11 Reasons General Theme: 11 Reasons why Draco and Hermione Belong Together
Pairing: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger
Title: The One Who Knows
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter
Word Count: 1675
Prompt: Table 4 (Sins and Virtues)—Hope
Notes: Many thanks to my wonderful beta, eilonwy!

ooo

And shake my head and laugh and say
It all went by so fast

ooo

Hermione was sitting in the library of her home writing a letter to her parents. It was September the second, at ten o'clock in the morning. The letter was detailed, as her letters usually were. A lot had happened over the course of the last week and Charles and Emily would want to know every single bit.

When she was halfway through the week, her son, Nathan, walked into the room and came to stand beside her chair.

"Hey there," Hermione said, mussing his hair.

"Hey, Mum," he said pulling his head out of her reach. "You got a letter. I gave the owl a treat." He held out his hand, proffering the letter.

"Oh, thank you." She looked down at the envelope in Nathan's hand and immediately recognized her daughter's handwriting and knew exactly what it was. Excitement bubbled inside her and she grinned and she took the letter. "Where's your father?"

"Umm… I think he's outside with Adelaide and Sienna."

"Where are they?" she asked.

"The pitch, I think," he replied, scratching his head.

Hermione smiled. "Of course. Why am I not at all surprised? Why aren't you on the pitch as well?"

Nathan shrugged. "They're doing drills."

"Ah. Your father is convinced he's going to have his Quidditch team."

"Have you seen Adelaide fly?" Nathan said. "It's not happening. Sorry, Dad."

Hermione chuckled. "You're right. I'm afraid she got that from her mother. What are you doing?"

"Well, I was watching, but I think I'm going to read now," Nathan replied.

"All right."

"Maybe later you can play with me."

"Of course! I would absolutely love to. You know what? Come with me to get your dad. I want to see him."

"Okay."

Hermione stood from the desk and set down her quill. She took Nathan's hand in hers and together they made their way to the back garden and then to the pitch, a small version of the real thing that Draco had set up. It had three makeshift hoops for goals and he had marked off the boundaries for half a pitch.

The neighbors all thought it was a little strange but they lived far enough out in the country that Muggles did not generally come across their house and get suspicious of three large hoops on poles at different heights on their property. If anyone did ask, they said it was art.

When they found him, Draco was instructing his two youngest daughters. They were practicing mounting their brooms. Hermione and Nathan stopped a small distance away and she smiled and watched. Adelaide was completely hopeless.

"I think she's got too much of her mum in her," Hermione called, resuming her walk to her family.

Draco looked up, exasperated. "Eh, yeah. I think so."

Adelaide ran to her mum and threw her arms around her knees.

"Hey, Sweetheart," said Hermione, letting go of Nathan's hand to hug her daughter. Then she picked Adelaide up and looked at her husband. "Draco, we…got a letter from Gemma."

His eyes widened. "Oh!"

He knew it was a big letter, an important letter. Neither of them could wait to rip into it.

"Shall we…have a look at it then?" she asked.

Draco glanced at Sienna who was busy hovering a few feet off the ground, looking at her father impatiently. "Why don't you take Laidie and Nathan inside and um, I'll be in a bit."

"Okay," said Hermione.

She took her son's hand and with Adelaide on her hip, took them both inside. They went to the playroom, and she got her children busy with an activity. Draco came in with Sienna after a few minutes and she joined her brother and sister.

"Nathan, would you watch your sisters for just a few minutes? Your father and I want to see what Gemma has to say."

"Okay, Mum," he said absently, not taking his eyes off what he was doing.

Draco and Hermione rushed away like two kids who'd just missed being caught doing something they weren't supposed to do. They were grinning uncontrollably as they hurried toward the closest room in which they could both comfortably sit. Unable to make it that far, they stopped on a bench in the hallway.

"Do you want to open it? Or should I?" she asked.

Draco bit his lip and looked intently at the letter. Then, "You open it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, absolutely. I want you to open it."

"Okay," she said, not needing further encouragement. She ripped into the envelope and pulled out the parchment inside.

"Dear Mum and Dad," she read aloud.

"Hogwarts is amazing! It's the most incredible place I have ever seen, even more so than Diagon Alley and the Apothecary. I saw Hagrid first thing and he took us across the lake. Everyone was impressed that he knew my name. All of my teachers are really nice and everyone has been very friendly. I have received a few funny looks from some people, but you warned me about that.

"Anyway, I know that you are very interested in the Sorting, and so, without further ado… you should know I was sorted into Ravenclaw."

Hermione stopped reading. "Ravenclaw?"

"What?!" Draco cried, snatching the letter from Hermione and rereading the first few sentences. "Ravenclaw." He said it as though he were tasting something for the first time and was not quite sure what he thought of it.

They looked at each other. "How did that happen?" Hermione said.

"She was a shoo-in for Slytherin!" said Draco.

"No, Gryffindor!" argued Hermione.

"Well, at least it's not Hufflepuff."

"Draco," Hermione said, chuckling. Then, "Ravenclaw!"

"Who wins the bet, then?" Draco asked, looking at her.

"I don't know! Did anyone put money on Ravenclaw?"

"Someone must have."

"Luna did!" Hermione exclaimed. "She was in Ravenclaw."

"Merlin, she gets a pile of Galleons, doesn't she?" Draco said, mentally calculating the pot.

"Yeah…she was the only person who bet on Ravenclaw."

They were silent for a few moments, and then Draco spoke. "It's not terribly surprising, really. Her mother is brilliant."

Hermione smiled. "Her father isn't exactly a dunce either. After all, he was smart enough to win her mother."

"Oh, very nice," he said with a smile, tickling her for a few seconds and then taking her face in his hands and kissing her tenderly. When he looked into her eyes, he saw nothing but pure love in them, threatening to spill over.

"Finish the letter," she said softly, handing it to him.

"…I was sorted into Ravenclaw.

"A girl I met on the train was sorted into Slytherin. She came to me after the feast and said she thought I was guaranteed to be in her house. I just told her that a person isn't defined by her name."

Draco stopped reading and set the letter in his lap. He looked at Hermione, who was grinning broadly at him. "She's something, isn't she?" he said.

"Yes, she really is."

They both sat in silence, thinking how amazing their daughter was.

"Nathan is going to be in Slytherin," Draco said after a few minutes.

"That's funny – I was just thinking the same thing, except for Gryffindor. I think Adelaide will be in Gryffindor too." She sighed. "Actually, if I'm honest with myself, I think Nathan will be in Slytherin. I reckon I just wish he will be in Gryffindor. I think Sienna will probably be in Slytherin as well."

He looked at her. "I agree with you about Laidie and Nathan, but I think Sienna will be in your house."

"Oh? Why do you think that?" she asked.

"She's a lot like you—she's got this love of life, an outlook that sees everything as wonderful, the world is magical." He looked at her, his eyes softening. "I've got to say, that outlook of yours is one of the top five reasons I am so in love with you. You are magic, and yet you still think it's amazing when it snows."

Hermione smiled. "Did you finish the letter?"

"No," Draco replied, looking at the parchment. "Almost."

She just huffed and left. I'm looking forward to classes starting soon, though by the time you get this, I will probably have already been through Transfiguration and Potions. I love you both and miss you, but not too much. Don't worry, okay? It's going to be very hard not to want to cheer for either Gryffindor or Slytherin when Quidditch starts, but I expect I'll be a fully-fledged Ravenclaw in no time.

Love you and miss you!

Gemma.

Draco folded the letter and returned it to Hermione. "For your stash."

She looked at him quizzically.

"I know you've got a box hidden away in some secret compartment in the library for each of our children. I know you put in letters, pictures…anything special for you to remember them by."

Hermione sighed. "They grow up so fast! Gemma is eleven already, Draco. Soon, Nathan will be headed to Hogwarts, and then Sienna, and Adelaide…"

He took her hand in his. "And then Gemma will get married, and we'll have grandchildren…"

"No!" Hermione cried, laughing. "I do not want to think about that yet!"

Draco wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. "All right, love. There will be time enough for that when it comes. I think right now we should join our kids in their playtime." He stood up and extended his hand. "After all, before you know it, they'll be sending home letters of their own from Hogwarts."

Hermione took his hand and he pulled her up. She had a soft smile on her face and she suddenly hugged Draco, burying her face in his chest.

"What is it, love?"

"Hold me, will you? Don't let me go."

He pulled her tight against him.

"Never."

She held him tightly for a few precious seconds until a mischievous thought crept into her mind and she acted on it, tickling him in his most ticklish spot. He pulled away from her and ran after her, laughing, toward the playroom.

ooo

A/N: Thanks for reading! Only one more ficlet to go in this writing challenge! Thank you for sticking with this little story and me. :)