Hermione had cuddled Scorpius for a little while and made sure he was assured of her love for him and that she was really sorry she wasn't there. When he fell back to sleep, just in time for his afternoon nap, she reluctantly carried him to bed and stayed true to her word, leaving via a floo in a lounge opposite the first-floor balcony. Being back in her flat so soon felt unsettling after everything the last hour had held.
With tears in her eyes again from recalling Draco's words, she proceeded to call Ron and Harry over for some much-needed comfort and support, broke out the muggle tequila, and told them everything that had happened since she left Harry's earlier that morning. They were her confidants in everything; having gone through so much together, having fought and survived a war as comrades in arms, sharing youthful misadventures and adulting in the only way Gryffindors could - badly - Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were always going to be the best shoulders in town for her to cry on.
Sometimes, she considered talking to Ginny about these things; when her mind wandered into the realms of gender roles and 'shouldn't she confide in her female friends about man-problems?' Ginny held no ill will towards her for confiding in her husband and her brother over her though and Hermione and all of her friends knew she was just more comfortable around the male of the species. She had an inkling it might be because she was always a daddy's girl as a child. As the consideration came to mind, she made a mental note to talk to her therapist about it. She also knew that Harry would tell Ginny anyway, then Ginny would tell Molly, who would tell Arthur, who would tell the rest of the family. They were a loud and chatty family who didn't hold back with each other, a family that didn't typically hide things from one another, and whilst it was sometimes annoying that they made a secret impossible, she couldn't say she really minded as it really just meant they loved each other and wanted to know what was happening in each other's lives and cared.
Harry and Ron had both comforted her with hugs and soothing words, letting her cry and rant and let go of her emotions in a way she only knew how to do with the two of them. They talked for a long time about how things had progressed with Draco and his parents, the genuine care that had blossomed between them all, and how accepted she felt by the magic in the tapestries adding her to the family even before the wedding. She couldn't stop talking about how Scorpius had called her his mum; she explained the shock she felt when Draco had told her and was crying again when she confessed that she truly did love the little blond boy who was so reminiscent of his father. It was ridiculously obvious to her best friends, and they told her it was quite obvious to them by how upset she was that she loved him as completely as she would her own child. Her response to this was more sobbing, which was finally quieted by a double measure of firewhiskey and Ron heading through the floo for reinforcements. He and Harry knew when they were out of their depth these days - what this situation called for was another 'Mum'.
Molly Weasley had spent Saturday morning in the garden whilst Arthur spent a few hours at the office to make a few extra sickles for birthdays and Christmas. With all of her children grown and moved out of the Burrow with children of their own, she had to de-gnome it herself and ironically spend less time with her husband. By late afternoon though, she was at the sink peeling potatoes for dinner whilst Arthur pottered around in the shed. She heard him come in through the back door just as she was switching her chore from potatoes to herb chopping and was startled when he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and giving her a squeeze.
"We have the house all to ourselves, Mollywobbles. Why don't you leave the dinner for later…?" Arthur murmured in her ear, before leaning down to trail kisses along her neck. Molly let out the breath she'd caught at his amorous surprise before leaning back against his chest and enjoying the empty house.
"Mum!" Ron hollered as he stepped through the hearth and into his childhood home. "Muuuum!"
Ron stepped into the kitchen from the living room and froze. His parents were barely dressed and in the sort of position he never wanted to see them in. Covering his eyes and turning around he made a scandalized sound of disgust, "Mother!" Sounding rather too much like a younger Draco Malfoy to not be considered hilarious. Arthur chuckled at the mental comparison whilst he helped Molly pull her apron down, and pulled his trousers up.
"Ron? Are you alright, dear?" Molly asked with a sigh, concerned by the impatient tone in his call, but slightly annoyed they'd been interrupted. Would her children never really stand on their own two feet and fix things themselves? It was nice to be needed but frustrating at times like this.
"I'm fine, but Hermione's upset, Mum. She had a huge fight with Draco and Scorpius called her 'mummy' and she's crying all over us. We've had a few drinks to try and calm her down, and I'm sure it's had the opposite effect but we were just trying to help. Harry and I… we're used to Hermione being emotional but this seems like… more and we're a bit out of our depth here." Ron explained, his ears turning red at his mother's disapproving look when he mentioned the drinking, though she didn't comment on it.
"Alright, Ronnikins, I'll be right through. Get back to Hermione and make us all a nice cup of tea." Molly said, sending him back through the floo, "I should take them some food and see what I can do for Hermione, love." She moved over to the refrigerator Hermione had charmed to work with magic, grabbing an assortment of sandwich fixings, a large amount of crisps and biscuits, and a loaf of bread she'd made that morning.
"Of course, Mollywobbles love, go take care of our girl," Arthur said, grabbing a basket for her to put the food in. He kissed her deeply once they reached the fireplace in the lounge. "I love you so much, my Molly… for the witch and the mother you are."
Molly kissed him again, returning his love with a whispered promise to continue their tryst later that night before stepping into the hearth and floo'ing to her distressed children.
Molly Weasley was the only woman Hermione felt could understand her feelings in this situation the best. Being a surrogate mother since Hermione and Harry were twelve and having become an adoptive mother later, Molly had years of experience in the same position Hermione now found herself in. With barely a whisper, she told her adoptive mother, "I understand now, Molly. How you feel… about Harry and me; how you've always felt. That you love us with your whole heart and that we really are just part of the family to you. It's how I feel about Scorpius. I can't thank you enough for just accepting me into your family and loving me the way you do. I will always, always feel so grateful to have you."
It was truly an honor that Scorpius viewed her as his mother; an honor and a revelation because she was on the receiving end now of what she felt for Molly and Arthur. It was so… special.
"Oh sweetheart," Molly was overwhelmed; she hugged her adoptive daughter tightly with tears in her eyes, "you are so loved and beyond welcome. A child's love and acceptance is a gift to any mother, and, sweetheart, make sure your head has caught up with your heart now. You may not have given birth to that boy but from this day forward, you are his mother. A magical child does not…" she paused, "cannot make that kind of bond without meaning it with his whole heart. And don't worry about Draco, dear… he'll come around when he realizes what an idiot he's been. All these trials and tribulations come to us so that we know what love is when it happens. He'll come to understand, like you have, that the reason he acted so ridiculously is that he was very scared and I believe rather completely in love with you."
Hemione nodded into the now damp-with-tears bosom of her second mother, not fully comprehending what the older witch had said as she was turned into Harry's arms and Molly took her leave to cook dinner.
When Molly floo'd back to the Burrow an hour later, Arthur was reading the evening Prophet at the kitchen table and sipping from a steaming mug of tea. A mug Hermione had gotten him when they'd first adopted her that said 'Dad' on it.
He looked up at her when she came in and smiled, "Everything okay with our girl?" he asked, subconsciously squeezing his mug tighter.
"Oh yes, she'll be right as rain soon enough," Molly smiled, grabbing her apron and picking up the potatoes she'd abandoned earlier, "She just got a bit overwhelmed at becoming a mother."
Arthur set the paper down, with raised eyebrows, "Scorpius? Already?"
Molly nodded, "Mhm, I believe we've just gained another grandchild. Have you checked the family tapestry recently?"
"I suppose I should. I'll go take a look." Arthur replied, standing and walking out the kitchen door, back toward his shed, where he kept the Weasley family tapestry. Checking it, the proof was undeniable. Right there, in magically woven thread, a line of silver stitching showed Hermione's tapestry face connected by an impending marriage line to Draco Malfoy. A second line, still glowing faintly with the newness of it, ran from between the two, leading to Scorpius Malfoy, her son.
Smiling, Arthur made his way back to the kitchen, hugging his wife with a sigh of contentment, "You were right, my love; we have another grandchild. The more the merrier I say."
Molly smiled and looked towards the Prewitt family clock her parents had given them as a wedding gift all those years ago when they'd eloped after graduation. Arthur followed her eyes to the clock and grinned, reaching into the silverware drawer, he pulled out two new spoons.
"Shall we add them to the clock, Mollywobbles?" Arthur grinned, holding them out to her.
Hermione and her boys (she'd always call them her boys) spent the rest of the evening eating the food Molly had brought, and discussing life - their past, their children, and their ever-expanding family - to try to help her feel better. Both boys knew the evening hadn't panned out the way Hermione wanted it to, that they were not who she had planned to spend her time with tonight, but they also knew Draco was too stubborn for his own good and would probably pout and stew in his own self-loathing for a few days before trying to get her back or waiting for her to go to him. He'd be in for a long wait if that was the case; Hermione was stubborn too. She'd already apologized and he hadn't; not only had he not accepted her apology but he'd gone on to accuse her of not caring for Scorpius. Both men just had to hope that Draco pulled his head out of his arse before it was too late because Hermione would live and die on her moral high ground.
Draco was in his office, working on his fourth glass of firewhiskey when Severus entered the room with one of his famous judgemental looks. He knew that deep down, his uncle/godfather was on his side but he also knew the man cared for Hermione and her well-being. She'd helped him through his convalescence after the snake bite after all.
"Hermione has left. She put Scorpius down for his afternoon nap before she went but I believe your mother woke him for dinner. The girl was quite obviously distraught when she left. What did you do?" Severus was never one to mince his words. Right to the point.
"I don't want to talk about it," Draco muttered petulantly.
"Tough," was all the reply he got as Severus poured himself a glass of firewhiskey and took a seat in the armchair across from Draco.
Draco glared at his godfather for a moment weighing the likelihood of getting out of the room without confessing his most recent sins. Severus, unperturbed, drank his whiskey and waited the younger man out. Impossible then!
"I fucked up, obviously," Draco sneered.
"Eloquent," Severus snarked.
Draco rolled his eyes before his face became serious, "We had a fight. I may have accused her of only caring about herself. I think I insulted everything about her that makes her so… special; her morals, her compassion, and… her love for my son. She apologized but I couldn't stop. Sev, I made her cry. I don't think I've done that since… what, second year?"
Severus looked at his godson over the top of his glass. The boy's voice held an air of defeat, of resignation, that Severus hadn't heard from him since the younger man's sixth year. It was a feeling they both knew well but Severus wasn't going to let him off that easily just because he understood. Finally, after studying his godson for another moment, he spoke.
"Let me see if I'm comprehending this correctly…you insulted and verbally attacked the most compassionate and loving witch to ever grace the Wizarding World? You stripped her of everything she holds dear. Why? Because your feelings were hurt? Because you think you have some kind of claim over every minute of her life; trust me, Draco, when I say you cannot control every minute of another person's life, they will rebel, regardless of how much they do not wish to. Did you think it an acceptable way to stand up for your son, to insult the only mother figure he's ever known, will ever know? Do you think he would be proud to know how you spoke to her?"
Draco's face paled at the soft-spoken but obviously angry words coming from his godfather. He knew he acted irrationally. That fear had taken over his common sense.
"I don't know why I did it…" he trailed off, realizing that was a lie, and looked at his feet, sniffing away the onset of tears at the enormity of his guilt. He'd basically told Hermione Granger, the Hermione Granger, that she didn't care about anyone but herself. He felt like a prize idiot but he'd been scared and as always when he was scared, he'd lashed out. "I…I was scared she had left us. I couldn't help it, I mean what reason does she really have to stay after everything I've done to her in the past? I was mad at her. I finally thought I was going to get to be happy with her… for Scorpius to have a mother and then she was… I couldn't find her and I couldn't figure out what I'd done wrong to make her leave. I just… I lashed out."
The realization hit him like a muggle lorry whilst his uncle was speaking. Of course, he'd been scared, was still scared; it seemed obvious now that he was more clear-headed, no that he wasn't so worried about Hermione's disappearance whilst also being bombarded with Scorpius's tantrum and could think. It wasn't that he didn't trust Hermione, not really. He'd trusted her since the latter years of their school acquaintance if he was honest with himself; trusted her to be honest, to care, to get the job done. Certainly, after being rescued from the burning Room of Requirement because of her insistence that he and his friends couldn't be left behind, he trusted her with his life; and that trust was compounded by her testimony at his trial. He trusted her completely. Finally grasping the wholeness of his faith in her, he couldn't help but cringe at the fact that with their unfriendly history, it was his insecurities, his fears of returning to their previous hostility, and that she would come to hold that against him and his son that had allowed him to be so unconscionably cruel to her. He could only imagine that fear was the same for her? More so, even. To be in this house, with him and his parents, to have been attacked in any way here… it must have brought back so many awful memories; especially when she had started apologizing. 'Shit, how could I have been so bloody thoughtless. I'm the selfish one.'
Severus snorted, "That has always been your problem, Draco. You push away the people that love you, the people who can help you when you are scared. You should have known when Scorpius called her his mother that the family bond, the connection, was already made. It is a two-way bond and if she didn't feel the same way, if she had left you, Scorpius would not have felt the connection he needed in order to make that rather profound announcement. His tantrum was the consequence of his magic sensing you were in distress; that you were rejecting the bond that gave him a mother. He could feel you rebelling against what he knew in his heart to be true because children do not have those kinds of emotional barriers. Hermione Granger is the best thing that will ever happen to you, Draco; she loves your son and for some unfathomable reason, she loves you too; perhaps much more than you will ever realize and certainly too much to ever leave. Take it from someone who knows how it feels to lose love and be responsible for how it happened. Letting your insecurities cloud your judgment to the point that you see negatives that are not there will only lead to heartbreak and a lifetime of regret. You judged that witch as if she were a Slytherin, when she is not. Hermione wears her heart on her sleeve and gives selflessly of herself to everyone around her. Luckily enough for you, forgiveness is practically her middle name but she is not made of infinite patience. Fix this, before it's too late."
Draco knew his godfather was right, but he was stubborn. He didn't like to admit he was wrong, and he definitely didn't want to admit that he was insecure about their relationship. He didn't want her to know that he knew she deserved better than him, that she was so far out of his league that he felt eclipsed by her brilliance. But he also knew he was going to have to apologize, he'd have to try to make things right between them again, otherwise, she might really leave him and he knew as much for himself as for his son, that that would be the complete destruction of his happiness. He also knew that he would never recover from such a heartbreak. He was in love with the most amazing witch in the world and he'd hurt her. He just had no idea how to fix it.
After five days, he still hadn't figured out how to apologize. Hermione was avoiding him just as much as he was avoiding her. He knew she came to the Manor every night to see Scorpius, the boy told him every morning, "Mummy wead me a new stowy," or "Mummy told me about widing dwagons," or "Mummy told me I can't appawate till I'm older, it's dangewous. I could get weally bad owwies." It both warmed and broke his heart how much she cared for his son.
Brix was running interference for her too.
Regardless of the fact that he hadn't worked up the courage to figure out how to approach her, or even how to begin to make this up to her, he missed her and he knew Scorpius missed seeing them together. He was growing frustrated. He knew a simple apology wouldn't be enough but without swallowing his pride and asking for help, he didn't know what to do.
Thursday night, as he was tucking Scorpius into bed, his son made the decision for him… "Mummy said she loved me tonight, Daddy. I aksed her how much and she showed me a picture on her awm of a wittle scorpion and it had my name on it."
Holding back sudden tears at learning Hermione had gotten a tattoo to show her dedication to his son, Draco knew it was time… there was still hope now she would come back if he just swallowed his pride and did the one thing he had been dreading having to do since he'd fucked up so royally… asking Potter for help. He decided to floo call his ex-nemesis once Scorpius was asleep and try to talk it all through, to get his help. Unfortunately, Potter was steadfast in his resolve against helping him.
"No dice, Malfoy," Harry had said through the floo, "I've been on the business end of Hermione's wand before and I have no wish to find myself back there for helping you grovel. You're on your own, mate. Sorry."
Dismissed by Potter, Draco knew his only option would be Potter's wife. She'd know how to get back in Hermione's good graces. "Can I ask your wife then, Potter? Maybe she can be of assistance."
Harry snorted, "You're welcome to try but it's your funeral. She's at the Burrow helping Molly get everything ready for the monthly family get-together; Sunday lunch for over twenty people takes a lot more than Molly can handle on her own these days."
Draco's face paled at the thought of facing the Weasley witches; he recalled with clarity Ginny's threat of the harm that would come to him if he hurt Hermione. Well, now it seemed it was time to see if she would deliver on that threat. It made his face turn an interesting shade of green and turned the floo flames a dark sage color, something that Harry absently considered might be the perfect hue for the sun porch he was in the process of adding to the house for Ginny's birthday.
Draco thanked Harry, even though he hardly helped, and canceled the floo connection. Sitting back on his heels in front of the grate and running his hands through his hair, he called for Brix. It was Friday afternoon and classes at the school were about to finish but he couldn't leave Scorpius alone whilst he faced the firing squad that was the witches of the House of Weasley. His parents were unreachable for the weekend, taking a romantic getaway in Rome, and Daphne was working until late this evening, on one of her rare 24-hour shifts at St. Mungo's. He knew exactly who he wanted to ask and he had no doubt she would accept… for Scorpius's sake of course. Maybe it would help to show her that he trusted her with his son.
"Yes, Master?" Brix asked with sass as she appeared in the room, one hip popped in an attitude, showing her irritation over the Master's dawdling in trying to get his witch back.
"Brix, could you please ask Hermione if she would mind watching Scorpius for the afternoon? I have some errands I need to take care of and everyone else is unavailable," he asked the elf as he stood up, noticing her attitude from the last week had not diminished.
"I shall take the young Master to her at the Ministry, sir. Mistress is in a meeting but will not mind watching her son." Brix commented pointedly.
Draco sighed with a defeated nod, realizing that he hadn't considered if Hermione had plans or was busy and that his own damn elf was taking Hermione's side. It was a definite sign that he was in the proverbial dog house. Feeling bad about it was a further sign that he was practically collared and leashed to the happiness of the women in his life too.
Having used the floo in his office at the bottom of the stairs to the family wing, he heard Brix pop into Scorpius's room and pop out of the house, presumably to the Ministry. Once he knew Brix and Scorpius were both gone, he floo'd to the Burrow, prepared to face his fate in whatever way the Weasley women decided he deserved.
Hermione was in the middle of a meeting with her boss, officially giving her recommendation for the go-ahead of Draco's proposal for a Petting Zoo at the school when Brix popped in holding a wriggling Scorpius.
"Brix?! What's happened? Is Draco ok? What's Scorpius doing here?" Hermione asked, surprise and panic evident on her face.
"Master be asking if you will takes Master Scorpius for the afternoon and evening? He be saying he is having errands, Mistress." Brix said, rolling her eyes at the 'errands' part of her sentence.
"I… erm… of course I'll take Scorpius," Hermione replied as the elf set the squirming child on her new Mistress's lap. Hermione automatically wrapped an arm around the boy and cuddled him close; he settled instantly in her arms and kissed her cheek. "Hello, little man… Mummy missed you so much today. What shall we have for dinner, sweetheart?"
Scorpius shrugged and shook his head before curling his face into Hermione's body, shy in front of the unknown wizard in the room. Her heart warmed that he felt protected by her. She'd been doubting herself since the argument with Draco.
"I will let Master know, Mistress." Brix smiled at her kindly before popping away again.
"How about fish and chips?" Hermione asked her son whilst still looking at where the elf had just disappeared. She felt Scorpius nod before looking at her boss with a slight cringe on her face.
"I am so sorry, sir. I wasn't expecting Draco to need me today." Hermione mentioned distractedly as she checked Scorpius was comfortable and happy and her boss looked on with mild interest.
"Not a problem, dear. This is Scorpius Malfoy, correct? Lord Malfoy's son?" Her boss asked.
"Um, yes sir. I meant to inform you that Lord Malfoy and I are seeing each other romantically. Scorpius is, of course, very precious to him and as a result, the boy and I have grown close." Hermione explained, smiling at the boy who was trying to burrow his way into her chest.
"Well, not to worry. Why don't you head home for the day and you can finish your presentation on Monday." Her boss suggested, watching her interact with the young boy, intently.
"Thank you, sir. I guess I'm off to the muggle world for the afternoon," Hermione said with enthusiasm, a laugh on her lips before she looked back at Scorpius, "And maybe the park for some time on the swings?"
"Yes, pwease," Scorpius answered quietly but he was grinning so Hermione knew he was excited.
"Have a good weekend, Miss Granger," her boss smiled at her and waved at Scorpius, who gave a small, shy smile and waved back.
Hermione thanked her boss again and stood, shifting Scorpius to her hip so she could collect the paperwork she'd been using for her presentation. Taking Scorpius to her office, she set him gently in her desk chair and filed a few things away so her office was tidy over the weekend and ready for Monday morning, then gathered her handbag and briefcase to go home.
Realizing that she was about to have to go through the public floos with Draco's child, and that would send a bigger message than she was ready to give to the Wizarding World at large, she decided to call in a little favor from the Minister. It paid to have fought a war with the man in charge of the country. She cast a notice-me-not charm over Scorpius and asked him to stay quiet; not wanting to silence him in case he needed her for something and made her way toward Kingsley's office.
She reached the office suite in record time, having practically flown down the, thankfully, almost deserted corridors. Just as she came to a halt outside his door, Kinglsey stepped out of the office and nearly collided with her.
"Minister!" Hermione greeted him with a smile to bring his attention to her presence and stepped back to give them more space.
Kingsley smiled back and waved his secretary away who seemed to be ready to start ranting about 'not having an appointment', "Hermione, please come in! It's been too long."
She slipped into his office and removed the charm from Scorpius.
"What can I do for you, Hermione?" Kingsley asked as he eyed the young boy on her hip.
"I was wondering if I could use your private floo? As you know, Draco and I have been seeing each other, and I have grown rather attached to this little blond angel." She nodded towards the child in question and Kingsley nodded, "Draco just sent Scorpius to me with his house-elf in the middle of my meeting and asked me to take him for the rest of the day. My boss gave me the rest of the afternoon off, but Draco and I haven't gone public yet and Scorpius has taken to calling me 'Mummy' in the last week or so. It would be rather a giveaway if he said that in front of the wrong person. It's best if we keep him out of the papers, you know? Skeeter has a bad habit of being something of a b-i-t-c-h when it comes to my love life."
Kingsley nodded, "I understand. Of course, you can use my floo."
"Thank you so much, Kings!" Hermione smiled and hugged him, careful not to jostle Scorpius too much. The Minister waved her thanks off and opened a small box on the fireplace mantle, holding it out to her to take a pinch of floo powder.
"Have a good afternoon with this little rugrat, Mi." Kingsley grinned affectionately, motioning toward Scorpius. They'd grown to be close friends during and after the war. He had been a faithful correspondent when she'd gone back to Hogwarts for her eighth year and became something of a mentor when she started her internship at the Ministry. With a smile and a wave, Hermione and Scorpius floo'd to her flat.
Draco wasn't sure what he'd expected when he floo'd to the Burrow to speak with Ginny, but Molly Weasley dragging him into the kitchen to assist with cooking for Sunday lunch was not it. Enjoying the back and forth of ingredients and the combination of boiling, stirring, mashing, and slicing was even lower on his list of expectations for the afternoon. It was like potions though, in a way and he still loved to brew. Severus was rather a dominating influence in that regard. A rather soppy smile spread across his face when he remembered that Hermione loved to brew as well; visions of her hair expanding in the fumes as she bent over her cauldron in sixth year, swam into his mind.
Ginny and Molly told him they knew all about what had happened but they wanted to hear about it from his perspective; so he told them. He chose not to embellish or detract from his actions as he usually would to decrease the amount of 'trouble' he was in; he told them exactly what happened, why he had said what he said, and exactly how he felt about Hermione and the whole situation. He explained that he needed help figuring out how to apologize and knew they were the best people to ask. Ginny rolled her eyes at his 'kissing up' but she and Molly both nodded along when he said he knew he needed to apologize because he was an idiot.
"Why don't you go meet her brother?" Molly mentioned as she finished the lattice on the apple and blackcurrant pie she was making. "Louis is the one person Hermione looks up to more than anyone else. He's also the only connection she has left to her muggle family. All the magic in the world couldn't create a bond like that."
Draco blanched, "I forgot she has a brother. He's a muggle tooth healer, right?"
Ginny nodded as she levitated the potatoes he had just finished peeling into a pot to boil, "A dentist, yeah. He works on Harley Street, in London. I can take you there tomorrow if you'd like."
Draco readily agreed, "Do you think he might have a good idea about how I can apologize to her in a way she might actually accept?"
Ginny shrugged, "I don't know but it can't hurt, can it?"
Draco thought it might actually hurt quite a lot if her brother was particularly protective.
Later that night, when he returned home, he felt a little more hope creeping in and calmly called Brix to ask her to collect Scorpius from Hermione. He didn't want to push his luck by going to collect his son himself, unsure of the reception he'd receive. Brix still didn't seem keen on forgiving him but she did as asked and returned a few moments later with a happy Scorpius holding her hand. It was comical that they were the same height.
"Did you have fun with Mummy, Scorp?" Draco asked with a small grin.
"Yeah! Look what Mummy gave me for being a big, bwave boy las' week when I couldn't find Mummy!" Scorpius gave him a huge smile and presented him with a velvet box, which was open and displaying a well looked after but clearly quite old muggle medal of some sort. Intrigued, he took the box from his son and gasped; it was a genuine Victoria Cross. He'd read - in the scant muggle history books housed in his family library about the muggle World Wars - that this medal was one of the most prestigious a soldier could receive. It took him a moment to realize Scorpius was still talking, "Mummy said it was her gwandpa's and he got it fwom the Qween. She said it is extwa special just like me, and I have to take extwa special cawe of it!"
Draco smiled at his son, "It is very special, a true treasure. You did a great job being brave, kiddo. Better than daddy even. Let's go find an extra special place to put it in your room, huh?"
Nodding enthusiastically, Scorpius waved his arms in the air and started chanting 'up, up, up' wanting to specifically be given a piggy-back ride up the stairs. Draco obliged his son and hoisted the boy onto his shoulders, intentionally jogging so that Scorpius bounced on his shoulders like a jockey on a horse.
"Mummy can't get me on her shoulders, Daddy. We went to get fish and chips and I was on her back like a towtoise shell. She said she got an owwie fwom a naughty wand."
Hermione had shoulder pain? He wondered what it was from… 'a naughty wand' Scorpius had said. That could mean anything, although she was probably protecting him from the term 'Death Eater'. Merlin, he was dreading the day when his son found out about the war… and his part in it. There was a possibility it could be a remnant from Bellatrix's torture; his aunt had dug her heel into Hermione's shoulder and there had also been a point-blank crucio aimed there. It seemed unlikely that she'd still be in such pain that she couldn't pick Scorpius up above her head though. He still felt twinges himself in his knees now and again but it wasn't severe.
"What's a hewo, daddy?" Scorpius asked, breaking Draco out of his thoughts.
"Oh… a hero is someone who protects someone who can't protect themself. Why'd you ask, kiddo?" Draco answered distractedly.
"Mummy called me her hewo when I climbed on her back fwom the floor."
Draco groaned. He couldn't help it. Every amazing thing Hermione did for his… their son, she made him feel worse. He knew she wasn't doing it on purpose but damn, she was laying it on thick. Fine, I get it. You're amazing with Scorp…
"Merlin's saggy left…" he stopped himself completing the exclamation as he watched Scorpius's eyes go wide. "Oh Scorp, I think I made your mummy really sad and now she thinks she's no good at looking after you but she is, isn't she, kiddo? Mummy's amazing at looking after you."
"Mummy said I'm a hewo. I pwotect Mummy from being sad." Scorpius looked so proud in that moment with his little chest puffed up, that Draco couldn't help but give him a sad smile.
Draco didn't even realize he was crying until Scorpius wiped the tears away. "Daddy sad, too?" he asked in a trembling little voice that sounded close to tears too. "I pwotect daddy?"
"I'm fine, son. I just miss your mummy and I think I need to talk to mine." He said, resignedly, pulling Scorpius into a tight hug to stop his son from seeing the tears of pure love.
Draco knew now what he needed to do… he had to be brave, extra brave, like Scorpius; a hero. He needed his mother first, to let her know of his plans and employ her expertise to choose and collect the required jewelry… a trip to the vaults would be necessary but that could wait till everything else was in place. Next…recruitment to the cause; Hermione's family had to be the best place to start for that; specifically her half-brother in the muggle world. What was his name again? Luke? No, that wasn't it… Louis! He would need her adoptive family as well; every last feisty ginger he could find.
His plan materialized in his head: Mother & Gringott's… wait, no… Gringott's alone; Narcissa was still away. Ok, start again… Daphne would take Scorp for the day; Gringott's alone. He really should pick the ring himself anyway. Lunch with Theo to add a minor amendment to the contract before floo'ing straight to the Potters so Ginny could take him to meet his future brother-in-law. Yes, it was doable. Crazy but doable.
He knew his idea had the potential to blow up in his face, causing mass humiliation all-round but he had to try and find the sliver of Gryffindor that Hermione always said everyone has inside themselves, inside himself. He had to 'go big'. He certainly thought his idea encompassed the motto: Go big or go home; something he remembered Hermione saying was the Gryffindor way of life back in 8th year. Even if it didn't, surely Hermione would see that he tried to… Gryffindor himself up for her and grovel like the idiot in love that he was.