Father's Son - Chapter 8

Draco woke up early, nearly after dawn broke and smiled when he looked down to see Hermione still sleeping peacefully next to him. His right arm was wrapped around her as her right hand was pressed on his chest, her body leaning into his. He could feel the soft, light rhythm of her breathing each time she took in a breath. He felt as though it was comforting to have her warm body next to his. It had been so long since he felt the way he did, in a way complete.

He leaned his head back against the headboard and thought about everything that had occurred the night before. What am I going to do? I damn well can't let her go. Death is a certainty for her if he finds her again and I sure as bloody hell don't want that for her. I can't let that happen.

Something had to be done and since Draco was a man of action, he decided to change a few things in Hermione's life. He got off the bed and left the room without disturbing Hermione who deserved more sleep than one could imagine. He went down the stairs and rummaged through an old trunk in the closet. It took him several minutes before he finally found some crumpled parchment and a dust-covered bottle of black ink. After a few minutes of silent thinking, he began to scratch the quill he had managed to find half broken at the bottom of the trunk.

Harry Potter--

I need you to believe all of this. An old friend of yours known as Hermione is in trouble. She's in a lot of trouble actually. Now she's with me right now and safe, but she is still dealing with something that I would say is bigger than all of us. Do Hermione a favor by meeting me in London later today. I need to talk to you one on one about this. Meet me in Diagon Alley by Flourish and Blotts around noon.

Don't blow this off. Do it for Hermione.

-An Old Friend

P.S. Don't alert anyone else about this meeting. Let this be between us for the time being.

He quickly rolled it up and stared at it. Potter is going to think whoever sent this is either lying or fucking nuts. It's still worth a shot. He grabbed his wand and went outside, old feelings of power were running through his fingers as he clutched the wood. He dug his mind to remember the spell and managed to summon an owl after guessing a few times, all with failed results. A tawny owl soared towards him ready for a task, itching for a piece of mail to be delivered. Draco attached the piece of parchment and the owl flew off quickly as Draco watched it out of sight.

Upon reentering the house from the backyard, he saw Hermione sitting at the table with wrinkled clothes and her dark hair pulled back. She was looking down when he came back inside. He knew that look meant she was thinking hard.

"I think I should go today," she muttered in a soft and sad voice.

"Why?" he asked genuinely not understanding her logic.

"I've overstayed. I shouldn't be here."

"Are you saying this because of last night or because of your husband?" She looked up at him with his words repeating in her mind. She decided that enough was enough with him and it was time to be honest.

"Draco I'm getting too attached. I'm starting to feel something for you and I can't. I'm married and I'm a burden to you and I'm–"

"Completely wrong," he said taking a seat next to her. She looked at his eyes trying once again to figure him out, but his eyes were still guarded. "You spent five years being beaten. You got the courage to run away and you fell into my lap. You're welcome in this house Hermione. I don't want you to leave and find out that you died at the hands of him. I couldn't live with that. After being the reason that Taylor died, I can't be the reason for you dying."

"You didn't kill Taylor."

"Yeah and I didn't stop them either. I'm the reason she's dead and I've come to terms with that, but I will not come to terms if you die too. That I can't live with. Once is enough."

"He'll hurt you Draco!" she screamed, her face turning red with fear and frustration.

"Then I'll take that risk Hermione. Let me help you."

"No! He'll kill you and then kill me. Why should we both die?!" Her scream echoed throughout the course of the house, but was broken off by Draco's own scream.

"I will not let him do that to you!" he yelled making her jump in the seat next to him. "I will not let him hurt you. As a person I can't let that happen. As a man I can't let that happen. As a…friend I can't let that happen."

She questioningly repeated his words, "A friend?" to which he nodded to. "Well as your friend, I can't stay here and let him kill you. He'll find me…" she broke off not even looking at him when she spoke the last line; she was looking through him. Her brown eyes were somewhere else which let him know that she truly believed that this would happen. She knew that he would hurt her again.

"Hermione I refuse to let him hurt you again. You'll get that divorce and I'll take you away. I'll take you away so he can't ever find you."

"You know how hard it is to get that in our world. Wizarding marriage licenses are binding like no other."

"Hermione I think you have a rather valid reason," he said with a smirk on his lips. He was not chuckling at the situation, but at her odd state which basically made her believe that she was not the victim in all of this.

"Well I…It's just…I mean of course I've thought about it. The idea though of doing it would mean getting to the ministry. Alan works for the ministry. There is no possible way."

"Hermione you're making it very difficult for me to control my anger," he whispered looking away from her. She gulped, unsure of what he meant by that. "I will always have that Malfoy temper no matter how much I change and listening to you talk as though...as though you can't do anything about this...this bloody monster infuriates me. You don't deserve this."

"I know I don't and it's not a matter of wanting to do something. I want to do something, but not if it puts you at risk. I'm scared for you. I mean all of the guilt you feel about Taylor...I'd feel the same thing if you get killed over this–"

"It'll be nothing compared to what I feel if I have to deal with this twice!" he barked at her unable to hold back his anger. "Damn it, Hermione."

Silence

Silence

Silence

"I watched them kill her. I can't do that again. I will not let him hurt you." he breathed through tight lips. "You don't deserve that. That's not okay for that to keep happening. I won't be able to live with that. I won't let you go back."

"But what if he–"

"Let me worry about that," he interrupted her making her look down.

"Why are you doing all of this?" she asked in the most genuine of all voices.

"Cause as a man, I can't allow this to happen." he said quickly before he stood up from the large table and walked over to the closet. She watched him as he put on his black jacket and grabbed his shoes.

"Where are you going?" she asked rising from the table.

"I'm going to talk to someone about this. He'll know what to do and how to deal with all of this."

"What if he knows Alan?" she asked with panic in her voice falling back down on her chair.

"Oh he does, but little Alan will not be a problem with me. As far as I'm concerned, he will not contact you or be near you ever again. I'll take care of all the important stuff before we get out of here." Upon finishing those words, he looked up from his shoes to her. She was looking down at her short nails and there was a complete sadness to her. He sighed before he walked over to her taking her small hand into his planting a tender kiss on her skin.

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but I'm not going to let him kill you."

"No, I know. It's just, I never thought that this would happen. I was the all around girl in school and now I'm nothing. I'm a broken shadow. I do want this to be over."

"Then I'll take care of it for you," he said before he reached down and kissed her on the cheek. He stood up and she managed a little smile at him. "I'll be back later. Just stay here and relax. Take a bath and keep warm. I won't be that long."

"Promise?" she asked mustering up the most melodious voice she could whisper out.

"Promise."

He placed another kiss on her forehead before he turned around and left locking the door behind him. He went to the front and realized that he didn't feel like walking all the way to Diagon Alley. He would have to take the train and...well it did not seem too appealing for him. He went to the side of the house and apparated to Diagon Alley for the first time in nearly ten years.

He landed in the snow hard nearly falling over. He smiled once he regained his balance. I still got it. One must remember that a Malfoy's pride, however distant from the name and family that Malfoy may be, never leaves a Malfoy. He looked around and took in the sight noticing that nothing had really changed since he last saw the wizarding community. It had been so long since he felt that magic returning to him and to finally be surrounded by wizards was actually surprisingly nice. He looked around and saw them all doing last minute Christmas shopping buzzing about throughout each of the shops. Quite a few children were present since they were on holiday from school. His task at hand returned and he walked over to Flourish and Blotts.

Draco looked around and saw Harry sitting on a bench in front of the shop. He took a deep breath and walked over to him knowing full well that this was not going to be the most fun of reunions. He sat down next to him.

"Hey Potter."

"Malfoy?" asked Harry who was both baffled and angry. Harry stood up and looked as though he was about to strangle him. I don't exactly blame him for that.

"Hold up. Before you kill me, we need to talk."

"I'm meeting someone," hissed Harry as though it was almost painful not to be physically forcing pain on the silvery-haired man sitting on the bench. Draco waved to him and Harry's green eyes widened, "The letter was from you? I knew I shouldn't have come here." Harry turned to leave.

"I meant every word."

"Oh I'm sure." Sarcasm was practically dripping off of his tongue.

"Potter for once let that fat head of yours deflate and believe me. She needs your help."

Harry stopped and turned back to look at him, his eyes blinking fast as though he had just been hit with a bludger across the face. "You want me to believe you?" he asked through his teeth. "You want me to believe the one that helped kill my mentor–"

"I was sixteen years old. I know...fuck I know that is no bloody excuse, but I'm not that same kid and this isn't about me. This is about your friend Hermione."

"Malfoy if she needs my help, then why the hell is she not here? Why are you here instead of her?"

"Cause I won't let her leave the house on the off chance that someone tries to hurt her again."

"I haven't seen her in fucking five years and I'm suppose to believe that you're the one that she's been with?"

"I've got a lot to tell you."

Harry and Draco went back to the Leaky Cauldron finding a table in the back complete with darkness and privacy. Draco explained everything to him practically in one breath for his nerves were starting to get the better of him. He told him how he found Hermione, what they'd been doing (leaving out key details about the physical relationship that they had in fact been engaging it. It may have only been a snog here and there, but he did not need Potter questioning him about that), how he has been keeping her safe, and finally why she needed the divorce.

"Alan was a nice guy. I...you expect me to believe that?"

"I told you the truth Potter."

"Screw you Malfoy."

"Alright why don't we start thinking here. Didn't you find it odd, perhaps a bit off, how Hermione gets married and just takes off? You didn't question her sanity or her loyalties when she stopped seeing you after she randomly married some guy?"

"Even if I were to take that into consideration, none of this means anything coming from you. The truth died with you, as far as I'm concerned, when you got that thing tattooed on your arm," said Harry with his eyes looking down at Draco's forearm. Draco himself looked down and saw that his dark mark was visible. He was so use to being away from people that he took of his jacket and didn't even think about his noticeable mark. He quickly covered it with his other hand.

"I'm not a death eater."

"That mark says otherwise."

"You must believe me when I say that I did not follow the path that Lucius had designed for me. I am not my Father's son."

"I call your bluff on that Malfoy."

Draco sighed rubbing a hand across his face before he said, "I have been on the run from them for nearly nine years."

"Well after you killed Dumbledore," said Harry with a grimace.

"I didn't. Snape killed him."

"You were on your way. What in the bloody hell am I thinking? Don't talk about Dumbledore! You don't have that right! You're nothing more than his servant."

"They killed my wife Potter. I'm not a death eater," said Draco sadly looking away from Harry's questioning gaze. Harry certainly had not expected that. Draco continued, "They took Taylor three years ago Christmas Day. I'm not affiliated with them. I do not have any support for them. I hate what I use to be. Taylor changed me and then they took her. I want nothing more than to kill every one of them that helped take her life."

"How come this wasn't in the Prophet or anything?" asked Harry deeply curious.

"She was a muggle. It was covered by the ministry and only reported in muggle papers." Harry raised his eyebrows.

"You married a muggle? The Slytherin Prince married a muggle?"

"Yeah I did. I ruined my family's pureblood line. Would have really ruined it if that kid had been born."

"Had been?" asked Harry.

"They didn't just kill my wife, but they killed my pregnant wife. I let them kill Taylor. I will not let him kill Hermione. I can't deal with something like that twice."

Harry was silent for a few moments obviously trying to find the right words to say. "Alan use to work for the ministry. Even if you are telling the truth, there is no way a divorce could go through."

"He is a bloody death eater! Show them that fucking mark and then that'll change a few opinions!" Draco's rage could no longer be held back. It was one thing for Hermione to hate herself for getting into such a mess, but it was quite another thing to hear Potter giving up on her too.

"Look I don't want to believe that one of my oldest friends married a death eater. I don't want to believe that."

"Well you need to. You need to fast because it did fucking happen. She needs to get this fucking divorce so she is no longer magically bound to him. Upon that...we're leaving."

"Leaving?" repeated Harry with a questioning gaze.

"I'm not going to stay here and wait for more death eaters to find us. I fucked up once by not taking my wife away from this. I don't make the same mistakes twice."

"I want to see her. I need to hear this from her," said Harry with much force in his voice.

"She doesn't know that I came to see you. I just told her that I went to see an old friend that could help me out."

"Old friend?" Harry raised his eyebrows to which Draco rolled his eyes at.

"I didn't say whose old friend."

"I don't care. I still need to see her and now."

"Fine let's go."

They started walking towards the house. There was absolute silence between them as they trudged through the snow and from Draco's point of view he liked that silence.

"Do you know who did it?" asked Harry making him roll his eyes. Of course silence sets in and fucking Potter ruins it.

"Did what Potter?"

"Killed your wife?" Draco was silent for a moment taking in every thought he could.

"No. They wore their usual death eater attire and performed the killing curse. I never saw their faces."

"I didn't know," muttered Harry who suddenly took a liking to staring at his shoes moving through the cold snow.

"Most people don't. Very few wizards do at least. My parents obviously never came to our wedding and my friends all abandoned me once I wanted out. So only really muggles knew us. When she died, the only people that knew about the real circumstances behind her death were her parents. They blamed me for her death so for me, life has stopped." Harry could hear the sincerity in his voice. "I'm right up here."

Harry stared in amazement upon entering the house that looked very much like a home. It was as though Draco really was living life as a muggle. Harry looked around as Draco locked the many locks which were connected to the door.

"I'll go up and get Hermione. Make yourself at home Potter."

Harry nodded walking into the living room alone seeing as Draco had already ventured up the stairs. He looked around and saw the same pictures that Hermione had looked at, pictures of him and a really pretty blonde. He knew that had to be Taylor. He never thought that Malfoy would ever marry a muggle, but he could see why he did it. "Damn, she's gorgeous."

Hermione came down the stairs and threw her arms around Harry nearly knocking him backwards. He smiled as he hugged her tight feeling as though a piece of him had been returned by holding one of his two best friends. Draco came down and sat on the couch as they continued to hug knowing full well that he needed to give them some amount of space, but refusing to leave her side. Hermione had tears streaming down her face as she looked at Harry.

"It's been too long," she said through her tears.

"I've heard a few things that I didn't like about you. Please tell me that they're not true," said Harry making Draco roll his eyes.

"If Draco told you then they're true." Hermione sat down next to Harry and explained everything to him in words that were less harsh than the ones chosen by Draco. All she really did was confirm what Draco told him, but in a much nicer manner. Harry shook his head.

"How could this have happened? You are one of the brightest witches of our time. How could you have let him do this?"

"Oh yeah, I really begged for it," she quipped back defensively.

"I'm not saying that you did, but Merlin Hermione...why didn't you tell anyone?"

"How could I?!" snarled Hermione who was extremely frustrated and completely red in the face. "You know, I've listened to Draco enough. I don't need this from you as well." She ran out of the room and up the stairs without giving Harry another glance. She cried as soon as she shut the door feeling all of her emotions pouring back out as though anything that had healed had just been cut right back open.

Draco looked at Harry who was shaking his head understanding Harry's logic, but annoyed with him just the same. "Potter he broke her. He is a fucking bloody death eater and he broke her. He made her believe that everything she did was wrong. Even at one point when she spoke with me, she said that there were occasions where she was bad. He broke her down to make her think that everything was her fault, that she deserved to be in this life of evil and pain. I know first hand that being involved in something like that when not on your own terms...well let's just say that it makes death seem easy," said Draco in a monotone voice having been so use to thinking about the subject that it was rather boring for him. However, his voice raised when he said, "Give me five minutes alone with that bastard. I'll show him a thing or two."

"Look I believe Hermione. I don't want to, but I do," said Harry with a sad tone.

"Then what are we going to do about it?"

"We are not going to do anything about it Malfoy. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, but I will handle it from now on. I will also handle Hermione. She'll leave with me."

Draco felt like he had just been slapped across the face. "I don't think so Potter."

"Look I don't know what you think is going to happen between you and her, but it's not. She'll come with me and we'll get this thing sorted out."

"You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me."

"Yes this I know and I thank you, but Hermione is safe with me. She'll be leaving here with me."

"Screw that!" hissed Draco who was stood up and walked towards Harry. "She's been with me now for weeks. She's the safest here. It's away from wizards, I can be with her at all times, and I know how to handle guys like that bloody Alan. Besides, once this divorce thing goes through then I'm getting her the fuck out of here."

"Malfoy you don't even care about her–"

"Stop it! Both of you!"

Draco and Harry's attention was turned towards the girl who was reentering the room looking disheveled and quite upset.

"I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"Hermione I–" Draco was cut off by her.

"I know Draco, I know." She gave him a small smile to which somehow managed to warm his insides.

"You obviously can't handle yourself," interjected Harry who was looking rather flustered.

"Which is why I'm asking for your help. Draco, if it's still alright with you, during all of this I'd like to stay here. I feel safe here." She looked towards him to see him giving her a look alerting her that he knew she already knew the answer to that question. She looked back to Harry with a strong tone in her voice, "And Harry thank you for being here for me. If you can begin helping me with the divorce filing then I'd really appreciate it."

"Alan will question me once I file this to the ministry. If I handle your affairs...well I do not know how I can keep it from getting ugly. Alan will want to draw blood from me."

"And you'll say nothing of her whereabouts," said Draco firmly. "She'll stay here and remain safe."

"You better keep her out of sight. Once this hits, he'll be all over my ass and all over yours if he finds out that she's with you."

"He won't. Besides, I know how to handle guys like him."

"Draco…" began Hermione in a despondent voice, but broke off alerting Draco that she didn't even want to fathom him getting hurt strictly because of her. Their eyes met making him say, "She'll be fine Potter. Just get those papers started."

"Yeah. I'll see you soon," said Harry as he hugged Hermione and kissed her gently on the cheek. "I'm going to Ministry of Magic right now. I'll take care of it. I'll take care of you Hermione."

"Thank you," she said docilely.

"Bye all." With a pop he was gone.

"It's the first step Hermione." She nodded at him.

"I'm going to go take a shower if that's okay." He nodded at her before she stood up, walked towards the stairs, and then stopped.

"Thank you Draco. For everything."

She then continued up the stairs not looking back at him. Draco smiled as he leaned back feeling lighter than he had in a while. This is the right thing. She is getting the help she needs.

Alan Jameson woke up in his soft bed wrapped in a mixture of sheets and limbs feeling very refreshed and very ready for another day. He looked at the girl next to him still asleep with her long black hair scattered all over the bed. She was a new girl to the clan who had just been branded the night before and he thought it seemed only fair to "sanctify" her with a good shag. She was decent faced and alright in bed, but nothing compared to his Hermione.

He grabbed his all black attired putting it on slowly when he heard a knock at his chamber door. He stalked towards the large door and opened it to see another young death eater standing in front of him.

"What do you want?"

"An owl delivered this outside and took off before we were able to collect anything in regards to seeing where it had come from. I think it looked like a ministry owl."

Alan took the letter from him and quickly opened it. He scanned it fiercely and his breathing grew heavier as his eyes got near the end.

Mr. Alan Jameson–

It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Magic that one, Hermione Granger-Jameson, has appealed for a marital divorce. Through proper consideration and analysis of the Jameson marriage, the Ministry of Magic has granted Mrs. Hermione Granger-Jameson that right.

Official documents are currently being processed and will be delivered to you within a day or so. Mrs. Granger-Jameson has decided to act swiftly upon this divorce and would look a hearing within the next week. During that time you are not to contact her or to come within 300 yards of her unless in a court of the ministry.

We also must alert you that we are currently looking into your history and background in regards to a file complaint against suspicions of Death Eater involvement. Another hearing will occur on your behalf during the same week as the divorce hearing.

The ministry hopes this letter finds you well! (A/N: Leave it to the ministry to say something so patronizing)

Sincerely,

Chilton Aldan

Ministry of Magic Marriage Official

Alan was shaking as he finished the letter ripping the edges of the parchment. He crumpled it up and threw it over his shoulder looking away from the young member who had delivered it. Alan slammed the door on his face not caring to speak with anyone. He went back to his bed and leaned back.

"She is so dead."

"Who is?" asked the dark haired witch who was sitting up with the blanket draped over her naked body.

"My wife. Get the fuck out of this room."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Get-the-fuck-out-of-this-room."

She quickly changed into her clothes from the day before without muttering a word to him. She had to remember that he was in fact a standing member of his clan and she was not to speak to someone of such high ranking with so much as a sharp tone. She ran out the door before he even had a chance to look at her.

"Oh Hermione," said Alan to himself in a deep, cruel voice, "You may be beautiful my love, but that will not keep me from ripping you limb from limb. If I can't have you then nobody can."

A/N: Alright well I was suffering from a large amount of writer's block in regards to this chapter so I hope that it came out alright. I know where the story is going and I already have the ending written (a trait of mine as you may have noticed based on my other fic), but it's everything inside of the story that I can't seem to figure out. I'm going to do my best to keep updating every other day, as is my regular routine, but as a warning if I do start to slack then just know that it's probably from a lack of creativity. I will definitely be working on this fic though since I have a week off right now from school with no essays! Yay for me!

"Father's Son" is yet another 3 Doors Down song. You people really should listen to this band since they're the best! Lol, but it's a song that I thought worked since it's about a man who contemplates some of his actions and crimes he has committed in his life. He thinks about an act he committed which was absolutely atrocious and hates himself for it, but realizes that he has the power to change since he "is not his father's son". So yes, I did borrow that line for the fic.

Must give a shout out to Silverlovedragoness. You're the best and you know it!

READ AND REVIEW!!! If you can read it, then you can review it.

Iris is a work of fanfiction. The characters belong to J.K. Rowling, but the featured story is mine.