Draco Malfoy was not a morning person. That's why when he got up before 6am he surprised even himself. For almost all of his life he slept in for as long as possible, rarely did he find himself up early. Listening, he couldn't hear any sounds to indicate anyone else was awake. Drawing out his shower for as long as he could, he was still the only one awake. He flicked through the previous day's paper, looking over the articles but not absorbing anything that he read.
A quiet thumping sound suggested someone was walking down the stairs. He turned in time to see a head of chocolatey curls dance past the doorway. The footsteps paused and came back, with Rose smiling gently from the doorway. She padded into the kitchen in a cute emerald green dress with matching ballet flats looking very awake. Draco, even on his third cup of coffee didn't feel as awake as Rose did.
"Morning, Draco!" She chirped loudly. He returned her smile as she climbed onto his knee to hug him.
"Good morning, Rose. Did you sleep well?" She nodded as she looked toward the door, smiling as Scorpius walked in the room. Draco pulled his son up as well, so he held both on his knee. He was amazed at how well they got along.
When Rose began to cry at the dinner table the just after Draco had taken her brother, her mother and herself to his home, Draco wasn't sure what to do. He could tell the girl was scared but she was still wary of him and kept to herself. He was about to say something when he noticed his son slide off his chair and head over to the crying girl.
Scorpius offered her his hand and when she took it, he gently pulled her off her chair and led her out of the room. He put his arm protectively around the girl he would come to consider his younger sister, waiting until she stopped crying. She told him about her father, and what he had done to her mother. In turn, Scorpius told her about his own mother leaving and his father. Scorpius insisted her mother would be okay, and that his Daddy would take care of her, and after a while Rose began to believe her newest brother.
Later that night when Draco went to check on Hermione, he was stunned to have Rose hug his leg tightly and ask him to help make her mother better. Upon his promise, Rose smiled at him fully and opened up to him for the first time since they had met.
Draco stood up, a kid on each arm. He placed them on the kitchen island counter.
"What do you think, should we make some breakfast?" He asked the two giggling kids. Scorpius nodded his head vigorously while Rose just looked at him sceptically.
"Can you even cook breakfast? Should we call one of the elves instead?" Draco mocked hurt at her words.
"Of course I can cook. If we cook well, we might not burn the kitchen down." The two blondes laughed while Rose just shook her head.
"Are pancakes all right?" He asked, knowing that neither kid would mind.
He found little aprons and put one on each child. He then tried to resist the kids' effort to get him to wear an apron. For a few minutes he was winning, but when both of the kids turned to him with puppy eyes he sighed and put on the stupid apron. It was a good thing he did though, as the three of them managed to get pancake batter everywhere.
Hermione woke up as the sun began to rise. Her head felt a little fuzzy, but she had managed to get a decent night's sleep after she took the potion. She showered and dressed in peace, before the memory of the previous night came back to her, or, part of it.
"You are mine. You always will be. You will never get away from me..." His voice ran through her head. Absently she rubbed at her throat, relieved to find there was no visible marks there, just a linger pain as a reminder from her nightmare.
She wandered down the hall, trying to work out where to go. She peeked into all the rooms, noting the first few rooms she came to consisted of two bathrooms and two bedrooms, all elegantly furnished, one set in silver and blue, the other in silver and pink. Both bedrooms were void of life, making Hermione assume she was the last one to wake up. She ignored the last room before the stairs, unaware her son was still asleep within.
A few noises came from the direction of the kitchen, and Hermione felt herself drawn towards the sound. She stood at the doorway, taking in the surprising scene. Draco stood with a frying pan in one hand, neatly flipping a pancake. A little distance away a blonde haired child was talking quietly and giggling with a bronze haired girl. Both of them looked up when Hermione entered the room, their faces, and clothes, streaked with flour and various lumps of pancake batter. She smiled at the sight of the kids, and couldn't help but laugh when Draco turned around, coated in more flour and batter than both kids combined.
Her laughter was contagious, and both Draco and Rose were relieved to see her in high spirits. But Draco noticed the way she rubbed her hand across her throat, as if it was sore or if she was remembering something from the previous night. But within moments, the hand dropped from her throat, and the pained look that had come across in her eyes had vanished. For a brief second Draco was left wondering if he was imagining things.
With a wave of his wand Draco cleaned up the kids and himself, sending the two kids upstairs to wake the third. He finished up the cooking as Hermione set the table. They worked in silence; Hermione because she didn't know where they stood after the fight, Draco because he wasn't sure if she remembered anything from the middle of the night.
The silence broke as three chattering children dashed down the stairs, following the smell of the food. Both adults sighed in relief, glad the awkward silence had ended.
They managed to act normal so the kids didn't notice any awkwardness. But Rose noticed. She could tell something was wrong, her mother's smile wasn't as big and bright as it used to be, her hugs not as warm as they once were. For a moment the smart little girl though her mother could still be suffering from the attack, but Rose remembered her mother's cries in the middle of the night.
Draco too noticed she was acting like nothing was wrong. He watched her talking with the kids as they ate breakfast. He could see her smiles and the tone of her voice were fake, and he observed her rubbing her wrist absently a dozen times, and her throat occasionally. He managed to get the kids to go outside for a bit of fresh air so that he could talk to Hermione. Rose was still reluctant to leave, but after shooting Draco a stern glance she willing followed her brother outside.
Draco cleared the table easily with his wand, and then silently indicated to Hermione to follow him into the living room. Just like her daughter, she was a little hesitant, but she followed. He sat on the chair opposite, watching Hermione as she took her seat on the sofa as she had the day before.
"Are you okay?" He asked gently.
Hermione raised her head to look at him. "I'm fine." She looked away as she spoke, the nightmare still in the front of her mind, running over and over.
"You aren't a very good liar." He had noticed how she wouldn't look him in the eye.
"I'm fine. Could you just leave it at that?" She snapped. He pulled back, stung by her tone. He wondered silently if she ever thought before speaking.
"I can't promise that."
Hermione ignored his comment. She brushed her hands over the tight jeans she had picked out. She paired them with a pretty three quarter sleeved silky purple top. She had to admit that he had good taste, but she wanted her own clothes.
"Can I go home and get my stuff. Like, my own clothes?" She asked gently, brushing her finger over the scar.
Draco couldn't resist but give her a cheeky grin. He knew she would ask for her own stuff, but he liked what he had picked out. He scanned over her outfit, liking the way it emphasised her curves, but was still appropriate for a young woman, and a mother.
He had taken a look at her clothes after he had bought her home and instantly decided to replace them. He knew she was beautiful, and that Ron had made her cover herself up to keep her to himself. But Draco decided to change that, her beauty should be seen, not squashed down and kept beneath covers.
"You look better in those clothes, you look..." He trailed off, muttering 'beautiful' under his breath.
She heard his voice trail off, and a few seconds later he muttered something quietly. Beautiful. She heard what he said, only just. But that one word was enough to put a smile on her face, a real smile for the first time that day.
Her smile alerted him to the fact his voice wasn't near as quiet as he thought. And that it worked, her pretty smile was back.
"That is the first real smile you have given all day." He commented easily and lightly. She smiled and laughed lightly, he joined in quickly, finding her laughter very contagious. But she went silent and he stopped laughing instantly. Her hand rubbed at her wrist again.
Draco noticed the movement and moved from his seat, sitting down next to her. He took her hands in his, stopping her movements. She looked up at him in surprise, her chocolate eyes staring into his dove grey ones briefly before she had to look away, for her eyes glistened over with tears.
The second Hermione felt his hands cover his she looked up in surprise. But staring into his eyes, finding the warmth and concern within, and she couldn't hold back the tears. Looking away, she forced herself to focus on something else. Her eyes found their hands, and she noticed how warm he was. Of course he is warm, what did you expect. Her mind chided her. She inwardly sighed, and then decided it would be okay to tell him what was bothering her.
"I...had a dream...or, nightmare..." She began, her voice soft. He stayed silent, letting her tell him the nightmare.
"Yes you are. You always be. You will never get away from me. Never..." As she finished her voice trembled. He released her hands, when she released the grip she had on his hands. He instinctively reached out and pulled her close, his arm around her shoulders. She in return leant into his chest instinctively. Before she realised something and pulled away.
"You did this last night." She was stunned she didn't remember it earlier. A flame red blush came over her cheeks as she remembered leaning into his chest. She shook her head gently, allowing her loose curls to form a chocolatey barrier between them. But even then she was still painfully aware of how close he was.
Draco noticed her pulling away slowly. He was surprised she remembered waking up, but his surprise was overcome by his worry about her. The close human contact was scaring her. Maybe she is more scarred than I thought. He leaned back in a relaxation move, subtly allowing her more space. The gesture didn't go unnoticed, she silently thanked him.
"If you want your stuff...we can go and get it sometime." She went to protest his words as he stood up, but he cut her off. "I say we because you are not, under any circumstances, going alone...Not today though. It would be best on a day we knew he won't be there."
She nodded, understanding what he meant. He was just leaving when he said something without turning around.
"I mean it; you do look even more beautiful now."