Borrowed Hearts

Summary: 'You know how you like to make up stories sometimes honey? Well this is going to be just like that. We're going to pretend for a little while.'
Based on the Christmas movie by the same name.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I own the rights to neither the Harry Potter books nor the movie Borrowed Hearts
Author's Note: Hey guys! I know, I know… it's been over a week and I'm so sorry! But the past week went by in a daze. It was my last week home before I had to go back to college and I'm not a big fan of college so the thought kind of depressed me and made it really hard to write. Anyway, I'm back now. Classes don't start until tomorrow so I should have some time to write a bit more today. Look for Chapter 12 later tonight! In the mean time, read and review!

Chapter 11: Broken

Josie was bored. Her mother was busy managing dinner so she was forced to amuse herself. She sat, in the dragon hide chair in Draco's office, leafing through books in search of any interesting pictures.

At the sound of Draco's entrance, she looked up. Draco shot a glare at the small thing sitting behind his desk. It had been a particularly long day and Draco was in no mood to deal with anything or anyone right then.

"Oh… hi," she said simply before turning back to the book set in front of her.

Draco dropped his briefcase onto the floor and strode across the room toward his desk to shut the book.

"Do you mind?" he asked, picking her up out of his seat and setting her on the floor so he could sit down himself.

Josie stood there next to the desk as he began reorganizing the books and papers spread across it. "You don't like kids much, do you," she said suddenly, more of a statement than a question.

"It's not that I don't like kids," Draco explained. "It's just… well they're like treacle tarts. Some people have a taste for them and others don't."

"Do you like treacle tarts?" she asked curiously.

Draco paused for a moment. "No… I don't."

"Dinner's almost ready," Hermione announced as she walked into the room. "Where's Señor Del Campo?"

"Blaise took him on a tour of the city," Draco replied. Josie had now moved away from the desk and was now playing with a miniature replica of a snitch, tossing it up into the air and catching it. Draco quickly snatched it out of her hands, placing it back on a shelf out of Josie's reach. "Do you think you could keep her out of here?" he asked Hermione, his eyes still focused on Josie as she wandered off to look for something else to play with.

"She won't bother anything," Hermione reassured him.

Draco highly doubted the truth of such a statement. Meanwhile, Josie had discovered the wine cart in the corner and was now rolled it back at forth, the glasses tottering dangerously.

"Tell me something," Draco asked, crossing the room toward Hermione. "How do you get her to mind?"

Hermione glanced across the room at her daughter. "Josie," she called firmly. "From now on this room is off limits."

Josie nodded her head, frowning slightly.

"See," Hermione said, turning back to Draco. "It's not that hard."

Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes in response, instead turning to pick up the toys that littered the room. There were quite a few toys in it considering that Josie had a room all to herself, piled with toys as well. He sighed as he picked them up from the sofa and floor.

He paused as he pulled a stuff rabbit that was sticking halfway out of his cigar box. Inside, his once massive collection of cigars had been cut into small, little pieces.

"You cut up my cigars…" Draco said, his voice dangerously quiet.

Josie looked up from playing with the wine cart. "They're bad for you."

"These were Cuban cigars!" Draco shouted, his temper rising rapidly.

"Don't yell at her!" Hermione cried, glaring at Draco.

Draco, however, appeared not to have heard her. He crossed the room toward where Josie stood with one of his glass chalices in her hand from the cart.

"Give me that!"

"No!"

The two struggled with it for a moment before the smooth glass slipped between their fingers and crashed onto the floor.

"Oh that's just great!" Draco yelled, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. "Why is it that everything you touch gets broken!"

Josie looked up at him suddenly, pain evident on her face as her eyes welled up with tears. "You're not my daddy!" she screamed before bolting out of the room as fast as her little legs would carry her.

Draco turned, a look of surprise on his face. All thoughts of Josie, however, leapt from his mind as his eyes landed upon Hermione who stood across from him with a murderous look on her face.

"This little arrangement does not give you the right to discipline my daughter!" she yelled, her body livid with anger.

"If you would just teach her some boundaries…" Draco snapped, his anger rising once more.

"Oh! That's great advice coming from someone who had to rent a family!" Hermione glared at him as she crossed the room, her hands balled up into fists at her side. Draco wondered briefly if she meant to hit him as she had done years previously.

"Do you think you could just leave me alone for a bit?" Draco replied coldly, his eyebrow raised as if daring her to make a move.

"Oh, I'll give you one better!" Hermione cried angrily. She pulled the two rings off her finger and chucked them fiercely at Draco's head, causing him to duck quickly. "We Quit!"

With that she stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her as she left. Draco growled under his breath as he bent done to pick up the rings that now lay on the floor.

"Shit…"

Author's Note #2: This chapter was originally supposed to be a lot longer but I'm feeling particularly evil so I'm leaving it at a cliff hanger for now. Don't worry though, the next chapter is all written already, just gotta type it up so it should be posted tonight… so long as I get some reviews to show that people still want to read this story that is…