Chapter Eight: Of Little Kids and Monsters
4. I want to make a child happy.
DING DONG!
Hermione groaned and stirred on her couch. Last night, she had indulged in a movie marathon all by herself (Draco was not with her; he was busy with his Healer duties) and had dozed off after watching the ninth movie. She was too tired to trudge up to her bedroom and so she just chose to sleep on her couch.
DING DONG!
The brunette groaned again, this time snapping her eyes open. "It's still too early!" she moaned, begrudgingly sitting up on her couch. She ran a hand through her hair, grabbed her red robe and wrapped it around her. She slipped her feet into her fluffy, bed slippers and dragged herself towards the door. Softly, she grumbled and cursed the intruder. "Bloody impatient person… still too early!" she grumbled.
Rubbing sleep out of her eyes, Hermione opened her door. Lo and behold, there stood Draco Malfoy.
She scowled upon seeing him. "Merlin, Malfoy you should have apparated inside," she snapped before releasing a wide yawn.
"I woke you up, I see," he said, smirking at her bed head.
"That's right, Captain Obvious," she grumbled, making a move to shut the door in front of his face. "Now, piss off and leave me alone."
"Language, woman," he tutted, wagging a finger in front of the grouchy brunette. "There's a child watching."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. Her eyes landed on the little, cute, blonde girl currently standing beside her doorframe, one small hand tightly clutching the older blond's. Her eyes widened as she stared back at the child. "MY GOD, Draco! Why didn't you tell me you had a daughter?!"
Draco rolled his eyes. "Silly Granger," he said, ruffling the brunette's brown tresses. He looked down at the shy little kid and patted her blonde hair. "Don't worry, kiddo. She's just being dramatic, okay?"
"Draco…"
"She's not my daughter, all right," he said, eyes snapping back at the suspicious brunette.
"Then who is she? Why is she here?" she asked, looking at the child frantically.
The blond tilted his head to the right. "Shame on you, Hermione," he said, shaking his head. "You do not know her?" Draco looked at the child sadly. "Sorry Sophie, your mother doesn't know you at all." When Draco looked back at Hermione, he smirked, getting the reaction that he had hoped to achieve.
"MOTHER?!" she exclaimed. The little child, Sophie, flinched and hid herself behind the older blond. Hermione's eyes widened. "SHE IS NOT MY DAUGHTER! I'M STILL A VIRGIN, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" Some of her neighbors opened their doors and looked at Hermione's apartment curiously.
The Malfoy heir shook with laughter. "Christ, woman, you didn't have to shout at the top of your lungs that you've never slept with a guy," he pointed out in between laughs.
"You ferret!" Hermione growled, making a move to attack the still laughing blond. She immediately stopped once hearing a small whimper coming from behind him. Her eyes immediately landed on little Sophie who stared back at her with frightful eyes.
"Look at what you did," the blond said, shaking his head. He carried the frightened girl in his arms. "She's frightened."
Hermione opened and closed her mouth, not knowing what to say. "It's… it's your fault," she spat back at the blond, horrified that Sophie had started to cry. "I… Merlin, please don't cry!"
Draco was laughing again. "There, there, kiddo," he said. "She's really a monster in disguise. Don't come near her at all, okay? She eats little children." His statement did nothing to calm the wailing child and Sophie just cried harder.
"I do not!" the indignant brunette exclaimed. She was starting to panic because of the little girl. "And stop putting silly ideas in the girl's mind, Draco!"
"See… she's becoming a monster now," he said, ignoring her best friend. He shot her a smirk which made Hermione more furious.
"Oh, shut up," she growled, noticing the fact that the little girl buried her head on Draco's right shoulder. "Why the hell is she even here? Why do you have a child with you, Malfoy? And don't you dare lie to me again. I swear I really should do the world a favor and the end the Malfoy line with you! I should have done that the time you blinded me!"
"All right, all right, calm down, calm down," he said, patting the crying blonde's hair. "No need to get so worked up, Hermione."
"How can I not get worked up when you're playing stupid tricks on me?" she retorted. "My God, it's not even April Fool's Day! And you woke me up just to make yourself entertained. It's not funny anymore!" She made a move to slam the door in front of the blond's face but he stopped her.
"Fine, I'm sorry," he said, stepping through her threshold. "I'm going to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." He gave Hermione a charming smile which he knew she couldn't resist.
Hermione sighed and just rolled her eyes. She plopped down on her couch and looked at Draco pointedly.
"This five-year-old blonde is Sophie," he said, gesturing to the small girl in his arms. The little child had started to calm down, but was still looking at Hermione fearfully. "You know that Muggle orphanage a few blocks away from your apartment." The brunette nodded, crossing her arms across her chest. "Well, they have this program 'Adopt-A-Child-For-A-Day'. Pretty long name for a program, if you ask me. It's self-explanatory, anyway. So, here's little Sophie and we're going to adopt her for a day."
"Why me, too?" she asked.
Draco sighed. "Beaver, are you daft or what?" he asked. "Your fourth goal states that you want to make a child happy. I honestly thought of Felicity at first, since she's the only child I know. But, Aunt Gwyneth told me she was bringing her to piano lessons today so she can't. And so, I just chose the Muggle orphanage near your apartment." He shifted Sophie in his arms. "This kiddo wouldn't detach herself from my leg so I chose her."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You ruined it," she spat. "Now she thinks I'm some child-eating monster, thanks to you. How can I make her happy then?"
The blond sheepishly smiled at her and shrugged. "Just go upstairs and changed. We'll figure that out later."
Sighing, Hermione trudged up to her bedroom. "This will be a long day, Ferret," she told him.
Hermione glared at Draco's back. Once again, they went to Happy Land Amusement Park. Since children mostly like amusement parks, Draco made a brilliant plan to bringing little Sophie in this specific Amusement Park. But alas, Hermione wasn't getting amused at all.
Draco, carrying little Sophie, was laughing at something that the little girl had commented on. They'd been getting along the whole trip, leaving the brunette all by herself. She was frustrated because she had been trailing a few steps behind them without noticing it.
She sighed and shook her head. She honestly didn't know why Draco insisted on her coming when the two bonded perfectly together. Hermione had discovered a few minutes ago that she wasn't needed at all. Who cares if she couldn't fulfil her fourth goal? She could do it some other day.
"Hermione!"
The brunette snapped her head up and saw a curious Draco, looking at her. Apparently, they had stopped walking now. Hermione frowned as she saw the frightened looks Sophie kept shooting at her. "Yeah?" she asked, frustrated with the fact that he had just noticed her.
He surveyed her from head to toe. "You're upset," he stated.
She sighed. "Can I go home now?" she asked him. "Sophie and you seemed perfectly enjoying here in Happy Land, Draco. I think I should go home now."
Draco gave her a knowing smile. "Feeling neglected today, eh?" he asked playfully. He stretched out his right hand. "Come on. I'm sorry for ignoring you. It's just that this kiddo is fascinating me with her stories."
Hermione frowned. "But what about… her?" she asked, looking pointedly at the frightened little girl. "She's afraid of me."
"Oh, she'll get over it soon," he said.
Smiling, the brunette held his hand and took a few steps forward. Soon, she was right beside him.
"Don't worry, Sophie," Draco said, addressing the little blonde in his arms. Once Hermione was near them, Sophie just stopped talking. "I tamed the child-eating monster. Just don't anger her. She'll eat you as soon as possible."
Hermione scowled and tried to pull her hand away from Draco's grip. Smirking, he just tightened his iron-grip on her hand. "You'll pay for this, Ferret. I'm warning you."
His smirk just widened. "Go to the monster, kiddo. She won't eat you now, I swear." He was about to give the little five-year-old but she wailed, immediately tightening her arms around the blond's neck. "Come on, Sophie. She's harmless now." But the little blonde protested as tears leaked from her eyes.
"The damage is done," the brunette said, sighing. She was a little miffed with the fact that a child was afraid with her. Usually, they instantly loved her. Felicity's birthday party was good proof. And children were usually afraid of Draco, not her. So, she was surprised to see that little Sophie immediately loved this blond.
"I'm sorry," he said, giving her a sheepish smile. "I have a feeling that we have to do your fourth goal some other day."
"I thought of that," she said, nodding.
"No, I don't like!" Sophie wailed, arms tightening around the blond.
Draco looked at Hermione pleadingly, silently wishing for her to help him. Hermione just rolled her eyes and mouthed 'your fault'. Honestly, he was starting to regret in telling Sophie that the brunette was a child-eating monster. "Come on, kiddo," he said, trying to calm down the little blonde. "I'll soon be back. I'm just going to buy some ice cream for the three of us. I told you she's tamed. She won't eat children unless they anger her."
"She looks angry!" she cried, looking at Hermione, frightened. Tears swam in her eyes as the brunette sighed in frustration.
"Nah, she's not," the blond said, placing the little five-year-old on the bench where Hermione was currently sitting. "She's just tired. She'll be fine. She won't eat you, I promise."
"Please come back! Quick!" she exclaimed, crying louder as the blond took a step back away from her.
Draco bent down and kissed the little blonde's forehead. "Of course," he said. And with that, he walked away from the bench.
Hermione felt awkward sitting beside a child that was afraid of her. "Umm…" she started but immediately stopped once hearing Sophie's small whimper. "Look, Sophie, don't listen to that jerk. I'm not a monster… I don't eat children." The little blonde was now sitting as far as she could from Hermione.
Quite desperate, the brunette discreetly pulled out her wand from her pocket and conjured a pink teddy bear. She showed it to the crying blonde and instantly, Sophie eyed it with interest. "I'm giving this to you," she said. Sophie eyed it suspiciously. "Come on, it's not going to bite you."
Slowly, Sophie reached for the pink teddy bear. She eyed it first, making sure that it wouldn't bite her at all. When it didn't, she drew it close to her chest and smiled.
Hermione sighed in relief. "Do monsters give children teddy bears?" she asked. "And it's pink!"
Sophie chuckled and shook her head. "No, monsters don't give little kids teddy bears!" she answered, hugging her new toy tightly.
"Are you still afraid of me?" she asked. "I'm sorry for acting so grouchy this morning. I'm not angry with you… I'm angry with that older blond you're so attached to."
To answer her question, Sophie scooted closer to the brunette and smiled at her. "Mrs. Jenkins told me to thank people if they made me happy," she said. She then hugged the surprised brunette. "Thank you."
Hermione patted the little girl's blonde hair. "Awww, you're so adorable," she cooed. "I can't believe an adorable child like you is attached to that ferret."
"Fewet?" Sophie asked curiosity evident on her face.
The brunette laughed. "Ferret," she corrected. "And I'm talking About Draco. Why are you so attached to that blond albino?"
The little girl shrugged adorably. "He's cute," she said. "And I like cute things. I like him."
Hermione snorted. "Always the charmer," she said, shaking her head. "Unbelievable. Why do even five-year-olds get attracted to that dimwit?"
"Ah, good question, Granger," a familiar drawl answered her. "To answer your question, I'm just gifted."
The brunette rolled her eyes, though, her lips were twitching upwards. "Quit flattering yourself, Malfoy," she retorted, watching him as he sat down beside Sophie. She stretched her left arm. "Can I have my Coffee Crumble now?"
"Say the magic word!" Sophie exclaimed in a sing-song voice.
Both adults stared at the little girl. Draco burst into laughter while Hermione seethed at the blond. "Yeah, Hermione, say the magic word!" he exclaimed, mimicking Sophie.
"Avada Kedavra," the brunette said through gritted teeth. Thank Merlin she was not holding her wand right now. She honestly wanted to kill the blond.
Sophie pouted. "That's not the magic word," she pointed out.
Hermione blew out an air of frustration. "Can I have my Coffee Crumble now? Please?" she asked, glaring at the still laughing blond.
"Of course, my dear Beaver," the blond said, passing her the ice cream. "Just remember to always say the magic word."
"Oh, cut it out," the brunette snapped.
Sophie looked from the Hermione to Draco. "Why is she mad at you?" she innocently asked, licking her strawberry ice cream.
Draco shrugged. "Dunno. Ask her," he said.
"Hermione, why are you…"
"Can we just go the ice skating rink?" the brunette asked. Draco scowled while Sophie's eyes lit up.
"Ice skating!" the little blonde squealed. "I love ice skating!"
Hermione smirked at the blond. "Okay, Sophie, let's go," she said, scooping the little blonde into her arms.
Frowning, Draco stood beside the brunette. "What did you do to her, Hermione?" he asked, suspicious. "One moment she's afraid of you. The next, she likes you!" He wagged a finger in front of her face. "Did you use magic?"
Hermione swatted his finger away and scowled. "Quit it, will you?" she growled.
The Malfoy heir looked at little Sophie. "Kiddo, she's a monster. Get away from her!" he exclaimed, trying to snatch the little blonde from Hermione's arms.
"She's not," Sophie said, frowning. "Monsters don't give little kids toys."
"Ah, bribery," Draco said. "I'm afraid my mere presence is turning you into another Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger."
Hermione just smirked at him.
"WHEEE!" Sophie exclaimed as she made a small twirl under Hermione's gaze. "This is fun!
"Adorable! Adorable!" the brunette exclaimed, clutching both of little Sophie's hands. "I didn't know you ice skate. You're doing so wonderful, Sophie."
The little blonde girl giggled as she saw Draco trip and land on his butt. "Every winter, Mrs. Jenkins brings us to the nearest frozen lake!" Her eyes, twinkling with mirth, looked up at the brunette adoringly. "Draco keeps on falling!"
Hermione laughed and glided towards the scowling blond. She extended both of her hands and clutched both of his. After a bit of a struggle he was standing upright. She wrapped an arm around his waist to support him.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath, draping an arm lazily over Hermione's shoulders. "This is some kind of revenge, isn't it?"
The brunette gave him a wide smile and shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about," she told him innocently, batting her eyes playfully.
"You…"
"Ah, don't anger the monster," she said, trying her best to stifle her laughter. "I can't eat Sophie, Draco."
He groaned. "You should really be placed in Slytherin, Granger," he said. "You impress me, woman. Slytherin suits you more than bloody Gryffindor."
"Thanks," she said, grinning. "I'll take that as a compliment." When his scowl grew, Hermione burst into cheerful laughter. She unwrapped her arm from his waist and held both of his hands again, this time gliding backwards to lead him.
"My butt hurts!" he whined, looking at his ice skates to make sure he wouldn't trip again. "Can we just go to the rollercoaster?"
"We can't," she said, grinning. "We have a child with us, Ferret, remember that. And there's a height limit. Sophie would be too short. And besides, she's just five-years-old. She might get terrified, you know."
The blond scowled and before he knew it, he tripped, bringing a surprised brunette with him. At first, Hermione was laughing so loudly, telling him that he was so clumsy and whatsoever. Draco, on the other hand, was silently aware of their awkward position right now. He was on top of the laughing brunette whose cheeks were red from laughing. He wanted to stand up; he honestly wanted to do that since a lot of people were surrounding them. But for some strange, twisted reason, he couldn't bring himself to move even an inch.
Hermione had stopped laughing now. "Come on, Draco, get off me," she told him, as she playfully tried to squirm out from underneath him. A small smile was played on her lips as she playfully ruffled the blond's hair. But once her brown eyes connected with his silver ones, her hand froze in his hair. Her smile faltered, replaced by an expression somewhere between curiosity and worry.
The way he was looking at her right now made the brunette perturbed. And their close proximity was making her quite uneasy. Ever since they had shared those kisses (two kisses – when she kissed him and when he kissed her), Hermione had started to feel awkward around Draco. Of course, she tried to forget the kisses. It didn't mean anything at all. They were best friends after all.
She had forgotten… not. She tried to… really tried to. But the feeling of his lips pressed gently against hers as he kissed her slowly never left her mind. It would always leave her wondering, pondering, and downright confused. Draco Malfoy was like an older brother to her. You shouldn't keep on thinking about the kiss your big brother gave you, right? But then again, big brothers don't kiss their sister straight on the lips.
"Draco?" she asked softly, uncertain… alarmed. His face was inching closer to hers and all she did was gasp. She could already count his eyelashes. Her breath hitched and unconsciously, her eyes were drooping close.
His lips were hairsbreadth away from hers when suddenly, little Sophie crouched in front of them.
"Are you all right?" she softly asked, frowning. People were also surrounding them. Almost immediately Draco pulled away from Hermione and stood up.
"Yes, yes, we're fine," he said, strangely flushed. The blond looked at Hermione's stretched out form and noticed that she, too, was starting to resemble a tomato. He offered his hand, palm up, which the brunette took without second thought. "You all right, Granger?"
The brunette blinked five times. 'What had just happened?' she asked herself, eyes wide as she stared at the blond.
"Hermione?" he asked, worried.
"Umm… yes, I'm fine," she said, flashing him a small smile.
Sophie was still frowning. She took Hermione's and Draco's unoccupied hands and tugged at them insistently. The blond stumbled slightly but the brunette pulled her hand away from the Malfoy heir and wrapped her arm around his waist.
"Come on! Get up and skate!" the little orphaned girl exclaimed, smiling widely at the two adults.
All they did was nod their heads.
"Aww, come on!" Hermione persuaded, pulling a stubborn Draco towards the carousel. Sophie was frowning at the blond, impatience written all over her adorable face. "Is Drakie-poo afraid of the carousel?"
Draco scowled. "I'm not afraid!" he protested. "And for the umpteenth time, woman, stop calling me Drakie-poo! It reminds me of my bad luck when I was stuck with that pug for seven years." Hermione laughed, thinking about Pansy Parkinson.
The blond was relieved when Sophie announced that she didn't want to ice skate anymore. Hermione was disappointed, he had noticed, but he didn't care. He just had to get out of this damnable place because his damnable butt was screaming in frustration since he kept on stumbling and tripping, landing straight on his rear end.
But then, the little blonde girl pulled both adults to her most favorite ride in the whole amusement park – the carousel. Draco, at first, never knew what a carousel was. But when he saw the inanimate horses moving around and around, his scowl grew. Instantly, he hated the ride.
"Can't I just go and buy a hotdog?" he whined, looking forlornly at the hotdog stand.
"Later," the brunette said, looking at her watch. "We're going to ride the carousel, just once, and then you can have lunch."
Draco crossed his arms against his chest and stubbornly pouted. "No, I won't. I refuse to ride that... that thing!" he spat.
Little Sophie's bottom lip quivered. Hermione, alarmed at her misting eyes, carried the little blonde in her arms and glared at the scowling blond. "Look at what you did!" she exclaimed. "Sophie's going to cry!"
The Malfoy heir sighed and snatched Sophie gently away from Hermione. He shifted her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Come on, kiddo, please don't cry," the blond said softly, amusing Hermione. "I really don't like to ride that… that carousel, I'm sorry. I promise I'll give you chocolates later, okay? Just don't force me to ride that thing."
The little blonde sniffed and nodded her head. She smiled at Hermione and stretched out her arms, reaching for the brunette. She stole Sophie away from the blond and paid for the tickets. Hermione looked at Draco disbelievingly and shook her head. She really couldn't believe him. Draco just smiled triumphantly at her and chose to sit down on a bench near the carousel.
With a sigh of defeat, Hermione brought little Sophie to the starting line to give one of the workers the two tickets. Hermione chose a slightly bigger inanimate horse so that both she and Sophie could share.
"This will be fun!" the little blonde squealed, wrapping her arms around the neck of their chosen horse. Hermione softly chuckled and wrapped an arm around Sophie's waist for security.
"It's moving now," Hermione stated, smiling down at the excited little orphan girl.
As the carousel moved, Draco's mind started to wander around. The real reason why he didn't want to ride the carousel was because he needed to think.
Think.
He had been thinking way too much these past few days. He thought about this and that. But most importantly, he had been thinking about Hermione. They had accomplished almost all of Hermione's goals. Goals eleven to five, done and dusted. Draco also had a feeling that her fourth goal, to make a child happy (which was Sophie), had been accomplished. The look on Sophie's face as she sat on the fake horse, cradled in Hermione's arms, was proof enough.
Three goals were left. Draco still didn't know what Hermione's first goal was (he made a mental note to ask her as soon as possible). It had been a month since Dr. Nobleman told them that Hermione had lung cancer and her life would be cut short. One month more and then, hell would arrive to end Hermione's life. Draco was dreading that moment. He had researched lung cancer and the symptoms were not simple at all. He was worried for the brunette. And Draco, as much as he wanted to forget, knew that Hermione would be taken away from him soon.
The Malfoy heir sighed and looked around Happy Land Amusement Park. Someday, when Hermione was gone (he flinched), he would visit this amusement park to just remember her.
So, how did Draco Malfoy really fall in love with Hermione Granger? He himself wasn't completely sure. He had a bad day one time. His father scolded him for three solid hours about responsibility and all that jazz. He had failed to save a person's life when he had worked. His mother had accidentally tossed his fifty-page report due, in that day, in the fireplace. He had worked on that stupid thing for weeks. Some deranged old woman in St. Mungo's hexed him (thinking he was a monster) so, he had sported a large bump on his forehead (thank Merlin he was a Healer!). Luck was definitely not on his side.
But, when he apparated into Hermione's apartment, utterly grouchy and tired, the brunette greeted him with a warm smile. They had agreed to have a movie marathon that night. Once Hermione's eyes landed on Draco, she instantly knew he had suffered through a bad day.
And so, she hugged him.
Tight.
He told her about his father's lecture. He told her about his patient's death. He told her about his report. He told her about the old woman's hex.
And she hugged him again.
Tighter.
"Tomorrow will be a nice, bright day, Draco. Everything will soon be all right."
And then, right there and then, Draco Malfoy knew he had fallen in love with Hermione Granger.
He snapped back to reality when his eyes landed back on the carousel and almost immediately, his silver orbs locked with Hermione's brown eyes. She gave him a small smile before disappearing from his sight again. Unconsciously, Draco licked his lips. His mouth had gone dry.
When Hermione told him to forget about the kisses they had shared after Draco accomplished her fifth goal, the blond instantly knew that that experience wouldn't be forgotten at all. In fact, he treasured it. He had been daydreaming about the time when he would finally… finally kiss her. And just a while ago, they almost kissed. Again.
His lips twitched into a small grin. It was official. The time when they had shared their first kiss was the best day in his whole life. Draco had kissed a lot of girls but, when he kissed Hermione, it was very different. And it felt nice. Her lips pressed against his lips was his favorite feeling.
He sighed, eyes seeking out Hermione's familiar brunette hair.
When they had kissed, it hadn't been the beginning. Oh no. He had merely fallen in love with her all over again.
"Can I buy cotton candy?" Sophie suddenly asked, looking at the two adults innocently. Their carousel ride had ended and Draco had been joined by the two eager girls.
"Of course, kiddo," Draco said, fishing change from his pocket. He handed the little five-year-old the coins and smiled.
"Promise me you'll brush your teeth later, okay?" the brunette reminded her. At the corner of her eyes, she witnessed Draco's eye roll.
The little blonde just excitedly bobbed her head up and down before running towards the cotton candy stand, which was visible from Draco and Hermione's vantage point.
"One cotton candy, please," the little girl spoke, eyes staring longingly at the bright pink sugar wisping around the hot bowl. The vendor, a fat, old man with white hair, gave Sophie a grandfatherly smile.
"Of course, kid," he said, twisting a stick into the bowl to capture the delicious strands. His eyes landed on the two adults seated on the bench and smiled. "Your parents are a lovely couple," he told her.
Sophie frowned. "I don't have parents," she told him. "I'm an orphan."
"Oh?" the old man asked, looking at the little blond apologetically. "I'm sorry, then." His eyes landed back on the nearby bench, raising an eyebrow as Draco and Hermione laughed loudly together. "But, why are you with them?"
"They're making me happy," Sophie simply said. "Draco told me that they're going to make me happy."
"Ah," he said, giving her another toothy grin. The old man handed her the cotton candy. He didn't fail to see the bright smile that Sophie flashed once her hands clutched the stick of the delectable sweet. She was about to give the payment but the old man refused. "I'm giving it to you for free," he told her.
"Really?" she asked, looking surprised. The vendor chuckled, thinking that she looked adorable. "Thank you."
"Now, off you go," he said. "They're waiting for you."
Sophie looked at Draco and Hermione and then smiled. "Thank you again, Mister Cotton-Candy." And with that, she ran towards her guardians for the day.
The old man looked amused. "Mister Cotton-Candy, eh?"
"Let's go home," Hermione announced, releasing a wide yawn. It was past twilight already and they had had enough fun in Happy Land Amusement Park. She stood up, followed by the two blonds.
The parking lot was quite far from the place where they were, making the brunette even more tired. She stopped walking and rubbed her right eye. Draco, who was still carrying Sophie, looked back at her curiously. "Come on, Granger. I thought you wanted to go home?"
Hermione opened her arms wide and announced, "Carry me."
Draco looked amused. "Excuse me?" he asked, placing Sophie back on the ground. The little five-year-old looked from one adult to the other.
"Carry me," she repeated, taking a few steps toward the blond. "Piggy back."
The blond snorted. "Now, now, Granger," he said, wagging a finger in front of her face. "You promised me that you wouldn't demand another piggy back ride in the future."
"I was drunk when you made me promise!" she exclaimed. One time, when Hermione became drunk because of a Ministry party, Draco had no choice but to carry her home. The brunette had demanded a piggy back ride which the blond had reluctantly agreed to. "Come on, carry me. If you don't I'm… I'm" – she looked at a nearby bench and pointed a finger – "I'm going to sleep there."
Draco scowled. "Then, go on," he said, clutching Sophie's little right hand. "I won't stop you." He turned around and started to walk again.
Hermione was infuriated. 'Unbelievable!' she exclaimed, walking towards the bench.
The blond, noticing that Hermione was not following them, turned around. He scowled upon seeing Hermione seated on the bench she had pointed out a while ago. Releasing a huge sigh, he gently released little Sophie's hand. "Hermione, you're unbelievable!" he exclaimed. "Come here. I'll carry you now."
The brunette smiled and made a mad dash towards the blond. Hermione turned to Sophie and smiled. "Can you please hold this for me, sweetie?" she asked, giving Sophie her small purse. The little blonde smiled and nodded.
Hermione looked back at Draco who was now kneeling down on one knee. Immediately, she wrapped both of her arms around his neck. The blond, grunting, stood up and immediately supported both of Hermione's legs. "Granger, I can't believe you're still eating rocks," the blond said, shifting the brunette slightly. "Please stop. You honestly have issues."
The brunette just scowled and placed her chin on top of the blond's right shoulder. "Shut up," she murmured, eyes drooping close while she released a huge yawn. Soon, Hermione was slumbering.
Sophie was looking at Draco with a sleeping Hermione on his back. She clutched her pink teddy bear closer to her chest upon seeing the satisfied smile on the blond's face. "Draco?" she softly asked.
"Yes, kiddo?" he asked.
"Are you and Hermione married?" Sophie innocently asked, placing a quick kiss on her pink teddy bear.
Instantly, Draco became red from head to toe. "Wh-what are you talking about?" he stuttered, much to his frustration.
"Well, Mister Cotton-Candy thought that you were my parents," the little blonde answered; oblivious to the fact that she was making the older blond uneasy.
The Malfoy heir softly groaned, shivering slightly because of Hermione's warm breath blowing against his neck. "No, no, no," he said, shaking his head slightly, careful not to wake up the sleeping brunette. "We're not married, Sophie. We're just best friends."
"Oh?" she asked, frowning. "Then, when are you going to get married?"
Draco's face contorted into an unreadable expression. "Why do you think we're going to get married?" he asked.
Sophie's adorable face showed wonder. "Well, Mrs. Jenkins told me that when one man loves a woman, they should get married."
The blond sighed and was tempted to rub the bridge of his nose, though, he had to support Hermione. Thank Merlin she was fast asleep. "Kiddo, you're still too young to understand love. I mean, you're five-years-old, for goodness' sake!"
The little blonde blinked. "Okay," she said. "But" – she pointed a stubby, little finger at Draco's neck – "why do you have a ring?"
Draco's jaw dropped. This girl was more intelligent and perceptive than he had thought.
"Is that for Hermione?" she innocently asked, smiling at the brunette which snuggled comfortably against Draco's neck.
"No!" the blond curtly answered, surprising the little orphaned girl. A troubled look crossed on his face, trying to think of a way to explain to little Sophie why a ring was around his neck. "Look, Sophie," he started, "this ring is given to me by my mother. It's important to me."
"Oh," the little girl said again.
"Um, Sophie?" the blond asked, uncertain. "Can you do me a favor?"
Sophie nodded her head eagerly.
"Please don't tell Hermione about my ring, okay?"
Draco flinched for the umpteenth time. Hermione's head kept on banging against the window of his car. It amused him because the brunette hadn't so much as stirred. The blond bet that a small concussion would form once the brunette woke up.
He looked at his rear view mirror, eyes immediately landing on little Sophie. She was curiously looking at the slumbering brunette, tightly clutching her pink teddy bear. He couldn't help but smirk. Maybe, Sophie was also wondering how Hermione could sleep deeply when her head kept on banging against the unforgiving glass.
Making sure that the little blonde was still preoccupied watching the sleeping brunette, Draco pulled out his precious wand from his pocket. He silently conjured a pillow out of thin air. Proud of his small work, the blond pocketed his wand almost immediately.
He then clutched the conjured pillow with his hand. Sophie looked surprised because she had never seen the pillow in Draco's car before. The little blonde watched as Draco oh so carefully leaned slightly towards the sleeping brunette. For a few moments, Draco's hands left the steering wheel, making Sophie's eyes wide. She watched as he carefully slipped the pillow in between the window and the sleeping form of Hermione.
Sophie sighed in relief once Draco's hands held the steering wheel once again. "Are you sure you're not married?" she asked softly… almost innocently. She watched as the blond turned into a deep shade of red. His coloring made her confused more.
"Yes, I'm sure," he said.
"But…" she said, scratching the back of her neck in wonder.
"But what?"
"It's strange," she softly said, eyes trained intently on the slumbering brunette. "Draco, I have a question."
"What is it, Kiddo?" he asked, not really sure if he wanted to know her question.
"Do you love her?"
Draco immediately stepped on the brakes. Sophie, surprised, jerked forward.
Eyes wide, the blond looked at Hermione. She stirred slightly but thankfully, she was not awake.
The Malfoy heir looked at the little blonde warily. "Why suddenly ask that?"
Sophie adorably shrugged.
"Want to know my answer?" he asked. When Sophie nodded, the blond's eyes landed on Hermione. "What if I told you I do?"
The little orphaned girl smiled brightly. "Then I'll believe you," she said.
Draco cracked a smile. "But she won't," he said gesturing to the sleeping form beside him. "Hermione won't believe me. And besides…"
"What?" she asked and watched as Draco maneuvered the car back onto the road.
"Well, I don't know how to say this," he murmured under his breath. "But, well, Hermione will soon go up there?"
"Where?"
"Up there," he repeated, pointing a finger above.
"Oh."
Draco pursed his lips and then laughed. "On second thought," he continued, "I think she'll land down" – he pointed his finger below – "there. Nasty woman; she'd be kicked down almost immediately."
"She'll die?" Sophie softly asked. The blond blinked several times. Here he was, telling Sophie indirectly that Hermione would die when she perfectly understood what would happen to the brunette.
Sighing, the blond nodded.
"That's… that's…" And to the blond's horror, Sophie burst into tears. Hermione jerked awake, eyes wide, as she immediately looked at the crying little blonde. Draco had stopped the car now.
He looked at the backseat and pulled little Sophie onto his lap.
"What happened?" the brunette asked, sleep still evident on her face. "Why is Sophie crying?"
Little Sophie was reaching for Hermione. Sighing, Draco gave the wailing little girl to the confused brunette. Almost immediately, Sophie wrapped her arms around the brunette and continued to cry.
"Please, don't die," little Sophie sobbed, burying her face against the crook of Hermione's neck. "I don't want you to die."
Hermione blinked, surprised. Her eyes immediately landed on the older blond and frowned. "What…"
"I'm sorry," he said, feeling quite guilty. "I told her."
She sighed and kissed Sophie's blonde hair. "Shhh…" she murmured, stroking her hair. "Please don't cry."
"Please don't die," the little five-year-old, murmured again.
The brunette looked back at the blond, asking for help through her eyes. Draco clutched her hand and gave it a slight squeeze. "I'm going to bring her back to the orphanage now."
Hermione timidly nodded. "Okay," she softly said, sounding as if she would cry soon.
And then, Draco jerked the key, bringing the car back to life.
"I'm tired," Hermione announced, rubbing her eyes which were red from crying. She and Draco had just brought adorable Sophie back to the Muggle orphanage. It broke the brunette's heart, seeing how unwilling Sophie was to let them go. But of course, they were just looking after Sophie for a day, so, as much as Hermione wanted to keep the little blonde all to herself (well, she could include Draco), she couldn't.
Draco sighed but didn't say anything. From the moment he ignited his car after Sophie's little outburst, he hadn't uttered a word. Wordlessly, he opened her bedroom door and gave her a slight push inside.
The brunette, surprised with his actions and silence, looked at him worriedly. "Is there something wrong, Ferret? You'd been awfully quiet you know," she told him.
The blond just shook his head.
Hermione pursed her lips, still looking at him curiously. She then released a soft sigh. "All right. Goodnight then," she said.
Draco only nodded his head and turned his face away from her. The brunette frowned. He should have said his normal farewell phrase 'sleep tight'. There was something terribly wrong with him.
She only shook her head and turned around, dropping the subject immediately. Hermione had a feeling that the blond would talk to her tomorrow.
"Hermione."
Surprised, the brunette turned around. And the next thing she knew, she was tightly wrapped in Draco Malfoy's strong arms. Composing herself, Hermione asked, "What are you doing?" Unconsciously, she started to pat the blond's back.
As way of answer, the blond nuzzled her neck.
Hermione's right hand traveled up into his disheveled hair. "You're strange today, Malfoy," the brunette stated. "What's wrong with you? Are you PMSing?"
Draco didn't say anything, though, Hermione felt his small smile
The brunette frowned. "Are you sick?" she asked, worry evident in her voice. "You're making me worry. What's wrong with you?"
The blond only hugged her tighter. He honestly didn't want to let go. He remembered the book 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven' and for him, his heaven would be with Hermione Granger in his arms.
Draco blinked several times, his eyelashes brushing gently against Hermione's bare skin. His eyes were strangely stinging which made him frown. Gasping, the blond held on tighter. He knew this feeling. He had felt it twice already. First was when his father forbade him to have this Muggle toy car which he desperately wanted when he was five-years-old. And second was when he was spilling out all of his problems to Moaning Myrtle, frustrated and tired with all of the things that were happening to him when he was just a sixteen-year-old boy.
"Draco?" Hermione asked.
"Night Granger," he said hastily. "Sleep tight."
"No, wait!" the brunette said, tightening her hold on the back of the blonds shirt since he was trying to pull away from her.
"I'm going home," he croaked and then repeated, "Sleep tight, Granger."
"Draco…"
"Please," he said, this time succeeding in pulling himself away from Hermione's arms.
Her right hand immediately shot up to her neck, rubbing a small, wet spot. Hermione's eyes widened. She was positive that that was a teardrop. She looked up. Draco had already apparated away, though; Hermione didn't fail to see a tear dropping from his right eye. She had never seen Draco cry in her life.
A/N: And, end of chapter. Once again, thanks to my ever beloved beta reader, tiger-eye-heart. It's funny that she knows the ending of my story already! Anyway, just review people, okay? Oh, and I haven't replied to all of your reviews. It's either I'm too lazy or too busy or too tired. And so, I just posted all of my replies to your reviews here. Go find your username to see what I replied to your review :D
Replies to the Reviews:
pinkpanther'09:First one to review this chapter, hurrah! Hahaha, laughed at the part when you said that Hermione realizes her feelings sooner or later (or rather sooner). Hmm… why don't you just stay tuned to discover it, eh?
Hermione'sBFF454:Good question, dear. What is her first goal? You'll discover it soon, don't worry. Oh, and thanks for loving this story. I like making the chapters long. It makes me more satisfied, you know.
fantasia-49: Awww, it's cool I made you happy because they finally kissed. And, to discover her first goal, why don't you just wait patiently for that chapter? It will be soon, I swear. And (I'm blushing) it's sweet your applauding me. LOL!
mentarisenja: Your review almost made me cry. God, a long review full of compliments. Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm glad you like my story, honey. Oh, and thank you for putting my story in your fave, alert, and C2. Hugs and kisses to you!
Umbridgeskitty: I'm glad that you liked my last update. I'm really planning to make them share their first kiss here on that chapter. Oh, and I also love Adam Sandler's song. Thanks for your review!
malfoysgirl09: Hahaha, me too; I love chapter seven. Sweetest chapter I had typed, so far. Oh, and don't worry, I update once a week. Remember, I update on weekends.
lrmorena: You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome…. Hahahaha! And honestly, I'm happy they finally kissed. Oh, and for the hints… hmm (evil grin)… I'm giving hints already, dear. Just read between the lines.
Hachiko06: Aww, thanks for thinking chapter seven is 'terribly sweet'. Oh, and of course I'm still willing for you to translate my story! It just means that somebody loves me, you know (hahaha)
Hermone-Loves-Ron16311:Yes, true, I made them kiss but they're still not together. But honey, do remember that this story is a Dramione one. And look at the category above – Romance/Drama. Do you honestly think I'm cruel to end this story without my most favorite pair in the whole wide world getting together? I love all of my readers (of course, including you). Thanks for the review, though.
Kaleigh Windelynn: Yes, this chapter definitely makes me say 'aw'. LOL! Thanks for the review
gitgit: Aw, thank you for your review. And don't be sad; you don't even know what the real ending is (chuckles).
Jika: Ah, a compliment :D Thanks, I'm really flattered. I mean, it's rare for someone to tell me she likes the way I write. And yeah, that's what I really wanted to happen. At first, I'll make it depressing and sad and all, with Hermione knowing her cancer and whatsoever. But of course, there's still romance, dear reader. It would be way more interesting if it's fun and I make you forget for just a brief moment that Hermione's dying. Thanks for the review :D
Ocean's Nocturne of the COCA: Funny question, haha. Hermione's not really angry with Harry. He's dead, remember? And Ron, too? So, if you're talking about the scene where Draco almost said Harry's name to Hermione, she was somewhat affected because she still haven't gotten over their deaths. It's just that she didn't want to hear their names because it still makes her remember that they had left her. Thanks for reviewing, though.
guignou: Ah yes, they kissed :D Glad I made you speechless because of that! LOL! Aww, and thanks for thinking that chapter seven is an awesome and a lovely chapter. That's greatly appreciated, dearie. Thanks for the review.
Whew, a total of fourteen reviews! Thanks to all those who reviewed :D Please review more… the end is almost near, you know.