There's a lot of foreshadowing in this chapter.
When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see
No I won't be afraid
Oh I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
-Stand by Me, Florence + The Machine vers.
Hermione woke up the next morning to an empty bed and empty room. She groggily sat up, pulling the sheet with her as she assessed her surroundings, listening for the sound of either Draco or Scorpius, but she heard neither. They were probably downstairs, and as big as the new house was, it wouldn't surprise her if they were. She brushed a stray curl away from her face with a sigh.
After Draco had agreed to her ultimatum, they'd celebrated by falling into bed…after Scorpius was asleep, of course. They didn't have sex. Hermione didn't know when she would be ready for that again, if ever, and Draco was very understandable about it. However, he had still taken care of her, his face pressed in between her legs for what felt like hours, taking her breath away. She felt like she should feel guilty after everything that had happened, but she didn't, and it worried her that that didn't worry her.
After she'd taken a shower and put on some clothes, she made her way downstairs. The sound of voices reached her ears, an unfamiliar feminine one causing her eyebrows to raise in curiosity. As she rounded into the large dining, her eyes widened as they fell on none other than Mrs. Malfoy herself. The woman's back was to her, but she'd recognize that blonde hair anywhere. Her presence caught Draco's attention, and he paused the conversation to stand up and approach her with a smile.
"You're awake," he said, wrapping his hand around her arm and pulling her towards where he previously sat.
Hermione regarded the older woman with wary eyes, unsure of where she stood exactly. She knew perfectly well how Draco's father felt about her, but she didn't know if his mother felt the same way. The woman's eyes lifted to land on Hermione, an unreadable expression on her face as she regarded the brunette, making Hermione all the more nervous.
"You've met before, but the circumstances left much to be desired, to say the least," Draco began, hands resting on Hermione's shoulders. "Mother, this is Hermione Granger…my fiancée."
There was a brief silence, one filled with curiosity as she and Draco wondered what Mrs. Malfoy would do next. Suddenly, the expression on her face morphed, a small smile gracing her lips.
"It's lovely to finally meet you, Ms. Granger…well, meet you under better circumstances."
Hermione nervously chuckled, shaking the woman's hand as she agreed.
"I'll be right back," he whispered into her ear, gently squeezing her shoulders before exiting the room.
Hermione gingerly sat down, doing her best to ignore the way the woman's cold blue eyes assessed her.
"I noticed in Bulgaria, but never had the chance to tell you that you're very beautiful, Ms. Granger. My son has always had an eye for…pretty things, but pretty and beautiful are very different. I see it in the way you carry yourself. You have a beautiful spirit, as well."
Hermione felt her face heating up, taken aback by the sudden turn in conversation.
"Um," Hermione cleared her throat. "Thank you."
Mrs. Malfoy tilted her head, bright eyes drinking her in. Her delicate hands reached out towards the table to grab her teacup and saucer, taking a sip as she continued to regard her.
"You don't like compliments."
"I'm not used to them," Hermione immediately replied, experiencing a sense of déjà vu.
The blonde woman chuckled, placing her saucer down.
"I find that hard to believe. My son has never been one to hold in his opinions. Surely, he compliments you every chance he gets…"
"You're not wrong, but…it's still a little foreign to me," Hermione replied with a shrug.
"Draco's treating you well, I hope? Especially after that horrifying ordeal with that despicable Tom Riddle…"
Hermione's heart dropped.
"You know…"
"Of course. Draco never had any intentions of handing his father's head over to that cretin. We-."
She cut herself off, a small strained smile gracing her features.
"I…," she corrected, and Hermione looked down. "…did my best to help Draco in whatever way he would allow me in order to save you."
Hermione blinked, chest blooming with gratitude.
"Thank you," Hermione breathed.
Mrs. Malfoy waved her off, taking another sip of tea.
"Nonsense. You're the woman he loves, something I thought I'd never get to see. You will bring about the next legacy of Malfoy," she said, briefly touching Hermione's chin.
Hermione looked away at this, realizing that Draco's mum was unaware of their plan to run away.
"Your husband…he doesn't like me very much. Does he?"
The other woman sighed, seeming to choose her next words carefully. It was a moot point considering they all knew the truth. He did attempt to kill her, after all.
"Lucius…sees you as a distraction, an obstacle. Perhaps…even our downfall," she confessed.
Hermione's confusion must have been clear, because she continued.
"A lot of girls have been in and out of our son's life. None of them ever lasting for more than a week at a time. However, that was before he met you, and suddenly he starts acting different, doing all of these peculiar things he's never done before. Don't get me wrong, our son has always been a wild card, I guess you could say, but this was different."
Hermione leaned forward, listening intently.
"I know of the true nature of how your relationship started," she said, and Hermione's eyes widened in embarrassment. "Don't be ashamed, dear. Sometimes we do what we must to protect those that we love. That was the first sign. His spending habits have always been outlandish, and we can afford it, but never has he…invested so much in a woman before. It was…surprising, especially for a woman that he claimed to have no feelings for whatsoever."
Hermione didn't know how to respond to that, so she didn't.
"It bothered Lucius, I could tell. Draco's behavior was uncharacteristic, and that worried us. My husband more so than myself. When he started this war to protect you, it was then that I knew his true feelings, even if he never admitted to it."
"I…"
"Lucius sees you as something akin to a threat. The power that you have over our son is all too obvious, and considering that we don't know you very well, it's…worrisome, the potential that you have."
Hermione chose not to reply to that, realizing the truth in Mrs. Malfoy's words.
"Do you love Draco?"
"Yes," Hermione breathed, and the blonde woman smiled.
"I worried that I'd never hear that from my future daughter-in-law. My marriage was arranged. It wasn't unpleasant, not in the least, but there were no feelings there. Nothing besides lust, anyway," she chuckled.
Hermione laughed too.
"…but my husband and I grew to love each other. As happy as my marriage turned out to be, I knew that that wasn't the case for everyone, and with the way my son was, I worried that it would never be the case for him. We had been eyeing girls for quite some time, resigning ourselves to the fact that we'd have to pick a suitable girl for him. We'd had our hopes on that Greengrass girl, but…," she trailed off, a frown on her beautiful features.
It was then that Hermione remembered that Teddy had single handedly murdered that entire family, and she looked down.
"It's no matter, now. He's found you, and what a brave and beautiful woman you are."
The corner of her lips lifted just the slightest, eyes far away.
"I don't think I would have been able to do what you did…giving up your son like that."
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Mrs. Malfoy cut her off.
"A part of me is angry, the mafia wife in me. That is my grandson, our legacy, after all, but the mother in me is very impressed. Dare I say, I even look up to you a bit," she confessed.
"Me?"
She nodded.
"I know that must have been hard for you, and while I don't agree with it, it was very admirable. There's nothing in this world like a mother's love," she continued, taking Hermione's chin into her hand. "You'll find yourself doing all sorts of crazy things for him."
Before Hermione could reply, the sound of approaching footsteps reached their ears. Hermione looked up, and Mrs. Malfoy turned around just in time for Draco to enter the room, and he wasn't empty handed.
"Oh, he's beautiful!" Mrs. Malfoy exclaimed, standing.
Draco handed Scorpius to Hermione, and she stood too, Draco's fingers massaging her shoulders.
"Mum, this is Scorpius," he introduced.
The older woman approached, looking down at him with a blinding smile, and suddenly Hermione could see where Draco got it from. She reached out, running her fingers over his hair as her blue eyes studied him. Hermione watched, nervous.
Suddenly, like a switch, the smile fell from Mrs. Malfoy's face, an unreadable expression taking over. Hermione watched as her hand froze, face taught as she continued to stare at the brown-haired boy. Hermione blinked, feeling her nerves grow as she continued to stare at her grandson with that…look.
"Mother," Draco called.
His mother glanced at him before her eyes landed on Hermione, and Hermione almost stepped back from the intensity that she saw there. She stared at Hermione for a few more seconds before that blinding smile returned. She looked down at Scorpius, a slight chuckle leaving her lips.
"He looks just like Draco when he was a baby," she said.
Hermione felt her face brighten, chest blooming with relief.
"Really?"
Mrs. Malfoy looked up, smiling at the curly-haired girl, blue eyes sparkling.
"Yes, they could be twins."
Hermione gasped, eyes tearing up as she shakily stood on trembling legs. Her brown eyes followed the redheaded girl as she walked across the room, standing on the platform, facing her friend and mum.
"Ginny, my dear, you look-."
Mrs. Weasley cut herself off with a sob.
It was Ginny's final fitting for the wedding that was just around the corner, and she looked amazing. Slight alterations were done to the dress since the last fitting, and she was wearing the veil and jewels and heels and all. Her hair was curled, pulled into a romantic bun with stray curls framing her face.
"Ginny…," Hermione softly began, approaching her friend in awe. "You look…amazing."
Hermione wiped her eyes, unexpectedly overcome with emotion.
"Please, don't cry," Ginny pleaded, stepping down.
"I'm sorry," Hermione choked out, chuckling at Ginny's own crumbling expression.
"She's right, Ginny dear. You look positively enchanting. Harry won't know what hit him when he sees you," she chuckled.
Hermione and Ginny joined in, all three women conjoining hands.
"I only wish Ron was here to see me," Ginny suddenly whispered.
Hermione swallowed, heart clenching and stomach churning with so much guilt, she thought she was going to be sick. Mrs. Weasley reached up, laying her hand on Ginny's cheek with a small, sad smile.
"I know. We all do. He would have loved seeing his sister marry his best friend. Harry has always been like family, and nothing would have made Ronald happier to see it become official."
"Yeah," Hermione quietly agreed. "He would've made fun of Harry's 'monkey suit', but…"
They all laughed, Mrs. Weasley stepping away to talk to the dress shop owner. Ginny took Hermione's hand, a peculiar look on his face.
"…what?"
"How would you and your beau feel about…him being part of the wedding?"
What?
"What?"
Hermione had not been expecting that.
"Don't worry, we're not making him best man or anything. We actually decided not to replace Ron, and instead we'll have a moment of silence in his place for when he was supposed to walk down the aisle. It's just… You love him, and he loves you, and you guys have a kid and… I don't know," Ginny waved it off.
"No, please, explain…"
"Look, we all know that Ron wasn't over you, not in the slightest. He really regretted what he did, and if he hadn't been taken before his time, I genuinely believe that he would have regretted it for the rest of his life. That being said, Ron wasn't…completely heartless. I really do think that he would've been happy to see you happy, and… You are happy, right?"
Hermione nodded, swallowing. Ginny leaned in, voice lowering.
"I know that you're only staying for the wedding, and then you guys are leaving. It'll probably be the last time that we get to see each other, and…I don't want you wanting for anything at my wedding. I want you at your happiest. Plus, I want to get to know the man who stole your heart," she chuckled.
Hermione chuckled too, but it wasn't genuine. She grimaced as she stared at her friend, unable to voice that she didn't think it was such a good idea. For one, it was disrespectful to Ron's memory in a way that she hoped Ginny would never come to understand. In addition, she didn't know how safe that would be, bringing Draco Malfoy to her wedding.
"I don't know…"
"I really don't want to take no for an answer," Ginny replied, and Hermione sighed.
"I…will talk to him," she reluctantly said.
Ginny grinned, squeezing her hand.
"Great! Now, help me get out of this contraption. I don't know what I was thinking when I chose a lace-up corset bodice…"
"I think it will be fun," Draco grinned.
"Ugh, you're despicable," Hermione said, rising from the couch.
Draco reached out, pulling her back down with a low chuckle.
"You said she's not going to take no for an answer, right? Well, obviously, the only option is to accept. Besides, the last time I saw them, I didn't make the best impression."
She looked over her shoulder at him.
"Well, whose fault is that?"
"What are you so afraid of?" he questioned, brushing her hair over her shoulder, exposing her neck, planting a kiss there.
"I don't know. I just don't think it's a good idea…considering…"
"I'll be on my best behavior, I promise," he whispered.
Hermione heaved a sigh, leaning back into his chest.
"It's not right. You… You killed him and going to his funeral was bad enough, but… They don't know. They don't know the truth, but we do, and it's wrong."
"…so what are you going to do? Tell her no? What excuse will you use?"
"That it's dangerous, especially with a target still on your head," she answered.
Draco heaved a sigh, wrapping his arms around her, resting his chin on her head.
"Understandable, but it's not like it's a big wedding. It's intimate with friends and family, right? Besides, it isn't like there will be an announcement of my arrival. No one will know," he replied.
Hermione sighed again.
"…and Riddle is…practically harmless. He's paralyzed, Hermione."
Hermione bit her lip, remembering the incident at the mall. She suddenly sat up, slipping out of his arms. Her change in demeanor was obvious.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't… Last week, when I met with my parents at the mall, I thought I saw Riddle…standing across the food court," she confessed.
He turned her to face him, a frown on his features. He rested his hands underneath her jaw.
"Hermione, that's impossible. He's paralyzed, unable to even aim a gun, let alone stand. What you went through was traumatic, but-."
"I know what I saw. Draco, I'm telling you…he was there," she repeated.
Draco's frown deepened.
"He's-."
"I know what you said. I know what the papers and news said, but… What if he isn't paralyzed?"
Draco suddenly froze as her eyes met his, understanding bleeding into them.
"You think…"
"What if he's faking…to throw you off? To let your guard down?"
Draco suddenly stood, and she followed him into his office. She watched as he took out his cellphone, glancing up at her.
"…and you're sure of what you saw?"
"He was there, plain as day. What are you doing?"
"I'm contacting my father. If you're right, then this means we need…we need to figure out a game plan."
He turned to look at her then, grabbing her hand and pulling her closer. She looked up at him, leaning into his fingers as they grazed her cheek.
"I promise. He will pay for what he did to you, either by your hand or mine. I won't rest until you feel safe again," he said, brushing his lips against hers.
She returned the kiss, leaning into him.
"Scorpius is with Blaise," she guessed.
Draco suddenly pulled back with a sigh, a painful expression on his face as if just remembering something.
"…yeah."
She tilted her head, eyeing him.
"What's with that face?"
He frowned.
"…what face?"
"That one. You look like you're constipated…or having chest pains," she elaborated with a slight chuckle.
"It's nothing, uh… Yeah, he's with Blaise. They're outside," he said, the corner of his lips curving upwards just the slightest.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes," he assured with a nod, leaning down to kiss her again. "I love you."
Hermione squeezed his hand, a confuse frown overtaking her features.
"I love you too."
"Go," he sighed out with a nod towards the door, eyes brightening, and a smirk on his lips.
Hermione made her way outside, hearing the familiar sound of Blaise's laugh. He seemed to be talking to Scorpius, something he did often that made her smile. He was attached to him, that much was clear. As she exited the house, a familiar laugh reached her ears, and she froze.
She sprinted into the gardens, hair flying behind her as the sound of laughter grew louder. She rounded a shapely bush, coming to a stop, form halting in shock. Blaise stood facing her, a smile on his face as he cooed at Scorpius, who wasn't in his arms. His dark eyes caught her own over the shoulder of the man that stood in front of him, his back facing her. Blaise's grin grew, and he spoke, too low for her to hear.
Hermione exhaled, shoulders lowering with the loss of tension, brown eyes clashing with those the color of blueberries as he turned around.
"Hey, 'Mione."
She grinned, taking a step forward.
"Teddy..."
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