This chapter is probably the longest one I've written so far for this story and I'm really proud of it hahaha I'm really sorry if I tend to post short chapters. I can't help it! I just want you guys to read them as soon as possible lol
Here we go guys! Keep sending me your reviews and feedbacks, I love reading them!
Draco cursed when he almost tripped over his own feet while stepping out of the humongous fireplace located at the center of the receiving area of St. Mungo's. A scene of chaos and blinding lights greeted his eyes the moment the green dust of floo powder stopped swirling around him, a horde of reporters immediately crowded in on him like locusts.
"Mr. Malfoy! Over here, Mr. Malfoy!"
"Do you have anything to say about the news that broke this morning?"
"Is it true that Hermione Granger is actually your son's real mother?"
"Visiting Miss Granger for a midday romp?"
That last comment almost made Draco stop pushing his way through the crowd and plant his fist on the reporter's face, but he only took a deep breath and shouldered on until he can finally see the lift that only accommodates healers and patients located across the vast receiving hall. Merlin, why in the world did they put the lifts so far away from the floo station? Draco thought to himself as he finally stepped into the lift and gave a nod in thanks to the nearest wizard to the buttons who jammed his finger repeatedly on the close button, effectively shutting out the pesky reporters and their cameras. Draco's long fingers drummed on his leg the whole time the lift was ascending to the floor where the healers' lounge was located while he looked straight into his reflection on the metal walls. In his mind he was already building up his argument if ever he might need to talk Hermione off the cliff of ending their relationship once again. He was ready to use all the tricks he knows just to save what they have. And if talking to her won't make her see sense, well he's not below using Scorpius for leverage or a good kiss and shag on the nearest flat surface if it comes to that. He drew in another huge breath as the lift gave off a soft ping signaling their destination. He squared his shoulders and ran his hands over his already tousled blonde hair as a last attempt of straightening his anxious self out.
Keeping his eyes trained on his basilisk leather dress shoes in preparation as the lift's doors open, he barely stood his ground as a curvy body molded itself onto his hard one the moment the lift's doors were opened wide enough for people to pass through. His nose immediately took in Hermione's fresh coconut scent he was so used to by now and the mouthful of chestnut hair he seemed to have swallowed as she held on tight to him. His hands didn't waste any more time as they wound around her small waist and crushed her even harder to his chest. This scenario was such a far cry from what he was envisioning that he didn't even notice anything around them anymore as he lifted Hermione off the ground, giving her legs no choice but to wrap around his middle.
"Uhh, I'm gonna need to close the doors now, son. You and your lady stepping out in this floor?" an older wizard said with a small smile directed at Draco.
Draco only nodded and offered the wizard a smile in return as he carried Hermione to the thankfully empty hallway with only the Patil twins standing near the wall. He muttered a quick greeting to the twins as he took long strides towards the nearest door he could find.
"Is it ok if we use this room for just a little while? We have a lot of shit to sort out and we could use some privacy right about now." Draco asked Padma with his usual lady catching smile.
Padma smiled back and nodded while her twin resembled a whack - a – mole bouncing on her heels, no doubt already thinking of all the things she could gossip about with her other witch friends.
Padma lightly tapped her wand on the door and turned to both Hermione and Draco.
"Don't worry about anything. I'll make sure you guys aren't disturbed and I'll cover for Hermione while you guys talk."
Draco turned up his smile to full power, making sure that his dimples are out as he turned to the other Patil twin. "It's kinda important that the two of us have some privacy, so do you think you can keep this little meeting a secret for a couple more hours? We just need to devise a game plan."
Parvati's eyes seemed to have glazed over as she took in Draco's charm, "Uhh…yeah sure. Just…I …uh….I'll keep it a secret." She mumbled, her hands clutching her magazines tightly.
"Thanks you two, We owe you guys a huge favor." Draco assented as he took hold of the knob while Hermione only sniffled in thanks.
"You better hire me to design your wedding gown, Hermione!" Parvati giggled as her twin dragged her away and the door was finally firmly locked.
Draco looked around the white painted walls of the room and the two beds sitting side by side leaning against one of the walls, giving out a small chuckle.
"Please don't tell me this is one of your wards where they put incredibly sick blokes." He teased Hermione with a small kiss. "Because if it is, I don't think I'm gonna want to put you down on these germ infested beds."
Hermione sneaked a quick peek of the room through Draco's shoulder, shook her head and went back to nuzzling his neck.
"No, this isn't one of your wards or no, I shouldn't put you down?" Draco smiled, "You gotta help me out here, love. And you're a bit heavy, I don't think my puny arms can hold you up for more than a few minutes." He whispered the last words of his sentence with a smirk.
Draco's playful tone seemed to have revitalized Hermione as she finally wriggled herself out of his hold. When both her feet were finally firmly planted on the floor, she gave Draco a disdainful looked and stuck out her tongue childishly. "I am not that heavy!" she exclaimed with mirth.
Hermione took another look around the room and spoke once again, "Don't worry, this isn't a ward. This is one of the overnight rooms that we healers can stay in whenever we're too tired to go home from the grave shift." Hermione slowly made her way to one of the beds and sat down, she then lightly patted the space beside her while looking at Draco, asking him to sit with her.
Without saying a word, Draco made his way to Hermione, stopping when he was almost toe to toe with her sitting on the bed. But instead of sitting down beside her as she suggested, he went down on his hunches in front of her, took her hands and looked her straight in the eye. For a moment they didn't say anything and they reveled at the silence while looking at each other. The spark that they felt since that time they saw each other in Scorpius' ward was still there and was now humming in full force as they absorbed each other's eyes in the darkened room. Finally, Hermione gave out a small laugh and cupped Draco's stubbled cheek causing one corner of his lips to turn up into a half smile.
"Don't you find it funny that we have so much to talk about and yet at the same time it's like we don't even have to say anything to each other anymore."
"What do you mean? Are you telling me to get lost again? Because if you are, I'm telling you right now that's not gonna happen within this lifetime or the next, sweetheart. " Draco replied.
Hermione leaned towards his now stoic face, her lips a whisper away from his.
"What I'm meaning to say is that I love you and I'm ready to fight for you, to fight for us." She said with a teasing smile.
Draco's whole body tightened as her words ran around his head a couple more times before he was finally able to breathe out an erratic breath.
She loves him!
Him! Draco Malfoy! The person who brought all this drama into her already famous life. The evil little boy who ridiculed her all throughout the better part of her adolescent years. And yet, she loves him and she's going to fight for him.
Hermione's hold on his cheeks squeezed a little, "Draco did you hear me? Are you ok?"
Draco took hold of both her hands and quickly stood up, causing Hermione to lean back a bit in surprise. He wasted no time as he gathered Hermione into his arms and carefully maneuvered her body so that it was comfortably lying on the bed with her head hitting the pillow a few inches away from the headboard. He positioned his long legs in between hers as his arms effectively cradled her, almost blocking out her sight of anything else in the room but him.
"Draco what – "
"You love me?" he asked, his voice shaking.
"I – yes." Hermione stammered.
"Say it again."
"I love you, Dra – "
Without waiting for her to finish, Draco smashed his lips against hers and kissed her with all the passion and love he could feel burning inside him. The soft preening noises she made as he raked his hands all over her was like symphony to him, urging him on with her pleas to never stop. He made sure that every surface of her face and neck was covered with nibbles and kisses. Her every sigh and gasp only fueled his desire as he doubled his effort at showing her just how happy she made him by uttering that simple phrase. Hermione's hands brought his face back up to hers from her neck and gave him a shy smile.
"Aren't you – aren't you going to say it back?" she whispered.
Draco gave out a small chuckle at her anxious face.
"I mean, Of course you don't have to say it back. You probably have a lot on your mind already and I guess I didn't time that well – "
He stopped her babbling with a heated kiss and looked straight into her chocolate eyes.
"I love you, Hermione Granger. Even before I knew it and even when I wasn't able to find the words to say. I loved you from the very moment I saw you taking care of my son at this very building, merlin I probably loved you even before that when we met at Hogwarts." He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, "At this very moment when everything seems to be falling apart, the only thing I'm sure of is my love for you and my son. I love you, Hermione Granger."
Hermione's lips turned up into a smile as she kissed him lightly, causing his eyes to open and his mouth to adopt the same smile she was wearing.
"That's good to know, Mr. Malfoy since I decided that I'm going to keep you." She replied smugly. He laughed and leaned in for another heated kiss, but Hermione was quicker as she angled her face away from his wandering lips.
"Wait, what about Scorpius? Where is he? Is he safe? The reporters would go after him, Draco! We need to come and get him."
Draco wasn't dettered by Hermione's panic however as he continued on nibbling her now exposed neck.
"Don't worry, I sent Blaise to protect him from those nasty reporters. I completely trust Blaise to keep him safe."
Hermione expelled a sigh of relief as she stroked Draco's fine blonde hair.
"Which means we can have a bit more time alone before we face the armageddon outside." Draco continued while his hands skimmed Hermione's curves.
Hermione's cheeks blushed red as she tried to wriggle away from Draco.
"I'm not going to…going to…do it with you in my workplace, Draco Malfoy!" she stammered.
"It, Granger really? Can't you just say the word sex out loud? Shag? Fuck?"
Hermione quickly covered his mouth with her hands and even looked around nervously at the empty room as if someone may have actually heard him say those words. Draco's chuckles were barely contained by Hermione's dainty hands as he finally pried her fingers away from his mouth only to bring them back to his lips to give them a sweet kiss.
"Fine, we'll do it later after we face all this mess." Draco smirked.
Hermione only gave him an unsure smile and gave him a lasting kiss, "Let's get this over with so we can get to the it part."
Hermione paced the length of her small kitchen for about the hundredth time since they've arrived a couple of minutes ago in her small house. Harry, Ron and Ginny were bound to apparate in a few minutes to talk to Hermione and settle once and for all whether the news all over the wizarding gossip mill contained any truth. Both Hermione and Draco decided that finally telling Hermione's friends about their relationship was only the natural first step which they should have done a long time ago. Hermione, after all, sees them as her family.
The small pop of apparition stopped Hermione midstep as Harry's tall figure loomed at the entrance of her kitchen followed closely by Ron's lanky one.
Ron didn't waste any time and immediately confronted Hermione about the news article plastered in front of The Daily Prophet, "Hermione, please tell me this isn't true! Really Hermione? Malfoy?!" Ron exploded.
"Ron please just listen –"
"He's a bloody deatheater, Hermione! He probably killed hundreds of innocent wizards with his rotten family! Have you forgotten how he tore us down? He's evil!" Ron yelled.
Draco's hands balled into fists as he heard every insult the weasel directed at him. But he reined in his anger and stayed seated on one of Hermione's stubby couches while the girl weasel continued to look at him with apprehension. The silence in the living room was just as loud as the screaming match going on inside the kitchen between Hermione and Ron, but Draco was determined to let Hermione fight her own battles for he knows that she's more than capable in putting the stupid weasel into his stupid weasel place. Ginny only gave him what seemed to what should have been a comforting smile which came out as more of a grimace and a shrug telling him that she was completely informed that her brother is a total arse. Inside the kitchen they can still hear Hermione begging Ron to calm down and give her time to explain. But she can barely sneak a word in as the weasel was still not done listing all of Draco's evil ways. Surprisingly, they haven't heard Harry mutter a single word, but that may have to do something with the fact that Ron was yet to slow down his tirade.
"I bet you were never even going to tell us if not for the Prophet huh, Hermione? Have you really stooped that low as to date someone as foul as that pompous arse? You could have anyone, Hermione! Why did you pick him of all wizards?! Are you off your knocker?" Ron sputtered as Hermione can only looked at him still clamoring for the right words.
"How could you do this, Hermione?" he exploded.
Draco couldn't take it any longer and stood up from his seat, and in three quick strides was already crossing the kitchen to Hermione's shaking form.
"How could she what, Weasley? Find happiness? Finally realize that the whole bloody world doesn't revolve around your freckled arse?" Draco fired back with an evil smirk while tucking Hermione into his arms.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is for Hermione to deal with all this attention from what seemed like the whole bloody wizarding world? To not be able to keep her private life private? No, of course you don't. Because you never even stopped to think about all this through her perspective! As usual you made it all about you and your horribly tailored robes. And yes I am aware that I may not be the best bloke out there but I will do my absolute bloody best to be the bloke she deserves to be with."
Ron's mouth opened and closed a few times as if he was willing words to start spilling out of them once again but only finding none.
"Stop acting like a goddamn saint, Weasley, we've all done some horrible things in the past. But for Hermione and my son I'm trying to be a better man. I can stand here and take all your insults directed at me but I will not let you bulldoze Hermione's confidence with the shit coming out of your mouth."
Ron's face turned as red as his hair as he stammered a reply to fire back at Draco. But before he can even get a word out, Harry already had his hand on his shoulder and steered him a bit backwards, farther away from Draco and Hermione.
"We shouldn't be screaming at each other like this. We need to be mature and handle this with a good head on our shoulders. Maybe we should talk again some other time, I think we've had enough of that for a while. The fact is that the news is out there and we can't really do anything about it but deal with it in the best way we can. And we can't really do that if we're all screaming our tops off." Harry placated with a small smile.
Ron shook off Harry's hand plastered on his shoulder and stomped away from the kitchen before finally apparating out of Hermione's house. Silence followed Ron's abrupt exit while Hermione only hugged Draco tighter and Ginny went on ahead and walked into Harry's arms.
"Well, that went well didn't it?" Ginny whispered.
Hermione only gave out a cathartic chuckle as Draco smirked back at her.
After a few awkward moments of no one filling the silence, Harry finally spoke up.
"I think we're going to head out as well. Maybe stop for some ice cream." Harry said while looking directly at Hermione as if he was trying to figure out whether it was ok to leave Hermione in her state. Hermione only nodded and offered him a weak smile.
"I'll be ok, I have Draco." Hermione said without breaking Harry's eye contact.
"Damn right, sweetheart." Draco whispered, his hands skimming her sides.
"We'll walk you guys out." Hermione whispered as she led them towards her backyard where they can apparate.
The two couples stood beside one of Hermione's rose bushes in her backyard, effectively avoiding any reporters that may be loitering by her front door. Harry looked back at Hermione and gestured her to the side of her backyard near the high fence a couple of meters away from Draco and Ginny who surprisingly were talking and joking around. Hermione took a deep breath and was about to start explaining when Harry cut her off with a hug.
"Does he make you happy, Hermione?" he whispered.
Hermione's eyes involuntarily filled up with tears as she bobbed her head up and down, not really trusting her voice to work at that very moment.
"Well ok then." Harry replied with a chuckle.
"Blimey, Hermione I never thought I'd see the day that you're all shacked up with Malfoy, but here we are."
Hermione smiled back as she stepped out of Harry's hold.
"If you would've told me this was going to happen a few months ago I would've admitted you to an intensive care unit in St. Mungo's myself."
"As long as you're Happy, Hermione. You know We'll support you."
Hermione's smile faltered at his words as she remembered how Ron left. Harry immediately saw the expression on her face and gave her chin a small bump with his hand.
"Hey now, He'll come around. I think we were all just very shocked. We might need to take some time to get used to it but we're still here no matter what. We're a family, Hermione. That's what families do, they fight and get mad but at the end of the day we still love each other."
Hermione nodded as she felt a pair of strong arms envelop her from behind.
"We doing alright here?" Draco asked them both.
Harry only smirked at Draco while Ginny forced Hermione out of Draco's arms and into hers.
"He's quite the charmer isn't he?"
"You have no idea, Ginny." Hermione replied, looking at Draco who was now having a very serious talk with Harry as they huddled close together near the fence.
After a few more minutes, Harry finally called Ginny as they prepared to apparate, but not before Ginny convinced Hermione to go out with her on a girls' day someday soon.
Hermione and Draco went back into her living room where Draco plopped himself down the huge couch and pulled Hermione unto his waiting lap. The two of them sitting in comfortable silence, letting the weight of that day to finally come crashing down on their tired bodies as they drew comfort from each other. They were still lounging on the couch when they heard the small pop of apparition a few meters away from them. The silence lasted for only a minute more as Scorpius bounded out of Blaise's arms babbling nonstop about his magical day at school. He quickly jumped beside Draco and Hermione on the couch already filling them in on what happened in school that day.
"And then I changed the color of the blackboard into yellow like Miss Luna's hair! But Miss Luna said that I shouldn't do that anymore because I might hurt other people but I'm not gonna hurt them right, mummy? Mummy!" Scorpius took hold of Hermione's cheeks and brought her attention back to him.
"What are you looking at, mummy? I was telling you a story." He pouted.
"I'm sorry, little love I just got distracted with Uncle Blaise's black eye that's all." Hermione replied while pointedly looking at Blaise once again with a look that told him that he better start explaining or else. Draco only laughed at Blaise's sheepish face while tightening his hold on Hermione.
"Blimey! Look at that!" Draco chuckled some more.
"Oh! Uncle Bles got that from playing hide and sneak from the wizard outside my school! He has this very big camera." Scorpius answered for Blaise.
"Hide and sneak? What in the world is that game?" Hermione wondered.
"It's when you see a bloody reporter hiding in the bushes and you pummel them to the ground until they're passed out so you can obliviate them and destroy their camera." Blaise replied with a smirk.
Draco only laughed some more at Blaise's words while Hermione tried to keep a straight disapproving face.
"I hope to Merlin my son didn't see you playing that game, Blasie Zabini." Hermione reprimanded.
"Awww don't worry, Granger. He only caught me obliviating the bloke. I swear he didn't see anything else."
Hermione finally cracked a small smile as he stood up from Draco's lap and dragged Blaise into the small bathroom where she fixed him up with a couple of spells and potions. And in a couple of minutes, Blaise was already good as new with only a bit of bruise staining his otherwise handsome face.
"Just remember to drink this rejuvenating potion twice a day and rub some of these fairy balm on the area around your eye to get rid of the bruise and leftover swelling."
"I got it, Granger. Jeez go nag on someone else now, like Draco. I'm sure he's willing to listen to your fancy healer words as long as he gets a kiss now and then."
Hermione smacked him lightly on the shoulder as she sent him off his way to apparate in her backyard just as her other visitors did but not before thanking him for what he did for Scorpius.
Upon hearing the small pop that signaled Blaise's apparition, Hermione made her way back inside her house and into the living room where Draco was trying to figure out how to turn off the telly which was currently blaring cartoons with a sleeping Scorpius on his lap. Hermione silently sat beside him and took the remote from his hands, effectively shutting off the telly with a quick swipe at the power button.
"Thank heavens." Draco whispered as silence once again took over her living room and Hermione snuggled deeper within his one arm embrace. Draco dropped a kiss on Hermione forehead earning a contented sigh from her.
"Potter took care of the reporters outside." He whispered.
"Hmm?" Hermione replied back.
Draco only smirked as Hermione gave out a huge yawn, no doubt the stress of their day was finally taking its toll on her.
"I was thinking, love. Maybe taking a vacation right about now isn't a very bad idea, what do you think?" Draco said nervously. He knows how much Hermione hated to leave her job now that her training was about to be finished and she was only a couple months away from being a full pledged healer but it still didn't stop him from asking and envisioning Hermione in a small two piece bikini in a tropical island somewhere without the reporters hounding them.
"Okay." Hermione replied only a few seconds later.
Draco was quite surprised with Hermione's fast answer that he was caught speechless for a couple of seconds. Hermione was really surprising him today with her reactions.
"Okay? Oh, well. Okay! You know I own a couple of villas in Italy and some other guest houses in the better part of Europe. Or maybe you opt to go to the beach perhaps? I also own a few hotels in the tropics. I don't really know in which countries since I don't really keep track of all of them. Zabini usually handles business outside of the country." Draco rambled.
Hermione pressed a kiss on Draco's lips to stop him from further explaining and smiled.
"I know exactly where we can go." She whispered.
"Where?" Draco asked with a smirk.
Hermione only giggled at Draco's expectant gaze and shook her head.
"How am I supposed to arrange our trip if I don't know where we're going?" Draco asked again.
"Don't worry about it. I'll arrange everything." Hermione singsonged in delight while Draco only looked at her curiously.
"Now tell me you love me." Hermione demanded.
Draco smirked and moved in for a kiss, his lips a whisper away from hers as he whispered "I love you, Hermione Granger." Right before kissing the daylights out of her.
Woohoo! One hurdle down, a couple more to go!
Can you guys guess where Draco and Hermione might go for their vacation? Leave me a review and tell me your guesses!
Thank you so much for all the reviews! I am still so astounded with all the views and feedbacks I've been receiving ever since I started writing this story. Thank you guys so so much! *heart eyes emoji*
Love lots, TheMalfoys