A/N: *knows it's been too long*
*meant to update weekly since the start of the year*
*Shuffles closer, sniffling and holding out a chapter*
*scuffs foot, looking at the ground*
*hopes you can forgive me for the wait*
*hopes y'all are even still out there, reading?*
Also, birthday Shout Out to Leeana. Happy birthday, pretty lady! Hope it was a good one!
Tip of My Tongue
By Kittenshift17
Chapter 40
"Miss Granger?" a voice called from the living room when the roar of the Floo subsided. "Miss Granger, are you here?"
"Narcissa?" Hermione asked, rounding the corner from the kitchen and spotting the woman in question dusting off her robes and holding the hand of a sleepy looking Scorpius.
"Oh, thank Merlin you're home," Narcissa said despite the early hour, looking rather more ruffled than Hermione could recall her looking in all the time she'd known her. "Would you mind terribly having Scorpius for the day? The Aurors have finally gotten around to investigating Astoria's ordeal, and they've arrested Lucius for questioning. With Draco and Astoria both still in the hospital, the boy needs someone to mind him."
"Of course, Narcissa," Hermione smiled quietly, lowering her gaze to the young boy her own son called a half-brother. "Good morning, Scorpius."
"Good Morning, Miss Hermione," Scorpius mumbled shyly.
"Aurelian and Teddy are upstairs in Aurey's room if you'd like to join them, darling," Hermione told the small boy, knowing he'd know the way after stopping by so frequently.
If you'd told her this time last year that she would be playing a secondary mother to Draco Malfoy's other son, she'd have thought it a bad joke. But here she was, practically raising the boy alongside Aurelian, and Teddy Lupin, besides.
"Thank you, Hermione," Narcissa said sincerely. "I'm sorry to spring him on you, last minute. I feel I've been relying on you entirely too much where he's concerned of late."
"It's nothing, Narcissa," Hermione promised. "I'm already minding Aurey and Teddy. Scorpius is always welcome."
Narcissa smiled.
"I've got to get along to the Ministry. Put up a united front, lest the press continue to have a field day with all this drama, but I don't suppose there's any chance you might take the boys by to visit Draco today?" Narcissa asked hopefully. "He was complaining last night about how terribly boring hospital has been, but they're still refusing to discharge him when he's not up to full strength."
"Teddy was asking to stop by and see Harry and Ginny anyway," Hermione nodded.
"How are you, if you don't mind my asking?" Narcissa asked, eyeing her shrewdly.
"Fine," Hermione inclined her head gratefully. "Fighting fit. It's was only a little knock to the head, after all."
"The boys aren't tiring you out too much?" Narcissa confirmed. "You must be stressed with Ginny and Harry both in hospital? And I suppose the office is putting pressure on you to return? How have they taken your absence, before the accident?"
"Rolf's been good about it. He understands. I think he's just grateful Luna's not pregnant and wants to keep her from being exposed to the pathogens. He's terribly protective of her, you know?"
Narcissa nodded.
"And Mrs Potter? Did the antidote take?"
"They're not sure yet. I don't think the brewers got the mix quiet right. They're refusing to trust my judgement when it comes to the billywig wing ratio and it's throwing off the mix. Misogynistic old fools."
Narcissa smiled and patted her arm comfortingly.
"They'll see the light eventually, I'm sure," the woman comforted.
Hermione nodded, sighing softly before lifting her eyes toward the ceiling when an ominous sounding thump came from Aurelian's room.
"I'd better go and see what they're up to," she said, shaking her head and smiling fondly.
"I need to be getting to the Ministry anyway," Narcissa said. "Thank you for minding Scorpius today, Hermione."
"You're welcome," Hermione said. "Good luck at the Ministry, though I expect that if Draco's suspicions are true, Lucius will be getting his just desserts for meddling when he shouldn't have."
Narcissa's mouth pinched at the words and Hermione knew that they both knew it was Lucius's fault that Astoria was in such a bad way, and that Dolohov's involvement and freedom was also his doing. He likely wouldn't be getting through the entire mess unscathed, no matter how much money they might donate to certain things for the sake of greasing palms. Hermione suspected Narcissa knew that, and what was more, from the look on her face, Hermione rather though that Narcissa privately believed Lucius deserved to sweat over it. At least a little.
"It'll be a miracle if we can keep him out of Azkaban," the woman muttered before squeezing Hermione's hand one more time and turning away to climb through the Floo and whoosh away in a cloud of green flames.
Hermione shook her head to herself when she was gone and moved over to put the kettle on before calling out to the children when another thump sounded up the stairs.
"What's going on up there?"
"Nothing, Mum!" Aurelian shouted.
"A likely story," Hermione muttered to herself before setting off up the stairs to investigate.
She found them in Aurey's bedroom, where they'd created some kind of pillow fort out of Aurelian's bed, a number of blankets, the chair from her study, and the cot she'd conjured for Teddy while he was staying with them. She also found Teddy floating several feet off the ground while Aurelian chanted demonically on the bed.
Sweet Merlin, were they playing 'light as a feather, stiff as a board'? As wizards? Were they insane?
"Aurelian Nicholas Granger, you let your cousin down this instant!" Hermione demanded, putting her hands on her hips but casting a cushioning charm for Teddy.
He squeaked when he fell out of the air and landed on the pillow, Aurey's concentration broken and the spell failing.
"Muuuum," Aurelian whined. "I almost had it that time."
"How many times have I told you that playing muggle games as a magical boy is dangerous?" Hermione asked crossly. "You know that levitation is one of a wizard's most basic and useful skills. But the muggles can't do magic, and so they invent mind games where they think they can. If you play them, it's just cheating."
"But I had it that time, Mum!" Aurelian argued. "Even though I don't have a wand yet. Did you see how high he got?"
Before Hermione could open her mouth to continue scolding the boy, Aurelian suddenly shot several feet into the air, bonking his head on the ceiling and jerking around against the roof wildly.
"What on Earth…?" Hermione frowned, glancing around the room in confusion and wondering what was happening.
Aurey clutched his head in pain, looking scared, and Hermione frowned.
"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, what did I just say about muggle games and wizard magic?" Hermione scolded.
"Magic Scorpius told her, pointing at Aurelian and never taking his eyes off the boy.
"Let me down, you lummocks!" Aurelian complained, laughing at his little brother.
Scorpius – having very little control over the spell, evidently – cancelled it quickly and Hermione grunted as she lunged forward to snatch her son out of the air before he could plummet all the way to the ground and likely break a wrist or something equally inconvenient.
"That was wicked!" Aurelian said, squirming to be let down and batting Hermione's hands away when she started feeling his head for an egg. "Way to go, Scorp! You're getting better!"
"Nice one, Scorp," Teddy complimented his cousin, ruffling Scorpius's blonde hair.
"For the love of Merlin," Hermione said, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at all three boys.
"Don't be mad, Mummy," Aurelian wheedled immediately. "Please don't be mad."
"I was going to take you all to see your Dad in hospital today," Hermione told them sternly, glaring at the three blonde haired little shits. "Now I'm not so sure that I should."
"Daddy?" Scorpius asked excitedly, clapping his hands together.
"I miss Dad," Teddy said, and Hermione knew he was referring to Harry and not Remus. "And Mum. Please can we go and see them, Aunt Hermione? Please?"
Hermione frowned.
"Only if you promise you won't play games with magic again without supervision. Magic can be dangerous when you're still young, especially if you don't know what you're doing," she bribed them, knowing that lecturing them would be ineffective and that she would likely catch them up to the same antics next week.
"We promise! We promise!" all three boys crowed.
"Can we go and see Daddy now, Mummy?" Aurelian asked, looking excited.
Sighing, Hermione nodded.
"Come on. Let's all go and get our shoes and cloaks, and we'll go."
The boys all took off at a run and Hermione shook her head as she hurried to her bedroom to change, just waiting for one of them to go tumbling down the stairs and breaking a bone. On days like today, Hermione was reminded of why she'd only had one rambunctious child of her own. She couldn't imagine the horror people like poor Molly must've gone through with a whole handful of the little angels. Even having Teddy and Scorpius along with Aurelian for a short time was enough for her, and if she wasn't already hoping and praying that, Ginny, Harry, and Draco would soon be released in good health, she would be if only to mind their own offspring and give her a moment's peace.
~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~
Draco Malfoy looked up in alarm at the sound of thundering feet before three blonde haired children burst into his hospital room at a run.
"Bloody hell," he muttered, quickly setting aside the new Ministry-issue Beastiary they'd released based on the discoveries Granger and Lovegood had made in the past year.
He was so utterly bored with being in the hospital that he'd even convinced his boss, Rolf, to bring by whatever paperwork he'd had piled on his desk during his absence so that he could get up to date on it.
"DADDY!" Aurelian and Scorpius both cheered, clambering up on the bed with ease while Teddy Lupin more calmly approached the edge of the bed and smiled at him.
"Hello, cousin," the small boy greeted him as though they were old friends, rather than having only met a handful of times thanks to the falling out between his mother and Teddy's Grandmother in their youth.
"Teddy," Draco nodded, shaking the small boy's hand before he winced when Aurelian and Scorpius climbed all over him, uncaring about stepping on his limbs or accidentally kneeing him in the bollocks.
Merlin, the sooner he could get out of this bloody bed and back on his feet to avoid their wild flailing, the better.
"Hi Daddy," Aurelian greeted him, plonking himself on Draco's stomach and bouncing up and down boisterously, wanting attention.
"Good morning, Aurey," Draco greeted his son, while Scorpius climbed up beside him and curled under his arm. "Good morning, Scorp.
"Hi Daddy," Scorpius said, smiling at him and looking like he was pleased to see him.
"How are you feeling, Daddy?" Aurelian asked, the little motor mouth child beginning his volley of incessant questions. "Can you go home yet? When are you going to take us flying again? Is it nice here? Are the nurses friendly? Have you seen Uncle Harry? Is he better yet? Can we go to your house for a sleepover when you're better? Have you had breakfast? I had beans on toast with Teddy and Mummy before Scorp came to visit. Can Scorp stay at my place tonight?"
"Aurelian," Granger's quiet voice reprimanded, and Draco looked over as she strolled into his hospital room, shaking her head as she chided her son for his excitement.
"Too many questions?" Aurey guessed. "Sorry, Daddy. I just missed you so much!"
Draco grunted when the boy flung himself against Draco's chest, his little arms curling around his neck and squeezing tightly. If he didn't wrestle monsters for a living, Draco suspected the little tyke might be strangling him.
"It's alright, Aurey," Draco said. "But you'll have to ask your mother if Scorpius can sleep over. I imagine she's been run off her feet with the three of you?"
He directed the final question more toward the woman in question, rather than his son, raising one eyebrow at her. He hadn't actually spoken to her since scolding her about Astoria's condition and lecturing her on why he'd gone after his ex-wife when she'd been kidnapped. She hadn't come back, and he had no way of knowing if she'd bothered to read Astoria's file. The fact that she'd stayed away made him think that she must have. Granger had never been that good at swallowing her pride and admitting it when she was wrong.
"I'll have to discuss it with your mother," Hermione sighed. "I think Andromeda mentioned that tonight was the night she and Narcissa usually get together with Teddy and Scorpius for their monthly catch-up."
"Aunt Hermione?" Teddy interrupted politely when there was a lull in the conversation while Draco tried to figure out whether Granger was annoyed with him or not.
"Yes, Teddy?" Granger asked, turning her eyes to the eldest of the three boys surrounding his bed.
Draco couldn't help noticing that the child had spent so much time in Aurelian and Scorpius's presence recently that he looked almost identical to them – his metamorphmagus powers potentially subconscious as he played with his cousins. He shook his head to himself, wondering if Granger felt like she was raising three of his sons, rather than just the one she'd birthed.
"Would it be alright if I went to see Dad?" Teddy asked.
"Of course, darling. Do you want me to take you?" Hermione offered.
"It's alright. I know the way. I hope he's awake today."
"So do I, sweetheart," Hermione said, squeezing the child's hand. "I'll stop by and collect you when I come to visit Harry, alright?"
Teddy nodding before waving to Draco, Aurelian, and Scorpius, and leaving the room in search of his godfather.
"Can we go and see Uncle Harry while we're here, Mum?" Aurelian asked immediately, still bouncing on Draco's stomach and beginning to make him feel rather unwell.
"We'll pay him a visit, darling," Hermione nodded. "But you heard your grandmother. Your father is bored in the hospital, so it's up to you and your brother to entertain him, isn't it?"
"Want to paly dragons with us, Dad?" Aurelian offered, turning Draco's own grey eyes back upon him, sparkling as they did with hope and excitement.
"Sure, son," Draco said. "Jump down off me there, and we'll have a game of dragons, alright? Do you both have your dragons with you?"
Aurelian and Scorpius both looked toward Hermione and Draco watched as she began digging in that purple beaded bag she so often carried. She unearthed the matching Welsh Green dragon toys Scorpius and Aurelian had been given and distributed them to both boys quickly when they jumped off the bed and rushed over to her. When they immediately began to roar and run around the room, she smiled a little before digging back in her bag.
Draco raised his eyebrows at her, shaking his head when he spotted the smirk on her face as she produced a third dragon toy, though unlike the Welsh Greens of his sons, she gave him a Syrian Spiketail dragon toy. Just like the one that had almost eaten him and had forever altered the shape of his arse when she'd sent him hunting for a Spiketail egg through their work.
"Funny," he told her dryly as he got to his feet, somewhat embarrassed to have to the woman seeing him in the pyjamas his mother had brough to him while he recovered.
"I thought so," Hermione answered.
"Daddy, catch!" Aurelian said, roaring like a dragon again and hurling his toy at Draco.
The toy soared through the air on tiny toy dragon wings and Draco winced, moving quickly to catch the damn thing. He was quickly drawn into the game with the children, and he noted the way Granger moved over to sit in the armchair by the edge of the bed, picking up the book he'd discarded and beginning to read. The nurses came in while they were busy, changing the sheets and freshening the room, and a few of the Healers looked into the room with concern when they heard the roars emitting from his sons.
He was sure he was never going to live this down when they finally discharged him.
"Mummy!" Aurelian shouted, running over to Granger after a little while and pulling at the book she was engrossed in.
"Aurey, don't pull at the book," she scolded the child. "What have I told you about pulling at my books like that?"
"Play with us!" Aurelian demanded, releasing the book but walking the dragon over the text instead, and then all the way up her arm.
"Aurey," she sighed, looking tired and Draco suspected that though she'd had been released more than a week ago, she must still be exhausted.
He recognised the look of his witch when she was tired and frazzled. Eight years as her colleague and the Hunter bringing her all manner of dangerous magical creatures had taught him how to read most of her expressions.
"Aurey, son, come on," Draco said, throwing his own toy dragon toward the boy.
Aurelian didn't look at him, and the toy latched onto his shoulder.
"Daddy!" Scorpius called, before charging at him with his dragon and Draco caught the child up under the arms, swinging him high into the air despite the way it made his tired body ache.
"Please, Mummy. Please!" Aurelian was begging the witch, still walking the dragon over her book, across her chest and up her neck into her hair.
"Fine," she sighed, relenting after a few minutes. "Fine. Come on."
She dug into her bag for another toy dragon – withdrawing a Russian Razorfang dragon toy of her own. She rose to her feet and emitted a very feminine roar before chasing Aurelian around the room with it. Aurelian squealed and ran for it, running behind Draco and hiding behind his legs. Hermione didn't seem to mind, rushing up to him and snatching back Draco's dragon from Aurelian's shoulder before terrorizing Scorpius with the dragon, too.
"Daddy, help! She's gonna eat us!" Aurelian yelled excitedly, climbing up his back with ease and clinging to him. "Everyone knows Razorfangs are the meanest dragons! Our Greens don't stand a chance! Get her with your Spiketail!"
Aurelian and Scorpius were both squealing and laughing, and despite how tired she looked, Granger's face broke into a grin as she roared again, making a show of stalking them across the room while Draco backed away from her.
"Maybe if we all roar loud enough, we can scare her off? Draco suggested to his sons when they were both hanging off him wildly, waving their dragons at Hermione like they might fend her off.
Hermione roared again and Draco knew he had problems when the sound of her doing so – so utterly feminine and girly but giving it her all for the sake of the children – squeezed his heart inside his chest.
"On three!" Aurelian said.
"One!" Draco counted.
"Two," said Scorpius, though he kept burrowing his face into Draco's neck and peeking out again, still young and completely enthralled in the game.
"THREE!" they all said before he, Aurelian, and Scorpius roared at Hermione as loud as they could.
"Oh no!" Hermione exclaimed, stumbling back as though wounded by their roaring. "My only weakness. Being roared at!"
They all roared at her again and Draco winced when several of the Healers began frowning into their room and the nurses started shushing them.
"We're probably upsetting the other patients," Hermione said, peering over her shoulder at their noises and wincing as the boys roared again.
"Get her while she's distracted, boys," Draco directed his sons, lowering himself to the floor quickly so they could ambush Granger, his back aching from holding the two screaming children.
They ambushed her, barrelling toward her bravely and slamming into her legs, the two of them still roaring and attacking Hermione with their toy dragons while Draco laughed and followed at a more sedate pace. Pretending she was struggling at succumbing to the attack, Hermione gave a cry of victory when she managed to latch onto Scorpius, scooping him into her arms and pretending she was going to eat him, lifting him into the air while he squealed and laughed.
"Oh no! What's this? The power of Mummy compels me! Can't… resist! Must… join… her team!" Draco pretended, scooping Aurey up from behind and doing the same thing, pretending to eat him like they were both hungry dragons while the boys screamed.
So consumed they were in their games, none of them noticed that amid the doctors and nurses fondly looking on, one plucky Daily Prophet photographer was snapping picture after picture of their special family moment.
