Story: What Can Starbursts Do?
Authoressa: Major changes in this fic. Major. You have been warned.
What Can Starbursts Do?
Draco
Here I am. Draco Lucius Malfoy is sitting in a comfortable silence, looking through a photo album. Oh, how I have changed from my younger years. I was so happy, and joyous. Now, I'm only happy and joyous because of one thing. And this one thing is currently napping in her bed. That's right, it's a person.
Not just any person, but my daughter, Isabella. She looked so much like her mother…so much that I felt empty when I saw her smile at me. She was six, turning seven in the middle of April. I brushed a strand of her brown curly hair from her face as she slept, the curls reminding me also of her mother. With a sigh, I flipped through the pages of my album, desperate to just catch a glimpse of her picture.
There it was. Her. She was smiling at the camera, or more likely Blaise Zabini, as I crept behind her and dumped snow in her hair. She turned quickly and chased me, and then the picture started over. I knew Isabella was looking at the album earlier, so I decided to put in on her shelf for later. Turning to her bed, I pulled a blanket over her, and could see something caught in her hands. It was a picture.
Carefully, I pried it out of her hands, trying not to wake her. It was a picture of her and I. She had grabbed it from the photo album, and clutched the picture of her mother to her chest. I took the one of her at her kindergarten graduation out, and replaced the picture of Hermione and me, so Isabella could see it everyday.
I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, which was bare and cold. Sitting at the counter, I rested my head on my palm, staring out of the large window in front of the kitchen table. The sky was beautiful, he thought. The sky had been beautiful all of the time when he was around Hermione….
Seven Years Ago
Draco
Candy. Candy was necessarily candy when it was good and filled with sugar. Muggle or wizard, I could say I was addicted to candy. I loved it, I needed it, and I'd die without it. Precisely how I felt without Hermione, but no one else but Blaise had known about my infatuation with the Gryffindor. Although I shared a Heads Common Room with the beautiful girl, I was tentative to talk to her. I was on a bit of a nice side with her, but I wasn't altogether rude and had stopped calling her Mudblood. I mean, September brought changes to people. It was just a generally new month.
Coming out of my room with a roll of LifeSavers candy, I saw Hermione sleeping on the couch. I walked over to her, and froze. I couldn't help myself.
Her dark brown curls hung loosely around her face, as she lay on her back. On arm was pressed against the back of the couch and the other was across her stomach. I carefully brushed a strand of her hair away from her face and almost shrieked, which is very unlike me, when she stirred a tiny bit. Drawing a silver and green Slytherin blanket over her, I left with my candy.
Although it was muggle candy, it was good and sugary. It was the chewy kind of LifeSavers, though. Not the hard kind. Well, humming to myself, I was walking towards the Slytherin Common Room, to pick up my stash of candy underneath my bed. Goodness knows if I didn't hide it, Goyle would come and gobble it up.
Looking underneath the depths of my bed, I pulled out a box labeled 'Candy!' and tucked it under my arm. On the way out, I ran into Blaise, quite literally, and he demanded some candy for medical purposes. I gave him a bag of Trolls and told him to leave me alone, so I could die in peace.
Walking back into the Common Room, I found that Hermione had moved up from the couch, and was either in her room or in the Gryffindor's Lair. Stepping into my room, I went to lie across my bed, but stopped.
Neatly folded in the corner of my four poster was the green and silver Slytherin blanket I had put around Hermione. A piece of parchment fell out with I put it over the sheets of my bed.
'Malfoy. Thanks for the blanket. I must admit, silver and green is a good color for me, but not for a Gryffindor. And the red on your cheeks doesn't suit you.'
With a grin, I tucked the parchment away in my drawer and focused on my homework for the day, which was to eat all of my gummy bears. Oh, what a strenuous task it was!
Hermione
Peeking through my hair, I could see Malfoy walk from his room and over to me. Staring carefully, he draped a blanket over me with a blush tinting his face, and brushed the side of my face before popping a Lifesaver in his mouth and leaving. Jumping up, I folded the blanket and grabbed a sheet of parchment. Ripping the edge of it off, I scribbled a note of thanks and stuck it in the crease of the blanket.
I crept into his room and laid the blanket down carefully. Then, I left to go to the Gryffindor Common Room. I felt in need of some candy.
Draco
The next day, I had set out on an even more difficult task. Starbursts. There were always those difficult commercials on muggle television where the girl unwrapped the candy in her mouth. Oh, I could do it. I just wanted to find someone else who could. I had given one to Pansy once, and she choked on it. I laughed at her heartily that day.
Stepping out in the territory of the Common Room, I saw Hermione's back as she walked into the bathroom. Score! I could ask Hermione to unwrap it! Charging towards the bathroom, my hand made a mad grab for the door, but things don't always work out.
Hermione had been about to open the door on the other side, and was met with Draco. Draco had gone to grab the doorknob, but found his hand in Hermione's. With a confused blush, Draco dropped her hand.
"Err….Sorry about that. I just—you want a Starburst?" He asked, offering her a green one. She grinned.
"What is it with you and setting me up with green colors?" It was then Draco noticed that the Gryffindor was wrapped in a green Slytherin towel and was wearing little else. She accepted the candy and popped it in her mouth. Without unwrapping it by hand.
Oh, this was a good sign. He thought, as a second later, the paper was in her hand. He stared at her, astonished.
"But, how?" She stepped up to him, close enough that he could smell the green apple Starburst in her breath.
"Things are not always what they seem, Draco." She said softly, her eyes holding his for a second. She pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss and turned to finish getting ready for her shower. Draco had other plans. Grabbing her wrist, he whirled her around and planted a kiss on her lips. She was surprised, before getting into the feel of his lips.
Her back hit the door of his room, and Draco's clothes had already started to come off. Stumbling against the table outside, Draco pushed the room door open, his lips still locked with Hermione's. Pushing her down on the bed, Draco began to kiss her neck as she pushed his shirt off his shoulders, extraditing him of clothing. He finally removed her towel, and their lips met again.
Draco
Needless to say, it was a day that wasn't forgotten by either of us. For the next few weeks afterwards, I would send her mail with Starbursts tucked into them, or they would mysteriously appear in her dinner. She found out that after that day, she was pregnant, and couldn't be happier with me, rather than worried. I loved her, despite everything. I couldn't help my physical attraction to Hermione Granger, and neither could she. But her parents could.
It was a day in late November when she knocked on my door.
"Draco!" She exclaimed, tackling me in the middle of my room with a searing kiss. That's how she did it. Looking up at her, I could tell something was wrong. Sitting up, I helped her up too and we sat on my bed.
"I'm being taken out of Hogwarts." She said softly, her hand holding mine. Seemingly, I tore my hand away from her and stood angrily.
"They can't! You're serious?" She nodded. "I can't believe this, Hermione. Why?" He asked his voice dangerously low.
"Because, my mother thinks that magic is putting influence on my life. See, she read in this book that magical children get married earlier and have children at young ages. So, when she found out I was pregnant, she thought I was being corrupted. So, she's releasing me from this school." She reached out for his hand. Dropping hers, she stood and embraced him.
"I'm so sorry, Draco. I never wanted to leave, it wasn't my choice." She said softly, gently brushing her hands across his face. She kissed him slowly, and then rested her head on his shoulder.
"I can't live without you around me, Hermione. There's no point in life without you." He said, placing a kiss to the top of her forehead. She sighed, her eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry, Draco." She said softly, turning to grab the door handle. She turned her head slightly, as she spoke.
"I love you." She said, tears falling down her cheeks.
"I love you, too…" He said, as she left.
Hermione
'Dear Draco,
Isabella. The perfect name for her is Isabella. Scotland has been alright,' she scribbled on the parchment, 'a bit noisy. I've got to meet up with you, the snow here is outrageous. Could you, perhaps, get away for Christmas vacation, or will Head duties prevent that?' With a sigh, she heard her mother call. 'Sorry that I have to cut this so short, but my mother needs me. Love you.
Hermione and Isabella.'
Rolling up the parchment, she handed it to her owl and said softly, "Take it to Draco. Take it to Hogwarts," and it flew out of the window.
Marching down the stairs, her father was careful to brace her.
"Dad, I'm only four months along!" She exclaimed, swatting his hands. He smiled at his daughter and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Don't want our granddaughter endangered, Hermione. That's all." He said.
Draco
Of course, I left Hogwarts for her that vacation. We had the best time of our lives, and I also left school to witness the birth of Isabella Rayne Malfoy, on the 11th of April. But, Hermione wanted her in my custody, and said that she would take care of her until school let out and then she would give her to me. I was happy, to have a bit of Hermione with me. Isabella looked exactly like her, except for her brilliant grey eyes, which were from me. I loved her, Isabella and Hermione. I loved them both.
End Flashback
I hopped down from the kitchen table, as an owl scratched at the window. Opening it, I didn't realize the owl, but unrolling the parchment brought back fond memories….
Dear Draco,
I miss you and Isabella more and more everyday. But, I'm happy to say, that mother has decided to let me choose my own lifestyle (after all these years, right?) so, I will be out to see the both of you sooner. Never doubt that I have loved you for seven years, Draco.
Love,
Hermione
Rolling up the parchment, I carefully set it on the mantel.
"Who was that from, Daddy?" Isabella asked from the room, rubbing her eyes.
"Your mother." He said, his eyes sparkling with happiness. Isabella seemed to be happy, as she ran over. "She's coming to live with us, Izzy. She's not leaving." He said, happily. On the mantel next to the parchment, was a roll of Starburst chews. Draco looked at them and grinned.
Authoressa: Told you it was way…different.