Damaged Goods by slytherin_after_dark

Epilogue

- NOT MY STORY!! ALL CREDITS TO @slytherin_after_dark ON A03!!

Hermione was fidgeting with her coat, nervously adjusting it as they stood in front of the small house in the middle of the woods. The snow was knee-deep and although it was the middle of the day, the sun hadn't come up.

Draco grinned at her. "There is no need to be nervous."

Easy for him to say. He wasn't ever going to meet her parents.

"I'm not nervous."

A blatant lie.

He chuckled. "She's going to love you."

That only made it worse because what if she didn't?

"Ready?" He asked. "Or would you like to re-adjust your coat again?"

She shot him an angry look and that made the smirk on his face only grow bigger. He put an arm around her and placed a kiss on top of her head.

"Trust me, she is beyond excited to meet you," he reassured.

Then he knocked on the door. Narcissa looked just like Hermione had remembered. She was wearing a thick wool sweater, and her white and black hair was elegantly pinned up.

"Merry Christmas, Mother," Draco said but Narcissa didn't pay any attention to him.

She just stared at Hermione and for a moment she was terrified of what this meant.

Was she appalled by the muggle-born witch dating her only son?

Tears began to well in Narcissa's eyes as she pulled Hermione into a hug and held her tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for saving him."

Draco was quiet as if he didn't want to interrupt the moment.

When Narcissa let her go, she took Hermione's face into her hands.

"Let me get a good look at you," she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "What a stunning young witch you have become. I'm so glad Draco finally brought you over. I was beginning to think he was hiding you from me. But where are my manners? Come inside. It's freezing out here."

The small hut was the opposite to Malfoy Manor. It was cozy with lots of warm light, smelling of firewood and candied apples. Even in the small space, Narcissa had managed to decorate everything elegantly.

While Draco brought their luggage inside, Narcissa gave Hermione a tour of the house, which ended in the kitchen. Before Hermione could say anything, she had a drink in her hand.

"Firewhiskey with apple cider and cinnamon," Narcissa said as she took a sip from her drink. "I can't cook for the life of me but at least I know how to make good drinks."

Hermione chuckled and took a sip, which was surprisingly delicious.

"Don't worry," Narcissa said. "I have ordered dinner. I am not going to subject you to my cooking."

Unlike muggle delivery services, the food just magically arrived on the table at 8 p.m. It was a feast and way too much for the three of them. Narcissa asked her about her potion work and was especially fascinated with her work to remove the Dark Mark. They laughed and drank and ate too much food and Hermione was surprised how easy Narcissa was to talk to.

"This has been delicious, Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione said.

"Please, call me Narcissa. I always wanted to have a daughter and I feel like you're already part of the family."

Hermione swallowed, feeling like it struck a nerve because her own parents were never going to remember her. There was never going to be a Christmas with them.