What A Malfoy Wants

A/N: Shorter wait this time. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 19

"Why?"

"Why what, Rosie?" her father responded tiredly.

"You know what I'm asking," Rose huffed impatiently. "And don't call me Rosie. You know I hate it."

Rose stood before her father, her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for an answer. She had to know what was going on his head, what he was thinking. After several minutes of silence, she tried again.

"Why did you file for full custody? Why make this harder than it has to be?" she asked.

"It was for the best," he muttered as he sipped on a tumbler of amber colored liquid. She was willing to bet that it was fire-whiskey.

"The best for who?" she challenged, her voice rising just a bit. She couldn't believe her ears. "For me and Hugo, for Mum, or for you?"

"Rose," her father started. "It isn't like that..."

"Of course it is," she thundered as she paced away from him. "You hate the Malfoy's so much that you'd do anything to spite them. Have you stopped for one second and considered how Mum feels?"

She flexed her fingers and then clenched her fists at her side. She could feel her magic bubbling closer to the surface and she didn't want to accidentally lose control of it in her anger.

"I..." her father stammered. "I... no, I didn't think about that. I just...well... I just miss her."

Rose looked at her father sadly. She knew that he wasn't the best at showing his feelings or showing that he cared but she didn't figure that the man was so self absorbed.

She lifted her chin and decided to explain a few things to him that he hadn't bothered to even consider.

"I saw Mum on Christmas, through a floo call. She was sad," Rose said quietly. "She put on a brave face, but I could see it. She's lost just as much as you, if not more. She lost her marriage, she lost her job, and essentially her freedom. According to the law, she literally belongs to them. She has no choice. Then, to top it off, you're trying to make it so that she loses her kids too."

"Rosie," he pleaded. "It isn't safe. You don't know the Malfoy's like I do."

"I've known Scorpius since I was eleven," Rose pointed out. "He has never been anything but polite. Any time that we've ever seen Mr. Malfoy, he's been nothing but gracious. Did you know that he could have challenged you for mum years ago? If he was so terrible, why didn't he? Why didn't he assert his claim and take what should have been his this whole time? I'll tell you the only reason that it could be. It was for her."

"They are veela, Rose. Aggressive and domineering..."

Rose cut him off, "And live for the happiness of their mate. Do you really believe that they would attack the children of their mate? I would speculate that if they were to harm even one hair on our heads that Mum wouldn't be very happy."

"If that's true, then why would they make her quit her job?" he countered. "She loved her job."

"I talked to the Headmistress," Rose answered. "They didn't have anything to do with it. She couldn't teach while Scorpius attended Hogwarts. The school governors wouldn't allow it. Your arguments are empty, Dad. I want to know why you would do this."

"You're so much like your Mother, Rosie," he answered fondly. "You know I could never win an argument with her either. The truth is that I'm jealous. All through my childhood, I stood back and watched Malfoy get everything that I'd ever wanted. He had the looks, he had the money, and he had the status. I think that I knew even then that he had something for your mother. It felt like the biggest triumph of my life when we got together. Finally, I had something that he didn't. Now, he's taken her and I'm left with nothing."

"She's not a possession," Rose said as she paced back in forth in front of her father. She felt like she could hardly recognize him. She never knew that he had this side to him. "She's a living, breathing being with feelings. You've crushed her spirit. She feels like you're questioning her, not the Malfoy's. What kind of a mother would allow someone to hurt her children?"

"It's not meant like that, Rosie," her father mumbled.

"You've made a huge mess," she announced as she stopped and looked him right in the eyes. "I hope that you can fix it. Because, if you don't, then I will. I'll be seventeen next month. Legally an adult. Your little custody agreement won't stop me from seeing Mum. And if you don't drop the case, then after this year is over at Hogwarts, I'll be moving in with Mum. Besides, you're naive to think that the Malfoy's won't have their attorneys crawling all over this. You stand to lose much more than you'll ever gain."

Ron watched in shock as his daughter flounced back out of the living room, her long red curls bouncing behind her. She was right, of course. His eyes misted up as he thought about how much she really was like her mother. She had the trademark Weasley red hair, although it was a darker red like Ginny's. The rest of her was all Hermione. Heart shaped face with creamy, smooth skin and a button nose. Full pink lips and those curls.

And her brains. Rose was smart. Just like her Mum. She'd opened his eyes. He hadn't considered what Hermione was feeling. He was absorbed in what was going on with him. And the kids were right in the middle. It wasn't fair to them.

Or her.

He was no better than the Malfoys. The idea sobered him instantly. He really was a selfish ass. He was so engrossed in trying to get back at Malfoy that he didn't even consider what this custody agreement would do to Hermione. It didn't even cross his mind. He was so busy trying to make Malfoy's life hard that he didn't pause and think about the effects on Hermione.

He would have to try to make it right. Hopefully it wasn't too late to drop the whole thing. He already lost his wife, he didn't want to lose his daughter too.

End Note: Short but sweet, yeah? Gotta love Rose. I totally see her as being like a miniature Hermione. Leave me your thoughts.