After a War ((Old Copy))

Chapter 2 Book 3

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She had told him not to come, but he refused. He said he would be there, and he was going to be there, no matter what had happened within the last hour. So there he stood, scared to death, how much did Charlie know? Did he know that his brother was no longer with Hermione? Hopefully. Draco didn't know how many more punches he could stand, especially from one of the older Weasley's. The twins, Weasel, and Weaselette were fine, but the oldest two were something else. The prefect? Nothing. He didn't think he'd ever even see that one again. Unless, he somehow ended up at a dinner. He shivered at the thought. Hermione wouldn't make him go to one of those? Right?

Hermione took a deep breath of air and interrupted his thoughts.

"I'm right here with you, I could even-"

"I'm fine Draco. As long as you are." Hermione interrupted him softly, not wanting him to worry as much as he did. Draco tightened his grip on her hand and nodded. They flooed to Diagon Ally. Just as Hermione had suspected, nobody was there, people never went to Diagon ally on full moons. People said their magic was too strong and bar fights usually ended with someone arrested. There was one person, standing next to the twins closed down shop, figured he'd be next to his siblings shop. Actually, it was two people, if you counted the small one. Charlie glared at Draco before hesitantly opening his mouth to speak.

"I must say I'm more than-" He started.

"Are they gone?" Hermione asked, Draco held her hand tighter than ever. Charlie looked at the baby sleeping in his arms, and nodded sadly. Hermione wiped away a tear from her eye, she knew it was going to happen, but she didn't want to cry, not anymore than she already had that day.

"I'm afraid so." Charlie mumbled. "He fell asleep before sunset, he hasn't even stirred. He sleeps more than any other dragon iv taken care of." He tried to brighten the mood slightly. Draco saw her smile for the first time in hours. She peeked in the bundle of blankets as Charlie handed Justin to her.

"He looks like them." Hermione whispered, her voice shaky.

"He looks like you." Draco told her as he peeked in the bundle too. He did. Justin looked just like his sister, just more masculine. Charlie looked at him again, and at the mark on his arm, Draco had started wearing short sleeves more often because Hermione had asked him to not be afraid of the mark. It burned from time to time, just because Voldemort was on the move. Draco hadn't told Hermione but he felt it more than ever when they went to St. Mungos, Voldemort had moved bases. Where did he go? Draco guessed the Manor. It was a good base of operations, but it was his house now. He had to protect it, that would be his side project while Hermione took a day off from him.

"Would you two like to come inside?" Bill asked. "I have a place here temporarily, don't tell my mum. She'd make me stay, and I swear, there are no dragons inside this time." Bill added. Draco caught Hermione looking at him for a moment before she nodded.

"We'd love to. I have things to tell you anyway." Hermione said. Draco watched Charlie open a door to an apartment right next to the twins shop. He left the lights off, not to wake the baby. Too late. Justin squirmed slightly and started to whimper a small cry. Hermione smirked.

"Tea?" Charlie asked. "And there's a warm bottle of milk on the counter, figured he'd wake up when you arrived." He said as he motioned for the bottle on the counter.

"Thank you, I'll help with the tea." Hermione said. Charlie smirked as he realized what she was doing.

"How are you going to make a pot of tea and hold a-" Draco was cut off when Hermione placed that crying boy in his arms.

"Give him the bottle of milk, I think you can handle that my dearest fiancée." Hermione whispered to him, she smirked and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before going towards the kitchen with Charlie, who was chuckling loudly. Draco looked down at the baby in his arms.

"Are you kidding me?" Draco growled to himself. That only made Justin cry louder. "Oh no, its ok, Shh." He repeated that while walking around the room slowly bottle-feeding the boy. Merlin. He actually liked this.

"YOUR WHAT?" Charlie yelled from the kitchen. Draco chuckled to himself. and smiled widely when Justin smiled at him. Then a thought appeared to him.

"Your magical like your sister right?" Draco asked the baby, who giggled and reached up to grab Draco's nose. "Maybe not magical with a wand, but you really are great at melting peoples heart aren't you?" Draco asked Justin. He stuck his tongue out at the boy and the baby laughed again.

"DO HARRY AND RON KNOW?" Charlie erupted from the kitchen, he startled Justin and the baby cried again. Draco began to hum the tune of a song his mother would hum to him when he was a infant. Hermione snuck up behind him as Justin finally fell asleep.

"Charlie promises he wont tell anyone about our engagement, as long as we tell them ourselves this Sunday at dinner." Hermione whispered to him.

"Sunday is tomorrow. As in, three hours from now." Draco whispered back.

"I know, but, how long are we going to hide this ring from everyone? Its too big to hide." Hermione said, she wrapped her arms around the his neck from behind and put her left hand out to let them both see the ring.

"No sleep?" Draco asked quietly.

"Were you going to sleep anyway?" Hermione asked, she returned her hand to his neck and shoulders and hugged him tightly from behind.

"No, probably not but you could have slept some." Draco whispered to her, and pulled out of her grasp so he could rock the baby more as it began to stir.

"With all the drama and stress going on? Probably not a second of sleep. Plus, you know the second I walk into Hogwarts with this ring on, Ginny, Harry, Ron, Luna, Maya, and everyone else will be on me like I'm the cure to cancer." Hermione whispered as she followed him around the room. Draco smirked.

"I'm going to actually have to call them by their names now wont I?" Draco asked quietly.

"Yes, you will. At least sometimes. the occasional Weasel or Saint Potter wouldn't be bad." Hermione said. He held back a laugh at the way she said his nicknames for her friends. She tried to sound like him, but much more adorable. "You want a break?" Hermione asked softly, motioning for the infant. Draco shook his head.

"No, I like him too much." Draco whispered as he smiled down at the sleeping child. Hermione smiled widely.

"Your going to be a great father one day Mr. Malfoy." Hermione told him softly.

"Your going to be an even better Mother one day, soon-to-be Mrs. Malfoy." Draco said. She smiled and kissed him before resting her head on his shoulder