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How To Train Your Auror 2: Family Ties	By : Alcoholic_Rootbeer Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 7990 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I will not make a profit from this story

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Big shout out to WayMay for keeping me from using too many 'hads' in this chapter. Sloppy writing will never do, and she makes sure I do not fall to the wayside of terrible authors. Thank you, WayMay. *hearts*

Every time I feel selfish ambition
Is taking my vision
And my crime is my sentence
Repentance is taking commission
It's taking a toll
On my soul
I'm screaming submission and,
I don't know if I am dying or living
'Cause I will save face
For name's sake
Abuse grace
Take aim to obtain a new name
And a newer place
But my name is lame
I can't walk and I ain't the same
And my name became
A new destiny to the grave
"Fall Away" by Twenty One Pilots
"A letter?"
"Yes."
Draco was sure he heard wrong, so he repeated it again. "You want me to give Hermione a letter."
"Yes."
"From you?"
"That's correct."
He blinked once and then raised a cool eyebrow. "What will it say in this letter?"
"That's my other condition," Diggle said simply, "No one may read it except her."
"Like I'm going to let you subject Hermione to something like that."
"At this point, do you really have a choice? It's just a letter, Draco. I can't curse it. I've been forbidden to do magic ever again -might as well slap me around with a Pandora Stone."
"If I find that cursed stone, I might just do that." Draco listened to enough -he rose from his chair, thrust it against the table, and said, "Even if I did consider your offer, I'd have to discuss it with her first. I'm not going to volunteer her for something she has no idea about."
"And if she says no?"
"Then I'll find another way." He stalked his way to the door, setting his hand atop the handle. He debated on telling Diggle about his engagement just to rub it in his smug face, but then he thought better of it. The last thing he needed was to piss him off at this point. So instead he turned the handle, jerked the door open, and muttered, "I'll let you know my decision by the end of the day tomorrow."
"That's very cordial of you, Draco."
And even though Draco hated Diggle with a fire in his belly, there was a small (very, very small) part of him that remembered him as his early days pretending to be Cane. That person always seemed to put Draco's best interests at heart, and he wondered to himself if they could have possibly been friends once if circumstances had been different. It was a sick thought, he knew, but a part of him missed that darkness Cane could evoke from him. Being on the light side was always so difficult, and he teetered on the line most days. It wouldn't have taken much for Draco, when he was young, to fall into the darkness and never return. The only thing that kept him at bay was that nagging conscience -did Diggle have one of those? And if so, how did he ignore it? Draco didn't think he could ever dispose of the damn thing. And it wasn't that he wanted to -it's what Hermione found endearing about him, after all. But sometimes, the darker part of him wondered what it would feel like to come out and play again.
He stormed out of the interrogation room, and it was only after he had made it halfway down the long hallway that he realised he had forgotten about Bolt. He turned on his heels, pried open the door, and said, "Are you waiting for a formal invitation, Bolt?"
"You told me to stay in the corner, Sir," she replied simply.
Diggle chuckled. "They're really just taking any application for Aurors now, aren't they?"
"Wonder whose fault that is?" Draco quipped, snapping his fingers. Bolt jumped and scrambled to the door beside her partner. "Honestly, Lindy, if you were any slower you'd be walking backwards. Keep up. -And don't feed the animals. Especially that one. He bites." He smirked at Diggle and left without another word.
Hermione hoped explaining all of the events of this weekend to Astoria would soften the blow that she would have an Auror protection detail assigned to her, but she hadn't gotten that far because all the chestnut-colored witch wanted to discuss was Hermione's engagement to Draco.
"How did he propose?"
"He was drunk? Well, that wasn't proper at all!"
"And in a bar no less! Goodness, his manners have gone downhill, haven't they?"
"Have you set a date?" "What will your colours be?"
Hermione tried to answer every question with diligent politeness, especially since Scorpius sat on her lap playing with his Quidditch action figures. If the white-blonde boy hadn't been there to buffer, she might have thrown a few hexes at Astoria for wasting her time.
"Scorpius, sweetheart," Hermione said to the boy who remarkably resembled Draco, "Would you mind if Mummy and I stepped outside for a moment?"
The beautiful little boy raised his pudgy face and smiled at his step-mother. "Okay, Mummy. - I can play toys?"
"Of course."
Scorpius hopped off of her lap and gave her a hug. "Ring pretty." He said, pointing to the engagement ring.
"Thank you. Your daddy gave it to me."
"Why?"
"Because we're going to be married. Do you know what that means, Scorpius?"
The little boy shook his head. "Uh-uh."
"It means that we're going to love each other forever and ever. Is that alright with you?"
Scorpius jumped up and down, leaning his hands on Hermione's legs for support. "Yup!"
"And you'll have to wear a tie, Scorpius. You're going to be in a wedding!" said Astoria, clapping her hands. The little boy quirked an eyebrow just the way his father did.
"No tie, Mummy."
"Yes, tie."
"Nooooooooo!" Scorpius took to running around the room, laughing. "No, no, no!"
"There'll be cake," Hermione offered. The child stopped in his tracks, and he grinned.
"Cake?"
"Yup."
"Nilla or choclatt?"
"Both, most likely."
"Yay!" Scorpius threw his hands into the air gleefully. "I wear tie."
"Great -Your mother and I are just going to step into the hallway. Alright?"
"Kay!"
Hermione stood and motioned for Astoria to follow her out into the hallway. When both witches were out of earshot, Hermione started in on what she had truly come for.
"Astoria, there's been a development."
"Goodness, are you pregnant?" Astoria eyed Hermione over and nodded to herself. "That would explain why your hips are a bit fuller..."
"I... no!" Hermione glanced down at her hips, horrified. "No, I'm not pregnant, Astoria. Do I really look-? Oh, never mind. -Listen, there's been a development in the Pandora Stone." In a quiet whisper, she told her all about the attack on Lucius, the person in the white-wolf mask, and how Draco was speaking to Diggle at this very moment. Astoria listened carefully, nodding and giving physical cues that she was involved, but not speaking until Hermione finished explaining that an Auror would be set up at her residence to monitor the household. That's when Astoria jumped in, wand blazing, so to speak.
"An Auror? Here? Following me around? Nonsense."
"Tori, you shouldn't think of it as following you around so much as protecting Scorpius," she tried to reason with the witch. "All of the Malfoy family is under attack, and Scorp is a perfectly acceptable target to this wolf."
Astoria bit down on her finger, thinking. "How would I even begin to explain it to him? Or to the papers? I'm a Greengrass. Where I go, reporters follow."
Hermione knew all about the struggles Astoria spoke of; dating a Malfoy had come with tabloid articles, interviews, and even the cover of Witch Weekly. She had fought very hard not to be a centrepiece, but Harry had asked her to, saying any promotion for the Ministry would be greatly appreciated. She still received letters in the mail, some of them thanking her and Draco for breaking the status quo, while others threatened them within an inch of their life for dismantling tradition. It had been so overwhelming at the beginning, but now it was something as normal as breathing. Once she had realised the death threats were merely just that: threats, and not actions, she learned to laugh at them the way Draco did.
"Tell them..." Hermione thought about it. "Tell them that he's your boyfriend."
Astoria scowled. "You want me to pretend to date an Auror?"
"For the sake of your reputation, would that really be so bad? You're not seeing anyone, are you?"
"No. Being a mother is a full-time requirement. Even when he's with you, I still can't shake my instincts. I wouldn't know where to start dating again ." She gave a small sigh. "Purebloods don't divorce, as you know. It has been difficult to begin to explain to a portion of the magical community that it isn't a sin to fall out of love with someone. -In a way, you're lucky that you and Draco found each other. I dare say, he would be in the same boat as me if it weren't for you."
Hermione wanted to point out that perhaps if Astoria loosened the reins just a little bit on every miniscule detail of her life, she might actually find someone. But, being a strict pureblood woman who had been trained since birth to be cultured and polished, she'd never gotten a chance to learn to live a little. Draco had been drawn to her in a time of his life when he was lowest, and she was good for him then- but he was actually a fun-loving individual beneath that hard exterior, and Astoria's idea of fun was shopping and painting her nails. If she spent half as much time on her attitude as she did on her appearance, she might be worth her weight in gold.
"Well, even so, Astoria," she said, "Perhaps this will show potential prospects that you're a sought after witch."
Astoria smiled at that, resolve setting heavy in her green eyes. "Yes. I think that does sound rather like a bright idea."
"Great, because he's waiting outside."
"He's what?"
Hermione took off towards the door, but Astoria wasn't far behind her. The two woman made it to the door before Hermione pried it open, revealing Auror Jameson. He was a handsome gentleman of around the age of twenty with deep auburn hair and hazel eyes. He wore a band of freckles over the top of his nose and a pale complexion. He wasn't particularly tall or muscular, but Hermione remembered his training scores were off the charts -it was no wonder Harry gave this task to him. There was only one other whose training scores matched with the same vigour, and that man was rotting away in Azkaban, probably on his way back to his cell from talking to Draco.
"Astoria, this is Theodore Jameson."
Astoria's mouth hung open as she eyed the Auror up and down, then, after a moment, she began to circle him, clicking her tongue. "I can work with this..." She nodded. "Yes. He's a bit young, but... Auror Jameson, how would you like to be my lover?"
Theodore was a man of few words, but when Astoria offered her proposition, he coughed, most likely choking on his own spit, and floundered out, "M-Miss Greengrass... that's a bit... forward. I am an Auror of the law, and I've b-been assigned to your family-"
"Oh, pish-posh! I'm aware of why you're here," Astoria rolled her eyes. "But I'm a woman that is always in the eyes of the tabloids. If you wish to keep your job, you'll have to pretend to date me. -He's a bit young, Hermione. -Jameson, do you think you might be able to grow a beard to age you up a bit?"
"Astoria-" Hermione scolded, but Theodore cut her off.
"I-I'm not sure I can grow enough facial hair to-"
"-That's alright." Astoria waved her hand, dismissing him. "I'm sure we could whip you up a potion. Now, about your wardrobe..."
By the time Draco arrived at the Greengrass Estate, Astoria had bullied Jameson out of his work robes and into a strapping three-piece dress robe ensemble that had him looking posh and not at all in his comfort zone. When Draco laid eyes on the blushing wizard, who was muttering incoherently as Astoria fitted his belt and had her head rather close to his crotch, he snorted into laughter and doubled over.
"For Merlin's sake, Astoria!" He managed out between bursts of chuckles, "Maybe take him on a date first!" He exchanged glances with Jameson and laughed even more. "What did you do to piss Potter off to get stuck on this little fiasco?"
"I dropped tea on his lap last week..." Theodore muttered.
Draco raised an eyebrow, the last of his laughs dying away. "Seriously? I was only joking when I asked. Potter's ruthless." He looked around the room and asked, "Where's Scorp?"
"Up in his room with Miss Granger," Tori replied dully, still fixing the last bit of details to Jameson's attire as she waved her wand and shrunk his pants two sizes smaller. "Or should I say the future Missus Malfoy? Congratulations on your engagement, Draco." Her eyes met his, and they softened. "I am really happy for you."
Draco couldn't help the small twinge of pink that slipped up his cheeks. "Thank you, Tori." Not to sound too nice, he then added, "Although, I never needed your approval."
Astoria rolled her eyes. "If anyone asks, Theodore and I are in love."
Draco watched as Jameson's face blared bright red as he muttered, "Cover story..."
"Right." He nodded. "Well, just so you know, she's a bit of a bore in the bedroom department, if you should ever care to take your part to heart."
"Aww, thank you, Draco." Tori flipped him the bird. Draco matched her with one of his own and set up the staircase leading to Scorpius's room. He found Hermione on the floor, face down, arms and legs splayed out as Scorpius waved a pretend wand at her and shouted, "Stupfee!"
"Ah!" Hermione feigned a groan.
"Stupify, my good man," he corrected as he stepped inside the bedroom. Scorpius's eyes lit up upon seeing his father, and he tossed the wand to shout, "Daddy! Daddy! I beat Hermny! You see?"
"I do see. Hermny looks quite stupified." He winked down to his betrothed as he scooped his son up in his arms and began to spin him around the room, dangling him over his shoulder.
"Weeeee!"
"How'd it go?" Hermione asked, leaning on her elbows.
Draco spun Scorpius a few more times before he blew a raspberry against his son's neck and set him back down on the floor. The toddler giggled gleefully as he staggered around the room, thoroughly dizzy. Draco's eyes set on Hermione's, and he gave a small sigh. "That's a complicated answer."
"Later, then."
He joined her down on the floor, legs crossed, and picked up Scorpius's toy wand. "Now, Scorp, what should you do if someone tries to throw a stunning spell at you?"
"Spelliamus!"
"Expelliarmus. Yes. Good. Stupify!" He pretended to shout the command while pointing the wand at his son. Scorpius giggled, brandishing an invisible wand, and shouted, "Spell-y-a-moose!"
"Close enough." Draco threw the wand out of his hand at once, giving his son the illusion that it had indeed worked. "Now what do you do?"
"I..." Scorpius thought about it. "I dunno."
"You tickle them, of course!" Hermione shouted, pouncing upon Draco and digging her fingers into his abdomen. Bollocks, Draco hated being tickled! He threw his head back, fighting the laughter that erupted from his lips. Scorpius laughed, jumping up and down before dogpiling on top of Hermione as he began to tickle her. "No, not me!" she laughed. "Daddy! Daddy!"
Draco leaned up and whispered in her ear, "Ooh, I like when you call me that." He then said, loud enough for his son to hear, "Get her, Scorp!"
"No! Ah!" Her fingers loosened their grip as Scorpius tickled her mercilessly. Draco took the opportunity and began to tickle her as well until she was flailing and giggling at the mercy of two generations of Malfoys.
"Alright, Scorp. Let's let the prisoner go free," Draco told his son, and they both stopped at once. Hermione rested her head in the crook of Draco's neck, still laughing uncontrollably. Scorpius climbed off of his parents and pouted his lower lip.
"Why?"
"Why do we let the prisoner go free? -Because we might need her later. She's rather handy with a wand.- Aww, come on, Scorp. Don't give me that look. I'll... I'll buy you candy. Want to go to Honeydukes?"
"Yay!" Scorpius shouted, "I get mine coat!" The toddler bounded out of the room, leaving Draco and Hermione to fend for themselves. She left a kiss here and there on his neck, whispering, "That child just bested you with a pout."
"He never bested me," he replied hastily, "I planned on taking him anyways."
"Sure you did." Hermione sat upright, though her legs still draped across Draco's lap. He didn't mind -in fact, if they weren't in his son's bedroom, he might have tried to initiate a quicky. "So, while I have you alone..." Ooh, yes? "What did Diggle have to say?" Oh. That was not where he thought she was going with that.
Draco leaned his head back against the floor, staring up at the Quidditch mobile above Scorpius's bed to his left. Where should he begin? At the beginning, he supposed. He spun his tale down to every detail. He told her of Diggle's offer and tried to be as neutral as possible when he told her it was her choice. After everything she'd been through, he couldn't find the nerve to bully her into it, no matter how much he wished she would.
The room was quiet for a time until Scorpius came bounding up the stairs, a second set of footsteps following closely behind him. His son and his ex-wife stepped into the room; Scorpius donned in a grey, rustic peacoat that complimented his silver eyes. Astoria crossed her arms. "What's this I hear about filling our child up with sweets?"
"Ah, come on, Tori. Let the child live a little," Draco smirked, tossing Hermione off of him and sitting upright. Hermione laughed, punching him in the arm. "What's the harm in a few sweets once in awhile?"
"Nothing. But this will be the third time this week he's gone."
"Third?"
"Once with myself, once with my father, and now with you."
"You sly child, you." Draco winked at his son. "I bet you pouted your way to Honeydukes the other times too, then?"
Scorpius tried his best attempt at his father's smirk, only giving off about half of the deviousness it required. "I smart."
"Yes. Yes, you are."
"And devious," said Astoria, smiling. "He'll make a fine Slytherin."
Hermione laughed. "What if he ends up in Gryffindor? What will you two do then?"
Draco and Astoria exchanged careful glances before saying together, "Bribe the sorting hat."
"Snoring hat?" Scorpius asked his parents. Hermione was the one to jump in with the answer.
"Sorting hat. It's a magical hat that sorts you into a school House based off of what's in here," she scooted across the floor to Scorpius and pointed to his temple, "and here." Then she pointed to his heart. "Although, there's still speculation that children might get sorted too soon."
"I've often wondered why you weren't sorted into Ravenclaw," Draco mused.
"I suppose my need for breaking the rules to obtain knowledge is what got me placed in Gryffindor," she replied. "It's no wonder the two of you were in Slytherin. You could take any phrase and turn it against someone."
"Silver banners for silver tongues," quipped Astoria.
"And green banners for green with envy?"
"Evy?" asked Scorpius.
"Envy. It's... oh, never mind." Hermione made to stand and pulled Draco up with her. "Let's go get you some sweets, shall we?" She turned to Draco and whispered, "Can I think on it? Diggle's request?"
"Of course." Draco nodded. "I just need an answer by tomorrow."
"Alright." She gathered his hand in her own. "Let's try to be a family for one day. Just one, normal day."
"Normal. What's that? Never heard of it." Draco smirked, kissed her hand, and reached out, ruffling his son's hair. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah! Go! Go!"
"Will you be bringing him back tonight?"
"Would tomorrow be alright?" asked Draco. "With all that's going on in the Division, I'm not sure when I'll get another chance to keep him."
Astoria nodded and then brought herself down to Scorpius's level to kiss her son on the cheek. "I love you, Scorpy. You be good for Daddy and Hermny, alright?"
"Kay." Scorpius kissed his mother on her nose. "Bye, Mummy!"
"Bye, sweetheart."
Draco scooped Scorpius up in his arms, snuggling him. Despite all of the terrible occurrences these last two days, being surrounded by family -his real family- made all of the drama seem like a fleeting idea. Even Astoria felt like a peaceful reminder that he didn't have to be like his Father. He could love and lose and love again. He could create precious life and instead of snuffing out the possibilities, he could stoke them. Scorpius would want for nothing when it came to the emotional support Draco so craved as a small child. He would break the cycle. He would, in turn, plant a new tree with the seed of second chances and watch it thrive. The roots of the Malfoys had been poisoned, and the name sullied. But not anymore. This time, Draco would make it right, and he would start by never forcing his son into thinking exactly the same way Draco did. Whatever he chose in his life, whether it be muggle friends or muggleborns, Scorpius would be encouraged to choose friends for their hearts and not their blood.
After all, that sort of thinking was what had landed him Hermione Granger. And that, in itself, was worth everything.
He smiled over to his fiancé and promised, "One normal day."
- 4
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How To Train Your Auror 2: Family Ties