Hermione had barely made it to the toilet, when she felt a pair of hands grasp her hair again. "How did you know?" She spoke between spurts.
"I have Tibby on watch, she's making a light breakfast as we speak." After taking the glass of water back from her, he offered her a new vial, "I've tried to improve the composition and the taste adding a few more components , will you give it a try please?"
Taking his vial silently, she slammed it down her throat, "It's not perfect yet, but it's much better than yesterdays, thank you Draco." Hermione felt a wave of tiredness wash over her, and she leaned against his legs, "I hope this shit disappears soon, I feel less than human every morning."
"What is your plan for today?"
Hermione accepted his offered hand, rising to her feet, "I have two courses in the morning, one in the afternoon, plus one assignment that is due within three days from now and I haven't read a page."
She motioned him she wanted to wash her teeth, and he nodded, "I'll wait for you in the kitchen."
A quarter hour later, she took a seat next to him, nibbling on a buttered toast, as he sipped from a coffee.
Draco sat the Prophet away, "I need to negotiate a request from the Italian government, but I can pick you up, have lunch together, accompany you to the next period and make sure that you don't oversleep after your powernap of ten minutes?"
"You make it sound so easy…"
"We can try, right?"
"We'll be seen together."
"Only wizards living under a rock don't know the gossip by now. Hiding from the public isn't going to make the news go away. What time are you finished?"
"By noon."
"Any requests as the place to eat?"
"Somewhere quiet."
-oOo-
Draco had brought her to the university, and watching the commotion from afar, Hermione expected to see her fellow students fanning over his good looks, even if it was way too early for him to return. It was a break between two periods, and she was taking a breather in the outside atrium.
Much to her surprise, it was Lucius who waited for her, standing upright supporting on his cane just for the show. During her last visit, she noticed he didn't need the aid to walk at all.
Her head went in overdrive thinking on the multiple reasons of his arrival, already preparing her possible counterattacks; the man demanded respect but hell would freeze over before she would let him see her scared.
"Miss Granger."
"Mr. Malfoy."
"Can I invite you for a cup of tea while we discuss a few matters?"
"I have a new period within ten minutes that I don't want to miss."
"I'm certain one or other witch here will let you copy her notes for you." Hermione was about to argue, "I insist, Miss Granger. Please don't make a scene."
Hermione complied to avoid a discussion inside the university's walls, she wanted to keep her excellent impression before her teachers. He offered her an arm, which she accepted seething.
At the tea parlour, he ordered a table in the quietest corner. In silence, both waited for the tea with biscuits to appear before Lucius cast a muffliato around their seating.
"You can assume why I'm here." He took his time to appreciate the flavour of his tea while Hermione used it to gather some courage.
"I'm torn between your financial offer to accept your son's proposal and your threat to get rid of the baby."
"I'm impressed, Miss Granger. Which of the two wins your preference?"
"It's a draw." A biscuit gave her fingers something to do, instead of fidgeting.
He roared from her honesty, "Still a feisty thing after all these years, I understand why my son feels attracted to you. I will never repeat what I'm about to say, but you remind me of my Narcissa when she had your age. Not afraid to bite back."
It only made Hermione curious about their past, "I do not promise anything."
"Miss Granger, I must disappoint you, but you will not hear a threat coming from my mouth to force you into abortion. Your pregnancy has become a public matter, I read this morning a whole page dedicated to the cleverness of your little accident. The majority wonders if it is wise to bring the next Malfoy heir to this world…"
"They can go and fuck themselves." She would not be apologising for her English.
"A few…" He continued, ignoring the foulness in her words, "Are sure you tricked my poor son to gain access to the massive Malfoy vaults."
"Some were expressing their own fantasies, I guess. Cursing their inability to bring this idea to fruition." By the way she bit on her biscuit, Lucius guessed her level of anger. As his son had suspected, this was one of those witches that did it for love and not for personal gain. Like her, not many out there. Again, something she had in common with his wife.
"If money can't seduce you, maybe a considerable donation to a cause that is close to your heart?"
"You want to donate an important amount to, let us say, the fund for free wolfsbane for everyone?" She gave him the look, as he pretended to consider the idea, "Are you so eager to include a mudblood to your family tree?"
"The last time I used that word, I got hexed. I believe it's no longer a publicly-accepted term." The consequences of his wife's hex were still visible on his upper thigh, but he kept that detail to himself, "You'll be part of the family tree, but I would prefer to add you as my son's spouse instead only mentioning you as the mother of next Malfoy scion, with no further tie to the family." He poured her a new cup, serving himself next, "Would my contribution to that admirable cause help you to see clear and accept my son's proposal?"
"You really want to call me daughter-in-law?"
He looked green for a moment but recovered his features, "Care to explain to me why you don't want to become my son's wife?"
"I want a husband who loves me, who respects me. Nothing less than that."
"You have already half of your request, I know that my son respects your courage and your magical talent, even if he never said so. Love? As in every wizard union, love comes later."
"Is that how it went between you and Narcissa?"
"No, my hellcat hissed so hard she had me at her feet before I realised. On the other hand, I had quite a trouble to show her what a catch I was."
"I understand why she hissed so much." She snorted, "The self-centred is already hard to ignore, but add the arrogance, and you get an impossible combination. I see where Draco gets his git-attitude from." She hit a nerve, obviously, wondering in Narcissa had used the same words. "Not enough. Draco may respect me, much to my surprise, but he doesn't love me. End discussion."
"No Malfoy has been born out of wedlock."
"There's a first time for everything." She emptied her cup, "I have given you my answer, and I want to return to my classes, I've lost enough time."
"I can force you."
"Your son has more to lose if you continue to push me too far. Haven't you learned your lesson, Mr. Malfoy?" It was the second time she hit a nerve, it seemed. "Now, you'll have to excuse me, I have another Malfoy to deal with, let us hope I've lost some of my tension by the time he arrives."
"I'll be the one taking you down the aisle."
"You forgot to take your medicine this morning, I believe, Mr. Malfoy, you're acting delusional. Have a good day." She never saw his smile. Hermione did remind him too much of Narcissa. At least he knew which advice to give his son now, handling in feisty witches is something he had experience in. I only have to get used to the idea of a mud-muggle born daughter-in-law, he thought, remarking at the same time that if he had to add one, his son had been a smart bloke for securing the best exemplary in their community.
-oOo-
Narcissa saw her husband arrive through the Floo, a goading smile still plastered on his face.
"What did you do?"
"Why do you always think the worse of me?" He tried to show her a stricken face, but who was he trying to fool?
"You can't keep your long fingers away from an issue for so long… Spill your beans so I can think of a way to keep your son's anger at bay." When will he learn?
"I did nothing which might have caused trouble, my dear. I simply tested the waters." Trying another tactic, he kissed her gently on the cheek, "I must say, our family will be increased with a fierce witch. I'm relieved to learn that our grandson, despite his blood status, will be a mighty wizard, possessing the extraordinary talents from both his parents." Narcissa searched for a sign that he was mocking the whole business. Her surprise grew when she found none.
"I took our son's witch for a cuppa, using my best persuasion to accept a bribe and become his wife."
"Money won't work, Draco is certain. He told me she's cut from another wood if I recall his words well." From a point, it annoyed her that he still tried to use his old tactics to force a solution; on the other hand, it pleased her to know that Hermione had a spine, as Draco suspected.
"I believe there are still incorruptible people in this world…"
"Don't count yourself in that group, Lucius. That's stretching the truth."
"You still haven't lost your feisty attitude, have you?" Her lips were begging to be kissed, "Miss Granger wants to marry for love, money isn't a priority… I honestly didn't think those witches still existed." The new hex was probably going to leave a new scar also, wincing from the pain.
"I didn't marry you for your vaults did I?"
"No, you married me for my self-centered nature combined with arrogance, and let me think what else Miss Granger added... she described it as an impossible combination. Adding that she recognised Draco's git-attitude in my posture."
"The more I hear, the more I believe that I'll like Miss Granger. I don't see where she's wrong, though. It is a very annoying quality from the Malfoy men, I hope she prevents it from being transmitted to our grandson." She smiled slyly as a fox, "Will you employ any other intelligent attempts to sway her over?"
"No, I'll give our son some insights on how to win her heart."
That comment made her eyebrows raise, "Is that so?"
"I did win yours, my dear…"
"You are a git, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy."
"Correction, love. I'm your git." He stole her tea before walking away to his study. Think of strategies to soften the mud- muggleborns belief in him, it could only help Draco's case.
-oOo-
Again, a commotion at the atrium, a few female students were fanning themselves at the sight of such a good looking wizard, he's so handsome…
She walked casually towards him, handbag full of books over her shoulder, "This has to stop, it's the invasion of the Malfoy men. You're causing havoc."
"I don't get it, Hermione," He took the bag over, surprised to feel a featherlight weight on such a packed backpack, "I only arrived moments ago."
"It's the second Malfoy to visit this university today. I didn't think Law interested the likes of your family."
"Have mercy with me and please, tell me what the hell are you talking about?"
"Your father paid me a visit." She felt pleasure at his immediate fury, "He offered to donate a considerable amount to a cause of my choice if I would accept becoming your Mrs. Malfoy."
"And?" He seethed, planning on having a men-talk with his father later that day.
"I hope the cause can forgive me. I declined." That last was delivered with a chin-jerk. "Where are we eating? I'm famished…"
