Chapter X:
AN: I'm glad so many of you enjoyed the last chapter even though it did have a very sad ending :(
Millicent and Seamus were excused from BAM classes for a month and their lack of presence was felt keenly. No-one chattered and gushed over their soon-to-be babies, instead they were all quiet, pensive, protective, asking their teacher for tips on how to avoid a miscarriage. Unfortunately she had little to give them in that way. After she visited the almost parents Hermione knew what she wanted to write to her own child.
Dear S,
Today another mother in my year lost her baby. I feel more keenly than ever that I never want to let you go, but of course that's a part of life. My parents are muggles, as I'm sure your grandparents on your dad's side will tell you frequently in terms that are much more aggressive and much less accurate. They had never heard of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft And Wizardry, so they were understandably reluctant to send their eleven year old only child off to Scotland on the word of a crazy old man. But if they hadn't, I would have remained a friendless loner instead of one third of the Golden Trio. I would have read about adventures rather than experienced my own. I would never have discovered my true purpose, or had you. I know your dad thinks he's fully to blame, and don't get me wrong, he 99% is, but I can try and include him a little more as well if I want you to have the best life possible, which I do. Two loving parents, even if they don't love each other. That's my hope for you.
-Mum
When Millicent and Seamus returned to BAM they worked quietly without answering questions or talking to the others but they seemed to take comfort in each other's' presence. Hermione was trying to make an effort with Malfoy, starting with not calling him Malfoy. She thought her child had less chance of being messed up if its parents called each other by their first names rather than slurs or abrasive surnames. Besides, he'd been mainly calling her Hermione for months, with the odd slip up, and it was a bit strange to call him by his last name when he wasn't doing the same to her. Step two of Operation Friendly-If-Not-Friends was a little more difficult. She had to get to know him. She knew he liked potions, Quidditch and tormenting muggleborns, but apart from that she was at quite a loss. She encouraged him to do work in their common room rather than how he used to in his room so that they could avoid each other. Sometimes they would help each other and, loath as she was to admit it, he really was a talented wizard and could often fill in the few blanks in her knowledge, making them a pretty good team. After they were done she'd engage him in a little conversation to tease out information: during their sessions she learnt that he valued the fraternity amongst the friends he'd made from childhood and since he'd arrived at Hogwarts, he liked to read books with a twist as opposed to the usual predictable story of heroism and triumph over evil, and he loved travelling and wanted to give those types of opportunities to their child. Apparently the places he'd been taken were some of the best memories he had with his own father. The way he said that made her think there weren't too many other positive memories, so she asked him about his relationship with his parents. He got defensive then and turned the question on her. She answered with a shrug. "Normal, I guess. They've always encouraged me to follow my goals and given me unconditional love. When I was about 9 or 10 we started to argue a bit more, I think going to boarding school limits that because when I come home they're usually just happy to see me and our arguments are pretty limited." Seeing that he would have to answer, Draco reluctantly explained that he'd grown up thinking of his mother as poised, elegant, beautiful. "What about your father?" She asked gingerly, feeling like she was approaching a stray dog that would spook or scratch if she tried to push it too far.
"More complex," he shuffled his papers into a pile, clearing his throat. "Ever since I remember he raised me to know that I was top-tier royalty, for being a wizard, a pure-blood and a Malfoy. He always told me that it was a tragedy that the Dark Lord hadn't succeeded, but that I could never raise those opinions to anyone outside our circle or there would be serious consequences." Without realising it his fingers brushed his back and she remembered the scars she'd felt more than once. They'd been from Quidditch, or some skirmish in the wall, she'd assumed. She'd never questioned them, actually they'd passed right over her head without even considering them part of his appearance. "He's an authoritarian, like the Malfoys before him," he said in a slightly stronger voice, as if trying to protect his father from her opinion. Too late for that. "But he always wanted what was best for my mother and me. He protected us. When he was put in Azkaban we were lost. I had to step up for her. The Dark Lord gave me a task," he didn't say which one. He didn't need to. "To prove myself, and I agreed, to return my father to favour. But I refused Snape's help out of a selfish desire for glory, when really I was crumbling under the pressure. Despite my father's best attempts to toughen me up I was too weak!" His voice cracked with passion and for a moment she thought he was going to cry. She wasn't sure what she would do if he did. "Snape covered for me, but nevertheless we had fallen irrevocably in the Dark Lord's standings. I only proved myself weaker when I failed to identify you lot at the skirmish."
"That's not weakness Draco," she told him resolutely. "It's compassion. Something I'm not sure your father possesses."
"Maybe." He didn't seem convinced. "Either way he scrambled to get us out of it when the Dark Lord fell, and he's still scrambling as I speak." She wasn't quite sure what that was supposed to mean, but she was fairly certain she'd learnt as much as she was going to today.
Hermione had made a deal with the Malfoys allowing her to stay with her parents for the first week of Easter. However, they were concerned about the safety of the baby in the dangerous muggle neighbourhood of Heathgate, Hampstead, so they took the risk of sending their precious heir into what they considered to be a pigsty. He was not particularly excited about it either, at least he tried to appear apathetic. In truth, she thought he seemed a little nervous. About going into a muggle area? About meeting her parents? When he got off the train with her he remained silent, unsure how to react without any rules like he'd given her. Good, she was going to leave him blind. This was how human interactions were supposed to go. As soon as she saw her parents Hermione raced towards them with a bright grin. "Mum! Dad!" She squealed, launching herself into their arms in a group hug.
"Oh darling!" Her Mum cried out. "It's so good to see you."
"You're so big!" Her Dad observed in surprise, marvelling at her stomach, which was about half the size of Ginny's massive thing.
"Thanks Dad," she scoffed sarcastically.
He backtracked nervously, evidently knowing the danger of an affronted pregnant woman first hand. "In a glowing way."
"Men," Jean rolled her eyes to her daughter.
"Women," Richard countered with a similar look at the Slytherin. "Isn't that right Malfoy?"
"Draco!" She hissed, her face flushing at how terribly this was going already.
Her parents looked at her strangely. "Speak up honey," her Dad said. "Haven't we always told you to project confidence?"
"Excellent advice," Draco said slyly with an innocent nod to her father.
She cast him a scathing look. "Draco. His name is Draco. First name: Draco. Last name: Malfoy." The tension rocketed up six fold.
"That's a strange name. Both names," Jean said blandly, studying him carefully, remembering what her daughter had told her about him. Draco did not like being studied.
"Hermione's not exactly in the top 100 most popular either, is it?" He paused, perhaps realising he shouldn't insult his in-laws if he wanted to get on their, or her for that matter, good side. "Which is exactly what makes it so special." She had to hand it to him, his save was a lot smoother than her dad's. The Grangers smiled at him in a way that said 'we're going to give you a chance but if you hurt our daughter you're out' and his Adam's apple contracted. She stifled a giggle, doubting he ever thought he'd find a pair of muggles intimidating.
