Hi everyone! Back again with more angst. Hopefully Hermione can make some progress here though. As always, JKR is the original, I'm just the spin-off.

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Chapter Ten

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Draco's heart thudded in his chest as he peeked around the corner of one bookshelf and let his eyes drink in Hermione in this moment. They were standing in Flourish and Blotts and had been perusing the shelves for about twenty minutes. And as each minute passed he became more and more enamoured with his wife as she seemed to blossom into the Hermione Granger he knew from school. The energy practically vibrated off her as she devoured the titles surrounding them, and the pedantic way she treated each tome as if it were something precious…

It was classic Granger.

Draco chuckled and watched as she carefully inspected a text on memory charms, that familiar crinkling of her nose telling him that she was not impressed with this particular publication.

They'd come out today with the intention of picking up some potions from the apothecary for his mother, as well as transfer more funds he owed her into her Gringotts account. With both accomplished and with time to spare, they decided to take a quick look around in Flourish and Blotts. George Weasley wasn't expecting them for another half an hour to pick up Sophie after all. Plenty of time to do some book shopping.

When he'd suggested the idea, Hermione had almost jumped at him in excitement, possibly intending to give him a bracing hug like he'd seen her give Potter on numerous occasions, but she seemed to remember herself at the last minute and visibly held herself back. Draco couldn't smother the feeling of disappointment when she succeeded.

And now he was just following her around the bookstore like a love sick fool while he watched her get increasingly lost in the tomes that lined the walls and shelves. He'd grabbed a couple of titles for himself, but was more interested in staring at his wife as she shopped.

Glancing down at his watch, Draco figured it was time they took their purchases to the front counter and made their way to Weasley's joke shop to collect Sophie. He quietly approached Hermione, glancing over her shoulder at the book she was holding.

"You should write a book," he told her in a low voice, seeing her pass a critical eye over this text as well. It seemed she had very high standards when it came to books. Hermione flushed an attractive shade of pink and turned to him with a sheepish smile.

"The idea has crossed my mind once or twice," she admitted, "it's astounding how many blatant inaccuracies can be found in 'so-called' instructive texts."

Her voice was dripping with scorn and it prompted him to chuckle in amusement.

"So do it. Write your own!" he pushed, nudging her with his shoulder.

Hermione's smile suddenly faded and she stared down at the book in her hands with a surprisingly serious expression.

"I…there just… never seems to be enough time," she muttered almost bitterly and Draco instantly regretted his cajoling. Of course she didn't have time to write a book, in between being a single mother and trying to pay off Krum's debts. She probably spent every free minute working these last few years, when she wasn't with her daughter. But then she seemed to pull herself together and pointed cheerfully at the books in his hands.

"Are you getting those?" she asked him, and he glanced down at his small pile.

"Yes. It's been a while since I actually bought books for myself instead of for work."

"I know what you mean," she agreed wryly, before returning the book she was holding to the nearest shelf and making to move towards the front counter. Draco frowned, noticing that her hands were empty.

"Aren't you getting anything?" he asked. But Hermione just shrugged, looking a bit sheepish.

"No it's fine. I tend to find titles I'm interested in here and then hunt through the local second hand stores when I get the chance and hope I score a lucky bargain. Flourish and Blotts is…a bit pricey for me."

"Oh-" Draco paused, not sure what he was supposed to say. Clearly she believed that she didn't have enough money to buy a book for herself. Even with their recent agreement and the transfer of funds into her Gringotts account, he'd found that she was still incredibly frugal, as if she was determined to save every single knut she could for Sophie's future. Before he could make up his mind on how to proceed with the conversation, Hermione was forcing out a stiff smile as she rested a reassuring hand on his arm.

"It's alright, Draco! Buy your books. I'll just be waiting out the front when you're ready."

And then she was gone. Draco scowled down at the couple of tomes he was holding. He felt bad. It wasn't nice to think that Hermione couldn't buy herself something she wanted. That she had been forced to make so many sacrifices. That the infamous bookworm was scrounging around in second hand stores hoping to find what she was looking for.

Hermione was always thinking of others. He didn't believe she had a single selfish bone in her body. Yesterday, after she'd fully recovered from her flu and was back up on her feet, a designated representative from the Wizengamot had come around to conduct the ministry's home inspection. And Hermione had been outstanding. She'd been so patient and had answered all their questions with a worrying amount of sincerity, but also with a firmness that didn't allow for any doubt or question.

When had they both become such remarkable actors? He wondered.

He owed her so much. Her unique brand of charisma had been wildly successful in the face of the ministry's inquiry. The doddering old wizard had barely made a single note on his clipboard and had left with a friendly wave, reassuring them that Narcissa's custodial situation was going swimmingly and that they had nothing to worry about. He'd even seemed cheerfully open to Hermione's questions about reducing the parole period. Draco didn't want to get his hopes up. But it was hard not to when his wife's kindness and finesse seemed to win over even the most hard-arse ministry personnel.

Not pausing to think about it too hard, or allow a moment to second guess himself, Draco reached down to a lower shelf nearby and grabbed a text that he had noticed Hermione seemed fascinated by earlier. She had been devouring the first few pages, before she'd flicked to the back of the book at which point her expression had turned glum. Now he knew why. She'd seen the price tag. It was a beautiful, leather bound tome with a gold leaf design and cost a ridiculous amount… for a normal witch or wizard, anyway.

Placing all his purchases on the front counter, Draco handed over the required money, though it was not enough to make even a dent in his wallet. His pulse racing nervously, he scooped up the two bags and made his way outside where Hermione was waiting for him. She was gazing into the window of the pet shop next door and looking fondly at a slightly bedraggled looking owl with kindly green eyes. As he approached, she turned and smiled at him.

"Ready to go? Sophie's probably waiting-"

Draco awkwardly gripped the second bag from Flourish and Blotts in his sweaty palm. He thrust it towards her, pressing it into her hands a bit too roughly as his cheeks turned pink and he shuffled anxiously from foot to foot.

"What-?" Hermione began, before peering down to look into the bag he'd given her. When she saw what it was she looked a bit stricken for a moment, her big brown eyes turning up towards him questioningly.

"I saw you looking at this one earlier and thought you might like it," he murmured.

"But…you…I can't accept-"

"Yes you can," he insisted. There was a tense pause before Hermione's shoulders relaxed and she cocked her head to the side.

"Oh Draco," she sighed. She tentatively lifted the book to see the title and visibly swallowed.

Dark Magic and the Mind.

She blinked a few times and for a single terrified second he thought maybe he'd made a huge mistake and offended her or something. But then she turned those beautiful brown eyes up towards him again and her expression was one of tenderness and gratitude.

"Thank you. I… this was very thoughtful of you."

"You're welcome," he stammered a bit, but a delightfully warm sensation spread through his navel at the sincerity of her words and the affectionate look on her face.

"We'd better go…" she told him a little reluctantly as she returned the book to the bag and clutched the handle tightly. He nodded, moving to turn towards the joke shop down the end of the street. Before he could start in that direction, however, he felt a small hand grab his lapel, tugging him backwards. Draco watched in shock as the smaller witch beside him stretched up quickly onto the balls of her feet and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. He felt a wave of shock at the soft sensation of her lips on his skin, but it was over in a split second and he was left teetering uncertainly with the desire to lean back in towards her. Hermione blushed a furious shade of red before turning and indicating that they should proceed towards the joke shop.

What was…I didn't… she just…

Draco could only follow numbly, still a bit stunned by what had happened. Soon they found themselves outside a garishly bright building bedecked in orange and purple posters and decorative displays of various jokes and pranks. They were very much in Weasley territory now. Draco swallowed and proceeded through the front door behind Hermione. The store was crowded with people, young and old alike. It was buzzing with laughter and conversation and Draco couldn't help but look around in awe. He was amazed that the Weasley twin had accomplished so much since the death of his identical brother. The business had flourished. Distantly he wondered whether it was worth investing in the company, if George ever wanted to expand it. He knew that the Weasley twin employed a lot of former Hogwarts students who'd suffered a loss during the war. Case in point, Draco could see the younger Creevey brother - Daniel? Denis? - standing behind the counter and juggling the throng of customers with skill.

Hermione gestured for him to follow her as she ducked and weaved her way through the store. He trailed behind her until they both slipped through a doorway and into the offices out the back.

When they walked into Weasley's office, Draco couldn't help but smile. Sophie was helping her 'Uncle George' build an enormous structure out of a deck of exploding snap cards. They were both nervously adding cards to the top of the castle, waiting for it to collapse with a resounding boom and a shower of fireworks.

And as they worked, he could clearly hear Sophie chattering away as she told her uncle all about her new kittens, going into excessive detail about everything they ate and did and how carefully she'd been looking after them.

"Shadow is the more cuddly of the two," she explained to him as she positioned two cards on top of one of the turrets, "but Chess is more playful. He loves to chase things and his favourite food is corned beef."

At that moment, Hermione cleared her throat and a couple of things happened at once. George got a surprise at their entrance and, as he was moving a card onto the stack, he nudged the building causing it to collapse in an explosion of lights and sounds. At the same time, Sophie lifted her head and saw them, an excited grin stretching on her lips.

"Mummy!" she ran forwards and gave her mother a big bear hug, which was returned just as tightly by Hermione. With fireworks still booming in the background, the little girl then turned towards him, her smile remaining bright on her face as she noticed him peeking out from behind her mother.

"Draco!" she squealed, and then he was treated to the same enthusiastic embrace. He gladly bent down to wrap his arms around the little girl. Feeling her joy at seeing him reflected in the firm grasp of her arms lit something warm inside him. Glancing forwards over her shoulder, Draco noticed that George was watching them closely, a look of bemusement on his face.

"Someone's warmed up to you," he commented slyly, giving Draco a wink as Hermione chuckled to one side.

"It took long enough," Draco grumbled, glad that Sophie had started chattering to her mother too excitedly to hear. She was listing all the things she would prepare for the kittens for dinner when they got home, and he smiled indulgently at the clear happiness that shone through her speech.

"That was a pretty slick move with the cats," George muttered, "I think she's in love. With them and with you."

Draco just shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips.

"The old Malfoy charm," he muttered proudly.

"It's been Draco this and Draco that all day. I almost wanted to marry you myself after the first few minutes, just to see what I've been missing," George complained with a pout, but it was tempered by the twitching of a cheeky smile.

"What can I say?" he replied quickly, adopting the same mischievous tone "the ladies can't resist for long!"

George snorted and Hermione just looked between the two as if they were both mad.

"Are you done?" she asked with a withering look, but her expression was soft. They both held up their hands innocently at the exact same time.

"Remind me again why I introduced the two of you," she muttered, before tucking a curl behind her ear and shaking her head, "never mind. Draco, is there any chance that you could take Sophie home? I'll only be a few minutes. I just wanted to talk to George about something in private before I join you."

Draco blinked a bit in surprise but nodded almost unconsciously. Of course he didn't mind taking care of Sophie. But there was just something in the furtive way that Hermione glanced at the other wizard that didn't sit right with him. George seemed to frown as well, but nodded in agreement after a second.

"Come on, sweetie," Draco forced out cheerfully, presenting a hand to the little girl in front of him. Instead of taking it, she reached up with both arms, stretching them high above her head. He looked at her in bewilderment for a second, before realising with a jolt what she wanted. Reaching down, he scooped her up and balanced her on his hip so that she could wrap her arms around his neck.

"Ready?" he asked her and she nodded vigorously. Draco shot one last look in Hermione's direction, uncertain about leaving her here. But she nodded reassuringly and so he strode over to the fireplace and returned in a rush of flames to the house, Sophie held firmly in his arms.

And although he gave the little girl his full attention as she tugged him upstairs to check on the kittens, a small voice in the back of his head kept thinking about Hermione. Hadn't they spent a nice day together? Hadn't he bought her a gift? Draco rubbed apprehensively at the spot on his cheek where she'd kissed him. Why had she stayed back to talk to George Weasley?

You're being ridiculous, he told his treacherous heart, wondering where this sudden sting of jealousy had come from. She'd told him herself that she hadn't dated in years and he knew logically that she didn't have that kind of relationship with Weasley anyway. He was like her brother.

But it was hard to stop his navel from sinking unpleasantly anyway. It was so easy to forget that they weren't really married and he actually had no claim over her at all. He allowed himself too often to get swept up in the romantic idea of it all and it was with a sickening jolt that he was forced to remember that she didn't really belong to him.

Fixing a happy grin on his face, he followed Sophie into her room, determined to focus on her and her alone. She had a strange power to lift him up from even the darkest of thoughts, and he was genuinely unable to stop himself from falling in love with the little girl.

But her mother was a different story. Hermione wasn't his wife and this whole thing with George was none of his business.

Now he just had to convince his disloyal heart to obey him.

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Hermione stared at the kindly face of George Weasley as he sat there patiently in his chair, but her own body was tense with uncertainty and fear. Up until the moment she'd asked Draco to leave with Sophie, she wasn't even sure she would be able to go through with it.

"What's up, Mrs M?"

She swallowed at George's teasing tone. He wasn't quite as cheeky as he used to be when Fred was alive, although he'd regained some of his old sparkle. But he was still … different. The old George had been so reliant on his twin that he'd been forced to reinvent himself into a new person; an individual. It had been a difficult journey, and he was still prone to periods of introverted reflection sometimes. Hermione took a seat opposite him, her fingers tugging nervously at her jumper as she pulled on a loose thread.

"George, we've become good friends these last few years. You're so wonderful with Sophie, and I'm just really grateful that we have you in our lives…"

"Uh oh, this sounds serious."

Hermione licked her lips, ignoring his playful tone and pushing on.

"I…I need to talk to you about something… but I don't…I'm not sure…"

George cocked his head to one side. He must have noticed the sudden distress on her face, because he leaned forwards and his own expression became solemn.

"What's wrong?" he pressed. When she paused, unable to articulate what she wanted to say, George grabbed her hand, "is it something to do with Sophie? Has Malfoy been treating you both alright?"

Hermione nodded, clearing her throat uncomfortably, unable to stop her voice sounding croaky.

"Yes, he's been… terrific."

"I was a bit worried when you both got married so quickly…"

She squirmed and nodded again.

"That's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about-" George frowned, but Hermione grit her teeth and powered on before he interrupted her or she lost her courage, "-about why we got married."

"Given the timing of everything, I assumed you rushed the wedding a bit because of his mother's custodial appeal. It doesn't take a genius to notice the convenient timing of it all, how much his public image has improved these last couple of months since you got hitched combined with his mother's release."

Hermione let out a noise that was somewhere between a chuckle and a sob.

"You're pretty sharp, Weasley," she teased a bit wetly as she sniffed back the first few tears.

"Yeh, like a thumb tack. So what's the matter? Do you regret it? Getting married so fast?"

Hermione lowered her head, closing her eyes for a brief second as she took a steadying breath.

"The thing is… Draco and I didn't marry for love at all. We were never even dating." When she lifted her head she saw that George was silent, staring at her in confusion. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she continued. "This whole marriage has all just been a…uh…mutually beneficial contract."

The wizard in front of her blinked in shock, his eyebrows furrowing as he stared at her.

"A… a contract? What…but… why?"

"It was just like you said. He needed someone to help improve his image so they'd approve his mother's appeal. She was dying in that prison."

George gaped at her, visibly thinking the whole thing over.

"And you?" he asked, his voice rising a little, "what did you get out of all this?"

This was it. Hermione swallowed as her hands clenched themselves into tight, panicked fists.

"Money. I needed money," she muttered, a humiliated flush rising on her cheeks.

"Money?" George repeated in disbelief, "he's paying you to be his wife?"

"I was desperate," Hermione cried, hurriedly brushing away a tear that had escaped her lashes, "I didn't know what else to do."

"I thought you told me you'd finished paying off Krum's debts years ago."

"I lied."

George jumped to his feet, pacing across the front of his desk in frustration before he turned to her once more.

"Hermione… you promised me that you'd come to me if you needed money. I would have given it to you-"

"No, George, I couldn't-"

"How much was left?"

"Not a lot…really."

"For Merlin's sake, Mione!"

Hermione jumped to her feet as well. She shook her head, her eyes filling with more tears.

"Please, George. Your business was just starting to expand and earn some real profits. I couldn't burden you like that. And I was slowly paying it off. I was getting so close to being rid of it once and for all."

"Then why marry Malfoy?"

Hermione dropped back down into her chair. She lowered her head into her hands and shuddered, gripping her hair at the roots. Groaning softly in the back of her throat she summoned every ounce of her strength to speak.

"A couple of months ago, I got…sick. I went to St Mungo's and they ran some tests on me…"

George had gone quiet. He was watching her with an anxious, focused expression. When she paused, he slowly lowered himself back down into the opposite chair, leaning forwards attentively.

"The night Bellatrix Lestrange tortured me… during the war… the curses she used left a sort of mark on my brain. Dark magic has been spreading inside me ever since, and they say that the damage is irreversible."

George had gone completely white. His hands were gripping the sides of his chair.

"What… what does that mean?"

There was a terrible pause as Hermione stared into her friend's eyes.

"It means I'm dying."

The silence that followed her declaration was awful. She could only wait, frozen stiff with tension as she saw this confession sink in.

"I'm the first to enjoy a good joke, Mione, but that's not funny," George croaked at last, shaking his head in denial.

"I'm telling the truth, George. My only hope to buy myself more time was a potion that cost almost twenty thousand galleons."

"Twenty thousand…" George repeated faintly, slumping back in his chair, as his eyes seemed to rove around the room unseeingly.

"Neither you nor Harry could afford to give me even half such a sum, if I was even prepared to ask you for it…" Hermione murmured, the energy leaving her as she chewed restlessly on her nails, "so… that's why I married Draco. We needed each other."

"Christ! Does he know?"

"What?"

"Does Draco know about… about…"

"No…no, he doesn't."

George was quiet for a long time, but eventually he seemed to shake himself awake and when he did his gaze turned to her in horror.

"Are…are you feeling alright? Do I need to get you anything? Tea? Water?"

"I'm fine," she whispered in reply, "it comes and goes."

The redhead wizard sitting in front of her had turned so pale his freckles stood out violently against his skin.

"How… how long do you…?"

Hermione wiped her nose, gnawing on her bottom lip.

"I'm not sure. If the potion works…maybe a year. Enough time to organise my affairs and make sure arrangements can be made for Sophie when I'm gone."

George's eyes welled up. She'd seen him distressed before, after the final battle of course, but it still hurt to watch him lose control of his emotions when he was normally so buoyant. She didn't like being the cause of his suffering.

"Oh god, Sophie-"

He clapped a hand over his mouth, as if just realising the terrible reality facing the innocent little girl he cared so much about.

"I've negotiated with Draco… enough money will be set aside for her to live comfortably for many years, including school fees and any future education she may want to undertake. Financially she'll be fine thanks to him."

George looked up at her in alarm.

"You've really thought this through."

His statement was almost accusing and it caused a great swell of sadness to rise up inside her. Her eyes stung as the tears began to fall and she gasped for breath.

"I've been living with this secret for over three months, tormented by this terrible feeling of anger and helplessness… I've been forced to make some of the hardest decisions I've ever made… for Sophie…" her voice was choked as she tried to hold back the sobs that wanted to rip free from her throat. Before she knew it George was pulling her into his arms, wrapping her in a tight embrace and clinging on urgently, as if he could tie her to this earth with his strength alone.

"Shhh it's alright," he murmured, rocking her back and forth as she started to cry in earnest. It was the first time she'd admitted the truth out loud and it hurt so much she could barely breathe. They must have remained like that for several minutes, comforting each other in the wake of her horrifying revelation. When he finally pulled away, George was shaking too and seemed to not know what to say.

"Hermione… I don't… it's not… fair. It's not fair."

"I know," she whispered.

"What will happen to Sophie? Will Draco-"

She shook her head hurriedly, her gut swooping at the thought.

"No I could never ask that of him. He's already been saddled with a dying wife against his knowledge, I can't leave him with a child to look after as well. It wouldn't be right."

"Then what-"

Hermione blinked and looked up at him nervously.

"I was thinking… I know I'm not as close with your parents as I was back when we were in school. But the Burrow used to be like a second home to me. So I was wondering if maybe you could help me talk to them. Sophie loves going there every Christmas and I know your mum and dad would… would be kind to her…"

George blinked in surprise but eventually nodded slowly, running his hands up and down her arms soothingly.

"Mum absolutely adores Sophie, and you know my dad would do anything for you. Things were a bit awkward after the whole Ron fallout for a while, but he's moved on now and he's happier than I've ever seen him. And mum always goes on about how much she wishes she could see you both more often, and not just the occasional Christmas meal."

Hermione nodded numbly, her resolve settling at this news. These last few years she'd been a tad estranged from the Weasley family after she'd left the country and broken up with Ron. But Molly and Arthur were good people. They weren't the type to hold a grudge. And while she didn't see them often, she knew they would raise her daughter to be kind and brave and would never resent her or think of her as a burden.

She'd obsessed over this decision for weeks, but at the end of the day it seemed to her like the best possible choice. Sophie needed a stable home with plenty of care and affection. She could understand George's initial reaction in asking about Draco – they were currently living with the former Slytherin after all, and technically he was Sophie's step-dad, even if only in name. But even though their relationship had grown quickly and he genuinely cared about the little girl now, that didn't mean it would be fair to leave him with a child that wasn't his own to raise off the back of such a short marriage they'd only entered into as part of a contract. They'd barely been married three months for goodness sake! It would be a cruel legacy to impart after everything he'd done for her.

If Sophie went to live with the Weasleys then she would be surrounded by people who truly loved her. And of course George and Harry would continue to be close to her, as they really were both amazing uncles.

It was the only way.

She realised blearily that she'd been crying into George's shoulder again for some unknown length of time and she sniffled, drawing away and wincing at the wet patch she'd left on his shirt.

"Hermione, listen to me…" he began, his own voice hoarse from crying with her as he took her face in his hands. His expression was more serious than she'd ever seen before, "you need to tell him."

"What? Tell who?" she asked, frowning in confusion.

"Draco. You need to tell him."

Hermione's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"I… I can't. Not yet! I've lied to him this whole time! He'll hate me."

"He won't hate you," George argued, grabbing her shoulders tightly, "that's why you have to tell him. Because he could never hate you. That poor guy is head over heels in love with you, Mione!"

She gasped.

"N…no… he's not!" she stammered.

"Yes he is," George insisted, "Okay, so maybe he wasn't at first. Although if he wasn't, then he's bloody good at pretending. But I watched the two of you together here in this office not fifteen minutes ago. He couldn't keep his eyes off you."

Hermione looked down, clenching her hands and then releasing them.

"It doesn't matter. It's too… too late," she sobbed, wiping her face as her shoulders shook.

"It matters, Mione," George told her gently, "this may have started out as a fake marriage, but the feelings between you are real now, aren't they?"

"I can't… I can't love him," she wailed, gripping the front of his shirt, "not now when there's no hope. It would be too cruel to make us both go through that when there's no possibility of a real future."

"At least tell him the truth about your condition. He's going to figure it out at some point!"

"I know… but every time I try to say it I feel paralysed and I can't… can't speak. Can't even look him in the eye."

George sighed in defeat.

"Promise me you'll do it soon. It wouldn't be right to keep this a secret from him. From anyone. We all love you, Mione, and everyone will support you through this and fight for you if you give them a chance."

She nodded shakily, closing her eyes.

"I know. I just… I just don't want to cause pain to anyone. Things are already so complicated with Draco and I have to protect Sophie…"

George was silent for a long time. Tears were falling freely from his eyes now and he'd reached down to clasp her hand tightly in his. He looked like he was struggling to say something, and it was a long time before the words managed to come out.

"You know…Sophie has a lot of people in her corner. People who love her unconditionally. We're going to take care of her no matter what happens."

Hermione have another choking sob as she flung her arms around his neck once more.

"Oh George…thank you so much," she cried, her voice muffled by his now very damp shirt. When he returned the hug his grip was tight, as if he couldn't bear to let her go. These last few years he'd been like a brother to her, and it felt right that he was here with her now, when she'd finally confronted her own shameful denial and admitted the terrible truth.

Now was the time for acceptance and honesty.

And she'd need all the help she could get moving forwards.

…

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The truth is out! I'm sorry this story is so depressing everyone. Please leave kind reviews and be happy!