Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin when Draco stormed out of her fireplace. He was holding Scorpius, gripping him tightly.
"Can you look after him?" He asked urgently.
"What's going on? What's wrong?" Hermione asked anxiously. She placed her book on the coffee table and rushed over to them. Her heart pounded in her chest and her blood seemed to run cold.
Stress radiated off Draco as he handed Scorpius over to her.
"I can't explain right now. I have to talk to my mother. Please, Hermione. I'll be back as soon as I can," he begged and ran back over to the fireplace.
"Please, Draco," Hermione cried. "What's going on? You're scaring me." Scorpius nestled himself closer to her and buried his face in his hands. Hermione placed a hand on his head trying to comfort him.
Draco stopped and turned around. He looked the same as he did that day outside her shop, the day he was attacked. Worried, scared and defiant.
"Please," Hermione pleaded.
Nodding to himself, he walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Looking her in the eyes, he said, "I'll explain when I get back. I promise." He leaned down and kissed her forehead and then Scorpius'. "I told him about us," Draco added before he dashed back to the fireplace and disappeared into the flames.
Staring at the spot where Draco had just been, Hermione tried to comfort Scorpius. After a moment, Scorpius lifted his head and stared at Hermione. A small smile formed on his lips.
"You going to be my mummy if you and daddy stay together?" He asked confidently.
Hermione gaped at the small boy. What the hell kind of conversation did Draco have with Scorpius?
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Draco found his mother in the library of the Manor. She looked up from her book and smiled.
"Oh Draco, darling, I didn't know you were coming over?" She said. She must have known. She knew and she hadn't said a word to him. It made Draco's blood boil.
Narcissa looked shocked as Draco threw the letter at her, "Did you know about this?" he demanded.
She took the letter and quickly read it. Her face paled as she finished and Draco tried to calm himself.
"No," She gasped, sitting back down on the French settee. Her hand gripped he armrest. "No, I had no idea."
"You've been in contact with him. He never mentioned it," Draco pushed. He didn't want to yell at his mother, but he couldn't help but think she wasn't telling him something.
"He never said anything," Narcissa said quietly, placing a hand over her mouth.
Draco paced the room. "You mean to tell me that father is getting released from Azkaban and he never said anything about it," Draco nearly yelled.
"He didn't tell me, Draco," Narcissa said harshly. He looked over at her and saw that there were tears in her eyes. "Why didn't he tell me?" She said mostly to herself.
Sighing, Draco took a seat beside his mother. Beneath all this anger, he felt sorry for his mother. She loved his father and it must have been hard for her to find out that he had kept this from her. Draco couldn't fathom what was going through her head.
"He knows about Scorpius, right?" Draco asked. Of course he knew about Scorpius. When Scorpius was born, it was all Narcissa could talk about.
Narcissa huffed, "Yes, I told him about Scorpius." She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her eyes.
"And Astoria?" Draco raised his eyebrow in question. Lucius had been the one to push for the arranged marriage. He had been the one who chose Astoria Greengrass, he had been the one to push the marriage. He had arranged it all before he went to Azkaban.
Narcissa shifted in her seat, "Yes. He knows."
Draco nodded solemnly. He put his head in hands, defeated. He had expected to have another ten years without his father. He wanted another ten year without his father.
Narcissa placed a hand on his back. "I'm sorry, Draco, that this is happening to you," she said softly.
Draco spoke softly, "We talked, Hermione and me. We decided to tell Scorpius about us, we did tell Scorpius. It's serious, mother, we're serious."
"I know," Narcissa said. "I can see the way you look at her. You're happier with her, better with her."
"Merlin!" Draco hit his hand against his leg. "His timing couldn't have more fucking perfect."
"Draco!" Narcissa scolded, "I know you're angry, but I am still your mother and you will not curse in front of me."
"I'm sorry, mother," Draco said. "I'm angry!"
Draco took a moment to calm himself. His mother continued to rub his back, like she had done when he was little. It was soothing and comforting.
"Once he comes, I'm going to keep Scorpius away for a while. I don't want him around my son," Draco said firmly. Narcissa began to protest, but he cut her off, "No, I won't allow him to be round Scorp. You can come over and see Scorpius at my house whenever you like, though."
Narcissa nodded. "I hope you forgive me when I say he's still my husband. He's my husband and I still love him."
"How can you?" Draco winched. "How can you love him after everything he's done? After everything he's done to us?"
"It's complicated. It wasn't always bad. Don't look at me like that. Your father had his moments. Moments that not even you saw. I'm not going to turn my back on him. If I didn't leave him when he joined the Dark Lord, then I'm not going to leave him now," Narcissa declared.
Draco groaned. He wished his mother leave his father. They were so much happier without him. But, it was her decision to make, not his.
"Fine, I don't understand it, but I won't tell you what to do," Draco tried to smile. "But I want this to work with Hermione and if that means having to choose between her and him. I choose her."
"That's fine, Draco," Narcissa said. She smiled sadly at him, "You're so grown up. I look at you and you're not my little boy anymore."
Draco guffawed, "Is that a bad thing?"
"No. No, it's a very good thing," Narcissa replied simply. "I hope you'll give him a chance though."
Draco let out a bark of laughter, "No, absolutely not." There was no way he was letting that man back into his life. Had it not been for his father, they would have never have been mixed up with the Dark Lord. He wouldn't have the disgusting scar on his forearm. He would have never been forced to kill and torture people. No, he was not letting his father manipulate him ever again.
"I understand," Narcissa sighed sadly. "I just was hoping."
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Hermione picked up the blue crayon and started colouring the sky. Scorpius was colouring in the grass. In the center of the picture, there was a big dragon; which Scorpius insisted colouring bright red because 'it breathes fire and fire's red!'.
She had tried to ignore the whole mummy situation. But when he looked up at her, with his bright blue eyes, she couldn't ignore him. She simply kissed him on the cheek and suggested colouring. They had been doing so for the better part of an hour. She tried not to worry, but she was.
"You're doing a very good job on the grass," Hermione commented. In truth, he was colouring pretty erratically, going outside the lines and up into the sky.
"I know," he smiled. He shifted so he was lying on his stomach, swinging his feet in the air.
Hermione smiled at him. She wouldn't mind being the child's mother, but she didn't want to confuse him. Furthermore, it would only make things far more complicated if she and Draco did break up.
Draco suddenly came through the fire place. He brushed the soot off him, looking far less anxious than when he left.
"Daddy," Scorpius cried. Running up to his father, Scorpius ripped the picture away from Hermione. "Look! We drew you a dragon!"
Draco kneeled down so he was level with his son. He took the picture from Scorpius and studied it. "Wow, it's really good! You're an artist, Scorp. How about you finish the grass, while I talk to Hermione?"
"Okay," Scorpius said and ran back to the crayons.
Draco tilted his head in the direction of the dining room and Hermione nodded. She exited the living room and Draco followed.
"Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?" Hermione hissed, taking out her wand and casting a silencing charm. Her nerves were on edge, she had realized until now, just how worried she had been.
Draco nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. "My father is getting released from Azkaban."
Hermione heart sunk. It goes without saying that Lucius Malfoy was a horrible man. While, Hermione knew that both Narcissa and Draco had changed, she knew that Lucius would never, could never.
"When?" Hermione breathed.
Draco ran a hand through his already messy hair, "Within a week's time."
"Are – are you okay?" Hermione asked, reaching for his hand.
He flopped down in one of the dining chairs, dragging her forward with him. She stood in front of him while he sat.
"Yeah," he sighed exasperatedly. "I mean it's not going to affect me. I don't want anything to do with him. My mother though, she still wants to be with him."
"Most people want their parents to stay together, Draco," Hermione tried to joke. Draco gave her a sharp look and she quickly apologized. "I'm sorry. This is not the time to joke." Hermione ran her hand through his hair, trying to fix it. He closed his eyes and leaned into her hand. His hair was so soft and Hermione was envious. It wasn't fair that a guy had hair like that, so perfect.
Hermione sighed, "He is your father, Draco."
He curled up his nose, "You sound like my mother. I'm not seeing him. And I'm not allowing Scorpius to be around him either."
"That's understandable," Hermione nodded. "And smart."
Draco didn't smile like Hermione had anticipated. "Where does this leave us, Hermione?"
Hermione's heart pumped faster. "What do you mean?"
"He's tried to kill you, several times! You don't need this," Draco's voice raised.
"You thought that I would leave, just like that? I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions," Hermione stated seriously.
"It isn't going to be a walk in the park, Granger! I have no idea how he's going to act! What if he comes after you?" Draco nearly yelled.
Hermione stepped back and Draco shot up from his seat. "Do you know what your son asked me? Do you have any idea what he said me when you left? You must! He must have talked to you about it. He asked me if I could be his mother," Hermione choked. Her voice cracked as she continued, "How could I just walk away, Draco? How? Because I have no idea."
Draco wrapped her up him his arms. She was breathing heavily as she rested her head against his chest.
"I didn't think of it that way," Draco whispered.
"No, you didn't," Hermione replied hotly.
"I tried to explain to him that you're not his mother, that it doesn't work that way. I just didn't know what to say and I didn't want to upset him," Draco added, pilling away.
"It's okay, I guess. It was shocking to say the least," Hermione laughed lightly.
And just like that, the tension in the air lifted. The thought of Lucius Malfoy being released vanished for a while.
"Thank you for not freaking out on him," Draco said softly.
"I tried to ignore the question, honestly," Hermione giggled and Draco laughed deeply. "I didn't know what to do!"
Draco put his hands on the side of her head and leaned down to kiss her. Hermione melted into his embrace. There was going to be hell to come, but for now everything felt perfect.
The moment, however, was short lived. Hermione suddenly felt extremely nauseous. She rushed to the bathroom, barely making before throwing up in the toilet.