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A Week in November	By : TempestLore Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 8840 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
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Chapter List
- 11
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Chapter Twelve

     “I can’t understand how you could stick your thing into such a raving bitch as Janet Mungo. So yes, I guess you’re going to have to tell me, and don’t leave anything out,” I said. I couldn’t help it. I was struggling to understand how my husband could even find Janet attractive. Alright, I wasn’t. She was a tall, leggy, blonde with blue eyes. But on the inside she was a festering, rotting, evil witch. That’s the part I couldn’t understand, how he couldn’t see that about her. It worried me too.
     “Hermione…” Draco drawled.
     “Are you going to tell me?”
     “Yes, if it will help. I want us to get past this.”
     “I’m listening,” I said and as not to be a total bitch, I laced my fingers in his as we lay on the queen size bed in the Master bedroom of the mountain cabin.
     “I’m not proud of what I’m about to tell you, but it is the truth. I love you more than anything. Without you, none of it matters. Not my job, not the apothecary, not the property, nothing.”
     “Edmond,” she offered.
     “Yes our son. He matters, but that’s because he’s a part of you. That sounds bad. I make it sound like I don’t love our son when I do.”
     “No, I get it. I do Draco. Go on. Start at the beginning. When did you meet her?”
     I was eighteen and I’d just entered Healer training. I did it mostly to piss off Lucius. He wanted me in Potions school. He thought I exhibited a natural tendency towards it and he hatched some plan where I would brew for him. Of course none of his plan was legit, but rather he and I would go into business together where I would brew illegal potions that we would then sell on the black market. Our coffers would be full, or so he believed. I opted for Healer training instead in order to get out from under his thumb.
     I did well in Healer school, so well that Fritz Mungo took notice. He gave me a job at the new hospital where he only asked that I tutor his daughter, Janet. She was a former Black Mamba—a snake charmer and parselmouth which I stupidly found exciting. She developed a sort of hero worship towards me, but it was for all the wrong reasons. You see, she never knew the Dark Lord and she quite fancied the fact that I did. I tutored her for a while and she tutored me in the snake language. I thought it cool to be able to talk to snakes and I figured that it might come in handy one day. It did actually. I couldn’t have healed you from the curse that Dohlohov hit you with without it, so I’m thankful that I took the time to learn that particular dark art. That being said, I knew I had to distance myself from Janet. She was developing feelings for me, romantic ones and next thing I knew I had a girlfriend, only I never actually dated her. We graduated and she got her father to give her a job at the hospital. The Mungo’s are a wealthy Pureblood family, so of course my father was just thrilled when he found out through her Dad that we were an item. That’s when I chucked her. I broke it off clean and then the scholarship to the Potions school came through for me and the rest is history, sort of anyway.
     “Alright, continue please,” I said, and to my credit I was still holding his hand.
     When I returned, rather when we returned, because after graduation you and I went back to Britain where we moved in together and started our lives together, our married lives. Janet wasn’t pleased. She acted as if the break up between she and I never happened when it positively did. I even did it in a posh restaurant where there were at least twenty witnesses to the fact. She ruined an Armani suit by throwing her spaghetti on me when I chucked her.
     Things were going swimmingly well for us. I was promoted to Senior Healer and you started Auror Training School. That was the only small spot of friction between you and me. I worried about you and I didn’t see why you needed to be an Auror. You finally told me that you wanted to contribute equally, financially speaking, which was ridiculous because once the Ministry released the Malfoy vault at Gringott’s I was once again rich. You didn’t like that we used my money to purchase the Apothecary and then when we found the Estate by the lake that was the perfect property for us, you wanted to pay for half of it, so you started work as an Auror. I was never alright with it, but you quoted our vows where I said that you could work if you wanted. It was a cheap shot because I never cared if you worked or not, I just didn’t want you facing down wizards like my Father or like me for that matter, on a daily basis. We were at odds over your chosen profession, so when a Healers conference came up I jumped at the chance. I thought I’d go to the conference and it would give us a little time apart and away from the arguments. Then I would come back and both of us would be better having spent some time alone away from our problems. It worked too, just so you know. You got pregnant shortly thereafter and you decided on your own that you didn’t want to work as an Auror. Unfortunately though something happened while I was away at the conference, something I should have confided in you about years ago.
     “I know where this is going. Janet was at the conference and you started spending time with her,” I said growing angry.
     “Not at first, no. I told her to piss off. Like a bad rash she kept coming back.”
     The conference was being held in the French Riviera, at the posh Dragon King Resort and Spa. I had several speaking engagements and everything was going well. I spoke to Healers from all over the world and I found it not only interesting but beneficial to my own practice because I picked up a lot of useful spells. I spent my evenings sipping Elf made wine in the gardens. We had just bought the Graylady Estate and were set to move there so I wanted to get some ideas for landscaping the grounds, so I would walk the gardens, taking note of which shrubs I liked and which ones I thought you would like. That’s when I ran into the snake. It was a cobra and me being a little tipsy I wasn’t fast enough on the draw and it bit me. The next thing I knew it was morning and I had a horrible headache, which was made worse by the fact that I awoke in Janet’s bed. I have no recollection of being with her, not intimate or otherwise and yet I wasn’t dressed and the snake bite on my leg was oozing. She claimed that she found me in the garden and that I came onto her, that I was quite amorous, but again I have no memory of any of that. I tried to lie and tell myself that nothing happened, but the facts are the facts and I was in her bed come morning time.
     “I’m sorry. It was only the one time and that was years ago, even before your accident. I planned to tell you but when I got back you sprang the news about the baby on me and everything was just so perfect that I didn’t want to spoil it. I felt like shit about it and I still do. I hope you can forgive me.”
     “Kiss me. Maybe it will help this anger subside,” I said and I was sincere. Still, so much had happened since then. I slept with Ron on numerous occasions, not just once, so it didn’t make sense not to forgive him. Besides, I loved him. It still hurt though. Did my husband fancy her blonde hair, or her never-ending legs? What was it that would cause him to jump into bed with her? Drunk or not he still did it.
     “You are far prettier than she is,” Draco whispered in my ear. “I know you, and I know you were questioning that. You are prettier, you are smarter and you are a better person in every way,” he said and he kissed me.

__0__

     It was late in the evening when Harry arrived back at the cabin. Professor Snively and I were immersed in an interesting conversation about cutting edge potions that were new on the potion scene. Draco on the other hand paced the living room nervously, that is until we saw Harry land his broom in the deep snow outside the cabin. “About time, Potter,” Draco said greeting Harry.
     “I’m sorry, I ended up following a lead or two that I hadn’t expected,” Harry replied. He was hiding something though, I could tell. I’d known Harry long enough to know when he had something big under his hat.
     “Draco, we should talk. Privately,” Harry said and I sighed.
     “You may as well just say it because I’m going to pester Draco to tell me long after you’ve gone to bed. This way perhaps we can all get some sleep,” I said with my hands on my hips.
     “She knows about Janet—just say it. I have no secrets from my wife.”
     “Oh boy,” Harry said and he bit his lip.
     “Is it that bad?” I asked.
     “Depends on how you look at it. Honestly Hermione, I’d rather just talk to Draco about this. Alone. He can break the news to you. I’m sorry, you know I love you, but this one makes me real uncomfortable.” I nodded in agreement. What was I supposed to do, force it out of Harry?

__0__

     “Just spit it out Potter,” Draco said.
     “I need you to come back to Britain with me.”
     “No, my place is here with my family,” Draco quipped without a second thought.
     “Janet is demanding to speak with you. She says she will drop the charges against Hermione and the ones against you if you just talk to her,” Harry said and Draco’s eyebrows flew up.
     “You’re joking right? She tried to kill my wife! She should be rotting in Azkaban by now.”
     “Yeah but she lawyered up. She has a whole team of legal defense experts and if I’m being honest, we don’t have a case against her, not yet anyway,” Harry said and Draco wanted to throttle Saint Potter. “The security guard is a witness to Hermione stabbing her wand in Miss Mungo’s neck and her subsequent injuries. She could serve time and I don’t want to risk that, do you?”
     “No of course I don’t, but what about the Professor? What she did to him ought to be enough to lock her away.”
     “Yeah, she’s clever that one. It’s in her notes that she committed him to the Asylum because he suffered from age related dementia. He has no relatives so she was forced to after he attacked her during a routine examination. That’s her story anyway, we both know that’s not true. Her notes corroborate her story though. Her legal team even conjured up a witness, someone named Wiskerson who was taught by Professor Snively. He claims that the old man is crazy.”
     “Wiskerson, damn it,” Draco winced. “Snively is not mental, though he is a bit odd, but no more than Dumbledore was.”
     “Even so, I think you should talk to Janet. She will drop the charges and everyone can go on with life.”
     “The stress of this is wearing on Hermione. Perhaps I can even get her to spill about what she did to my wife. Alright, I’ll do it.”
     “No wands,” Harry said but he raised his hand when Draco opened his mouth to protest. “No potions either, so don’t try and pull something. Aurors will be watching everything, and that includes me.”
     “Hermione is not going to take this well,” Draco said and he raked a hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh.

__0__

     “No! Let her press charges. We will just go to the papers. Just wait until I tell old Rita Skeeter all about Healer Mungo. Her fat cat father, who I know was a Deatheater, will want to hush it all up for fear of exposing the hospital to bad press. I will close that hospital down before I bend to this bitch’s demands Draco! She does not get to have my husband! No!” I shrieked but then Draco’s arms were holding me tight as I completely lost it. “Let me go Draco. I need to owl The Daily Prophet right now and set up a press conference,” I demanded and I struggled in the blond’s arms.
     “Hermione just calm down,” Draco spoke gently in my ear. “It’s better this way. I’m just going to hear her out, that’s all.”
     “Draco, let me go! I’m not afraid of her. I’m Hermione Granger, and I helped take down Voldemort. I got this, why won’t you listen to me?” I was out of control and panting I was in such a rage. I felt white hot anger coursing through me. As if I would let that bint control us. Draco was my man, my husband and I knew she did something to me, something that took my lover away for years. It was her fault, all of it. I didn’t know how she did it but I felt in my bones that she did and she would pay for it if it was the last thing I ever did I would see that happen.
     “You will stop it. NOW!” Draco shouted. “You’re not thinking clearly—“ Draco howled and it frightened me for a moment.
     “Why can’t we do it my way?”
     “For starters, I work at that hospital, you know, the one you want to take down so bad? Do you know how many good Healers work there and how many patients we see? Those people need us, so leave the hospital out of this.”
     “Yeah, alright I guess I didn’t consider that,” I admitted. “You don’t believe me, do you? You think I made it up that she is responsible for my memory loss?”
     “No, that is not how I think,” Draco said.
     “Yes it is. You’re lying. You think I’m mental, don’t you?” I accused. I couldn’t stop myself.
     “Bloody hell, cut the shit woman! I don’t think you’re mental, although calling me a liar and acting paranoid are symptoms of mental illness, and if you go about ranting such as this you really will find yourself locked up and I can’t fucking have that, so just shut up already! I’m going to speak to Janet. I can question her and perhaps find out what she did to you. I believe you, alright? I bloody do!” he said in a huff and I finally relaxed.
     “I’m sorry Dragon. I’m sorry I said that about you. Do you forgive me?” I cried into his chest.
     “It’s alright love, I know you’re stressed out from all of this but let me and Potter work on this. You just concentrate on feeling better. Do something fun with Edmond tomorrow. Build a snow troll outside or something,” Draco said and I gave him a lopsided grin.
     “I suppose I can’t go with you?” I asked.
     “No baby. I don’t want you anywhere near her. What she did to you, I want to wring her neck, which is why Harry won’t let me bring my wand. Now, it’s late get some sleep and in the morning give Edmond a kiss for me. I’ll be back just as soon as I can babe,” Draco said and then he hugged and kissed me goodbye.
     “Please be careful. I don’t trust her,” I said and he nodded.

__0__

     He was wary of her motivations as he stood outside in the hall at Auror headquarters whilst he waited for Harry Potter to give him the green light. “Right then, she’s in there. It’s two way glass so my boss will be watching. I will be in the room with the two of you, in case it gets heated,” Harry coached and Draco rolled his eyes.
     “Can we just get this over with?” he said and Harry opened the door to the interrogation room and motioned with his hand for Draco to enter. There was a small table and two chairs. Draco ground his jaw when he saw the back of her head with her sweeping, thick and lustrous hair that fell down her back like a sheet of blonde glass. He reminded himself that he never liked blondes, they simply weren’t his type even though he himself was also blonde.
     “Now this is better,” Janet said cockily and Draco hid his surprise when her hair suddenly changed to a deep chestnut color.
     “She changed the color of her hair. Must be some sort of wandless magic. Let the record reflect that,” Potter said and a bewitched quill began to scribble on a piece of parchment.
     “Some of us are more advanced than others it seems,” Janet quipped as Draco took his seat across from the witch.
     “No more of that, alright?” Harry said though it was more of a demand than a question.
     “Yes some of us are. Some of us are trained, diligent and caring Healers, and then some of us are wicked bint’s who commit innocent people to death camps,” Draco seethed.
     “Hayyyysheeeeaaa Lokkkii Nasssss,” she said with narrowed eyes and Draco steeled himself as she began to whisper to him in parseltongue. Draco shot a quick glance at Harry and Harry gave him a gentle nod. Draco relaxed back against his chair when he knew that Harry could also understand the snake language. Janet had no idea of this fact which pleased Draco. Now, if he could only get her to admit her atrocities with Harry hearing every word of her confession.
     “Nayyyyy Vasss,” Draco responded in kind, telling her that he would never do what it was that she wanted, which translated as more or less asking him to fuck her like the dark wizard she knew he was.
     “And yet you already did,” Janet smirked and then she twittered with laughter. “Can you see it Draco?” she asked and her stormy blue eyes bore into him.
     “Fuck,” he shouted and he clutched his head.
     “What happened?” Harry asked and he pulled out his wand.
     “It’s…nothing,” Draco said too ashamed to tell Potter what was happening.
     “Yes, you see it too,” Janet hissed. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, I enjoyed myself thoroughly. You’re a good lover.”
     “Make it stop!” Draco howled when the vision of them, naked and writhing in the garden together filled his mind. He could see himself pumping her pussy full of cock while she screamed out in ecstasy. “How are you doing this?” Draco asked and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair when the vision faded away. It spooked him that she could get into his head that way.
     “You created a link to my mind when like a naughty boy you cast Legilimens on me. It goes both ways though,” Janet said as if she were pleased.
     “Do it again and I’m out of here Janet,” Draco threatened. “I’m married and I love my wife.” Janet grew furious when he said that. She reached into her bra and pulled something out.
     “May I show him the picture?” she turned and glared at Harry Potter and Harry reached out his hand to view it first.
     “She produced a photograph when she reached into her shirt. Let the record reflect that,” Harry said as the quill continued scribbling. Harry then nodded and Janet slapped the black and white photograph down in the center of the table.
     “What’s this?” Draco scoffed.
     “It’s the reason you’re here. Go on, look at it,” Janet said. “If you don’t look I’ll show you the garden again.”
     “You complete and utter snake! Back to it again, eh Black Mamba?” Draco accused. “She’s a snake charmer of the order Black Mamba. She practices dark witchcraft and I know for a fact that she killed a vagrant, she admitted it to me years ago when I met her. Lock her the fuck up already!” Draco was enraged and tired of her threats. He stood to leave.
     “It’s your daughter, Persephone. She calls herself Effie though. It’s a stupid name. Did you have childish nicknames for yourself, Dragon?” she smirked and Draco glared at her with cold,grey eyes.
     “I don’t have a daughter,” Draco said through gritted teeth and he rounded the table. Harry stopped him though and encouraged him to sit back down, so with great reluctance Draco did just that.
     “Look at our darling daughter and tell me that she isn’t yours,” Janet taunted again. Draco let out a deep sigh and then against his better judgment he picked up the photograph. It was a girl of about four years old. Her hair was long and straight and light in color though he couldn’t tell for certain since it was a black and white picture. That’s when he saw it and his hands began to shake as a cold chill swept through him. With her angular face and sparkling eyes she looked just like himself. It was nearly like looking in the mirror, the resemblance was uncanny.
     “Yes, you see it now. So, you will drop these ridiculous charges against me and we can talk visitation. You do want to see your daughter, don’t you?”
     “What sort of trick is this? You never had a baby. I saw you almost every day at work and you weren’t pregnant! This is complete bullshit Janet. Who is she, one of your patient’s kids?”
     “No trick, Draco dear. She’s yours. We made her on that beautiful night we shared together in the garden.”
     “The only thing I remember about the garden was the bloody snake that bit me. Fuck, that was you wasn’t it? You bit me and poisoned me. You bint I’ll kill you!” Draco could control his anger no more and he went right over top of the table, intent on strangling Janet to death. Harry hit him with a stunner and he was forced backwards where he landed lopsided in his chair.
     “Draco, please don’t make me do that again. I’m just doing my job. Janet, let’s go. You’re going back to your cell.”
     “I want to hear his answer!” Janet cried as Harry gripped her by the arm and pulled her out of her chair.
     “You’ll find out his answer soon enough. Let’s go now,” Harry said and he took her from the room.

__0__

     “I’m sorry, Draco. I had no idea she would pull that picture out—“ Harry apologized as the men talked alone in the courtyard outside the Ministry.
     “She looks like me,” Draco said in a minor state of shock.
     “Yeah, she does. I arranged a meeting for tomorrow. Janet told me where to find the girl. She lives in Druids Path with her maternal Grandmother. The grandmother wants one hundred galleons though. I figure you’re good for it though so I agreed to the arrangement. Are you familiar with the town at all?” Harry asked but Draco was barely listening.
     “I have to tell Hermione,” Draco said with a sense of dread. “I’ll bring my medical bag. I can perform a paternity test.”
     “Good, I’m glad you said that because I was going to recommend doing just that. She could be having you on, just remember that and when you tell Hermione be sure to remind her that nothing has been proven,” Harry offered and Draco appreciated the friendly way that he spoke to him. Eventually, he would have to admit that Harry was indeed a friend to him.
     “She’s going to leave me,” Draco said, his voice somber and deep.
     “You don’t know that.” But he did know that.
     “Fuck, this is a bloody nightmare.”
     “It gets worse. I tried to get you off army duty, but I wasn’t successful. You are expected back in France the day after tomorrow Draco. I’m sorry. I wish I had better news.”
     “This is—why not just cast an Unforgiveable on me right now Potter, because I’m as good as dead when Hermione finds out that I may have fathered a child with a bitch from hell!”

__0__

         “She had a baby?” I asked, and I was completely gobsmacked. It’s as if it hadn’t quite registered in my brain.
     “That’s just it. I don’t ever remember Janet being pregnant. According to Potter, she hid the pregnancy with glamours.”
     “Why? Why would she do that?” I asked but Draco only frowned.
     “Because she wasn’t married and because I was. She feared backlash for becoming pregnant by a married man. She claims she feared for her job and her reputation should the truth have come out.”
     “Oh that’s utter rubbish! We aren’t living in the Dark Ages. You aren’t buying her lies, are you? Draco? Please tell me you don’t actually believe that.”
     “I don’t know baby, I really don’t know what to believe.”
     “She’s pawning some kid off and claiming its yours. It’s just one more scheme to have you! She’s not going to be happy until she is Mrs. Draco Malfoy.”
     “You weren’t raised in pureblood circles. They’re very traditional. A child born out of wedlock is not even allowed to take the family name. Look, let’s not fight about this. The girl apparently lives with her maternal Grandmother, a woman who is by all accounts an outcast herself, this after she divorced her pureblooded husband decades ago.”
     “The girl, ha! You mean your daughter? That is what we’re supposed to believe, right? Fat chance. This is rubbish.”
     “Tomorrow I’ll perform the test and we will know for certain whether it’s like you said, a ruse hatched by Janet.”
     “So she just gets to walk free, after what she did to me?” I was beyond angry, I was outraged.
     “No, but right now we don’t have enough to pin on her. Perhaps in time though, we can—“
     “Save it Draco. Are you sure you don’t have feelings for her?” I had to ask, he just didn’t seem as angry I thought he should be.
     “Hermione I love you more than words can say, you have to know that.”
     “And if this Effie turns out to be yours, then what?”
     “I can’t believe you would even ask. It doesn’t change anything about how I feel towards you and Edmond. You’re my whole world and that won’t ever change. Could you please try to keep this news in perspective? Until I’ve performed the test, it’s just a theory. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Oh it was so easy for him to say, but meanwhile I was talking myself down from panic attack after panic attack. Why couldn’t he just keep his dick in his pants?

__0__

“What Estate by the lake?” I asked as I brushed my hair in front of the mirror. Draco was dressing and he smiled at me when I asked that particular question. In his story about his past with Janet he mentioned an Estate that he and I bought together. I can’t imagine that he meant the cottage so it got me wondering.
     “I was wondering when you’d ask,” he said as he threw on a sports jacket that made him look like a million bucks.
     “Well, tell me you devious little rat.”
     “I’m a rat now am I? Hmm, I’m not quite sure I like that.”
     “I’m sorry, it’s just this whole day. I’m getting ready to go and see my husband’s daughter, whose mother isn’t me! I guess I’m not in the brightest of moods.”
     “Baby, I love you. Thank you for not flying off into a rage and you know, hexing my balls off or something,” he said and he stood behind me and wrapped protective arms around me as he dipped his head and kissed my exposed neck.
     “I feel like I’m losing you, or us, or myself, or I don’t know!” I said feeling insecure.
     “Never. You’re mine and I’m yours. Now, no more talk like that. We go and meet her and I perform the test. That’s it. No more speculation. Now you asked about the Estate. Do you really want to know, or would you prefer to wait until the memory comes back on its own?” he asked and I pondered his question.
    “Why not show it to me?” I figured that I might remember it if I saw it.
     “Alright, I will. I admit that I haven’t been by there in ages. The place held too many memories for me. It reminded me of all the ambitions and aspirations we both had four years ago before your accident. That place represented our new home and new life together.”
     “I can’t wait to see it. And we picked it out together?” I asked as my mood lifted the more we spoke about the home I’d never seen.
     “We did, although you were the one who found it. You took one look at it and you just knew that it was ours, or so you said.”
     “Draco, whatever happens today, I love you,” I said and he pulled me into a bear hug.
     “I love you too, but we should go. They’ll be waiting for us.”
     “I just have to kiss Edmond goodbye, and thank Felix for sitting for us,” I said and then with a deep sigh I let go of Draco.

__0__

     We were in what looked like the forgotten part of town, mainly because the homes on the street were unkempt with paint chipping away and gray primer coat showing through. The sidewalks were cracked and chunks of stone were missing as we made our way down the narrow cobblestone street in the old, wizarding town of Druids Path. “I don’t remember ever being here,” I said and I squeezed Draco’s hand tighter.
     “That’s because you’ve probably never been here before. It’s an old Pureblood village.”
     “It’s creepy,” I said gazing up at the tree overhead that’s branches formed a sort of claw-like hand. “Have you ever been here before?”
     “Yeah, once when I was a child. One of our servants lived here and Father would stop by with leftovers after one of his big parties."
     “Your Father gave the extra food to the less fortunate?” I asked, shocked.
     “Yes. Don’t sound so surprised. We Malfoys’, we’re not all bad,” he chuckled.
     “Oh, I didn’t mean that!”
     “Yes love, you did,” he said and he gave me that look, the one that made me feel three sizes too small. It was an appropriate look, I just couldn’t believe that Lucius of all people would do something so nice without there being some reward attached to it. “Well it appears we are here,” he said and he stopped and stared at the dilapidated row house.
     “Merlin, I hate to think of anyone living there let alone a small child,” I murmured and the blond nodded.

     “Jan’s not with you, is she?” the old woman said who answered the door and she stuck her head out to have a look around before she invited us in.
     “Uh, no M’am,” Draco said and he shot me a look.
     “Good. You can come in, but you can’t stay long.”
     “Thank you,” I said kindly as we were ushered inside.
     “She’s in her room. Up the stairs, first door on the left. I was told that you would make a contribution,” the old woman said and Draco nodded as he reached inside his jacket pocket and dropped a velvet pouch full of galleons in it into her old, withered hand. The old lady nodded her approval and then I followed my husband up the rickety stairs. He knocked gently on the door but when there was no answer he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
     “Effie?” Draco said to the little girl who stood like a statue gazing out the dirty window pane. She was about the size of Edmond, although a tad bit shorter. She slowly turned around. In her arms she cradled a teddy bear and she was nervously fidgeting with it’s button eyes. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you,” Draco said and he moved closer to the girl before crouching down to speak to her at the same eye level. She took a cautious step forward and then another. I watched as her eyes landed on Draco’s wand that was sticking out of his front pocket and the little girl immediately took two steps backward again.
     “It’s your wand. I think she’s afraid of it,” I said and Draco took his wand out and then laid it on the floor.
     “I’m a friend. I won’t hurt you Effie,” he said and he smiled at the girl. I had a knot the size of a bezoar stuck in my throat when she turned her face upwards to look at Draco. She was the spitting image of my husband. She had the same platinum hair, the same angular face and soft features and even the same silvery eyes. She was his alright, we didn’t even need the test I knew it the second I saw her.
     “Are you my Daddy?” she asked. I couldn’t help but notice that her speech was quite clear. Edmond still had a bit of a speech impediment that I never worried about because it would go away with age, but Effie spoke clearly.
     “Well why don’t we play a little game and your question will be answered. Does that sound like fun? Do you like games?” Draco asked and the girl nodded.
     “Good. I think we’re going to get along just fine,” he said and then he explained to the girl what he was going to do, in great detail as he reached into his medical bag and took out the paternity test. “Babe, could you get us a wet wash cloth? I’m going to have to clean her hands before I can proceed,” Draco asked of me and I nodded where I went to the dirty bathroom and found the cleanest wash cloth I could as I turned on the tap.
    Once I started to clean Effie’s hands I realized that she needed a bath. I would wipe away the dirt and her pale skin would shine through and so I kept wiping. She smiled up at me as I washed her face and then her arms and legs with the warm wash cloth. “You’re nice. I like you,” she said and she smiled.
     “Well I like you too,” I said awkwardly and when she was all clean she hugged me. Draco was smiling as he looked on.
     I could see tears in my husband’s eyes when the test was finished. He took Effie in his arms and gave her a lingering hug before he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. It was heartbreaking to watch. Draco had not one child but two, and he had been kept from both of them for years. All I wanted to do in that moment was to run, and to keep on running. My emotions were all over the place and despite what I said and despite the pleasantness of his little girl, I just couldn’t do it.
     “Draco,” I said, after we left the row house and were once again alone. “I—were you able to get out of army duty?” I asked.
     “No, I’m supposed to be there tomorrow,” he said somberly and I could tell that his mind was still on the little girl.
     “What’s wrong? You look so unhappy,” I asked.
     “I—I can’t stand leaving her. I can’t have my child living in squalor.”
     “I see, and I understand and agree.”
     “You do?”
     “Yes Draco, I do. They don’t even have any hot water. I had to warm the water with a spell, that’s why she was dirty. She can’t even take a proper bath. Her being afraid of wands…well…I don’t even want to think about what Janet’s done to her to put that fear there,” I said and Draco winced when I mentioned the wand.
     “Draco please don’t think bad of me when I say this, but,I think you should go back to the army.”
     “No, I’m not leaving you. Let them give me a dishonorable discharge, I don’t care. My place is here with you and Edmond.”
     “I really think you should go. The vampire is still out there.”
     “Babe, that isn’t why you want me to go, is it?”
     “No,” I said with great reluctance. “I’m sorry, I love you so much but right now…I just can’t stand to look at you. I just need some time to process this.”
     “No! I can help you—“ Draco insisted.
     “No, you really can’t. You’re the one who caused this when you slept with that vicious cunt! God, I’m sorry. I’m going to ask Molly if I can stay with her for a while at the Burrow. There's just too many memories at the cottage that I can never go back there. Perhaps in a few weeks though—“
     “A few weeks? I already waited a few years for you to remember me! Don’t do this Hermione.”
     “I’m sorry. Please give me the time that I ask. Get your daughter from that witch! Focus on that. I’ll be fine, just fix your own mess Draco. I can’t be a part of this, now right now.”

Review?

*I hated putting this chapter up on the holiday weekend lol I almost didn’t, but I need to finish this story soon. I never write tear jerking endings because I despise them and don’t like to read endings that are not happy, so rest assured the ending of this will be happy. CLUE: Everything is NOT as it seems, some bombshells still to come. Hermione will need to remember her Auror skills if she hopes to take on Janet Mungo & she is going to be hard-pressed to do just that ;)
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A Week in November