Work Text:
‘Let me see my daughter!’ Monica screams, threatening Draco with a tiny butter knife. He asks her the protocol questions to determine if they are lucid enough to meet their daughter.
‘What is her name?’
‘Hermione!’ the woman says confidently. Her husband nods behind her. ‘She’s a goddamn witch,’ the woman says threateningly. Post-charm dementia, she is disoriented and confused and overly aggressive.
‘I wouldn’t want to be on the business end of her wand,’ the man behind her chuckles, unperturbed by all this.
At his wits end, Draco writes Hermione an owl.
‘Your parents are becoming a nuisance, come get them at your earliest convenience.
We’re at the Manor.
Lord Draco Malfoy’
_______________________________________________
After the life-altering reunion with her parents, Hermione finds Draco in a grandiose office with walls covered in paintings of hunting scenes.
‘Thank you,’ she says in a small voice, still trying to reconcile the man before her with the Death Eater she fought during the war.
‘Don’t mention it,’ he answers, his voice clipped.
‘Why did you do this?’ she asks
He shrugs.
‘You could have died,’ she counters. She wants to know why he did this.
He turns to face her and all of a sudden it becomes so clear to her. His sneer, his hard personality, his cruelty. He didn’t have a choice. Tears well up in her eyes as she thinks about their silly rivalry. He must’ve been so lonely.
‘Stop that,’ he says, most likely recognizing the pity written on her face.
‘Draco-’
‘-don’t’ he warns. ‘You had it right the first time. I’m a Death Eater.’
It becomes evident why he put on such a big show in school. Because there is so much to cover up.
‘Fuck off,’ he starts to get upset at her evident compassion. She starts to walk towards him.
‘What’s wrong with you, did you catch stupid from Weasley?’ he practically spits at her but she ignores him and she walks closer. He seems to panic, his eyes looking around for an exit but she’s between him and the door.
‘That’s close enough mudblood,’ he warns but she doesn’t care. She wants to make sure.
He starts to look like a wounded animal, trapped, desperate enough to gnaw through his own leg. That’s confirmation enough.
‘I’m sorry,’ she says and although he sneers at her, he doesn’t move. Tears well up in his eyes. ‘ If I would’ve known, we would have never left you behind.’
He opens his mouth to insult her but doesn’t seem to be able to make out the words.
‘Go back to your foul family,’ he says in a cracked voice.
She searches the face in front of her for any hint of malice but she finds none. He is still not looking directly at her. Reaching up on her tippy toes she places a warm kiss on his cheek.
‘Thank you Draco,’ he nods in response, frozen in place, ‘I’m going to need someone to walk me through the care my parents need now. Would you help me one last time? We could meet up, let’s say Saturday at six?’ She tries her best to sound nonchalant. He looks back at her, a little confused.
‘Saturday at six? To talk about your parents?’ he questions.
‘That’s right,’ she says confidently.
‘Sure,’ he smiles a little shyly, tears still hanging on to his eyelashes. He looks pleased.
‘It's a date,’ she says as she’s walking out of the office, back to her parents.