Keeping Secrets

A/N: Hey all since we are getting such good reviews im gong to update a tad earlier then I originally was going to so thank you all for reviewing I love reading reviews
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Draco was chewing on his lower lip as he picked up his quill from where he had stored it when things had been much simpler before he had found out about Hermione and his father and the twins. They would be his now, Hermione and the twins, he would keep them safe. Well, as safe as he could. Hermione was already wanted by the Death Eaters for so many reasons, Muggle- born, Potters best friend and possibly more. The twins weren’t safe because they were hers, but now they would be his too and there was no one who would question him... except their real father, his own and possibly Voldemort; one simply did not tolerate ones best follower or his son getting one of the enemy pregnant.

That could be dealt with, Voldemort wasn’t stupid enough to lose the Malfoy support because of this though and Lucius wasn’t stupid either and so they would all be safe from him. It would look good for them even, if they could outwardly get along, divert suspicion that had always been there about the Malfoy family make it easier for Lucius to work for the Death Eaters unquestioned.

And so now, quill poised at the top of a piece of best parchment Draco had no idea of how to explain what happened and how he wanted to marry Hermione to keep her safe. This letter, it had been agreed, would not tell the Grangers everything, lest it be intercepted. It would instead be left to a meeting Hermione was arranging in a letter of her own to be sent with Draco’s as soon as they both were written. Hermione had agreed that to tell the Grangers about the twins in a letter would be a bad idea and that meant that although it would be an extra safety Draco would have to provide another reason for wanting to marry the man’s only little girl.

He had already written ‘Mr. Granger,’ at the top and now just had to actually write the letter. It would be so much simpler if he could write down why he wanted to marry Hermione, but he couldn’t. Instead he would have to lie. He decided after a moment that this was actually quite an important letter, the first lie out of all the lies that would form the rest of his life.

‘Mr. Granger,

I am writing to you to formally ask permission to marry your daughter, Hermione Jane Granger. I don’t know if Hermione has told you about me before; and if she has it was probably all negative. Perhaps I had better introduce myself, I am Draco Malfoy, I attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with Hermione. Until this year I didn’t have any real opportunity to get to know Hermione for the wonderful witch she is, preferring to remain with the prejudiced view that she was a waste of space because you and your wife are muggles, that changed when we were made Heads this September, it just took me a while to realise it. I truly believe that I want to spend the rest of my life with Hermione, and she with me. Please consider my request,’

He signed his name with a flourish and read through the letter. It would do, it would have to because there was nothing else he could say. Mr. Granger would either accept it and give permission for the marriage now or he would end up changing his mind when he was told the truth.

“Have you finished too?” He looked up and over to where Hermione was folding her letter into an envelope.

“Yes I’m done.” He attempted a smile but found he couldn’t.

“Draco, you don’t have to go through with this, you owe me nothing.” Hermione said seeing a thousand worries in Draco’s eyes.

“No, I don’t have to do anything, but I am and I will, I told you I would help keep you and the babies as safe as I could and I intend to do just that.” He took the envelope from her and placed his own letter inside it. The envelope was already addressed and an owl was already waiting at one of the windows to take it.

*

It was a little over a week later when Mr and Mrs Granger were escorted into Hogwarts the only way the spells would allow them anywhere near the castle, they were accompanied by a willing current Headmaster of the school. These particular muggles had been in Hogwarts before shortly after the Death Eaters had taken Hermione and so the route to the Headmasters office and the rather spectacular surroundings of Hogwarts did not meet their notice (not that it had been high on their list of things to notice the first time they had been there but while in Hogwarts it is difficult not to see its wonders).

Hermione was waiting anxiously for her parents to arrive, she would soon be increasing the number of people who knew the whole truth from four to six and she wasn’t entirely sure that she should be telling them, but they were her parents and they deserved the truth. Draco naturally was waiting with her, both of them had used the password Dumbledore had given them to get into his office while he had gone to retrieve the Grangers.

As soon as Jane Granger entered the Headmasters office she swept her daughter up in a huge hug; she was so very worried about her daughter, both letters they had received had been rather lacking in the information department and it was all rather sudden.

“Mr and Mrs Granger, if you would like to take a seat?” The Headmaster offered conjuring an extra seat so that there were enough for all of them.

When everyone was settled and Dumbledore was sat behind his great big desk it was Mr. Granger that was the first to break the uncomfortable silence that was building. “I presume you are Draco Malfoy?”

“Yes,” Draco replied incredibly polite considering he was after all a Malfoy and Malfoy’s did not talk to muggles. “Well could the two of you please explain yourselves? Hermione writes and tells us to come here and-“

“I know what happened,” Hermione interrupted her father who went very pale and fell silent.

“But the Headmaster- he told us and you told us that the spell, oh Mione love... we hoped that it would work so you wouldn’t have to know,” Jane said tears leaking out of eyes the same as her little girls.

“I haven’t recovered the memories yet mum, and I don’t want to, not yet, not if it can be prevented for just a bit longer,” Hermione said feeling more nervous than ever.

“Then how did you find out?” Benjamin Granger asked.

“Well I hadn’t recently received any visitations from any archangels,” Hermione replied.

“Of course not, angels aren’t real.” Draco said.

It was Jane who worked out Hermione’s cryptic reply first, “OH MY GOD!” she squealed, “YOU’RE NOT? ARE YOU?”

“Yes. I didn’t know and I got hit with a spell and I’m so sorry,” Hermione gushed, “It’s twins,” she finished which received a look of horror from Ben who hadn’t worked it out for himself yet.

“So what does this have to do with Draco?” Jane said after she managed to convince her husband that stopping breathing was not helpful.

“I can help them. Hermione has expressed a desire to keep the twins and tests have proved that they will unfortunately (for this circumstance) closely resemble their father which has obviously caused quite some concern as they would easily be linked to him. It was originally her intention to leave the Wizarding community to raise them as muggles, I’m afraid I cannot allow my brother and sister to live like that, there is too much danger for them in that.”

“Brother and- Malfoy? We didn’t think that you would be related to him!” Ben said horrified at the remote idea that the man asking for his little girls hand was her rapist’s son.

“Sorry to say I am. Never, ever thought I would say those words but there you have them. Dad was right about one thing though, pureblood genes seem to walk all over mud- sorry, muggle-born ones. Look at Potter and his parents,” Draco pointed out. “And they look enough like me that no one would ever question it, except maybe Dad who can’t say anything without incriminating himself. The Dark L- sorry, You-Know-Who, won’t risk loosing Dad’s support over this, too much of our families gold has been funding him since his return and Dad doesn’t want to have to disown me because that would mean another new heir is needed for our line which was hard enough to do right the first time.”

“Why on earth should we let her marry you?!”

“Mr Granger, in the Wizarding world it is not well received to be an unmarried mother, and with clearly Malfoy children Draco can keep them the safest from people on both sides in this war. Hermione has already proven to be a great witch and a powerful asset for us to have but she would loose her magic if she rejoined the muggle world and would be unable to have access to the benefits the Wizarding world can offer her despite it’s problems.”

“Like cures for diseases, surely you don’t want to put your grandchildren at risk?” Draco added to what the Headmaster had said.

“Hermione, what do you want?” Jane asked.

“I want them to be safe. Look I don’t think you understand just how generous this offer is, there is no such thing as divorce in this world, it would mean lying to people about the status of our relationship but then people would put two and two together to make five since we share the tower anyway. I would have to give up everything I have wanted for the last six and a bit years, everything I have worked for and he is letting me keep all of that.” Hermione said. “If you are even thinking of judging him because of his father let me remind you that you are thinking the same of your grandchildren!”

“Hermione, calm down,” Jane scolded her gently, “high blood pressure won’t be very good for the babies. So Draco, you are prepared to do this for Hermione; what’s in it for you?”

“My family will be safe, isn’t that enough?” Draco responded much the same way as when Hermione had asked the same thing.

“I can assure you Mr and Mrs Granger that I would not be allowing them to even make this suggestion to you if I felt that it might put either Hermione or the twins in jeopardy,” Dumbledore said.

“What will happen when his parent’s get told?” Ben asked not wanting this same small meeting to happen with his daughter’s rapist in the room.

“I will be owling my parents if you agree to it, they will get told what they general public will be led to believe; that we started seeing each other early this school year and sometime that we have been, well you know, and they’ll have no choice in the matter of me marrying her.” Draco explained.

“Fine, you have permission to ask her,” Ben granted but then turned to face his daughter, “Honey, you know you don’t have to say yes, don’t you? Your mother and I would do our best to help you.”

“I know you would Dad, but Draco is right, I am safest with him and it will mean the twins have a Dad and you should have seen him with the scans, totally transfixed by them!” Hermione said with a smile.

“So Granger, I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then?”

“Yes, and you can’t call me that anymore.”

“I know Hermione.” Draco smirked.