Author's Note: This is supposed to be a Mother's Day story although, as I am sure once you read it you'll find it's not exactly a "happy" story. Anyway, the idea came to me and I just had to write it. So here it is let me know what you think. Also I'm not sure if there is a London Aquarium (b/c I'm too lazy to find out as I live in the US) but for the purposes of this story imagine that there is one.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the children in this story; JK Rowling's own the rest so please don't sue as I am nothing but a lowly college student.
A Mother's Betrayal
It was quite a sight to see, not strange exactly or even shocking but different. A tall man with the silken blonde hair clasped in a low ponytail, hair so fair it stood out amongst the subdued light of the aquarium, kneeling next to two small children. Both with the same exact shade of blonde hair, a little boy, his hair with the short length slightly ruffled and a girl with two pigtails no more than three or four years old. The man was dressed simply in black slacks and shirt; the children wore matching outfits of blue jeans and t-shirts with light jackets. Beside them stood another tall man with a frown aligning his handsome, aristocratic features and his white hair layered about his shoulders as he watched the people walking around him, he was obviously related to the man and children. But, unlike them he was dressed in an elegantly tailored black suit perfect for a day at the office, not an aquarium. He also held a black marble cane with a silver dragon for a handle.
"Father, you can always go back to the hotel." Draco started as he rose to his full height and stood beside his father. Mindful of his children as they both stood on the toes to peer up at the creatures swimming beyond the glass.
"I wouldn't dream of it Draco. I told you I would accompany you and the children to this … this," he frowned outright piercing his son with a silvery gaze. "What is it you call this place?"
"An aquarium."
"Yes, this aquarium. Really Draco, I don't know why you persist in making this trip every year."
Draco had no answer, as this wasn't the first time Lucius had made this comment. Spending his afternoon in London with his two children was something he'd done every since they were born, wanting them to understand the Muggle world. As was his custom, he took the children into Muggle London every Mother's Day for the last four years. No one really knew why but it was speculated in Witch Weekly that he was taking the children to see their mother. Everyone wondered who their mother might be. But, it was the best kept secret in the entire wizarding world. Only three people knew her identity and considering that both children inherited all the key Malfoy traits – the hair and eye color – it was impossible to know who she might be. And that was exactly the way Draco liked it.
"… In any case Draco, I do believe that I shall return to the hotel after all." Lucius was saying when Draco finally came out of his own thoughts.
"Of course Father, would you like me to return with you?"
"No, you stay here with Elana and Ariel," Lucius said and then left without another word leaning heavily on his dragon cane. He still had a slight limp that remained from his days in the Azkaban.
Draco sighed as he watched him go. He didn't know what had possessed him to bring the older man with him. It was rare for Lucius to even venture out of the Malfoy Estate, let alone to come into Muggle London.
"Daddy, look dollfin." Elana said as she pointed the glass as a sure enough a dolphin came gliding pass.
"Up." Ariel demanded of his father holding up his arms.
"Yes, Daddy please." Elana copied after brother raising her arms to be lifted up.
Draco bent down heaving both toddlers into his arms so they could see the dolphin from his level. "There are you happy, now?"
"Yes, Daddy" the twins said vigorously nodding their silken heads.
From a short distance away from two men noticed the family of three, one a brunette and the other a redhead. "I'm telling you Harry, that's not him. After all what would a bloody Malfoy be in Muggle London?"
"Maybe he's here to see the aquarium just as we are Ron. It's not all that uncommon after all you're here." The brunette answered then. "Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, is that you?"
A familiar voice said from behind Draco. Immediately, he tensed up and eased his children down on their own feet before turning to face his old nemesis. "Potter, Weasley." He said arching a finely shaped brow.
"Malfoy I didn't expect to see you here."
"I could say the same to you." Draco answered dryly facing the two men.
"We came to see the new shark exhibit."
"As did I." And then there was silence as the two men stared at Draco. He watched as their gazes went down to his children who both had one arm wrapped around by their father's leg quietly returning the green and brown eyed stares with steely grey ones of their own. "My children, Ariel and Elana Malfoy."
"I didn't know you'd gotten married." Ron added obviously not up to date on gossip in the wizarding world or else he'd know that the children were mother less.
"I'm not," Draco added giving his famous Malfoy patented sneer reminiscent of their time in Hogwarts. An uncomfortable silence came over the three men as Ariel pulled on his father's pants leg gathering his attention from two men.
"Daddy, I'm hungry."
Draco glanced down at his son and daughter. "Alright, poppets let's go get lunch, shall we." Nodding to the two men, he took the hands of both his children as he took off with his children.
"That was bloody strange."
"What was strange?" Hermione asked as she came up along side Harry and Ron with the tram. "Did I miss something?"
"Malfoy with his children." Harry answered leaning down to quickly peck his wife's cheek.
"Draco was here?" She asked looking around quickly to see him.
"He left."
"Oh," she said pasting a slight smile on her face as she watched Harry lean down and picked their son up from his seat. The baby went happily into the arms of his father peering up at him with warm toffee-colored eyes. "Was he here with his wife?"
"Said he wasn't married. Not that it matters since the children look exactly like him, right down to their ferrety grey eyes." Ron mocked shivered.
"Honestly Ron, when are you going to grow up?" Hermione asked exasperated. "Malfoy isn't the same boy who teased you when we were kids."
"Hermione's right Ron don't forget that without his help we couldn't have defeated Voldemort. Not to mention that he also found Hermione when everyone else had given up hope."
Crossing his arms over his chest Ron snorted. "For all we know, he's the one who had her locked up in the first place. Those two spawn of Malfoy could be hers."
"Ron," Harry said sharply.
If only you knew how close you were to the truth, Hermione thought before placing a calming hand on Harry's arm. "It's all right, Harry. Now, honestly Ron do you think that I'd forget giving birth to twins, it's not something I'd be likely to forget. Where do you come up with these ideas?"
"Yes, Ron where do you come up with these ideas. I don't know how Padma puts up with you." Harry added as both he and Hermione walked over to show baby James the dolphins.
Ron walked over to join his married best friends and their son. "It was just an idea. I mean we really don't know what happened to Hermione those three years she was missing. Seriously, Hermione for all we know he could have oblivated your memory before he brought you back." When both Harry and Hermione turned and started to protest he quickly amended his statement adding, "That's all I'm saying."
"Good. Now will you let your conspiracy theories go so James can enjoy his first trip to the aquarium." Harry said bouncing his son on his arm as he and Hermione continued walking down the hall.
"Wait a minute, Harry. We've forgot the tram." Hermione said swiftly jogging back to retrieve in then the stroller around to follow her husband and Ron. As she started to push it she noticed a small piece of paper on the top of it. Picking up the paper she read a hotel name and room number printed in a masculine scrawl. Pocketing the slip of paper she pushed the tram behind Harry and Ron knowing that eventually she'd have to meet her maker. Draco.
Later that night, she knocked on the door to a penthouse suite and waited for someone to answer it. It hadn't been all that hard for her to convince Harry that she was going out with some Muggle friends for a girls night out – he trusted her implicitly. For that, she didn't know whether to be ashamed or sadden that he would trust her so completely without question.
The door swung open revealing Draco wearing a black silk shirt and pants. The shirt half-way unbuttoned revealing a well-muscled chest. His hair, unlike earlier in the day hung about his shoulders glistening from the barely lit room. He stepped back from the doorway to let her in. "What are you doing here Hermione?"
"I-I got your note." She pulled out the slip of paper from her pocket, handing it to him.
As he took the note from her hand, he noted the glimming diamond ring on her left hand. He glanced down at the paper and gave it back to her. "It's not my note." Crossing his arms over his chest he stared coldly at her. "I'm sure you didn't come all this way to show me a bloody note, so why you are really here?"
Biting her lip hesitantly she gazed pleadingly at Draco. "Can I see them?"
"No, you may not."
A sob broke out but Hermione struggled to hold it in. "Why are you punishing me, Draco? I just want to see them, just once. I won't even wake them I, I promise."
"I'm not punishing you Hermione. I'm protecting my children from you." He said quietly stalking toward harshly scrutinizing her.
"From me, from their mother—"
He cut her off vehemently staring down at her with eyes as cold as ice. "You are not their mother. A mother doesn't choose a lover over her own children. No, you made your choice when you walked away from them for Potter." He bit the nemesis' name. "I won't have you come in and out of their lives wondering if Mummy will be there. No, they will never know of their mother's betrayal. I'd rather die than have them feel that pain."
Hermione choked out a sob. She would never see her children; Draco would make sure of it.
"Daddy," Ariel said from the doorway of another room in his pajamas with Elana standing by his side in a matching nightgown. "Can we have some water?"
Draco swiftly walked to his children. "Yes, of course go back to you beds and I'll be right there." The children took a look at Hermione momentarily before doing as their father ordered. After the children left Draco turned back to her.
"It's time for you to go Hermione." He told her quietly taking her arm and pulling her toward the door. He opened it for and waited until she left before shutting it behind her. Turning back on it he leaned against it exhaling for a minute before going to get the water for his children.
Entering the children's room he handed them both a glass of water. Placing the glasses along side the bed he bent down and kissed the cheeks of both of his children, snuggling them both into the bed. As he rose to leave Ariel called him back.
"Do you think Mummy misses us Daddy?"
"Of course she does, how could she not." He answered smoothing down Elana's curly blonde locks.
"Will she ever come see us?" Elana asked.
"I don't think so poppet." Draco answered honestly as his heart broke with the twins crestfallen expressions. Damn Hermione Granger, damn her to hell.
"Doesn't love us?"
Draco stared at his children wondering fleetingly if he had made the right decision to cut Hermione completely out of their lives. He stopped wondering as he remembered the wedding ring on Hermione's hand. She'd had no trouble leaving her newborn babies to return to Potter and they'd barely been weaned. No, he made the right decision, it was better that they didn't know their mother at all rather than to know that she would only see them as second best in her life. "I'm sure she does. And even if she doesn't I love you enough for the both of us."
"That's because you love us best, right Daddy?" Elana added.
"Yes, I do. Now goodnight you two." He said kissing them both again before turning off the light and leaving the room. He walked into the lounge room of the penthouse to see his father drinking a glass of brandy. "Why did you leave the note?"
"Are they asleep?" Lucius asked gesturing toward the room Draco had emerged from.
"Yes, are you going to answer my question?" He asked again of his father.
Swirling the amber liquid in the glass, Lucius waited a beat before answering. "Because no one betrays a Malfoy. You choose to let her go to Potter when she was yours for the taking."
"Father, I thought we agreed you would stay out of this."
"As you wish Draco," nodding his ascent Lucius rose from the chair walked to his room. Stopping briefly at the door he turned and stared at his son. "But, answer me this was it really worth it, saving that mudblood, marrying her only to have her betray you in the end?"
"Goodnight, Father." Draco said sternly moving beyond the scope of the room as he walked to the balcony.
As Lucius watched his son depart from the room, he muttered to himself. "Foolish boy, if only you let her die."
Draco stood out on the balcony alone letting the moist breeze go pass him as stared into the vibrant light of the moon. It was going to rain, the clouds were dark and the air smelt like rain. Breathing in the air, his eyes closed he thought about the day gone by. Seeing her again was like a shot to the heart, a remainder of the passion they'd once shared. And how their union had bestowed upon him his two greatest gifts – Ariel and Elana. He would have remained at her side after the children were born keeping the marriage vows for the entire world to see. But, she had left him; she had walked away from him and their children and never looked back. Rain suddenly started to pour on him.
Now, she just wanted to waltz back into their lives as if nothing had changed, his eyes opened as thunder rolled and lightening struck down the street. He would not allow it, his children would have nothing to do with her, and it was too little, too late. Tilting his head back he let the rain wet his face. Lowering his head, with rain darken blonde tendrils dripping around his face, he pulled something from his pocket. It was a slim gold wedding ring; it had been Hermione's. He stared at it in his hand, running a finger under the rim momentarily before releasing it over the balcony. "It's over." He said and watching as the ring disappeared from his view before turning and heading back into his room.
Across from the hotel a lone woman ran swiftly towards a car. The rain mixing with her tears as she sobbed when she felt something hit her on the head. Hearing it fall to the ground she bent to see what it was, finding that it was ring she picked it up and continued her run to the car. Drenched she got in the car she pulled the ring out again. Examining briefly she knew exactly what it was, it was her wedding ring. But, much to her surprise as she ran her finger under the rim she found that there was an engraving that hadn't been there. Pushing her hair out of her eyes she held it up and read it: "The end is only the beginning."
Check out the prequel, A Mother's Betrayal: Past Reflections up now! Please tell me what you think, good or bad feedback/criticism is always appreciated!