A/N: This will be a shorter chapter. I'm sorry about that, but I didn't feel the next portion after this one fit well.
Thank you to: hkmac, Andykins, Angelus Draco, Musette Fujiwara, Kou Shun 'u, sweet-tang-honney, guest, Aya Diefair, Melissa, and Vaneesa85 for the reviews.
To Aya Diefair: I do, in fact, have a little one. I am using a mixture of my own baby experiences and my sister's. :) Thanks for review. I hope you like Chapter 23, too.
Thanks to: my readers and followers and those who placed this on their favorite list.
Enjoy Chapter 23! Read and Review, please!
Hermione squirted baby bath gel on the damp sponge and then started scrubbing her son's upper back. He sat tranquilly in the kitchen sink half-full with warm, bubbly water while gnawing contently on a soaked dishcloth, completely ignoring the rubber duck his mother had got him a few weeks earlier.
Draco placed his hand over the sponge and took it from her. Hermione stepped to the side, letting him wash Alex, his cleansing strokes unsure but coated with fatherly determination. He guided the sponge towards the small shoulders and across the chest and underneath the chin. Alex looked up at him, his mouth full of dripping dishcloth and broke out into a delighted grin before letting loose a sharp giggle. Draco's ministrations seized and his eyes widened and glazed over, a smile of awe tugging at his lips.
"He laughs," he whispered, the lip-tugging turning into a full-proud beam.
"Yes." Hermione nodded and took Draco's hand and squeezed some baby shampoo into the palm. "Wash his hair."
He lathered the gel into the baby's hair, a grin still present. "It's a nice sound. Does he do it often?"
"Not often enough, so I have to…" Hermione's hands dove into the skin and skidded her hands across Alex's belly and underneath his arms and down to pinch a squished bum cheek. The dishcloth dislodged from his mouth and he let loose a startled squeal and burst into a fit of giggles.
Sucking in a deep, accepting breath, Draco wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer towards him and rested his chin on her head while his other hand caressed Alex's wet back lovingly.
"I bloody miss him when I'm not here, Granger," he murmured.
"You're welcome to visit more."
A sharp exhale of distress could be heard above her head. "You know I can't visit more. Not if you want to keep this whole damned thing a secret."
"You know it wouldn't be wise to tell people. What would your parents say if you told them?"
"They wouldn't be angry forever, and it would be foolish of them to disown me. I'm all they have and…For the love of Salazar, Hermione, just marry me. We can do it right now. We'll be back home in England tomorrow morning."
"I am home, Draco," she said softly.
"America is not your home and is not where Scorpius is meant to grow up. His heritage is in England. Don't you want him to go to Hogwarts?"
Hermione frowned into Draco's chest and shook her head. "No."
"It's where we went."
"It's where we nearly died. It's where I lost so many people I cared about. It's where all my nightmares take place. I don't want him to go there. I want him to grow up in a place where history wasn't so recent."
"I can't see Scorpius more unless I tell my parents, Hermione," he quietly said to her.
"Then tell them, Draco. Tell them about him and about us." She pulled away from him but kept eye contact. "There is nothing stopping you from telling them. I say you can't tell you parents, but you could do it anyway. Why haven't you told them, yet? I honestly doubt it's because I asked you no to."
"It is," he stated with a firm nod.
"I can't believe that's true. Draco, I know you're scared to tell them, and it's okay. I'm not angry. I don't want you to say anything to them."
Draco went silent, so she turned back to the kitchen sink and resumed washing Alex's hair. He grinned up at her, putting a few of his baby teeth on display.
"We have to tell them someday." Draco shooed her hands away and gently messaged his son's scalp.
"I…don't think there will be a need to," Hermione replied and got a cup out of the cupboard and placed it under the faucet, filling it up with lukewarm water.
"Why do you say that?"
Chewing on her bottom lip, Hermione contemplated on what she should say without offending him. "Because, Draco."
"Because why?"
Sighing, Hermione set aside the cup and leaned against the nearby counter. "I love you."
"That's why we can't tell them in the future? Because you're bonkers over me?"
"No. I wasn't finished. Look…I love you, and you say you love me but…this," Hermione gestured to herself and then to him, "is not going to last. We can only hold onto this for so long. You're not going to be able to have me forever. It's going to be expected of you to get married and have a family. One day, I'm not going to be enough. Alex won't be enough to come to see us."
"I'll always come, Granger."
"This is not the time for a double entendre. Are you listening? I love that you come and visit, but I'm not expecting that from you forever. I'm here in Salem, and you are in England. One day there is going to be a witch who-"
"There's no one else for me," Draco interjected gruffly. "You're it for me. I don't want anyone else. Bloody hell, Granger, why do you think I've asked you to marry me. Because it's convenient?"
Flattery and adoration swirled around inside Hermione. She bit her lip shyly, letting his confession swoon her for a brief moment before letting reality smother it. "You say that now."
"I say that now. I'll say it tomorrow. I'll say it next year, and the year after that. You've ruined me for all other witches. I want you, and I'll have you. You keep saying one day I'm going to do this or that. Well, let me tell you something. One day I'm going to marry you. You should know, Sweetheart, that I'm a man who gets what he wants."
"Let's not talk about this now," Hermione whispered uncomfortably.
"You brought it up," he pointed with a scoff.
"And I'm taking it down. I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Fine," Draco waved his hand dismissively, "we won't talk about it. We'll do it later. Let's finish Scorpius' bath and put him to bed, and then you can award me…if you're still up to it."
"I might be. Now if you could shield Alex's eyes from the shampoo suds when I rinse his hair, I would sure appreciate it. Just put your hand like this. Yeah, like that." Hermione slowly poured the lukewarm water over her son's head while running a careful hand through the waterlogged strands, purposefully touching Draco's fingers as often as she could.
Present Day
Hermione glared at her fireplace while fastening the button on her black knitted gloves and then exhaled roughly before stooping down and picking up the sling of her traveling satchel.
"This is going to be so much fun!" exclaimed Alex and ran to his mother's side and clasped their hands together. He was dressed warmly with a woolen coat and cap. "We hardly get to go anywhere. Last year, my Dad took us all to Disneyland for Christmas! He had never been and neither had I, but Mom told me about how it was the Muggle's Magical Kingdom when I was really little. Ever since, I have really, really wanted to go. Dad hadn't even heard of it until Mom told him about it. I had so much fun! Mom, is there a Disneyland in England?"
"No," Hermione answered. "But there is one in Paris."
"Can we go for Christmas with Dad?"
"I-I'll think about it," Hermione stuttered out.
Blaise stood beside her and offered her his arm. She ignored it, and he got the point.
"What's Disneyland?" he asked lightly.
"You haven't heard of it, either?" Alex goggled and then looked up at his Mom. "He'll have to come, too."
"He won't be coming," she rushed out.
"Oh, I always come, Granger." Blaise smirked at her which faltered when he saw her posture go rigid, sorrow filling her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She shook her head and sniffed. "Nothing at all."
"Are you off then?" Luna asked from the kitchen.
"Unfortunately," Hermione groaned in response. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us? You can visit your dad."
"Hmmm. Daddy," the other witch said pensively with a wistful smile but then shrugged. "Someone has to take care of the store while you're gone. I'll see Daddy at Christmas."
"Miss you," Alex waved at her. "Thanks for the waffles. They were yummy."
"That's silly to thank me when you were the one who made them. I only helped. Have…" Luna hesitated and then continued, "Be safe. Don't cause Mum too much trouble."
Blaise flicked some Floo Powder into the fireplace and gestured to Hermione and Alex to go first. Her son dragged her into the flames eagerly and shouted slowly to get the pronunciation correct, "United Portkey Associations!"
Hermione quickly followed her son and arrived inside the main level lobby area and hurriedly stepped out of the Floo to make room for Blaise. He arrived moments after she, and Hermione noticed a group of men and women waving their visas in the air and yelling at someone behind one of the counters, all of them having English accents. The older ones were dressed in traditional robes while the younger ones were dressed in nicely tailored suit pants, skirts, and shiny black shoes or heels.
"Better keep your face hidden, Granger. They'll notice you," Blaise whispered behind her. She nodded and buttoned up her coat the rest of the way so her mouth and some of her nose were covered. "Do you have your visa?"
"Yes," she told him and grabbed Alex's hand.
"Is England fun, Mom?" he asked her expectantly.
"Italy is better," Blaise interjected. "Perhaps we'll go there, too."
"Oooh! Can we, Mama? Can we? Can we? Can we, please?" The boy said in mantra while hopping up and down.
"Probably not," Hermione said gently, and Alex deflated with a disappointed groan and scuffed his snow boot on the floor.
"Don't worry, Little Mate," Blaise said with a smirk. "I'll make her change her mind."
Blaise expected Alex to give him a grin of relief but instead received a snort of incredulity.
"Good luck with that. Dad couldn't even do that most the time."
"Alex," Hermione said warningly.
"It's true, though," he defended in a whining voice. "Dad says your stub…stububub-"
"Stubborn," Blaise pitched in jovially and Hermione glared at him.
"Yeah!"
"And what did your mother be so stubborn about?"
"Lots of things. Like a couple of years ago-"
"Alex," Hermione's voice raised an octave but the boy continued like he didn't hear her.
"Dad told Mom he wanted another-"
"Alex!"
"Baby and mmmmmph."
Hermione's hand glued itself over the boy's mouth, ignoring the slobbery licks he lashed at her palm. Instead, she stabbed Blaise with a murderous glare.
"Did you hear what he said?" she asked.
Blaise neck muscles twitched before his head shook from left to right.
"If you did hear, would dare tell anyone?"
He shook his head from left to right.
"And why is that?"
"Because I know you'd hurt me."
"Correct. Alex," she looked down at her boy peevishly, "you will not bring that up again. You will not bring up anything about the things Daddy wanted...wants Mummy to do, alright?"
Alex nodded and she released his mouth, a chagrined expression in place. "Sorry, Mommy."
"As you should be."
Alex stuffed his gloved hands into his pockets and pouted at the floor, his chin wobbling.
"Are we going? We better before I change my mind," Hermione said to Blaise.