Still I Look to Find a Reason to Believe

Chapter Nineteen

Albus Dumbledore arrived in the Dark Lord's lair, to find exactly what he found in the village. The order members were laying against the wall, finally resting, and the death eaters were in cuffs like they were in the village. His spell must have affected all death eaters. Dumbledore turned as he heard a noise behind him. It was a cry. He turned in the direction of the noise to see Draco Malfoy, holding a baby. Hermione was sleeping, and she had a small blond child sleeping next to her. He began to walk towards them. Draco looked up when he heard the foot steps. He looked down immediately when he realized who it was. "I know I'm going to Azkaban, and that I shouldn't even be here, I just-" Draco started saying. "I want a chance to be with the baby. When Hermione wakes up my chance willl be gone. I'll go willingly though," Draco said, "I don't need any shackles."

Dumbledore titled his head slightly. "What makes you think your going to Azkaban, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked him. Draco looked up, confused. "I thought you were sending all the death eaters to Azkaban," Draco stated. Dumbledore nodded. "I am. But you see, Mr. Malfoy. I performed a spell that would magically put shackles around every death eater in the world. If you were a true death eater, Mr. Malfoy, you would already be in shackles."

"Oh," Draco said, dully. He looked back to his daughter. "Hermione will never forgive me anyway. Its not like if I don't go to Azkaban I'll be happy. I still won't have my girls. I won't have all three of them…" At this being said, Draco found himself tearing. He had never had a family in his whole life. He had finally had a chance to have one, and he ruined. It.

"Tell me, Mr. Malfoy, how exactly did you ruin this?" Dumbledore asked him, as if reading his mind. "I acted like a death eater, sir. I was a death eater. The dark Lord made demands of me. To bring Hermione here. And I did it. I put her in danger. I treated her horribly, too and I don't even know why. I love her, at least, I think I do. I love our girls too. I don't know how to show it. I never had a family, professor. This is the closest I'll ever come to a family, and I don't even know if Hermione will forgive me for what I did to her. If she had died… It would've been my fault. If my baby had died… It would've been my fault. I shouldn't have brought them. I should've said no to Voldemort and died long before any of this had happened." Draco told Dumbledore, bowing his head in guilt.

"Let's say you did that, Draco. As a matter of fact, let's go back to the night you got your dark mark. If you had never been initiated in the Dark Lord's circle, would this baby you hold in your arms be here right now? You helped destroy the Dark Lord tonight, Draco. That wouldn't have happened had you not been a member of the death eaters, willingly or unwillingly. Your daughters would not have a safe and happy future ahead of them. You did that, and yes, it may take Hermione a small while to forgive you and understand what you did, but she's a Gryffindor. No matter how stubborn they are, they always come around," Dumbledore said, looking from Draco to Hermione. "Now, I believe I have more matters to take care of… You'll be safe with Ms Granger until she wakes up, and if she goes on a rampage… Ask one of the order members for help." With that, Dumbledore began walking towards the death eaters, who were all connected. He placed his hand on one of the death eater's cuffs, and did group apparation. And the Death Eaters, along with Dumbledore disappeared.

Draco stayed there as Hermione, Dakota, and the baby slept. He made sure he stayed awake, incase something happened. To waste time, he thought of all the things he would say to Hermione when she woke up. He decided he wouldn't even give her a chance to talk, or yell at him. The moment she opened her eyes, even just a little bit, he would tell how much he was sorry and how much he cared for her. And maybe… That would be enough.

Draco began drifting off to sleep, but, as if on cue, the baby began crying. "Shit." That was all Draco could say. He had no idea what to do. The baby's cries would wake up Hermione, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to talk to her.

It was too late though, Hermione was stirring, and Dakota, rubbing her eyes. Hermione opened her eyes to look up at Draco. Not knowing what else to do, Draco held out the baby and said, "I think it's hungry." Hermione shook her head, as though she couldn't understand what she was seeing or hearing. "Draco?" Was all she said, as she took her daughter into her arms. Draco nodded. "Yea, its me. And before you say anything, I wanna be able to talk." He told her. Hermione shook her head, as she began to unbutton her blouse. "You don't deserve a chance to talk," she told him.

Draco just stared at the baby and Hermione for a moment. Dakota had fallen back to sleep beside her mother. He found himself staring at her breasts. He hadn't realized she was going to breast feed the baby, and the sight was something totally different for him. He was able to snap out of it, though, thinking about what Hermione had said. He looked at her, and she remained looking at the baby, only at the baby, purposely ignoring him.

Draco nodded, slowly. He got the message. With one more look at Hermione, and his daughters, he rose from his seat, and began walking towards one of the many exits. As he walked, he wondered if Hermione was watching him leave. He knew the only way to find out would be to look back. But that was something he just couldn't do. If he did, he might see something in her eyes that could kill him. Hate… Pure hate. He wouldn't take that chance. He'd rather go on though life, with there relationship and the whole situation ending like that, then knowing Hermione hated him.

"Draco," Hermione called. Draco stopped walking, and turned around to face her. "Where is everyone?" She asked him, looking around the room. Draco followed her eyes. The only people there, besides themselves where the order members who were all out cold. Draco shrugged. "The Death Eaters are on their way to Azkaban, and the Order members are resting." Draco informed her. "So the order won?" Hermione asked, a small smile appearing on her face. Draco nodded. "All thanks to your friend Potter." Draco told her. Hermione's smile grew bigger. Draco wasn't sure whether he should stay or leave. So he waited for a sign from her to decide what o do. She waited a moment before saying anything else. "If the death eaters are being taken to Azkaban, Draco, why aren't you?" Hermione asked Draco. Draco closed his eyes, intercepting how harsh she meant for those words to be.

He opened them slowly, took another look at her and walked to the door. He stared at the door for a moment, then to Hermione, and said, "I may have made mistakes in my life and done things I shouldn't have, but I am not evil, Hermione. No matter what you want to believe. Or what you tell them girls about me when they ask where there father is. Don't tell them I didn't want them. Don't tell them I was evil. Tell them the truth. You know the truth, Hermione. You just don't want to believe it." And with that, Draco opened the door and stepped outside, leaving Hermione and his daughters behind.

A/N: Another one up! Please Review. And just randomly throw out a name for their baby and I'll pick the one I like the best, or just pick one off the top of my head if no one picks a name.