Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my imagination and whatever else is in this story that doesn't make sense. I was inspired by another romance novel i read and J.K. Rowlings wonderful world. Enjoy!
Chapter 18
"Wrapped so Pretty"
Draco walked into the dining room with one of Hermione's calculations in his hand. He then strode over to the double French doors that led through their study, and then out onto the lawn, but he still found no sign of her. He had now gone through the home twice, checking every possible room and even sending word of her whereabouts to Grindewald's facilities. Still nothing.
"Something wrong Draco?" asked Zabini as he walked in with a heaping bowl of marshmallow Lucky Leprechaun cereal.
"What? Uh, no." Draco had forgotten that his friend had joined him back home after today's practice run. Draco had made up an excuse about needing to send a new list to the village market and stuck Zabini in the kitchen while he tried to find a clue to his missing wife.
"I was looking for my wand," Draco lied. "But I can't seem to find it anywhere."
Zabini pointed to the mantel top of the fire place, then took a seat in the arm chair next to it. The fire place was large enough to roast two men the size of Hagrid.
Draco's anger softened a bit looking a his friend's content sense of being. While he and Draco shined like true stars in the last past seasons games. It was always Zabini that made his own mark of fame. He was a brilliant Quidditch player, as well as an excellent team captain. However, Draco and the guys began to see changes in Blaise, the thrill of the game no longer seemed important to him.
Toffee complexion, built slightly more than Draco and heartbreakingly handsome. Out of the four of them, Tupper, Malfoy, Pulanski, and Zabini.
Zabini's good looks had caused for him to endure endless amounts of joking on nights they've gone beyond wasted. His model good looks were inherited from his mother. He had thickly lashed light brown eyes and a nose that had never been broken. His dark hair was always cut conservatively low, but now had been allowed to grow slightly revealing low waves. Today, he was wearing his Falcon's jersey with a pair of muggle jeans.
Draco frowned at him. "Zabini, is that a crease in your bloody shirt?"
"Just a little touch up."
"You ironed your jersey?"
"No, Maria set a charm on it."
Draco smiled his malfoyish smile. Zabini looked up and shoved another spoon of cereal into his mouth. Draco could tell he was getting irritated, but he pushed on. "Merlin, Next she'll be picking charm spells for the team's colors wouldn't you say?"
"Can it asshole!" laughed Zabini through a mouth filled with marshmallow oats.
Draco laughed too, he respected and admired Zabini. Blaise had gone through a wild period after Hogwarts where he drunk too much and slept with too many witches, but when Maria stepped in on the scene everything about Blaise's party all-night lifestyle had come to a screeching halt.
"Where's your wife, not still hiding her from your father still are you?" Zabini asked suddenly.
"No, I'm not hiding anyone. You know how women are? Besides she's been feeling homesick. And she kinda worried about making a good impression with everyone."
"Are you sure that's what's really bothering her?" asked Zabini.
"Yeah, well, it's like I told you, we would have come over for dinner last night, but um…Hermione was feeling a little sick right before we started to leave. Damned flu maybe... she should be feeling better in a few days. But don't expect to see much of her; her work is real important to her and she can't spend too much time away from the hospital's research lab right now."
Zabini regarded his longtime friend with a cold stare, as if he had no idea who the wizard was standing before him. "If you need to talk-"
"There's nothing to talk about. Except everybody wants to put their bloody nose in my business." Draco snapped at him.
"Your business 'eh, what about Hermione? Isn't the baby coming partly her business too mate?"
"What baby?" Draco jammed his hands into his trouser pockets.
They both fell silent. Zabini swallowed down his mouth full of cereal.
"That night at the Dungeon, after the party, I talked to Esa. You scared her pretty damn bad you know….she was um pretty worried you were about to do something dreadful." Zabini's voice tightened, and Draco looked away out a window. He was anxious to escape the conversation.
He began picking up one of Hermione's favorite novels and thumbed through the pages. Where was she?
These past two weeks he had to practically forced himself to stay away, only coming home to check if she was ok or needed anything.
"How much did that bimbo tell you?" Draco asked about Esa.
"All of it… and I won the bet. The guys and I had a little side bet going that you would get all caught up over that hooker and call her back for a second rendezvous or something along those lines. We never thought you'd end up marrying her, never gave a second thought to you slipping up and becoming a dad out of all this, and we sure ass hell didn't know she was really Hermione Granger…. I'm sorry mate, really we all are."
Draco was irritated, he didn't want everyone to know about what Hermione had done. But with his friend staring at him, he couldn't deny it. He only nodded, admitting it was all true.
"Maria and I were not ready to be parents either you know... But I don't blame her. How can I or more why would I? She's bringing a love into this world that'll be completely for me...My kid. I would never dream of hiding her away. Do you think, I gave a fuck what you losers thought? Maria has been looking forward to meeting her, she's really feeling a little lonely with becoming a first-time mother and no other witch her age to share her woes about baby hiccups and swollen ankles." Zabini laughed.
Hiccups were a common symptom among expecting witches.
"I've been putting it off mate, but I'm running out of lies." Zabini said honestly. "And I don't like lying to Maria, but I don't think she'll understand if I tried to explain it from your point of view. And to be fucking frank with ya Draco, I'm not so sure I even understand what the fuck you're doing. When we were kids and fighting over school colors and house points, yeah I hated Granger too. She and Potter made my ass give a royal twitch. She chomped down any question in class before anyone else had the chance to fucking think. But when you look at her, is she the girl, the mudblood you hated or is she your new wife and mother of your first born?"
Draco said nothing, and was stunned to hear the anger in his friends voice towards him. But, he was even more stunned when he watched Zabini set the half eaten bowl down on a table stand and within a few moments walked out the room.
~~
"Draco will be coming for you before long my dear." Narcissa said.
Hermione set down the tea she'd been sipping from an antique white ceramic cup, and gazed up at Mrs. Malfoy. She was adding decors for the approaching holidays. An enormous tree stood like a jolly green tower in the corner of the castle's living room. This place felt so much like a home. She often imagined that living in such a large dwelling would feel awkward, with it drafty rooms, and hidden chambers. But she hadn't discovered a ghost yet, and even enjoyed her journey through the many rooms today.
"Oh, I don't know so much about that. He doesn't know where I am."
Narcissa laughed softly "He'll figure it out soon enough. And even so, there has not been a time when Draco hasn't lost something and didn't come expecting me to sort it out."
Hermione could imagine a child-like Draco having a tantrum when he misplaced a toy and running to his mom for help finding it again. "I can't believe how far I had to fly to get here. It must have been nearly an hours flight. It would have been much wiser to floo, but a journey that far and I would have lost my breakfast on your lovely floor."
"And that's the truth, Lucius could never get me to go anywhere when I was with child. But, I do wish you'd think more carefully next time, it can't be good for the baby with you up on a broom in this type of weather."
Hermione had been surprised when Narcissa walked over and stroked her hair. She watched as the older witch began to encircle the trees branches with a string of lighted miniature candles. "When Draco was a boy I use to make spiced apples to die for. Do you know how to make them my dear?"
"Oh, I've eaten them a few times, but I've never made them."
"The secret is to use sweetened mead rather than cider. And you must dice your nuts suitable for the tiny bits of a child, doesn't matter the guest you intend to serve."
"If I ever make them, I'll remember that."
Narcissa had been doing this ever since Hermione had arrived, filling her with gardening tips, old folk wisdom on cleaning charms. The miracles of gilly water. It took nine sips to ease away morning sickness and thirteen to rid yourself of baby hiccups. Hermione was not yet in the stage to experience baby hiccups, but Narcissa forewarned the young witch they would soon be on the way.
"I suppose we could work on baking a batch now if you're feeling up to it, I could always send an elf to the market for the ingredients."
Hermione laughed a bit, but agreed. She loved listening to her.
Despite the improbability of her ever using any of this information, she found that she could not bare the disappointment that would surely be in the older woman's eyes if she told her that Draco and she will be ending their marriage, soon, after the baby was born. Despite the forthcoming doom for her and her baby's father, she found herself taking in all the information provided by her new mother-in-law. Hermione even agreed to help her with laying a new bed for begonias in the northern part of the estate by early spring.
Narcissa served her hot bean soup and wheat rolls in a delicately, hand painted bowl. They sat and ate and talked. Hermione couldn't imagine enjoying a meal so much within the last two weeks. Later, Narcissa and she unpacked the assortments from the market and began to set the task of spiced baked apples. Hermione was instructed to go upstairs to the second floor's guest room and retrieve an old family platter, it was an heirloom that Mrs. Malfoy always used for the holidays.
Upstairs Hermione found the platter in the precise spot that Narcissa said it would be. Hermione's eyes fell onto a younger picture of Draco, he was smiling boldly at her. Upon his robe there was a shiny badge 'Inquisitorial Squad.' Next to it a certificate granting him authority by Delores Umbridge.
Soon Hermione found other certificates, awards, and Documents of reorganization for outstanding O.W.L.s, and others were about the cluttered room.
Her hand flew to her throat. Diploma of Completion, Drumstrang School of Magic -Here by states that Draco Malfoy has complete with great success all required levels of NEWTs where by he stands Outstanding.
There were personally hand written certificate for a Maxima Cum Laude received in high honors for the Dark Arts and Defense against the Dark Arts, Drumstrang; Summa Cum Laude for mastering Potions; Winner of the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spell-Casting; a letter of recognition from the Grand Sorcerer's First Class; the Apprentice Honor in Magical Medicine.
Hermione whirled around, and raced from the room.