Harry's POV
The woman who had broken his heart twenty years ago was now kneeling in front of him, begging for him to recognize her. He knew who she was, how could he ever forget? Her face had haunted him every hour, of every day, of every year they had been apart. But how could he face her now? He had no home, no food, and he didn't even know what to say. The woman stirred, pulling a ring off of her left middle finger. The ring was well worn in, the smooth polish it once had was dulled with wear. She carefully placed the ring in the center of her palm and pushed her hand in his face. An aroma of vanilla washed over him, bring back memories of the months he spent, hoping that she was too, in love with him, but finding out that she had fallen for that no good Malfoy. He broke down and cried. He cried the tears he had kept in for the last twenty years, he cried for the years he had lost struggling to find a way home, he cried for his friends that thought he was dead, but mostly he cried for the chance he never had with the beautiful woman in front of him.
"Oh my god. Harry. It's you, it's really you." Hermione wrapped her arms around him and cried, tears streamed down her face and wet his shoulder. "I knew you would keep your promise. I knew you would come back." She sobbed quietly, and finally let him go.
Harry smiled sadly and whispered, "You're still as beautiful as I remember you twenty years ago."
Hermione smiled through her happy tears. "Come home with me, Harry. We'll get your life back. Together."
Harry shook his head. "I got myself into this mess, and I'll get myself out of it. Even if I have to crawl all the way to Diagon alley on my one good knee and my hands."
Hermione sniffled and wiped her face with her sleeve. "And you're still as stubborn as I remember you twenty years ago. Now come on!"
Harry shook his head strongly. "I can't move." He stated flatly.
"What do you mean by you can't move."
Harry rolled his pants up and showed her his knee.
"Oh gosh, I forgot. Draco, honey? Can you get some medi-wizards here to heal Harry? I'm not sure I can do it myself." Hermione called over her shoulder to the blond man who had been there examining their reunion.
"Yeah sure Hermione, I'll be right back." With that, Malfoy apparated.
Harry looked over at the spot where the man had just been. Draco, eh? So once again, he got the girl, and I got..nothing. Harry leaned up on his good leg and limped away.
"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione got up and started to follow him, worried that he might hurt himself.
"I'll be alright, I can manage on my own. Go back to your husband Malfoy," Harry spat in disgust. "—and your family...Hermione. I don't need your help. I'm fine." He continued limping away.
"What happened to your promises?" Hermione stopped.
Harry sighed, "I'm sure that husband of yours is competent enough. Really Hermione, I got to go."
"Harry, at least let the medi-wizards take a look at that knee." Hermione ran up to him. "Please Harry. I'll do anything, I'll give you anything, if you will just let me help you."
"Can I have you, Hermione? Can I have your heart?" Harry turned around sharply.
"Harry, be reasonable."
"I AM BEING DAMN REASONABLE."
"I'm sorry." Hermione sighed.
"DAMN RIGHT YOU SHOULD BE SORRY. TWENTY YEARS. TWENTY DAMN LONG YEARS. I COME BACK HOPING THAT I CAN FINALLY HAVE YOU. BUT GUESS WHAT I FIND? YOU AND THAT GOOD FOR NOTHING MALFOY." Harry screamed, limping away as fast as he could until the pain finally washed over him.
Hermione's POV
Hermione sat next to Harry's bed, waiting for him to wake up. Both her and Draco thought it was best to keep him in a Muggle hospital close to Ginger's home so they could check on Harry and the children. Hermione couldn't take her mind off the horrible things that Harry had said, but she couldn't bring herself to be mad at him, because she knew how much he had loved her and how much he still loved her.
Harry stirred in his bed and Hermione immediately pulled her chair closer.
"Harry?" She inquired, rubbing his hand between hers, "How do you feel?"
"Uhnn..."Groaned Harry. "Hermione? I'm sorry."
"It's alright, I understand, I would be mad too. It's not your fault."
"It is, I shouldn't have said what I said." Harry looked ashamed.
Hermione smiled. "Hey, you wanna take a look in the mirror, Mr. Dark, Tall, and Sexy?" She laughed out loud.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Harry looked puzzled.
"Here." Hermione, still chuckling, handed Harry a small mirror and Harry looked into it.
Harry's POV
The mirror reflected back a clean-shaven middle-aged man with unkempt hair and sharp green eyes. "Wow, I haven't looked in a mirror in ages!"
"Ya like what you see?" Hermione teased like in the old times.
"I'm OLD!" Harry pretended to faint.
"What did you expect?"
[Knocking] Muffled voice "Can we come in?"
"Oh! Must be the family! COME IN, Harry's up." Hermione called.
One by one, the "family" creeped in. First a small boy, clinging on to his younger sister's hand, then Malfoy, and finally Hermione's mother.
"Hey Dave and Paige." Hermione smiled as they took turns giving her hugs. "Say hello to Uncle Harry."
"Hi Uncle Harry." Dave climbed over Harry's cast and sat next to him.
"'ello Unk 'arry!" Paige exclaimed happily as she bounced up and down on Harry's stomach.
"Wonderful to finally meet you, Harry! I've heard so much about you." Ginger smiled and gave Harry a huge bear hug.
"Hey Po-Harry, I never really got to say thank you for what you did, so thank you." Malfoy said half grudgingly holding out his hand.
"No problem Ma-Draco, I got your back." Harry replied, suddenly turning very cold, but still holding out his hand and shaking Malfoy's hand.
"So..." Hermione broke the ice. "How do you feel, Harry?"
"Fine, I guess...but what is that piece of plastic junk I have wrapped around my leg?"
"It's one of those newer casts that the muggle doctors use now-a- days. Pretty effective."
"So why can't I just get healed by one of those medi-wizards?"
Hermione looked at Draco, who smiled, and turned back to Harry. "You see Harry, they did try to heal that knee, but they discovered that it had been jinxed with some type of dark magic so that it would take, perhaps many years, to heal. So we decided that you might as well get a muggle cast that could help keep that knee of your's in place for a while."
Harry looked furious.
"And, we also figured that it was for the better. If we were to keep you in the wizarding world, we would probably never see you again, but here, we can keep an eye on you, to make sure you're alright." Hermione added.
"I'm not a little kid, you know? I can and I will take care of myself." Harry stubbornly .
"Uncle Harry. I'm a kid." Dave said shyly with his fingers in his mouth.
Harry smiled, mussing up Dave's hair with his palm. "I know you are."
"Come on Harry, just a couple of weeks. I'm sure mom won't mind you staying with us until you get settled in, will you mom?" Hermione turned around, waiting for an answer.
"Don't be ridiculous, of course I won't mind. You are almost like family." Ginger smiled warmly. "You are welcome to stay for as long as you need to stay."
Draco's POV
So that was that, Potter was to stay with their family for the next couple of weeks while they sorted everything out and found him a place of his own.
Draco carefully steered the car into the driveway of Ginger's house, parked and everyone unloaded out of the car, making their way up the pathway to the front door. He leaned against the car door, watching as Dave and Paige happily toddled behind Ginger up the porch. Potter was slowly easing himself up the pathway on his crutches. Draco felt an arm slide around his back and smiled as a small hand fit into the back pocket of his jeans.
"Are you satisfied?" Hermione looked up into Draco's face.
"Mm.. I'm happy, if that's what you're wondering." Draco kissed Hermione on the forehead, slinging his arm around her shoulder, guiding her to the house. "I have a healthy and happy family, a beautiful wife, and a great job. What more could I ask for?"
Hermione laughed. "I'm so glad Harry's back. I've missed him so much. Gosh, we have so much catching up to do. I can't wait until I call Ron and tell him the good news." And with that, she hustled off to help Harry up the porch stairs.
Draco sighed, sure he had figured out his dreams, but what now? Him and Potter, his long lost enemy from Hogwarts, living under the same roof. What would happen to his relationship with Hermione? Potter better knew not to ruin their marriage, their perfect marriage. But then again, how could he? Wasn't it he, Draco, who had won Hermione's heart twenty years ago? She loved him, didn't she?
The woman who had broken his heart twenty years ago was now kneeling in front of him, begging for him to recognize her. He knew who she was, how could he ever forget? Her face had haunted him every hour, of every day, of every year they had been apart. But how could he face her now? He had no home, no food, and he didn't even know what to say. The woman stirred, pulling a ring off of her left middle finger. The ring was well worn in, the smooth polish it once had was dulled with wear. She carefully placed the ring in the center of her palm and pushed her hand in his face. An aroma of vanilla washed over him, bring back memories of the months he spent, hoping that she was too, in love with him, but finding out that she had fallen for that no good Malfoy. He broke down and cried. He cried the tears he had kept in for the last twenty years, he cried for the years he had lost struggling to find a way home, he cried for his friends that thought he was dead, but mostly he cried for the chance he never had with the beautiful woman in front of him.
"Oh my god. Harry. It's you, it's really you." Hermione wrapped her arms around him and cried, tears streamed down her face and wet his shoulder. "I knew you would keep your promise. I knew you would come back." She sobbed quietly, and finally let him go.
Harry smiled sadly and whispered, "You're still as beautiful as I remember you twenty years ago."
Hermione smiled through her happy tears. "Come home with me, Harry. We'll get your life back. Together."
Harry shook his head. "I got myself into this mess, and I'll get myself out of it. Even if I have to crawl all the way to Diagon alley on my one good knee and my hands."
Hermione sniffled and wiped her face with her sleeve. "And you're still as stubborn as I remember you twenty years ago. Now come on!"
Harry shook his head strongly. "I can't move." He stated flatly.
"What do you mean by you can't move."
Harry rolled his pants up and showed her his knee.
"Oh gosh, I forgot. Draco, honey? Can you get some medi-wizards here to heal Harry? I'm not sure I can do it myself." Hermione called over her shoulder to the blond man who had been there examining their reunion.
"Yeah sure Hermione, I'll be right back." With that, Malfoy apparated.
Harry looked over at the spot where the man had just been. Draco, eh? So once again, he got the girl, and I got..nothing. Harry leaned up on his good leg and limped away.
"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione got up and started to follow him, worried that he might hurt himself.
"I'll be alright, I can manage on my own. Go back to your husband Malfoy," Harry spat in disgust. "—and your family...Hermione. I don't need your help. I'm fine." He continued limping away.
"What happened to your promises?" Hermione stopped.
Harry sighed, "I'm sure that husband of yours is competent enough. Really Hermione, I got to go."
"Harry, at least let the medi-wizards take a look at that knee." Hermione ran up to him. "Please Harry. I'll do anything, I'll give you anything, if you will just let me help you."
"Can I have you, Hermione? Can I have your heart?" Harry turned around sharply.
"Harry, be reasonable."
"I AM BEING DAMN REASONABLE."
"I'm sorry." Hermione sighed.
"DAMN RIGHT YOU SHOULD BE SORRY. TWENTY YEARS. TWENTY DAMN LONG YEARS. I COME BACK HOPING THAT I CAN FINALLY HAVE YOU. BUT GUESS WHAT I FIND? YOU AND THAT GOOD FOR NOTHING MALFOY." Harry screamed, limping away as fast as he could until the pain finally washed over him.
Hermione's POV
Hermione sat next to Harry's bed, waiting for him to wake up. Both her and Draco thought it was best to keep him in a Muggle hospital close to Ginger's home so they could check on Harry and the children. Hermione couldn't take her mind off the horrible things that Harry had said, but she couldn't bring herself to be mad at him, because she knew how much he had loved her and how much he still loved her.
Harry stirred in his bed and Hermione immediately pulled her chair closer.
"Harry?" She inquired, rubbing his hand between hers, "How do you feel?"
"Uhnn..."Groaned Harry. "Hermione? I'm sorry."
"It's alright, I understand, I would be mad too. It's not your fault."
"It is, I shouldn't have said what I said." Harry looked ashamed.
Hermione smiled. "Hey, you wanna take a look in the mirror, Mr. Dark, Tall, and Sexy?" She laughed out loud.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Harry looked puzzled.
"Here." Hermione, still chuckling, handed Harry a small mirror and Harry looked into it.
Harry's POV
The mirror reflected back a clean-shaven middle-aged man with unkempt hair and sharp green eyes. "Wow, I haven't looked in a mirror in ages!"
"Ya like what you see?" Hermione teased like in the old times.
"I'm OLD!" Harry pretended to faint.
"What did you expect?"
[Knocking] Muffled voice "Can we come in?"
"Oh! Must be the family! COME IN, Harry's up." Hermione called.
One by one, the "family" creeped in. First a small boy, clinging on to his younger sister's hand, then Malfoy, and finally Hermione's mother.
"Hey Dave and Paige." Hermione smiled as they took turns giving her hugs. "Say hello to Uncle Harry."
"Hi Uncle Harry." Dave climbed over Harry's cast and sat next to him.
"'ello Unk 'arry!" Paige exclaimed happily as she bounced up and down on Harry's stomach.
"Wonderful to finally meet you, Harry! I've heard so much about you." Ginger smiled and gave Harry a huge bear hug.
"Hey Po-Harry, I never really got to say thank you for what you did, so thank you." Malfoy said half grudgingly holding out his hand.
"No problem Ma-Draco, I got your back." Harry replied, suddenly turning very cold, but still holding out his hand and shaking Malfoy's hand.
"So..." Hermione broke the ice. "How do you feel, Harry?"
"Fine, I guess...but what is that piece of plastic junk I have wrapped around my leg?"
"It's one of those newer casts that the muggle doctors use now-a- days. Pretty effective."
"So why can't I just get healed by one of those medi-wizards?"
Hermione looked at Draco, who smiled, and turned back to Harry. "You see Harry, they did try to heal that knee, but they discovered that it had been jinxed with some type of dark magic so that it would take, perhaps many years, to heal. So we decided that you might as well get a muggle cast that could help keep that knee of your's in place for a while."
Harry looked furious.
"And, we also figured that it was for the better. If we were to keep you in the wizarding world, we would probably never see you again, but here, we can keep an eye on you, to make sure you're alright." Hermione added.
"I'm not a little kid, you know? I can and I will take care of myself." Harry stubbornly .
"Uncle Harry. I'm a kid." Dave said shyly with his fingers in his mouth.
Harry smiled, mussing up Dave's hair with his palm. "I know you are."
"Come on Harry, just a couple of weeks. I'm sure mom won't mind you staying with us until you get settled in, will you mom?" Hermione turned around, waiting for an answer.
"Don't be ridiculous, of course I won't mind. You are almost like family." Ginger smiled warmly. "You are welcome to stay for as long as you need to stay."
Draco's POV
So that was that, Potter was to stay with their family for the next couple of weeks while they sorted everything out and found him a place of his own.
Draco carefully steered the car into the driveway of Ginger's house, parked and everyone unloaded out of the car, making their way up the pathway to the front door. He leaned against the car door, watching as Dave and Paige happily toddled behind Ginger up the porch. Potter was slowly easing himself up the pathway on his crutches. Draco felt an arm slide around his back and smiled as a small hand fit into the back pocket of his jeans.
"Are you satisfied?" Hermione looked up into Draco's face.
"Mm.. I'm happy, if that's what you're wondering." Draco kissed Hermione on the forehead, slinging his arm around her shoulder, guiding her to the house. "I have a healthy and happy family, a beautiful wife, and a great job. What more could I ask for?"
Hermione laughed. "I'm so glad Harry's back. I've missed him so much. Gosh, we have so much catching up to do. I can't wait until I call Ron and tell him the good news." And with that, she hustled off to help Harry up the porch stairs.
Draco sighed, sure he had figured out his dreams, but what now? Him and Potter, his long lost enemy from Hogwarts, living under the same roof. What would happen to his relationship with Hermione? Potter better knew not to ruin their marriage, their perfect marriage. But then again, how could he? Wasn't it he, Draco, who had won Hermione's heart twenty years ago? She loved him, didn't she?