Beta love as always to CarbConnoisseur
"Happy birthday, Princess," Draco whispered, the light only just beginning to appear behind the curtains.
"Mmm. Good morning," she murmured, turning to face him.
"Isn't it?" he grinned. "Everyone's still sleeping…."
"So they are," she agreed.
"So shall we make the most of it?"
"Yes, I've been meaning to finish that book I was reading."
"Witch!" he growled, pouncing on her as she giggled.
They arrived downstairs in time for breakfast to find James and Sirius sitting groggily at the table, staring into cups of coffee like it held all the answers with Remus beside them looking amused.
"You look… very relaxed this morning," he commented lightly with a grin that only widened when both Sirius and James' heads snapped up.
"Why do you look so relaxed, Kitten?" Sirius asked with an edge to his voice.
Hermione rolled her eyes, moving to pour coffee. "Can't I just have had a good night's sleep for once?"
"No," James growled before turning to look at Draco. "Tell me you have not defiled my daughter?"
"Defiled?" Hermione asked, whirling around to face him before Draco could open his mouth.
"I mean, ah… god damn it, Hermione! You're meant to wait for marriage and I'm meant to pretend the stork brought your babies!"
Hermione snorted before looking at him incredulously. "Like you, you mean? Tell me, big brother… are you heading into your wedding night pure?"
James spluttered, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "that's not the bloody point."
"I think you'll find it is," Hermione replied pointedly. "And as for you, you fucking hypocrite, we all know you're intimately familiar with the inside of every bloody broom cupboard in Hogwarts." Sirius flushed. "Exactly," she finished triumphantly. "Try to embarrass me again and I'll give you an explicit fucking run down of exactly why I'm so relaxed."
Both Sirius and James turned green as Draco fled to contain his laughter, knowing it wasn't wise to rile them further.
"No need for that, Kitten," Sirius muttered.
"Then fuck off with your sexist shite."
Grinning, Remus turned back to her. "Happy birthday, Love. You've definitely made things more entertaining around here."
She rolled her eyes. "Birthday?" James yelped. "Since when!"
Hermione's eyebrows rose. "Since always?"
"Forget our daughter's birthday?" Lily asked with amusement as she walked into the room. "Happy birthday, Hermione. This is from your father and me."
Hermione shot her an exasperated look. "I thought you weren't encouraging him," she whined.
"But you make it too easy," Lilly grinned. "Now open your present."
"Yes, Mum," she groused, making them laugh.
"See," Lily grinned. "You're getting the hang of it."
Hermione rolled her eyes, opening the present. Inside was a silver bracelet covered in charms. "Oh," Hermione whispered, running a finger over it. The charms matched her tattoo, along with a dragon, a stag, a grim, a doe, a wolf, a cauldron, and the Potter crest.
"Do you like it?" Lily asked hesitantly, as Hermione simply stared at it.
She nodded silently before throwing herself at Lily, squeezing her tightly.
"Having a good birthday, little Puff?" Severus asked, sitting down next to her, both of them watching with amusement as Regulus shifted, his eyes darting around the pub.
"He's never been in the muggle world before, has he?"
"Nope," Severus grinned. "He'll be fine. It's good for him… expanding his horizons."
Hermione snorted. "He looks ready to bolt," she replied pointedly.
"He does. He won't though. His brother would never let him live it down."
Hermione laughed, accepting the drink Sirius set down in front of her. "Now… who's up for a game!" he grinned.
All of them groaned. "No, Sirius," Remus begged. "Please, no!"
Sirius pouted. "You're no fun."
Two hours later, after a game of spin the bottle that resulted in them all knowing far more than any of them wanted to about the rest of the group, Hermione lounged back against Draco.
"Alright there, Princess?"
"I think I might be drunk," she admitted seriously.
He looked at her, attempting to stifle his smile. "Really, Princess? I'd never have guessed."
"You're making fun of me."
"Never," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her
"Oi!" James interrupted, slurring slightly. "Hands of my… my… Hermione!"
Lily rolled her eyes. "Leave them be. We can see them… They are… chap… chap…."
She looked up in confusion.
"Chaperoned?" Severus suggested with a laugh.
"Yes!" she declared. "That!"
"Your head is going to be so sore in the morning," Severus laughed.
Hermione squinted at him. "Why are you sober?"
"Because I am not an idiot and switched to water ages ago."
"Oh," she frowned. "I should have done that."
He snorted. "It's your birthday, Little Puff. I'd say you're allowed."
"Who wants another drink!" Sirius shouted, interrupting them.
Severus groaned as all of the rest of them agreed, silently hoping he had enough hangover cures to do them all.
Meet me at Severus'. 1 hour.
Draco stared at the note in his hand, automatically recognising the writing.
"You look worried," Lily mused, coming to stand beside him.
"It's from my mother," he murmured. "She wants to meet."
"And that worries you because?"
"Because I have no idea what side she's truly on," he admitted reluctantly.
"I see," Lily murmured. "Go to Sev's early and cast wards. He won't let anything happen to you. Hermione would murder him. Slowly.``
Draco huffed out a laugh. "True."
"I've never seen him as comfortable with anyone as he is with her."
Draco turned sharply to look at her. "And that bothers you?" he hedged.
"No,'' Lily sighed. "I just wonder if I could have done things differently. If maybe I had, he'd not have chosen the path he did. He regrets it, obviously. I just wish he hadn't felt like he had no other choice."
Draco sighed. "Hermione is… when she loves you, she loves wholeheartedly. There are no half measures. Weasley was an arse more times than I could count and she'd still have taken an Avada for him. Severus needed… needs that. She adores him, flaws and all. This Severus doesn't have half as much to forgive, but she adored the older one just as much. He's never had that, not really. He… well, you know what his home life was like. You know what it was like at school. He told me once when he was stupidly drunk that she was the first person to ever tell him that she loved him. She was the first person since you to hug him. We were just leaving for summer after fourth year, so almost eighteen years? She refused to back down to his snarling. Gods, even I wouldn't have dared to speak to him the way she did. He liked that she wasn't scared of him. He liked that she challenged him and he just… loved her. More than I think he's ever loved anyone. She was the family he never had. There is residual magic because of the godparent bond. We both feel it. I don't know if he feels connected to her because of that bond to me or whether they had their own weird little bond going on that none of us were aware of. He's admitted he feels something when he's with her, but none of us are sure what it is. I'm sure both of them will research the fuck out of it once we have a minute to breathe. Neither of them does well with not knowing."
"It doesn't… you don't wonder…"
"If she'll leave me for him?" Draco looked amused at Lily's flushed face. "No. It's not… they don't have that kind of relationship. If I'd ever considered being worried, it would have been with our Severus, not this one."
"What? Why?"
Draco snorted. "All those books…. If she'd ever properly considered it, she'd have left me for him in a heartbeat. Books, knowledge, a willingness to teach her? I'm very lucky that by the time she got to know him properly, she already loved me."
Lily's jaw dropped. "How can you be so calm about it! I think I'd want to hurt someone if I seriously thought James could leave me for someone else!"
Draco outright laughed. "Because I know she's only ever seen him as her professor and eventually as family. I know that even now, for all he's younger, he's like that irritating older brother she adores. I've questioned many things, but not once has it been whether she loves me. Whether she should love me, perhaps. But not that she does."
Lily nodded slowly. "It's odd seeing your version of him. Jarring," she admitted. "He's… he touches her, willingly. Hugs her without being coerced. I'm… glad he had her. Has her now. He deserves someone who loves him hard."
"Yes, he does. I believe Hermione was going to speak to you about bullying him into dating when all this is over."
Lily's eyes lit up. "Is she really? Gods! Yes! We should absolutely do that!"
"And that is my cue to leave," Draco muttered.
"Oh, I'm going to find Hermione! We can begin organising a list!"
Draco snorted, heading for the floo. Poor Severus had no idea what was coming if they survived this war.
He found his godfather in his lab muttering curses at a caldron with contents that were apparently not behaving the way he wanted them to. Draco didn't dare speak until Severus vanished them with a snarl.
"Bad day?"
Severus whirled round, his wand out. "When the fuck did you get here!"
"Hello to you too, Uncle Severus."
Severus glowered. "No."
Laughing, Draco held up his hands in supplication. "Mother is coming here, apparently. She demanded I meet with her…. Lily suggested I ask for your help in warding the room against anything nefarious."
"Very well," Severus sighed. "It wasn't going to plan anyway."
"So I see. Anything I can help with?"
Severus shuddered. "No. I don't even want to be doing it."
"Ah. This is the potion for his lordship?"
"Part of it," Severus allowed. "It'll take combining several, I think.
"What does he want it to do?"
"Make the drinker relive their worst memories as if they are living them again. He wants them to be unable to determine memory from reality. He also, for some reason, wants them to have an unquenchable thirst."
"The draught of despair," Draco muttered.
"What?" Severus asked sharply
"You need to succeed. We won't get the last Horcrux until you do."
"You want me to create this monstrosity?" Severus asked incredulously.
"Yes. We need you to. You did before."
Severus paled dramatically. "Fuck," he hissed. "You're sure?"
"Unfortunately," Draco winced. "Want a hand?"
Severus let out a long breath. "You promise this is necessary?"
"Yes. He uses it to hide a Horcrux in. You have to drink the potion to reach it. The lake is surrounded by inferi and you cannot conjure water. The boat only allows for one adult wizard."
"Bloody fucking hell!" Severus snarled. "Yes. Yes, I want help. We need that last one, but fuck it all if I don't fucking want to!"
"No," Draco allowed. "I imagine you don't. But we need it to end this, so after whatever mother has planned, I'll help. I gather Lily was good at potions? Hermione is as well. The sooner this is done the better."
"I don't want either of them anywhere fucking near this!"
"And neither of them will thank you for that. Let them help. We need this done."
"Fine," he snarled. "Fucking fine."
Wincing, Draco followed after him as he swept from the room in a flurry of robes.
"Draco." Narcissa's eyes raked over him. "You look… healthier than the last time I saw you."
"Yes. The healer demanded I eat more. I'm trying to do as I'm told."
She hummed. "Good. It's barely been a month and you look much better. You won't look ill in your wedding pictures."
Draco blinked as if only just realising that was a concern. "Ah, no," he agreed with a frown. "Aunt Dorea says you can come if you agree to be polyjuiced and escorted by an elf at all times."
Narcissa pulled a face. "Very well."
"They'll pick you up from the manor.
"Oh. When?"
"Fourth of next month. Around two."
She hummed. "I see. Well then, consider this an early wedding gift." He frowned as she thrust a bag at him, casting over it to see if he could determine what it was. "Oh for Circe's sake, it's a containment bag! You won't get a reading on it."
"What would you need to give me in a containment bag?" he asked slowly.
"What did you ask for?" she shot back. "Regulus was too jumpy. I forbid him to attempt anything last time he was at the manor. He would have given the game away."
"I know. He said," Draco replied wryly. He gingerly opened the bag, feeling a shudder go through him at the sight of the diary that had overshadowed everything else in his second year. It looked utterly innocent.
"Thank you," he muttered.
"You're welcome," she responded primly. "I ah… I also needed you to know. I'm pregnant."
"Pregnant?" Draco repeated numbly.
"Yes. We ah… we don't know what we're having yet. I… I don't want to assume. But we're considering Scorpius for a boy…. Carina for a girl."
"I see," he mumbled, his mind reeling. "When do you find out?"
"It's… early days. I wouldn't even have mentioned it had it not been for… well, you." Narcissa shifted uncomfortably. "We've had so many… disappointments. If this one… well hopefully we'll find out just before Christmas." Draco nodded, not sure what to say. "I'll ah… see you at the wedding, Draco," Narcissa murmured, standing to go.
Shooting him a look of concern, Severus took the diary from him, stepping through the floo to Potter manor. Hermione returned with him, having left the diary for Dorea to take to the goblins.
"Draco?" she called softly, sighing when he didn't move before moving to sit beside him, taking his hands in hers. "Want to talk about it, my dragon?"
"She's… she's pregnant."
"I know."
"I… Fuck. She's pregnant. And… she's… she's going to have a baby."
"Yes, sweetheart, she is," Hermione agreed gently.
He looked up at her, utterly heartbroken. "She's not my mother, Princess. My mother is dead."
"Oh, Draco," Hermione sighed, wrapping her arms around him as he seemed to break apart, knowing there was absolutely nothing she could say. His mother was dead. This Narcissa was not her. "Let's get you home, sweetheart," she murmured once he was calm.
Numbly he followed her through the floo, not protesting when she arranged them on the bed so her tiny frame was wrapped around him.
"I wish I could make it better," she whispered. He tightened his hold on the arm bracketing his waist.
"You do. Just… stay with me."
"Always, sweetheart. You're stuck with me."
"Promise?" he asked quietly, sounding more vulnerable than Hermione had ever heard him.
"Promise," she agreed, as she hugged him tightly.
"Did you know that Madam Umbridge has been secretly sleeping with Minister Fawley and arranging for him to sign some delightful anti-being's laws?"
Dorea turned slowly to face Fabian. "And how would you know that?"
"Ah, we've not been cleared for active duty yet. We're still on paperwork. It's amazing what you hear in the office."
"I see," Dorea murmured. "And can it be proven?"
"No."
She hummed. "Thank you for letting me know." Fabian watched her, a small worried frown creasing his face. The witch was planning something.
"Hermione, darling, would you like to accompany me to the Ministry today?" Hermione frowned up at her grandmother. It had been over a week since Draco's meeting with Narcissa and Draco was still struggling. They hadn't left the Manor.
"I… not really. Draco's still… grieving."
Dorea hummed. "I'll send Remus to talk with him. You really do want to escort me, darling."
"Alright," Hermione agreed slowly. "Do I need to dress up?"
"The blue robes, dear. Have Trixie fix your hair. We leave in an hour."
Frowning, Hermione moved to comply, wondering what the fuck was going on.
"Grandmother, why are we here?" Hermione asked as they reached the Ministry.
"You'll see." She smiled serenely as they handed their wands to the security witch.
They exited the lift at level two, walking briskly towards the Improper Use of Magic office. "Madam Umbridge please," Dorea smiled at the receptionist.
"Do you have an appointment, Madam…."
"Oh. Potter. And no, we do not, but my granddaughter and I really do wish to speak to her. Are you sure you can't squeeze us in? I'd be so grateful."
The witch sighed, just as Amelia appeared. "Dorea! Hermione! What are you doing here?"
"Oh, we were just trying to arrange to speak to Madam Umbridge."
Amelia froze. "Oh?"
Dorea waved her hand carelessly with a smile. "Nothing to worry about dear, although you're welcome to join us."
The receptionist relaxed at that statement. If Amelia knew them they were likely safe enough.
"Hello, Delores." Dorea's smile was shark-like as she stepped into the small office. Kittens on plates lined the walls making her grimmace slightly in distaste before she rearranged her face into a more pleasant mask again.
"Do I know you?" Delores Umbridge looked up, taking in the regal, well-dressed woman in front of her. At her side was a girl who was equally as well dressed but whose expression made her nervous. Amelia Bones was leaning against the wall watching with interest.
"Oh no, I don't imagine you do. Dorea Potter, my granddaughter Hermione. We're here to have a little chat."
"Oh?"
"You see, I heard you're making things rather difficult for my soon-to-be son-in-law. Your Uncle Sirius will propose soon, dear, won't he?"
Hermione arched a brow at her grandmother's phrasing before deciding to go with it. "Of course, he will," she scoffed. "He wants those crups."
"Indeed," Dorea agreed with a slight laugh. "Now. We are going to have a chat about those laws, Delores, and what you're going to do about them. I'll give you a clue. You're going to retract every single anti-werewolf law you've had passed and then you're going to leave here. Or I… or more likely my granddaughter, is going to make things rather difficult for you. She's better at it, you see… less squeamish. Although, I was a Black, and if you force the issue I will, of course, rise to the occasion."
Amelia almost snorted as Dorea made it sound like she genuinely regretted what they were about to do.
"You cannot threaten me!" Delores spluttered.
Hermione laughed. It was cold and unsettling. "Oh those weren't threats," she spoke softly, causing the hairs on the back of Delores' neck to stand on end. There was something dangerous about this witch. "If I was going to threaten you, I would begin by detailing exactly what I would like to do to you. It begins with locking you in a room with your greatest fear… I'd probably throw in some dementors. You like those, don't you Delores? Maybe, I'd arrange for a little trip to Azkaban… after I've snapped your wand of course. Maybe… just maybe… I'd have you write lines until the message… sinks in. 'I must not be such a heinous bitch' might work. I wonder how long it would take? Ten lines… twenty… one hundred…. I've got time. Of course, you'd need to use my quill… No ink required."
Delores paled, the witch's voice had never risen above her original whisper, but something in the way she spoke left her with no doubt that she'd follow through on her threats. "A blood quill! Those are illegal!" she spluttered eventually
"I know," Hermione agreed, looking utterly unconcerned.
"You are law enforcement!" She looked at Amelia. "Stop this! These women are clearly insane!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Delores."
Delores paled. "You cannot be serious."
"Oh, but we are," Hermione smiled, showing all her teeth.
"Now, we appear to have veered off topic," Dorea chided, looking at Hermione. "It's time to sort that legislation."
Delores whimpered as Hermione trained her wand on her. "It's up to you," she stated conversationally. "Of course, if you don't like my grandmother's plan, I'm more than willing to enact mine. I must admit I like it much, much better."
Delores had all of the anti- werewolf laws retracted by the end of the day. She had left the Ministry by the end of the week. No one had any idea where she had gone.
"Tell me you didn't actually murder her?" Charlus asked his wife finally.
"Don't be absurd," Dorea scoffed.
"Dorea!" Charlus exclaimed, watching her face carefully. "Tell me you didn't let Hermione murder her?"
"What do you take me for? We simply… left her with an uncontrollable urge to travel and maintain an unremarkable existence."
"Really?" he asked, not believing her for a second.
"Really!'' She insisted. He didn't need to know that Hermione had left her in a room with a boggart for over an hour until the woman had been terrified out of her mind and willing to agree to anything. After all, mind modification was much easier when the participant was willing. And he definitely didn't need to know that Hermione had used one of the woman's own blood quills against her. It wouldn't scar. No one would ever know. No… Charlus was too soft-hearted sometimes. He wouldn't approve. But she was a Black, and no one got away with harming her family.