Hey Guys! Sorry it's been so long. I've had a lot of personal obligations. But here it is! Hope you enjoy it!
December 26, 1998
Draco woke up on Boxing Day in the bedroom he had slept in during most of the Summer. He remained in bed, still, listening to the quiet sounds of The Burrow in the early morning. The creaking of the wood under someone's feet and the muffled voices of Molly and the others talking in the kitchen below brought back memories of the Summer, making him smile to himself.
When he heard Blaise beginning to stir on the cot Molly had set up for him, Draco slid out of bed and began to get dressed; Blaise doing the same. The blond wizard pulled on a white tee before slipping his new Christmas jumper Molly had knitted for him, over it.
Blaise caught sight of the jumper and smiled, "Looks good. Mrs. Weasley make that?"
Draco nodded, "Yea." He replied with a wide grin.
Nodding, Blaise yawned.
"Potter and I spoke last night. We're going to Diagon Alley today. I'm picking up Hermione's gift for our seven-month anniversary." Draco said before asking, "Care to come along?"
"Sure! I'd like to get something for Cordelia while we're there." Blaise replied while pulling a navy-blue jumper on.
Draco nodded, "All right. Perhaps Weasley will come along as well."
The two of them made their way down to the kitchen. Molly was in there, bustling around as per usual while Harry, Ginny, Ron, Pansy, Cordelia, and Luna all chatted at the table.
"There you two are." Molly said. "Breakfast is nearly ready. Arthur had to go into the office…some type of emergency. He ought to be back here by noon."
They nodded as Draco sat beside Harry and Blaise sat on the other side of Draco.
"Blaise is going to join us today." Draco told Harry in a quiet voice.
Harry nodded, "So is Ron."
"All right." The blond wizard replied before asking, "When are we leaving?"
"I thought we could go right after breakfast." The green-eyed wizard replied.
With a nod, Draco replied, "Works for me."
"What are you two whispering about?" Ginny asked with a smirk on her lips.
"Us blokes are going to Diagon Alley for a bit after breakfast." Harry told her. "Malfoys got to pick something up for Hermione. We'll be back soon enough."
Ginny nodded as Molly hovered their food over to them.
After breakfast, the four blokes left via floo and arrived at The Leaky Cauldron. The pub was nearly vacant except for a few scattered patrons.
"Where to first?" Harry asked, looking over at Draco.
"I need to go to Sebastian's Snapshot Supplies, but it doesn't open for another hour." The taller wizard replied, looking at his wristwatch. "Where are you all wanting to go?"
"Let's go to that jewelry shop all the girls like so much." Ron suggested. "What's it called?" he asked.
"Midas Touch Jewelry." Harry replied before they began making their way out of the pub and toward the shop.
The blokes spent about an hour in the jewelry shop until Harry, Ron, and Blaise each found the proper item to purchase. After they left, they made their way to Sebastian's Snapshot Supplies, and ran into Neville and Hannah.
"Hey!" Neville beamed, "How has your holiday been?" He asked them.
"It's been brilliant!" Ron grinned.
"How about yours?" Draco asked.
Neville's smile widened even more, "It's been the best Christmas holiday of my life." He said, "Thanks to you, Draco."
Draco smiled. "I'm thrilled to hear that."
"We're headed to meet Mum and Dad at The Leaky Cauldron now. I'll see you lot on the platform on the seventh."
Harry nodded, "We'll see you two then."
The four blokes entered Sebastian's and Draco walked over to the counter. An older bloke stepped out of the back room and nodded to Draco.
"How may I help you, sir?" He asked Draco.
"I'm here to pick up my order." Draco replied, handing over the piece of parchment that had his order on it.
The man looked it over and nodded, "I'll be right back." He said before going into the back room once more.
"What'd you get Mione anyhow?" Ron asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"It's a camera." Draco replied, "There's a mechanism on it that allows her to switch between magical and muggle photographs."
"She'll love that." Harry spoke up, grinning as the older man returned from the back room, carrying a box under him arm.
Draco paid for the camera after the man showed him how to work it properly and gave him a parchment with written instructions.
As the four of them left the shop, Draco felt the MAC buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the note from Dario.
Draco – Molly Weasley and Cordelia are here, at St. Mungo's Trauma Department. You and Blaise need to come as soon as possible.
- Dario
Draco turned to the others and cleared his throat, trying to keep his face calm, "Potter, could you and Weasley take the camera back to The Burrow for me? Blaise and I have been summoned by Dario." He said, choosing not to explain any further.
Harry nodded, and though confused, he agreed, saying that he and Ron were going to stop by the twins' shop first.
Draco nodded and handed the box over.
Once Harry and Ron walked off in the direction of the twins' joke shop, Draco turned to Blaise. The dark-skinned wizard had an expression of pure confusion on his face.
"What's going on, mate?" Blaise asked.
"Something's happened." Draco replied, "For some reason, Molly and Cordelia are at St. Mungo's Trauma Department. Dario sent me a message. It said that you and I needed to get there as soon as possible."
Blaise's eyes widened in concern for Cordelia and their baby girl. "We've got to go now!" He said quickly.
Draco nodded, also feeling concerned about his sister and unborn niece.
The pair of them rushed down the Alley to The Leaky Cauldron, immediately flooing to the hospital.
Blaise arrived at the hospital directly after Draco. They both rushed over to the check-in desk and asked where they could find Cordelia Badeaux. The witch behind the desk looked into her records before telling them to go to Trauma Room twelve.
Draco nodded, thanking her before rushing after Blaise who had simply taken off down the corridor.
As they turned the corner, they found Dario stepping out of room twelve.
"Dario!" Draco hollered, catching the Healer's attention.
"There you two are." He replied.
"What's happened?" Blaise asked, breathing quickly.
Dario sighed, "Well, Cordelia became ill while at the Weasley's home. Molly brought her in and found me. I've performed a few test spells." He glanced around before looking back at Blaise. "It could be a number of things. So far, the results have not given us much to go on, but I've got Rocco doing some research We're going to figure this out." He said with a nod.
Blaise sighed but nodded, "May I go in there?"
"Of course." The Healer replied.
While Blaise entered the room, Draco remained in the corridor with Dario.
Dario placed his hand on the younger wizard's shoulder and quietly spoke, "Veela are known for having extremely easy and healthy pregnancies. Cordelia becoming ill is a rare occurrence. Are you aware of any difficulties that Lucius' mother may have had with any of her pregnancies?"
Shaking his head, Draco replied, "I'm not, but I could speak with my aunt. She may know."
The Healer nodded, "You might should do that."
"All right. If they ask, just tell them that I'll return soon." Draco said, before going back to the Floo Room.
He thought back to when his Aunt Antonia had given him the floo address to her home in Germany.
Stepping into one of the fireplaces, he grabbed some floo powder, and called out, "Davies House!" as he threw it into the flames.
When he stepped out, he entered a large Lounge and found his aunt, uncle, and two cousins sitting around a muggle board game.
"Draco?" his fifteen-year-old cousin, Sophie said.
Antonia turned, seeing her nephew, "Draco, is everything all right?" She asked, making her way over to him.
"I'm sorry to simply barge into your home…"
"It's perfectly fine." She said, "You're always welcome here." She said waving off his concern.
He nodded, attempting to smile, "May I speak with you…alone?" he asked her.
She nodded and led the wizard through her home and into her husband's home office. She turned back to him, immediately asking, "What's wrong, Draco?" concern evident in her tone.
Draco sighed and placed a Silencing Charm on the room. He inhaled nervously before finally saying, "Cordelia is pregnant."
Antonia's eyes widened at the revelation as she was stunned into silence.
"Aunt Antonia, she's become ill. Are you at all aware if your mother ever had any difficulties with her pregnancies?" He asked.
Antonia sighed as she sat on the edge of Jacob's desk. "She did. She actually had two miscarriages and nearly miscarried Ezio." She said, "I had one miscarriage and Ezio's wife nearly miscarried with Oscar. No one could ever quite figure out why, but I've always had a suspicion…"
"Which is?"
She sighed, "I once overheard my father mention something about how weak Malfoy's don't survive. I believe that he placed a curse on the Malfoy family, starting with Mother, so that if the baby wasn't presenting strong enough powers by an early date in the pregnancy, it died." She shook her head, "It's a horrible thing to do, but it explains why there aren't any Squibs in the family."
Draco swallowed, disgusted by his grandfather's likely actions.
"How can we be certain if he did that?" He asked, needing to find out.
"I'm not sure. You could…well…" She paused.
"What?" He asked, though he knew he wouldn't like her response.
She sighed, "You could speak with Lucius. He would probably know."
Draco groaned. "I was afraid you were going to say something like that."
She nodded, "I know it's horrible, but it may be the only option."
"Why would he even tell me though?" Draco muttered, beginning to pace, "He doesn't even want Cordelia to be part of the family."
Antonia sighed before an idea struck her mind. "You know…Lucius is a prisoner. I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed to use Veritaserum." She suggested.
Draco spun on his heel and looked at her. "Ansgar Duncan oversees the office of Family Affairs at Azkaban. I bet he'd help me out." He nodded, thinking it over. "Thank you so much for your help. But please…please don't speak to anyone about any of this. Cordelia doesn't want anyone knowing just yet and if anything were to happen…well…" He sighed.
Antonia nodded, "I won't say a word. I'm here though…should either of you need anything. And please, do keep me informed." She added.
He nodded and hugged her before leaving through the fireplace in Jacob's office.
He arrived back at the hospital and spoke with Dario.
"Okay, I'll give you some Veritaserum." Dario said.
"You have some here?" Draco asked.
Dario nodded, "Oh yes." He said, "We must have some just in case someone is lying about what potions they've taken or curses they've placed on other people. You'd be surprised how often we need it."
While Dario went down to the Secure Potions Vault to retrieve the Veritaserum, Draco suddenly felt his pocket buzzing. He thought for a moment it was the MAC but realized it was his cell phone, Hermione had given him.
He furrowed his brow, remembering that he and Hermione had gotten a bit distracted when she was supposed to show him how to use it. He pressed a button and could hear her voice coming from the device, so he placed it against his ear.
"Hermione?" He said, confused.
"Draco!" She said, her voice held a wide smile.
"Hi Love!" He smiled with a sigh, feeling relieved to hear her voice.
"Hi Darling!" She replied, "I miss you dreadfully. How are you? What's been happening?"
He sighed and sat down in one of the chairs in Dario's office, "Well, Cordelia is at St. Mungo's. Dario wasn't sure what was wrong with her. I spoke with Aunt Antonia, and she believes that my grandfather placed a curse on the Malfoy family. A curse that would kill any child in the womb that didn't appear magically strong enough…in his opinion, that is."
Hermione was silent for a moment, "Are you certain about this?"
"No, I'm not. So, I'm going to Azkaban to speak with Lucius." He replied.
"Draco…" she said, her concern and fear evident in her tone.
"I know, Love, but I must."
Hermione sighed, "Please, Love, be careful."
"I will. I promise."
"What can I do to help you?"
Draco sighed, "Nothing, Love. You need to just focus on spending time with your family."
"Draco, I want to help. Perhaps I should just come there."
"Hermione, no." He said, "Please don't misunderstand me. I want to see you, terribly, but you truly need to spend time with your family. We'll see each other on Sunday." He said, looking down at the ring on his finger, "Which I'm eager for." He muttered.
She smiled into the phone and nodded, "Me too."
"I should go, Love, but I'll see you soon. I'll write you tonight. I haven't quite figured out how to operate this phone." He smirked, remembering how they got distracted.
"Okay. I love you, Draco, so much."
"I love you too, Darling." He replied.
"Bye." She said before hanging up.
He heard a *click* before he slipped the phone back into his pocket.
Draco sighed and waited for Dario while attempting to prepare himself to see his father again. Dario arrived back in his office a few minutes later with a vial of the truth serum.
Draco wrote a letter to Ansgar Duncan and sent it to Azkaban with Dario's owl.
"I'm going to go see my sister. Would you please let me know when your owl returns?" Draco said to Dario.
Dario nodded, "Of course. And Molly and Blaise are still in there with her."
Draco made his way to room twelve and found Cordelia lying in bed, asleep while Blaise and Molly whispered to each other in the corner of the room.
Seeing the blond wizard, Molly and Blaise nodded to him and stepped out into the hallway to speak with him so they didn't wake the sleeping half-veela.
"What have you found out?" Blaise asked.
Draco furrowed his brow.
"Dario said that you were going to see if you could help figure out what was wrong with Cordelia." Blaise replied, seeing his friend's confused expression.
Draco nodded, "Well…" He said, "It appears that there may be a curse on Malfoy babies." He said before going into detail.
"Bloody fuck." Blaise muttered, paying no mind to Molly being right beside him.
Molly sighed, "Do you have a plan, Draco?"
Draco nodded, "I'm going to Azkaban to speak with Lucius. I've got some Veritaserum and I'm waiting for a response from the Director of Family Affairs at the prison."
Molly nodded, "Please, Draco, be careful. I know that there are guards but still…"
He nodded, "I know, and I will." He replied as Dario walked over to them with a letter in hand. He handed it to Draco, who read it and nodded, "I'm going now. I'll be back in a bit…hopefully with information."
Draco floo'd to Azkaban, straight into Mr. Duncan's office.
"Mr. Malfoy." Ansgar said, "Please, have a seat."
Draco nodded and sat down in one of the dragonhide chairs across from Ansgar's desk.
"So, your letter was a bit vague. Could you explain a bit more?"
"Sure." The blond wizard replied. "My sister is pregnant, and somehow, she became ill. The Healers cannot find the cause, and it appears that she may lose the child if we don't figure out what's wrong. According to my aunt, there is a possibility that Lucius' father may have placed a curse on the Malfoy family so that any baby that didn't appear strong enough, according to his standards, would perish in the womb." He said, "I need to use Veritaserum on Lucius to find out if this is true and if there is anything I can do to alter the outcome."
Ansgar looked disgusted, "That is…absolutely appalling. I'll have some guards bring Lucius to a private chamber so that you may speak with him. I do need to keep at least one guard in there with you however."
Draco nodded, "That's fine."
"We'll give him his lunch with the Veritaserum in his drink so that he isn't aware of it." Ansgar said, "Then you can speak with him in the private chamber."
Draco nodded and handed over the vial. He waited in the office while Mr. Duncan spoke with a guard and handled the Veritaserum.
Nearly twenty minutes later, Draco entered a small, private chamber. Lucius was sitting in the middle of the room, in a wooden chair; chains connected from the floor to his wrists and ankles.
The only other person in the room was the rather burly guard that remained in the corner, wand in hand.
Draco inhaled, steadying himself before walking over to Lucius. The older Malfoy looked up at him and immediately sneered at the sight of his son.
Draco nodded, "Good to see that you haven't forgotten me." He muttered as he walked in a slow circle around his father before stopping directly in front of him.
Draco glanced at the guard, wanting to be certain that Lucius had been given the truth serum. The guard subtly nodded, understanding the look.
Draco turned back to his arse of a father and spoke in an even tone, "I'm here to speak with you about your father…Abraxas."
His words stunned Lucius, who looked up at him with confused, grey eyes. Lucius swallowed nervously and Draco wondered if he feared Abraxas.
"What…what about him?" Lucius asked, his voice held a slightly zoned-out tone to it and Draco knew the serum was working.
"Did he place a curse on the future generations of the Malfoy family? Is he the reason your mother had two miscarriages?"
He wasn't too surprised to a see a small smirk appear on the older wizard's face.
"Did you get that filthy Mudblood pregnant and lose the weak brat?" He asked.
Controlling himself took all of his strength. He desperately wanted to throttle the tosser until he had no more breath in him. However, Draco inhaled slowly and shook his head.
"What is the cure for the curse?" he asked.
Lucius huffed, but answered to his own surprise, "Any Malfoy woman or woman who becomes pregnant with a Malfoy man's child must drink a cup of fresh Motherwort Herbal tea as soon as she discovers she is pregnant and continue to drink a cup every evening for the length of a single moon cycle." Lucius' eye widened upon realizing he had just given the true answer, "You bastard! You gave me Veritaserum!"
Draco nodded, "I'm looking out for my family. Are there any other details I need to know to help any women who become pregnant with a Malfoy child?"
Lucius glared at his son while clenching his jaw, "If she adds anything to the tea, it will no longer be the cure. It must be pure Motherwort Herb tea."
Draco nodded, "Is that all?"
"Yes." Lucius answered through clenched teeth.
"All right." He said, turning to the guard, "You may return him to his cell or do whatever you wish with him."
"Wait!" Lucius shouted, "I want to know how Narcissa is doing." He said, "You owe me that."
At first, Draco thought about denying the request but then he chose to answer him.
"She's doing splendidly. She's with a man. He's a good man, who loves her dearly. I believe they'll be married soon. Have a dreadful life, Lucius." He finished as he turned and left the chamber.
He could hear Lucius cursing and shouting as he walked down the corridor, back to Ansgar's office.
After leaving the prison, Draco went back to St. Mungo's. He found Dario and asked him for the fresh Motherwort Herbal tea.
Dario nodded, "I'll bring it straight to her room. We've moved her up to the fourth floor. She's in room four hundred and fifty-one."
Draco nodded and made his way up to his sister's room. He knocked on the door before entering.
"Hey." Blaise whispered as Cordelia slept. He rushed over to Draco and asked, "What'd you find out?"
Draco glanced at his sleeping sister before pulling Blaise aside and explaining everything in detail.
"So, Dario has gone to get the tea ready." Draco said.
Blaise nodded, "It's barmy how far some will go to keep their families full of 'strong' purebloods."
"Yes, it is." Draco replied. "Once we get back to Hogwarts, we'll need to speak with Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey about constantly making the tea for Cordelia."
Blaise nodded as Dario entered the room with a steaming cuppa hovering nearby.
"We need to wake her up." Dario said.
Blaise nodded and walked over to the bed. "Darling…" He said quietly, "Cordelia, you've got to wake up."
Cordelia opened her eyes, quietly groaning.
"We need you to drink this cup of tea." Dario said, bringing the cup of tea over to the bed, "It'll help you feel better."
Blaise helped his girlfriend sit up before Dario handed her the cup.
Cordelia began to sip the tea before grimacing, "That is quite bitter. Do you have any cream?"
Draco shook his head, "You can't add anything to it. I'm sorry."
She furrowed her brow but nodded and took another sip.
After she finished drinking it, she went back to sleep, curled up against Blaise's chest.
"We'll keep her here tonight." Dario said, "That way we can keep an eye on her. Then, if she's doing better tomorrow, she can leave."
"I'm staying." Blaise stated quietly but leaving no room for disagreements.
Draco nodded and looked at his wristwatch. It was nearing five o'clock in the evening and his day had been packed to the brim.
"You ought to go on back to The Burrow, mate." Blaise told him, "I'll keep you updated."
Draco nodded, and looked at his sister before sighing, "All right. Take care of her."
Blaise nodded before Dario and Draco left the room.
Dario looked at the blond wizard and asked if he needed anything.
"Just…" Draco sighed, "if anything happens, let me know at once."
Dario nodded, "I will."
Draco left via floo and went straight back to The Burrow.
When he arrived, Molly pulled him aside and asked how Cordelia was.
"She's okay. I think we were able to fix it, but we'll know for certain in the morning." Draco replied.
Molly nodded, "Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help."
Draco nodded.
"Well, dinner will be ready in ten minutes." Molly said, clearing her throat. "The others are in the Lounge."
Draco nodded, but rather than going into the Lounge, he pulled his coat tighter around him and stepped outside. He needed some air after everything that had happened that day. Having to face Lucius had been more than he had expected to deal with after everything on the Isle of Skye.
Later on, after dinner, he went up to his room and began to write Hermione a letter.
Love,
Hearing your voice today truly helped. I miss you and am eager to see you on Sunday. When I do see you, I'll need you to explain this device to me so that we may speak more often.
When I spoke with Lucius today, he told me that his father did indeed place a curse on the future generations of Malfoys. His curse causes any a Malfoy woman or woman bearing a Malfoy child to miscarry a magically 'weak' child.
I am beyond furious about this entire situation, but I am relieved that there is an antidote. The women must drink a cup of Motherwort Herbal tea every evening for the length of a moon cycle from the day she discovers she is pregnant.
I immediately went back to St. Mungo's and spoke with Dario who gave Cordelia a cup of the tea. So, with any luck, she and the baby will be fine.
He's keeping her overnight to keep an eye on her, but she should be back at The Burrow tomorrow. Blaise stayed with her so that she wasn't there alone.
How is it going with your family? I hope that you are all having a wonderful time together.
As I mentioned, I miss you, but I am happy that you are all getting to spend time together.
I'll see you soon, Darling.
With all my love.
Forever yours,
Draco
He read through it before nodding and slipping it into an envelope. When he whistled for Athena, she came soaring over to his window, landing on the windowsill.
"Take this to Hermione, please." He said, giving her the letter before watching her fly off with it.
Afterwards, he decided to go onto bed, being exhausted from the day's activities.
December 27, 1998
Draco was woken up around nine by Athena's *hoot* as she landed next to the bed, dropping a letter onto the mattress.
He groaned tiredly as he sat up, picking the letter up off the mattress. Realizing it was from Hermione brought a smile to his face. He opened it and began reading.
My Love,
I adored hearing your voice as well. Missing you is not a feeling that I enjoy whatsoever. I'd be happy to explain the phone to you. I know that it can be a bit difficult to understand at first.
It was smart of you to use Veritaserum to get the truth out of Lucius. I honestly doubt that he would have told you anything without it.
I cannot believe that this curse was put on the Malfoys by a Malfoy. It's horrible and I don't blame you for being so upset.
The fact that there is an antidote is wonderful though.
I must be honest. It makes me wonder about our future children. Will I need to drink the tea, or will the powers brought on by the Prophecy protect them from the curse? I know that right now, this is about Cordelia, and I don't mean to attempt to make it about me, but I am concerned.
As for how it's going over here, it's wonderful getting to spend so much time with my Grandad. He and I are just like we were when I was young. We get along splendidly, and I am thrilled to have him back in my life.
It's an odd feeling to have someone back that you thought was gone forever, but I am so grateful.
I am so excited to see you on Sunday. I miss being in your arms.
I love you, Draco.
Forever yours,
Hermione
Draco smiled before sighing, wondering about her remark regarding their future children. He hadn't considered the impact the prophecy may have on the curse.
As he got dressed, he thought over it all before deciding that he would speak with McGonagall to get a more educated point of view.
Once he was dressed, he went down to the kitchen where he found Molly and Arthur, sitting at the table, chatting.
"Oh!" Molly smiled, "Good morning, Draco! How did you sleep?"
He smiled, "I slept well." He replied as he looked around, "Where is everyone?"
"They have all gone to Diagon Alley to help the twins set up for a large sale they are having soon. They wanted to let you sleep after the day you had yesterday. I do hope that you aren't upset."
Draco shook his head, "Not at all. It was thoughtful of them to do that. I was quite exhausted and truly needed the rest."
Molly smiled, "I'm glad. Now, what would you like to eat?" She asked.
He shook his head, "You don't need to…."
"Draco." She said with a pointed expression.
He chuckled and nodded.
After he finished eating, he decided to head to St. Mungo's to check on Cordelia.
When he arrived, he went straight to her room and found that Narcissa was in there, speaking with Blaise and Cordelia.
"Are you certain?" Cordeia asked, none of them noticing Draco.
Narcissa nodded, "Of course I am. You are welcome to stay at the Manor this summer. You and the baby will need a safe place to live. I must ask though…are you certain that you want to have this baby?" She asked in a calm, motherly tone. "I'm not trying to push you in either direction. I simply want you to think about everything…all your options before you make your decision. Because, you do have more than one option."
Cordelia sighed, "I know, and I appreciate you asking. It's only that…I don't want to take the potion. I refuse to do that. And if I were to give her up, I'd want to remain a part of her life. I just…" She paused, swallowing emotionally, "I can't just give her away and not ever see her again."
Narcissa nodded, "I understand." She replied. "If you knew someone who was willing to do a sort of 'open adoption' situation, is that something you would consider?"
The half-veela thought about it for a moment before looking over at her boyfriend who had refrained from speaking up so far. The handsome, dark-skinned wizard raised his brow in question.
"How would you feel about that?" She asked him.
He inhaled deeply and walked closer to her bed where he sat down on the edge and gently grabbed her smaller hand.
"Darling…" He said quietly, "I've told you before that it's your body, so I haven't got a right to give my…"
"Blaise." She cut in. "If I were to decide to take the potion, then I'd agree with you, but we're talking about possibly giving our daughter up for adoption. You need to be part of that decision."
He nodded, swallowing before he cleared his throat, feeling the pressure of the decision weighing on him.
Narcissa could sense Blaise's anxiety and stepped forward, "You two have time to discuss this. There's no need to make your decision today." She said in a calm tone.
Cordelia nodded and squeezed Blaise's hand as Draco cleared his throat, stepping further into the room.
"Draco!" Cordelia smiled, happy to see her older brother, who had saved her unborn child's life.
The blond wizard smiled, "Hey, how are you feeling?"
She nodded, "Much better. Thanks to you!" She said, before asking, "How did you figure out about the Motherwort Herbal tea?"
Draco simply shook his head, "Don't worry about it. As long as it worked. That's all that matters."
She furrowed her brow but had no time to reply as Dario entered the room.
"Alright, Cordelia. According to your nurse, you are feeling much better. How would you feel about leaving the hospital?" Dario asked while casually performing a few examination spells on her.
"I'd love that." Cordelia replied with a smile.
Dario nodded, "Well, everything appears to be in order. So long as you continue to drink the Motherwort Herbal tea every evening for the next four weeks…" He said, looking at her pointedly.
Cordelia nodded, "Is there anywhere that I can purchase a supply of it?"
"Well, your brother and I spoke about it yesterday. Seeing as you will be at school during most of that time, Draco thought it best to speak with Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey. I've contacted the both of them. Professor Sprout has agreed to keep you stocked with the fresh herb and Madam Pomfrey will brew you a cup a of tea every evening." Dario explained.
Cordelia nodded, "And what about until the term begins?"
"I've got a tin for you to take with you once you're discharged. It will contain enough Motherwort to last you until you go back to Hogwarts." Dario replied.
Blaise and Cordelia asked Dario a few more questions before the Healer left, asking Draco for a private moment.
"I wanted to give you a case to keep with you." Dario said, handing him a small, wooden case.
"What for?" Draco asked.
"It's sort of an emergency kit." Dario explained. "With everything going on, I figured it'd be best for you to continually carry something with you…just in case."
Draco nodded and thanked Dario before the Healer walked off to begin the process of discharging Cordelia from St. Mungo's.
"Are we going to the Weasley home or the Manor after this?" Cordelia asked Draco.
Draco turned and looked at her, "I'll be going back to The Burrow, but you don't have to." He said.
She nodded, thinking it over before answering, "I'll go to the Manor instead. The Burrow has quite a few people in a rather small space."
Blaise nodded, "And you need to rest as well." He said, looking at his girlfriend, "I'll come with you."
She nodded and looked over at her brother, "Is that alright?"
"Certainly." Draco replied.
Narcissa nodded as well. "I'll head on to the Manor and ask Pippy to straighten up a bedroom for the two of you." She said before hugging Draco and leaving the room.
Draco stayed until Cordelia was officially discharged. He watched as she floo'd to the Manor, followed closely by Blaise.
Afterwards he went back to The Burrow, and informed Molly that Blaise and Cordelia had gone to the Manor.
"Are they both alright?" Molly asked, concern covering her features.
"Yes. Cordelia just needed to rest, so she decided to go there, and Blaise, of course, wanted to stay with her." He replied.
Molly nodded, "I'm glad that she's resting and that she's not alone. I know Blaise and Narcissa will take excellent care of her."
Draco agreed with her before joining the others in the Lounge.
December 30, 1998
The group had been back at the Manor for an entire day and had been inside that entire time. On Saturday, they finally decided to go for a stroll outside through the snowy grounds around the Manor.
Luna hadn't joined them at the Manor, instead she had decided to go to Theo's family castle a bit early.
While the rest of them strolled through the snow, chatting, Draco began to realize just how lonely he was without Hermione, despite being surrounded by his friends.
Pansy noticed how quiet he had become and discreetly made her way over to him.
"Hey." She said in a nearly silent voice. "Are you alright?"
Draco nodded, "I'm fine."
She looked at him with an expression of disbelief and he sighed.
"I'm just missing Hermione. I know that's a bit…pitiful, but…" He shrugged.
Pansy shook her head, "I understand. You two are in love. It's extremely difficult to spend time apart when you love someone so deeply."
He nodded and looked at his wristwatch. He was expecting a letter from her that morning, and it was already nearing the evening, yet nothing had arrived.
Pansy smirked but didn't speak as Ginny suggested that the lot of them head back inside before it got too dark.
As Draco entered his bedroom, he pulled his coat off and waved his wand, untying his boots. He sighed as he kicked off his boots and walked over to the fireplace to warm up. As his eyes drifted down, towards the warm fire, he caught site of the curling licks of the flames as they blazed a bright orange.
"Hey you." He heard and spun around to see Hermione entering his bedroom, a huge smile on her lips.
He stood still, staring at her for a moment before rushing over, wrapping his arms around her waist, and picking her up to spin her around.
Hermione smiled widely while laughing and hugging him tightly.
"Oh, gods I've missed you." He muttered as he set her back down and met her eyes, seeing the golden-specked, honey brown orbs he had desperately longed to see.
The witch nodded, cupping his jaw, "Me too, Love. I couldn't wait another day to see you."
He nodded and leaned down, kissing her lips deeply. Hermione hummed and kissed him back, cupping the back of his neck to pull him even closer.
After several minutes of snogging, Hermione pulled back, smiling up at the wizard with a loving expression.
"Would you mind if I freshen up a bit?" She asked him.
Draco shook his head, "Not at all." He replied. "Take as much time as you'd like."
She smiled and kissed him once more before going to the ensuite to take a shower. While she was in the shower, Draco worked quickly to make the room look as romantic as possible.
With a flick of his wand, he lit some candles and had them levitate around the room.
He rushed over to his closet and changed into a pair of black jean trousers, and a white tee with a grey shirt over it, left unbuttoned.
Once he was changed, he grabbed the camera he had gotten for her as a seven-month anniversary gift from his school trunk. He had spent some time wrapping and putting a bow on it the previous night and felt utterly grateful he hadn't waited until today to do so.
Draco locked the door securely and placed an extra strength Silencing Charm on the room as a precaution.
When Hermione stepped out of the ensuite, looking, and feeling refreshed, she found Draco sitting by the fireplace, waiting for her. He looked over at her and smiled before standing up from the sofa and walking over to her.
"I've missed you terribly, you know?" He said, pulling her close to him.
She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Me too, Love."
He tilted his head, looking at her, "I'm thrilled to see you, but…what happened with your family?" The wizard asked.
She smiled, "They could all apparently see how much I was missing you. I told them that you wanted me to spend time with them, but they continually told me to come see you. Though, they did make me promise to return on the first of January like I had already planned." She explained.
He nodded, "That was thoughtful of them." He said before pressing a kiss to her cheek and adding, "Happy seven-month anniversary, Hermione."
She blushed, "Happy seven-month anniversary, Draco." She said as she pulled him into a deep kiss.
Draco moved them towards his bed as they snogged passionately.
Hermione moaned and began to tug at his shirt.
Sometime later, as they laid in bed, Draco asked who all in the Manor knew she was there.
"I ran into Pansy on the way up here. She also sent me a letter this morning, telling me that you were miserable."
Draco nodded and pulled her bare body closer to his, "It's true." He muttered, "Without you…" He shook his head, sighing.
She leaned in and kissed him on the lips before saying, "Me too, Love. I'm utterly miserable when you're not around."
Draco looked deep into her golden-specked eyes before inhaling deeply, "I've got a gift for you." He said and kissed her once more, "May I give it to you now?"
She nodded, smiling at him.
He slid out of bed and pulled on some trousers before walking over to the sofa. As he did so, she sat up in bed, pulling the covers up, over her bare chest, smiling at him.
The wizard carried over the wrapped package and sat beside her on the bed.
He handed it to her, watching as she began to unwrap it. As she opened the box, her eyes widened in excitement at the sight of the camera.
"Draco! It's lovely!"
"I know that you've already got a camera, however this one is a bit…unique in comparison." He said.
She tilted her head, "In what way?" She asked in a curious tone.
He smiled, picking the camera up, "Well, this switch here, makes it possible to alternate from the magical setting to the muggle setting. In other words, it will take both kinds of photographs. I thought that perhaps some of your family, particularly your mother's side, would still need the muggle photographs. This way, you may use only one camera…should you choose to, that is."
The brunette witch beamed, "Draco! This is bloody brilliant!" She exclaimed, looking over at her boyfriend. "Thank you so much, Darling!"
He smiled, "I'm thrilled that you like it, Love. Sebastian as Sebastian's Snapshot Supplies in Diagon Alley informed me that he'd never made one or even seen one like this before."
"I'm not surprised. Usually, if they were to create something like this, you'd have to use your wand to switch the setting but if you're in a muggle area, it's not something that can easily be done. This…" She said nodding to the camera, "is marvelous!"
He smiled and handed it to her.
She smirked and worked on the settings for a moment before setting it on the foot of the bed and pulling Draco close. She made sure her body was covered before saying, "Smile."
He laughed, smiling while he looked at her with adoring eyes as the camera shutter snapped.
December 31, 1998
Around four in the morning, Hermione finally fell asleep. Draco, however, remained wide awake, unable to close his eyes for fear that she would be gone when they reopened. He watched her sleep, admiring her effortless beauty.
It was nearing half past nine when the two of them made their way down to the Dining Room to meet up with the others for breakfast.
As they entered the room, they heard Ginny excitedly say, "Mione!" while beaming and rushing over to hug the brunette, "When did you get here?"
"Late last night." Hermione replied with a smile while she, Draco, and Ginny walked over to sit at the table with the others.
Ginny smirked, nodding as Blaise and Cordelia entered the Dining Room, "I see." She muttered.
As Blaise and Cordelia sat down, Ron spoke up, asking, "What time are we leaving today?"
"Well, I told Theo that the lot of us would floo to his family's castle around noon." Blaise answered as he and Cordelia's food appeared on the table.
The others all nodded while continuing to eat their food. As they ate, they discussed possible games and activities for the New Year's Eve bash.
"You know…" Pansy said thoughtfully. "I was reading Witch Weekly and it had an article in it about Muggle drinking games. Maybe we could play some of them during the bash. They seemed rather interesting." She said before Accio'ing the Witch Weekly in question.
As the magazine came flying into the room, Pansy asked if anyone else had read it.
"I did, but I don't recall the article you're talking about." Ginny said.
Pansy nodded, flipping through the pages until she found what she had been searching for.
"Here we go!" She said with a smile. "So, there's one called Two Truths, One Lie. Apparently, each person takes a turn, and they tell two truths and one lie and everyone guesses which is the lie. Each time you're wrong, you take a drink." She said before scanning the page, "Oh, here's another." She said, "It's called Never Have I Ever. Ooh, it looks really interesting!" She smirked before continuing. "Each person takes a turn saying something…for example, never have I ever kissed a bloke. Each person in the room who has kissed a bloke, must take a sip of the drink. I think we ought to play it. I bet it can get rather racy." She smirked.
Hermione laughed, "I've heard that it can. I've had muggle friends play it in the past and they've told me that it can get quite indecent."
"Perfect!" Pansy smirked.
The group continued to chat for a bit before dispersing to pack some overnight bags.
Draco and Hermione made their way up to his bedroom.
"So, I thought that we could each pack an overnight bag and then tomorrow evening we could come back here to get your things before you return to your parents' house." Draco suggested.
"That's a good plan." Hermione replied before they began to pack.
Once they had finished packing, the couple sat together on one of the sofas in Draco's bedroom.
"I'm going to miss you when we have to part ways tomorrow night." Hermione said quietly.
Draco nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Me too, Love. Though, you need to spend as much time as possible with your family." He said.
"I know and I thoroughly enjoy it, but…" She paused, feeling slightly foolish for her clinginess.
He smiled and shook his head, "You must know that I completely understood."
She smiled and kissed him gently on the lips.
It was nearly noon when everyone gathered in the library. Once Blaise was certain that they had Cordelia's Motherwort herb supply, each of them took turns flooing to Nott Castle.
Draco was the last one to arrive and was immediately greeted with a scene full of smiling friends hugging one another.
"Happy New Year's Eve, Mate!" Theo beamed as he made his way over to the blond wizard, pulling him into a hug. As they separated, he said, "It's good to see you! I hope you had a marvelous Christmas."
Draco grinned and nodded, "I did. I hope you did as well."
Theo's smile faded slightly, turning somewhat bitter which caused Draco to furrow his brow.
"What is it?" He asked.
Theo huffed, "Let's just say…family isn't everything."
Draco, feeling confused, asked what his friend meant by his words.
"I'll explain later." Theo said quietly as his older brother, Tobias entered the room with a glass of auburn liquid in it.
Tobis was tall, handsome, and had dark, sandy hair that was slightly shaggy. He also had a trimmed beard and sharp, green eyes. He had always been one to attract women and men without much effort.
"Everybody…" Theo said, getting the attention of all of his friends. "This is my older brother, Tobias." He looked at his sibling. "Tobias…" He said, his voice holding a tone of warning, "these are my closest friends."
Tobias nodded as he took a sip from his glass, his eyes landing on Hermione's golden-flecked orbs. He smirked slightly and let his clover-colored eyes wander down her body before moving back up to meet her golden-flecked eyes once more.
She cleared her throat, feeling awkward.
Noticing this, Theo cleared his throat, and spoke, "Come on you lot. Luna and I will show you all to your bed chambers. Then we can all meet in the Ball Room later on." He said all the while glaring at his brother knowingly.
Draco, who had also noticed the look Tobias had given Hermione, stepped over to his girlfriend's side. He silently wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.
She looked up at him and kissed his jaw.
The group followed Theo and Luna as they pointed out the designated guest chambers.
When they arrived at the last guest chamber, Theo spoke up, "And this one is for the two of you." He said, turning to face Draco and Hermione.
"Thank you, Theo." She said, "This is lovely. When should we be down at the Ball Room?"
"Just take your time." Luna replied before she and Theo left.
Draco shut the door and let out a heavy breath.
Hermione looked over at him, concerned, "What's the matter, Love?"
He met her beautiful eyes, "I'd truly hate to have to kill anyone tonight but if that bloody tosser continues to look at you that way, I'll have no other choice."
Hermione sighed and walked over to him, pulling him close, "Love, you have nothing to worry about."
He smiled, "Darling, thank you for the reassurance but I'm only concerned with that bastard looking at you like he wants to shag you." He said, "And, my love, that's exactly how he's looking at you."
She leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips, "I love you, Draco."
He chuckled, "And I, you." He said before asking, "Shall we get changed and head on down to the Ball Room?"
She smiled and nodded, "Yes, we shall."
Once the two of them were changed and ready to go down to the bash, Draco looked over at the brunette and smiled.
"Merlin." He breathed. "Love, you look stunning."
She blushed, looking at him, "And you look utterly dashing."
He chuckled, "Then we make a fine pair."
She laughed and took his outstretched hand before they made their way out of the room and down to the Ball Room. As they entered the room, they found everyone except for Blaise and Cordelia sitting around the room on sofas.
Just as Draco was about to ask about their absence Ginny spoke up from her spot next to Harry on a sofa.
"Cordelia wasn't feeling well, so Blaise took her back up to their bed chamber to lie down for a bit."
"I'm going to check on her." Draco replied immediately, turning to Hermione, "I'll be back in a bit."
"Let me come with you. Perhaps I can help." She said.
The wizard nodded and the two of them made their way back toward the other side of the castle.
They arrived in front of Blaise's and Cordelia's bed chamber and Draco knocked on the door.
Blaise opened it and furrowed his brow, "What wrong?" He asked.
"I wanted to check on my sister." Draco told him, "Ginny said she wasn't feeling well."
Blaise nodded, "Come on in. She was just a bit nauseous. I was going to see if I had anything that would help, but I don't."
"I've got something." Draco said.
He went back to his and Hermione's bed chamber to get the case that Dario had given him. He grabbed it from his bag before returning to Blaise's and Cordelia's bed chamber.
He picked out a Nausea-Relief Potion and gave some to Cordelia.
"Give that a few minutes and it should help." Draco said.
Cordelia thanked her brother before telling him that they'd be back down to join the group briefly.
When Hermione and Draco returned to the Ball Room, they found Theo pouring everyone drinks as a smiling House Elf served them food. The sofas that had been in there previously were gone; replaced by a large dinner table.
"Come on over you two!" Theo grinned, waving them over.
"How's Cordelia?" Pansy asked before taking a sip of some wine.
"She'll be fine in a bit, and they'll come back down." Draco replied.
"Good." Harry said.
"Well, we figured that since it was getting to be close to dinner time, we'd eat and then we'd play some games." Theo said, "Pans apparently has a couple muggle games that appear intriguing." He smirked.
Draco chuckled and nodded as Blaise and Cordelia entered the room.
"What sort of games, Parkinson?" They all heard as Tobias entered the room and took the seat across from Hermione.
Draco clenched his jaw, but Hermione placed her hand on his thigh under the table while Pansy explained the games in detail.
After they all finished eating, Theo transfigured the table and chairs back into sofas and lounge chairs. The group sat together while Monty, the Nott family House Elf, fixed a drink for each of them.
"Thank you, Monty." Draco said with a kind smile as Monty handed him a glass of Firewhiskey.
"Anyone know what time it is?" Ron asked while Monty passed out the beverages.
"Nearly seven." Blaise replied, looking at his wristwatch.
"Alright, let's try out some of these games, yea?" Theo grinned.
"I'll be right back." Cordelia said.
Blaise nodded and stood up with her.
Draco knew that she needed to go drink her tea.
When the couple returned, the group played a few different games, including trying out the muggle ones which they all enjoyed. Most of them, except Cordelia, got at least somewhat intoxicated.
A short time before midnight, Luna put on some music, and they all decided to dance.
Draco pulled Hermione close, and she smiled, "I'm so glad that I'm here."
"Me too, Love." He said, looking into her eyes. "This is, by far, my favorite New Year's Eve ever."
"So, do you have any New Year's Resolutions?" She asked him as they continued to sway to the music.
The wizard furrowed his brow, "Am I supposed to?"
She laughed, "I suppose it is more of a Muggle tradition."
Draco nodded, "So then, you've made some New Year's Resolutions."
"I might have." She smirked.
With a chuckle, he asked, "Must I guess?"
"You could try." She replied, smirk still in place.
He laughed, shaking his head.
"Okay, fine." Hermione smiled, "I'll tell you." She said, inhaling deeply, "I have made a couple New Year's Resolutions."
He nodded, waiting.
"To be honest, there's not much that I want to change in the coming year. The past seven months have been the best of my life. You, Draco Malfoy, make my life so much better than I could have ever hoped for." She smiled, looking into his eyes. "With that being said, I do want to be a better friend. I also want to work harder on my job applications for after Hogwarts. I haven't done much of that."
"Darling, you are a marvelous friend, but I understand where you're coming from. And I'm happy to assist with your job applications. I must begin applying for the Healer Training Program at St. Mungo's, so I suppose we both have Resolutions."
She smiled and leaned up, kissing his lips.
"Ooh, you lot!" Pansy said excitedly, "It's five minutes until midnight!"
Monty passed out flutes of champagne to the group and when the clock struck midnight they cheered.
Draco pulled Hermione close and kissed her lips before whispering, "I love you, Hermione. Happy New Year."
She smiled and nodded, "I love you, Draco. Happy New Year."