Harry paced up and down his office,
"And you're sure?" he repeated,
"No the intense burning is all in my head," Draco said dryly, Harry fell back into his chair
"What does Hermione say about this?" he sighed,
"Nothing…I'm not telling her any of this, it's too dangerous!" he said, Harry stared at him as if he had grown a second head, "she's just given birth to our daughter she doesn't need the stress of…This" Draco snapped pulling up the sleeve of his shirt!
"Draco," Harry sighed, "I didn't like that my best friend was made to marry you, in fact, I approached Minister Shacklebolt and tried to make him annul it, but he saw what I couldn't at the time, something I can see now, You and Hermione are a good together, sure you argue but hell who doesn't…but this, this is something you need to tell Hermione" Harry said
"She is not to know Potter!" Draco warned, "If this means what I think it does I have a plan to keep her safe," he said,
"Draco, this could be nothing, hell, I'm praying that you are wrong…no offence"
"None taken, I'm doing the same" Draco sighed, "But they are my only reason for living and I will not let them get involved in…"
"I get it…I don't want my children and Ginny involved should…this be what we fear it is but I would never hide it from them" Harry sighed,
"And that's your choice," Draco said, "I will do what I see fit when it comes to my family Potter!"
"Hermione is my Family too," Harry said
"I will curse you into the Stone Age if you even breathe a word of this to her, do you understand?" Draco said,
"My lips are sealed" Harry relented. "What are we going to do about…?" Harry pointed at Draco's arm,
"I'm going to approach some former members to see what information I can get…" Draco sighed "I need you to write up a report so I…we can tell Hermione that I'm on a major mission and need to be away for a time," he said,
"Oh no Draco, I agree that we need the information but I am not lying to Hermione," Harry said, he saw the blonds face drop, "Look I can't lie to Hermione, but I know that Mrs Parkinson-Knott has a case she want's "dealing" with" Harry sighed, "I think that you would be able to do that alongside your own crusade" Draco nodded.
That had been just after Aphrodite had been born, Draco became more distant, started pushing Hermione away, sleeping in the guest room.
"Draco!" Hermione had finally lost her temper, "What is going on with you?" she was in tears
"Just leave me alone Granger!" He snapped,
"Granger! I haven't been Granger for seven years, Draco please Scorpi has noticed, he's not stupid" she begged,
"Maybe he should see the truth, see that this stupid law ruined my life!" he hated every word coming out of his mouth, but it was to keep them safe, "Fucking Mud-blood" he turned as Hermione fell to the floor sobbing. Draco pulled his door shut and locked it preforming Silencio, before falling to the ground and sobbing, he hated what he had to become again, what he had to do and say to protect his family.
He left for a week the next morning and upon his return, he presented Hermione with divorce papers. Hermione had begged him not to do this to think of their children…
He wished he could tell her that this was for them, this was to keep them safe. Seeing Hermione this way reminded him of their first days as husband and wife, bickering over every little detail, it felt like he was going backwards, but he knew the burning on his wrist meant danger, it meant that the darkness was returning and he would not let them hurt his children.
They told Scorpius the next night and Draco left again the following.
Hermione banged on the door with her free hand, she was sobbing uncontrollably, Aphrodite was in her arms and Scorpius clinging to her leg, "Harry please" she banged at the door again. It took several minutes before she saw a light coming from within the darkened house, the door opened revealing a dishevelled Harry tieing his dressing-gown around his waist.
"Hermione?" he said through the tired haze,
"Harry, Draco…Draco's gone" she sobbed, Harry's heart sank, not only for the tears of his friend but because Draco would have only done this if he found something that could possibly be worse for his family then him leaving
"Come in hun, Hey Scorpi come and give me a hug" Harry tried a kind smile, Scorpius looked to his mother, who nodded to him. Scorpius ran into his arms and allowed himself to be picked up.
Harry led Hermione into the livingroom flicking on the main light
"Harry, tell me…Please tell me this is a mission he is on…that.." she sobbed Harry sat beside her his arms around her shoulders,
"I can't tell you that" he whispered, it was the truth he couldn't tell her Draco was doing this because of a mission he was sending him on and he couldn't tell her because he had sworn to Draco that he would not tell Hermione.
"You know you are welcome here as long as you need," He said, he looked up to see Ginny "Ginny my love can you take Aphrodite and Scorpi so they can get some sleep." Ginny nodded,
Come on Scorpi, I think James will be happy to see you" she smiled taking Aphrodite from Hermione and offering a hand to Scorpius, he hesitated, moving to hug his mum,
"Mummy I can stay with you if you need me" he whispered, Hermione held him tightly
"No, I'm ok little Prince, I need you to stay strong and get some rest so you can be a strong big brother for Aphi" she smiled placing a gentle kiss on his forehead "Sweet dreams little Prince" she tried to smile at him letting him go and take Ginny's hand.
"What happened?" Ginny asked Harry when he finally climbed back in bed, he glanced at the clock, he had to get up in two hours for work,
"Gin it will take too long to explain now, can you just look after Hermione tomorrow and I will explain everything tomorrow evening when we are alone and I don't have to get up in two hours," he said bringing his hand to stroke her hair.
"Ok Harry," she said leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on his lips "I hope whatever he is doing he realises his children are suffering" she sighed, "Scorpius wouldn't sleep until he had made sure Aphrodite was safe and asleep next to Albus"
"he thinks he's keeping them safe…that's all I can say Gin, but Hermione can't know for now" HE whispered, Ginny's eyes widened
"You knew about this" she hissed,
"No it's not like that" he whispered, "Please Gin, I will explain everything tomorrow, I need to check up on some things…so I know all the facts" he yawned
"I understand" she whispered, "But Hermione…" she sighed,
"Is devastated…I know" he sighed rolling on his back "Fucking Slytherin should have been a Griffindor, trying to be all noble" Harry Mumbled to himself "Good night Gin…I love you"
"I love you too Harry" she sighed.
Draco pulled the hood of his cloak over his face as he passed through the busy street, passing unseen by the commuters who rushed along to where ever it was they were going. Draco made it past them to the door that no one seemed to see because no one was really looking. Keeping his wand hidden within his cloak he moved the tip along the seem causing a soft glow to appear and the door to open and allow Draco to step past the threshold into the unknown.
"Draco my boy you made it" came a cold voice,
"Jugson" Draco nodded,
"And your father said you wouldn't show…that you were Potters lap dog" the man laughed,
"I did what I had to after the war, just as you did Jugson" Draco drawled, deep down he wanted to vomit,
"You will be very useful, perhaps we can use your marriage to get back at potter" He sneered
"Wouldn't count on it" came another voice,
"and who are you to say that?" Draco glared at the new woman, one he didn't recognise,
"I'm Ella Pure," She smiled, "and I have spies in the ministry and they inform me that Malfoy fined Divorce papers this morning"
"That is correct, as soon as I was able I wanted to be rid of that disgusting Mudblood, the thought that I had to reproduce with that piece of dirt" he spat, his head was screaming 'I'm so sorry Hermione'
"He may still be useful to us" she smiled, we need a blood donation from a decedent of the twenty-eight" she snarled, Draco let out a low laugh,
"You're joking right, very few of the bloodlines are pure anymore," he said, "And not that I'm not impressed that you managed to activate our marks, you're not a Pureblood, even if your name is Pure," he said, "You're just some half-blood who has dreams of Granjure. I don't think I want to be thrown in Azkaban because of a child" he snarled at her making to turn.
Draco knew turning his back on any of these people could get him killed, but he knew he had to sow strength to show he was not a pushover.
"We're breaking them out," she said simply,
"Call me after you have done it!" Draco said stepping back through to the bustle of the busy street.