Disclaimer: If you recognize it from a J.K. Rowling book- it isn't mine. I've borrowed it.

Be warned: Floppy, useless chapter written at 4 am thanks to jetlag-induced insomnia

The next week, Aden came home. Hermione was so glad to have her back, even if she was all sleepy and limp all the time. She carried Aden with her everywhere, hating to put her down. She slept on the floor in Aden's room for a few nights until Draco found a camp bed in the attic and set it up for her. For hours each night she would sit up and watch the little girl, praying nothing would go wrong. About two weeks after Aden had come home, she was exhausted all the time from hardly sleeping and being so preoccupied she barely ate. Draco cornered her one afternoon when she was out in the garden with a sleeping Aden on her lap.

"Honey, you look unwell." He said, sitting down on the grass next to her.

"I'm fine."

"You're not sleeping." He said. "Or eating. Darling, Aden doesn't need twenty-four hour surveillance. You're running yourself to the ground doing this."

"I'm not!" Hermione protested, stroking Aden's cheek.

"Yes you are." Draco insisted. "Let Max watch Aden for a while, I want to take you somewhere."

"No-"

"Please? She'll be absolutely fine. And we'll only be a second away. Max can page me if something goes wrong."

"Draco, I don't want to leave her!" Hermione cried. "I can't..."

"Yes you can. I know you love her- we all do- but you need to realize that watching her all the time won't help any." Draco said softly.

"What if something goes wrong?"

"I only want to take you on a walk for not even half an hour. We can Apparate back any time you want." Draco promised.

"I... ok." Hermione sighed. "I'll come."

"Thank you." Draco smiled. He held out his arms for Aden and Hermione reluctantly handed her over. Draco disappeared into the house with the girl and returned a few minutes later.

"Ready to go?" He asked. Hermione nodded and he helped her up.

"Where are we going?" She asked as they walked out of the garden and down the street, fingers entwined.

"I don't know. I just wanted to do something with you." Draco replied.

"That's sweet." Hermione said, but her voice was flat. They kept walking until they reached the park, where they sat on a bench.

"I have to go back to work next week." Draco sighed. Hermione blinked in surprise. She'd been so preoccupied she actually hadn't realized that he'd been home all this time. "There are some new bills being passed, and they need them to be checked."

A few years ago, Draco had started working again. He was now one of the top workers in the Magical Politics Department of the Ministry. He worked pretty hard- mostly he went through bills and negotiations to make sure they were loophole-free and that both sides got the best out of the contract. This meant that generally his work hours were flexible, and that he could take time off when needed.

"Oh." She said simply. "Um, ok."

"I want you to find something to do besides dote on Aden, love."

"I have plenty to do." Hermione said, somewhat sharply.

"Hey, calm down. I know you do. But I have a feeling that you won't." Draco said reasonably. Hermione sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Do you think I worry too much?" She asked.

"No... I think you obsess sometimes." Draco responded.

"Maybe I do. I'm sorry." She said. She was so tired and hungry that her mood was completely placid. She would usually have been furious at him for saying that.

"Don't be. Just take care of Sammy and Max too, alright?" Draco said. "I'll work half days for a while until Aden's less sick."

"You don't have to do that."

"I think I do." He said gently.

"Whatever you say." Hermione mumbled. She was falling asleep. Draco pulled her onto his lap and kissed her lightly. She fell asleep a couple of minutes later. Draco stayed still for a while, just holding her, looking idly around at the park and the nice bench they were on.

They were still there twenty minutes later when Max paged and said that Sam had found Draco's spare wand and set the kitchen on fire with it.

"What the HELL were you thinking?" Draco yelled. The kitchen was only slightly singed, as the spell Sam had accidentally cast wasn't strong. No one had been in the kitchen at the time anyway, but Draco was still furious.

"HOW many times have we told you, you DON'T touch a wand!"

"I'm sorry Dad, I was bored-"Sam started meekly.

"Sam, you could have killed somebody! Where did you find that wand anyway?" Draco asked.

"It was in your office." Sam replied, staring at her shoes.

"And what were you looking for in my office?" Draco asked. He seemed to be less angry now, more curious.

"I needed some paper."

"Wasn't the door locked?" Draco asked. He usually kept it locked- he didn't want anything to happen to the papers he was working on.

"Yes..."

"Then how did you get in?"

"The window." Sam said. Her voice was getting more and more submissive.

"Honey, what did you need paper for so badly that you couldn't wait a half hour until your mother and I got back to get it?" Draco asked.

"I... just wanted to write down a song." Sam whispered. Draco saw how miserable she looked and sighed, scooping her up into a hug.

"It's fine this time because no one got hurt. But promise me you'll never do that again, alright?" He said. Sam nodded.

"I promise, I really am sorry."

"Go apologize to your mother too. She nearly had a heart attack." Draco said, ushering her out into the garden where Hermione had been sitting with Max, holding Aden to her once again, listening to their conversation through the open window.

"I'm really sorry Momma." Sam said, sitting down on Hermione's other side.

"I know you didn't mean to, baby. But we tell you not to touch the wands for a reason, not because we want to deny you any fun." Hermione said. On the outside she was calm, but her nerves were shattered on the inside. What if the house had burned down? What if her children had been killed? What if, what if, what if?

"I swear I won't do it again. I just wanted to see what it would be like to use one."

"When you get your Hogwarts letter, you get a wand. That's the way it works. Unless you want to go to a different school... but anyways, when your school acceptance letter comes. Not before then. Ok?" She said. Aden stirred and whimpered in her arms.

"Ok Momma," Sam said.

"Good girl. And Max, it was responsible of you to call so quickly." Hermione said, smiling at her children.

The smile didn't reach her eyes.

Two chapters in 10 hours or so, go me. Ok, oogityboogity won't like this chappie, but I can't rewrite it. I promise you all, happiness is coming damn soon. The family are just having a wet and emotional patch right now. Sorry, oogity. I'm in a very soppy mood. But thanks for reading and reviewing anyway! This chapter isn't one of my finest, but I'm still just getting back into the FF groove, having not written for months. Love you all!

-pineappleeskimo