Disclaimer: obviously not mine. Why would it be on a fan fiction site?

Chapter nineteen

Kellie had her twentieth birthday three days after Hermione's parents left. Hermione surprised her with two tickets for a holiday in California so she and her sister could get away. Kellie left that afternoon.

Now only Chaise, Hermione, Charlie and a few maids were left with the castle.

Three more days after Kellie's departure Shia fell sick with a common flu. Hermione took her to the doctor but he only insisted that she fight it off herself, to build her immune system. Shia's cold didn't get worse but she wouldn't sleep and, unless Hermione was rocking her, she would whinge constantly. Hermione was beginning to feel the pressure of having no one to help. Chaise offered assistance but Hermione assured him she didn't need it so he spent most of his days at the skate park while Hermione stayed locked away in her bedroom with her daughter.

Another three days after Shia's sickness began and Hermione was really feeling the strain, she fell ill herself. It wasn't the flu though. Hermione couldn't quite put her finger on it… on moment she's wrapping Shia in a blanket, the next she's clutching at the side of the bed as her vision swam violently.

Thinking that it was just a one off… Hermione continued on with her day, caring for Shia in everyway she could. It was the next day when she realised something was wrong. She'd just been able to put Shia to sleep when her vision swam again. Chaise was at the skate park and she had no idea where Charlie was. Once again she grabbed the side of the bed to steady herself but this time the dizziness didn't go away. Instead it increased. She began feeling nauseous and shaky.

Very slowly, she edged her way around the bed to the phone she'd had installed a few days ago. With shaking hands she dialled Charlie's cell phone number and put the receiver to her ear.

"Yup?" came Charlie's calm, collected voice.

"Charlie" Hermione gasped. Her throat was closing and she was finding it hard to breathe, let alone speak.

"Hermione? What's wrong?"

"Charlie… I cant… I cant…"

"Hermione keep talking to me, I'm coming"

"Charlie, I can't breathe"

"Stay with me, baby"

Hermione dropped the receiver and fainted on her bedroom floor.

The bed she awoke in was hard but not as uncomfortable as it should be. The stark white sheets were folded neatly across her chest and she had two square pillows behind her head, making her neck slightly sore.

Without another thought, Hermione opened her eyes and looked around the brightly lit room. The walls where as stark as the sheets but they were decorated with moving portraits of whales and other mammals. Bright bunches of flowers were scattered around her bed in crystal vases.

She turned her head slightly to the left and saw Chaise sitting by her bed in a wooden chair. He was smiling at her.

"Welcome back" he said and kissed her.

"How long have I been out?" she asked and found that her throat was tight and sore.

"Only a few hours. Charlie found you in your room and bought you here"

"Where's here?"

"Saint Mungos, London"

Hermione groaned slightly and looked at the boring white ceiling.

"What's wrong with me?"

"They're running tests now. Listen, Herm… I know you just woke up and all but Shia needs somewhere to go. She isn't aloud to stay in the hospital in case she gets sick and Charlie is required to stay with you as your legal guardian" Chaise paused and glanced at the door. "Herm, if you want I can take her home and look after her while you're here. Just so she doesn't get unsettled by being moved around"

Hermione nodded reasonably.

"We have your results, miss Granger" a healer came in a door at the end of the ward that Hermione had not noticed before. "It seems that you simply collapsed from being over-stressed…"

"Why is she over-stressed?" Malfoy appeared at the other door, arms folded across his chest, water dripping from his hair.

"What are you doing here? Who told you I was here?" Hermione asked hysterically. The last person she wanted to see right now was Malfoy and the cold, hard look on his face reminded her so much of Lucius. Lucius who tried to take her baby…

"Charlie called and I came to get Shia"

"What?"

"Charlie said Shia couldn't stay her so I came to get her"

"She's going home with Chaise"

"No she's not!" Malfoy's eyes flashed with anger but he did not move from the doorway.

Hermione sat up slightly.

"I'm her mother. I decide what happens to her"

"And I'm her father. I get equal say"

They glared at each other a minute before Malfoy whirled around and stormed out the door.

"I'll be back" his voice floated back to them.

I'll be back; those had been the words that Lucius had said when he wanted Shia.

Chaise stayed with Hermione for another ten minutes before declaring that he needed a drink and left to find a coffee machine.

No sooner had he gone then Malfoy returned with Harry in tow.

"Harry!" Hermione said, placing her copy of witch weekly down and turning towards the two boys. Harry was soaked through like Malfoy, which meant that it was raining outside.

"Hermione, you cant let Shia go home with Chaise" Harry said, sitting beside her bed. Malfoy took a chair on the other side but stayed silent.

"Why? She's safer at my place then she is at Malfoy's."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Granger, but you have no idea how dangerous your house is right now"

"What have you got against Chaise, anyway?"

"What, apart from the fact that he took you from me? You have no idea, Hermione, how dangerous he is"

"Your jealous"

"Hermione" Harry said, looking down at his watch. "I really have to go. I didn't tell anyone I was coming so I'm in deep shit. Please just let Malfoy take the baby… if you really are worried about his place then I'll take her back to the Weasley's. Just don't send her with Chaise… you don't even know him"

"We're dating!"

"What's that got to do with anything? Most murder victims are hit by their boyfriends or husbands because they don't know them"

Hermione stared at Harry then looked over at Malfoy. She sighed in resignation.

"Fine… take her but if anything happens…"

"It wont" Malfoy promised. Harry got up and left.

"Just take her before Chaise gets back… he'll be really disappointed… he really loves Shia"

Malfoy's face became emotionless but he simply nodded and walked out the door.

Hermione was in hospital for four days before the healer decided she was well enough to go home, though she was still to weak to apparate on her own. So, on the way to pick up Shia from the Malfoy Manor, she had to cling to Charlie as he transported them both.

It was pouring rain in Denmark, just as it had been in London. Hermione and Charlie ran up the front steps but still managed to get soaked on the way.

"Wait here" Hermione ordered of Charlie in the parlour. She went upstairs by herself, hoping to get Shia out of the nursery without seeing Draco.

Narcissa was in the nursery with Shia, tickling and cooing her. When she noticed Hermione she grinned.

"She smiled yesterday. When Draco had her"

"Really?" Hermione asked, peering down at her daughter in disappointment; she'd hoped to get the first smile. "Well… thanks for having her, Narcissa, but I really have to get home and rest."

"My pleasure, sweetie"

Hermione picked Shia up and turned to the door. Malfoy was standing there, dripping wet.

"Have you been in the rain again, Draco?" Narcissa asked in exasperation. "You'll catch a cold if you go on like this!"

"Mum, can you take Shia? I need to speak to Hermione"

Narcissa took the baby back and Hermione was forced to follow Malfoy out of the room. He took her down to his study where he sat her down opposite him.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, slightly scared by the worried look on Malfoy's face.

"It's Chaise… I was told never to tell anyone about this but…"

"But what?"

"He's a psycho"

Hermione laughed.

"A what?"

"A psycho… I'm serious Hermione… he has a mental problem… he's very violence prone and…"

"Do you have proof?"

Malfoy nodded and reached into a draw, pulling out a medical file as he did so. Hermione scanned over it and, to her utter horror, found that what Malfoy had said was true; Chaise had a history of violent behaviour and had even spent a year in the psychiatric ward at saint Mungos.

"I have to go" Hermione said, standing up suddenly and rushing for the exit. But before she reached the door her mind went blank. The next thing she knew she was on the floor, cradled in Malfoy's arms.

"I have to go" she mumbled and tried to stand up. Malfoy held her down.

"Stop. You've gone into shock… just lie still for a minute"

"How do you know this? About Chaise?"

"Do you remember… after the fight last Christmas how, when you asked if I was ok, I said I've been worse?"

Hermione nodded.

"Well before you came into the scene Chaise used to get into heaps of fights… more violent than the average fight. He had an obsession for blood." He began stroking Hermione's arm gently. "Well in the same summer that you showed up your parents were having a little 'get together'. I got in a small tousle with Nigel and was sent outside too cool down. I found Lilly and Freddie tied to a tree all beaten up and stuff… Freddie was bruised and cut but Lilly had huge gashes across her back. Before I could do anything Chaise smashed a glass bottle across the back of my head. That's how I got this scar here," Malfoy pointed to a faint pink scar on the back of his neck. "I lost so much blood that I ended up in hospital for a week… I was lucky that Charlie came along…"

"Charlie?"

"Yeah… he came out and managed to pin Chaise to the ground and knock him out. Chaise managed to draw blood on him too, though… Chaise was put in hospital and I got a visit from his parents a week later, asking me to keep it quite. I think they might have put a charm on me that told them if I blabbed. That's why I didn't say anything"

"But what if he got better?" Hermione asked, hoping, preying that there was someway out of this.

"Well he might have. But when it comes to my daughter… I'd prefer to keep her safe…"

Hermione nodded and fell silent. It was only now that she realised that she was shaking.

"I have to go and talk to him. I need to explain why I have to leave him," Hermione said after a moment's hesitation.

"You never explained to me"

"Huh?"

"You never explained why you went cold on me… why you left me…"

Hermione looked away and bit her lip.

"I was scared," she whispered finally.

"Scared of what?" Malfoy's eyes widened. "Scared of me?"

Hermione nodded numbly. "You remind me so much of Lucius… I just couldn't bare to be with you… you look so much like him"

Malfoy looked away.

"I have to go talk to him" Hermione said and tried to get up again. This time Malfoy released her.

"Cant you wait until tomorrow?" he asked, following her out of the room. "You don't even know what you're going to say to him"

Hermione paused and stared at a painting on the wall. "Fine" she said finally in a shaky voice. "Fine, I'll stay but first thing tomorrow I'm going to talk to him"

"Fine"

That night Hermione cried herself to sleep.

The next morning Hermione woke early and dressed quickly. She had no idea what she was going to say to Chaise but she had to speak to him.

She figured that she would go and have a quiet chat with him and explain that she would be staying with the Malfoy's until her parents returned the next week then she would get out of there… she still didn't consider Chaise as crazy because he seemed so normal and she hadn't seen it first hand but as she was waiting in the parlour for Charlie Malfoy came in and insisted that he would accompany her.

"What for?" Hermione asked, wishing he would go away.
"Because he's dangerous"

Hermione did not argue with this even though she thought otherwise.

When Charlie finally arrived they went out the front door to apparate. Before they could do so, a long black limo pulled up in front of the house.

"Oh jeez" Malfoy groaned as a bouncy little blonde girl, no older than seven, came jumping out of the backseat with a tall blonde woman in tow. Just behind them were two blonde teenage girls, identical twins. Both looked extremely moody, as if they hadn't slept for a few days.

"Who are they?" Hermione asked as the small group came towards them.

"My cousins" Malfoy explained. "From Wales"

"And what are they doing here? Now?"

"I have no bloody idea. Mum must have called them up"

"Draco!" the little girl came racing up the steps and wrapped her arms around Malfoy's legs.

"Hey squirt!"

"My name isn't squirt!" the girl giggled in delight.

"Then what is it?" Malfoy asked in mock confusion.

"It's Lisa!"

"Oh… but I could have sworn…"

"It's Lisa!"

"If you say so…"

"Hello, Draco" the woman had reached them now and gave Malfoy a lukewarm smile.

"Aunty Gabrielle" Malfoy dipped his head to her courteously. This was all the woman needed; she glanced at Hermione then entered the house without another word.

The twins came up the steps last.

"Draco" they said simultaneously even though both sets of blue eyes were fixed on Hermione. Malfoy stared at them a moment, as if trying to figure out which was which. After a few moments he smiled and pointed at the twin closest to him.

"Samantha" he said. She looked at him and grinned.

"Lucky guess"

"And Tori" he pointed to the other twin who gave him a less than friendly smile.

"Malfoy, we have to go" Hermione said lightly. The twins looked at her again.

"Yeah ok" Malfoy patted his pockets as if looking for something then started off down the steps.

"Where you going?" one of the twins, possibly Samantha, asked.

"Never mind"

Before they could say anything else Charlie had grabbed Hermione's arm and they had apparated.

Ohhh, if there's one thing I hang onto,
It gets me through the night.
I aint gonna do what I don't want to,
Im gonna live my life.
Shining like a diamond, rolling with the dice,
Standing on the ledge, show the wind how to fly.
When the world gets in my face,
I say, Have A Nice Day.
Have A Nice Day.

So what's Hermione going to tell Chaise? Will he attack her or take it all in good humour?