"Who's that?" Mr. Li asked.
"Who's who?"
Mr. Li pointed towards the backdoor and Hermione followed his line of vision and let out an audible curse, marching over towards a smirking Blaise Zabini.
The dark skinned wizard's headache lessened slightly at seeing Granger's knickers get all in a twist over his presence, a sense of déjà vu spreading over him. He had forgotten how much fun the Slytherins had messing with the girl. She could so easily be riled by the only the slightest of things. Draco had, especially, loved to push her buttons. His mate must have liked her, even in school.
Blaise had woken up that morning with a killer headache, cotton mouth, the sound of two ladies giggling, and the door slamming. He had been sprawled all over the bed with his feet handcuffed to the headboards. Groggily and groaningly, he lifted his head a bit of the bed and peered at his surroundings with one eye, his other being crusted over. His limited vision noticed the bright sunrays from beneath the curtains and wondered what the time was.
With much effort, he managed to sit up in an awkward position due to his legs being humiliating spread and linked to the bedposts. Muttering curses, he had looked for his wand and saw it lying on the bedside table and wondered how he was supposed to get it. Perhaps if he had not drunk five bottles of Firewhiskey the previous night, he would be able to do a bit of wandless magic. No deal, unfortunately. If he so much as thought about trying to levitate his wand a centimeter of the table, his brain would surely liquefy and ooze out his ears. He flopped back down on the bed.
And just laid there.
For a long time.
Just thinking.
And then remembered the Holy Child of Draco and Granger had a birthday celebration that day, and Blaise had promised the moppet he'd be there. Cursing, he raised his head and glared at his wand, willing the damned thing to float to him.
Twenty minutes later with three sessions of projecting vomit, his wand fell on top of his head, nearly poking him in the eye. He grabbed it and freed himself and then rushed about the room to get ready to leave. Once showering and dabbing some cologne on that made witches swoon like love-struck ninnies, he dressed and went in search for his wallet.
And could not find it anywhere.
"What are you doing here? I told you to leave," Hermione hissed at him, stopping a foot away from him and tearing him out of his lovely morning musings about being robbed. He watched with only the slightest of dread as the woman folded her arms tightly across her chest. The thing about Granger, presently and twelve plus years ago, she was bark and bite. She carried through on her temper if pushed far enough and the ramifications on the recipient could be painful and, more often than not, utterly humiliating. Fortunately for Blaise, he had never had a firsthand encounter with that specific part of Granger's personality. Sure, she screamed at him something rare the day prior, but she had never hexed him, not even in school. Of course, he had not messed around with her like Draco and other's had, the reason being he thought of her as filth and was honestly terrified if he even paid the slightest attention to her for any reason, she would contaminate him somehow. Currently, he no longer thought this way about her nor anyone born of Muggles and such, having coming to the conclusion at the ripe age of nineteen that if he lowered his 'elite blood' standards concerning women, he got quite a bit more play.
"Alex wanted me to come, remember? He said so yesterday," Blaise replied smugly, and Hermione took the time to look him over. Furrowing her brow, she stepped forward and sniffed and recoiled in revulsion.
"Are you drunk, Zabini?"
"I just had a little hair of the dog. You know how it is?" he smirked with a shrug and then caught eyes with Mrs. Wilcox, one of her neighbors. He winked at her, and the woman brought her left hand to her chest to emphasize the impressive rock on her finger and harrumphed while stomping away.
"Please, please leave. I beg you, Zabini, to actually think about what you and those lunatics called Draco's parents are doing. You all just come barging into my life, into Alex's life and want to ruin everything. It's one thing to inform me of Draco's passing, but-"
"He's their grandchild, Granger. He's their blood. Their family," Blaise said firmly. "He is all that's left of Draco. You would deprive them of that closure?"
Hermione shook her head. "I'm not keeping Alex away from them because of selfishness, Blaise. I'm protecting my child from who I think are dangerous people. I would no sooner introduce Alex to a pit full of snakes and call them family."
"They're not horrible. You're making them sound worse than they actually are."
"Funny. Draco said something similar years ago, but I know better." Hermione pinched the sleeve of her sweater and tugged the material upward, revealing the tarnished skin beneath, jagged lines angry as if the scar was fresh and not over thirteen years old. As quickly as she revealed it, she hid it and repeated, "I know better. You want me to willingly let the people, who stood by and did nothing but condone the act of my torture on their Drawing Room floor, into my son's life? Hurt him? Perhaps not. Fill his head full of lies like they did Draco? I would rather not have my child emotionally scarred for the rest of his life like Draco had been."
Blaise opened his mouth to undoubtedly retort something clever or demeaning towards Hermione but nothing came out. After a few moments, he sighed and slumped his shoulder and whispered, "They've changed. They're fine people, and they miss Draco."
"I'm sure they do," Hermione said with confidence. "But I don't believe they have truly changed their beliefs or their behavior. I don't know if you are aware, but Lucius broke into my home last night, stripped my property of their wards and tried to see Alex. Tell me, Zabini, does that sound like a changed man to you?"
"You came!" shouted Alex from across the yard. Hermione withheld her groan and watched with a forced smile as her son came bounding toward her and Blaise. "Tell me stories! Tell me stories! You said you would!"
"I know he said he would, Sweetheart, but Blaise has to leave, don't you, Blaise?" Hermione hinted through a poorly disguised growl while glaring at the man who was smiling down at her son with obvious affection.
"Actually, I can stay. I did promise to tell the lad stories, Granger," he lightly said with an innocent expression sent her way.
"You call her Granger? My dad does that, too." Alex excitedly started bouncing up on his tiptoes, his blond curls swaying atop his head. "I do, too. When people ask what my mum's name is, I can't say it, so I say Granger. It's so much easier saying that than Herm…Herm…"
"I understand perfectly." Blaise placed his hand on Alex's shoulder and patted him gently, and Hermione made a mental note to chop of the man's hands before the end of the day. How dare that bigoted bastard touch her son?!
Unable to bear the thought of taking Alex's smile away, she let Blaise escort him to a table. Phoebe came up beside her an inquisitive smile and asked, "Who's he? He looks like chocolate covered sin."
Sucking in her bottom lip and giving it a good pensive swipe with her tongue with her eyes glued on her boy, she eventually replied in a hushed whisper, "Yesterday I received new that Alex's father passed. This man was his best friend."
Gasping, Phoebe whirled around to face Hermione fully, a horrified expression on her face. "Hermione, that's…Oh my…When? I don't understand."
"Me neither." Hermione shrugged, her vision clouding while watching Blaise use his hands to tell some remarkable story about Draco's younger years, Alex listening avidly with a mirthful grin, and his friends crowding around to hear the tale.
"And…I'm assuming Alex doesn't know yet. When are you going to tell him?"
"I don't know. Not today, obviously. Regardless when, however; it will never be the best time."
"This is terrible. I'm so sorry. I'm really am. If there's anything I can do, just say the words. This is just heartbreaking. Especially with what happened at Easter and…Oh, Hermione! Stupid me, bringing that up! I can't imagine on how you must be feeling right now. How do you feel?"
Hermione didn't answer, her mind drifting to a more pleasant Easter than the one that happened seven months prior.
Easter 2003...
Alex's bottom lip stuck out and threateningly jiggled it at his mother, her hands stuffing his arms into the sleeves of his outfit.
"No, no, no! Don't be giving Mummy that look. You will wear this, and you will like it. You will be the cutest one there, and we will win the prize. Mrs. Haddock thinks her baby is the cutest baby in town, but that baby rhino of hers is nothing short of a tragedy."
Her baby's cheeks began to pink, his eyes watering in sadness. He brought his faux fur covered wrist to his mouth and gnawed on the material while whimpering miserably.
"Oh, pumpkin, do you need some more soothing oil on your gums?" Hermione cooed and picked him up from his changing table and held him close to her, keeping his hood down so she could press kisses on his head and face. Feverish warmth met her lips and she pressed her cheek against his forehead, a frown on her lips and wondering if she should cancel her plans to go to the Salem's Annual Easter Fair. Bugger! She wanted to go and win the prize for The Cutest Hatchling Award. Babies were automatically qualified (with a fee) if they had been born within the last six months in the local area of Salem. Hermione had entered Alex a month prior at the fairgrounds, and Patricia Haddock, wife of the mayor, had been there with their four month old daughter. Mrs. Haddock had looked down her nose at Hermione and sneered at her, openly saying an illegitimate child had never won The Cutest Hatchling Award in the two hundred years from whence it began. Biting her tongue, Hermione had kept her pride at bay and said nothing while filling out Alex's information on the slip of parchment and paying the fee to enter the contest.
"You might as well save yourself the twenty-five plinkets, Miss Granger. A single mother like yourself probably needs the money," Mrs. Haddock had said. Again, Hermione said nothing but simply finished paying the admission and walked away while pushing Alex in his pram far away from the horrible, snotty, blind lady. Who cared if Alex was not born within a marriage? He was the yummiest thing Hermione had ever laid eyes on.
The prize for the contest was bragging rights and a three month supply of diapers and to Hermione, that was nothing short of a heavenly idea of money saving and convenience.
Fishing out the soothing oil from the cabinet, she coated her finger and gently poked it inside her baby's mouth, smoothing the layer of medicine on the sensitive gums and feeling tiny little hard bumps of milk teeth poking against her skin. She was very careful as to not nudge them, knowing they were very sensitive and would upset Alex even further. Poor little thing, his teething causing his health to dwindle and result pain. The soothing cream helped the irritated gums in his mouth but did nothing for his fever.
"Does that feel better?" she cooed at him while taking her finger out of his mouth and wiping the slobber off on the skirt of her dress. Alex still pouted but thankfully was not wiggling his bottom lip at her with wet, pain-filled eyes. Goodness, she wondered if there was a spell where she could take his agony upon herself.
"We don't have to go to the fair. We can stay home. Mummy knows you don't feel very well." Hermione bounced Alex awkwardly in her arms, his contest costume adding extra weight and width to him. She walked over to the fridge and one-handedly opened the door and took out a bowl of chocolate pudding.
"I won't tell the healer you had chocolate pudding if you don't tell her I did, too," whispered Hermione with a goofy face, a tiny smile forming on Alex's mouth. Placing the bowl on the counter, she stuck her finger in the bowl and lightly coated his bottom lip with a brown smear. His little tongue poked out to test the flavor and laved until his mouth was clean, grunting for more. Hermione was about to oblige when she heard a key being inserted into the entrance door and the knob turning.
"Granger?" Malfoy called.
"Malfoy? What are you doing here?" she asked while walking toward the entrance of the flat. She turned the corner and spotted him shirking a light coat and putting it on the coat rack near the door. Her heart fluttered a bit at seeing how good he looked dressed in his black trousers and a white button up shirt rolled at the forearms. His hair was shorter and kind of spikey like he had stopped by a chic and modern Muggle hair salon on the way there.
Draco turned toward her once his coat was on the rack and looked like he was about to smile but his mouth didn't quite make the effort but instead frowned in bemusement.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked and took a step forward. "Do you want to hold Alex? You haven't seen him since Christmas. He's gotten big. He's actually teething now. I mentioned that in the last letter I sent."
"What did you do to your hair?" he growled and marched towards her and glared at her head.
"I cut it." She shrugged with a confused smile. "You cut you hair. It looks nice."
His snarl softened into a grim straight line on his mouth and brought a hand up to the back of her neck and wrapped a digit around the a small curl at the base of her skull.
"It's all gone. I liked your hair long, Granger. Don't cut it again ever."
"Well, if it makes you feel better, Alex doesn't like it either." Sighing, she ran a free hand through her shorn locks with regret at the corners of her mouth. "I cut it because it was heavy, wild, and impractical with a baby who likes to grab and finds it fascinating when one howls in pain because of it."
"Speaking of…" Draco said whilst eyeing said baby in her arms and carefully took him from her, his hands supportively holding him up by his under arms and sides and sinking into the lush fur of the child's costume. "What is Scorpius wearing? A chicken costume?"
"He's wearing a baby chick costume."
"Why?" Draco wrinkled his nose which made Alex smile for a second before he turned his gaze towards his mother and let out a forlorn whimper.
"It's the Easter Fair today. There's a contest for the cutest baby in Salem, and I entered him in it because I know he'd win the prize."
"Of course he would, Granger." Draco smirked proudly and brought Alex closer to his face and smooched the plump roundness of the boy's cheek. He pulled away with a frown. "He's warm. Really warm."
"He has a fever. I don't think we'll be making it to the fair. Alex has just been so miserable lately since his teething started. I've gone to the healers but all they can prescribe him is soothing oil and fever reducer. However, his teething ring does help a little. Hold him and I'll go get it." Hermione rushed to the nursery to get the teething ring and rushed back when she heard wails of dismay. She found Draco holding their son out away from him with a look of panic on his face.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"He just stared crying when you left. I didn't do anything but hold him."
Hermione took Alex from Draco and bounced him gently, his cries decreasing in volume. "There, there. Mummy's here. You don't need to cry. It's just your father."
"He doesn't know me," Draco said blatantly with a frown.
"Of course he doesn't, Draco. You're…You're not around. You haven't seen him since Christmas. I wasn't even sure if I'd see you again. You were rather vague when you said you weren't sure when you could visit next, and you mentioned nothing about visiting for Easter. In fact, I was one hundred percent sure we would spend the rest of Alex's life communicating over letters."
Draco scowled at her, brushing passed her and going into the kitchen. Hermione turned around to see him eyeing the bowl of chocolate pudding on the counter with interest.
"I wanted to surprise you," Draco whispered and Hermione followed him into the kitchen while adjusting Alex on her hip. He gnawed and laved slobber all over his teething ring with an expression of determination.
"Well, I'm surprised." Hermione raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "That's not a lie."
Draco must have sensed her hostility for he said indigently while leaning against the counter, his arms folded on the surface, "I will never not come, Hermione."
"You say that now and really, Draco, I honestly don't expect anything from you. Anything. Your life is in England, and mine is here. We both have different obligations. The money you give is appreciated, but one day we'll both move on from this stage of you visiting and sending a cheque. I'm…I'm saving up my own money," she informed shyly. "I got a job."
"Granger, I told you-"
"I know what you said, and it's not like I'm leaving Alex for eight hours a day. There are jobs out there that can let me stay home and be a mum."
Apparently displease by her decision to work, Draco grit out, "Do tell."
"It's embarrassing." Hermione's cheeks colored a pinkish hue and she smiled tightly. "But…I sell cosmetics."
"Cosmetics? As in…makeup? You don't wear makeup. How can you sell it when you don't wear it?"
"I wear a little," Hermione defended. "Just because I don't cake it on like those slags who throw themselves at you back home, doesn't mean it's not there."
"Are wearing any now?" He narrowed his eyes and raked his gaze over her face.
"Well…no," Hermione admitted but then stuck out her chin defiantly. "But I was going to put a bit on before going to the fair. And it's not just makeup, Malfoy. I sell skincare products, too, and I make a good amount of money. Not particularly a lot but enough for me to buy the name brand box of macaroni and cheese and not the store brand."
"You're not using the money I sent." Draco stood up straight and gripped the edge of the counter, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. "Are you truly so proud?"
Rolling her eyes, Hermione scoffed out, "I'm using the money but not all of it. I mostly use it for Alex's needs. Diapers, formula, new clothes add up. If it makes you feel any better, I refrain from going to low-end sales and purchasing clothes for three plinkets or less. Only the best for your son." Hermione rolled her eyes at the last part and turned away from him to stomp away with dignity, but insistent arms wrapped around both her and Alex and pulled them backwards. Her back hit Draco's chest and then felt a pair of top and bottom teeth latch onto her earlobe.
"Oh," Hermione squeaked and snuggled Alex closer to her to keep from dropping him while his father whispered very bad, naughty, dastardly things into her ear. "That sounds…strenuous."
Draco buried his face into her neck and hummed while his hand found its way to Alex's curly blond head smoothed down the riotousness with careful and distinct affection. "Give Scorpius a bit of fever reducer and put him down for a nap. I want to be alone with you."
"Here for less than ten minutes and already making demands and requests. Pfft! You're so like you, Draco. How can you stand it?"
"Mmm," he hummed again in her neck and nipped at her vein. "I'm only like this around you, Granger. Outside of these walls, I'm actually a decent person. I only act this way because you like it, want it, relish it badly."
"King of lies. I do not like your arrogance. It's the least attractive thing about you."
"So what is the most attractive thing? I know I'm quite fetching, but tell me, darling, what about me makes these," Draco snaked his hand up her sundress, up her leg, and grabbed ahold of the side of her knickers, "drop?"
A/N: I know. A bit naughty there at the end. Anyways, as usual, thank you to my readers, reviewers, and followers.
Thank you to: Vaneesa85, Guest, Honoria Granger, catsgotmytongue, Jordana Babe, Angel Girl5, Angelus Draco, and Katherine Julia. Most of the reviews were very sweet and nice to read. Thank you so much!
To those who were confused about the blow: I'm confused about the reviews from them because I was asked where it came from. I know it's been a little while since Chapter 3, but that's where it was first mentioned. And I will say, it's going to have an important roll in the story. If that offends you, I apologize, but I'm not changing it.
Thank you to those who pointed out I misspelt a word in the last chapter, it has been changed to the correct spelling. I'm not the kindest person in the world, and I try not to judge but just to let some people know...there are ways to be kind while giving constructive critisism or telling them they made a mistake in a fic. *shrugs* Just putting it out there. Take it as a grain of salt or not at all.
I hope the chapter was enjoyable. I will not be able to update until next week. My sister is taking a trip down the aisle, so I'm going to be a tad busy for a little while. I'll miss you all, and I always appreciate R&Rs. Goodbye for just a bit and sorry for any mistakes made in the chapter.