Fourteen Thousand Galleons

Gather Your Things

Somehow, Harry and Draco convinced her to allow them to be present when Ron brings the kids back the next day. They're all sitting in her cramped living room, lined up on her small settee with Hermione scrunched in the middle. She wonders what the Daily Prophet might say if they could see them now. The headlines since the gala are nothing short of scandalous; Hermione and Draco making the front page opened up her post for scathing letters from the wizarding world who admonished her choice in suitor. Similarly, Draco finds himself with a pile of howlers. Harry offers to take Hermione out for a night, somewhere visible, to stave off the paparazzi, throw them onto the wrong trail.

It's Draco who refutes it. Tells him its useless. They'll only get a worse image of Granger if she's seen out with both of them. It'll draw their whole relationship into question before they've even had a chance to figure it out for themselves.

Hermione jumps as the floo bursts into flames. A red curly flash of hair steps through and she's surprised to see not Ron, but Molly. The kids run out of the grate and tackle their mum on the sofa with massive hugs, but Hermione's eyes are on Molly. She looks tired, worried, harried, stressed. Deep frown lines, dark circles under her eyes. Hermione stands and approaches the older witch cautiously.

"Molly," Hermione greets her, forced smile on her face. "I wasn't expecting you."

Molly glances behind Hermione and her lips form a tight line. "I daresay you weren't, dear."

Hermione feels Draco and Harry standing behind her, but shakes off their palpable tension as best as she can. Something is wrong. Very, very wrong.

"Children, please go and unpack your bags and play while I speak with Nanny Molly, okay?" The kids rush off in fits of explosive energy and Hermione turns back to Molly. "Where is Ronald?"

"He never came home." And then Hermione sees something else in Molly's eyes. A haunted look, a shadow dancing behind the brown irises. "I figured he was working, but Arthur says he wasn't at the Ministry, either."

Something claws at Hermione's throat. Dread. Worry. She's not sure. "What... what does your clock say, Molly?"

Tears spring to the older woman's eyes. "He hasn't moved from Mortal Peril since the war, I'm afraid. None of you have."

"Oh, Molly." Hermione steps forward and wraps the woman in a tight embrace. "I'm sure he's fine. We had a bit of a fight before he left my flat and I'm sure he's just off nursing his wounds somewhere. He'll turn up."

She doesn't even believe her own words. Something feels wrong; he's never abandoned his children before. But, she doesn't want to worry Molly more.

Molly nods into the hug and pats Hermione on the back of the head. "Of course, dear, of course. Boys will be boys, won't they? It's just that with the divorce and the article in the Daily Prophet –"

Hermione pushes away gently and tries not to bite her lip. She doesn't know how to not be awkward about that article. The Weasleys and the Malfoys will never get along, and so knowing that her ex-daughter in law is potentially dating Draco Malfoy can't be easy on Molly. Hermione swallows around a thick knot in her throat.

"Oh, hello Harry, Draco." Molly's watery eyes find both boys behind her and she greets them kindly. Harry gives Mrs. Weasley a hug.

"If Ron is still missing, please let me know," Harry tells her calmly. "I will open a case to find him."

"I'm sure it's nothing quite so nefarious, Harry, darling," Molly tells him with a forced little laugh and gently slaps his cheek as she'd done numerous times with her own children. "You're such a good lad."

Harry's face is red as he backs up and stands next to Hermione. She feels his pinky finger stroke the side of her hand and the dread that's fighting for attention inside of her is quieted for a moment.