Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Bless the Broken Road	By : Lissa & snowblind12 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 10182 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I make no money off of my stories.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
AN: So, as promised, here is Chapter Three a little early. We are so happy you are all enjoying the story. Please take a moment to let us know what you think! Reviews feed the muse! So much love. Lissa & Snow
BETAs: RaynePhoenix2 & sab81790
Chapter Three
Here Comes Goodbye
Approximately Six Years After Astoria’s Death
“Here comes goodbye. Here comes the last time. Here comes the start of every sleepless night. The first of every tear I’m going to cry. Here comes the pain. Here comes me wishing things would never change and you were right here in my arms tonight. Here comes goodbye.” *
May 2^nd, 2012
“Ron! We’re going to be late, and you still need to get Hugo to the nursery!” Hermione Granger-Weasley called up the stairs of their small, two-story home.
“I’m coming, sweetheart!” Ron’s reply came with just a touch of exasperation and she grinned at the ceiling before going back to the diligent preparation for the upcoming departure of their red haired, befreckled, four-year-old son. At his mother’s silly expression, Hugo gave her a lopsided smile, much like that of his father’s.
“Daddy’s late again?” he asked her in a sweet, high-pitched voice.
“As always!” She tapped him on the nose with a smile and finished zipping his light coat. It was promising to be a nice, warm spring day, but the mornings were still cool. “Are you ready to go to nursery, love bug?”
“Yes! I’m essited to see Lily! I love my Lily.” The last part of the sentence was said with such sloppy, loving warmth it made Hermione’s heart swell. She envied her children their many cousins; growing up so alone had been no way to live. She adored her big, extended family.
“I’m here, I’m here!” Ron dashed into the kitchen. His blue eyes were bright with happiness and that same, lop-sided grin was on his handsome face. His expression lit the room and sent a twinge of desire to her womb. I think it’s time to ask him about one more baby.
“Good morning, little man!” He scooped Hugo up into his arms. The tot gave an appreciative squeal and Hermione laughed brightly as Ron tossed the child lightly in the air and then wrapped him in a protective hug while dropping a kiss to the thatch thick, unruly curls.
“’Morning Daddy!” Hugo squealed, snuggling into his dad’s embrace.
“’Morning, Hugo…’Mione.” Ron leaned down to press a kiss to Hermione’s lips which she returned with ardent enthusiasm. He slipped his tongue past her lips and one arm left the cocoon he had made for his son to wrap around his wife’s slender waist. Ten years of marriage had not dampened his love for her – as his best friend or his wife. In fact, things just seemed to get better every year.
“Morning, love,” she responded dreamily after he pulled away. Ron raised his hand from her waist and brushed a stray curl from her face before smoothing the light laugh lines at the corner of one of eye.
“You look lovely, as always.” The crooked grin, plus the compliment, brought a light blush to Hermione’s cheeks. She stood up on her tip toes and pressed a kiss to the side of his mouth.
“I’ve been thinking…” She trailed off, watching him devour his son’s face with his eyes. Gods, he’s such a wonderful daddy. Ron tilted his head and looked down at her as she slipped both arms around his slender waist.
“That’s always dangerous.” Ron’s eyes twinkled with mirth and she gave him a playful slap on the arm.
“Hey!” she chuckled. “Do you want to know? Or are you going to tease me all morning?”
“I always want to know what’s going on in that brilliant brain of yours,” he told her seriously, but his eyes did not lose their mischief. She grinned.
“I’m thinking it’s time for another one of these.” She ran her hand through Hugo’s curls lovingly, warm amber eyes watching her husband’s face expectantly. His own eyes widened as a full grin slowly split his face.
“Yeah?” He set Hugo down and urged him to go play for a few minutes before they had to go.
“Yeah.” Hermione crinkled her nose as her smiled widened. Ron wrapped one arm around her and tilted her face up by the chin, plopping a chaste kiss on her lips. “Would you be okay with that?” she wondered teasingly.
“Would I be…? Bloody hell, woman. I want to get started right away!” He slapped her bum playfully and she let out a squeak of surprise, there was mirth and pleasure etched into every line of her face. He sealed his mouth to hers hungrily, both hands now cupping her backside as he pulled her into his growing desire as evidence he was not lying. She returned the kiss with vigor for a bit before coming to her senses.
“We can get started tonight.” Hermione waggled her eyebrows at him as she pulled away. Ron heaved a sigh of regret and reluctantly let her go.
She put Hugo’s lovey in his backpack before handing it to Ron, along with the bacon sandwich she had made him for breakfast, and his lunch container. Ron called to Hugo to come back and get ready to floo out. “I’ll see you for lunch?”
“Not today, sweetheart, I’m sorry.” He gave her an apologetic look and dropped a kiss to her forehead before taking the items from her. “Harry and I are patrolling Diagon Alley.” He grimaced. “There’s usually some sort of idiocy that happens today, you know that. All Aurors are on high alert and in the field.”
Hermione felt her mouth tug into a tight frown, her teeth coming out to worry her bottom lip. Yes, she knew – she was just trying to forget that today was the fourteenth anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts and the defeat of Voldemort.
“Hey,” Ron paused and used his thumb to pluck her bottom lip, “none of this, everything will be fine.” He gave her another gentle kiss.
The assurance helped pull Hermione out of her worry. “Yes, I forgot about the patrol today. I’ll see you at home tonight, then. I’ll get Rose from your mum and dad’s, I already sent her through the floo to do her tutoring with Albus and Dominique at Shell Cottage. Fleur will send her to your mum’s when their lessons are done for the day. Don’t forget to pick Hugo up from the Ministry nursery before you come home!”
Ron pouted. “I forget once – once – and you feel the need to remind me every day for the rest of my life!” The comment was laced with feigned frustration and Hermione threw a smirk at him over her shoulder as she pulled her traveling cloak on. He winked at her. “I love you, Hermione.”
“I love you!” she called as she slipped her bag over her shoulder and, after grabbing a pinch of floo powder, disappeared into the fireplace.
Hermione’s morning moved quickly as usual. She was just returning to her desk after lunch, when screams echoed the halls. She rose from her desk in alarm and heard someone sobbing from behind a closed door. Pumps clacking on the tile floor, she broke into run. She exited the cubicles of her co-workers in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures where she held the Assistant Head position. “What’s going on?” she inquired wildly, grabbing the arm of Melissa Pennyworth.
“There was an attack in Diagon Alley, an explosion. It’s bad, Hermione, really bad. There saying a dozen or more injured or dead.”
Hermione’s face drained of blood and the room spun alarmingly. She forced her suddenly parched throat to move as she attempted to swallow her fear. Ron and Harry are fine, they’ll be fine. They would be helping people; she would go to Diagon Alley and help. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment and then shook her head. No…she would start at St. Mungo’s to look for them, she shouldn’t put herself in unnecessary danger.
“Melissa, tell everyone they’re dismissed. Go home and be with your family.”
“Are you okay, Hermione?” her co-worker asked softly, noticing the demeanor and pallor of her boss.
“I’ll be fine, I just need to check on Ron and Harry,” she answered before forcing a smile to her lips. “I’m going to see if I can find Kingsley – see if he knows what’s happening.” Pulling her work-friend into a brief hug, she told her to be safe and then departed.
Hermione couldn’t find Kingsley, so she went to the nursery, instead. She didn’t want to leave the children at the Ministry in case something was to happen in the government building, as well.
“Hermione!” Susan Bones greeted her old classmate with a worried expression from behind the front desk of the childcare center. “Are you okay?”
“I think so, Susan,” she answered cautiously. “I’m here to pick up the kids. I’m going to take Hugo and Lily over to the Weasley’s and see if I can find Ron and Harry at St. Mungo’s. I’m just worried.” She waved off her anxiety with a flip of one hand. “Do the children know what’s been going on?”
“No, we’ve kept it quiet. Although, I think they known something is wrong. We’ve had a lot of parents come pick up their kids in the last thirty minutes – not that I blame them!”
Hermione nodded absentmindedly.
“I’ll get them ready for you, why don’t you take a moment and collect yourself here? I’ll bring them out in a mo’.”
Hermione expressed her gratitude and plopped down on a chair. She placed her elbows on her knees and fisted her hands into her hair. Pulling in deep breaths, she attempted to calm her thundering heart and racing mind. They’re fine. They’re fine. They’re going to be just fine. She attempted, in vain, to calm herself. The thick, cloying sense of dread that had filled her the moment she heard the first scream would not leave. Something was wrong. Fear was starting to claw through her being.
“Here we are! Here’s your mum, Hugo, and your auntie, Lily!” Susan’s cheerful voice broke through the fog of panic that was threatening to overwhelm her.
“Hello, my lovelies!” She forced a happy smile on her face and opened her arms to be filled by two beautiful, redheaded children. Both the tots squealed with joy and flung themselves into her arms. She squeezed them with all her might, pressing kisses to the tops of their heads.
“Should we go to MiMi’s?” she asked the two four-year-olds gently.
“Yeah! MiMi and Pops?” Hugo pulled back with his father’s lopsided grin plastered on his face and Hermione’s heart leapt.
“Yes, love bug, let’s go.” She took the children and guided them into the Atrium. They stepped up to one of the humongous fireplaces and she let go of Hugo in order to throw a small handful of floo powder into the grate. She reclaimed her son’s hand before stepping into the green flames and crying out, “The Burrow!”
Moments later, they spilled out of the Weasley’s fireplace. Molly spun around from where she was at the sink, her hand fluttering to her chest and her eyes wide. “Hermione!” she exclaimed. “Oh, dear! You startled me so!” She stopped herself suddenly and her eyes narrowed, taking in Hermione’s carefully controlled features.
The younger witch knelt down and pulled the children around to face her. “I want you to go to the playroom right away, I need to talk to MiMi in private,” she told them, sliding their bags off their shoulders. “Then I have to go, but I’ll back to get you soon.” Both children nodded solemnly at her grave expression and bolted out of the room after stopping quick to give their grandmother a hug hello.
“Hermione, dear, you’re starting to scare me,” Molly said softly, watching her daughter-in-law’s face with keen interest.
“There was an attack in Diagon Alley – an explosion.” Molly’s face blanched and Hermione cleared her throat twice in attempts to make the tightness go away. “Harry and Ron were both on patrol there today, and I can’t get any information. I’d like to go, but I don’t want to put myself in danger. I was thinking I’d collect Ginny and go over to St. Mungo’s…?” Her statement broke off as a question. She was looking for approval, she wanted someone else to tell her she wasn’t being overly cautious.
“I think that’s a good idea. Please keep me informed?”
“Of course, Molly.” The young witch leaned over and kissed her mother-in-law on the cheek. “I love you; I’ll be back to get the kids as soon as I know something.”
Ginny was not at Grimmauld Place as expected, so she immediately flooed over to the hospital. When she arrived, it was to utter pandemonium. She stood frozen at the hearth, her eyes scanning the crowds of people in shock. She didn’t move, didn’t even blink, until she heard the floo flame again behind her and hastily stepped out of the way for the next person coming in. That next person was a frantic, tearful Ginny who didn’t even notice Hermione as she pushed past, calling for her husband.
“Harry!” she cried, scanning the crowd. A messy, black haired head pop out from behind a curtain where he was assisting someone who was being triaged. Green eyes hidden behind broken spectacles focused on his wife instantly. “Harry! I couldn’t find her. She wasn’t at the Ministry or their house!”
“I’m right behind you Ginny.” Relief that Harry was okay was evident in her voice. She tried to keep her tone bright as her sister-in-law spun in a circle, eyes widening in surprise. “I couldn’t find you either, I – oh!” She broke off with a huff when Ginny threw herself at the curly-haired brunette and squeezed, effectively forcing the air from her lungs. Suddenly, she was engulfed by a stronger pair of arms from behind. She was being swallowed by a Potter sandwich.
Then she knew – Oh no! She knew. Her knee’s buckled and she felt tears sliding down her cheeks as they supported her.
“No,” she whispered against Ginny’s ear. “Tell me he’s okay. Tell me he’ll be fine,” she begged. Her breath was sticking in her lungs and she couldn’t control the flow of tears dripping down her face.
“I can’t, Hermione.” Ginny’s voice was thick with emotion. “I can’t tell you that.”
“Harry!” Hermione’s voice was pure devastation. She pushed Ginny away in horror and spun around in her best friend’s arms. She shoved him just far enough away to look into his eyes. They were full of unshed tears and red-rimmed, like he had already been crying. “Harry, no!” she cried, slamming her fists into his chest. He stumbled back a step and she let out a tormented sob and struck him again, arms flailing wildly. He grasped her elbows in both his palms and tried to pull her against him as a sob broke through his tenuous control. His emerald eyes glistened as fat tears spilled over his lower eyelids.
“I’m sorry, Hermione,” he choked. “He was just…gone.”
Hermione froze in disbelief for just a moment. The words had been said – Oh gods! Gone! Ron…no! Everything was a blur after that moment. She didn’t realize the anguished screams of denial were her own. Her hands came up to grip the curls coming loose on either side of her head. Her face was a mask of incredulity and shock and pure anguish.
Harry held a hand out to her as she started screaming nonsensical denial. She bent at the waist in her torment, tears dripping from her chin as more streamed from her eyes.
“Harry…no!” she begged her best friend. Begged him to it to not be true. Straightening, Hermione reached out for him. Harry gathered her to him in a tight embrace, trying to hold her together. “No, no, no. Please, no!” She collapsed against him, defeated, when all he could do was murmur apologies in her ear through his own tears.
She felt Ginny slide back in against her as the dam of anger broke and horrible, terrible, grief claimed her with an evil, unrelenting vengeance. Awful, wordless sobs and exclamations left her as her new reality started to sink in.
The three family members held each other tightly as their world came crashing in around them.
A ping in his chest startled Draco Malfoy. He glanced up from his parchment work to the timepiece on his desk at Malfoy Enterprises, surprised to note that he had missed lunch. The surprise only lasted a moment, though, as the feeling in his chest deepened into an anxious worry.
Sitting back in his luxurious office chair, he moved one hand up to rub over the spot above his heart. He tried to place the feeling, but at the moment could not. Attempting to shake off the sensation, he reached to dip his quill in the inkpot and forced his attention back to the parchments he was working on only to be distracted by a rap at his door.
“Come in!” he called while letting the quill fall to the mahogany top of his desk. He stood at the door opened. It was his father.
Lucius Malfoy entered and closed the door quickly behind. That feeling in Draco’s chest heightened at the worried expression on his father’s face.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s been an explosion in Diagon Alley,” Lucius said softly. “Your mother had a few appointments there this afternoon – she was taking Scorpius with her.”
Draco’s heart fluttered into his throat as his stomach turned into a block of ice. “Merlin, no,” he whispered.
“Calm, son,” Lucius said in a soothing tone. “Her appointments were on the south end of the alley, and my understanding is that the explosion was on the north end near Gringotts. I will head home, why don’t you pop down to the Alley and see if they had finished at Twilfit and Tattings before the explosion. I will meet you at St. Mungo’s in thirty minutes to let you know if they’re home or for you to let me know if they are still at the shop. If they are at neither, the hospital is the next logical place to meet.”
“Deal.” Draco crossed the room quickly and grasped his cloak from the coat stand.
“Thirty minutes,” Lucius reminded.
“Thirty minutes,” Draco repeated.
Draco had almost missed the witch who ran Twilfit and Tattings as she had already locked her doors and was quickly dashing down the chaos-filled street to see to her own loved ones. He had barely caught her before she reached the Apparition point. She informed him that his mother and son had left the shop prior to the explosion. Before panic had a chance to hit, the witch quickly added that Narcissa had mentioned she was taking her grandson home via the Leaky Cauldron’s Floo.”
He thanked the woman profusely before turning on his heel and dashing closer to the explosion sight, only a few blocks from the Leaky. The hotel and bar were open, much to his relief, though it seemed that the Longbottom neè Abbott woman had allowed it to be turned into sort of a triage point for the wounded and a check in point for Aurors and medical staff.
Too anxious to maintain his typical indifferent public persona, Draco barked at Hannah, demanding to know if his mother had come through. He ignored the turning heads responding to his uncharacteristic outburst. Hannah’s look was nothing but understanding. She was one of the few who had always been kind to him since the war.
“I don’t know, Draco. It was super busy this morning with floo traffic,” Hannah answered sympathetically. “If she left using the fireplace, I missed seeing her.”
He thanked her even as his stomach tightened and he moved quickly through the crowd to stand in line at the floo. He reached St. Mungo’s and stepped out of the fireplace only to be rooted to the spot as he watched an obviously shell shocked and devastated Hermione Granger slap Harry Potter in the chest with two tightly clenched fists.
His gaze was drawn to The-Boy-Who-Lived-Twice and he was even more startled to see tears streaming down from behind broken spectacles.
“I’m sorry, Hermione,” he was saying. “He was just…gone.”
And in that instant, Draco knew that Ronald Weasley had been killed in the Diagon Alley explosion. His heart leapt and pain rose in his throat for the woman now being tightly embraced by both Potters.
The edges of his vision seemed to darken, and it was almost as he could feel her grief inside himself. All he could see was the trio that was just slightly wrong. Black hair, chestnut hair, and red hair…but the red hair was too long, the figure too petite. A Weasley, but the wrong Weasley.
He couldn’t seem to help himself when his brain jumped to all the things Hermione Granger had been through in her life. Tormented by Slytherins at school, harassed by Skeeter, hunted for her blood status, tortured on his drawing room floor…he swallowed hard at that thought…cut up by his insane aunt. If anyone had deserved a peaceful, happiness-filled life from there on out, it was Hermione Granger. But for some reason, bad shit keeps happening to her…
He was shaken from his own thoughts and pinpoint visage of the Potters trying to comfort the witch when his father took his arm. He turned his head to meet the older man’s stare.
“Mum is fine,” he knew before his father even said a word. “She and Score are at home?”
“Yes. Let’s go,” Lucius replied and turned to leave right back through where he had come.
Draco grabbed a handful of floo powdered and glanced over his shoulder one last time while his interrupted thought finished silently.
…and for some reason, I always care.
*“Here Comes Good-bye” written by Chris Sligh and Clint Lagerberg. Performed by Rascal Flatts from the album Unstoppable. Released January 2009.
- 2
- 3
- 4
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Bless the Broken Road