A/N: Thanks you so much to everyone who thought my story was tempting enough to follow, favourite.
The parts about Administrative districts were written from TripAdvisor and Wikipedia. I have never been to Paris but hope to visit it in future.
I have also invented an elder brother for Fleur and Gabrielle. He has a special role to play in the story.
Please don't forget to rate and review.
Disclaimer: The copyright to Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling. Any other characters are purely work of fiction and any resemblance is co-incidental.
Chapter 5: The Rabbit and The Dragon.
As a major global city, Paris has a lot going on. The city itself is politically divided into 20 arrondissments municipaux or administrative districts that spiral out from the center in the shape of a snail - 1 being at the middle and 20 being on the outer edge. The city is bisected by the famous river Seine, which houses two islands situated in the middle - considered the heart of the city which are crammed with some of the most popular tourist destinations in Paris. The first island called 'Ile de la Cité' is the cradle of Parisian civilization. It was here that the Romans set up camp in 52 B.C. The island hosts beautiful Middle-Age monuments such as the Notre Dame cathedral, the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie. It is a lovely place to walk around and admire the many old mansions that are still standing. Connected by the Pont Saint-Louis, the Ile Saint-Louis –the second island - remains a quiet neighborhood despite its central location. It is also one of Paris's most expensive. The island is small and peaceful. There are no metro stations, only two bus stops, so it is wonderfully deprived of the mass tourism found in many other Parisian districts including its neighbor, Ile de la Cite.
La Résidence de Delacour or the residence of Delacour, situated in Ile de la Cité, was a gothic style yet well maintained three storied building housing the Delacour family since the fifteenth century with Monsieur Gustave Delacour and Madame Apolline Delacour being the current owners of the family home. Their younger daughter Gabrielle, who has just completed her graduation from Beauxbaton, helped her father in their family business – the Delacour Apothecary Chain whereas their only son Alexis Delacour worked at the French Ministry of Magic as the Junior Undersecretary to the Minister. The house had two other non-Delacour inhabitants too – Hermione and her son Adrian Granger - living comfortably in the East wing of the building. She had a Floo fireplace, especially arranged for the post of Chief Curse Breaker, from her home to Gringotts, which was situated in Ruelle Les Halles, the French equivalent of British Diagon Alley.
Hermione, tired from her repeated journey to the deep underground Malfoy vault, arrived home at six o clock in the evening looking forward to take her son out for the promised dinner at Le Bougainville, a Muggle restaurant at Rue de la Banque. She knew Adrian was excited about it and though she was not in a physical state to walk more than two steps altogether, she wanted the dinner to be a success. Hermione preferred Muggle restaurants to Wizarding ones. They had more variety in food menu and helped her to avoid the untoward mixed company the wizarding ones served: vampires, werewolves, hags etc. She also wanted Adrian to appreciate Muggles and their way of life in order to counteract the inborn prejudice that he might derive through his father's blood.
She removed her shoes and tiptoed to her bedroom, where she knew Adrian spent his time during the evenings. As expected she found Adrian there, sitting on her reading table deep in thought as he drew something on a paper. Hermione noiselessly moved across the room and suddenly scooped him in her arms from behind.
"How is my little rabbit this evening?" she said, heartily laughing as Adrian let out a loud cry of shock in her lap and yelled:
"Mama! Je déteste quand tu fais ça pour moi." (Mum! I hate it when you do that to me.) He exclaimed, slamming his little fists on her chest.
"No French with Mama, Adrian." Hermione admonished, "English is your mother tongue, remember. And you will talk to me only in English." she said placing her little boy on table once again.
"Mais je suis né en France." (But I was born in France.) He protested stomping his little feet on the table. "Et il est plus facile de parler." (And it's easier to speak.) He pouted his lips.
"Now Adrian. No more arguments on that. I told you to speak in English with Mama and so shall you do." Hermione commanded her son, "Now get ready for your dinner, little rabbit." she said gently noticing Adrian's fallen face.
"Are we really going?" Adrian asked his mother, finally in English, "I thought you have forgotten." he said.
"Mama never forgets a promise, my dear little rabbity babitty boo." Hermione leaned to her son, "Will you not give, Mama, a kiss for that?" she batted her eye lashes at him. Adrian immediately planted a wet kiss on her cheek. Hermione smiled and kissed her son in return. "Tell me what you want to wear this evening, my handsome son?" she enquired.
"That new shirt that Grandma Apolline gave me, you know, yellow and with black stripes." he supplied.
"You mean the Hufflepuff one?" Hermione teased him.
"Yes, the Hufflepuff shirt." Adrian replied excitedly. "I like it a lot! You know, Mama, I think I'll ask Grandma to buy me a Slytherin shirt next time. Green and silver." he clapped his hands in excitement. "I saw their picture in that Hogwarts picture book you gave me and it looked good."
Hermione froze on her track to closet. She turned slowly to face her son and saw his eyes gleaming with innocent excitement. "I think not, Adrian. Green doesn't suit you at all." she said softly, not wanting to spoil his mood, "I'll buy you a Ravenclaw shirt instead. You look awesome in blue." she smiled at him. "Now tell what you did all day?" she asked turning once again to walk to the closet.
"I ate breakfast with Grandma Apolline." Adrian nodded as he started recounting his whole day, "then I played with Louis and when Aunt Gaby came from shop, I learned some new alphabets." He continued nodding his head, "then I took bath and a nap that you told me and when I woke up, I drew." he finished.
Hermione meanwhile took out the 'Hufflepuff shirt' and changed her son into it. "Did you like the Hogwarts Picture book?" she asked.
"A lot!" he squealed.
"Can you read the sentences?" she enquired.
"Not all of them. English is harder to read." he answered. "I like the pictures more. Especially the picture of the Quidditch match and the Great Hall."
Hermione sighed audibly. It's been six years since she last saw Hogwarts and she missed the school bitterly still now. Pushing the unpleasant thoughts behind she smoothed Adrian's collar and said, "Now Little rabbit why don't you go and show your new shirt to Grandma Apolline while Mama gets dressed? Hm?"
"Okay." Adrian piped as he came down from table and left the room almost running.
Hermione, Adrian and Gabrielle spent a good time dining at Le Bougainville. The food was good and the interior was awesome. They returned home around nine thirty when Hermione felt too tired to carry on any longer. Upon entering her bedroom Hermione decided to go to bed early. She had a long day to spend in the Malfoy vault next morning and thought she could use some extra sleep. Claudia has already noticed the effects of lack of sleep on her features and did not want to catch any further attention.
Adrian on the other hand was still full of energy and excitement from evening dinner. As Hermione changed him and herself into pajamas, he went to the table he was drawing when Hermione arrived, retrieved a piece of paper and brought it to Hermione.
"Mama, will you not see, what I have drawn?" he asked her as he handed her the paper.
"Yes. Of course Mama will see." she squeezed his cheek as she looked at the paper.
Hermione was proud of her son's ability to draw very well – a quality that she herself lacked. The boy had a good hand with colours and amazed her constantly with his beautiful drawings. This time Hermione noticed that he has drawn a picturesque scenery with a man, a woman and a child holding hands.
"Tell me what you have drawn, Adrian." she told him and Adrian climbed on the bed beside her.
"I have drawn our home, Mama." he explained, "This is me." he pointed at the child, "This is you." he pointed at the woman, "And this is my papa." he said pointing at the man, smiling.
Hermione was dumbfounded. How on earth did he come to know about his father?
"Adrian, dear." she smiled weakly and asked him, "Why did you draw a papa?"
"Because I have one, don't I? He said simply.
Hermione gulped. "Who told you that, dear?" she asked him too afraid to hear the answer.
"Louis told me, Mama, that everyone has a papa. Like Grandpa Gustave is Aunt Gaby and Uncle Alexis's papa." he explained her patiently. "That means I have a papa too." he smiled at her.
Hermione sat on her bed, her head too full and her throat too tight to speak as she looked at her innocent son. Her son whose features were just like his father: Silvery blonde hair, Grey eyes, pale flawless skin, pointed chin and high cheekbones. The boy whom she loved more than her life while hating his father – Draco Malfoy more than anything in the world.
She looked at those innocent Grey eyes: they were so much like his father yet so much different in terms of emotion and truthfulness. Her son Adrian might look like Draco Malfoy but in his heart he was like his mother Hermione Granger. And she knew how much she hated lie and deceit. She, his mother will not be the one to hide the truth from her son. No. Her son will grow up knowing and living the truth about his father.
"Do you want to know about your father, Adrian?" she asked him softly.
"Will you tell me?" he asked instead brightly.
"Why not? But let us first brush our teeth and go to bed. Then I'll tell you about your father, Hm?" she offered him.
At her words Adrian almost ran into bathroom to brush his teeth. Hermione braced herself.
When he finally settled himself in their bed Hermione turned off the lights and got into the bed. She took her son in her arms and kissed him softly on the forehead.
"Your father and I knew each other." she started, "We attended the same school, Hogwarts, you know. I was in Gryffindor and he was in… Slytherin." she felt Adrian gasp but she continued, "He did not like me very much."
"Why?" Adrian asked surprised.
"Well he was a pureblood and I was not. He thought that those who were not purebloods were not magical. So he… disliked me." she explained. "What is a Pureblood, Mama?" Adrian asked her.
"A pureblood is a witch or a wizard whose parents are not Muggleborn or Half blood. Like I am a Muggleborn - my parents were not witch or wizard – they were plain Muggles. But you are a half blood – meaning one of your parents is Muggleborn, that is me and the other one is a Pureblood that is your father. Similarly a Pureblood is someone whose both parents are Pureblood too. Did you get me?" Hermione asked her son.
"You mean a Pureblood is a witch or wizard who has no Muggle relatives?" Adrian asked instead.
Hermione was surprised at her son's power of deduction. He was just five years old but his maturity was definitely more than his age offered. 'After all, he's my son.' she thought proudly.
"Yes. You're right, dear rabbit." she chuckled and planted another kiss on his forehead. "So, as I was saying, your father was a Pureblood and I was a Muggleborn and so he disliked me. Then ….um… he started supporting a bad wizard and I tried to stop that bad wizard and …. we fought and… I ended up having you." she explained skipping as much vital information as possible, "Then he left and married another woman and I came to France to raise you away from him." she finished.
Adrian remained silent after his mother finished her story. "So, my father is not a good man?" he asked after sometime.
Hermione's heart broke. She wanted her son to know that his father was a good man but telling him that would be cheating him. She closed her eyes in dark and embraced her son more tightly.
"He's not that bad either, Adrian. He's just a bit… proud of his blood." she explained, "Don't be sad about him. He probably does not care." she said.
"Okay." he said simply, "But does he know that I am his son?" he enquired.
Hermione groaned. Adrian was asking her very complicated questions. "No, I did not tell him about you. He will not like to have a Half-blood son." she answered him truthfully.
Adrian hugged his mother tightly. "That's why you brought me to France, didn't you?" he asked her.
"Exactly my clever little rabbity babbity boo." Hermione kissed him feeling relieved that at last her son seemed to have understood her condition.
Adrian felt asleep soon after his curiosity was over and Hermione drifted into a restless slumber hugging her son tightly in her arms.