Hermione's Little Secret

HEY EVERYONE!! another chapter up way earlier than I expected! Got a touch of insomnia last night and finished a little early. Hope you enjoy.

Keep reading and reviewing all, I like hearing your ideas and opinions of the story and the characters.

No lemons in this one, just some parent child bonding.

'til next time

marti




“Draco?” Hermione called as she opened the door to her chambers. Adrianna and RJ immediately jumped over the missing girl, asking her questions about the forbidden forest and what it was like. Draco came out of the study, leaning against the door jam and watching the reunion as the three children talked over each other in their excitement. Hermione caught his eye and moved around the children to stand in front of him. “How did you get here before us?”

“I came upon you and Lilah talking in the clearing. Thank you for explaining the situation to her better than I ever would, or could. And Miss Know-it-all, I Apparated here.” He smirked and leaned forward to kiss her gently on the lips.

“I considered that, but I thought that Lilah needed a little more time to talk.” Hermione smiled, relieved that she’d gotten through to the little witch and she’d made it so Lilah could talk with her father, finally.

“Thank you, Hermione.” Draco whispered as he gave her a more involved kiss, his right hand coming up to cup her cheek lovingly. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”

“Hermione, I’m being serious. I’m glad I came back after my marriage ended and found you and Adrianna. I think I’m in love with you. Or at least falling in love with you.” He bent forward again and kissed her, drawing her into his arms tighter. Hermione pulled away in shock. He’d just admitted to listening in on some of the conversation with his daughter, but she hadn’t realized just how much a part of her life he and his daughter had become.

“I—“

“Don’t Hermione. You don’t have to say anything back. I just wanted to tell you what I felt when I saw you sitting on that log holding my very troublesome daughter like she were your own. And I’m sorry for all the things I’ve said about you, about you keeping Adrianna away from me. You didn’t know what life would be like with me and you turned to a man who had loved you for seven years. She’s lucky to have a wonderful mother like you, Hermione Granger Weasley.” He kissed her again and brushed some brown curls away from her face. He let go of her and left her there in a daze, her fingers raising up to brush her lips. Draco went to the threesome and pulled his daughter into a rough embrace.

“Don’t you ever run off into the forest again! We were all worried sick. Adrianna and RJ, me, Hermione, your grandmother,” Of course, Grandma had gotten her mind off the situation by shagging his boss, he reminded himself. “Even Hagrid went out looking for you!” He held onto the girls shoulders as he pulled her away from him, looking down at features so very like his own. Her wispy blonde hair was snarled and tangled, leaves and something moving were in it. Her jeans and t-shirt were ripped, one sneaker was missing and she was the most important being in his life, barring Adrianna and Hermione. He dropped to his knees and kissed Lilah’s forehead, not bothering to hide the tears of relief that ran down his cheeks. “I love you so much, you little rugrat.”

“Daddy.” She rolled her eyes, but inside she reveled in her father’s reactions.

“You and I need to go for awhile. Come along, Lilah. Adrianna, if you’d like to come visit me and your sister later, our quarters are down the hall from the Common Room entrance.”

“Okay. I have some research to do in the library later, though. The potions professor assigned this three foot essay, can you believe that?” Adrianna smiled at her father guilelessly, her head tilted to one side. Hermione, recovered from her shock, laughed at the look on her lover’s face.

“I’m sure he had a good reason. Oh, now I remember, because not all the students are as brilliant as Miss Weasley is and they need all the help they can get.” He smirked down at the girl. “Do you want to come down with us, or are you staying here with your mum?”

“I’m going to the library. Mum, I’ll see you in the Great Hall for dinner. Later, Draco, Lilah.” Adrianna smiled at her family, even her little brother. RJ slapped her back as she passed, grinning at his big sister. Adrianna left, not knowing that her brother had placed a ‘hex me’ note on her back.

“She’s going to get you back, you know that right?” Draco shook his head at the boy’s antics. RJ nodded.

“Oh, yeah, but then she don’t got a stick up her bum when she’s hexing back!”

Hermione rolled her eyes upward. “Draco, is your mother going to continue her visit? If she is you might want to tell her where Adrianna’s off to.”

“Mother’s indisposed with Professor Snape.” Draco’s gaze darkened as he shuddered and tried to banish the memory of what he’d seen a while ago. He empathized with Adrianna now after she’d caught him and her mother in a similar position.

“I thought they didn’t get along?” Lilah wrapped her arm around her father’s waist.

“They were getting along quite well when I got there, rugrat. Come on. We have some talking to do.”

“Can we come back later, Daddy? Maybe we can have dinner again with Hermione and RJ and Adrianna.”

“Hermione and I have to show our faces in the Great Hall. But…maybe you and RJ could have a sleep over while his mother and I do our patrols tonight.” Draco looked at Hermione innocently, hoping for his own ‘sleep over’ while the children were at it.

“A sleep-over with a girl? The guys’ll pick on me all week of they find out.” RJ frowned at his mother. Lilah giggled.

“Come on, Lilah love. I’ll see the two of you later, then.” Draco led his daughter out and down the corridor towards the dungeons. Hermione waved her wand and the door closed behind them, leaving her to wonder about his confession.

“Mum?”

“Yes, RJ?”

RJ came over to his mother and hugged her tightly, his head resting against her bosom. “I love you, Mum. That’s all. Can we send a curse to Lilah’s mum?”


Draco held his little girl’s hand tightly as they walked down to the dungeon. If she’d allowed it, he would have carried her, but she would be a student here next year and didn’t want the current student body to have any reason to tease her when she matriculated. Her flight into the forest had scared him worse than facing down the Dark Lord after having failed to kill Professor Dumbledore. He noticed the difference in her attitude as they traversed the castle. Usually when confronted with the looks and stares of the students she sneered and gave them haughty looks. This time she kept her head down watching the floor.

They entered their dungeon quarters and he let go of her hand. She went over to the desk and picked up her mother’s letter again.

“I’m sorry for opening your letter. But I saw it was from M—.”

“I understand why you did it, Lilah. I don’t agree, but we are Malfoys and we tend to get into things we aren’t meant for.”

“I am sorry.”

“I know you are. Your mother, I mean, I tried for a long time to keep you from knowing how your mother felt about you, about us. I hoped she would change her attitude. You have been the center of my universe, Lilah since the moment the doctor put you in my arms, when I promised to protect you from the darkness in the world including your own mother’s fear and prejudices.” Draco had moved to the lounge chair and sat on the edge of the seat. “I should have told you all of this before, but I didn’t want you to feel differently about your mother.”

“But she doesn’t like me, Daddy.”

“She loves you, deep down, but she feared us. And when someone fears what they don’t understand, they tend to hide their true feelings to the people in his or her life.”

“Like RJ picking on Adrianna all the time even though he thinks she’s the best big sister.”

“Kind of. Now, are you ready to talk about Adrianna and her place in our life?” Draco watched Lilah drop the parchment to the desktop and come towards him. He opened his arms and she jumped into them as he pushed back to pull her into his lap. They sat quietly for a few minutes before she responded to the question.

“I liked her before she became my sister. She’s smart and a Slytherin and Grandma likes her more than me.”

“Grandmother loves you, rugrat. She just doesn’t understand. Grandparents are always funny.” He shuddered as he remembered where his mother had been only a little while ago. He’d never be able to sit across from Severus Snape again without that memory assailing him.

“What’s my punishment?” Lilah hung her head down against his chest. He squeezed her tighter, thankful that out of his horrible marriage, one good thing had come of it.

“I would really like to see the floor of your bedroom. I’m partially at fault. I wanted to protect you from what your mother said, and I should have told you a little more of the truth. So, clean room and you’re free? Deal?” He lifted her away and stuck one hand out. She smiled and nodded her head, shaking his hand solemnly. She gave him one more quick hug then jumped down off his lap and jolted to her room. Draco dropped his head back against the headrest, wondering how long the truce would last. He hoped a couple of months at least. He had plans to make.







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