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"I do. I want you to be able to vote on your own legislation. I plan on giving you the Lestrange seat," he brought her scarred arm up to his lips and kissed it, "I think it would be fitting for you to take the seat from the woman who tried to break you." |
"You want me to take her seat. I'm not a politician. I'm not a pureblood. Is it even possible?" |
"Technically, it was her husband's seat. She was a Black and Harry has that seat. You don't have to be a pureblood or a politician. I get to choose who takes the seat and I choose you. And yes it's possible." |
"But I can't take a Wizengamot seat. I run a department already. It would be too much work." |
"If you decide to accept the seat, you'll need to give up your job as department head. I hope you'll accept. I told you before that you were meant for greater things and I meant it. If you accept, we can forge a better world together." |
"That's a lot to take in. What you're offering is life changing." |
"Just promise me you'll think about it." |
The Relationship Reveal |
Draco was nervous. It didn't sit well with him. He preferred to stride confidently into any situation, preferably with a plan maybe two. Today was the day. They were going to tell their children about their relationship. |
He was nervous about Scorpius. Draco had never introduced Scorpius to a woman he was dating before. He'd never really dated anyone after Astoria died. His world had revolved around Scorpius. Now Scorpius would have to share him with Hermione and her daughters. He didn't think Scorpius would react badly to it. Thankfully the boy was nothing like himself at that age. |
Minerva. She was the one he was really nervous about. If Minerva decided she hated him that was pretty much it. He didn't think she would, but they didn't really know one another. It helped that she and Scorpius were friends. He just didn't know how she'd react to learning that Hermione had moved on from her father. |
"Are you pacing, Draco?" Hermione said. He could hear a bit of laughter in her voice. |
Draco stopped and looked around, confused to find that he had been wearing holes in the carpet. "Yes, it seems your bad habits are rubbing off on me." |
Hermione tugged on his hand and had him sit on the sofa with her. "Why are you pacing?" |
Draco massaged the back of his neck before answering, "We have to tell the children about us today." |
"And you're worried about how they'll react." |
"Yes. Not Scorpius so much. I'm worried Minerva will hate me." |
Hermione turned Draco's face, forcing him to look at her, "Minerva is not going to hate you, Draco." |
"But how do you know? What if it's too much for her? The last time we were at the school you were telling her about her father and now we're telling her about us. I don't want her to get anxious every time she sees us at the school." |
Hermione placed a gentle hand on his cheek. He leaned into it breathing deeply. "Trust me. She's my daughter, Draco. She won't hate you." |
"Can we maybe wait to tell them?" |
"The next time we are going to see them is for Christmas break. Would you like Minerva and Scorpius to find out that they're spending Christmas together when they get off the train?" |
Maybe not the best way to reveal their relationship to their children. Nothing like an "Oh, hey. By the way, we're together and we're all going to spend Christmas together," to start off the holidays. "I hate it when you're right." |
Hermione smirked at him, "I know. You'll get used to it." Hermione leaned over and kissed him softly. Draco felt all the anxiety melt away as her lips moved over his. She was gone much sooner than he liked. "If you're done being hysterical, let's go. Ginny told me to remind you to bring the brooms." |
Draco followed her out of the study mumbling, "I wasn't being hysterical." He unlocked the closet where he kept the brooms and took out three Firebolts. He knew Hermione wasn't going to play Quidditch, so he thought three would suffice. Hermione came back with the picnic basket and blanket. He took the basket and blanket from her and awkwardly juggled three brooms and their lunch. Hermione smirked at him but didn't say anything, knowing by now that he wasn't going to let her carry anything. They apparated to the front gates of Hogwarts. |
Draco levitated the objects to float behind him when they landed. He kissed her quickly before they walked through the gates and held his hand out to her. Hermione smiled up at him then took his hand in hers. He took a deep breath, willing his anxiety away. Minerva, Scorpius, and James came running up to them just as they crossed inside. They stopped when they saw their linked hands. |
James nudged Scorpius, grinning, "I told you it was true." |
"So you two really are together?" Scorpius asked. Draco didn't miss the grin on his son's face. Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as he thought. |
"How did you...?" Hermione started to ask. |
"Honestly mum, we see the paper," Minerva interrupted. |
"Sweet Circe, Minerva, why are you even interested in the paper at your age?" Hermione asked. |
"You two have been in the gossip columns for months. Did you think the older kids weren't going to figure out who we were and ask us?" Minerva replied. |
"Well, I guess the question is how do you two feel about it?" Draco asked. |
"Before I answer, I want to know what your intentions are with my mother. She just got out of a relationship. She doesn't need someone toying with her affections," Minerva replied with her hands on her hips. The expression on her face reminded him of Hermione when she was that age. |
Draco stared at Minerva surprised. How old was this child? It wasn't something he expected from an eleven-year-old. She was Hermione's daughter after all. |
"Hey, that's my dad you're talking about. He's not some playboy," Scorpius defended him. |
"It's okay Scorpius." Draco wrapped an arm around Scorpius and ruffled his hair. "Minerva, you really are your mother's daughter. As for my intentions, they are honorable. I'm serious about your mother. It's not a fling for me." Draco answered her. |
"Are you going to get married?" James asked. The boy was grinning ear to ear, clearly enjoying the show he was witnessing. |
"James! Honestly, it's much too soon for that." Hermione said. Draco started guiding the group down to the lake for their picnic. |
Yes, he thought but he didn't want to scare Hermione or Minerva. This was going better than he thought it would. "So, you two are okay with this?" |
"Yeah. If you're happy, I'm happy," Scorpius said with a shrug. |
"If you make my mum happy, then I'm fine with it too. But if you hurt her, I'll hex you into next week," Minerva answered, pointing at him with her eyes narrowed menacingly. Draco would've laughed at how adorable the expression was but he didn't want to hurt the girl's pride. |
"Don't you threaten my dad!" Scorpius shouted at Minerva. |
"He's dating my mum!" Minerva shouted right back. |
"Children!" Hermione and Draco admonished together. They looked at each other and laughed. |
"You two are totally going to be siblings," James laughed. |
"Why don't we go meet everyone for our picnic?" Hermione suggested, "How are your studies going?" |
"We see what you're doing mum," Minerva said, calling her mother out on the subject change. |
"Well, you are my daughter. Are you all staying out of trouble?" Hermione said, hugging Minerva to her. |
"So, school is going well. Minerva is top of our class and Scorpius and I are right behind her," James said. The three children picked up the pace. Draco caught surreptitious glances between the three. |
"Which one did you steal, James?" Hermione said. |
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Auntie," James said, trying for an air of innocence. It was ruined by the grin that kept emerging despite the boy's best efforts. |
"Wait, steal what?" Draco asked looking between Hermione and James. Neither was paying attention to him. Scorpius and Minerva were doing a better job than James at trying to look innocent. He recognized that look on Scorpius. Scorpius wasn't usually mischievous, but Draco had been on the receiving end of that fake innocent look enough to know that the group was doing something they shouldn't be. |
"I went to school with your father. I know all his secrets," Hermione said, "Which is it, James?" Hermione was running out of patience with her nephew. |
"The map. He'd notice if the cloak was gone," James finally admitted. |
Harry walked up to them as they arrived at the picnic spot by the lake. "I'd notice if what was gone, James?" |
"He has the Mauraders" Map, Harry," Hermione answered for James. |
"Stay out of trouble, James," Harry said. Draco caught the wink that passed between father and son. "And don't tell your mother." |
It figured that Potter's son would be corrupting his Scorpius. Draco shrugged it off. Boys will be boys and their grades were good and they hadn't gotten in trouble yet so let them have their fun. They were only going to be children for so long. |
They settled down to their picnic. Scorpius came up with sandwiches and butterbeer for both of them and then plopped down beside Florence in front of the baskets. Draco watched the group gathered on the picnic blanket as he ate. He never thought he would see the day when Harry Potter carried on a civil conversation with a Slytherin or that their sons would be friends. They'd all come so far from their own days here at Hogwarts. |
Hermione shot him a look over her shoulder and he realized how quiet he'd been. He leaned into Hermione and kissed her, running his tongue across her closed lips. She brought a hand up and touched his face before pulling away. They didn't need to be making out here in front of their children. Someone coughed to get their attention. Hermione blushed and ducked her head into his shoulder as Draco turned to look at the group. |
Blaise was grinning at him. "Anything you two would care to share with the rest of us?" |
Draco took hold of Hermione's hand and kissed it. "Yes, Hermione has done me the honor of allowing me to court her." A few girlish squeals greeted this news. |
"Ugh, you two are going to be one of those nauseating couples aren't you," Greg said, looking disgusted. |
"Be quiet. It's new to them. I think it's cute," admonished Tracey. |
"I do distinctly remember you being nauseating when you were courting Helena, Greg," Draco drawled. |
"So, who's up for a friendly game of Quidditch?" Harry asked, "There's sixteen of us, but I know Hermione won't play." |
Lunch was finished and they packed up the picnic. The group headed in the direction of the field as they discussed the game. The day was starting to become overcast and a little cold. They would have to have a picnic in the Slytherin dungeons during the next Parents" Day. |
"We don't need beaters either, Harry," Draco said. Draco wasn't comfortable letting loose bludgers around eleven-year-olds. He didn't care that Harry played at that age or that he had played at twelve. Bludgers hurt when they hit you. |
"No beaters. What's Quidditch without bludgers?" Greg complained. |
"Safer," Hermione snorted. |
"Greg and Blaise can be the keepers. The kids can be the chasers and you and I can be the seekers," Draco said. |
"I'm not playing," Minerva called out. Everyone turned to look at her standing beside Hermione. |
"Minerva doesn't like to fly," Hermione explained for her. |
"I'm hopeless on a broom," Minerva said morosely, looking down at her feet. |
"Well, that's because you didn't have my dad to teach you. He taught all of us. He can teach anyone to fly," Scorpius bragged. |
"I can teach you, Minerva, if you decide you would like to get on a broom again," Draco offered. |
Minerva shook her head, auburn curls covering her face, still staring at her feet. He didn't understand why she was looking down at the ground. Hermione hated to fly. She boldly stated that she hated flying and wasn't embarrassed about it. Minerva wasn't acting that way. He didn't know the girl very well to understand her reaction. Draco looked at Hermione face for some sort of reassurance that Minerva was fine and wasn't seeing anything in Hermione's face that indicated that this was abnormal behavior for her daughter. |
Ginny was drafted as a chaser. She insisted on having Florence and "Mione as her fellow chasers, used to working with an all girl team. Drake, Scorpius, and James were chasers for Draco's team with Greg as the keeper. Draco kissed Hermione for luck before she left to take a seat in the stands with Minerva, Daphne, Tracey, and Helena. The teams fanned out around Theo, who was acting as referee, and the case of Quidditch balls. |
"I want a clean game. This isn't Slytherin versus Gryffindor anymore. Any rough play will be grounded," Theo said sternly, looking pointedly at the boys who were a little Quidditch mad and tended to get overly enthusiastic when they played. |
The ten flyers kicked off. Greg and Blaise took their positions around the goals. Draco and Harry hovered higher than the chasers. Theo released the snitch and they all watched as the golden ball darted away. Theo then took the quaffle and threw it up in the air. A blur of platinum blonde hair darted out and caught the ball, zooming toward the opposing team's goals. James and Drake flanked him, working together to keep the girls away. Scorpius threw the ball into the center hoop and was gone before Blaise had much of a chance to even defend the goal. |
"That boy of yours is fast," Harry said, hovering beside Draco watching the game. James snatched the quaffle from his mother, who shrieked her outrage. They heard James" laughter in the wind as he sped off toward the goal. James celebrated by doing loop-de-loops. |
"It seems yours is as much as a daredevil as you were." |
"He's bloody showing off. He's going to break his neck," Harry said, "James, are you playing Quidditch or trying out for the circus?" Harry shouted. |
Draco flew around the pitch looking for a hint of gold around him. He looked towards the stands where their group was seated. Minerva was standing on the walkway in front of the stands, her hands gripping the railing. He caught what he thought might be a look of longing on Minerva's face. She might declare herself hopeless but he thought she still longed to fly. Draco felt sad for the girl and vowed to get to the bottom of her flying aversion. |
The score stayed fairly even. Scorpius, Drake, and James might be fast but Ginny was a professional and "Mione and Florence were wily. Draco laughed as he saw Florence distract Scorpius while "Mione stole the quaffle from him. Greg wasn't much of a keeper and let a lot of his goals in. |
Word of their impromptu game must have spread around the grounds. He saw Hagrid sitting next to Hermione. Luna was sitting on the other side of her, seemingly lost in her own thoughts instead of watching the game. He also spotted Neville and Hannah talking with Helena, as well as other parents and students sitting in the stands watching. He even spotted the headmistress watching the game and cheering. |
Harry was at the other end of the pitch, circling around looking for the snitch as well. A cloud opened up above the pitch and sunlight streamed through. A ray of sunlight caught the glint of gold circling around the center goalpost under Greg. Draco angled his broom down, flattened himself out, and dived for it. The snitch zoomed away from the post just as Draco got near. Draco pulled out of the dive, staying low to the ground, level with the snitch that zigzagged about five feet from the ground. |
Draco saw Harry out of the corner of his eye zooming towards him and the snitch. Draco stretched out a hand. He felt the fluttering of wings and clenched his hand just as Harry zoomed past him swearing. Draco held his clenched fist up, circling around the pitch. He'd done it. He'd beat Harry Potter to the snitch. Draco let loose a jubilant whoop unable to contain his joy at finally beating Harry. It might have been childish. They weren't rivals anymore. He wasn't still seeking any means possible to gain his father's approval anymore. It was pure competitiveness and it felt amazing. |
Draco landed in the center of the field. Blaise landed beside him, slapping him on the back in congratulations. The boys landed around them, jumping for joy. Draco instructed them to shake hands with their opponents. Draco held out his hand to Harry, who shook it grinning ruefully. |
"Never thought I'd see the day you beat me to the snitch. Good game." |
"Thanks. I have to admit it feels good to finally beat you." Draco grinned back at Harry. |
He strode off the field toward Hermione, who'd left the stands with the other ladies to join in the congratulations. He opened his palm and presented the dormant snitch to Hermione. Several gasps were heard around them as die hard Quidditch fans and players understood the significance of a seeker presenting the snitch to someone and surprise that Draco Malfoy was presenting one to Hermione Granger. Hermione looked up at him curiously but he just grinned down at her. |
Quidditch players often played the positions that closely identified with their goals in life. Seekers were always looking for something. For Draco, it was always love. A seeker presenting the winning snitch to anyone was a declaration that the seeker had found what they were looking for. |
"Take it, Hermione!" Ginny shouted behind from him. |
Hermione smiled and plucked the golden ball from his outstretched hand. He picked her up and spun her around, laughing. She threw her arms around his neck and laughed down at him. Cheers erupted around them. |
He looked up at her flushed cheeks and wild curls flying about. His breath caught in his throat. He felt he was struck dumb looking at her. A sense of profound gratitude settled over him. He didn't deserve her. She was too good for him, yet here she was. She'd forgiven him for all the terrible things he'd done to her over the years. This witch, his soul mate, accepted and challenged him in a way no one ever had. He really was a lucky bastard. |
She cupped his face in both her hands and leaned down to kiss him. He felt a surge of emotion overwhelm him as she kissed him there on the Quidditch pitch. This was how they should have been during their time here. Regret for what might have been warred with the surge of love he felt for her and the gratitude for what they shared now. He set her down still kissing her and placed his hands on her upper arms, one covering the cuff that was hidden under her heavy jacket. |
They broke away, smiling at one another. "Congratulations, Draco." She kissed him one more time before walking away to talk with the others. He watched her as she congratulated the boys for flying so well. She praised the girls for working together and using their cunning to score more goals than the boys. Ginny hugged her as she held open her hand showing them all the snitch resting there in her palm. |
"She never looked at my father the way she looks at you." |
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