Love and Fate
Chapter 3: His Life
He finally got out of the shower, got dressed and headed down stairs. He walked into the kitchen and looked around. She had never been in his house but he saw her everywhere. Standing at the stove, sitting across from him at the table, hearing her laugh down the hall, or singing in the shower. Even now as he stands in the doorway he saw her, heard her, and even smelled her. Yet he knew she wasn't there. She hadn't ever been there and she left him when they were sixteen.
He shook his head and blinked away the tears. He walked through the kitchen and into the dining room deciding that he wasn't hungry. Walked to the front door to let out the damn cat he just had to keep and apperated to work.
"Draco? Where the bloody hell have you been?" his assistant screeched as he walked in the door.
"Uh…At home?" He answered looking down at her.
"Oh…Draco you were suppose to be here an hour ago." She huffed as she turned around and stormed down the hallway. He followed her listening to her complain about her tardiness, as only she could care about rules enough to. They stopped in front of his office and she was still going.
"Hermione… Hermione stop…Go home! You shouldn't even be here. If Ron knew I was even letting you in that door he'd kill Me." she opened her mouth to retort but he cut her off. "Go home! Your eight and a half months pregnant…just go home."
"Draco… I don't like leaving you here all by yourself." he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Come on Herms I'm not alone… I got Kourbin here." she laid her head on his shoulder and chuckled.
"Yeah because Kourbin Mr. Afraid-of-his-own-shadow is going to go into your office and tell you when it's time to eat or time to go home." She laughed "You don't let him in your office."
"Hey now he's tried." He said smiling down at her. He looked at her for a while longer then got a sad look on his face and a misty look in his eyes. "I got to find her Herms…I got to." He said pulling her into a hug.
"I know Draco… I know." she whispered letting her own tears fall.
Draco hugged her tighter she was the only one that still helped him look for her. She was the only one that didn't give up on him, and his need to have Billie back. She was the only one that understood his pain.
Flash Back
She was laying on his bed in a white tank top and white lacey knickers. Her head was resting on his chest. He closed his eyes, running his fingers through her hair. Taking in the feeling of completeness he only got with her.
"Draco?" she inquired.
"Hmm." he grunted.
"You going to sleep?"
"No." He answered, smirking knowing she could tell that he was lying.
"You are too." She said as she flipped around to face him. He smiled down at her.
"No honestly I wasn't. I was just enjoying having you with Me." she gave him a knowing look. And all he did was smile.
"Draco you can't fall asleep." she stated moving to her side to lie next to him.
"Why not? You can sleep too you know." He whined. Wrapping his arms around her.
"No I can't, not in here. What are we going to do if someone catches us?" She asked into his chest.
"I'll tell them I needed a good shag." He stated smirking. She slapped him hard on the chest and started to push him away. As she started pushing he grabbed her wrists and pulled her to him. Then she started to kick him so he took his legs and clamped them around hers.
"Draco…Draco let go… Let go of me." She screamed still struggling against him.
"Now why?" he started as he straddled her stomach. "Would I do that when I know you don't want me too?" He asked smirking his infamous smirk that he knew she just wanted to slap off his face. She quit struggling and tossed her head back and forth to get the hair out of her face. He watched her in amusement, when finally she stopped moving.
"Help me." she whined. He put both her hands in his left hand above her head. She lies still as she watched him as he watched his hand. Slowly and gently he moved all the hair covering her face, but he didn't stop. His hand traveled all over her face taking in every curve. His fingertips went from her chin to her forehead. He watched his hand in wonder and amazement.
He wondered how a girl so perfect came into his life. How someone as beautiful inside and out as she was could be with someone like him, to change him. He was so amazed by every eyelash, every freckle, and every curve that it blew his mind.
He stopped tracing, brought his hand up to hers intertwined their fingers, and rested his forehead against hers. Opened his eyes and looked at her. She was staring back at him with the same feeling that either of them could comprehend.
At that moment Draco was torn from his memory and crashing back into reality when a boy about 18 with curly sandy blond hair came stumbling down the hallway carrying one too many rolled up maps. He was right in front of Hermione and Draco when he got control of the maps and tripped. He landed right at their feet and looked up at their amused faces.
"Uh… Mr. Malfoy… Mrs. Weasley…I… Uh well… I guess I'm sorry." The boy stuttered standing up. Hermione watched the scene in front of her with a smile on her face. Draco on the other hand became serious.
"And why Mr. Stanford are you sorry?" Draco asked towering over the shaking boy.
"I well… Do you really want to know?" The boy asked scared of the answer. Draco nodded crossing his arms over his chest. Hermione on the other hand was covering her mouth trying not to laugh. "Okay… I was late this morning." Stanford answered proudly.
"And why Mr. Stanford were you late?" Stanford's eyes got wide and he shook even more. He looked at Hermione's amused face and then back to Draco's hard stare.
"Well Sir… I got into a fight with my girlfriend… And… Well… we made up… Sir." Hermione couldn't hold it anymore she doubled over in laughter. Draco uncrossed his arms and smiled.
"You made up?" Draco asked still smiling.
"Yes Sir… Twice," Stanford said being completely serious.
"Kourbin get out of here." Draco said chuckling. While Hermione was laughing so hard she had to use the wall to hold herself up. Kourbin bent down picked up the maps held his chin high and finished his journey down the hall, slowly.
"Well that just about made my day." Hermione said between laughs. Finally she composed herself. "Okay first things first you have a meeting with the new Auror's today and yes Harry's home and yes he will be there with you."
"Why do they keep switching them on me? I don't get it. It's like we have to start over knew every time." Draco complained to the ceiling as they walked over to Hermione's desk.
"I'm sorry Draco." She mumbled not really meaning it; she heard it all the time. "But you also have a press conference in a week." Draco slammed himself into the chair opposite Hermione's and groaned. "I know…I know I already started your speech so don't worry about it."
"What I don't get is why they're all still on about this bloody search? It's not like it's new. I've been doing it for five bloody years." Hermione sat down in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose
"Maybe it's because you actually may have found something this time." She suggested.
"I didn't find anything…Kourbin found a hot Pop Star from some dinky town in… wherever it is."
"Oklahoma." Hermione filled in. Draco stood up and started to pace.
"I mean sure the girls the right age, and body type, and hair color, but she doesn't have B.J's eyes or smile or bone structure or anything…" He slowed down, stopped and looked at Hermione. He started to think of it being her and how happy he would be. "No…No she's got kids for crying out loud… it can't be her…" He looked up at Hermione again. "Right? Tell me it can't be her. Tell me it's not her." Hermione took a deep breath and leaned back into the chair.
"Draco…I have told you that many girls aren't her, but you always go to them and make sure… So I'm going to sit here and not say a damn word." He started to pace again.
"I mean that girl had her kids when she was what… Seventeen? Eighteen?"
"Sixteen." Hermione corrected. Draco looked at her.
"Well then it can't be her. We were together then and she never told me she was pregnant." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Draco what sixteen year old girl is going to tell her boyfriend that she's pregnant?" he gave her a Yeah-Your-Right look and started to pace again. "I mean it's scary. I'm 21 and have been married for almost two years, and it was so frightening to tell Ron." She finished looking down at her stomach.
"Hermione… I get it," he said sitting down in the chair. "Please…Just humor me tell me it's not her. Tell me what you think."
"You want to know what I think? Okay Draco… this is what I think. I think that, that 'cute little pop star'… Whatever her name is."
"Ronnie Lynn." Draco filled in.
"Whatever I think she could possibly be my sister and best friend… think that she is the closet to Billie that we have ever been… She's my sister Draco and the only person that knows her half as well as I do is you…" He looked at her in disbelief; it was the first girl that Hermione has ever taken noticed in. Ever since Kourbin brought her picture in Hermione stayed up late into the night at times trying to get something or anything on the star, but conveniently enough there wasn't that much about her. "Draco… your also forgetting something." she said calming down and leaning back into her chair.
"What?" he asked with his head in his hands.
"Billie is a witch. If she doesn't want to be found she won't. She can do anything; change anything, from her name to her eye color… Billie not stupid and this Ronnie Lynn aren't either."
"How so?" Draco asked getting up and standing behind her. As she pulled out the smallest file Draco has ever seen her hold.
"I mean this girl is smart. She's dodged everything no one knows anything about her past… Nothing… they don't even know who the dad is to her children, or even if she has a boyfriend. She's found every loophole there is to not let people know about her… There's nothing Draco but pictures." she said as she threw the pictures down on the desk, then she looked up at him, and he looked back expecting a 'but'.
"But… Please tell me there's a but." Draco pleaded.
"Well it's not really a but more of a secret that she didn't want anyone to know…"
"What? Hermione what is it?" Draco asked getting excited.
"She's… Draco She's British." Hermione whispered. Draco's jaw dropped as he slowly sunk back into his chair.
"Are you sure?" He asked his voice cracking.
"Almost positive," She whispered.
"How do you know?" He asked looking up at her.
"There was a lawsuit." Draco's eyes got wide with curiosity. "She didn't want anyone to know about her heritage. But her hairstylist wasn't as trustworthy as Ronnie thought she was. So Ronnie sued her, and they covered it up pretty well… But,"
"Yes I knew there was a but." Draco exclaimed standing up and pacing again.
"Yes…but the hairstylist," She stopped and looked through a few papers "Maria doesn't even remember Ronnie she says she's never even heard of her." Hermione smiled knowing what was coming next.
"Yes." Draco said jumping up. "She's a witch." Hermione just smiled.
"Well she might be a witch."
"What do you mean might be? Of course she is. She used a memory charm." Draco said looking at Hermione.
"Yes Draco your right but B.J. left when she was sixteen she never finished schooling."
"But Billie was a genius with memory charms. Come on Hermione she was your sister are you saying that she not capable of learning how to do a memory charm before seventh year… I mean you did." Draco said putting his hands on Hermione's desk. "I don't even remember how many she's used on Pansy… or hell for Blaise for that matter." He looked at her with a glint in his eyes that Hermione had only seen once and it was the night that it left. Ever since then she's been trying to get it back… to get Billie back. "Hermione do… do you really think this Ronnie Lynn is the closest we've ever been to Billie?" He whispered. She stared at him hard. It was true this girl was like Billie in a lot of ways. And the fact that Ronnie was British shook Hermione to the core. She blinked and her eyes filled with tears. She wasn't going to lie to him… She couldn't.
"Draco…" He looked up from the ground at her. "Yes." She whispered. "Yes I do think that she's the closest we've ever been."
"Hermione… Herms," His voice cracked. He stopped and sank down into the chair again. "I can't go see her alone."
"I know… but Draco look at me… I'm eight months pregnant… I want to go with you but I can't. I can't travel like this and Ron wouldn't let me go anyway."
"Herms I'm not going without you. I'll just wait until the baby's born." Hermione stood up.
"Draco… even when the baby comes it will be a while before I can go anywhere. Why don't you take Harry or Ron?"
"Well Ron will want to stay with you. And Damn Hermione," He stood up and started to pace again. "Harry doesn't understand… no one does but you…you're the only one who knows what she does to me. The way I feel about her…uh…Hermione I need to have her back… I thought I was getting better…I …" He cut off and stopped pacing and looked down at the ground.
"You had the dream again didn't you?" She asked walking up to him. He wouldn't look at her so she put her hands on his face and made him look at her. He slowly nodded and the let the tears run down his cheeks… Hermione has looked at Draco many times and has seen him cry a lot, but never has she seen him like she is seeing him now… As she looked up at him she didn't understand how she could ever hate him… but he has grown up, he wasn't the skinny, pale, pointed face little boy he had been in school… Now that she thought about it he wasn't that way when him and Billie started to date. They say you can never change a boy, but Billie had changed Draco… She had changed him into a man… into a great man. At this moment Hermione understood why her sister was with him and why she loved him… He wasn't his father and he wasn't evil… And Billie saw it.
Flash Back
"What I want to know is why? Why him of all people?" Hermione screamed across the room.
"Because I just like to piss you off," Billie whispered getting in her face.
"You're ruining everything just like you always do. You're ruining our friendship… and I'm not just talking about ours I'm talking about with Harry and Ron too." Hermione yelled pushing Billie away from her.
"The fuck I am Hermione, because if you were really my friends you would get over it, you would trust me, you'd be happy for me." Billie screamed letting the tears run down her face that she never let anyone see. Harry was sitting in the back of the common room elbows on knees, and head in hands. Ron was pacing behind the couch clenching and unclenching his fists, yet he hadn't said a word neither boy had… only Hermione.
"Come on Billie we're your family. And he's the enemy…the enemy Billie…the other side… a Death-"
"Don't you ever think about calling him that. You don't even know him…He doesn't have a mark, he doesn't want one… And he's not his Father." Billie screamed. She was shaking from head to toe. And for the first time in her life Hermione was afraid of her sister. She looked at Billie in shock… Billie started crying and sank to the floor.
"Does he make you happy?" Ron asked when Billie calmed down. Harry Finally looked up and stared at Billie. Hermione was gaping at Ron while he stared at the floor. Billie slowly looked up at him with teary eyes
"Yes." She whispered. Ron looked up at her and knew that she loved him. He walked around the couch gave Hermione a glare and gathered Billie in his arms… She crawled into his lap willingly clinging to him crying all over again.
"Shh… B.J. it's all right. I promise Billie it will be alright." Ron whispered.
"I love you Ron… You know that don't you?" she asked looking up at him. He took one look at the tear stained face and knew that she did and she meant it, slowly he nodded. "You're my best friend… the first moment I saw you I knew you were special… I knew from then on I couldn't live without you… Please…Please tell me that your happy for Me." she pleaded bearing her face in his chest.
"…I'm happy for you." As soon as the words left his mouth Harry punched the table, and Hermione scoffed.
"You can't be serious? You're actually going to let her do this?" Hermione asked standing in front of them.
"No I'm not letting her…She'd do it anyway she loves him Hermione… and someone's got to be on her side… he makes her happy just like you make me happy… The whole time you were yelling at her I was thinking what it would be like if all my friends hated you… if Harry and Billie hated you…I couldn't live like that…I'm not saying I'm going to start being chummy with the guy but…" He trailed off. "Damn it Hermione… the war is getting closer and closer we can't be getting into fights now. We need to stick together." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Ron the war has-"
"Stop talking about the damn war." Harry whispered he turned and looked at Billie. She slowly got up and went to him. She grabbed his hands and intertwined their fingers.
"He wants to be on our side…" He looked down at their hands. "You believe me don't you?" he slowly shook his head.
"I believe you… but I don't trust him." He whispered he slowly looked up at her with tears in his eyes.
"Harry I want this… I want him please be happy for me… you don't have to like him or trust him… but trust me." He looked at her pleading eyes and caved.
"Yeah… yeah okay." He whispered pulling her into a hug.
"Well I'm not… I'm not okay with it… Why are you guys letting her do this? She can't be with him… she can't." Hermione cried.
Draco pulled away from Hermione and she came back from her memory.
"I can't get it out of my head." He whispered leaning his head on the wall. "Uh mean now that it's here I keep having it over and over again… I can't believe it's been five years… in three days it's been five years since she left me." He slammed his fist into the wall causing Hermione to jump.
"Draco don't… don't do this again." Hermione pleaded she walked up to him, but didn't touch him. She knew he would flip if she did.
"I want it to go away… I want it all to go away." He cried still leaning up against the wall. He pushed himself away from it and started to walk to his office.
"Draco no… No don't do it." Hermione yelled she reached him and pulled him back. "You know what happens every time you do it…" he stopped struggling but kept his eyes on the door. "You feel sad… and hurt more than before you did it. So please just don't do it." He looked down at her and calmed down. She steered him over to a chair sat him down, got him some water, and watched him cry. Kourbin who had been standing in the doorway to his office got Hermione's attention. She nodded to him and he disappeared behind the door. Hermione looked down at Draco thankful that she had stopped him this time, but she knew that she would have to keep her eye on him now, at least until it's over.
Draco finally got up and walked to his office. He sat down at his desk and turned on the little lamp on the corner of it… the whole room was covered in pictures. Two walls were of just Billie everything from school pictures to baby muggle pictures. Then another wall was of girls that looked like her. And the fourth wall was a huge map that had pictures of girls with X's through them pinned up all over it.
He leaned on his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands.
'What happened to me?' he asked himself.
'She did.' the other voice replied. He looked up at the picture on his desk. It was of him and her on their first date… and he was so nervous…
"Never… and mean never has a Malfoy been nervous." He said pacing back and forth.
"Then why in the hell are you pacing?" Blaise asked from his comfortable seat on the couch.
"Because I always pace when I'm ner-…ass," Draco said, shooting Blaise a look.
"I was just pointing out the obvious." Blaise smiled.
"Well shut up…"
"Hey mate?" Blaise asked.
"What?" Draco snapped.
"What time were you supposed to meet her?"
"7:30." Draco snapped, looking at the clock, which now read 7:45 "Shit" he whispered running from the room. He made it to Gryffindor tower in record speed. He stopped to catch his breath, but it caught in his throat as she walked out of the portrait hole. He stood there holding the wall to support himself; he was standing gaping at her. She felt really awkward, especially in the stupid tight black dress Ginny shoved her in, but seeing the look on Draco's face was all worth it. So she covered up the awkwardness and smiled. He about melted at the sight of it.
"The Draco Malfoy gapping at a Gryffindor…Well call the Daily Prophet this is hot news." Her smile turned into a smirk and she knew she won.
"I…uh… I wasn't gapping." He stated standing upright and dusting himself off.
"Malfoy… You were using the wall to hold yourself up."
"Don't get any ideas Granger…I didn't want to be late so I ran." He said walking up to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he put his hands on her waist
"Well why would you run Malfoy? Unless you were already late?"
"No I was here." She laughed.
"Draco I was out her for 5 minutes waiting for you."
"Damn it." He cursed he closed his eyes and tilted his head to the ceiling. "Billie I'm sorry… Blaise kept talking to me and I was already nervous I just…I- I'm sorry." He looked down at her. She smiled and pulled him closer. He closed his eyes melting into the hug, he loved it that she fit into his body perfectly.
"Did you say you were nervous?" She asked. His eyes snapped open and he slowly pulled away looking down at their feet. She put her finger under his chin and made him look at her smiling face. "Were you?" She asked.
"Well…yeah… I just…. I didn't want to mess this up," he said shrugging his shoulders, looking anywhere but her eyes.
"Draco… you were 15 minutes late." She smiled.
"I know… I know I'm sorry I just-" he walked away from her.
"Draco its fine I don't care… I don't care if you somehow mess it up or it doesn't go as planned… the only thing I care about is that it's with you." he turned and looked at her. She was just standing there smiling at him, and he almost lost it, he rather pick her up and throw her in his bed, then take her out. She must have noticed because she blushed, but never took her eyes off him. He walked over to her and kissed her. She immediately threw her arms around his neck kissing him back hard. Draco grabbed her and pulled her body hard against his, feeling her body along his.
Draco shook his head and looked away from the picture. He grabbed the file that had the many pictures of the pop star; he pulled out a picture of her and her kids. They were coming out of a store, she was holding her baby girl and the little boy was holding her hand. They were in casual clothes; Ronnie was wearing a pair of black Capri's and a white tank top, her light brown hair falling straight down her back. The little girl was wearing a long white skirt and a bright green tank top, her sandy blonde hair in a high pony atop her head. And the little boy was wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a white t-shirt whit a mess of hair that feel into his eyes. Draco noticed how the boy walked by his mother clutching her hand as if protecting them.
Draco sat there and stared at the picture taking in every feature of the family. He was looking at the little boy again, for some reason Draco was drawn to him, like he'd seen him before. Draco was watching the boys stare and could swear that he was looking at him too.
Just then Hermione came into the room with Harry following.
"You ready?" Hermione asked. Draco looked up from the picture staring at the two. He finally got up and walked over to Harry. They ended up in a short embrace.
"Man… I never thought Malfoy." Harry smiled.
"Me neither Potter, me neither." Draco said back as they walked down the hall completely forgetting about Hermione.
Hermione walked further into the room and picked up the picture that Draco was looking at, and immediately she was drawn to the boy, like she had seen him somewhere…
"Hello?" She asked cautiously walking further into the lavatory. "Hello? Is someone in here?" she tried, still nothing. "I swear I heard something." she muttered to herself.
"Herms?" a voice came from one of the stalls.
"Billie? Billie are you okay?" Hermione asked walking up to the stall that Billie's voice came from.
"Yeah…uh…. Yeah I'm fine." Billie said hurriedly.
"Are you sure it sounded like you were crying?" Hermione pushed.
"Hermione… I'm fine." Billie quickly opened the door and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Hermione to stare after her. She turned back around remembering that she had to pee herself. As she walked into the stall she saw a piece of paper, curiosity getting the better of her she picked it up and started to read. Gasping at what was written on it she turned around and hurried out of the bathroom pushing the pregnancy directions into her pocket. As soon as she opened the door Billie was standing on the other side of it crying. Hermione grabbed Billie and brought her back into the bathroom where they sank to the floor crying.
…As Hermione looked at the picture it was those kids that made her believe that Ronnie Lynn was Billie. Of course she had known that B.J. was pregnant, but she had promised she wouldn't tell Draco…and so far she had kept her promise, but now looking at the boy she swears she's seen him in one of Draco's pictures. As the boy in the picture blinked at her or at least she saw him blink at her. She remembered Draco's mum leaving him a box full of pictures; he brought them into work and asked Hermione to get rid of them.
She ran out of Draco's office, to her desk with the picture still clutched in her hand. She got to her desk going through all the drawers throwing papers everywhere. She couldn't believe she didn't see it before. Then she found what she was looking for; it was lying at the bottom of the drawer folded neatly in half. She sat down on the ground surrounded by paper staring at the picture. Slowly she reached in and picked it up. Then slowly she opened it. As soon as the picture was opened she gasped and covered her mouth as she watched a bleach blonde little boy run around a field in khaki shorts and a white T-shirt. The Draco Malfoy was actually smiling. She slowly smoothed out the other picture and put them side-by-side and started to cry. The only way to tell the two boys apart was that one picture was moving and in black and white.
The little boy in the picture with Ronnie blinked again. And Hermione wondered if he had powers beyond those of a normal wizard…
At that moment the conference room door opened and Draco and Harry came out smiling. Their faces fell as soon as they saw Hermione clutching two pictures crying. The Auror's were about to come out of the room when Harry and Draco shoved them back in, and told them to wait. Then they cautiously walked to Hermione.
"I knew it…I knew it." Hermione whispered over and over again.
"You knew what Hermione?" Draco asked sitting down next to her.
"It's her Draco… It's really her." She smiled and showed the pictures to Draco. Draco took the pictures from her and sat down in the chair. Harry came over and looked over Draco's shoulder. Draco looked at the two little boys in amazement they were identical.
"She was Pregnant?" he asked looking down at Hermione.
"Yes… she made me promise not to tell you… I had to keep that promise Draco… I had to." He dropped the picture of himself and stared at the picture the held his Family. He looked at his little girl and took in every feature memorizing everything about her; she looked so much like her mother… Then the boy look identical to Draco everything was the same from his hair to the way he clutched Billie's hand… Billie… He looked at her and instead of seeing the cute pop star he saw her… he saw his Billie. He suddenly stood up and looked at the other two in the room.
"I'm going to get her." He said. He walked into his office and grabbed a gym bag that he always had in case of a time like this one.
"Wait I'm coming with." Hermione said standing up and grabbing her bag out the closet next to her. Draco looked at her ready to tell her no, but the look on her face told him that she'd go anyway. He nodded at her and held out his hand for her to take.
"Whoa… wait what about the baby Hermione? What about Ron? Hell what about me?" Harry said with his hands on his hips his green eyes looking at them in amusement.
"The baby can wait. I'll owl Ron and you well what about you?"
"I'm coming," he answered. He pointed his wand to a pile of papers and made his own gym bag. "And Ron's going to want to come too." he finished.
"Fine we'll pick Ron up on the way… Let's go." Draco said pulling Hermione toward the fireplace. As he and Hermione got in the fire, he smiled and thought.
'This is my life…She's my life' and he disapperated.