Author's Note: So very sorry about the delay on this. Hopefully you all don't hate me! This past year was crazy and then I wanted to finish In the Heart of the Storm but I am done with that, nearly, and ready to continue on this! Also, be on the lookout for updates on my new fic, Renewal, as well. My creative juices just keep flowing! Enjoy! And a shout-out to my Beta, StoneFeather30135! Thank you for reading through this craziness for me!

Disclaimer: All this wonderfulness belongs to the fantastic J.K. Rowling…well, except the plot. And I definitely don't get paid. Ugh.

Letting It All Go

Chapter Two: Beautiful Disaster

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"He's as damned as he seems and more heaven than a heart could hold.
And if I try to save him, my whole world could cave in." – Kelly Clarkson

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They arrived in Hermione's living room. She quickly cleaned the soot off of them with a spell and stepped into the room; Draco followed. She motioned to the vibrant white couch in the center of the room, "Have a seat while I go and prepare a room for you. It will only take me a few moments." She watched as he sat down and placed his hands on his knees. He looked utterly lost and depressed. She only hoped that spending some time here would help him.

She walked down the hallway to the very end. On the right was a door that led to her study; she would have to convert it into a bedroom for now. She entered and looked around trying to decide what she could do with it. The walls were bookshelves full to near capacity. She had collected many books over the years. The floor was a dark hard wood and there was a matching desk in the left corner. On top of the desk were a few stacks of papers, quills, and her lap top computer. She allowed herself many Muggle luxuries seeing as she was Muggleborn. On the right side of the room were a red velvet couch and a coffee table that came with the desk. She transfigured the couch into a single bed for Draco and the coffee table into a dresser which she levitated to the front of the room. They would have to get some clothes for him since he would be staying a while.

When she was satisfied with the room she exited and entered the bathroom across the hall. The room was done in pale yellow and white. The shower had a white curtain with yellow daisies on it. Hermione frowned; the bathroom was a bit girly, but he would have to deal. She set to work cleaning it up and making sure there were men type toiletries. She even set out a stack of fresh white towels for Draco to use. She and the kids had a bathroom upstairs so Draco could have this one for his own personal use. She would have to remind the kids not to disturb it, but she was sure he wouldn't mind either way. Hermione yawned as she turned off the light and headed back towards the living room. She needed to get some sleep soon or she was going to simply be sick.

She smiled upon entering the living room; Draco was still sitting on the couch, but he was staring at her wall mounted television with a very confused look upon his face. He heard her enter and turned his body to face her, "What is that?" Hermione smiled and walked over to it. She picked up the remote and turned it on. Draco jumped a bit and then sputtered, "What the devil? How did you do that?" Hermione turned it off, "It's a television. You can watch shows on it. There are all kinds of shows. You can watch the news, dramas, movies, and many other things. It's a Muggle invention. I can teach you how to use it if you want. I have a lot of other Muggle appliances in the flat that you might like as well."

Draco seemed unsure of whether or not to trust Hermione and her Muggle objects, but he must have come to some sort of conclusion in his head because he nodded and looked again at the television. Hermione smiled to herself; she was going to have a good time showing Draco how to use the Muggle objects. It would be good for the Pureblood wizard to learn the ways of a Muggleborn. It might help him with the situation at hand as well…maybe it would help him get his mind off of his depression. There was no around it; Draco Malfoy was depressed and if she didn't do something to help him other people would, and she was certain that Draco would not comply willingly to that.

"Ok, Draco, let me show you where you'll be sleeping and give you a mini tour of the place. I want you to feel completely at home here. Anything here you have access to." Hermione motioned for him to follow her from the living room down the hallway. She stopped at the first door on the left. "This is the kitchen. It's my pride and joy. I've worked really hard to get it to my liking. I've got a brand new chefs kitchen, so if you like to cook feel free to use it." She led him into the room. The walls were a bright blue with white trim. The floor was white ceramic tile. There was an island with a few bar stools and the counters were pristine white. The fridge was the biggest Draco had ever seen. The cabinets were painted a cheery yellow that made Draco want to smile…although he didn't. The appliances, that had to be Muggle made, were yellow as well. Hermione was beaming. She loved her kitchen and she used it all the time. Hermione motioned towards a small television hanging in the corner, "I use this TV to watch the Food Network. It's a channel that is all about cooking. You might like it." She had noticed how he eyed her old fashioned stove as if he were itching to try it out.

She grabbed him by the wrist and led him into the room right across the hall, "Here is the dining room. It's not very big seeing as I rarely use it. And over there, that door leads to a balcony that overlooks Diagon Alley. There are a couple of chairs out there. I like to sit and people watch in the evening." This room was decorated in deep red and gold; very Gryffindor. The table was a dark wood with only four chairs around it. There was a wine rack on the wall opposite the door and that was basically it. Hermione was right; it was obvious she rarely used it. Draco looked at the door, "I didn't realize you lived in Diagon Alley. What are we above?" Hermione guided him to the balcony to look outside. It was clearly a hot day as people were moving slowly through the tiny street, "I live above Tina's Tea House and across the street is…"

"Flourish and Blott's." Draco smirked out the window. Of course the Know-it-all lived across from the bookstore. If the store hadn't been two stories she probably would have lived on top of that! "I should have guessed you would live near a bookstore." Hermione playfully smacked him on the shoulder with a little laugh, "Oh, stop it ferret!" she teased. "I can survive without living across from the bookstore. I haven't always lived here. I moved here after Ron and I divorced. It was the only suitable flat I could get at such short notice." She seemed distant and Draco vowed to ask her more about that later.

Draco chuckled at the use of the old nickname. He had nearly forgotten being turned into a ferret all those years ago. She backed away from the door and turned to face Hermione, "Care to show me where I'll be sleeping?" She nodded and took him by the hand once more. She led him down the hall and into his room; her study. "Here we are. It's usually my study, but for now, it can be called your bedroom." Draco looked about at the walls lined with books. He smirked. Of course she would have hundreds by now…she always did have her nose stuck in a book.

"It's a very nice room, thank you Granger."

She nodded and then heaved a sigh, "Well, I'm going to shower and then I can make us something to eat. Make yourself at home…" Draco nodded his understanding and then Hermione left him and went upstairs. The upstairs was smaller than the second floor, but it suited her. The first two rooms in the hallway were Rose and Hugo's. Then there was the bathroom with a linen closet opposite. The room at the very end was hers. She made her way to it and plopped her purse down by the door. She quickly grabbed her robe and some new undergarments before scurrying back towards the bathroom.

She turned on the water and dropped her robe and garments on the counter. The steam was starting to fog up the mirror but Hermione was able to get a good glimpse of what she looked like…and that was hell. Her ponytail was falling out and she had deep dark circles under her tired brown eyes. She heaved a sigh as she began to undress. She pulled her elastic from her hair and then got into the shower. The hot water felt like liquid heaven as it slowly eased the tension out of her body. She knew that she had to figure out what she was going to do with Draco…and what she was going to tell her friends and family, but that could wait a few hours.

Ron still hadn't called her back so she had no idea when she would be seeing her kids. She hated that she barely ever had time to see them, but they did live with their father most of the time. Plus they were in Hogwarts and soon would be on their own. Hermione was on her own, but that was her fault. Her relationship with Ron wasn't perfect and she didn't help the situation along…but that's another story.

After rinsing the soap from her body Hermione turned the water off and toweled herself dry. She swept her curly hair up on top of her head with a second towel. She quickly put on her camisole and underwear and then her robe. She headed back to her room to get dressed. Digging through her drawers she decided on a pair of soft black shorts and an over sized gray t-shirt. She was exhausted and as soon as she had something to eat she planned on coming up here to sleep. She took the towel off her head and hung it on the back of her door and put her hair into a messy bun; not minding that it was still damp.

When she stepped into the hallway she was surprised to find the air filled with the smell of eggs and bacon. Had Draco made breakfast? Hermione stopped in her tracks wondering why he would have done that. Maybe she just smelled Diagon Alley. Either way she shrugged and headed downstairs. Sure enough Draco was not in his room so she continued on to the kitchen. Standing in the doorway Hermione was amazed. Draco had made cheesy scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon. He also had a steaming cup of tea ready for her.

Draco turned around and upon seeing her motioned for her to have a seat at the counter. Hermione did and stared at him in wonder, "Draco, you didn't have to do this. I could have easily made us some breakfast." He waved his hand back and forth as if to say, "It's not a problem." He did say, "It's the least I could do for you helping me." He put some toast on her plate of food and gave her a smirk, "Now eat."

Hermione ate and it was delicious; apparently Draco had as much of a knack for cooking as she did. Maybe this arrangement wouldn't be nearly as bad as she had started to believe. They ate in silence, and once they had finished, Hermione quickly cleaned the dishes with a simple spell. Once the dishes had been put away they sat at the counter in silence. Hermione wanted to know if he was holding it together alright. She knew that he had suffered a great loss, but was he alright having to stay here? She herself had some demons but those were far different than the demons he was subjected to. He had been on the Dark side of the war. Somehow he managed to come back from that awful time and create a family, only to have his loving wife ripped away.

Yeah, Hermione's demons were far less scary. She had been trained as an Emergency Healer as well as a Therapist Healer. That's how she knew Ernie so well…that and the fact they had slept together a few times after her divorce from Ron. Nothing ever came of it and they both knew they were better as friends and colleagues. Hermione knew she could help Draco, but she needed to give him some time to think and heal. She wouldn't start bombarding him with therapy sessions just yet. First off he needed some rest and relaxation. Her apartment may be small, but it was cozy and comforting. He could have all the privacy he needed. Plus, if he wanted to, he could pop right down into Diagon Alley. However, she would have to place a charm on him that would not allow him to leave Diagon Alley without her…and also so that he could not harm himself.

Finally, Draco cleared his throat, "I think that I'm going to get some rest. It's been a really long night…well the past 24 hours have been rough for me and I think I need to sleep." He ran a hand threw his blond hair and stood from his chair. He walked to the doorway and turned back to face Hermione, "Thank you again for letting me stay here." Then he disappeared down the hall. Hermione released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as she heard the study door click shut and stood. She walked to his door and pulled her wand from her pocket. Muttering a few enchantments she knew that Draco would be safe while she slept. She leaned her head against the door and thought, "Sleep good, Malfoy…" before heading upstairs to her room.

She pulled the shades so the room would be somewhat dark and crawled into her bed. She set her wand on her nightstand and snuggled deep down in the bed. She was more exhausted than she could remember being in a long time. Her life had changed drastically in the past 24 hours and she was worried about what was to come. She knew things would be difficult…she knew that there were would be fights, and she knew that her help may not even work. With a sigh of exhaustion Hermione fell into a deep sleep.

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Hours later Hermione was jarred awake. It took a few seconds to realize what had woken her—her cell phone was ringing loudly inside her purse. She threw back her blankets and stumbled from the bed to her purse. Cursing she dug until she found it, flipped it open, and put it to her ear. "Hello?" She managed and went to sit back on the bed.

"Oh, good. I was afraid you had forgotten to turn your volume on. I've been trying to call you for ten minutes." It was Ron, and he didn't sound overly thrilled. Hermione rolled her eyes and lay back on the bed, "Sorry, Ron. I was asleep, and apparently it was a very deep sleep. Did you get my message then about bringing the kids over?"

"Yes. That's why I'm calling. Can I bring them over before dinner? I'm going to this party tonight and they don't want to be left here alone." She could hear him rattling through the refrigerator.

"Sure, bring them over for dinner. I'll make their favorites…but Ron I have to tell you something…" He interrupted her, "Great! I'm sure they already have their bags packed so I'll go let them know and have them there in an hour. See you soon." He hung up.

Hermione growled and rolled onto her stomach. He never spoke to her for very long on the phone…or ever. Pushing back on her elbows she ran her hands over her face. She hadn't slept nearly enough, but it was time to get up, get dressed, and make dinner for her children. She couldn't suppress the smile that crept over her face. She had missed Rose and Hugo very much. She loved having her kids with her…if things hadn't been so horrible with Ron she would have stuck it out just so she could be with them all the time. Perhaps if she hadn't messed up big time she'd have even more time with them…

She rolled off the bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a black long sleeved shirt. It was chilly with the air conditioning on in the evenings. The sun was starting to think about setting and Hermione flipped on the light. She brushed her hair and applied very minimal makeup. She wasn't trying to impress Ron, but she didn't want to look a mess either. She knew by word of mouth Ron had been seeing someone for the past few weeks. He was probably even going to this party he mentioned with his new girl.

She brushed through her hair and thought about Ron's attitude towards her. Sure they had gotten divorced, but that didn't mean he could be so abrupt with her. She threw her brush down on her vanity. Of course it did. She plopped down and frowned into the mirror. It was really her fault the whole thing had come about. She grudgingly got up and stormed downstairs. She didn't have time to dwell on her and Ron's issues right now; she needed to prepare dinner and Draco for the children's arrival.

She stopped in front of the study door and gave a few sharp raps, "Draco? Draco, are you up yet? I need to talk with you."

She heard movement and then Draco answered the door holding a book in one hand and rubbing his eyes with the other. "What do you need, Granger? I was pretending to sleep."

"Pretending to sleep? What are you on about?"

He sighed and tossed the book onto the shelf by the door, "I have a hard time sleeping because I get nightmares. Then when the nightmares end, the sadness envelopes me and I just want to be with her…so yeah, I was reading in the hopes that I might just pass out."

Hermione felt her face fall. She knew it was bad, but now up close she could see the deep purple circles under his eyes. He was looking down at her bare feet so she took the chance to look him over outside the hospital. He had noticeably lost a good twenty pounds and his jeans and shirt hung off of his body. His usually luxurious hair was lying limp and lifeless on his head. She thought he could use a nice haircut.

"Alright, Draco, enough with this pretending to sleep thing. Come help me make dinner. We have some important things to discuss." He nodded and followed her to the kitchen. Hermione went to the refrigerator and pulled out some lemons, limes, chicken, lettuce, and tomatoes. She then set up at the counter, "I'm going to make lemon lime grilled chicken with a salad. My kids love it for some reason."

Draco gave her an odd look and joined her by the counter, "Kids?" He reached for the lemon and held it up, "Are your kids here?"

Hermione got out her cutting board and a knife to begin chopping up the chicken. Once she was done she set it aside and began to zest some limes, "Actually, yes. Ron is supposed to be bringing them by. I'm off for a few days and it's my turn to have the children." She put the zest in a bowl and then reached for the lemon Draco held, "Ron and I share custody. He's had Rose and Hugo most of their summer break because of my schedule at work, but I'm off now, and I'll probably take off until they head back to Hogwarts. I just have to call in a request with the hospital." She added the lemon zest to the bowl and then added some olive oil, salt and pepper, as well. "Will you squeeze the juice from the lemon and lime into that salad bowl right there?"

"So, how did Weasley take the news of me being here?" he asked as he squeezed. He then added some olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar and red pepper flakes to add a bit of spice.

Hermione handed him the lettuce to tear and add to the bowl. She then put the chicken in her bowl and coated it with her marinade. "Well, that's the thing. I tried to tell him, but he cut me off…he does that a lot…and said he'd be over in a bit with the kids." She began spreading the chicken on her heated grill pan.

"You do realize he's going to be furious when he finds out that I'm here."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she flipped the chicken, "Yes, he'll be livid. Now cut up those tomatoes for the salad."

Draco went looking for another cutting board and discovered something hidden in the back of her bottom cupboard. He moved a board to the side and stared at his discovery. There in the back were five large bottles of white wine, and eight full bottles, and one half empty bottle, of fire whisky. Glancing up at Hermione, he was glad to see she didn't have a clue he found her hidden stash of alcohol. It was a very curious thing indeed.

After locating the cutting board he went back to his spot at the counter to cut the tomatoes and acted like nothing had happened, "So what's your plan?"

She was currently setting plates, knives, and forks on the counter. She grabbed some glasses out of the cupboard and added those to the pile. She levitated everything into the air, "I think it's best for you to stay in the study until I explain everything to him. I'll send the kids upstairs to put their bags away. It should be aright…" she walked out of the room to set the table in the dining room.

In the kitchen Draco was trying to figure out when and how to ask Hermione about the liquor. He knew she had a wine rack in the dining room, but why did she have all the extra booze hidden in the kitchen? Hermione returned before he came to a final decision to put the finished chicken on a serving plate, "Do you mind tossing the salad?"

He took the tongs and began tossing the salad so the dressing he prepared at the bottom coated the lettuce and tomatoes, "Look, Granger, can I ask you something?"

She gave him a questioning look, "Sure, what is it?"

"In that cupboard…I found something."

Suddenly the floo sounded from the living room. Hermione panicked, "Oh! Hold that thought! Hurry into the study. I'll get you when the time is right." Draco rolled his eyes and did as he was told, for once.

Waving her wand to keep the chicken warm, she held her head high and walked into the living room, "Rose, Hugo, I'm so happy to see you!" She opened her arms as her two red headed children ran to her.

"Mum! I got my letter! I made Head Girl!"

"I got my letter too mum, I've been made a Prefect!"

Hermione kissed the tops of their heads, "That's fantastic you two! Now scurry upstairs and deposit your bags. We've got lemon lime chicken for dinner!"

The kids flew out of the room and Hermione turned to face Ron. He had a sour expression on his face, the norm for when he was visiting her, and was wearing deep green dress robes. He was obviously going to a fancy party. Hermione decided to just come out with it.

"Ronald, I have to tell you something very important. Will you have a seat?" She motioned towards the couch. He gave her an odd look but did as asked. Hermione sat down next to him. "Do you remember how I went though extra training to become a Therapist Healer?" he rolled his eyes but nodded, "Okay, good. Well I've taken on a therapy case for a patient that is in immense grieving over the loss of a loved one."

Ron leaned back and scrutinized his ex-wife, "So what does this have to do with me?" He flicked a piece of lint off his robes.

"Well, because of the circumstances, the patient will be staying here, with me, for a while. I wanted to let you know because of the children. They will in no way be harmed or bothered by him."

Ron leaned forward, "I guess it's nice that you told me. Who is this patient?"

Hermione closed her eyes and slowly opened them, "Draco Malfoy."

All was quiet for a moment as the name settled down upon Ron's mind. Then, suddenly he was standing in front of Hermione, "WHAT! Absolutely not Hermione! What in Merlin's name are you thinking? I will NOT have that Deatheater living under the same roof as my children. He leaves or they leave!"

Hermione rose to her feet with all the dignity she could muster, "Ronald Weasley, they happen to be my children as well, and I am a certified Therapist Healer. Malfoy has been cleared of all charges as a Deatheater, so there is no reason to call him as such. The war has been over for 25 years. He had a loving family. He has a son. He lost his wife! He can stay in my house if I say so. He is here to be healed, not to hurt my children! So can you either leave or stop talking about him in such a rude manner." She was breathing heavy and crossed her arms to glare at her ex.

Ron opened and closed his mouth a few times before deciding on what to say, "You know what Hermione, I have someplace to be, but this discussion is not over by any means. And as for our children, if I need to take full custody to keep them away from that monster, I will!" With that said he turned on the spot and apparated with a 'pop'.

"Fuck."

She heard laughing from the doorway and whipped around to find Draco casually leaning against the doorway, "Please tell me my children didn't hear me swear?"

He shook his head and walked into the room, "No, but they did hear you two fighting. Your yelling pretty much shook the entire apartment down." He smirked.

She scoffed, "Oh, come off it. Get the food on the table and I'll call Rose and Hugo down. This wouldn't be the first time they heard us fighting."

Draco nodded and went to fetch dinner.

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An hour and a half later the dinner plates were all cleaned up and Rose was upstairs reading. Hugo was probably playing his video games. Hermione and Draco were sitting in the living room having some tea. Draco was running through dinner in his head. Rose and Hugo were actually very nice to him. Apparently, Rose and Scorpius were rivals at school; although, they were nothing compared to how he and Hermione used to be.

Dinner had gone smoothly though. Hugo was absolutely friendly and very talkative, just like his mother used to be. Maybe staying here wouldn't be so bad after all. He was just about to say what lovely children she had when the floo lit up and Harry Potter's annoying head popped into view.

Hermione nearly spit out her tea, "Harry! What on earth are you doing floo-ing so late? Is everything all right?" She set her tea on the coffee table.

Harry shot a glare in Draco's direction, "According to Ron, everything is not alright. He told me, but I had to see it with my own eyes. Why do you have Malfoy staying with you?"

Hermione rubbed her face with her hands, "I'm his doctor, Harry. He needs a Therapist Healer and a safe place to stay…so I volunteered."

Harry shook his head, "What the bloody hell, Hermione?"

"Harry, I told Ronald, and I will tell you; this is my home and it is my job…I will do as I wish. You can either be supportive or jump on the psychotic train with Ronald."

Harry pursed his lips and shook his head, "I will hold any more judgment for now, but I suggest you work things out with Ron. I think he might have been serious about the custody issue." With a nod he disappeared out of the fireplace.

"That went well." Draco drawled.

Hermione closed her eyes and counted to ten. She opened her eyes back up and turned to look down at her houseguest, "Draco, I think I need to show you something."

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