Chapter 4: The Return

17th July 2002

"Eleanor Cassandra Granger," Hermione scolded, walking into her bathroom to find her three-year-old standing in the sink 'making potions' just like her dada. "We don't use mummy's soaps like that," Hermione sighed, lifting the giggling girl from her stool and setting her in the bath.

"Yes! I make potions like dada!" Ellie squealed with laughter as Hermione proceeded to pull the wet soapy clothes from her daughter's body. "I'm cheeky," the little girl said, bursting out into another fit of giggles, scurrying to the faucet as the water began to pour into the bath.

"That you most certainly are," Hermione agreed with her daughter, shaking her head as Ellie laid on her stomach, pretending to swim in the bath.

"Granger? Are you home?" Hermione heard Draco calling from the bottom of the stairs. His heavy footsteps thumped with his accent towards her bedroom as he most likely heard the bath being run.

"In here, your apprentice made a bit of a mess in the sink and all over herself," Hermione called out to her boyfriend. She didn't move from the stool so she could continue to keep an eye on the little girl splashing away. Sighing, Hermione put up a shield to keep the water in the bath.

Draco appeared in the doorway, a wide grin on his face as he appeared, taking in the sight of both his girls. "And what was it you were trying to make my little pixie?" He asked Eleanor after pecking a kiss to Hermione's cheek.

"Skele-Gro!" Ellie answered, kicking her feet in the water, causing it to splash everywhere. The water hit the shield, dripping on her face, making her start to throw water about more forcefully.

"Well, that's advanced," Draco commented, pulling up a second stool to sit and watch his daughter. "Did it work?"

"Yeah!" the toddler exclaimed, jumping up from the water, bubbles clinging to her skin.

"Excellent, I've never doubted your brilliance," Draco told the girl, making her giggle again as she held out her arms, ready to be picked up. "I'm a dragon, rawr!"

Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes at the child, pulling out the dragon hooded towel that the tiny witch had requested. Wrapping her in it, Hermione lifted the girl from her extremely soapy bath water and began to dry her. Ellie continued to growl and chomp at Draco, who reached his hands out to his daughter, happily taking her from Hermione. Staying to clear away the remainder of the mess, Draco carried her out of their room and into the nursery.

"You're done with class already?" Hermione asked, walking into the nursery where Draco was wrestling Elli into her clothes. She hadn't thought that she'd be seeing him so soon, as he was entering in the last weeks of his mastery program. It ran longer than the regular Hogwarts school year, but very soon he'd be sitting his Mastery exam and then he'd officially be a potions master.

"Yeah, Pansy got a hold of Sluggy and convinced him that I needed to leave early today. Something about me being an honoured guest at Potter's engagement party." Draco commented as he finished getting the little bloomers on the girl before yanking a dragon print dress over her head. "He even told me it might earn me a spot on the shelf."

"Oh, now that's the real honour," Hermione replied, tipping her head towards Draco. In response, he threw the damp towel in her direction, the both of them laughing at his master.

At the mention of Pansy, Hermione sighed, with happy thoughts of the direction her life had taken since the war. All of her friends had been supportive of her decision to keep the baby of an unknown man after she'd finally told them. When she'd finally told Harry and Ginny about her pregnancy, the couple admitted to her that Ginny was also pregnant. With Ginny being due just a few weeks after Hermione, the two witches had leaned on each other becoming closer than ever.

Draco had been true to his word all those years earlier and had stepped into the role of being Ellie's father and never looked back. At first, none of their friends had understood the odd dynamic of their friendship. Then Eleanor was born and things between Draco and Hermione had blossomed from strictly friends to a full-on relationship.

After everyone saw the way Draco loved Ellie, their entire group had wholeheartedly accepted the fact that Draco was her father. To him, she wasn't just his girlfriend's daughter, she was his. Or more accurately, he was hers.

At Ellie's naming party, Draco had invited his mother, wanting her to meet Hermione and Ellie. Despite Hermione's nerves over how she might react, they were all squashed when Draco's mum laid eyes on her son holding a baby. That was all it took to convince Narcissa, and she'd slipped into the role of a doting grandmother and never looked back. Narcissa even took on the job of being Ellie's full-time caregiver, with the Malfoy house elves' assistance very minimal.

"Wait," Hermione said, stopping to look at her boyfriend. "Their engagement party was months ago, what did Pansy really need you for?"

"Oh, it's still a party, now get dressed." Draco told Hermione. "I don't know if you remember him, but Theo Nott, he was in our year. Well, he's back from getting his charms mastery and Blaise is throwing him a welcome home party. Mother already agreed to take this dragon for the night, even made a show of setting up her rooms, even though we all know that Ellie will sleep peacefully cuddled up with my mother."

"Nana!" Ellie screeched, jumping up and down. "I go nana's house!"

"Yes, you are my little pixie. Now, you can't go over there with a naked bum!" Draco called out, chasing after the little girl who'd stripped herself of her clothes and darted from the room.

Watching them go, Hermione flicked her wand, summoning Ellie's overnight bag as she began to pack it for a two-night stay. Narcissa had a habit of letting one night turn into two and so on. As Hermione continued to pack away all of the things Ellie would need to take with her, she couldn't help but try to picture Theo Nott, coming up blank.

ooo

Theo walked up the stone path to the Italian style villa that sat on the water's edge. While it was Blaise's family home, there had certainly been some changes done to it since the last time Theo had been here. A creature's reserve was tucked away towards the back of the property along with a Quidditch pitch, both things that Seniora Zabini would never have approved of being built on her property.

It was refreshing being back home, not that Theo had particularly missed it. The reality was, he'd only agreed to come home after Pansy had contacted him to say that she was getting married to Potter and he was to be in the wedding party.

So, with the wedding happening so soon after he'd completed his mastery, Theo had opted out of applying for any jobs in America at the moment. As soon as the 'I do's' were said, however, Theo would be getting the next Port Key back to New York City. The master he'd studied under had assured Theo that he'd be able to easily secure a job with MACUSA, despite his family name.

That was what Theo loved the most about living in America. He was just another bloke on the streets. He wasn't the son of a terrifying Death Eater, he wasn't Sacred Twenty-Eight, or even a Pureblood. He was just Theo. Getting to be just Theo was one of the most refreshing experiences he'd ever had. He'd gone all his life not realising just how much weight he'd carried with him of being the son of Thoros Nott. Now that he was free, he wasn't particularly keen on gaining that back.

Finally reaching the door – the bloody walkway was absurdly long – Theo took a breath and raised his hand, readying himself. Wrapping his knuckles against the great oak door, Theo waited until it slowly began to swing open. Stepping into the foyer, Theo looked around, only to see a little elf bouncing around in excitement at the sight of him.

"Master Theo, this way. Master Blaise awaits you in the sitting room," the elf squeaked out, turning away and quickly rushing down the hall, her large bat-like ears flapping as she went. At the speed the elf moved, it wouldn't have shocked him to see her take flight.

"Well, alright then…" Theo trailed off, looking around at the decor Blaise had updated his home with. Long gone were the lacey silks and floral arrangements everywhere and feeling like one had stepped into a museum of sorts. Instead, it was a warm inviting space, clearly one where children lived as he passed a family portrait of Blaise standing behind Ginny, who was holding a little red headed boy with Luna seated next to her – a swollen pregnant belly on full display.

Theo wanted to say that he knew what the sprogs' names were, but truthfully, he couldn't remember. Blaise had written to him numerous times with updates and Theo had gotten a birth announcement, but he honestly couldn't care less about children. That wasn't where his mind was at the moment. Theo had been focused on finishing his mastery program and now his sights were set on securing a career in the field and becoming one of the most renown charms masters in the world.

"Right through that doorway, sir," the little elf said, gesturing towards the entrance to the formal sitting room. "Welcome home," she said with a giggle. And with a pop, the elf was gone.

"Well, that was…odd…" Theo said to himself, pushing the door open, finding a dimly lit room.

"Oie, Blaise, why is it so bloody dark–"

"SURPRISE!" a chorus of voices called out, making Theo jump. The lights came on, so bright that Theo had to hold up his hand to shade his eyes as they adjusted.

Not only was the Zabini triad there, but also were Goyle and his wife – some redheaded Hufflepuff girl Theo couldn't remember the name of – Pansy and Potter, Flint and Wood, Pucey, Astoria, and Daphne was with some bloke they'd gone to school with. Theo was really and truly shocked at the crowd gathered, seeing as he'd done a poor job staying in contact with most of them. As he took the crowd in again, Theo noticed that Astoria was hanging off of Pucey's arm, apparently his date.

"What's all this?" Theo asked, a glass of champagne behind thrust into his hand by an overly enthusiastic Ginny Zabini.

"You're welcome home party, and congratulations on passing your mastery exams." Pansy answered, rolling her eyes as if Theo had asked the stupidest question. Well, she hadn't changed in the slightest.

"This is, wow, just, thank you," Theo said, sincerely meaning it. Though as he looked around, there was one particular blonde missing from the welcome party, making his heart sink just a bit. As he went over to shake Blaise's hand and congratulate him in person on the birth of lunar eclipse or whatever the fuck he and Luna had named their newborn, the door to the sitting room opened.

"Sorry we're late," a familiar voice called out. "My mother got Ellie a new Abraxan, so of course we had to watch her try to ride it."

"A fully grown Abraxan," a voice Theo didn't particularly recognise spoke as he turned around. His mouth dropped open at the sight before him. There was Draco, looking happy and healthy, not the drunken shell of a person he'd been when Theo had last spoken to him. And there on his arm, long dark unmistakable brown curls falling around her shoulders, was none other than Hermione Granger.

ooo

Draco was shocked when he finally registered who was standing in the middle of the room next to Blaise. The four years in America had done Theo a great service. He'd filled out, no longer was he the tall lanky boy who'd just gone through his last growth spurt. Instead, he had thick muscular arms that were covered in tattoos. Long gone were the glasses he'd always wore, his bright blue eyes were on full display. He had a face piercing and he had multiple ones on his ears, with the lobes being gauged. With a full beard and long dark hair pulled back at the base of his neck, Theo Nott looked like an entirely different person.

His boyish good looks were gone, replaced by the ox standing before him. Draco couldn't deny it, the change looked good on Theo.

Next to him, Granger was already engaged in a conversation with Weaslette and his cousin, gushing over the new baby that they had yet to meet, Selene. Needless to say, Ellie was beyond excited to have a new baby cousin, especially because she was a girl. Even though she did love James, the son that Potter and Weaslette had before their split, she was more excited for a baby girl to have to dress up. He supposed Ellie viewed Selene as her own real-life doll, and he didn't have the heart to tell her that wasn't how it worked.

"The fuck?" Theo said, startling Draco from his thoughts. He was looking between Draco and Granger, clearly confused at the turn Draco's life had taken. "You have a kid, with Granger?" He asked, causing the chatter in the room to almost come to a complete stop.

"Uh, well, yeah. You've been gone a long time," Draco replied, his hackles raising. "A lot can change in nearly four years." The row that they'd had before Theo left had been the last time the two of them had spoken. Draco had never bothered to write, at first because his pride wouldn't let him. Then as the time went on, he didn't know what to say or how to apologise and had just decided to leave it be.

"Draco," Granger scolded, "he's only returned, be polite." Granger hissed through a clenched jaw before turning towards Theo, a bright smile on her face. "Hello, Theo, I don't know if we've ever been properly introduced. I'm Hermione," she said, bypassing Draco and going up to Theo, wrapping him in an embrace that clearly stunned the other wizard. "Welcome home, I apologise for Draco, he can be a bit of an arse still, though I've been working on him, I don't know that I'll ever be rid of that particular aspect of his personality."

Theo seemed shocked as he looked down at Granger. Of course, he knew who she was, she was the most famous Muggleborn in the entire world. Draco had to hide a laugh though, because it was obvious that Theo had not been prepared for Granger's affections to be directed towards him upon their first meeting.

Knowing that if he didn't reign in his irritation with the wizard standing in front of him that he'd be spending the night on the couch, Draco took a deep breath and held out a hand to his old friend. "It's good to see you, Theo." Draco said as Theo looked at his hand in confusion before his gaze coming up to meet Draco's.

"Yeah," Theo said, taking Draco's extended hand, "you too."