December 8, 2013
The muggle pub was crowded with patrons looking to come in from the cold, every booth and table packed as freezing rain came down on the sleepy dockside town.
It was an ideal place not to be overheard, as Harry Potter set down a round of beers at the table, where the two Slytherins sat still arguing in hoarse whispers.
"I can go by myself. If shit goes sideways—" Theo started to insist again.
"I can handle it." Draco cut him off. "I need to see who's in on this for myself to protect my family."
Harry took a deep drink as he listened before Theo turned to Potter. "Tell him he's mental."
"I do it on a regular basis." The Auror shrugged. "Malfoy, you're one of the most recognizable people in the wizarding world, and now you're the world's biggest blood traitor. I mean, good for you on that but, your face is kind of a dead give away."
The blond wizard rolled his eyes and produced a cap from a muggle shopping bag at his side. When he put it on over his hair, his face magically became rounder, the visible hair on his arms turned brown, and his eyes almost pitch black. He took it off and stuffed it back into the bag.
"Oh well, then go for it." Potter shrugged again, drinking more of his beer. "They won't be checking for magical disguises. I'm sure half their support wishes to remain anonymous, just like when Voldemort first rose to power."
Draco flinched visibly but pressed on. "Everyone in there is a potential threat to Hermione. I need to be able to see as many of them as I can, especially if they could be inside the Ministry."
"Absolutely barking mad. But here's the best part, he's already talked Granger into moving into the Manor while she's Minister and is working on a personal security team." Theo shook his head. "His paranoia is getting out of control."
"I told you the personal security is just temporary. It's just for the next...9 months or so," he muttered, quickly taking a drink.
Harry choked on his drink. "I thought Gin was joking about fertility rituals."
"Un-fucking-believable. Why would you put yourselves through that again-" Theo started to ramble.
"Let's stay focused," Harry said, guiding the conversation back around. "So you get into the meeting, what's next? We can't just raid a place because they don't like Hermione. There has to be something illegal happening."
"All the more argument for two sets of eyes. There's sure to be at least class A non-tradable's passed around." Draco flicked a familiar-looking Galleon between his fingers, and Harry dug out his.
"That is if they aren't all talk about starting another war," Theo muttered.
Harry cringed this time. "That's what we're hoping. All talk to attract the old money into funding their little get-togethers. You both quit the Ministry, right?"
Draco just nodded.
"Yup, Luna and I leave for Beijing tomorrow. Going to be gone for quite some time. There will probably be three or four new Malfoys by the time we get back." He elbowed Draco, who rolled his eyes, and Potter actually laughed.
The nameless bar was located in a dingy basement space below a muggle warehouse. Outside was a wizard even bigger than Goyle blocking the entire door with his body, eyes scanning the horizon constantly.
He grunted when Theo and Draco, now in disguise, approached until Theo tilted his head into the street light.
"Nott. You're the spitting image of your father. Good stock, but I heard you're shacked up with a Lovegood, the one who's friends with Harry Potter."
Draco could practically see the irritation rolling off Theo in waves as his shoulders tightened. His most significant investment in this was keeping Luna safe if she was targeted for being Potter's friend. And his fear was confirmed in his first interaction.
"Yes, well, she is half-blood, which is acceptable in my family. And the heart wants what it wants, right?"
The giant wizard grunted again. "Heard you work with that blood traitoring Malfoy too."
"All the better to have me on your side then, hmm?"
"Who's your friend?"
"Oh, that's Henri Rosier, the family branch that still lives in France. A cousin of mine from my mother's side. He doesn't speak a word of English, but he can bring back the … general message to the French movement."
The guard bought the rehearsed lie and held open the door to the club. A band was packing up on the stage, and a banner for Marietta was hanging up behind them.
Rita Skeeter was at the front row table, with bright blonde curls and acid green robes, quill scribbling away, Goyle on her other side.
They took a booth in the very back corner and ordered drinks, speaking to no one on the way. Most of the groups seemed to be that way, talking only to the people at their table. Theo ordered drinks and then tilted his head towards Goyle, signaling he would speak to him.
Draco sank back into the shadows, unfortunately recognizing many of the faces as people on the wrong side of the war who had gotten off with light sentences like him. Other's were people who currently worked at the Ministry, a few of them actually in Law Enforcement at the table just ahead.
The thought made his fist curl around itself.
Theo seemed to be having a productive conversation with Goyle, heads ducked low, but hands were moving animatedly. Skeeter listened in, quill writing at top speed to keep up. At the bar, a poorly disguised dragon's egg traded hands, which would have been enough to call Aurors in before his instincts told him to wait.
Marietta took the stage, voice magically amplified already. There was a small round of applause which she took in for just a minute.
"I'm sure you all know why we're all here tonight." She gestured to her face on the banner behind her. "But first, let me tell you how we got here and what I can do for you, as your Minister for Magic. It's true before the second half of the war I went to Potter's side -" there was a great booing noise. "Quite. I went to the secret 'Dumbledore's Army' meeting and saw, for myself, how utterly hypocritical the Order of the Phoenix really was…."
Movement in front of Draco took his attention away from the speech. The man from law enforcement produced a wide, flat box from his coat with the shop logo of Borgin and Burkes painted on the front, holding it up to show the person sitting next to him.
His heart dropped like a stone out of his chest. Borgin and Burkes had been shut down for good after the war. And most of its possessions were confiscated by the Ministry. But something about that particular box…
A chip of the corner from where it had fallen on the Three Broomsticks floor, from a pair of shaking, 16-year-old hands. A poorly repaired latch from someone too busy fearing for his life if this all went wrong, to contrate his magic into a simple repair job.
A glimpse of silver and deep blue confirmed his worst suspicions as the case opened and closed quickly. Draco's blood ran cold. He must have worked in evidence because that necklace had resided there since Katie Bell arrived at St. Mungos in 1996.
"There'll be more money in it for you if you can get it around that Mudblood's neck, even more, if there's a picture of her blood-traitor husband weeping over her body in it."
Hermione had just settled in with some work documents to review, reclined against their pillows, ready for a long night of waiting for Draco to come home.
Cassie began to wail in the other room. With a heavy resigned sigh, she got up and padded down the hall, ready to face a typical toddler tantrum, but as she got closer, the true distress and the cries for her father began to become clearer. Hermione felt the magic in her pendant pulse against her chest.
The blonde child rushed the door as soon as Hermione opened it and her arms went up to be picked up.
"Mummy's here. Mummy's got you." She tried to soothe her, but Cassie was frantically turning in her arms, looking for Draco. She fished the pendant from her nightshirt and pressed it into Cas's tiny fist. "Daddy's here too. See...yeah, you can feel that too, can't you, love?"
"What's going on?" Lyra's sleep rough voice came from next to Hermione's leg. "Where's dad?"
Of course, Hermione had heard of the bonds of familial magic and even witnessed it first hand at the loss of Fred amongst the Weasley's. But this was the first time she had ever felt the pull of distress this clearly. Thinking before she answered, knowing Lyra would catch on to any inflection in her voice, she simply said, "Let's go in my room to wait for Daddy. I'm sure he'll be home any minute."
Cassie clutched the constellation pendant, still whimpering. Lyra ducked back into her room and brought out a big pop-up book. "We can have another story. I'll read it, don't worry mummy, I know you're sleepy. Growing my baby brother is a lot of work."
"What? Who told you that?"
"Cassie did. Well, she showed me anyway."
"Showed you?"
"Yeah, a memory of dad telling her. He said it was a secret, though."
Cassie brought a tiny finger to her lips and shook her head.
"Well...we are just going to have to discuss that when he gets home."
Draco was paralyzed by fear and rage. Conflicting ideas and plans kept him in place, chief among them, killing both wizards in one blow.
He'd happily go to Azkaban for it.
But you can't protect them from prison.
Marietta's speech was reaching a fever pitch as Theo made his way back to the booth.
"Call the Aurors—Goyle's funding the whole thing. Crabbe's dad signed over Vincent's inheritance to him, and the only catch was to ruin your life with it. He made many shady but wise investments in America and inherited some gold from the Gaunts, so he's got the funds to keep this thing afloat for a while, but he's looking for more. He's paying Rita too; you were right about that." He whispered harshly as he dug in Draco's coat pocket for the Galleon.
"Wait!" Draco pointed to the stage. Edgecomb welcomed Goyle on stage, who proudly performed the newly recreated Dark Mark signal, shooting it high above them all.
Flashbacks were creeping on the edges of his subconscious, threatening to take him out of the moment, but he pushed them back behind quickly made occlumency walls. It was a convincing enough fake that most people would fall for it.
Panic gripped him hard, making his heart slam against his rib cage painfully. He sent an emergency message on the Galleon and pointed out the box to Theo.
"With your generous campaign donations, we can return our Ministry and our society to its rightful order. Where people of actual magical heritage are respected and those without don't dare to try and rise above their station," Marietta announced, but everyone was looking up. The distinct ripple of an anti-apparition ward made everyone fall silent.
All hell broke loose. There was a stampede for the door. People were being stunned and hexed all over, others were trying to disapparate or look for a back entrance.
Draco was faster than the man with the necklace box, snatching it from off the table. The other wizard realized what was happening, grabbed the back to pull it towards himself, to try and escape in the mass of bodies. He let go, abandoning the box in his haste to not get caught.
The latch popped open, and the necklace slipped free, shining the light like a terrifying omen of death. It brushed the skin of Draco's outstretched hand as he tried to catch it in the case -
The pain only seared through him for a second before his mind shut it out.
October 2003
Even bathed in the yellow glow of an old street lamp, Hermione Granger was gorgeous. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had known this, like an old Potions fact or a piece of trivia. But this was the first time he'd ever been able to appreciate it up close. To memorize the exact pattern of freckles on her skin or know the exact shade of her eyes…
"What?" She asked, laughing, tucking a curl behind her ear.
"You're gorgeous."
She blushed, the faint pink just dusting the apples of her cheeks. "I don't have to go home just yet. Would you like to take a walk?"
He checked the time on his watch and knew Evelyn was down for the night. "Yes. There's a park this way."
Granger raised her eyebrow at him. "Spend a lot of time in the Muggle world?"
"I do, as a matter of fact." she looped her arm around his. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. "It's easier, not being recognized all the time, and I want Evelyn to grow up differently than I did."
She seemed to think about the statement for quite some time. "You've really changed."
"I'm told having kids will do that to you."
"It's more than that. But maybe this is the first time we've got to see this side of each other."
They moved along the path cutting through the small park, their footsteps the only sound. He snuck sidelong glances at her, still marveling at the witch on his arm.
A memory broke loose, one he had long since tried to suppress for good but never could. That very witch who he was so enchanted by now, writhing on his drawing room floor, thrashing in pain, begging for mercy from a person who wasn't capable of it.
And he had done nothing for her, rendered incapable in fear of his own life. Guilt ate at him, and he quietly admonished himself at his own selfishness again.
"I was that terrible kid who called you names and tried to make you ashamed. I was that teenager who started a war…" it was a quiet confession for her ears only. "I stood by while -"
"Don't," she said in the same quiet tone. "She would have killed you too. Everything that happened that day was exactly how it should have been. If not, it could have dragged on for years."
"Granger." he turned and took both her hands in his, looking her in the eye. "I'm so sorry. Truly, for every awful thing, I said and did. It's too little, too late, but that's all I can do about it now. If I could take away all the pain I caused, I would do it every day for the rest of my life."
Her clever gaze studied his features until the corner of her mouth turned up slightly. "I believe you. Thank you for saying that." She swung their hands playfully. "I'm not afraid of the past. I would still really like to get to know the changed Draco if that's okay?."
"Yeah….yeah, that's okay." he freed his hand from hers and cupped her chin lightly. "Can I kiss you?"
"Yes." The words brushed against his skin like a gentle caress
And at that moment, he saw their whole future.
Laughing together at a game Rose and Evelyn had come up with.
Her squeezing his hand at his father's funeral.
Holding her as she wept over friends he never knew at a Remembrance day event.
Lyra looking up at him as a newborn, cradled in her arms.
Holding each other as they worried over what Cassie's future would be like.
Falling into bed with her at the end of day, her voice soothing all his cares.
It was all flying by on fast forward, too fast to register the individual moments.
Light pierced his vision as the world once again came into sharp relief.
A St. Mungo's hospital room, with a familiar voice crying down the hall.
He's awake!
"Hello, love. I'm so happy to see you," and Hermione's face again, with her full smile and shining eyes. Delicate lines and shadows had formed around her eyes. And they were rimmed in red as if she had been crying.
He tried to speak, but only a rough croak came out.
"You've been out a week, don't try to talk. The kids will want to see you as soon as the Healers are done." He pointed to her tummy. "Yes, this one too." she chuckled. "Thank Merlin, it seems like you have all your memories." He nodded and motioned for the pitcher of water on a side table. Hermione poured him some, knocking a picked-through copy of the Prophet on the bed in her haste. "Sorry….oh…"
The headline read: Edgecomb out of the running for Minister of Magic; Granger expected to take seat in February.
He shook the front page at her, pointing at the headline, and she laughed, taking it from him.
"All thanks to you."
Chapter 34: Reunions and Rewards
Summary:
Hermione takes the seat as Minister for Magic
Notes:
You all spoil me with comments and kudos and I appreciate them all.
I promise, next chapter we will know baby #5, but first, there's other business to attend to
TalonWillow is the Fred to my George!
Chapter Text
January 2014
"I want to go." Draco slurred slightly, the pain potion affecting his speech no matter how he tried to hide it. He threw one leg and then the other over the edge of the bed and made a noise of triumph.
"You may not," Hermione announced in her swottiest voice. "We have your testimony and your memories. We do not need your physical presence." She tried to pull the blanket over him in hopes of coaxing him to sleep but to no avail.
Today was the final hearing of Marietta Edgecomb and several other minor players in her scheme. Goyle had been taken to Azkaban the previous week after trying to attack several Auror's in the courtroom. Whatever case he might have tried to make for himself had swiftly been made invalid with the incident.
Rita Skeeter had fled the country, presumably stowed away in beetle form.
"My physical presence wants to be there. It wants to see that bitch and all her little cronies get put away forever. Deserves it." He tried to stand but then felt too dizzy and had to sit down.
Hermione flicked her wand, and the blanket wrapped itself tightly around his legs. "I said no!" but softened as the fight left him. "You need to rest. Macmillian says you just have to finish that last -"
"Can't believe I got that tosser for a Healer."
She huffed. "Draco. Stop fighting everything. You've done enough. Just rest for now. "She stroked his hair back from his face lovingly. "I need you to do this, if not for yourself, then for me, because that's what you seem to be good at."
He tugged her wrist down to press his cheek into her palm. "I told you I'd take away the pain if I could." His eyelids closed, and he drifted off to sleep.
"You should wear a muggle suit. You look pretentious in dress robes." Pansy's voice called from inside the closet.
"Thanks, Pans."
Several options floated out onto the bed. "But you'll need a bit of color too. You wash out easily." several different colored ties joined the pile.
"Wow. If Longbottom hears you flirting with me like that…"
She stepped out, holding only one option for Hermione, a shimmery red gown. "The only thing in Granger's closet currently worthy of the interim Minister for Magic."
"Parkinson…"
"I know you're trying to keep it a secret, but really, she's not as big as she thinks she is -"
"Pans- "
"Though red maybe a little on the nose, it is her color. What Draco what?" Pansy tossed the dress on the bed.
He grabbed her left hand and held up the large, glinting diamond ring to the light. "When?!"
The dark-haired witch blushed and stuttered a little bit. "We eloped about a month ago. We didn't want… it's just so much...being in the spotlight all the time. We're not exactly traditional...you know." she pulled her hand out of his grasp.
"You married Neville fucking Longbottom and didn't even invite me?" he scowled at her.
"I married Neville fucking Longbottom and didn't invite anyone because I didn't want to. Not everyone has a supportive family...you should know that." she pushed her fringe from her face, clearly flustered. "You lot would have been first on the list if we had guests. Happy?"
"Above Theo and Blaise?"
"Obviously."
"Then that's all that matters."
Pansy rolled her eyes. "Glad we cleared that up. Anyway, what are the children wearing for this picture?" she gestured to the pile of clothes.
"I was going to leave that up to you," he smirked.
She grinned back. "That's why you're my best friend."
February 2014
Hermione trailed her fingers along the boxes lovingly. Double-checking the colour-coded labels and contents in each one that corresponded to her master list.
"We don't need to pack everything." Draco insisted. "We're keeping this house too. So we can just come back and get it."
"The Manor feels so...cold...though. It'll be nice to have some personal touches while we're there."
"I'll work on it." Draco wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Filling it up with the kid's stuff will help too...Mum is coming back for good. I'm sure she'll want to start a massive project as soon as she comes through the grate." He kissed the crown of her head. "I know it's overwhelming, but -"
"It's safer, I know. I had my doubts before, but... after what happened…" she exhaled, melding into him more. "Did you take your potions?"
"Yes." He answered tersely.
"Even the anti-venom?"
"I don't need the anti-venom."
"Draco. You only have one week left, and you don't want that stuff lingering in your system."
He nuzzled the side of her neck. "But I am a snake, you know…"
"I'm serious. Go on." She pulled out of his arms and pointed to the stairs. "Right now, Mister."
" Yes, mum," he grumbled.
March 2014
Draco waited in front of the fireplace with his arm full of white daffodils, picked fresh from the Manor grounds that morning.
Lyra stayed lingering behind him as Cas shredded her flower into bits on the ground.
"You really don't remember her do you?" he asked the older child, who shook her head in answer. Lyra was still incredibly shy around new people, a trait he suspected would follow her forever. Narcissa had been traveling extensively for the last few years, only stopping in briefly between Portkey visits.
"She's not like the portraits, right?"
Draco bit his tongue to keep from saying exactly what had happened to the portrait that had dared to be the first one to insult the children. (Shredded but left hanging in pieces in its frame as a warning to all the others.)
"Not at all. She loves you very much and thinks you very much deserve a constellation name, just as your sister does."
Lyra nodded, eyes still fixed on the fireplace.
Green flames burst to life in the fireplace, and Narcissa Malfoy stepped through. She greeted Draco with a kiss on the cheek, taking the flowers with well-practiced grace.
Not knowing a stranger, Cassie made a bid for attention and suddenly, unceremoniously replaced the daffodils as Narcissa turned from pureblood matriarch to doting grandmother in a heartbeat.
"You look just like your father! Yes, you do! Oh, and you're a legilimens too, caught me off guard, clever girl!"
"Cassiopeia, we talked about that. Thoughts are private." Draco chided the toddler.
Narcissa beamed. "She'll learn to control it soon enough." She put Cassie down and turned to Lyra, who was intimidated by her grandmother's presence.
"Hello, Lyra. You've gotten so big since I've seen you last. You look just like your mother, did you know that?" Lyra nodded. "I bet you did. Who plaited that pretty hair of yours?"
"Daddy."
"He did a good job, but I think it's missing one little thing. May I?" Narcissa took a bloom from one of her flowers and charmed it to stick just above her ear. "Just the little something it needed."
"Mother, we'll have to leave soon." Draco cut in.
"Aren't Rose and Evelyn joining us?"
"No. They missed out on midterms in December, so they are still making that up. Besides, Rose didn't want to miss a Quidditch match."
"Sounds familiar." She smirked briefly before her expression turned sad. "How are you feeling? Are you taking your potions as the Healer prescribed them?"
"Yes."
"No." Muttered Lyra.
Draco shot her a look. "Yes, I am."
"Your hand still trembles because you aren't taking the anti-venom again like you were supposed to. I read about it in the recipe." She glared up at him.
Narcissa gave her granddaughter a warm look. "Lyra, would you come with me to put my things away? Then, we can discuss all that you've read and how to get your father on board with taking his medicine." She held out her hand so the child could take it. After a moment's pause, Lyra took her grandmother's hand and led the way towards Narcissa's quarters, talking all the while.
Draco picked up Cassie. "At least you won't tell me what to do, right?"
She giggled in response.
The courtroom was packed by the time the rest of the Malfoys finally made their way into the depths of the Ministry, but the inauguration was running behind anyway due to new and elaborate security protocols. Hermione stood on a plinth in the center of the courtroom, guarded by a shield charm around it but allowed the press to come and ask questions and others to congratulate her in person.
As they took their seats in the front row, Draco couldn't help but feel stunned by how regal she looked. With a high collar and long bell sleeves all in heavy black velvet, with her hair braided in a crown style around her head and the slightest bump around her middle, she looked like a queen ascending the throne.
Their eyes met, and she mouthed the word " Hi." giving him a small wave.
His mother nudged him ever so slightly as Kingsley took to the plinth as well and started his speech.
"I know it's Hermione's day, but you should know; I'm proud of you too, Draco. You've done so well."
Then she turned in her seat to politely watch the rest of the inauguration. Not knowing she had just uttered the words her son could have never imagined would come from either of his parents.
Late May 2014.
McGonagall led the Minister's entourage to a staircase that was sliding into place against a stone banister. Though she was in her 80's, the Headmistress moved faster than the now heavily pregnant Minister Granger- Malfoy. Meaning the school's tour and talks of what it needed had taken more time than planned, much to the dismay of both particular witches. However, neither was willing to admit it. Now the mass of people was en route to watch the last Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, with Rose playing Seeker for Gryffindor.
"Thank you for visiting with us today, Minister," McGonagall said, ushering Hermione on the steps first. "Easy now."
"For the last time, I'm fine. I've just got a small foot in my ribs. And it was a pleasure catching up, Headmistress. I'll be sure to bring up a recruitment budget for new Professors to finance first thing on Monday." The stairs began to move again, back in line with a landing connecting to a stationary staircase.
"If not, I'll find some budget." The blond muttered from the other side.
"I take cash or cheque, Mr. Malfoy; I'm not particular." McGonagall quipped, hurrying down the stairs once again as Hermione let out a shaky exhale and tried to keep up.
"I don't want to watch Quidditch," Lyra whined, trailing behind her parents. "I want to see more of the castle."
"We have to go watch your sister-"
A voice from the first floor spoke up. "I could take her back up if you like."
Cho Chang, now Head of Ravenclaw, waved timidly at the pair. "I have to go up that way on my way back up to my common room. Most of mine decided to skip the match to study for finals."
"Smart." Lyra nodded sagely.
"I'm sure you're busy…"Hermione started.
"It's not a problem at all. Let me do this as a thank you for not letting me get mixed up with Marietta's problems. We hadn't spoken since school ended. I didn't think she would drag my name into it."
Hermione held up her hand to cut her off. "She was scared and desperate and looking for anything to cling to as a defense. Everyone already knew you had been here the whole time and had nothing to do with it. I was just the first one to say it out loud. Lyra, this is Professor Chang. You can go with her as long as you listen. I'm sending..." She looked at her security team. "Sloper ...if you would please -to go with you. We'll let you know when the match has finished."
Cho eyed the security guard carefully but then decided it was ok. "Thank you again, Hermione. Lyra and I will have the best time. Where would you like to go first?"
"The library." Lyra, Draco, and Hermione all chimed at once. Lyra gave her parents a dirty look for teasing her.
"Come on. I'd be happy to show you the Library." Cho grinned and took the child's hand while the rest of the Minister's entourage headed out to the stands.
Once seated comfortably in the stands, Hermione took Draco's hand, intertwining their fingers. "I'm being pummeled from the inside. The noise has got him all worked up."
" She 's just excited because we've got another Quidditch player, and she knows where we are." He said, scanning the skies. "Excellent conditions too. Rose is going to do great."
"Hoping for a Gryffindor victory?"
He scoffed. "I didn't say that. Did you see Evelyn down with the Slytherins?"
"She's over there…." Hermione said, pointing towards the red and gold section.
Draco let out a gasp. "The little traitor!
"At least she's not sitting next to Albus."
"It's good she's supporting her sister."
Hermione swatted him on the arm.
"Ow, hey, I'm a bloody hero now; you can't just do that anymore."
"Hush, the match is starting," Hermione said, elbowing him in the side playfully. The little blurs of green and red met on either side of the field. Rose was easily discernible by her height ( only being second year)and wild red curls. James Potter was the spitting image of his father next to her, tapping a Beaters bat in his palm, trying to look menacing and failing.
The referee made everyone shake hands and then take their positions.Then with a shrill blow of her whistle, she let the balls loose on the pitch, and the match began.
Hermione quickly lost track of what was happening while Draco hovered on the edge of his seat, eagerly scanning for any sign of the snitch. Gryffindor scored once, but the Slytherins managed three more after. Rose had vanished behind the stands only to come cresting over the top of the box her parents sat in. Going fast enough to make Hermione shout in fear and Draco laugh loudly at her antics.
"She is going to hurt herself!"
"No, she won't! She knows what she's doing, Granger, just calm down."
In short order, the teams were even, 50 to 50, but it was clear that Gryffindor, hosting younger students, was starting to lose their confidence. Rose and the Slytherin seeker were caught in a shouting match, taunting one another. Draco's grey eyes constantly roamed from his stepdaughter to something on the ground in the middle of the pitch.
"You see it?"
"Yeah, and they are pretty evenly spaced. She just needs a few seconds' head start- There she goes!"
Rose had dropped into a near-vertical dive downward. The Slytherin seeker was quite a bit taller and just as fast. The redhead grasped the ball and then fell onto the grass, landing awkwardly on her other arm but laughing all the while.
"I can't look! Is she hurt?!" Hermione screeched, hiding her face.
"She fucking won the cup!" Draco shouted.
"Oh gods, she's hurt again, isn't she?"
Draco winced at something Hermione couldn't see over all the standing crowd. "Let's go congratulate her in the hospital wing. It's just a little broken bone; don't cry."
Once Rose was comfortably situated in a bed in the hospital wing, arm firmly encased in a sling, Hermione was finally let in, nearly frantic with worry.
"Is it permanently damaged? How long do you think she should stop flying? At least through the summer, maybe to be safe-"
"I'm finneee," whined Rose.
"She's fine," said Draco, poking around the candy that was magically being sent to the bedside table from well-wishers.
Madam Pomfrey set a serving of pain potion on the bedside table. "In my professional opinion, Minister, she should stay in bed for the next 24 hours while her clavicle heals and then stay on the ground for the following week to allow for a full recovery. I don't see any need to limit her beyond that. Children are resilient. She will be just fine." She swatted Draco's hands away from the candy.
"Told you," Rose said, biting the end of a licorice wand. "Mum, Bulgaria is in the playoffs for the cup. Is being Minister enough to get tickets, or can you talk to your old boyfriend about seats?"
Hermione stammered, "How do you know about that?"
"Aunt Ginny told me - "
"You still talk to Krum?" Draco scowled, watching the conversation volley around.
"No, Rose, I don't have time for the cup this year- "
"Noooo. Just get the tickets and we'll go for you! Right, dad?"
Draco thought for a minute. Then, "When's the Cup? July?"
"We'll be a bit busy having a baby around that time!"
Draco shrugged, started to say something, and shut his mouth after a withering glare from his wife.
Rose frowned. "Oh yeah, another baby. Oh well, maybe Da has connections."
After a few minutes of Hermione fruitlessly doting on Rose and Evelyn coming for a visit and promising to make sure to keep her in bed, they left to collect Lyra from the Ravenclaw common room.
"Bye to Scorpius too!" Evelyn called down the corridor.
"You're the only one who thinks it's a girl." Hermione hummed to Draco.