Sorry for the huge gap between posts. I recently got a PS4 and I've been addicted to Youtube gamers. Regardless, please enjoy!
Hermione eyed her reflection in the bathroom mirror, trying to will her nerves away. Her nails clacked a steady beat on the vanity in rhythm to her racing heart, the sound echoing like gunshots in the silence. Draco was due to arrive at her house any minute to take her to meet his mother, officially. Compared to her current state of mind, it was no where near the reaction she had when Draco first announced the idea two days prior.
Hermione and Draco were once again curled up on her couch watching another movie from her father's collection. They were in the middle of Raiders of the Lost Ark, watching Draco's beloved Han Solo as Indy. Hermione briefly wondered if she had created a monster in Draco with his newfound love of Muggle cinema. Hermione had almost nodded off against his side when his laughter shook her awake.
"Han shot first?" she joked, yawning.
"Yup," he snickered. "The assassin's an idiot. He literally brought a knife to a gunfight."
"It is funny," she admitted.
Draco turned toward her. "Are you okay? You've been quiet today."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well."
"Dreams?" he asked, concerned.
"No, I've just grown used to you by my side at night. The bed feels too big."
"Oh," he said, before giving her a cheeky grin. "You like me."
They sat in comfortable silence for a while but Hermione could sense Draco wanted to say something when she glanced up at his eyes.
"What is it?" she asked, pausing the movie.
"There's something I wanted to ask you."
"Okay, go ahead."
"Well, with New Year's Eve in a couple days, I was wondering if you would like to properly meet my mother, at my house."
Hermione was all for the idea until the thought of Draco's home sank in and suddenly she was back to that night under Bellatrix's knife and the Cruciatus curse. Every muscle in her body locked up as she pulled away from the figure sitting too close to her.
Cursing silently, Draco's chest tightened at the sight of Hermione; her eyes unfocused and glazed over, seeing whatever invisible demon that had its grip on her.
"Hey, hey, Hermione," he quietly urged, giving her space. While rare, he was unfortunately all too familiar dealing with her flashbacks only because they mirrored his own. "You're safe, okay? It's just me here, alright? You're safe."
He kept his gentle mantra up, whispering quiet reassurances to her until her breathing evened out and her eyes focused on him again. She heaved a shuddering sigh as her head dropped into her hands.
"I'm sorry," she muttered between her fingers.
"You have nothing to apologize for, love. If anyone should be sorry, it's me. I triggered something."
"It's not your fault either," Hermione replied, looking up at him.
Draco slowly held his hand out to her and was relieved when she took it. "Do you want to talk about it or no?"
Hermione nodded and crawled onto his lap, leaning into his warmth with her ear pressed over his heart. "I want to meet your mother properly, I do. It's just..." She took a deep breath. "Draco, I can't go back to that manor. It's where I always 'go' to."
"Oh, right," Draco swallowed the lump that always formed when he remembered that night and hugged her tighter to him. "If it's any consolation, I had the place destroyed months ago."
Hermione pulled back and stared up at him. "What? When?"
"After the trials and investigations wrapped up, I inherited the place after my father was thrown into Azkaban. I couldn't stomach the place after Voldemort being there and everything that happened. I had it torn down and moved to the quieter town of Edenbridge."
"I thought it had been in your family for generations, though."
"It was, but I could never raise a family in that black hole."
Hermione smiled. "You want kids?"
Draco gave a small, shy grin. "Even though it scares the living hell out of me, I would love to have kids one day. I just hope I'm good at it, you know? Do everything he didn't and should've."
Hermione suddenly had an adorable vision of a laughing Draco chasing after a little, honey blonde haired girl zipping around on a toy broomstick. "I think you'd be an amazing dad," she said, running her thumb under his eye.
"You're biased," he chuckled. "Do you, er, want kids?"
That vision of Draco and the little girl played again in her mind and she found herself smiling. "Yeah, I really do. One day, anyway."
Draco leaned down and kissed her before resting his forehead against hers. "Love you."
"Love you, too," she said, caressing the side of his face.
A knock at the door pulled Hermione from her reverie. She rushed downstairs and welcomed Draco inside, kissing him.
"Hello, love," Draco greeted. "You ready?"
"Hey you," she replied, grabbing her coat. "I think so. How do I look?"
"Beautiful, like always."
"Thanks," she smiled, her face turning pink. "I meant my outfit."
"It looks fine," he reassured. "C'mon, it's just my mum."
"Exactly," she stressed, looking down at her attire, which really wasn't that much different than Draco's. "I'm meeting my boyfriend's mother. Dads are transparent with their dislike but Mums are very subtle and hard to read when it comes to protecting their precious, baby boy."
"Remember that talk we had on the train at the start of break?" When Hermione raised a brow and nodded, Draco continued. "You're over-thinking things, love."
"I guess you're right," she admitted. "Okay, let's go."
Hermione made quick work of locking her house up and turned toward Draco, who offered his arm. She looped her arm through his and followed him to the apparition point at the foot of the drive.
"Ready?" he asked, tightening his grip on her.
Nodding, Hermione closed her eyes and braced herself as the sensation of being pushed through a too narrow tube overwhelmed her. Seconds later they arrived at their destination, stumbling on the snowy walk. Hermione shook her head and took a deep breath once her stomach stopped rolling.
"Hermione?"
"I'm good, never enjoyed side-along."
She finally opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. They stood at the end of a long driveway that led to a large house that reminded Hermione a much smaller version of the Chartwell in Kent. The property was a massive expanse of gently rolling hills densely dotted with a variety of oak, birch, and willow trees, all dusted with snow that hugged up to the building.
"Welcome to my home."
"Wow," she said in wonder.
Draco gave a small nod. "You should see it in the springtime. It's miles from the nearest person and there's a forest a mile south."
"It's beautiful."
"And freezing. C'mon, Mum's waiting for us."
The interior was just as beautiful when they entered the foyer. It was open and spacious but still felt warm and inviting like the Gryffindor Common Room, a stark contrast to cold sharpness of his previous residence. A gently curving staircase lead to the first floor that branched off into two wings with the landing open to the foyer below.
As Draco was taking Hermione's coat from her, a voice from upstairs rang out. "Draco, sweetheart, is that you?"
"Yes, Mum. Hermione's here, too."
Hermione glanced up in time to see Narcissa emerge from the east wing before descending the stairs. The Malfoy matriarch wore a simple yet elegant black dress that offset the blond hair flowing down her shoulders. She looked nothing like she did back at the trials. During that time she had looked gaunt; rail thin, greyish skin, and shadowed eyes that had seen too much. This Narcissa, however, looked like an entirely new person with a healthy weight and a small smile gracing her face. Her hands were clasped tightly together in what Hermione assumed to be nervousness.
Draco stepped forward. "Mum, this is my girlfriend, Hermione Granger. Love, this is my mother."
"It's nice to actually meet you, dear," Narcissa said quietly. "Draco's letters have spoke nonstop of this incredible girl that he can't believe to be true."
Hermione turned to Draco, smiling. "Really?"
"I've never lied to my mother," Draco said.
"He wasn't lying when he described you, dear. You are very beautiful, inside and out."
"Thank you, ma'am," Hermione said, her face tinting a faint pink.
Narcissa brushed her off. "None of that 'ma'am' stuff, please, I feel old enough as it is. Narcissa will do just fine."
"Of course," she nodded politely.
After a beat, Narcissa turned to Draco. "Sweetheart, could you give Hermione and I a moment? I'd like to talk with her."
"Sure." He turned to Hermione and kissed her forehead, giving a look of reassurance before he headed upstairs.
"You look scared, dear."
Hermione rubbed the heels of her palms together nervously. "I'll be honest, I am."
"Don't be," she smiled softly. "Here, let's head into the sitting room."
Hermione nodded and followed Narcissa past the stairs to a room just off the kitchen. Narcissa headed to a leather couch in front of a crackling fireplace, patting the cushion next to her. Hermione sat next to her, back ramrod straight and shoulders tense.
"Relax, dear," Narcissa said. "I don't bite."
"I know, I'm just being silly. I've never 'met the parents' before," Hermione said.
"I can see how intimidating that can be, given the history this family has. That's part of reason I wanted to speak with you alone," Narcissa explained. "I wanted to sincerely apologize for what my family put you through that night and my role in it as well, trying to make Draco give you up. My only thought was to keep him safe as possible at the time being under You-Know-Who's thumb. And what my sister did, there's nothing that could ever make things right in that regard."
"I—"
But Narcissa raised a hand, stopping her. "It's much more than that, Hermione. I never should've raised Draco like I was raised, the pureblood supremacy. While I never used it myself, I'm ashamed Draco ever learned such a word describing Muggleborns. When the first war ended, we had the chance to be better in the magical community but we fell back into that mindset we were raised with. I'm sorry he learned that bigotry from us. I'm sorry I was the reason you couldn't have been friends from the start. Maybe if I had been a better person, he could have had someone as good as you at his side from the start."
It was a lot to take in for Hermione but she finally found her voice. "I accept your apology and like I tell Draco a lot, it's all in the past. I just want everyone to move on with happier lives."
"The second thing I wanted to say was thank you," Narcissa said, placing a her hand on Hermione's, squeezing it. "I can't tell you how many nights I'd lay awake worrying over my son. People with Lycanthropy are so often cast aside and looked down upon, I feared he would be forever alone. He felt like he had truly become a monster."
"He's not a monster," Hermione insisted. "He's still Draco."
"You sweet girl," Narcissa smiled. "You came along and offered your help when you had every right to deny him any kindness. I can't express how grateful I am that he found someone as caring and as selfless as you. The change I've seen in him since September, even just from his letters, I can tell that Draco is truly happy for the first time in a very long while. There's hope in his eyes, he smiles more. And for that, I can never thank you enough."
Again, Hermione was at a loss for words when Narcissa finished. They were a number of things that could be said, 'you're welcome' being one of them, but it felt so weak in comparison.
"Now you have to tell me about that first date. Draco gets all bashful about it and getting details from him is like pulling teeth."
Hermione snickered, smiling. "He's so cute. Well, he asked me to dinner in Hogsmeade. We spent the whole day together, just talking, laughing, being kids. We had dinner at The Three Broomsticks where he asked me to be his girlfriend. But it's what he had planned after that made it truly amazing; he asked me to dance with him."
"Draco asked you to dance? My Draco?" Narcissa asked, eyebrows raised. "He hates dancing."
"Really?"
"Oh, teaching him was a right nightmare. He'd gripe and complain going to Ministry events and galas growing up," Narcissa smiled at the memory. "Perhaps he's finally grown up. What did he do?"
"He waited until nightfall and transformed the Great Hall to mimic the outdoors so that we could dance under the stars. It was at that moment I felt myself really falling for him."
"Well, now I understand why he asked for the gramophone."
"Sorry?"
"Draco called home late one night asking me to send our gramophone to Hogwarts overnight. I never asked why because I was half asleep and he seemed so excited."
Hermione's smile grew when she thought of all the effort Draco put forth just for her.
The more Hermione spoke with Narcissa, the more she was able to see where Draco got his personality and smarts and why she was such a big influence on him growing up. She finally saw the person Draco held in such high regard and his best friend.
Without realizing it, Hermione kept looking back to where she last saw Draco before he left them to talk, something Narcissa smiled at.
"Missing him already?"
"I'm that obvious?" Hermione laughed, her nose scrunching up.
"Just a bit," Narcissa teased. "I get it, though. I was once your age and in love, too. Head up the stairs and take a right; his room is first on the left. I hope you'll be staying for dinner, yes?"
"If it's not too much trouble."
Narcissa waved her off. "Nonsense, dear. Tell him dinner will be ready in half an hour."
Narcissa got up and hurried off in the direction of the kitchen while Hermione made her way up the stairs, following the directions she was given. Her search was over the second she reached the landing as Draco had then stepped out into the hallway directly in front of her.
"Well you don't look upset or stressed. Is it safe to assume it went well?" he asked.
"It's a good start. I see a lot of you two in each other, actually."
Draco beamed, happy to know his two favorite people were getting along. "C'mon," he asked, taking her hand. "I want to show you something."
He led her on a short tour of his house, showing her his room. Hermione smiled at how the bed looked similar to the one back at the dorm; sheets disheveled and twisted at the foot since he never bothered to make it in the mornings and the small stack of books on the nightstand beside it. One thing Hermione didn't expect to see was the brand new entertainment center and a TV that was bigger than her parent's. When she shot a questioning glance at him he revealed that he went out and bought it the day after Christmas and finally managed to get it running despite the magical interference on electronics.
"Now," Draco started, stopping in front of the last door of the hall, "despite how beautiful this place is and the perfect location, this room alone is what sold it for me."
He slowly opened the door and ushered her in. Hermione took one step inside before freezing, her jaw dropping as her eyes widened in wonder.
"Well?" Draco smirked.
Hermione didn't answer, instead taking in the glorious sight of heaven before her. The library looked like a miniature copy of the one at Hogwarts. Every wall was comprised of floor-to-ceiling mahogany shelves crammed with books, complete with a rolling ladder that circumferenced the room up to the cathedral ceilings. A decent sized fireplace was tucked into the back wall of shelves, casting a warm glow into the room. The ceiling itself was a wonder to behold in its own right; a massive domed stained glass relief of all the major constellations scattered inside a swirling red and purple nebula, filtering the natural light like a prism onto the hardwood floors.
"Draco, this is gorgeous," she whispered in awe.
"Yeah?" he asked, following her line of sight.
"To be honest, I'm feeling super jealous that this is in your house. I always dreamed of this as a kid."
"Well, what's mine is yours," he stated simply.
Hermione turned to him, a bit confused. "What do you mean?"
"Before 'us' became a factor, what were your plans after Hogwarts again?" he asked.
"Get on with the Ministry and make some changes, maybe rent a small flat."
"Similar to my plan if I can get the chance with Kingsley but can I offer something?" When she nodded, he continued. "Move in with me?"
"Seriously?" Hermione replied, surprised.
"So I know we've only been dating a little under four months, but we've technically been living together in the dorm and I think it's been working out really well, great, in fact. I love what we have and I don't want it to change but if it's too—"
Hermione silenced him with a gentle hand over his mouth. "Draco, you're rambling."
"Right," he nodded, taking a deep breath. "What do you think?"
Hermione mulled the offer over in her head. "So half of this would be mine?" she smiled, looking around the library again.
"You can have the whole thing, love," Draco snickered.
"I have one condition."
"Name it."
"Use a hamper for your dirty socks. The last pair I found were under my pillow of all places."
"I think I can manage that," he smirked sheepishly, wrapping his arms around her waist. "So, yeah?"
"Yes," she replied, beaming at him. "Wait, is your Mum going to be living with us too? I like her but that will be awkward."
"No, I forgot to tell you. With the divorce papers going through and her sentencing reduced to probation for good behavior, she closed on that flat in upper London she found a few weeks ago."
"That happened a lot sooner than I thought, I was sure Lucius would try to drag it out another six months. When did they finally go through?"
"Mum can be very persuasive. An owl from the Ministry came by at breakfast yesterday. She signed for the flat before lunch. She seemed excited but I think it's mostly because of the bloke next door."
"Oh?" Hermione pressed, raising an eyebrow.
"An American named Jackson Meyers. He transfered from MACUSA to our Ministry. They bumped into each other when she looking at the flat and I guess they hit it off."
"And are you okay with that?"
"If he makes her happy, absolutely. It's the first time I've seen her look excited about something in nearly two years."
"You're a good son," Hermione said quietly, causing Draco to look down, blushing with a crooked grin. She raised up and kissed his cheek before taking his hand and pulled him to the door. "Come on, your Mum says dinner would be ready by now."
Dinner was a bit awkward at the start, much like Christmas at the Granger's, but once Narcissa saw the interaction of Draco and Hermione, it felt as normal as any family meal with Hermione finally witnessing the banter Draco and his mother had. Around midnight, Draco and Hermione stood on the library's blacony, counting down the last seconds of the year until fireworks from the nearby town could be seen lighting up the night sky.
"Happy New Year, love," Draco whispered, kissing her.
She kissed him back and nestled her nose just under his jaw. "Happy New Year, babe."
