Hermione was just enjoying him. His scent, something so woodsy, almost like pine, and his arms around her. It had been months since he had just held her, four months to be exact, and she just wanted it to last forever. Her mind wandered momentarily to the baby, but he was fine. Ron had taken him on a walk, wanting to get out, and she, for some reason, felt so safe knowing that he had Basil. She realized that she should be worried, if only because he may be jealous, but she had never seen anything like that in his eyes and she knew that he was happy. She could have hurt him, she knew that she had, and she supposed that Draco's continued absence was probably some sort of punishment for the lives that she had torn apart by falling for the man that held her now. But it was all working out, if not in the way that she had once thought.
A scream pulled her from her thoughts and she looked up at Draco who shared the same confused expression she knew that she was wearing.
"Was that Ginny?"
She didn't even answer him. She knew it was Ginny as well as he knew it was Ginny. They had both heard that exact scream before. Hermione's stomach dropped as she walked gingerly down the stairs, afraid of what she was about to find in the kitchen.
No words could express the fear at the scene she was confronted with. They had all been here before, but at least last time there was a reason that Harry lay bleeding on the floor. Hermione couldn't shake the familiarity of the scene to realize that the blood surrounding his head was minimal, something a small cut would produce, and that he was breathing. Draco, on the other hand, seemed to be trying to bite back a very inappropriate laugh.
"What the hell, Gin?" Draco said as he walked over and repaired the cut on the back of Harry's head with an expert flick of his wand, causing the blood to retreat back where it was so desperatly needed. "Has he always been this accident prone?"
"You don't understand," Ginny said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "It wasn't an accident. I don't know what happened, but..." she trailed off as she looked up at Hermione, begging for her to get them alone with her eyes.
"Draco, would you mind helping us out and getting him upstairs? I don't think he needs to lie on the floor and neither one of us should lift him right now." Hermione gave Draco a look that conveyed her need for him to leave and he nodded, picking Harry up roughly and flinging him over his back.
"I swear to God that if I find out he's just doing this for attention," Draco grunted as he shifted Harry on his back to carry him up the stairs. He wasn't gone for a second before Hermione joined Ginny, kneeling on the floor.
"What's going on Gin?"
"He said 'he's back.'" Ginny said, showing her friend in one look that she didn't want anyone else to know what Harry had said and that she also didn't believe it. "I didn't know what to do. He's been having nightmares, really bad ones lately, about," she hesitated for the first time since he was defeated, "you-know-who. Dreams about all that he's been through with him in the past. I don't blame him for having a bit of a breakdown, Hermione. Especially since he's so exhausted what with work and the twins, but," she bit her lip as the tears began to fall. "I just don't believe that it's true. Not that I can't believe it, I just don't. And I don't know what to tell him. I'm almost glad that he passed out because I don't know what to say to that, Hermione. We've all been down that road, where we don't believe something he's so sure in, and I just don't want it to start a fight."
Hermione thought back on all the times that she had told Harry that exact thing, that she didn't believe him, that she thought he was reading too much into things, and she felt the same despair that Ginny was showing.
"Let's wait until he wakes up," she said, placing a comforting hand through Ginny's hair. "Maybe he won't remember saying that. Or maybe he'll see reason and not believe it anymore himself." She hoped that Ginny didn't see the disbelief in her own words but knew that if anyone knew how stubborn Harry could be, it would be Ginny.
Somewhere in the house, she thought she heard someone start crying, but passed it off since Basil was still out.
Ginny shook her head as she soaked up the remaining stain off the floor into her wand and stood to tuck each of the twins into their carriers. "Why does this keep happening? Why can't he just, well not get over it, but leave it in the past?"
Hermione looked down at the floor, not quiet sure that Ginny even wanted a response.
"Hermione?" Simon asked from the door way and she was horrified when she looked up and saw what he had brought with him. "I didn't do anything, I swear."
Charlie was holding his mouth in his hands, screaming at the shreds of skin and blood that he was feeling. Hermione stood quickly and took the small boy onto her lap to examine the extent of the damage.
"What happened?" she asked, more to Simon than to Charlie even though she was sure she was about to be lied to.
"He sort of jumped off the top bunk," she looked at Simon, trying to see what part in this jump he had played. Obviously, he was feeling more like himself, but there was something in his eyes that told her that their relationship was still better than it had ever been. "I told him that he couldn't fly, and he told me he could." At least he seemed to be telling her the truth. "He sort of landed on the rail of the bottom bunk. Are you gonna tell Katie?"
The damage wasn't as extensive as it seemed at first glance. It appeared that his bottom teeth had gone through his lip and he was now missing his top two front teeth, but Hermione was able to repair his lip in one motion, and she was pretty sure it wasn't even going to scar. "Well, Simon, I have to. He's not mine. But I think he's going to be OK. You wouldn't happen to know where his teeth are would you?"
"I looked," he shook his head, still keeping his distance in the doorway. "I think he swallowed them."
Hermione kissed the top of Charlie's head and realized that there was now more blood dripped around the kitchen. It was starting to look like a war zone hospital in here. "Where's Jasper?"
"He ran to tell on me," Simon said, kicking the door frame. "He didn't want to get in trouble."
"Well, I think that it was very good of you to bring him to an adult so quickly," she said, wanting to tell him that she was just glad everything was OK. "It was an accident, but you need to remember that they really like you, Simon. They'll do whatever you ask them to andtheir little. You could really hurt them if you're not careful."
Simon nodded and Hermione worried that she had just given him more ideas for things to do with the young boys. "You OK, Charlie?"
He continued to cry even though the damage had been healed and rubbed his head into Hermione's chest, retailing the horrors of his fall through his sobs. When he finally seemed to settle down, she offered to get him a bowl of ice cream if he'd go up and look for his teeth one last time. He jumped off of her lap, happy to have a quest, and took off up the stairs. Hermione put out her hands to Simon, offering a hug in peace, but was a little surprised when he rejected her and instead sat at the head of the table.
"It's not a big deal, Simon. He's going to be OK. Katie will understand, and I'm not upset with you." It had been so good over the last few days, she was almost worried about offending him and starting his attitude problems again. When he still didn't answer she turned back to Ginny as she got up to dish up the ice cream.
"Do you think that we should bring it up with him? Maybe it would be a good idea for you to tell him as soon as he wakes up how you feel. While he's still groggy."
Ginny shook her head, shooting a look over at Simon who seemed to have busied himself with a pool of the blood on the table.
"I don't know what would be best. I can't think about this anymore. I have put him so far back in my mind because I knew that we would never have to worry about it again."
"Well, Ginny," Sirius piped in at this moment, giving everyone a small start with the unexpectedness of his words, "a lot of people thought that at one time. That there would never be another reason to give him a second thought. You as well as anyone knows that if you forget about your past, than you are doomed to repeat it. Sure it's been nine years, but it was over fourteen years last time before the world had to accept that fact that they were wrong."
"Who was gone?" Simon asked wiping the remnants of the puddle off onto his t-shirt.
"See what I mean. I bet that you haven't even taught your children about him. About what all of you have been through."
"That's not fair, Sirius," Lily said quietly from behind Ginny. "Most of their children are too young to know." She looked over at Simon as if to convey her thoughts that even he qualified as too young.
"You're own son was much younger than that when he learned the hard way what he was capable of. If they don't start teaching them the dangers of that type of power, they'll risk repeating it."
"I agree, Sirius," Hermione said, "but I think that, just like the Houlocaust, you need to wait until they are old enough to handle the seriousness of the situation. There is no lingering threat for them to protect themselves against."
"So you think you're protecting them by not talking about it? I think a big reason why Harry is feeling so overwhelmed is because you don't talk about it. I've never once in all my years in this house heard anyone even mention him let alone what he has put you all through, what he is still putting you all through." He looked over at Ginny and smiled, realizing that he was sounding a little harsh. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. It's still just a sensitive subject for me."
Ginny returned the smile and nodded in understanding. "I know. I can't help but feel bad for harboring such hatred for someone that is dead. I just don't want to add that hatred to my kids. There's enough bad in the world left over from him to remind our children about someone that isn't even around anymore."
"Besides, Viktor and I are already planing a class around Wizard history. I want our children to know what has led to the state of the world now, but I do agree with Lily that they are too young to talk about you-know-who."
"Voldemort?" Simon said, a confused look on his face as he looked over at Hermione.
"Yes," Hermione said realizing that she may have just started the conversation she had been trying to avoid. "Did you're mother ever talk about him?" She realized for the first time that he was the son of the daughter of two known Voldemort supporters, and, as much as she hated the reminder, a former Death Eater. It was very likely that he had indeed heard of Voldemort, and she was worried about the information that he had received.
"Of course she did," he looked at Hermione as if surprised that she was missing something.
"She was probably pretty proud of the things that he did, wasn't she?" Hermione said, sitting down. She reached up to pull her fingers through his shoulder length hair, realizing how long it was really getting, but he pulled away as if afraid that she was going to hit him.
"Well, yeah. She would always brag to everyone that he was my grandfather." He pulled his hair behind his ears.
Hermione took a few seconds, trying to figure out just exactly what he had just said. Behind her, she thought she heard Dumbledore sigh, but passed it off as she stared at the young boy in shock.
"She was telling everyone that she was Voldemorts daughter?" Ginny said as she sat down next to Hermione. "Well, it's not that surprising when you think about it." She said looking towards Hermione but she didn't even turn her head to return the look.
"No," Simon now looked confused. "She told them how he was Draco's dad."
Hermione shook her head, finding it hard to not believe the thing she was hearing. She considered the source, someone that was a perpetual liar and social climber, but the sigh she had tried to ignore was still eating away at her. "No. Draco's fathers name was Lucius. Hedied a long time ago. Probably before you were even born."
"Yeah. I know about Lucius. He was a Death eater too. That's not who I mean. My grandmum said that the only reason that she even tried to like Draco was because he carried the blood of the Dark Lord and she was glad he had at least spread it into her family before he left."
Hermione felt that Ginny had also become confused, looking around the portraits for something to say to the outrageous lies that this boy had been fed, but obviously found nothing there as she turned back to Hermione. Hermione, on the other hand, knew exactly where she needed to go for answers. She stood, but found that her knees had becomeweak and decided that she wasn't going to be able to go anywhere.
"Draco?" she called up the stairs, having to shout twice as her voice wouldn't come out the first time. "Would you come down here please?"
Ginny stood to leave as they heard his footsteps on the stairs but Hermione held her down. "I need you here," she said without turning away from the doorway.
"Now, Hermione," Dumbledores voice came softly from behind her and she turned, feeling a small bit of irritation rise towards the speaker. "Let's not jump to any conclusions."
"You know, though, don't you? The truth."
"I do," Dumbledore said looking over his spectacles at her as he shook his head. "And it doesn't change a thing. Do not hold something that he can not change against him." Hermione heard the words, but wasn't sure still exactly how she was going to feel until she heard it for sure.
"Yeah?" Draco said as he entered the kitchen, unfortunatly, followed by Tom.
Hermione stared at him for several moments, not sure what she was going to say. "Draco," she began, trying to keep the accusation out of her voice, "is there anything that you may have ever told Pansey that you didn't tell me?"
"I'm outta here," Simon said as he stood, but Hermione placed a firm hand on his shoulder and sat him back down.
"Well, no." Draco said looking as if he had not even given it much thought. "Our relationship wasn't about talking, if that's what you're after."
"I just wondered, since your parents and her parents had so much in common," she began, not sure where she was going. It didn't matter what she said anymore, she realized, as she saw for a split second the guilt cross his face that told her more than his words would suddenly felt horrible. As she heard the front door open, she wished for nothing more than a place to take Draco alone.
"Mummy, I'm home," Ron yelled from the entryway. "And I've brought you a present." Hermione rolled her eyes as Ron entered, carrying Basil. He had just begun smiling lately and his face lit up when he saw her. She was warmed to her very core as she reached out for her love, even if he was a absolutely minging. She placed him on the table, using her wand to quickly change him before picking him back up and holding him up on her knees. She looked deep into his face, looking for anything there that would confirm her fears, but realized that there couldn't be, and had never been, anything but her and Draco in his sweet face. Looking over at Simon, she saw more of Pansy than she had realized, but there was still only Pansy and Draco. He was a Malfoy, and nothing else. She stood, wanting to take Draco upstairs on the pretense of putting Basil down when Viktor rounded the corner and entered the kitchen.
"Viktor? I completely forgot!" She shifted the baby in her arms as he began to pull on her hair, "um, I need to put the baby down, but than we can get started. Unless you wanted to start going over astronomy with him before I get back." Viktor nodded as he looked over at Simon who slammed his head down onto his stack of books on the table.
"Draco, would you mind?" she said, nodding her head up the stairs and he seemed to hesitate slightly before following.
When they reached the bedroom, she sat on the bed, bouncing the baby on her lap as she waited for him to start. Basil began to fuss, obviously hungry after his excursion with Ron. She started to position him as Draco leaned up against the bedroom wall.
"We're not having a very good couple of days, are we?" he began, and she couldn't help but laugh. "So, how did you, I mean, what did you find out?"
"Simon mentioned something. Something he had heard from his mother." she shook her head, realizing as she rubbed the face of the child in her arms that it mattered less and less as the shock wore off.
"I just hope that you're not upset with me. For never bringing it up that is," he said as he crossed to sit on the bed with her. "I mean, would you?"
She shook her head, knowing that she couldn't blame him for keeping it a secret. "So it's true than? But what about Lucius?"
"It's kind of confusing, actually. Lucius is my father. It's just that, well, he had a little extra help." Hermione shook her head, knowing that she'd give anything for a library right now so that she didn't have to ask him for an explination. As it was, the less she knew about it, the happier she was.
"So, he won." she said, before she realized that she had thought it.
"What?"
"As long as neither one of our sons turns out gay, a little part of him will continue to live on."
Draco dropped his head, obviously upset. It was only a second later when she realized that he was crying.
"Draco?"
"Please don't think of it like that," he said as he dropped to the floor. "If there was anything I could do...anything that would change it..." he clasped onto her pant leg as he buried his head in her lap.
She wasn't sure how she felt at this moment as she rocked Basil to sleep and ran a finger through Draco's hair. Both of the men in her life that meant more to her than the life itself. Did it change the way she looked at him? Would it ever? Was there really anything thathad ever made her think that either of them would become anything like him. She pulled Draco up onto the bed next to her, placing the baby between them, and held him to her until she heard his breathing even out. No, she decided. He had never been anything to her but Draco, not a Malfoy, not Lucius' son, and certainly not a Death Eater. None of that had mattered to her then, and this was no different. He had left the Death Eaters, abandoned his family name and killed his own father in the end. He had done all that he could to not be what his father had expected of him. But she still worried about the genes she had passed on without knowing it. After all, Simon was a prime example of nature versus nurture, having picked up so many mannerisms of his father that he had never even known. She ran her finger over the sleeping face of her son, worried for the first time ever about his future.
"Harry?" Ginny asked as she entered the bedroom. She was relieved to see him sitting up, but also felt a pang of fear at the conversation that was about to begin. However, he surprised her as he got up off the bed and crossed to kiss her before she had even got too far into the room. When he pulled back, she recognized the red rim of his recently crying eyes and she suddenly felt guilty for being worried about what this was doing to her.
"Harry, I," she began but he placed a loving hand on her lips to silence her.
"Ginny, I'm scared. I don't know what's happening to me, or why, but I do know that I don't want to even think like that without proof. I'm not going to spend the rest of my life running from a memory. We've been through enough for me to bring false fear into this. Will you forgive me?"
Ginny was unsure what to say. She held his face between her hands as she pulled his chin down to her forehead. "I'm glad that you are willing to think that maybe it's not really him. I can't say that I believed you, love. I believe that you're scared. That you're seeing things that you can't explain, but I'm glad that we can think of another option. Do you forgive me for not believing you?"
She felt Harry nod his head and she was glad that they could at least talk again. "Is there anything else that you can think of that may be causing this?"
"I just feel like I'm out of control of my thoughts," he said as he ran his hands through her hair. "Like there's someone that's sorting through my memories night and day."
"Well, have you ever consisered that that may just be what's happening? I mean, you are head of the Auror department. Isn't there something in your mind that someone would be interested in learning? Have you tried to block it out?"
"Of course I have," Harry said backing up. "I've considered all of that. It's just that it takes a lot of energy to block it out, and besides, if it was someone doing that, why would they be looking into my past. There's been more interest in my parents and your parents than anything work related. It's the only thing that's kept me from trying to block it all the time. But it does seem to be getting worse."
"Well," Ginny said, thinking back on the conversation she had happened to overhear in the kitchen. "Maybe there's another option." She wasn't quiet sure if it even made sense to her, but it was at least something. "It may be just enough to start the pain in your scar again," she jumped, sure that Harry could see the fear at the intrusion behind her.
As the door slammed forward, smashing a hole into the wall, Harry placed himself between the guards, and their guns, and his family as if he didn't know that the hollow point bullets that they used could penetrate all four of their bodies and the wall behind them.
"You're wand, taint." The guard demanded and Harry gladly obliged, throwing his wand on the carpet in front of them before reaching around to grab Ginny's as well.
The second guard rushed forward, taking both of their wands and placing them in his pocket before stepping around them to the back. For the first time, Ginny knew that she couldn't obey, attempting to step away towards the sleeping twins. Harry grabbed her arm but she roughly shook him off. The guard raised his gun before realizing that her only goal was to get her children. As soon as they were safely in her arms, she fell back into line, handing Desmond to Harry before they all marched down to the living room, where it appeared, the entire family had been joined.
"Is this all of them?" The guard asked and Harry hoped that his eyes didn't linger too long on Draco before he answered.
"It is, sir." Harry heard the small boys whimpering and was thankful that his own children appeared to be sleeping.
"What's this all about?"
"Draco!" Harry said, flashing him a look, just daring him to make this situation worse.
"House to house search. Get used to it. We're looking for contraband and any signs of rebellion." Once again, Harry hoped that they didn't catch his eyes flick towards their own known rebel.
"House is clear, sir," the second guard said as he returned from the kitchen. As Harry looked towards him, he realized that most of their belongings had been shredded, looking for anything that may have been hidden. He looked over at Ginny and saw the aneurysm growing as she realized that their entire house was a complete wreck.
"Well, so it seems." The guard pulled all of their wands from his pocket, throwing them roughly onto the floor. "For now." He nodded his head and the second guard joined him in the doorway. "Thank you for your time." He said as he if they had just had them over for tea.
As soon as the door was closed behind them, Katie collapsed into a sobbing heap on the floor and Ginny handed Evelynn over to Harry, cussing as she grabbed her wand and went to begin the repairs.
"Why the fuck are you still here?" Ginny screamed over her shoulder at Draco. "I thought I told you to get out!"
Harry turned, and if not for the babies in his arms, was ready to rip Draco a new one until he realized that Hermione had turned into him, her head nuzzled into his chest. He suddenly felt as if he was intruding on a personal moment as she ran her fingers over his chest.
"We're safe, right? We're safe?"
Draco leaned down to kiss the top of her head softly and looked at Harry as he spoke. "Of course love. I'd never do anything to put you at risk. We'll get through this." She nodded, obviously believing him. It gave Harry a sick feeling as Desmond began fussing to realize that his families safety now relied on Draco Malfoy, and him keeping his pride in check and his big mouth shut. It seemed all just may be lost.
Chapter 27 Teaser
Simon immediatly sat up, no longer laughing. He had to get away from her prying hands. The day was going well, what with the gift and the promise of cake, and he wasn't going to let something like this be the end of it.
"Don't touch it," he said, sounding he knew, unneccessarily cold, but it was the only way. He had to do whatever it took to not be sent away again. He couldn't handle it this time. Not now that he knew what it was like to be, dared he dream, accepted.