Author's Note: I know I KNOW, i'm so very sorry for a nearly two month lapse in update. I know this ones short but i'll definitely get the next one up sooner, promise xox
Chapter Eleven: Understand
"Miss Granger, a visitor for you."
Her secretary, Poppy, was leaning in the doorway, sweet grin as always plastered on her perfect skin and mouth. Hermione had grown rather fond of the girl, 23 years old, reminding her of a younger version of herself. She was the first person to address her as a Granger again after her split, and was the first to tell her that she knew things would work out.
Spinning around in her chair, she replied with a surprised: "Oh?"
She wasn't expecting anyone.
She definitely wasn't expecting her daughter to be striding into her office, wan smile upon her face.
"Hi mum."
"Sweetheart, what are you doing here?"
Standing up, she made her way over to hug, a hug that Rose actually responded to, arms wrapping fully around her back.
Poppy slunk away, closing the door behind them.
"I'm sorry I didn't call , dad gave me back my phone privileges but I felt like I didn't deserve the...ahem, anyways," Rose pulled away, clearing her throat. "I just wanted to know if maybe you wanted to go to lunch? My treat."
Teetering on her toes, looking to the floor, Hermione met her gaze as she looked up. All at once Rose was six again, apologizing in a shy voice for breaking grandma's vase playing witches with James. Not sixteen with a rebellious streak and a mind of her own.
"I'd like that sweetheart, did you have a place in mind?"
"There's this vegetarian bistro like three blocks away that I saw walking here. Wanna try it?"
"Sure. I'll grab my purse."
Five minutes later, silence shrouding them as they marched out of the atrium, Rose decided to begin speaking again.
"You know Mum, I'm really sorry for all the things I said to you you last week..and before I left," she said as they strode down the London streets. "I was being a brat. I was just so upset. I was mad at myself for being so stupid, mad at Scorpius for talking me into drinking...and I took the anger out on you because of what you said to Mr. Malfoy. I just feel awful."
"Oh, darling..."
Grabbing Rose's hand in her own, Rose interrupted.
"No, don't say it's ok, or that you understand. I know you went to go apologize to Scorpius' dad and that you tried helping him out. Dad told us."
"Rose - "
"I just didn't expect you to blow up like that, but I realize now it's only because you care."
They'd reached the destination, loitering outside, as Rose continued to stare at her shoes.
"I'm glad you realize that." She pulled her daughter close, patting her hair softly with her hand. "I love you Rose. I was so worried about you when I got that phone call...and you were right. I let the past colour the present. Draco didn't deserve me going off on him. It was wrong of me."
"Yeah well, we all make mistakes."
Finally Rose looked up at her, shy smile, stepping back from her.
Though she desired to, Hermione said nothing more, and both made their way inside.
{}
"Dad…you wanna go for a run?"
He was leaning in the doorway
"Maybe in a bit."
"Oh come on, you said that yesterday."
"I'm tired today."
He'd been tired for two days.
Coming home a bit too early from his 'therapy', all the information Scorpius had been given was that the session hadn't worked out, that he needed a professional.
Scorpius just couldn't understand why he hadn't bother to search for one yet when he'd managed to finally set up a phone. Set up a television is his room. Bought himself a computer and not touched it.
Dead eyes watching a movie, one in Dutch, Draco was sprawled on his bed, on his back. Pillow supporting his head as if he was physically unable.
"Dad. What's the matter?"
Deciding to step foot into the sacred institution of the master bedroom, Scorpius plonked himself onto the sheets belly first, folding his arms under his chin, waist-level with his father.
"Just not feeling too well."
"Dad, seriously, you're a bloody terrible liar. What the hell happened the other day? Why would you suddenly covert to Muggleism-light and then do shit all with it?"
"Don't curse."
It wasn't harsh, it was half-hearted.
"Dad, please."
"Scorpius...it's just not - It's not appropriate."
He rolled over onto his side, facing away from his son.
"God, I'm sixteen, I can handle it. You wanted to be there for me, I want to be there for you too." And he scooted up to his father, placing his hand on his back, patting it.
"I know you can handle it, it's just not something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Dad." Now engulf his father in a backwards hug, ruffling his hair. "You're like a sad little dog. Clearly there's something more going on than there was a few days ago."
A deep sigh resonated through Draco's entire body before he forced himself onto his stomach, pushing Scorpius beside him, staring into the headboard.
"I kissed Hermione."
"What!?"
There was a drop in Scorpius' gut, he jerked himself upwards and sat pin straight.
"Yes."
"Wow. WOW. I mean - how? When?"
"Fuck, NO - no, you don't need to hear it. It was a mistake, and I regret it all."
Rolling off the bed, Draco stood up for the first time that day, flustering about in his wardrobe trying to find a different shirt to wear.
"Do you? I mean, if you were so certain about this you wouldn't be moping. Eh?"
Pausing at the sock drawer, Draco slammed it shut, pushing his palms to his eyes.
"I don't fucking know, alright. I was at her house the other night. She came over here and apologized when you stayed with your Hufflepuff friend. And when she did, I broke down. Then she offered me help. So I said yes. And when I went over there, she kissed me because her ex-husband came to get her sons sketchbook and saw her comfort me. Got very angry, he did. It was very intense. I expressed concern after he left, you know, if she was alright. She kissed me."
The face he was wearing, of complete incredulity was a new one that Scorpius had yet to see on Draco's.
"What happened after?"
This gossip, the adult kind, seemed far more scandalous and treacherous than any he'd ever heard in Hogwarts hallways. Far more fucked up.
"Rose's aunt and uncle, and her dad, came back to see if she was alright. If I had actually had the audacity to grace her house. She handled it like a seasoned pro and defended me, and was just so bloody nice to me. I couldn't handle it, I just, I don't fucking know, Scorpius. I'm so attracted to her. When they left I just pounced," he emphasized, forcing his fingers out, putting them to his temple. "I have no clue what came over me. I told her I like her. She was vulnerable and I feel as if I took advantage of her."
"Dad...wow. Wow. Just, fuck."
"Yeah. Fuck me."
Scorpius rushed to him, forcing his dads shoulders back onto the bed so he sat on the edge.
"No, no, no, no." Scorpius pointed his finger at him. "First of all, you did not take advantage. I'm pretty sure that she would never let you do that."
Draco chuckled, letting himself fall back onto his pillow.
"Do you hate me?"
"No, of course not dad...shit happens."
Though it wasn't sincere in his head, mouth automatically saying the words, the sound that came out was real.
"I just can't believe that. So you must really like her then, huh? To go to her house...is that why you bought a phone?'
"Ugh, yeah," he replied, turning over again, "I'm not going to call her, I can't. I told her 'i'll wait for you'. That was stupid. She can't be ready for me."
Head now in his heads, Scorpius surveyed his father, in his sweaty nightshirt and boxers, cooped up alone in his room as he had been for almost twelve years.
"Why not? What's wrong with you?"
"A lot. I need to get help before I can pursue a relationship. And duh, you're in love with her daughter. I would't do that to you, Scorpius."
"Well dad...at the moment we're not even anything."
And he sat down beside him, placing his hand on Draco's shoulder.
"Neither am I with her."
"Yeah, but you could be."
"You know Scorpius, it's just so strange. The first person I actually talk to properly in years and i'm left wondering if I like them because of her kindness or because they're the only girl in my life currently."
"Does it matter? Maybe she's a bit crazy, but so are you."
Earnest as Scorpius was, Draco furrowed his brow, confused.
"Son, i thought you really loved Rose. Why are you okay with this?"
"Because I want you to be happy, Dad. This might be a second chance for you. I have my whole life. Rose and I will work it out."
Before he knew it, Scorpius was engulfed in an embrace, his father's arms wrapping fully around his body, his head in the crook of his neck.
"I love you, Scorpius."
{}
"So let me get this straight. You make out with Draco Malfoy after I come over to your house with my slightly deranged brother to confirm that you two are in fact not an item. Because you went to apologize to him for calling him an unfit father essentially, to which you managed to open a can of worms wherein he confesses he's completely depressed...And then you kiss. When you stop him because you just aren't ready to step onto the snog wagon again he tells you he will 'wait for you'? And then yesterday Rose apologizes for everything she said, that she was completely wrong about it all. Mate, you are really bad at keeping drama out of your life."
They were back at that pub in Islington, a lunch break this time.
Still, Hermione had a pint of the finest in hand instead of tea, sitting across from Ginny, who was being amazingly understanding. No malice or judgement in her tone.
"Sigh, yes. I know."
"What are you going to do?"
"No idea."
Exhaling, she rested her chin on folded arms.
"So wait, okay. You kissed him because he expressed sympathy...or something...and then, in a move he tells you it's fine, that divorced people are insane. Which he then later proves himself by admitting he likes you. And then just grabbed you?"
"Yes."
It sounded so ridiculous said out loud.
"Damn. That's really tough. but I mean...it was just a one off right? I mean, you can't possibly like him, can you? You were just helping him and he felt a bit of a connection that comes with empathy."
Hermione covered her eyes with her palms.
"I told him I did back."
"What? Why?"
"Because i'm an idiot. Because when I kissed him first he did back, and I enjoyed it. And I enjoyed it even more when he initiated it."
"Really?"
Her eyebrow raised up to her hairline.
"Ginny, he kissed the shit out of me."
"Damn."
The rarely used vulgarity signaled to the ginger woman that this was serious business.
"So it was awesome?"
"Ugh, YES. he pushed me against the wall and lifted me, lifted me."
"Really?" Wide-eyed, Ginny leant in closer. "Against the wall, eh? What else?"
"I - may have wrapped his legs around him..."
"OH MY GOD, Hermione!" She smacked Hermione's arm, as she buried her head in her hands.
"I know."
"You know what? If Malfoy was that incensed, he probably feels equally as crazy as you do."
"I'm sure he feels worse."
The resignation sparkling in her eyes snapped Ginny out of her fixation on the dirty details.
"Alright, I wan tto help you out, but I gotta tell you my opinion first. Is that ok?"
Resurfacing her head from the table, the brunette woman said: "Shoot."
"I think you should stay out of it, and away from him. That moment was in the heat of passion, and emotional intensity. Right now Rose's first relationship, however short, is seriously messed up. You don't want to get into that, eh?"
"No, I don't."
'What you need to figure out is who to deal with first. Not how you're going to deal with the entire thing."
"I need to think about Rose. She has decided to act like an adult, and I don't know how she's feeling about Scorpius. I need to find that out first. No. Actually, no this is insane. There's no second. I have to forget about him completely, and only focus on Rose. I did all I could to get him help and point him in the right direction. Scorpius wouldn't be happy about this either."
"But you like him, though right? Why can't you simply tell her what's happened? Don't you think she'll understand?"
Hermione thought back to when she was sixteen, when Ron had snogged lavender right in front of her.
"No. She is crazy about Scorpius. Still, even though she is, Ron gave her her phone privileges back, and she refused out of respect for me. This is just a mess, Gin."
"This is most definitely a mess...So what are you going to do?"
Closing her lids, Hermione opened them softly a moment later, staring straight into her beer.
"I'm going to have to make a visit to Amsterdam."
