Chapter 14

"Where did these come from?" Hermione asked Draco, holding a stack of tiny crocheted hats, all different colours and clearly for Scorpius. "I don't remember opening them." She twisted the stack around to look at the individual hats, pulling out a green one.

"I don't know about this," she teased. "We don't need him getting ideas about being Sorted into Slytherin!"

Draco looked up from the stove and straightened, his eyes widening. "They're - well - those are from… they're from Pansy!"

Hermione's eyes narrowed in suspicion. She'd been sure she'd get a laugh out of him.

"Oh?" she asked coyly, lifting a hat with simple stitches up with a finger and dangling it in the air. "You're telling me that Pansy made these? Are you sure you want to stick with that story?"

Draco stared at her again, his spine painfully straight as he assessed her expression. He put down his spatula and wiped his hands on his sweatpants. She had a small smile on her lips, and he was sure she already knew the truth but wanted to hear him say it anyway.

So he said nothing.

"I suppose Pansy left all those skeins of yarn and crochet hooks behind in the back corner of our closet as well?" Hermione pressed. She was struggling to stifle her giggle, and it abruptly rang from her lips despite her efforts to keep the noise in.

Draco sighed. "Fine! I made the damned hats."

"They're really quite good, I wasn't aware that you're a crocheter."

"I am not a crocheter," Draco said adamantly. "I was trying something out to keep myself busy when all I wanted to do was drink. I haven't even touched any of that in months now. Po was teaching me, but I don't have the patience."

"Okay, okay," Hermione said, setting the hats down on the kitchen counter, but still grinning a little. "I'm sorry, I just had to tease you about it for a moment. Speaking of Pansy, have you heard back from her yet? I hope they come to see Scorpius soon." Hermione asked Draco as he levitated dishes of food to the table for a late dinner. Scorpius was in his crib sleeping and Hermione was wearing one of Draco's shirts.

"She owled back, yes, but said they're waiting on an international portkey."

Hermione glanced at him. "I'll arrange one for them tomorrow, since the bigoted Ministry will drag their feet for weeks, I'm sure."

"We're used to it, Hermione," he assured, but she continued to glower at her plate. She was all about justice, that much was clear.

"Well, that doesn't mean that I have to like it. As soon as I've got it sorted we will send them all an owl with the details. Are they going to be staying here again?"

Draco could tell that she was trying to be accepting, but he knew that Theodore's words on his last visit still stung.

"I don't think so, no. I love them but I'd prefer they make other arrangements. It's different now, with Scorpius here. Plus, who knows how long they plan to stay? I absolutely cannot forgo seeing you dressed like that whenever you feel like it."

Draco gestured to his shirt and Hermione's cheeks burned. They finished their dinner and Hermione stood in front of the fireplace, watching the flames for a moment. She stretched her neck from side to side before reaching her hands above her head and arching her back, revelling in the warmth.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Draco asked from the doorway, watching her silhouette against the flickering fire.

She just grinned as he approached, his hands reaching out to slip beneath her shirt. He felt her tense as his fingers swept the curve of her stomach, but she didn't push his hands away, so he wrapped them around her and settled her back and head into his chest.

"I love you, Hermione," he whispered into her ear, his head ducked down to her level. He hadn't planned on telling her yet but it just felt so right. He would never have expected it, but she was more than perfect to him; she was strong and loving, and he couldn't have asked for someone better to be in his life. In his son's life.

She pressed herself against him as she turned her face up to him. "I love you too," she responded softly, allowing him to glide his fingers across her stomach.

"What's that?" he asked, and she saw that he was looking at his bookcase to the right of the fireplace. Hermione didn't say anything, just watched as the pieces clicked into place for him.

"It's a stack of your books," he answered himself, his voice awed. He pressed his hands into her again before he spun her around to face him. "You've started to unpack?" he questioned.

"Just a couple things here and there," she replied with a shy grin.

"Merlin, Hermione," He groaned, his head tipped back toward the ceiling for a moment. He knew how much this meant, how big of a deal it was.

"I feel safe with you," she admitted, blushing.

He pulled her back into his arms, his hands settling on her stomach again as she rested her weight against him, and just as he leaned down and started to kiss her neck, Scorpius started to cry.

Hermione laughed lightly and danced from his arms to go check on the baby.

Draco couldn't believe that he'd just been cock blocked by a week old baby.

—-

Draco was feeding Scorpius from a bottle on the couch as his friends materialised on the gravel lane leading to his door.

"They're here," Hermione said, and Draco nodded happily but continued with his task.

Scorpius finished the bottle and he was just laying the baby on his shoulder to burp him as Hermione ushered his friends inside.

Pansy let out a little delighted squeal and approached Draco and the baby, asking if she could hold him.

"Of course!"

Hermione watched as Draco gently transferred Scorpius into Pansy's awaiting arms, the gentleness in his actions and the small smile on his face had her heart melting.

"How's life with a baby treating you?" Blaise asked as he approached Pansy, peering down into Scorpius' tiny face.

"It's been good so far. Tiring."

"I don't think I've slept through the night in weeks," Hermione added. "But it's good."

"I cannot believe how adorable he is," Pansy said, swaying slightly while the baby blinked up at her with large, grey eyes.

Once everyone had a chance to hold him, Hermione excused herself with him and settled him into his cot for a nap.

She smiled down at him, love bursting in her chest as he blinked lazily up at the ceiling before his eyes began to droop. She left him alone, cast their standard monitoring spells, and made her way back to the living room.

There was a tea service set up on the coffee table and Hermione dropped onto the couch beside Draco with a groan.

"He is adorable and perfect but I am exhausted."

"Same," Draco replied with a large yawn.

"Well you haven't had a decent sleep in almost a month," Theo responded as he fixed a cup of tea. The Ministry had dragged its collective feet on the portkey for as long as it could until the officials involved got annoyed with Hermione's persistence and finally approved the request.

He added sugar and cream before approaching Hermione with the cup, casting obvious detection spells before passing it to her with a trembling hand. A peace offering.

"Thank you, Theo," she said, surprised. But she took the cup and took a small sip before sighing with delight.

"Potter has been continuously sending me real estate listings," Blaise informed them with a small chuckle. "Subtle he is not."

Hermione giggled and Draco quickly shifted forward on the couch.

"He has?"

"Sent me a letter informing me that it's time to "get over myself" and move back, that I can't let a little fear stop me." Blaise shook his head. "I know he means well, but he's still a pompous little…uh, sorry Hermione. It's just…well, he never had to deal with it, did he? Easy for him to say, Golden Boy and all."

Hermione was stunned by her friend's actions, and she wanted to defend him staunchly - Harry had not had an easy life either - but it was probably best to let everyone learn about him on their own. Pansy spoke up next, announcing that while she was nervous about the idea, she had made the decision to come back to England permanently.

"We've all been discussing it and have decided to stay at Nott Manor while we look for houses. I was annoyed at first but…he's right."

"Are you serious?" Draco asked, shocked.

He hadn't thought they'd ever come back and the fact that it was Harry Potter who had convinced them that it was time struck him deeply. He had never before felt acceptance so thoroughly outside of his small friend group and he was again embarrassed about his behaviour when they were children.

"Yes. I think it's time."

"He also heavily hinted that he needs assistance moving into his new house and that he would accept our help," Theo added with an eye roll.

Hermione snorted a laugh.

"He hates moving, but this time he's excited because they've bought a property just a couple plots away."

"I think he wants to be my friend," Theo said, confusion lacing his tone. "All of our friends, I suppose. It's so strange, isn't it?"

"Not really," Draco said with a shrug. "He's incredibly accepting; I was surprised at first but I think he's genuinely just a nice bloke."

"He's the best," Hermione murmured. Her tea was gone and her empty cup was sitting on the table as she leaned into Draco's side, trying to stave off sleep.

"I can't believe you guys are coming back," Draco said quietly, elated at the idea.

"We're back for good, Draco," Pansy assured. "We've already packed our things and brought them along with us. Potter can be pretty convincing."

"We can chat more later; better get out of your hair," Blaise said, gesturing to Hermione, who was already sleeping against Draco's shoulder.

"I'll contact Harry and see if they want to go for dinner with everyone next week," Draco replied. "Give everyone a few days to settle in."

"Sounds good, mate," Theo said with a smile as they all waved and quietly left the new parents alone to get a nap while the baby slept.

—-

Not only did Harry and Ginny want to do a dinner, but so did Ron, a reluctant Lavender, Neville (who had never overly spent much time with Harry or Ron, but was also friends with some of the Slytherin group) and Padma.

Hermione had invited all of her friends. She was very clear who would be attending the dinner and promised them that if they didn't feel comfortable dining with Draco, Theo, Pansy, or Blaise, that she completely understood and wouldn't pressure anyone, but that civility would be expected from anyone who chose to be present.

Luna had actually wanted to attend but was unfortunately out of the country that weekend, out searching for some fictional creature, Hermione was sure.

So it was an incredibly diverse group that met up outside of Brews and Stews, a rather popular restaurant in the Flowermarket district of Diagon Alley.

Harry immediately pulled a still-exhausted Hermione into a tight hug, and slapped Draco on the back like they'd been friends for years.

"It was great of Molly to take the kids tonight," he commented as Ginny also pulled Hermione in for a hug.

"It really was, I just hope Scorpius doesn't give her too much trouble."

Ron snorted from beside her, incredulous. "She raised Fred and George, Hermione – Scorpius is just over a month old and can't even talk back. I'm sure she will be fine."

"He can scream, though," Draco chimed in with an exaggerated grimace.

"Hermione!" Neville called as he got closer, and she squealed and went in for a hug.

"Malfoy," Neville greeted, a little less confidently.

"Draco, if you don't mind," Draco responded, reaching out a hand.

Neville looked shocked for a moment but took it in stride, grasping the once bully's hand tightly in his own and giving it a hearty shake.

"Harry, Ron," Neville said with a nod to each. "Hullo, Ginny. How are you, Lavender?"

Everyone responded in kind and Draco couldn't help but shoot Hermione a look. Neville didn't actually seem too excited to see Harry or Ron, but she just shook her head minutely. A story for another time.

"Neville!" Theo shouted as he approached solo, looking thrilled to see his long time friend. They met with a quick hug and started conversing quickly as Pansy side-stepped the two and smiled widely at the assorted group.

"Hello everyone," she said, almost shyly, and then Padma was behind her, greeting everyone as well.

"Of course Blaise is the last to the party," Draco joked, watching as his friend came into view, sauntering over to the group without a care in the world. Hermione could hear a few people grumbling about Death Eaters under their breath as he walked by, which Blaise was thoroughly ignoring.

Once they were all accounted for, they went to make their way inside. As Draco reached for the door it opened and Marcus Flint strolled out with Constance Yaxley on his arm.

Hermione side-stepped him, almost hiding behind Draco's silhouette as everyone came to an immediate halt, Flint looking at the group with a single eyebrow raised and a sneer on his lips as he passed them without comment.

The group ignored him and made their way into the restaurant, Hermione beaming as Ginny and Pansy quickly fell into conversation and Neville was holding his own with Theo and Blaise. It was an odd group, to be sure, but if they could all get along Hermione would be beyond thrilled.

"How's the baby?" Padma asked, peering at Hermione closely as they were seated.

"He's good. Exhausting but amazing. Molly has him for the evening."

"Along with my son Hugo and Harry's son, James," Ron piped in.

"I didn't realise you had a baby, Ronald," Padma responded politely.

Lavender scoffed from the other side of Ron, leaning forward. "He's ours."

"Well, congratulations," Padma said warily. Parvati, her twin, had been close to Lavender at Hogwarts, but they hadn't been friends for years. "How old is he? I truly didn't know."

"He's 18 months," Lavender said snippily. Hermione wanted to groan aloud, she never knew what the blonde haired witch's problem was and tonight wasn't any different. There was no need for rudeness.

But it wasn't her job to mediate tonight. She wasn't going to do it. Everyone had been fairly warned about who would be attending the dinner, and Lavender didn't have to agree to come if she wasn't going to get along with anyone.

"Potter," Pansy sighed, looking as exquisite as she always did. "I know we've had some words previously but it has come to my attention that I should go out of my way to apologise for what I said. So I'm sorry."

"What you said?" he asked, his eyebrows rising in confusion. "What did you say?"

Pansy rolled her eyes, already placing her napkin across her lap.

"In the Great Hall, about giving you up."

Ginny couldn't help the ringing laugh that tore from her throat despite her attempts to purse her lips together.

More eyebrows raised.

"I'm sorry," Ginny cried as she laughed. "I'm so sorry, but Pansy that was years ago. Honestly I think we all forgot about it, and even at the time it wasn't that huge of a deal. You were a spoiled rotten princess and you were also properly terrified for your life at the time; no one would hold that against you."

Pansy looked put out for a moment before she quietly said, "People hold it against me all the time."

Ginny's laughter cut off immediately and Harry sat up straighter, peering at Pansy from down the table.

"Well, I don't and I won't. I thought the fact that I had convinced you to move back would have been a hint that I wasn't holding anything against you, but I will accept your apology, if that's what you need. "

Hermione glanced sideways and met Draco's eyes with a small smile.

Chatter took off from there, and Hermione was actually slightly horrified to see how quickly Pansy and Ginny were hitting it off. They would be terrifying once they got their heads together.

Pansy was already making noise about a holiday that Ginny seemed far too interested in for it to not turn into something.

"Oh," Harry said, sitting up straighter again as he looked across the restaurant. "That's my boss over there, Mr. Robards. Come on, Ginny, we should go say hi, quick. He's definitely seen me."

Ginny scrunched her nose adorably but agreed, getting to her feet and following her husband deeper into the restaurant.

Hermione was pulled into a conversation with Padma, Neville, and Blaise as Pansy tried to talk to Lavender, who seemed completely uninterested, and an embarrassed looking Ron.

Ron asked her what she was doing these days and Pansy told him that she was trying to start an interior design business, which he seemed interested in until Lavender huffed and got to her feet, claiming she needed to use the loo.

"What is her problem?" Padma asked as soon as she was out of ear shot.

Ron just shrugged with a grimace, seemingly unsure what to say.

Thankfully he was spared from having to respond as the waiter came and began taking drink orders, Ron taking a guess as to what Harry, Ginny and Lavender would all want, since none of them had returned.

Conversation picked up almost immediately and Hermione was content to listen for a few minutes, smirking when Ron seemed almost flabbergasted by Pansy's quick and witty responses to her friends' light teasing. Padma was looking at Theo in blatant interest as he explained that while he had just moved back to the country earlier that week, he was interested in trying to get into law school, but whenever she caught sight of his trembling hand confusion would settle on her brow.

Hermione had not shared the trauma he had endured with her friends other than Harry and Ginny. That was his business to do on his own time.

Draco's fingers found hers on the table and she smiled at him, but he was looking at Theo with a small amount of fascination.

"It seems we're all thinking of the future," he said to her quietly as he turned his eyes to her. "I've been thinking about my job as well, especially since you changed your hours and are looking to bring someone in to run the Apothecary. I don't want to run the businesses anymore, I hate it."

Hermione was surprised, but she could also understand. Draco would never get out of his father's shadow as he so desperately wanted to, not if he was trapped in the same cycle. He was a better man, obviously, but not everyone knew that.

"What do you want to do, then?" Pansy asked, who had obviously been eavesdropping and didn't look the slightest bit sorry about it.

Harry and Ginny returned then, and took their seats; as Draco began to share his thoughts, everyone at the table focused on him.

"Well, nothing is set in stone yet and this could be years out, but what I'd really like to do is demolish the Manor and use the land for something more. No one in my family will ever live there again, so it seems wasteful to have the land there with no one using it."

The table was gobsmacked.

"What would you do with the land?" Neville asked, leaning closer, looking positively intrigued.

"Well," Draco started, and Hermione could see the blush rising on his cheeks. "I would really love to build something new on it, and I know this sounds crazy but I'm leaning more towards a school."

"A school?" Blaise asked, seeming underwhelmed as Lavender finally made her way back to the table, sitting down and crossing her arms tightly beneath her breasts. Ron met Hermione's eye momentarily and turned away from his girlfriend, obviously content with ignoring her shitty behaviour.

"A school for children, specifically, before they'd go to Hogwarts."

"Like a primary school," Potter offered, looking fascinated.

"A what?" Pansy asked, shooting him a confused look.

"A primary school in the muggle world is for children starting at five until they're twelve," Hermione offered as the waiter dropped off drinks and asked if they were ready to order. The entire table quickly read off what they wanted so the waiter would get lost and they could continue hearing Draco's idea.

"Then yes," Draco said. "But hear me out." He seemed more excited now that the table was watching him with rapt attention. "Look at this table right now - I know we don't go by house distinction anymore, but we've got Slytherin, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students present right now, and while we all went to school together it unfortunately took us a lot longer to actually become friendly. Now imagine we had all been exposed to each other before the sorting hat at Hogwarts had our way with us?"

Hermione sat up straighter, looking at the group of them as the wheels in her brain started up.

"Muggleborn students especially need to be more informed from a younger age, and I mean that with no disrespect," he added hastily, looking at Neville, who seemed to want to jump in to Hermione's defence.

"I agree," Hermione said. "I started showing accidental magic at three years old and we had no idea about the magical world at all until I was almost twelve. That was a long time to be afraid that there was something wrong with me, having no idea what was going on."

Draco was nodding emphatically now.

"And if we had all been exposed to each other at a younger age, the entire Pureblood ideology shite would have fallen flat much sooner."

"Wow," Harry said, dumbfounded.

"I think it's an excellent idea," Theo said, tipping his glass of water toward Draco in solidarity.

"It'll take time," Draco added, looking around. "I'd like to have it ready to go by the time Scorpius is at the proper age to begin," he admitted. "But I have a lot of logistics to work out."

Blaise started to snigger suddenly, unable to hold it in. "Imagine," he said between laughs, "The Malfoy ancestors would be rolling in their graves to learn that their beloved estate, founded in 1096, was turned into a school for children - in- including - muggleborns."

Everyone was silent for a moment before the table broke out into laughter, picturing Lucius Malfoy knowing what his precious land was being used for. Eyes around the restaurant landed on the group who were all laughing wholeheartedly, drawing attention.

"I'll frame the howler I receive from my father," Draco said, smirking at his friend as Harry all but doubled over.

Conversation started to flow naturally again and Padma announced she needed the loo, prompting the rest of the witches, sans Lavender, to accompany her.

Pansy looped her arm through Hermione's as they made their way through the restaurant, Ginny and Padma giggling about something behind them.

It was when Hermione was washing her hands that she realised there might be a problem. There was another witch in the loo, a woman who looked to be in her early fifties, and she was standing in front of the door staring at Pansy as she charmed her hands dry.

"So interior design?" Hermione started, trying to ignore the older woman as she turned to Pansy. "Has that always been something you've been interested in?"

"Pretty much," Pansy responded with a dainty little shrug as she leaned against the wall beside Hermione, waiting for Ginny and Padma to finish up.

"What do you think of our house? Does it pass your standards?"

Pansy smirked and turned to Hermione, "Somewhat. It isn't terrible."

"But?" Hermione asked, fascinated and wanting Pansy to continue. Hermione had never exactly been stylish, which wasn't something she overly cared about, but she was interested to hear what Pansy had to say.

"But it's obvious a man lived there alone first," Pansy said with a small grimace.

"And a Death Eater, at that," the older woman by the door said cuttingly. Pansy flinched.

"Excuse me?" Hermione grated.

"Listen good, missy." The woman waggled a gnarled finger. "That trash ent worth your time. No matter how many books ye read or OWLs ye got, y'can't change a Basilisk into a Bowtruckle."

"You don't know a thing about it!" Ginny cried, ignoring Pansy's tug on the sleeve of her robe. "Don't speak about my friends like that. Frankly, I'm embarrassed for you, since you clearly haven't got the sense to feel ashamed of yourself!" Sparks flew from the end of her wand and Hermione carefully edged out of the line of fire.

"Never say I gave no warning; Merlin knows there's only three ways to deal with scummer like them, an' ye know the curses well from fighting in the war. I advise ye to use them afore yer murdered in yer beds."

"It's time for you to go," Padma said firmly, moving in front of Pansy. "Clearly, you weren't burdened with an overabundance of brains, and I'm tired of listening to your waffle. Either leave or get out of the doorway."

"Or what?" The old woman flexed her fingers toward her wand sheath. "Better ye stand aside and let me take care of these murdere–"

Her voice cut off abruptly; Ginny's quick wandwork had silenced her and unleashed a trio of angry spelled starlings, which pecked and clawed at the woman's raised arms. The younger women were able to edge out of the loo. Hermione wrapped an arm around Pansy, startled by the tension she felt in her confident friend.

In her distraction, she blundered right into another diner. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she said automatically, looking up and stifling a groan.

"Well, luv, I can think of a few ways for you to make it up to me." Cormac McLaggen gave what he clearly thought was a winning smile, ignoring the woman he was dining with and ogling Hermione. "New robes?"

"None of your business, Cormac," Hermione snapped. "I'm sorry I bumped into you, but really, now is not the time - there will never be a time. Just no." She firmly side stepped him and steered Pansy back towards their table, feeling his eyes on her the whole way.