p class="MsoNormal"Malfoy had led Hermione down the winding corridors of the Manor, had she been in a better frame of mind she might have stopped to take note of surroundings, but it was taking every ounce of her energy to stay upright./p
p class="MsoNormal"Was he lying? She wanted to believe he was. More than anything Hermione wanted to wake up from this nightmare. He wasn't unkind to her, far from it, but this couldn't possibly be real. Yet the look in his eyes suggested all sincerity./p
p class="MsoNormal"Malfoy paused by one of the doors and Hermione felt her heart drop to her stomach. This was the room./p
p class="MsoNormal""This is it." Malfoy confirmed. Her nerves must have shone through, because he laid his hand on hers."We don't have to do this now."br /Hermione snatched her hand away. "Yes, we do." Her heart was back in her chest, thudding frantically, her head swimming as if she might be sick. "Yes, we do."/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="text-decoration: underline;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"The nursery was picture perfect. Pale cream walls adorned with paintings of flowers that moved with magic. Toys and books were scattered everywhere: a dollhouse in one corner, a rocking horse in another. The carpet was soft under her feet, but she felt rooted to the spot./p
p class="MsoNormal"In the centre of the room was a little girl, one and half. The child was playing with some wooden blocks, laughing as the tower toppled over. It was like looking in a curls were scooped up into two bunchies, a smattering of freckles over a button nose. As her brown eyes looked up, her small rosebud lips stretched into a huge smile./p
p class="MsoNormal""Mama!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"It was like she was hypnotised. Hermione found herself walking towards to the little girl who eagerly held out her arms. The warmth that hit her when the child snuggled into her arms was overwhelming. One hand stroked the curls, while the other clutched her tight as if she would never let go./p
p class="MsoNormal""Her name is Elara." Malfoy's voice shattered their peace."She's 16 months. Do you remember her?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Hermione felt the tears spilling down her cheeks. "I remember that I love her." She whispered. "I remember that she's my little girl."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Elara moved her face from Hermione's shoulder and smiled up at her. Frowning slightly at the tears on her mother's cheeks, her chubby hand wiped them away. "Happy." She announced./p
p class="MsoNormal"Hermione laughed, taking her little hand and kissing it. "Yes, my darling. Happy. I am so happy."/p
p class="MsoNormal"She felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Malfoy. The urge to shrug him away was still there, though not as strong. "We have one more."He smiled down at her. "Come and meet Cepheus."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The baby boy was almost the spitting image of Malfoy. Blonde hair dusted his head while his features leaned towards the sharp angles of the Malfoys. But it was indisputable, he had Hermione's eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal"When Cepheus saw her he kicked his legs and he too held out his arms to her. Elara was still firmly wrapped around her legs, as if worried she might leave again. Hermione didn't have too much experience with babies. Normally if she held one she would be sat down while the overbearing mother placed them in her arms, watching like a hawk. This time she was the mother./p
p class="MsoNormal"Cepheus was heavier than expected, but as soon as Hermione had him in her arms, she knew he too belonged there. There was no question about it, they were her children./p
p class="MsoNormal"Malfoy gave the trio some privacy after that. Hermione spent the morning marvelling at the pair. Elara delightedly toddling about picking up toys to show her, some she knew the names of, others she made up names for. Cepheus lay on his belly, propping himself up at the elbows and laughing at his sister. When he began to cry later, Hermione picked him up and put him to her breast. It was only after he latched on did the action startle her. She'd done it without thinking. A simple action like throwing a ball or using a spoon. Clearly in the depths of her mind she remembered something. The sensation wasn't even strange to her as she'd expected it to feel./p
p class="MsoNormal"A gentle knock on the door came when Hermione was changing Cepheus' nappy. Malfoy seemed almost surprised to find her doing it./p
p class="MsoNormal""You found everything? Your memory, is it?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Elara was very helpful." Hermione smiled at her daughter. "She saw me looking in the cupboards and seemed to know what I was looking for."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Our daughter is very smart." Malfoy laughed. "Just like her mother."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He grimaced when Hermione looked away awkwardly./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm sorry." He apologised. "It's a learning curve for me too. I'm eager for everything to back to the way things were. I know it will take time."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The guilt pulled at her heartstrings. "I'm sorry too." Hermione meant it. "I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you. I'm willing to try if you are."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Malfoy's pale face seemed to burst into sunshine, he looked so overjoyed. "Thank you, Hermione." He breathed. "Thank you so much."/p
p class="MsoNormal""No worries." Hermione hesitated. "Draco."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="text-decoration: underline;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"With the children in bed later that evening, Hermione and Draco sat in the lounge, both still smiling from a day with the little ones, but both still unsure of each other./p
p class="MsoNormal"The lounge was the typical ornate style Hermione had expected to see in the home of a Malfoy. Fine damask curtains shrouded the Baroque windows, ornate wallpaper with flecks of silver and gold adorned the walls and all sorts of trinkets lay beautifully on the mahogany furniture. Having remembered what Draco had said about the house being full of fakes, Hermione was able to see defections where she wouldn't have been able to before. Tiny flecks of silver paint peeling off an old clock, paintings without the signature of the author and a hazy cracked foe-glass./p
p class="MsoNormal""I bet you still have a lot of questions."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I have no idea where to start." Hermione rubbed her temple. "I feel like I'm going to explode. My brain is desperately trying to get things in some sort of order."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Draco waved his hand smiling."Just ask whatever comes to mind first."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Where are Ron and Harry? Can we go and see them?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The smile dropped, his face darkened. For a moment she saw the face of Draco that she remembered, the angry petulant youth. The boy who had tormented her for years. He rose from his seat to stand by the fireplace. She watched him as he poured a glass of firewhiskey and knocked it back while staring into the flames. Her chest tightened./p
p class="MsoNormal""I want to see them."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You can't." It was almost a snarl. His back was to her, she wasn't sure if she wanted him to turn around or not./p
p class="MsoNormal"Hermione had two options. She could change the subject and hope he played along, spending the next few weeks wondering when she would have her question answered, or she could be brave and pursue it. The latter definitely seemed risky./p
p class="MsoNormal""Why can't I see them?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Draco turned to face her, his hand running through his hair. He seemed calmer, though the hurt had not vanished from his eyes."You won't like the answer." He responded grimly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Fear rose in her. "They're not-"/p
p class="MsoNormal""They're alive." He held up a hand to quiet her. "They're safe and well."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Hermione did not like the silence that hung in the air between them. The look on Draco's face as he looked at his shoes, his hands, anywhere but her./p
p class="MsoNormal""Then why can't I see them?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The look that crossed Draco's face could only be described as one of pain. His pinched features grew tighter as he raised his eyes to the heavens, as if hoping for answers. When he finally managed to look at her, he looked apologetic./p
p class="MsoNormal""Your friends didn't like us spending time together." His words were soft, but she could tell he was fighting not to spit them out like poison. "They liked it far less when we began to notice feelings for one another. Our relationship remained secret for months. I wanted you to be honest with them, but you still believed that one day they could grow to like me and then approve. That day never came. They found out about our relationship they gave you an ultimatum. Me or them. You struggled with that decision. Your friends were everything to you, but you hated feeling bullied. I told you to choose them. But when you went back, they told you they never wanted to see you again. They've ignored you ever since."/p
p class="MsoNormal"A tear slid down her cheek."I don't believe you."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Please don't ask me to produce evidence." Draco sighed. "I don't want to hurt you any more than you're already hurting now."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ron would be angry." She could feel her voice wavering. "Ron would be furious. But Harry would talk him round. He wouldn't like it either, but Harry wouldn't turn his back on me. He wouldn't turn his back on me."/p
p class="MsoNormal""He did, Hermione. They all did."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Was he lying? She wanted to believe he was. More than anything Hermione wanted to wake up from this nightmare. He wasn't unkind to her, far from it, but this couldn't possibly be real. Yet the look in his eyes suggested all sincerity./p
p class="MsoNormal"Malfoy paused by one of the doors and Hermione felt her heart drop to her stomach. This was the room./p
p class="MsoNormal""This is it." Malfoy confirmed. Her nerves must have shone through, because he laid his hand on hers."We don't have to do this now."br /Hermione snatched her hand away. "Yes, we do." Her heart was back in her chest, thudding frantically, her head swimming as if she might be sick. "Yes, we do."/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="text-decoration: underline;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"The nursery was picture perfect. Pale cream walls adorned with paintings of flowers that moved with magic. Toys and books were scattered everywhere: a dollhouse in one corner, a rocking horse in another. The carpet was soft under her feet, but she felt rooted to the spot./p
p class="MsoNormal"In the centre of the room was a little girl, one and half. The child was playing with some wooden blocks, laughing as the tower toppled over. It was like looking in a curls were scooped up into two bunchies, a smattering of freckles over a button nose. As her brown eyes looked up, her small rosebud lips stretched into a huge smile./p
p class="MsoNormal""Mama!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"It was like she was hypnotised. Hermione found herself walking towards to the little girl who eagerly held out her arms. The warmth that hit her when the child snuggled into her arms was overwhelming. One hand stroked the curls, while the other clutched her tight as if she would never let go./p
p class="MsoNormal""Her name is Elara." Malfoy's voice shattered their peace."She's 16 months. Do you remember her?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Hermione felt the tears spilling down her cheeks. "I remember that I love her." She whispered. "I remember that she's my little girl."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Elara moved her face from Hermione's shoulder and smiled up at her. Frowning slightly at the tears on her mother's cheeks, her chubby hand wiped them away. "Happy." She announced./p
p class="MsoNormal"Hermione laughed, taking her little hand and kissing it. "Yes, my darling. Happy. I am so happy."/p
p class="MsoNormal"She felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Malfoy. The urge to shrug him away was still there, though not as strong. "We have one more."He smiled down at her. "Come and meet Cepheus."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The baby boy was almost the spitting image of Malfoy. Blonde hair dusted his head while his features leaned towards the sharp angles of the Malfoys. But it was indisputable, he had Hermione's eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal"When Cepheus saw her he kicked his legs and he too held out his arms to her. Elara was still firmly wrapped around her legs, as if worried she might leave again. Hermione didn't have too much experience with babies. Normally if she held one she would be sat down while the overbearing mother placed them in her arms, watching like a hawk. This time she was the mother./p
p class="MsoNormal"Cepheus was heavier than expected, but as soon as Hermione had him in her arms, she knew he too belonged there. There was no question about it, they were her children./p
p class="MsoNormal"Malfoy gave the trio some privacy after that. Hermione spent the morning marvelling at the pair. Elara delightedly toddling about picking up toys to show her, some she knew the names of, others she made up names for. Cepheus lay on his belly, propping himself up at the elbows and laughing at his sister. When he began to cry later, Hermione picked him up and put him to her breast. It was only after he latched on did the action startle her. She'd done it without thinking. A simple action like throwing a ball or using a spoon. Clearly in the depths of her mind she remembered something. The sensation wasn't even strange to her as she'd expected it to feel./p
p class="MsoNormal"A gentle knock on the door came when Hermione was changing Cepheus' nappy. Malfoy seemed almost surprised to find her doing it./p
p class="MsoNormal""You found everything? Your memory, is it?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Elara was very helpful." Hermione smiled at her daughter. "She saw me looking in the cupboards and seemed to know what I was looking for."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Our daughter is very smart." Malfoy laughed. "Just like her mother."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He grimaced when Hermione looked away awkwardly./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm sorry." He apologised. "It's a learning curve for me too. I'm eager for everything to back to the way things were. I know it will take time."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The guilt pulled at her heartstrings. "I'm sorry too." Hermione meant it. "I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you. I'm willing to try if you are."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Malfoy's pale face seemed to burst into sunshine, he looked so overjoyed. "Thank you, Hermione." He breathed. "Thank you so much."/p
p class="MsoNormal""No worries." Hermione hesitated. "Draco."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="text-decoration: underline;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"With the children in bed later that evening, Hermione and Draco sat in the lounge, both still smiling from a day with the little ones, but both still unsure of each other./p
p class="MsoNormal"The lounge was the typical ornate style Hermione had expected to see in the home of a Malfoy. Fine damask curtains shrouded the Baroque windows, ornate wallpaper with flecks of silver and gold adorned the walls and all sorts of trinkets lay beautifully on the mahogany furniture. Having remembered what Draco had said about the house being full of fakes, Hermione was able to see defections where she wouldn't have been able to before. Tiny flecks of silver paint peeling off an old clock, paintings without the signature of the author and a hazy cracked foe-glass./p
p class="MsoNormal""I bet you still have a lot of questions."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I have no idea where to start." Hermione rubbed her temple. "I feel like I'm going to explode. My brain is desperately trying to get things in some sort of order."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Draco waved his hand smiling."Just ask whatever comes to mind first."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Where are Ron and Harry? Can we go and see them?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The smile dropped, his face darkened. For a moment she saw the face of Draco that she remembered, the angry petulant youth. The boy who had tormented her for years. He rose from his seat to stand by the fireplace. She watched him as he poured a glass of firewhiskey and knocked it back while staring into the flames. Her chest tightened./p
p class="MsoNormal""I want to see them."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You can't." It was almost a snarl. His back was to her, she wasn't sure if she wanted him to turn around or not./p
p class="MsoNormal"Hermione had two options. She could change the subject and hope he played along, spending the next few weeks wondering when she would have her question answered, or she could be brave and pursue it. The latter definitely seemed risky./p
p class="MsoNormal""Why can't I see them?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Draco turned to face her, his hand running through his hair. He seemed calmer, though the hurt had not vanished from his eyes."You won't like the answer." He responded grimly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Fear rose in her. "They're not-"/p
p class="MsoNormal""They're alive." He held up a hand to quiet her. "They're safe and well."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Hermione did not like the silence that hung in the air between them. The look on Draco's face as he looked at his shoes, his hands, anywhere but her./p
p class="MsoNormal""Then why can't I see them?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The look that crossed Draco's face could only be described as one of pain. His pinched features grew tighter as he raised his eyes to the heavens, as if hoping for answers. When he finally managed to look at her, he looked apologetic./p
p class="MsoNormal""Your friends didn't like us spending time together." His words were soft, but she could tell he was fighting not to spit them out like poison. "They liked it far less when we began to notice feelings for one another. Our relationship remained secret for months. I wanted you to be honest with them, but you still believed that one day they could grow to like me and then approve. That day never came. They found out about our relationship they gave you an ultimatum. Me or them. You struggled with that decision. Your friends were everything to you, but you hated feeling bullied. I told you to choose them. But when you went back, they told you they never wanted to see you again. They've ignored you ever since."/p
p class="MsoNormal"A tear slid down her cheek."I don't believe you."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Please don't ask me to produce evidence." Draco sighed. "I don't want to hurt you any more than you're already hurting now."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ron would be angry." She could feel her voice wavering. "Ron would be furious. But Harry would talk him round. He wouldn't like it either, but Harry wouldn't turn his back on me. He wouldn't turn his back on me."/p
p class="MsoNormal""He did, Hermione. They all did."/p