Quick Author's Note: Decided to change the chapter titles all to Toby Keith songs. They seem to fit better. Also, I have updated my profile and added a picture, in case you're interested in what I look like. :)

Chapter Three

Sunshine and Summertime

Spring soon turned to summer and Hermione, to everyone's surprise, was greatly enjoying her stay at Malfoy Manor. She wrote her mother often and her mother usually thought Hermione was lying about her comfort at the manor in order to placate her, but she was truly happy. Scorpius was improving daily and he was especially loving his French lessons.

Draco still travelled often – it seemed he was away more than he was home – but Hermione and Scorpius adjusted accordingly. Draco never told either of them where he went, and despite Hermione's best efforts, she was never able to infer anything substantial enough to form into a hypothesis of his destinations.

Sometime around mid-June, shortly after Draco had returned from another of his excursions, he informed Hermione that Scorpius's sixth birthday was coming up on the twentieth of June.

"Oh goodness, that's only five days away!" she had exclaimed.

"Yes, I'm aware," he'd replied. "I was hoping for… possibly… your assistance with planning out his birthday…"

"Oh, yes, of course!" she'd said, all too happy to help.

"Excellent," he'd replied. "I've never really done a whole lot for him, I've never known what to do…"

Hermione had been shocked to see him, for the first time, looking uncertain. She marveled at his concern for his son. He always seemed so aloof. Scorpius had probably never had a proper birthday, but now that she was here, he was willing to at least make some kind of effort to make it special.

She'd be damned, she had thought, if she ruined this chance to make Scorpius smile.

And so that was why, the following day, she and Draco were out – together, in public – in Hogsmeade, searching for gifts for Scorpius. They had, regrettably, had to leave him with Narcissa for the day.

"I normally leave everything up to Dmitry and Davius… they seem to know what they're doing… but I had a feeling that you may have hit me if I tried that this year…" he was saying.

"I'd get fired if I hit my boss!" Hermione declared, smiling. He smiled back and she was glad that he was finally beginning to relax around her.

"So what does he like? What's he interested in?" Draco asked her.

Hermione paused.

"You mean you don't know?" she asked slowly.

Draco sighed. "Hermione, you know I'm not around much…"

"Yes but I don't think I realized quite how little you knew your own son…"

He cut her off. "Please, Hermione, not now. I'm trying, all right?"

She supposed he was right. No time like the present, after all.

Speaking of presents… they had work to do.

"Well, he's really falling in love with the French language… I suppose we could look for a French storybook for him, he's getting very good at reading."

"What else?"

"Hmm. I've been teaching him a bit about potion theories… just basic stuff, you know, not making anything and not teaching him about anything complicated… he seems very interested in the potions concepts."

"Don't they have 'My First Potions Kits' around somewhere?" Draco asked. Hermione looked bewildered.

"I haven't a clue. Is it like the muggle 'My First Chemistry Sets'?" she asked. Draco looked just as confused as she was and she realized they were speaking two different languages. She knew almost nothing about wizarding childhood (though she was slowly learning from Scorpius), just as he knew nothing of muggle childhood.

"It's just a set of basic, common potion ingredients… it comes with a little plastic cauldron and a miniature book of some of the most commonplace, basic potions… stuff even easier than we learned in first year at Hogwarts. It's really quite a neat little thing, actually…" he trailed off.

Hermione could have sworn she saw him blush.

"You had one didn't you!" she declared. "When you were younger?"

Yes, he was definitely blushing.

"Professor Snape was always very close with my family… he gave me a set when I was seven or so."

"Oh, Draco, that's just darling. No wonder you always did so well in Potions class!"

Draco was obviously unhappy with the attention and kept his mouth set.

"Right, well, we will certainly try to find one of those for him," he said.

"He could also use some play clothes… all I ever see him in are dressy things."

"Is it a crime to want my son to look nice?"

"Look nice for who, Draco? Dmitry and Davius? He's not out and about all the time like you. He runs, he plays, he scavenges… he needs more comfortable clothes for that."

Draco grunted and she took that as approval.

"Right, well, I think we have some good ideas, let's get on it, shall we?" she smiled.

They found the potions kit with almost no trouble at all at the local apothecary, and the clothes just as easily from a children's clothing store. Hermione had ogled over what she considered an adorable T-shirt that was bright green and had "Daddy's Little Wizard" on it in bold white lettering, but only after repeated pleas did Draco consent to buy it.

"No one is ever allowed to see him in that," he demanded, but Hermione just smiled. She gave him the lead for the rest of the clothes and they ended up getting him a few pairs of jeans and some cotton and flannel shirts that were far less embarrassing for Draco.

The French book turned out to be a little more difficult to find. The small international section of the bookstore contained only adult literature or other things far too advanced for Scorpius. They'd ended up having to ask at the counter and the woman had told them that in consideration of space they kept most of the less popular foreign books in the backroom. Hermione and Draco had been forced to stand by and wait for ten minutes while she searched until she eventually emerged holding a red, leather bound book emblazoned in gold lettering with the words, "Les Contes de Beedle le Barde."

"I thought this fit what you were looking for," the woman said, handing it to Hermione.

"Oh, yes, it's perfect! Thanks so much!"

"Beedle the Bard in French," said Draco as he was paying. "Who would have thought…"

"You never know until you ask!" Hermione beamed.

Satisfied with their purchases of the day, Draco and Hermione left Hogsmeade separately. Hermione apparated back to the manor in order to hide the gifts and Draco apparated to his mother's to pick up a very grateful Scorpius. By the time they were all back in the manor it was time for dinner (chicken cordon bleu with asparagus, the latter of which visibly disgusted poor Scorpius).

"So how was your day with Grandmama?" Hermione asked him.

"It was awful!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Why was it so horrid?" Hermione asked.

"She made me drink the most awful tasting tea… and made me recite the French I've learned… and read to me out of the most boring books… and forced me to eat vegetables… and… and…"

"Okay, all right, I get it! It sounds like it was absolutely terrible! But your father forces you to eat your vegetables too, you know."

"Well I don't want to eat this junk…" Scorpius said, pushing his asparagus around his plate. He had hardly gotten the words out when Dmitry - or Davius – appeared beside him.

"Did the young master just call my cooking, 'junk'?" he asked, yet still with a smile on his face. Scorpius was silent but looked quite guilty.

"Well, young sir, I have prepared a special dessert tonight and you won't get so much as a taste unless you finish every last morsel of that asparagus!"

Scorpius's eyes widened.

"What's the dessert?" he demanded.

"You won't find out until that plate is cleared!" answered the Orhomme in a sing-song voice. With that, he disappeared.

Hermione smirked and Draco was staring at the spot where the Orhomme had been in awe.

"Well, you heard him," Hermione said. "Eat up!"

Scorpius gave his asparagus a determined look, closed his eyes, and slowly but surely put forkful after forkful in his mouth until all of it was gone. Just as Scorpius finished the last painful swallow, Dmitry – or Davius – appeared behind Draco holding a tray of dessert glasses, inside of which was—

"Chocolate pudding!" Scorpius exclaimed.

"Oh, young sir, this is no ordinary chocolate pudding. This is special. It's mousse du chocolat, and it is positively divine!" said the Orhomme as he placed it in front of each of them.

"Remember to eat it slowly and savor it!" he said, and with one last smile he disappeared again.

Scorpius, of course, did not heed those words and gobbled the dessert down before Draco and Hermione had even halfway finished theirs.

"Mmmmm…" he said, and slouched down in his chair. "Father, I'm tired…"

"You're dismissed," Draco said. "Go on up to your room and lie down. Hermione will be along."

Scorpius was gone without another word, and then Dmitry – Hermione assumed by now that it was Dmitry, anyway – reappeared.

"Now that the young master has gone to bed… Cappuccino, sir or madame?"

"One for each of us," Draco answered.

"Right away sir," and he disappeared.

The two were silent for a moment.

"Draco," Hermione started.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"I really have to give you credit for today. I know it must be hard for you, raising a son without a… without Isabella. I know you're gone a lot, and I don't know where you go or why you're there, but I know that some part of you must miss Scorpius while you're gone."

"Yes, I do."

"And I know you love him."

"Of course."

"And I'm glad that you're finally learning how to show him that."

Draco paused and stared at her for a moment.

She really had no idea. Her presence in the manor had warmed the place so immensely that it was hardly recognizable. Even Dmitry and Davius were smiling more – if that was possible – and Scorpius was quickly becoming a good and studious child compared to the troublemaking terror he once was. She was more than a governess… She had turned his house from a cold and threatening manor into a warm and beautiful home.

He suddenly realized that her hair was down – it so rarely was down anymore. It was long and fell in loose waves to at least six inches past her shoulder. Her lips were moist from drinking the wine they'd had with dinner. Though it was plain, her cotton blouse hugged close to her body and, for the first time, he actually took notice of her curves.

She was – like she had made his home – beautiful.

"Draco?" she said tentatively.

He blinked a time or two and struck his inappropriate thoughts away.

"Yes?"

"You're staring."

"Oh! Well, you see, I was trying to figure out the most delicate way to tell you that you had a bit of chocolate on the corner of your mouth…" As he said it, he leaned over toward her and wiped the tiny bit of mousse off with his thumb. "…but I figured it was best if I just didn't say anything and took care of it myself."

Hermione shivered a little when his finger touched her. She wracked her brain, but it was truly the first time she remembered ever having any type of physical contact with him while she was there.

Funny, how something so innocent could seem so sensual.

"Thank you," she finally said, blushing a little.

"Two cappuccinos for the sir and lady!" came Dmitry's voice, and Draco and Hermione both jumped, as they hadn't noticed him appear in the room.

"Whipped cream?" he asked as he set each in front of them.

"Please," they said together, and with a wave of his hand Dmitry made a hefty dollop of whipped cream appear on the top of each of the clear Irish coffee mugs.

"If you need anything else, just call!" he said, and with his usual smile disappeared.

Hermione took a sip of the delicious drink and when she put the mug down Draco smiled and cleared his throat.

"What?" she asked when he chuckled at her.

"You're just a mess tonight aren't you?" he said, and took his index finger and wiped a dab of whipped cream off the tip of her nose.

Hermione couldn't help herself and she laughed and so did Draco, and neither of them could get themselves to stop for a few minutes.

By the time they had finally calmed down and finished their cappuccinos, it had been a half an hour since Scorpius had gone upstairs – it was nearing seven o'clock.

"I told Scorpius you'd be along…" Draco reminded Hermione as they were leaving the dining room.

"I know you did, but I think maybe you should go up instead."

Draco paused.

"Why?"

"Can you imagine how thrilled he'd be to have you in there to read with instead of me?"

Draco was silent and appeared to be thinking.

"I'll go with you and stand outside the door if you like, should you need me…"

"All right, I can handle that," he decided, and they went upstairs together.

When they arrived outside Scorpius's room the door was left open a crack, so Draco pushed it open. Hermione stood down the hall, waiting.

When he looked inside the room, his heart just about melted.

Scorpius was sitting up in the bed under the covers, propped up on his pillows, but he had fallen asleep. His head was lolling off to one side and he had begun to slouch down. The Tales of Beedle The Bard lay open on his lap, somewhere in the middle of Babbity Rabbity. Hermione had mentioned that was his favorite tale. He sighed and smiled, quietly stepped into the room, and gingerly took the book from Scorpius's limp hands. Draco heard his heavy breathing of sleep as he closed the book and set it on the bedside table. Carefully, he slowly laid Scorpius down so that he was fully horizontal. As he was pulling the covers up, however, Scorpius stirred and blearily half-opened his eyes.

"Father?"

"Shh. Go back to sleep. You're tired."

"Hermione…" he mumbled.

"She thinks you should go to bed too," he assured him. "Don't worry. We will both see you in the morning."

"Mmkay…" he said, and closed his eyes again as Draco pulled the blankets up to his chin. Just like that, Scorpius was fast asleep again.

"Good night, my son," Draco said, and kissed him lightly on the forehead.

Hermione, who had crept up to the door when she didn't hear any voices, was watching the whole episode from the doorway. She couldn't believe how tender Draco was being. She had seen such a dramatic change in him since she'd arrived two months previously. Who would have thought that the cold, harsh father who shooed his son away and didn't even know his favorite things would now be sweetly kissing him goodnight?

She smiled when he looked up and noticed her watching. He grinned back sheepishly and extinguished the bedside lamp with his wand as he left the room and closed the door behind him.

"Wow," was all Hermione said.

"What?"

"That was amazing."

"Was it?"

"How did it feel?"

Draco thought a bit before answering.

"It felt… right."

Hermione just smiled in reply.