After a couple minutes, the Healer indicated that Ginny and James could approach Hermione, although he was still working on her thigh wound. James was lifted onto the bed by Hermione's waist on the opposite side of her hip puncture. Once he was settled in, he reached a small hand out to pat her on the arm.
"You okay?" The toddler asked, and Hermione gave him a soft smile, reassuring him that he was fine.
Then Harry was bursting into the room, eyes wild and looking panicked.
He breathed out with a huge sigh of relief as he spotted Hermione in the bed, awake and alert.
"What happened?!" He asked, his voice higher pitched than usual.
Hermione hesitated, looking at James, who was old enough to at least understand what she would be saying.
"Come on James," Ginny said immediately, reaching for her son. "Let's go get Auntie Hermione some proper tea from upstairs."
Once they had left the room Hermione gripped Draco's hand and started to explain everything that'd happened, trying to be as detailed as possible.
"Shite, okay, we're going to need to get a couple more Aurors involved. I'll be back shortly, I just want to send a quick Patronus to Robards. We need to have people looking for the perpetrators right away."
The Healer had finished dealing with her wounds by the time Harry left to send a message to his boss. He left them alone for a few minutes to figure out a potion regimen that Hermione would have to follow.
"I cannot believe you were attacked like this," Draco said quietly once they were alone. "You're sure you didn't recognize either of them?"
"I've never seen them before in my life. I was so afraid," Hermione admitted. She was still clutching a sleeping Scorpius to her chest.
"I know," Draco soothed, resting a shaking hand against her cheek. He was still afraid, if he was being honest, but they had excellent wards on their house and he wasn't against asking Harry to find a professional who could strengthen them. "I don't know what I'd do if something worse had happened," he admitted to her.
Hermione let out a shaky breath and pressed her face into his hand, taking the comfort he was offering.
"I don't want this to sound presumptuous, but do you think they knew who you were, or was it just random?"
"They knew," Hermione said after a moment, another shudder going through her. "They were waiting for me there, they knew I'd be showing up when I did."
Draco didn't say anything, pondering that information. He continued wiping the stray tears from her cheek, his thumb stroking across it gently as he stared down at her for a few moments before leaning down and pressing his lips to hers softly.
The door opened and Draco broke the kiss reluctantly, meeting the eyes of the stunned looking Healer before the other man cleared his throat again. Handing Draco a roll of parchment instructions, he rattled off a list of potions and balms that would help Hermione heal quicker, advising her to take it easy for the next week in order to allow her wounds the proper healing time.
"You can keep the gown, since your clothes aren't fit to be worn," he said, turning to Draco. "We had to cut them off of her in order to work around the arrows," he explained.
Draco nodded and lifted his wand, easily transfiguring the hospital gown into a light long sleeved dress that she could wear through the Floo.
"Thank you," he said to the Healer, who nodded awkwardly as Ginny and Harry both returned.
"Robards got back to me and asked that you come in for an interview, Hermione, as soon as possible."
Hermione stiffened immediately. "Why do I need to come in for an interview when I already told you, an Auror, what happened?"
"They just want to make sure everything is on the up and up. This is a big deal; you could have been murdered."
"No, not yet - they were trying to take me somewhere, not kill me and be done with it."
"It's still a big deal, Hermione, and it was definitely a planned attack. On one of the Golden Trio," he added with a grimace. "I need to know if I should be concerned about Ginny and James - and what of Ron and Hugo? Robards is the Head Auror, and he wants you in for an interview."
Hermione's distress increased visibly as Harry talked, and bringing the kids into it at that exact moment wasn't going to change her mind. Draco and Harry could talk about it later, once Hermione was resting.
"She needs to rest for the week, Harry. Can't you just relay the message thoroughly? Offer your memory of the story or something?"
Harry sighed in annoyance. He'd known Hermione wouldn't want to go in to be interviewed properly. She never spent time in the Ministry unless she had absolutely no choice, and he'd guessed that she wouldn't want to put herself in a public setting so soon after she was attacked.
"I'll see what I can do," he finally said. "I can't make any promises, though."
"Thank you, Harry," Hermione sighed. "Can you take him while I get up?" She asked Draco, passing the baby over easily.
Ginny gave her a small smile, trying to keep her worry from being obvious for James' sake.
"Do you want me to send you guys some dinner tonight?" she asked kindly, and Draco guessed that she was feeling a little helpless.
"Would you really?" He asked, turning to her with an understanding look on his face. "We're both totally knackered and that would be amazing. I don't know how it's only noon."
"Of course!" Ginny replied, looking excited at the prospect.
"Plus I'm going to need to contact Theo, Blaise and Pansy and let them know what happened today. I'm sure Pansy will have ten thousand questions and Theo will be stressed out about it and Blaise will probably have tons of useless advice. I'm exhausted just thinking about it."
Hermione gave a small laugh and smacked his arm gently before she took Scorpius back, resting his face in the crook of her neck and smiling down at him.
"Can we go home now?" she asked. She was exhausted.
Draco took her hand and they all left the room. He grabbed the nappy bag on his way out and tried to ignore the fact that the press had caught wind of their presence, yelling questions and snapping pictures as they made their way to the Floo.
Hermione was slowly going insane, it was official. She had been taking it easy for days, and admittedly the first couple days she did need the rest. She was so sore from her wounds that every movement hurt, but the frustration of convalescing had her ready to be done with it.
Draco was not. He was adamant that she take all the time she needed, that she be fully and entirely healed before she went back to work. Today she was going, whether he liked it or not. It had been almost a week since her attack and she was perfectly fine; if he even so much as suggested that she stay inside he was going to get an earful.
She was dressing for the day ahead when he entered their room, and she steeled herself for his ridiculous suggestions, so she was surprised when he seemed relieved that she was getting ready.
"We have to be in the Ministry within an hour for you to give a statement about what happened last week. Harry just sent a message and said that his memories of our conversation wasn't enough and he wasn't able to hold them off of interviewing you any longer."
"Well why not?" Hermione snapped, her posture going completely rigid and mood immediately deteriorating. "He's an Auror and I told him everything that happened!"
"I don't know," Draco said, assessing her. "I don't have much sway with the Ministry so I'm not sure why we have to go in, but we also can't just ignore a summons."
"Well, I'm not going."
Draco's eyebrows raised a fraction, and the back of his hand caressed her cheek. "Hermione, we have to. Ignoring this could cause a lot of problems, and, as I have personal reason to know, the Ministry doesn't take too kindly to being ignored, even when you're totally and completely justified in wanting this all done with."
"I have other things to do today, Draco. I need to get to the shop and make sure my new employee is getting on well, and I told Ginny that Scorpius and I would go over for a late lunch. I don't have time to go to the Ministry."
"The shop is fine; I've been there every day this week to make sure everything is stocked and up to par, and that Sallow kid is doing extremely well. Ginny can wait."
"It is not fine," Hermione raged, clenching her fists.
"What is wrong with you?" Draco asked, then checked himself. Hermione wasn't one to fuss over nothing. He left off buttoning his shirt and actually looked at his girlfriend, who didn't look stressed out, but terrified. He reached for her, resting his hands on her shaking shoulders and stooping down to look directly into her eyes.
"I'm not going," she said, her bottom lip beginning to tremble.
"Merlin, Hermione. Talk to me, tell me what's going on."
"I'm just not going!" She snapped, shrugging his hands away and stomping to the bathroom.
"If we don't go there, they'll come here," he called to her, and she stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to him; he could see calculations going on behind her eyes, and a tear slipped down her cheek before she snarled, "Fine!" and slammed the bathroom door behind her.
"Salazar," Draco whispered to himself. He'd finish getting dressed, run Scorpius to Ginny's, then accompany Hermione to the Ministry. Hopefully, somewhere during that agenda he'd figure out the actual problem.
—-
He basically had to drag her, but they made it within the hour they had been allotted. Hermione was still in a terrible mood, sniping at him about everything possible, even down to the colour of his tie.
Her attitude was boggling his mind. At first he figured she had been cooped up too long while she was healing and just needed to get out of the house for a while, but that wasn't right. She had seemed fine until he mentioned going to the Ministry. He also felt like Harry had said something about not getting visits from Hermione at the Ministry anymore, but he couldn't fully remember. Hadn't Potter been taking the mickey over them being so attached? Or was it more?
She stomped out of the elevator and huffed as she halted in front of Harry's desk and crossed her arms tightly beneath her breasts. Drace wasn't sure if she was enraged or hyperventilating.
"Well? I'm here, let's get this over with."
Harry raised an eyebrow at her before glancing at Draco, who shrugged.
"You'll be in interview room three," Harry said, gesturing across the bullpen to a hallway, and Hermione glared at him for a moment before turning away and leaving both men staring after her.
"Well. She seems to be in a mood," Harry said, and Draco shrugged again. He had no idea what was wrong with her, but something felt off. He knew more about her than anyone in the world, and he knew that her blustering attitude right now was more fear than anything else.
He just didn't know why.
He sighed and trailed along behind her, Harry showing him the way, and he entered the room to see that Hermione was already seated in a metal chair, her knees crossed tightly as her foot bounced with nerves, her arms rigid across her stomach.
He stood behind her, leaning against the wall while they waited for whoever was going to interview her, and finally a short, sandy haired man entered and took a seat across from her.
"Hello," he said politely, pulling out a Dicto Quill and some parchment. "I hope you don't mind that I use this," he said, balancing the quill on its nib. "It's just easier - and more accurate - to speak to you and have this record than it is for me to keep a conversation going while taking notes myself."
"It's fine," Hermione said, but she seemed to relax a little bit as the man sat across from her.
"My name is Henry, and I'm going to ask you some questions about what happened last week. I do have Auror Potter's memories, but as he was checking on you as a friend rather than actively interviewing you at the time, we need to rehash everything. This is formality in case we catch who did it and end up in a position to press charges, which I firmly hope we will."
"That's fine," Hermione mumbled, uncoiling her arms and resting her elbows and forearms on the table.
"Can you please begin by telling me why you went to that forest when you did?"
Hermione launched into an explanation, telling Henry the relevant information while Draco listened and looked around the room. He knew there was a spell on the wall opposite the table, allowing whoever was back there to see what was happening in the interview room without having to be present. That was standard and he assumed Harry had gone to that side, probably with his boss, to watch.
There wasn't much else in the room to hold his attention, just spelled numbers on the wall that acted as a clock and an orb of light on the ceiling.
She was just explaining how she had managed to make it back to their house when the door cracked open and a fairly tall man with slicked back brown hair and a sleek, neatly manicured beard and moustache entered the room.
Gawain Robards, Head Auror.
"Auror Robards," the interviewer said in surprise, and Hermione's voice went up an octave before she stopped speaking altogether. She immediately pulled her arms back into her body, almost as if to shield herself from something, and the pieces began falling into place for Draco as he watched.
"Has Miss. Granger given you any characteristics so that we can start searching for those attackers?" He asked, his voice deep and oily.
"Yes, sir, I have all of the information here and we were just finishing up the interview. Hermione Granger, this is Head Auror Robards, he's taken a special interest in your case to try and get this solved as quickly as possible."
"Nice to meet you, Miss. Granger," Robards said, his dark eyes on Hermione for a beat before he approached her and held out his hand in greeting.
Hermione cleared her throat, "You too, Mr. Ro - Mr. Rob - Sir." Hermione choked out, ignoring his outstretched hand, and Draco straightened immediately, a numb feeling spreading through his legs as the horrifying realisation solidified.
"We appreciate you coming in today."
Hermione didn't make eye contact, staring at the table instead, but she muttered, "It's not like I had a choice."
Robards chuckled and Draco watched as the hairs on Hermione's arms actually stiffened, sticking straight up as she suppressed a shiver.
"Surely you want to find those who attacked you?" he asked, but Hermione didn't even respond, just continued staring at the table. Robards watched her for another moment before clearing his throat and turning to Henry. "I'll take those sheets of parchment and start working on a wanted poster."
"But I was - you, sir?" Henry asked in surprise. Usually the graphics department worked on those, but he handed the papers over anyway.
"That's correct," Robards answered, his eyes straying to Hermione almost as though he had no control over it.
Draco's stomach was swooping and he felt incredibly uncomfortable with the entire situation; he did not like this man, the Head Auror.
Robards finally looked at him, almost as though he had blended in with the wall behind him and wasn't noticeable until he moved, but Draco really knew it was because the man had eyes for no one but Hermione.
Silver eyes narrowed as he stared at the man across from him, and Robard's eyes again flickered to Hermione, who still hadn't made any moves to look up.
Robards met Draco's eyes with an infinitesimal quirk of the lips, and Draco knew then, without a doubt. The man seemed to be almost gloating for a split second, daring Draco to come at him with accusations so he could arrest him, put him in his place, anything.
"Let's go," Draco said instead, leaning forward and gently taking Hermione's hand in his own, helping her get to her feet. Her fingers were trembling in his and he felt like an utter arsehole for making her attend this stupid interview; it was probably a ploy just to unnerve her.
"I regret that this meeting had such an unfortunate reason," Robards said. "Thank you so much for taking precious time from your day. As always, Miss. Granger, it's a pleasure."
He left the room before them, sweeping down the hallway toward his office while Draco led Hermione the opposite way.
"Finished?" Harry asked, meeting them halfway to the elevator.
Draco nodded tightly. Hermione was seconds away from a panic attack; they needed to leave.
"Ginny has Scorpy; I'm going to ask her to keep him for a few more hours so Hermione and I can have some time to decompress," Draco said. Hermione was jamming the button for the elevator repeatedly, as though that would make it come faster, and Draco was holding onto his rage by a thread.
"Okay?" Harry said, looking totally concerned about their behaviour, but Draco waved him off as the elevator finally opened on their floor. He ushered Hermione in and stayed close to her side, but when he turned back to the front, Robards was standing at the back wall, watching them leave.
Their eyes met again, and Draco knew that the look on the other man's face was more than the hatred-of-all-things-Malfoy he'd become accustomed to. Robards had figured out, or at least strongly suspected, that Hermione had told Draco about her ordeal. Not everything, but enough. Or too much.
Fuck, he thought. I'd best add additional wards. The strongest I can manage.
—-
They tumbled through the Floo and onto the hearth in their living room, scaring the daylights out of Po, who had been dusting cheerfully.
He squeaked aloud and fled the room as Hermione collapsed to her knees and dropped her head, cradling it in her arms, whole body shaking. Draco himself wanted to cry, but instead he picked her up and held her body tightly to him. Her knees went around his waist automatically and he ran his hand repeatedly through her hair.
"I'm so sorry, I had no idea. I never would have guessed, Hermione. I swear I would have fought harder to not attend that meeting if I had even the slightest inclination."
She shuddered against him, holding him tightly around the neck as she sniffled.
"I know you didn't know. How did you figure it out so quickly?"
"You couldn't say his name," Draco clarified, and she nodded against him. "I didn't like him before that, the way he was looking at you, but then you choked on his name and I just knew."
She nodded again, hanging onto him tightly and at a complete loss for words.
"I need to Floo Ginny quickly, okay, and then we'll talk."
Hermione nodded and uncoiled herself from around him so he could set her gently onto the floor. Her knees shook, but she took a few steps and sat heavily on the couch while Draco disappeared into the flames.
"Tea, miss?" Po asked, approaching her with a silver tray laden with all the fixings for tea as well as finger sandwiches.
"Thank you, Po," she said, and accepted the cup he had poured her with surprisingly steady hands. She sipped it while waiting for Draco to return, savouring the floral blend that calmed her stomach but also her mind.
Draco returned after a few minutes, smiling at the sight of her, which caused a small smile to grace her lips as well.
"For some reason, I feel a lot better now that you know. I'm not carrying it alone anymore," she said as she sipped, and Draco sat down beside her gently and took her hand.
"I will always do everything in my power to make sure you're safe, Hermione, and that he and no one else will ever touch you like that again."
"I know you will," she responded, and she meant it. He had done everything he could for her since they had started dating, he had always had her best interests at heart.
"I love you so much," he whispered, settling back into the couch and pressing his palms into his eyes. "When I realised it was him, this seething rage just flowed through me; but it wouldn't do us or Scorpius any good for me to get thrown into Azkaban for murdering the Head Auror."
"No, I don't think I'd enjoy that very much," Hermione replied, setting her own cup down and taking Draco's hand. She turned to face him on the couch, pulling her knees up so she was cross legged. "I hate him, but it's not worth you leaving me and Scorpy here without you."
Draco gave her a stressed smile, sitting forward as he rested his head against hers. "Is there anything I can do?"
"No," she said, letting out a breath. "Just spend the afternoon with me. I guess I'm not going into the shop at all today, again." she added as an afterthought.
"We can both go in tomorrow morning and I'll prove to you that everything has been going smoothly in your absence."
It didn't occur to Hermione until that evening, after Scorpius was tucked into his crib and her and Draco were in bed, her back pressed into his chest, that she hadn't checked Po's tea for tampering.
The thought made her smile.
—-
Hermione awoke to silence. Odd. She could usually hear Draco faintly talking to their son while he cooked breakfast, or Scorpius gurgling and giggling while he played with his toys, but the house was completely quiet.
She sat up and stretched with a groan, feeling lighter than she had in years. Sharing her secret with Draco months before had helped, but now that he absolutely knew everything, including the man who had drugged her and assaulted her so brutally, she felt even better.
Harbouring secrets was hard.
She dressed quickly before heading downstairs in search of her family, but no one else was home. She smiled to herself as she saw a cup of steaming tea and a plate of buttered toast on the counter, held warm under a stasis charm with a note beside them.
"Thought I'd run into the shop early, and Molly wanted Scorpius for the day so he's safe with her. Come to the Apothecary whenever you're ready."
Hermione pulled out a stool and had a leisurely breakfast, enjoying the silence. It wasn't often that she found herself alone - not that she was complaining, but the silence was nice for a bit.
She donned a thick cloak Draco had bought for her and strapped her wand into her arm holster before heading for the Floo.
She stepped out of the mantel on the other side, looking around the Apothecary in curiosity. It was as silent as the house she'd just left, but Draco should have been there, as well as Simon Sallow, who she'd hired two weeks before.
"Hello?" She called, making her way further into the shop.
The lights were dimmed but the front door was unlocked, and Hermione's attention was drawn to the tipped shelves in the middle of the store. Potion bottles had smashed as the shelves fell, and it was obvious there had been a struggle.
"Draco?" She called, worried. Her stomach swooped with fear as she took in the destruction that had occurred during the struggle, and she lost her breath for a moment when she realised there was blood smeared across a few shelves.
Her head spun for a moment but she got herself together and rushed to the shelves in the far corner, the furthest away from the wreckage, and grabbed a revealing potion.
She hurried back to the blood spots and dripped the potion onto them, praying none of the blood belonged to Draco.
It did. Two names shimmered in the air.
Draco Malfoy.
Gawain Robards.
"Fuck," Hermione muttered, pulling her wand from her sleeve and disappearing with a crack.