Disclaimer: I do not own any original Harry Potter characters. Sniff sniff.
Claimer: I own Jack Harry Arthur Potter, Robert Clegg, Amy, Maxmillian Xavier Black, and the entire 'de Varci' family.
This story is being used for entertainment purposes only, no money is being made and no violation of copyright intended.
Read, enjoy, and review!!! *****************************************************************
This chapter is dedicated to Tom. Curiouser and curiouser!!! **************************************************************
Two months had passed since Max's decision to live with his mother. Hermione had felt devastated. Somehow, she felt that it was all her fault that Cendrillon had taken Max away. She had let Draco down.
Once they were out of the courtroom, she watched the look of pure agony on Draco's face as Max was buckled into Cendrillon's car and was driven away, not bothering to look back or wave. The next moment, he had Apparated away. Hermione had followed suit, going back to the hut she and Lavender shared and began packing. She no longer felt like holidaying and having fun when she had played a part in helping a broken man lose his son.
Once she had packed her suitcases, she decided to go for one last sunset walk along the sand. She passed the place where she had talked with Draco about Cendrillon and the past so long ago. And he was there, passed out on the sand with an empty vodka bottle in his hand. She put him in recovery position, just in case, and conjured up a quill and parchment so she could write a note.
Draco
You'll never know just how sorry I am.
Hermione
She pressed the note into one of his hands and banished the vodka bottle to the nearest dustbin. And with that, she went back to the hut and took a portkey home.
************
Lavender had been furious that Hermione had taken off when they still had a week of holiday left. She had come home once the week was up, ranting and raving about Hermione being ungrateful and not being a good friend. But Hermione had broken down in tears and tried to explain, and Lavender had consoled her and forgiven her.
They resumed the usual routine, work by day and partying at night. Hermione threw herself fully into her work, just like she had when Ron had left. Her 20th birthday passed, and Lavender threw her a big surprise party with lots of people from work and other places.
But far from having fun and thinking about the future now that she was 20, Hermione dwelled on the past. It did things to her brain, remembering what happened, so she always tried to block it out and focus on something else. But every once in a while she would hear something of smell something or feel and emotion that took her back to that year, that rollercoaster year of life and joy then death and tragedy. And there was no cure- there is never a cure for sickness of the soul.
***********
It was a normal September afternoon. Work had finished, but Hermione was hanging around the hospital like she did sometimes. She often helped her friend Amy in the children's ward. Amy was on her coffee break, and they were both enjoying Mocha Lattes when Amy's wizard beeper went off. Amy took one glance at it and went pale.
"What is it?" Hermione asked.
"A little boy's been brought in with horrible injuries. Broken ribs and a cracked skull, a fractured arm and bruising all over." Amy said, breathlessly.
"That doesn't sound like an accident to me." Hermione said as Amy finished her latte in a gulp and tossed the coffee cup into the dustbin.
"No. It probably wasn't. They need me down in emergency room eight straight away." Amy said, getting up.
"Can I come?" Hermione asked. She had a nursing degree as well as a researcher's permit, so she sometimes helped Amy in emergencies.
"Yes. I'll need all the help I can get." Amy replied. They ran out of the door and down to the emergency level. They found room eight with no difficulty. The boy was lying on the bed, crying. He was a mess of blood and dirt, his clothes filthy. Hermione looked straight into the boy's eyes and gasped. She knew those eyes.
"Max?" she asked incredulously as Amy performed some basic cleaning charms on the boy. Max stopped crying and looked up at her, recognition dawning on his face.
"You know this boy?" Amy asked, healing Max's skull.
"Yes. I do. What's his name put down as on the sheet?" Hermione asked. Amy glanced over at it.
"Maxmillian Clegg." Amy replied. Hermione's suspicions were confirmed. She ran over to the phone and dialled the Merlin's Island Information Centre. Within seconds, she was connected to Draco's house. The phone rang twice before someone picked up.
"Hello." Draco said. He sounded dull and tired.
"Draco, it's Hermione" she said breathlessly.
"Hermione?" he repeated.
"It's an emergency. Max is here at St. Mungo's-"
"Which room?" Draco asked, snapping to attention.
"Emergency room eight-"she began, but Draco had hung up. Less than a second later there was a 'pop' as Draco Apparated right next to her.
"Where-?" he asked frantically before spotting Max on the bed and running over. Amy was healing his broken ribs.
"Max! Are you okay? What happened?" He croaked. Amy looked at him, confused.
"Who are you?" she asked, giving Max a potion for the bruises.
"I'm his father." Draco replied.
"Are you Robert Clegg?" Amy asked.
"No. That's his step-father. I'm Draco Malfoy, his real father." Draco said.
"Oh. I'm sorry, sir, but Max isn't allowed visitors right now-"
"Please. He's been taken away from me once, let me just stay for a couple more minutes. What happened? Is he okay?" Draco asked. Hermione had never seen him so frazzled.
"He'll be alright once I've finished healing these bones. But we don't know for sure what happened- the police are interrogating his parents right now." Amy replied.
"Daddy?" Max asked quietly.
"I'm right here." Draco said, watching tenderly as Amy healed Max's legs. "Maxy, do you remember what happened?" he asked.
"He hit me." Max whimpered. Hermione watched as every muscle in Draco's body went rigid.
"Robert did WHAT?" He yelled, standing up. Max looked scared. There were footsteps in the corridor and Amy looked panicked.
"Mr Malfoy, please, leave now before I get fired. You really aren't supposed to be in here-"
"I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE-"In desperation, Hermione grabbed Draco's hand and Apparated just as the door to the room opened.
************
She had Apparated the two of them to her apartment, not knowing where else to go. She had never got the hang of long-distance group Apparation. She landed painfully on the ground, whereas Draco landed on his feet and looked around.
"Where are we?" He asked.
"The apartment I share with Lavender." Hermione replied, standing up.
"What? We have to go back! I have to see Max and make sure he's okay! I have to kick Robert's ass and make him cry-"Draco said savagely.
"Shh! Look, Draco, Amy will page me as soon as Max can have visitors." Hermione said consolingly.
"You don't understand." Draco growled, pacing around. "He's EVERYTHING to me. I can't just sit here while he's lying in a hospital bed scared out of his mind and in lots of pain. I HAVE to see him."
"Look, how about we go and sit in the waiting room and then you can see him as soon as Amy gives him the thumbs up?" Hermione suggested. Draco nodded.
******************
Three hours later, Hermione had read every magazine in the waiting room and was dizzy from watching Draco stride around in circles, jaw clenched, hands balled up into fists. Apparently Max was sleeping and was not to be disturbed until he woke of his own accord.
The door from Max's room opened. Hermione looked up as Cendrillon came out in floods of tears. Hermione was surprised- she hadn't even known Cendrillon was in the hospital. Cendrillon made a beeline for Draco who was watching with his stoniest glare from his stance by the notice board.
"Drake, I'm so sorry. I truly never meant for this to happen." Cendrillon sobbed. Draco did not blink.
"Max will be fine, they say. And Robert is going to prison for child abuse. I told them that Max should be in your custody. There he is safe and loved."
This surprised Draco.
"You what?"
"Max should be with you. Robert will be in wizard jail for a long time, and he will have his memory wiped. I have no future with him. Therefore I have nothing to give Max. It was stupid of me to believe that I could raise a child who had spent most of his life with someone else, someone completely different. Perhaps with my baby girl I will do better. Perhaps not. But take Max, Drake, and raise him well. Raise him as yours and don't let him be ashamed to be a Malfoy. Make him glad that he is not a Clegg or a de Varci. Make him proud to be your son."
Tears streaming down her face, Cendrillon Apparated away. And as Hermione looked over at Draco, she knew that she would never, ever forget the look on his face. The look of a lost man who has found his pathway once again. A look filled with love for his young son. A look that she had never seen before. For once, all the emotion was not hidden behind gray eyes.
************
The number of reviews astounds me. I spent last week in Canada and I came home today to a full inbox thanks to all of you! So, Here's the next chapter. It's not very long, since I have jetlag and can't write too well right now, but I hope everyone likes it.
For whoever asked, Pingu is very real and very annoying.
I'm so hyper. I had the time of my life in Canada with loads of fit guys. And there was a boy:girl ratio of 6:5 too. I got the hot guy's email address so I'm psyched.
Review! You know you want to!
Claimer: I own Jack Harry Arthur Potter, Robert Clegg, Amy, Maxmillian Xavier Black, and the entire 'de Varci' family.
This story is being used for entertainment purposes only, no money is being made and no violation of copyright intended.
Read, enjoy, and review!!! *****************************************************************
This chapter is dedicated to Tom. Curiouser and curiouser!!! **************************************************************
Two months had passed since Max's decision to live with his mother. Hermione had felt devastated. Somehow, she felt that it was all her fault that Cendrillon had taken Max away. She had let Draco down.
Once they were out of the courtroom, she watched the look of pure agony on Draco's face as Max was buckled into Cendrillon's car and was driven away, not bothering to look back or wave. The next moment, he had Apparated away. Hermione had followed suit, going back to the hut she and Lavender shared and began packing. She no longer felt like holidaying and having fun when she had played a part in helping a broken man lose his son.
Once she had packed her suitcases, she decided to go for one last sunset walk along the sand. She passed the place where she had talked with Draco about Cendrillon and the past so long ago. And he was there, passed out on the sand with an empty vodka bottle in his hand. She put him in recovery position, just in case, and conjured up a quill and parchment so she could write a note.
Draco
You'll never know just how sorry I am.
Hermione
She pressed the note into one of his hands and banished the vodka bottle to the nearest dustbin. And with that, she went back to the hut and took a portkey home.
************
Lavender had been furious that Hermione had taken off when they still had a week of holiday left. She had come home once the week was up, ranting and raving about Hermione being ungrateful and not being a good friend. But Hermione had broken down in tears and tried to explain, and Lavender had consoled her and forgiven her.
They resumed the usual routine, work by day and partying at night. Hermione threw herself fully into her work, just like she had when Ron had left. Her 20th birthday passed, and Lavender threw her a big surprise party with lots of people from work and other places.
But far from having fun and thinking about the future now that she was 20, Hermione dwelled on the past. It did things to her brain, remembering what happened, so she always tried to block it out and focus on something else. But every once in a while she would hear something of smell something or feel and emotion that took her back to that year, that rollercoaster year of life and joy then death and tragedy. And there was no cure- there is never a cure for sickness of the soul.
***********
It was a normal September afternoon. Work had finished, but Hermione was hanging around the hospital like she did sometimes. She often helped her friend Amy in the children's ward. Amy was on her coffee break, and they were both enjoying Mocha Lattes when Amy's wizard beeper went off. Amy took one glance at it and went pale.
"What is it?" Hermione asked.
"A little boy's been brought in with horrible injuries. Broken ribs and a cracked skull, a fractured arm and bruising all over." Amy said, breathlessly.
"That doesn't sound like an accident to me." Hermione said as Amy finished her latte in a gulp and tossed the coffee cup into the dustbin.
"No. It probably wasn't. They need me down in emergency room eight straight away." Amy said, getting up.
"Can I come?" Hermione asked. She had a nursing degree as well as a researcher's permit, so she sometimes helped Amy in emergencies.
"Yes. I'll need all the help I can get." Amy replied. They ran out of the door and down to the emergency level. They found room eight with no difficulty. The boy was lying on the bed, crying. He was a mess of blood and dirt, his clothes filthy. Hermione looked straight into the boy's eyes and gasped. She knew those eyes.
"Max?" she asked incredulously as Amy performed some basic cleaning charms on the boy. Max stopped crying and looked up at her, recognition dawning on his face.
"You know this boy?" Amy asked, healing Max's skull.
"Yes. I do. What's his name put down as on the sheet?" Hermione asked. Amy glanced over at it.
"Maxmillian Clegg." Amy replied. Hermione's suspicions were confirmed. She ran over to the phone and dialled the Merlin's Island Information Centre. Within seconds, she was connected to Draco's house. The phone rang twice before someone picked up.
"Hello." Draco said. He sounded dull and tired.
"Draco, it's Hermione" she said breathlessly.
"Hermione?" he repeated.
"It's an emergency. Max is here at St. Mungo's-"
"Which room?" Draco asked, snapping to attention.
"Emergency room eight-"she began, but Draco had hung up. Less than a second later there was a 'pop' as Draco Apparated right next to her.
"Where-?" he asked frantically before spotting Max on the bed and running over. Amy was healing his broken ribs.
"Max! Are you okay? What happened?" He croaked. Amy looked at him, confused.
"Who are you?" she asked, giving Max a potion for the bruises.
"I'm his father." Draco replied.
"Are you Robert Clegg?" Amy asked.
"No. That's his step-father. I'm Draco Malfoy, his real father." Draco said.
"Oh. I'm sorry, sir, but Max isn't allowed visitors right now-"
"Please. He's been taken away from me once, let me just stay for a couple more minutes. What happened? Is he okay?" Draco asked. Hermione had never seen him so frazzled.
"He'll be alright once I've finished healing these bones. But we don't know for sure what happened- the police are interrogating his parents right now." Amy replied.
"Daddy?" Max asked quietly.
"I'm right here." Draco said, watching tenderly as Amy healed Max's legs. "Maxy, do you remember what happened?" he asked.
"He hit me." Max whimpered. Hermione watched as every muscle in Draco's body went rigid.
"Robert did WHAT?" He yelled, standing up. Max looked scared. There were footsteps in the corridor and Amy looked panicked.
"Mr Malfoy, please, leave now before I get fired. You really aren't supposed to be in here-"
"I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE-"In desperation, Hermione grabbed Draco's hand and Apparated just as the door to the room opened.
************
She had Apparated the two of them to her apartment, not knowing where else to go. She had never got the hang of long-distance group Apparation. She landed painfully on the ground, whereas Draco landed on his feet and looked around.
"Where are we?" He asked.
"The apartment I share with Lavender." Hermione replied, standing up.
"What? We have to go back! I have to see Max and make sure he's okay! I have to kick Robert's ass and make him cry-"Draco said savagely.
"Shh! Look, Draco, Amy will page me as soon as Max can have visitors." Hermione said consolingly.
"You don't understand." Draco growled, pacing around. "He's EVERYTHING to me. I can't just sit here while he's lying in a hospital bed scared out of his mind and in lots of pain. I HAVE to see him."
"Look, how about we go and sit in the waiting room and then you can see him as soon as Amy gives him the thumbs up?" Hermione suggested. Draco nodded.
******************
Three hours later, Hermione had read every magazine in the waiting room and was dizzy from watching Draco stride around in circles, jaw clenched, hands balled up into fists. Apparently Max was sleeping and was not to be disturbed until he woke of his own accord.
The door from Max's room opened. Hermione looked up as Cendrillon came out in floods of tears. Hermione was surprised- she hadn't even known Cendrillon was in the hospital. Cendrillon made a beeline for Draco who was watching with his stoniest glare from his stance by the notice board.
"Drake, I'm so sorry. I truly never meant for this to happen." Cendrillon sobbed. Draco did not blink.
"Max will be fine, they say. And Robert is going to prison for child abuse. I told them that Max should be in your custody. There he is safe and loved."
This surprised Draco.
"You what?"
"Max should be with you. Robert will be in wizard jail for a long time, and he will have his memory wiped. I have no future with him. Therefore I have nothing to give Max. It was stupid of me to believe that I could raise a child who had spent most of his life with someone else, someone completely different. Perhaps with my baby girl I will do better. Perhaps not. But take Max, Drake, and raise him well. Raise him as yours and don't let him be ashamed to be a Malfoy. Make him glad that he is not a Clegg or a de Varci. Make him proud to be your son."
Tears streaming down her face, Cendrillon Apparated away. And as Hermione looked over at Draco, she knew that she would never, ever forget the look on his face. The look of a lost man who has found his pathway once again. A look filled with love for his young son. A look that she had never seen before. For once, all the emotion was not hidden behind gray eyes.
************
The number of reviews astounds me. I spent last week in Canada and I came home today to a full inbox thanks to all of you! So, Here's the next chapter. It's not very long, since I have jetlag and can't write too well right now, but I hope everyone likes it.
For whoever asked, Pingu is very real and very annoying.
I'm so hyper. I had the time of my life in Canada with loads of fit guys. And there was a boy:girl ratio of 6:5 too. I got the hot guy's email address so I'm psyched.
Review! You know you want to!