Disclosure Hp belongs to Jkr. The storyline, new character development, new events, and new characters are my intellectual property. Glorioux

GRIEVING

Hermione

"Mrs. Weasley, your 15:00 appointment is here."

Hermione felt sick, she couldn't even function.

Draco had only seen her from far away, and her beauty hit him hard. Her proximity did something to him. Just like in Hogwarts, but that was long ago. No wonder Weasley loved her. If he had the freedom to choose, she would have been it.

Not with his father, even when he told him she was the one, knowing the implications, he remembered, "So? Your mother wasn't mine either. My father refused to accept our nature; he did something to block us. Not after seeing what it did to my grandfather, ah, the good that did my grandfather. He killed himself when she died, sharing our long lives didn't protect her against murderers; same with everyone else in our family."

When Draco asked who was his one, his father wouldn't tell him. Lucius Malfoy was forever bitter. His father, who looked years younger, just like him, was unhappy.

"Oh, I didn't know you had company," he told Hermione when he saw the giant sitting near her.

"Not company, guards, my father insisted, I had death threats. Moreover, when he finally learned about the, ahem, in your home. Val, please leave, tell Zuva to pick up her things alone."

Draco could have sworn he heard growls at her words and looked at the giant. Slavic, he guessed, dressed in dark clothes. The tall males all over the place were wizards; he saw the power, and he could see that their magic was strong.

No, not wizards mind you, something full of power. He had heard about such beings from Dolohov. Many swore they were otherworldly. They were secretive groups living] in isolated places in Russia.

"Your parents, I thought they were Muggles."

"I used to think the same until they found about the battle, not important. Let's just say that they were a tad angry."

"Are they Russian?"

"Something like that."

She looked at Draco, he was alive and Ron dead, not fair. She had talked to Ron, and he had cried. He confessed his anger was the fear that he wasn't good enough. As to Narcissa he had taken Veritaserum, he had never been unfaithful, she had been his only one. Somebody had done him wrong, now she was almost certain who that someone had been.

Draco had never stood so close to her; he was feeling odd, drunk.

Draco looked around, the room was exquisite. Scorpio had said the Grangers were rich. He remembered.

Scorpio was arguing after he started seeing Rose.

"Papa do you know who Rose is. What is wrong with Rose? She is magical and very gifted. She is maybe richer than us."

His father was disgusted, "What she is not is a Pureblood. A grandchild of those paupers, of Molly Weasley no, she is not for you." Draco had then suspected that his father had loved Molly

Weasley and it was why he hated the family. Every time Molly was mentioned, he was distressed.

"Don't worry about Rose, I changed her back, Your secret is safe, nobody saw that she was Harry's daughter. Did you know about the invitation and why didn't you come?"

Hermione's head was spinning; she didn't know herself. She had the baby early and went to an especial clinic. Her parents must have done it. She broke out in tears. But how could that have been, what was happening?

Hermione was sobbing, he stood up to sit by her. Draco put his arm around her shoulders. She couldn't understand what was happening how could she have lost her daughter and husband; and Rose, no, that was all…

"I don't want you to think ill of me, I had no idea about Rose. My parents must have done it, I was very sick when I had Rose. I don't remember being with Harry. I didn't know she was his child, but who knows I was very traumatized. Ron was in love with me, you see, I loved both. We had talked about a triad, but he had other plans. Ron was a good husband, I got the best of the two. I was in love with Harry, but he announced his marriage to Ginny. We had a terrible fight over a witch Harry was seeing. Ron and I were shocked. We grew apart, Harry, oh well."

"Was the one he was seeing it my mother?"

He moved closer to her, having her sit so close was messing his mind. This was an odd new feeling; it was like being high on a potion.

She blushed and looked down. A stranger came into the room. "Ermi, is Mother, excuse me I didn't know you were busy. "

"Mr. Malfoy, my brother, Eloy, Mother is not here."

"I wasn't aware you had a brother, my son never mentioned him."

"He was born when I was done in Hogwarts. He just came back this morning, he was abroad."

They seemed to be the same age. Mrs. Weasley didn't look to be but in her early twenties.

"I will talk to you later, we are going to go over to check the site; I guess you don't want to come."

Hermione shook her head, "No, I cannot, please don't take Hugo with you. He has been waiting for you, and he is as stubborn as you."

"No, your in-laws are coming, Bill and Charlie, and they are also in shock. no wonder, they lost three family members in one day. The 'brothers' are also coming. Be forewarned, they told our parents no more waiting. I think they mean it, so sorry, bye darling." He came to her and kissed her forehead.

"Eloy, please keep them away, it is too soon, please," Hermione pleaded.

Her brother kissed her again, "I will try, maybe if we set a date even much later, they will be satisfied."

Hermione nodded, "Try, I understand." She looked resigned. She turned towards Draco, who looked aghast. Was she promised elsewhere? It made him upset. He was already dreaming away.

"So your question, I knew about the invitation, but I declined it. Frankly, your father's condescending attitude was too much. Besides, I felt very uncomfortable around your mother. You see, there is more." Although Hermione wouldn't tell him about Narcissa and Ron, a very nasty suspicion was settling in.

Hermione wanted to runaway from there. How could Rose be Harry's Daughter? The last two days seemed like a nightmare. She wished that she could push the clock back. Her father had offered something, but she was hesitant, she had to think. The consequences were unpredictable.

Another knock at the door, "Madame, Mr. Potter…"

Hermione interrupted, "Tell him to make an appointment in a year." She said the last very softly.

"He says he is here officially."

"Tell him to come back."

Already back, Harry had come to comfort her, no, she couldn't believe it. Her brother wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Let me handle him." Draco noticed how her brother seemed even taller. Bloody hell, he was a giant, over two meters tall.

Hermione nodded.

Draco grinned when her brother left. Hermione looked at him, wondering why he looked amused, "Sorry for smiling, you are surrounded by giants, even your brother, and you are so, ahem, tiny?"

She had to smile, "Yes, I am. The height is inherited, giant males, tiny females. Rose…never mind."

He knew Rose was tiny as well, Scorpio liked that, Draco remembered…his father wondered if there was something wrong with Scorpio. "Are you a pervert? You like her because she looks like a young witch?" He had looked at Draco as well, knowing his secret.

Scorpio had laughed, "No, because I can pick her up easily, no magic, and be very creative."

He had winked at Lucius.

Lucius had blushed at his son and grandson's naughty laughter, "Like father, like son," he harrumphed, and they had laughed even louder. Lucius shook his head, annoyed.

Tears clouded her eyes.

He moved again closer to her, Hermione could not help it, all the last two days trying to hold it, now she broke in sobs, the pain was destroying her, her darling child gone.

Draco held her close to his chest, his eyes also clouded with tears. They both sat there until Hermione calmed down, rubbing her back gently. Later he would recall the peace he felt. She didn't feel like a stranger, she wasn't, they had been enemies, but they were so young, now, they were old acquaintances sharing a terrible pain. At least that is how he saw it. But the peace he felt, never before had.

He felt her body relax; she had gone to sleep. She had slept maybe a few hours during the last days.

Draco sat back. The room was warm. Two small dogs jumped on the couch to sit by her, they stared, he tried to keep his eyes open, he couldn't.

Waking up

Draco opened his eyes, disoriented. He held his wife closer. Gods, he had missed Tori, it had been years since she was so relaxed. He nuzzled her neck. As his father had told him, he could learn to love and to care. She smelled different. He was hard at once; his hands moved to her breasts.

A loud cough woke him up completely, a stranger sat across, looking at him, Where was he at?

He remembered he had fallen asleep. He lowered his hands fast.

The stranger made signs for him to stay, pointing at Hermione. Obviously, he wanted her to continue sleeping. He sat looking at Draco, observing him. Another one came in, another of the giants. He made a sign for Draco to release her slowly; the stranger stood up, with great care picked up Hermione, who stayed asleep.

Draco stood up when she had been taken.

He fixed to leave, "Mr. Granger wants you to wait, please." The one who just arrived told Draco.

Another brother? Draco asked himself, everyone seemed to be related.

"I am her father," Draco heard a voice, he was back.

Wow, he looked at his daughter's age, and Granger seemed so young. "Why are you here? You aren't welcome. Your family has brought ours nothing but pain, we should have left long ago, but our daughter fell in love. Why are you here? You never came before."

"True, I apologize, my son kept it all secret. We thought it was just young love." How to say that seeing Hermione would be painful. He had avoided her all his life. Draco could swear the man knew his thoughts. "The first thing I heard of Scorpio's intentions was when he planned to bring them about three weeks before. I came because I want to find out who did it."

'Wasn't you?" He looked at Draco, his face was hard, carved in granite.

"No, of course not. I think...never mind. No, not possible, I loved my family, I still do." Draco answered.

Draco went home, confused. He went by the Gazebo. He recognized the ginger hair, and also the Granger brother, though he didn't have his sister's hair, he thought that he was way over 2 meters (6' 7") tall.

They were picking up dust. The area was already enclosed inside a clear dome. "There is so little left, I've not seen much of this destruction, ever."

He remembered the second explosion, he had seen the bodies, changed Rose back when he felt the rumble. When Drexel was by him and took him away. The bodies of the dead had turned into ashes.

He looked at two strangers, seemingly twins, they had long hair, Slavic features, hard-looking but physically perfect. They wore dark glasses that they took off to look at him with disdain. They wore heavy metal cuffs. Their hair was beige, weird, the eyes nearly yellow. The strangers carried thin cylinders across their back.

Draco concluded that they must be the brothers. Their clothing was unusual. Their garments were different, foreign.

One came forward, "Hope that you are clean. Whoever hurt the princess is already dead, and it won't be an easy death. Her daughter could have anyone of her choosing, not more human rubbish. You are rubbish because we know what your family did to her. You are all lucky that her family is so noble, we aren't. Your infamy is well known, your entire family would be dead if not because of the princess' kind heart."

Before Draco could answer, they were gone into thin air.

Drexel, his employee, a powerfully magical being, a Mountain Gargoyle, warned him, "Do you know the ones outside? You must know them. They are not from here; be careful they are very, very, angry; and they blame you for it."

Draco already suspected that they were unusual, what he saw wasn't magic. Many came over daily to investigate while he looked himself. The days went by, and Draco couldn't stop thinking about Hermione. He dreamed about her, not particularly chaste dreams.

He would occasionally see the brothers and others coming to take measurements. The Aurors had been all over the Manor and had found nothing.

Today he was going over findings. Drexel was there, "You have a visitor."

"Tell them I am not in."

"You'll want to see her." Drexel insisted.

It was Hermione with two bodyguards. Draco's heart skipped a beat.

'"Please come in," he invited her into a smaller room in the library. Hermione at his home, it made him hope.