Fingers fisted on the bed sheets beside her head, his hand slipping into hers. Their fingers laced together. Hermione gasped up against his ear, her arm slung over his shoulders, fingers digging into the spot between his shoulder blades. His face was buried into her neck, pressing feather light kisses against her skin. Their breaths intermingled together as their bodies moved as one.
Her leg wrapped around his waist, his hand coming to her thigh. His moans filled the air, shoulders tensing as he straightened to look down at her. His hand traveled up from her abdomen, fingers taking in the silkiness of her skin. Up between the valley of her breasts, sliding over the small smattering of freckles across her collarbone. His hand reached up so he could curl fingers over the back of her neck. His thumb brushed along her mouth and she understood, opening it so he could brush it against her tongue. Her mouth closed over the digit and he hissed quietly.
His brows furrowed together as his hips snapped forward, a shiver running over his body. Her body arched as he hit that spot inside of her that he knew got her closer to the edge. Her toes curled, head tossing back as his name fell from her lips. "Draco." Her eyelids fluttered and he brushed his thumb against her cheek as he bent down to capture her lips. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and he slid his other around her waist to pull her up against his chest. He sat back onto his heels.
He pushed up into her, her body reacting by tightening around him. He groaned, leaning his head down to kiss along her collarbone. A low cry escapes her, shivering. Her hand slipped up into his hair, tugging at the blonde locks. His hips popped up into her and she scratched at his scalp in silent warning. He knew, then. He'd learned her ticks early on into…whatever this was. The scalp scratching meant she was close. She wasn't a prude, but saying things out loud sometimes took her out of the moment. He understood, turning to his left and laying her down against the mattress. Their heads where their feet had been.
He kissed up from her collarbone to her neck and jawline. His lips danced to her earlobe where he gave a little bite, receiving a moan in response. His lips split into a grin and she groaned. The day he had figured out what that did to her, he knew he had to add it to his arsenal. He kissed up to her lips, pressing their foreheads together. The way they moved together, the way his fingers laced with her own, beside her head. Draco ran his tongue over lower lip, begging for entrance. Hermione obliged, their kiss becoming passionate the longer they shared it. Their breathing uneven, Draco pushed into her harder and that was that. Her body arched off the bed, both of them tensing as they met their release at the same time.
They stayed that way for a moment, bodies vibrating at the same frequency. It felt like a glow had washed over them. Draco rolled off of her and onto his side, his arm coming around her middle to pull her closer. He pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder and she let out a content sigh, turning to bury her nose into the crook of his neck. They didn't usually sleep after their romps, opting instead to go their separate ways. This was the second time they'd held each other.
Draco looked down at her with heavy eyelids, thinking. It could be easy to love her.
xxxxx
Draco's eyes slipped open, the room enveloped in complete darkness. His brows furrowed together at the dream. Well, not the dream, the memory. He hadn't thought about Hermione Granger like that in years. He had especially not dreamt about her in just as long. He sat up in bed, wiping at his eyes. Tonight, he was alone. Work had been excruciatingly frustrating.
He spent half of the day doing paperwork and the other half walking around cells in Azkaban for more information. He made it a point to sidestep his father's cell. He didn't want to visit him today. His mother made him attend any hearings and once a month family therapy. It was horrible. His father didn't want to change, he didn't want to accept the error of his ways.
Draco shook thoughts of his father from his head and slid off of the bed, his pajamas hanging low on his hips. He stepped into the loo, washing his face before checking the time. It was just after one in the morning. He hadn't been asleep for longer than two hours. He rubbed at his pants, realizing just then how exactly the dream had affected him. "Fuck me." He shook his head with a quiet chuckle, fingers gripping the edge of the countertop. "Six years and I still remember." He rubbed his eyes, stepping out of the bathroom.
He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep again without getting that witch off of his mind. When she'd disappeared, it had taken him a few months to stop waking up and thinking the woman in his bed was her. Draco had not fallen in love with Hermione Granger, that much he was sure about. It didn't mean he didn't enjoy the time they spent together.
NO. He was supposed to stop thinking about her. He shook his head to clear away those thoughts.
Draco walked down the stairs of his home. It wasn't small, but it wasn't as big as his manor. It had his master bedroom and bathroom. A guest bedroom and bathroom which usually only his mother occupied when the manor was too big for her. An office when his work had to come home with him. A library that he never quit adding to. An open concept kitchen, common area, and dining room. And a home gym.
Draco headed into the kitchen, pulling open the refrigerator door. All of the appliances ran on magic, as they often did in the modern wizarding world. He had one house elf, but she was only around for half of the day while he was at work and only if needed. He liked his privacy and he liked doing things for himself. Olive only ever cooked for him if he brought work home and usually arrived to clean up after he'd left and tend to the garden.
He downed the cold water, his muscles finally relaxing. He was about to drop himself on the couch when there was a tap against the window. His brows furrowed together. Who the hell would be writing to him at this time? He pulled it open and let the tawny owl in. He recognized it for it's distinctive purple eyes. Daphne's owl, Plum. He took the letter and slid the bowl of treats over. She picked at it happily, setting into the windowsill.
He opened the letter, realizing it was short and quick. Daphne had obviously been in a hurry writing this and when he saw the contents, he understood. Daphne and Blaise had been the only one who knew about them and only because they'd shown up unannounced once. His blood ran cold.
'Hermione Granger is back. She was just admitted to St. Mungo's.'
xxxxx
Daphne looked between the child sitting on the chair and the unconscious woman. She had been adamant that she was not going to be separated from her mother. It had surprised Daphne to see Mcgonagall guiding the child along the cot carrying Hermione. She had not said a word yet, fear evident in her eyes. She was in an unknown country surrounded by unknown people and her mother had just collapsed on the ground.
"She was inconsolable." Mcgonagall had told those gathered around the fire. They had all tried to step through immediately, even Harry. There were far too many people to have in her common room, so she suggested that they reconvene in St. Mungo's. The witch needed immediate attention.
Daphne had slipped into her work clothes, blonde hair up in a ponytail as she exited the room and walked down the hall to where all of the crew was awaiting. She stopped to squeeze Ron's shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. "She's resting. We've gone through every single wound on her and nothing was magically afflicted." That made Ron and Harry straighten, both with their arms crossed around their chests. "Someone attacked her. Her injuries are very telling. Metal through the abdomen, glass in her feet, palms and head. She lost a lot of blood." She paused, swallowing thickly. "We're very lucky she didn't die. She managed to heal herself before she went cross-country. Her throat has…it has bruises on them from someone who choked her. The potions are being given to her and we're hoping by the time she wakes up, it will no longer feel like she got hit by the night bus."
Ginny let out a strangled sob, her hands coming into her face. She wiped her eyes, letting her father wrap his arm around her. Arthur looked up at her, brows furrowed. "And- And the little girl? The one who came with her? She's her daughter?" It was clear that they had not known and Daphne's heart broke for them all. They loved her very much.
She nodded. "Yes, I performed a paternity spell, but well, she looks just like Granger did when she was younger, albeit a few traits probably from the father." She shifted on her feet. She'd know those eyes anywhere. She grew up looking into them whenever her parents took her over to Malfoy Manor. She had no doubt, but it wasn't her job to tell him. No matter how much she wanted to.
"Merlin, a kid! Hermione has a kid." Ron shook his head, shock evident in his voice. The rest nodded, looking equally as confused. "Fucking hell, mate." Daphne gripped his shoulder and nodded.
"That poor girl. Her parents died right after the war." Bill rubbed his hands together, looking over at them. "Death Eaters that escaped and managed to find them in Australia. She's been raising her on her own." He looked over at Fleur, his hand on her thigh as Victoire slept in her arms. "I couldn't imagine doing it without you."
The door burst open and Draco and Blaise stepped in to everyone's confusion. Daphne's eyes widened. She had not expected them to show up. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Ron growled, not bothering to sound pleasant at all.
Blaise glared at him, but it was Draco who spoke. "You didn't think that you two would be allowed on the case, did you? You've got a direct relationship with her. It's too complicated." His steel eyes looked around the room, noting how they all looked rather unhappy he was here. He didn't care. He wasn't there for them. He was there on orders from his supervisor. "Blaise and I will be taking on the case."
"Forget it." Ron snarled, squaring his shoulders. Bill and Charlie stood up immediately. Whether it was to help their brother or hold him back, neither former Slytherin could be bothered to figure it out. His fingers curled into his palms. "You hated her in school. You would have been happy to feed her to the basilisk, you stood by while your aunt tortured her, carving that disgusting name into her arm." He took a step forward, but Draco didn't flinch. "There's no way you're on the case."
Arthur cleared his throat, having stood to place his hand on his son's shoulder. "Ron. Settle down. Mr. Malfoy is not the same boy he once was."
"How could you say that?" It was Ginny this time, standing up in shock at her dad's words. She shook her head, tears threatening to fall. "Hermione is in there, half dead and you want to leave the fate of her torturer in the hands of these two?"
"I'm not saying that he doesn't owe everyone an apology." Arthur gave Malfoy a look and the blonde man seemed to soften his gaze. They simply stared at each other for a moment and after a while, Arthur's face twisted in confusion. He blinked, taking a step back. Ron looked between the two, unsure of what had just happened. "Mr. Malfoy is a different man than he was when you were in school. He's not perfect, He's still hard headed. But he's a good Hit Wizard. He'll find who did this."
"I'm also involved." Blaise smirked, his lips twitching. Draco swallowed thickly as Arthur pulled back to look at his partner, nodding. "We know what we're doing. And once Ms. Granger is awake, we will start to piece together the puzzle."
Ron didn't like it and they could tell. Harry didn't either. In fact, none of the people who were at school with him looked remotely okay with it. Except for Daphne and Blaise. Daphne did always see the best in people. She cleared her throat, stepping between her boyfriend and her best friend. The red head looked at her and seemed to understand, taking a step back. "So, what about her daughter? What do we know?"
Blaise and Draco blinked, confusion etched on their face. What? Granger had a child? A daughter?
Daphne sighed, a look of worry across her face as she looked at the two men. She looked pained, looking away from them and to the rest of the crew. "She's not speaking, not at all. According to all of the intel from the spell, she's five. Her birthday is May 12, 2003. And she's perfectly fine. The blood on her all belonged to Hermione. Mcgonagall has taken the liberty to clean her up." Daphne paused. Draco felt his blood run cold. Five. Years. Old. And a half. Draco started the math in his head. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. Blaise tilted his head, the math adding up in his head.
"I want to see her." Harry stood and Draco noticed how weak he looked. Not just an insult. The man was pale, limping. "I had a feeling at midnight. Something tells me that it has to with whatever happened to Hermione. I want to see her. Maybe I can get her daughter to give us her name."
Daphne shook her head, frowning at him. "Harry, no. I'm sorry, but you need to be seen by a different healer first. And I don't want to scare the child. She's already so frightened. She won't stop crying. We could barely get her off of Hermione long enough to treat her." She looked at all of them. "I know you all want to see her. Please, be patient with us. For now, she's stable. Once we can get her daughter under control, we will do our best to let each of you have a moment with Hermione. For now, she's overwhelmed and she will not leave her side. Please, I am begging you, stay patient."
Ron wrapped her into a hug and nodded. "We're not going anywhere. We'll wait here until you tell us." Daphne smiled and hugged him back before moving away.
"Draco, Blaise. If you would please follow me." She stepped out and her two former classmates walked behind her. They flanked her and she could feel Draco itching to ask. His hand came out to grab her arm and he whirled her around to look at him.
Those eyes. Daphne swallowed, frowning a little. "Is she in there? Her daughter, is she in there?" Daphne nodded, that pained look passing her features again. He looked behind her to the door with Hermione's name. He took a deep breath. It wasn't possible. So, he didn't have to worry. "Okay." He let go of her arm and Daphne looked between the both of them. She turned on her heel and pushed open the door.
Mcgonagall looked up from where she sat beside the hospital bed. Blaise let the gasp that Draco stifled escape. Hermione lay in the bed, a hospital gown on. Any skin that was not covered in wires or tape was covered in purples and reds. Cuts that only needed pomade on them were very red and raw. Her throat was purple, the marks looking exactly like fingers. Her lip was cut, her face healing from other wounds. The gown was cut open on one side, a wire going in, a shimmering blue liquid dispensing from a floating bag. And beside Hermione, a little girl lay asleep. She had tear stained cheeks and she was so close to her mother that Draco knew if they stopped touching, she'd be afraid she'd disappear. She had golden blonde curls framing her face and he couldn't stop the thought from coming to the forefront. She was the most beautiful little girl Draco had ever set eyes on.
Daphne moved to Hermione's side. There were potions slipping through wires and into Hermione, healing her. Trying to. "That one was the hardest to heal. But none of the injuries were magically inflicted. So, they should be fully healed soon and once she wakes, you can ask her whatever you need."
The little girl shifted in bed and Mcgonagall sat up straight, worry evident in her eyes. Draco looked at Blaise who scratched the back of his head. "It's not like we can be sure she's yours until Granger wakes up."
"Blaise!" Draco growled low, ignoring the look Mcgonagall gave them.
The little girl shifted again, inhaling deeply. She blinked, rubbing at her eyes as they opened. Little hands pushed her hair from her face, looking at her mother. Her lips turned down again and she whined, shaking Hermione. The woman didn't move. "Maman. Please, wake up, mummy. I miss you." She whined, hot tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Oh, hush now, little one." Mcgonagall rubbed her back. "She'll wake up. Just give her some time. Mummy needs to rest so she can be strong when she wakes." The child looked over at the older witch and then froze, catching sight of the other three in the room.
Her eyes widened and Daphne stepped forward. "This is Blaise and Draco, okay? They're going to help figure out who hurt your mummy, okay?" Draco lifted his head finally, his silver eyes meeting a matching pair. His heart lurched.
"Daddy!" The little girl slid off of the bed, her feet barely able to touch the ground. She rushed forward, her arms coming up to hug Draco's legs.
xxxxx
He swayed a little as her arms came around his legs, tilting his head down to look at her. Blaise gaped at them, Mcgonagall's hand coming to her mouth. Daphne nodded, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Draco.."
He placed his hand on top of her golden curls as the child cried, lifting her head to look up at him. Big tears sliding down her cheeks and maybe it was because she was a child and her mother was in trouble, but he picked her up.
He had carried some kids before from some awful situations and they had always hurt. Children were innocent and tiny and should never be put in a situation where they needed to defend themselves.
He held her in his arms and her arms wrapped around his neck, hugging him as she cried. "Mummy's hurt." He rubbed her back, shushing her and trying to soothe her. Daphne walked up behind her, looking into Draco's eyes. She lifted her wand and Draco caught her gaze.
He nodded. The blonde witch flicked her wrist and a warmth went over him and the child in his arms. He closed his eyes, feeling it rush through every nerve ending from the top of his head down to his toes. He inhaled and on the exhale, he opened his eyes. They were both bathed in a beautiful yellow glow. He pressed his lips into a thin line and wrapped his arm around her tighter.
"Bloody fuckin' hell…" Blaise gasped out, his eyes widening. Daphne smacked his arm, pointing at the child. He made a face. "Wh- I'm sorry! But it's - it's yellow, Daph. You know what that means."
Draco nodded, pushing hair from the little girl's face and behind her ears. "It means that I'm her…that I'm really her-"
"-father." Draco's head snapped over to the bed where Hermione was attempting to sit up. She gasped out in pain and the little girl cried out happily. "You're her father."