AN/ Hello everyone. Yes, another chapter is complete and I'm already working on my next chapter! I really hope y'all like this. I know iv put a lot into this relationship with Hermione & Draco now, but this next chapter will be a LOT dealing with our star couple! SO, please, stay tuned for that. Anyways, I'm trying to make everything tie together. Please Review! I really need to know what y'all think!
warning: major Ron-bashing takes place in this chapter. As well as mentions of alcoholism, and (near) domestic violence. I hope this does not bother, nor offend anyone. Thank you.
10. After The Storm
Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.
Henry Wadworth Longfellow
Hermione rolled over, yawning and her eyes drearily blinked open. She closed her eyes again, deciding she liked the warmth next to her. She would sleep just a little longer. She linked her arms around the slender figure next to her; which obligingly moved closer to her. Something tickled the back of Hermione's mind, the person she usually slept next to, was not this slender. Hermione pushed it to the back of her mind though, as the warm body wrapped an arm around her shoulders. In a daze, Hermione also realized that she was in a different bed. Her bed was much harder than this, and her sheets were not this- well they were defiantly not high quality silk. The body she cuddled with, ran his finger's through her hair as she dozed.
"Hermione?" The body whispered. "You awake?"
"Meh." She grumbled, moving closer to the body. Hiding her face in his chest. "Maybe." She replied , sighing happily. The body chuckled and pulled Hermione closer, gently rolling her over onto her back.
"Hermione, wake up." The body whispered, teasingly. She felt lips touch her forehead, and she opened her eyes. Grey eyes stared back at her.
"Draco?" Hermione seemed to realize, finally, that she was in bed with Draco Malfoy. She gasped, and shot up only to make herself slightly dizzy. She looked down, wearing only an oversized shirt. It must have belonged to Draco. She looked over to Draco, her mind finally catching up with her as she recalled the events of the night before.
X
"Ron, the Healer owl'ed today." Hermione said as her husband entered the kitchen. She had been crying, and sat at the kitchen table. Wringing a towellete in her hands.
"And? You pregnant yet?" Ron asked, he had just had one of the worst days at work. Last thing he honestly wanted to hear was more bad news about how his wife couldn't get pregnant.
Hermione just looked down, as if she were trying to see her shoes through the solid wood table.
"Well? You just going to sit there, or tell me what the Healer said?" Ron snapped as he got himself a beer from the fridge.
"I'm- I'm infertile." Tears started to fall once more, and she choaked back a sob. Ron froze, and he looked back to Hermione then groaned and took a swig of his beer.
"Of course you are" he muttered, rubbing his forehead.
"Its not like I want to be, Ronald!" Hermione sobbed, covering her face. "I- I don't know why, it doesn't run in my family. I can't possibly imagine why-"
"Oh shut it, woman. Who cares why, the fact is, you are!" Ron glared at her. As if it were all her fault. He turned and chuged a good half of his beer. "There go all my plans of a family."
"You don't even care, do you?" Hermione looked up to her husband. He looked back, obviously confused. "About how I feel about this? I want a family more than you do! You at least still have some family left! My parents still don't even know I exist anymore!" Hermione screamed. "I am alone, Ronald! Other than you and you're family! First I have to do that to my parents, then- Then Harry dissapears, now this..."
"DO NOT MENTION HARRY!" Hermione froze, Ron had broken the bottle after slamming it so hard on the kitchen table. Hermione stood and quickly stumbled back. She realized then, that this was not her husbands first drink. She could now smell the alcohol and smoke that was on his clothes. She glared.
"I will all I want, Ron! He was my friend too!"
"STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM." Ron continued to yell.
"No! I'm not the one who gave up on him!" She snapped. "Or me, for that matter!" She grabbed the nearest thing, the Daily Prophet, and threw it hard at her husband. Ron smacked it away from his face.
"I did no such thing!"
"Yes you have, Ron! You barely ever even look at me, anymore! All you care about now is trying to knock me up. Nothing else! You don't care anymore!"
"Maybe because you decide to spend every weekend with that god-damn death eater! HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL!"
"HE IS NOT A DEATH EATER, RON!" Hermione screamed back. "AND HE IS BETTER THAN YOU! You come home drunk every night! He at least believes me about Harry!"
That sent Ron overboard. The fact that he knew about Draco, even if he wasn't actually doing anything with his wife, and Harry. "HARRY IS DEAD. DEAD HERMIONE. DEAD!" Ron, out of drunken rage whipped out his wand. It sent a tiny vase flying at Hermione. She blocked it, and shot another one back at Ron, it missed intentionally. She apperated before Ron could do anything else.
X
Draco smiled as he pet away some of Hermione's messy hair. "How are you feeling?" He asked as he felt her forehead and cheeks with the back of his hand. Hermione blushed and glanced down. Seeing Draco's forearm. The dark mark was still there, however when Voldemort died a searing slash appeared over all of the dark mark's. The curse and bind on them had lifted. Draco's was the same as most all of them. As if a white-hot bar had been placed against the skin where the dark mark was. It was raised slightly, like any other burn scar. Hermione reached up, touching it gently. Draco blinked, but silently he turned his arm so she could continue. "You're fever has gone down, though it's still there. The rain was pretty heavy last night." He continued; Hermione ran her finger's gently over his entire forearm. She looked up to Draco.
"I'm feeling a little better. I think some breakfast would help." Hermione said, lowering her hands. A small smile crossed her face; and Draco nodded. "Tippy!" He called. A house-elf popped into the room instantly.
"Ah, good morning Master Draco. Madame Granger." The female house elf bowed politely. "Breakfast, I assume?" She continued.
"Yes Tippy, for the two of us and about Hermione's clothes-"
"They have been washed, dried, ironed and folded already." Tippy interrupted, waving a hand to one of the winged back chairs in the corner. Hermione's clothing, indeed washed and folded, appeared neatly on the chair.
"Oh, Tippy. Where would I be without you?" Draco smiled warmly.
"Probably up to your nose in dirty clothes and dishes, and starving. I'm quite sure." Tippy bowed again, and dissapered.
"Tippy seems very- outspoken for a house-elf."
"She is actually a free house-elf. I freed the two that we had; and for a while I had none. But then Tippy showed up one day, and was in need of work after her last master cast her out." Draco said with a shrug. "I can't really get rid of her. Apparently she worked for the Black family at one point. She doesn't look it, but even for a house-elf she is quite old. So she is very much like a nanny, in a way." Hermione smiled a little. "Anyways, as much as I do love seeing you in my shirts alone, and I do mean love." Draco sighed dramatically. "You should probably get dressed."
X
(The night before)
'Draco!" Hermione ran up towards the Malfoy manor; she shook on the bar's of the massive gate. 'Draco!' Hermione was sobbing; and her knee's shook and finally buckled under her weight. No one answered for a few minutes, and the rain beat heavily against Hermione's back. She slowly sank to the ground, pressing her back to the gate. Hiding her face in her hands. Why did she even come here? She had a fight with Ron, sure. But why was the first place she thought of to go, to Draco's house? She hadn't even thought about it, she just left.
'Madam! Come inside, quickly come inside!' A squeaky voice came, and the gates open. Hermione nearly fell back as the gates opened. 'Quickly, quickly.' A house elf grabbed Hermione's arm, and led her down the long walk way and into the large manor. 'Madam? Oh Madam Weasley, it's you. Tippy didn't recognize you out in the dark.' The house elf said. Hermione just silently held the house elf's hand as she was led to the study. Tippy snapped her fingers and a fire started. 'Madam Weasley, you are soaked to the bone. Wait here, ill find you a towel.' Tippy sat the still silent Hermione down on a couch then left the room.
Hermione looked down to her hands, eyes shutting. 'What have I done?' She sighed, and shook her head.
'Hermione!' Draco's voice made the woman jump and she looked back. Draco was wearing nothing but black boxers when he jogged up to the couch. 'Hermione, oh dear what's wrong? Tippy woke me up.' Just then, Tippy appeared, and wrapped a few magically heated towels around Hermione. She took them and sighed heavily. 'Hermione, what happened? Oh, thank you Tippy. Get us some hot coffee, would you? And some chocolate for her.' Draco instructed, and Tippy left once more. Draco sat next to Hermione, and pet her wet hair back.
'Ron and I had another fight.' Hermione whispered. Draco frowned, he wrapped his arms around Hermione's shoulder's. Hermione laid her head on Draco's shoulder, eyes shutting. 'He was drunk again and he got so upset on the news i gave him.'
Draco arched an eyebrow. 'What news?' Draco instantly regretted it. The thought made Hermione choke on a small shriek, and started to sob again. 'Shh, it's okay Hermione. Take your time. You don't have to tell me.' He said, eyes closing and kissing the top of her head as he tried to calm her. 'Shh, it's okay. I got you.'
Hermione shook her head, and sat back up. 'No, i'm sorry. I shouldn't be here. I, i just had to get out of that house.' Hermione tried to stand, but strong hands grabbed her arms and pulled her back down.
'No, Hermione. It's okay.' He said, wrapping his arms around her waist. 'You have nothing to be sorry for.' Hermione sighed, and leaned back into Draco again. 'Just talk, it's okay.' Tippy arrived with a tray. She set it down, and with a snap of her fingers, a drying spell was cast on Hermione, which helped take the chill off her. 'We are good for now, Tippy. Try and find something dry for Hermione here. She might be staying a few nights.' Draco said quietly, as he pet Hermione's hair. Tippy nodded and left the two alone in the study.
X
"Hermione?" Draco leaned on the counter, watching Hermione as she buttered a slice of toast. She had changed into her jeans and her tank top. Hermione glanced up the blond who was lazily dragging his fork through his over-medium eggs. "Will you tell me what happened last night? Before you came here." Draco looked up at her through his eyelashes. Hermione shifted,a nd looked down to her toast.
"Ron and I, we have been trying to have a child for a while now. I, I've always wanted kids. So has Ron, he has always wanted to have another big family like how he grew up. We havnt been successful, but we didn't know why. Yesterday, my healer told me that I was infertile." Hermione grew quite for a minute, as she mulled everything over. She sighed, and piled some egg onto her toast and took a bite. Draco just continued to swirl egg yolk around on his plate in it's little corner. "And, on top of that, his job has been really hectic the last two years or so. He took up head of the department around the same time Harry vanished. So to deal with the pain, he buried himself in his work. It was fine at first, like all of us, we needed something to distract ourselves from the pain. To try and push the fact that we were never going to see Harry again." Hermione set the toast down, leaning back in the chair. Draco followed suite, reaching under the table and giving her knee a small squeeze.
"When the first anniversary of Harry's dissaperance came up, it finally sank in. We realized that we really wernt going to see Harry again. Just before the second year, Ron got the promotion. He dived head-first into it. But he wasn't ready. They gave him the position because they thought he could handle it, like his father had. But he couldn't. But they had no one else to take the job. And it just got bussier and bussier. I was so busy at the time too, I guess I didn't realize the toll it was taking on him. He was home less than I was when I first started as an intern. Which is an impressive amount, concidering I was only home on the weekends most of the time. He started going out to bar's immediately after work with his buddies. I didn't mind, I was just hoping it would take his mind off everything. Then his mother and family kept pestering us about children, when we had already been trying for a couple of years. Until then, it wasnt a big problem. Because we were always so busy, but then we became serious about it and they kept pushing us to have children." Hermione grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her eyes briefly. "Molly, oh it got so horrible. She kept bringing up my family, all the time. About how I should be trying to have kids, because I no longer had my parents, or anyone else. Just them. She knew how much it bothered me. How much I hated her bringing it up..." Hermione shook her head, realizing she was starting to ramble at that point.
"Anyways," she waved a hand. "This last year, Ron just started coming home drunk. Only once, maybe twice a week. I tried to let it slide. But when he is drunk, he just gets overly aggressive sometimes. He never hurt me," she glanced to Draco who had tensed up immediately. "But, it did scare me, a little. Then, as the year passed, one night became three, and three became six nights." She rubbed her forehead. "He came home drunk, every night. Including last night. I, I found out I was infertile. I didn't realize how angry he was already, before I told him.
We started to fight. Apparently he found out somehow that you were on this case and I had asked you to do it." Hermione put her face in her hands. "He started to accuse me of cheating on him, but he wouldn't listen to reason. I, I told him that something in me believed Harry was alive..." She lowered her hands again to her lap, tucking her fingers under her legs. "I've never seen him so angry before. He kept screaming at me, to stop saying Harry's name. To stop saying he was alive... He tossed a vase at me, and I flung it back. When he was distracted. I left. I had no idea where I had apparited too, i just went to the first place that came to mind. I realized I was a block away from the manor."
Hermione and Draco sat in silence for a moment. Hermione moved her hand so it was atop of Draco's, which still sat on her knee. Draco squeezed her hand gently, and she squeezed back. "I'm sorry Hermione. I had no idea." He slid out of his chair, and moved over closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close. Hermione slinked her arms around his waist, and hid her face in the crook between his neck and shoulder. "You can stay here as long as you need too, alright? I wont let him find you here, you're safe here." Draco kissed the top of her head.
"Thank you, Draco. You're amazing." Hermione breathed.
"Yeah, I know I am." Draco chuckled, "ow!" He pouted after Hermione smacked his bare back, slightly. But Hermione gave a slight smile anyways, and Draco leaned down. Kissing the top of her head once more.
X
Draco was giving Hermione the grand tour of the manor. The sun was out, after the massive thunderstorm the night before. Draco pouted, a good number of branches littered the garden. He would have to get Tippy to clean it up later. He looked ahead to Hermione, who was just a few paces ahead of him now. She looked around, admiring the beautiful manor and the garden. Draco watched as her brown hair, which was now significantly less curly, flowed in the breeze. Noticing how her ponytail bobbed as she walked with a slight bounce in her step. 'She must be used to wearing heels.' Draco mused to himself. He noticed how her cheeks were a rosie color compared to her cream colored skin, and how her brown eyes were the color of honey. Draco bit at his lower lip, eyes wandering down from her face down to her legs. More specifically, what was between her torso and her legs. Draco silently watched the sway in her walk, and how her hips moved.
Hermione clasped her hands behind her back, and looked over her shoulder to Draco. He smiled briefly, and she looked forward once more. The blond breathed deeply, and glanced up as they neared the garden gazebo. He quickened his pace, when he saw she was about to walk past it. Grabbing her waist. "Why don't we sit for a little bit?" He offered, guiding her into the gazebo. Hermione followed, brushing water off the benches, she sat and Draco took a seat next to her.
"It's so much different." She said looking to the house just next to them. "Then what I remember."
Draco nodded, "It is. But that's a good thing. Different is, good." He looked down to the smaller woman. She gazed at the manor, and he reached up, pushing her hair to the other side of her shoulder. Clearing a view of her neck. Hermione turned to look at Draco.
"Draco..." Hermione's breath hitched when she felt lips against her neck. The kiss was soft, and her eyes fluttered closed briefly. Her hands had instinctivly gone up and were level with his chest. He pulled away just enough so his lips were no longer touching. When he saw Hermione wasn't pushing him away, he kissed her neck again. Kissing just behind her ear.
"Hermione," Draco grabbed her hips. "You deserve so much more." He pulled away from her neck, and looked down at the brunette. Hermione had gone a few deep shades of pink, and she shyly looked away.
"I- I don't know what to say." Draco squeezed her reassuringly.
Draco kissed her temple. "Take your time. Like I said, you can stay here as long as you want."
X
"So what is the case that Snape has you working on?" Hermione asked, as they made their way into Draco's private office.
"Well, its a rather long story." Draco said, as he opened the door and walked inside. "You see, just before Christmas last year, a young woman appeared on his doorstep." Hermione gave a small gasp. "Her name is Holly, she is a sweet young woman. Our age. But, you see, she has no memory of anything before the day she woke up in a potions lab. She was left with just some journals of hers, that she doesnt remember writing of course, and one of them wont open." Hermione sat at the table, where the journals were all opened to various pages. "She arrived with a note" Draco tapped the note in question, and sat across from her. "It seems some variation of Illegibilus was used. I cannot reverse the spell, and her original name, and the name of everyone she mentioned has been either erased or changed. Apparently, the house she woke up in was completely empty. So she came to Severus, like the letter said. She was scared, and didn't know what to do." Draco explained the best he could, rubbing his scruffy cheek as Hermione started to look over the journals. "Most of them are very common things. Nothing very specific about them, that I can tell that can maybe tie her to a certain area or any person or event."
Hermione picked up the only journal not opened. She looked it over, the other journals were a good, inch and a half thick. While this, was an impressive three inches, with little tufts of paper sticking out slightly. It had a small bind around it, just enough to keep it closed. But when Hermione went to undo the leather throng around it, it didn't budge. "I'm assuming you have tried everything?" She asked.
"Myself and Severus. Hell, he tried blowing the damn thing up a few times. Whoever Holly was in her past, knew what they were doing. Ill give her that. She is a lot more powerful than she appears." Draco mused.
"I can imagine." She set it aside, and picked up another journal. She flipped through the pages, even the drawings had been put under the maximized Illegibilus charm. "Fascinating."
"Hermione, I know this is an odd question but..." Draco stopped briefly. "Would you help me with this? I mean, Severus and Holly are in no rush. I don't even really know if Holly truly wants to know. If I find out, ill certainly give her the option of whether she is told or not." Draco shrugged half-heartedly. "But I am dying to know." Hermione smiled and nodded.
"Of course. I wouldn't mind at all. I am actually curious to meet this woman." Hermione said, stacking the journals neatly to one side. Draco chuckled.
"I think that can be arranged." Draco accio'ed a piece of parchment and a quill. Hermione stood, smoothing out her shirt.
"Well, while you do that. If you don't mind, I should go get my clothes from home..." She shifted, calling that place home felt odd to her now. But she shook the feeling from her mind. Draco stopped writing and looked up.
"I'm going with, if you will wait just a moment." He said, a cool look in his eyes. Hermione shook her head, about to protest. "No, Hermione. I don't want you going there alone. Just in case." Hermione sighed and nodded.
"Well, alright."
x
Hermione and Draco watched as the barn owl flew off with Draco's invitation to dinner. The blond looked to the woman at his side, grabbing her hand. Hermione squeezed his gently, and they walked back to the study where the fireplace was. Flooing to Hermione's small, townhouse. The house was dark, and Hermione squeezed Draco's hand tightly. Draco squeezed back in reassurance. The place was a met. Ron had clearly gone into a fit of rage after Hermione had left. Hermione turned on the lights inside. Sighing as she saw the scope of the mess. She turned to look at the fireplace mantle, where a few pictures were cracked. She picked one up, and watched the figures move inside the frame. It was one picture of Ron, Herself, and Harry. About two years after the final battle. They were smiling. They were happy. Hermione carefully took the photo from the broken frame, and pressed it to her chest as she did the same thing to the other pictures.
Draco came up behind her, grabbing her arms gently. "It will be alright." He said, kissing her cheek. Hermione nodded, inhaling deeply as she turned to go to her bedroom.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE!" A furious, and still somewhat drunk Ron burst inside the front door. Hermione let out a short shriek from surprise. Draco spun around on his heel, arm outstretched to keep Hermione away from the red-head. Ron's face was as red as his hair, as well as his bloodshot eyes. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU DAMN DEATH EATER! GET AWAY FROM MY WIFE!" Ron lifted his wand, ready to hit Draco. Draco was somewhat surprised the drunk man could move so fast. But he still had far quicker reflexes.
"Immobulus!" Draco shouted before Ron shot off a simple stinging hex. Ron stood there, frozen in place. Hermione looked between her husband and Draco. Draco was colder than she had ever seen him, but he was holding his wand so tight his knuckles were turning white. Hermione touched his back. Draco seemed to relax under her touch, but briefly. He quickly disarmed Ron, and cast a quick sleeping charm on the still frozen and still very red Ron. Ron fell over, passed out. "Hermione, get everything you own. You are not coming back here. So get everything." Draco said, trying to keep his voice calm.
Hermione nodded slowly. "O- okay."
"Do you want me to call the police, and get a restraining spell on him?" Draco asked, glancing over. "I highly doubt they would mind doing it in a hurry, for someone like you." Hermione paused, thinking it over. She slowly nodded.
"Yes... Yes..." She gulped. She quickly turned and ran into her bedroom. Putting an extension charm on her luggage, she cast a packing charm on her things. She watched as her entire life quickly, but neatly, flew and packed itself away in her bags. Tears started forming as she watched her photo albums go in. After that her clothing, her makeup, and then her few little nick-nacks. She could hear Draco flooing the ministry police in the main room. When the spell was finally done, she walked through all the rooms to make sure she forgot nothing. She picked up the bag, and walked into her living room. Two men in suits and black robes with the ministry seal sewn into them stood next to Draco. They looked up to see Hermione, and they both did a respectful bow to Hermione.
"Madam. We are pleased to be of service. Don't worry, we wont let this spread. We will cast a restraining charm on him and take him to the ministry." The taller one said. Hermione nodded slowly.
"Contact my lawyer, as well please. Tell her that she can reach me at the Malfoy residence." The two men nodded, and turned back to the passed out Ron. The shorter man levitated him off the ground. The taller flooed away to the Ministry, and the shorter squeezed inside with the large, bulky figure of Ron next. Draco quickly moved to Hermione.
Hermione opened her mouth to speak. But Draco beat her. "I'm sorry." He squeezed her forearm gently. "I- I'm sorry you had to see me like that. I hope i didn't frighten you. I just didn't want him to hurt you." Hermione felt his hands tremble slightly, and saw a tear fall to the floor. She was still crying. Hermione shook her head vigirously.
"No, no, it's fine. Thank you. I was just- It happened so fast. I'm sorry I froze like that." She gulped down as much air as she could. Her chest hurt from the amount of crying she had done in the last twenty-four hours. Draco nodded, and he quickly hugged Hermione.
"It will be alright, Hermione." He said, soothingly petting her hair. "You got your things?" He asked, pulling away. Hermione nodded and lifted the bag slightly. "Good, let's get you out of here."
x
By the time they had arrived and Tippy was set to putting Hermione's things away, Hermione was contacted by her lawyer. Draco sat at the opposite end of the study, as the two women talked things over. Draco was a little surprised when only thirty minutes later the lawyer, a Mrs. Bogart, was saying goodbye and leaving a business card on Draco's table. Hermione walked to where Draco was perched on the couch. "I'm filing for divorce." Hermione said simply, sitting next to Draco. He unfolded his legs, and he pulled the woman between them so she could lay back. She laid back, looking up to the blond. Draco gave a slow nod, and with his thumb, stroked her cheek.
"You going to be alright?" Draco tilted his head.
"I've faced worse." She said with a slight smile.
"Ah, yes, you are after all a lawyer." He chuckled, and she playfully batted at his leg. "What? It was a complement!" He pouted, sticking his tounge out. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Uh-huh. Sure." She rolled over so she was on her side, laying her head in his lap.
x
x
Severus looked up from the short letter in his hand as Holly entered the room. "Holly, would you care to go see Draco again? He invited the two of us for dinner tonight. As well, you will get to meet Mrs. Granger." He said looking back down as he grabbed a sheet of parchment, ready to scribble down a reply.
"Oh, id love too. Though, it wont be another grand party of his, will it?" Holly laughed and sat next to the potions master. He shook his head.
"Just the four of us." He said as he wrote out a quick reply and gave it to the owl that Holly had started to pet and feed pieces of toast too. "Honestly, you and animals." Severus rolled his eyes. Holly had a thing for animals, magical or not. She loved to feed stray cats or dogs in the neighborhood if they were ever close by and she was always gazing into the pet and companion stores of Diagon Alley. Severus watched as Holly just smiled and gave the owl one last little pet and watched it fly out the open window.
She stood and walked over to the window, looking outside. It was summer now, and everything was still in bloom. Holly breathed deeply. "I love the summer time here, it's beautiful, in it's own little way." Severus shook his head, how she thought Spinner's End looked even decently good at any time of year was an amazement. But he attributed it to the fact it seemed like Holly had simply learned that she had to make the best of everything, early on. Severus stood and he walked over to Holly, and placing his hands on her shoulders. She leaned back into him, smiling warmly. "I know, you must think I'm crazy." Holly said, turning in place to face Severus. He grinned.
"I do, but that's alright. You probably wouldn't still be here if you weren't." He said honestly, ruffling her hair affectionately.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to read this fanfic. Please review if you have even just to share a few words of encouragement or advice. Thank you.