was seeing her on the ground. Her broken, vacant eyes after being tortured. The pain that radiated from her skin. The words written in torn flesh on her arm. That was the worst dream of all.
Narcissa skirted into the room and poured herself a cup of tea. "Good morning. Feeling open to a chat?" she questioned, sitting in the chair next to him.
There were two things his mother 'chatted' about. One was the possibility of him getting back out there and finding someone. Number two was how awful his father was. Neither of which he wanted to engage in today.
"No," he said flatly and turned the page.
Narcissa pouted lightly and waited. "How was your outing yesterday before we got ice cream."
Such a sad attempt at feigning innocence he concluded; she was not going to stop. "I told you, mother, she was unaware of who we were. Please don't bring it up."
"Oh, Draco, you wound me," she huffed, trying to be overly dramatic and gain his full attention.
It worked, but only because he knew his mother would not desist without a proper audience. "Mother, I am telling you. It was a small mistake that I made, to agree to walk her to her destination. Scorpius was speaking to the Lupin boy and the two Potter children, and I could not pry him away."
"Andromeda's grandchild?" His mother perked up with her eyebrows reaching her hairline.
Draco sipped his teacup before nodding. "Yes. Apparently, she runs around with the child because she knows what it is like to be a lonely child. Funny enough, I never saw her once without Potter and Weasley at Hogwarts." Draco spat and set down his tea. "Now, I am going to go get ready for this unnatural day of talking about hurt feelings or something or other. Who knows what that bloody witch has planned."
Narcissa frowned at his behavior as he stood up. "Why are you," she paused with Lucius entered the room and gawped. "You are not serious, husband?" Narcissa hissed.
Lucius was wearing a stunning silver shirt with a dark matte vest that matched his slacks. "I can still dress for occasions, my wife." He sneered while running his fingers over the garment.
Another long-winded fight was brewing. Draco had seen this before and cataloged it as yet another moment in time his parents failed at communication. It was pretty regular for them, and he knew as much as they may have loved each other, the years were unkind to their marriage. This might have been him and Astoria in twenty years had fate been kind to them; well, if he retained his behavior that could be said.
Yes, his father had affairs, quite openly in Draco's school years. His mother had relations as well. It was a happy fucked up family. Fast forward to their fall from grace and their ill-conceived isolation… both nearly chewed the other's arm off in an attempt to outdo the other out of boredom. Was this just another tit for tat? Draco hadn't a clue.
"While I agreed to you being nice to that witch, I did not say to pull out the whole," Narcissa waved her hand at the older Malfoy wizard. "Charade of beguilement. Go change, you look ridiculous." She hissed, picking her teacup up again.
"Mother is right; you do look ridiculous. The only men that wear that type of attire anymore are old wizards of America and those going to a muggle wedding," Draco snarled the last two words, and Lucius grinned wickedly.
"Status is always important, Draco. Remember that if you do happen to crawl from your state of bereavement and try again. Think of it as dressing for the role you would like to play. A man of power never accepts less," Lucius smirked and smoothed his hair out.
"Tell that to the man who just the other day was wearing his wife's pink slippers around the house because they were comfortable," Draco snorted, and Lucius turned pink.
There was a knock, and he heard the door creak open, "Her-my-owny!" Scorpius shouted, each syllable acutely pointed as he tried to correctly say her name.
Draco groaned. "Now, I don't have time to shower," he mumbled, flicking his wand at his pajamas.
He now donned a sharp black t-shirt with black trousers to match. "How are you this morning?" she inquired and their footsteps were evident on the tile.
"Good, thanks. I got to go swimming yesterday after we visited my mother," the boy told her as they appeared in the dining room.
"Hm, sounds like a busy day. Did you enjoy your time with her?" she inquired, and the boy nodded.
"I read her a story and showed her a picture I drew," he declared, and Hermione took in the scene.
Draco and Lucius were both standing, but Narcissa was surveying her as a threat. She wasn't sure what changed from yesterday, but it was going to be a problematic day she feared. "Good morning," she announced and the wizards waved lightly in greeting.
"Good morning, Miss Granger," Narcissa declared.
"What is on the docket today?" Lucius asked with a small smile.
Hermione still felt like she walked into a room where a heated argument was taking place. "Well, I thought maybe we could have a chat? Talk about a few things. Tell me about the last few years and what your family has gone through?" She was offering, but she wouldn't lie that a sliver of it was of personal gain. She realized yesterday how little she knew about the Malfoys now, but could a decade have changed them that much?
Lucius smirked and waved his hand at the table. "In here or shall we convene in the library?" he asked with a tilt of his head.
"No, in here works," she hemmed and shifted on her heels before sitting at the table.
The older Malfoy wizard sat down at the head of the table while Draco sat next to his mother. Scorpius scooted in next to Hermione and watched her take out parchment, quills and small sheets of pages. "Are you writing a book?" the boy questioned.
"No, I am just taking notes."
Draco snorted and snatched his teacup from the table. "Always the little academic pet," he snickered, and her cheeks bloomed with color.
"It has saved me in very many circumstances, I will have you know," she grumbled before dipping her quill in some ink.
"So, shall I start with the easy questions?" she asked and picked up notes she made last night.
"Fire away, Miss Granger," Lucius purred, and Hermione had to ignore the sinking churning of her stomach; his friendliness made her uneasy. It was like he was a dog you couldn't trust that would bite you at any moment. False genuine.
"Any major changes to what you have been doing with your life?" She inquired, and the older man bent over the table.
"As in, do I collect dark artifacts and house loyalties for ill views?" he specified, and she gulped with a nod. "No, none of that. The ministry cleared our manor the first year after the war and since we have tried to renovate it and make it a much more pleasing place. We wouldn't want our grandchild to experience any negative effects of dark magic."
She wrote down a paraphrased version and cleared her throat. "Any problems or disagreements?"
Narcissa tutted. "No, nothing we couldn't handle," she responded, and Hermione frowned.
"Care to specify?"
Draco folded his arms over his chest. "Yes. Your little group of 'anti-pureblood houses,' vandalized our house for two years after the war. Called my mother a slag who slept with the dark lord and my father a poof," he spat, and Hermione's eyebrows rose well over her eyes.
"Why wasn't any of this reported?" Hermione asked, utterly appalled at the actions.
Lucius sighed and made a circle with his hand. "Who would believe us? The Prophet would be up in arms about our claims. We reported it, but as you know harassment on both sides has happened in the last two decades…" he huffed, and Hermione covered her mouth.
"I really am sorry that anyone would treat you that horribly. No matter what anyone has done, no one deserves that treatment." She declared with a scrunched-up expression.
Draco leaned over the table and smirked wickedly. "You want to hear the best part? When Astoria had Scorpius, they claimed he was his son. The amount of ill conduct we receive is normal. Why do you think we chose this volunteer isolation?" Draco spat with a furrowed brow.
Hermione set her quill down and glanced at the Malfoys. "Really, I am so apologetic this has not been made to light. This is indeed why we are working on this program. It isn't to dissect you for the world to see. It is proof that no one has any right to speak out or do these things to you all." She sighed with a nod and brushed some of her curls from her cheek.
Scorpius glanced over at her and tilted his head. "You are going to help my dad?" he questioned, trying to follow the conversation.
Hermione smiled over at him and bobbed her head. "I am going to try."
"We don't want your help. We just want our freedom back," Draco snapped and Hermione chewed her bottom lip.
"I have to do this. I can't just sign some papers and go back to work in my comfy office. I have to follow these procedures or else it is back to square one for everyone involved. Can we just work together to get through these days?" Hermione asked, and Draco stood up.
"Granger, you have to be completely out of your bloody mind if you think I am going to talk to you about the past." He snarled and stomped from the room.
Narcissa sighed heavily and rose from her chair. "I will go get him. He is potent today," she murmured and strolled at a steady pace after him.
Hermione covered her face and scrubbed it roughly. This was tough. Beyond tough. She had to go through the motions as well. What was Kingsley even thinking?
"Would you like to see our library? It is quite substantial and if you are much of a reader as you once were," Lucius offered and Hermione peered at him through her fingers.
"Oh," Hermione muttered and set her hands down.
Lucius stood up and tilted his head toward the hallway. "Come along, Scorpius. Let's show Miss Granger the library."
The boy hopped from his chair and took Hermione's hand, tugging her. "Let's go. It is so wicked," he declared with a bright smile.
She happened to like how happy the boy was. Despite her feelings about the Malfoys, someone had to have done something right to make this child so pleasant. Letting the boy lead, she was pulled into the hallway and down another corridor. Two giant doors were at the end of it, and Lucius strode in front of them to open it. He pulled out his wand and waved it to remove the curtains from the window.
Hermione gasped, losing what breath she had in her chest. "Oh, my stars," she breathed and released the boy's hand, turning in a circle once in the room.
The library was masterful. It was two stories in height with a huge domed ceiling. There were landings next to the bookcases and ladders that had desks on them. She was utterly enthralled with the library.
"This is, my," Hermione paused and glanced at Lucius. "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. It is a treasure trove of knowledge. I am honored you wanted to show me."
Scorpius clapped lightly. "Look, Grandfather gave me a whole area just for me," Scorpius declared and raced to the left.
Hermione followed and felt the man's eyes on her. She wasn't sure what his ploy was, but she was positive he was playing one now. No one just shows a book addict a giant library for no reason. The child walked over to the small, child-size sofa and flopped down with a big grin. In front of his couch was a mock fireplace with an enchanted flame and a desk. Hermione smirked and bobbed her head. "This is really nice, Scorpius. I am jealous you have such a great place to read."
"I have several sections in the library worth noting," Lucius murmured, making Hermione jerk at his close proximity.
She turned around and he was a foot away from her. "Oh?"
He nodded slowly and smirked. "A few historical first editions. Many of them are in their original language. I would love to show you if you like."
Hermione could feel the heat of her blush. "Well- that- I," she stammered in confusion.
"Granger, let me save you from my father's blatant pass and come take a walk with me," Draco called out and the witch nearly tripped on her own feet as she backed away from the older Malfoy. Hermione swallowed as she saw Draco in the doorway and couldn't be more relieved. She would take a rude wanker over a dangerous flirt any day. She did not see the narrowed glare that Lucius sent him but could care less. Scorpius jumped up and Draco waved at him to continue sitting. "No, son. I need to speak to her alone."
"But, dad," Scorpius started.
"We can take a walk all together later," Draco reassured him and tilted his head toward the door. "Let's go, Granger, before we are old."
The witch followed the steely father through the hallway and exhaled heavily. "Is your father…" she trailed off not able to find the right words.
"Yes, my father is a wanker," he confirmed and snorted. "He actually thinks he is some ladies' man."
Hermione giggled and shook her head. "That is just ridiculous. After all, I am just here to do my job. Nothing remarkable about my presence at all," she snorted and laughed despite the situation.
They turned and Draco met her pace, walking with her. "Well, if you didn't realize he was flirting with you before then, you must not get out much," Draco snickered while rolling his eyes.
Hermione twisted her eyebrows high on her forehead. "No one flirts with me, Malfoy. I am too busy working to go out and when I am not working, I am at home taking care of my nephew and his grandmother."
He opened up another door and they were soon out in a courtyard of sorts. "I can understand that," he said finally. "I will make you a deal," he paused and turned toward her as they stood in the center of the area. "You tell me something and I will tell you something."
Hermione raised her eyebrows in shock and hemmed. "Well, a bit unorthodox don't you think?"
"I give nothing for free, Granger. It is either my way or you get nothing for your pretty notes." He murmured and leaned against one of the pillars that held up the gazebo they were near.
"Change of heart?" she questioned, and he glanced at her with interest; the first real neutral expression she had seen him have.
"My mother told me I was being a prat. You aren't going to leave so I will make efforts, but not without charge."
"Fair enough," she sighed and sloped her head. "What do you want to know?"
"Why did you and Weasley really split?" he inquired and her face bloomed with color.
"He wanted something I couldn't be. A stay at home mother for his children. I wanted to help solve injustice in the world and it ended us," Hermione admitted honestly.
"And that came about suddenly?" Draco asked, glancing down at his feet.
Hermione frowned and thinned her lips. "I don't know. I suppose looking back on it, we never really did fit together. However, that's enough about me. I want to know about why you think you deserve to be forgiven." She finished and his eyes met hers.
"Deserve? You think I believe that it is deserving? No, I don't believe you have any obligation to forgive me." He responded with a sharp glare. "If I did don't you think I would have asked for it by now? I know I don't, that's why you should have never been the one to do this." He said and her eyebrows crawled to her curly hairline.
"Don't you want to be forgiven?"
"It will never take away what I had to do. What I had to see," he mumbled, glancing out at the courtyard; avoiding her eyes completely.
Hermione felt dumbfounded by his answers. "I- well- it," she stumbled.
"My turn," he interrupted her thought and gazed back at her. "How disappointed were you when you found out it was my family you had to do this with?"
She exhaled and scratched her neck with a grimace. "Not so much disappointed that it was your family; just that I had to do this instead of what I enjoy doing alone."
Draco stood up with a nod. "Well, that's a start." He grumbled and walked past her toward the door.
"But, wait, I didn't get to ask my question," she retorted, turning around to scowl at him.
Draco smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Still a Slytherin. I never said it was going to be even, just that we would exchange questions." He walked toward the door and opened it. "Let's get back before my mother kills my father."
Hermione huffed loudly and swiveled her eyes in her head. "You haven't changed much."
He nodded and rolled one of his shoulders. "Yes, well, you have changed plenty. Come on, lets go."