8 June, Wednesday, 2300 BST
Draco and Hermione had kept to the usual routine since he returned to Hogwarts after the Spring Recess. Every night after bed check, regardless of whether or not Hermione was at home or on shift at St. Augustine, Draco would make his way up to Astronomy Tower to call Hermione via cellular.
They would talk about their day. Eventually the conversation would get to Hermione's treatment.
o-o-o
"Oh and the answer to your next question, is 'yes, I've already taken my pills," she said. The both of them laughed.
Unlike Muggle chemotherapy, the treatment regimen that Dr. Esteban Mago, Dr. Tobias Whitney, Dr. Elizabeth Masterson, and Mediwitch Poppy Pomfrey had her on allowed her to do her usual activities. She was even able to be around Drew safely. But it did at times make her quite weak. She was scheduled for biweekly treatments since Dr. Mago popped in on them the evening Draco was heading back to Hogwarts for the last quarter of the school year.
"You're alright, aren't you?" he asked, yawning.
"I'm fine, Draco," Hermione said, looking at Drew as the youngster slept. "This round wasn't as weakening."
"I love you," Draco said.
"I love you more," Hermione said.
"I'll see you tomorrow at the platform?" he asked.
"We'll be there," Hermione said, yawning. "Harry and Pansy will be there, too."
"It's like our Hogwarts' days all over again," he smiled, shutting his eyes, "looking forward to the summer holidays."
Hermione laughed, remembering the long train rides home from Hogwarts. She remembered looking forward to seeing her parents' smiling faces when she stepped off the train. She took in a breath. She also remembered the trepidation she felt, thinking about her Wizarding future.
"You alright?" he asked, sitting up more alertly.
"Yeah, just thinking about the past that's all," she said, exhaling. "Could you have ever imagined us together now, back when we were kids?"
"That's why we go through life," he said. "I'm just glad you decided to look past my shortcomings and go through it, with me."
"I love you," she said, softly.
"Goodnight, Hermione," he said. "Kiss Drew goodnight for me."
"I will," she said. "Goodnight, Draco."
"Okay," he said as he stood up.
"I'm going to hang up now," she said.
He laughed. "Goodnight, Hermione," he said as he heard her giggle before the phone clicked.
o-o-o
The summer holidays began. The young family spent the days together as if they were their last days together. They spent time with the Potters, the Weasleys, and the Goyles. They were even at the Parkinson-Zabini house when Blaise and Pansy announced they were pregnant.
About the only thing that got a little touchy was when Hermione suggested that Draco go visit his parents. Draco looked at her as if she had uttered an unforgiveable curse. Hermione never brought it up after that. The rest of the summer was enjoyable.
o-o-o
31 August, Wednesday, 2335 BST
The three of them had spent the last day of the summer holidays together; just hanging out in the backyard of the old quaint three-bedroom house in the Muggle neighborhood. They watched the seven-month old infant be curious about the world around her, her grey eyes wide with wonder.
It was a little over two hours since the young parents had tucked the little child into bed. Draco kissed his wife's forehead as he pulled her in closer to his chest. He never thought he would ever describe himself as a gentle lover, but he had since learned to become one. He kissed Hermione on the mouth before reaching up to turn off the lamp on the nightstand.
"I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked as she ran her hand over the silver rope chain around his neck.
"I've lived with cancer for years, Draco," she said smiling, her eyes a little droopy. "I welcome this kind of hurt; it makes me feel alive."
Draco kissed her again. She kissed him back. "Are you sure you'll be all right? I can always ask Headmistress McGonagall again for the year off."
"The kids love you, Draco," she said looking up into his face. "And you love to teach."
"Still, if something were to happen while I'm away," he began.
Hermione placed her fingertips on his lips, halting him. "Nothing's gonna happen, Draco," she said. "Besides, Harry will be a floo or a phone call away. Drew and I'll be all right. I've got January 5th programmed into the calendar of important events on my phone to look forward to, remember."
"I love you," he said, looking into her eyes. There was a long pause as Draco searched her face. "I asked Mum if she wouldn't mind checking in on you once in a while," he said softly.
She raised an eyebrow and smiled. "What did she say?"
"She said, 'yes.' You know she's kept every note you'd owled to her along with all the Muggle photos of Drew in a scrapbook she keeps in her private study. Dad never bothers going in there," he smiled at her running a finger over her cheek. "I didn't know you were writing to her."
She gulped. She shrugged her shoulders. "I figured she should get to know her grandchild. I didn't actually know they were getting to her. I wasn't getting any return correspondence. For all I knew, your parents were destroying the posts every time they saw the return address. I just … I just figured at least one set of grandparents should get to know her."
"Hey," Draco said gently, squeezing her waist, "I think your parents have gotten to know her. They're watching over her all the time."
She bit her lip, a nervous habit she had never outgrown, trying to keep her tears at bay. Her eyes were already glossy, "I love you, Draco."
"I love you more, Hermione," he said as he kissed her cheek. "I'm going to miss this, you know."
"You'd better," she said as she yawned. He laughed. She ran her fingertips over the rope chain again before they settled over his left hand on her waist. Her fingers grazed the silver wedding band on his ring finger. "Shouldn't you place this on your chain before you head to Hogwarts?"
"We don't go into the Potions Lab until the official first day of classes," he said as he looked at his hand. He smiled at her. "I've got time. Besides, I wouldn't want anybody to think I was available or anything waiting on that platform at King's Cross."
She laughed. "You're incorrigible, you know that."
"So you've been saying since we first got together," he smiled back, "Although it's a lot nicer to hear than ferret."
"I haven't called you that since we were at Hogwarts," she said smiling.
"We used to get on each other's nerves so much, didn't we," he said as she nodded. He grinned sheepishly as she narrowed her eyes at him wondering what he was thinking. He answered her unasked question. "I was just thinking about what the make-up sex would have been like."
Hermione was noticeably blushing. Draco just kept smiling. She laughed as she slapped his chest playfully, "You are …"
"I know," he interrupted. "Incorrigible."
They both laughed. He pulled her in for one last kiss before whispering to her to get some rest. They both gave way to slumber.
o-o-o
1 September, Thursday, 1050 BST
Draco held Drew in his arms as he pointed to the red and black engine that pulled the Hogwarts Express. It would leave in another ten minutes. Hermione, Ginny and Harry were talking a couple of meters away. Ginny was hugging James as Harry held Ronda. Ginny was also riding on the train to get to Hogwarts.
"I figured Draco would be taking the school year off," Harry said to Hermione as he nodded at the platinum blonde father allowing the infant to touch the front of the engine.
She smiled at the pair at the front of the train. She turned to Ginny and Harry, "I told him he should teach. The kids would be at a loss without him."
Harry raised an eyebrow. Ginny squeezed Hermione's hand.
Both Potters shrugged. "I guess," the former Gryffindor Seeker said. "I don't think the First Years would survive with Professor Snape breathing down their necks."
The two witches laughed as the black clad professor came up behind the scarred wizard and flicked his ear, quite hard. Harry winced.
"Ow!" Harry yelped.
"I heard that," the Head of Slytherin House said, smirking. He nodded at the two young mothers before nodding in the direction of the other Potions teacher. "Looks like he's showing the younger Malfoy to what she should be looking forward."
Hermione laughed. "That's a good ten years down the line, Professor."
"Well, it's good to plan for the future," the older wizard shrugged as they heard the Conductor-Guard call for the passengers to board. "We could use more good Slytherins."
The Muggle-born mother laughed. "She could be a Gryffindor."
Even the usual stoic professor laughed. "Well, as long as she keeps it in the family. Merlin forbid, she ends up in the other two houses.
"Madame Potter, coming on board?" Professor Severus Snape nodded towards the train as he boarded. "Hermione, you might want to tell that husband of yours to board as well."
"I'll be right up, Sir," the ginger haired mediwitch said as she nodded back. She kissed Ronda on the cheek before Harry placed her into the front seat of the double stroller.
Harry, Ginny and Hermione watched as Draco pointed the three of them out to the little infant. Draco smiled at his daughter adoringly as they walked toward the small group. The Conductor-Guard shouted again, five minutes to the hour of departure.
"That wizard's totally in love with you," Ginny said as she placed James into the double stroller as well.
"Yeah, you've got that Pure-blood wrapped around your little finger," Harry joked.
"I think Drew's got that down," Hermione said. They all laughed. "You better get on the train, Ginny."
She nodded. Harry pulled her into his arms for a last hug. He smiled at his wife. They leaned into each other and kissed.
"You go Madame Potter!" the Fourth Year Hufflepuff yelled through the train car window. Others around him clapped as the two Potters smiled at each other before looking up at the onlookers.
"Keep it up, Jimmy," the red-headed mediwitch shouted back. "I might not be too keen on healing your Quidditch injuries this school year."
Everyone laughed. Ginny kissed Harry on the cheek. She gave Hermione a long hug as if she knew that in the balance of things, it might be one of the last. She looked into Hermione's eyes. Hermione just nodded at her as if to say, 'things will be fine with her.'
Ginny boarded the train as the engineer blew the train's whistle signaling the train's imminent departure. She waved at her kids and the two adults as Draco finally reached the pair of Gryffindors.
He placed his forehead on the brown-haired infant's forehead. They both smiled at each other, their grey eyes brightening. Hermione had to take in a breath. Draco placed Drew in her stroller.
Draco shook hands with the former Gryffindor seeker. "Don't be too hard on the First Years," Harry said as he patted the Potions Professor on the back. He nodded at the both of them before wheeling the two kids in the stroller a little ways away to give the couple some privacy.
Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist. He looked into her face and smiled. Hermione touched the silver chain that rested outside of his shirtfront. Draco removed the wedding band from his left hand and showed it to Hermione. He shrugged as he unclasped the chain and quickly threaded the ring onto it before re-clasping the silver necklace around his neck.
"See, I told you it would keep the ladies away," he smiled at her.
She shook her head smiling, speechless for the moment. She watched him tuck the chain into his shirt.
"Hey," he said as they heard the Conductor-Guard yell out another warning. "You remember the talk we had last year in your apartment before I left for Hogwarts?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "We talked about a whole lot of stuff, Draco."
"The thing about Muggle movie farewells, I think is what you described it as," Draco said as she raised an eyebrow.
"You are incorr," she began. He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her full on the mouth interrupting her. It was as if time stood still as they held the kiss. It seemed they didn't hear any of the whooping and applauding around them.
"You go Professor Malfoy," Jimmy shouted.
"Yeah," a blonde Second Year Slytherin called out. "Kiss the crap out of her!"
The kissing couple finally broke their farewell embrace. Hermione flushed in embarrassment but laughed anyway with her husband. The onlookers hooted and hollered as she leaned into him, whispering, "You're such a prat."
"I know. But you love me anyway," he smiled into her cheek as they both heard the train whistle signaling departure as the train wheels began to turn.
He quickly bent down and kissed the infant on her head one last time. He nodded at Hermione, smiling as he hopped onto the moving train. "I'll call you later tonight!" he shouted as the train picked up speed exiting the station.
"That was straight out of a Muggle movie," Harry said as he pushed James and Ronda in the double stroller, stopping next to Drew.
"Very funny, Harry," she said as the train was now gone.
"Come on. Let's go grab some lunch," Harry said as he put his arm around his oldest friend leading her to the Muggle entrance.
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