A/N: This is a rather short chapter, as was the previous one, but I'm trying to get Draco back into the story, without piling on too much.
Chapter 10: Illusions Shattered
It happened a few days later, just as Hermione was off to bed. It had been raining all evening, the thunder and lightning sending the kids to bed early. She had changed into her rainbow strappy nightgown and had been on her way to check on Seraphina when she heard the pounding on the door. She motioned for Seraphina to stay quiet as the girl's eyes grew wide. Grabbing her wand, she quietly walked down the stairs and cast a silencing charm on the kids' doors as she passed by. The pounding continued and Hermione hesitantly walked towards the doorway. She heard the soft pitter-pat of feet and Hermione turned in time to see Seraphina behind her. "Get back, sweetheart. Everything's fine."
Seraphina remained still, frozen as the pounding on the door got louder. Hermione could see the moisture forming in her eyes and she struggled to tamper down on her fear. She really didn't need another incident that would shut Seraphina down again. She moved towards the door again, intending to put up another ward, but barely managed a shield just before the door was broken in.
A hulking figure stood in the doorway, his torso naked and his pants ripped. He was breathing hard, as if he'd ran for quite a while. Rain poured off his shoulders and created a puddle underneath his feet. He moved to take a step inside PHOC just as Hermione pointed her wand at his throat. He glanced at her then and Hermione nearly tripped over her gown in shock.
"Don't fuck with me, Granger. I'm tired and hungry and bleeding and I just want my baby girl back." He made to enter PHOC but Hermione blocked the entrance, arms outstretched, a rainbow barrier.
"You cannot just come in here...— You broke my door! And probably scared the kiddos. And," she paused as she saw his eyes scanning the foyer, "who are you looking for? It's late and—"
Draco glanced at her and struggled to control his irritation. "For fuck's sake, Granger. Lose a few brain cells since Hogwarts? It was in the pendant. Now, move, so I can find my—"
Hermione cut him off as his voice got louder. "What are you talking—" Hermione's question was cut off as a brown blur raced past her and into Draco's leg.
"DA! DA! You came back—" Seraphina's crying was muffled as Draco lifted her into his arms, one large hand cradling her head, the other around her back.
"Of course I did, baby girl. I promised, didn't I?" Draco murmured into her hair, visibly tightening his arms around Seraphina's quivering form. His heart was beating wildly in his chest and he could feel Seraphina's tears drying on his bare skin. He ran a hand over her hair and shifted her so he could see her face. "Etes-vous bien, mon bébé?" He'd taught Fi this one question and the three different ways to answer in an emergency. The only answer he wanted was the safe one.
Fi nodded and whispered a quiet, "Oui, Da."
Hermione watched on, half in shock, until realization hit. "Oh my. DM. Draco Malfoy. Da." She shook her head in amazement and laughed softly. "Well come in then, Da. Welcome to PHOC."She quickly repaired the door behind Draco and threw him a soft smile as he remained standing in the doorway. "We don't bite, Draco. You need healing and some food. Then we can talk about Seraphina."
Draco shook his head and was about to reply when Seraphina resurfaced from Draco's shoulder. "My name is Fi, Ms. H. Can you fix Da's shoulder? He got bloody again."
Hermione choked out a sob, ridiculously pleased to hear Seraphina's voice. "Of course I can, Fi. As long as he stays the night."
Fi nodded and tugged on Draco's hair. He sighed and followed behind Hermione as she led them into the kitchen. She motioned to the chairs and Draco gratefully took a seat, wincing as Fi settled her knees against his ribs.
He didn't hide his wince well enough as Fi gasped in shock. "Da! You have a rainbow on your ribs." She pressed her tiny hands to his ribs and furrowed her brows. Draco watched her, his heart filling at just finally seeing his baby girl again. "It works when Ms. H does it. She does it best, Da." Fi said matter-of-factly.
Draco smiled and kissed her cheek, nodding at her statement. "I missed you, brat."
Fi smiled and planted a loud kiss on his stubbly cheek. "I missed you mostest, Da." She paused and sniffed him. "But you need a bath."
Draco chuckled and nuzzled his head into Fi. "You're such a brat, Miss Fi."
Fi giggled and Draco hardly heard it over the clatter Granger was making. "Granger? You don't need to do anymore, you've done enough. Fi and I can—" He stopped as Granger turned around and he internally groaned at the tears streaking her cheek. "Well, fuck. I didn't mean for you to—"
Fi smacked his head for cursing and Draco groaned. "Shit. Sorry, baby girl. Da's been out of practice." He turned towards Hermione once more but she cut him off before he could speak.
"This is the first time I've heard Seraphina speak more than a few words. She's been mute for nearly a year and I never knew if—" She paused, visibly gathering herself, and turning towards the hot stove. "Never mind that now. How do you like your eggs, Draco?"
Draco stared at her, mouth nearly agape. "Fi didn't talk? She bloody well never shuts up." He tugged on Fi's curls and gave her a stern look.
"You was gone forever, Da! And the bad man hit you and made you bloody and you promised he wouldn't. And then you yelled at me to go with the dragon. And I didn't see you again!" Fi cried, "And, and I came here with Ms. H. And you didn't come back!" She collapsed against his chest and Draco sushed her softly. He glanced at Granger and saw her shoulders shaking as she cooked his meal.
Fucking hell. Two crying females.
He rubbed a hand over his face and shifted Fi so she was looking at him. He wiped her cheeks with her thumbs and lightly cuffed her chin. "What's this now? Quit the waterworks, brat. I'm here now and I'm not leaving again, baby girl. We'll be out of here soon and back home."
Fi hiccupped and nodded. "Fi loves Da." She murmured.
Draco smiled and swallowed thickly. "And I you, baby girl. Now, what do we do with Granger?"
Fi furrowed her brows. "Ms. H? Oh!" She scrambled off Draco's lap, unmindful of his groan and shuffled towards Granger. "Ms. H?", she asked, tugging on Granger's long gown, "Da likes his eggs runny. And toast. Lots of it. He's a big boy."
Hermione sniffled and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. She bent down at Fi's level and smiled softly. "You've a wonderous voice, darling. Why don't you help me make your Da's food?"
Fi nodded and Hermione reached for her, setting her on her hip. Draco watched as they worked together, Granger quietly telling Fi how to hold the spatula and mix the herbs into the potatoes. He could see Granger barely holding it together and he wondered at her strength.
She was running an orphanage and taking on his baby girl, who, undoubtedly, had been a pain for the past few months. She invited him in, no mention of his past or his current exile and was now cooking him a meal. And apparently, as he glanced up, healing him.
"I'm a certified healer, Draco. Just tell me where it hurts." She stood in front of him, all traces of tears gone, now looking serene. He looked over her shoulder and saw Fi sitting happily on the counter, tongue sticking out of her mouth, as she mixed the potatoes.
Fi looked up and caught his eye and nodded. "Yea, Da. Ms. H makes the hurts better. She even kisses them better."
Draco quirked a brow and nodded stiffly at Granger. He still wasn't comfortable with wands being pointed at him, regardless of who it was. "Everything that isn't pale hurts." He said sardonically.
Hermione nodded, resting on her knees and swallowing as she took in his torso. She hadn't gotten a good look at him earlier, but what she could see now made her stomach flutter at the sight. He was a big man, was all she could think. Hard muscles and an intricate tattoo that stretched across his left pec, along with bloody wounds smattered across his entire torso. Her breath caught at a deep gash that had been poorly healed under his rib cage.
"Oh, what happened to you, darling?" She sucked in a breath at the yellow swelling around one of the cuts, signs of an infection. She cleaned it as well as she could and moved onto the other wounds, murmuring the spells under her breath. She rose and muttered a quick scourgify to clean his hair. She met his gaze and motioned towards the infected cut under his ribs. "That needs ointment that will have to be reapplied every eight hours. I've some in stock and I'll get you a change of clothes. Mind Seraphina for a second so the potatoes don't burn."
Draco nodded, mildly in shock, and watched her go, hips swaying in her nearly sheer gown. Blood hell. He turned back to Fi, finding her still mixing the potatoes. "I think the potatoes are done, Fi. Hop on down and bring your Da some food."
Fi nodded seriously and began piling one potato by one onto the empty plate Granger had laid out. He waited patiently as she placed in half the potatoes, until she became impatient and grabbed the remaining handful and dumped it into the plate. Draco stifled a laugh and rose to help her transfer the eggs.
"Grab the toast, I've got the eggs." Fi nodded and Draco slid the eggs into pan, just as Fi returned with a a huge pile of toast. "I really don't eat that much, baby girl."
Fi deposited the toast into the plate and stuck her hands on her hips. "You're a big boy, Da. Big means more food. Go eat." Fi ordered.
Draco bent to kiss her head, wincing at the pain. "Yes, Miss Fi." He began eating, savoring the taste of real food after months. He made room for Fi as she scrambled into his lap and slid her a piece of toast to keep her occupied. They sat in silence until Granger cleared her throat.
"I've got that ointment and some clothes for you, Draco. I also cleared part of Seraphina's bedroom for you."
Draco nodded and pushed away the last of his meal, patting Fi's bottom to get her to move. He motioned towards the dishes and Fi grumbled, but nodded, taking them towards the sink before returning to the table.
He stilled as Granger's cool hands spread the ointment under his ribs, barely managing to hold in the groan at the sting. "Fuck, woman. A little warning, yea?" He muttered gruffly.
Granger didn't reply, so focused on her task. Her hands felt wonderful across his skin, a world of change compared to the rough stitching of the neo-death eaters that had taken him. He froze as Granger lightly kissed his cut and taped a piece of gauze to it. She switched to his face then, as if it were perfectly natural to be in such close proximity to him, and began to rub the ointment on the lone gash under his jaw. She met his eyes and placed a chaste kiss there as well, before moving away and offering a hand out to Fi. "Come, Seraphina. Let's show your Da where you sleep."
Fi nodded and grabbed Granger's hand, trusting for Draco to follow. He trailed along behind them, recalling the little details from the research he'd done on PHOC before sending Fi here. But, he hadn't done a thorough job of researching Granger it seemed. She was monumentally different, it was almost comical. The bushy hair remained, but she wore it well and long, nearly to her waist. The glasses she wore gave her the sexy librarian look and Draco's cock was nearly half hard from simply being in contact with a female after years. The gown she was wearing hardly hid anything, with her ample breasts hanging freely under the flimsy material. He turned his attention back to her hips as she led Fi up the stairs. She was bloody tiny, Granger was. And it made it much harder to think that he owed her everything.
They stopped outside a colorful room, decorated with bright colors and pictures that Fi had clearly drawn. Fi went ahead and began babbling about all her drawings.
"Look, Da! It's the pond. And here's Ms. Molly. And here's Ms. H and me! I draw good, Da. I've been practicing a lot. Cleo helps me too. And look, I drew me and you! And the other man—" Fi continued on but Draco zoned her out for a second and glanced at Granger who'd remained by his side when Fi skipped ahead.
"Granger, I owe you a debt. Thank you for caring for Fi. I didn't know what would-"
Granger stopped him with a waved hand. "There is no debt here, Draco. When Seraphina first came here, nearly broke my heart with all her crying out for you." She paused and smiled towards Fi. "See that green, ratty sweater on her bed? Never takes that thing off, unless it's in the wash. She's devoted to you Draco, as you are to her." She left him at the door and walked towards Fi. "Into bed, Seraphina. You and your Da need rest." She shuffled the little girl into bed and pressed a kiss to her brow.
Draco watched on, a stranger to Fi's interaction with another woman. She was quieter here, Draco realized. Affected by what had had happened to him. Guilt surged within him but he pushed it away when Granger returned to stand in front of him.
"Come. The bathroom is in the hallway and then you can sleep." He followed her out the room and stood awkwardly in front of the door, trying to verbalize his thoughts.
"Look, Granger—"
She cut him off and rested a small hand on his stubbly cheek. "You've just been reunited with your daughter. Change, rest, and be with her. We can talk in the morning."
And with that, she left him standing in the hallway, chest cold and cheek warm.