Author's note: Hi all. I figure more of us are at home or need some distracting so i'm going to post a few stories that are a ways done. Take care of yourselves and each other. As usual this is all JKR except what isn't and thanks to her genius.

-Maybenotahufflepuff

"You will remember what you deserve and be thankful for what you have." That was the first time she heard the voice. It was scathing and she didn't hear a reply.

The second time was far different. This time she heard the smacking sound of flesh hitting flesh and then a wail. Had Hermione not been crying hysterically she probably would have stopped but she had been barely holding herself together and had only understood what she heard after she collapsed into her bed at home. Calming draught forcing her eyes closed.

"I'm not worthless." She froze on the sidewalk. One foot slowly lowering to the ground as she stilled. There was a window directly above her head and that's where the sound was coming from. It was the attic window and she had never seen a child there or heard anyone say that Mrs Vengal had a grandchild or anything. Where these sounds had been coming from wasn't clear until now.

"No." It was a shout and she decided that voice was young. Maybe five or seven. In a second she made a decision and before a thud and smack was heard she had the front door to the house across the street from hers open and was silently closing it behind her. She could apologize if she had somehow misread the situation but she wouldn't allow anyone to be hit. When Ron had hit her, that was the end. The line and she was drawing one here.

Spelled silent, she walked up the stairs and listened. She nearly screamed when a small face peeked around the corner of a door right next to the attic stairs and peered at her. It wasn't very bright in here but she thought it a boy of about five. Then a scream from upstairs and the boy whimpered. Tears silently flowing down his face. Her shoulders tensed and she gestured him into the room he had come out of. Then had a thought and cast muffliato.

"Is she the only adult here." Her voice was quiet and she met the boy's eyes until he nodded slowly and wiped at his face. More tears wetting it before she nodded.

"Stay here." Then she was moving up the stairs and ready. For whatever she might see. Or she thought she was, the small woman of about sixty was beating a curled up shape with a broom handle and magic exploded out of her wand. She didn't consciously decide to use so many forms of restraint but in less than a minute the woman was unconscious, petrified, bound, gagged, and temporarily deaf.

"Oh my god. Merlin." The words came out of her mouth as she stared at the shaking form on the ground. Arms around his head and blood soaking the arm she could see.

"Alright. It will be okay." The whisper came out and she dropped to the ground. Then her mind started working. Healing. The kid needed healing.

When the eye peeked at her, she nearly dropped the vial. Her mind was going in to many directions and the reason Malfoy's eyes were staring at her could wait. It wasn't him. He was grown and in Azkaban. Then she summoned potion vials and began spelling them into him. Not wanting to make him smile or have him fight her.

"Let's stay still a minute and let those work." She didn't want to touch him incase it hurt the boy more. What was happening here?

"Scorp?" The voice came from behind her and she did turn her head but only kept her wand as it was and waited.

"Trey." It was a whimper and she decided it was alright to cast some healing spells now. Her wand came up and then she was tackled at the same time as she heard the shout. It was a boy, she told herself as she holstered her wand on her forearm and let herself be taken down by the small body. Then she wrapped her arms around him and held him as she rolled so he was beside her. The boy began to thrash and she just started talking.

"Be careful. You don't want to hit him. I am going to heal his nose alright? It's broken and that is causing the bleeding. What's your name?" She asked calmly and all at once the boy stopped moving and began to sob, then it was more than that and he was holding tightly to her shirt.

"Tha's Trey." The blond one murmured and she looked over at him. He was still curled up but he didn't look at besten now.

"Let's fix your nose. Then we are leaving." She said firmly and neither boy moved or spoke.

"Sit up Trey. We've got to help him don't we?" Maybe he needed a partial dose of calming draught. The first time had been months ago and she didn't know how long they had been here or who they were. Neither was staying here though.

"Kay." Was sniffled into her shirt and then he was rolling off of her and she noticed he was hurt too. Merlin, what the hell was going on. Neither boy made a sound except the Malfoy look alike gasping when she cracked his nose into place. She talked quietly about what she was doing and tried to decide what to do now.

"I live across the street. Could you come with me?" She finally asked as she wiped the blonde's face and wondered how he looked so much like the prat. There was no animosity in those eyes though. Curious and wary.

"Trey?" It was quiet but she looked between them. All three were still on the floor. Close together and talking quietly.

"Might be better Scorp." The dark haired one answered his friend and she could only be glad they would come.

Then both boys looked to the witch still insensate and Hermione was shocked to realize she had nearly forgotten about her. What to do. This would hold indefinitely but Harry was working so he would undo it.

"I'll ward her in and send someone to deal with this mess." She said and they didn't reply but did walk to the door. Looking back at the witch as if she might get them from behind.

"I've got your backs." She said quietly and they both stopped to look at her. Then each other before Scorp tried to step down the first stair and shook.

"I'll carry you." His head came up and he looked disgusted.

"Disillusioned so no one can see you." They both looked interested and as if they didn't understand so she beckoned them back from the stair edge and tapped her head, saying the incantation slowly and clearly. They both gasped and Trey stepped toward her. She let him grip her sweater and he grinned at the blond.

"She's here." He sounded amazed and she grinned invisibly.

"So I'll do this to both of you and then it will look like just me crossing the street." She offered, and they both nodded after looking at each other again. Like opposite coloured twins.

"Come here then." He was light. To light when she easily picked him up and checked she wasn't hurting him. Then she tapped her wand on both heads and they melted into their surroundings.

"Take my hand please." She requested when a finger poked her stomach. Her smile was genuine though and she wondered at the resilience of children.

Together they walked down the two flights of stairs after the attic ones and then she stopped at the door. The body in her arms was rigid and she felt the hand in hers try and pull away.

"It's alright. It's not even raining." She said easily and waited.

"We can't go outside." A small voice said in her ear and she decided that they were all leaving right now.

"Ever?" She didn't mean it really. Just wanted them to talk to her and the silence was deafening.

"Surely not. All boys like to run and play." She said quietly and Tray's hand tightened on hers.

"Not allowed." He said quietly and she wished she could see his face.

"You can now. It might be a bit slippery though so careful on the steps. There are three down from the porch. I'm right across the road." She said encouragingly and kept the hand in hers while she reached for the door handle then wandlessly opened it.

Both were silent when she stopped after closing it the same way and then she spoke.

"I need my hand to ward her in. Stay there please." She quickly did so after he dropped it and she didn't have to ask him to take it again. As soon as she held her hand in that direction he grabbed it. Leaving her wand held by her thumb. At least he wasn't scared of that. The silence was unnerving so she started speaking.

"We don't have big yards here but there is a garden behind my dining room. Double doors to it and you can look out or go out when we get there if you want. Though those potions will make you tired. See the cat there? The man named it pickles and it eats them." Her stupidity carried on until they crossed her wards at the door of the porch stairs and she relaxed. No one could touch them here.

"Let's just go in. Don't worry about it." Trey had stopped and was wiping his bare feet. Merlin, she hadn't even thought about the fact they didn't have shoes on. Now that they were in her normally lit foyer instead of that dim house or the darkening evening sky she released the spell and could see them. Trey was looking around carefully and he looked even smaller than she thought. Thin and not especially clean. His dark curly hair was a mop on his head and she looked away from eyes she recognized and leaned back from the one in her arms.

"Malfoy." She said quietly and stared into the same gray eyes. Flecks of dark and light around the irises. Then it clicked and she looked down at Trey.

"Nott." Trey looked around her doubtfully then and Scorp squirmed to get down.

"It's alright. I'm sorry boys. You remind me of people I went to school with. Are you a malfoy?" She asked the blond who had a hand on his friend's arm now. A slow nod.

"Draco's? Are you Draco's son?" She asked. Incredulous and not understanding.

"Draco Malfoy. Death Eater scum." He said sullenly and the expression was familiar but her mind stalled.

"How old are you?" She asked and the dark haired one stepped in front of his friend.

"We are four. Our dads will come. One day." She nodded but he didn't respond. It was said as if it were a mantra. Flatly and with an oft repeated tone. It felt unreal to even think that Malfoy had a son. Four years old. In the attic across the street. What the hell was happening.

"Are you Theo's son then?" It might be true. Anything seemed possible right now and he nodded twice. Then gave her a look she understood and she grinned. It was surreal to see the exact same expression in this moment.

"Your Daddy looked like that when I did better than him. Like he can't believe it and must have cheated." She said and he cocked his head.

"You know my dad?" The question was nearly whispered and the boys were trying to stand in the same place. So close together. The bruises were fading though and she felt a bit relieved at that. Even if it didn't change that they had been there.

"Yes. I didn't know about either of you though. I knew them both at school." She said and wondered what to do. They needed a bath. She had to floo Harry. They had sons and she assumed it wasn't just her that didn't know. Fucking Ministry bullshit no doubt. So much had been done and sealed in the year it took them to wrestle some semblance of less corruption into being. She had done her time. Two years in Magical Creatures and Education. Never had she heard a whisper of Draco or Theo having sons. It would be gossiped about surely.

"You're from the papers." Theo's dark blue eyes looked at her in the grimy face and she nodded.

"Yes. It's not fun, having people write about me. Are you too tired to bathe? What are your full names?" She said and tried to be normal. They were all still standing in her foyer and they were still holding onto each other.

"Scorpius Draco Malfoy." He said quietly and looked at his feet. The hair might be as light as Draco's, if it were clean and shiny. Unless he was playing quidditch she had never seen Malfoy anything less than clean and pristine. Even while she was on the floor of his manor the light shone off his bright hair.

"Treydon Nott." She looked for him and his chin was up. Daring her to do something.

"Alright. Scorpius is a constellation like your dad and his mother's family." She said and the boy cocked his head. Not understanding.

"A picture in the stars. The Blacks used constellation names mostly. Except your grandmother. Her name was Narcissa." She said. Not knowing what the boy knew and he didn't respond but Treydon did.

"Stars can't make pictures." He said then closed his mouth and stepped back. In a moment she came back to herself. He thought she would hit him and she took a step back.

"I won't hit you. Ever. No one should ever have done that. I don't know what is going on or why you were there but we will figure something out. How about you two have a bath. Together if you want and I'll show you on the bathroom wall. The shape of Scorpius, it's a scorpion, in the sky and your dad's is a dragon." She offered. Hoping they would take it. The blond was going to fall asleep in the not too distant future and she needed to make some calls.

"Alright. Can it be warm?" The blond did look up then and she thought it was hope or want in his eyes.

"Yes. As hot as is comfortable for you." She tried to keep the shake from her voice. She could think about this later.