Skills for Life

A/N: Boy oh boy am I a terrible updater as of recently. Omg, this is awful lol

Chapter Fifteen

Hermione sat beside Draco, her lips pursed as she listened to the man before them. Narcissa was weeping quietly on Draco's other side. Poor Olivia was playing quietly with a doll next to Hermione. Her Christmas had been dampened with the news of Lucius' death.

"What are you going to do with the body?" Draco asked coldly.

"He died in Azkaban. Unless you have a good reason not to, he will be buried on the grounds." The ministry official replied icily. He was extremely taken aback by seeing the great Hermione Granger with the ex Death Eater Draco Malfoy. Not to mention the child in tow.

"No objections." Draco said firmly. Narcissa began to cry harder, but she remained silent. Hermione squeezed Draco's hand, though the gesture wasn't returned. She moved her gaze to Olivia. Harry, upon hearing the news, had offered to taken Olivia but she couldn't burden them. They had sent word to Blaise and Luna who accepted it easily.

"You are allowed to attend the burial, if you wish." The official said. Draco shook his head.

"No. Do whatever. Mother, you may go-"

"I couldn't bear." She choked out, blowing her nose daintily into her handkerchief. Hermione kept quiet, though internally she scorned both of the Malfoys. How could they be so heartless? Lucius Malfoy was himself a heartless bastard, but he was also their husband and father, respectively. They wouldn't even give him a proper burial, let alone see him once more before he was buried six foot under for the rest of eternity on prison grounds.

"Very well. You are free to go, Mr. Malfoy's will is going through the Ministry now and should be cleared within fourteen days." He said. The man nodded and left. Narcissa turned to Draco.

"Dear, I'm going to go home and rest. Happy Christmas." She said to Draco. She nodded curtly to Hermione and Olivia, before disapprating.

"Now what?" Hermione mused. Draco shrugged, his gray eyes guarded and cold. She sensed he wanted to be alone. "I have an idea."

"Go on." He said indifferently.

"You go home. Get some rest, I'm going to take Olivia to Harry's for a few hours? Okay. Get some sleep honey." Hermione advised, smiling at him. It was late, almost eight o'clock. The majority of Christmas had been spent with Ministry officials, at the morgue identifying the body, and getting informed. The official cause of death was a suicide. Draco had bitterly stated, "Bastard couldn't even survive six months in Azkaban."

"Hermione, I know what you're trying to do." He replied sternly. She raised an eyebrow.

"And what might that be oh wise one?" She replied sarcastically.

"Give me time alone to," He used air quotes. "deal with my pain. Face it Hermione, I hated the guy. I'm not going to pretend to be greatly saddened by his death."

"He was still your father!" Hermione argued. Draco shrugged.

"So? I do not, and will not, ever care for him."

"Merlin, you're acting as cold as he was!" Hermione threw her arms up in frustration. After saying those words, she regretted them. Olivia watched the two nervously. She had seen plenty of grown ups fight before, but that didn't mean it ever got less scary.

"Is that how you feel?" Draco replied, his voice icy. "Good bye Granger."

He turned on his heel, aparating away. Hermione burst into tears, crumpling to the floor.

"Mommy?" Olivia whispered, moving close to Hermione. "Shh, don't cry Mommy."

Hermione looked up in the brown eyes of her adoptive daughter and not for the first time, felt a surge of love and gratitude towards the young child. "I'm sorry sweetheart. Daddy's just angry at his Daddy, and he accidentally made Mommy sad. Now come on. I think we have some Christmas ice cream left!"

Olivia beamed and took hold of her mothers hand. They went back to their empty apartment. Hermione made them each bowls of home made peppermint ice cream, with whipped cream on the top. The pair got dressed in their flannel pajamas and curled up on the couch, settling in to watch the cartoon Frosty the Snowman.

Olivia fell asleep, leaving a valley full of melted ice cream. Hermione waved her wand, cleaning the mess instantly. She hoisted her daughter up and brought her into her room. She tucked her in, placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, and left the room silently. Hermione glanced at the clock, which said it was nearly eleven o'clock. She herself was tired, but Draco wasn't home yet.

Hermione walked over the couch and pulled out her Transfiguration textbook and began to work on an essay she had due when school started back up again. It was the first time ever that Hermione didn't have all of her homework completed in advance. She finished it in an admirable amount of time.

"Done." She whispered happily. Hermione rubbed her burning eyes and looked at the clock. She gaped, seeing it was almost one o'clock in the morning! "Where is Draco?"

Hermione pulled out her wand, flicked it and an otter swam out. "Draco? Where are you."

She sent it away, even though he wouldn't be able to respond. Hermione checked in on Olivia, who was cuddling her toy dragon and snoring, before retreating to her own room. The bed felt big and lonesome without Draco next to her. She sighed sadly and closed her eyes. She fell into an uneasy sleep.

There was a loud thump. Hermione's war sharpened instincts caused her eyes to snap open. Her breathing shallowed as bolted up. The other side of the bed was empty and the digital clock of the nightstand revealed it was three oh six am. Hermione gripped her wand as she stood up and tip toed out of the bedroom. She cast a silencing charm on Olivia's room-just to be safe. Hermione walked straight into the living room and gasped.

"Blaise!" She screeched, hand over her chest. "You gave me a bloody heartattack-oh Merlin, what did you do to him!?"

Blaise stood, clutching an unconscious Draco in his arms. Blaise's face flickered between annoyance and sympathy. "He showed up at my door about ten minutes ago, babbling about 'that bastard! That dolt! I hate him!' I'm assuming he was talking about his father. He was piss drunk and passed out before I could ask him anything. Nearly woke the kids."

Hermione let out a long breath of air, trying to collect herself. She pinched the bridge of her nose and nodded. "Thank you Blaise. I'm going to have a nice chat with him when he's sober."

The dark Italian nodded swiftly. "Goodnight Hermione. If there's any problem, come get me?"

She smiled tightly and waved him off. Using a levitation charm, she brought him to the bathroom and laid him in the bathtub. Draco was breathing very rapidly, his face pale. She flicked her wand and cold water shot out of the faucet. It soaked his face immediately and caused his eyes to flicker open.

"Fucking hell!" He garbled through a mouthful of water. His eyes were bloodshot to the maximum extent.

"Oh, sorry? Is it too cold. Sorry princess, next time I'll make it warmer." Hermione snarled, all of her anger seeping out. Draco blinked rapidly.

"Where am I?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand.

"The bathtub. You're drunk and it's almost four in the morning." She seethed. "You haven't been home in seven hours. No call, nothing."

He stood up and grabbed a towel, whipping his face free of the water. "Hermione, I'm going to go to bed. We'll talk in the morning."

He made to go to the bedroom, but Hermione moved in front of him. Her brown eyes flashed.

"No. I think we'll talk now. Why have you been shutting me out all day?"

"Hermione, I'm not discussing this now. That is final." He barked.

"Oh, it's final is it?" Hermione asked sarcastically. "You're not the fucking boss of me."

"I'm your husband." He shouted, spit flying from his mouth. She stepped back, angrier than before.

"In a class. Not in anthing else." Her words cut like knives. "Go. Get out. I don't want to see you."

"This is my home too. You leave." He shot back.

"Go. Now." Hermione snarled, brandishing her wand. Draco glared at her dangerously, before stomping off.

"Fucking bitch." He snarled before slamming the door. Hermione snorted in disgust. She was tired and just wanted to collapse. So that's just what she did. Hermione went into her room, dissolved into tears and fell asleep.

A/N: Omg guys. I suck as hard as a pornstar. Omg. I just got really busy, school & theater. It sucks I'm really busy. But here is drama that will further the plot. :) So, review lovelys!