In a blur the week had zoomed by, carrying Hermione to Saturday.
The hot water jetted out of the silver shower head and pelted against her skin, the warmth alleviating the pain that formerly resided in her back and neck.
The sound of the water against the tiles, like pearls falling to the ground, assisted in bringing her peace of mind. Her thirty minute showers always brought her troubled mind to a place of serenity, where positivity and self love roamed free.
She gave a distressed sigh as she turned the tap off, the icy air instantly hitting her. She left the shower quite begrudgingly, facing the full might of the cold Saturday morning.
"Quit your job."
"I'll pay you a hundred thousand galleons!" All through the morning, Draco's voice danced in her head, refusing to desist as Hermione attempted to shoo the pesky thoughts away.
I can't just quit my job and go work for Malfoy... Maybe if she skipped the meeting she was supposed to have with Malfoy, he would understand that she didn't want to help him.
But you have to help you... He saved your life!
And then there was that.
During the war, Draco had saved her from meeting a grotesque demise at the hands of Fenrir Greyback, the ruthless werewolf that had bitten Remus Lupin as a child and marred Bill's face.
Her grasp on her coffee mug tightened. She was still in his debt.
She threw a quick glance out the window, her eyes following the flock of birds that flew in the cloudless blue sky, their delighted tweets filling her ear. If only she was a bird. At least they could fly away from their problems. Alas she had to stay put and deal with hers.
Once she was finished with her breakfast, Hermione snatched her trusty beaded handbag from the desk and her sun hat from the coat rack, and flooed to Diagon Alley.
Even after the war, Diagon Alley managed to maintain its lively and jovial vibe. Many of the shops that had closed down during the war, a dark period of time, had reopened their doors, hoping to restore the tranquillity that Voldemort and his minions had destroyed.
Hermione caught sight of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and made a beeline for the bustling joke shop which gained fake quite quickly and became the number one attraction for witches and wizards.
As she pushed the large door of the boisterous joke shop open, she was immediately hit with a strong spell of happiness, the emotion dispersing throughout every inch of her body. She scanned the crowd of young customers in search of the owner's familiar face, and when she caught sight of his freckled face and his iconic auburn locks, she waved him over, now baring her teeth as she grinned. The facial expression was so foreign to her that her face struggled to adjust to it.
"Blimey Hermione is that you? By Merlin it's been so long!" George Weasley said, pulling Hermione into a warm embrace. His warm scent of polish and treacle tart caused her body to tingle in delight. "I know right! How have you been?"
"Why don't you drop by for a visit and find out!" He said with a chuckle that quickly evaporated as Hermione's expression quickly fell. "Oh."
Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry George. I'd like to visit but it's just that..."
"Ginny and Harry?" As much as she didn't want to admit it, it was true that she kept a distance from the Weasley's, her second family, because seeing Ginny or Harry there would hurt her deeply, reopening the sounds that weren't fully healed.
"George am I being petty? I mean it's been five years and I still-"
"Hermione, look," George interjected. "What Harry did wasn't great. You have every right to be angry and heartbroken, even after all this time. The heart heals at its own pace. All I want for you, as a big brother is to move on with your life, to find happiness, because bloody hell Hermione you deserve to be happy! I don't want to see you all mopey because of a prat that never deserved you."
Hermione chuckled, despite the steady stream of tears that cascaded down her face. George blanched. "Oh crap, I didn't mean to make you cry." He pulled Hermione into another embrace, the contact causing her laughter to morph into quiet sobs that slipped past her lips. The amount of love that oozed out of George and his words was enough to move her to tears, but this time of joy!
Once she was sure she was done with the waterworks, she pulled away from the hug, a smile plastered on her damp face.
"Guess who I received a letter from?" George said suddenly.
"Who?"
"Ronniekins. He said that he's popping by for a visit."
"Oh really? That's fantastic!" Ron had left at the beginning of the seventh year of Hogwarts, in search of a purpose. Being a war hero, the ministry funded his travels.
When Ron had left there was a sense of desolation that hung over Harry and Hermione, weighing down on their chests and threatening to cut off air circulation. The golden trio became incomplete, like a bicycle without its wheels.
For the first year of his travels, he had kept in touch, sending Hermione gifts from all the countries he went to. Then in the second year, communication began to dwindle, until he stopped sending letters altogether. Hermione blamed her busy schedule on their lack of communication.
"So when is he coming back?" Hermione asked, already feeling excited for her best friend's arrival.
"He should be here next Sunday. Mom is planning to throw a humongous welcome home party for him. I hope you'll grace us with your presence Hermione."
"I can't promise you that." Hermione said with a sad smile. George groaned. "Come on Hermione. We really miss you." Hermione caught the flash of anger that glimmered within his sky blue eyes.
Out of all the people that knew of Harry's transgressions, George was the most indignant about it. He was always on her side in the matter, providing a shoulder to cry on and slowly becoming a confidante for the brunette witch. He was the life jacket that prevented her from drowning in a sea of loneliness.
"Uhh listen George, I have to go." Hermione said, as she remembered the meeting with Draco. "Tomorrow I'm free. We can meet again, at that new coffee place that just opened."
"The one near Gringotts?" George inquired.
"Yeah that one. It was lovely seeing you again." She gave George one last hug, along with a peck on his cheek before walking hurriedly out of the joke shop.
George watched her retreating form, his mouth drawn into a tight lipped frown.
Sobs racked over her hunched form, her body gyrating with every cry that escaped her lips. Despite it being the middle of spring, it was a chilly night, the dark sky devoid of any stars. Just a crescent moon sat in the sky, providing little illumination over the darkened field.Goosebumps sprung on his skin as another cool breeze swept over them, whipping at their hair. His jumper had been wrapped around the crying girl's shoulder in a chivalrous attempt at sparing her from a cold.The night was too beautiful for so much sorrow, he thought bitterly.
Someday, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, she would too emerge from the ruin that was her life, and go back to being that headstrong, confident, Gryffindor he knew so well.
A thunderous crack sounded as Hermione appeared on front of the gates of Malfoy Manor. Once again she was returning to the palace of nightmares, a place she might need to start getting accustomed to.
The sun was already beginning to set, the horizon glowing with picturesque shades of peach and orange as it sank into the cluster of large trees that surrounded the gargantuan manor.
"You're late." A startled scream tore past her lips, as Draco's voice suddenly rang out beside her. She whipped her head in his direction, perplexed by how stealthily he managed to apparate beside her.
Tonight the Malfoy heir was adorned in a full set of wizards robes, the rich fabric billowing in the subtle evening breeze. His soft platinum blonde hair had been gelled back, glistening in the light of the emerging moon. The one thing he didn't change was his stone cold mask, which remained transfixed on his face.
"Come." Without warning his slim fingers wrapped around Hermione's wrist, the contact sending a jolt of electricity through her veins. He apparated them into the manor, this time to his study. He leaned against his desk, his icy gazed fixated on Hermione.
"Before we start, do enlighten me Granger. Why were you late?" He drawled menacingly.
"Uhm I assumed that you would want to see me until after dark? I mean I know you would rather shave off your head than be seen publicly with me." Hermione deadpanned, her arms crossed over her bosom.
Draco scowled, obviously not finding her banter amusing. "Very funny. Now follow me Granger." He said.
"Where to?" Hermione questioned sceptically.
"The whole purpose of this visit was for Scorpius to become accustomed to you. Even though you're extremely capable, I wouldn't leave my son with a woman he disapproves of." Draco explained. "If Scorpius is comfortable with your presence in this manor, then by tomorrow you can have your belongs moved here."
"My belongings? What are you-" Hermione said incredulously, before Draco interjected.
"This is a live-in job Granger. If ever Scorpius is in need of something, I want you to be at his beck and call." Draco said, his lip curling into a smirk. "I suppose that I should have told you that in the first meeting. Oh well, there's no going back now." The incredulous look on Hermione's face brought the Malfoy heir absolute bliss.
Great, just great. Not only was she going to work for Draco fucking Malfoy, but now she was going to have to live under the same roof as him! She cursed Malfoy and his proclivity for tormenting her.
They stopped at what Hermione assumed to be the young Malfoy heir's room. Draco brought his knuckles to the varnished surface of the dark oak door, and tapped on it in a repetitive and monotonous rhythm. "Scorp?" Draco called. He was met with silence. His face held its typical cold look, but Hermione could see that his silver eyes held a degree of panic. However, it dissipated almost immediately as Scorpius's young voice rang out on the other side of the door. "Dad?" Draco took this as his cue to enter. He twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open.
Scorpius Malfoy's room wasn't like the typical five year old's room. The interior design had been done solely in Slytherin colours, a typical theme for the Malfoy household. The only indication that a small child resided in this room were the toys scattered around a large mahogany toy box and the crayon drawings that beset the top of his desk.
Scorpius Malfoy sat cross legged atop the silver bedspread, a large white stuffed bear perched next to him and a book opened on his lap. "Scorpius." Draco called, grabbing the young boy's attention. Scorpius lifted his head from the book, his big silver eyes landing on his father.
Draco's Adam's Apple bobbed as he swallowed, and for the first time since their encounter in that alley, his cold façade was lost, overcome by a warm, fatherly look.
"Daddy you said you'd come tuck me into bed!" Scorpius whined, clinging onto his stuffed bear. "In a minute Scorp. Right now I want you to meet somebody." Almost automatically, Scorpius's big curious eyes travelled to Hermione. She squirmed with discomfort as his gaze began to penetrate her.
"Scorpius this is Hermione Granger." Draco said, gesturing at Hermione who waved awkwardly at Scorpius. "Hello Miss Granger." He said, waving back at Hermione. Then his eyes lit up, shimmering under the light of the chandelier that hung above them. "Are you my new tutor?"
"Why yes Scorpius, I am your new tutor." Hermione said, as she walked over to the four poster bed. The bed sunk as she took a seat on the bed beside Scorpius. "Wacha' reading Scorpius?"
"It's a new book Daddy bought me. It's called The Adventures of Leila Brown and The Magic Treehouse. I read up to the fifth page without daddy's help." He said quite proudly.
The resemblance between Draco and Scorpius was so uncanny, Hermione could hardly believe it. It was like looking at first year Malfoy all over again.
Of course there were several minor things that set them apart, like for instance Scorpius had more of a button nose while Draco's nose was angular, and Scorpius' ears were a bit bigger than Draco's. It seemed that while Scorpius was a carbon copy of Draco, he inherited certain qualities from his mother, whoever that was.
"Hey Scorp, is it okay if I call you that?" He nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, how about I read you the rest of the book. I reckon it will be much faster." Hermione suggested.
"Sure!" He exclaimed exuberantly. Hermione lifted the book from his lap, and positioned herself comfortably on the bed, her back rested against the pillow and her feet on the bed. She froze as she felt something warm brush against her thigh . She threw a quick glance downwards, her heart beat quickening as she noticed that Scorpius had rested his head against her thigh, his big eyes looking up at her expectantly.
Clearing her throat, she brought her eyes back on the glossy animated pages of the book. "But Leila had a very big problem. Her friends, Michael and Romilda, were stuck in the tree house with no way of going down. The ladder had been removed so she couldn't climb up! The only way to get up and save her friends was to fly using the broomstick, but Leila didn't know how to fly! So..." Hermione read on and on to Scorpius, who was rapt by every word that left her lips.
Hermione read with a degree of exuberance that made young Scorpius feel like he was alongside the characters, facing their trials and tribulations. She read and read, not even halting for a second as the wonder in his eyes drove her onward. As she caught the wonderstruck look in his eyes, she couldn't help but be struck by a heavy feeling of nostalgia. She was witnessing the birth of a bibliophile.
"...and so Leila, Romilda and Michael managed to escape doom and live happy ever after. In the end, all was well." It wasn't until she heard soft snores leave the young boys mouth that she stopped. Hermione beamed, her heart swelling at the sight of his angelic sleeping face. Looking at him made her ponder on how somebody as cold, cynical and indifferent as Draco could've produced something as angelic as little Scorpius. It hardly seemed possible!
"He's asleep?" Hermione directed her gaze to the door, where Draco stood leaning against the threshold. If it wasn't for the fact that he was out of his robes and barefooted, his hair lightly dishevelled, then Hermione would've thought that he had stood there the entire night. "Yeah... He just fell asleep." Hermione said.
"Alright, come on Granger time to go." The words immediately brought a rise out of Scorpius. All thought of sleep vanished as he shot upwards to a sitting position, and clung onto Hermione, his vice like grip squeezing the life out of her. "Please daddy, I don't want her to go." He begged, his voice reduced to a whimper, his bottom lip stuck out.
Draco sighed distressingly, pinching at the bridge of his nose. "Relax Scorp, She'll be back tomorrow I promise. Now let her go!"
"You said that about my last tutor!" He whined. Hermione huffed, both flustered and flattered that Scorpius took a liking to Hermione so quickly. She set her hand on his head of silky silvery hair, the action pacifying him almost instantly. "I promise that I'll be back Scorpius. Tomorrow I can bring you a book I read as a child. You'll love it I promise!"
Reluctantly, he retracted his hand from around her, allowing her to stand up from the bed. His eyes glazed over with tears. Draco sighed, heavily distressed by his son's recalcitrant behaviour. "Now I need you to go back to sleep. Little boy's like you shouldn't be up this late." He reprimanded.
Scorpius sank underneath the covers, his blonde head the only thing visible to both Draco and Hermione. "Goodnight daddy... goodnight Ms Granger." He mumbled, his voice muffled by the covers. With a snap of Draco's fingers, the lights went off, darkness taking over briefly before the soft illumination of Scorpius' night light filled the room.
Draco closed the door, his body slumped with exhaustion.
"Well... I didn't expect Scorpius to warm up to me that quickly..." Hermione said, her words accompanied by a chuckle.
"Oh it's nothing special Granger. Scorpius just has an unhealthy tendency of clinging to people too quickly." Draco said, as he began to walk towards his study. Hermione followed behind.
"He became too attached to the previous tutors I had assigned for him, and when they eventually left he was absolutely devastated."
Then without warning, Draco halted his steps, before turning towards Hermione. "That's why," The emotion that previously resided in his eyes quickly began to dominate his face. "I need you to be committed to helping my son. He's already enthusiastic about having you as a tutor Granger, so you can't turn thus offer down. You are now obligated to help my son." Silence ensued, allowing Hermione to absorb Draco's words. His steely gaze pierced through her, refusing to relent until he was sure that she was willing and devoted to tending to his son.
Draco was asking for too much. How could she make helping Scorpius her number one obligation when there were still many, many things she needed to prioritise in her life?
But refusing to help Draco in his seemingly desperate time of need would cripple her sense of righteousness. Scorpius' teary eyed gaze flashed in her mind. And that poor boy. With his father always working to ensure they kept their lavish quality of life, and his mother who knows where, the boy obviously was in need of a companion. One house elf was barely enough to keep him company.
A huff of exhaustion left her mouth as she opened the door to her apartment. Once again her Saturday ended on quite an interesting note. Not only did she have a new and certainly interesting job, but she also had a new home (Well not home per se; just a much luxurious roof over her head).
The lights went on, illumination filling the previously darkened space. A scream tore past her lips as her eyes caught the figure that sat comfortably on her sofa, as if they were not fazed by the owner of the house they intruded catching them.
It took her a moment of getting over her shock to realise that it wasn't just any intruder sitting on her sofa.
His auburn locks that once barely touched his neck now cascaded over his shoulder, and the pallid, freckled skin of his arms was inked for wrist to shoulder. Just as always, his sky blue eyes twinkle with mischief, reminiscent of the days she had spent in Hogwarts with her two troublesome best friend.
An array of emotions all ranging from anger, to sadness to happiness filled her to the brim, the intensity of the emotions triggering a steady flowing stream of tears.
Five years is a long time not to see your best friend, but now that he was sitting before her eyes, five years worth of longing, hate, love and happiness were beginning to reveal themselves in the form of the tears she was shedding. He rose from his seat and approached her, his lanky arms wrapping around her in an embrace.
"Blimey Hermione, it was never my intention to make you cry!" He chuckled, rubbing soothing circles on her back, the action only amplifying her tears.
She attempted to speak, but only sobs spilled out of her mouth, leaving no room for a single word.
After five years of sadness and loneliness, her heart finally felt whole again.
Ron was here, and for the moment being all was well.
Authors Note
Ahh!! I'm sorry I'm late with the update! I promise I'll be on time.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Your feedback will be highly appreciated.
