7
Hermione and Draco spent the day after the trial just relaxing in their home. Security measures were reinforced and put into place, as they had a feeling reporters would want to try and get an interview with Hermione. Their prediction came true within hours of them being home. 15 reporters were outside the manor gates trying to get in or trying to get their attention. But after the first one touched the wrought iron gates and received a very painful electric shock, none of the other reporters were very keen to touch them again. Yet they all camped there. Some even went as far to magically enhance their voices and scream "Lord and Lady Malfoy, would you please grant us an interview?" over and over again. Clearly they thought being louder and more annoying was the issue. Several reporters soon followed suit. The noise was so overwhelming that soon they had to cast noise cancelling spells all around the manor property. The reporters could yell all they wanted, but the young couple could no longer hear them.
"I wish they would go away, I don't want to give a statement." Hermione sighed as she peaked out the drapes in their sitting room. Draco did nothing but smile and rub her feet "I know love, but you have to think about what you have done. You sent a member of the "Golden Trio" to Azkaban. You outed him for what he truly was; an abusive jerk who took advantage of your feelings for him. An abusive man who harmed you and laid his hands on you. While I applaud what you did, and make no mistake it needed to be done, they will continue to stay until a better story comes around. It's a good thing we can floo and apparate from within the manor, or we would have pass them each time we leave." Hermione settled back down on the couch and relaxed as her husband gave her a foot massage "I know you are right." Suddenly she laughed out loud. "What's so funny?" Draco questioned. "This. Us married. You rubbing my feet. Us in love. If someone would've told us this would be out future 10 years ago, I would've hexed them into oblivion." She replied as laughter racked her body. Draco joined her in laughter and soon they pair were doubled over. Once they calmed down a bit, Hermione reached over and cupped her husband's face "But I wouldn't change a thing." Draco turned his head and kissed her hand "Neither would I." The two sat in silence for a little while longer before Hermione sighed again. "I better get downstairs to the lab. I need to figure out how to finish my Cruciatus potion, I want to present it at the next potion's conference." Draco nodded and stood up with her, giving his wife a peck on the cheek "Of course. I need to go and finish a proposal for a business arrangement for rare potion ingredients." The couple parted ways, with Draco heading for his office and Hermione going to her potions lab. She always loved coming here, it was her private area where she could brew without interruptions. Her lab at the Ministry was amazing and well stocked, but it wasn't private and her lab at home was. "Plus I love it because Draco set it up for me." She whispered to herself as she flicked her wand and all the lights in the room came on. "Incendio" pointing her wand at the bottom of her cauldron and the cauldron immediately started bubbling merrily. "Ok, lets run through the ingredients I currently have. African Sea Salt, four beetle eyes, Essence of Comfrey, two bundles of Goosegrass, Horklump juice and Lethe River Water. Now I need one final ingredient, but everything I add turns the mixture into an explosive compound." Hermione muttered to herself as she pulled her notes and potion books closer and got to work.
Hours later Hermione was closer to a break through than she had ever been. Nearly every common potion ingredient had been ruled out, so now she was on to the more rare ingredients. "Hermione? One of our clients just brought a injured unicorn for us too see before they take him to the animal sanctuary in Calcutta. Would you like to see him?" Hermione nodded at Draco as she ascended the stairs "Sure, I've never seen a free range unicorn before. Plus I need a break." The young couple walked outside hand in hand to the back gardens. Out in the garden there was a beautiful snow white unicorn, pulling against it's chains. Quite clearly the animal was frightened and did not like being chained. The man with the unicorn bowed "Lord and Lady Malfoy it is an honor." Draco stared at the man harshly "Mr. Blake. Why the hell have you chained this creature? Unicorns are gentle creatures and should be treated with respect." Mr. Blake began to look nervous "The animal was hostile towards our care takers. It was the only way to transport him." Hermione stepped forward towards the unicorn "Lady Malfoy I would advise against approaching the animal." Draco put his hand out to silence the Mr. Blake "It is not your place to tell my wife what to do." Hermione barely noticed the two men bickering. Keeping eye contact with the unicorn, she bowed deeply. The unicorn whimpered some more, before making eye contact with Hermione and bowing back towards her. Raising her head and extending her hand and slowly approaching. Walking at a very slow pace, Hermione closed the distance between them and her hand made contact with the unicorns nose. Stroking him very gently the unicorn started to settle "You aren't hostile are you? You are beautiful." The unicorn nuzzled her hand and stared deeply into her eyes. With one hand still stroking the unicorn, Hermione reached up and un-did the chains that bound him. With the chains free the magnificent animal shook his mane before nuzzling Hermione's hand again "There's a good boy. I bet that feels better, doesn't it?" Hermione felt that she was bonding with the creature as she pressed her forehead against the unicorn. She could feel the magic of the bond, when she felt something come loose in her hand. Hermione turned towards Mr. Blake "Anyone who had ever taken a magical creature's class would know you need to establish a bond with a unicorn before it will allow you to approach. If I hear you've been mistreating this animal at the sanctuary in Calcutta, you will be answering to me." Hermione finished her speech as she took her place next to her husband, who offered her his arm. Mr. Blake nodded "Of course. Please forgive me, Lord and Lady Malfoy." Draco nodded in return "Make sure you treat that animal right, I'll expect an owl upon your arrival at the sanctuary." With that Draco and Hermione turned to walk back into the manor "What did you get from your encounter?" he asked his wife. Hermione shrugged "I'm not sure." Looking into her hand she came to an abrupt halt, pulling Draco to a stop as well. "Hermione, what is it?" He asked concerned. "Freely given unicorn hair…" she whispered before starting to run again. "Come to my lab with me Draco, I think I've done it!" Draco struggled to keep up with his wife "Done what? Hermione slow down!" But she wasn't listening as she raced towards her still bubbling cauldron. Once there she dropped the freely given unicorn hair into her concoction and stirred three times counter-clockwise and two times clockwise and held her breath. The potion bubbled for a moment more before coming to simmer and changing its color to blood red "I've done it! My Cruciatus potion is complete." Draco grabbed his wife's hand and pulled her away from the cauldron "take a deep breathe, explain to me in detail what this potion is supposed to do?" "It's a heal all for victims of the Cruciatus curse, it heals nerve damage and cures the weakness." Draco hugged his wife and then kissed her sweetly "Congratulation's love. I knew you could do it" He said before they lost themselves in a passionate kiss. For a few moments they thought of nothing else but each other until a patronous bounded into the basement lab. Breaking apart Hermione observed it "That's a stag, it's from Harry."
The stag opened it's mouth and Harry's voice came out
"Draco, Hermione. I need you to come to the Ministry at once. We've had a break in the Death Eater case."
Taking but a few moments to grab their travelling cloaks and their wands Draco and Hermione apparated to the Auror department at the Ministry. Harry met them at the apparition point. "What's going on Harry?" "Members of our forensics team were able to pull a fingerprint from the last crime scene. We have a match for the leader of the rogue death eaters." "Well don't keep us in suspense Potter, who are we looking for?" Entering the Auror's office, Harry pointed towards a picture on the wall "Adrian Pucey. Former Slytherin, current rogue Death Eater." Draco gasped and even Hermione looked unsettled "Harry are you sure?" Hermione asked quietly as she wrapped a comforting arm around her husband. "Unfortunately yes 'mione. The fingerprints was a dead match, there is no mistake." Harry sat down behind his desk as Draco and Hermione took a seat in the chairs in front of him; Draco burying his head in his hands. "Draco, I hate to have to ask this. But you and Pucey were in the same year in Hogwarts, and you were good friends. Have you seen him recently?" Draco raised his head out of his hands and shook his head "No. I haven't seen him since the last Death Eater meeting that Voldemort held at the old manor. Right before the final battle at Hogwarts." Harry took some notes on his note pad before continuing "What was his demeanor." "Harry this was nearly four years ago." "I know Malfoy, but these questions could be the key to finding him." Draco sighed "He was ready to fight, he had been waiting for the final confrontation. He would've done anything for the Dark Lord." "Was he good at potions?" "Unfortunately yes. He was extremely bright and talented at potions. He even had extra lessons from Snape. He wanted to be a potions master working for the Ministry, but he got in too far with the Death Eaters. It consumed his life." Hermione moved to hug her husband, trying to offer him some strength "Could he have brewed the potion we are finding on the victims?" Draco just nodded, no words were needed. Harry sighed "As of this moment no other case will be worked on until we catch this team of death eaters. You two need to extra vigilant. Hermione, I know that you don't usually accompany us on field work, but I want you on the team that takes down them down. So make plans." Draco and Hermione nodded as they flooed home.
The next week passed pretty much uneventfully. A few more bodies turned up, all with the victims having died from the same poison. No more fingerprints were found, but it was clear that the rogue Death Eaters were stepping up their reign of terror. "Hermione, would you like to go spend the afternoon in Diagon Alley?" Draco asked his wife one afternoon after they had returned from work. "I'd love to! We can go to Flourish and Botts, Florence's ice cream shop and maybe even do some shopping!" Draco laughed at her enthusiasm before kissing her cheek "Well go change and we will head out." Hermione raced upstairs and into her walk in closet, disappearing for a few minutes before reappearing in a light weight white summer dress and a sky blue witches cloak. As she was finishing braiding her chocolate brown hair, Draco walked in and had changed into a gray casual wizards suit. Hermione stopped and stared, making Draco somewhat nervous. "What's wrong?" She shook her head and walked towards her husband "Nothing, just sometimes I forget how lucky I am." Draco grabbed her by the waist and hugged her gently "I love you." He said before whisking her away to Diagon Alley.
The couple spent the next few hours wandering about in Diagon Alley. Hermione spent what seemed like forever browsing in Flourish and Botts, looking at numerous books but setting them back down, but when she tried to leave Draco pulled her towards to counter "Wait here." He warned her. He disappeared from view for several minutes but when he returned, Draco was laden down with books. Upon closer inspection, it was every book Hermione had looked at while in the store. Setting them down on the counter Draco told the cashier "We will take all these." Handing over his black wizard charge card "You really don't have to buy all those for me." Hermione tried to protest "Nonsense, you are a Malfoy. And my wife." Hermione thanked him with a kiss, as the cashier shrunk their packages of books and handed them over. Draco put all the packages in his pockets.
Hours later Draco and Hermione were seated at Florence's ice cream parlor, each of them enjoying a cup of their favorite ice cream. "How's your orange sherbet, Love?" Hermine smiled as she licked her spoon, "It's fantastic. How's your vanilla?" Draco winked "Quite good, I'm just a plain simple man." The two shared a laugh and began discussing how Hermione was going to present her potion to the International Potions Conference. Deep in conversation they didn't notice the large group of men wearing black robes and a mask, raising their wands. "Bombarda!" Without thinking, Draco threw himself on top of Hermione, trying to shield her from the debris that was falling all around them. The group of rouge Death Eaters continued to shoot destructive spells towards the ice cream parlor. Other patrons of Diagon Alley were screaming and running away from the deadly scene that was unfolding, trying to get to safety. Mothers grabbing their children, husbands shielding their wives.
As the rubble continued to fall around them, Draco kept covering his wife's head, who was shaking as she heard the rubble fall all around them. Hermione's robes and dress were covered in dirt and had been torn from the rubble that had fallen from the shops. "Come on Hermione, we have to do this. The Auror's will already be on their way. " Draco said as he moved to stand up, Hermione nodded "Let's fight." Both of them stood up and pointed their wands in unison at the attacking group. "Auror Malfoy! You are all under arrest, lay down you wands!" The group snickered "Malfoy, what gives you the right to order us around?" "I'm an Auror, that gives me the right. Now shut up and come quietly Adrian. We know it's you." The Death Eater in the front lowered his hood, and Adrian Pucey was revealed "So you know it's me. Tell me, Potion's Mistress Granger. Have you been enjoying my work." Hermione narrowed her eyes at the man "It's Malfoy actually, and I haven't been. You made a deadly potion to kill innocent people, I don't approve." Adrian gasped "Malfoy married a mudblood? So you are a filthy blood traitor now. Get the Muggleborn, she will be our next victim!" Hermione swirled her wand in the air "Like Hell I will!" she screamed, while concentrating on her nonverbal magic and channeled the spell Arresto Momentum through her wand. The one Death Eater who was closest to the pair of them was slowed to nearly a snail pace. "Incarcerous" she said with another flourish of her wand, the Death Eater was bound and fell to the concrete looking furious.
Suddenly seven other Death Eaters were shooting spells at Draco and Hermione. Draco was fighting four alone and was holding his own, as was Hermione. Their movements were very nearly the same: Hex, Curse, Dodge and repeat. It truly was a deadly game, and a lapse of concentration could prove to be lethal. But it soon became clear that the groups were evenly matched. "Where the hell are the Auror's?" Draco shouted as he shielded himself from a stunning spell. "They have to be nearly here!" Hermione shouted back as she attempted to stun a Death Eater, but her spell missed by a small fraction. To respond to Draco, Hermione's concentration lapsed for a mere second, but that would prove to be a very painful mistake. One of the Death Eaters she was fighting got a clear shot on her and sent a cutting spell her way. Hermione's blue robes and her arm were sliced open as blood began to spell. While she was howling in pain the Death Eater levelled his wand at her again and shouted "Crucio!" Instantly Hermione was racked in pain and she couldn't help but stop the screams that burst forth from her mouth. As long as her attackers wand was pointed at her, the pain would grow more and more severe, her body was spasming with pain and she couldn't stop writing from the pain in the concrete and glass that lay on the ground. The screams Hermione was making tormented Draco, the torture seemed to go on for several minutes, but stopped abruptly. Draco had thought that his wife's screams were the worst sounds he had ever heard, but it was even worse once the screams stopped. "Hermione, NO!" Draco yelled as the group of Death Eaters started to move towards her. "There is no way in hell I can prevent them from taking Hermione, but I have to try" He thought. But as Draco turned to fight the whole horde of Death Eaters, suddenly they were surrounded by the whole Auror department. "About bloody time Potter!" Harry ignored his partners comment, and the advantage slowly turned away from Death Eaters. Minutes later they were being beaten back. "Enough!" Pucey yelled "Fall back, retreat! We will be back!" He yelled with a menacing stare at Draco, and a second later they were gone.
Instantly Draco ran to his wife, she was still unconscious and still bleeding from her arm, but Draco was pleased to see she still had a pulse. "Hermione?" he asked as he dropped to his knees beside her. "I need to get her to St. Mungo's." Harry nodded "Go, I will take care of this." Already levitating Hermione and starting to move her Draco nodded "Thank you Harry." A few minutes later Draco was still levitating Hermione into St. Mungo's. "Please my wife needs help!" Instantly they were surrounded by doctors, including Astoria. "Draco, calm down. What happened?" "We were attacked by rouge Death Eaters, she was stunned and tortured before she passed out. Please Astoria I can't lose her." Draco's school friend nodded and put her hand on his arm "We will take care of her Draco, trust us. Wait here." And with that the love of his life disappeared behind a door with several doctors and nurses surrounding her.
A few hours later Draco was still sitting in the waiting room, with no word on his wife's condition. "Draco!" He looked up and saw his mother running towards him, with his father walking behind with his signature cane. Draco stood and kissed his mother's cheek and shook his fathers hand "Mother, Father." He said. Lucius nodded in response "How is your wife?" Draco shook his head "No word yet Father. She is still with the Doctors and Nurses." His mother and father took a seat beside their son. Narcissa clasped her sons hands "Do not worry Draco. St. Mungo's has the best healers in the England. She is in good hands." The trio lapsed into a comfortable silence.
Finally an hour later one of the Healers who disappeared with his wife finally returned "Lord Malfoy?" Draco stepped up "Please, how is my wife?" Looking at his charts the healer smiled "She is well enough Lord Malfoy. The cruciatus curse did a number on her on her body, her nerves are weakened and she is quite sore all over. But that will fade with time. The bleeding on her arm has stopped and the wound has been healed, it is very unlikely that she will have any scarring. She is waiting for you in Private room 17." Draco nodded and turned again to his parents "Please excuse me, I will have a nurse send for you once I have a few moments alone with my wife." His parents did nothing but nod as he walked away. Stepping into the private room Draco smiled when he saw his wife sitting up in her bed, although she was pale she looked well. "Oh Love, you scared me. How are you feeling?" As Draco stood next to her bed Hermione took his hand in hers and gripped it hard. "Other than being sore and uncomfortable, I feel quite good. One of the healers actually told me some good news." Draco sat and smiled at his wife "Well will you tell me this good news? Or am I to be kept in the Dark?" Hermione looked at him with nothing but pride and love "I am pregnant. You are going to be a father!" Shock filled his face "Pregnant?" Hermione kissed her husbands hand "Yes in about eight months we will have a beautiful little baby." Draco leaned down and kissed his wife "I couldn't be happier. Is the baby ok after the incident with the Death Eaters?" Hermione nodded "Yes, the healer said everything is fine. But I will have to come back every few months for check ups, just to make sure everything is on track." "Of course, of course, yours and the babies health are the most important thing to me. You will have the best care we can afford. Nothing more and nothing less, as befitting of a Malfoy. Love, my parents are in the waiting room, shall we tell them?"
With Hermione's consent, Draco sent for his parents. A moment later Narcissa and Lucius were at the foot of her bed. Lucius spoke first "Hermione, I think I speak for the both of us when I say we are glad that you are ok." Hermione nodded at her father in law "Thank you Lucius, that means a lot. But me and Draco have some news for you. Do you want to tell them?" Hermione looked at her husband who nodded while holding her hand "We are pregnant." Narcissa squealed and Lucius even cracked a small smile "That is wonderful news, Oh Lucius we are going to be grandparents!" Narcissa ran around the bed and hugged her son and her daughter in law, all the while gushing about the baby and the nursery and toys and clothes. While the women continued to talk about the baby, Lucius shook his sons hand and surprised everyone by leaning over and kissing his daughter in laws cheek "A baby to carry on the Malfoy name. We are over joyed to say the least. You will make a wonderful mother." Hermione had tears in her eyes as Lucius continued "Hermione I know I was not the most welcoming when you first joined our family. But I must admit that I have grown fond of having you as a daughter in law, it truly is a joy to have you in our family. Hermione all but cried at her father in laws words "I never expected this when I joined the family, but thank you. Our baby will be welcomed into a family that is full of love and joy. No mother could ever want more." Hermione was discharged shortly after the small family reunion and they all apparated to Malfoy Manor, for tea and cakes to celebrate Hermione's pregnancy.
"We really must be going, it is getting quite late and we are having guests for dinner. Of course you are welcome to join us." Narcissa said as she rose off the couch they were sitting on. "Before you go, may I show you the room I want to turn into the nursery? And also I have a small request." Hermione and Narcissa linked arms as the men followed behind them on the staircase to the second floor "Of course my dear, we would love to see it. And ask any favor of us that you wish." The women chatted merrily as they came to a stop in front of a door just down the hall from Hermione and Draco's bedroom. "I was thinking of this room for the nursery, it has a wonderful view of the gardens and an adjoining bathroom, our child would most definitely grow into it." Lucius and Draco nodded their approval with Draco Kissing his wife's cheek "Wonderful choice, love. I love it." Hermione smiled as she continued to talk about the room "Crib here, changing table here, rocking chair here; just beside the window. We can paint the walls, lay down a rug or two. A play corner here with all the toys a child could ever want." Narcissa hugged her daughter in law "I love it, and of course we will support you in every way. Now what is this request you had of Lucius and myself?" Narcissa asked as the group walked out of the room and towards the foyer "Well, of course we want you and Lucius to be a huge part of the babies life. Would you consider having a nursery and room at your manor? So that our child could spend as much time with you as they want?" Narcissa hugged Hermione as hard as she could "Of course we would! We would love it! Thank you for being so kind towards us." Lucius put his arm around his wife's waist "Looks like we have a room to pick out at home for our grandchild." Before the older Malfoy's left Lucius addressed his son and daughter in law "Will you be joining us for dinner tonight? Along with our guests?" Hermione looked at her husband who nodded "Of course, but I must ask we don't tell anyone about the pregnancy just yet." Narcissa and Lucius swore not to say a word as they left.
A few hours later Hermione was dressed in a dark red evening gown, that accentuated her good figure. "Better enjoy it while I can, I suppose." Draco came up behind her and kissed her cheek "You will always be stunning. Even when you are pregnant." Hermione smiled lovingly at her husband, dressed in his black wizarding suit "You look handsome as well, but we need to be going." Upon arrival at Narcissa and Lucius manor, the young couple were surprised to see that the guests were: Severus Snape, Astoria Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson. "We thought you might like an evening with your close friends." Narcissa explained as the group sat down for the meal. The evening was wonderful. Filled with laughter, reminiscing on old memories and looking towards the future.