A/N: Hello my lovelies! Another one-shot! Okay so I don't really have much to rant on in my life. School work...blah blah blah boring stuff...feels. Anyways! So I decided to make this a long-ish one-shot. I know this could have been a multi-chapter, but I have this thing where I can't give it a cliffhanger and make you lovelies wait. Oh, I know some of you like to request for a sequel, but so far I'm not going to...maybe . (Unless you lovelies post a lot saying you want another...but those are for the others) Anyways! On to the story. It's slightly dark with a bit of swearing, but its fluffy. Enjoy! :)

Hermione continued to huff and puff as she made her way through a little town near her home in Muggle London. She kept looking back every few seconds to make sure he wasn't following her. I need to get out of here. But, where should I go?, she thought. She looked over her shoulder for the millionth time when a solid body bumped into her. Hermione felt herself body stiffen when a pair of hands tried to steady her.

"Whoa. Sorry Miss. I didn't see you there." A deep voice apologized.

Hermione kept her face down and mumbled. "It's no big deal. It was my fault anyway. Please excuse me." She was about to step away when the same pair of hands grabbed her shoulder.

"Wait! I really a-…Granger?"

Hermione glanced up and felt her face twist into a grimaced look. In front of her was the famous Slytherin Prince, Draco Malfoy. She watches as his look of shock turned into a look of disgust and then to a look of indifference. She shook her head and nodded sternly. "Malfoy."

Draco watched with amusement and curiosity. "Well, well. Know-it-all Granger. What a surprise. I thought you would be staying in the Wizarding World, proving that Muggle-borns are witches and wizards as well. Shouldn't you be at that blood traitor's home? Where is the Weasel, by the way?" He looked at her confusedly as she flinched at his mention of Weasley.

"That is none of your business, Malfoy." She spat and consciously wrapped her coat tighter around her.

Draco gave her a smug grin and folded his arms in front of his chest. "So, did he cheat on you? No surprise there. At least he put you in your place." He circled around her, inspecting her from head to toe. Mmm, not bad Granger, he thought, not realizing he had said that aloud.

Hermione felt herself flush in anger. "You're such a pervert, Malfoy."

Draco gave her a confused look and thought back to what he had just said. He immediately recalled his mistake and forced himself not to blush. Instead, he gave her a smug smirk, "Well, I can't help it. Plus, it's true. You have one hell of a body Granger. Mind letting me have a little taste?" He knew he shouldn't scare her like that but he liked seeing her scaring and angry. Mmm, that is one nice sight…Then again that's all I ever see, he said to himself. He inched himself closer and ran his fingers down her arm slightly, causing Hermione to shiver. He felt his ego flare. Even the Gryffindor Princess can't resist me, he thought proudly.

Hermione felt herself shiver at Draco's touch. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. It's just Malfoy. It's just- her thoughts were interrupted when she felt that same hand rest on her shoulder. Using her instincts, she shoved Draco away, not knowing he had pulled her scarf off. "Don't touch me."

Draco was about to retort back when he noticed some strange dark markings around her neck. He moved closed and pulled down the collar of her coat, despite her protests. His eyes widened and stepped away from her, shifting his eyes between her face and the marks. "What the-," Draco stopped as he continued to stare at her neck. There are…bruises. Hand bruises. No doubt about it. Choking. But…Granger? She received that from the Weasel? What the fuck?, he felt his heart unconsciously clench at the thought.

Hermione gasped when he pulled down her collar. Shit! He knows! I bet he's going to tell his pureblood bigoted friends, she screamed internally. She snatched her scarf from Draco, who continued to look at her with a shocked and bewildered face. She wrapped her scarf around her neck and then turned her attention back to Draco, scowling at his silence. "Tell anyone about this and I won't hesitate to hex off your most beloved appendage." She side stepped and began to walk away when she felt Draco hold her back. She was about to lash out when he began to make his way through the crowd, pulling her along with him. Once they had gotten to a secluded alley, he had finally stopped. She was about to speak when she suddenly felt the tingling sensation of a side-along apparation. She gave him a glare as they both disappeared with a crack.

Seconds later, they appeared in a white room with a wide window and desks covered with paperwork. Draco had let go of her hand and began to take off his coat. Hermione forewent her embarrassment and began to shout at Draco. "What the bloody hell is your problem, Malfoy? Where did you take me? You have no right-"

"Go through that door over that and sit on the long chair. Now," he commanded as he pointed to the brown door.

Hermione gave him another glare but obeyed. She walked through the door and looked around, pondering. Hmm, this looks an awful lot like St. Mungo's, her thoughts were interrupted yet again as the door opened.

"I said on the chair, Granger. Don't you follow directions?" Draco questioned with a bit of amusement. Hermione turned around and gaped. Draco was wearing a white doctor's robe with a clipboard in hand.

Draco raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Surprised, Granger? Yes. I am a healer at St. Mungo's despite that whole spiel on taking over the family business. I just said that during Hogwarts so that my father wouldn't kill me just yet. Now. Coat off."

Hermione's mouth continued to hang open, letting all the information sink in. A couple seconds later, she shook her head and cleared her head. She opened her mouth and then closed it, huffing at the defeat. She began to unbutton her coat, blushing as she felt Draco's gaze. She cleared her throat. "Um…could you turn around?" Draco nodded and turned around. Hermione breathes a sigh of relief and took off her coat. She hopped onto the chair, placing her coat beside her. "Okay…um you can turn around."

Hearing the shifting of the paper and Hermione's 'ok', he turned around. What he had seen nearly made his knees give out. There aren't just bruises, he started as his eyes swept over her upper body, knife wounds, whippings…and that's with her shirt on. Wait…what's that? He pointed to her wrists.

Hermione looks down and tried not to be disgusted. She sighed. He is the doctor here, I guess it can't be helped. "Cuff marks, although he did put them on too tight," she answered nonchalantly, "I did deserve it though. I had accidentally burned his breakfast."

Draco felt his anger rise. "So he decided to cuff you to the point where you would bruise and bleed? Let me guess, he thought that it was enough so he would beat you up to make him feel better? What the fuck? What happened to you Granger? What happened to the girl that had the nerve to punch me during third year?"

Hermione scowled at him. "You don't know anything Malfoy."

Draco scoffed. "Please. You think this is his way of showing that he loves you? He doesn't! You're letting him abuse you! What the hell kind of logic is that? When did you become so weak?"

Hermione's tolerate level had snapped. "I am not weak! How would you feel if the person you love blames you for every single death that had happened? How would you feel if you had a brother who was inches away from you, had died in front of your very eyes? How would you feel, knowing that, had you moved just a little close, you could have saved another life? I had to tip-toe around his family for 5 years knowing that each and every one of them blame me for it. Want to know the best part? My best friend Harry, whom I had known since we were in Hogwarts, can't even stand to look at me now. Oh and let's not forget my parents. After regaining their memories, they decided not to have anything to do with me so they chose to stay in Australia. They actually have another kid, did you know? She's 4 1/2 years old now. You have no idea how hard it is to live when no one around you wants you, so don't-"

Draco silenced her as he crushed her body his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her back. he felt her face on the crook of his neck, her tears falling onto his skin. He tightened his hold on her as she had let go and sobbed loudly. He continued to hold her to him until her sobs had turned into small sniffles. After a few minutes, he finally spoke, pushing her so she could face him eye-to-eye, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rile you up like that. It's just…it's a healer thing. Always have the need to help others, you know? We have to know the cause and all of that. Anyway, this may sound strange coming from me, but let's forget our differences and let me help you. I can clearly see that you are severely traumatized, both physically and mentally by that arsehole. I don't want you to stay alone, so you will be staying at my place at the Manor." Hermione opened her mouth and way about to protest when he held up a hand. "No complaints. The Manor is fully warded. There are neither pureblood nor dark wards on them. Oh and don't worry about that room. It's sealed off."

Hermione scrunched up her nose, trying to look for a reason not to go. Then she got an idea and smiled internally. "What about your parents? You know that they do not necessarily warm up to people like me."

Draco rolled his eyes. "No need to worry. They're vacationing up in Paris for a while."

A thought occurred to Hermione and gave a small smirk, "What about your wife? Wouldn't she find it odd that you're bringing home a girl, much less a mudblood home?" She watched as Draco flinched at the word. "What? It's true. I am a mudblood."

Draco flinched again. "Please. Don't use that word. Believe it or not, but I actually hate that word. It implies filth and you are far from it. The Weasel on the other hand is far beyond what I had imagined," he said quietly. Hermione shrugged. He sighed. "So, are you going to stay with me or not?" He felt himself flush slightly at his choice of words and added, "For medical purposes, of course."

"You still haven't answered my other question." She stated.

Draco shrugged. "I was married. Divorced now. The marriage contract didn't suit well with Astoria." He shivered unconsciously.

Hermione froze. "Wait. If you were married, then…don't you have a son?"

Draco nodded. "I do have a son. His name is Scorpius. You'll have no problem with him. He's really quiet around strangers, even to my friends' kids."

Hermione stiffened. "Doesn't he dislike…Muggle-borns?" she asked warily.

Draco shook his head. "When we were headed toward our last year at Hogwarts, I promised myself that if I survived the war, I would marry and teach my son not to be prejudiced. I would give him the freedom I couldn't have."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "Really? You, Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince of Hogwarts and high superior to Mudbloods, taught his son to not be prejudiced? Who are you and what have you done with the real Draco Malfoy?"

Draco let out a hearty laugh. "I've changed, Granger. War does that to people."

She sighed and nodded in absolute defeat. "Fine."

A sharp crack echoed outside the Manor as the two appeared outside the front gates. Hermione took in heavy deep breaths as she and Draco entered through the gates. Sensing something off, Draco turned his head slightly and looked at Hermione. He kept his grasp on her, squeezing slightly. Hermione snapped out of her trance. "I'm sorry if this place makes you uncomfortable, but I promise I will make it up to you. You won't regret it."

Hermione just nodded and continued to follow him up to the entrance at the Manor. Draco pushed open the door and Hermione stepped in. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. The place felt like it belonged to a Slytherin, yet it didn't have any eerie or dark presence to it. Much of the relics and dark artifacts were replaced with fine art pieces. The walls were painted over with a soft cream color, making the whole ensemble have a warm feeling to it.

"Mum redecorated the whole place. After the war and my father's early release thanks to Potter's help, my mum had taken over the Manor. She can be quite scary when she's angry. My father cowers when her voice is raised just by a hair. It's quite pathetic. Then again, she did threaten to divorce his arse if he didn't get his act together," he mentioned as he looked around the place.

Hermione stared at him before she burst into laughter. She immediately covered her mouth and tried to stifle her giggles. "I'm sorry Malfoy. I didn't mean any harm. I just, it's just ironic if you think about it. He used to instill fear within everyone and now he has gotten a taste of his own medicine."

Draco nodded and then extended his hand out, gesturing to the rest of the place. "Shall I show you the rest of the place?"

Hermione nodded again and followed Draco into a grand room. He was about to gesture out about the room when he noticed two figures sitting elegantly on the sofa, watching his every move. He froze and stuck his arm out and pushed Hermione behind him, shielding her. She let out an inaudible screech and whispered quietly.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" she was about to move when a soft but affirmative voice spoke.

"Hello, son." Lucius welcomed warily, eyeing the person behind Draco.

"Hello father, mum." He greeted sternly. Hermione felt herself stiffen at the mention of his parents. I thought you said they were vacationing, she thought as she glared daggers at the back of his head.

Draco mentally cursed. Shit. I'm sorry Granger! I didn't know!

Narcissa finally spoke. "We decided to come home early. We didn't want young Scor to be with the elves the whole time," she started as she tilted her head to the side, looking behind Draco. "I thought I had taught you proper manners. It seems you have forgotten how to introduce someone to your parents, especially the one behind you," Narcissa smiled when she saw Draco flush in embarrassment.

Draco cleared his thought. Well, here it goes. "Mum, Father. I believe you two have met this person under different circumstances. This," he side-stepped, revealing Hermione, "is Hermione Granger. She will be staying with us for the time being. The reason is strictly confidential so don't try and manipulate it out of her. I also don't want the both of you to degrade her just because of her blood type. She is just as much of a witch as you are."

Hermione continued to look down as Draco explained his conditions to them. She mentally gaped at the fact that he had just defended her, even though it was for medical purposes. Maybe it won't be so bad-

"Do you have any idea what this girl has done? She brought down our Dark Lord! She locked up the remaining Death Eaters! What makes you think I will let this Mudblood-"

"Lucius!" Narcissa hissed out loudly.

Hermione watched in amazement as Lucius flinched and lowered his head at Narcissa's reaction. Lucius glanced at his wife who gave him a death glare in return. He looked away and suddenly became interested at the painting beside him.

Narcissa scowled and rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to Hermione. She got up and made her way toward the two, a small smile upon her lips. She hugged her son warmly and then turned to Hermione. "Forgive my husband. Luckily, he knows what happens when I get ticked off, " she jerked her head slightly at her husband, causing Hermione to smile. Hermione shifted her gaze to Draco who smirked. Narcissa stared at the two with curiosity but continued to talk, " that being said, it is a pleasure to properly meet you, Ms. Granger. I hardly call our last encounter a good way to meet."

Hermione chuckled slightly, causing Narcissa to smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you er…Lady Malfoy."

Narcissa let out an un-ladylike sound. "Please, call me Narcissa or Cissy. Lady Malfoy makes me sound and feel old. I don't look that old, do I?"

Hermione gasped. "Oh no, of course not! I honestly thought you were not a day over 25. Oh and please, call me Hermione."

Narcssa let out a small giggle. "We will get along just fine, Hermione. Oh! You must have a tour of the house!"

"I was going to, mum. That is, until I found you two in here," Draco spoke up for the first time in a while.

"Oh! Draco! I forgot you were there. Please give Hermione a tour of the place and then show her the room she will be staying at. Dinner is served promptly at 6. Now, off you two go." Narcissa ushered the two of them out of the room. The two turned left and continued down the hall. Narcissa sighed with a small smile. She turned back to her husband and put her hands on her hips, tapping her foot lightly. Lucius looked up and Narcissa raised an eyebrow.

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Er…heh…hello, love."

Hermione continued to have a small smile on her face as she walked beside Draco. "That wasn't as awkward as I thought. Your father really is scared of her," she admired.

"I think she is his ultimate weakness," Draco chuckled,"Anyways, this is the kitchen. Feel free to use it however, you will have to fight some of the elves."

"Are they-"

"Free? No, but they are well taken care of. Fairly high wages compared to most. They would rather kill themselves than give up the work." Draco continued around the ground floor, showing her the dining room, ballroom, indoor pool, and study rooms. He came to a set of dark brown doors with serpent handle sets. He pushed open the doors and Hermione let out a gasp.

"It's a-"

"You're welcome to use it whenever you want. They are the same as the whole Manor. There are no dark magic books or pureblood books." He looked at Hermione whose eyes continued to light up with her mouth agape as she circled around, looking at all the books.

He felt his lips curl into a small smile and checked his watch. "Shall we continue the tour?" Hermione continued to look at the books a bit more before she nodded.

They made their way upstairs and toward the rooms. Draco continued to feed her little facts about the house and the family traditions. Hermione was mentally shocked at how their upbringing was enforced. After passing what seemed like a million doors, they finally halted. "This is my room," Draco pointed out as he opened the door, "I usually hang around here or at the library, if you need me."

He pointed to the door across his room. "That will be your room so it's easier to monitor you." Hermione walked across the hall and pushed open the door.

"This…is bigger than my whole apartment," she said quietly as she eyed the plush bed. Draco resisted the urge to smirk and let out a small cough. "Well, I will leave you to settle. I will meet you downstairs for dinner." He turned and made his way downstairs.

Hermione plopped on the plush bed, sighing as she recalled what had happened the past few hours. She dug inside her pocket of her jacket and took out her charmed sat up and began to reach inside her bag, searching for her clothes and toiletries. She walked over to the massive armoire and began to put away her clothes when she heard faint footsteps approaching her room. She turned around and her eyes met a set of grey-blue eyes and platinum blonde hair.

The child stared back at Hermione when she spoke. "Hello. You must be Scorpius." She gave him a small smile. He return it with a small one.

"H-Hello Miss." He said shyly, looking around her room.

Hermione tilted her head to the side. "Are you looking for something, young sir?"

Scorpius blushed a little. "I a-am…I can't find my stuffed dragon."

Hermione smiled internally. He's so cute! "Well, shall I help you look for it?" She watched as his face lit up. He nodded profusely. She got up and walked towards him, closing her door in the process."Shall we start with your room?" she asked.

He nodded again and began to walk towards his room. Hermione followed close behind him, resisting the urge to giggle at his adorableness. "T-Thank you Miss. Daddy, Grandfather, and Grandmother are usually busy," he told her out of the blue.

He looked up at her and she smiled. "It's no problem, young sir. Oh and please call me Hermione." He nodded and entered his room with Hermione behind him. She rolled her eyes and smiled. Malfoy has high hopes that his son will be in Slytherin, she said mentally as she looked at all the green coloring that plagued Scorpius' room.

She watched as Scorpius began to check high and low for his dragon. She shrugged internally and began to search with him. "When did you have it last?" she asked softly. She watched as his brows furrowed and tried not to laugh. "I had him when I went to bed." She saw as his lip quiver and made her way toward him. She gently placed her hands on his shoulders and gave him a reassuring smile. "We'll find it, don't worry. In fact," she said as she scooted towards the bottom of his bed, "I have an idea where it might be." She watched in amusement as his eyes lit up once again. "Really? Where?"

She put her finger to her lips. "First, I want you to close your eyes." He immediately closed his eyes, biting his lower lip in excitement. Hermione bent down and looked under the bed, her eye catching a fuzzy green plush toy. She grabbed onto the toy and pulled it out. She smiled, Thought so. She decided to do something nice for Scorpius and took out her wand. She muttered a little spell, causing the wings of the dragon to flap. She looked at Scorpius and told him to open his eyes.

Once he had opened them, he gasped and squealed happily. She let go of the dragon, watching as it flew towards Scorpius. He watched in amazement as the dragon flew to his arms and then hugged it close to himself. The dragon nuzzled against him before retracting his wings to its former position. He looked back at Hermione and ran toward her. He wrapped his arms around her legs, his dragon crushed between his chest and her legs.

"Thank you so much Miss Herm-…Hermi-…Herr….Um…" Hermione giggled and patted his back.

"It's okay, young sweet. Call me 'Mione."

He looked up at her and gave her a big smile. "Thank you 'Mione." She nodded. He looked around his room and then lightly tugged on her hand. She continued to look at him as his face turned bright red. "Can you play with me, please?" he asked quietly.

She watched as he looked down and placed gave his hand a light squeeze. "Of course. Shall we play 'pretend'?"

He gave her a confused look. "How do you play that?"

"Well, you think of what you want to be as, like a wizard and then with our imagination we 'pretend' we're on an adventure!" She explained.

"I wanna play!" he said enthusiastically.

For the next couple of hours, Hermione and Scorpius 'pretended' that they were fighting evil monsters and riding on dragons. Both retired for the 'day' and came back to reality. Hermione made her way to her room after making sure Scorpius was getting ready and transfigured the objects back to its original state. She went back to the armoire with a smile still plastered on her face. That was a lot of fun! Strange, I haven't felt this way since before the war. Scorpius is so different compared to Malfoy. He's so sweet too!, Hermione continued to grin madly while she took out some fresh clothes. She began to strip down to her bra and knickers, not noticing her door opening. She turned around and yelped in surprise.

"Mr. Malfoy! Sir! Um.." Hermione scrambled around and found her robe. She threw it on herself and blushed heavily.

Lucius continued to stare at her quietly, mentally processing at what he had just seen. What was that? Were those- He snapped out of his thoughts and put on his straight face. "Ah, Ms. Granger. I had knocked, but it seems like it wasn't loud enough. My apologies," he unconsciously continued to stare at her robe, causing Hermione to shift uncomfortably, "Anyway, I had come here to apologize about earlier. Old habits die hard.

Hermione nodded. "It's quite alright. I never expected you to warm up to me. I'll stay out of your way as much as possible if it makes you feel better."

He held up a hand. "No, it's quite alright. Forgive me for it will take some getting used to, but I do hope we can look past what had happened before." He extended his hand out to her and in return, shook it. "Well, I shall see you in a few minutes. Until then, Ms. Granger." He departed out of her room, leaving a bewildered Hermione.

What just happened? she asked herself as she looked at the door Lucius had just exited.

Once Lucius exited Hermione's room, he shook off his facade as he recalled what had happened minutes before. His eyes went from disgust to shock to sympathy. He looked at her door. I've seen people with scars like that. Bloody hell, even I have inflicted damage on others, but not that much. I've never seen so many wounds like that. How can she be so calm about it? How long has that been going on? His mind continued to throw out questions as he made his way back to his room. He finally entered his room, only to find a curious Narcissa.

"Well?" she asked, noting Lucius' unusual stare. "Lucius!"

He jumped slightly, trying to refocus. "Ah, hello Cissy."

She rolled her eyes. "So did you talk to her?" He nodded. "And?"

"She's agreed to put everything behind her and start fresh. I told her that it will take some time for me to get used to it and she's okay with it." He watched as Narcissa's lips broke out into a large smile.

"Wonderful! I don't think I could stand a house full of 'blood type tension'." Lucius eyes were casted down and sighed deeply. Narcissa looked at him worriedly. "Lucius? What is it?" He looked up at her, his eyes changing from steel to soft grey.

He shook his head. "I can't say. You have to see it yourself." He exited the room, leaving a confused and curious Narcissa.

Hermione emerged from her room minutes later in a pair of dark wash fitted jeans and a long sleeve dark green shirt. She put her hair up into a messy bun after covering the bruises with a heavy concealment charm. She walked into the dining room only to be welcomed by the whole Malfoy family. Lucius was the first to speak. "Ah, Ms. Granger. I'm glad you could eat with us. Please, make yourself comfortable."

Draco stared at his father with his mouth hung open. What the- Am I missing something here? He continued to shift his gaze between Hermione and his Father. He decided to cut in their conversation. "Okay. What the bloody hell is going on here?"

Lucius turned and raised an eyebrow. "I'm simply doing as you asked. I'm trying to look past the differences. Honestly Draco, where are your manners? Remember, Scorpius is at the table."

Draco turned his head towards his son whose head was tilted downward. He mentally kicked himself. "Right, sorry Scor." Scorpius nodded and waited for the food to come.

Dinner had finished rather quietly. Scorpius only talked when he was spoken to and Lucius had tried to coax Hermione into talking, much to Draco's discomfort and surprise. Narcissa tried to hide her pleased smile when she watched the interaction between her husband and Hermione. She looked away when she remembered what Lucius had told her earlier. Hmm…I need to speak to her, huh.

Hermione shrugged out of her clothes and into her pajamas, too exhausted to do anything else. She tucked herself into her bedroom when there was a soft knock at the door. "Come in." She was shocked when Narcissa walked through the door.

"Hello Hermione. I'm so sorry to bother you at such a late hour, but this couldn't wait. I would like to apologize again for my husband. He's not as easily open-minded as Draco and myself. I would like to thank you though, for giving him a chance."

Hermione gave her a small smile. "I would actually like to thank you, Cissy. I had an inkling you said something to him. I admire your strength and power you have over him. It's pretty scary, actually."

Narcissa let out a girlish laugh. "Ah, well, when you're a Lady Malfoy you pick up a thing or two from the men here. That isn't what I wanted to talk about, although I would like to talk about it more sometime. Perhaps we could go shopping together? I can tell you all sorts of embarrassing moments Lucius and Draco had. You would be surprised." Hermione giggled, causing Narcissa to smile brightly. "Well, I should leave you to rest. I shall see you in the morning. Goodnight Hermione." She turned and exited.

Hermione closed her eyes, her smile still plastered on her face as fell into a dreamless sleep.

A few days later, Hermione woke up strangely refreshed. She jumped out of bed and into the bathroom, deciding she should take a quick shower. As the water rolled down her body, everything that happened came crashing down on her.

It's all your fault…

How dare you show your face to me…

Why should I help you? You filthy…woman...

You are nothing to me…

Disgusting...

Mudblood…Mudblood….Mudblood…MUDBLOOD!

Hermione's eyes snapped open, gasping as she grasped her head trying to clear her thoughts. She shook her head and stepped out of the shower, drying herself magically. She decided not to wear any concealments and changed into a big baggy long sleeve sweater dress with some black leggings. She left her hair down and finished it off with a pair of black flats. She opened her door and was about to walk out when she bumped into something solid.

"Ah. Granger. Good morning," he greeted softly.

She looked up and nodded. "Malfoy."

Draco watched as she tried to cover her panicked face and stepped closer. "Are you okay?"

Hermione took one step back. "I'm fine."

He rolled his eyes and grasped her arm lightly, tugging as he made his way to his room. He sat her down on her bed and closed the door, warding it just to be safe. "Okay Hermione. It's safe. Now tell me. I want to help you, remember?" Hermione looked at him with a shocked face. "What?"

"You called me Hermione."

Draco felt his face flush slightly and cleared his throat. "Well, you are my patient. Plus, I think it's safe to say that going by last names are going to be difficult around the Manor."

She cracked a smile and then frowned. "It's nothing really. I just remembered somethings they told me." Draco stayed quiet, giving her time to explain herself. She looked up at him and sighed. "It really is nothing. They only called me a Mud-" she covered her mouth and cursed under her breath.

Draco felt a nerve twitch and his hands turn to fists. He exhaled slowly. "I…see."

"Mal-er…Draco really. It's no big deal. Think of it this way, I'm not being beaten anymore so it's okay. They're just words. Words can't hurt me." She got up and wandlessly dissolved the spells. She walked out of his room, leaving him unable to speak. How can you be so calm about this? he questioned.

Breakfast passed with just Narcissa, Hermione, Draco, and Scorpius at the table. Lucius was unable to join for he had to set up urgent meetings with the foreign buyers. Narcissa had something planned for the day and Draco had to work which left Hermione with Scorpius.

"You don't have a job?" Draco asked as he was gathered his things. Hermione shook her head.

"I was unable to find work because Ron wanted me to stay home," she answered. More like chained me to the stove, she thought. "I would like to work at a bookstore someday."

Draco thought for a moment before shaking his head and turned to his son. "You two behave okay?" He leaned down wrapped his arms around Scorpius, kissing his forehead. He walked to the chimney and disappeared in the green flames.

Hermione and Scorpius looked at each other with a mischievous smile. "Shall we see what's happening with the dragons protecting the land and gold?" Scorpius nodded and ran up his room. Hermione giggled and chased after him. She caught up to him and gathered him into her arms. Scorpius giggled and squirmed in her arms. Hermione ran into his room and shut the door, transforming everything to where they had left off last night.

Hours later, a flash of green flame erupted through the floo, revealing a pleased Narcissa and a handful of bags. She set the bags down and asked one of the house elves if they could bring it up to her room. Once the elf disappeared, she made her way up the stairs to visit Scorpius. Once she had faced the door, she heard faint sounds that sounded like laughter. Her eyes widened and quietly opened the door. What she had seen surprised her greatly. In front of her was her giggling grandchild with an equally happy Hermione. They seemed to be chasing something seeing as how both of them kept moving wooden swords around. Narcissa closed the door and made her way to her room, excited to tell Lucius what she had just witnessed.

Minutes later, Hermione and Scorpius were laying on the floor out of breath. Hermione turned to Scorpius and ruffled his hair a little bit, causing Scorpius to smile. "That monster… was evil! He had a…huge… army! We barely made it!" Scorpius panted out.

Hermione giggled. "The journey to the castle itself took ages!"

Scorpius let out a small chuckle and then frowned. Hermione sat up and looked at him worriedly. "What's wrong, sweet?" Scorpius warmed at the name she gave him, but continued to frown.

"You're so different compared to my mum," he said as he sat up. "I don't like her. She was mean. She never played with me. Daddy played with me instead. Mum would always disappear in the early morning and then come home late at night. She never loved me."

Hermione frowned and swept him into her arms giving him a big hug. "Listen Scorpius, you shouldn't let that bring you down. Think of it this way, she brought you into this world. Besides, you are your dad's pride and joy. I can tell because every time he sees you, his eyes light up. Your dad loves you. So does your Grandmother and Grandfather."

"Do you love me?" he asked, looking up into her eyes.

Hermione felt her heart tighten and held him close to her. She whispered in his ear. "I love you, sweet Scorpius." She felt his tiny arms wrap around her neck and return the hug.

Lucius returned home half and hour before noon to a happy Narcissa. "You seem to be quite happy. I assume something good happened earlier?"

Narcissa nodded her head rapidly. "Oh Lucius, you would not believe what I had seen today. When I got back home from a little shopping, I visited Scorpius in his room and I witnessed something unbelievable. I heard and saw him giggling with Hermione! They seemed to be playing some sort of make believe game, seeing as how they were waving wooden swords in the air frantically."

Lucius' mouth dropped open as she explained what she had seen. After a minute, he regained his control of his movements and his lips curled slightly. "Well, I believe Ms. Granger is the key to helping Scorpius get out of the 'shy' stage." Hopefully Scorpius will help her in return. Merlin knows how much trauma she has suppressed all these years.

"You should go visit her in her room, Cissy. I have a feeling you had bought her something during your little outing." Narcissa blushed and pecked her husband's cheek.

Hermione had left Scorpius to rest a little before lunch and for the house elves to help give him a bath after their shared moment. She put her hand to her heart and smiled warmly at the memory. She walked into her room and was about to change out when a loud knock sounded on her door. She opened the door and in came Narcissa with a bag behind her back. "Oh! Cissy! How was the shopping?" she asked as she ushered Narcissa to sit beside her on her bed.

"Wonderful! I found so many outfits for little Scor. He looked a little bored with his toys so I bought him some more." Narcissa said as she set the bag down beside her.

"That's great! He seems to be a bit bored with his old toys. It'll be nice to see him play with something new, as long as it's not dangerous." Hermione said thoughtfully.

Narcissa's eyes warmed. "I see you have taken a liking to young Scor. May I ask why?"

Hermione gave her a small smile. "I've never had a sibling before when I was growing up. When Draco told me that he was struggling to talk to others normally, I figured I should try. Funny, it started when we were looking for his stuffed dragon. I don't really know how to explain it, but we just clicked. I like hanging around him. I make him laugh and he somehow fills me with joy."

Narcissa had to stop her eyes from shedding any tears. She patted Hermione's hand. "Thank you, Hermione. You have no idea how much this means to all of us. We were worried that Scorpius would turn out just like his father, always quiet and reserved. I'm glad he has finally made a friend." Hermione nodded. Narcissa remembered why she was there. "Oh! That's not all why I came here. I wanted to give you this," she said as she handed the bag to Hermione.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Really Cissy, you didn't have to!" She tried to refuse but Narcissa shook her head. "It's a gift, Hermione. Think of it as a welcoming gift. Oh and I'll let you in on a little secret. I've always wanted to have a daughter that I can spoil. You'll do that for me, won't you Hermione?" Hermione's mouth hung open, unable to defend herself. Narcissa took that as 'yes'. "Wonderful! Now! I want you to try them on!" She led Hermione to the bathroom with the bag in hand, "Don't come out until you're dressed in one! I want to see!" She closed the door, leaving a bewildered Hermione.

Hermione sighed and opened the bag. Inside were a bunch of casual dresses in dark blue, green, and black. Hermione decided to try on one of the dark blue dresses. It was a sleeveless scoop neck with an asymmetrical hem. She twirled around, liking the look of the dress. She stepped out of the bathroom, looking slightly downward.

Narcissa's smile disappeared once she set her eyes on Hermione's body. Hermione looked up at her confusedly and then looked down. Her eyes widened and tried to cover up her body. She ran back into the bathroom and changed back into her original clothes. She walked out again, finding Narcissa frozen in her spot. She looked down and spoke, causing Narcissa to jump a little. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I had forgotten all about it. It's weird. These scars were always a reminder, but once I had stepped in this place they completely escaped my mind," Hermione held out the bag in front of Narcissa, "I don't think I can accept these. They are really beautiful, but I think they are being wasted on a battered body."

Narcissa continued to say nothing, but stepped forward. Each step she took, she watched as Hermione shrink and cower. She put a hand on Hermione's shoulder. She looked up and Narcissa gave her a weak smile before crushing Hermione to her. Hermione stood there, unable to move. Narcissa continued to hug her, a few tears spilling out. "I'm so sorry Hermione," she whispered quietly, "I never knew…How-"

"It's okay Cissy," she reassured her as she snapped out of her initial shock, "I got used to it after a while. I just tell everyone they're battle scars." She tried but failed to lighten up the mood, causing Narcissa to hug her tighter, her tears falling onto Hermione's shoulder.

Minutes went by when Narcissa finally eased her grip on Hermione. "I'm sorry for making you see me like this," Narcissa finally said, "I just…last time was hard for me to see such a young innocent girl tortured, but…to see that same girl be tortured for unreal reasons is unheard of." She wiped away her tears and faced Hermione, placing her hands on her shoulders. "I may not know the whole story behind all this, but I want to let you know that no one under this roof will do this to you. We will make sure that he will not step within 3 feet of you." Hermione gave her a small smile and nodded.

After the tearful moment between Hermione and her, Narcissa visited Scorpius' room to give him his new things. Scorpius gave her a hug and began to play with his new toys, making her crack out a smile. She then retired to her room for the rest of the afternoon, informing the elves to tell Hermione and Scorpius that she will be joining them for dinner.

Hermione and Scorpius came down an hour later to eat a late but light lunch. Hermione asked Scorpius if he would like to spend the rest of the afternoon playing with his new toys and he agreed, right after giving her an apologetic hug. Hermione made her way to the library,pushing at the doors. She let the pads of her fingers scrape the spine of the books in the library. She stopped once she got to the astrology section and immediately pulled out the book of her choice. Origins, Myths, and Legends of the Constellations, she thought with a smile. Interesting, maybe I can learn a little bit about why this family is so keen on stars for names. She sat down on the large sofa, tucking her legs under her. She called for an elf to bring her a cup of tea and immersed herself into the book.

Narcissa laid on her bed, gripping her chest lightly. Her heart clenched every time her mind would bring up the image of Hermione's body. Just then, Lucius walked into the door, finished with the final paperwork that was done in his study.

"Hello, Lucius." she greeted quietly. Noting his wife's distress, Lucius moved quickly and sat beside her on the bed. "What's wrong, Cissy?" He tilted her face so she could look at him, wiping away her tear tracks.

She sat up and took in a few deep breaths. "I saw it," she started, seeing Lucius nod in her peripheral vision,"Lucius, I've never seen someone with that many scars. How could she have survived that? That's more than what Draco had gotten from the Dark Lord and Mr. Potter combined. I don't understand. Why would anyone want to hurt this girl? More specifically, one of her best friends?

Lucius sighed. "I don't know…I don't know Cissy. Draco told us to keep it strictly confidential. If he wants it that way, then he will. All we can do now, is make sure that he will not come near her."

Narcissa's eyes widened. "Am I thinking what you're thinking?"

Lucius nodded. "She will be protected. That is for sure."

Meanwhile, Hermione continued to submerge herself in the book, ironically fascinated by the constellations Draco and Scorpius. She didn't notice the door open and faint steps that made their way to her. The person cleared their throat, causing Hermione to jump and scream in surprise. "Shi- Draco! Don't do that! You scared me!" She put a hand over her racing heart, glaring as he chuckled.

"Sorry. It's just too easy to scare you. Plus, it's amusing, seeing you all frightened and angry." Hermione stuck her tongue out at him making his chuckling turn into a warm laugh. Hermione forced herself not to smile and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Was there a reason for you to bother me?" she asked.

"Not really. I'm home from work and I thought I might check up on you to see how you're doing. I had a feeling you were going to be here. After all, you are all about the books."

Hermione shrugged. "I wanted to let Scorpius play with his new toys Cissy bought him. Oh," she closed the book and looked up at him, "Cissy knows…and I have a feeling Lucius does too. He accidentally caught me changing. Cissy saw when I had forgotten to put on the concealment charm before changing into the dresses she got me. That reminds me, could you please return the dresses she gave me? I never got the chance to after that emotional moment."

Draco shook his head. "She won't take it back, especially now since she knows what has happened to you. Anyway, I should talk to mum and father about this. I can assure you that I will remind them of my conditions." He was about to walk away when Hermione grabbed his arm.

"Don't. Don't use this as an excuse to treat me any different. Besides, it's a lot easier now that they know. I don't have to go around as if I'm walking on eggshells," she said.

Draco sighed. "Very well. How was your day so far?"

Hermione smiled at the thought of Scorpius. "It was fine." Draco raised an eyebrow and Hermione left it at that, her smile still on her face.

A few weeks had passed and Draco had begun to see subtle changes between Hermione and his family. He would watch during their meals and he would see his father debating with Hermione about certain topics, giving him a run for his money in the end. He noticed his father always looked at her with sad eyes, surprising Draco. He would shift his gaze to his mum who seemed to like leaving one of her hands on top of Hermione's. It's not like they haven't seen people with scars before, so why the sudden change? he questioned himself. Lastly, he looked at little Scorpius. He watched as his son's eyes would light up every time Hermione would say something funny, even informative. That boy really loves facts. They would be perfect. I have a feeling…

Draco walked into his son's room, lost in his thoughts. "Daddy!" Draco jumped slightly and then smiled. "Hello, Scor. Ready for bed?" Scorpius nodded and climbed into bed. He grabbed his stuffed dragon and placed it beside him, making sure it doesn't go missing again. Draco stood beside his bed and began to tuck him in, wrapping the sheets around his little body.

"Daddy?" Scorpius asked quietly.

"Yes, Scor?"

"How long is 'Mione going to stay here?"

Draco stiffened and paused briefly, his eyes widening and snapping to his son. 'Mione..? He cleared his throat. "I don't know, Scor. It might be a while. Why, is she being mean?"

Scorpius shook his head back and forth. "No! She's really nice and pretty. I really like playing with her. She helped me find my stuffed dragon the day I met her," he said with a bright smile, "Can she stay here forever?"

Draco felt his mouth go dry. What am I supposed to tell him? "Um…well…you should ask Gra- 'Mione…about that. It's up to her. Now, rest. Goodnight Scor. I love you." He kissed his son on the forehead.

Scorpius smiled and closed his eyes. "Night, daddy. Love you too."

Draco turned off the light and left his room, closing the door behind him. He leaned against the doorframe thinking about Scor's request. He's attached to Hermione already, he thought with a smile, maybe they will be able to heal together.

"I've found you a place to work at. I think you'll like it. That is, if you are considering it." Draco mentioned nonchalantly.

Hermione turned to him, closing the book and placing it on her lap. "You have my attention. What is it?"

"I've talked to the bookstore owner in Diagon Alley. He's willing to hire you. You just have to mention your terms. He's actually in dire need of help." Hermione's jaw dropped and flung herself onto Draco, hugging him tightly. Draco sat there frozen, his face sporting a light blush. Seconds later, she released him and smiled brightly.

"Oh Draco, I have no idea what to say. Thank you so much! I'm so sorry for being such a burden and making you do this-"

He cut her off. "It's no problem, really. I figured you are bored hanging around the house with nothing but books and a young child. Plus, I figured you would like to make some money so you could…buy your place after you're fully recovered." Draco hesitated at the last part, looking down at the floor.

Hermione's smile fell. Right, I would leave after I've healed. I forgot about that. Honestly, I kind of…don't want to. Then again I am after all, just a patient. It's not like they would want me to stay forever. "Sure. I'm probably going to take a morning and noon shift. Hopefully I won't run into him."

"You won't," he reassured her, "I've talked with the owner and he will keep a look out for you. He's ready for you when you are."

The next day, Hermione left in the early morning and apparated into Diagon Alley, her things wrapped tightly around her. She walked into the bookstore and met up with the owner. After a couple questions, she was granted the opportunity to work the same day. Taking off her coat and putting up her hair into a high ponytail, she began to sort and place books in the shelves.

Meanwhile, Draco was sitting at the dinner table with Scorpius, eating their breakfast. "Where's 'Mione?" Scorpius asked curiously as he spooned some cereal into his mouth.

"She's going to be working at the bookstore while she recovers here." Draco answered.

"Why can't she just stay at home and play with me?" Scorpius asked sadly.

Draco looked at his son and frowned internally. Oh Merlin, How am I going to explain…? "Well son, um…she doesn't want to..well…be a bother. She can't stay forever. I know she's your friend, but don't worry. You can visit her when she goes to her own home. You can even visit her when she's at work." Scorpius stared into his now soggy cereal and nodded while Draco continued to stare at him.

"She's not a bother…I wish she can stay," Scorpius mumbled.

Draco frowned. I know son, I know.

Once Hermione floo'ed back to the Manor, she was tackled to the floor by Scorpius. Hermione smiled and hugged him tightly. "Hello sweet, did you have a good day?" He shook his head. "No, why?"

He looked up at her. "It's more fun when you play with me. Will you play with me, please?"

Hermione was about to protest and say that she was tired, but when she saw the look in his eyes thought of something else. She rolled around on the floor while holding Scorpius, causing him to giggle. She sat up and kept him in her arms, carrying him up the stairs. "I do believe there are stronger monsters destroying the village. You have your new weapons, yes?"

He immediately thought of new toy. "I know a faster way to get to the castle," Hermione's head tilted, "brooms!"

The next two months were the same routine. One Friday night, Draco went to visit Hermione to do the daily vital checks and procedures. He knocked on the door three times. On the third knock, Hermione opened the door, wrapping her robe around her. His eyes traced the faint outline of the curves of her body. His eyes snapped back to hers when she cleared her throat. "Ah..um right. I was just checking to see how you are doing." He stepped into her room and sat on her bed.

Hermione closed the door and made her way to him, sitting close beside him. He cleared his throat. "I'm doing fine as usual. Those potions that you gave me are doing wonders on the scars. They're very faint now. The wounds have closed up and fully healed. I'm almost as good as new," she notified him.

He nodded and proceeded to check her vitals. "So, mum was wondering if you would like to go with her and Scor shopping tomorrow around 11."

"Alright. It will be nice having a little outing with those two. I just hope Cissy won't buy me another boatload of dresses. She tends to go overboard." Hermione cringed a little.

Draco laughed. "Ah, let her be. It makes her feel better that way. I think that's her way of helping you. Anyway, you vitals are looking good. Keep taking in the potions and you'll be as good as new in a week." She nodded and he was about to leave when she caught his arm.

She wrapped her arms around his stomach, her head resting on his back. "Um...thank you, for rescuing me…for being there for me when I had no one else. You gave me the opportunity to have a break from reality. At first, I thought suppressing the events would make me better, but you helped me get passed them. I don't know how, but you did. So…thanks."

Draco felt his whole body flush and warm up at her touch. He rested his hands on her arms and lightly pulled them apart. He turned and faced her, re-wrapping her arms around him. He leaned forward a bit a placed a light kiss on her forehead. "No problem Hermione," he murmured against it.

The next day, Hermione was ready in the same dress Narcissa had made her try on with a pair of black flats and a thin black cardigan. Her hair was left down with a thin headband. She descended down the stairs where Narcissa and Scorpius was waiting. Narcissa looked up at her and gasped a little. "My, my Hermione! You look beautiful!" Hermione blushed and muttered a 'Thank you'.

Scorpius ran up to her and Hermione opened her arms wide, picking him up and setting him on her hip. He placed his hands on her cheeks. "Pretty," he pecked her cheek.

Hermione grinned and tapped him on the nose with her finger. "Adorable," she said before giving him a peck on the cheek. Narcissa bit her lip to stop herself from grinning like a mad woman. They're so adorable together! That's it. I knew from the start, but this just sealed it. This girl is going to be my future daughter-in-law…even though I vowed that she was already. I will not let this one get away! So help me Draco, if I have to force you to be with this woman I use all my power to make that happen. With a wave of her wand, they disappeared into Diagon Alley.

Seconds later after a large crack in the air, Hermione and the two arrived at the entrance of Diagon Alley. They went into Twilfitt and Tatting's where Narcissa bought a set of dress robes for both Scorpius and Hermione, along with an extra dress that was a dark blue strapless ball gown with a set of sterling silver necklace and earrings that were encrusted with little diamonds. Hermione asked why she had bought this for her and Narcissa waved her hand back and forth, dismissing the question.

Deciding that she needed some more casual pieces of clothing, she ventured off to Madam Malkin's with Scorpius, while Narcissa looked at other clothes at Twilfitt and Tatting's. Hermione scooped him up in her arms again and made her way through the store, looking for some nice shirts. Scorpius decided to help pick out some clothes for her and ventured off, not too far so that she could see him. Suddenly, she felt a vice like grip on her arm. She stiffened, her heart beating a mile a minute. "Hello, 'Mione." A deep and gruff-sounding voice spoke in her ear. She gasped. No! It can't be! She began to panic and look for Scorpius, but couldn't find him.

"I've missed you, 'Mione. Where did my little otter venture off to, hm? You know I don't like it when you disappear on me like that. You know what happens when you do." The voice hissed out the last part.

Hermione tried to shrug off the arm, but failed. Scorpius appeared in front of her with a worried look. "'Mio-" He was unable to finish. Hermione felt the effects of apparition and felt her insides churn. She closed her eyes. Scor, run. They disappeared with a pop, leaving Scorpius wide-eyed. "'Mione?" he looked around as tears began to fall, "'MIONE!" He raced out the store and into Twilfitt, searching for Narcissa. He spotted her and ran up to her, all out of breath and teary-eyed.

Narcissa looked at him in alarm and crouched down to his level. "What's wrong Scor? Where's Hermione?"

Scorpius burst out crying. "Mummy's gone…bad man…took mummy."

She looked at him confusedly. "Mummy?"

He nodded, not looking at her. "Mummy…Mummy 'Mione."

A crack echoed through the musty air, signaling Hermione that she was in some place and indoors. It smells like…blood. She continued to close her eyes and tears spilled. She heard heavy steps circle around her, faint tsks following along. "You knew this would happen 'Mione. You shouldn't have left."

Hermione's eyes snapped at the person. "What, so you can beat me again? I had enough, Ronald!"

His fist connected with her face. "SHUT UP!" She gripped her cheek, but continued to glare at him. A vein popped and pulsed over his eyebrow. He punched her again and again. "You belong to me. Know your place, wench. Incarcerous." Hermione felt her hands and feet being tied up by invisible ropes. She watched as he muttered a spell. Her eyes widened as his wand transformed into a whip. "Now, how many do you deserve? I'm thinking 1 for each day you disappeared on me." She spat at his feet, causing his anger to grow. He grabbed a fist full of hair and yanked it up so that she was face-to-face with him. "No? Okay then. 2 for each day." He turned her so she was on her back and gave a feral grin. "Now, shall we begin?"

The floo burst wildly, and out came a frantic Narcissa and equally scared Scorpius. "Lucius! Draco! Come down here, quickly!" she roared. Minutes later, Lucius and Draco descended down the stairs with confused looks. They spotted Scorpius with tear tracks and immediately knew something was wrong. Draco moved towards him and picked him up, hugging him tightly. Scorpius wrapped his arms around his dad, squeezing tightly.

"Are you okay, Scor? Did you hurt yourself?" he felt his son shake his head. "What's wrong-"

"'Mione is gone. A bad man came and…and," his eyes watered, "he took her. He did that thing Grandmother did to get to the stores."

Draco stiffened. No. It can't be…"Scor, tell me. Who took 'Mione? What did he look like?"

Scorpius scrunched up his face and thought hard. "He was strong looking. He was tall, like you daddy and um…he had funny orange hair. Daddy, please bring her back. I…I love her, daddy." He looked down and sobbed.

Draco felt a strong pair of hands on his shoulders. "Let's go and find her, son." Draco looked up to see the same frazzled look he had on his father. Draco nodded and was about to apparate when he felt another pair of hands on him.

Narcissa leaned in and whispered into his ear. Scorpius called her Mummy when he came to me. You always give her those longing looks. You two have become attached to her. Don't deny it. Bring her back or Merlin help me, I will make it so that you will never see the daylight ever again. Draco froze, his eyes locked with hers. Narcissa played it off and smiled. "Come back safely!"

Hours later, Draco and Lucius arrived back at the house with no sign of Hermione. Draco looked at his father, hoping he has some thought on where she might be. Lucius looked at him and shook his head. "I don't know son."

Narcissa looked down sadly. Suddenly, there was a faint pop and a house elf appeared. "Bimbi!" Narcissa exclaimed, "What is it, Bimbi?"

Bimbi looked up at her master. "Master, Bimbi has some news. Bimbi had heard some strange noises coming from the drawing room. Bimbi tried opening it but Bimbi couldn't. Bimbi even tried to apparate inside but Bimbi couldn't." All three of them looked at each other and then at Bimbi.

"Thank you, Bimbi. You may have the rest of the day off." Narcissa said with a nod. She turned to her son and husband. "Do you think..?"

"Only on way to find out." Draco said before hurrying off to the drawing room with Narcissa and Lucius close behind him. Once he got there, Lucius stepped in front of his son.

"You must let me do this. Only I know the counter-curse to this spell. It was created so that the one who did the spell is the only one who could lift it." Lucius took out his wand and muttered continuously for half a minute. At the last word, the doors shuddered and a slight pop echoed against the walls. He waved his wand again, checking for any other spells. "He put up some locking and silencing spells. The person seemed to place a spell that prevents anyone else from apparating in or out. However, they're not strong so they're easy to dispel."

Draco stepped in front of his father and concentrated on the spells. Hmm, he smirked, Easy. With a wave of his wand, all the spells dispersed. He barged through the doors and froze, his eyes wide. Lying on the floor was a bloody and unconscious Hermione. His eyes snapped to the person hovering over her and growled loudly. A flash of red flew past him at toward the person. He turned around and saw both of his parents wands were out and pointed towards the guy.

"Step away from her, blood traitor." Lucius snarled. Ron gave them a fierce grin. He leaned down and placed a kiss on Hermione's cheek. Draco took on step forward, but Lucius held him back. "Not yet, son." He watched as Ron waved his wand around him and disapparated. Just before he disappeared he gruffly said "I'll be back for her."

Draco ran towards Hermione and picked her up. He sprinted towards her room, her blood leaving little trails on the floor. "Please Hermione. Don't…Don't" he whispered to her. He kicked open her door and was surprised to see Scorpius laying on her bed. Scorpius looked at his dad and then shifted his gaze to Hermione. He started to weep. Draco tried to calm him while he continued to carry Hermione. "She'll be okay, Scor. I want you to stay with Grandmother and Grandfather while I take care of her, okay? I will get you when she's clean and covered up." Scorpius nodded and walked out of the room, catching one last glance at Hermione.

Draco laid her down on her bed and began to look at her cuts. Just then a couple more people entered the room. "Healer Malfoy, your parents floo'ed us about what happened," one said as he looked at the patient. "Yeah, they said something about bleeding everywhere and that she's unconscious. We thought you might need some more help," the other said.

"Healer Johnson, Healer Thompson." He recognized and then nodded. "Thanks."

The three got to work. Draco stripped Hermione down to her bra and knickers, forcing himself not to blush. She's hurt badly. There is another time for that. All three healers stared at her stomach. On it was another carving of the word 'Mudblood'. Draco felt his temper flare when he felt a hand on his arm. "Calm down, Malfoy. Heal her first, kill later," Healer Thompson said softly. Draco shook his head and then waved his wand around her body. They watched in confusion as her wounds had refused to close up.

"I have a theory and it's not a good one," Healer Johnson spoke up, "her attacker may have struck her with a curse that prevents her body from using magic to heal her wounds."

Draco looked at him with a worried expression. "But look at her! She has so many wounds! She could…" he swallowed hard, "die."

Healer Johnson shook his head. "We can do this. We'll apply the same things to her, just manually." He took out various potions, ointments, salves, and creams from his bang. Healer Thompson took out a sponge and gathered some water in a bowl but was stopped by Draco.

"I'll do it," he said quietly, "I don't think I can do anything right now. I can't think. I'll leave her to you two after this." He took the sponge and began to clean her body from all the dried up blood and cuts. Healer Johnson began to spread all the creams and ointments on her body. He wrapped the areas that were filled with many wounds with gauze. Once they were done with her front, they all braced themselves. "Okay, we will levitate and turn her body on three. Slowly, understood? We don't want to see any of the bandaged wounds to break open." The two nodded and pointed their wands at Hermione. At three they all whispered the spell. Her body levitated off the bed and began turned her slowly. Draco cringed at the sight. Criss-cross marks were all over her back. Some were done over those that were already opened. He felt his legs give out once she was laid down properly. Draco felt tears fall on his face as he looked at her. He gripped the sponge in his other hand tightly. He rubbed his tears away fiercely on his forearm and dabbed at the wounds, cleaning it like he did so earlier.

Three hours later, Draco and the other healers emerged out of the door and closed it quietly behind them. "Thanks for the help," Draco said exhaustedly. He hadn't realized how tired he was until now.

Healer Thompson gave him a sympathetic smile. "Get some rest, Malfoy. She's stable now. Floo us if you need anymore help or if anything happens." The two made their way down the stairs and floo'ed back to the hospital. Draco walked to his parents' room. He opened the door and all eyes snapped to him. Scorpius wiggled out of Narcissa's arms and into Draco's. He picked up his son and hugged him tightly.

"Is mummy okay?" he asked tiredly.

Draco gave his son a soft smile. "Yes, she is okay. Come, let me get you to bed. We can visit mummy when you're fully rested." Scorpius gave him a little smile and nodded. He rested his head on at the crook of Draco's neck as he carried Scorpius to his room.

Once he came back to his parent's room, Narcissa asked worriedly. "So how is she?"

Draco sat down on the french chair at the end of his parents' bed. "She's stable now. That git made it so that we couldn't heal her magically, so it's going to take her a while to recover. She was losing too much blood. Both Healers said that another hour or so and she wouldn't have made it. She…she was hurt so badly. Her back was the worst. I've never seen so many whip marks on a person. Small pieces of her flesh was torn off." He put his head in his hands, his whole body shaking uncontrollably.

Narcissa closed her eyes as tears began to fall. Lucius gripped his cane tightly as his heart clenched.

Minutes had passed when Narcissa decided to lighten up the mood. "So…mummy?" she let out a faint giggle when she saw Draco's face blush a little.

"Well, I keep telling Scor she's just a friend but…he's really attached to her." So am I…

Narcissa regarded her son for a minute. He looked up at her and watched as her eyes twinkled. Really, son?

Draco cleared his throat. "Well, I'm going to retire to my room. I will check on Hermione in the morning. Mum, Father."

All of them retired to their rooms, emotionally exhausted from the day's events.

For the next few days, Draco Narcissa, and Lucius took shifts in watching Hermione, waiting for her to wake up. Draco informed the bookstore owner who readily agreed and wished her a 'get well soon'. Draco would peak in her room every now and then when it wasn't his shift, marveling at the sight. He would see Scorpius visit her room often.

"Mummy," Scorpius said quietly as he brushed his hand against hers. "I know you aren't my real mum, but you are to me. You are the best and only friend I have ever had. I hope you and Daddy will be together so we could stay with each other forever." He moved and pecked her cheek. "I love you, 'Mione. I'll visit later."

Draco smiled and then thought about his mum.

"Hermione dear," Narcissa said quietly, "You gave all of us quite a scare. I know we may have not seen eye-to-eye in the past, but everything is different now. Believe it or not, I see you as something more than just a patient. I see you as a fearless, strong, and independent woman that gives her unconditional love and devotion to others, especially to those who haven't been so kind to you in the past. Remember what I said before about treating you like a daughter? Well, those days have sealed it. I see you as one of my own. I know its a surprise, but you have allowed me to dote upon a female other than myself, especially when she has a very simple taste. Dear, just thinking about it makes me want to go out and buy you more dresses." She got up to and was about to leave when she turned back and looked at Hermione. "Once you're healed, you'll still shop with me and wear the dresses I pick out for you, yes? I should throw a ball for you as well. A 'you're fully healed' little party. You can wear the dress I will pick out for you and let Draco escort you. Maybe we can make it a surprise engagement between you two," she mumbled the last part as she exited out the door.

Draco let out a chuckle. So…she knows. Am I that transparent? Lastly, he thought about his father. What he had witnessed nearly made him pass out in surprise.

"Hello Ms. Granger," Lucius said as he sat down on the chair next to her, his back towards the door. "It's strange, not hearing you scold me, telling me to call you 'Hermione' instead. What's even more strange is that I'm here with," he let out a sad sigh, "a change of heart. You have changed past couple of months have taught me that my upbringing was not at all correct. In fact, you have made me doubt my beliefs countless times. I will admit, Cissy pushed me to. Well more like forced." he let out a chuckle. "but when I saw those marks on your body that night…I guess you can say that it made me think otherwise."

"I'm glad she gave me the extra push. She was right. A house full of 'blood type' tension wouldn't have been pleasant. I have even found someone who can challenge me intellectually." He leaned in and inched his hand close to hers, lightly placing his on top of it. "I've even seen a change in young Scorpius. He's more playful and expresses his love for those he loves. I have to admit, I feared he was going to turn out just like Draco. I have you to thank for that. You showed him love and happiness that his mother never showed him. I can't….I can't thank you enough. Even though you can't hear me I hope you know that I myself, along with everyone else is waiting for you to wake up. It's amazing. You have somehow crawled your way into our skins and melted our 'cold' hearts. You are now the keeper of all Malfoy hearts. Be careful with them, Ms. Granger. They may look strong on the outside, but inside they are as fragile as a baby." He leaned back and carefully retracted his hand, grabbing the book hidden from his jacket pockets. He flipped to the part he left off and continued to read.

There was a sharp knock at the door to his room, bringing him out of his thoughts. He opened the door, revealing a rather unusually giddy Lucius. "Father," he said as he raised an eyebrow, "Is there something wrong?"

Lucius moved around Draco's room, inspecting the books on the desk. "I was wondering," he began, "if you would like to join me on a little 'father and son' trip."

Draco looked at him as if he had grown an extra head. "Um…what?"

"Well, I was thinking about somethings earlier and I was wondering if you would like to help me with it." Draco continued to give him a wary look, but nodded in reply. Lucius moved towards him and grasped his arm tightly. Draco continued to stare at him when he felt the tingling effects of side-along apparition. Seconds later, Draco opened his eyes and his eyebrows furrowed. They were in front of a rotting door, the smell of liquor and rotting wood leaking through its cracks. Draco swallowed hard and tried not to gag.

"Where are-" All of a sudden, Lucius broke through the door, shielding himself from any hexes thrown at him. Both of their eyes readjusted to the darkness that enveloped them.

"Incarcerous." Lucius growled out loudly at the silhouette in the corner. All of a sudden there was a muffled cry. Lucius and Draco moved closer, their wands pointing at the person.

Draco's eyes narrowed and jabbed his wand at the person's throat. "Weasel."

Ron glared at him menacingly. "What the bloody hell are you lot doing here?" He spat.

Lucius closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to calm his rage. He walked up to Ron and gripped him tightly at his shirt. "You dared to desecrate my home with your brutish ways. You dared to touch what is mine. I swear to Merlin," he whispered harshly, "Touch my daughter-in-law again and I will not hesitate to kill you." He let go of the shirt and brushed his hand over his robes, a look of disgust washed over his features. "Filthy…" he whispered.

Draco stared in awe at his father. Wait wait…daughter-in-law? What in the-

Ron let out a maniacal laugh. "You've gone soft, Malfoy. Both you and your git of a son. Falling at the feet of a mudblood. Pathetic."

Draco felt his anger flare. Without a second thought he waved his wand at Ron's chest near his heart. "Sectumsempra!" he yelled out. Tiny but deep gashes marred Ron's skin, turning turning his shirt to a dark and wet color. Ron whimpered in pain and anger. "Don't you dare call her that!"

Draco turned around, not looking at his father. "I have no regrets," he said calmly. Lucius smirked and pointed his wand at Ron, whispering an unfamiliar spell. Ron's eyes widened.

"Oh don't worry, this is just the same spell you used on Ms. Granger. Let this be a lesson to you." Lucius walked out of the room, Draco following close behind her. Once they were out, Draco spoke up quietly.

"Daughter-in-law?" he asked, a smirk forming.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Draco." He said cooly.

Minutes later they were face-to-face with the entrance to Hermione's room. Lucius opened the door and walked in first. His eyes loomed over Hermione for a bit and then settled on the person who was keeping her company. "Cissy, any good news?" Narcissa shook her head. Lucius sighed. "Come Cissy. We'll leave Draco to his shift." He wrapped his arm around, guiding her out the door.

Draco sat down in the chair and immediately placed his hand on top of Hermione's. He stared at their hands. "Hermione," he started quietly, "Um…how do I begin? I er- Remember that day I bumped into you in Muggle London? I didn't mean to scare you, honestly. It was just surprising for me to see you there. I didn't know how to act so I just had to be my usual git self. Pretty pathetic, right? I'm sorry about that. I should've apologized right then and there. I'm-"

"Draco?" he heard a faint and raspy voice. His head shot up and his eyes widened. Hermione continued to look at him with confusion. Then she gave him a small smile. "Hello Draco," she winced as she tried to move her hand. "Why do I feel so sore?"

Draco snapped out of his gaze and gave her a large smile. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her a bit tightly. "Thank Merlin. You've been out for about 4 days. When I found you in that sealed off room…" he swallowed loudly, "I didn't know what to do. Just seeing you there, bleeding on the floor and unconscious, I felt so…numb. I couldn't function properly."

Hermione moved her head slowly, trying not to wince. She leaned in slightly and gave him a feather-light kiss on his neck. "At least you found me. I'm okay now. Don't beat yourself up for it." She felt him relax but continued to hold her. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours until they heard a tiny voice.

"'Mione?" They both turned to see Scorpius with disbelieving eyes.

Hermione smiled at him. "Hello sweet." He ran up to her bed with squealing with happiness. Draco lifted him off from the ground and placed him between Hermione and himself. Scorpius wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist, snuggling into her side.

"I was scared, 'Mioine. I was afraid you were gone forever," he muttered. Hermione moved her arm slowly and wrapped around his little body.

"I'll never leave you, sweet." Scorpius snuggled closer to her side. Within a few minutes, he fell asleep with a smile on his face. Draco watched their interactions and tried not smile. He shifted his gaze up to Hermione's, their eyes locking. Feigning the awkwardness between the two, Draco wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulder, her head laying on his shoulder.

This feels…strangely…right, they both thought.

"Hermione, dear!" Narcissa said with glee. She stepped into the room followed by her husband. She ran up to Hermione, throwing her arms around her. "You scared us half to death!" She let go of her hold on her and placed her hands on her hips, "Never venture off without any of us or I will personally make sure you know the consequences."

Hermione blushed bashfully and looked away. Lucius sat down on her bed beside Narcissa, his arm around her. "She's right Ms. Granger. You need to be more careful. When you're part of our family, no one is to be harmed."

Both Hermione and Draco's mouths hung open. "Our family?" Draco questioned.

Both of his parents' eyes snapped to him. "Ah, Draco. I did not see you there. Yes, our family. What…did you think we went to 'that' house for fun? I may hate that family, but I wouldn't go there without a reason." Hermione looked between the two of them in confusion. Her eyes shifted to Narcissa who said nothing but had a smile on her face.

"Wait wait," Hermione said, "are you two…allowing me to stay here? I mean I know you accepted the terms in the beginning, but I just thought…I don't know…that you were tired of some Muggle-born staying at your home."

Narcissa smiled. "Of course not, dear! In fact, all of us agree that you have somehow grown on us. We," she gestured to the others, "along with young Scor, would love for you to stay here."

Hermione's smile grew as she looked at the three of them. Her eyes stayed on Draco, his smile making her grow warm all over her body. Narcissa looked at the two. "Oh, but we do have a condition."

Hermione's smile fell. "Okay, what is it?"

Narcissa looked at her husband who gave Hermione a smirk. "In return for staying here, you must" she paused dramatically,"date Draco and make yourselves exclusive."

Hermione stared at her incredulously, her mouth hung open. "W-What?" She felt her face flush.

Draco stared at his mum, his face tinted red in embarrassment. "Mum!" Does everyone forget I'm here?

"Oh hush, both of you. I've seen the way you two look at each other. I'm very observant, despite what you think." Narcissa raised an eyebrow when she saw the two exchange glances.

Scorpius stirred and mumbled, causing everyone to pause in mid-conversation. He blinked his eyes, wiping the sleep off of them. His sight landed on Hermione and smiled brightly. "'Mione"

"Hello, sweet. Did you have a good nap?"

He nodded and then looked around. "Hello daddy. Grandmother, Grandfather." He continued to lay beside Hermione, his face looking up at her. "What were you guys talking about?" he asked curiously.

"Scor, you like ''Mione' right?" Narcissa asked, preventing Hermione from explaining. She watched as he nodded again. "Well, 'Mione and you dad would like to get together. They want to ask you for your permission first."

Hermione looked at her with a shocked expression and shifted her look back at Draco. He gave her the same look, but their gaze lingered a little bit longer. He shrugged while giving her a small smile. Why not, Granger? She smiled and then shifted her gaze back to Scorpius.

"May I, sweet?" she asked, slightly nervous.

He nodded excitedly and then thought of something. "Um…can I call you mummy then?"

Hermione blushed and then looked at the adults who all nodded profusely. She looked back at Scorpius and nodded. He squeezed her tightly. "I love you mummy."

"I love you too." She buried her face in his shoulder. Narcissa let out a quiet 'aww'. Draco curled his arm around her and laid his hand on Scorpius' back lovingly.

He whispered in her ear, I hope you still have some room for me in that heart of yours.

Hermione looked up at him and giggled, pecking him on the lips quickly. My heart was already yours, she whispered in return.

"Well Cissy," he squeezed his wife's side lovingly, "I believe we should let this family retire for the night. We have a celebration to hold in the morning." He kissed his wife's cheek and then whispered, "And maybe we can have a celebration of our own." Narcissa blushed and then swatted his arm.

Draco resisted the urge to gag. "We can hear you two. There's a child in the room!" he said as he covered his son's ears.

Lucius looked at him with a straight face with a hint of mischief. "Oh sorry son. I forgot you were still here. Honestly son you need to speak up. Goodnight Scorpius, Hermione." He watched as she looked at him with a surprised face and walked out.

Once he left, she turned back to Draco who had an irritated look on his face. She giggled, causing him to look at her. "You know he's just kidding," She said grabbed his hand. She was surprised at how much energy she had gotten after being up for only a few hours. He interlaced their fingers together and stared down at Scorpius.

Scorpius took her other hand and held it in his own. "Once you're better mummy, can we play together? We can let daddy take care of the dragons!"

She laughed when she saw Draco look at his son with a confused look. "Don't worry, Draco. We will teach you. Together."

He smiled and gave her a peck on her cheek. Together…definitely.