**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter the amazingly talented JK Rowling does…I just enjoy playing with her characters.
**Warning: This story will include smutty lemons, mild violence, and language…if those are not things you enjoy reading then I would advise moving on to another story. Thanks.
**Side note, as this has been brought up a few times…I am aware that Europe has a free medical program! However, for the sake of this story, it does not…this is fiction after all.
**This story has been edited from the original posting…I hope it is to everyone's liking and look forward to any and all reviews!
Chapter 1:
Hermione Granger sat on her couch with bills spread out on the glass coffee table in front of her. Her stomach turned as she fought the urge to get sick from barely eating. Her daughter, Rose, bounded into the room, her four-year-old legs wobbling underneath her fast pace. Rose was fair-skinned compared to her mother, with auburn hair that fell in tamed ringlets and little freckles that dotted the bridge of her nose. Her bright hazel eyes sparkled much like Hermiones', but to her mother's pleasure, she had her father's brilliant smile. She and Ronald Weasley may have divorced nearly a year earlier due to 'irreconcilable differences', but their daughter was the best thing to have happened to her since before the war.
Nowadays, Ron lived in a posh flat in Diagon Alley, thanks to his position as Keeper for the Chudley Cannons Quidditch Team. He only asked to see his daughter every other weekend, though half the time he'd return her after one night, unless he left her with his mum. Often, he claimed it was due to his Quidditch practice and games, but Hermione knew the truth. Her ex-husband simply enjoyed being single and playing up his famous Keeper title.
As for Hermione, she and Rose lived in a small two-bedroom flat in one of the poorest neighborhoods in muggle London; where she had to transfigure furniture from broken items she found at thrift stores.
It wasn't that she was impoverished or didn't work a decent job at the Ministry. In fact, she was the secretary for the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. The problem was when she and Ron divorced, he let her have Rose but took everything else, including any chance at alimony. She wouldn't complain, they'd always kept their finances separate except when paying house bills.
After the war, Hermione traveled to Australia and found her parents in order to return their memories. Initially, they were angry but after she, Harry, and Ron explained about the war and all that had happened, they came around. They had had two blissful years as Hermione went back for her NEWTs and married Ron. Unfortunately, in July of 2000, her father died in a terrible car crash just after Rose was born and six months later her mother had been diagnosed with cancer.
Hermione had sold all of her parents' assets in order to obtain the best care possible and used every knut from her savings. She had made her mother as comfortable as possible until she passed nearly two months before, at the end of June. Ronald refused to help pay for any of the medical costs, convinced she should have stayed home and taken care of her mother instead of wasting her time working and hiring in-home nurses. He had always resented the fact that Hermione wanted to work rather than be a stay-at-home mum with their daughter. She thought it a blessing to have her job now that she and Ron were done, she couldn't imagine how much worse things would have been for her otherwise.
Now, with her mother gone, she stared at the mountain of bills before her. No matter what she sold or how little she ate, there was no way she'd be able to make a life for Rose or herself. She owed over one hundred thousand galleons between medical costs, in-home assistance, and funeral expenses. Clutched in her hand was the third loan denial from a muggle bank that supposedly accepted everyone. She looked at her daughter and bit her lower lip, knowing there had to be a way. Even if she could gather half the amount, she'd be able to get the creditors off her back and possibly buy a little more food for the house.
In an effort to stretch their budget, she'd only eat cheese, crackers, beans, rice, or soup when she could no longer go without food. All the protein of chicken, fish, and peanut butter went to Rose. Thankfully Rose never noticed what her mother ate versus what she did, Hermione simply refused to let any of this affect her daughter.
The auburn-haired little girl climbed onto the couch with her favorite book and began to read while Hermione racked her brain for an answer. Going to Harry and Ginny was out of the question seeing as Ron had basically won them in the divorce. They denied it of course, but Ginny had her own Quidditch career and little James to chase around the house, while Harry was head of the Auror department. What little free time they had was spent with the Weasley's and their son. She didn't hold it against them, but she wasn't about to ask for money because if Ron found out he may try and take Rose away.
No, she had to find a different route to obtain at least fifty thousand galleons. Reaching into her purse to find her checkbook, she pulled it out and found a business card stuck between the papers, the corner jutting out just a bit.
Draco Malfoy Dragonscale Apothecary
Nibbling her lower lip and furrowing her brow, she wondered if he might help her. They had bumped into one another a few weeks back, right before her mother passed, and she had barely taken notice of what he had been saying. She'd known the end was coming and barely paid attention to anyone else during that time. Vaguely, she recalled Malfoy handing her the card and suggesting she stop by sometime to see his new business.
Draco Malfoy had been an absolute prat in school. Her own personal tormentor for the better part of six years, seeking her out to call her names and make fun of her, Harry, and Ron. They fought on opposite sides of the war, each forced into a role neither wanted. His saving grace was lying at Malfoy Manor to save the Golden Trio from certain death and muttering a charm to lessen the pain inflicted by his aunt on Hermione.
When they asked him why after the final battle, he explained he'd never wanted to be a Death Eater and that he knew they'd been the only hope for the light to win the war. He was pardoned by the Ministry and returned to school to repeat his seventh year and complete his NEWTs along with Hermione. He and Hermione had barely spoken at the beginning of that year, but when they did the old acidity was gone and, in its place, stood an appreciation for education and an awkward acquaintance…a near friendship if she were honest. It had taken several months before Hermione forgave him for the years of verbal bullying she'd endured at his hand, but she never held his Death Eater title against him. Something which Ron would purposefully throw in his face whenever they ran into each other.
Thinking it over throughout the night, she decided it couldn't hurt to go see his business and ask to borrow the money. She spent the early morning hours drawing up a payment plan and determining that it'd take between five and six years to repay him if she continued to reside in their tiny flat and live frugally…depending on if he wanted interest or not.
Honestly, she had no idea if he was the same boy she'd graduated with five years ago, if he'd even help her, or if he'd laugh her out the front door…but she had to try. He was one of the richest wizards in London and her last hope to potentially save her from losing her daughter.
Dressing in a muggle pleated business skirt that went to her knees with a navy button-down blouse, she pulled her hair back into a silver clip and applied a light amount of makeup. She gathered her purse and proposal before taking Rose to her neighbor just down the hall for the next few hours. Mrs. Thimble was an older muggle woman who babysat her grandchildren and adored little kids. She and Rose had hit it off in the stairwell one day, talking about the stars outside, and had been good friends ever since. Trembling as she trekked back to her flat, she closed and warded the door before apparating to Diagon Alley.
Standing outside his store in the warm summer sun, Hermione felt nauseous and strongly considered turning around and leaving rather than beg her former enemy for a knut. She bit her lip and turned to look down the street; it was still early in the morning on a Saturday and there weren't many people milling about. From where she stood, she could see Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, the joke shop run by her former in-laws, which bolstered her resolve. Refusing to beg from Ron or Harry, she realized she'd rather be in debt to an old rival than someone she'd once called a friend.
Squaring her shoulders, she held her head high and attempted her best smile before reaching for the door. Upon entering, the first thing she noticed was how brightly lit the apothecary was. It was warm and welcoming with cream-colored walls, dark wood beam accents, and shelves lined with various potions, salves, and herbs in a variety of colored glass containers. The storefront was empty as of now while a young boy, no older than eighteen, stood behind the counter and greeted her.
"Good morning, madam. Is there anything I can assist you with?" he inquired.
"Good morning" she started and swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry "I was wondering if Mr. Malfoy was in, he asked me to stop by." It wasn't a lie, he had wanted to show her his new business, but that had been just over two months ago.
"He's in the back, I'll get him for you" he replied cheerfully. Hermione nodded and turned to look at the shelves on the wall nearest her. She noticed a few home basics she always kept around such as Pepper Up, Bruise Remover, and Fever Reducer. They were used the most with Rose because she was fairly clumsy and had been known to catch a few colds in winter.
A pale hand touched her shoulder, causing her to jump before turning around. "Granger," drawled the familiar voice of Draco Malfoy. With a single glance, she noticed age had done him justice; gone was the pointed face of his youth and the wiry body of a boy and in its place was an aristocratic chiseled jaw and a lean muscular body. He had kept his platinum blonde hair short and seemed to enjoy donning muggle suits instead of the traditional robes. She blinked a few times and had to remind herself to breathe before recalling he had greeted her.
"Malfoy," she choked out before taking a step back and extending her hand. His traditional smirk graced his handsome face, letting her know she'd been caught ogling his masculine form. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she cleared her throat. "How are you?"
"I'm well, Granger, yourself?" Draco queried, playing along with the pleasantries as he took her in. He noticed she looked better than the last time he'd seen her at the market. Her hair was vibrant and curly, the honey highlights reflected in the light, a smile graced her luscious pink lips, and her eyes held life again. Unfortunately, he found she was still fairly thin, almost as if she weren't eating properly or still on the run with the boys. But all in all, compared to the last time when her hair was dull and lifeless, and her eyes were red with lack of sleep; this was definitely an improvement.
He had noticed her arrive outside of the store nearly twenty minutes earlier and watched as she warred with herself about coming in. Though he played the card of surprise, he knew she'd ask to see him. Instinct, from years of living a rich lifestyle, told him she was there for more than just a tour around his shop. They'd never really been friends, but after the war had ended they'd seemed to establish an acquaintance relationship that stemmed from mutual educational interests…and an infatuation he refused to acknowledge aloud. A large part of him regretted not trying to get to know her before the war, but maybe it wouldn't have turned out the same.
The last six years had changed him. He was no longer the scared pure-blood boy who followed his father's rules and jumped every time he demanded it. Since the war, his father was spending life in Azkaban and his mother had moved to France in order to escape public ridicule. Draco and his mother spoke through occasional letters but had grown distant over time as he worked hard to build a new reputation and successful business. Though Hermione was here for something, he was going to take his time in showing her his accomplishments and prove how much he'd changed.
"Not terrible, I'm sorry it took so long to get here to see your store. These past two months have been…well…trying" she admitted with a sad smile. He wondered what had happened, but thought it better to let her share in her own time.
"Well I'm glad you could make it" he stated before turning and guiding her around the store. Over the next hour, he showed her the items he sold, his lab where he brewed the various products, introduced her to his staff of twelve, and discussed his plans for the future. Hermione was in awe of what he had built and the stories of how he had paved the way for a new reputation. He was still active in the pure-blood circles; attending functions, balls, and the occasional dinner party, but he was also involved in several charities and donated his time and products to people who couldn't afford them.
"I have to say, Malfoy, you've done amazing for yourself. This" she gestured around the office "is fantastic. I bet your mother is extremely proud" she claimed with a tentative smile, causing him to stiffen.
"She is" he uttered simply as she bit her lower lip, afraid to pry further. Sensing his opportunity, Draco leaned back in his leather office chair and folded his hands before raising his steely gaze to hers "Why are you really here, Granger?"
"I came…" she started but was hastily interrupted.
"Please, don't insult my intelligence. Why'd you come here? What is it that you want?" his voice was calm yet firm; he wasn't playing games and though he had entertained her and shown off his achievements, he now wanted answers. He watched as her shoulders slumped and heard her let out a sigh.
"Just so you know, I truly was interested in the store and I meant what I said…this is amazing. However," she paused and swallowed "I did have another reason to be here." She pulled her purse around and dug out a small stack of paperwork. "Please hear me out before you say no…please" he saw the pleading in her eyes and barely suppressed an eye-roll, 'Money,' he thought bitterly, 'it always came down to money.'
"Alright," he declared, willing to hear her out.
"Umm, well a few years ago my mother was diagnosed with cancer. Cancer is…"
"I've heard of it" Draco asserted, leaning forward onto his desk. Wondering why she would come to him…was she looking for a remedy? A cure he couldn't offer? Everyone knew there wasn't one; spells could make the patient comfortable and a few potions could hold back the disease for a time, but eventually, the disease would win.
"Oh, good, I'm glad you understand it…that helps. Well, she was diagnosed a little over three years ago and passed away shortly after I saw you last." Now he was even more confused by what she needed as he watched her face flush while she stared intently at his desk. "The medical costs became overwhelming and though she's passed, I'm buried in the bills.
"They're threatening to take me to court and, to be honest, I'm afraid of going to prison. I've been paying a little here and there, but I just can't afford what they want. I've been to several banks and those that even allowed me to apply, turned me down." Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears "I'm not looking for a handout."
Draco watched as her hands shook while she flipped through several papers and pulled out a long piece in the back. Recognizing the scroll as a preliminary contract, he sighed and reached forward to take it from her. She bit her lower lip and passed it over, but he didn't bother reading it. Instead, he tossed it onto his desk, folded his hands above it, and looked her square in the eye. The Slytherin in him wanted to watch her squirm and make her ask him for what she wanted.
"I'll pay you back every cent, and interest if you like" she started again, realizing he wasn't going to read the contract at the moment.
"How much, Granger?"
"Fifty thousand galleons" she confessed in a near whisper, clearly ashamed of coming to him. Refusing to be reeled in by her sob story, he steeled his resolve and raised a pale blonde eyebrow.
"What does it cover?" he found it hard to believe that four years of medical costs only added up to fifty thousand galleons. Hopeful brown eyes snapped to his guarded grey.
"Outstanding healer visits, the hospital, funeral expenses, and in-home care" she rattled off. Draco looked skeptically at her as she listed the collectors banging on her door.
"Does your husband know you're here asking me this?" he inquired, knowing Weasley would rather sell his soul than borrow money from a Malfoy. "I was under the impression he played Professional Quidditch, did he burn through all the money already because I'm fairly certain I saw him at the Leaky Caldron just two nights back?" his voice contained a slightly bitter edge. Her brow furrowed at his initial inquiry before she flushed at the second, realizing he assumed she was still married to the git and sneaking behind her husbands' back.
"I'm sure you did see him; from my understanding, Ronald makes a regular appearance there with a variety of women" she stated flatly as Draco looked taken aback, clearly wondering how she'd be okay with him flaunting his affairs. "We divorced a year ago, Malfoy" she admitted and watched as comprehension dawned across his face before he leaned back and spoke once again.
"So, I'm to understand that since he stopped paying the bills you've acquired the fifty thousand over the last year?"
"He never helped me pay for any of it" she bit out, clearly angry with her ex-husband.
"What do you mean 'he never helped'? You were married. Are you telling me that he knew your mother was sick and didn't bother spending a sickle of his earnings to help his wife?"
"When we got together there was an agreement that we split the house bills and then the rest of our money was our own. I asked him for help when she was first diagnosed and he refused, it was one of many reasons as to why we divorced" she confessed flatly.
"He refused?" Draco was stunned to hear that as it was unusual for a husband to treat their wife or in-laws in such a manner.
"Yes," she murmured stiffly "it was an old argument between us. He wanted me to stay home, instead of working, to take care of my mother and our daughter. However, I enjoyed earning my own way and didn't want to be dependent on him. I didn't work as hard as I did in school to sit at home to cook and clean. He told me if I chose to work then I'd have to pay for the personal care and deal with the consequences on my own…" she trailed off, realizing she had shared deep personal matters with an old enemy. However, Draco simply sat quietly for a few minutes, mulling over what she'd said.
"He punished you for wanting to work?" he questioned as anger tinged his voice. How Ronald Weasley convinced the smartest-witch-of-their-age to marry him had always floored him, but to expect her not to use her brain and work was ludicrous.
"Yes, he wanted me to be a stay-at-home mum with Rose, attend all of his games, and basically live the life of his mother" she growled, showcasing there were some unresolved issues.
"Rose? Is she your daughter? Where is she?" for a moment he wondered if Ron had taken the child from her.
"At the sitter's, I didn't want to bring her…she's four and curious about everything" she smiled brightly when speaking about her kid and he was pleased to see her less guarded.
"Okay, now I have a hard time believing you only had fifty thousand in debt over the last few years. Explain," he commanded, putting them back on track.
"There were other bills. We, my mother and I, used up all our savings and my father's life insurance to cover them" now she was stretching the truth a little, but she was afraid to divulge too much. She felt pathetic enough asking for the fifty thousand, let alone the full amount of what she owed. A glint sparked in his eyes as he stared at her, making her divert her gaze to the desk…fearful of what he had read in her expression.
"Have you considered selling anything? A house from the divorce, maybe move to a smaller flat?" Draco was goading her; he knew if she were coming to him that she had probably done everything in her power to pay the bills. However, he didn't like that she was holding back, if she wanted that much money, he was going to know she'd truly tried everything.
"I didn't get the house in the divorce…"
"Well, whatever you got…" he waved her on.
"The only thing I got in the divorce was my daughter; no house, no money, bloody hell he even took the pots and pans. I won majority custody while he took everything else, he only sees Rose every other weekend as his Quidditch schedule allows."
"He doesn't pay child support?" Draco asked incredulously.
"He pays for Rose's private preschool, outside of that he has no obligations" she declared stiffly. Draco could see this was territory she didn't want him in, and knowing her, he knew she had her reasons to agree to leave everything but her daughter behind.
"What about your mother…did she not have assets to sell?" he probed, going back to the unanswered question.
"Of course, she did" she bit out exasperatedly "you honestly think I'd come here and ask to borrow money to get the creditors off my back if I hadn't done everything in my power to handle them? We sold her house after the first year, liquidated everything and barely paid the first two years of treatment. After the divorce, Rose, my mother, and I moved into a small two-bedroom flat where I took care of her every night after work. I sold everything of value, Malfoy, we live a frugal lifestyle and my daughter is happy. All I'm asking for is a loan, I can pay you back in five years…or if you want interest, six. I can't go to prison, if I do Ron will be granted full custody and I'll never get her back. Please, just consider it" she practically begged.
Leaning back in his chair, Draco sat there and pondered over her statement. She truly had done everything to take care of her mother and daughter. Without her current job, she wouldn't have made it through the divorce. One thing that stuck out to him was that liquidating everything only covered the first two years of treatment, and if his calculations were correct that left her with nearly two years of bills.
"You said the money only covered the first two years, so you still have nearly two years of medical costs to cover now, right?" he watched as her eyes widened in a mix of fear and surprise.
"I'm only asking for fifty thousand, if you read the contrac…"
"How much, Granger?" she bit her bottom lip and stared at her lap. "Don't play games, how much do you owe altogether?"
"One hundred and seventeen thousand galleons" she whispered and listened as he inhaled sharply. That was a lot of money and they both knew it. "But I'm not asking for that much, I only need fifty to appease the outstanding healer visits, the funeral costs, and the in-home care. I've worked out a payment plan with the hospital and between your payments and theirs, we'll be fine. It's only a loan, Malfoy, I swear I'll…" she stopped as he held up a hand.
"Why me? Why not ask Potter? I assure you, he's probably nearly as well off as I am with his wife's career, his inheritance, and general infamy?"
"I didn't want to run the risk of it getting back to Ron" she murmured quietly.
"When do you need an answer?" she stared at him, once again hope flared in her chocolate eyes.
"I-I…let me look…" she stuttered. Quickly, she rifled through the papers before setting them back on the desk between them. "The final notices are due in two weeks."
"So, by mid-week" he huffed. "This is a lot of money, Granger." As embarrassment washed over her once more, she diverted her gaze and worried her lower lip. "I need to think about this, we aren't exactly friends. Hell, I haven't seen you but a handful of times in passing over the last six years. You can't expect me to just agree to hand you that kind of money, not without time to think." Recognizing rejection in his tone, Hermione stood abruptly, tears stinging her eyes as she snatched up her purse.
"You're right, I'm sorry. I-I never should have come here" she began as she backed towards the door.
"Granger…" Draco tried to interject.
"No Malfoy, you're right. It was wrong for me to have asked. I don't know what I was thinking. Please forget about this, I'll go. I'll figure something out. Thanks for your time; your store really is beautiful" she said, her voice cracking over the last sentence before she fled his office. Hermione ran past the handful of customers loitering around the shelves and out into Diagon Alley before apparating to her flat. She stumbled into her room and sank onto the bed before allowing the tears to stream down her face.
Why did she have to go to him? She should have known better. Malfoy help her? Ha. He had no reason to do so, no inclination. She was at the end of the road and her only other option was to speak to Harry. Knowing him, it'd get back to Ron and they'd probably end up in yet another screaming match. It was possible he'd even challenge her for full custody as his mother often pleaded for. If they knew she could barely provide food for the two of them, they'd whisk her away to Molly's open arms. That thought alone made her sob harder into her pillow.
XXX
Draco sat back in his chair after watching Hermione flee from the room. He hadn't intended for her to run, but this wasn't something he could enter in to lightly. In her haste, she had left the medical papers behind, he gathered them together and slowly scanned through the invoices. Everything she'd said was right there, the funeral costs, healer visits, treatments…he shook his head and tossed the papers onto the contract. With debt like that she would barely be able to pay her debts…let alone her monthly bills.
Idly, he wondered if she'd been willing to sell everything she owned, would she skimp on other things as well? Was that why she was so skinny? Thinking back, he realized she was thinner than the last time he'd seen her or was it his imagination. Her hair and skin may have looked healthier, but she was probably skipping meals to pay her mothers' bills. Though it was early afternoon, Draco felt that he needed a drink.
Quickly, he penned a note and headed to his owlery to send it to Hermione. He had meant what he'd said, he needed time to figure out if he'd lend her the money…and if he did, how much? Walking back to the front of the store, he noticed it was another slow Saturday, which was common at the end of summer. "Ben, I'm gonna head to the Leaky for a spot of lunch, be back in a bit" he informed the eager young man he'd hired just before spring.
"Yes sir" he replied. Draco waved on his way out before apparating to the Leaky Cauldron's door.
XXX
Hermione clutched her pillow tightly to her chest as the nerve-racking sobs slowly began to subside. She wasn't sure how to even broach the topic with Harry as he was under the delusion everything was fine and that she never needed any help. While her mind whirled with ways in which to approach her oldest friend, a tapping came at her window and she got up to let in a speckled brown owl. Untying the note from his leg, she carefully unfurled it and read:
Please, give me a few days.
D.M.
