Author's Notes:
I took the liberty here to include a Christmas season tradition that is common in my corner of Europe, and parts of France—mostly because I loved it as a child. And it works out, thanks to Fleur. ;-)
My usual thanks to the lovely people who keep me running with their patience and support!
MusicLover19 for proofreading the chapter, and to Debbie, Linda, Katie and Evora for being as lovely as you are! Love you all! :-**
Now, enjoy!
Chapter 26 – Saint Nicolas Day Surprise
"I'm so glad you decided to come," Molly said as Hermione stepped out of the Floo at the Burrow for the celebrations of St. Nicolas' Day, a tradition that Fleur had brought into the family and which was especially loved by the children. "You look better."
"Thanks." Hermione smiled hesitantly, glad that Molly didn't pull her into one of her famous hugs. She could hear the rest of the family chat in the living room, with the children playing and running around, and it brought back a brief image of her panic attack she had suffered only a few days ago.
"You don't have to stay long if you don't feel comfortable, okay? They'll understand..."
"I'll be fine, Molly," Hermione replied with a soft shake of her head. "It's all about feeling safe, and this is one of those places where I do feel safe."
Molly smiled and nodded towards the door to the living room. "Ready to join the others then?"
Hermione nodded, but then reached for her small bag to pull out a small wrapped parcel, just as Molly made the first steps towards the door. "I brought something for James. Just a small thank you for being such a brave boy."
"He really was."
..
Moments later, Hermione joined the others in the living room, waving at them with an embarrassed smile. "Hello everyone..."
She was instantly greeted with a lot of happy smiles and waving hands, with a few of the adults getting up as well, amongst them Ginny and Harry.
"Great to see you!" Ginny exclaimed with a relieved looking smile as she reached Hermione; Harry was straight behind her, looking similarly glad. "You look so much better!"
"Thanks." Hermione held up the small wrapped parcel. "This is for James for being such a brave boy."
"He'll love it, but you can hand it to him yourself; we'll start with the naughty list soon. Bill said he'll do it this year..."
"I thought it was Percy's turn?" Hermione asked in surprise, keeping the parcel in her hands.
"Percy is down with the flu, you know how he is when he's sick," Ginny replied, chuckling amused, already starting to turn around to join the others once more.
"You're sure you'll be okay?" Harry asked, a hint of concern in his voice, shrugging in response to the quick glare his wife sent him.
"Yes, Harry," Hermione replied with a soft smile. "Stop fussing so much about me, okay? You're almost as bad as Draco..."
"Oh," Ginny said, tilting her head slightly. "Did you talk to Pendry then?"
Avoiding their inquisitive gaze momentarily, Hermione looked over to the others—Fred was entertaining the children, while Fleur prepared the corner for the main event of the evening later, the visit of Saint Nicolas to bring small gifts for the children, based on how they behaved throughout the year. It was a French tradition, but the children loved it nonetheless because they would receive sweets and small trinkets to trade with each other. Meanwhile, the men at the table were in a deep discussion about Quidditch, as usual, while the women talked about everything else in wizarding society, at least from what Hermione could hear. Everyone was here, except for Ron.
"I did," Hermione finally said after a few more seconds with a soft smile. "Never thought I'd see her discuss schedule options with her assistant because she didn't want to transfer me to someone else... So now I see her twice a week for the panic attacks and nightmares, and once a week with Draco. This is going to be fun."
"At least you're getting help now," Ginny replied, briefly reaching out to stroke over Hermione's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "But let's go back to the others before they join us here."
After a deep breath, Hermione followed Ginny and Harry back to the big table, only now noticing that the others had lowered the volume of their voices to accommodate her. Even the children had changed to a more quiet game, although their excitement was still evident in their smiles and hushed voices.
They made space for her in the corner closest to the door, with George changing over to Bill as they were already discussing the upcoming Quidditch League games over the table, leaving her to sit next to Angelina who was currently listening to Alicia talking about her children's Christmas wishes.
"Welcome back," Angelina said with a big smile as she noticed Hermione next to her, twitching as she remembered not to pull Hermione into a hug. "So great to see you again!"
"Thanks. Missed you all, so I didn't want to miss this."
Ginny sat down in the chair on the other side of Hermione, with a cup of her mother's beloved punch. "There you are."
"Alicia and I were just discussing the Christmas madness in Diagon Alley. It's crazy this year because everyone wants one of these new mobile devices that just came out, but, apparently, the Malfoy Company has a few delivery problems this year. They'd be so practical, especially with George and the children..."
Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion. "Delivery problems?"
Angelina and Ginny both nodded. "There was a note in the Daily Prophet, yesterday or so. I think it's just a way to get attention and up the prices anyway..."
Hermione eyed Angelina for a moment, before leaning back in her chair, sipping some of her punch. She remembered Draco's reluctant answer when she asked him about it during their first dinner cooking, there had to be another reason for the problems his company seemed to experience. And she didn't believe in coincidences either.
"Auntie!" James came over with a proud smile, interrupting Hermione in her thoughts. "Dad said I should come and say hello..."
Hermione quickly glanced over at Harry who was in a deep conversation with Arthur at the other side of the table, before she returned her attention to the beaming boy in front of her. "That's really nice of you, James. And you know what? You were such a smart boy at the market, keeping calm and doing the right thing, so I brought you a small thank you gift."
James did a small jump in excitement when she handed him the wrapped parcel. He immediately set about shredding the wrapping to pieces, only to hold the small Gryffindor lion in his hands they had both seen at the market. His already beaming smile grew even further as he recognised the figurine and its importance. "Thank you, Auntie!"
"You went back to the market?" Ginny asked sceptically after her son had returned to the other children to show off his gift.
"Gods, no!" Hermione laughed, noticing her friend's immediate relief. "I'm not that stupid... I had some help from the twins."
"Glad to hear that... I don't want to imagine Draco's reaction to–"
"Draco?" Angelina asked surprised, cutting Ginny off, and looked at both of them before setting on Hermione. "I thought you two weren't... you know?"
..
However, Hermione was saved from an answer when she heard the volume in the room rise, with people turning to the door. She followed their gaze, only to find Ron standing there, grinning and with slightly blushing cheeks—and then Hermione noticed the person behind him, urging him forward. She didn't think she would see that head of black hair and those sharp green eyes so soon.
Pansy was here.
Hermione wasn't exactly prepared to meet one of Draco's friends yet, but she put on a friendly smile when Ron and Pansy entered, holding hands and everything.
"Hear hear, Ron has brought his date to the family party," George and Fred let out in unison to everyone's amusement, earning themselves an irritated glare from their brother.
"Shut up, you two!"
Meanwhile, Pansy was greeting everyone surprisingly cordially, although her laugh was probably used to cover for her feeling overwhelmed with the sheer size of the family. Slytherin families were usually smaller, and they didn't have children yet—as far as Hermione knew anyway.
"I'm sorry for being late, but work can be a bit of a bitch sometimes," Pansy said when she arrived at the other end, leaning down to Molly and Arthur with a warm smile.
Watching them walk around the big table, greeting everyone, Hermione remembered the first time she had brought Draco to such an event. It had been a lunch, one fine Sunday, to the surprise of the people attending—except for Harry and Molly. It had been an interesting day for sure, with Draco braving their more and more inquisitive questions and their sometimes not so subtle taunts. But then, it was Molly who had accepted him into the family after observing them in a moment she had thought they were alone, witnessing his behaviour towards her, how he actually cherished her.
"We have an announcement to make before we start with the best part of the evening," Ron said with a beaming smile, standing in front of everyone, his hand clearly twined with Pansy's. With those words, he had everyone's attention.
Pansy whispered something in Ron's ear, and he immediately nodded, blushing as she pressed a kiss on his cheek.
"It took him long enough, but he finally popped the question," Pansy said with a proud grin, lifting her left hand to present her engagement ring; the small stone sparkled in the room's warm light. "We're going to be married!"
Hermione winced at the noise erupting in response to the news, yet she was happy for Ron. She even chuckled at the sight of Molly pulling them both into a tight embrace, catching Pansy's yelp and her surprised expression before she caught herself and returned the hug, albeit a bit more hesitantly.
She winced once more when everyone started talking again, the volume drowning her.
"Are you okay?" Ginny asked when she noticed her continued wincing despite the chuckles.
Hermione nodded, not wanting to interrupt the happy moment. "Just the noise, is all. I need to go to the bathroom anyway."
"I'll check on you in five minutes, okay?"
With an accepting smile, Hermione slipped out of the room, glad to escape the noise for a moment as she stormed up the stairs towards the bathroom on the first floor, which was the biggest one.
..
The silence was a relief as she closed the door behind herself. Her head wasn't ringing any longer, and she felt the unease ebb away, letting her breathe once more. She sat down on the floor in front of the tub, leaning with her back against it and enjoying the cool feel of the porcelain against her back.
She was genuinely happy for Ron to find someone he found worth marrying—she had heard him talk about his relationship with Pansy before and how happy Pansy seemed to make him, even though she knew that he was holding back more details because Pansy was also one of Draco's closest friends.
Draco.
Her heart stung as she remembered what she had seen in Blaise's memory—Draco had been thinking about proposing to her. He wanted to marry her, already had a ring to put on her finger. Right now, it felt like a damn miracle that Draco even agreed to work on rebuilding some sort of relationship between them.
It was a miracle, and she was extremely grateful for it.
To get out of her spiralling thoughts, she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the cool porcelain of the tub and focused on her breathing, the feel of the air flowing into her lungs and out again. She wasn't going to let her anxiety win today.
Hermione was still focusing on her breathing when Ginny tapped on the bathroom door a few minutes later. "Are you okay? Can I come in?"
"Yes."
Ginny carefully opened the door and stepped inside. With a caring smile, she sat down next to her, so that their shoulders touched. "It was a bit much for you, wasn't it?"
Hermione turned her head to face her friend, simply glad about her patience and understanding. "Yeah, it was. I mean I'm happy for Ron because she genuinely seems to like him."
"She does. You know, she's been here a few times already since they started dating, and Mum likes her a lot. But I think tonight was the first time she met everyone at once, must have been a bit of a shock."
Hermione shared Ginny's amused grin. "Totally was."
"Ron told us that he even went as far as adhering to proper courting etiquette and asked her father for her hand. That takes some balls."
Hermione smiled at Ginny's choice of words. "It does. I remember Pansy bitching a few times about her family back then, like how they were never quite happy with how she lived her life. But she actually has a big heart underneath all that sarcasm and that hard shell... Maybe Ron is just the right person to bring it out."
"We didn't know he would bring her along, otherwise I might have warned you at least. I mean... You haven't talked to his friends yet, right?" Ginny leaned in, carefully resting her chin on Hermione's shoulder.
"Gods, I wouldn't even know what to say to them. I'm sorry for causing all the trouble, but I didn't really mean to?"
"It's okay," Ginny whispered with a quiet, reassuring tone. "Maybe it won't be as bad as you fear... But you still have us."
"Thanks." Hermione heaved a sigh, even though it didn't really help to ease the tight feeling in her chest. "Remember the memory Blaise brought me?"
"Yeah, we talked about it. You said it was hard to see Draco so broken down."
"He was about to propose, you know?"
"He was? Oh Merlin!" Ginny sat up to look at Hermione who kept staring at her hands on her lap, slowly nodding. Long seconds of heavy silence in the bathroom passed before she finally reached for Hermione's hand in a comforting gesture. "Sounds like Blaise just wanted to get back at you for the break-up. Understandable, but not helping."
"No," Hermione replied with another sigh. "Talking with Draco about the break-up is already hard enough."
"You two are handling it well from what you told me about it. Maybe he just didn't want to tell you because he's over it, I mean after all those years. Or he would have mentioned something, don't you think?"
"Maybe..." Hermione finally turned her head to glance at Ginny, a small smile curling her lips. The tight feeling in her chest was replaced by a first wave of relief when she saw her friend nod. It made her feel less like an idiot.
"Nah, I'm pretty sure. And he seems to be able to let go now that he knows, because... you know what?" Ginny nudged her gently in the side. "I've seen you two interact while he calmed you down after the Christmas market. He still likes you very much–"
"You think?"
Ginny chuckled at the question. "Yes. The way he acted this morning, he definitely does–"
"This morning?"
"You haven't read the Daily Prophet today, right?" Ginny sighed as Hermione shook her head. "Probably better, you might have incinerated the whole building... They printed a front-page article about the panic attack you had at the Christmas market."
Hermione couldn't help but growl in response to the information. The goddamn media just couldn't leave her alone, respect was a foreign concept to them.
"Don't worry," Ginny said with another soft nudge. "You should have seen Draco though; he was furious when he came in. Una from the reception desk tried to stop him from entering but–"
"But no one stops a Malfoy!" Now Hermione laughed as well at the image, because she knew Una to be an elderly witch who was more interested in her perfect nails than actually doing her job properly.
"Right? Gods, we could hear him shout at the chief editor through the closed office door. Blackwood was an idiot to even permit the article to be printed... At least he agreed to print an apology in the Monday edition. That or Draco would stop advertising in the Daily Prophet."
"Yeah, that's him." Feeling a bit better, Hermione rubbed her face and pushed a couple of obstinate strands away. "Is Bill entertaining the children now as Saint Nicolas?"
"Yeah, doing a great job actually... But James is more interested in the lion you gave him, while the rest of them trade what they had in their bags." Ginny quickly looked at the door as if she had heard a noise outside, but then turned back. "Ready to go back down?"
"I think I'm just going to congratulate Ron and Pansy, and then go home. I need to think." Hermione shifted her legs to get up; Ginny followed her.
..
To Hermione's relief, she found Ron out in the entry hall when she came back down the stairs. "Ron, that is such great news! Congratulations!"
He turned around and immediately grinned once he found her, even opening his arms for the quickest of celebratory hugs. "Thanks! I'm just happy she said yes, despite all the stress recently..."
"She's cool," Hermione replied, stepping back with a warm smile, bumping into Ginny. "And she brings the good out in you, even I could see that."
"Thanks," Ron replied, quickly brushing through his hair, unable to keep his happy smile under control, which was endearing. "You look tired, though."
"I'm fine, okay? And you better focus on Pansy and the case." As much as she appreciated everyone caring about her, she would have preferred them not asking her constantly about her well-being. So, with a sigh and a small smile, she bound her hair into a lazy bun to keep them out of her face.
"Ron, dear?" Pansy came in from the living room before anyone else could say anything, brushing over her black top to straighten it. Her smile faltered only slightly when she noticed Hermione. "Leaving me alone with your brothers, that isn't fair..."
"Hi, Pansy," Hermione said with an unsure smile. "Congratulations on the engagement."
"Hi, and thanks, Hermione." The lips pursed, Pansy studied her closely, the gaze wandering all over her as if taking note, narrowing ever so slightly. If she had any comment, she wisely kept it to herself. Only her lips turned into a small smirk. "Draco mentioned you this morning when he finally graced us with his presence at the meeting. He was furious–"
"Pans, please," Ron interjected slightly exasperated before he took his fiancée's hand.
"I know, I know. The situation is complicated and everything." Pansy sighed, but couldn't hide a content smile when he kissed her cheek. "I'll go see if I can help your mother with the dishes or something..."
They watched her return to the living room before Hermione let out another sigh. "I think I'll leave now. It was a bit much tonight."
Ron nodded in understanding, his gaze still lingering where his fiancée had just passed through. "We could catch up tomorrow over some late lunch if you want."
"Our place," Ginny offered from behind. "I can cook you something, and I'm sure Harry might want to discuss the case anyway..."
"I can't promise anything, but that sounds like a plan," Hermione said with a nod and a smile. She was relieved that he didn't mind her leaving so early. "But now follow her; I don't want to be the reason for drama starting tonight."
Ron laughed, then turned around towards the living room. "Nah, she's fine, just surprised. See you tomorrow then."
Hermione nodded and then watched him return as well before she turned to Ginny who was still behind her on the stairs. "Would you tell the others? I don't think I can go back inside to say my goodbyes, they'll make me stay..."
With a soft smile, Ginny nodded, opening her arms in a discreet offer of a hug. "Of course. At least you came."
This time, Hermione accepted the offer, even though it was still only a short moment. "Give James and Lily a kiss from me."
"Yes," Ginny replied, pulling away again to let her enter the fireplace. "See you later."
..
However, even though Hermione had gone back to her place, she didn't really stay there. Instead, she searched her bags and pockets for the note with Draco's address, but she eventually found it on the small key table in the corridor. When she heard the tell-tale noises of Tibby coming down the stairs, she scribbled a quick note on an empty piece of paper for the house-elf, letting her know where she was going.
And before the house-elf could reach her, Hermione Apparated out again, focusing on the address from the note.
It took her a moment to adapt to the surroundings once she arrived in the neighbourhood of the address, only to then see the house emerge between two others. A beautiful Victorian building, it must be an old family property.
As always, she looked around as the wind brushed through the empty trees, the shadows dancing on the ground and the facades, briefly making her heart race until she recognised the shapes. She steeled her nerves with a deep breath and finally approached the house.
She only had to knock once for the door to be answered.
"Hermione?"
"Hi," she said, now rather embarrassed for coming over and interrupt his evening. After all, he looked a bit drowsy, wearing a set of comfortable lounge clothes.
"I thought you were at the Burrow tonight?" Draco stepped aside to let her in. "Did anything happen?"
Hermione shook her head as she passed him on her way inside. "Just the usual noise. Except for Ron and Pansy announcing their engagement."
"Oh." He had just closed the door when he stopped mid-turn in surprise, gaping for a second before he caught himself and proceeded to lead her inside. "Though she was excited when he invited her to a dinner, with everything–"
"I'm here because I need to ask you something," she interrupted him, brushing over her neck and shoulder to cover her insecurity. "You don't need to answer if you don't want to, okay?"
His head tilted and with furrowed brows, he put his hands into the pockets of his lounge pants. "Hm?"
She bit her lip, trying to hold his gaze, which grew harder and harder with every passing moment. "Were you... I mean, were you thinking about proposing to me when...?"
For what felt like an eternity, he just stared at her, his face blank, but she could see his eyes darken ever so slightly. "Draco, I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here... I'm really sorry. I just–"
"Yes," he finally said quietly, with a hint of pain in his voice, yet his eyes seemed to return to their usual pale grey. "Who told you?"
Hermione sighed, she didn't mean to stir things up, yet she had managed to hit a sore spot. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, okay? I should have waited until our next session with Dr Pendry–"
"Who told you?" He stayed calm, even though he let out a heavy sigh that he tried to cover with a brief smile.
"Blaise. He gave me a vial with some of his memories after our first talk. It's just that Pansy's engagement made me think about us, and what could have been if I hadn't had the accident."
His jaws clenching briefly, he nodded.
"I think I better leave before I do even more damage–"
"Please stay." Just as she was about to turn around again to leave through the door, he reached for her hand. "It's just something I don't really want to talk about."
"I won't mention it again, I promise." The touch of his hand sent a shiver down her spine, yet she held it tighter. "But I'd love to stay a bit longer."
His face softened into a small smile and he turned around to finally continue his way down the corridor towards the main living room, his fingers twined with hers.
..
Additional Notes:
To anyone urging me to update faster, the schedule is mentioned in the notes for chapter 1. I'm currently two chapters ahead, and I prefer having enough time to produce a qualitatively good chapter. I might occasionally break from the schedule when I think I have enough chapters written and proofread to do so (or if I finally finish the last chapter...)
I'm not the fastest updater, but I'm consistent. :-)