Disclaimer: Rowling is a god, which we all know, and she owns anything Harry Potter related.
Summary: Hermione's 24, and has a six-year daughter named Leila Anastasia. Her father, Ron, abandoned her to run away with London's richest hooker, Madison Malfoy. What happens when a changed Draco tries to help a broken family because of his stupid cousin's mistake? Is his concern truly genuine or is it all just a façade? Slight OOC for good reasoning :)
Chapter 1: Memories
A cool breeze blew through a small London park as winter tried to make its way into the November month a little too early. The weather was much colder for this time of year than usual, but everyone was gradually getting used to it. Many people would cover their body as much as possible to prevent them from getting cold while others wore light jumpers.
Beneath a tall oak tree, sitting upon a wooden bench was Hermione Granger with her nose stuck in a book. She wore a blue wool jacket over a long-sleeved white turtleneck and a pair of black knee-high boots that covered the legs of her dark skinny jeans. Her small, pale hands pulled the hood of her jacket over her head as she got up. She grabbed her bookmark from off the bench and placed it between the pages where she'd stopped reading. She put the book into the brown shoulder bag that hung by her side. She placed both of her hands into her jacket pockets and walked out of the park, down a lonely sidewalk. This had been her daily routine for the past few years.
Since the separation from her ex-husband Ron Weasley, this was where she sat until it was time to pick up her six-year-old daughter from muggle Primary School every day. Six years ago, three days after she turned eighteen, freshly new to the free world, she became pregnant. Young and not knowing what to do, or how to start, the first thing that she did was tie the knot with her ex-beloved. It was against her parents' religion to have children out of wedlock, so she thought that was the correct thing to do.
Although her and Ron had only been together for three months, physically, -a month after finding out they'd produced a child- they both wore a gold wedding band around their ring fingers, showing that they were bonded by marriage. Nine months after their wedding day, which fell on the 16th of December, Hermione gave birth to a lovely, beautiful daughter who they named Leila Anastasia Weasley.
The child was the most precious thing she'd ever laid eyes on. She had curly locks of dark, rusty gold hair that was produced by the combination of her parents' brown and red hair; big honey-colored eyes with long, beautiful eyelashes; and soft pale skin. Leila resembled a beautiful porcelain doll, and she received compliments everywhere she went. All that changed a year ago, thanks to the biggest mistake Ron could have ever made.
He decided that he was tired of the perfect, well-planned life that he was living, so he abandoned his wife and beautiful daughter for London's richest magical hooker; Madison Malfoy. One day Hermione had woken up at her usual hour which was six in the morning to begin breakfast when she found a letter on the nightstand that stood beside her bed.
Hermione, it was addressed. 'I should have done this differently, but I knew that it would have been too hard to do. I've gone with a new love, and I wish to never see you or your daughter again. I'm tired of the life that you've given me. I didn't grow up living a perfect life, and the one you have damned me to live was about to make me go mad, so I decided to go my own way. I am now engaged to Madison Malfoy, who I've been with the past seven months, and we will be getting married in July, so we need to get our divorce settled by then. I do not want you to make a big fight over this because I will never be coming back to you. Tell Leila that I am not her father, and she can find someone else to be the other parent that she needs in life because I don't want the responsibility of a child I do not love. I will meet you in court on February 23rd so you can sign the divorce papers. I'll see you soon. Ron Weasley.
Hermione reread the letter on occasions. At times she felt like killing herself for the loss she made her daughter go through. However, knowing that the only person the little girl had was her, she decided against it. She went to court on that February day and signed the divorce papers for the wizard who she thought she once knew. That was the last time she'd ever spoken to him. Sure, she'd seen him baring his chest multiple times, lying with the nude hooker inappropriately against him on the cover of wizard magazines, but she passed them as if she'd never known him in her life, nor had a child with him.
Moving out of the house they shared, she moved into a three-bedroom pad in muggle city London and continued her profession as the secretary for the Minister of Magic; Kingsley Shacklebolt. She was permitted to use magic only to apparate back and forth from work since she was amongst the muggles. Other than using her wand for that, she lived her life as a true muggle. She cooked without magic, washed dishes, cleaned by hand… she did all, without one simple flick of a wand
If she ever wanted to be able to use it properly again, she would have to move away from the center of London as far a she could be without being near a muggle, but she decided she wanted her daughter to be able to learn both magical and muggle way of livings, so she stayed where she was. Most weekends she'd get together with Harry and Ginny so that their son and daughter- Albus and Lily- could play with Leila, so she could get caught up on the gossip of the wizarding world.
It had been a few weeks since Hermione had been able to go see them thanks to the extra seven hours a week she was having to put because of a haywire explosion that happened at the Ministry. On the only thirty-minute break that she had during the day, she'd go pick up Leila from school and take her to work with her until she got off late at night.
Thankfully, everything was starting to calm down so she was back to working ten hours a day. She'd pick up her daughter from her after school program at half five every day, and went home to finish her evening. Even though the child usually preferred to be in her room reading a fairy tale or writing stories, she'd sometimes come out just to cuddle up on the couch with her mum to ask her about her day.
Hermione finally made her way into the small, maroon bricked school, and walked casually down the hallway to the dining area where her daughter was always waiting to be picked up. She opened the door and closed it behind her as she looked around the dining hall. Just like any other day, Leila was sitting in an armchair in the corner of the large room, reading a fictional book that she'd got from the muggle library.
"Leila, honey it's time to go." She whispered, standing in front of her.
"Mummy, you got out early!" She smiled happily, jumping up from the chair, and into Hermione's arms. She wrapped her arms lovingly around her, and Leila kissed her cheek.
"Yes, I got out early today. I'll be getting out early all this week thanks to the Minister." Leila's eyes widened and Hermione just smiled.
"So does that mean we can finally go see gran and grumps?" Hermione nodded. "Yay, I haven't seen them in forever. Will aunt Ginny and Harry be there?"
Hermione shrugged. "I'm not for sure sweetie, but maybe we can arrange a date so we can all get together." She walked over to one of the professors, letting her know that she'd come to retrieve her daughter, and walked hand in hand out of the school with Leila. "Do you have homework tonight?"
Leila nodded. "I have to write my spelling words and read a book. Do you have lots of work to do mum?"
She shook her head. "Not tonight, no, I've got the night free."
"Shucks! Why can't I have the night free when you do?" Leila frowned childishly.
Hermione chuckled softly. "That's just the way things are, dear. When we get home you can do your work, and after we both eat dinner we can go buy you that new satchel you've been wanting from Hogsmeade."
Leila's honey eyes widened the size of galleons. "Really mummy? The purple one with the fairies?" She asked excitedly.
Hermione nodded. "If that is the one you want, then yes." Leila nodded happily and she began to skip beside Hermione the rest of the way home.
After arriving home, Hermione told Leila to sit down at a small desk that was in the sitting room so she could do her homework. Once Leila began to work, Hermione started dinner. She fixed baked chicken, rice, and vegetables for both of them. For dessert, she gave Leila a pumpkin pasty. After getting Leila from the bath, she dressed her in a long-sleeved purple dress with white tights, and attached a silky, purple cloak over the white sweater she had over her dress. They left the apartment and walked two blocks up the road and into a dark alley. Hermione grasped Leila's hand firmly and apparated them to Hogsmeade.
For a Thursday night, Hogsmeade was strangely crowded. Witches and wizards of different ages and sizes walked in and out of different shops that were lined up. Hermione gave a few waves to people who greeted her and Leila, and then she led them into Shamrock's Supplies, where Leila had seen the bag. Shamrock Supplies had taken over the old building two years after the war ended. She told Leila to go find the bag and that she would wait for her at the counter. Hermione smiled, waving at Seamus Finnegan, who stood behind the counter- he was the owner of the store.
"Hullo there, Hermione! It's been a while since I've seen you around these parts. How are you doing?" He gave her a wide smile.
"Hey, Seamus, I'm doing pretty good I suppose. Working and taking care of Leila. How have you been? Any changes?"
He shook his head. "No, no changes. Still single and trying to pay for this flat." His hands motioned in a circle as he spoke of his shop. "So, have you talked to ... him lately?" Hermione winced at the mention of her ex-husband, as it felt like a knife plunged through her chest. It was still hard for her to talk about him.
She shook her head. "No, I haven't. We saw him recently when I took Leila to visit his parents; he was there with Madison," the name slid off her tongue in a venomous tone, "but it was just an exchange of hellos and then we left. I have nothing to speak to him about."
Seamus nodded. "That's alright though, ye don't need the arse. You and yer child are better off without him."
Hermione nodded. She knew she was better off, but sometimes she'd give anything to have a companion. "Yea, your right. It's nice to have a companion though." Just as she started off to look for her daughter, she came running up to the counter with the purple satchel decorated with fairies that she wanted.
"Mum, here it is! It's so pretty, isn't it?" Leila cooed happily as she placed it onto the counter, smiling up at Seamus. "Hi, Mr. Finnegan. How are you today?"
Seamus chuckled at the girl and rang the price up on the register. "I'm doing well; it's nice to see you, Leila. That'll be 57 sickles, Mione," he said, and Hermione handed him the money.
"We must be going now. I wanted to stop by the Three Broomsticks before we headed back home, so I'll see you soon. Have a good night," she smiled and walked out.
The misty wind blew hard as Hermione pushed open the door of the Three Broomsticks, pulling her daughter in beside her. The slush of rain and snow had wet her face and hair, but it instantly began to dry as the fireplace in the pub blazed warm heat. Walking up to the bar, she sat down on one of the barstools, allowing Leila to sit with a group of children in one of the corners.
"Well, look who it is. It's been a bit since I've seen you around these parts. How are you doing, dear?" Madam Rosmerta asked from behind the bar, her aged face smiling. Her messy blondish, gray hair was tied up in the usual knot on top of her head. Hermione smiled, she was still the same as ever.
"Yeah, with the hours I've been putting in at the ministry I barely even see my daughter. I'll have a red currant rum and a butterbeer for my daughter," she said, pointing at the table where Leila was at.
"Aw, the poor dear, she's such a doll. Looks just like her father. Do you talk to her father often?" Before Hermione could answer, Madam Rosmerta placed the cup of rum in front of her, and took a serving of butterbeer to the children at the table where Leila sat. She sighed, flicking her wand at a Daily Prophet that was at the far end of the bar. She unfolded it and began to read.
Since the Battle of Hogwarts, the night Harry defeated Lord Voldemort, there weren't many problems within the Wizarding World. There were rumors every now and then that the old Death Eaters were trying to recruit another lord, but the Ministry had no proof in hand to arrest them.
Turning a few pages, she stopped, her eyes coming upon a large picture of a man kissing the stomach of a beautiful blond, who was indeed pregnant. Her teeth clenched, seeing that it was Ron with his new wife, Madison. It disgusted her, seeing at how much Ron had changed. He looked like a snob. I reminded her of the way Malfoy dressed. The woman was dressed in a long, red gown that was tight against her stomach, showing off the bump the two bastards had produced. Why couldn't he have been happy with Hermione the way he was with her?
Just as an angry tear escaped her eye, the newspaper began to crumble up by itself, bursting into flames. "I always thought you were smarter, Granger. You shouldn't let such rubbish get to you; it only pollutes your life." She jumped when she heard the familiar voice, and had no desire to turn to see who it was. She knew who it was; by the way he addressed her. There was only one person who called her "Granger", and that was Draco Malfoy.
She picked up her red currant rum, downing the glass in one drink, and slammed it back onto the bar. Staring straight ahead, she spoke. "It seems like some people never learn how to keep their noses out of other people's business, now do they?" Her remark was rude, and she wasn't going to apologize. She turned to look at him, and for the first time in her life, she regretted insulting him.
Sitting on the stool beside her was Draco Malfoy. He wore a pair of black slacks, a white long-sleeved collared shirt that was unbuttoned slightly, with an emerald green blazer over it. That silvery blond hair of his hung in his eyes, just the way it did when they were back in school. He hadn't changed much; he was taller and more built. Hermione felt her heart twinge even so slightly at how handsome he was.
He whistled. "And here I was trying to be nice. I thought your little husband was the one to have turned into a snob, but it looks like I must have mistaken," Draco sneered, turning back to a glass of fire whiskey.
"With everything I've been through, Draco Malfoy, I have the right to act however I wish. But I dare tell you, I'm not a snob," she defended herself. There was a few minutes of silence until she felt someone tugging at her jacket. She looked to see her daughter. "What is it, Leila?"
"Mum, can I and a couple of the children over there walk down to Honeydukes to buy some sweets, please? I promise not to wander off. I'll come here and straight back. Please, mummy?" Leila pleaded.
Hermione sighed. "Dear, it's late. How about I take you by there before we head home? You know I don't like you wandering the streets at night."
Draco cleared his throat, a smiling smirk on his face. "Leila, is it? How about you take this and bring me back a licorice wand, would you? You can keep the rest, stock up on all the sweets you'd like while I buy your mum another drink," he held out a galleon in his hand.
"I'm sorry, sir, I'm not allowed to accept money from strangers." Draco was taken aback when she turned down the galleon, and Hermione just smiled. She hesitated for a minute, but Hermione beckoned her to take it.
"You can take it, Leila. This is Draco Malfoy, he's cousins with your father's new wife," Hermione said venomously.
Leila shook his hand, putting the galleon in her pocket. "Nice to meet you, sir. I dare say that your cousin is a bit of a prat, for taking away my daddy. I'll bring you your licorice wand right back," she remarked as she took off running out of the Three Broomsticks with a few other children.
Draco and Hermione looked at each other for the slightest second, and both burst into a fit of laughter. "Well, you can tell who she got her attitude from," he said, his finger pointing at Hermione as he sipped on his drink.
She smiled. "Well, I can't have my child getting run over, can I? That was very rude of her to say, I am sorry, or maybe I'm not?." She questioned her own words as she brought a new glass of rum up to her lips, taking a long swig as well.
"She's only speaking the truth. What my cousin did was wrong. She broke a child's heart, not counting her mother's as well."
Hermione sighed with a nod, eying him for the longest second. This couldn't be the Draco she knew in school, he was never polite. He was right though, the bitch of a cousin had broken apart her family, but she promised herself that she would not weep over it anymore. "That's the most honest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth in the thirteen years I've known you."
He smiled. "It deserves a toast, don't you think?" His tone was playful. She smiled, and toasted her cup up to his, not knowing how in the world she was managing to have a genuine conversation with her childhood enemy.
"So…" Hermione's voice trailed. "What are you up to these days? It's been a few years since I've seen you."
Draco caressed his chin as he looked over her. It had indeed been years since their last encounter, and to him, Granger had changed a lot. She no longer sported her bushy curls like she did whenever she was younger. Her brown hair fell in long, loose curls down her back. He could see the sadness that filled her brown eyes, and he honestly felt sorry for her. She'd developed such a body that he could only imagine how she truly looked underneath all of the clothes she wore.
"Not much, to be honest. Trying to get my life together," he said with a sigh.
She frowned slightly. He'd spent a good while in Azkaban. She wondered how he'd kept his sanity.
Draco bought her another rum and himself another firewhisky, and they began to talk about politics. A couple of cups later, the hot feeling of intoxication flooded her body, and for the first time in a while, she felt relaxed. She took off her coat, putting it over the back of the chair. She stretched slightly, the hem of her shirt rising above her midriff, and Draco bit his lip, holding back a remark of the sight that would most likely get him slapped.
"What is it, Malfoy? Have you not seen a woman expose any skin?" She smirked.
He laughed, raking his hand through his hair. "I'm used to seeing my woman without anything covering their skin."
She rolled her eyes, shaking her hand. "A typical manwhore."
He shrugged. "I'm just being honest."
They talked for a little longer, and Leila finally returned with Draco's licorice wand and his change. She could barely get the change from her pocket of her sweater because her arms were so full of the assortment of candy she'd purchased at Honeydukes. "Thank you for the candy, sir. This is going to last me for months!" she said excitedly.
Draco laughed, conjuring her a bag to put everything in. "It's my pleasure. Your trip to Honeydukes gave me the chance to catch up with your mum."
She smiled. "I think you and mummy should be friends! Mummy doesn't have many friends you see, and I think she thinks you're pretty!" she blabbered.
Hermione laughed a little too loudly, her cheeks turned red. "I think that's enough candy for the night, Leila. You know how mad Pop will be if you get a cavity. It's about time we get going, you have school tomorrow."
"Aw shucks!" Leila stomped her way over to the table where the other children were to say goodbye.
Hermione turned to Draco, patting him on the shoulder. "Thank you for the candy, and for the rums. I think it's time for me to get going now."
"But the party has just started Granger, stay a bit longer," he said, gesturing for her to sit back down.
She shook her head. "I've already had too much to drink." She swayed as she tried to put on her coat, and Draco caught her arm.
"Let me take you both home; make sure you get there okay." Hermione looked up at him, his gray stormy eyes held such genuine concern. How could this be the same prat that tormented her at Hogwarts?
She shook her head declining his offer. "I must get going now. Stay safe, Malfoy." She turned quickly to retrieve Leila. Before she walked out the door, she glanced over her shoulder and saw that Draco was watching her every step. She gave him a slight frown, and walked out into the cold. Never did she imagine that she would meet up with Draco Malfoy, and actually enjoy his company.