When Hermione returned home, the sound of her apparition must've alerted Draco to her because he came running through the house from wherever he'd been.
When he saw the evidence of her emotional distress clearly wrought upon her face, his own expression darkened ominously but he didn't waste any time moving over and enveloping her into his warm embrace.
"Mine, what happened?"
Her sniffles and intermittent sobs, broke his heart as he held her a bit tighter and gently placed soothing kisses onto the crown of her head.
After a few moments he felt her sigh in relief as she gripped him around his waist and held him to her just as fiercely.
"Harry invited me to his home. Ronald was there."
"What?" His voice was whispered in such deadly undertones, Hermione shivered.
"I know. I wasn't happy either but apparently Daphne Greengrass went on another fishing expedition, only this time she tried to get Ron involved in whatever her scheme is."
Draco pulled back and gently cupped her face into his hands, his expression thunderous.
"Daphne propositioned the Weasel? Why would she have bothered?"
"She wanted to know how I got Skeeter to back off and Ron all but admitted I had blackmailed Rita back in school but didn't offer up any details. Not that it would make any difference as Rita can't go against our vow, but it does make me wonder what Daphne's motives are with all this." Hermione paused as her face scrunched up in disgust. "She did refer to me as a mudblood, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."
"What?!" Draco's voice was now venomous, his expression back in his former Malfoy sneer of utter contempt—and Hermione shook her head at how much like his former self he looked like in that moment.
He must've noticed her unease, because his face softened and he said, "I'm sorry Mine. She has no right to say that about you!"
"Draco—you and I both know that there are still plenty of witches and wizards who think the exact same thing. They may not say it to my face, but they are thinking it nonetheless."
From Draco's pinched look, Hermione knew he understood the truth of her words—even if he hated it.
"So why did they come to you?"
"Harry knows or suspects that Daphne is up to something but they don't know what that is. I didn't tell them about the time turner as I told them I'd have to discuss this with you. If you don't want their help I get it and I won't say a word against it..."
"But no one would suspect Weasley of helping us...not after that little scene he made in the Leaky?"
Hermione nodded, and not for the first time felt herself reacting at how intelligent her wizard was.
The git's pleased smirk told her he knew it too.
"So, do we want their help?"
"I don't know." Hermione replied honestly. "I don't think Daphne would ever admit to Ron about the time turner, even if he did agree to help her. However, I'm thinking that we might have an opening..."
"In what way?"
"Well, Theo suspects I know about the time turner although I've yet to hear from him about it. Perhaps it might be to our benefit to have Ron set up a meeting with Daphne and we crash that meeting. We can have you simultaneously arrange a tête-à-tête with Theo at the same place...last minute of course. Once Ron is there, he can stall Daphne until you show up with Theo. I'll bring Harry under the cloak, and I'll bring the stone too, as a backup. Ron already knows about the existence of the Hallows and if this works...we can get an unbreakable vow from both Theo and Daphne too."
"Do you honestly think Daphne is going to meet up with Weasley?"
"If Ron makes it seem like he's willing to give up information she just might. In fact, I think I just might have a way to ensure that happens."
Draco grinned. "Minx." His expression sobered suddenly and he sighed. "If I agree to this I'm going to want both Potter and Weasley to take an unbreakable vow. I won't have either of those dunderheads trying to ruin our family with their thoughtlessness. Especially the Weasel, who drinks more than he thinks and can't be counted on to keep his trap shut."
"I think that sounds more than fair." Hermione agreed with a soft smile, before she leant up and placed a heated kiss on her wizard...who returned her affections with enthusiasm before groaning and pulling back unhappily.
"Mum and Pansy are outside having tea with Scorp—So playtime is going to have to be put on hold for now."
"Spoilsport." Hermione bit back fondly as she allowed Draco to pull her outside with him towards the gazebo where she could hear Scorpius laughter.
When her little man saw her, he chimed happily, "Mimi 'ome!"
"Yes sweetie, I'm home. Are you having a good time with Nana and Pansy?"
Hermione placed a soft kiss on the crown of Scorpius head before sitting down in the seat that Draco offered. Pansy poured her a cuppa, her expression concerned.
"You okay? You look terrible."
"Thanks Pansy." Hermione shook her head and her friend. "And yes, I'm fine...mostly."
Narcissa sat back and watched the young witch, who was unusually subdued and more in line with the witch she'd remembered from years prior.
"It's never an easy thing to face one's past," Narcissa offered sagely, "but perhaps a necessary evil if we seek to move on and not allow it to affect our present and future in unfortunate ways."
Hermione glanced over at Draco's mother and gave her a small nod of agreement.
"There was a time I didn't think I'd ever come back to Britain and I was fine with that choice. I didn't see a future for me here and at first it filled me with a huge sadness that left a gaping hole in my heart but now I've come to realize that perhaps that hole just needed to be filled by something infinitely better."
Amber eyes fell to Scorpius, who was smiling happily as he munched on a chocolate biscuit and she felt Draco's hand grasp her's in solidarity.
"I don't imagine this was a scenario your younger self ever saw as a possibility." Narcissa said evenly, before taking a gentle sip of her oolong tea.
"No," Hermione smiled cheekily, "it definitely wasn't something I'd ever imagined at all but I can say I'm beyond happy it did. Life sometimes gives us something truly unexpected, but the caveat is we must have the courage to embrace that gift. The Hermione of three years ago definitely wouldn't have been able to."
"And why is that do you suppose?" Narcissa asked curiously, but Hermione suspected she knew the answer.
"My trust was so badly damaged there would've been no possibility of me believing that Draco was anything more than what I'd seen from school. Or that Pansy underneath her tough exterior, had a kind heart—even though she'd deny it stringently. Or that you would be capable of welcoming me into your family Narcissa, despite everything that has happened. Perhaps time is the greatest healer, but I think that my leaving and what happened after forged a path that led to the here and now. Without those experiences—who's to say where we'd be right now? Merlin forbid, I'd be married to Ronald Weasley."
Draco growled unhappily while Pansy just scoffed and muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like 'fate worse than death.' Scorpius just mumbled her name over and over again as she handed him another biscuit with a soft smile and Narcissa seemed to be contemplative as she considered the young witch's profound words.
"I have no desire to suffer twice—"
"In reality and then in retrospect." Hermione finished with a firm nod and Narcissa returned the gesture, more than impressed that the younger witch knew the famous quote.
Although she probably shouldn't have been.
"I should take my leave," Narcissa went to stand and Draco was quick to his feet to help his mother up. Her soft expression conveyed to all there how much she adored her son and he—her. "I will see you both Saturday evening. Please let me know if you require anything, Miss Granger. Pansy tells me you picked out a stunning gown for the event but left the details mum—as I'm sure you'd like it to be a surprise, yes?"
Hermione chuckled softly, at Draco's pouting face.
"Yes Lady Malfoy. I was hoping to surprise Draco...if he can wait that long without sulking."
"Hey!" He bit out playfully, "I can be patient when required."
"Of course you can, My Dragon." Narcissa patted her son's cheek fondly before heading to the house and the floo room. Draco followed, leaving Hermione and Pansy alone with Scorpius.
When they were finally out of hearing range, Pansy turned to her and said, "Please tell me this wasn't about Daphne?"
Hermione's shocked look, let Pansy know her guess was correct and the Slytherin witch shook her head in disgust before taking a fortifying sip of her tea.
She grimaced when she realized too late in was lukewarm.
Casting a warming charm, Pansy sighed. "What can Blaise and I do?"
"Nothing yet," Hermione admitted, "Draco and I are still trying to decide how best to handle this."
Hermione grabbed a napkin and started to clean off Scorpius messy face, which was converted in chocolate and cream.
He wasn't thrilled, but finally allowed himself to be attended to before Hermione helped him down from his high chair and watched with a loving expression as he ran towards his sandbox before plopping down with his toys.
"You're going to be the best mom." Pansy offered easily and Hermione's head whipped towards her's in shock, before her eyes glassed over and she swallowed uncomfortably.
"Thank you Pansy. That means a lot coming from you. I know you've been the only mother figure Scorpius has had since Astoria died."
She other witch just shrugged. "He makes it easy. I never saw myself as particularly maternal, but that little munchkin just has this way about him that sucks you in and doesn't let go. The fact that Draco's been such an amazing Father was the biggest surprise but looking back on it now—it shouldn't have been. Draco's always wanted someone to just love him for him and Scorpius gave him that and now you."
At that precise moment Draco walked back out of the house, and the two witches clammed up as he moved into the gazebo with a calculating look.
"Talking about me?"
"Why love, were your ears burning?"
Draco touched his ears in confusion, causing both Pansy and Hermione to laugh out loud at his expression.
"Muggle saying?"
"Yes." Hermione bit back, as she bit her lip at how adorable her wizard could be sometimes.
"I should head on out too. Blaise should be home soon. He was visiting his mum today and I'm sure he'll be in one of his moods."
"Good luck with that." Draco's face pulled back into a grimace.
"Yeah, well we both know what dear old Elora thinks about me marrying her baby boy." Pansy's face fell a bit before she smirked at Hermione. "Maybe you could help me with that, Hermione. You've managed to win over Narcissa in record time, a feat I'd never thought would happen in a million years. Elora should be child's play in comparison."
"Isn't she a black widow?"
"Ah..." Pansy grinned and Draco coughed uncomfortably, but the look they shared was telling. "I'll let you judge it for yourself. Once this fiasco is over with, I'll invite you both for dinner and you can meet Blaise's Mum for yourself."
"Oh...joy..." Hermione bit out and Pansy just smiled manically before nodding in parting to her oldest friend. She went over to the sandbox and kissed Scorpius goodbye and headed inside.
When she was gone, Draco stared at his witch for a few moments before saying, "So..."
"Yes dear?"
"Shall we parlay with Potthead and Weaselbee?"
Hermione rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that was threatening to break through as she quipped back, "Sounds like a plan, my love."