Author's Notes:
Here's Chapter 105 for you!
I haven't decided what I'm doing this month with uploads, but there will be more chapters in December.
Love DW x
P.S. Enjoy
When Hermione steps out of his fireplace onto the living room, David isn't entirely sure what to say. He'd been sat drinking a cup of tea and reading the newspaper, waiting for her to arrive to pick Sophie up. Although this wasn't how he expected her to arrive.
"Sorry for using the fireplace. I'm not supposed to disapparate past the seven-month mark." She tells him, struggling to lower herself onto his couch.
David stares back at the fireplace that he'd had blocked up as soon as he'd moved in after hearing horror stories of birds and rodents getting stuck and dying in chimney breasts
"How-," He begins, then shakes his head. "Magic," He mutters. "Sophie's brushing her teeth." He says, folding up his newspaper and throwing it onto his coffee table.
"Great, sorry I'm late. We overslept. We've been having a few late nights recently since Hogwarts broke up for the Summer, and we weren't sleeping too well the weeks leading up to the last day of term, what with exams and everything." She shakes her head. "I'm glad this year is over, although I'm going to miss the school next year when I'm on maternity leave." She rubs her hump with a wince. "Baby's been kicking me half the night too. I don't know when the baby sleeps." She admits.
"I know what you mean about exams being over. I wish I had an excuse to take a year off." He jokes.
They hear Sophie's footsteps bounding down the stairs and along the corridor until she's at the door.
"You're late." She tells her cousin.
"Well you weren't ready when I got here, so you're late too." Hermione teases, struggling to stand up. Her bump had really grown over the past month, making it increasingly difficult to move. "That's a lovely dress." She comments, not used to see her in dresses.
"Grandma got me it for my birthday. It's a summer dress." She states, lifting the hem up, as though to curtsy, showing Hermione the pale blue flowery pattern. "Can we go now?" She asks, letting the fabric fall.
"Yes, we're travelling through the floo network directly to the Burrow." Hermione offers her a small bag of powder. "Take a small handful, step into the fireplace, throw it on the ground and say 'The Burrow'. You need to speak very clearly. Ask Harry what happened the first time he flooed." She instructs Sophie.
Sophie takes a handful of the powder and follows the instructions. "The Burrow," She speaks in an upper class, fake British accent.
Hermione turns to look at her uncle David. "I'll have her back in a few hours." She tells him, following her cousin to the Burrow.
Sophie is already running outside by the time Hermione arrives in the Weasley's kitchen. Molly, as usual, is rushing around the kitchen with the pretence of being behind schedule with her cooking, even though the dining table is already full of delicious smelling and looking food.
"Do you need any help, Molly?" She asks, glancing around at the assortment of pots and pans stirring themselves.
"Oh, no dear, go enjoy yourself outside," Molly tells her, giving her a quick welcome hug. "Look at you, positively glowing." She holds Hermione's face in her hands. "Go on, get outside with the rest of the kids."
"Molly, we're in our twenties." She laughs.
"Bill is thirty, and he's still my baby," Molly mentions as she pulls a tray out of the oven.
Hermione walks outside, into the back garden, where the majority of the Weasleys, and some friends, were sat on a massive picnic blanket. At the centre, with a happy Teddy on his lap, was the birthday boy.
"Happy Birthday, Harry!" Hermione greets one of her best friends as she reaches the group.
Harry jumps to his feet, throwing a giggly Teddy over his shoulder as he rushes over to hug Hermione.
"Thanks, Hermione. How are you? You look ready to burst." He laughs, looking down at her bump.
Hermione pulls a face, pushing him away. "Thanks, Old Man." She sarcastically replies, making Harry laugh louder.
"You're twenty-one in seven weeks." He quips.
"Okay, Baby." She smirks at him, making him chuckle before walking over to the table of nibbles.
"How are you feeling?" Percy asks her, picking up a scotch egg and placing it whole in his mouth.
"Great," She smiles thinly, selecting a sandwich from a platter. "Baby enjoys kicking me at the moment. Baby is also wiggling around a lot. They must be getting restless in there." She says, taking a bite.
"You've not got long left though, have you?" He asks.
Hermione shakes her head. "Seven weeks."
"Have you got the nursery ready for the baby's arrival?"
"Draco has done all that, with little input from me." She smiles, turning to find her husband. "It's lovely. The furniture and carpet is all grey, and then the bedding, curtains and walls are a calming green."
"Sometimes, I forget who you're married to," Percy admits, staring at the man in question, stood with Philip in his arms, talking with George and Ron, laughing about something or other. "As in I forget who he used to be. No one back at the ceremony could have foreseen you two actually getting together in all this." He admits.
"Neither did I, not on that day. Although, it took a surprisingly short time for me to realise I actually really liked him and wanted to be with him." Hermione admits with a soft smile. "You know, I kissed him first. After seven days." She laughs.
"Really!" Percy sounds genuinely surprised.
"Yes, but he said 'I love you' first." She grins. "After sixteen days."
"You remember the date?" Percy chuckles.
"Of course, I do. I first said 'I love you' on the thirty of June. It was our first official date." She tells him.
Percy sighs, "I'm really happy for you. You deserve to have someone love you as much as Draco does." He tells her.
"Percy," She places a hand on his forearm to stop him walking off. "You deserve to find someone who will love you with all their heart, and one day, you will. You're too good of a person." She tells him.
"I'm not sure." He shrugs.
"Percy, you're nearly twenty-four years old. You've got a year left of the Marriage Decree, and then you'll have the rest of your life to find someone special." She tells him.
Percy nods his head. "I can only hope." He smiles a grimace, pops another scotch egg in his mouth and walks off towards the kitchen.
Hermione sighs, wishing her friend wasn't hurting. Not everyone got such a positive partnership out of the Marriage Decree, and Percy wasn't the only one who was struggling with his partner. Once it was over, Hermione was confident he would find someone to spend his life with.
Ginny beckons her over to one of the picnic tables Arthur had placed to the side of the picnic blanket, where she was sat with Fleur and Angelina. Angelina and George had only just welcomed their son, Fred, into the world, and nobody wanted a mother recovering from birth to be forced to sit on the ground.
At the picnic table, Ginny and Fleur were cooing over their newest nephew in Angelina's arms. As soon as she sits down, Hermione has a sleeping Victoire placed in her arms so Fleur can have a cuddle with Fred. She doesn't mind though, the further she gets into her own pregnancy, the more she earns to hold her baby, and until they arrive, any baby will have to do.
"He is adorable, Angelina," Ginny tell her sister-in-law, her own son stood on her lap, bouncing up and down.
"I think so," She sighs, staring at her son. "George is such a good father. I know he's only eleven-days-old, but George is such a natural." She tells them.
"Harry is the same," Ginny boasts, glancing over at her husband, currently rolling around in the grass with Teddy. "He's going to get his shirt dirty." She sighs.
"He can clean it," Fleur says.
"How do you think Draco will be with your little one? You've not long left." Angelina leans across the table to ask quietly.
The two other women also lean in, as though ready to hear some gossip they could pass on to their husbands and friends afterwards.
"He's been amazing with the children in my family, and he loves spending time with Pandora, and Ron's twins. He can't wait to meet ours. He's already decorated the nursery and bought far too many toys and books. He had to enlarge the bookshelves in the nursery to accommodate everything." She smiles, casting her eye over to Draco, who is now holding Phoebe.
"Who would have thought it, considering the family he came from. Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy." Angelina's eyes widen. "How are you getting on with Narcissa? I read in the Daily Prophet that you'd banned her from seeing your baby." She states.
Hermione sits taller. "We had a few- disagreement in the past, and when she started suggesting how to properly raise my child, I told her she had to earn the right to see her grandchild." She admits vaguely.
"Wow, good for you, Hermione." Ginny grins.
"Has she tried earning her right?" Fleur asks.
"She's tried, but I can't trust that she's doing it for the right reasons, and not to just manipulate us into allowing her into our family," Hermione says.
"Well, what's she done?" Angelina asks.
"She sends us clothes for the baby; they're actually cute, so we kept them, after checking for jinxes." She says.
"You really think she would jinx your baby?" Fleur asks.
"Yes, I do." Hermione states. "She's also sent us books on parenting, they're completely useless. We are not raising our baby as a purist." She frowns. "Then she sends me this fudge that Draco's house-elf makes for me. Obviously, she doesn't specify who makes it, but Draco checks every bag for poison before I eat it. It's delicious fudge." She admits.
"I bet you're glad Lucius is in Azkaban and can't add to your in-law stress." Angelina comments.
Hermione smiles, "Yes, I don't want to think about how much worse it would be if Narcissa and Lucius were working together to dictate how I raise my child." She says.
"It's scary to think he'll be free in, what, thirteen years," Ginny mentions.
"Really, all the other Death Eaters got at least thirty years." Angelina frowned.
"He paid off his witnesses." Ginny scoffs.
"Most of the Death Eaters that were sentenced were the ones who escaped Azkaban." Hermione explains. "There sentences included the remaining years from their last sentence, ten years for escaping, and then however many years for their crimes during the second war." She says. "Lucius was never arrested after the first war, and there was very little evidence of him actually committing any crimes during the second year. He usually manipulated other people to do his deeds, and those are the ones with the long sentences, while he got fifteen years."
Angelina shakes her head. "I don't like it, the world is going to be a scary place when he gets out."
"The world already is a scary place," Ginny whispers. "You must have read about these Death Eater rising happening around the country. They're gaining new members, and they claim to be organised by a new Dark Lord." She says.
Angelina and Fleur pale with a shiver.
"No, I don't wish to talk about this." Fleur shakes her head.
"I agree, it's Harry's birthday." Hermione reminds them. "A reason to celebrate." She puts a smile on her face.
"I'll drink to that," Harry says, coming up behind Ginny and pressing a kiss to his wife's cheek. "Hermione, why was that dear cousin of yours asking what happened the first time I flooed?" He smiles at her.
"It's a cautionary tale." She laughs.
"How'd you even know about that?" He asks.
"Ginny told me." She looks at her friend who laughs.
"Of course," He shakes his head. "Anyway, Teddy and Sophie want to go on the brooms, can she? I can't let Teddy on if Sophie can't, it isn't fair." He adds. "There's going to be like five of us keeping an eye on them." He tries to convince her.
"Fine, but no higher than two feet off the ground, okay?" She warns him.
"Thanks, Hermione." He smiles, running off to tell the two kids the good news.
"I'm going to have to watch just to make sure she's alright." Hermione passes the still sleeping Victoire back to her mother, once Fleur had handed Fred back to Angelina.
Hermione leans against the fence with a glass of juice in her hands, watching as Harry and Draco work together to remind the two children how to safely mount, kick-off, steer and dismount a broomstick. Once Sophie and Teddy were confidently flying and chasing each other, the two men borrowed a broom each themselves and joined the children, remaining a few feet off the ground as not to encourage the children to attempt to fly higher.
Sophie flew over to Hermione with a massive grin on her face, dismounting when she came to a stop.
"I love flying," She states, face red from the exercise. "I wish I could do it more often." She hints.
"Perhaps, there's a large green on the estate that Draco could practice with you on." Hermione thinks aloud. Her cousin was beginning to take after her mother with her flying skills.
"Sophie!" Teddy giggles as he flies over to them.
"Hello, Teddy," Hermione greets the child.
"Hello," He grins up at her. "You like me broom?" He asks dismounting to show her.
"Yes, it's lovely, did your grandma buy it for you?" She asks.
"No, Daddy Harry. Me birfday." He states.
Hermione's chest tightens. "Your Daddy Harry?" She repeats. She knows Harry and Ginny love Teddy as their own child, and Andromeda had told them the boy calls James his little brother. Still, she wasn't aware Teddy had started referring to his godparents as his parents.
Teddy nods. "Granny get me new bed. Big boy bed." He states. "Me two." He says, showing Hermione two fingers.
"Wow, that's a big number." Hermione smiles, and Teddy nods in agreement.
Suddenly, two figures on brooms zoom over their heads, shocking Hermione and Sophie but making Teddy laugh and clap his hands excitedly. Hermione follows the two figures, along with the rest of the guests, as they follow a small object around the back of the house and down towards the allotment of the Burrow.
"What are they doing?" Sophie asks in confusion.
"They're chasing a snitch." Hermione shakes her head at the antics of her husband and her friend, and wonders if they will ever let their Hogwarts Quidditch rivalry go
"They're actually chasing a scotch egg," George calls over. "A rare prank from Percy." He laughs.
Hermione glances over at the man in question, smiling from where he's sat on the large picnic blanket with Neville, Hannah, Dean and Seamus. The latter two were cheering for Harry to catch the scotch egg. As a result, Pansy began to cheer for Draco from one of the picnic benches she was sat at with Ron and their children.
The scotch egg flew between Arthur and Bill, who were still in conversation. Draco and Harry followed, causing the two older men to jump backwards, out of the way. The race ends when Molly steps out of the kitchen, an assortment of plates levitating behind them, and catches the scotch egg in her hand as it flies straight to her.
The two young men manage to break and dismount their brooms before colliding with the woman.
"Really, boys?" She quirks an eyebrow at them.
"Sorry, Molly." They both apologise like naughty schoolboys.
"Quidditch time is over, lunch is ready." She tells them, motioning with her wand for the plates of food to take themselves to the tables.
The guests of Harry's birthday picnic find a place to sit, either on the giant picnic blanket or at one of the picnic tables. Draco joins Hermione at a table with Fleur and Bill, and Angelina and George, and their newborn babies. Sophie had asked them if she was allowed to sit with Teddy, James and Pansy with her twins on the picnic blanket, and Hermione told her she can sit wherever she wants.
Lunch consisted of delicious food, and conversation with their friends at their table, as well as with whoever came over for a quick chat.
Neville had questioned if his two fellow professors were nervous about the exam result being released in a few weeks. Hermione told him that she was, but for the students' sake, they'd done their best at teaching them and in the end, it was down to the study the students did leading up to the exams. Draco admitted he was glad the seventh-year students had graduated since they could remember them as students, and didn't treat them with the respect a professor should receive.
After lunch, Hermione insists she helps Molly tidy up and take the dirty dishes to the sink where they would wash themselves. The older lady made them both a cup of tea, and they sat at the dining table with a biscuit each as a reward for their hard work.
"How's Charlie?" Hermione asks, having not heard about him for a while.
"He's doing really well," Molly nods. "He was recently promoted to Head Trainer at the sanctuary." She proudly states.
"That's great," Hermione sips at her tea. "Will he be coming home for Christmas?" She asks.
"Yes, it'll be a year since he wasn't last home. He tried to get some time off for the Summer, but there's been a sudden increase in Dragon eggs, so they need all hands on deck." She explains. "He's only met James, but he's excited to meet the rest of his nephews and nieces." She tells her.
"Of course, I can't believe how much has happened this year." She shakes her head.
"Are you and Draco looking forward to some time off work?" Molly asks.
Hermione smiles. "I think we'll be bored out of our minds, to be honest. They'll be plenty of family visits to pass the time." She says.
"I'll look forward to it." Molly smiles. "Did Pansy tell you I'll be having the twins for a few days a week when she goes back to work?" She says.
"No, she didn't."
"Ron is going part-time, so George is taking on another member of staff. You'll probably know them, they've just graduated. You'll have to ask George for their name." She shrugs. "I'll have the twins Mondays to Wednesdays. Then with Ginny training with the Harpies every weekday, I have James too. I should consider opening a nursery." She jokes, and Hermione chuckles.
A few minutes later, Dean and Seamus enter the kitchen, holding hands and laughing together.
"Oh, Hermione, do you mind if we have a word with you for a moment?" Dean asks.
"Of course," Hermione goes to stand up, but Molly places a hand on her arm.
"Stay, I'm going outside." She pats her arm as she stands and leaves.
"Are you both okay?" Hermione asks as her two friends sit opposite her at the dining table.
"We got an owl from Kingsley." Seamus starts with a grin.
Hermione frowns, receiving an owl from Kingsley hasn't been considered a good thing since before January 1999 when the Marriage Decree was announced.
Dean laughs, "I know, he asked us to come in for a meeting this morning."
Hermione's frown deepens. "What is he doing?" She asks, placing each hand on one of theirs, worried for what her friends could have gotten themselves involved in.
"It's good, we promise," Seamus states, but Hermione isn't sure.
"You know how we're both men," Dean starts, and Seamus laughs.
"Yeah, I know that you're both men." A smile gracing her lips.
"Well, we can't have children together because we're both men, and that's a big part of the Marriage Decree." Dean continues.
"I'd say it's the only part," Seamus adds.
Hermione nods, not knowing where they're going with this.
"Kingsley basically asked if we were ready to become fathers." Dean states.
"We have the same time frame as everyone else to decide when the time is right for us, but we've been talking the past couple of months, and we think we're ready, so we told him yes this time." Seamus finishes.
"I'm confused," Hermione tells them.
"That's a first." Seamus jokes.
Hermione smiles at them. "Kingsley has asked you before if you're ready to become fathers? What does that entail?" She asks curiously, never being sure how her friends were supposed to fulfil the conditions of the Marriage Decree.
"He first asked us in October, but we didn't have a job yet and were still getting used to the whole Marriage and house situation, so we declined," Dean explains. "I think Pavarti and Charlotte adopted that child since they moved out of the estate jsut ebfore Christmas." He adds.
With so many people living on the estate, and Hermione working five days a week then spending time with family at teh weekends, she's lost track of who she's seen walking the estate with children, or of who's left the estate.
"Kingsley explained that six per cent of the wizarding world are Muggleborns, and a few times a year, the Ministry becomes aware of a Muggleborn child that gets put into the social services system. Where possible, someone from the Ministry is sent to explain things to the parents, but sometimes, the parents basically abandon their child to the system, that's when the Ministry takes them and adopts them out to a wizarding family." Seamus explains.
"You're adopting a Muggleborn child?" Hermione asks, trying to understand if that's what they were trying to explain.
"Yes, we'll, two actually. They're sisters. The eldest is five and started showing some magical ability. Their mother was single with no family. She didn't understand what was happening. The school started to notice evidence of neglect, so social services got involved. The Registration Department at the Ministry confirmed both children were witches, and the mother refused to accept it and signed some papers to release them to the Ministry." Seamus finishes.
"That is, wow, you're going to be parents to two daughters?" Hermione smiles. "What are their names?" She asks.
"We don't know," Dean sighs. "It's to protect them. All we know is they're five years and eighteen months." He adds.
I'm so happy for you both." She stands to hug them. "Will you be moving out of the Estate then?" She asks.
"Yes, we both got some compensation money from the Ministry after the war, so we've put the deposit down on a three-bedroom cottage in Godric's Hollow," Seamus says.
"Godric's Hollow?" She repeats in surprise.
"Yes, we're both proud Gryffindor's, so where better than the birthplace of Godric himself," Dean tells her.
"Also, with the history of the village, the cottage was cheap," Seamus adds.
Hermione smiles. "I'm glad you're both happy. Once you've settled in, you'll have to have a little get together." She tells them
The two men glance at each other.
"Do you think Harry would want to visit?" Dean questions. "Considering everything." He adds.
"There's no harm in inviting him." She tells them.
From outside, Molly calls for everyone to gather around so they can sing Happy Birthday to Harry.
"Molly won't be happy if we miss this." She tells them, leading them outside to where everyone was gathered around a picnic table.
Sat on the bench was Harry, with James jumping on his lap, and Ginny, with Teddy, sat on hers. The crowd of guests sang happy birthday, while Harry sat blushing in embarrassment.
"Make a wish!" Ginny tells him, once they finished singing.
Harry closes his eyes for a few seconds to make his wish before blowing out all the candles. The guests cheer while Molly takes the cake into the kitchen to cut into slices for everyone to enjoy.
"Has Harry opened his presents yet?" Sophie whispers to Hermione.
"He didn't want any presents," Hermione tells her cousin. "He just wanted to spend time with his family and friends." She says.
"The children get the first slices," Molly calls from the back door.
"Go get your slice of cake." She urges her cousin, who runs towards the kitchen, with Teddy following.
Hermione feels a pair of arms wrap around her, resting on her stomach, and instantly knows Draco has finally found her.
"I feel like I've barely seen you today." She admits, leaning back against his chest and looking up at his face.
"I know," He sighs. "Have you seen how much Teddy has grown since we last saw him in April?" He asks.
"Children do tend to grow quickly for the first couple of years." She reminds him.
"He called me Daco." He smiles.
Hermione chuckles. "He called Harry 'Daddy Harry'." She tells him.
"Yes, I heard him say that. Harry said Teddy knows he's got two Dads and two Mums; his first parents can't look after him anymore, so his second parents and his Granny take care of him." Draco explains.
"That's kind of sad." She sighs, and Draco nods. "I hope Teddy understands Remus and Tonks didn't choose to leave him." She says.
"If he doesn't, he will when he gets older," Draco tells her. "Do you want some cake?" He asks her.
Hermione smiles, "Yes, Molly told me she had made Harry's favourite. A Victoria sponge."
Draco rolls his eyes. "Classically boring." He mutters, taking her hand as they walk toward the kitchen.
"You'll still eat it." She tells him.
"Of course, Molly's cakes are better than Mitty's." He states. "Don't ever tell Mitty I said that," He backtracks.
"I promise." She smiles, taking a seat at the dining table beside Sophie.
Molly hands them both a place with a pre-cut slice of the sponge.
"This is lovely," Draco says after his first bite, making Hermione laugh.
Molly takes the remaining plates outside for the rest of the guests. The sun begins to get too much for the very pregnant Hermione, so she and Draco take themselves into the living room for a much needed break, which may have turned into a short nap.
Pansy Draco up with a light punch to his arm. Draco jumped off the couch, rubbing his arm glaring at Pansy. Hermione woke with a start at suddenly not having her husband's shoulder to lean against.
"So this is where you two have been hiding away?" She questions them, Phoebe asleep against her chest.
"Where did this blanket come from?" Hermione asks, lifting the garment up so she can stand.
"I don't know," Pansy rolls her eyes. "Probably Molly. Anyway, Ron and I are leaving tog et the twins to bed." She tells them.
"What time is it?" Hermione asks.
"About six o'clock." Their friend answers.
"Six!" Hermione gasps. "I told David I'd have Sophie home in a few hours." She told Draco.
"David will be fine," Draco tells her. "We'll take her now."
They follow Pansy outside, where they all bid each other goodbye with hugs and waves. Hermione promises to see everyone at some point over the rest of the Summer holiday before heading into the kitchen with Draco and Sophie to floo to David's.
Her uncle was lounging on his couch, halfway through reading a book, when they step out of his fireplace for the second time that day, surprising him just as much.
"Sorry, we're late." Hermione states.
David checks his watch as he stands up. "It's fine. Did you have fun, Sophie?" He asks.
"Yes, I got to fly on a broomstick again, and Molly made an amazing birthday cake for Harry?" She announces before running upstairs to change out of her dress.
David turns, wide-eyed to Hermione. "She rode a broom?" He asks, panic in his voice.
"Trust me when I tell you Hermione hates broomsticks more than any witch or wizard I know, so know that she made sure Sophie was safe before letting her on one." Draco tries to explain.
"It was a child's broomstick. It only flies two feet off the ground and goes about as fast as she could go on a scooter. My friend Harry, his godson, was on one too, and he's only just turned two years old." Hermione explains.
"I'm not sure about this," David says.
"She had fun and enjoyed herself. I taught her how to mount, steer, break and dismount safely. As long as she remembers that, she'll be fine on the children's broom." Draco assures him.
David nods but doesn't look too convinced. Sophie returns wearing her pyjamas with a VHS tape in her hands.
"Can we watch a film, Dad?" She asks, eyes pleading.
"Of course, pop it in." He tells her. "Thanks for taking her to this party. I'd like her to experience as much of your world as possible." He says.
"You managed to take her around Diagon Alley by yourself." Draco points out.
"Yes, but I don't know much of anything about it." He shrugs.
"Neither do my parents, after all these years," Hermione tells him. "But I managed fine when I got to Hogwarts. I found the Weasley's and made friends. All I needed was my parents to be there for me when I needed them." She says.
David nods in understanding. "I can do that for Sophie." He says assuredly.
Hermione hugs her uncle proudly before saying their goodbyes and flooing back to the Estate, where they are greeted in their living room by Athena.
"Hello, dear." Draco lets her land on his shoulder and strokes her head feathers. "Have you been a good girl?" He asks.
Athena squawks, flying off to the kitchen where she lands on the backdoor handle.
Draco looks at Hermione worriedly. Athena never squawks.
"If your mother is out there, you can get rid of her again," Hermione tells him, remembering the impromptu visit almost two months ago.
"I'll check," Draco sighs, closing the kitchen between him and Hermione in the living room, before opening the backdoor.
Athena flies outside, swooping around in the air, and Draco curses forgetting to keep an eye on her. She lands on top of a parcel lying on the path in front of the door.
Suspiciously, Draco scans the package for jinxes and charms. There doesn't seem to be anything harmful placed on the packaging or the item inside. He picks it up, beckoning Athena back inside, and she follows. Once the backdoor is closed, Hermione peeks through the kitchen door.
"What is it? Another gift from Narcissa?" She guesses.
"Probably," He opens the parcel to reveal a small box. Inside are two crystal balls.
"What are these," Hermione asks, picking one up to get a closer look.
On the other crystal ball, Hermione's face appears as she gets closer.
"I can see you." He tells her.
Hermione glances at her own reflection in the other ball. "I can't see anything in this one." She states.
Draco brings his crystal ball up to his face and sees his own reflection in Hermione's.
"It's like a two-way mirror." He states.
Hermione looks back down at her crystal ball, remembering the two-way mirror Sirius had gifted to Harry.
"Go upstairs and talk to me." She tells him.
Draco does as he's asked and rushes upstairs to their bedroom. He sits on their bed and raises the ball to his face.
"Hello, can you hear me?" He asks.
Hermione's face appears smiling. "Yes, I can hear you. These are actually rather interesting."
"Do you think they're from my mother?" He asks. "She's the only one who sends us gifts, but these are actually good." He admits.
"I can only assume they are. She's trying to prove herself. These remind me of the baby monitors my parents use so they can hear if Evelyn and Vivian cry." Hermione explains as she walks towards the stairs.
"I remember seeing them, yes." Draco thinks back to the device that Chris had clipped to his trousers while he was making a sandwich a few weeks back.
Hermione enters their bedroom, placing her crystal ball on their vanity table. "They could be useful at work." She tells him.
Draco smiles, "You're right, it's a shame she only just sent them to us now when we're going on leave after the first week back."
"Still, it's an actual good present from your mother," Hermione says, taking Draco's from him and placing both of the balls inside the drawer of the vanity table. "She's got a long way to go through, if she thinks she's going to win my trust with useful presents." She points out.
"Of course," Draco yawns.
"Send her a thank you letter for the present," Hermione smirks.
Draco laughs, "What are you planning?" He asks, leaning back against the headboard.
"It's only polite." She states, collecting her pyjamas from the wardrobe. "I'm thinking that tomorrow we can have lunch at the Pentagon." She suggests as she changes.
"On the green?" He asks.
"Yes, we've only been a couple of times, yet we've lived here for over a year now." She tells him, climbing under the duvet.
"Are you ready for bed?" He smiles, looking down at her snuggled under the covers.
"When the baby is asleep, Mummy will sleep." She says with a yawn, closing her eyes.
Draco leans down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll join you soon." He tells her. "I'm going to tidy up downstairs." He adds when she frowns.
"Okay, don't be too long." She smiles, pulling the duvet up to her ears.
Draco gently closes the door to their bedroom, heading down into their living room. He puts their record player on with an Elton John record that reminds Hermione of spending the summer with her grandma Emily and starts to tidy the living room, hall and kitchen.
He makes it to bed an hour later to find his wife fast asleep, softly snoring. He collects a book from his bedside table and climbs under the covers to join her. He spends an hour reading in the natural light from the windows until it gets too dark at nine o'clock.
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