I am broken, I am insecure
Complicated, oh yeah that's for sure
I feel worthless, I've been hurt so bad
I get nervous you won't love me back
And I can't believe it, that you even exist
You know I would be dumb to give perfection up
How can I accept it, that this is so precious?
You know I would be dumb to give perfection up
You're rare
And I'm loving every second of it, don't you know?
Slipping out of the shower on Monday morning, Theodore Nott began mentally preparing himself for the day ahead. Draco was due to return to the office for the first time since Granger's accident and Theo was sure it was going to be a long day. With a longing look at Daphne's naked form, nestled soundly beneath his sheets, Theo crept quietly into the dressing room and changed into one of his many work suits.
It wasn't that Theo wasn't looking forward to seeing his friend and boss, it was that he knew he would have to give Draco the full rundown of what had happened during his time in France. It was for that reason alone he had hauled himself out of bed early so he could review his notes— again— before Draco arrived.
Placing a kiss against Daphne's head, smiling as she stirred and mumbled his name, Theo grabbed his wand and made his way to his study so he could Floo to the office. As he walked to his office, Theo thought back on his years of work with Malfoy Enterprises. Having been hired— upon Narcissa's recommendation— when Draco had taken extended leave following his release from Azkaban, Theo had overhauled the working practices and made sure the company ran like a fresh snitch. Pulling out the underhanded business practices by their roots knowing Draco wanted nothing left of his father's legacy. It had been tough, but Theo had enjoyed the work, found it rewarding and was proud of what he had accomplished in such a short space of time.
However, it also made Draco cautious around him when he did indeed return. Despite Theo's constant reassurances, he could tell Draco was still suspicious, no doubt thinking that Theo was trying to take his title of Chairman when it couldn't really be farther from the truth. If Theo had wanted to run his own business, he could have easily transitioned into the role his own father left empty in Nott Industries, but having looked at the accounts and their trading history Theo decided to liquidate. At least with Malfoy Enterprises, Lucius had tried to keep some streams of revenue legitimate. Nott Industries was basically illegal trading around the world, whether it be information, creatures or potions.
Draco's caution meant nothing could progress without his signature, and in a time where his absence had been so sudden there had been no fail safes put in place. Malfoy Enterprises had just entered an exciting new phase in their potion development sector, something that if they pulled off would revolutionise the way St Mungo's brewed their more complex potions, but to get that deal over the line Theo needed Draco's signature to transfer funds to their new ingredient supplier. Which he wouldn't have until later today. Had there been any competition in the market, Theo would have gone to France himself to obtain the signature but luckily the company's reputation and expertise meant St Mungo's were willing to wait those few extra weeks.
Walking into his office, Theo dropped into his seat behind his vast desk and pulled the first sheaf of parchment towards him. He had collated every article that had been published about Draco and Hermione during their break and every statement issued by himself or Potter to discount the false stories. It had been exhausting and every word from him had been carefully vetted by the company's press secretary. Theo hoped Draco would appreciate their effort to minimise the damage to both his and Hermione's reputations.
In the time since the initial article had been published, before Hermione had regained consciousness, the Prophet in particular had changed its view on Hermione specifically. What had begun as outrage at some unknown attacker harming the Golden Girl, quickly turned to a scandalous affair. One reporter even had the audacity to claim Draco had pushed her down the stairs following an argument when she refused to leave Ron and had subsequently been arrested. When the news broke that Ron had been arrested, well… that turned it into a conspiracy story.
Theo had even overheard two witches gossiping one night in the Leaky, about a week after Hermione and Draco's departure from the hospital, claiming that Draco had kidnapped Hermione and would only return her once Ron was free so he could have his lover back. Theo had laughed so hard, he fell clean off his chair.
Moving the news articles to one side, Theo eyed the second batch of paperwork. He knew it was all in order, having meticulously checked it all the night before but it never hurt to give it a final once over and make sure he had everything together for Draco to sign. The first item on his agenda was to get Draco to allow him to have Gringotts privileges for new transactions. There was nothing more humiliating than telling one of the teams you have working for you that you couldn't get them the funds they needed so they could continue with their work.
It was as Theo was finishing his second espresso of the morning that Draco appeared in his doorway, looking more relaxed than he had seen him in years. "I see you've had a good break," Theo said in lieu of a greeting.
"Fantastic, actually, yes," Draco replied, stepping further into Theo's office and shutting the door behind him so they wouldn't be interrupted.
"How is Hermione doing?" Theo enquired, leaning back casually in his chair. He had heard from Blaise that their time in France had been peaceful, no emergency calls to the Healer and no interruptions from the press but after seeing Draco so distraught in the hospital he wanted to hear it from him.
"She's doing great," Draco enthused, his face lighting up as he spoke of his witch. "She still doesn't have her magic but physically she and the babies are strong and healthy."
"Babies?" Theo queried, his brow arching as Draco's face tensed. After years of reading Draco, Theo knew he hadn't meant to let that slip. In the early stages Draco had been ridiculously tight lipped about Hermione's situation and Theo wondered just how much had changed in their two weeks away.
With a sigh, Draco responded to Theo's query, "it's all going to come out anyway so I suppose there is no harm in you knowing now. Hermione is expecting twins, my twins."
"Whoa," Theo exhaled, slumping back into his chair, the spring squeaking with the force of his movement, "you're gonna be a dad."
"I'm gonna be a dad," Draco replied looking slightly bemused, as if he hadn't thought of himself in those terms until that moment.
"Just wait until the press gets hold of that!" Theo chuckled, sitting himself forward. "When's the wedding? Should I be eagerly awaiting my owl with the invite? I can't wait to tell Daphne!"
"We're not getting married," Draco replied shortly, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
"Huh?" Theo responded dumbly, not understanding Draco's irritation. "She's having your kids, why on earth would you not be getting married?"
With a sigh, Draco leaned back in his chair, wishing for the day when he didn't have to sigh at the thought of marriage. "It's complicated," he stated, offering no further explanation.
After a few moments of silence, Theo recovered, deciding to strike whilst the iron was hot and push for Gringotts rights realising that Draco's time was going to be even more constricted than initially anticipated. "So then, shall we get down to business?"
At Draco's nod, Theo charmed his office for privacy and straightened himself up, ready to get everything he needed to keep the business performing at its best.
After a gruelling few hours, Theo stepped out onto Diagon Alley, relishing the fresh summer's day. Somewhat surprisingly, Draco had agreed to Theo's proposal and he was now able to get his job done without the constant need for Draco's signature. It was liberating, in a few short months Draco would be off with Hermione, raising their children and Theo would be… sitting in an office waiting for Daphne to be ready for all of that.
Stumbling as the thought blindsided him, Theo caught himself, where had that come from? He was happy with Daphne, wasn't he? There was no one else for him and he knew Daphne felt the same way, she just needed time to get to the same stage he was at.
Laughing suddenly, Theo realised that maybe he had more in common with Draco than he thought. Assuming he'd read Draco's irritation correctly, he wanted to marry Granger, legitimise the children and all that. To which she had either rejected him or hinted heavily it wasn't something she wanted. Something he also wanted from Daphne. When Theo truly thought about it, to an outsider it would be quite a daunting task but Daphne would have been primed for that since childhood, it was the daughters job to marry well and produce the next heir after all.
Not that Theo was ready for Daphne to be bearing his heir, but a steady relationship would be a nice change of pace, a steady commitment from the girl he loved. Losing himself to a fantasy of marriage and family, Theo almost lost track of where he was walking. It wasn't until he heard shouting that Theo stopped and looked up, his eyes quickly finding the source of the commotion.
"How dare you!" The blonde woman across the alley shouted, her back to Theo as she walked towards the other woman, gesticulating madly as she continued shouting. "How dare you show your face in public!"
Theo paused, he always enjoyed a good public spectacle and it seemed this witch was on a roll today. He watched as the blonde woman took a few more steps towards the source of her ire. From this angle Theo couldn't see who she was talking to as she continued to put on a show. "You should be ashamed of what you've done to Ron!"
Oh shit. Theo thought, taking a quick step to the left to see over the blonde woman's shoulder, hoping it wasn't who he thought it was. As he clapped eyes on the woman carefully backing away from the blonde, she spoke and Theo hastened into action. It wasn't a situation he really wanted to be involved in, but after seeing Hermione in the hospital and Draco's reaction to her accident, Theo couldn't stand there and allow the conversation to continue. If you could call it a conversation.
"He's the one that nearly killed me, Lavender." Theo heard Hermione reply as he approached, stepping up quietly behind Lavender as she erupted.
"So he could marry me!" Lavender screamed, taking those few extra steps towards Hermione, making her back up against the dirty brick wall.
Sensing now was the opportune moment, Theo darted around Lavender and placed himself in front of Hermione, enjoying the look of surprise on Lavender's rounded red face as he halted her progress. "What seems to be the problem here?" Theo queried, a small attempt to diffuse the situation. In reality, he had no idea how to stop a fight, let alone a girl fight, but given Hermione's current condition and her entanglement with his boss, Theo had to try something.
"Of course," Lavender scoffed, her hands flailing before forming fists at her sides, "of course you have a bloody Slytherin bodyguard. Is that Death Eater scum paying you overtime to keep an eye on his whore?"
As Hermione gasped, Theo adopted his best and most insincere smile. "I just happened to be strolling past," Theo explained with an air of calm, "but you should be careful just who you going calling a whore, Brown."
"Are you threatening me?" Lavender asked, making sure to raise her voice so the shoppers walking past could hear her.
"Not at all!" Theo exclaimed merrily, tucking his hands into his pockets, ever the picture of nonchalance. "I was merely reminding you that your reputation precedes you, rumour has it you're some kind of streetwalker."
Theo turned and smirked at Hermione as Lavender floundered in her rage, "I've heard she's been ridden more times than the Hogwarts training brooms."
"At least I'm not bringing a Death Eaters evil spawn into this world," Lavender seethed as Theo tried to guide Hermione past her and back onto the main street.
"Draco is not evil," Hermione said, speaking for the first time as she moved in front of Theo, recognising that hard glint of determination in her eye Theo stood back and watched with an idle fascination. "We haven't done anything to hurt you, Lavender. I was ready to sign those divorce papers and break the bonds safely but Ron chose to act on his own, knowing it was an arrestable offence. I may not have been perfect during our marriage, but nor was Ron."
"You know Ron came to me the day you told him you cheated," Lavender sneered, trying one last time to get a rise from Hermione but before Hermione could answer Theo stepped forward.
"I seem to recall that evening it was you who approached Weasley, not the other way around," Theo retorted, remembering the evening with perfect clarity. He and Daphne had stopped in at the Leaky on their way through to dinner, as they'd sat in their booth with their drinks, they watched in delight as Weasley had proceeded to pour out his soul to the barkeep and drown his sorrows. It hadn't been long before Brown made her way over to him and started making her move and before they knew it, she and the Weasel had disappeared in a roar of green flames. "Which means you are nothing more than a one night stand gone wrong."
With that, Theo placed a hand on the small of Hermione's back and forcefully led her away from the toxic spluttering bint, realising as he did so that Hermione was shaking slightly. As they reached the shaded awning of Fortescue's ice cream parlour Theo drew out a chair for Hermione before seating himself opposite her, "quite a first day back for you huh? I almost didn't recgonise you."
"You could say that, yes," Hermione mused quietly, breathing deeply as she tried to steady her nerves.
"Should I get Draco?" Theo enquired, now that he was alone with Hermione and Brown seemed to have disappeared, he wasn't too sure what to do with her. It went against his sensibilities to just leave the woman alone after she had been accosted, but aside from Draco's birthday dinner— where he hadn't been perfectly behaved— he barely knew her.
"No," Hermione answered quickly, surprising Theo with her sudden intensity, "thank you, Theo. I just need a minute to settle myself."
"Okay," Theo replied leaning back in his chair and turning his attention to the steady stream of shoppers. Theo supposed Hermione's reluctance to summon Draco was something to do with Draco's habit of over reacting where Hermione was concerned.
When she had been unconscious in the hospital, Draco had been like a man possessed, hounding the Healers for updates, belittling them when they couldn't predict when she would regain consciousness. Despite the fact that he knew they were doing the best they could, he had even admitted the Healers had been fantastic when they had visited.
Theo imagined that now he would react even worse, knowing for certain the children Hermione carried were his. Looking over at her now as she too watched the shoppers milling around, Theo appreciated the new hairstyle and how her pregnancy was more pronounced than it had been at the hospital. It made him think yet again of Daphne; how she'd look round with his heir, if she would want more than one of the little blighters and if they would ever get to that stage.
After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, Theo was interrupted by his thoughts by Hermione, "thank you, Theo. You didn't have to intervene but I'm grateful that you did," she said softly.
Laughing, Theo sat forward in his chair, "I think Draco would have bludgered me if I'd just walked on past, but that's not the reason I stopped. If Brown had cursed you, I wouldn't be able to taste that sumptuous chocolate cake you baked ever again."
"Well," Hermione giggled, "at least you're honest!" To which Theo grinned in reply.
"Now, what are your plans for the rest of the afternoon?" Theo asked, quirking an eyebrow as Hermione's face fell, "I need to be back at Malfoy Enterprises for a meeting this afternoon with your darling Draco and I'd rather not be late."
"Oh, yes, well," Hermione mumbled, her nails scratching over the scar on her forearm unconsciously, "I'm not needed back at the Ministry until tomorrow, I was going to shop until Draco finished but after Lavender…"
"Come back to the office with me then," Theo suggested, rising from his chair and extending his hand to Hermione, "Draco will be thrilled to see you."
"I don't want to distract him from his work," Hermione answered, placing her hand in Theo's and allowing him to help her up. "He's going to ask why I'm not going back to the Ministry, once I tell him he's not going to let it go."
"It'll be fine," Theo said reassuringly, leading Hermione back through the winding cobbles of Diagon Alley, "we've got a meeting this afternoon he absolutely can not skip out on. Sure he'll pump you for information but just ask him to take you home and promise him all the details later, simple."
"Have you met Draco?" Hermione questioned with a laugh, keeping pace with Theo as they made their steady way towards the Leaky so they could return to Muggle London.
"Funnily enough, I have," Theo answered giving Hermione a cheeky wink, "but I think you know him more intimately than I do."
"Shut up, Theo," Hermione bantered back, making Theo jump to the side to avoid a swift elbow to the ribs.
"You've been spending too much time with Daphne," Theo declared, pushing open the solid black door which led to the reception area of Malfoy Enterprises, "she always telling me to shut up in that annoying cute tone."
"You should probably learn when to keep your mouth shut then, Nott," Draco's voice called from the elevator he had just stepped out of, stopping Theo in his tracks as Draco looked between Theo and Hermione. "Everything alright?"
"Perfect," Theo remarked casually, trying his best to keep up his aura of nonchalance so their meeting this afternoon stayed on track, "I bumped into Hermione here in Diagon and she mentioned wanting to go home, knowing the restrictions on her magic we decided it best to bring her back here so you could quickly take her before our meeting." Theo kept his calm smile on his face as Draco looked to Hermione for confirmation of his statement.
"Theo's right," Hermione answered calmly, stepping toward Draco and pecking him on the cheek, "I'm not needed at the Ministry and I'd like to go home and nap please."
Watching as Draco turned all his attention to Hermione, Theo noticed how strong their bond seemed to be, the tension that was in Draco's shoulders had vanished and Hermione looked comfortable under Draco's careful scrutiny. Receiving a nod and a rare smile from Draco, Theo sensed he was dismissed and made his way upstairs to make sure the meeting room was prepared for their presentation.
When Draco returned not ten minutes later with a quick "thank you," before turning the conversation back to work, Theo breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention to re-reading his presentation notes for the fourth time.
Back at Draco's cottage, Hermione found herself unable to settle. Her nerves were jangled by the confrontation with Lavender. She knew there would be a backlash, expected it even, but Hermione had always thought it would be judgemental stares from strangers. Not verbal confrontations with her ex-husband's new girlfriend who also happened to be pregnant.
Making her way out into Draco's small garden, Hermione considered Lavender's words. Should she be ashamed? Despite the fact herself and Ron were on a break at the time she slept with Draco, she supposed she had technically had an affair in the most literal terms. She had slept with someone who wasn't her husband.
Searching her emotions Hermione realised she didn't feel ashamed at all. Lavender's insinuation that she should be angered her. They were adults for Merlin's sake. Adults that had decided to put their marriage on hold, a decision that should have never been made public or judged. As long as at the time she and Ron had been happy with their decision, no one else's opinion should matter. They had done what was best for them at the time.
The events that followed were outside of her control. How was she supposed to know her contraceptive would fail? Why was she the one getting condemned for being pregnant when Ron had gotten not one, but two witches pregnant in the space of a few months. Had they even tried to be responsible?
Realising working herself up wasn't good for her or the babies, Hermione turned abruptly and retreated to the living room. Wanting to use her energy for something productive instead of brooding, Hermione picked up the book Nariccsa had owled over the prior day. Just because the Ministry had reduced her hours so she only worked mornings didn't mean she couldn't continue her rune research in her own time.
Grabbing a glass of water, her notebook and her pen, Hermione settled herself in the plush cushions of Draco's sofa, crossing her legs beneath her. Placing the glass onto the side table, Hermione balanced Narcissa's book against her ankles where they crossed and opened it to the page she needed.
There, splayed out across the double page, were the runes carved into the floor of the cave pool. Hermione was grateful for Draco's initial reluctance to believe these runes were the reason she now carried his children. In the moment, Narcissa's story seemed to fit their own almost perfectly, but it was a theory that suited the facts. What Hermione really needed was facts to suit the theory.
Running her finger over the old worn page, Hermione recited the names of the runes before coming to rest on the one they had missed.
"Algiz," she whispered to herself, "the Elk; for protection, shielding and warding off evil."
After her accident, Draco had told her of the cage of light surrounding her as she lay unconscious in the water, something Harry later confirmed seeing in Draco's memory. She hadn't given much thought to where the cage came from or why it had protected her from death but now Hermione wondered if it gave more credibility to Narcissa's idea.
Studying each rune individually, Hermione thought back over the last few months and came to the startling discovery that all five of the runes seemed to directly impact her life. Eihwaz had provided her with the strength to carry on. Algiz had protected her from death. Berkano had blessed her with her children, offering her a new beginning and the opportunity to grow.
Fehu, however, could be attributed to so many things; luck at not falling further into the water, enhancing her fertility and ability to create the lives now growing in her womb and the energy to keep her heart beating when she was so close to the edge. The final rune, Ingwaz, had most likely increased Draco's fertility whilst also ensuring a safe environment for their children to gestate.
Resting herself back against the cushioned arm, Hermione closed her eyes and tried to absorb this new information. If she could prove that these runes affected herself and Draco, she was one step closer to unravelling the mystery of the caves magical signature. Idly, Hermione wondered if Draco would consent to do a fertility test? She was obviously fertile. Better yet, had his magical core been strengthened due to his extended exposure to the cave like hers had?
Feeling a flutter in her stomach, Hermione rested her hand against the area she'd felt the movement. As it happened again, Hermione was struck by a sudden thought— what if the cave had not only knocked out her contraceptive, but made her more susceptible to twins? Removing the books balanced on her legs, Hermione got up and made her way over to the bookcase, looking for the book of twin pregnancies she had bought long ago.
Lifting it off the shelf, Hermione returned to her seat and thumbed through the index, frantically looking for the page on how the conception of twins happened. She knew there were two different types of twins, identical and fraternal but which were hers? Would it put more stock in her pregnancy being assisted by the magic of the cave?
As she read through the pages, Hermione realised she would need to consult with Healer Bradstone. They were scheduled for their eighteen week scan in just under two weeks, having already decided to find out the sex of the babies Hermione wondered if she would also be able to confirm if they were identical or fraternal twins.
Reading the text again Hermione wondered if their designation would give any clues as to their conception. Identical twins were one fertalised egg which split into two separate embryos, sharing a placenta whereas fraternal twins were two completely separate eggs which implanted into the wall of the uterus at the same time.
The possibility for magical intervention was true in both cases. To conceive fraternal twins there had to be something in the mothers body to trigger the release of the additional egg, yet, for identical twins something triggered the fertalised egg to split. With no history of twins in her family, Hermione was no closer to understanding the mystery of the twins conception that she had been before her brainwave. She just had more questions.