A/N: Thank you to everyone who has commented on this, I simply love seeing what people are thinking and feeling as this progresses.
Alpha love as always to TriDogMom!
Hours later, having napped most of the afternoon away following her shower, Hermione was waiting for Draco to return home so they could go visit her parents in her childhood home. Throwing down a light summer dress, aiming vaguely for the overnight bag she was packing, Hermione turned and admired her bump in Draco's full length mirror. Prior to Draco's question about what she wanted, Hermione hadn't given much thought to the gender of her children, having been so focused on the surprise of falling pregnant and the subsequent issues. But knowing she was going to have a son and a daughter suddenly made the whole concept of motherhood much more real. It had taken her a while but she could finally say she was excited to become a mum.
These two little flickers that she carried would grow right before her eyes, blossoming into fully fledged mini humans. Challenging her and Draco constantly to be better, do better. As if they could tell she was thinking about them, the twins began to wiggle and squirm inside her, a new feeling which delighted and surprised her every time it happened. To begin with, it had just felt like a subtle itch beneath her skin but when she'd mentioned it to Draco his face lit up and he excitedly told her those were the first signs of movement. Since that point, everytime she mentioned feeling movement Draco's hands were there, waiting for the day it was strong enough for him to feel.
Lifting up the hem of her shirt, Hermione stepped closer to the mirror and inspected the stretched skin of her stomach, her fingers tracing the lines where faint stretch marks could be seen. Thinking of Draco and his adorable excitement for the scan, Hermione felt a flutter of guilt. After everything they had been through together she still hadn't opened up to him. The words I love you replayed in her mind, forcing her to try and dissect her reaction to his statement.
Hermione had no doubt that she felt something for Draco. Everytime she pictured her future, he was in it— part of it— it. But knowing that didn't quell her fear. She had opened herself up so completely to Ron and invested so much of herself into their relationship that the prospect of doing that again with Draco terrified her. To say those words back to him, meant she had fallen in love with him and that simply wouldn't do. How could she be in love with him so soon? As she turned to look at the other side of her bump, hoping to gain a new perspective on her thoughts, Hermione found Draco stood in the doorway, his hungry gaze lingering on the swell of her stomach.
"Remind me to thank you mother again for that body lotion," Hermione remarked, moving to settle the shirt back down over her stomach, "it's an absolute dream and has helped keep the stretch marks at bay."
However, before she could finish re-dressing herself Draco had crossed the room and halted her progress, his hands spreading to touch as much skin as physically possible. "No need to cover up for me," he murmured into Hermione's ear, his breath making her shiver as it tickled her skin. As much as their earlier conversation still stung, he simply couldn't resist seeing Hermione's bare skin, stretched to accommodate his children.
"I'm not," Hermione assured him, trying to dislodge his hands so she could continue packing, "I got distracted and if we don't get moving soon we'll be late for dinner."
"Your parents won't mind if we're a few minutes late," Draco insisted, placing a kiss on Hermione's neck as he tickled at her sides.
"I know that," Hermione agreed easily, sliding her fingers between Draco's and using his hands to pull her shirt down, "but you know I don't want to miss putting Ajax to bed."
"Fine," Draco sighed with a theatrical roll of his eyes that only made Hermione laugh, "do you need a hand packing?"
"Nope," Hermione said throwing a few more pieces into her bag, they were only staying with her parents for two nights and had no specific plans but without her magic Hermione thought it prudent to pack a few options lest she have to send Draco back to retrieve something she later needed. "Are you ready?"
"Ready to leave or ready to formally meet your parents?" Draco queried, flashing her a smile as he lifted his already packed bag from the floor, "I have different answers for both questions."
When the weekend had been originally suggested, Draco had been thrilled. Meeting the parents— formally— felt like a big step in the right direction. For the first time he wouldn't be the guy Hermione was bullied by at school, he wouldn't be the guy that had turned into a friend or the guy who had mistakenly got her pregnant. He would be Draco Malfoy, the guy Hermione Granger took home to her family. Yet, he felt awkward.
Draco wasn't intending on hiding his affections from Hermione's parents, he wanted to act naturally. But he could tell he was going to be questioning his every move, over analysing every touch. He didn't want to give the impression they were something they weren't and without any definition from Hermione yet, he felt lost in limbo.
As Hermione zipped up her own bag, she looked up at him and smiled, "you'll be fine," she said before turning and leaving the room. "They've met you before and didn't give you a hard time."
"This is different," Draco insisted, following Hermione from the room. He wanted to make a good impression with Hermione's parents. When they visited whilst Hermione was in hospital, he'd had Potter talking him up which had been a nice surprise but he didn't want Hermione to need to do that. Draco wanted her parents to like him, for him.
"Just be yourself Draco, if they can forgive me for wiping their memories they can deal with the fact that you were a prat at school," Hermione promised him, her hand resting against his cheek. "Despite everything I've done to them, they still trust me and they trust my judgement so please, just relax."
"I'll try," Draco confirmed, resolving himself to take the lead from Hermione. If she sat close to him, he'd embrace her. If she leaned in for a kiss, he'd return it. Looping his arm around Hermione's waist, Draco clung to her tightly and concentrated his thoughts on her parents home before apparating them away.
Hugo and Maia Granger were nothing like Draco had ever experienced before. As he and Hermione walked across the threshold to their modest home, Draco had his hand firmly shaken by Mr Granger before being embraced by Mrs Granger. All while Hermione was frantically greeted by the zooming two year that was Ajax, her younger brother.
Their home had a warmth, something he had previously only associated with Hermione and Draco very quickly realised it was her parents' influence. Despite his anxiety, it was almost impossible to feel under scrutiny when every word and action carried with it some kind of familiarity.
Depositing their bags in Hermione's old bedroom, Draco quickly returned to the kitchen where they shared dinner. A lively affair which was in stark comparison to the family meals Draco had been used to growing up. What would have been a quiet conversation at the Manor was spirited debate, laughter and a small amount of bribery to try and get Ajax to eat his greens. As they finished up dessert, a steaming and sumptuous apple and blueberry crumble, Hermione's mother announced it was time to put Ajax to bed and for the men to clear the table.
With a laugh, Draco watched as Hermione joined her mother, trying to cajole a moping Ajax as she carried him from the room. As the door closed behind them Draco suddenly realised he was alone with Hermione's father. Draco watched as he stood from the table and began rolling up his sleeves, as he began to stack their plates Draco whipped out his wand and stood, "please, allow me Mr Granger."
"None of that Mr Granger nonsense, it's Hugo," he replied, watching as Draco levitated the plates over to the sink and charmed them to wash and dry themselves. "I thought I told you that at the hospital," Hugo continued, teasing, "I've never known someone as young as you be so formal."
"Force of habit I guess," Draco answered, shrugging his shoulders as the plates returned themselves to their appropriate cupboards.
"You need to loosen up," Hugo commented with a laugh, Draco almost reminded him of his younger self. Working so hard to live up to the expectations of his parents, until Maia came along that is. "Enjoy your life, you only get to live it once you know."
Nodding as he absorbed Hugo's wods, Draco followed him into the living room, accepting a glass of what he assumes is whiskey if the colour is anything to go by. Settling himself in one of the two sofas, Draco wondered if he needed to try and explain where his formality came from, but he was saved by Hugo asking, "is Hermione really as well as she tells us?"
Surprised, but doing his best not to show it, Draco took a sip of his drink and answered Hugo honestly, hoping the man would respect him for it instead of possibly berating Hermione later. "Physically, she is perfectly well and the babies are healthy, but magically… the Healers can't give us any indication of when her magic will return or how powerful it will be."
"In all honesty," Draco continued, almost finding it reassuring to voice his concern to someone who knew Hermione so well, "Hermione handled it all brilliantly but I'm worried about the what if's."
"What do you mean?" Hugo asked, pulling himself forward in his chair so his elbows could rest on his knees, his own tumbler of whiskey held loosely in his hands.
"Well," Draco hesitated, unsure if he could continue until he remembered Hermione's declaration that she didn't hide anything from her parents now, "the Ministry have reduced her hours because she can't magically do a lot of the work she used to. So, what if her magic never comes back and she is deprived of doing the job she loves?"
Draco watched as Hugo pondered his statement for a moment, noticing as he did so that Hermione got her exact hair and eye colour from her father. "If I know my daughter like I think I do, there are probably at least ten different jobs she could do and love just as much as being an Unspeakable. As long as she's learning, she's happy."
With it put so simply, Draco wondered why that particular thought had been niggling at him for so long. Hugo was right, the one thing Hermione loved above everything else was knowledge and Draco could think of countless opportunities where she could put that thirst for knowledge to good use.
"Did the hearing at the Ministry go well?" Hugo queried as Draco sipped at his drink again, "I liked Ron. He and Harry worked so hard to find us when we were in Australia."
"You can imagine how shocked we were when Harry turned up and told us about Hermione's accident," Maia stated as she and Hermione joined them in the living room.
"Not as shocked as I was when I woke up," Hermione retorted, settling herself down next to Draco as her mother sat with her father. Part of why they were spending so much time with her parents this weekend was to have the opportunity to bring them up to speed with the rollercoaster that was her life.
"In answer to your question, Hugo," Draco began, pulling Hermione in tightly to his side, "it went as well as these things can go."
"Meaning what?" Maia enquired, her sharp mind wanting to know the facts of the matter.
"Meaning," Hermione answered, steeling herself to get all the information out, "Ron had committed three transgressions whilst he was an Auror, of which I only knew one." When no one made to interrupt her, Hermione continued, "when he was in training he lost his temper and hexed his trainer, after the simulated duel was over, that was strike one."
"Strike two happened whilst we were separated. Ron slept with Olivia whilst they were on a mission— the first one after our separation began— which usually, as long as it doesn't affect their work isn't an issue, but…" Hermione paused, willing herself to say the words.
To say she had been shocked when Madam Bones announced Ron's second transgression would be an understatement, if it hadn't been for the strength of Draco and Ginny sitting next to her, Hermione was sure she would have passed out. Taking a deep breath, Hermione composed herself as Draco gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, "Ron got Olivia pregnant."
Silence echoed around the room and as it became clear that Hugo and Maia were in shock, and Hermione unable to continue speaking, Draco picked up where she had left off. "Ron's third strike was the unlawful breaking of his marriage bonds to Hermione. He's been ordered to pay reparations to Hermione for his negligence and has been stripped of his Auror's license as a result of his three strikes. If he chooses to, the weasel can retrain after the five year probation period."
"You nearly died and all he has to do is compensate you for it and he can't work?" Hugo asked, looking directly at his daughter. "Seems like your Ministry is going easy on him."
"They are," Draco responded, his ire at the whole sham of a case rising to the surface, "a plea deal was entered by his solicitor. They argued that given his role in defeating the Dark Lord and his great work as an Auror his sentence should be reduced and the Wizengamot agreed. Bunch of blibbering idiots..."
"Draco," Hermione admonished quietly, knowing that he would work himself up— again.
"It just infuriates me," Draco replied, looking between Hermione and her parents, "I nearly lost you— and them— yet he can carry on like…"
"I know, Draco," Hermione interrupted, placing her small hand against his cheek trying her best to soothe him.
"How are you feeling about all this, Hermione?" Maia asked in a quiet voice, recalling her daughter's conviction of her wedding day that Ron was the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
Moving her hand from Draco's face to entwine with his hand, Hermione pondered her mother's question for a moment. In the build up to Ron's trial she had been an absolute wreck, the anxiety of seeing him again with so many curious eyes watching the collapse of her marriage combined with the ache in her chest when she thought of how they used to be had almost crippled her. But, it had been in her worst moments that she had done some of her clearest thinking.
It was okay to be mourning the loss of her relationship with Ron, to allow her to move on she needed to let go of the past, nothing was going to change it now. Did she wish they had parted on better terms? Absolutely. No matter what the press speculated, Hermione hadn't enjoyed any part of Ron's arrest and incarceration.
"I've made my peace with it," Hermione answered honestly, leaning into Draco's embrace as she spoke, "I wish it hadn't happened like this but we survived and I am glad Ron didn't get sent to Azkaban."
"Speak for yourself," Draco muttered darkly, holding Hermione tightly to him, it wasn't in his nature to be as forgiving. Especially not when he had served his time and was still seen as somewhat a social pariah for the hideous brand on his forearm.
"I'm still struggling to wrap my head around everything," Maia admitted, "we saw you that day for Ajax's birthday and then the following morning Harry was here telling us you were in hospital… everything has moved so fast."
"But she's here, Maia," Hugo spoke bracingly, giving his wife a one armed embrace and a small shake to chase away her dark thoughts. "Our Hermione is a fighter, a trait which she seems to have passed onto those grandkids of ours."
"Oh stop it," Maia said with a small laugh, her attention focusing back on Hermione and Draco. "I'm too young to be called Grandma! You two have aged me before my time."
Hermione scoffed, "you had me when you were seventeen mum! Yaya probably said the exact same thing to you!"
"Yaya?" Draco queried as Hermione, Maia and Hugo laughed.
"My mother," Maia answered, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, "she was a very traditional woman and I got a very strong telling off when I told her I was pregnant."
"I thought your father was going to castrate me," Hugo added, his mouth curling into a grin as he looked at Draco, "I was considering doing the same thing to you."
Draco gulped and hastily rearranged his legs to protect his most precious parts, "I do hope that statement will stay in the past tense," he joked feebly as Hermione patted his leg reassuringly.
"I'll only make you one promise," Hugo replied, his voice light and teasing, "it'll be painless. I've got the equipment to knock you out."
At Draco's look of shock, Hermione burst out laughing, prompting her parents to join in with her. This is what she had missed during the dark years without them. Her parents were wonderful, free spirited people who both encouraged and guided her to make good decisions. They had always worked hard to provide for her and despite having Hermione so young, they never lost their youthful outlook.
Any issue could be solved with a bit of thought and dedication and her father had earnt the respect of her mother's parents over time. Sitting here with her parents and Draco, Hermione hoped her parents would allow Draco to earn their respect and judging by the atmosphere this evening, they were heading in the right direction.
With their laughter subsiding, Hermione chose to change the topic of conversation to something much lighter. "We had our eighteen week scan today."
"Ooooh!" Maia squealed excitedly, clapping her hands together. For all of her earlier joking, she was truly excited to become a grandmother, "did you find out the sex?"
"Yes, we did," Hermione answered, beaming as Draco passed her the most recent scan pictures.
"Tell us!" Maia demanded, poking Hugo in the ribs as he rolled his eyes.
Hermione looked briefly to Draco and at his nod of encouragement she spoke, "we're having a boy and a girl!"
"How exciting!" Maia enthused, getting up to embrace her daughter and Draco, "at least you won't have any difficulty telling them apart."
"I'm happy for you both," Hugo added sincerely, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he looked at his daughter. It was hard to be disapproving when her happiness radiated out of her, accentuated only by the look in Draco's eyes when he watched her.
"Thank you, Mr Granger," Draco replied, rubbing Hermione's arm as she yawned widely, "that means a lot."
"I've already told you to call me Hugo," Hugo answered, waving away Draco's foramility as Hermione sent a smile his way, "now, it looks like you two could do with an early night."
"You know Ajax is going to have you up at the crack of dawn," Maia teased, turning to refill her drink, "he loves having you stay."
"He wakes up that early?" Draco asked, naively hoping his own children would at least wait until seven, he could deal with that.
Maia laughed, looking at Draco in an almost pitying way, "Hermione used to wake us up before dawn, I would relish these next few months of sleep before it's all taken away."
"You'll be fine," Hermione said bracingly, giving Draco a quick peck on the cheek before she turned back to her parents, "I think we will head up now, I have a feeling you're right about Ajax and I need my sleep."
"Sleep well, my darling girl," Hugo said as he rose to give Hermione a hug on her way past, "and no funny business," he added, clapping Draco on the back as he followed Hermione out.
"Hugo!" Maia scolded as she gave both Hermione and Draco another hug, "it's not like he can get her any more pregnant than she already is."
"Goodnight mum, dad," Hermione said, slightly mortified as she opened the living room door and led Draco into the hallway.
"Yes, goodnight," Draco added, following Hermione carefully, "thank you for dinner."
"You're very welcome," Maia replied, her smile genuine as she watched the pair quietly climb the stairs, "sleep tight!"
With the bedroom window open and a cooling charm placed on the bed, Draco slipped under the light duvet and waited for Hermione to snuggle into him. With her head resting against his chest, Draco wrapped one arm around her back holding her close as the other worked its way up and under her nightshirt to settle against her stomach. "I think that went well," he whispered, his fingers tracing patterns against Hermione's skin as she shifted a leg up over his hip.
"It did," Hermione assured him, her body relaxing against him as his touch lulled her to sleep, "I told you they'd like you."
Pressing a kiss to her lips, Draco whispered her a goodnight before starting to drift himself. He struggled to believe that two people could be so accommodating and understanding, but that seemed to be the definition of Hugo and Maia Granger. Learning about their relationship and seeing the bond they shared still so vibrant instilled Draco with a strong sense of hope. They had endured so much and yet they still radiated so much positivity, it was astounding. If he and Hermione were half as happy as her parents, twenty plus years into the relationship— having got through hopefully the worst the world could throw at them already— Draco would count himself very lucky indeed.
Saturday with the Grangers passed by in a blur. They visited a nearby aquarium as it was Ajax's favourite place to visit. Once inside he wasted no time in grabbing Hermione's hand and then surprisingly Draco's, pulling them both towards his favourite fish. After Draco had shown the correct level of enthusiasm for the fish, Ajax proceeded to drag Draco to each tank, his exclamation of "fish!" getting louder and more excitable with each one that passed.
When Ajax's legs had begun to tire, Draco lifted him easily and carried him around the rest of the aquarium, not realising that the little tyke had passed out on him. As Draco placed the sleeping child back in his pushchair he caught Hermione's eye, she was positively beaming at him and Draco knew exactly what she was thinking. It was the same thought he had when watching Hermione and Ajax interact, she was going to be a brilliant parent.
Draco was grateful when, on Sunday morning, Hermione lured Ajax out of their bedroom with the promise of pancakes so he could get a bit more sleep. Trying to keep up with the two year old for the entire day after becoming the favourite had been tiring to say the least.
Sometime later, Draco was roused again but this time by the smell of the pancakes. Evidently, Ajax had made Hermione keep her promise of pancakes for breakfast and if the noise from the kitchen were any indication, Ajax was right in the thick of it, helping.
With a yawn and a stretch, Draco rolled out of bed and pulled on his old Qudditch t-shirt before securing the drawstring on his sleep shorts. Running a hand through his hair, Draco slowly padded down the stairs towards the source of the noise, a combination of music, laughter and voices.
"Mynee, no!" Ajax squealed in delight as Draco pushed the door open, the sight that met him stopping him in his tracks as his heart thumped unevenly.
Hugo and Maia stood at the oven, their backs to Draco as they cooked, the pair of them taking it in turns to sing along to the music playing, using the whisk as a microphone.
"If you say run, I'll run with you."
"And if you say hide, we'll hide." Maia sang back Hugo, her hand reaching up to ruffle his hair. It was then Draco noticed a very distinct, floury handprint on the back pocket of Maia's jeans and he promptly flushed pink for having seen it. But it wasn't their open flirting that stopped his heart.
It was Hermione.
It was always going to be Hermione that took his breath away.
As the music carried on playing, Hugo and Maia continuing to sing back and forth to each other, Draco's eyes zeroed in on his witch.
"Because my love for you, would break my heart in two."
Hermione stood on the other side of the kitchen, Ajax balanced on her hip with smudges of flour on her cheeks, blowing raspberries on his cheek as he squealed and wiggled trying to get away from her. She was glowing with life and Draco realised this was all he ever wanted.
"If you should fall into my arms, and tremble like a flower."
As she turned, smiling at him with such adoration he swore his heart stopped beating, Draco felt everything else fade away. He watched as she carefully swayed her way over to him, singing to Ajax under her voice, "let's dance, put on your red shoes and dance the blues, let's sway, under the moonlight, this serious moonlight," while Ajax giggled and squirmed against her.
Draco realised as she drew closer that if they lived together, he could have this, every morning. A home full of love and laughter. Their daughter balanced on Hermione's hip as their son barrelled into his legs.
"M-move in with m-me?" Draco stammered, forgetting they had an audience, seeing only Hermione and their future, "permanently?"
The sound of the whisk clattering against the kitchen counter and Hugo and Maia's gasps of surprise briefly jolted Draco back to reality, had he really just said that out loud? Looking up and seeing them turn away hastily, Draco felt his cheeks warm before panicking slightly at Hermione's silence. This was going to be like the scan all over again. Draco looked quickly back at Hermione to find her smiling at him, still sashaying her way over to him, seemingly unperturbed by his outburst.
As she reached him, Hermione took Draco's hand and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, still moving with Ajax as he reached for Draco. "Dance with us?" Hermione asked, smiling at the bemused look on Draco's face as he shifted Ajax onto his hip from Hermione's.
"I don't dance, Hermione," Draco said in a low voice, his body automatically moving in time with hers as she moved him slowly. He was grateful for the distraction of dancing and as Ajax chanted, "Myneeee and Dwacooo, daaaance."
As the song finished, the male singers voice crying out "let's dance" over and over, Hugo and Maia declared that breakfast was ready. As Hermione made to relieve Draco of Ajax, Draco stopped her, securing his arm around her waist so he could speak directly into her ear. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," he offered, feeling more and more like a fool.
"It's ok, Draco," Hermione whispered back, moving to meet his gaze. This weekend had been eye opening, seeing Draco put so much effort into interacting with Ajax had made her realise why she was so at ease with the thought of having his children in comparison to how she felt about having Ron's.
Draco was making a dedicated effort to prepare himself for his impending fatherhood, something she knew anyway due to the volume of books on the subject, but seeing him with Ajax warmed her soul. He was going to be at her side, learning how to be a parent along with her. They would be a team, a partnership. Reading the uncertainty in Draco's eyes, it came to Hermione he was giving her everything and all she gave him was uncertainty. "I was just surprised," she continued, placing a kiss against his cheek, "it's something we need to properly talk about, in private."
Relief flooded him, he hadn't pushed too hard, Hermione just wanted to have the conversation in a different setting. Which was definitely more appropriate than her parents' kitchen, Draco turned to see Hugo and Maia watching them discreetly as they served breakfast.
"Ok," Draco agreed, moving to join Hugo and Maia for breakfast as Hermione placed Ajax in his highchair, "later."
"Yes," Hermione answered, sitting down next to him and squeezing his hand, "later."
A/N — If anyone is interested, the song I have playing during breakfast with the Grangers is Lets' Dance by David Bowie. A little while ago I was struggling with what to write next and this song came on and I just had this idea of Hugo and Maia dancing around, whilst Hermione does the same with Ajax and it just makes Draco really see their future.
I'd love to know what you guys want to see next or how you think I'm going to finish this! I've got it written but I'd love to see if my idea aligns with what you guys want!