Here's your Christmas fix! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate everything, including the criticism, especially if it makes me think about what I'm writing in more detail. I've not updated everything, because most things are WIP and I have a life, however limited it may be, so stick with me and you might even get two updates this break! I hope you like this. Have a brilliant Christmas and New Year everyone. Istalindar
Hermione lay on her side in the double bed, the covers drawn up around her shoulders as she stared past the gauzy white curtains to the darkness outside. Tears were running unheeded onto her pillow, and there was a lump in her throat that made her feel like she was choking, but she made no sound.
She heard the door open and close behind her, and then the sound of him getting undressed before the bed dipped with the extra weight and a draught of cold air caressed Hermione's body as the covers were lifted as he joined her in the bed. He gathered her to him, his hands warm against her skin. She couldn't help it, she started crying harder.
"Hush, sweetheart, it's alright." Draco whispered in her ear. He was personally furious at Harry for showing his face here, no matter how he had gotten here. His disappearance had caused chaos for the entire group, and it was clear that Potter had completely blocked himself off from the wizarding world if he didn't know that Hogwarts was gone and that the Order of the Pheonix had been destroyed. Draco stared pensively over Hermione's shoulder at the window as she turned in his arms and cried into his chest. That had been the worst night of his life, everyone yelling and screaming, and the small house at Grimmauld place crammed with people all trying to hex or save each other.
He had gone to see it yesterday, without telling Hermione. He had been curious. The house had been completely silent. Even the painting of Mrs Black was silent, despite his entry to the house. It was still in shambles inside, and Malfoy had to step around rust coloured stains on the floor. There were no bodies, he and Neville had taken care of that after they had gotten everybody out. It had been how they knew that everyone really was dead…McGonagall, Dumbledore, Snape, all the Weasleys but Ron, Fred and Ginny, Lupin, most of the aurors like Tonks and Moody and various others who were members of the Order both undercover and at home.
The rest of the teachers at Hogwarts had died when the school exploded. Draco strongly suspected that the school exploded because of the teachers, but either way, it was now the dangerous ruin it had appeared to Muggles previously. The Ministry had been next to go, courtesy of Harry, and then Hermione had blown up Durmstrang in a heroic, and successful, attempt to destroy a large meeting of deatheaters. Fleur Delacour had taken care of Beauxbatons, getting rid of yet more deatheaters, while avoiding killing any students. Such had been the case with the explosion of Hogwarts, though Hermione was unlucky with Durmstrang. Draco knew that she knew the names and ages of every student there when it was destroyed, a grand total of fifty-three. He also knew that she cried herself to sleep often with thoughts of them, but he had stopped trying to comfort her. He understood the pain she was feeling, having killed people himself. But he had been trained to ignore their deaths and move on. Hermione hadnt.
That morning at Grimmauld Place, cleaning up with Neville, had been the time when Malfoy had decided to stay with the remains of the group. He had felt awful the night before, starting off as a deatheater and finishing as a traitor. And he felt sorry these people had died, as he closed their eyes and performed spells that would turn them to dust. And he found he respected Neville for the silent tears that poured down his face as he worked. Neville had proved himself the previous night, and no one could call him stupid, cowardly and pathetic anymore.
Brave, resourceful and strong was more like it.
They had opened all the windows and made a wind that blew the dust away from the house, great clouds of it that billowed from the doors and windows like smoke. Neville had been crying his eyes out, taking shuddering breaths as he watched the dust blow away, and Malfoy had just watched as the remains of people he had known for the greater part of his life blew away on the wind.
Even had he wanted to, he couldn't go back to Voldemort now. Too many people had seen him save lives, kill their own. Ginny had been the first life he saved. He had heard her screaming, screaming and screaming without stopping, and he hadnt been able to concentrate. So he had gone looking for her with the intent to shut her up. But he had found her in the corner, being raped by a deatheater. He hadnt been able to get to her soon enough to stop that, but when the deatheater tried to kill her he had stopped it as much as he could, though he hadnt been able to save her hand. Then he had shoved her into a closet and locked it, which kept her safe for the rest of the night.
Then it was Cho, who's wand had been broken and was getting hit by Crucio curses by men who found it amusing to see her writhe on the floor in agony. He had stopped them, repaired her wand, and sent her off looking very confused but determined all the same.
Hermione was next…and he'd killed his own father to save her. Lucius had been torturing her, because she was a mudblood. The look on her face as she saw Draco behind Lucius had been enough for Draco to save her, and he had a sneaking feeling that it had been then that he had fallen in love with her, when she had refused to scream despite Lucius' worst, but her eyes had been filled with pain that no twenty-year-old should feel. That no person should feel. He had killed his father for her, then gathered her sobbing into his arms, and hidden her in the corner with implicit instructions to stay put.
It seemed Pansy had had a change of heart as well…she was busy trying to stop Luna Lovegood from being killed, and a deatheater was about to kill Pansy because of it, but Draco had gotten there first, and Pansy had stepped over him with a grateful glance in Draco's direction.
There had been others. Life after life that Draco had taken or saved. He didn't have any regrets for the choice he had made, and now since he had fallen in love with Hermione and found that she returned the favour, he had no thoughts of leaving. He was caught, well and truly, and if he was honest, he didn't mind a bit.
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The next morning, Harry sat in the kitchen drinking tea and reading the Daily Prophet. It wasn't very reliable, but Harry thought he might at least make the effort to find out what was happening in the wizarding world. Luna Lovegood was pottering around the kitchen humming to herself, and Harry was glad that at least one person hadnt changed. She was still as strange as she had always been, and hadnt seemed at all surprised to see him, she just gave him a hug and a cup of tea and went back to whatever it was she was doing.
A whoosh took Harry's attention from the newspaper and he looked towards the large kitchen fireplace which was now roaring with green flames. Then a woman stepped from them, dusting herself off.
"Lo, Luna. What's up?" Cho Longbottom grinned at the blonde girl.
"Harry's come back." Luna answered dreamily. Cho's eyes fixed on Harry.
"Harry! Omigod you're back!" She exclaimed, dropping her bags and sliding into the chair next to him. "Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you! Are you okay? How have you been? Who found you? Where? Did you find us?" Luna clamped her hand over Cho's mouth, then let go.
"Now breathe. Eat." Luna set a plate of pancakes with blueberries in front of Cho, and a second one in front of Harry.
"Hermione found me at Fountain, you know, the nightclub in Devon? She brought me here. I can't say the welcoming party was up to much though." Cho shrugged and kept eating.
"Well." She swallowed. "We've all had rough times, havent we? And we've all been really worried about you. Heck, even Draco was threatening to kill you if you didn't turn up soon. Said he'd go insane. Though that might just have been because Hermione had gone a little wacky." She added thoughtfully.
Luna sat down with her own plate of pancakes. "We've all gone a bit wacky, though, Cho. Now people think I'm normal. How wacky is that?" Harry laughed. Luna actually sounded offended at being called normal.
"Yeah. You can tell who're recent members to the Order because they havent clocked any time at St Mungo's insanity unit." Cho agreed.
"I havent." Pansy said, walking in.
"That's because your normal is weird anyway. Your insanity is normal." Luna answered.
"Says you, Loony."
"Flower head." Luna shot back. Pansy grinned.
"Anyway." Cho interrupted, sounding a lot like Neville last night. "Most of us have been at St Mungo's insanity unit for something…though it varies. Eventually we broke down and made a padded room here, which is where we shove people who go wacky. If they stay wacky, then we send 'em up."
"It's also a good time out room for the kids." Ginny said with a smile, coming into the large kitchen. She grabbed a plate of pancakes from the side, and Harry noticed there were about five more plates still on the side, and five more empty chairs at the table.
Pansy shuddered. "I hate-"
"Kids, yes, Pansy. We know." Cho said with a grin. "Though I don't see why you hate them. I think they're sweet." Pansy glared.
"Probably because the one you're talking about is your son. And trust me. He is not as sweet as you think he is." Harry nearly choked on a mouthful of pancake. Cho had a son? Well, she was married.
"There are worse kids." Ginny said diplomatically. "I was glad when Draco decided to send Lani away. She was a monster."
"She still is." Cho said after swallowing. "I dropped in on her while I was in Cardiff. She's got so much of her father in her…the carers nearly hit her when she bit Rose Zeller's kid…you know, the little blonde one with green and blue eyes?"
"Lani could do with a beating." Draco said, walking in, grabbing a plate and sitting down. "But her mother spoils her."
"I thought it was Hermione's idea to send her away." Cho said.
"It was. Mainly so someone would discipline the girl without mother dearest interfering. Is she being horrible again?"
"Bit Louise Zeller on the ear. Drew blood." Cho answered. Draco rolled his eyes.
"I'll see if I can drop in today and have a word or two with her."
"She's got a lot of Malfoy in her." Luna said, staring at the ceiling.
"I know." Malfoy acknowledged.
"Morning!" Hermione walked in, kissed Draco on the cheek, and slid into a chair beside him, grabbing a plate from the counter behind her.
"Morning love." Draco answered with a smile that nearly made Harry puke.
"Who're we talking about?"
"Cho's son." Ginny answered, deliberately leaving out the part about Lani. That conversation never went anywhere good. Hermione was just too sensitive about it. Hermione grinned.
"He's so cute."
"Oh god." Ron walked into the room. "Please, don't start with the 'he's so cute!'. I might just be sick."
"Oh shut up, you old moaner." Luna snapped. "Anyway. What're we doing today?"
"I've got nursery…I got out of it last week, but if I try it again, either Ginny or Emmy's gonna spank me like I'm two." Hermione said dolefully.
"And I reserve all rights on that count." Malfoy said wickedly. Everyone rolled their eyes, and Ron pretended to be sick.
"Don't you dare be sick on my floor, Ronald Weasley, or there'll be one less Weasley to the family name." Luna scolded.
"Ooh. She told you, then." Neville grinned as he strode in. "Lo sweetheart. How was Wales?" He walked over to Cho and kissed the top of her head.
"Cold and raining, as usual. How're you?"
"Starving." Neville grabbed the remaining plate of pancakes and perched on the edge of the sink. "Good pancakes, Luna."
"My pancakes are always good. But thanks anyway. It's your turn to cook tomorrow Draco, by the way."
"And I promise I shall try to restrain my creative talents." Draco said grandly with a smile. Hermione swatted him over the head.
"And try not to give anyone food poisoning." Ron added.
"I thought that was your forte." Draco shot back. Ron didn't reply, as his mouth was too full of pancakes. "I shall take your silence as an affirmative." Draco added. Ron coughed and just missed spraying pancakes over the table, while everyone but Harry hid smiles. He just glared.
"Nursery calls." Hermione said finally, rising from her chair and putting her plate in the sink. Ginny joined her, muttering something that made Hermione laugh.
"No plotting behind my back." Draco called as they walked off.
"Yeah, you'd rather we called you to your face." Hermione replied, turning so she walked backwards.
"Any time, sweetheart. Any time." Hermione stuck her tongue out at him before turning the corner and disappearing. "Right, well. I have to go join Seamus in trying to de-curse that bloody cat. Hermione will never forgive me if I don't." Draco dumped his plate in the sink.
"Better you than me, mate. The cat's evil." Ron said with a laugh.
"I know." Draco held up his left hand, showing the three red scratches that ran down the back. "I think it's Hermione's alter-ego."
"In a cat?" Harry asked scornfully.
"Where else were you planning on putting it Potter?" Malfoy snapped back before he, too, disappeared out the room.
"Cho? Do you want to show me what you have from Cardiff? There was loads of stuff going on last night." Pansy said, rising. Cho and Neville dumped their plates in the sink and followed her out.
"Do you want me to show you around, mate? We can talk." Ron said. Harry nodded. It wasn't like he anything better to do.
&
"If he doesn't stop glaring at Draco, I swear…" Hermione trailed off as Jonas Finnegan, Seamus' son, looked up at her with innocent brown eyes. "I swear we'll have to talk." She finished lamely.
"Yeah. Talk. That'll hurt." Ginny said sarcastically. "Be still, you silly child." Louisa Farlbarrow, a five year old who had a tendancy to be clumsy and graze various knees and elbows, was wiggling as Ginny applied disinfectant.
"But it hurts!" Louisa whined.
"That's how you know its working, dear." Ginny said with a smile. Hermione rolled her eyes. Generally, they magicked away small injuries like Louisa's, but Louisa made such a habit of it, they were trying the muggle way to get her to stop it.
Later, Ginny and Hermione sat on a bench in the back garden of the house and watched as the kids played in the sunshine. There were twenty three kids here, from ages four to about nine. The older ones stayed mainly in Scotland at the safehouse there, where they were being taught more advanced magic, and were being brought through secondary teaching at the safehouse, rather than at any school. A lot of the kids at the safehouse in Hull, which was where they were now, weren't related to any of the members of the Order of Tears, but were either magically gifted orphans or the children of members either out on duty or at other safehouses. Members often sent their children to safehouses away from them as a way to protect them…the theory being that if any of the enemies of the Order of Tears, and they had several, saw members spending a lot of time with a particular child, that child would be put in danger. It was somewhat more complicated than that, but it had a basic result. Kids were swapped around…Draco's daughter Lani was in Cardiff, Whitney Farlbarrow, who was based in London, had her daughter kept here in Hull. There were exceptions, like Jonas Finnegan, who's father was based at the same safehouse that he stayed at, but they were few and far between.
"He's not used to you being with Draco." Ginny said, referring to Harry. "We all glared at Draco when you first told us as well. Didn't Ron hex him?"
"I don't think he actually did it, but then I was in Dublin helping Lavender at the time, so I don't know. Did he?"
"I cant remember. But my point is, he'll get used to it. He'll be alright."
"I don't know, Gin." Hermione said slowly, "I mean…back at school, Harry liked me. As in liked me liked me. I told him I wanted to stay friends, even though I loved him too. But I didn't want to risk our friendship, you know, if we broke up or something." Ginny looked surprised.
"I didn't know that. But… you love Draco more than you love Harry, right?"
"I bloody well hope so." Hermione said with a laugh, glancing at the ring on her left ring finger. "Seriously though, I love Draco with everything I have, whereas I barely like Harry at the moment. Like Pansy said last night, I gave up everything for Harry, and he threw it back in my face. I'm not going to do it again."
"You'd be a fool if you did." Ginny commented. Hermione stared.
"Well, you're right. You gave everything up for him, and he trampled over it. If you did it again…well. It's not what I would do." Hermione impulsively hugged Ginny.
"Thank you! I needed you to say that."
"Well, I'm glad I did then. I think it's time for them to come in now." Ginny stood up and, putting the fingers of her good hand into her mouth, whistled loudly. The garden immediately fell silent except for the sound of lots of kids running towards the two women. After performing a quick headcount, they sent the kids inside.
"I'm going to get us some lunch. Will you watch them for me?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded.
"No problem." Hermione answered with a grin, and Ginny rolled her eyes before disappearing in the direction of the kitchen.
She hadnt been gone for two minutes before Harry and Ron walked in. Ron was obviously giving Harry a tour of the safehouse.
"And this is the kids room, which is basically where they hang out all day. There's a classroom next door, but since it's Saturday they avoid it like the plague. Lo Hermione." Ron grinned, and Hermione raised a hand in greeting.
"Hey. Tour of the house?" she asked. Harry nodded.
"Cool." There was a beep and a whir, and an image of Ginny rose from a small black box on the table top.
"Hermione, is Ron there yet? I heard he's giving Harry a tour, but I need him to give me a hand with something. When he arrives can you send him up?"
"He's here already Gin. Or rather, he's just gone. He'll be up in a minute." Hermione answered.
"Thanks doll. See ya soon." The image disappeared.
"Sit down." Hermione said, moving up on the couch she was sitting on, and Harry sat. "This is the kids room, like Ron said. We have kids from all the safehouses here, but not so much this one. Sending our kids away keeps them a little safer, as much as we can."
"So none of the kids of anyone here actually live here?" Harry asked.
"Some do. Like Logan Longbottom and Jonas Finnegan are both here, but my daughter Lani's in Wales."
"Your daughter?" Harry half-gasped.
"Yeah." Hermione gave him a strange look. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. I just didn't realise you had a daughter."
"Well, yeah."
"Hermione? Can I ask you something?" Harry asked tentatively.
"You just did. But feel free to ask me another question." Hermione said with a smile.
"How long have you and Malfoy been going out?" Hermione gave him a sharp look.
"We went out for about four years." She said. Harry relaxed. Maybe they were just friends after all.
"So you're not going out anymore?"
"Well, no. Harry, we're married."
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