Chapter 3- Visits
*****Draco*****
"Malfoy!" Potter shouted.
Really, Draco was lucky to have made as many visits to the Ministry as he had without seeing Potter.
"What?" Draco asked.
"Why is Hermione staying at your house?" he demanded.
"How could you possibly know that?" he asked.
"I-" Potter did look abashed, "heard it at St. Mungo's," he said.
"You mean you used your fame to get you the information that Hermione obviously didn't want you knowing, or she would have told you herself," Draco replied coolly.
"It doesn't matter how I know. She hasn't responded to any of my letters. We just want to see her and Rose, and make sure she's okay. Ginny and I really care about her. We don't have to involve Ron, though he's worried about her too now. All of the Weasley family just want to know that they are okay," Potter said.
Potter had been writing to her, she had mentioned letters when she was last upset. But she hadn't replied. They had to bloody well stop!
"You need to stop writing her. Give her space," Draco muttered, walking quickly to somewhere where they might have privacy. Potter was too attention-grabbing of a figure, and Draco Malfoy wasn't a nobody.
"Who are you to say that to me? Why is she at your house? At you family manor, I mean. You know, the one that Hermione was tortured at," Potter said and… he had somewhat of a point.
"I know that very well," Draco hissed. "And I offered to go anywhere else with her, to buy a bloody house, but she wouldn't hear of it."
"Why is she there? Can I- just see her and Rose? I just want to see that they are okay."
"She isn't. And she never will be if you keep writing her bloody letters about Rose," Draco said, throat tight. Would it be better for Hermione if Draco told? Or would she hate him for it?
"What? Why?"
"She's at my house because I was there, I happened to be there, holding her hand, when she lost Rose," Draco said.
Potter looked like he'd been kicked off his broom, and Draco understood the feeling.
"I didn't know," Potter said stupidly, but Draco let it pass. Of course Potter didn't know.
"Well, it wasn't my place to tell you, but she's not going to have any time to heal if you and a troupe of Weasleys keep assaulting her with owls."
"And you're helping her heal?" Potter asked. Draco didn't know if that was skeptical or hopeful.
"I'm doing the best I can," Draco answered.
"Then thank you," Potter said. "I'll- tell the rest of the family?" he said, actually asking for what- advice, permission?
"I don't think you should, but do I look like a trauma expert? But those letters need to stop," Draco said.
"How- were you there when she was at Saint Mungo's?" Potter asked.
"My son was born that day," Draco answered. Potter could find out anyway with enough digging.
"What's that like, having a son?" Potter asked. What were they doing now, discussing family building?
"Easier with Hermione around," Draco answered.
"And your wife is… appreciative of the help?" Potter asked. His ear wasn't really to the pulse of the society. He only found out about Hermione because he cared enough to work for it.
"Astoria had her papers filed and belongings moved out of the manor when Scorpius was still struggling to breathe on his own," Draco said for some reason.
"I'm sorry," Potter said.
"I'm not. Not for that," Draco said, wondering how I could tell Hermione what he'd told Potter. "Just don't tell anyone but your wife until you hear something else, and the same goes for her, but make the letters stop," Draco said, walking away, wondering if Potter could and would make that happen.
*****Draco*****
Draco came through the floo to see his mother sitting on the uncomfortable sofa, holding his son.
"Mother," he greeted.
He hadn't told his parents that their grandson was born.
Why was that?
It hadn't really been an active decision, he just… hadn't. Hermione wasn't in sight.
"He's beautiful," she said. That was easy enough to handle.
"He is," Draco answered. Where was Hermione? His mother might have inadvertently brought up highly unpleasant memories.
"You were out," she said.
"I was," he answered. He didn't really want to explain.
"I was greeted by a topless witch carrying around my grandson in a sack around her neck," Narcissa Malfoy said. Oof.
"The sling is perfectly secure, and you knew that I would be getting a wet nurse when Astoria left. Nothing changed with Astoria," he said. Only with him, them.
"I did not expect this wet nurse to be Hermione Granger formerly Granger-Weasley," she hissed. Because it would be too much to hope that his mother hadn't recognized Hermione. "And you intend to what, raise up both children together without even telling your mother?" she whispered.
"Mother, you didn't ask Hermione any of this, did you?" Draco hissed.
"Of course not! I was perfectly cordial despite the circumstances. The girl was mortified when I arrived. Though she was clearly expecting you without embarrassment," she added. "She disappeared upstairs with barely a word.
"Her- Rose was a stillborn," Draco said.
His mother became somber instantly, and looked up the stairs, worriedly. "Some people blame our… practice of intermarrying, but I suppose it can happen to anyone," she said. "I am thankful that Scorpius is healthy," she said. She must have learned her grandson's name from Hermione too. Draco had been a pretty poor son himself. He just… hadn't wanted to think about his family and all that came with it. "You're lucky, Draco," she said.
"Yeah, I know," he answered, holding Scorpius's tiny hand. The little boy would grip Draco's finger back sometimes, or at least seem to.
"We lost three, your father and I. None as late as Ms. Granger, but… it hurts," she said.
"I- didn't know," Draco said, stupidly saying the same words Potter had said when hearing about Rose. But what else was there to say.
"The worst was the first, before we had you. I was six months along, and we were going to name her Iris. Plants and stars, terribly unoriginal," she said, wiping her eyes.
"And after me?" he asked. He couldn't remember ever knowing his mother was pregnant.
"They were much earlier, before we started telling people. And then we stopped trying because it hurt too much. And we already had you. I would never want you to think that you weren't enough for me, my son," she said.
"What should I- be doing for Hermione?" Draco asked. His mother had said "We" lost three, not "I." Because at least she hadn't been alone. Usually Draco's father was a good husband and father, even when he wasn't a good person.
"Miss Granger was smiling before she saw it was me. I think you're doing well," his mother answered. "Where's her mother?" she asked. Draco had wondered, of course, why Hermione wasn't staying with her family but… it seemed uncomfortable and ungrateful to ask.
"I don't know," he said.
"Well, let me know if I am needed. And please tell me in advance if there is another wedding to plan," she said, startling Draco more than anything else.
"It's- not like that," Draco sputtered, as his mother handed him his son.
"I know what I saw. The girl didn't act like a hired wet nurse."
"I know. Thank you for visiting, mother," he said, hoping she wouldn't want to stay.
"I love you, Draco," she said, but she was looking towards the stairs, and that's where Draco's thoughts were too.
"Give my love to Father," Draco said. And as strange as their relationship had been in recent times, he meant it.
"Next time, I'll send an owl first," were her parting words.
After his mother left, Draco climbed the steps slowly. Scorpius was more alert now, but quiet, sucking on his tiny hand. Did that mean he was hungry?
"Hey," Draco said, to the open door, peeking in. Hermione was wearing- quite a lot, pajamas and a tightly wrapped dressing gown, and she was probably sweating from it. Her stomach wasn't very round anymore, only a bit.
"I'm sorry!" she apologized. "I was dressed completely inappropriately, and it won't happen again."
"No!" because he was a pervert and a terrible person. "Don't change on her account. She said she would send an owl first the next time she plans to visit, and that is right. She doesn't live here anymore," Draco said.
"She's gone?" Hermione asked. "That's all my fault. You should get to see your mother, really, and she needs to get to know Scorpius."
"It's fine, really. I'm sure she wanted to go home to Father. And we shouldn't change Scorpius's patterns, really," he said, which was another pathetic request for her to shed the awful, thick dressing gown.
"Is he hungry?" she asked.
"I think so," Draco said, as she was untying the belt at her waist. And under that, a jumper with a zipper.
She didn't take the shirt all the way off as she settled Scorpius, but it was fanned out so that he could see everything anyway. Scorpius settled happily against her, cheek on her breast, but he didn't latch, might have even already fallen asleep.
"I guess he's… not hungry," she said. She was blushing, was that good or bad?
"He looks, very comfortable," Draco said.
"Thank you- for everything, Draco. I'd be a wreck without you right now," she said, looking at him, biting her lip when she was done talking.
"Can I- ask something?" Draco asked.
"Okay," Hermione said seriously.
"Are your parents- okay?" he said, not sure how to word it.
"I hope so-" Hermione started to spill everything out. Draco could prove that he could be a good listener.
*****Draco*****
"Draco!" Potter called. He was Draco now? Potter was trying to buddy up with him, and wasn't even discrete about it. "I got Hermione's letter," he said.
"When my owl came home, I assumed that was the case," Draco answered. They'd had… a few serious conversations since his mother's visit… including the revelation that he should have had siblings, and that Draco had told Potter about Rose.
"Thank you. She seems to be doing better than I would expect," Harry said. Potter said.
"Some days she is," Draco said. And as much as Draco didn't want to be best friends with Potter, he also wanted Hermione to still be. It was bad enough that she'd lost Weasley. She hadn't really talked about that.
"What are you doing here all the time?" Potter asked.
"Working on a project," Malfoy said evasively. Though it would be something wise to get Potter's support for. He would be a good face for it, sure to give it success. But he didn't need Potter's help. Usually Draco was working on the adoption program, but on that particular day, he had both been checking in with international contacts in Austrailia. He didn't want to do it from home, because he couldn't raise Hermione's hopes that much.
A/N: Thank you! Also, I just put up a one-shot up, called Beast that is also a Draco/Hermione story. I hope you will check that out.