Chapter 29 - The Lessons
January 2000 - Australia
Ginny is lying in bed with Draco, resting her head on his stomach. He bursts into laughter and her head bobs as his abdomen rises and falls. Ginny smiles as she watches him. She'd been telling him about everything she'd seen in Australia so far and had just shown him the memory of when she'd convinced Ron he was eating kangaroo meat (which was in fact, steak). Ron had jumped up in alarm, waving his hands around, as he ran outside and promptly tried to throw up.
Ginny narrows her eyes at Draco when he's finished laughing. "You can't make fun of him," she warns.
Draco waves her off, "Yes, yes. I remember. He's the only one who supports us, he just lost his girlfriend, he's a delicate flower, I get it."
Ginny ignores his last comment and turns so she's facing the ceiling. "Ron is incredible. I know he was kind of annoying in school, but he's grown into this mature, solid...anchor. He was great the whole time I was depressed about you being gone, even though we both know he doesn't like you.
"He's always been supportive of Harry and Hermione, even though I know that pairing is weird for him. Everything around him will be a disaster, and he's just there, ready with a joke and willing to help in any way he can. I - I just love him so much. He's been through a lot, and I really don't want him to be hurt again." Ginny's voice is shaky. She hadn't ever stopped to think about Ron like this, but he really was remarkable and she never would have gotten through the past few years without him.
Draco places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I get it - be nice to Weasley. I can be charming when I need to be."
Ginny turns to grin at him. "You can? I've never seen that."
"Well, that's because -"
Draco is interrupted by a knock at the door, so Ginny never hears why she doesn't get to see "charming Draco," though by the look on his face, she guesses he was about to say something dirty.
"One minute!" Ginny calls as she starts pulling on her clothes. Draco begins to do the same and she notices that he doesn't have any luggage. That makes sense, since he'd technically just escaped from prison. They can buy clothes tomorrow.
She walks through the sitting room and opens the door to find Harry on the other side, holding two take-out boxes. He shoves them toward her. "Dinner."
"Oh, thanks," she says, taking the boxes and looking at them curiously. She would expect this sort of gesture from Hermione, but is confused why Harry is the one who brought them food.
Harry marches through the door and starts walking around the sitting room. "It was Hermione, who thought to get you food," he explains. Ginny nods. She's watching him pace, confused, and sees Draco appear in the doorway of the bedroom.
Harry's eyes snap to Draco. "I need to talk to you."
Draco leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms. "Go on."
Harry looks at Ginny pointedly and it takes her a moment to catch his meaning. She puts the boxes of food on the table and when she straightens, she crosses her arms like Draco. "I'm not going anywhere."
Harry lets out a sigh. "Fine." He turns back to face Draco. "I need - we need...uh...help."
Harry rakes his fingers through his hair and Draco stands patiently, waiting for Harry to continue. "It's Hermione. She has this problem with her mind. We think it was caused by the incident with Pucey and is being made worse by the fact that she's a Seer. Anyway, she needs help controlling her thoughts. Snape thought Occlumency could help and was going to teach her, but well…" his voice trails off.
"You want me to teach Granger Occlumency."
Harry nods.
Draco smirks. "So, this is why you did it."
"Did what?" Harry asks.
"Whatever deal you made with Kingsley to get me out of Azkaban."
Harry gives Ginny a side-long glance before turning back to Draco. "What do you want from me, Malfoy? Was breaking you out of prison not enough? There were a lot of reasons to get you out, okay?"
Ginny frowns. She thought Harry had worked so hard to get Draco out of Azkaban for her and because he knew how unfair it was for Draco to be locked up, after all he'd done for them. But had he really just done it for Hermione? If Hermione wasn't having these attacks, would Harry have left the matter alone?
"Will you help her?" Harry asks Draco, ignoring the glares Ginny is shooting him.
"Of course. Ginny would skin me alive if I didn't," he cocks his head toward her, "but I'd do it anyway."
"Good. Thank you." Harry steps toward Draco and holds a wand out to him. Ginny recognizes it as Draco's original wand, the one she'd won off him at Gringotts.
Draco hesitates before taking it and Harry explains, "Hermione says that because I've already taken possession of the real Elder Wand and performed spells with it, the link between this wand and that one should be broken."
Draco nods and takes the wand. Next, Harry holds his hand out for him to shake.
Draco looks down at it, slightly surprised. Then he schools his features as he continues to regard Harry's outstretched hand. After an unusually long amount of time, so long, that Ginny is surprised Harry hasn't dropped his arm yet, Draco takes it with a curt nod and Ginny can see his lips turning up slightly.
Harry returns Draco's nod before dropping his hand. He turns to Ginny and gives her an awkward smile before leaving them alone in the room.
Ginny angrily marches around the room as soon as Harry closes the door behind him. "If it wasn't for Hermione, he would have left you in there," she starts.
"Don't be angry with him," Draco cuts in, looking slightly bemused.
"Wait, what?"
"You probably haven't seen Shacklebolt since all this, but he despises Potter. When we were on the boat together, during my fake escape from Azkaban, I was sure Shacklebolt was going to push him overboard. Whatever Potter did, he had to completely damage that relationship. And this plan he came up with, a fake transfer to an international prison, sneaking me out, then getting me to agree to stay hidden for years, it's a little convoluted."
"Okay...what's your point?"
"Potter was desperate." Draco shrugs. "It's the kind of plan you don't come up with unless you're completely out of options. I guess, I get it, though it's not the smartest form of counterplay, by any means. He may be a big hero and all, but having the Minister for Magic as an enemy can be dangerous."
"I-" Ginny is at a complete loss for words. "Are you defending him? You hate Harry."
He crosses the room to her. "You told me to be nice to your friends. And I don't want to be the one to cause a wedge between you and the people you love," he adds in a soft voice, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. "Even if one of those people is your ex-boyfriend and insufferable Savior of the Wizarding World - Harry Potter," he adds with a sneer.
Ginny gives him a small smile. He's right. And in the end, did it matter why Harry had got Draco out? Draco was here, and she wanted him to help Hermione just as much as Harry did.
"How bad is she?" Draco asks.
Ginny lets out a long sigh. "She's normal most of the time, but then, I don't know - she'll start screaming and grabbing her head. It's scary, since it comes out of nowhere. Harry has this way of calming her down. He makes her look into his eyes and they'll count, or list potions ingredients, things like that. But - I don't know. That's not sustainable since he can't be around all the time."
Draco nods thoughtfully. "I have no experience with this type of thing."
Ginny nods understandingly. She hadn't been able to help Hermione, and it was possible that Draco wouldn't be able to help either. What then? She tries to push the thought to the back of her mind. "Just try your best. That's all we're asking."
"And if it doesn't work, am I going back to Azkaban?" Ginny can tell by his expression that this is a serious concern of his.
"Of course not," she asserts. "You're free, Draco. And you're never going back there."
Draco pulls her into his chest and kisses the top of her head. "Fuck, I hope you're right."
Hermione is shaking with nerves. She wonders if Draco can tell. She can't believe she's about to let him into her mind. Severus was one thing, she'd grown to trust him after working with him for over a year. But this is Draco Malfoy, her childhood bully and the first person to call her a Mudblood. She knows he's changed, but accepting that he's changed and letting him see her private thoughts are two different things.
But she's out of options, so here they are. He looks almost as apprehensive as she does, and she wonders what he has to be nervous about.
Draco has just finished his explanation about his plans for their first lesson, and now it's time for him to dive into her thoughts. He wants to see if he can sense a difference in her visions of the future and her memories. He is holding his wand up to her head and waiting for her to indicate that she's ready for him to enter her mind.
Hermione nods before her fear about this situation causes her thoughts to spiral out of control. She doesn't want to have a panic attack in front of him. And Harry is in London for the next few hours, so there would be no one here to help her out of that madness. She can feel her mind slipping away, toward that dangerous path of no return. She digs her fingernails into her palms and uses the pain to ground her in the present.
"Go, now," she says urgently.
Draco nods and the next moment he's in her mind.
He'd told her he wanted her to show him just memories first. She isn't sure where to start, so she shows him brief glimpses of the past few weeks, which are mostly at her parents' house. Soon, she's regretting not getting a better handle on her thoughts before letting him in. In her distress, her brain seems to be focusing on her most emotional memories.
Her mother is crying, saying how hurt she is that Hermione didn't trust them with the truth. Her father is shaking his head, disappointed. Hermione is sitting on the edge of the bed bent over with her head buried between her knees, in the grips of a panic attack while Harry's soothing voice tries to coax her back to reality.
She is sitting on the beach with Harry and crying about her parents as he rubs her back. Next, she's kissing Harry and she knows exactly where this memory is heading, but has no idea how to push Draco out. Luckily, he pulls himself out of her head.
His face is impassive, and she's grateful when he doesn't make any comments about what he'd seen. "Okay. Visions now," he says, his voice stripped of all emotion. Hermione used to find it so annoying when Severus made himself appear indifferent like this. But now, she's grateful.
Hermione takes a deep breath. When Draco enters her mind again, she shows him visions of the future. Her three dark-haired children are at the Burrow, playing with a herd of red-headed children in the yard while the adults watch from a table outside.
She's giving a speech during an election campaign while Harry watches from the side, smiling at her encouragingly. Next, Harry is pushing her into an office and as soon as the door slams behind him, he starts kissing her passionately. Hermione tries to rush past this memory, keenly aware that Draco is watching this with her.
Now she and Harry are in dress robes and he is pulling her out of a ballroom into an abandoned hallway. She knows where this is going. What is wrong with her? Why is she only able to bring up intimate moments with Harry right now? Probably, because that's what she's focusing on.
Think about something else, she tells herself. Your kids; think of them!
She jumps quickly to a vision in the garden of Grimmauld Place. Harry and Hermione are sitting on chairs on the patio as they watch Ginny and Draco with two kids in the grass. Ginny has a young baby with dark brown hair sitting on her lap. There is a young girl with strawberry blonde hair across from them, waving around a wand with bubbles coming out of the tip.
It seems to be Draco's wand, since he's watching her cautiously and looks like he's ready to swoop in at the first sign of danger. The girl is smiling widely at the baby, who is laughing at every wave of the wand.
The girl looks back at Harry and Hermione and yells something incomprehensible. Hermione feels a jolt in her mind as soon as the girl's face becomes clear in her vision. She is beautiful, with striking features and big, grey eyes.
Draco jumps out of her thoughts violently, leaving Hermione's head aching. "What the fuck was that?"
"I-" her heart stops and she looks away from his fathomless grey eyes, almost identical to the girl's eyes from her vision. "I'm so sorry, Malfoy," Hermione says to the floor. "I didn't mean- I wasn't going to-" She pauses to take a breath. She hadn't meant to show him his future. She'd panicked, trying to draw up any scene she could find without her and Harry snogging.
"Answer me, Granger," Draco says harshly. "Who was that girl?"
When Hermione looks back at Draco; he looks scared. Well, he'd just found out he was going to be a father. It was a lot to take in, especially for an emotionally closed-off wizard like Draco. "I think you know, Malfoy," she replies gently.
He turns away from her and starts pacing the room. She wonders if their lesson will be over. Hopefully not for good, though. She needs his help.
Before she can think of something to say to calm him down, he's back in front of her with his wand drawn. "Show me all the visions you have of her."
Her mind starts to answer his request automatically. She abruptly tells it to stop by shouting, "No! Don't do that!" as loudly as she can in her head. This is how the panic attacks usually start. They happen when her brain gets flooded with thoughts.
She tries to focus back on Draco, who is glaring at her almost angrily. "Malfoy, I don't think-"
"Just do it," he bites back.
"Okay." Hermione reasons that it was only a matter of time before Draco learned about his future. He's going to be in her mind a lot during their lessons, so they may as well get this over with.
She takes him back to the vision of his daughter making bubbles for a baby James. Next, she shows him a day at the coast. Ginny and the girl are splashing in the ocean and laughing while Draco, Harry, and Hermione watch from the beach.
They are on a foreign street somewhere Hermione doesn't recognize. She, Ginny, and Ron are walking just behind Draco and Harry. Draco's hair is a dark brown and he has the young girl on his shoulders. She is laughing at something he's just told her. Draco turns around and beams at Ginny, who winks back at him.
Finally, Hermione shows Draco a scene from the Burrow. The girl is riding around on a broomstick while Draco and Ginny chase her on their own brooms. Everyone is laughing. Hermione has a baby on her lap - this time it's Albus, and she turns and sees Harry talking to their other son, James. He's explaining how in another year, he can have a broom like Cece.
Draco pulls out of her mind gently and her brain isn't left pounding, like it was last time. His eyes are stung with tears and he turns away and pinches the bridge of his nose.
"Cece?" he asks, in a rough voice.
"It's a nickname. One you hate."
He lets out a shaky laugh and takes a breath. "Does she know?"
Hermione shakes her head. She hasn't told Ginny about her future daughter.
Draco nods and looks out of the window behind her. "She looked happy."
Hermione doesn't know if this is a question or a statement. She also doesn't know if he's referring to Ginny or the girl. She puts a comforting hand on his arm. "They both looked very happy. And so did you."
He wipes his eyes with his fingers and when he turns back to her, his face is blank, but she can still see the emotions swimming in his eyes. "I didn't think it was possible for someone like me," he explains in a flat voice.
Another tear escapes and he wipes it away quickly. Hermione wants to give him space to collect himself, but she can't look away from him for some reason. She cannot believe this is the same Draco Malfoy from her past.
In lieu of leaving him alone, she takes her hand off of his arm.
He takes another ragged breath, then drops his eyes to the floor. "Thank you, Granger," he says in a voice so low she barely hears it.
She nods and waits until he's looking back at her to say, "You deserve it, Malfoy. A happy future, and I'm glad you get it."
He clears his face even further, until even his eyes are blank, then takes another deep breath and raises his wand. "Okay, let's get back to it. Try flipping between memories and visions this time, so I can see if there are differences when they are side by side."
"Do you - uh - want me to avoid...her?"
"You don't have to. I - I'm ready for it now."
Hermione shows him memories and visions, alternating between the two. His daughter shows up occasionally, but she manages to avoid intimate moments with Harry. After the third round, Draco shakes his head, frowning.
"What is it?" Hermione asks.
"There's no difference between the two. Well, not to me, at least. That will make things a little harder, but not impossible."
Hermione's heart drops. Just what she needed. More difficulty.
Draco is thinking hard and Hermione waits patiently, wondering if he's lying about this being possible. Maybe he knows she's a lost cause and is trying to figure out the best way to break it to her. He seems to decide something and nods once before looking back at her again. "Okay, I need you to have a panic attack while I'm in your head. Do you think you can create one?"
"I - no -" Hermione backs away from him. She knows she can create one, but Harry's not here. What happens if she can't come back? And Draco...she'll lose it in front of him. She'd only just gotten used to sharing her thoughts with her former bully. This level of vulnerability was out of the question. Her mind is starting to spiral out of control and she thinks that she may start having a panic attack, at the thought of having a panic attack - how ironic.
"Granger, look at me."
Draco has his hands on her shoulders and Hermione focuses on his firm grip in an effort to reign in her wandering thoughts. "I know I've hurt you in the past and given you countless reasons not to trust me, but I promise, I'm not going to hurt you today. You need to learn how to deal with your attacks on your own, without relying on Potter, and I think I can help you do that."
His voice is like velvet and his eyes are soft and warm. This isn't the Draco from school or the ruthless Death Eater, she reminds herself. This is the man who was brought to tears by the sight of his daughter. You can trust him. You don't have any other choice.
"Okay," she says weakly.
He releases her and holds his wand up with one hand, then holds his free hand out for her to take. She regards it for several moments before placing her hand in his. Before she can ponder the gesture further, he dives straight into her thoughts.
Her mind is flipping through random thoughts and she sits in there for a moment, trying to calm down before she throws herself into chaos. When she's finally ready, she asks herself a question: How will I become the Minister for Magic?
A part of her mind she usually tries to keep dormant seems to awaken and eagerly rushes to answer her question. Visions of the future come at her, swiftly at first, but not so fast that she doesn't have time to make out what is going on in each scene. A conversation with Harry about why she wants to be the Minister for Magic, a meeting with Kingsley, a speech, a debate, designing campaign signs, an interview with the Daily Prophet.
Soon, the visions come faster and the pain in her head is growing with each subsequent scene. It's getting to be too much, and she can't stop them. She's let it go on too long and there's no turning back. But this is what she was supposed to do, wasn't it? So Draco could see how it happened. But Harry's not here, what is she going to do?
She hears herself cry out, as if from a great distance and feels the grip on her hand tighten. Suddenly, there is a strong pressure in her mind and it feels like the walls of her brain are closing in, narrowing the pathway the thoughts have to travel to get from the back of her mind to the forefront, forcing them to slow, slightly.
Hermione grasps for the present, desperate to end this, and tries to focus on the feeling of Draco's hand around hers.
"No," Draco's voice echoes through her mind. "Stay in here. You can do this, Granger."
"I can't! I can't! I don't know what I'm meant to do!" Hermione doesn't know if she's answering in her mind, or out loud, but he seems to hear her, regardless.
"Help me narrow this passageway and slow the thoughts."
Hermione tries to focus. Her thoughts are traveling through a sort of tunnel, and it's too wide. She tries to push on the edges, like she felt Draco doing, and after a long time (and a lot of pain), the thoughts begin to slow. They are flitting by four at a time, then three, then two, then, finally, they are flashing one at a time through her mind."
"Focus back on the present," Draco's voice instructs.
Hermione sees him in front of her, looking at her with concern. She dips her head into her free hand and starts crying, while she tries to shake the feeling of terror at being completely out of control. She's gripping his hand so tightly, she is sure it is hurting him, but he doesn't let go. She's trying to slow her tears, but they just fall faster, and she can't stop thinking how embarrassed she is.
"You don't have to be embarrassed," he says. His voice echoes as she hears it in her ears first, then her mind. "Especially since I was the first one to cry today," he adds in a light tone.
She lets out a laugh.
"Just try to calm down and take a few breaths, I'm going to pull out of your mind."
She closes her eyes and obediently takes several breaths. When she opens them again, Draco is watching her, concern still etched on his face. Hermione drops his hand and turns away, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Are you okay?"
"I - yes. I mean, I did it, sort of. With a lot of help from you." She's too embarrassed to look back at him, even though he's being oddly nice and she doesn't think he's going to make fun of her. But old habits are hard to break. She tightens her grip on herself.
"You did do it, Granger. And once you get the feeling for it, you should be able to do it alone. Your mind is very strong."
Hermione scoffs and finally looks back at him. "It's unnerving, you being nice. I'm not sure how I feel about it." She wipes her eyes with her sleeve and watches him as he continues to stare at her.
Eventually, he nods understandingly. "I know how hard it is to open your mind to someone - especially someone you don't trust. But now that I've seen what's been going on, it's clear you need help. I already knew it was bad from Potter's desperate action, but, well..." He ends with a shrug.
"What about Harry? What desperate action?" Hermione grasps at the change of topic, eager to talk about anything besides how pathetic she is.
Draco shrugs again. "I'm just referring to how he completely destroyed his relationship with the Minister for Magic to break me out of prison. I thought it was stupid for someone pursuing a career at the Ministry, though I see now why he did it. But I think I can help you, not just with stopping the panic attacks, but with burying the visions, if you want."
Hermione is about to ask more about Harry and Kingsley, but that thought leaves her mind as soon as Draco mentions burying the visions. "You think I can do that? Not see the future anymore?"
He goes on to explain his theory that although he can't tell the difference between her memories and her visions of the future, she should be able to. With practice, she could learn to identify the future visions as soon as they pop into her mind, then push them away before she has a chance to see them.
"Your brain is a muscle, just like any other," he's explaining. "And just as you instruct your arm to lift up and grab something, you can tell your brain to organize your thoughts how you want them."
"You make it sound so easy," she groans.
"It's not easy. But from what I already know about you, and what I saw in your mind, you probably have the mental fortitude and discipline to manage it."
Hermione looks away, uncomfortable. She wonders how long it will take her to get used to this nice, complimentary Draco. It's a bit unsettling.
"Your homework for the next few weeks will be to work on getting your mind to differentiate the visions somehow. Either with a shimmer, or maybe a sound. That way, you can identify them as separate from reality easily. And hopefully by next time, I'll be able to see the difference, too."
"How do I do that? Just say, 'Brain, do this for me?' Is that really how it works?"
He smirks. "Yeah, sort of. You are in charge of your thoughts. Not the other way around. First, you have to believe that. You'd be surprised how powerful just acting like you're in charge can be. My father taught me that and it's true in real life, and also in your mind. Tell your mind to do this for you, assert your power, believe in it, and your brain will obey."
"It sounds a bit absurd."
He shrugs. "So does the fact that you see visions of the future that seem limited to moments you will share with Potter. Magic behaves strangely sometimes."
She blushes and looks down. So, he'd noticed that. Luckily, he doesn't expand on his statement. "Okay, Granger. Do you want to try stopping another panic attack? Or have you had enough for today?"
She takes stock of her body and mind. She's knackered, but she's not going to see Draco again for another 3-4 weeks, so it will be good to practice again while she can. "Let's go again."
He raises his wand, but this time, doesn't offer her his hand. She hesitates and he notices and drops his wand. "What? Have you changed your mind?"
She looks down when she asks, "Can I, uh, hold your hand again?"
She can hear the smirk in his voice and keeps her eyes down. "I seemed to remember this obsession you had with holding my hand while healing me in that tent."
"Hah hah," she grumbles, though she feels better when he takes her hand. At least she'll have an anchor to the present before they dive back into her chaotic thoughts.
Hermione is sitting on the beach with Harry. She shivers slightly as a gust of wind passes and Harry wraps his arms tighter around her. Ginny and Draco left for New Zealand earlier, but Ginny said they could stay in the beach house for another week, since she'd rented it for a whole month.
It was too big for two people, but Hermione reasons it's a lot better than staying with her parents. They have strict rules about an unmarried couple sleeping in the same bedroom, for one, and they are also very wary of magic, understandably. Here, she doesn't have to be careful not to use magic too much, or make sure she doesn't pull her wand out too quickly.
"How was the lesson with Malfoy?" Harry asks.
Hermione doesn't know where to start. She wants to tell him she managed to stop two panic attacks, but knows he'll be upset she risked it without him there. She'll ease into that.
She recalls what Draco had said about Kingsley. She'd let the comment slide at the time and had been meaning to bring it up when she saw Harry again. Hermione pulls out of his grip and turns around so she's facing him. She crosses her legs in front of her and he does the same, then shifts forward until their knees are touching. "What is it?"
"Harry. What did you do to get Kingsley to agree to let Malfoy out?"
Harry immediately looks away from her and focuses on the ocean behind her. "It doesn't matter."
"It does. Tell me."
She can tell he doesn't want to, but they'd promised not to keep secrets from each other anymore. She waits patiently for him to respond. He sighs and continues to avoid her eyes as he speaks.
"At first I told him the idea of pretending to transfer Malfoy, which would let Kingsley save face, but also give Malfoy a chance to be sort of free. I tried appealing to Kingsley's sense of fairness. He didn't go for it; said there were too many risks. Then I told him I would stop being the poster-boy for the recovery effort. Even that didn't convince him. So - " He stops to sigh and she knows whatever he's about to say next must be bad.
"I told him if he didn't do it, I'd support his opponent in the election, regardless of who it was."
"Harry!"
He finally looks at her again. "It was the only amount of leverage I had left. I had to get you help, Hermione. So please, tell me, was it worth it? How was the lesson?"
She ignores his question. "Why didn't you tell him about me and how desperately I need Malfoy's help? I'm sure Kingsley would have understood."
Harry shakes his head. "We don't want everyone to know you're a Seer or suspect for any reason you might be going mad. I was - I was trying to protect you."
Hermione places her hands on his knees. "Listen to me. You don't have to sacrifice yourself for everyone anymore. Kingsley can be trusted, and I'd already assumed you'd told him about me. Please try to smooth things over with him, okay? Tell him about my condition and explain why you were so desperate to get Malfoy out. Apologize as much as you can, and I'll talk to him too when I see him again. He's not a good person to have as an enemy."
Harry sighs and looks away, biting his lip.
"You're not alone in the world," Hermione presses. "You can share things with me, and with Ron."
"I know. I guess I learned some bad habits from Dumbledore." Harry places his hands on hers and gives her a small smile. "I'll talk to him tomorrow. Now, will you finally tell me about this bloody lesson?"
She smiles and settles back against his chest. "It was draining, but good. Malfoy thinks he can not only help me stop the attacks but hide the future visions all together."
"Really? That's perfect. That's just what you wanted."
Hermione nods.
"So, he was, good?"
"Yeah. He was kind and compassionate. I think I saw the wizard Ginny fell in love with."
"Really?" She can tell by his tone that he's still doubtful. He has good reason to be, especially since Draco has never shown his nice side around Harry yet.
"Yeah. It was...strange."
"So, are you just attracted to whoever Ginny's dating at the time?"
Hermione elbows him but he moves out of her way, anticipating the move. "Hah hah. Like that would ever happen. I know he's changed, but dating a Muggleborn? I don't think so."
"Wait, so you've thought about this?"
She shrugs. "He is very rich. You saw that vault he gave Ginny. I have to assume that's only a part of his fortune."
"I don't like this joke anymore," Harry grumbles.
Hermione turns to kiss him, but he pouts and leans back, just out of reach. "The joke you started," she points out. Hermione stands up and offers Harry her hand. "Come on, let's go inside and I'll make it up to you."
His pout is immediately replaced by a grin and he jumps up and nearly drags her back toward the house. "I like the sound of that."
Once they're back in their bedroom, Hermione presses Harry against the wall and kisses him deeply, wrapping her arms around his neck. "There's only ever been one wizard for me, Harry," she breathes between kisses.
He grabs her chin and regards her with a serious expression, his green eyes boring intensely into hers. "And there only ever will be," he states before capturing her mouth with his.
Excerpts from Hermione's Journal from April 2000 - December 2002
I haven't had much success controlling my mind, and Draco says it's because I'm afraid of my visions. He claims that I can't control them until I face them. He suggested I write them down in an attempt to confront them and show them I'm not afraid of them, or something like that.
I told him I've tried writing down my visions before, and it didn't really help anything. And he told me that I should pretend he's a professor and I'm the same swot I was in school, and do the homework he'd instructed without argument. Sometimes he's sweet, but the majority of the time, he's a giant prick. I don't know how Ginny stands it.
I wake up in Harry's bedroom in Grimmauld Place - which is a lot brighter and more inviting than I've ever seen it, so this must be a few years into the future, after we've had time to renovate the house. Harry's not in the bed, but there's a note on his pillow. I've seen this 'note on the pillow' thing a few times in my visions and I think this is a byproduct of that panic attack I had at Hogwarts a few days after the final battle.
Harry felt guilty for leaving me in the bed alone and resolved to never let it happen again. And the few times he can't be there when I wake up, he leaves a note, so I know he's alive and well.
This time, the note is sitting on top of a copy of the Daily Prophet. The note is short and sweet: I had an early meeting today and didn't want to wake you. Go to page 6 - they finally printed them. Love, H
I flip to the page he indicated in the newspaper and there are a series of essays, written by me, all about Severus and his numerous contributions to the war.
"So you're really going to make me pick out all the names?" Harry asks.
"Well, I know the names, so it's weird if I get involved in selecting them."
"Fine. Okay, so for this one, we can keep the same girl's name we had picked out for James, yeah? Lily Luna."
"I love it."
"You know, if it's going to be a girl, you can just tell me now, and I can avoid the hassle of choosing a boy's name altogether."
I lean in and give him a peck on the lips. "You know I'm not going to do that. So tell me, what boy's name have you come up with?"
Harry sighs and he looks nervous, then starts talking in a rush. "I was thinking: Albus Severus. Two headmasters, two people who worked well together in the war, and who we would have been lost without. You know I have mixed feelings toward Snape, but I know how close you two were, and if it weren't for him, you wouldn't be here. So it seems fitting, yeah?"
I break into a smile and pull Harry into a hug. "Are you sure?" I whisper in his ear. "Naming a child after Dumbledore seems fitting, especially given everything the two of you went through together, but Severus...I know how much you hated him, and how even with everything he did later, you never quite forgave him for being so cruel to you in school - rightfully so."
Harry nods and smiles at me. "It's not just about me, these are your kids, too. And it's just a middle name, right?"
"Albus Severus," I say. "I like it."
"Did I get it right?" he asks it quickly, like he's hoping to catch me off guard.
I wave the question away. "We'll just have to see."
We're walking out of the Muggle zoo with James, Albus, and Lily. The kids have ice cream and are all talking over each other, trying to tell their siblings what their favorite part of the day was.
I turn to Harry and mutter, "I can never get the story of you vanishing that glass out of my mind when we come here. I keep thinking one of them will have a burst of accidental magic and do something similar. I was gripping my wand in my pocket all day."
He grins. "And while you were gripping that, did you have anything to do with those dancing bears?"
I cross my arms. "Are you really one to talk? Do you expect me to believe those monkeys decided to toss bananas back and forth on their own?"
"Fine, so we're both guilty." Harry pulls me against his side. "I won't tell if you don't."
Ron steps out of the Floo into the sitting room at Grimmauld Place. Harry is sitting on the couch reading the paper while I'm reading to James and Albus on the floor, leaning my back against Harry's legs.
We all perk up when we see Ron and Harry asks, "Did it happen? Is the baby here?"
Ron rounds on me. "Twins?!"
"Wow, twins? That's lovely, Ron," I reply, trying to keep from laughing at the expression on his face.
"You said two kids, but you didn't say it would happen at one time! Do you think that would have been worth mentioning?"
I look at James, wondering how much of the conversation he's picking up on. Harry stands and grabs Ron by the shoulder, leading him back to the Floo. "Did you just run out on your wife and new babies to come here and yell at Hermione?"
Ron bites his lip and sighs. "Right, I should go back. Damn, twins. Tell the family, will you?"
We are in the yard at the Burrow, celebrating Ginny and Draco's wedding. It's a very small crowd, just our family, the Weasleys and their spouses and kids, Lucius, Theo Nott, Andromeda, Tonks, Teddy, and Neville and Hannah. The yard is gorgeous. There are floating candles everywhere and lovely flowers adorning the elegant tables.
Ginny is in a lovely cream gown and her hair is laced with flowers. She's dancing with Draco, who looks dashing in navy dress robes. Just a few feet away from them, Lucius is dancing with their daughter, who seems to be about six years old.
I'm talking to Harry and am pregnant, and every so often, my eyes flit to the side of the crowd, where James and Albus are giggling mischievously.
"I wondered if this day would ever happen," Harry is saying.
"I know. After they got engaged and Ginny said she wouldn't marry Draco until everyone in her family agreed to attend the wedding, I was a little worried."
My eyes flash to a table at the end of the yard, where George is sitting. He's happily bouncing Ron's twins on his legs while he laughs with Charlie about something. All the alcohol everyone has been handing him during the day has probably helped lighten his mood. Hermione notices Ron on his other side, watching the babies warily, like he expects George to accidentally drop one.
"Well it took, what, five years? Probably the longest engagement I've ever heard of, but I'm happy it all worked out," Harry says, watching the couple dance gracefully. "Though 'Ginny Malfoy' is going to take some getting used to."
"Is she changing her name?"
"She is. Not everyone is independent as you, Mrs. Hermione Granger," he teases.
"Still bitter, I see."
Harry stands and holds a hand out to me, "Come on, let's dance."
I open my mouth to speak, but he cuts in first, "I know, I see them, too." He cocks his head toward James and Albus. "We'll keep an eye on them. But I'm not going this whole night without dancing with my lovely wife."
As soon as the door slams behind Harry, he pushes me toward the large desk at the end of the office, kissing me as we cross the room. When the back of my legs collide with the desk, he picks me up and places me on top.
"This feels weird," I say, a little breathlessly. "It still feels like Kingsley's office."
Harry points toward the nameplate on the surface that reads, Hermione Granger. "That says otherwise." He moves to the other side of the desk, throwing our outer robes on Kingsley's chair.
My chair, I correct in my mind as I turn around to face him. I'm about to jump down but he keeps me there by placing firm hands on my legs. "You're staying there." He runs his hands up my thighs, lifting my skirt to my waist as he does so.
"Harry," I scold. "This has to be against the law. Maybe even a few laws."
He shrugs. "If we get in trouble, you can just pardon us." He goes back to kiss me, but I push him away by the shoulders.
Harry sighs. "No one is here, Hermione. And with all the election craziness, we haven't shagged in ages. We're doing this, now shut up and relax."
He pulls me into a rough kiss and I reach back and grab the edges of the desk. I'm still nervous someone is going to find us, but my nerves leave when Harry moves his hand between my legs.
I look down, surprised. "When did you get my knickers off?"
He smirks playfully and starts kissing my neck as he moves his fingers expertly inside me. "I'm very sneaky. Has anyone told you? I'm head of the Auror Office."
"Oh, I haven't had a chance to read through all my employee's files yet." I reply unevenly, trying my best to stifle a moan.
"It's so weird that you're my boss now."
"I've been your boss for years, Harry."
He steps back and regards me for a moment, then gives me a roguish grin before taking a seat in Kingsley's chair. He props my legs up on the desk and dips his head between my legs as he begins placing soft kisses on the inside of my thigh.
My heart is beating impossibly fast as my body begins to realize what he has planned. He looks up at me and says with a grin, "We'll see who's in charge in a few minutes."
And I think I'll stop there! I can't write this out anymore; it feels too weird. Thank God Malfoy hasn't found that moment in my head.
Harry, our three kids, Ron, his wife, his twins, Draco, Ginny, their daughter, and I are on platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross station. We're dropping James off for his first time. He is almost shaking with nervous anticipation.
I'm excited for him, but there's also a pang in my chest as I wonder to myself where all the time has gone. Soon enough, this will be Albus and Lily, then our house will be empty and eerily quiet.
Harry wraps an arm around me and kisses me on the side of the head, and I can tell by the expression on his face that he's feeling the same way I am.
Draco and Ginny's daughter emerges from the train and runs up to James. "Why are you still out here? If you don't hurry, all the good spots will be gone."
She takes his hand and nearly drags him to the train. I hear James ask, "Which house do you think I'll be in, Cece?"
"Slytherin, if we're lucky. But - well - if you end up in Gryffindor like your parents-" their conversation is drowned out by the loud screech of an owl, then they are boarding the train and out of earshot.
Harry is frowning and Ginny nudges him, playfully. "Lighten up, Harry. That kid is not a Slytherin. Believe me, having raised one, I know the signs." She looks over at Albus before winking at me, but luckily, Harry doesn't see it.
"Yes, yes, Slytherins are awful," Draco sighs in mock exasperation.
Ginny rises on her toes and kisses his cheek, "But we love them, anyway."
Ron rolls his eyes. "Can we go? I was promised ice cream at the end of this," he looks over at the younger kids and they give a small cheer.
"Wait!" I exclaim, motioning toward the train. "We have to wait until it leaves, so we can wave goodbye." We all look back over and just then, as if on cue, Cecelia and James poke their heads out of a window and start waving at us. The train whistle blows and we all wave back until they are out of sight.
January 2002 - Germany
It's been almost two years to the day since Hermione and Draco's first Occlumency lesson, and he has finally declared her "adequate," and told her he's taught her all she'll be able to learn and that they can stop their lessons. Hermione knows this is the best she'll ever get from him.
She feels a lot better than "adequate." She's trained her brain to automatically file away any visions of the future that pop into her mind. And she no longer has panic attacks. When she feels her thoughts begin to spiral out of control, she can slow them, then clear her mind.
She can also open up the genius part of her brain when she needs to work through a hard problem and isn't overwhelmed by a flood of thoughts. She'll ask her mind a question and it's still very eager to answer, but not in a way that overloads her.
"You're a really good teacher, Malfoy."
He nods thoughtfully. "It's always been a dream of mine to teach at Hogwarts. Do you think they'll let me, after I 'get out of jail?'"
Hermione hesitates. Surely, he knows that with his history, they'll never let him teach at Hogwarts, even after he's 'served his time.'
He breaks into a grin. "Don't look so devastated. It was a joke, Granger."
She pushes him. "We were having a nice moment, then you went and ruined it."
He shrugs and changes the subject. "I read about you in the Prophet the other day. Youngest witch ever to get a new law passed."
"Youngest person ever," she corrects. He rolls his eyes. "But I couldn't have got that legislation passed without your edits. Who knew a few words (that had no impact on the effects of the law) would be different between a 'yes' and 'no' vote from the pureblood faction?"
"We're a finicky bunch."
"No kidding."
They are quiet and Hermione takes a minute to study him. He looks good, well rested, and his skin is a healthy color, more like a light gold, instead of the grey that makes him seem a little sickly. But his eyes are haunted. She wonders if that will ever go away completely. Likely not. Everyone who lived through the war has this deep sorrow in them, lurking just beneath the surface.
"I saw the article about the anniversary of the final battle," Draco continues.
Hermione nods. Maybe that explains why his eyes looked so sad. He's thinking about the war right now. "It was sad, just like the first year, but I'm glad we do it. Though, it was weird not having you two there."
"Well, Ginny didn't fight that day, and I was on the other side," he says flatly.
"Come on, don't say that. It would have been impossible for us to win without both of you. Don't undersell your contributions."
He nods and looks out the window. She follows his gaze and sees a goat grazing in the yard. "Tell me something, Granger, and be honest. Is she happy?"
"Are you kidding me? This life you've given her, it's all she ever wanted growing up."
He frowns and keeps his gaze on the goat. "Really? This is what she dreamed about? Being ostracized by her family, unable to go home for longer than short visits here and there to heavily warded, private residences. Forced to disguise herself every time she goes out in public."
Hermione pulls Draco's face toward her so he's facing her. "She's happy," Hermione repeats. "Surely you can see that. You know her better than anyone."
He sighs. "I think she is, but she knows me as well as I know her, and could probably lie to me, if she wanted to."
"She's happy. Stop worrying about it. Believe me, I would tell you."
Draco smirks and his eyes are a little less sad. "Yeah, I'm sure you would."
Hermione tries to change the heavy subject. "Anyway, what's next for you two? I believe you've seen everything there is to see in Europe. Now that you don't have to stay close to England for these lessons, you can explore faraway places."
Draco grins. "She made the team."
"She did?" Ginny had been trying out for a professional Quidditch team in America for the past few weeks. It checked off a lot of boxes for her. One, her dream of playing professionally. Two, it was a solid excuse for her to be away from the UK for a few years, and three, she and Draco could move their home base to America, and travel from there to see that side of the world for a change.
Draco is looking back out the window and Hermione sees that gleam of adoration in his eyes that he gets when he's thinking of Ginny.
"What about you? Are you happy, Draco?"
He keeps his eyes focused outside. "If she is, I am."
Hermione nods and places a hand on his arm. "The Weasleys will get better. We already won over Arthur, Bill, and Charlie. The others will follow. Just give it time."
He nods and she looks out the window, too. It's an idyllic, mountain landscape. After a few months of jumping around to a different place every few weeks, Draco and Ginny were exhausted and decided instead to stay in one place for three to six months, and travel from there. They'd been living on this farm in Germany for almost five months now.
Hermione wonders where in America they'll live and hopes she and Harry can find time to visit them in their new home. Harry will love getting to watch Ginny play Quidditch. Once he completes his Auror training this summer, his schedule will be less hectic, and he should be able to take at least a week off.
As she thinks of Harry, she remembers she'd meant to pick up dinner for them before he got back from work tonight. She checks her watch, then turns to Draco. "I should go, but it's hard to leave this beautiful weather. It's raining back home."
"Right, I could have guessed that one."
They share a smile, then Hermione takes a deep breath. She's suddenly overcome with emotion. She's been meeting with Draco every week for nearly two years and now, it's over. They'd become friends, oddly enough, and she was actually going to miss the prat.
"I owe you -" she cuts off and takes another breath. "I can't even begin -" words are failing her and tears are lining her eyes. She drops her head, waiting for him to make fun of her, but he doesn't. She never knows what she's going to get with him, but he seems to be feeling a little sentimental today too.
"I couldn't let the brightest witch of the age go mad," he says kindly. "Also, the future Minister for Magic."
Hermione lets out a laugh. "Ahh, so you did this so I'd owe you a favor later."
"Of course. I may be nice sometimes, and friends with Gryffindors, but I'm still a Malfoy."
She smiles. Yes, that was absolutely true.
Draco cocks an eyebrow at her. "Are you going to insist on hugging me now?"
She nods seriously. "Yes. Just stand still and it will be over soon."
Draco's eyes brighten and he opens his mouth to speak, but she beats him to it. "And no, that's not what Harry says to me just before we shag."
He laughs and soon she joins in. "You know me too well, Granger."
"I know. I was feeling a little sad about these meetings ending just now, but maybe some time apart will be good." Hermione places her hands on Draco's arms. "Now stand still. The hug is starting in three, two, one."
A/N: I couldn't resist throwing in some Dramione. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Just one more to go! Woot! The chapters are getting super long near the end here, but I bet you all don't mind. Thanks as always to my beta, Lancashire Witch.
The final chapter will be posted tomorrow!