Chapter Six: Remedy
Words: 2124
Author Notes: Chapter six! Thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry to say that I think I'll update once every two weeks since I'm super busy.
The boys slept in for an hour more after their guardians put them in their cribs. Hermione was sitting on the armchair, a book open on her lap though her eyes were glued on the sleeping toddlers and her mind was wandering somewhere else all together.
Once they woke up, the boys began exploring their room. All of their toys were dumped on the carpet next to a low table stalked high with story books. Hermione let them enjoy themselves a bit before dinner time. They were currently deciding their favourite stuffed animals.
"I like the dwagon beawr!" Draco exclaimed, crushing the ever smiling green dragon plushie to his chest.
Hermione couldn't help but smile. Baby Draco was adorable! At the very least, he was far more likeable than his moody teenage counter-part. Baby Draco was like any other normal kid, silly, cheerful, and cute! Normal Draco was all about his image, his every move aiming to please his icy and unloving father. It was like he grew up too quickly, even quicker than the 'normal' war-scarred kids of Hogwarts. Harry, who was at the heart of the battle, the boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders, had her and Ron. At least Harry was happy for the first few years, at least he didn't look so stoic and broken.
Either way though, it pleased her immensely to see him like this, to see him so happy and carefree.
"Did you know Draco means Dragon in Latin?" Hermione said, putting down her quill.
"Weeally? Hawwy! Imma dwagon! Rawr!" Draco screeched, frantically waving his dragon in Harry's face
"Do Hawwy's Hermi! Do Hawwy's! Hawwy likes teddy. What does Hawwy mean?" Harry bounced up and down exuberantly and Hermione had to stifle a laugh.
"Ahh it can be means power. I can see it on you."
"Dwayco! Hawwy power teddy! VOOM WOOM! SUUUPA TEDDY!"
They spent a few minutes fighting their favourite stuffed animals before Hermione had to stop them because it was almost dinner time. The boys were chronic messy eaters and even the strongest of cleaning charms couldn't do away with the smell, so Hermione couldn't risky putting them into their robes. She pulled out black trousers and a white t-shirt that had "Huggable" printed on it for Draco, and deep blue trousers with a black t-shirt with "Chosen One" printed on it for Harry.
"Hermini, Hawwy wike Dwayco shirt, can Hawwy wear same wif Dwayco?" Harry pleaded while Hermione spelled their toys and booksback to their respective places. Draco just looked lost, his brows furrowed and head cocked as he looked back and forth from his shirt to Harry's.
"Maybe next time Harry. We are late for dinner and I have to meet Professor McGonagall." Hermione stated absently, trying to make sure they had everything.
"owwkay." Harry replied quietly after a moment.
The dejected frown on Harry's face made her heart ache but they were really in rush. She didn't know if they had matching clothes and didn't have time to go for clothes hunting.
The minor disappointment was soon forgotten as Draco and Harry went to Great Hall hand-in-hand, chattering and pointing animatedly at a moving painting. Hermione and Pansy strode behind them, having their own conversation.
"You know the boys have us totally wrapped around their tiny little fingers right?" Pansy questioned, eyes raised and lips quirked in amusement.
"I knoooww!" Hermione groaned, "I almost searched the same t-shirt as Draco when Harry asked for it. Well, I still might do it if we are not too late." She quickly added "Ohh, and can you look after them after dinner, please? I have to see the headmistress."
"Of course, I promise I won't spoil them!... well, not too much..." Pansy smirked
Hermione just laughed.
The Great Hall was crowded and it took them a little longer than usual to find their seats. This time Hermione and Pansy insisted on feeding them, especially since last time more food ended up on their clothes instead of their tummy. Unfortunately for them, feeding two toddlers was harder that they thought.
Harry and Draco always found a way to face each other, Harry was clutching Draco's t-shirt, his face close to the giant bubbly writing as he squinted intensely at it. Draco's chin was touching his chest, almost going cross eyed as he tried to read it upside-down.
"Oh, it said hugg..able. Meaning Hermini?"
"It means people want to hug you." Pansy answered as she buttered her toast.
No sooner has as Pansy finished speaking, Harry launched himself on to Draco,squealing happily as he hugged his friend and cried "YAYYYY Dwayyyco! Wots of huggles for DWAYCO!" His adorable antics earned a few sighs all around the Great Hall. The girls started cooing at them and even the boys had fond smiles on their face.
"Aww I want same wif Dwayyco. So he can hug me." Harry whined.
"I think you..r is good. Chhoo..sen One. Means you're the one chosen for Dwacoy hugs. No one else is allowed!"
"Hmm okay, only me can hug you. Hermini, I like this shirt."
"It's Hermione, not Hermini." Hermione said.
"Hermi-eowni" Harry tried
Hermione made a mental note to always put them in identical clothes or maybe clothes that fit each other like now. She finished her pumpkin juice and stood up, ready to go.
"Boys, I have to go now. I want you to behave yourself. Pansy will take care of you."
"Okay Hermininy." They chirped. Several students snickered at the name, earning a death glare from Hermione.
Professor McGonagall was behind her table, marking her student's work when Hermione entered her office.
"Ms Granger, please sit. Tea?" She said without looking up.
"Umm no thanks. I just had dinner."
"Very well, let me just straight to the point. I already found a potion brewer to make the remedy." She stopped her work, putting away her quill and blowing lightly on the ink.
"That was fast!... Professor, I was thinking though, how could the potion have worked if they did not drink the potion?"
"Active ingredient, Ms Granger." Satisfied what she had written dried, McGonagall went back to writing her letter. "Professor Slughorn made them brew a thicker potion, meaning the potion contains a higher concentration of active ingredient. Mr Potter, never the one for following directions, added far more active ingredient then necessary. The potion would have reacted to a single touch. Well, in this case, a whole body."
"I heard them bickering about the potion! I'll start some research on the potion, professor."
"There is no need for that Ms Granger, I already taken care of the situation. The remedy will be ready in 2 weeks, though it only ages them 5 years. They will be eight year old. We will have to keep an eye out for side effects first, but if there is no other problem we can give the remedy to turn them back to their original age."
"What about their things? Will keep having to but new clothes for them?"
"No, house elves will take care of that. We have to keep this from the wizarding world. And yes they have identical clothes." She said, giving Hermione a knowing look.
"It's guess better to keep this within Hogwarts, but shouldn't Draco's mother be informed of his deaging?"
"I already told her. There is nothing she can do. Hogwarts provide the best protection one could wish for their child."McGonagall looked up, smiling. "Now go! Before the boys manage to get themselves into more trouble!"
"Okay." Hermione laughed. "I'll take care of them professor."
She was near the doorway when Professor McGonagall added softly, "Give him a chance Ms Granger. And tell him he is allowed to use the tub"
Hermione just blinked and nodded belatedly. It was creepy, the headmistress seemed to know everything, just like the late Professor Dumbledore. Was it a job requirement for the head of the school to know everything or something? Maybe she should reread the history of Hogwarts.
As she descended the stairs, Hermione caught a glimpse of red hair.
"Hey 'Mione. Can I talk to you?" Ron said, standing at the base of the stairs.
Maybe this was what Professor McGonagall meant by giving him a chance.
"Yeah, sure Ron. What do you want?"
"I just want to apologize for my behaviour. I know I shouldn't have acted like that. Give me a chance to make it right?"
"I knew you would come to your senses eventually but I'm quite surprised at how little time it took!" She smiled at the nervous ginger, "You have grown up Ronald, but it isn't me you should be apologising too." Hermione reprimanded, walking back to their tower with Ron beside her.
"I'll try to be a better friend for Harry. He looks happier now. Maybe I'll even try to get along with Malfoy!"
"You know what? Maybe you should join us tomorrow. Since tomorrow is Saturday, I'm planning to take them to the tub." Hermione offered, entering the common room.
Ron stopped and turned to look at her "But... I can't use it."
"The headmistress gives you permission to use it." Hermione said, turn around to face Ron.
Ron face lit up. "Really? Thanks 'Mione! You are the best."
The redhead wrapped Hermione in a hug and gave her kiss on the cheek before flushing bright red. Hermione blushed too. A few awkward seconds later, Ron bade her a quick goodbye and raced off to his room.
Hermione sighed, today felt like the longest day of her life. When she entered the nursery, she saw the boys sleeping on the fluffy rug, their faces smeared with ice cream. The toddlers slept in a tight ball, Harry's hair in Draco's mouth. It seemed Draco had a problem with chewing hair in his sleep. Pansy was kneeling beside the boys with a bowl of water, trying to clean them up.
"Why don't you just use cleaning charm?"
Pansy looked up, startled, and then scowled when she realized she had been caught. "I didn't want you to smell them and realize I fed them so many sweets before bed. Plus, it's cleaner this way."
Hermione helped her changed their trousers, leaving them in their undies and the t-shirts.
"Looks like you managed to spoil them rotten."
"They asked for ice cream and I can't say no to their bloody puppy eyes! So, I got Winky to bring them ice cream and candies. And thanks to you for taking so long, I have to chase two hyper kids around the room until they came down from their sugar rush!"
"I think we should let them sleep here. I don't have heart to move them."
Pansy snorted. "And you say I'm spoiling them."
"Oh shut up." Hermione said, picking their pillows, blankets and favourite stuffed animals. After they were arranged properly, Hermione cast the usual monitoring charm.
"Why does Draco seem to like chewing hair?"
"It was a habit when he was young, chewing hair calmed him down. Mind you, only certain people's hair! He wouldn't touch Severus's greasy locks with a stick! I might add even though he was Draco's godfather."
Hermione chuckled. "I don't think any of us even risked looking at it too long." A moment later Pansy's last comment registered. "Wait, he was Draco's godfather!?... Oh dear, that must have been hard for him"
They fell in comfortable silence until Pansy stood with the words, "I'm going to bed." She strode towards the boys and planted a kiss on each of their foreheads, whispering "goodnight" to each of them and got up to go back to her room.
"Goodnight Granger." She added as an afterthought, stopping and turning back in the door way.
"Goodnight."
Once Pansy was out of sight, Hermione planted a kiss for each,whispering promises to take a good care of them, heart swelling at their peaceful faces. One day, she was going to be a mom and she really hoped she was good enough.
A/N: So, how was it? Is it good? Please review! Any comments or suggestions are welcome. :) Sorry if there's any typing error or something.