"Rose, dear, please hurry up!" yelled Hermione. Today they were going to the airport to take a plane to New York City. Hermione initially opted out to bring Rose to the airport, leaving Rose here; however, fate had other plans. She wanted to leave Rose with Harry and Ginny and attend school while she was gone, but problems had arisen. Harry was going to be stationed over England, while Ginny was going to be in Australia, playing for the Holyhead Harpies. Also, oddly, Rose's school was quarantined for a roach infestation. It had all forced no choice for Hermione to bring her daughter with her.
Rose dashed down the stairs, with a bag on her back and her teddy in hand, the one Hermione had given to her as an infant.
"Sorry mama. I was deciding which stuffy I should bring," she sweetly apologized. Holding her mother's hand, the two left the condo and called down a taxi.
~Break~
Traffic had been chaotic. Hermione and Rose were still sitting at the back of a taxi. Hermione had been reading a book when Rose asked Hermione she completely dreaded:
"Mummy, why do people have daddies?"
Hermione blinked. She knew Rose would've asked eventually, but not at the moment. This moment.
"Why do you ask?" she curiously asked, hiding the rise of panic in her voice.
Rose shrugged. "My friends bully me because I don't have a daddy. Am I weird?" she said.
Hermione bit on her lip. Being a single mother so young, life had been difficult for Hermione. Having been ridiculed, disowned and still in school, Hermione tried her best to provide everything she could for Rose. After all, who wouldn't want the best for their child? Unfortunately, there was something Hermione could never provide: a father. Hearing Rose say that she got bullied because of it saddened Hermione.
"Dear, you are not weird. You're just different. Remember, no two snowflakes are alike," she comfortingly offered. It was true. Rose was indeed different from her peers. Having being conceived by wrath and being coerced, opposed to love or infatuation. Definitely not like most children at all.
Rose pouted.
"Why don't I have a daddy then?"
Hermione inwardly cringed. She REALLY didn't want to answer. Of course, Hermione was being backed into a corner, because her daughter had a scary determined look to get what she wants. Her facial expressions strikingly resembling to Hermione, yet with Draco's eyes. It wasn't a sight she could bear to thought.
"Do you have a daddy, mummy? Do you not like my daddy? Is that why-"
"ROSALYN, ENOUGH!" Hermione shouted. Rose was in complete shock, being shaken when her mother yelled at her. This was the first time Rose had ever seen her mother angry at her. Her nostrils flaring, furrowed brows, and those piercing brown eyes. The strong uncomfortable sense of tension just looming around her. Her mother was indeed a scary sight to be seen.
Hermione realized she scared her daughter. Rose was cowering back, with her shoulders risen high up, and her arms hugging herself. Rose's grey eyes changed into a frightened sad look. Hermione looked at the driver's mirror. The muggle driver was trying his best not to look at the rear mirror, but it was obvious that Hermione had scared the shit out of him.
Hermione frowned. This wasn't what she wanted to happen.
"Look… Rose, your father is not an easy topic I can easily divulge," Hermione admitted. Rose pouted, knowing she couldn't get any information on her father. Hermione noticed this and wanted to ease the tension.
"In the past, I did have a father," Hermione confessed.
Rose raised a brow, curiosity plastered on her face. As far as Rose knew, she had no grandparents.
"What… happened?" she timidly asked.
Hermione looked at the window, noticing they were reaching the airport.
"My father left me and has forgotten me. I'll never see him again in this lifetime."
~Break~
As Hermione's superior, Draco had forced Hermione to wait for him at the boarding gate. By no surprise, Draco was late. A half-hour later than they agreed upon.
Hermione furiously tapped her feet.
"Miss….. The plane is going to leave in 10 mi-"
"He'll come," interrupted Hermione.
It was true. Within a minute later, Draco arrived at the boarding, fashionably late as possible. He had decided to fashion a fine black muggle trench coat, made by nothing but the finest material of course. Hair gelled back, a sturdy suitcase in hand, he smiled at Hermione, causing her to roll her eyes. He handed their tickets to the lady, and she offered them inside and into first class.
She ushered Hermione to go first, Rose, and Malfoy.
"What a lovely family you have here, Mr. and Mrs.?"
"Malfoy," responded the Pureblood. The lady nodded, smiled, and then left.
Hermione's eyes widened, completely appalled by his response. How dare he set up such a ridiculous facade! With an arranged seating plan, too! Oh how she wanted to rip his blond hair off.
Rose, on the other hand, was confused. Family? Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy? What in Barney's name is going on? Last she checked, it was just her and mummy. Also, their last names are Granger, not "a toy" or whatever that man with the weird hair said.
Rose looked at her mother on the right. Her mother looked calm, but she knew she was silently talking to herself with a frantic look on her eyes. The man to her left smiled at her. His made smile made the girl rather uncomfortable. It was perfect… Too perfect.
Draco took Rose's hand and forcibly shook it. "Hello, my name is Mr. Malfoy, but you may call me Draco," he said.
Rose cocked a brow. What was with his name? "Dwaco? Why were you named after a Jewish toy?" she innocently asked.
Draco winced. "That's a dreidel."
Rose took her hand away from his grip. "You can stop holding my hand."
Draco bit his lip. This bastard was getting on his nerves. So much for first impressions, but Draco still pestered on. He reached inside his jacket and grabbed a white new teddy bear.
"Here, let me take your raggy bear from you and give you this," he offered, slowly trying to take Rose's bear from her.
Rose glared at him, with the same death glare he gave to others.
"I think not, Dreidel. I didn't even ask for your nasty bear. Keep it, and I'll keep mine," she haughtily replied.
Draco smiled at the girl, but he wanted to bring the filthy Half-blood to her place. Of course, what other way to destress himself than play with his prize?
With that in mind, he wanted to put a finger on Hermione's lips to shake her. As he reached for her face, Rose bit his finger.
"FUCK! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" he yelled. This snapped Hermione from her trance. She shot up and stood above her seat.
"I'll offer anyone $50 US for two people to sit here," she bartered. Hands flew up and she took the two farthest away from Draco. Exchanging seats, she and Rose sat there, Hermione taking comfort Draco would never have the balls to do that. Seriously, Draco would never sit on a muggle seat recently sat on not unless it was sanitized.
Hermione smiled.
~Break~
Hermione and Rose checked into their room. Malfoy scheduled a limo for them to get to their hotel, TRUMP hotels. Hermione rolled her eyes at how pompous Malfoy was. Luxury hadn't been a complete issue nor was it unfamiliar for her; her parents made an extremely comfortable living and now she herself was able to afford the same and more. Of course, overindulging is an issue itself, different to her situation.
Without taking any risks, she forced herself to sit between Rose and Malfoy. Although his occasional groping made her severely uncomfortable, her daughter was always a priority.
Rose ran into the hotel. "Look, mum! We're in New York!" she exclaimed while pointing at the window. They were in one of the luxury rooms, courtesy of Malfoy, which sees the entire skyline of Manhattan. Hermione was relieved that Malfoy reserved the room across from them, rather than rooming with them.
Hermione and Rose had a couple of hours before a scheduled dinner as Wizard Ambassadors of England. They've decided to do shopping in muggle New York. As Hermione was about to close their door behind them, Draco came out of his.
"Granger, I see you're going out? Might I ask, where?" he asked.
Hermione smiled. She had purposely chosen a muggle mall of all things in New York because she knew that Malfoy wouldn't tag alongside otherwise. The thought of being surrounded and overcrowded by muggles could shake Draco for days.
"A muggle mall!" her daughter excitingly exclaimed.
Draco was mortified. How could they suggest such an atrocious act? The mudblood, sure, but not from his rat bastard! He nodded and went back inside, not wanting to come.
With hand and hand, the Grangers walked down the hallways and headed for their destination.
~Break~
Hermione took a last look in the mirror. She and her daughter were heading out to the dining event. Hermione put her hair in an elegant French twist, while wearing a black halter dress, and light makeup. Her daughter had the same hairstyle, but only wearing a simple wrap dress.
"Mama, you're so pretty!" exclaimed Rose, eyes filled with admiration. In Rose's eyes, her mum was always the prettiest goddess, and only deserved the best. Today just amplified her beauty and Rose was just in awe.
Hermione smiled and kneeled down, extending her arms for Rose to hug her. Rose happily ran towards her and let her mother embrace her. Hermione then carried her daughter and held by her hips. She opened the door and by surprise, Draco appeared.
He looked at her from bottom to top, taking extra time to appreciate her cleavage. Hermione noticed his stares, and covered herself by shifting Rose around her.
"Change of plans, Granger. We'll be getting there by limo," he stated and pulled one of her arms to drag her by. Hermione's heart pumped intensely since her arms were supporting Rose from falling. Clutching Rose harder to her chest with her one arm, she felt slightly relieved. She'd rather let her arms be sore than let this monster touch her.
Rose blinked at her mother, surprised by the tightness in her arm.
The limo arrived, and the trio hopped in. Hermione, being overprotected, put both arms on Rose, as if trying to block her from Malfoy. Rose, on the other hand, felt suspicious by her mother's fierce grip on her. Her mother normally would let her have her space. Perhaps, Mr. Dreidel had a role in her mother's uneasiness.
The limo arrived at its location.
"You sure finely dressed people as yourselves should be arriving here?" the driver inquired. He eyed at the building. It was a dark alleyway, the ones people were warned never to enter, but there was a blue fire hydrant oddly placed in the middle.
Malfoy snorted. Filthy muggles shouldn't ever dare speak up to their superiors or even question. "Did I pay you to question me, muggle?" he spat then excused himself outside the car.
Hermione frowned.
"Please excuse him. He thinks highly of himself and the word "muggle" is a word he made up to express his dismay," Hermione seriously apologized.
The driver nodded.
"Lady, I have no idea why you're with him," he admitted. Although their time was quite short, he felt that the woman was far more human than her male partner.
'Believe me, it wasn't by choice'
Hermione thanked the driver and the two left the limo, catching up to Malfoy. They approached the hydrant, holding onto the hydrant. Malfoy tapped his foot in a distinct pattern, and the trio were teleported right in the hallway of a grand banquet hall.
"Mr. Malfoy! So good of you to arrive here with your family that I've been hearing about," a voice spoke. Hermione turned around and saw it was a wizard.
Draco smirked.
"Yes. This is my daughter, and her mother," he revealed.
Okay, I ended up updating quite quickly because of my lack of presence.
Wow, is Draco really "owning up" to his title as a "father" ?
Titling this chapter accordingly, I wanted to emphasize the general uncomfortable topic of this "father". A father figure is something Hermione had avoided mostly in this story, especially here. She even scolded her daughter for trying to find her other "parent". Hermione, herself, had daddy issues, seeing as her's had disowned her.
I emphasized Rose's character development in this chapter. As an OC, she needs to distinct herself from the background, and I thought it's time to get a glimpse on her idea of this "dad". I was trying to make her innocent, unaware of what was going on but not being completely ignorant. She has noticed her mother was overall uneasy with Malfoy and the topic of a dad, but isn't able to completely pin what's exactly going on. We can see that Rose didn't have an admirable first impression of Malfoy, but will this have any effect on the story?
Find out on the next chapter!
Btw, please review.