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Hermione broke down crying then. Draco pulled her down into his lap and cradled her close to him. Hermione buried her face in his neck as Draco stroked her hair and back soothingly. Her tears slid in warm, wet trails down his neck causing him to shiver at the sensation.
"I'm supposed to be the one protecting her," Hermione sobbed into his neck.
"If this is what makes her feel better, let her do this, please," Draco pleaded.
"I want to try one more thing," Hermione sniffled. "Then we'll do whatever she wants."
Draco felt relief at her capitulation.
Hermione's grand idea seemed to be an odd version of immersion therapy. All the Weasleys were gathering to help Minerva. Draco privately thought the idea was rubbish but he was willing to try anything to make the nightmares stop.
After Draco's attack and their son's arrest, Arthur and Molly Weasley had finally disowned their son. The Weasleys were steadfastly loyal, especially to one of their own. For them to disown a family member was almost unheard of. Draco could appreciate how hard it had to have been for them to publicly disavow their son. He could imagine that no matter her son's actions, Molly Weasley still saw that little boy with the golden smile and mop of red hair. He could understand how hard it would be to reconcile that image with the reality of the man her son had become. He knew they both had to be dealing with their fair share of guilt, blaming themselves for their son's actions and wondering where they went wrong.
Out of sensitivity for their feelings, Draco wasn't going to this Weasley family gathering. He was taking Scorpius back to school. He watched as Hermione took Rose and a reluctant Minerva to the fireplace to Floo to the Burrow. Scorpius hugged Rose and Hermione goodbye. He spent a long time hugging Minerva, whispering something in her ear that had her hanging on tighter to him and nodding into his neck. Draco hugged and kissed the three before they stepped into the fireplace and disappeared to the Burrow.
"What did you say to her?" Draco asked Scorpius, curious about what had happened between the two.
Scorpius ducked his head, ears turning pink, "I told her that her last name didn't matter. She's my sister and Malfoys always take care of family."
Draco marveled at the wonderful kid he'd somehow been blessed with. He didn't deserve a kid like Scorpius, not after how much of a spoiled shit he was growing up. Weren't you supposed to be blessed with children just like yourself so that you knew the hell you put your parents through?
"I don't deserve you," Draco said, smiling down at his son, "You're the best son a father could ask for."
Scorpius blushed again and fidgeted with his new ring. "I just want her to get better," Scorpius said sadly.
"We all do, buddy," Draco said, resting his hand on his shoulder.
"You could always make her a Malfoy," Scorpius suggested.
"If it were a possibility, I would do it in a heartbeat," Draco answered. He would make her a Malfoy in a second if he thought it would help her move past this.
They Flooed to the headmistress" office at Hogwarts. Minerva McGonagall, as well as Hestia Carrow, Head of Slytherin, were waiting for them when they stepped out of the fireplace. Both teachers talked quietly in a corner of the room the give them time to say goodbye. Scorpius was soon sent off to unpack his bag and return to classes.
After the door closed behind Scorpius, the headmistress assessed him with a sharp appraising look, "I'm glad to see that you're on the mend. How is my namesake doing and when can I expect her back?'
Draco sighed and seated himself in the red and gold tartan chair in front of the headmistress" desk. "She's not doing well. I don't know if Hermione told you, but she was the first to find us after Weasley attacked me. He was about to attack Hermione and she stunned him. She didn't want to go over there but we talked her into it. Then that happened and I almost died. She still has nightmares about what happened."
"Oh, the poor dear," Minerva said softly.
Draco nodded and continued, "She says she doesn't want to be a Weasley anymore."
Hestia nodded understanding. Both Hestia and Draco knew the weight of an infamous name. "She wants to disassociate herself with the name that's caused this pain and torment in her life. It's understandable since she was bestowed the Weasley name by her father that she would want to reject it as she rejects her father."
"What does Hermione think of all this?" Minerva asked.
"She's being stubborn. She thinks that letting Minerva change her name won't help her, but nothing else is working. I think she might be close to giving in," Draco answered.
"I'm not sure what to tell you," Minerva said kindly, "but she does need to return to school soon. Even someone as smart as Minerva can fall behind easily if she's out of school too long."
"We'll do what we can to help her through this," Hestia added, "when she does return."
Draco thanked the ladies and Flooed back home. He stepped into the drawing room and was drawn to the windows by a tapping noise. He opened the window and a large, tawny barn owl soared into the room and dropped a letter into his hand before soaring back out. Draco ripped open the seal, barely noticing that it was from the Ministry.
Dear Parents of Minerva Granger-Weasley,
This letter is to inform you that your underage witch performed a severing spell at 1405 today. While the use of underage magic is no longer prohibited outside of Hogwarts, we do recommend that the use of such potentially dangerous spells not be used without parental supervision, if at all.
Carmella Whingdon
Department for Magical Education, Underage Use of Magic Division
Draco dropped the letter and started running up the stairs shouting Minerva's name. He bounced off the door to her bedroom when he tried to open it. He whipped out his wand and blasted it open. He found her on the floor in her bathroom. Her long, red curly hair was lying in heaps on the floor around her. Minerva appeared to have used her wand to cut her hair. Tufts of red stuck out in odd places. Cuts lined her scalp where she'd gotten too close.
Draco disarmed her just as she was about to try to sever a lock of hair on the back of her head. He sunk down to his knees in the pile of fallen hair, looking like red ribbons on the floor, and gathered her up into his arms.
"Angel, what have you done?" he asked, breaking down and crying at the sight of her.
"I couldn't look in the mirror anymore and see his hair," Minerva said hollowly.
Draco pulled Minerva into his arms. Draco started rocking her like an infant as she murmured "No more Weasley," over and over again.
Draco squeezed her tight, "Whatever you want, angel. We'll do whatever you want."
"Tansy!" Draco called.
The house elf popped into the room and surveyed the two of them on the floor, surrounded by Minerva's hair. He didn't miss the tears that pooled in the elf's eyes at the sight of Minerva.
"Will you please go get Hermione from the Burrow?" he asked, then added, "and please get my mother after that."
The elf nodded and was gone with a pop. Tense minutes passed that seemed like hours, but was probably only about two minutes before Hermione popped into the room alone.
"Draco," Hermione called, then she stepped into the light of the bathroom doorway, "Oh my God," she cried horrified.
She dropped to her knees beside him and ran her hand over Minerva's scalp. "What did she do?" Hermione asked brokenly, tears starting to course down her face.
"It has to stop, Hermione," Draco said, pleading his daughter's case and letting Hermione see his fear, "She could've seriously hurt herself today. You have to give in. Let her be a Granger. Hell, let her make up her own bloody name if that's what she wants."
Hermione nodded, tears trickling down her cheeks. He could see the guilt etched into her face. She'd tried. They'd both tried to find another way to help Minerva heal.
"Minerva, tell me what you want, love," Hermione said softly, kissing her daughter's head.
"I don't want to be a Weasley anymore," Minerva answered quietly, "No more Weasley name. No more Weasley red hair. No more Weasley blue eyes."
"Okay," Hermione answered slowly, "We'll think of something. Just give us some time."
Draco had no idea how they were going to give Minerva what she wanted. A name was easy to take care of, they could just change it or drop the Weasley name. The hair, the eyes. How were they going to change that?
After they coaxed Minerva to take a nap, Tansy cleaned up all the hair and sat watching over the girl while Draco and Hermione went downstairs to figure out how to keep their promise to Minerva.
"How do we give her what she wants?" Draco asked despondently.
He swirled the contents of his glass around as if the amber liquid within would give him the answers he sought. He caught the look that passed between his mother and Hermione.
"What is it?" Draco asked, sitting up straighter on the sofa, "You know how to give her what she wants?"
Hermione bit her lip and looked at his mother again. His mother nodded her head mysteriously. The two stared at each other for a while in some sort of silent communication before Hermione turned and took his hand in hers.
"There's a way to give her what she wants," Hermione said, fiddling with the trio of rings stacked on her right ring finger, "Your mother and I, we've been looking for a way since Minerva first started bringing up that she didn't want to be a Weasley anymore. I hoped that it wouldn't come to it, but she's just not getting any better."
"How long have you known you can help her?" Draco asked, getting angry.
They'd known they could give her what she wanted and they let the poor girl suffer. Draco stood up and flung his glass into the fireplace. Hermione and his mother jumped as the glass smashed explosively against the brick of the fireplace. Draco rounded on them ready to start yelling when his mother held up her hand to forestall his tirade.
"I found it yesterday evening," his mother said, "and I came over as soon as I found it to talk to Hermione about it."
Draco remembered his mother showing up suddenly and the two of them sequestering themselves in the drawing room. It cooled his ire to know that they hadn't known for weeks how to give Minerva what she wanted. He didn't like that they were keeping secrets from him though. This would have been nice to know last night before Minerva decided to cut all her hair off.
"What do we need to do?" Draco asked hoarsely, still standing by the fireplace.
Hermione fiddled with her rings some more and looked nervously at him, "It involves blood magic." Draco shrugged at that, not concerned with whether blood magic was considered light or dark if it meant it would help Minerva. Seeing his shrug at what she suggested, Hermione continued, "Since she doesn't want to be a Weasley and doesn't want any of the outward characteristics of a Weasley, she is rejecting her blood. In order for the spell to work, a blood relation must willingly give her up, and someone must willingly give her their blood to make her their family. It's basically an ancient magical adoption," Hermione said, looking nervously at him.
Draco sat astounded, looking between the two women in his life. Hermione with her nervous expression and his mother's placid demeanor. "You've been preparing for this?" he asked.
Hermione nodded slowly, "I hoped time and talking about it would help her move on. Today has shown us that it's not working and is becoming worse. It's dangerous for her to keep rejecting her blood. She will start to reject her magic soon if we don't stop it. This ritual is our last resort."
"What do we do then?" Draco asked, "You need a Weasley to give her up?" ready to go drag a Weasley back by the hair if needed.
Hermione nodded assent, "Yes, we have to convince one of them to willingly perform the ritual. Part of the reason I wanted her to go over there today was so that they could see that she wasn't getting any better. I hoped that being around her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins would help her see that being a Weasley was a good thing, but I think I just pushed her over the edge."
Tears started trickling down Hermione's face again. His mother reached over and grasped Hermione's hand. "They needed to see," his mother said quietly, "They wouldn't give her up if they didn't see firsthand how much she was suffering."
Hermione nodded at his mother's words but still sat there crying. "I could see that she couldn't handle it, so I let her go home. I thought you'd be back from the school by then," Hermione said to Draco, "and I knew Tansy was there. I wanted to talk to them without her there, so I let her go alone."
Draco knelt in front of the sofa and took her other hand in his. She looked at him full of remorse. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him, "I know you thought I was being stubborn, but until last night, I didn't know what to do for her. I don't think she'll ever forgive me."
"Tell her the truth," Draco said quietly, "I'm sure she'll understand if you just talk to her."
Hermione nodded at his words. His mother let go of Hermione's hand and gave Hermione a handkerchief to wipe her face. Draco released her hand as well so that she could dry her eyes and wipe her nose. Once Hermione cleaned her face, she looked curiously at him still kneeling on the floor in front of her.
Draco took her hand in his again, clutching her hand to stop the shaking of his own. Kneeling on the floor with his mother looking on, he looked at her and said with a slightly shaking voice, "Hermione, I have to ask you a question...."
A/N:  I'm so horrible. I know. I put you through all that emotional trauma, then left you on a cliffy. I eagerly anticipate and equally dread your reviews on this chapter. Please leave a review anyway. It helps as a writer to know if I stirred some emotion in you.
Finding Hermione
By: eBookDragon
Becoming Minerva Malfoy
Afternoon of January 6th
"Will you let me adopt Minerva?" Draco asked Hermione, "Will you allow me to be a father to both your daughters and raise them with you?"
Draco wanted to tack on a "will you marry me" and maybe a "will you have my babies" to his list of proposals but he thought that it wasn't right to make a marriage proposal while she was currently married to another man. He also wasn't going to ask her to be the mother of his hopeful babies in front of his mother. Granted, his mother was no prude. She knew they lived together, obviously. She even knew they had sex, but there were just things he wasn't willing to talk about with her sitting there watching the two of them.
"Yes, Draco," Hermione said, to his relief.
Draco bowed his head and touched his forehead to their clasped hands, "Thank you, Hermione," Draco said fervently.
A watery chuckle burst from Hermione's mouth. She touched his cheek and forced his face up to meet her gaze. She looked down at him with an amused smile, "Honestly, Draco. Who did you think I was going to let adopt Minerva?"
Draco gave her a sheepish grin, "Well, I hoped it would be me, but I didn't want to assume. Also, I thought it would be better if I did the asking so that you know that I want them as my own."
"I know that you do," Hermione said, "Come sit down. Your knee has to be going numb by now."
Draco rose stiffly from the floor. His knee did hurt, and he rubbed it to get the blood circulating again. Draco sat down on the sofa beside Hermione. He looked over at his mother who smiled enigmatically at him. Draco didn't bother to puzzle over his mother's smile. She would tell him when she wanted.
"What do we do now?" Draco asked.
"Well," Hermione said, with a bit of apprehension, "I need to go talk to Minerva. Then I'll go see if I can catch me a Weasley, as well as bring Rose home."
"If you aren't able to bring one back, I'll go over there and drag the first one I see back by their hair if need be," Draco said ominously.
Draco might have made an effort to end the Malfoy-Weasley feud but he would resume hostilities if they kept him from adopting Minerva.
"Caveman," Hermione muttered, then in a chiding tone, "They have to be willing, Draco."
"Fine," Draco said sullenly, "Bribe them if you have to. Give them whatever they ask for."
"Sometimes, Draco," his mother said drily, "you are so like your father. This is not something we can use force or bribery for. It takes diplomacy."
"Mother," Draco retorted, "you know as well as I do that our families have been feuding for centuries. I don't think they're going to be eager to hand one of their family members over to me."
"I think you're not giving the Weasleys enough credit, darling," his mother drawled.
"Probably not," Draco admitted, "but I don't want this to drag out. I want Minerva to be well again, to be a happy eleven-year-old girl."
Hermione placed a hand on his arm, "It's what they want as well. They'll let you adopt her. I only need one to agree anyway. If I get one, then we can do the ritual." Hermione turned to his mother, "Will you help Minerva get ready after I finish talking to her?"
"Of course," his mother agreed.
"What can I do?" Draco asked, looking between the two of them as they both got up to leave the room.
His mother arched an eyebrow at him, "You can clean up all the glass in the fireplace from your dramatics."
Draco didn't bother to apologize for throwing the glass. He'd been angry at them for keeping secrets from him. Speaking of secrets, he asked them both before they left the room, "Do you two have any more secrets you're keeping from me?"
Hermione looked over her shoulder at him, "Yes," she answered mysteriously.