Endings are hard and I needed a little extra time with this one. For those that have been with me from the start, thanks doesn't feel like enough. You've been wonderful. For those who've joined me somewhere along with way, I'm so glad to have you jump in and join me. This has been the longest fic I've ever written here and I know what it takes to start a lengthy fic midway through.
It hasn't been easy writing this one. I've been writing through a rollercoaster of emotions, good and bad. I've obviously touched on some emotional topics but I'm really proud of how this story came out, no matter the few people who didn't like what I wrote or that I defended myself against the negativity. Which leads me to this…
Upon much reflection, I've decided that what I need is a break from writing long stories. I'll rescind my decision to completely step away and instead just give myself time to breathe. Maybe I'll be back, sooner or later. I'm not sure yet. However, the more I've thought about it while coming to the end of this one, I think closing the door entirely might be the wrong decision. It would be letting other people win and I'm don't want anyone to have that power over me.
So, without being anymore dramatic that I probably sound, let's just say I'll be taking a breather and leave it at that. Without further ado…
14 February, 2008: 8:00am
It was snowing. Had been for some time really. Hermione woke early and snuck out of bed. It had been hard to step away from him. When Draco was fast asleep, his normal tension melted from his shoulders. The grey morning light made him appear softer, the part of himself he kept for her and Rose, hiding from the rest of the world.
Downstairs everything was quiet. Pipsy had fluttered through the kitchen and found her nursing a cup of coffee and after some mild fussing over her, she finally left her with a blueberry muffin and went about her way organizing the wine cellar.
Hermione lifted her eyes from the coffee in her cup, hardly even realizing that she'd been so lost in her thoughts. The sound of soft footfalls caught her attention and she smiled at Rose when she entered the kitchen. Her cat trotted behind her and jumped into the chair next to the one Rose climbed into.
"Good morning, darling," she said, brushing curls away from her face. "Are you hungry?"
Rose yawned and smacked her lips. "Maybe." Her eyes found the half-eaten muffin on the table and she looked towards the stove. "Are there more muffins? I don't think I want eggs this morning."
Hermione lifted her wand from beside her cup and levitated one from the container Pipsy had stored them in. Another flick and a cup of milk drifted through the air and landed soundly in front of her daughter.
Nix stood on her hind legs and peered over the table. Hermione arched a brow at the cat in challenge and she sat back, offering her a chirpy meow in greeting instead.
"Brilliant animals," she muttered. She flicked her wand again and a shallow bowl arrived next filled with the wet cat food that made Draco wrinkle his nose.
Rose smiled as she peeled the wrapper from her muffin. "Nyx is smart. I taught her a trick last night. Did Crookshanks ever do tricks?"
"Merlin, no!" She sputtered. "But he was very bright like Nyx. The two of you will be well bonded before you leave for Hogwarts."
Hermione watched her as she chewed, her mouth twisting to one side.
"Mum, will you have another baby before I go to school?"
She palmed her coffee cup between her hands, eyeing the murky liquid. Her conversation with Draco earlier in the week flitted through her mind. They'd stopped using the charm already.
"Perhaps." She didn't want to make a promise she couldn't deliver on. She'd been eighteen when she got pregnant with Rose. That didn't mean her second would happen so easily.
Rose shifted in her chair and folded her legs under her. Her eyes drifted to her cat. "I'm just afraid that if you don't have one before I leave, they will hardly know me."
She swallowed. She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. Even if she and Draco had a baby now, Rose's sibling would still spend seven years without her. It wasn't something she was familiar with given that she was an only child, Draco as well.
So she smiled to reassure her, even if she didn't have the answer. "It will be fine, darling."
Rose shrugged and reached to pinch a bite from her muffin. "Is daddy still asleep?"
Hermione couldn't help but smile behind her cup of coffee. Every time she heard Rose call him that a little more of her heart mended. It wasn't everything to have a father, and she thought she'd done fairly well raising her on her own. But Rose having the opportunity to have one and knowing how well the two of them got on from the start was possibly the greatest gift she could have been given.
"He's awake now."
They both turned as he entered the kitchen, yawning and scratching a hand over his disheveled blonde hair. Her heart beat a little faster as her eyes trailed over him, from his bare feet to his pajamas and plain white t-shirt, and the scruff growing along his jaw—it should have been illegal to be that attracted to someone. It only drove the feeling deeper seeing him in a way he would never allow anyone else to.
He pulled out the chair across from Rose and sat next to Hermione. Rose's muffled giggles were held back in vain. He arched an authoritative brow at her.
"Enjoying my morning hair again, are we?"
"It looks silly," she continued to giggle.
Hermione bit her lip when his gaze slid in her direction. She held her coffee out to him. "Perhaps you need this more than me."
Draco scowled at the cup and nudged it away gently. His chair scraped against the tile as he slid it back. "I love you but there's no way I'm drinking that rubbish."
She rolled her eyes. "Pardon me. You prefer yours black and bitter."
He flashed her a wolfish grin as he shuffled back to the table, muffin in one hand and coffee in the other. "Balance, love. Yours is far too sweet."
Hermione sighed. "Rose, your gran asked if she could take you overnight tonight. She wanted to take you out for Valentine's Day but I told her I'd ask you." She shared a look with Draco. "We were going to take you to dinner with us if you wanted to go."
She watched as Rose tipped her head curiously, her eyes flickered between them. She reached out to stroke Nyx's fur and shook her head. "I think I'd like to stay with gran."
Her brows rose in surprise. "Are you sure?"
She nodded, smiling at her cat. "I'm sure. I don't want gran to be alone on Valentine's Day." She wrinkled her nose. "And you're probably going to be all googly eyed at each other all night." She shook her head. "Such a strange holiday. It's only good for chocolate anyway."
Draco laughed. "Then we'll be sure to have chocolate for you when we pick you up in the morning."
She shrugged. "Fine by me. Can I take Nyx to gran's?"
"I'll have to ask her first, Rose," Hermione said.
"You do that," Draco said, polishing off the last of his muffin and coffee. "And while you do, Rose and I will be running an errand."
Rose smiled. "We will?"
"We will. Your mum and your Aunt Ginny have other plans."
Hermione turned in her chair as she watched him carry his cup to the sink. "We do?"
"You do. Now enough questions. Both of you get dressed."
10:00am
In the past, Draco did not have a reputation for being generous. Granted, he'd been trained by his father not to be but even with the man locked away, there were only so many people his generosity extended to.
It made the fact that he was traipsing through a snowy London with Rose in tow all the more curious given who he was helping.
"Are we picking out a present for you to give to mum?" Rose asked.
He sent her a smile and marveled for possibly the hundredth time since he'd signed his name in dark blue ink that he wasn't now just a step-father. He was her real father now. Legally speaking of course. No one could take that away from him. Upon filing the paperwork with the lawyer, Hermione had gifted him a mug that read 'world's best dad'. She'd meant it as a silly joke. However, it was now on his desk at work.
"That's one item on our list, yes."
He held he door of the familiar jewelry store for her and ushered her inside. She titled her head back to look at him. "There's more?"
"Your Uncle Harry has requested our assistance. It's my understanding that he's not to be trusted with picking out jewelry for your aunt."
She wrinkled her nose and he found it hard not to laugh. "Aunt Ginny says he has terrible taste!"
"I'll remember that for your next birthday," Harry drawled from next to one of the illuminated glass cases.
"Uncle Harry!"
He patted her back as she hugged him around the waist. "Alright then, Malfoy. Let's get this over with."
Draco glanced back at the door. "I'm happy to leave you to your own faulty devices, Potter."
Harry grumbled as he rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Merlin, I think this might have been a mistake."
"Yours, not mine," Draco said.
"Mr. Malfoy, lovely to see you!" Antony beamed as he emerged from behind the back of the shop, interrupting whatever insult was on Harry's tongue.
Draco shook the man's hand and gestured at Rose. "And you, Antony. You remember Rose, I think."
He smiled at her over the counter. "Well, of course! I can't forget someone with such excellent taste."
She narrowed her eyes at him but shook his outstretched hand with the same confidence she'd shown Draco that first day last year.
"Antony, this is Harry Potter. The man with the most abysmal taste in baubles—per his wife."
Perhaps that would be his new moniker in Draco's mind rather than the Boy Who Would Not Die. All in good fun, of course.
Harry forced a smile as he shook the man's hand. "I'd like to say Malfoy is a lying git but unfortunately, it appears to be true."
Antony waved him off with a genial smile. "Shall we start with you then, Mr. Potter?"
"You're in good hands, Potter. Antony has never led me wrong." He watched as he steered Harry to some cases off to the side. "Your mum might have my head if I buy her more jewelry," he muttered, eyes already scanning the glass case in front of them.
"Do hair combs count as jewelry?" Rose asked.
His brows rose curiously and he moved to have a look where she was pointing. "No, Rose," he grinned. "I believe they don't.
"They would look pretty in mum's hair."
Indeed, the set of two hair combs was made of rose gold and decorated with fine rubies. They were understated enough that she could likely wear them to work but fine enough to accent a nice cocktail dress as well.
"Antony," he called. Harry was still preoccupied with the earrings. "I'd like to see these, please."
"Of course," he said, nodding. "I see your helper has picked something else today. Ah! Now these are exquisite." He placed the two combs on the counter with care. "I'm sure you've already deduced the materials of course. These are a custom set made by our master jeweler."
Draco lifted one and carefully stuck it in Rose's hair. "Well, what do you think, Rose? Think we can get away with these and she won't get upset with us?" She gave an enthusiastic nod. "Alright then. That's one down."
"That's a lot of zeros," Rose mumbled when she saw him sign the receipt a few minutes later.
Draco lifted a finger to his lips. "She doesn't have to know." He turned to glance again in Harry's direction. James sat babbling on the glass counter while he squinted at two different sets of earrings. "Should we help him or watch him suffer?"
She cocked her head to one side, reminding so much of Hermione. "Daddy!"
He lifted his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I should know by now not to offend Granger women."
Across the city, Hermione and Ginny were both wrapped in overlarge fluffy bathrobes and quite possibly turning into puddles of goo.
"I never in a million years would have ever thought I'd say this," Ginny started, her finger in the air while her eyes remained closed, "but your husband is a good influence on mine. This is bloody devine. I want this every year."
Hermione allowed herself a small smile. "He is quite lovely, isn't he?"
She laughed when Ginny tossed a complimentary strawberry at her. "Oh, now you're just smug!"
She blinked her eyes open, adjusting to the dim lighting. They were lying in large, plush chairs post-massage and she felt a bit like she was melting. Melting from relaxation and having all of the knots worked out of her muscles. Melting from how much she loved that ridiculous man.
"I think I'm allowed just a small bit of smugness."
Ginny chuckled. "Alright, fine. You do deserve it. Has he mentioned what he has planned tonight? Or why they saw fit to send us off while they took our children on some mystery task? Not that I'm complaining, mind you."
She sighed and closed her eyes again. "I'm sure it involves buying us something. It's one of the ways he shows affection but I've told him so many times it's not necessary. Especially not on Valentine's Day. It's a silly holiday anyway and I don't need all of that."
Ginny snorted inelegantly. "Well, if he's helping Harry then I likely won't have to prepare to fake my excitement." She arched a brow when Hermione turned quickly and shot her a look. "Oh, don't give me that look, Hermione. I love Harry. He's wonderful—loving and a wonderful father. The man just has rubbish taste in gift-giving. It's fine. I tease him about it but I don't care at the end of the day. However, it might be nice to get something I like though."
Hermione shrugged. "I suppose going so long without anyone, I'm just content with Draco's attention."
"Hmm," Ginny hummed, waggling her brows, "and he seems to be giving you plenty of that."
"Oh, don't be vulgar," Hermione chastised with a cluck of her tongue.
She laughed. "Tell me I'm wrong, Hermione! I can't recall the last time I've seen you so relaxed—minus the usual things we can't avoid in life. That man is likely shagging your brains out on a regular basis and you're enjoying it."
She pulled the edge of her lip between her teeth and cast her a sideways glance. "You can't say anything yet—there's nothing to tell really but—we've started trying for a baby."
Ginny sat up in her chair, all pretenses of relaxation forgotten. "Really? Already? I mean—that's brilliant, Hermione! I just didn't imagine you would want to so soon."
She lifted her shoulders. "He's ready. I'm ready. Rose is scared she won't know her sibling if we don't have another before she leaves for Hogwarts." She inhaled a calming breath, let the scent of the oils still soaking into her skin calm her. "This is different than with Rose. I won't be alone this time."
Ginny frowned. "I'm sorry, Hermione. We tried—"
"No, no! Sorry, no, that wasn't what I mean. You and Harry and my mum were wonderful. I just—I won't be parenting alone this go around. And Rose has a father now which isn't something I imagined I'd ever get to say. I just—it'll be challenging and I've already warned Draco that a baby will require a lot more work than Rose. He still wanted to try and I'm—I'm ready."
They stared at one another for a long moment before Ginny's mouth finally turned in a proper smile. She gave a sharp nod.
"I'm happy for you, Hermione. You have everything Harry and I always hoped you would. You deserve it."
She smiled and closed her eyes again, intent to enjoy this relaxation both of their husbands arranged for them until the last moment.
"And for the record," she said, eyes still closed, "I am enjoying it—the shagging that is."
"I knew it!"
1:00pm
Draco glanced at his watch. Across the grass, Rose was holding her cousin's hands as he toddled his way through pushing a football. She had her mother's patience, that was for certain, even as it was clear that trying to teach the boy was wearing her thin.
"She'll be brilliant as a big sister," Harry said, the comment coming entirely out of nowhere.
He'd not mentioned that he and Hermione had stopped using the charm. Honestly, it didn't seem wise to discuss their sex life with her best friend, even in terms of procreation. But that was also partly his upbringing. What one discussed with their spouse was not always intended for others to hear. That and this was Harry Potter. She could tell the git if she wanted him to know.
"I imagine she will." He flicked a casual hand at the children. "Do you and Red have plans for more?"
Harry shot him a grin. "We do. Might wait a tad longer before adding another though. It'd be nice not to have two in nappies, you know?"
Draco lifted his shoulders. "Certainly." He had no clue but didn't imagine changing two sets of nappies would be ideal.
How did he end up here? Sitting in a muggle park, the one not far from Hermione's old flat, and chatting with Harry Potter as if they were old friends. Decisions were often like the root of a tree. Make one and it grew one direction. Make another and it sprouted off in a different one. Most people weren't able to redirect their lives as well as he had.
"Thanks again for the help, Malfoy." He flashed him a small grin. "Even being Harry Potter doesn't mean that I have connections with jewelers."
Draco snorted. "I suppose you do now. Just don't pick out anything without Antony or I fear your wife will hex me."
"She might do that anyway if she finds out how much I spent." He shrugged. "But Ginny never asks for that sort of stuff. She likes it of course but she doesn't ask. She'd smile and say thanks for just about anything."
"She and Hermione are the same in that way then." He could feel Harry's eyes on him and the attention made his skin prickle.
"But you buy her things anyway."
He slid his gaze carefully in his direction, brow arched. "I've been of the opinion from the beginning that she needed to be romanced properly. She acts shy about it, brushes it off as unnecessary, but I'm not daft, Potter. It's not the objects. It's the attention. But I like giving her things. I like seeing her blush and the way she bites her lip to hide a smile." He turned to watch the children, feeling too bare in front of his kind of-maybe-somewhat of a friend. "She doesn't expect anything and it's for that reason I keep doing it. I want her to have everything she deserves. She was robbed of it for too long."
For a long moment, Harry didn't say a word. Draco wasn't sure what part of what he said that struck him but he didn't remark. Eventually, he turned to watch the children as well but Draco could see the slight smile from the corner of his eyes.
"She was. In some ways, she did it to herself but—if I'm being honest, I'm not sure there's a bloke that would have understood her as well as you have. They would have seen everything on the surface but never dug deep enough to truly see her. I think it's poetic justice honestly that you should have fallen for her."
Draco snorted, his expression rearranging with a small smirk. "That's what Blaise said when he realized that I fancied her."
They fell quiet as they watched the children. James had given the ball a rather good kick, sending Rose running after it as he stood there just giggling over his efforts. Perhaps not that far in the future, Draco would get to watch a child grow just like that. He'd missed the first eight years with Rose and would cherish all that came after but getting to watch from the start would be nice. To be a part of their life from the moment Hermione gave birth. To love them just as much as he already did Rose.
Draco cleared his throat. "Potter, do you ever wonder how different things might have been if we'd shaken hands that day?"
Harry turned to him slowly, curiosity brimming in his eyes. Draco didn't turn to face him.
"Occasionally. Would I have gone down your path with you? Would you have come down mine instead? Who knows, Malfoy. Best not to dwell on it. Things turned around."
He nodded. "Indeed, they did."
7:00pm
"Where are we going?" She asked.
"Where do you think we're going?"
"Because you're secretly sentimental, my guess would be the same restaurant where we had our first date last year."
He arched a brow as his gaze slipped down in her direction. "Cheeky witch," he muttered.
She laughed softly, curling her arm tighter around his. The walk was different this time. The townhouse was closer than her old flat and she hadn't minded when he asked if she wanted to walk a bit after apparating closer. Her fingers were warm in the gloves he'd bought her last year. Most of all, she wasn't so nervous. She had no need to guess his intentions or whether she was making a mistake. Accepting his offer of a date last year was the best thing she'd ever done.
The restaurant was busy but not crowded and the host led them to a quiet table near a set of windows. She shivered as he took her coat from her shoulders and draped it over the back of her chair before he seated her. It wasn't until they each had a glass of wine and their orders had been placed that he pulled a small velvet box not much larger than his palm from inside his waistcoat.
Hermione huffed. "I just knew you'd be doing that. The spa day wasn't enough?"
Draco shrugged as he nudged it across the table towards her, a smirk firmly in place. "You married me. Surely you know me well by now."
She smiled. "I do." She twisted a little to reach into her coat and produced her own equally small box which she slid across the table to him just as gently. "And I came prepared."
Draco rolled his eyes even as heat crept across his cheeks. "Hermione, I don't do it because I expect something in return."
"Neither do I," she said, offering him a small smile. "Have you considered I like spoiling you as well?" She lifted her shoulders as her fingertips brushed the top of the box in front of her. "Granted, I think you prefer affection more than objects."
The grey in his eyes darkened to that of storm clouds. "I think you may be right."
He rolled his eyes when she gestured for him to open his first. Hermione bit her lip as she watched him. He withdrew the sturdy silver chain bracelet, turning it between his fingers as he found the flat bar at the middle.
"I promise I won't ruin your reputation amongst our friends but because I've learned how sentimental you are, I thought you may like this."
Draco lifted his eyes from the bracelet. "Your birthdays are stamped into the silver."
She nodded. "You know as I was working through my own pain and issues from the past, you were as well. I don't want you to ever feel alone again, Draco." She shrugged. "And my dad had one like that."
He swallowed as he nodded and held his wrist across the table for her to fasten it on him. "There's space for one more."
She lifted her eyes from where her fingers were working. "There is. We'll add it in one day."
Draco twisted his wrist and glanced once more at the dates before he gestured at the box in front of her. "I wish now I'd chosen something more meaningful."
Hermione waved him off. "If you chose it then it's meaningful."
"Rose chose it actually. I think there's a little Malfoy in that kid. She has good taste."
She flashed him an amused smile as she lifted the lid. One of the things she loved most about him was that he never used Rose as a tool or a way to get what he wanted from her. He truly loved her like any father would love their child. The reminder sent a heady mix of emotions soaring in her chest.
What she saw inside surprised her. She expected some piece of jewelry, perhaps a bracelet to go with the earrings he'd given her for her birthday. Instead, she found two beautiful hair combs.
She wasn't expecting the anxious expression she found when she looked at him again. "Draco, these are beautiful." She smiled when the tension in his shoulders visibly left him. "You didn't honestly think I wouldn't like them, did you?"
He shrugged. "It's always a doubt honestly. You're just—not like other women. And thank Merlin for it."
She smiled. "And you're not like other men or you wouldn't be my husband."
Draco lost himself in listening to her talk about work. He had to prompt her a few times to stop and take a bite, else he might find her in the kitchen later. But that was the thing about Hermione—when she was passionate, she was all in. A force to be reckoned with. And he loved it.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, her arm threaded through his again as they meandered down the sidewalk.
One corner of his mouth edged into a half smile. "Like what?"
"I don't know," she said, shrugging. "It just seems different."
Draco sighed and pulled them to a stop. He took her face in his hands, thankful he'd worn gloves so his hands didn't chill her cheeks.
"Why did you say yes last year?"
She blinked and merely stared at him for a long moment.
"Three reasons."
His brows rose quickly. "Three?"
She nodded and he let his hands fall to her arms where he held her shoulders. "Rose seemed to like you. The last, and only, date I'd been on before you since having her, he treated her like she was two when he met her and she was already six. And as you've seen with Pansy, she doesn't take immediately to everyone. You just…seemed to know how to talk to her. That was important to me."
Draco nodded. "And the other two?"
"Harry seemed to think it was a good idea. Obviously, I don't do everything he thinks I should but he's my best friend and a good judge of character. I thought it was interesting. And lastly, you said please. I'd never heard you say please before. I thought it spoke volumes about who you were now and I was curious."
He leaned down without a word and pressed his lips against hers. She sighed against his mouth before her hands came up to grip his coat. He should have gotten used to kissing her by now and the feeling it made erupt in his chest. But he hadn't. And he hoped he never would.
He relished the taste of her tongue, sweet with wine and tiramisu. He adored the desperate way she clutched at the front of his coat, trying to hold onto the feeling as much as him.
"Can we go home?" She asked when she pulled back for air.
He sucked in a cold breath and nodded wordlessly. Home, with her.
The frantic beat of her heart slowed to a steady thump as they landed in the foyer. The townhouse was quiet and it was clear by the way his eyes found hers just before he lifted her into his arms that he meant for this to be slow.
He set her down in their bedroom and proceeded to carefully peel her out of her coat and gloves. The care he took with her sent a rush of heat through her. No one knew him like she did. And she knew no one could love him like she did either.
He arched a single brow when she placed her hands on his chest and guided him to sit on the end of their bed. A small part of her worried that moving into this large home with him would make it difficult to fill it with the same warmth her tiny flat had. She needn't have worried. Draco let her choose the bedding, the art, the drapes, and anything else she wanted to make the huge room feel warm and cozy.
Draco's coat lay forgotten over the nearby armchair, his suit blazer with it. His eyes watched her as she carefully unknotted his tie and tossed it to the side without much thought. She thought he might have teased her for appearing eager but he merely watched and responded, stealing kisses as he always did.
Hermione paused her task of unbuttoning his shirt. "What is it?"
He swallowed as her fingertips brushed over the scars running across his heart. "Just a bit astonished really. I keep waiting to wake up and find this was all a dream."
She shook her head as she leaned in to kiss him. "Not a dream, Draco."
It was hard to know the order of events. Clothes found a home on the floor, their positions shifted, and now familiar touches took over.
Hermione nearly lost her breath when he shifted over her, his hips pressing her to the bed, rocking against her in time with her thumping heart.
"Good?" He asked, his breath hot against her ear.
She bit her lip, barely managing a nod of confirmation. How did he only get better each time? It didn't seem possible.
Her hands found a home clutching at his shoulders, nails digging into his skin without a thought. She could feel the puffs of his breath, hot and moist against her skin, his body tense with concentration. He did very little of anything in life by half and making love was certainly no exception.
A hand migrated from her waist, trailing streaks of fire down her hip until he found her thigh and hitched it a bit higher at his hips. It was the exact moment that fire coalesced in her stomach, spreading south and then like tendrils of electricity through her veins.
"Draco," she moaned softly, her voice nearly gone.
A second wave hit her at his groan, his hips pushing against hers one last time before his body went rigid, eyes screwed shut and mouth hanging open. He was just as affected by her as she was him.
It took a few moments before he finally pulled back and collapsed at her side. He went to reach for his wand and stopped when she caught his wrist. It was a hard habit to break but as she told Ginny, they were trying now.
While they lay in the darkened room, nothing but thin shafts of moonlight crossing their bodies as they caught their breath, Hermione hoped that deep inside her his seed would take, cells forming and new life taking root. Time would tell.
She sighed when she felt him take her hand and press a soft kiss to her knuckle, the edge of his lips brushing her rings.
"I love you."
Her eyes fell shut. "I love you, too, Draco."
20 February, 2008: 6:00pm
Rose skipped to the counter of Sugarplum's Sweet Shop, a bag of her favorite sweets in hand. Her dad had given her a handful of sickles with a wink while her mum debated her Uncle Harry over which potion he should brew for James' cough in the potions shop.
"It's only across the street. We'll meet you outside in ten," he'd said.
She'd been all too happy to escape the scene. A year changed nothing. Adults were strange and she hoped she wasn't as stubborn as the two of them when she got older.
"Merlin's pants!" she heard a boy mutter behind her in line.
She turned carefully. She didn't really know any other young witches or wizards besides Teddy. Her mum assured her she'd make friends easily once she started Hogwarts but she had her doubts. What if they only saw her as an oddity? The kid the papers were always talking about because she had two very well known parents?
She turned carefully and glanced behind her. A boy with sandy brown hair stared back, his eyes going wide when he realized she'd heard him.
"Err…sorry." He glanced around him carefully. "But you're Rose Granger, right? Your mum's Hermione Granger."
Rose blinked. "Yeah."
His mouth twisted in a crooked smile. "I'm Colin Wood. My dad went to school with your mum and dad. He was a few years ahead though. You might have heard of him. He plays professional quidditch."
Rose lifted her shoulders. She wasn't exactly sure what to do with that information. Her mum didn't talk much about school, not like Uncle Harry. Her dad talked about school even less but she knew that was mostly because he'd been a git, or that's what Uncle Harry said at least. That and the war. That stupid war. She loathed how it would forever be tied to her.
"Sorry, my dad's only just started taking me to quidditch games."
Colin tilted his head curiously and she didn't quite like the look he was giving her. It was strangely like when Neville blurted something out that made her mum's eye twitch.
"But I thought—my dad said you didn't know your dad." He shrugged when she stared at him. "Ron Weasley, right? The last third of the Golden Trio."
Rose felt fire flood her veins. Her nan said it was a Weasley trait. She was less quick to anger than her aunt and uncles but even her mum knew how poorly she reacted when offended.
"He is not my dad."
She turned without another word and stepped forward in line. She wished her dad was here. He'd tell this daft boy.
Oh Merlin, this boy certainly had some nerve. He tapped her shoulder gently and only flinched a little when she whirled back around angrily.
"Sorry. I didn't—well—I didn't mean to offend you."
She drew a sharp breath, controlling the fire. Sort of like a dragon. Like her real dad.
"Draco Malfoy is my dad."
He swallowed. "Got it."
It was her turn next and he rushed ahead of her when she went to pull out the coins from her pocket. He flashed her a crooked smile again as he thrust his own coins to the shop keeper.
"Least I could do. I always save my birthday money so I've got plenty."
She felt the last bits of her anger melt away. A part of her wanted to hold onto it a bit longer but she was too much like her mum.
"Thank you."
She took her sweets and he followed her out of the shop. His expression rearranged again when he spotted her mum waiting for her near the door.
Rose sighed. "Mum, this is Colin Wood. He says you went to school with his dad."
Hermione offered the boy a small smile and reached to shake his hand. "Is your dad Oliver?"Colin nodded vigorously. "Lovely to meet you, Colin. I'd heard he had a son close to Rose's age. I think you'll start Hogwarts together. Tell your dad I said hello."
He gave another nod before rushing off.
Rose sighed. If it weren't for the papers constantly talking about her mum and dad or Ron Weasley, she might be able to forget about it all. She wanted to be more like her mum. She didn't seem that bothered by any of it anymore.
"What's wrong, darling?"
She swallowed before she looked up. Her mum was watching her and she knew that look. That was her mum's worried look. The one she sometimes had while watching her dad try to cook eggs again on Saturday mornings. Or when Uncle Harry did something stupid and nearly lost a limb, or so her mum and Aunt Ginny said. Frankly, it sounded bad to her. She'd heard all about the pain of Skele-gro.
Her mum gave her hand a squeeze and she frowned. "He called…him my dad."
She knew she wouldn't have to say his name. Her mum knew.
Hermione pressed her lips together in a sympathetic smile. "I know it hurts. People just need a little more time to get used to everything. Draco's your dad though." She tugged on her hand and offered her a brighter smile. "The attorney told me the papers were processed just the other day. So it's legal, too."
Rose nodded and it helped some.
"How do you stop feeling like…like…" Rose fumbled for words. She was only nine. She read so much and had a good vocabulary but sometimes the words just didn't want to come. Her mother somehow always knew though. She knew everything.
"You're hurt?" Hermione asked.
She nodded. "I don't care. Not really anyway. Or not anymore because we have dad now. But sometimes I remember that he didn't want us and…"
Her mum squatted down and brushed some of her hair behind one ear as she smiled. She really was the best mum.
"With time. You move on with time."
The end
…kind of
Thank you all so much for reading. I'd love to hear your final thoughts in the reviews.