AN: Okay, I got no feedback for the last chapter, hence the long wait for a new chapter while I panicked and doubted myself and procrastinated like a little bitch. Sorry bout it.
Their arrival at Malfoy Manor was a chaotic one.
Hermione sometimes wondered if her children were capable of following an instruction the first time they were given it.
Though as they ran around screaming in excitement, their magical toys in hand, her wand back in her own, she understood their excitement.
The re-introduction of magic into their lives never failed to wow and excite her family and made the struggle the rest of the year around worth it.
She spent the first day unpacking all of the small children's things and encouraging the older children to do the same.
They had a wonderful dinner, prepared with the ease of magic and she sent them all to bed early, they needed rest for their adventures to come.
The next day they took the fireplace to Diagon Alley and went shopping. Ariana, Jeffrey and Thomas all got new toys and Draco gave all of the older kid's money to go off and buy things with. They arrived back at the manor with all kinds of wonderful things and far, far too much candy.
Rose remained sullen, but everyone else managed to have fun. There were a few incidences between Draco and Rose. She would make a snarky comment, he would ignore her. But then she'd bait him and bait him until even a saint's patience would have been tried. So he would yell at her, and then she'd cry and complain that her mother didn't love her and that nobody cared.
She was also nasty to her siblings, especially Hugo. And Scorpios. She wouldn't let Scorpios and Teddy be alone together or have a moment of peace. She tagged along with them, complaining about Draco and how unfair it was that Scorpios' boyfriend got to come with them.
But things really escalated one evening when Draco, Hugo, Scorpios and Teddy were out gently making Julius play Quidditch with them, Thomas and Jeffrey were asleep and Hermione was relaxing in the huge claw foot tub adjacent to the master bedroom she shared with Draco.
She was happily lying in the steamy water, surrounded by bubbles, reading a book that she had propped up on her swollen baby belly when Rose's high pitched screaming broke the blessed silence.
"Never touch my make up again you little cow!"
"I was just painting!" Ariana wailed. The child had no interest in makeup for her own face, she cared more about swords and dragons. She'd seen all the pretty coloured lipsticks and things Rose had and had used them to paint on a canvas from their art room.
"You've ruined it! It's wasted you stupid girl." Rose threw the remains of her makeup to the ground and kicked it at her young sister.
Hermione hauled herself out of the tub and wrapped her soft in a fluffy bathrobe, extra huge so that she could wrap her belly in it too, and stormed down the corridor.
"What's all this racket?" She demanded as she arrived on the scene, her tone as stern as the frown on her face.
Ariana turned to her bathrobe clad mother, her big eyes pooled with tears, her lip quivering. "I didn't mean to ruin it. I just wanted to use the pretty colours!"
Before Hermione could reply or plan her course of action the boys arrived back inside, just in time for the drama.
"What's she done to Ari?" Draco asked angrily, striding into the room and putting himself between Rose and his youngest daughter.
Ariana gulped back a sob and clung to her fathers side readily, hiding behind him from Rose.
"SHE STOLE MY MAKE UP!" Rose screamed in exasperation. "HOW AM I THE BAD ONE?"
"Your being silly Rose, stop screaming, yes it's yours but there's no need to react like this!" Hermione interjected sternly, glaring at all three of them.
Rose shook her head, eyeing the three of them with hatred. "Of course you defend her. She's Draco's kid so you love her more right? Fucking shoulda known." She threw u her hands and laughed, a rough, barklike laugh.
"It's too much for me to assume that you guys could love me right? I'm too Weasley right? Not enough for you am I Dad?" She jeered, her tone emphasizing what a joke her calling her step father dad was.
"Stop this at once." Draco ordered, visibly mad, his eyes flashing, his face even paler then usual as he tried not to lose his temper.
"Why do you have to say things like this Rose?" Hermione genuinely wanted to know what made her daughter so destructive so that she could try and fix it, help her, and help her become the wonderful woman she could be.
"Ah I hate you!" Rose exclaimed, ignoring the question before storming off.
Hermione debated going after her before deciding it was pointless and set about disciplining the child that would actually listen to her.
"Ariana, it's wrong to take things that aren't yours, you know that."
Her daughter nodded.
"I'm sorry. I really am. Rose hates me!" She sobbed, fresh tears washing away the stains of the old ones.
"No, no, she doesn't hate you, she's just going through some big girl stuff and it's making her mean. But don't let that worry you, you just keep being my sweet girl and don't take things that aren't yours okay?" Draco took over, impressing Hermione with his choice of words.
It warmed her heart a little to see her husband being such a good father. He was her man, her soul mate, her other half. They were a team and they could weather any storm, even Hurricane Rose. Hopefully.
Their youngest daughter nodded dutifully and stopped her tears so they cleaned her up and tucked her away in bed. Hermione read her a few chapters of The Hobbit as she drifted off to sleep and then joined Draco in their bedroom, the house once again quiet.
"Are we gonna talk about Rose tonight?" Draco asked as she entered. He was already in bed, his fluffy green pyjamas on for the cold night, the thick silver comforter pulled up around his chin.
"Nope. Let's talk about something else."
Hermione went and let out her bath, pulled off her robe and changed into a red and gold nightgown.
"Ew there's a Gryffindor in my bed." Draco complained as she climbed in, cuddling next to him on the thick, heavenly mattress, the heavy comforter immediately warming her despite the fact that she hadn't even noticed that she was cold.
"You should be used to it by now sweetheart." She pulled his arm around her and placed her hand on his abdomen.
"I could never get used to you. Your way to exciting." He replied, stroking her belly through the cotton of her gown gently.
"I've had too much excitement for one night." She informed him ruefully. "Just cuddles tonight and I promise we'll leave the kids at your parent's estate tomorrow and go do it in any place of your choosing."
"Ooh really?" Draco wiggled his eyebrows mischievously. "Hogwarts it is."
"Oh drat, you would." She hit him playfully before sighing and closing her eyes.
"Fine. Tomorrow we'll fuck at Hogwarts."