A.N. Thanks for the reviews, they make me so happy. I thought I would have plenty of time to write now that I'm done with the session but I was wrong, hopefully it'll be better in a couple of days, anyway. Enjoy this chapter, and let me know what you thought!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and all affiliated characters. I do own every original character that was not introduced in the books or films.

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The Aftermath

Chapter XIV

"Do you have enough honey?" she asked sweetly.

He smirked, "yes thank you sweetheart," he teased.

She rolled her eyes, "not you, you big baby. I was talking to Delaney, so little love do you have enough?"

The girl nodded, while shooting a strange look at her father. He scoffed, "daddy was just teasing mommy princess."

Delaney didn't respond, she merely shoved another mouthful of food through her lips. Hermione shook her head. "Merlin, are you in a teasing mode," she told him with a smirk of her own.

"Yes," he grinned. "Well, that's probably because I'm happy."

"Glad to hear that," she said as she conjured her daughter a wet cloth. "Because I don't think it will last for long..."

He raised an eyebrow curiously, "and why's that?" he asked her. She shrugged in response and motioned to the doors of the Great Hall; he followed her indication and his eyes fell on a raven haired man and a redheaded girl.

"Perfect, just perfect," he snorted.

Hermione caught his hand over the table, trying to sooth him. "Please don't act badly, I don't think they will come near since Delaney is with us, but I don't want any exchange of words or anything else in front of our daughter, alright?"

He sighed impatiently, "right, but later..."

"Draco, please."

"Oh, alright, alright!" he said. Turning to his daughter he made a face, and she started laughing happily.

Hermione smiled at this, "thank you."

He nodded, while trying to catch his daughter's hand playfully, "only for you."

She watched as the married couple made their way on the opposite side of the Great Hall and she eyed Harry watching for his reactions. He talked to Ginny, never turning his eyes to meet hers, something she was glad of. She turned her attention back to Draco and Delaney and realised Draco was giving her a strange look.

"What's wrong?" she asked with a small smile.

He looked at her and shrugged, taking a mouthful of meatpie. She raised her eyebrow, but went back to her food nonetheless, finishing her meal in silence.

"I go see Uncle Harry mommy?" Delaney suddenly asked pointing to where the couple was sitting.

Hermione shocked on her food and coughed. She turned to her daughter, "Err, no little love..." she turned to Draco for help, he was eating in silence, not even looking at them. "Hem, mommy and Uncle Harry had a little fight, so you can't go see him today okay?"

Delaney furrowed her brows, looking unhappy. She turned to look at Harry and Ginny and frowned. "Uncle Harry mean mommy?"

"Err, no Dee..."

"Yes." Said Draco with a growl, "Yes baby, that's why they fought."

"Draco!" Hermione said angrily.

Before he had the chance to say anything else, a loud noise was heard followed by shouts. Hermione and Draco turned; everyone was fussing around Harry whom had apparently just received a plate of mashed potatoes in his face. Hermione's eyes went round with astonishment while Draco wore a satisfied smile; the same smile that was written on their daughter's face.

Hermione turned around to look at Draco and as she opened her mouth to speak she saw the look on her daughter's face, "Delaney Malfoy!"

The girl turned to watch her mother with a guilty look, "oh no, don't you give me your puppy look," she grounded.

"Puppy look?" Draco repeated questioningly.

Hermione pick her daughter and made her stand on her seat, "you did that didn't you? You made that plate hit Harry in the face."

Delaney eyes watered, she wasn't used to the tone of voice her mother was using. She nodded her head guiltily.

"You've been a very bad girl, mommy is not happy at all," Hermione told her daughter grounding her.

The girl started crying, afraid her mommy didn't love her anymore; after all she had promised not to use her powers in public anymore, she had been naughty.

Draco who had kept quiet until now couldn't help but feel sorry for his daughter, she had only wanted to protect her mother after all, "leave her alone Hermione."

She turned to him, "you can't seriously think that I will let that kind of behaviour go unpunished."

He rolled his eyes, "she's two for Merlin's sake; don't you see she's already messed up."

She pursed her lips, "now don't take this the wrong way Drake, but I can't really count on your parenting skills."

His eyes darkened; rage filled his traits, "what's wrong with my parenting skills, what's wrong with you, trying to keep me out of the decisions again?"

She snorted, "Don't be like that." She reached over the table to take his hand but he pulled it away, being ruled by his chaotic emotions.

"Don't be like what," he drawled. "Hermione, you can't expect me to punish my daughter for some silly trick when you didn't do anything to punish him from hurting you."

She rose to her feet and picked her daughter up in her arms, the child was openly crying in its mother arms. "You didn't have to tell her about our fight, she didn't need explanations, she's just a baby."

He felt as if they were having the same arguments repeatedly, "please Hermione, she's no baby and you know it, probably even better than I do."

As she was leaving with her daughter settled on her hip, he stood up and blocked her way, "give me Delaney." He told her opening his arms.

"No."

She pulled her daughter closer, "Hermione, you are acting stupid. She's upset, you're upset, give her to me, go spend some alone time, I'll handle it."

She shook her head stubbornly, "you're upset too! You were the one glaring angrily at me moments ago."

He shrugged, "well I am angry at you, because I can see how badly you would want to forgive him, and if I wasn't there, you probably would be sitting with him, listening to his pitiful excuses." He moved closer and picked up Delaney from her arms, the little girl had stopped crying a moment ago and was paying attention to the discussion between her parents.

After making sure Draco was holding her, she gave her daughter a quick kiss and exited the room without another word. Inside she knew that he was right, that she wanted to forgive Harry badly, because she refused to loose him too, because she needed him in her life.

"Shhh, everything's okay princess," he hushed the child cuddling her closer. "What you did was real funny honey, but you can't use your magic in public, remember?" he asked her nicely. "Now be a good girl and when we see mommy later you will apologise okay?"

"Yes daddy," she said softly, "I sorry daddy." He gave her a warm smile and began to walk away from the Great Hall as well.

"It's alright princess, everything's alright." He told her reassuringly. He exited the Great Hall and made his way downstairs to the dungeons where he would be teaching next Monday. He sighed and kissed his daughter's forehead, the students were schedule to arrive on Saturday night which meant they would be in Hogwarts the day after tomorrow.

He wasn't too happy about that because it meant that he would have less time to spend with his daughter, "ah Mr. Malfoy!" He turned and came face to face with the school's medi-witch.

"Can I help you Madam Pomfrey?" he asked seriously; stopping in his track to watch the woman come to him.

She indicated the toddler as she came closer, "you missed her appointment for this week, and believe it or not the ministry is asking for my report. I have been looking everywhere for you."

Draco gave her a guilty look, "I'm sorry Madam Pomfrey, we totally forgot about her weekly appointments... we could go now if you are available." He began to make his way upstairs but she caught his sleeve and halted him.

She shook her head calmly, "I have already explained to Miss. Granger that I don't want her parents with her for the tests..."

He frowned, "why, what kind of tests does she has to go through?"

She shook her hands in front of her, "nothing horrible I swear, it's just that she gives me a better attention when you are not there."

He nodded and handed the child to her, "alright, I'll come get her in two hours then."

She smiled kindly, "of course, and if you see Mrs. Potter please tell her I will need her shortly."

"Of course, thank you Madam Pomfrey. See you later my little princess, and be good." He told his daughter before kissing the top of her head and passing a hand through her soft blond curls.

She waived him goodbye and the medi-witch brought her away. Draco went back downstairs to get something from his office and went back to the Great Hall. Taking a breath he went in with the idea of telling Ginny that Madam Pomfrey needed her with Delaney.

He spotted the couple and made his way to them ignoring completely the presence of Potter. He poked Ginny on the shoulder gently, "hey, oh Malfoy, I mean it's you Draco."

He frowned slightly, "can I talk to you?"

"You'll have to do it here," Harry said roughly.

Draco's eyes shot up and he glared daggers at Harry, "don't you talk to me! You bloody women beater."

Ginny rose to her feet, "enough boys, stop it."

"You've hurt her much more than I could have," Harry told him darkly.

Draco smirked, "not that I think you matter in any way, but it will never happen again. And, for your information you bloody bastard, I never touched her."

Harry got to his feet furious, "I didn't mean to."

Draco feigned feeling relieved, "oh and that makes you so much better now." He caught Ginny arm gently and tugged, "come, I have to talk to you."

Harry pointed his wand at Draco, "don't...touch...her," he growled.

Ginny snatched his wand from his hand and put it on the table in one swift gesture, "you stop this right now!" She pulled her arm free, which wasn't very hard, much to her surprise. She pushed Draco in the back indicating she would be following him shortly. "Sit down Harry, I'll be back shortly."

"You can't go with him! He's an evil bastard!" He shouted like a madman.

She rolled her eyes, "don't be stupid," she walked away and went to the spot where Draco was waiting.

"Merlin, he's really lost it. I just wanted to talk to you away from him so that I wouldn't be too tempted to break my promise to Hermione and have a go at your husband." He explained smirking.

She gave him a small smile, "sorry about that."

"Right," he shrugged. "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that Madam Pomfrey is with Delaney and that she will need your help shortly."

Ginny eyes grew wide open, "right, I'll be right there."

"Thank you." He said as he left her and went back to the staircase. He liked the fact that Ginny wouldn't back up Harry for what he did, in fact, he liked Ginny a lot. She had been an important part of his relationship to Hermione, she was the only one to be truly supportive of the couple when they started dating, and that was a big part of their successful relation.

He entered his office with the intention of setting everything up for Monday, and maybe preparing his first class, but he soon got caught in his thoughts and memories.

"You have got to be kidding me," he heard loudly.

He turned and smirked when he realised who had spoken, "Oy Granger," he gave her another smirk and walked her way.

She rolled her eyes when she saw he was trying to make her uncomfortable, "what are you doing here Malfoy?"

He gave her a charming smile, "well, I came to see you of course."

"Right, as I was saying, what are you doing here Malfoy?" she said bluntly without much reaction.

He frowned; he didn't know she was here, of course not. Who in his right mind would have thought Hermione Granger would abandon London, her friends and her life, to come in France. "Actually, we have a little mansion in France so I came to take some vacations, but I also came to see some friends, they work here."

"Ah, well good luck then," she said turning away from him.

He raised an eyebrow, "nice seeing you too Granger," he replied standing still. He watched her walk away and memories of Hogwarts came rushing through his head. She was today as gorgeous as she had been the night of the Yule Ball and after that on the night of their graduation.

"Allô Hermione!" came a shrieking voice from around the corner.

He saw her stop in her track and smile, "oh, hi Delphine, what are you doing here, aren't you teaching a class this afternoon?"

"Non and neither are you." The woman spoke with a French accent.

"You're right, I'm off today; they don't need me." Hermione told her sympathetically.

The beautiful blond woman smile charmingly, "Pourquoi..." she giggled, "sorry, I'm still not used to it. Why don't you come with my friend and me, we we're going to go take a coffee..."

Draco smiled as he heard this, he had recognised the voice of his friend before Hermione had mentioned her name, so he walked to where Hermione stood and placed himself behind her.

"I don't really have the..." Hermione tried to argue with her co-worker.

Delphine shook her blond head, "Oh no. You won't have me with your pitiful excuses, you're coming," she was arguing. "Oh, hi Draco!"

Hermione turned and when she saw him close behind she stepped, "you scared me you prick!"

Draco smiled, "sorry Granger, but Delphine's right anyway, you should really come take a coffee with us." He walked to Delphine and kissed both of her cheeks.

"Please Hermione," pleaded her friend, "come with us. Vincent is coming later, and I've wanted you to meet him, since forever."

Hermione chuckled, "the mysterious boyfriend?"

Delphine nodded her head enthusiastically. She pulled on Hermione's sleeve, "you're coming; it's decided. You have to meet my man!"

Hermione eyed Draco before letting her friend pull her away. He was wearing no particular expression, but when he realised she was watching him he smiled to her. Not one of his usual mocking smirks, but one beautiful sincere smile. Hermione surprised herself by smiling back at him, she turned her eyes away from his rapidly, her cheeks blushing slightly.

"Alors ce café?" said Delphine without realising the moment that had just happened. She had missed it, but moments like this one were not supposed to be missed, moments like this were suppose to change your life.

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A.N. Hope you liked it. As always let me know what you think...