Granger's Café

Pairing: Draco/Harry.

Disclaimer: Hermione decides that the drama in the wizarding world is growing too much. She decides to open up a café in the muggle world, so as to enjoy simplicity during the day. Little does she know that one of the applicants for a job there, will cause a whole new circle of drama for her. And how exactly will her little café benefit Harry and Draco's lives, and how will it banish the drama from both worlds they live in? You know what they say, about Granger's café; her food is like magic, that's what they say, because it keeps all your problems and troubles at bay.

WARNING: Graphic imagery that may make some readers incredibly uncomfortable. I do apologize for this but it is to emphasize just how much Hermione suffers.

~000~

Chapter Forty-Two:

Unbound

Blaise had cast a silencing charm around the room as he waited at the bedroom doorway for Ron and his other co-worker, Cynthia, to come through the floo. The house was cool and scented like Vanilla. According to Weasley his wife loved the smell of vanilla at the moment. From downstairs -he could only assume it was in the kitchen as the voices had an echo to them -he listened as Hermione whimpered and screamed out in agony. He felt his insides churn as she screamed at the top of her lungs and begged for some more relief. He could barely make out what Ginny was saying but her stomping feet and heels clacking on the tiled floor.

Definitely in the kitchen.

He didn't flinched when the flames roared behind him and Cynthia came out, alongside Weasley who had his face set into one of grim determination. "Now we're going to need to move slowly. Zabini there's a way out into the garden through the dining room down the hallway. It doesn't pass the kitchen. There is a door leading in from the garden to the kitchen so that can be your cover. Cynthia and I will go around the front way. I will need to ask you all to keep your eyes peeled. Our memories are going to have to be used in any trials."

Cynthia blanched, "But -we haven't signed the papers -"

Blaise cut across her, "Do you really think there's time for that? We can't even get an emergency team of healer's in here until the wards are completely cleared!"

Ron hummed with a dark shadow passing over his face, "She's tampered with my wards. How the hell did she managed that?"

Blaise snorted, "Probably her sugar-daddy giving her one last bite of his poison apple."

Ron rolled his eyes and gripped his wand tighter, "Are you alright with the plan, Zabini?"

"Yeah. I'll be in position as soon as possible. What are we going to do once we get there?"

"I want to check out the situation before disarming Ginny. If Hermione is in critical condition we need to act fast."

Cynthia pursed her lips before adding, "Are any of us going to contact the healers or are we just going to drag her to St. Mungo's?"

Blaise looked down at her, "They've been contacted but they can't get through. As Weasley said, she's tampered with his wards." Cynthia nodded and said nothing more.

Blaise turned the doorknob and one by one they eased their way down the staircase and into the spacious hallway. He had to admit that Weasley had done well for himself, even with two extra children on the way -right there in the kitchen. He wished he could block his ears to the sounds of Hermione's screams. They must have been even worse than when she'd been tortured by Bellatrix in Malfoy Manor -from what Draco had given as evidence in his trial, anyway. Signalling to Weasley, he turned down the hallway and slunked along the carpeted floor, and out towards the back door in the dining room. He whispered a soft, "Alohamora," and slipped out of the door with little more than the vague shift of the curtain.

Ron gripped his wand tighter, his blood boiling and his palms sweating as he fought the urge to run to his wife's aid and protect her. He wanted to. He needed to. It was only the possibility of his sister's arrest that kept him grounded. Along with Cynthia's trembling hand as she clenched her wand tightly in front of her. They moved along so that they were pressed up on either side of the door frame leading into the kitchen. It was so visible how much each scream ripped a piece of Ron's heart out of his chest.

He ground his teeth together and clenched his fingers even tighter around his wand, his knuckles flashing white.

"Aaaaaaaarrrrrggggghhh!" Hermione screamed out, unable to bent over and clench at her swollen stomach. The tugging sensation in her navel made her squirm and writhe against the cooker, her wrists raw and bleeding down her forearms. Her legs ached from where she's kicked at the hard, tiled floor. Her vagina felt like nothing more but a red hot throbbing hole ripped out of her body. There was nothing there but hot blood, broken muscle and the rest of her insides dropping out through her legs. "Ginny pleeeease! Call the Healers!"

Ginny merely scoffed, undeterred by the ever-growing pool of blood coating the entire kitchen floor. She had crouched down between Hermione's legs, and forced both of her hands up inside her sister-in-law, stretching her even wider, so as to feel the first child slipping out. Hermione had tossed and writhed, and tried to cross her legs to prevent Ginny access to no avail. To have two arms shoved up roughly into her body and feel around the hot, writhing body that was shifting down her cervix, it was nothing but ripe unadulterated pain that seared through her lower regions.

"Let go of my baby! Let go of him! Let goooooooo!"

"Oh just shut up you stupid bitch! This child is payback for what you did to me! You've ruined your life! This is the least that you deserve!" the sadistic redhead sneered.

Another soul-crushing scream pierced through the house and rattled every bone in Ron's body as a gurgle of blood poured out of Hermione and pooled onto the floor and the slurp of something thick and heavy slipping out of her body. A heavy sigh that held no relief hushed through the heavy, blood-scented air. There was a sharp slapping sound and then a shrill little cry joined Hermione's shallow breaths.

"It's alive," Ginny stated in much the same manner she would conclude that the walls were cream-coloured.

Hermione panted heavily, not sure when her contractions for her second child would come. Sweat stained her skin and the rancid stench of vaginal blood clung to her. "W-what is is?" she breathed through a heavy gush of air.

Before Ginny could sneer a retort, the back door flew off its hinges and collided with end of the fireplace. Ginny backed up against it with wide eyes, pressing the wailing infant to her chest and fumbling around for floo powder. Hermione was so out of it, she didn't even flinch at the explosion.

Blaise edged into the kitchen, his stomach flipping at the amount of blood causing his feet to slip a little. He remained firm as he pointed his wand at Ginny. Cynthia edged into the room alongside Ron, all three wands pointed at the redhead girl. Her eyes were narrowed as she pressed up against the fireplace. Her fist trembled around the floo powder.

"Step away from the fireplace, Weasley!" Blaise snapped, stepping closer to her. Ginny didn't move. Blaise turned to Ron, "Get to your wife, Ronald. I'll deal with this one."

Ron quickly made sure that Blaise did in fact, have it under control, before sliding carefully over the blood soaked floor to his delirious wife. He bent down in her blood, grimacing at the liquid oozing in through his trousers, and prying Hermione's eyelids open one at a time. She mumbled something under breath, her head lolling from side-to-side and her brow creasing as another sickly, uncomfortable contraction punched down into her navel. He quickly checked her pulse and felt his stomach knot at how faint her heartbeat was. He glanced up at Blaise. He needed to remember to recommend Blaise for either a raise or a promotion.

Hermione jerked against Ron's chest and let out a low guttural howl, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Ron held her tightly against his chest, rubbing deep circles into her back whilst using his free hand to tug at the ties on her bleeding wrists. He took his wand, placed the tip against the tie and muttered a cutting charm. They snapped off, causing her bruised and bleeding wrists to collapse to her lap, colliding with the metal cookers handles.

"Hand the child over to Auror Blackburn now!" Blaise demanded in a cold, clear voice.

Ginny sneered and shook her head, "This child is my right! Thanks to her plotting away with my husband-"

"EX husband!" Cynthia corrected coldly.

"He's STILL MY HUSBAND until I sign those PAPERS!" Ginny screamed. The child wailed even more in her arm. She trembled, looking down at it. "I have every right to this baby!"

"I repeat step away from the fireplace and hand the child to Auror Blackburn -NOW!" Blaise raised his voice to a controlled roar, that even gave Ron a chill.

Ginny backed even further and trembled so violently that she risked dropping the baby. It wailed and writhed in her arms, its little face bright red. She held out her trembling hands towards the crackling fire. Cynthia advanced on her, merely a foot away. She reached out a hand, "Hand the baby over, Weasley!"

Ron could barely register what happened. All there was was a distorted yell, a flash of green and then a crack like a bolt of lightning.

He looked up; the kitchen was empty.

He felt sick to his stomach as well as utterly useless as contractions rippled through his wife's belly. She clutched weakly at her swollen stomach and groaned low in her throat. He got up onto his feet, slipping and colliding with the table in the bloody mess. He felt itchy as his tampered wards swarmed and pinched at his skin. It took him just under ten minutes of struggling to work through Hermione's agonized groans and wails as he straightened out his wards and managed to block Ginny from ever being able to enter their home or floo network again. As soon as the air felt calmer, if not smelled cleaner, he hurried over to the floo network and opened it up to the St. Mungo's Emergency ward.

Whilst the network connect, he hurried to the sink, soaked a cloth and pressed it down onto Hermione's burning forehead.

Hermione was barely conscious as she was lifted onto the gurney and transferred through to St. Mungo's, Ron trotting alongside, grasping Hermione's limp, hot hand in his own, tears burning through his lashes as he looked down at her pale, sweat-slick face. His heart was hammering in his ears as he shook her hand, desperately wanting her to regain enough consciousness to look up at him; to look into her sweet, chocolate brown eyes and he would know -deep down -that she would be alright.

Words like, 'Lost a lot of blood', 'Almost two pints', 'Ripped Cervix' and 'Two placenta's but only one child?' echoed around his head like angry bats.

Hermione was rushed through a series of corridors, her skin looking grayer now that she was on the white bed sheets. Sweat drenched her stringy curls. Her eyelids constantly fluttered but they didn't open any further. Ron squeezed her hand, desperate for some response.

They stopped outside the doors to the operating theater. A hand grasped his shoulder, "I'm sorry Mr. Weasley, but we can't allow you in there."

Ron shook his head, "N-no! She's my wife! I have to be in there!" he stated, despair lacing his words.

The healer shook his head, "I'm sorry but you can't. She's in critical condition. At this rate, it may be her or the baby. We will do our best to save both but I'm afraid that there is no guarantee."

"No you can't -" the hand stopped him once again. He shrugged it of. "Fine," he snapped, before going around to Hermione and pressing a kiss to her wet forehead and breathed, "I love you so much, darling." A tear dropped down his face and he sniffed loudly, "I'll wait for you, my darling! I'll be right here, okay?"

Hermione's dark eyelashes fluttered open as she stared straight up into her husbands tear-strained face. He looked down and felt his bottom lip tremble. He watched as she set her face in grim determination, despite her exhaustion. Her eyes flashed with a fire he hadn't seen in a while. "Save my baby," she growled low in her throat before another contraction ripped a scream out of her mouth.

Ron had to watch as his beautiful, exhausted wife was wheeled away down the corridor and into the operating theater. He grasped his wand in both hands, his knuckles flashing white. He wanted to pace, but it seemed stupid. He checked the DA-inspired coins all Auror's had on missions to keep in contact. It was ice cold. No news from Blaise of Cynthia. There was nothing left for him to do. He couldn't go after his sister. It was too personal. Plus he knew Blaise would do a good job. He slumped numbly over to the waiting area and collapsed, his body and mind suddenly knackered. He dropped his head to his chest and sighed heavily.

He resigned himself to waiting there for as long as it took. He had promised Hermione. And he never broke his promises to the woman he loved.

~0~

Blaise and Cynthia had managed to track Ginny down to Malfoy Manor. Somehow she had managed to get passed his wards and was knocking on his front door screaming for someone to let her in. She had floo-ed to a local house a few miles away and had marched briskly to the manor. By the time Blaise and Cynthia had gotten to her the dark clouds over Wiltshire and the distant growling rumble of thunder brimming the horizon. Blaise owed it to Weasley to not let his child catch pneumonia. Not after all Weasley had done for him getting him into the auror's in the first place, school-prejudices be damned.

"LUCIUS LET ME IN! WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK! OPEN UP!" she cried out against the wind, hammering on the door with her fist. There was no response. Why would there be? A cold wind started to whip through the air and expose the child even more. It wailed out loud desperate to be taken home to its warm, soft mother.

Blaise motioned for Cynthia to move forward and around to the side so that the redhead couldn't run off. She complied with stealth. Soon they were both at the base of the stone steps leading up to the huge oak doors. The wind whistled around them and clawed at their hair and robes. Their wands were trained on the redhead who was shivering so hard that the child slipped lower in her arms.

They waited, the wind masking their movements. Before either of them could make a move, the large oak doors opened a fraction and Ginny was tugged inside. The doors slammed shut in their faces.

"Shit!" Cynthia sighed against the wind, combing blonde strands out of her hair. She turned to Blaise, "What should we do now? It's not like we can get in there except through the front door!"

Blaise ran a hand through his windswept hair and felt his chest constrict. He went up to the door with Cynthia in toe, and banged his fist against it. He pointed his wand at his throat and cast, 'Sonorous!' his voice amplifying against the wind, "LUCIUS MALFOY, PLEASE RELEASE THE CRIMINAL GINERVA WEASLEY AND THE CHILD. IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY WITH OUR DEMANDS YOU WILL BE ARRESTED AS AN ACCESSORY TO KIDNAPPING!"

There was no response from within the house.

Until a shrill scream echoed out throughout the grounds.

Blaise began to hammer on the door once again. On the fifth pound, the door swung open with a creak. The house beyond was dark and cold and empty. Blaise was tempted to step inside but he didn't dare. He knew only too well what could await him on the other side. He was no strange to Malfoy Manor after all. A figure stepped out of the shadows. His hair glowed in the evening light filtering in through the open doorway. Blaise straightened up as he came face-to-face with Lucius Malfoy, his wand still raised.

Lucius made no move to reach for his wand. It wasn't like he could. His arms were full with a sniffling, naked infant. It was now wrapped in a thick woolen blanket and wasn't squalling as much. Lucius' expression was blank as he came to fill the doorway. He looked down at Blaise, "The girl's inside. Don't worry, you can take her. I got rid of her months ago, but she will keep coming back and annoying me."

Blaise frowned, not knowing what to sound. He beckoned for Cynthia to take the baby, barely daring to blink. He stared up at Lucius coldly. The elderly man merely shook his head and stepped inside, "Go and take her away. I don't want her filth on my floor for longer than necessary," he sneered coldly, before turning on his heel and marching and briskly as possibly as he could away from the door. Blaise and Cynthia shared a glance as she rocked the baby to calm down. She nodded with pursed lips.

The foyer seemed to go on forever. Black and white tiles gleamed icily through the darkness as Blaise's footsteps echoed throughout. He swallowed thickly, wand outstretched and eyes scanning every dark corner. The lobby appeared empty.

And then he looked up.

Ginerva Weasley was hanging, suspended in thin air, her red hair floating in a gentle draft. Her arms hung limply below her body, as did her legs. She appeared to be unconscious. He cast some spells on her body, but there was no curses lurking on her. It was a very simple levitation charm and he had no problem easing her body onto the floor -her mouth hung open as though she's been frozen mid-scream -and casting a sharp, 'Enervate!'

Her brown eyes snapped open and the remainder of a scream left her mouth.

He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her up into a sitting position, despite her feeble efforts to scramble away. He was much stronger than her and she knew it. "Ginerva Molly Weasley I am arresting you on the charges of kidnapping a newborn child, and the imprisonment and torture of Hermione Jean Granger-Weasley. You do not have to say anything, but anything you do say can and will be used as evidence when you are presented to the Wizengamot."

Ginny sniffled and her head dropped forward as her hands were bound behind her back. She stopped trying to fight him. Blaise dragged her up to her feet and turned her towards the doorway.

He was about to pull the door closed when Lucius appeared just behind him in the doorway, "Before you leave, Mister Zabini," his cold voice sent a chill down Blaise's spine, "I want you to take this for the trial. Do not open it until then." He held out his pale, slightly wrinkled hand, and handed Blaise a thick cream envelop, with the Malfoy seal on the back.

Blaise frowned, "What is it?"

Lucius stared at him in the eye, his irises like two silver sickles, "That, Mister Zabini, is my confession. Take care of it." His eyes darted over to where Cynthia still stood with the placated baby, "Take that child back to its mother. She, of all people, does not deserve what the scum has done to her."

Without another word, he slammed the door shut.

A/N: I decided to end it there on a little bit of a cliffhanger again, because I want to build some suspense for you guys ;)