Six Weeks Later…
It had taken Draco just over two weeks to complete the renovations and refurnishing of the London townhouse, and Louisa had taken quickly to the idea of a second home. Lucius teased Hermione that his granddaughter clearly understood and embraced the many benefits of having been born into the Malfoy wealth. Hermione responded by volunteering, child in tow, at a local clinic that provided preventative healthcare services such as screenings, childhood immunizations, and family planning to underprivileged patients. She was determined that her daughter would be raised to be as generous of spirit as she could afford to be with her money. Draco's own efforts in this regard, as he continued to refine the plans for his not-for-profit restaurant, supported Hermione's position in both word and deed.
Louisa's relationship with her father had developed substantially, and Hermione found that the three of them were spending more time together than she had anticipated. During the earliest days of Draco's repatriation, Hermione had been present whenever father and daughter were together, in order to ease their transition into a relationship. Within just a couple of weeks, it had been clear that her presence was not strictly necessary, as Draco and Louisa had fairly quickly progressed into a strong bond. Because her work schedule as a newly-installed Mind Healer was demanding in both time and energy, however, Hermione found that it was both effective time management and, dare she think it, enjoyable to spend time as a quasi-family unit.
Draco had proved to be a capable, attentive, and loving parent, and she was relieved to find that tense moments for the two of them had been few and far between. On more than one occasion, the one-hour weekly meeting they'd agreed upon when deciding how they would co-parent had turned into three or four hours of conversation, and had occupied more than the prescribed one day per week. That many of these meetings took place once Louisa had been put to bet for the night and had, more often than not, been accompanied by dinner and a glass or two of wine had not escaped the notice of either Draco or his parents.
As comfortable as Louisa had become with her father, her mother was finding her own peaceful coexistence both more rapidly and more easily than she'd thought possible. The two young parents had found an amicable rhythm, and Hermione believed that she and Draco were on the way to forming a truly meaningful and deep friendship.
For his part, Draco had relished the time he and Louisa spent together, made that much sweeter when Hermione fully joined in whatever activity he had concocted to keep his bright and energetic daughter engaged. Although the attention span of a two-and-a-half-year-old was notoriously brief, Draco found that she had sufficient interests and curiosity that there was rarely an unwelcome lull. From reading books aloud to finger painting to stuffed unicorn races to the occasional post-brunch pony ride at the Manor, there was ever a dull moment.
When Louisa would finally succumb to her need for a nap, Draco enjoyed preparing meals for the two – or three – of them. His experience in catering to the young palettes of the Roy children had made it easy for him to adapt to Louisa's needs, with just a few hints from Hermione about her specific preferences. He had been prouder than a peacock when Hermione had raved over the first meal he'd prepared for them once he'd settled in to his new, if temporary, home. When, near the end of the meal, she'd said, "Wow, this is sure as heck not Spam!" he had flushed bright red with an incongruous combination of pride at her praise and humiliation at the reminder of how they'd come to be in their current circumstance. That had quickly faded when she'd added, "Draco, if you're going to feed me like this often, I'm going to need to visit a seamstress to let out all of my clothes!" It had seemed like a forward-looking thing to say, and he'd taken it as an expression of an intention that they continue to spend time together.
They had established a fairly regular pattern of visits and, when either practical or necessary, sleepovers for Louisa. Nearly every time, Hermione had also stayed, still concerned that Louisa might feel unsettled if she awoke to find her mother not there. To this point, each of these visits had been planned at least a couple of days in advance, in deference to Hermione's schedule at St. Mungo's and Draco's work and research in finding a suitable location for the restaurant. Something a little more spontaneous happened on the weekend of Saturday, May 13th, however, when Louisa awoke in her bedroom at Malfoy Manor insisting to see Papa Drake, "Now!"
The plan for the weekend had been for Draco to collect Louis at the Manor around three that afternoon; Hermione would likely follow an hour or so later, after her work shift. The three would have dinner together, then Hermione and Louisa would return to the Manor to sleep. Draco would join them late Sunday morning for the family's weekly brunch.
Louisa's tantrum, however, would not be assuaged, no matter how many promises were made that she would see her father later in the day. No amount of cajoling, distracting, scolding, or pleading dissuaded the toddler from her mission. Since Hermione was scheduled to work from eight that morning until four p.m., she was unable to bring Louisa to see her father, much less spend the day with the two of them. As the grandmother clock in Louisa's nursery chimed half past seven, Hermione knew that she'd have to make a decision and act on it quickly.
Her choices were limited: she could give Louisa a tiny dose of calming draught and put her back to bed; she could leave it to Narcissa and Lucius to deal with; or she could call Draco and gain his help in managing the situation, even though it would be "giving in" to the child's tantrum. None of the solutions were ideal. She hated the idea of resorting to effectively drugging her child to manage naughty behavior, though there were hundreds of parents in the wizarding world who had used that remedy for centuries. No, she thought, that will not be me.
It wasn't fair to Lucius and Narcissa, either, to dump an inconsolable and demanding child in their laps. Besides that, Hermione considered, it was highly likely that the two of them would conclude, as she now admitted to herself that she was close to doing, that allowing the child to see her papa was probably not a horrible solution. The logistics, however, were decidedly up in the air. Not being intimately aware of Draco's daily schedule, Hermione had no idea whether he was home or available, either at that moment or for the balance of the day until their planned meeting several hours later. Sighing with frustration, she decided that there was only one way to find out.
Digging her cell phone out of the bag she'd already slung over her shoulder, she pressed the speed dial key that corresponded to Draco's number. In two rings, he answered.
"What's wrong?" he demanded.
"Why would you think anything is wrong?" she challenged.
"Because you don't call me with no reason at half past seven in the morning. Thus, there must be a problem," he concluded.
She sighed loudly into the phone. "Okay, smarty pants, there is a little problem, but nothing to get yourself into a twist over." She paused for a moment to consider how to phrase her request. In the brief silence, she swore she could hear the rustle of clothes being donned through the connection. An unmistakable "zip" confirmed her suspicion and made her blush at the thought that she'd caught him, literally, with his pants down. She started again, "Louisa woke up this morning demanding to see you, and nothing I've been able to do has calmed her down. Are you available to come over for at least a few minutes to see if you can settle her?"
Draco was quiet for a moment, taking a second to cherish the thought that his daughter was so anxious to see him and that Hermione had trusted him enough to ask for his help. Realizing that Hermione was waiting for his answer, he cleared his thoughts and replied, "My calendar is free today; I'll be there in five minutes."
Hermione gushed a grateful "Thank you" into the phone and broke the connection.
Less than three minutes later, Draco rounded the corner of the wing containing his daughter's nursery at nearly full speed. Hermione, hearing his heavy footfalls, exited the room to intercept him, intent on a quick private conversation before he saw Louisa.
The blind corner being what it was, the two narrowly avoided a painful collision, Draco reaching out reflexively to steady Hermione as she threatened to lose her balance in the near-miss.
"Oh, sorry!"
"No – thanks – I'm fine."
Draco, realizing that he still grasped Hermione's arms, released his grip quickly, as though he'd been shocked by static. "Sorry, I, uh, didn't mean to, uh…"
Amused by his embarrassed stammering, she reached up and squeezed his shoulder. "Relax, Draco, No harm, no foul!"
He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, the tell-tale sign that he was either nervous or anxious. "So, I understand that our little miss was asking for me and causing you grief. What do you need me to do?"
"Well, I've got to get to the hospital by eight and she'd having a total melt-down. She'd been asking for you and she won't take 'no' for an answer. Can you spend some time with her?" Hermione pleaded, barely taking time for a breath.
Draco did his very best to contain the broad grin that begged to break free, and was only marginally successful. "I'd be absolutely delighted to spend the day with her, Hermione. I don't have any obligations for now, so it's no issue at all."
"You don't need to spend the whole day if you have other things you need to do, Draco. Just long enough to get her settled down – and to see if you can decipher if there's something specific that she actually wants other than your company," she finished.
"No, really, my day is hers," Draco protested, not wanting the opportunity to slip through his fingers. "Besides, we were going to meet around three, anyway, for our weekly visit," he rationalized.
"Whatever you think is best," she allowed. "You can stay with her here, if it's easier. Call me later if you need anything. I'm done at four, so call me on my cell and let me know if I'm to meet you here or at the townhouse," she called over her shoulder as she raced down the hall to make her Floo connection by 7:55. Her "thank you!" echoed as she turned the corner and disappeared from his view.
Draco shook his head, then turned on his heel to intercept his recalcitrant daughter. As he opened the door to the nursery, he encountered his own mother, bouncing the crying tot in her lap and whispering into her ear.
Upon seeing her son enter, Draco heard her say, "See, here's Papa now."
"Papa!" Louisa's call was half sob and half shriek. She extended her arms to him in a plea to be held.
Draco crossed the room in two long strides and gathered Louisa into his arms. "Papa's here, baby girl. Shh, now." He bounced her lightly and rubbed soothing circles on her back. He cuddled her close for a few moments, dropping kisses on her blonde curls, until she calmed enough for him to ask a question or two to try to understand what had her in such a state.
"Now, little one, will you tell Papa why you wanted to see me so urgently?" he prompted.
"Scary monsters, Papa. Make them go," she pleaded with teary eyes and a trembling lip.
"Well, Papa is happy to chase away any monsters for you, sweetheart, but Mummy and Mémère and Pépère could to that, too," he told her.
"No, Papa. Want you to do it. Only you," she stated firmly, clearly brooking no arguments. He thought in that moment that she'd definitely inherited her mother's Gryffindor stubbornness.
Draco hid his satisfied smile at the massive stroke to his emotional ego and sighed with feigned exasperation. "In that case, you need to tell me what kind of monsters and where they are so that I can use the right spells to make sure they don't come back," he said with as much gravitas as he could muster.
Gathering as much dignity as a toddler could manage, Louisa stiffened slightly in Draco's arms and lifted her head from his chest to make eye contact. "Bed, Papa. Green monsters with bazillion arms," she informed him with an intensity he could scarcely believe was available to one so young. The phrase "old soul" came immediately to mind.
Peering at her with a parody of confusion, he decided to play along. "Were they under the bed or in the bed?" he asked.
"Under, Papa," came the fervent reply, accompanied by enthusiastic nodding and blonde curls bobbing.
"I see. Hmmm." He tapped his chin as though in deep thought. "That's actually a good thing, my darling," he pronounced.
She looked at him with great skepticism. "How come?"
"Because if they were green, then they are Spring Huggers. They come in from outside during this time of year to let good little girls and boys know that the flowers will be blooming very soon. They have all those arms to be able to give lots and lots of hugs," he explained in what he thought was one of the most creative fabrications any parent had ever conjured. The muffled laughter coming from his mother on the other side of the room told him that he probably wasn't too far off in his self-congratulatory assessment.
"Papa sure?" Louisa pressed.
Draco nodded emphatically. "Papa is positive. Absolutely nothing to be frightened of. Next time you see them, just give them a big smile and a hug, and then they'll know that they can go find another new friend."
Louisa's sigh of relief of utterly comical. "Okay, Papa. I give hugs and they go away."
"You've got it, munchkin," he confirmed. "No reason to be scared at all. Now, how about we get you dressed and fed some breakfast?" he offered. "Would you like Papa to make some waffles for you?"
With a hearty vote of agreement, Louisa consented to be handed over to her grandmother to be washed and dressed, and Draco made his way to the kitchens to make good on his promise of homemade waffles for everyone.
Ninety minutes later, with all bellies full and monster fears vanished, Draco had to decide how to proceed with the rest of the day. He was thrilled by the prospect of spending the entire day in quality time with his daughter; they'd thus far had few opportunities to have such an extended period of private bonding time. Although, he couldn't dispute, the fact that she had so vehemently required his presence his this morning boded well for the progress of their relationship.
He'd begin to feel that Hermione had developed sufficient trust in him that she had no hesitancy about the time he spent with Louisa, regardless of her own presence. More than that, he was gratified that Hermione seemed to have relaxed significantly in his company, talking with him easily on a wide range of topics and at great length. He would never deliberately exclude her from the time he spent with Louisa, but there was something just as special as time alone getting to know the only child he was likely to have. His one out-of-reach wish was for similar quality time with the oblivious target of his affections. While the time they spent together was growing, finally progressing beyond discussing Louisa's immediate needs was a bit of headway that they'd only begun to breach.
He recalled that Lucius had told him days earlier that he'd overheard Hermione telling Luna Potter that she'd rejected the offer of a "coffee date" from a co-worker at St. Mungo's, saying that she had enough in her life at the moment without adding the complication of a romantic entanglement. This new was both welcome and troubling. On the one hand, while there may have been some competition for Hermione's attention, she had, apparently, rejected her suitor's offer quite firmly. That meant there was one less outside influence for him to worry over. On the other hand, she'd also indicated that she wasn't eager to begin any romantic relationship. In light of this, Draco decided that his father's counsel about approaching their relationship from the angle of respect and reliability was not the worst place for him to be.
His ruminations, however, still left him with an undecided issue: how to handle the remainder of the day with Louisa. It was now just after half ten and it would be about six hours before Hermione would be able to join them for the visit that had already been planned.
From a purely practical perspective, six hours was a very long time to spend with a child who was so young and with whom a relationship was still in its fairly early stages. It was also an incredible opportunity to further build their connection and to demonstrate his reliability and trustworthiness to Hermione. Recognizing that an hour or so would be occupied by the spectacle of lunch and another two hours would be spent in nap time, Draco calculated that he'd really only have about three hours with his little girl. That, he now thought, didn't seem like nearly enough time. Once Hermione arrived, they'd begin to prepare dinner and the dynamic would shift.
Finally, Draco concluded that he also needed to prove to himself that he was capable of exercising his parenting skills without the safety net of Hermione's watchful presence. In the unlikely event that he encountered any issues, he could call his mother on her cell for a bit of guidance or advice.
"Mother, I'll be taking Louisa back to the townhouse with me," Draco announced. "Would you know where Hermione keeps Louisa's day bag so I can pack a few necessities for her?"
Narcissa demonstrated in that moment that Draco's well-known adolescent smirk had been inherited from her. "Of course, darling. It's in the top shelf of the walk-in, on the right side. Would you like me to help you find anything?" she offered.
He shook his head. "No, I think I know where everything else is kept. I have duplicates of all her toiletry needs at the townhouse, so I'll only need a change of clothes, a pajama for later, and her stuffed unicorn. She has books, puzzles, and dolls in her room there, too."
It took only fifteen minutes for Draco to finish gathering what they'd need for the day, and to say all of the necessary goodbyes for an extended absence. (Louisa insisted on making her farewells to each of the seven house-elves who were employed at the Manor; her mother would have been proud.) A short Floo ride later, father and daughter embarked upon what Louisa would later tell Hermione was, "the best day ever!"
When Hermione's work shift ended at just after four o'clock, she'd still not had a single opportunity to touch base with either Draco or his parents. Since the high concentration of magic in and around St. Mungo's – much of it aberrant energy due to illness and injury – made the use of her cell phone impossible, she'd not even had an opportunity to check for any messages they may have left. She grabbed her bag and the light jacket she'd worn to ward off the early morning chill, and walked three blocks from the hospital to allow her phone to work without interference. It would have made no sense to use the Floo Network inside the hospital since she had no idea where she needed to be.
Her phone lit up with notifications of two voicemail messages and one text. The first voicemail was from Narcissa, telling her that all was well, and that Draco had calmed Louisa and fed her breakfast. That had come just after nine. The second message was from Draco, telling her that he'd decided to bring Louisa to the townhouse for the day and to call when she was ready to head over after work. The text message, also from Draco, reaffirmed the voice message he'd left: "Louisa w me at tnhs."
She laughed aloud; Draco had fully embraced the technical revolution into his life. She replied to his text: "Thx – b rt there."
Deciding that Apparating was probably quicker than walking the three blocks back to St. Mungo's Floo connections, she pocketed her phone and grasped her wand. It was just a half-minute later that she appeared with a slight pop in the townhouse's foyer. She stowed her jacket and shoulder bag on the coat rack and went in search of her daughter and her… friend.
"Draco, I'm here," she announced, heading for the kitchen where she'd thought she'd heard some activity.
Confirming her suspicion, he replied, "In here, Hermione."
She entered the kitchen to find him preparing a pot of tea.
"I got your text. Would you like some?" he offered, indicating the tea service on the counter with a nod.
She smiled gratefully. "I'd love a cup." Hermione dropped wearily onto one of the six ladder-back chairs that surrounded the round wooden table in the breakfast nook. "Where's the munchkin? Is she napping?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, but she should be waking up fairly soon. She's already been sleeping for about an hour and a half. We played unicorn races this afternoon and she got pretty knackered," he answered with a chuckle. "We probably have a half hour before she's up, though."
"Terrific. Sounds like you had fun." Pausing for a moment, she hesitantly added, "Would you have anything I could snack on? I was so busy that I never got lunch."
Draco looked at her with concern. "I'm sure I can rustle something up for you, but you need to take better care of yourself," he admonished.
"I know, and I usually do. It was just one of those days," she answered.
He made a sound of acknowledgment and turned to pull open the door of the refrigerator. "Any preference? I could make you a Panini or an omelet. I've also got fruit and cheese."
"Surprise me – something light, though."
"Yeah – I was thinking that you were staying for dinner, so I made some fresh pasta for later. Thought I'd do a salad and fettuccini with shrimp for us, and with chicken for Louisa, if that's all right with you," he told her, his expression hopeful that the idea would meet with her approval.
She groaned, but it was a sound of pleasure. "That sounds absolutely fabulous. If that's the plan, just some fruit or cheese for now. I don't want to spoil my appetite for dinner."
Peering into the bins inside the refrigerator, Draco pulled out a pear, a honey-crisp apple, and a block of aged cheddar. He made quick work of slicing the fruit and arranging it on a small plate with a chunk of the sharp cheese and a handful of wafer crackers. With a flourish, he garnished the plate with a sprig of fresh mint and presented it to Hermione, setting it beside the mug of tea she'd already begun to sip.
"Thank you, Draco. That's perfect!" she complimented. Pushing the plate slightly away from herself, she offered, "Take some, if you want. I probably won't finish all of this."
Reaching over, he selected one slice of pear and a small piece of cheese. "That'll do," he stated. "We had a fairly late breakfast and I didn't eat lunch until after I set Louisa down for her nap." He smiled at her, enjoying their brief moment of the tiniest bit of intimacy.
"So, what did the two of you find to do all day?" Hermione asked lightly.
"We read, did puzzles, spent some time in the garden," he recounted. He grinned in recollection. "She wanted to cuddle for a while before her nap, so we did that, too."
Hermione smiled back at him. "It sounds to me like the two of you had a wonderful day." She sighed deeply. "I wish I could have been with you, but it's nice that you had some private time, too. I think you're becoming a great dad, Draco. She's so happy and comfortable with you."
Draco beamed with pride at her praise, but didn't fail to notice the dark cloud that had descended upon her features. "What's wrong?" he probed.
Hermione shook her head, but wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm really sorry, Draco," she whispered hoarsely.
Drawing his forehead into a frown of confusion, he asked the obvious question, "What do you have to be sorry for?"
"For keeping her from you. The more I see the two of you together, the clearer it is to me how wrong I was. I hope that you'll be able to forgive me for that someday."
Draco snorted and barked out a laugh. "Oh please, Hermione, give it a rest. You've forgiven me, and I've forgiven you. I think, Miss Mind Healer, that the two of us would be better served if we could each forgive ourselves and stop the self-flagellation." He reached over and patted her hand as it rested on the table. "I propose that we just relax, have a nice dinner and a glass of wine, and amuse ourselves for the next couple of hours with our daughter's antics. Whaddaya say, Granger?" He winked at her. "Chill," he teased.
"'Chill'?" she mocked. "There's no doubt that you were hanging out in America for far too long, Malfoy!"
The heavy mood, however, had been broken and the pair traded smiles tinged with both embarrassment and relief.
"So what can I do to help you get dinner prepared?" Hermione offered.
"I've done most of the prep work while Louisa's been napping, but you could help me prep the salad, if you want. I was thinking, though, that if you were tired and want to rest a bit, I can put it together in a flash," he replied.
Hermione's eyes went wide for a moment. She hadn't taken a nap in months upon months, and the idea that Draco had just planted in her head was indisputably enticing. Just an hour would do her a world of good, she thought. "Really? You wouldn't mind if I grabbed a quick kip?"
"Not one bit," he acknowledged. "Louisa's still sleeping and I've got dinner well under control. Go ahead; I'll come knock on your door in an hour or so. I'm sure there will be a little blonde kid who'll be eager to see you by then, too."
Hermione rose from her chair, reaching over to squeeze his forearm. "Bless you and the ground on which you walk, Draco Malfoy! I think I'm going to do just that. I'll see you in about an hour, then."
Upon rousing without Draco's pending wake-up call, Hermione sat up in her bed, propping against the headboard with a pile of luxurious pillows. She was feeling slightly unsettled as she recalled the dream that had brought her to full consciousness.
The content of her dream hadn't been troubling. In fact, quite the contrary was true. It was the fact that it wasn't disturbing to her that had surprised her so much. She tried to rationalize it as reflective of the growing number and type of interactions that the three of them had already experienced. She couldn't, however, deny that her dream had prominently featured her daughter's physically appealing father as more than just the little girl's doting papa. He'd been a full partner to her, as well, fondly draping his arm over her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug, even planting unassuming and familiar kisses on her cheek and forehead. What had been most surprising of all is that her dream-self had clearly not minded the attention at all – had, in fact, seemed to welcome and reciprocate it.
Mumbling to herself, Hermione posed the obvious question: "What in Merlin's good name does that mean?" She decided to chalk it up to the way she interacted on a physical level with her closest male friends. She and Harry had been known to stroll with their hands intertwined, and Neville dropped kisses on her curly-haired head with great regularity. Yes, she concluded, it was nothing more than her subconscious recognizing Draco as a good and trusted friend, a status toward which they'd been steadily treading for several weeks. The one nagging retort from the deepest recesses of her mind, however, noted that she rarely attached any thoughts about "attractiveness" to any of her other male friends, and that had undeniably been among the first thoughts that had come to the fore as she recalled and processed her dream.
Further internal debate was halted when Hermione heard a tiny knock on her door, and the low rumble of a man's voice in a stage whisper, obviously coaching his daughter.
"Mummy, time to wake up!" she heard Louisa announce at her full volume.
This brought an immediate smile to her face and she issued the invitation to enter. "Come on in, sweetie. Mummy's awake."
The doorknob turned easily and Louisa bounded into the room, leaping at full speed to join her mother on the large, down-covered bed. "Missed you, Mummy," Louisa pronounced while leaning in to plant kisses all over her mother's face. They were quickly returned.
"That's quite a kiss fest," Draco observed from his spot leaning against the doorframe.
"Hi," Hermione greeted, with a smile that she hoped didn't show the sudden wave of shyness that swept over her. When she noticed that Draco was carrying a tray, she asked, "What's that? And what are you doing over there?"
He flushed slightly. "It's just a little appetizer I pulled together before we have dinner, and I, uh, didn't want to presume that your invitation included me."
"Don't be silly; of course it did," she retorted. "Come in and show me what you've got."
He entered and set the tray on the low table in her seating area. "It's warm roasted pancetta with goat cheese, sliced pear, and a spring of fresh thyme. Dinner will be ready in about forty-five minutes, but since I was getting a little peckish, I thought you might be, too." As she rose from the bed to meet him, he presented her with one of the small plates and a linen napkin. "Try it; I think you'll like it."
Accepting the plate with a smile and nod, Hermione took a bite of the aromatic starter, and stopped in mid-chew, her eyes going wide. Placing a hand over her lips, she broke her own rule of never speaking with her mouth full. "Oh my gods, Draco, this is incredible!" she enthused.
Draco's ear-to-ear grin lit up his face and Hermione blushed as she realized that the expression he was wearing was exactly the one she'd remembered from her dream – the one that had caused her to attach the adjective "attractive" to the young man now basking in her praise and approval.
"I'm glad you like it," he returned. "It's probably a bit sophisticated for the munchkin, though, so I just made a couple of pear slices with a tiny bit of goat cheese for her. She's had it before," he noted, "and it won't spoil her dinner."
As Hermione finished the wonderful treat, Draco sat and pulled Louisa onto his lap, handing her one of the small pear slices and supervising to make sure she didn't make a mess.
Hermione watched the pair closely, the scene demonstrating again how truly comfortable Draco and Louisa had become with each other. His attentiveness and tenderness with the girl spoke volumes about his feelings for her. Hermione could readily admit that he'd taken to the role of "Papa" with full commitment.
Their dinner less than an hour later was a scene that could have played out at any one of millions of other tables all across England – a young mother feeding bits of pasta and chicken to her toddler, a father chuckling as his little girl's face became covered in cheese sauce, using his own napkin to clean her off, a sweet child giggling at the funny faces both parents made to entertain her.
The one unusual event came a bit later, once dinner dishes had been washed and put away, and apple tartlets consumed for dessert. Hermione had taken Louisa upstairs to her room to change her into pajamas in preparation for their return to Malfoy Manor, and the process had gone without a hitch until Hermione began to pack up Louisa's day bag.
"No, Mummy. Stay here!" Louisa demanded, going so far as to twist out of her mother's hold and run to her bed, ignoring the step stool in favor of attempting to climb in without assistance and succeeding only in getting herself tangled up in the bedclothes.
Focused mostly on her goal and not on the dynamics of the situation, Hermione freed Louisa from her cloth-bound predicament and set her on her feet. "No, sweetie, we have to get home so we can both go to bed," she admonished.
Louisa became uncharacteristically stubborn, crossing her arms, pouting, and stomping her foot. While the child was not immune to periodic fits of the "terrible twos," she was usually quite good-natured and compliant, this morning's tantrum one of few examples to the contrary. Thus, Hermione was a bit taken aback when her daughter turned and ran from the room, screaming at the top of her lungs for "Papa."
Hearing the commotion, Draco quickly made his way up the stairs and scooped up the wailing child. "What's the problem, pumpkin?" he inquired, searching for any evidence of a boo-boo that might have set her off.
Hermione emerged from Louisa's room a moment later, sighing in relief that Draco had snapped the child up before she'd made the attempt to dash down the stairs, a feat that was still a challenge for her little legs and inconsistent balance.
"She doesn't want to go home to go to bed," Hermione answered on Louisa's behalf. The sobs and hiccoughs would have made a response unintelligible, in any case.
Draco peered over Louisa's head, lifting an eyebrow in question of a more specific explanation. At Hermione's shrug, he refocused on the toddler and spoke to her softly, "You know, sweetheart, Papa's having a hard time understanding you through all those tears. How about you take a big, deep breath and stop for just a minute so that you can tell me what you want?"
Hearing his soothing and reasonable tone, she calmed slightly and started by trying to dry her eyes and nose on her pajama sleeve. Her ever-prepared Papa, however, forestalled her by producing a fresh linen handkerchief from his pocket, holding it so that she could blow her nose, just as they'd practiced when she'd had a bit of the sniffles a few weeks earlier.
"Good girl," he praised. "Now, tell Papa and Mummy what's wrong."
Though the hiccoughs hadn't quite subsided, Louisa attempted to make herself understood. "Mummy said we go home. I want this home," she emphatically stated. "Stay here with Papa."
While Draco's heart swelled to the point of bursting, Hermione was only a bit surprised at how well she'd articulated her thoughts and feelings on the topic. Louisa's wish to stay with Draco was a natural and predictable result of the state of progression of their growing relationship. She reminded herself that it was not a rejection of her but an expression of the girl's genuine need to continue to build her bond with her newly-found father.
Making eye contact with Draco, Hermione tried to convey that, while she didn't have any specific objections, they'd need to be careful about setting precedent and giving in to naughty behavior. It seemed that her message had been received and understood when Draco nodded, then spoke to their child.
"Well, as much as I would love to have you here, Mummy and I will need to discuss this together and decide whether it's okay to do this tonight, or if it will need to wait for another night. If you're a really good girl for a few minutes, and go play with Penelope in your room, Mummy and I will let you know what we decide. Okay?" he asked, seeking her agreement.
The tiny voice echoed his word, and he handed her off to Hermione so that she could settle her back in her room for a short while. When she returned, Draco suggested that they use their shared sitting room for a moment of private conversation. He opened the door for her and allowed her to pass into the quiet space ahead of him.
"Wow – that was unexpected."
"Yeah, I know."
"So how do we handle this?"
"Fuck all if I know, Hermione. I've only been a parent for a few weeks."
"What do your instincts tell you?"
"My brain tells me that we shouldn't let her get away with making these kinds of demands. My heart says, 'Are you nuts? She wants to stay, so let her.'"
"Yeah, me too."
"Are there any major logistics issues if she were to stay?"
"None that I can think of, other than the regular Sunday brunch tomorrow."
"Yeah, my parents are pretty adamant that we spend time together as an entire family."
Pausing for a moment before she replied, Hermione then asked, "You haven't had them here, yet, have you?"
"Not yet. Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"
"If you're thinking that maybe the solution would be to host Sunday brunch here instead of going to the Manor, then, yes. I'd be more than happy to help. I'd bet that your mother would even offer the help of a house-elf for the day."
"Hermione, I've cooked for a hundred people at a time; I think I can easily handle brunch for four and a half," he scoffed.
"Well, it could kill multiple proverbial birds with one stone. Louisa and I would stay over, I'll help you in the morning, and you can have a mini-housewarming while your parents still get family time."
"Put that way, it sounds like a win-win scenario. But, how do we set it up so that it doesn't appear that we're just giving in to Louisa's tantrum?"
"That part is fairly simple, I think. She's smart enough to recognize that plans change now and then, so we'll just have to make this sound like it happens to fit what we want to do as much as it meets her needs."
"Okay, I'm game if you are."
"Done." Hermione instinctively stuck out her hand in a move to "shake" on their agreement.
Without hesitation, Draco took her hand in his and gave it a quick squeeze – more affectionate than business-like, but not enough so as to be uncomfortable.
"Let's go tell her."
"Perfect. Then, I'm going to want you to make good on your promise for another glass of wine. I'm all for a little relaxation about now."
"As milady wishes," he answered, bowing at the waist with a broad flourish of his arm.
As she walked past him toward Louisa's room, she lightly backhanded his shoulder. "Goofball."
Louisa had been ecstatic, needless to say, but it wasn't more than an hour later that she was ready for bed, her day having been especially active even for a spirited two-year-old. Draco and Hermione had tucked her in together, taking turns giving her the required hugs, kisses, and wishes for sweet dreams.
Hermione had momentarily retired to her own bedroom, scrounging up a set of track pants and a light flannel hoodie that she'd left behind on a previous visit. Twisting her hair into a quick bun, she joined Draco in the shared sitting room once again, this time curling up into the corner of the tan sofa. Having also changed into comfier clothing, Draco returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses, which he set on the end table in easy reach.
He poured for both of them, then handed her one of the glasses. "Do you want a snack of any sort?"
Hermione laughed. "Gods, no, I've had enough food tonight to keep me satisfied for a week, I swear!"
Draco smiled in response. "I do like to feed people, I guess."
"And you're quite good at it, too," she complimented sincerely.
"Thank you. I do think it's easier to be good at something if you enjoy it."
Hermione raised her glass in a silent salute of agreement, then took a sip. "Have you talked to your parents yet about tomorrow's change in plans?"
"Yes, while you were changing, I called Mum on her mobile. She seemed to like the idea and said they'd be here around eleven. Don't let me forget to open the Floo for them," he requested.
"Oh, did you shut it down for the night already?"
"Yeah, I did. Why? Did you need to go somewhere?"
"Not urgently. I just thought I might pop over for a few minutes to grab something to wear for tonight and tomorrow."
"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't even think of that. You should leave a few things here for these kinds of unexpected stays, maybe."
"While I don't want to encourage Louisa to use that kind of emotional blackmail, I suppose that it's only natural for her to want to spend more time with you. I anticipate that means that we'll probably be spending a few more overnights here, although I suppose there may be times when she will stay with you on her own. So, that's a long way of saying that I agree with you. For tonight, I'll just try to find something to transfigure, and I think I can pull together some kind of suitable outfit for tomorrow."
"Are you sure? I can re-open it in a jiffy," he offered.
"Thanks, but it'll be fine. I've decided that I'm entirely too comfortable and quite pleasantly buzzed to attempt either using the Floo or Apparating," she confessed.
"If you need something to sleep in, I'm sure I could find an old jersey you could wear," Draco suggested, and in short order regretted opening his mouth. How could I be so stupid, he chided, to offer something so intimate? Thus, he was stunned when Hermione apparently seized upon his gesture.
"That's actually a great idea, if you don't mind. I've got a dressing robe, but the only thing I could easily change would be the blouse that I wore today, and I'll need to repurpose that for tomorrow. Thanks, Draco. That saves me a bit of trouble," she said.
"Uh, good. No problem. Let me get something for you now, then, before we both get too comfortable to want to move." He rose to search his dresser for something that would be appropriate, and returned a few moments later with a Salem Slayers Quidditch jersey that his father had purchased for him during one of their visits.
"This is something I've only worn a couple of times, and it should be long enough to, uh, cover…" he trailed off, not wanting to complete the thought that could only get him into trouble.
Hermione twisted her lips into a smirk worthy of Draco himself and accepted the garment from his outstretched hand. "It'll be perfect. If I had to transfigure this top, I'd have been way too warm. This is a much lighter fabric. Thanks." She decided to spare both of them any further embarrassment. As she bunched up the jersey in her lap, she noted that it did seem to carry a hint of the scent that Draco typically wore. Since the jersey seemed to have been freshly laundered, it was probably carry-over from other things that he'd worn and stored in the same drawer. It was a pleasant fragrance, but she prayed that the idea wouldn't plague her throughout the night, particularly considering the dream to which her subconscious had repeatedly returned throughout the evening.
"Do you have any preference for brunch tomorrow?" Draco wondered.
"Not particularly. I'm not sure what you have available, but I'm certain that you'll be able to create a wonderful meal with whatever you've got," she responded.
"The pantry and fridge are pretty well stocked, so there are plenty of options. I was thinking about a vegetable quiche or frittata, maybe a roast loin of pork and roasted potatoes. Possibly an apple and pear crumble for something sweet."
"That all sounds fabulous, but you might want to add some pancakes or waffles for Louisa. She's sometimes a little picky about too many vegetables with her eggs."
"Good point. I know she's eaten quiche before, but you're right about the veggie angle," he observed. "I'll do pancakes, I think, with a few bangers. That's easy to do ahead and keep warm."
"Perfect – and she can have a little cereal when she gets up so she won't be too cranky," Hermione recommended.
"I think we have a plan, Miss Granger," he agreed with a smile, leaning over to tap his glass against hers.
Another two glasses of wine apiece, nine shifts of topic, and three hours later, Hermione could no longer stifle the yawns that were the evidence of her building fatigue. "As delightful as this conversation has been," she began, "I'm afraid that I'm fading fast." Glancing at the display on her cellphone, she noted, "No wonder I can't keep my eyes open. It's nearly midnight!"
"Well, we can't have you turning into a squash, now, so I guess it is bedtime for you," Draco needled.
"That's a pumpkin," she corrected automatically.
"And a pumpkin is, in fact, part of the squash family. I learned these things, you see!"
She chuckled. "You have a point there!" She rose and stretched her arms over her head. "Good night, Draco. See you in the morning." Without waiting for further commentary, she made her way into her private sanctuary, hearing him echo her sentiment as she closed the door behind her.
In his own private room on the opposite side of the suite, Draco sat on the edge of his bed and peeled off the thick cotton socks he'd worn, tossing them into the laundry basket just inside the bathroom door. He flopped backwards, his knees bending over the edge of the mattress, feet just barely brushing the floor due to the significant loft of the thick bedding and his arms flung back above his head. He sighed deeply, the sentiment behind it a rich and confusing mixture of contentment and frustration. He was thrilled with several of the developments over the last couple of weeks in his relationships with his daughter and her mother. He was ecstatic, in particular, that Louisa had been so anxious to spend time with him, although, he had to admit, he wasn't especially happy about the tantrum part. "Comes with the territory, I guess," he muttered aloud in recognition of the fact that the emotional melt-down she'd had was pretty typical of children her age.
Rolling over onto his stomach and drawing his arms under to rest his head upon them, he recalled the great fun they'd had throughout the day, and how wonderful it had felt to experience what he imagined a normal dad might. Having two days in a row with her was going to spoil him. He was so thankful that Hermione hadn't objected to them spending the unplanned overnight visit. She'd really been wonderful about ensuring that he and Louisa were allowed as much time together as he wished. The fact that she typically accompanied them was no hardship in his opinion.
During the last two or three weeks, in particular, he felt like the two of them had reached a good spot in their own relationship. While it certainly wasn't as much as he wished for, it was more than he'd expected at this stage. If pressed, though, he'd have to admit that there were some stresses on his emotions and behavior. He'd had to mentally restrain himself more times than he could count from taking her hand, putting an arm around her, or leaning in to kiss her when she sat so close to him. He thought he'd been appropriately congenial without exposing his deeper feelings, but there had been a time or two when he might have been caught gazing at her a little too long or with something that could be interpreted as wistfulness in his expression.
He felt like he was walking a tightrope in his relationship with Hermione. His recent conversation with Kate Roy had allowed him to speak it aloud, relieving some of the pressure, but it wasn't something likely to disappear any time soon…
"I feel like we're getting emotionally closer, in the process of parenting Louisa together," he'd confessed, "but it's almost worse to be so near and not be able to show her or tell her how I'm feeling. At least when I was in Salem, there was no expectation that she'd appear around the corner and I'd have to stop myself from reaching out to touch her."
Kate had wondered, "Do you think she has any inkling of what you're thinking and feeling?"
Draco had sighed, then. "I think she has some recognition that I feel something for her, and especially at the beginning, she was very protective and distant. A lot of that has diminished, but I think she's concluded that I'm one of her 'guy pals.'"
"And?" Kate prompted.
"It's better than being persona non grata, but friendship is rather pale against what I feel for her," he admitted.
"How are you dealing with it, as a practical matter?" she asked.
Draco had rolled his eyes and laughed. "How do you think? Every time I leave her, I go back to my bedroom for a good wank."
Kate had shaken her head, laughing along with him. "That's a reasonable and healthy response, given the circumstances, and you know it."
"Yeah, I suppose. I'd be lying, though, if I said it wasn't getting a bit old. I'm nearly twenty-five, and I want more in my life than the fantasy of her. It may come to a point, somewhere down the road, that I just need to completely accept that there's no chance for us and it's time to move on. There's the problem, however, of whatever my parents have been up to. I still haven't been able to get any additional information on what that is. I'm afraid that it will be something that forces us into something that one or both of us won't want, and that would be the most disastrous outcome I could imagine."
For now, though, the thought of the woman of his dreams and fantasies sleeping just mere feet away was driving him a bit batty. It wasn't the first time she'd stayed overnight – in fact, she'd stayed each of the half-dozen or so times that Louisa had – but something felt different this time; they'd spent a significant amount of time together, and it had been especially warm and comfortable. He thought, even, that he'd noticed her looking at him with something other than just friendly regard. Just the hope that she could find him even the tiniest bit attractive – someone other than the man who'd been the unwitting and unwanted sperm donor who produced her child – well, that was a heady thought.
Draco rolled over onto his back again with a groan, covering his eyes against the lamplight with his forearm. The discomfort that had forced him to turn over was only too obvious. If he didn't take care of it soon, he'd be aching half the night. He snatched his wand from the bedside table and cast a one-way silencing charm on the door so that he could hear if anyone approached or if Louisa called out. While he'd long lost any compunctions about getting off by himself, he sure as hell didn't want Hermione to hear him doing it, particularly as it wasn't unusual for him to vocalize her name somewhere in the process.
Stripping off his track pants and t-shirt, he pulled the covers down and slipped between the cool sheets. One more flick of his wand extinguished the lights, and he settled in to the pillows, allowing his eyes to drift closed as he imagined the woman he desired, so close, yet so very far. He was so hard already that his cock was weeping, and he used the moisture to make himself slick. Wrapping tightly around his erection with one hand, he used the other to ease some of the tension in his sac. Draco had learned that he'd probably be fairly vocal in bed; whispering his fantasies aloud and calling out her name seemed to fuel both his desire and his completion. While it wasn't truly deliberate, he realized that he'd been doing that for the last few moments, imagining that it was his desired lover's hands on him. "Yeah, just like that. Oh gods, that's perfect. I'm going to devour you, sweet thing, just like you do to me. I want to fuck you so deep. That's it, yes!" With a strangled cry of her name and a deep-throated growl, Draco came over his hand, breathing harshly and feeling like his legs and arms had turned to jelly. Too exhausted and too relaxed to consider getting out of bed for a shower, he cleaned up quickly with the t-shirt that hadn't quite made it off the bed, and fell into a deep slumber.
XXXXX
Morning came with the sound of chirping birds, and warm sunlight filtering through lacy curtains. Hermione expected that Louisa would probably come in search of her fairly soon; the tot was a notoriously early riser. Mere moments later, her prediction proved true with a soft knock.
"Come in," she called, throwing the blankets off her legs and stretching luxuriously.
While Louisa was at the door, so too was Draco, once again holding a tray of food. This time, however, he had been less reticent about entering Hermione's private domain and was thus rewarded with a tantalizing eyeful of the young woman's shapely legs, all the way up to mid-thigh.
Draco stammered an embarrassed apology and turned his back to her, affording her some privacy. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to barge in if you weren't dressed yet."
Reaching for her dressing gown, Hermione reassured him that no harm had been done. She whispered, "Don't worry about it, Draco. You've seen legs before, I'm sure."
Although he was cataloguing the moment to add to his fantasy repertoire, his demeanor was outwardly nonchalant, even blasé, and he relaxed a bit, finally asking if she was decent. "Is it all right for me to put the tray on the table?" he asked, regretting quickly that his voice sounded a bit hoarse.
"Sure, I've got a robe, Draco," she replied. "What did you bring for us?" she asked, placing her hand on his shoulder from behind as she peered over his height to whatever delicacies he might have prepared.
He shivered at her touch and turned to finally face her. "Just a little tea, toast, and fruit to tide us over 'til lunch. Some cereal, too, for Louisa."
"Bless you! Any chance you have a tiny bit of HO potion with you? I seem to have the slightest bit of a headache this morning," she confessed.
"HO?" he asked, then the abbreviation quickly dawned on him and he chuckled. "After three glasses of wine? Lightweight," he needled.
"No question about it. Two is usually my limit and red wine always gets to me more than white," she admitted. "So do you?" she prompted again.
He winked at her cheekily and said, "Coming right up," as he left the room to retrieve the potion.
Meanwhile, Louisa had scrambled onto the sofa and was waiting patiently for one of her parents to help her with her fruit and cereal. Hermione sat beside her and poured a little milk into the bowl, adding a few banana slices to the top. She balanced Louisa on her lap and began to feed her small spoonsful. This, of course, was not what the child wanted.
"I do it, Mummy," she protested.
"We don't have your booster chair here, honey, so there's nothing for you to balance your bowl on. Let Mummy help you for now, and you can be a big girl at brunch with Mémère and Pépère," she proposed.
"No!" she shrieked at top volume.
Draco reentered the room with the small blue potion bottle Hermione had requested and took one look at the situation, determining in a flash was the problem was. "She wants to feed herself, doesn't she?"
"Got it in one," Hermione acknowledged.
"Here – I've got an idea." Draco removed the remaining items from the tray and placed them on the table. He then transfigured one of the armchairs into a smaller size as befitting the needs of a toddler. He lifted Louisa from Hermione's lap, placed her in the chair, and affixed the tray to the arms with a sticking charm. "There – problem solved," he announced as Hermione chuckled and placed the cereal bowl in front of Louisa.
"Why didn't I think of that?" she murmured, mostly to herself.
"Probably that little headache is not allowing your typically brilliant mind to function at its full capacity," he excused.
"Must be it," she agreed with a roll of her eyes. She uncorked the potion bottle he'd given her and took one small swig. She shuddered as she felt the potion's healing effects overtake her. "Much better – thank you."
"Tea?" he offered, pouring some of the steaming steeped liquid into a china cup. He added the lump of sugar that she typically preferred and handed the prepared beverage to her.
She thanked him and sipped at the scented brew. "This is a nice blend. You'll have to let me know where you get it so I can pick some up for the Manor," she noted.
"I blend it myself," he answered, "but I'd be happy to make up a tin for you."
She smiled once more in thanks and reached for a piece of wheat toast, spooning some orange marmalade from edge to edge. "So, what's the plan for the rest of the morning?"
"I've been up for a while so I've done a good bit of the preparation for brunch. If you want to get cleaned up and look after getting Louisa dressed, I can work on making the pancake batter," he suggested.
"It won't take me more than about forty minutes to get both of us ready, so I can help you finish up after that," she offered.
"Perfect. If you don't mind, I could use your help getting the table set and selecting whatever you'd like for beverages. I thought that maybe a white wine would be better for the pork, and I'm sure my father will want coffee while the rest of us prefer tea. If you'd sort that out, I can finish the rest of the food preparation."
"Consider it done," she agreed.
Three hours later, Hermione was putting finishing touches on the table settings when the Floo chime announced the arrival of the senior Malfoys. Since Draco was occupied in the kitchen, Hermione greeted them in the foyer with embraces, taking the light traveling cloaks they had worn to protect their clothes from Floo ash.
"Draco's in the kitchen and Louisa is playing with a puzzle in the parlor. May I get you something to drink, or would you like a quick tour, first?" she offered.
Narcissa linked her arm around Hermione's. "Let's take a little tour first. We'd love to see what the two of you have accomplished. I'm sure brunch will be served soon, if the aromas coming from the kitchen are any indication."
"Of course. You're right, we should be serving in about ten or fifteen minutes, but that's plenty of time to look around the first floor. We'll look at the upstairs later this afternoon."
"Lovely, dear," Lucius added, allowing his gaze to wander over the few changes and improvements that had been made to the entry foyer.
After showing them through the rooms that had been thoroughly cleaned and updated with minor repairs and fresh paint, they stopped in the bright, airy parlor to gather up Louisa, and finally to the dining room, where Draco was placing a platter of roasted loin of pork on the mahogany sideboard.
"Mother, Father!" he greeted with a broad smile. "We're so glad you could come." He kissed Narcissa's cheek and embraced his father, taking Louisa from her Pépère's arms to install her in her booster chair.
"Everything is ready," he announced, "so make yourselves comfortable." He turned to Hermione then. "Would you give me a hand in the kitchen for just a quick second?"
"Of course." To his parents, Hermione said, "We'll be right back. If you'd like tea or coffee, the pots are ready for you on the table."
As the two disappeared into the kitchen, Lucius and Narcissa exchanged pleased glances while making kissy faces at their granddaughter, who giggled at their silliness and blew kisses back to them.
Draco and Hermione returned together, carrying the serving platters, which they arranged on the table. Finally, Hermione took her seat while Draco performed the only remaining task of slicing the roast. As plates were filled and delicacies consumed, conversation flowed around the table.
His parents complimented Draco on the wonderful meal and noted the changes he'd made on the first floor. He was quick to credit Hermione's taste and guidance in the updates and improvements, praising her keen eye for color and design.
"You should see what she's done with Louisa's room upstairs. It's quite lovely," he noted admiringly.
"It wasn't all me," Hermione corrected, the artwork in the room coming to mind.
"We'd love to see it before we go, darling," Narcissa replied. "Would you give us a tour?" With that comment, she rose from her seat, giving Lucius a pointed nod. He caught her cue and rose as well, echoing her thought. "Yes, we'd love to see what you've done with the upper floor."
Somewhat taken aback by their abrupt shift, both Hermione and Draco wondered if they'd done something to offend or upset them.
Nearly identical scenes played out as Hermione took Narcissa aside for a moment while Draco cornered his father.
"Is everything all right? You don't have to leave so soon; I thought we were all having a lovely afternoon," Hermione observed.
"Of course we did, darling! Everything has been perfectly delightful." Narcissa patted Hermione's hand warmly. She leaned in, determined that their conversation remain private. "We're going home because the three of you need time to build your bonds. Draco and Louisa need to solidify theirs, and you and he need to keep working on finding your balance. It takes time for those things to happen, and we can help you do that. We don't want to see you back at the Manor until five at the earliest. Now, show me around these rooms so we can get out of your hair," she ordered with a wink and a smile.
Lucius was a bit more pointed and definitive in what he said to his son. "The two of you are getting along quite nicely. Are you pleased with how things are progressing?"
Draco leaned against the sturdy banister, crossing his ankles and his arms. "What are you getting at, Father?"
Lucius shrugged. "It just seemed that you worked extraordinarily well together to pull of this impromptu brunch. I'm perfectly certain that either of you could have achieved it on your own, given sufficient time, but I find that this sort of collaboration is often more challenging than flying solo. You pulled it off with aplomb," he complimented.
A tight smile creased Draco's face. "I'll grant you that we have found some… greater peace over the last couple of weeks." He echoed his father's shrug. "She's less reticent lately. Warmer, more open. I'd say that she now considers me a friend."
"Hm," Lucius acknowledged.
"You seem to have something on your mind, Father. Spit it out," Draco demanded.
"I'm, uh, not ready to share with you everything you want to know, Draco, but I am confident that time will come soon. You should just be aware that certain conditions – things that Hermione must do voluntarily – have been met, and there is but one left. Once that occurs, I will be in a position to… help you achieve your aims."
When Draco opened his mouth, whether it was to question or protest, his father raised a hand to forestall any further discussion. Draco hated to admit that, after all these years, he would still obey that kind of subtle manipulation from the man.
"No, Draco. When it's time, and not one minute before," he stated firmly.
Their conversation was necessarily ended when Hermione and Narcissa joined them in the upper foyer, Louisa in tow.
"We didn't change anything in the guest room, so other than some cleaning, that should be exactly as you remember it," Hermione noted, bypassing the room and opening the door to Louisa's new space.
Louisa tugged free of her mother's hand and led the adults through the door, announcing, "My room!" loudly as she crossed the threshold.
Both grandparents oohed and ahhed over the new furniture, the unicorn mural that Draco had painted on the wall, and the play area that Hermione had delineated with a soft, thick area rug. This time, Louisa used the wooden step stool to climb up to her bed, and curled up with her head on the pillow.
"I think someone is telling us it's time for her nap," Draco noted, moving to remove Louisa's shoes and cover her with a light blanket. He ensured that her favorite stuffed toy, Penelope the unicorn, was in easy reach, and then kissed her cheek. "Have a nice nap, sweetheart. Mummy and Papa will see you in a little while."
Each of the adults gave their wishes for sweet dreams and the four of them quickly left the room, closing the door behind them.
"The only other space is the suite, which we've also left relatively unchanged," Draco said.
Narcissa took Lucius' hand as they approached the double doors. "When we were first married," she confided to her son and Hermione, "this place was a real refuge for us. We used to spend hours upon hours talking and just being together in this sitting room." Turning toward Hermione directly, she said, "I always loved this garden, particularly in the spring. I found it inspiring when I wanted to draw or write."
"Oh," Hermione interrupted, "is that where Draco gets his artistic talent?"
He was the one to answer her. "Absolutely. Mother always encouraged me to doodle, sketch, draw, and paint from the time I was very small. I find it very relaxing when I feel stressed," he admitted.
"I wasn't sure you'd done the mural yourself or hired someone, but you did do it," she concluded, sounding a bit awed.
When he nodded his acknowledgement, she complimented him again. "It really is one of the loveliest murals I've seen."
Meanwhile, Lucius glanced back and forth between the two bedroom doors, both now closed.
Draco cleared his throat uncomfortably, looking at the floor rather than at the others in the room. "We, uh, each like our rooms very well," he lamely noted.
"I'm sure you do," Lucius replied sardonically. "I recall both of them being quite comfortable."
The reference was not lost. "Unlike this conversation," Draco muttered.
"Yes, well, I do agree, Narcissa, that this window offers quite a lovely view and I'm sure that I'll enjoy watching the plants and flowers bloom throughout the season," Hermione interjected, hoping to draw the topics away from uneasy waters.
The elder Malfoys traded glances and came to their silent agreement that it was time to depart. Moving into the landing at the top of the staircase, Lucius waited as Narcissa made their excuses.
"Thank you so much for inviting us to join you here today. The meal was wonderful, and I'm so pleased with everything you've done to make this feel like a real home. I certainly hope you will be happy here," she said.
What wasn't at all clear as the pair departed was to whom, exactly, Narcissa had been referring.
"Well, that was awkward," Draco commented, lifting an eyebrow to enhance his smirk.
"Just a bit," Hermione agreed, then broke out into adolescent giggles.
"I don't know about you, but I think I need a drink," he replied. "Coffee, tea, something stronger…?"
"Oh, definitely something stronger," she decided. "White wine, please."
"Make yourself comfortable; I'll be right back."
Hermione kicked off her shoes and curled up on the sofa, a position and spot she'd come to claim as hers. As she thought about the morning's events, she had to admit that Narcissa was right; the more time she and Draco spent together, the better their interactions were. They were learning how to work together well while finding the boundaries and parameters of their own relationship. It did seem, though, that those were rather fluid lately. She had to admit that the amount of time they'd spent in each other's company had altered her perception of Draco for the better. He was becoming a wonderful father, and he was witty, smart, and considerate. As her dream had brought to the fore, she also admitted that he was a handsome young man. She was shaken from her musing as Draco returned with a bottle of wine and two goblets.
Two hours later, they'd dissected and debriefed the day's events and concluded that it had been a success, even if Draco's parents were a bit off their rockers. It was now after four o'clock, and time to awaken Louisa to prepare for their return to the Manor. Hermione had an early shift on Monday, and she'd also need some time to organize.
While she packed up the few items they'd brought to the townhouse, Draco roused Louisa, helped her with her toilette and gave her something to drink. Those tasks done, it was time to say goodbye, and both Draco and Hermione feared Louisa's reaction. Again, Draco offered an idea to mitigate disaster.
"What if I come back to the Manor with you?" he suggested. "It won't feel so abrupt for her to say goodnight rather than goodbye, I think."
Hermione leapt at the offer. "I think you've just prevented a terrible two moment. I'll take her bag if you carry her through, yeah?"
As Draco lifted Louisa, she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and began dropping kisses all over his face. Draco wondered if anything had ever felt so wonderful and perfect.
"We're all going to the Manor now," he told her. "Time to go see Mémère and Pépère."
"Okay, Papa," she agreed, tucking her head under his chin, the curly tresses tickling him.
The trip through the Floo was as brief and uneventful as it always was, and when the three of them arrived at the Manor, they were greeted by Louisa's house-elf nanny, Anjie, who gathered the child up as though she hadn't seen her in a year. "I'll bring Missy Louisa to her playroom," she stated, and it seemed that Louisa was not opposed to the idea, following her without complaint.
Both parents heaved sighs of relief.
"That wasn't so bad," Draco observed.
"True, but you haven't tried to actually say goodbye yet," Hermione countered.
"If you have no objection, I'll stay around for a while so that she's not surprised by me 'disappearing' unexpectedly. I'd rather not be the cause of another tantrum," he suggested.
"Why would I have any objection? And since your parents left so abruptly this afternoon, I'd guess they wouldn't mind having a little more time with you."
"You know why they left, don't you?" he probed.
"Of course. I'm not blind. They want us to spend more time together so that we create a stronger bond for you and Louisa," she explained.
"That's certainly a big part of it," he agreed, "but there's more to it, and I don't want you to be blind-sided."
"Oh, that," she replied.
"You remember that I said they were up to something, right?" he asked. At her confirming nod, he continued, "I still haven't' been able to find anything further to clarify what it is, and my parents aren't' talking. I just don't want us to be uncomfortable with each other because of whatever delusion the two of them are suffering."
Hermione grasped his arm in a friendly squeeze. "We're getting along fine. I don't allow other people's agendas to influence how I feel and what I do. However it all works out, we'll make our own decisions and find our own way. Now, if you'll excuse me for a few minutes, I'd like to put Louisa's things away and change into something more comfortable." She patted his arm once more and left to complete her mission.
The family convened two hours later for a light supper of lamb stew and crusty bread, and soon it was bedtime for Louisa. Draco and Hermione joined in the process of getting her into her pajamas and reading a favorite story. It had been a long day for everyone and Louisa finally settled in to sleep without protest, after just one more hug and kiss from Mummy and Papa.
Noting that he still had a few chores to do at home, Draco said his goodbyes to his parents, and walked with Hermione to the Floo, discussing the week's schedule of visits. Once they'd confirmed availability and locations, Draco bade her goodnight, leaning over to place a kiss on her cheek. He turned and stepped into the Floo, enunciating, "Malfoy Townhouse, London."
As he arrived in his own foyer, Draco blanched and stopped in his tracks. "Oh shit, what have I done?"
On the other side of the connection, Hermione touched the spot he'd kissed, shrugged, and smiled slightly, strolling through the halls toward for bedroom for some rest and reflection. It had, indeed, been an eventful weekend.