Draco Malfoy and the Seven

Watch Him Burn

pril 24th, 2003

Hermione's POV

In the days following the trial, Hermione received three Howlers from Molly Weasley and just as many letters of apology from Arthur. She had refused to respond to Molly but had written back to the Weasley Patriarch to convey her gratitude and sorrow. Hermione had refused to apologize for her part in putting Ron in Azkaban, but that didn't mean she wasn't sad about the fact that it had to happen in the first place. She also explained that she knew of Molly's struggles since the war but wouldn't be a part of a narrative that celebrated victim blaming. She thanked him for reaching out and for his attempts to apologize for his wife's behavior.

"Granger?" Draco's voice floated from their bedroom doorway.

"In here," Hermione responded while marking the spot in her current read.

"I'm preparing the food for tonight. Is there anything in particular the troublesome trio is craving today?" Draco had made it his mission to wait on her hand and foot when he was home. Bubble baths in the evening accompanied with foot rubs and treats to feed her insatiable cravings.

"Coffee."

"Coffee?" he asks slowly.

"Yes. I am craving a dessert that tastes like coffee."

"Right. One coffee dessert is coming up. Theo and Charlie owled, and they will be over soon. I imagine the others won't be far behind. Do you need help with anything?" Draco asks.

They had finally decided to share the news of their pregnancy with the rest of the group. Pansy, of course, already knew, which meant Neville was also aware, but they hadn't told anyone else in their friend group. Hermione was missing her friends, so they had decided on a simple get-together at their home that evening.

"No. I'll get ready and be downstairs soon," Hermione responds before going to their shared closet. Together, they packed the belongings in her flat and moved them into Draco's. They'd stored the multitude of boxes in a spare bedroom so she could unpack when she was ready.

Throwing on jeans and a lavender knit jumper, Hermione made her way downstairs. The smell of Draco's cooking drew her to the kitchen, where he was assembling a large charcuterie board of roasted meats, homemade bread, fruits, vegetables, and assorted sweets.

"Merlin, I am starving. I will be as big as a house by the time our children are born." Hermione says while lathering up a warm slice of bread with butter.

"Children?!" Hermione drops her food at the sound of Theo's shocked voice.

"Uhm- surprise?" She says while shrugging her shoulders. In the next moment, she's gathered in Theo's arms, and he nearly squeezes the life out of her.

"Wait. Did you say, children? As in multiple?" Theo asks, his brown eyes sparkling with a mixture of mischief and joy.

"Three, to be exact." Hermione answers as Theo's infectious happiness warms her heart, chasing away the last vestiges of surprise. They had planned on telling the group as a whole, but she hadn't heard the Floo go off when she'd made her statement to Draco.

"Don't hog the pregnant lady, Theo," Charlie says as his tall, bulky frame gently shoves Theo to the side so he can pull her into a bear hug. Her feet lift off the ground for just a moment before she feels herself settle back down.

"Draco Malfoy, you sly dog. A ring would have sufficed, but I will definitely get more enjoyment from three little swots running around."

Hermione chuckles as Draco shoots a heated glare at his old friend. "Was that your plan all along, Darling? Knock me up so I'd stay forever? Theo is right; a ring would have done the job just as well." Hermione teases the scowling blonde as she lovingly caresses her belly.