By the Light if the Silvery Moon Ch 11
A month later Draco, Hermione, and Jasmine made their way into Hogsmeade to meet up with her parents. It was the first time Hermione had seen her parents since she left for school in September. They had been writing one another and she felt she was ready to see them. She still carried some of her pregnancy weight, but Draco was always there to let her know she was still just as beautiful and sexy to him, if she only let him prove it.
Hermione had Draco and Jasmine stand back before she approached them. "Daddy, Mummy?"
The three rushed toward one another. All three had tears running down their faces. Draco stood ever the sentinel close enough should he be needed by Hermione yet far enough away to make a fuss over his tiny daughter. She was still tiny, but he was reassured she was very healthy. He leaned down to take her coat, hat, gloves, and blanket off of her. The restaurant was warmed enough for her not to be as bundled as she was while walking into the village.
He tried to pop her thumb from her. He even gave in to begging, "Look my Princess, Daddy promises to change all the nasty nappies for one whole day, if you give me one whole day of your thumb out of your mouth. Your Grandparents over there are called dentists, teeth healers, and they will blame me for your bad habit. I personally don't mind, it soothes you and you only do it when you're sleepy and very tired. Oh, bugger it all. Suck your thumb to your hearts content, I'll bribe you with chocolates later. That won't make them happy either, but you're my daughter. I'm allowed to spoil you as much as your Mummy allows." He placed kisses all over her face and neck causing her to give him that cute big smile. It was the smile he woke up every morning to.
He looked up to find Hermione motioning him over. He pulled the baby closer to his chest, stood a little straighter then began walking toward the waiting trio.
Extending his free hand he said, "Hello, I'm Draco Malfoy and this is your granddaughter, Jasmine Marie Malfoy. It is a pleasure to meet you." His hand hung in the air briefly before Mr. Granger shook it, harder than what Draco thought he would but he never backed down.
Hermione took the baby and handed her to her mother. She wasn't going to tell her that Molly Weasley and Narcissa Malfoy had already held Jasmine more times than Draco and Hermione could count. Both women came daily to the school to help Hermione and Draco while the two were in classes or needed to study without being interrupted.
"She's so beautiful, little bird." Her father said as he looked over his wife's shoulder. "Holding tight to that thumb, isn't she?"
"She loves it. I tried a soother, we have so many, but she smiles and the next thing I know it is pushed out and her thumb is back in. Although I must say, she does listen to her Daddy more than me over her thumb."
Smiling he said, "That is because I let her. I do tell her that one day I will replace her thumb with chocolates but she doesn't seem to like that idea. I have no idea why. I love chocolate and so does her Mum." He leaned over and placed a kiss on Hermione's cheek causing her to blush slightly.
As was her normal, when she heard Draco speak, Jasmine wiggled. Hermione's mother couldn't figure it out at first then she noticed that when Draco spoke softly she would turn her head. When things got a little heated between Hermione's dad and Draco, she noticed Jasmine was almost moving to his heated words like she had to get to him.
"No, I sent those howlers to get your attention. I've no problem refusing you seeing my daughter on the fact of how you treated your daughter. Hermione has chosen to forgive you and I'll not refuse her if this is her wish. I need you to know and understand one thing, Mr. Granger I love your daughter and granddaughter more than my own life. I almost gave it for them once and I would again if the need called for it. You can like me or not, I could care less. You wanted to meet me. We've met." He went to leave but before he did he looked toward Hermione's mom and the baby, "Princess, stop fussing, Daddy is fine and so is Mummy. Hermione, I'll be at The Three Broomsticks when the two of you have finished visiting. I will not do this to you two. I love you." He kissed her and leaned to kiss his daughter on the head.
Hermione watched as he left the restaurant before she turned on her father, "This is you being opened minded? If it is, Daddy well, you suck at it. It was his first time too. We don't have the answers to everything. He is someone that grew up getting whatever his heart wanted. He is spoiled and selfish and arrogant and I love and hate him for it. He accepted her existence without thought. He never once accused her of belonging to anyone but him. He…" she was then interrupted by Lucius Malfoy. Hermione stood in between her companions and Draco's father.
"My son is a lot of things but he is already a better father than I ever was to him. I almost killed him when he announced he was going to be a father. Ms. Granger, I had break in my reasoning and I have with cause paid the price ever since."
"You haven't paid for anything. You need to go now. Draco will be back."
"I already am. Father, move away from them." He came to stand next to Hermione and drew his wand without thinking. "What are you doing here, Lucius?" There was coldness in his voice Hermione had never heard before.
"I was on my way to the school to speak with you when I saw you come in here with Ms. Granger and the baby stroller. Can I talk with you privately Son?"
"No, you cannot! You stay the hell away from him before I call the Aurors." Hermione went to put herself in front of Draco, but he held his hand in front of her to stop her. He looked at her and shook his head.
He extended his arm to an empty table. It didn't miss his notice how his father had tried to angle his head to see the baby. Hermione looked to her parents and they saw the distress in her face. They saw the fear for the young man that was more than the father of her baby. "You really love him that much?" Her father didn't realize he spoke the words out loud.
"What did you think I was doing? Playing house?" Hermione watched as Draco listened to his father but he never put his wand down until he stood again.
"Love, come with me a minute. He needs to speak to you." Draco then looked at Hermione's father who was now holding the baby in his arms. Hermione stood and followed him as he took her to his father.
"Tell her what you just told me, Father." His voice was still clipped.
"I was wondering if you would permit me a moment to see and hold a moment, I…"
"Are you mental?"
"Please hear him out, I listened him." Draco pointed to her father. "You are free to tell him to get bent but at least hear him out."
"I will never think you to forgive me for my words or my actions toward Draco, but I am on my way to the Ministry to turn over my wand and memories of that night. I will be at the mercy of the Aurors."
Hermione bit her tongue when Draco saw the fire in her eyes, her wand was out and pointing into Lucius' chest, "Draco, this is up to you, not me. I don't trust myself. I already told my choice was unfair to you. This is your choice and I will stand by it like you did mine."
They walked backed over to the table and Draco held his arms out for his daughter. Mr. Granger gave Hermione a look like Draco had lost his marbles. "With all due respect give me my daughter please."
Mr. Granger handed her to Draco. Draco held her close and kissed her tiny face. "Trust me Hermione." He said before he turned to go toward his father. Standing in front of him with his daughter in his arms, he held her up so his father could see her then as if he was going to hand her to him he pulled her back into his caring arms.
"See what that was Lucius? That was hope. That was what I was feeling when I came to you in September. I had hoped that since Jasmine was a Malfoy and I was your son it wouldn't matter that her mother was a muggleborn. I had hoped that you loved me enough to know that I needed you still at this point in my life. You can leave and continue on to the Ministry and let them sort you out. Maybe you'll be lucky and you'll get to see her again before she graduates Hogwarts. Goodbye, Lucius."
He walked back over to Hermione, handing her the baby and whispered in her ear. "I'll see you tonight. I'm going to make sure he does what he says and if he doesn't he will." He kissed her hard and it felt like she would have bruises from it. She kissed him back just as passionately. "I love you." He was gone.
Her mother clasped her hand over heart, "Hermione, will Draco be okay?"
"Yes, Mum he'll be fine. He's come a long way from that night in September when he went to tell his parents about Jasmine. His mother is over the moon for her. She wasn't completely over the moon at first, but she was never opposed to not being in her grandchild's life. Lucius though he went crazy. Saying that the baby couldn't be Draco's and hexing and cursing him until he almost dies. Dad, Draco wasn't making a light comment when he said he has already almost given his life for us."
Hours later as Hermione was just finishing with Jasmine's bath she heard the door to the dorm open as Draco walked in. He walked up to Hermione and took the nearly naked baby in his arms and pulled them both into his arms. He just held them tears falling from his eyes.
Jasmine placed a hand to Draco's face as Hermione cried with him. "Sit down and let me finish dressing her." He sat handing the baby over. "I take it that it didn't go well."
"It is done. He will be placed in custody. His wand has been stripped from him, checked, and memories from him, my mother, and me from that night were taken. He will spend time in Azkaban, but not as long as he should I'm sure."
"I'm sorry. I have no idea how hard this was for you, but I can't imagine that it was easy." She placed the baby in her cot and turned her mobile on. Taking a seat next to Draco she pulled him close. "If you want to talk I'm always here."
He pulled her close, "Thank you, I know that."
Two days later, Draco was talking to Harry, Ron, Blaise, and Theo about Quidittch when he got a letter from his mother. He went pale when he saw it. None of them knew his father had turned himself in. "Blaise read this for me."
"You sure about that, mate?"
Draco nodded.
Blaise let his eyes roam the words on the parchment. He glanced to Draco, "You fucking kidding me? He turned himself in?"
"Who did what, Draco? Did your father really do that?" Harry asked in genuine concern.
Draco nodded his head. "What's it say?"
"Four years in Azkaban and four years house arrest. No longer allowed a wand and upon his release there will be weekly probation meetings at the manor during his house arrest... After his four years of house arrest he will still be supervised, if you wish, at any time with an Auror present with you, Hermione, and Jasmine at his cost to the courts."
Ron went read in heated anger, "That's bloody rubbish. He almost killed you. As much as we have argued I have never wished your death."
Smiling he said, "Because I'm not worth it if I recall were your words."
Ron placed his hand on Draco's shoulder, "No, because no one needs to die because they fell in love. Let me ask you this, the night Hermione got pregnant, if she said stop, would you have stopped?"
"Yes, of course."
"Would you have stopped because she asked or because it was Hermione Granger, Mudblood?"
Draco stiffened at the word, but he still wasn't sure what Ron was getting at, "It would have been because she asked."
"That makes the difference between you and him. You would have stopped just because; he didn't when you begged for your life. What I'm getting at is you are worth it. You are worth her anger as much as you are worth her love."
Harry, Theo and Blaise spoke all at once, "Damn!"
Their last year was the hardest they had ever seen. They were studying for N.E.W.T.S and then Jasmine sharing a lot of her firsts all to the witnessing of the entire castle. Her first word was no shock of "Da-Da". Draco smirked while Hermione pouted. The first time she crawled was not long after returning and right into the ankles of Professor Snape at that. Causing the tight lipped professor to pick up the infant saying, "Miss Malfoy, that was uncalled for, two points from Gryffindor and Slytherin for letting your parents show such bad manners." Jasmine promptly spit a raspberry at him. Draco grabbed her and apologized while trying his best not to laugh at his Godfather.
Her first steps were two days after her first birthday. She was sitting on her mother's lap in the great hall at dinner when she saw Draco come in and fidgeted until Hermione saw why. Setting her down Jasmine pushed up off her knees as Draco stopped a few steps from her and waited. The whole of the Hall was silent as they watched the youngest resident walk to her dad, giggling.
"You did it, Princess." Draco scooped her up in his arms kissing her all over her face. "Hermione we are in for it now. We will never keep up with her."
"Not with your seeker skills, Malfoy." Harry ribbed as Draco flipped him off. Laughter from all around them sounded.
Three years later, Draco and Hermione were married. He presented his bride and daughter matching bands he had made special for them. The first dance was interrupted as Jasmine was tired and wanted her Daddy. Draco pulled her up and danced with both his girls.
Jasmine was six years old when she was running about the Manor playing a game of Hide and Seek with her favorite house elf, Kipper. She was trying to find him when she ran into a room she had never been in before. She saw a man in a chair reading. She had seen his picture so she knew it was her Grandfather Lucius. He looked up from his book to gaze at the tiny girl with long curly sandy blonde curls and eyes the clearest blue he had ever seen. He had only seen her in person once before when she was a month old.
"Master Draco! Kipper is so sorry. I couldn't keep her in the play room." Kipper popped into the kitchen where Draco sat with Narcissa showing a picture to his mother Hermione had taken.
The sound of his voice made the hair on Draco's neck stand up. "Kipper, where's Jasmine?"
"Missus Jasmine is in your Father's den with him."
Draco apparated to the doorway with Narcissa right behind him; only hear Jasmine's voice. The peeked in and saw that she was standing in front of Lucius with her tiny hands behind her back pacing in front of him.
"You hurt my Daddy." It wasn't a question.
"Yes and I'm still trying to make up for that." Lucius said. He wanted to reach out and hug her.
"You wanted to hurt my Mummy." It was stated as if she was older than six.
"Yes, I was foolish about that." He never took his eyes from her.
Tears filled her eyes, "You never wanted me to be born."
Lucius slipped from the chair and knelt before her, "I was very wrong."
She looked at him and saw tears falling down his face. "Yes, you were."
Jasmine walked from the room leaving Lucius Malfoy on the floor broken and crying. She looked up at her parents. She raised her arms up to Draco, saying loud enough for Lucius to hear, "I don't want to ever be around him again, Daddy."
"You never have to Princess." Draco left the Manor with his daughter.
THE END
