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Hermione Reparo	By : Kit_Stella Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 20416 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any characters from the books or films. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
Hi my lovely and patient readers :)
Here's a slightly shortly chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Not so many lemons but some important things are going on...so stay tuned ;)
I know I'm taking quite a while to post new chapters but I really am becoming quite the perfectionnist. Lucky for you guys, I have some awesome betas who help me loads.
Great big thanks to Monddame and Ellie who rock big time!!!
Enjoy and have a great week
KS

Chapter 18: Family and Friends
The rest of the winter holidays whizzed by in a whirlwind of receptions, dinner parties and gatherings for Draco. His mother was on a mission to regain the approval of the wizarding world and didn’t shy away from any occasion to do so. There wasn’t a cause she turned away, whether it was a gala for orphans or a charity ball for bereaved families. It was exhausting in Draco’s opinion, especially since she insisted on his appearance at each and every one of these gatherings. Lucius was also present each time but Narcissa didn’t fuss at him to mingle like she did with Draco. He suspected she was giving the public time to adjust to the new Lucius – or was that vice versa?
The evening before classes began, Draco was preparing his trunk when he heard a faint knock on his door; he turned and saw his father standing in the doorway.
“Hello Draco.”
“Hello Father, back already?”
Lucius took a step in Draco’s room and said, “Your mother and her sister have much to talk about. They don’t need me around every time they meet.”
Narcissa and Andromeda had patched things up after the battle and were getting to know each other once again. After Bellatrix's death, Narcissa realized there were no remaining Black family members to prevent her from reconnecting with her other sister and it wasn’t long before they rekindled the deep connection they shared as children. Draco also suspected that his mother enjoyed spending time with Teddy; she had always loved babies.
He noticed his father toying with an envelope in his hand.
“Is that for me?” Draco asked.
He and Hermione had been writing back and forth since their date in London, but hadn’t been able to see each other again since. He was very much looking forward to seeing her the next day and had told her so in a letter he sent a couple of hours ago.
“It is.” Lucius crossed his son’s room and handed him the envelope.
Draco noticed the Ministry insignia on the front of said envelope and couldn’t help but feel disappointed it hadn’t come from a certain witch – albeit, slightly intrigued. He opened the envelope and read the letter as his father looked over his shoulder.

Dear Mr. Malfoy,

I hope you’ve enjoyed your Christmas holidays.

Head Auror Wood has just uncovered a damaged extension to the Department of Mysteries that requires your immediate attention.

Please appear at Apparition Point 7 by 8:00PM this evening. I apologize for any inconvenience caused by the last minute nature of my request and rely on your understanding for this particular case.

I have already sent a note to Headmaster McGonagall as I appreciate that tomorrow is the beginning of your final semester at Hogwarts.

Best Regards,

Kingsley Shacklebolt
Minister for Magic

“That leaves us about fifteen minutes. What’s a father to do to have some time to chat with his son?” Lucius checked his watch before he looked up at Draco with air of resignation.
Draco stared back at his father and realized that he hadn’t spent much time alone with him during the holidays.
“Just give me a minute.” He took his wand from the nightstand and flicked it, wordlessly casting a packing spell.
Robes, parchments, textbooks and shoes immediately started flying across the room and folding into place in Draco’s trunk. Lucius deftly moved out of the way as a pile of books passed in front of him. Once the ruckus had settled, Draco crossed the room with his father following suit, to the seating area by the window. As they sat, Lucius motioned toward the letter in his son's hand.
“That’s something special you have there, you know.”
“I know. I’m quite lucky.”
“It has nothing to do with luck! This is the result of all your hard work; I hope you realize that.” Lucius’s voice took on an unquestionable tone.
“I guess.” Draco shrugged.
The older wizard leaned forward, looking down for a moment as if in deep concentration. When his eyes met Draco’s once again, he said: “I’m proud of you, son.” He reached up to lay a hand on Draco’s shoulder.
“Father-” Draco’s words caught in his throat as he stared at Lucius in disbelief. What…what…what? His mind was working up a storm; the past years flying before his eyes – his actions, all the things he had said and everything he’d done to hear those very words – Draco had loved and hated his father for it all. It was an obsession that he’d struggled with for so long – always looking up to his father and hoping to hear those five words from him. Ultimately, he had joined the Death Eaters for that very reason. Now, as his path led him to a very opposite direction he no longer expected to feel his father’s pride; but a son always hopes. And somehow making his father proud – now more than ever – truly struck Draco beyond words. Slowly, what Lucius said sank in and Draco felt a warm feeling he had longed for deep within his heart. He gulped audibly, registering an unusually soft look in Lucius’s eyes.
“Draco, I know we have never discussed our feelings freely, but I hope you understand, that you are the reason I am still here today.” Draco remained utterly speechless as his father carefully continued, “When I was in Azkaban, at first I was full of anger and resentment. However, I quickly realized that if I wanted to survive there I needed to focus on all that was good in my life. And that was when I realized; it was memories of your mother and you both that helped me escape the threatening madness of that place. Now I don’t want to make the same mistakes from the past; my priorities are finally where they should have always been.” He explained as he stared at his son meaningfully.
Never in Draco’s life had his father been so unguarded about his feelings. He stared at the older wizard who had exposed his innermost sentiment, and for once showed Draco a more vulnerable side. Ironically, he now seemed even stronger in Draco’s eyes. To have gone through what he had, only to come back and admit his wrongs, went beyond anything Draco had witnessed in his father ever before. A part of him felt slightly uncomfortable, yet another part made him feel all warm inside.
“I don’t know what to say, Father.”
“I don’t expect you to say anything. You have already let your old man tell you the things he was too daft to speak of in the past and that is well enough.”
They both sat there for a moment, as his words sank in.
“You seem happy, Draco.” Lucius stated with a smile and when he didn’t add anything, Draco spoke up.
“You’re right, I am. It feels great helping out; people are recognizing the results from my efforts…at the Ministry and also Hogwarts.” Draco exclaimed.
“I take it school is going well?”
“It is. Some students still don’t want to be around me, but others have…surprised me.” Draco mused, thinking of a certain bushy-haired Gryffindor.
Lucius immediately picked up on the slight twinkle that appeared in Draco’s eye, and so he chose his next words carefully.
“Really? Anything to do with Harry Potter? What about his friends, the Weasley boy and is it Hermione Granger?”
“That’s right.” Draco nodded and stared straight into his father’s eyes, sensing that he was onto him. “I haven’t really spoken with Potter or Weasley…with Hermione I have…”
“That’s lovely. Would you say that you are friends?” Lucius inquired nonchalantly.
Draco had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep his smile from showing, “I would say so, yeah.”
“Hmmmm…” Lucius mused as he looked at his son. “I saw her in the paper. Pretty girl, isn’t she?” This time he smiled knowingly.
What? Draco stayed silent and his face went blank. He realized he walked straight into that one, underestimating how good Lucius was at reading people in general. His father clearly was aware of something, but Draco wasn’t quite ready to confirm anything. They had come a long way, but still had a long way to go.
Lucius’s smile faded as he took his watch out of his pocket, “I’m afraid we’re out of time, son.”
They both stood and after a moment’s hesitation, Draco walked up to his father and wrapped his arms around him. He was now just slightly taller than Lucius, but when he felt his father’s arms wrap around him he felt like a little boy again. Their hug didn’t last long, but just before Draco let go he whispered, “thank you” to his father. He couldn’t say more without getting choked up.
Later that evening, when Narcissa returned to Malfoy Manor, she found Lucius in his den, reading an old newspaper.
“What have you got there? Isn’t that the article about the Golden trio?” she asked him, peering over his shoulder.
“It is.” Lucius swirled the firewhiskey in his glass, “Quite amazing what these children accomplished. Of course Harry Potter was the one holding the wand, but the three of them defeated Voldemort together.”
Narcissa was shocked. She looked at her husband and words failed her. Lucius noticed and chuckled.
“Well, it is true, Cissy! They succeeded where many powerful witches and wizards failed. Granted, we weren’t on the same side during the war, but that doesn’t stop us from recognizing their achievements. What do you think?”
“Ye-yes, I guess you’re right. Um, Mrs. Weasley must be very proud of her son, um-”
“And that Granger girl.” Lucius interrupted her deliberately, “She has quite the mind from what I’ve understood. Remember how Draco would complain about her?” He chuckled fondly.
Narcissa’s expression turned from questioning to severe in a heartbeat upon hearing the muggleborn’s name. “Yes, well, with the help from the others I suppose she managed. I wouldn’t give too much credit, especially where it isn’t due.” She answered harshly before she turned on her heels and walked away, effectively bringing the conversation to an end.
This wasn’t the first time that his wife had Lucius questioning her reaction. One thing was for sure, something wasn’t sitting right with her regarding Hermione Granger; and he was going to get to the bottom of it.
Back at Grimmauld that same evening, Hermione was heading towards the kitchen where she could hear the sound of familiar voices. Rounding the corner, she found Harry and Ron sitting at the long table, surrounded by the remains of a couple of games' worth of Wizards Chess debris. They both looked up when she arrived.
“Hermione, come join us.” Harry said with a smile.
She took a seat at the end of the table and reached for a chocolate frog in the middle of a pile of empty candy wrappers.
“Are your trunks ready for tomorrow?” she asked both of them.
Harry at least had the decency to look a tad guilty. Ron, however, simply snorted, “No.”
Hermione was torn between berating him and giggling at his reaction. She finally decided on the latter. Ron’s reply was genuine and so very typically him.
“What do you have there?” Harry nodded towards the envelope Hermione was playing with.
“Oh, this? It’s nothing. I just wanted to, um…” She looked at Ron hesitantly. They hadn’t really talked since the night of the winter formal, and she didn’t know what to expect from him regarding her relationship with Draco – she didn’t even know how much he was aware of.
“Malfoy?” Ron wagered, catching on quicker than she expected.
She spoke not a word but nodded once, wishing there wasn’t such animosity in his voice when he said Draco’s name.
“Really?” He looked at her in a way almost as if he was questioning her sanity.
Hermione looked straight back at him challengingly as she raised an eyebrow.
“How about you…Won-won?” She replied in her best lovesick-Lavender voice.
They all laughed, though Ron’s ears turned a bright shade of red.
“C’mon, you both know that she’s changed.” He claimed once they had calmed down. His voice was softer than before.
“So has Draco.” Hermione argued. “Did you know that he’s working for the Ministry?”
Ronald’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“It’s true.” She continued, “He’s repairing places that were damaged by Dark Magic. And apparently, he’s quite good at it.” Hermione couldn’t help but to feel proud.
“Yeah, Ginny mentioned that he helped repair Hogwarts. I didn’t know about the Ministry though.” Harry added.
The three friends continued talking about Draco’s work, and as they talked Ron seemed to warm up to the idea of him. And just like that, it was as if something clicked between them, and Hermione knew her best friends had accepted her new relationship with their old rival. Now all that’s left is to convince the rest of the world, she thought to herself. Hermione was always up to a challenge but she had no idea just how difficult this would turn out to be.
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Hermione Reparo