Chapter 19 - Affirmation

Andromeda was reluctant to let go of her grandson, who was still sleeping in her arms when Hermione re-entered the kitchen with Draco on her heel. Hermione smiled understandingly at her, knowing first-hand what it was like to find comfort in Teddy and want to protect him.

"Give him a chance, Andromeda. Please," Hermione said soothingly, making sure to provide Andromeda with the space to make her own decision.

It was her home after all, but Hermione knew that her own acceptance of Draco would make it difficult for Andromeda to turn him away now. Her trust in Hermione as her Alpha was too strong to disregard the request but that didn't mean Andromeda was completely happy with it.

"Very well. Nephew?" she nodded curtly at Draco then turned and walked through the kitchen into the living room.

Draco raised an eyebrow at Hermione and she smiled reassuringly back at him, motioning that he should go ahead of her. As he passed by her with his shoulders back and head held so high that it made Hermione chuckle to herself, she took the loaf of bread from him and said that she would serve it for them.

"And relax would you," her eyes sparkled as he blinked indignantly at her. "She won't kick you out now that she knows I've vetted you. It is I who would be doing any kicking out because I will not allow anyone to harm them. Andromeda trusts me on that."

"I'm not entirely sure if I can trust you yet, Granger, so excuse me if that doesn't provide a huge amount of comfort."

Draco turned on his heel and followed his Aunt, leaving Hermione shaking her head and smiling coyly to herself. Andromeda and Draco both needed each other following the war, Hermione knew that, and she was more than happy to provide the push that both parties required to start those conversations. She hoped that eventually, Andromeda would rediscover a companionship with her sister so that she didn't feel so alone and apart from everyone else. As for Teddy, despite knowing that Harry would always be there as his godfather, with the Weasley's and herself by extension, it would be good to know that he had some more family interested in his life.

Hermione found Andromeda's breadboard and set about slicing the loaf of bread that Draco had brought for Lughnasadh. From what she knew of the tradition that some old wizarding families had kept, it celebrated the beginning of the harvest season and was a good time for fresh starts, or new beginnings as Draco had said. Freshly baked bread was a symbol of good things to come and Hermione thought that she would serve it with the strawberry jam that Andromeda had made just the other week.

Knowing that Andromeda liked to stick to tea after midday, Hermione made a pot of Earl Grey, sliced some lemon and found the honey, but also made a small pot of coffee just in case Draco was so inclined. Once she had it all arranged on a tray, she carried their drinks through to the living room, levitating the breadboard in front of her.

Andromeda and Draco were sat identically as they silently observed each other, perched on the edge of their respective seats with their backs ramrod straight. Draco's hands were folded elegantly in his lap and she was sure that Andromeda's would have been as well had it not been for Teddy cradled in her arms.

When Hermione leant down between them to set the tray and the breadboard on the coffee table, Draco was the first to blink.

"Thank you, Granger," he said primly, barely flicking his eyes away from Andromeda.

"You're very welcome," Hermione smiled as she poured herself a cup of black coffee. "I've taken the liberty of serving some of your Aunt's jam with the bread, made with this years' strawberries. I felt it would be perfect with the idea of fresh starts. I hope you don't mind, Dromeda," she turned her attention away from Draco.

"A wonderful idea, Hermione. Thank you," Andromeda said without stopping the visual examination of her nephew.

"The tea is Earl Grey but there's also coffee if you would rather," Hermione smiled encouragingly at Draco then went to take a seat in the armchair by the window. It was out of the way enough that she wasn't part of their conversation but located just on the edge of Draco's peripheral vision where she could also meet Andromeda's gaze over his shoulder.

Hermione was pleased to see that Draco served Andromeda her tea and a slice of the bread before pouring his own coffee, adding just a splash of milk and a spoonful of sugar. However, it seemed as though he was waiting for his Aunt to start so Hermione raised an eyebrow at Andromeda until the older witch rolled her eyes and sighed, visibly making an effort to relax her shoulders and appease Hermione.

"It was nice of you to think of us today, Draco. A new start where we can all look forward to the future is just what many of us need after the war." Andromeda's voice sounded flat, a clipped coolness to her tone that had Hermione rolling her eyes, but at least they were now talking.

"My condolences for the loss of your husband and daughter," Draco responded, dropping his chin to his chest.

"I have mourned them," Andromeda nodded thoughtfully and took a sip of her tea. "But now I'm needed by this little one and I get to remember them every day and when he is older, I'll be able to pass on memories of his parents and his grandfather and how brave they were. How good."

Hermione watched Andromeda smile down at a snoozing Teddy and felt her own lips curl as she took in the peaceful expression of the child asleep in her arms. His hair changed ever so slightly as he dreamed, fading between colours and never settling on one for long, making Draco gasp in amazement. He got Andromeda talking about her grandson quite easily and then began to ask about Tonks, fascinated by the metamorphmagus skill passed down from mother to son.

Hermione watched, proud of the both of them as Draco and Andromeda exchanged stories. Draco talking about his wonderful life growing up and then the terror it became as his father grew more frantic in the run up to the war. Andromeda talked of life with Ted, raising Nymphadora and watching her become a troublemaker at Hogwarts and then how proud they were when she joined the Aurors. Hermione was also surprised when Andromeda told Draco about her own upbringing and her escape from the forced marriage her parents had lined up for her.

Draco visibly shuddered as he heard her speak of his grandparents and Hermione wondered if Narcissa had ever told him the extent of their depravity. He didn't even try and rationalise it, he didn't argue the pureblood point of view, but he did make excuses for his mother when Andromeda asked after her sister. He floundered through his explanation of Narcissa's house arrest which Hermione knew held some semblance of the truth, but she could not prevent her eyes from rolling again when he told Andromeda that Narcissa wished she could have come.

The sudden nervousness poured off Draco in waves and flooded Hermione's senses, glee bubbling in her chest when he turned his head slightly to shoot a fretful look in her direction. Hermione cursed that the moon was only a few days away and hoped that she hadn't growled inadvertently. Even with the wolfsbane potion, her Wolf was rearing its head, interested to see if Draco would possibly submit to her. Hermione pushed down the feeling, knowing that Draco was unlikely to ever feel beneath her and, sure enough, no sooner had he caught her eye, he had shaken the uneasy look in his eye and the steeliness in his narrowed eyes shone again.

She saw Draco glance at her more often as the conversation continued, his nervousness and unease gradually turning to confusion. When Teddy eventually woke and stretched in Andromeda's arms, Draco caught Hermione looking lovingly at the young Lupin just before his Aunt showed him how to hold Teddy in his arms. Hermione leant forwards in her chair, resisting the urge to stand and hover protectively over them, watching as Draco's face lit up at the small, gurgling baby in his arms.

He looked up from Teddy's face and briefly directed his smile at her but, seeing the protective expression on her face and the way she was posed, ready to spring forwards at any moment, Draco cocked his head to one side and regarded her with curiosity.

Hermione leant back and focused on relaxing her posture before clearing her throat and excusing herself to make another pot of tea. She felt like her instincts were getting too wound up, too visible in front of Draco, and a cup of chamomile would help calm her down a bit. However, when she carried the pot back into the living room, Draco had already passed Teddy back to Andromeda and was kissing his Aunt on the cheek in farewell, insisting that he had not meant to leave his mother alone for so long. She had spent the last few months worrying about him, he explained, and he didn't want her to have to worry anymore, especially when the Manor was not such a joyful home at the moment.

"A word, Granger," he demanded, leaning close to her ear as he passed by on his way out.

She blinked at the imperativeness in his voice but set the teapot down anyway and followed him back through the kitchen where he was waiting for her outside the front door.

"What's your problem?" Draco hissed, pulling her away from the house slightly. "Don't trust me or something? Well, I expect not since even Weasley testified for me, but you honestly expect me to hurt my own family. That sweet baby?"

Hermione blanched and shook her head at the thought of Draco hurting Teddy because it was such an inconceivable notion, so far removed from who she now recognised Draco as, that his accusation stung. It also brought back the frustration and guilt she had felt about the trials.

"I tried, Draco, I did! I wanted to testify," she said, pulling her arm out of his grasp and giving him a stern look, insistent that he believe her. "I went every day to the trials, but they wouldn't let me into the courtroom. I wasn't allowed to testify against any of them, let alone on behalf of you or your mother."

Draco looked shocked at her indignant explanation, not quite knowing what to make of it.

"You weren't allowed?" he whispered. "They... what?" He looked thoroughly perplexed as he tried to wrap his head around it. "Don't they know that their Chosen One is only here and able to testify because of you? That you were with him every step of the way and were the best of them?"

Hermione scoffed. If only it was as simple as Harry taking all the limelight.

"It's nothing like that, Draco. There are a lot of things that I would like to do but can't now, at least until Kingsley can fix eons of discrimination."

She held her left arm out and rolled her sleeve back, exposing the deep, jagged scar to him.

"Don't," he looked away ashamed. "I'm just as glad as you that she's dead, Granger. Remind me to thank Weasley's mother sometime."

"You left the room at some point, didn't you?" Hermione ignored what he said about Bellatrix and coaxed him to look back at her. "I don't blame you for leaving and I don't blame you for this. That's why I wish I could have testified. You didn't want to be there any more than we did and you could have given us up, but you didn't."

She looked pointedly down at her scar again, running her fingers along the letters and grimacing despite how light her touch was.

"It wasn't just Bellatrix in that room after you left. Greyback was there as well, for some of it at least. Remember how he kept saying that he wanted me?" Draco gulped but nodded. "Well he did get me in a way. He lapped at the blood from my wound and that was all it took."

Hermione looked up and met Draco's eyes, seeing his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I guess if you're going to be in Teddy's life now, and we're going to be at Hogwarts together this year, then you might as well know." She smiled slightly at him without it reaching her eyes and then turned around, dismissing him as she started back towards the house.

"Wait, Granger. What are you trying to tell me?" Draco shouted to her just as she pushed the door open.

Hermione half turned back to face him and quirked one side of her mouth but didn't let go of the door.

"I'm Wolf now, Draco," she said simply, leaving him to ponder that as she went back to Andromeda, Teddy and her chamomile tea.

A/N:

Thank you again for reading! I'm so grateful to those of you who have been with me from the beginning and want to say a big Welcome! to anyone who has come across this fic recently 3

Reviews are always greatly appreciated but you can also come and find me on tumblr at mxstyassasxin so, unless I speak to you in the meantime, see you next Tuesday!

Much love xx

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