Fourteen Thousand Galleons

Well-Behaved Aurors

"And then he said that he'd have me over at the weekend to meet Scorpius."

Hermione whines into the crook of her arm and hits her forehead over and over again on her forearm. Her hair is wild around her head and she's a fucking wreck as she goes on and on about her interview with Malfoy. A hand rests on her shoulder and stops her movements.

"Hermione." Harry tries not to laugh, he really does, but he's never been good about hiding his emotions and he's having far too much fun at her expense today. "This is a good thing. You can be with your kids and you can enjoy their childhood this way."

She groans. "Nannying for a Malfoy, Harry. Draco Malfoy's heir!"

"You could always let me pay off your solicitor instead."

Her head whips up and her hair is like a beast as it flips around her head. Harry puts up his hands with a wide grin on his face.

"We've talked about this, Harry. I don't want a hand out. I'm perfectly capable of-"

"I know, I know." He sits down across from her and pulls her hand into his. "Listen, Hermione. Draco isn't as bad as you think, not anymore. Sure, he's a sarcastic git still, but he's mostly harmless and has been since his divorce."

"Yes, so you've said a hundred times." She glances at Harry and tries not to sound so worried but fails. "I just... Ron will be livid and I-"

"Ron doesn't get a say in what you do anymore." Harry's voice is firm. "You're doing what you have to do and there's nothing wrong with it. Besides, it's not forever, right?"

"Right." She plucks her bottom lip with her teeth. "Harry, what is Ginny doing now? With the kids?"

He pushes his glasses up on his nose, something she knows he does when he's buying time to think. She allows him that much; neither of them like speaking of their divorce. His and Ginny's, luckily, was far more amicable than hers and Ron's.

"I have custody while she's traveling with the Harpies. She floos when she can." He shrugs. "We're figuring it out as we go."

"Do James or Albus ever ask...?" Hermione tries to reel her quivering voice back in, but it's still raw and shaky. "About why she's gone?"

"Albus doesn't seem to notice," Harry says thoughtfully, "if he does, he doesn't ever talk about it. And James... he thinks it's cool that his mum plays professional quidditch."

"Are you ever mad that they... revere her?"

She's been sorting through her emotions about the divorce and the kids for quite some time, but she always gets stuck on how fun they think their father is, and yet she's the disciplinarian. She's no fun, she's all rules, and they can't wait to visit their father. It hurts.

"Hermione..." he breathes her name and almost gives her a pitying look before her face looks cross and he rethinks it. "I mean, it's mildly frustrating that I'm the constant caretaker and she gets to go off and do all the fun things and bring them signed brooms and whatnot, but... I get to be there ."

Ugh. He's too logical about it. She wants to rage and cry and there's Harry all sensical. It's infuriating.

"Yeah, okay." She pulls her hand from his and grabs the tea kettle as it starts to whistle. "So, I think I'm going to take Rose and Hugo with me to meet Scorpius."

"That's a good idea. Albus and James really like him."

Harry accepts the tea she holds out for him and takes a sip. She never understood how he could stand boiling hot tea, but she allows hers to cool and says nothing. He's comforting to her, and she's thankful that she doesn't have to worry about the kids getting along.