AEB: Chapter Two

Chapter 2

How like a winter hath my absence been
From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year!
What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen!
What old December's bareness everywhere!
~William Shakespeare, "Sonnet XCVII"

For the longest time after she heard the news, Hermione couldn’t stop crying. Harry patiently held her, ignoring the tears that soaked his shirt.

Addie, who soon grew tired of his mother’s endless crying, squirmed in her lap, but didn’t protest. He hated it when she cried, but it was seldom she did, although he knew she cried at night on his birthdays and on Christmas.

“I-I can’t believe it,” Hermione stuttered, taking a shuddering breath and sniffing pitifully. “We found him…”

Harry smiled gently and nodded. “I have the address. We can go anytime you’re ready.”

She wiped her eyes at last and settled her rosy rimmed gaze on her son, who looked at her innocently, worry marring his smooth brow. Breaking out in a watery smile, she brushed his blonde bangs off his forehead.

“Mommy?”

Hermione shook her head and kissed him, holding his small frame close. “We’ve…we’ve found your Daddy, love.”

“You found him?” he asked, breaking out of her grasp and looking at both of them with wide eyes. “He not lost now?”

Harry chuckled, “That’s right. We’ll bring him home soon.”

“I can meet Daddy!” he cried, “I show him da Quiddit I learn and we play wid da brooms-Mommy?”

Harry helped Hermione off the floor and she smoothened her dress, wiping her eyes.

“When’s he coming Mommy?”

She met his chocolate brown eyes and gave a warm smile. “He’ll come very soon, love. Now don’t you want to see Teddy? Get your toys.”

Aiden lost no time in dashing towards his discarded toys, the prospect of meeting his cousin for a good hour play washing out the recent excitement.

“Does everyone else know?” Hermione asked.

“Ron does. I suppose he’s told Gin and Mum (Mrs. Weasley) by now.”

Hermione nodded. She was glad she didn’t have to tell Ron herself. She still felt a stab of guilt for rejecting her best friend.

“I don’t want to take Aiden just yet, Harry. I want to meet him first.”

Harry nodded that he understood. “Gin will look after him. Draco’s living with his mother and Andromeda Black in Germany. I can arrange a portkey when you want to leave.”

“What about you?”

Harry just smiled. “I’m coming with you of course.”

**

Two evenings later…

When Narcissa Malfoy returned late evening, she found her son and his best friend in the lounge. Draco greeted her with a smile and Narcissa fought the urge to look over her shoulder.

“You’re home early, Mother,” he remarked as she bent down to kiss his forehead.

“You’ve  a visitor,” she quetly replied.

“Oh? Who-“ But his words died on his lips when he saw her step inside. “Hermione…”

They stared at each other, oblivious to the other’s eyes. Draco read the anger in her chocolate orbs even as tears pricked them.

“Draco!” she choked and made towards him with firm strides. Draco slowly rose from the sofa and gasped when she flung her arms around his neck. With shaking arms, Draco held her close.  The others discreetly left them in privacy, but Draco hardly noticed, still reeling from shock.

“Draco, don’t you-don’t you ever leave me again!” Hermione cried, her voice muffled. “How could you just-!”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured when she sobbed harder. “I’m so sorry…”  And he took an unsteady breath, working his throat hard to keep the tears at bay. He couldn’t believe that she was here – in his arms! How many times had he longed to hold her? To feel her soft arms about him and the press of her warm body against his?

He held her until she cried herself out and then led her to the sofa, pulling by the wrist beside him. Hermione pressed to his side with a tiny smile and he returned it with one of his own, throwing an arm about her shoulders, pulling her flush against him.

“Your eyes are all red,” he said and she made a face.

“And whose fault is that?” The retort escaped her before she could bite her tongue and the smile slid off Draco’s lips.

“I’m sorry-“ he began, but she held up her hand, cutting him off.

“No it’s-I shouldn’t have said that,” she amended, “Ron…he told me what happened after you left. He told me what you said to him that day in the hospital and Draco, I really can’t believe the stupid stuff that goes on in your head! You must have been barking mad to think anyone  could ever take your place! Do you know what I went through after you left? All the times I cried for you, wondering if it was something I did wrong . And I was-“

She stopped short, closing her eyes as fresh tears threatened to pour. Draco simply held her, clasping her hand in his, taking her anger without reproach. Only when she turned her head away from him to hide her tears did he protest.

“Hermione, I…I don’t know what to say.” He stared at their intertwined fingers as he admitted, “I thought I was doing the right thing-“

“That’s what you always think, but it never quite turns out how you expect it, does it?”

He bit his lip, understanding now how much he had hurt her by running away. “Hermione, Weasley can give you so much more than I ever can and he’s a decent bloke with a good family. You would have been happy with him-“

“Don’t!” She whirled around to face him and he was startled at the anger in her eyes. “Don’t you dare ever say that again! Ron told me right away that we could never work after I told him I was-I was-Merlin, Draco! Do you even know how you left me? What condition I was in?”

“Condition?” He searched her face, puzzled.

She nodded, breathing hard through her nose to calm her racing heart. “That night-remember how I’d been feeling ill?”

He gave a small nod, worry creasing his brow when he saw how nervous she was. “You went to Madam Pomfrey the next day didn’t you?”

“I-I did and she told me I was…I was pregnant.”

Draco paled, his grey moons widening in sudden realization. His breath quickened. “You were…Merlin!” He felt sick to his stomach. “And I left you…I-I’m so…!”

Hermione forgot her own anxiety when she felt his hands trembling in hers. He looked far too pale. “Draco?”

He looked at her, but she couldn’t see him.

“I’m sorry, ‘Mione. I’m sorry. I can’t believe I left you. I-I’m so sorry…” he murmured like a chant and Hermione’s heart caved.

She couldn’t hold anything against this man. He had bewitched her body and soul. Chiding herself inwardly for ignoring her instincts, she gently pried her hands from his before pulling him in her embrace.

“It’s ok,” she whispered in his hair, “I’m here now, aren’t I? I’m not mad at you, love. I want us to be together from here on no matter what… I love you, Draco.”

He stilled in her arms, but she heard his uneven breaths and felt the tremors in his spine as he silently cried. Hermione almost smiled then, remembering that fateful day when she had first held him like this and how he had sobbed himself to sleep. She held him now, running her fingers through his soft, blonde hair and marveling at how little it had changed. It was a bit longer than she remembered, but it still smelled citrusy, the strands gleaming slightly under streaks of light.

“How can you still love me?” he croaked, his head sliding up to rest on her shoulder.

She bumped her head against his lightly, her wild curls tickling his nose. “Because I’m too stubborn to know when to quit.”

He huffed, “How Gryffindor of you.”

Hermione didn’t bother with a retort, instead tilting his chin up and claiming his lips for a much awaited kiss.