Delighted To Love You: A Dramione Story

Part 1: Chapter 2

"Ginny! Ginny!" Draco was yelling frantically as he stepped out of the fireplace at Godric's Hollow. "Harry! Hermione's gone! Hermione's--"

Ginny came running into the room. "Draco shut up! She's here! Now stop yelling; James and Teddy are asleep. Harry's going to come in and talk to you. Sit down and I'll bring in some tea."

Draco scowled at her back as she left the room again but he sunk into the nearest chair and ran his hand through his hair nervously.

Harry came in a few minutes later and sat down opposite Draco. He looked deeply concerned and upset.

"Did she come straight here?" Draco asked after a few minutes of silence.

Harry shook his head. "Jean sent an owl saying Hermione left shortly after Ginny got home from your house. She wanted to know if Hermione came here. Ginny called me, panicking. I've been looking for her all afternoon. I just found her about thirty minutes ago."

"Why did no one call me?!" Draco asked, standing up angrily. "She's my wife!"

"Draco, keep your voice down unless you want Ginny to kill you!" Harry hissed. Draco sat back down. "I'm sorry I didn't call; Ron and I so worried about finding her it just didn't cross my mind. You forget, she's like my sister. Anyway, I think Jean sent you an owl, it must have just missed you."

"Where was she?" Draco asked.

"Grimmauld Place. I think she thought no one would look for her there."

Ginny came into the room with tea. "Do you want to see her Draco?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course--" Draco trailed off when he saw the death glare that Ginny was giving him. "Sorry Gin'. I'm just worried. I don't really know what to do here." He ran his hand through his hair again and stood up.

Ginny moved toward him and drew him into a hug. "I know Draco, I know." She gave him a soft smile. "But if you ever speak to me like that again, I will not hesitate to hex you. Come on!"

Draco snorted and followed her to one of their guest rooms where Hermione was lying on the bed curled into a ball, staring out the window.

"Herms?"

She turned toward him with tears in her eyes. He was at her side in seconds and Ginny closed the door to give them some privacy.

Hermione sat up and looked her husband in the eye. She saw fear and worry in his eyes and couldn't hold back the tears any longer. "Draco, I'm so sorry!" She launched herself into his arms and buried her face in his chest.

"Hush love it's okay. What are you sorry for? You have every right to feel the way you do."

"But I ran away! I feel so ridiculous!"

"What happened Herms?"

She sighed and sat back down on the bed. "When you left, Scorpius started crying again. Ginny told me to try again with him. My mum was taking a nap and Ginny had to leave so Teddy could do his lessons."

She took a deep breath as Draco sat down on the bed next to her. "I went in and nursed Scorpius. He stopped crying while I was feeding him and I thought I was getting the hang of it. But then, when he finished eating, he just started crying again and nothing I did would calm him! I tried changing him, rocking with him and nothing! I was in there for a solid hour and he wouldn't stop crying so I..."

She broke off and wrapped her arms around herself. Draco rubbed her back and encouraged her to continue.

"I just had to be alone. So I gave him to my mother and left. I haven't felt this discouraged since sixth year potions when Harry was better at potions." She looked horrified at the memory.

Draco had to stifle a laugh. He was just as angry as she was when Harry was top of the class that year. Normally he and Hermione battled it out for the top spot in potions. She always won, of course.

"I bet you think I'm crazy," she said, looking out the window again.

"No I don't, love. You're just having a hard time adjusting to parenthood. We'll work through this together; I promise."

Hermione gave him a soft smile. "Thank you Draco. I really appreciate you being so understanding. Can we go home now? I must have worried my mother sick."

"That reminds me! You apparated to Grimmauld Place?! Are you hurt anywhere? I'm going to check you over when we get home."

She opened her mouth to protest but then thought better of it and followed him out of the room.

*******************

The rest of the week and the next two passed without incidence. Draco took every other afternoon off of work for the first week so he could be at home to help Hermione. She started to see a muggle psychologist and really felt like things were improving.

The last Saturday in January, Draco woke up with a great idea. He slid out of bed quietly, as to not wake his sleeping wife and son, and crept downstairs to prepare breakfast for Hermione.

He came back upstairs with a full english breakfast on a tray and found Hermione sitting up feeding Scorpius.

"Morning Herms! I brought you breakfast," he said placing the tray on her nightstand and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you Draco! That was very sweet of you. Will you change Scorpius so I can eat?"

Draco nodded and took his gurgling son to the changing table. "How about a walk in the park today Herms?"

"That sounds like fun," she replied with a smile.

The young Malfoy family bundled up against the cold and were enjoying a nice walk when Hermione spoke suddenly. "My healer said I can go back to work next week."

Draco stopped pushing the pram and frowned. "Hermione--"

"Draco you knew I'd have to go back eventually. I have so much work piled up it's ridiculous. Elise brought over some the other day for me to start sifting through. Between the ministry and Malfoy International--"

"I can handle Malfoy International." He said sternly.

"Don't be ridiculous Draco! We've already pushed the groundbreaking back twice since I haven't been able to go over the contracts. I'm going back to work on Monday." She took the pram from him and started walking again.

Draco felt like pulling his hair out in frustration. He ran to catch up with her. "What about Scorpius?"

"What about him?"

"We can't leave him alone!"

Hermione looked up at him in disbelief. "Well of course not! I'll be going back half days at first and my mother and your mother have both offered to keep him during the day. They'll alternate days...Unless you're going to stay home with him."

They walked a little further in silence. "And what about you Herms?" Draco asked quietly. "I don't want you to put too much pressure on yourself. Two jobs and the baby seems like a lot to me."

She didn't respond for awhile and Draco thought for a moment that she hadn't heard him. "I'm training Theo to eventuallyreplace me at the ministry."

Draco stopped walking again. "What?" 

She groaned. "I didn't want to tell you because I knew you would try to talk me out of it. It's been my intention to be full time at the company for awhile now."

"Of course I'm going to talk you out of it! I thought you wanted to be Minister one day?"

She snorted. "Who says my ambitions have changed?" She reached into the pram to give Scorpius his dummy. "Let's go home. Scorpius is getting fussy."

Hermione started walking back toward their car with the pram and Draco followed, shaking his head.

"Hermione Malfoy, I swear you'll be the death of me."