Chapter 20

Darkness Dawning

"That's it my angel girl! Walk to mamma!" Hermione chuckled happily at the 13 month old baby awkwardly waddling to her mother.
Upon reaching her mother's arms she laughed and flounced her chubby arms around Hermione's neck.
Somehow knowing she had just accomplished a big feat.
Hermione stood up with her daughter in her arms and swung her around.
"Beautiful angel girl! Now you can also walk with little Scorp." She blew raspberries in the girl's neck, causing the baby to squeal and trying to break free of her mother's arms.
As if on queue, a chubby identical looking toddler waddled over to them from their blanket under the snow covered tree. Hermione immediately bend to place Demetria on the snow cleared ground and picked up little Scorp, also swinging him around and giving him the same raspberries.
The trio then lay on the blanket, the two small toddlers climbing on their mother to ride her horsy style, or in this case, pretending she was a broom.
Their laughter rolling over the snow covered gardens, making the house elves smiling inside.

Hermione was glad, no Aurors were there anymore, after various sightings of the two convicts in America, it was decided that they just ran.
So she loved the freedom of their privacy the last three months. Everyone had relaxed after that finally.
Hermione had resigned from the ministry, she had found she could not bare leaving her children to be raised by nanny's etc.
So, Simmons was now head of her brainchild, she still assisted in advisory capacity though. But Simmons felt just as strong on her cause as she, and she had already laid all the groundwork, so she knew Simmons would do her proud.
And besides, she could pursue a career later, but her children's childhood will only be now.
Hermione became aware of an owl swooping down at her, she frowned but caught the letter it dropped before immediately flying off again.
Frowning she opened the parchment, the writing was printed in a formal sans.

Hermione Malfoy,

I herewith wish to invite you and our two children to a small family dinner.

Meet me with the twins at my office at 6 sharp.

Draco Malfoy

Hermione frowned at the formal printed invitation.
Odd, it wasn't how Draco would normally do something like this.
And calling her by name and last name? Also signing off by his name and last name?
Odd indeed. He always addresses her as 'heart' and signed off with 'love, DM'.
Very odd, she frowned deeper, maybe he did it on purpose?
A formal invitation for a formal surprise?
Hermione smiled slightly, it wouldn't be the first time he spiced things up by doing things opposite of how he usually would.
Glancing at her watch see saw it was three in the afternoon.
She had to get them ready!

At exactly 5:45 she aparated her and the cutely dressed up twins to Draco's office building.
She walked into the doors which were guarded by the night security and went into the lifts, the toddlers in their double stroller.
When the lifts opened on the top floor where Draco's offices were, she was a bit surprised to see them dark and obviously closed up for the night.
Frowning she strolled through the reception, a flick of her wand and the lights came on.
She walked to the double doors leading to Draco's office.
Upon opening it, she was greeted by darkness.
Hermione started feeling unease, suddenly she knew that this was not right.
Walking into the dark office with the stroller, she became aware of a presence there.
"Well well well... The Mudblood cleaned up nice with the Malfoy name and money."
Hermione gasped, light flooded the office and the double doors swing shut behind her.
Turning around, two men stood there, sneering at her as if she was filth.
"You!" She knew who they were, Dolohov and Yaxley.
"Yes, us. Thought we were in America you did, well we had to bid our time, with all the protection that was placed around you Malfoy scum!" The sneers only deepened.
Hermione felt fear clutching at her stomach, the two babies started to whimper, feeling the animosity in the room.
She tried to step in front of the stroller to shield them from view, futile of course.
"Don't try to hide the little mudblood brats! Not only had Malfoy betrayed the Dark Lord, he had also let the house of Malfoy be ruined by allowing you and that good for nothing son of his to breed those filth!"
Yaxley spat to the ground following his expletive, indicating his disgust.
Hermione was rooted, what must she do?
She glanced around her, behind her were the wall to wall Windows, but they were on the top floor, 20th floor to be exact.
Between her and the door stood the two convicts. She was trapped.
Little Demetria started to cry behind her, her mother instincts was in full protect mode now.
Hermione felt her wand in her dress hidden pocket. She subtly curled her fingers around her wand.
Hoping for the perfect opportunity to use it.
But the two convicts knew what she was thinking. They pointed their wands at her.
"Tut tut tut mudblood Malfoy. Don't want to have us harm you, who would then protect your little filth brats." Dolohov had a knowing grin on his face, holding out his free hand.
"Hand over that wand woman."
Hermione slowly took out her wand, her mind racing.
Hand over her wand and live for now, and play for time, hoping Draco got home by now and that the elves informed him of her whereabouts.
Or, Draco might have stopped at the Leaky Cauldron to meet up with the boys and would only be home very later, making it too late.
Or she tries her luck to distract the two men and get her and the two children out.
That let her wonder how the two men got in, the building was warded against aparation, and the Floo networks private.
The guard... Yes, it had to be the guard.
"Now mudblood, get those thoughts out your head. We will not think twice about killing you and your little filth brats." Hermione took a deep breath, maybe she should play for time and try to find out what exactly they had planned.
"What do you want Dolohov?"
"Petrificus Totalus." Hermione didn't even see it coming, her body stiffened, she knew Yaxley had muttered the spell.
Dolohov walked over to her with a sneer, he pulled her wand out of her clasped hand, and then he circled her.
Spitting in her face.
Both the babies were crying by now, suddenly a silencio was placed on them.
"Well well mudblood, let me answer you. I am taking you and your filth. By so doing, I'm hitting the Malfoy's where it hurts the most, all three of them. Family, blood." With that he levitated her, Yaxley then yanked both the babies out of the stroller. One in each arm he held them.
They then strolled out the office, Hermione levitating in front of them.
She could do nothing.
And for the first time in her life she felt a fear, a fear she had never felt before.
Fear for herself and fear for her baby angels.

They had just left the building, the traitorous guard even waving them off.
Hermione felt when they stepped out of the protective wards.
She knew now it was too late.
The thought had barely entered her mind and she heard shouting and running footsteps. The body bind curse left her body as Dolohov grabbed her arm to aparate them.
She turned and saw Harry and Ron with other Aurors running to them.
But no one was running as fast as her Draco.
For the briefest moment Hermione felt relief, but it was short lived.
Spells flew towards Dolohov and Yaxley, but they discarded them with ease.
Hermione tried pulling away but as she felt the tingle of magic coursing through her, she knew Dolohov was going to aparate them that moment.
The last thing she saw was Draco grabbing onto the closest part he could reach, which were little Scorpius's shoulder.
She felt a wave of relief when she saw Scorpius being released in the last seconds before the aparation took them. Knowing at least one of her children was saved.

Hermione's feet landed on hard wooden floorboards.
Looking around she saw she was in a dark room.
Yaxley and little Demetria were not with her.
A grunting laugh sounded behind her.
Then she was grabbed and flung into the floor into her stomach.
She felt a boot stepping on her back, pressing her into the floor hard.
The cold sneering voice of Dolohov reached her ears.
"Well little filth, now you are mine. Potter and Weasley and then young Malfoy... My my, you did do the rounds didn't you mudblood. Now I want to know what the fuss is about."