Author's Note: I hope it's warm where ever you guys are, because it is still cold here! Let me know if you enjoyed the last chapter!
Chapter 11
*Present day*
Hermione couldn't stop smiling. Theodora was everything she dreamed and more; her presence reminded Hermione of Draco every day, but the reminder was only a pang, rather than the sledgehammer it used to be. She was loving every minute of being a mother, but the exhaustion was getting her down more than she anticipated.
"You two look cozy." Hermione looked up and saw Ginny standing above her, smiling down at Theodora. Hermione held back the yawn that was threatening to escape. "Sorry, I didn't mean to just barge I; I thought you heard me."
"I was probably just day-dreaming. But we are quite cozy. Aren't we, Theodora?" Hermione responded, motioning for Ginny to sit down. "Thank you for stopping by." Ginny rolled her eyes at the thought of visiting being any type of hardship for her.
"Of course." Ginny said, sipping on her coffee. She looked over Hermione, noting how exhausted and warn down she looked. "Have you been sleeping?"
"A little here and there, but it's okay, I don't mind." Hermione said, looking down at Theodora and tickling her stomach. Ginny grinned at the adorable laugh that bubbled out of Theo. "No, I don't, do I, Theodora?" Ginny shook her head at the sight, glad to see Hermione so happy after the rough few weeks she had had. She knew that it had to be emotional for her without Draco around, but Ginny was happy to see that Hermione was taking everything so well, much better than any of them had anticipated. But Ginny knew that Hermione was still working more than she should and wanted to keep checking in.
"Has Blaise been around?" Ginny asked, looking around Hermione's flat, surprised it was so clean, given how busy Hermione must be with Theodora.
"He's been a big help." Hermione responded. Ginny smirked slightly when Hermione glanced down at the floor, her cheeks flushed.
"And…?" Ginny prompted, knowing that there was more to the story than Hermione was willing to say.
"And I really appreciate the company." Hermione said. Ginny sipped her coffee, her brows raised. She didn't believe it for a second.
"Mhmm." Hermione made a face.
"What?" Hermione asked defensively at Ginny's tone. Ginny shrugged, setting her coffee on the table in front of her.
"Nothing, nothing." Ginny said, looking at Theodora, making faces at her. "It just seems that you guys have been getting pretty close lately and I was wondering if there was anything to spill."
"I'm glad he's been here." Hermione said, trying to convince herself that there was nothing going on. "I'm not sure what I would do without him."
Their conversation was cut short as Hermione's front door was opened, startling both of them.
"I come bearing gifts!" Pansy yelled as she pushed the door open with her foot, her arms filled with coffee and a box of pastries. Being able to smell the blueberry scones that Pansy brought reminded Hermione of how long ago it had been since she had eaten anything.
"Oh, thank Merlin." Hermione breathed out. "I thought I was going to end up eating Ginny's arm."
"I don't think I've ever been so grateful." Ginny said, laughing at the look on Hermione's face. Pansy set the food down on the table and looked at Hermione expectantly. Ginny snorted.
"Pass the baby, Malfoy." Pansy ordered. "Eat your scone." Hermione laughed, before passing Theodora over to Pansy. Theo let out a little giggle, grabbing onto Pansy's fingers.
"Bossy." Hermione said through a mouthful of scone. Pansy, who was bouncing Theodora slightly, completely ignoring Hermione's complaints.
"Did you miss Auntie Pansy?" Pansy cooed, looking down at Theo's face. Pansy couldn't believe how much she looked like Draco. Pansy was glad that there would be such a lovely reminder of her best friend laughing and smiling every day in her life.
"How are you feeling?" Ginny asked, finishing her scone. Hermione sighed, leaning back into her chair.
"Better, but still exhausted." Hermione admitted, rubbing her hands over her face. While she had help, it was hard only getting a few hours of sleep before either Theodora or a nightmare woke her. She knew that she needed rest before she ran herself into the ground.
"Why don't you go lay down?" Ginny asked. While she knew that she should go lay down, she shook her head.
"It's barely nine!" Hermione protested.
"And you've been up since three." Ginny responded, pointing to Hermione's room. "Go lay down."
"I can't ask you guys to stay." Hermione knew her protests were weak at best, but she tried one last time.
"Yes, you can. Go lay down." Pansy said, not looking up from Theodora. "And besides, Blaise is coming over at noon with lunch, so if we really need to, we can give Theodora to him. But, I'm pretty happy to play Auntie right now. What about you, Potter?"
"Perfectly content." Ginny nodded, causing Pansy to shoo Hermione into her room. "Go to bed."
"Thank you." Hermione whispered, walking to her room. The moment her head hit the pillow, Hermione was out.
-00000-
Hermione slowly woke and sat up. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, before walking out of her room, squinting at the bright lights that greeted her.
"Ah, she's finally awake." Blaise said from her kitchen, smiling.
"What time is it?" Hermione asked, looking around at her flat, frowning when she didn't see anyone.
"A little past one. I just put Theodora down a few minutes ago." Blaise "Can I make you something?"
"Thank you for putting her down." Hermione said gratefully, sitting down at the counter. "A grilled cheese would be great."
"Tomato?" Blaise asked, even though he was already pulling one out to cut up. Hermione smiled.
"You know me." Hermione frowned. "I can't believe I slept so long." Hermione yawned, laying her head down on her arms.
"Oh, please." Blaise "You just had a baby a few weeks ago, you aren't sleeping well, and you are trying to do everything by yourself. Of course, you're exhausted." Hermione opened her mouth to protest but closed it just as fast. She knew that he was right and that she needed to slow down, but she didn't know how to.
"If I could sleep without having nightmares…" Hermione trailed off, but Blaise understood. If she could sleep without nightmares, they wouldn't be having the conversation they were having. Draco would be there, and they would be a family. But even though Draco was gone, Hermione was happy or at least getting there. "I just don't know what to do." Blaise was quiet for a moment before asking,
"What if you had someone stay for a while?" Even though she was totally against the idea, Hermione thought about it for a while, before immediately shooting the idea down. It would be nice to have help, but she had no idea who would be willing to stay with her. Besides, she wasn't sure if she was comfortable with living with anyone.
"The help would be nice, but…" She hesitated, watching Blaise make her grilled cheese. She smiled slightly, realizing that he was just in a sweater and jeans. She wasn't used to seeing him so dressed down, so comfortable in her house. She liked it.
"But?" He prompted, turning off the stove. Hermione sighed.
"But I don't know." Blaise nodded, grabbing a knife to cut her sandwich in half. After setting her plate down in front of her, Blaise washed his hands and came around the counter to sit down next to her.
"It's okay not to know." He glanced over at her, smirking slightly. "But I do admit it pleases the fourteen-year-old in me that you don't know something." Taking a bit out of her sandwich, Hermione hit Blaise in the arm. "Hey!"
"You totally deserved it!" Blaise smiled, glad that he got her to laugh. After a few minutes of silence as Hermione ate, Hermione leaned over and said, "Thank you for all your help these last few weeks." She looked down at her plate. "I have no idea how I would've done it without you." Blaise bumped his shoulder on hers with a soft smile.
"No place I'd rather be." Hermione smiled, realizing that she felt the same way.
-00000-
"How is it possible that you look this tired?" Harry demanded, as he made himself a cup of tea, before coming to sit down next to Hermione.
"Lovely to see you too." Hermione grumbled under her breath, shifting Theodora in her arms once she realized Theo was awake.
"Oh, you know what I meant." Harry responded, rolling his eyes, before turning to look at Theo. "Hello, Theodora." He grinned as he gave Theodora one of his fingers.
"She's happy to see you." Hermione said softly, despite her annoyance with him. She was glad that he had stopped by, even though he irritated her to no end. "And no, please elaborate." Harry sighed, not understanding why she was being so stubborn. She knew that there was no way that Harry was going to stand around as she drove herself into the ground, so she shouldn't be surprised that he was there talking to her.
"I thought you talked to Blaise about this? You aren't sleeping, you are getting up twice a night to check on Theodora and are still trying to do work for the Ministry." Hermione bristled slightly at the thought of Harry and Blaise discussing what was best for her without her input, but settled down just as quickly, knowing that they were just looking out for her.
"I know, I know, but I am almost finished with a project, and honestly, I needed a distraction from—" Hermione cut herself off, not wanting to talk about the horrors that plagued her dreams.
"Are they getting any better?" Harry asked softly, laying his hand on Hermione's arm.
"I thought they would get better. It's been months."
"I still have them" Harry admitted. "They wake up Ginny every once in a while."
think they are starting to wake up Theodora." Hermione admitted, brushing the side of Theodora's face.
"You need to have someone else here, at least for a little while. Or, you need to see a doctor." Harry said firmly. Hermione didn't argue; she knew that there were no other options at this point.
"Who can I ask to stay?" Hermione asked, defeated. "It's hard enough as it is."
"How about Pansy?" Harry suggested, glad that she didn't want to fight. "Okay, that's probably not the best idea." Harry retracted at the look on Hermione's face. Hermione loved Pansy, she did, but she would go crazy if she had to live with her for any extended period of time. "Blaise."
"What about Blaise?" Hermione asked, being stubborn.
"Ask him to come stay with you for a while." Harry said, rolling his eyes and he continued to play with Theodora. "Oh, come off it. Think about it. He's already always here, he loves Theodora, and he's all alone in that house and it seems like he needs a break. And yes, you really need to get help." After a few moments of silence, Harry was sure that Hermione was going to freak out, but all she said was,
"Okay, I'll talk to him." Harry nodded, and sagged his shoulders in relief.
"Oh, good." Harry said, getting up and walking to the door. "He's on his way over now, I told him that some of us were stopping by."
"Harry Potter!" Hermione yelled as he left as fast as he could.
"Thanks for the tea!" He yelled as he shut the door behind him. "See you in an hour!"
-00000-
"I'm starting to get the vibe this dinner wasn't your idea." Blaise commented as he moved to sit down next to her on the sofa.
"No, really?" Hermione responded. Blaise laughed at her tone, glad that her spirits were still up. It had been a long few days for him and he was glad that he was finally able to relax a little.
"Potter?" He guessed, knowing it had something to do with the conversation he and Potter had a few days prior. They were both pretty worried about her, but he was surprised that Potter had the balls to say something to her.
"How'd you guess?" Hermione asked, "They'll be here in an hour or so and Theodora is taking a little nap." Blaise smiled and nodded.
"Should I just order a few pizzas?" He asked, looking over to the kitchen with little to no energy. He didn't dare ask if Hermione was up for cooking anything.
"That'd be great, thank you." Hermione smiled gratefully, glad that he seemed as motivated to cook as she did, meaning not at all. Blaise groaned, pushing himself up and walked over to get the phone so that he could call in the order. His nonchalance in ordering caused Hermione to smile. She remembered, back in school, when the thought of a phone was nothing more than an urban legend. They've come a long way. When he finished ordering, he flopped down on the couch and closed his eyes.
"So, if the party doesn't start 'til six, what am I doing here?" He asked, trying to keep his voice as casual as possible.
"Can you move in for a while?" Hermione asked, startling Blaise with her forwardness. While it was the question he was expecting, he was nonetheless shocked. "Please? I can't do this alone anymore." Blaise nodded.
"Of course." He had never had any intention of letting her go through anything alone, not if he was around to help it. Hermione let out a sigh of relief, her head lolling to the side to look at him.
"That was easier than I expected." She admitted. Blaise snorted.
"I'm here all the time. You know I love Theodora." Blaise said as she rolled her eyes. "And you're not that bad either."
"Thanks." Hermione said, laughing. "I really feel appreciated."
"Good." Blaise grinned. Hermione propped up her feet on the table, crossed her arms, and looked at him.
"How has your week been going?" She asked, frowning when she realized how long it had been since she had last seen him.
"It's been busy, but good." Blaise said, trying to keep her from worrying. "How are you and Theodora doing?"
"She is just the sweetest. I can't believe I ever lived without her, as silly as that sounds." Hermione said, unable to keep the smile from blooming on her face. "She looks so much like him." She said, softer. Blaise nodded, glad to see that the thought didn't pain her anymore.
"That's my second thought every time I look at her." Blaise admitted, looking into Hermione's eyes.
"Yeah?" Hermione asked. "What's your first?" She asked, as if she didn't already know what he was thinking.
"How much she reminds me of her mother." Blaise said, smiling at the blush that settled on her face. "It's probably the crying." He teased, lightening the mood.
"Probably. Or the spitting. You know how I get." Hermione winked, causing Blaise to laugh.
"That I do, Malfoy, that I do."
-00000-
"I'm not going to eat you or anything." Hermione said, coming to sit down next to Harry at the counter after finishing her pizza. "I'm not that mad at you."
"I know that." Harry scoffed, but still scooted slightly in his chair.
"Do you really?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes at how ridiculous he was being. "Is that why you've been avoiding me all night?"
"I wasn't sure how you'd react." Hermione rolled her eyes again, amused at how scared he was of her temper.
"So, you ran away with your tale in between your legs?" Harry narrowed his eyes a little before letting out a laugh.
"Pretty much, yeah." Harry admitted, his shoulders sagging. "Sorry."
"No hard feelings." Hermione said, taking a sip of her water. She watched as Pansy and Blaise talked adamantly about some sports thing, snorting when Pansy almost body checked Blaise to make her point.
"How'd it go?" Harry asked, after shaking his head at Blaise and Pansy's antics. "Did you ask?"
"We're moving him in next week." Hermione said, trying to keep her voice causal. "And by we, I mean you."
"I figured." Harry said, laughing.
"It's the least you can do." Hermione winked, punching him in the arm.
"You're funny."
"Funny looking, maybe." Ginny commented, coming up behind her husband.
"Hey, aren't you supposed to be my wife or something?" Harry whined, leaning his head on her shoulder.
"You seem vaguely familiar, actually" Ginny mused, her eyes twinkling. "Have we met before? At a party or ball? I'm pretty famous you see."
"Oh, are you now?" Harry teased, pulling her hair slightly, causing her to squeal.
"My last name's Potter." Ginny said, with an air not unlike Narcissa Malfoy at her worst. "For some reason it draws a crowd. Can't imagine why though."
"Hilarious, really." Harry drawled, rolling his eyes.
"I thought so." Ginny said, shrugging with a smile. "Let's head home. Let Hermione get some sleep."
"Alright, wifey. You're the boss." Harry said, pulling his head off of her shoulder before standing up. "Thanks for inviting us over. You really didn't have to."
"Are you trying to get smacked?" Hermione asked as she walked them out. She left Blaise and Pansy to their own devices in the kitchen, not wanting to get into the middle of whatever Quidditch scandal was the hot topic of the evening.
By the time Pansy left, Hermione was dead on her feet. She had helped Blaise with the few dishes that were left, and had just sat down, when she heard Blaise plop down next to her.
"Well that was exhausting." he breathed out dramatically. Hermione laughed, propping up her feet on the table.
"That's an understatement." After a few moments of silence, Hermione leaned her head to the side to look at Blaise. She had no idea why she thought bringing it up was a good idea, but she thought it was time for Blaise to know and she wanted to be able to share this with someone. With Blaise. "Can I show you something?" Blaise furrowed his eyebrows, curious about what it could possibly be, but nodded. Hermione took a deep breath and took his hand, leading him to the closet where she kept the chest.
"Did—" Blaise cut himself off, afraid of the answer. Hermione took a sharp intake of breath before responding.
"Yes."
"I didn't think he would actually do it." Blaise murmured, shocked at the forethought that Draco must have had.
"You knew?" Hermione nearly whispered, shocked that Blaise would have kept that from her for so long.
"Not about all of it. I would have stopped him if I knew what he was really planning. But I knew that he understood how unlikely it was that he would survive, so I let it go." Blaise said hurriedly, knowing where her thoughts were going. Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Do you want to read a letter with me?" Hermione asked, nervous for his response. Blaise let out a long breath, staggered by the weight of her question. He knew how hard it must be for her to ask, and he was grateful she was willing to share with her.
"Are you sure?" Blaise asked, seriously. "I wouldn't want to invade—"
"I want you to." Blaise nodded, grateful.
"Okay." Hermione's hands were shaky as she opened the letter, she was glad that Blaise didn't comment.
It was a letter from their second year, around the time that Hermione had been paralyzed. Hermione wanted Blaise to read a letter with her, to share a piece of Draco, but she didn't want it to be too much too soon.
Dear Hermione,
We're all terrified and completely lost without you. I asked Father about what was going on, but he was surprising tight lipped about it. Don't worry though, I don't need Father's help to save you. I miss you more and more every day; Blaise and Pansy are keeping me company, but it's not the same without you around. Theo is okay, but you know Theo. He cares more about his bloody Italian loafers than he does about anything else, so he's little help.
I will visit you as often as I can, but your two sidekicks are always there so I have no idea how often I can get away to see you. But I will, I promise. I will keep bothering Father about what is going on; he has to know something about this person who is committing these horrible crimes. Someone will pay for this, I will make sure of it.
I miss you,
Draco
"I had no idea the letters went back so far." Blaise murmured, still looking at the familiar scrawl on the paper. Hermioen nodded, still taking in his words, glad she was still able to hear the sound of his voice as she read his words.
"Thank you." Hermione said, a little shaky.
"Thank you." He pulled her into a hug and they stood there for a moment, happy to be in one another's company.
-00000-
Author's note: Hey guys, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I cannot believe I am over halfway down with this story! I've had so much fun writing it. I already plan to go back through the story and clean it up and expanding it as well. Please leave a review and tell your friends! See you next week.
-Kat