Hermione's Little Secret

A/N~~Here it is! finally took long enough to get here...i plan on only another three chapters, four tops before finishing this bad boy.

I hope you enjoy the chapter

please review and tell me how you feel!

until later


marti

Hey everyone I've gotta take a couple days off this story. the only thing I want to do is give Lilah a good spanking and kick Draco in the ass for pushing everything LOL. Besides, I'm having issues with Narcissa, what a self-centered woman, even when she's not a heavy in the story hehe. *sigh*, and I think Severus likes her....so give me a couple days to refresh the batteries so to speak!

thanks everyone for reading,
later
Marti


“Dinner’s ready!” Hermione called after listening to the conversation. RJ had broken the ice with the two girls and she decided to call them out. Three children raced out of the bedroom, RJ in the lead.

“Slow down. There’s more than enough for everyone.” Draco frowned at the children. Adrianna grinned at her Head of House.


“Not if RJ gets there first, sir.”

“You can call me Draco while we’re in your mother’s quarters, Adrianna.”
Adrianna nodded and slowed down. She took the seat on the side of the table with two chairs and smiled when Lilah sat with her. RJ sat across from them and reached for the mashed potatoes to have his mother slap him with the wooden spoon.

“Mum!”


“Wait until we’re all seated. Sit.” RJ gave his mother a mutinous look but slid into his chair quietly. Draco held Hermione’s and pushed her in with a brush of his hand over his shoulder. He went to help the two girls then seated himself across from Hermione. The Transfigurations mistress waved her wand and the platter of meat arrived on the table. Warily, RJ picked up the rolls, took one and passed the bowl to Professor Malfoy.

“Thank you, RJ.” Draco couldn’t remember the last time he’d sat down as a family to eat. He and Alicia had followed different schedules for so long that they were rarely in the house at the same time, much less at the same time to dine. Lilah frowned down at the dark orange/brown drink in front of her.

“Daddy, what’s that?”

“Pumpkin juice. It’s very good, try it.” He encouraged the girl. She lifted the goblet and sipped slowly. She frowned at the taste.

“It’s sweet.” She shrugged and drank some more. If she couldn’t have her Dew, at least she can have this.

The adults asked the children about their classes and friends. Hermione admonished RJ for inhaling his meal, much like his father used to. She wondered aloud how he could eat so much but gain so little weight and continue to get taller.

“I dunno, Mum. Just lucky I guess. Can I have more roast?”

“May I have more roast, please?”


RJ rolled his eyes and copied his mother. She put two more slices on his plate. He grinned and started cutting it up into barely bite-size pieces before stuffing them into his mouth.

“He’s gonna choke. Can I watch?” Lilah asked sweetly. RJ opened his mouth and showed her the partially masticated meat. She grimaced and covered her eyes. It was Adrianna’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Ronald Edmund.”


He swallowed and apologized to everyone under his mother’s watchful glare.
As everyone finished, their plates disappeared until the table was empty but for goblets and RJ’s plate.

“You’re just like your father. At least you don’t talk with your mouth full.” Draco mentioned to the boy, nervous now that the moment had come when they disclosed to the children the reason for their little get together.

“Mum has eyes in the back of her bloody head. She can see what I do no matter where I am.” RJ said quite seriously making Draco smirk.

“Almost like she had magic or something huh? You dunce.” Adrianna rolled her eyes at her little brother again.

“Enough.” Hermione told them in her teacher voice. Adrianna automatically sat up straighter. Hermione looked at Draco, who nodded slightly to her. She wiped her hands in her napkin and took a deep breath.

“Draco and I had the three of you here for a reason, a very important reason.”

“You’re dating. I know that.”

“And so does the rest of the castle!” RJ added, having heard bits and pieces of the rumors when he was coming home from the village.


“I’m sure that news will die down soon enough. No, your mother’s and my relationship isn’t the reason, well, not the major reason at least. Hermione and I had a …relationship, for want of a better word, twelve years ago, before we graduated from Hogwarts. We were Head Boy and Head Girl and worked closely together. Damn, this isn’t easy!” Draco wiped his sweaty brow with the back of his hand, giving Hermione a slightly scared look.

“Not that easy.” Hermione sneered a bit then turned to the children. Lilah had her eyes narrowed at the woman while RJ had the glazed look Ron always had when he wasn’t really listening to what was being said. But he wasn’t the one she worried about: Adrianna had a frown on her face as she listened to her mother and professor. “Adrianna, you know your daddy loved you right?” She watched her daughter nod slowly. “Well, he loved you, and me, and RJ before he came very much, but he wasn’t your natural father. Professor Mal—Draco is your father, love.”

“What?” Lilah jumped out of her chair and threw her napkin on the table, not caring that she knocked over her empty goblet. “I want to go home, Daddy.” Tears glistened on the girls eyelashes as she glared from her father, to Hermione to Adrianna. She couldn’t figure out which one of them she wanted to be angry at most, or first.

“I think that Adrianna might have some questions.”

“Please, Prof—Draco, may I stay here in Mum’s quarters tonight? Please?” Adrianna kept her eyes on the table in front of her. her mind full of every chaotic thought, she just wanted to be left alone for a little while.

“I—Of course. Are you alright, Adrianna?”

“I’m okay. May I leave the table, Mum? I’d like to lie down for a bit, please.”

Hermione nodded, and then cleared her throat when she realized that her daughter couldn’t see her motion. “Yes, love. If you need anything I’m here.” She watched her daughter stand and hurry off to her room, closing the door softly behind her.

“Are you alright, RJ?” Draco turned the question to the younger Weasley. He nodded and finished the last of his carrots. The plate disappeared and he reached for his pumpkin juice. “Want to go play Exploding Snaps, Malfoy?”

“No! I want to go home, now.” Lilah pouted and glared at everyone at the table. Draco sighed and stood.

“Nothing’s going to be accomplished tonight anyway. Hermione, if you need me, just Floo. I’ll be here as quickly as possible.” He circled the table and kissed her soundly, one hand cupping her cheek gently, stroking with his thumb. “Don’t worry. Things will work out fine.” He said against her ear.

“Easy for you to say.”

“Really? I have a ticked off ten year old with delusions of getting her mom and dad back together.” He whispered back and straightened. He held his hand out for his daughter but she got up and stalked over to the door. “Lilah, tell Hermione thank you for a lovely meal.” He knew better than to say ‘evening’; that would have gone over like a lead balloon.

“Thanks for a wonderful meal, ma’am. Night, RJ.”

“Night!” He called back, having turned in his chair to watch the Malfoys leave.



Draco walked behind his daughter. She was ahead of him by at least five feet, stomping her feet at the bottom of each flight of stairs. “Lilah. Lilah, you’re going to have to wait for me. I changed the password this afternoon.”

“I hate it here and I want to go home. You have another kid and you never told Mom or me!”

“I never knew about her, Lilah.” He thanked Severus for the curfew he’d installed; no students were hanging about this early in the evening. Soon, some of his Slytherins would be sneaking out, probably for assignations on the Astronomy Tower with other House students. “Hermione never told me. You heard her, Adrianna always thought that RJ’s father was hers also. He still is her father, really. Don’t you think I have the right to know if I have another child? What if your mom hadn’t told me about you until you were eleven? Wouldn’t you want to know who your father is?”

At the bottom of the dungeon stairs she turned to her father, her blue eyes blazing. He was amazed at how much she reminded him of his father sometimes. “I don’t care! I. Want. To. Go. Home!”

“Scarlet.” Draco snarled at their hidden entrance, and pulled his daughter in behind him. “I have listened to you enough about this! You can not return to America. Your mother doesn’t want either of us because of our magic. I never wanted to tell you, but, hell, Lilah.”

“I don’t believe you.” Her lips trembled as she tried to hold in her emotions. The tears were already welling up. He hated seeing his little girl cry, but her attitude had gone on long enough.

“I’m sorry, but your mom is afraid of your magic, and she blames me for it. This is a lot for a little girl to take in in one day, love, but I can’t make your mother change her mind; all I can do is make it easier for you.”

“Leave me alone!” Lilah ran into her bedroom and slammed the door. Draco sighed, getting used to the sound. He hated it, but he was certainly getting used to it. He considered getting a beer, but the two glasses of wine he had at dinner were still working pretty well. Damn, why had he insisted on them telling Adrianna with everyone?

‘Yes, why, Draco? Oh, that’s right, you were pissed off at her and wanted to see her suffer. At least her son’s taking in better than Lilah.’ He thought to himself. Of course, he was Ron Weasley’s son; not all of Hermione’s children could inherit her intellect. He ran his fingers through his loose blond hair and went to his desk, looking around for the letter he’d written for his mother. He called his personal owl to him and tied it to his leg. Draco petted the bird affectionately and opened the small window for him to leave by. His mother would receive it before bed and with any hope, she would arrive in the morning to see him and Lilah. Then, he would introduce her to Adrianna and Hermione.

RJ was sent to bed, Hermione cleaned up after the slightly failed dinner then retired to her room to change into the sweats and t-shirt she had kept of Ron’s. she slept in them when she wanted to feel close to him. Tonight was one of those nights. Adrianna still hadn’t come out of her room and she didn’t know what she should do. She and her daughter had always been close, but now there was a chasm she was afraid to try and cross. She curled up under her blanket and put the light out, determined to give her daughter the time she needed to figure things out. Besides, an early night wouldn’t hurt her either. She’d been up late doing rounds. Tonight was Flitwick and Packwood’s night to find the wayward students. She was tired.

Hermione picked up one of her favorite books, Dune, but couldn’t get into the story of the young messiah of a faraway planet 10,000 years in the future. She had too much to think about in the here and now. With a sigh, she dropped the book on her end table and turned her light off. She fell into a quick, but troubled sleep.


“Mummy?” Hermione blinked in the pale early morning light streaming through her bedroom window. She looked up to see her daughter standing by the side of the bed, her favorite teddy bear clutched tightly against her chest. She had changed into her pajamas and was waiting for her mother to acknowledge her.

“What is it, sweetheart?”

“Can I sleep in here for a while? I couldn’t sleep all night in my bed.”
Without another word, Hermione pulled back the sheet and watched her daughter slide in. She pulled the girl closer and hugged her against her, spooning up against the child’s back. The girl sighed and Hermione tightened her hold.

“How are you doing, sweetheart?”

“I’m alright, I guess. The Sorting Hat said something during my sorting and when I went to visit Uncle Severus today, yesterday. A Weasley but not a Weasley. I was thinking about it all day and when you told me it clicked. I’m the only kid with blond hair, even Uncle Bill’s kids are strawberry blonds. I never looked like Daddy.”

“I know, and I’m sorry you had to find out like you did. Draco just found out at the Sorting.”

“He never knew? Really?”

“Yep. Your daddy was your daddy. Never forget that. And your Gram and Uncle Harry know about Draco. You’re still a Weasley. Don’t ever forget that.”

“But, I’m a Malfoy too. Uncle Harry hated Profe—Draco.”

Hermione chuckled and squeezed her daughter. “Yes, he did. I think the two of them will get along better if you’re a part of both of their lives. Besides, Draco’s not quite the way he was when we were in school. He’s changed quite a bit.”

“What do I do, Mum?”

“What do you mean?” Hermione brushed some of her daughter’s lighter hair from her cheek.

“Do I have to change my name? Are the two of you going to argue over me like some of my friends whose parents are divorced?”

“I don’t think we will. I hope we don’t.”

“I love you, Mum. Night.” Adrianna yawned and fell asleep in the arms of her mother. Hermione sighed and closed her eyes, falling back asleep quickly, knowing she had talked to her daughter a little about the situation. She was sure there would be problems down the road, but for now, Adrianna was alright.