(author's note: I hope you all like the twist in this chapter. BTW siriusblackshottie.. yes i loved your singing.. hehe)
Chapter Eight: An Unexpected Surprise
Within the next two months Harry had come by quite a few time to teach Spetimus how to fly a broom. Gabrielle found it so amazing that she too wanted to try. With Harry holding onto her and hovering only a few feet off the ground Gabrielle flew around the yard. She was laughing and giggling like mad.
Septimus was slowly but surely becoming a great flyer. He flew around the yard and in time Harry was beginning to teach him the basics of Quidditch.
Eventually the two longmonths had passed. Hermione was finally getting over Draco's death and was beginning to except that he was gone and now watching over her and the children. Hermione packed a few things for the three of them to take along as they left for King's Cross Station. Hermione, Septimus and a sleeping Gabrielle finally arrived at the station and saw that the train was not there. In stead a bunch of the school carriages stood waiting for them all. Next to one of the carriages stood Hermione's old friend, Hagrid.
"Hagrid." Hermione called out to him. He turned to look at her.
"'ello 'ermione. How are ya?" Hagrid said as he hugged Hermione the best he could since she was carrying Gabrielle.
"Just fine Hagrid." She said. Septimus stood next to her looking at the carriages.
"Blimy 'ermione, 'e's just like Malfoy." Hagrid said as he looked down at Septimus.
"Hagrid, this is my son Septimus and my daughter Gabrielle." Hermione said.
"And she's just like yer." Hagrid said as he looked down at the girl sleeping in Hermione's arms.
"Yes, she is as well." She turned to look at Hagrid. "So I take it as we're to take a carriage to Hogwarts School?" Hermione asked.
"Yep. They'll fly yer there. Take 'bout the fourth of the time." Hagrid said as he opened one of the doors to one of the carriages.
Hermione and her two children climbed into the carriage and were off toward the school. Hagrid was right, they had arrived in a fourth of the time it normally took. Hermione climbed out of the carriage first followed by Gabrielle, who woke up during the ride, and Septimus. They were standing right in front of the great door leading into the entrance hall. Hermione grabbed onto Gabrielle's hand as they walked in through the doors.
"Ooo, it's an ickle old Gryffindor." Peeves sang as the three walked in.
"Hello Peeves. I see you haven't changed." Hermione said.
"And what are these? Young Gryffindors?" Peeves said ignoring Hermione's comment.
"My children. Now if you don't mind Peeves, we'll be off." Hermione said as she pulled her children away from Peeves and into the Great Hall.
There were quite a few people in there. Most of the teachers were walking around the floor talking to old students. Before Hermione could even spot any of her old friends, Lavender came over and hugged her.
"Hermione, my lord, I haven't seen you since your wedding." She said letting go of the hug.
"I know. 12 years is a long time to not see someone." Hermione said.
"And you have two children. What are there names?" Lavender said and she looked down at the two. Gabrielle was clinging tightly to Hermione's leg while Septimus was looking wide-eyed around the room. He was particularly interested in the ghosts and the ceiling.
"Lavender, this is my daughter Gabrielle. She is 6 and my son Septimus is 9." Hermione said as she picked up the frighten Gabrielle.
"She looks just like you." she said cooing over the small girl now in Hermione's arms. "And he's just like Draco. Where is he by the way?" she asked.
"I'll have to tell you later. I don't like to say it around my children." She said.
"Don't they know?" Lavender asked.
"Yes, but they don't like to have it talked about." Hermione said.
Hermione and Lavender kept talking and soon Parvati joined them. She too asked where Draco was and Hermione kept ignoring the question. While they were talking Gabrielle, who was looking over Hermione's shoulder, spoke.
"Harry! Ron!" she yelled out in her tiny 6-year-old voice. Hermione turned to look and saw both Harry and Ron walking over to her. Ron took the small child out of Hermione's arms while Harry messed up Septimus' hair. The two kids had claimed Harry and Ron as their uncles and Harry was their godfather follwed by Ron. Hermione had asked Harry to be their godfather if anything happened to her. She then asked Ron to also be one if something happened to Harry.
Hermione walked away from the group to go get something to drink. Once she was out of ear shot Lavender began to question Harry.
"Okay, you have to know what's going on. Where is Draco and why isn't he here? Most of all why won't Hermione talk about it." Lavender asked Harry.
"They didn't get a divorce did they?" Parvati asked. "They were so happy in school and during their wedding."
"If Hermione won't tell you, then I can't. It's her place to tell you." Harry said.
"But why won't she say where he is? It's not that hard to give the name of a place." Lavender said.
"This place is." Ron said. Harry hit him on back since Ron was holding Gabrielle.
Hermione walked back over toward the group and they began to talk yet again. More people came by to ask how they were, a lot of people asked Hermione were Draco was. Every time that someone asked her where he was she would just tell them that she didn't want to talk about it.
After everyone had been there a few hours everyone became quiet. Dumbledore had stood up and was about to make a speech. "Welcome back to Hogwarts everyone. I assume that you have all found your old friends and have caught up on old times. As some of you may remember way back when you all left here fifteen years ago I told you that some of your classmates would not be joining us during this reunion. Sadly that is very true for a few of our old classmates. Most of the people that are not here were not able to make it for one reason or another. One member was not able to come because he was killed." A few gasps were heard around the room before Dumbledore continued. "This young man was killed a few weeks ago and left behind a few things. The main things he left were his memory, his friends, and most of all his family. He had a loving wife and two young children who looked up to him. The young man I speak of is none other then Draco Malfoy."
At those words every single head turned toward Hermione and her children. Tears began to form in Hermione's eyes as now everyone knew that her husband was dead.
"Oh Hermione!" Lavender and Parvati squealed as they hugged her.
A lot of other people were coming up to her and saying how sorry they were. She couldn't take it any more so she resulted in hiding in a corner behind Ron and Harry. It was bad enough that he was dead and that everyone now knew, but they didn't have to keep bothering her.
After quiet some time everyone left Hermione alone and she was able to go back to talking normally with Harry and Ron. Gabrielle was now sleeping in Harry's arms (she didn't sleep last night for some reason) and Septimus was walking around the Great Hall. After some time Dumbledore stood again.
"I recommend that everyone now return to their old houses and sleep. Tomorrow there will be plenty of time to—" Dumbledore began. But what there was plenty of time to do tomorrow no onefound out. At that moment the doors to the Great Hall burst open and there in the door way stood and man.
The man was covered in dirt and grim and he had cuts all over his face and body. His robes were ripped and his hair was a mess. Hermione, Harry, and Ron stared at the man in doorway. Tears began to form once more in Hermione's face as she stared at the man. She knew him anywhere. His almost black hair from the dirt was still noticeable as to what color it should be, and even through all the dirt on his face his gray eyes shown brightly into the crowd.
Standing in the doorway to the Great Hall was none other then Draco Malfoy.
(author's note: dun dun dun cliff hanger! now you're all going to hate me because i'm blank on how to continue the next chapter... but i'll work on it soon. If anyone has any idea of what happened to draco while he was gone for two months please tell me... i might us them. I hope i made a few of you happy now... :-D.. i'll update as soon as i can so most of you don'r crap yourself. hehehe only joking.)