Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my ideas. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Author's Note: Thank you so much for sticking with me! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! Reviews mean everything to me! 3
Chapter Twenty-One: Brave
Draco could not believe what Marley had just done.
She had just actually slapped Ron in the face.
He knew he couldn't be angry with her, however - he had been pretty much fantasizing about killing him the entire time they had both been in the room.
"Well... she is definitely your daughter, Hermione." Ron sighed, touching his cheek momentarily.
Draco watched as Hermione's face lit up in a small smile before scowling again - and it almost broke his heart. Watching his wife, he knew just how difficult this was for her. Hermione had once loved Ron, in more ways than one. He had been her family for a long time.
"It's a bit scary how much alike they are, isn't it?" Harry sighed.
"Marley's got the whole foot stomping bit going on, too. James says she's actually broken his toes before - though he's probably over-exaggerating." Ginny added.
Draco himself smiled a little bit, watching Hermione's cheeks redden as he thought of their Hogwarts years - when Hermione's inner know-it-all had truly shined.
"Yes, yes. My daughter has inherited my temper, alright?" Hermione said, crossing her arms.
Draco finally decided to step forwards, reaching Hermione and wrapping an arm around her tightly before kissing her temple. He thought of his Third Year when Hermione had rightfully slapped him in the face, after the whole Hippogriff debacle. Marley's slap had brought most likely the whole room back to that moment.
"She's lovely, Hermione. They both are." Ron said quietly. "And Malfoy..."
Draco was very aware that this was the first time Ron had addressed him directly. He didn't really know what to do. He didn't want to say anything to the Weasley, for fear that he accidentally let his instincts take over and beat him to death.
"I'm glad you're around for her. For them." Ron said.
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be." Draco managed to say.
Suddenly, Ginny threw her arms around Ron, hugging him tightly. Harry, Hermione and himself stepped back, letting the siblings have their moment. He watched as Harry and Hermione shared a look before both looking down at the ground. Draco had known that Ginny had been fighting off doing that from the moment Ron had stepped into the room.
"I've missed you. I really have." Ginny said, all the while still hugging Ron tightly. "I don't... I don't condone what's happened. I don't know how to feel about anything, but I've missed you and we've let this go on too long."
"I've missed you, too, Ginny. So much." Ron said. "I take it that that boy with Marley was your son."
The two pulled away and Draco watched as Ginny rubbed her eyes while nodding at him.
"Yes. That's James. James Sirius. He's sixteen." Ginny explained. "Albus Severus is twelve, and Lily Luna is six."
Ron's eyes widened and he let out a lopsided grin. "Blimey! Congratulations, you lot. A bit late for that I suppose, but, wow."
Hermione suddenly turned to Draco and he looked down at her, finding her brown eyes wide and vulnerable.
"What is it?" he whispered.
"This is... this is too weird." she answered.
"Do you want to leave?" he asked.
He would get her out of there if she wanted him to. But, Hermione shook her head, merely leaning back against him and turned to watch Ginny and Ron speak. He locked his arms around her stomach, holding her close and kissing the top of her head.
"And... and Meredith will be twenty-one in a few days, am I right?" Ron asked, hesitantly, turning to him and Hermione.
"Yes." Hermione answered, her voice small. "Marley's sixteen. Jeremy - our middle child - is twelve, and the twins Scorpius and Lyra are six."
"Bloody hell, five kids?" Ron asked.
"It had been our plan from the beginning." Draco decided to add, kissing Hermione's head again.
"Yeah, I don't... I still don't know how you two actually ended up together." Ron sighed.
"We were together in Sixth Year, Ron." Hermione said quietly.
Draco could tell that Hermione was getting increasingly uncomfortable, but he didn't know how to help her. He tightened his arms around her and held in a sigh. He knew that if he asked her if she wanted to leave, she would say no.
"That's mental, that is." Ron sighed. "So, he's why then, yeah?"
For a minute, Draco didn't understand. Then he looked down at Hermione, finding her cheeks blushing deeply. It then occurred to him that Ron was asking if he was the reason that Hermione had left him at their wedding.
"I was meant for him, not you." Hermione said simply.
A silence ensued and Draco cleared his throat awkwardly as Ron continued to stare at him. It was still taking all of his energy not to punch him out. All he could focus on was the feeling he had had seeing Hermione lying in the hospital after Ron had beaten her, and the feeling he had had throughout the entire two months Meredith was gone.
"Dad! Would you please just tell Rosie to -" a voice shouted as a pair of feet noticeably stomped down the stairs.
A small, redheaded boy appeared around the corner, his eyes widening at the sights of all the adults. Draco realized at once that it had to be Connor - Ron's son.
"Connor, didn't Grandma tell you to stay upstairs with her?" Ron sighed.
"Yes, but -" Connor began to argue.
"Connor, please. I've just got to finish talking to them and then I'll be right up, okay? You know how to calm your sister down." Ron sighed.
"Yeah, doesn't mean I want to." Connor grumbled.
"Connor?" Ginny suddenly called out. "D'you mind if I come with you? We can calm down your sister together."
Connor stared at her and squinted his eyes together in confusion. "And who exactly are you?"
"I'm your Aunt Ginny."
After a long moment, Connor finally nodded. Draco was surprised when Ginny went right up to him and pulled him by his shirt, tugging him away from Hermione and over to the stairs.
"Come on, Draco. Let's let these three talk, yeah?" Ginny said.
"What? No!" Draco began to shout, turning back to look at Hermione as Ginny continued to drag him up the stairs.
Draco didn't want to spend anytime with Ron Weasley's children.
"Draco, I'll be fine." Hermione called out soothingly.
. . .
Hermione watched as Draco resigned and followed Ginny up the stairs, leaving the three old friends together. She crossed her arms tight over her chest and sat back down on the couch, tucking her knees up to her chest. She felt Harry sit down next to her and immediately take one of her hands, squeezing it tightly.
"I think about you lot everyday." Ron said quietly, sitting down on a chair across from them.
Hermione felt her eyes burn with tears again and she just shook her head. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. She absolutely hated this.
"I don't know what to say." Hermione whispered.
"Neither do I." Harry said.
"I wish there was something better I could say to you." Ron sighed. "But, it means everything that you came. I know it mustn't have been an easy decision for you."
"Meredith was the one who ended up making the decision." Hermione said.
She watched Ron's eyes widen at her as she spoke Meredith's name. Harry's hand gripped hers tighter and she took in a low, deep intake of breath.
"She said that she had to do it." Hermione continued.
"I know this probably won't mean anything to you, but... she's amazing, Hermione." Ron said quietly. "Just like she always was. And it's painfully obvious that she's Draco's daughter. And now that I know she is, I should've known back then, too."
But Ron was wrong - it did mean something to Hermione.
Because she knew how easily her life could have turned out differently. She could have married Ron, never run into Draco again and have Ron play the father role in Meredith's life. She could have never been with Draco in the first place and had a child with Ron instead, and then there would be no Meredith around.
Hermione knew that all in all, she was lucky for how her life had turned out.
. . .
"Are you sure you don't want us to wait?" Teddy asked.
Meredith shook her head as she turned away from Teddy and Victoire. The three were standing on Leo's doorstep in the snow. Meredith knew she had to do this alone.
"I'll be along soon, alright? Hopefully with Leo." Meredith said.
Both Teddy and Leo gave her a small squeeze before Disapparating away and leaving Meredith alone. She took a deep breath and knocked bravely on the door. After a long moment of waiting, she almost decided to give up and turn around when the door suddenly opened, revealing Astoria.
Meredith felt herself deflate inwardly at the sight of the woman who looked incredibly surprised to see her.
"Oh, hello Meredith." she said calmly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Hi, Astoria. I-is Leo here?" she asked.
Astoria pursed her lips and then nodded slowly, beckoning Meredith forward into the house.
"Meredith?" Astoria called out, before Meredith could move any further into the house and away from her.
"Yes?" Meredith answered.
"I'm so terribly sorry about what happened to your baby girl. Terribly, terribly sorry." Astoria said, her voice warm with condolence.
Meredith nodded slowly, fighting off the tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Astoria. Me too."
"My nephew loves you, you know." Astoria offered. "He's in his room."
Meredith smiled feebly - although genuinely - at her and nodded. "Thank you."
Meredith quickly made her way upstairs, finding his room easily. She had only ever been in his room before, but she managed to navigate through the house just fine. The door was open a crack, and she could see Leo sitting on his bed cross legged and reading a book.
She knocked carefully before opening the door and stepping inside. She watched shock register on his face before smiling weakly at her and closing his book.
"Hey." he said.
"Hi." Meredith breathed.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Meredith sat down next to him and looked into his familiar eyes, feeling the pull in her stomach as she always did. She knew that she would never be able to forget him. She would never be able to detach herself from him - and not just because of Ava.
But because she was completely in love with him.
"I... I came to see if you wanted to come get a drink with me and Teddy and Victoire." Meredith said slowly, staring at him.
Leo sighed noticeably and shrugged. "I don't know, Mer..."
"Look. I faced Ron today, okay? I faced Ron and the only thing I wanted to do afterwards was be with you." she admitted quickly.
She watched his eyebrows raise at her words as he slide a few inches closer to her.
"What d'you mean you faced Ron?" he asked.
Leo knew all about Meredith childhood, and the man who had ruined it.
"I had to speak with him, and now that I did... I think I can begin to put that part of my life behind me, you know? I think I have to start dealing with my shit." she explained. "And now that I am... I knew that I had to see you."
"So you can deal with me too?" Leo said flatly.
Meredith flushed deeply and shook her head. "No! I don't mean that in a bad way, Leo. I just... I knew that I had to see you."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because!" she shouted, standing up and beginning to pace. "Because you are Leo and I'm Meredith. Because you're... the father of my child and the only person who can make me feel anything worth feeling. You're... you're everything."
Leo suddenly sprang to his feet and stepped closer to her as Meredith felt stubborn tears prick in the corners of her eyes. The kissing look was written all over Leo's face, and she knew she couldn't deny it anymore. She didn't want to deny it anymore.
She sure as hell had no idea if she was ready for any of this, but she knew that she couldn't keep running away.
Not without Leo.
"When I left you, I... I did it because I thought it would make everything easier. I thought it would be easier being away from everything that reminds me of Ava, but it wasn't. Not even close. I think it just made everything worse." Meredith whispered, trying to keep her voice from quivering.
Leo stepped closer and took her face in his hands, pressing his forehead against hers. She knew that his eyes were misty, too.
"The next time you feel like you need to run away... bring me with you." he whispered back.
Before Meredith could say anything back, Leo's mouth was on her's, kissing her deeply and passionately. She moved closer to him, letting herself throw her arms around him as he pressed her close against his body. As they kissed, she let herself feel every ounce of emotion that poured through her. She hadn't kissed Leo - or anybody - in so long, she hadn't realized just what she had been missing.
Kissing Leo brought her back to the best time of her life - when it was just her, Leo and Ava, living their small life in Hogwarts. Her heart stung at the thought of it, but she just pressed her lips even harder against his. His hands sunk to her waist, lifting her up in the air enthusiastically.
When he placed her down, they pulled away to look at each other, both breathing hard. She felt his thumb wipe away a few stray tears on her face before he kissed her forehead and enveloped her in a tight, close hug.
. . .
"I cannot believe you just did that." James said.
Marley hugged her knees tightly against her chest as the two sat on her bed. She couldn't believe that she had done it either. She shook her head and closed her eyes - she just wanted the day to be over and done with. She wanted to forget everything.
"Meredith did great, didn't she?" James said softly.
Marley looked up at him as he moved closer to her on her bed. She knew that he was trying to calm her down and make her feel better - and if there was anyone who could do it, it would be James.
Except she wasn't sure exactly what could make her feel better in that moment.
She had just been so angry all of the sudden - she couldn't handle any of it anymore.
"He ruined it, James. He ruined everything before I was around." Marley whispered bitterly.
"Hey, M&M." he whispered back, touching her cheek softly. "It's all over now. Meredith's seen him. You've seen him. Our parents will come back and none of us'll ever have to see him again, okay?"
"But that doesn't change what happened!" Marley suddenly shouted.
She stood up and began pacing around the room, trying not to pull out her own hair with frustration.
"No, no it doesn't. Because nothing can change that, okay? But, you've all got to try to move forward now. It's the only option." James said slowly.
Marley pressed her hands against her eyes and let out a groan, feeling tears prick in her eyes. She hated getting so worked up over this, but she couldn't help it. She heard James stand up and move closer to her, pulling her hands away from her eyes and forcing her to look at him.
"Marley. Marley, look at me." James said softly. "Everything's alright now. Everything is going to be alright now, I promise you."
. . .
James hated seeing Marley this way.
He would do anything to make her feel better - he just didn't know what exactly to do. He traced his hands lightly over her arms until he reached her hands, giving them both a tight squeeze.
"Marley Marie Malfoy, my M&M, my pain-in-the-ass best friend, and my beautiful girlfriend..." James began, watching Marley's eyes slowly start to light up at each of his words.
He knew that what he was about to say was absolutely too soon - but there was nothing else he wanted to say in this situation.
So, he knew that he was going to take a chance.
"I love you. I love you more than anything and I always have and I always will." James whispered. "From the minute you were born, to the moment that I die, I love you."
He watched Marley's lip quiver and her eyes fill rapidly with more tears. For a moment, his heart pounded like crazy with fear - had he just ruined everything?
But then, Marley pressed her lips to his and he knew it was right.