Working for Malfoy

Chapter 19: Bathroom Conversation

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Thank you so much and I hope you continue to read, comment and vote.

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"Are you his girlfriend?" He asked excitedly.

Draco's eyes widened as I giggled softly. "No, I am just staying here for a while."

"Oh." Looking between Draco and I he shrugged. "Oh well, I think you two will make a cute couple." Then he ran out of the dining room and into the kitchen.

Me and Draco looked at each other with baffled expressions before hearing a crash in the kitchen.

We raced into the kitchen to find the small child covered in flour and an older looking elf glaring at him angrily.

"Teddy, why don't you come with me and we'll get you cleaned up. How does that sound?" I ask the small human.

"Ok." He nods happily before following me out of the room and into the bathroom across from my bedroom.

We enter and I start the tub as he undressed. When the bath was filled I turned around and giggled at the sight.

Teddy had somehow managed to get his shirt twisted in an odd way so that he couldn't move.

I help him untangle before putting him into the bath.

After rinsing all the flower out of his hair I began washing it while asking simple questions.

"How old are you?"

"Four."

"When is your birthday?"

"April 30."

He answered the questions enthusiastically as I helped him clean up.

When I finished I walked to Draco's room and seen him standing in the bathroom.

"Hey, do you have anything I could put on Teddy?"

"Yeah, just grab a shirt from the third drawer down." He answered while turning out the light and walking towards the bed.

After grabbing a light grey t-shirt I walked back to the bathroom to find Teddy wrapped up in a towel and crying.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"I-I- I am sad." He cried.

"Why are you sad?" I asked gently.

"Mummy and daddy are dead, grandma is dead and grandpa don't want me anymore." He said.

Picking him up I hugged him tightly.

"It's ok. You still have your cousin Draco and Aunt Narcissa."

He buried his head in my shoulder and cried for a bit more before calming down. His breaths became slow and even. Eventually he fell asleep as I rocked him back and forth gently.

As carefully as possible I slipped Draco's shirt on him before taking him to my room and laying him on the bed and covering him in a blanket.

With one last look at the broken child I close the door and walk back to the bathroom to drain the water. Once that was done I sat on the side of the tub with a sigh.

"Why?" I whispered to myself.

"Why what?" A voice asked, startling me out of my thoughts.

I look up to see a blonde Slytherin standing in the doorway.

"Why is it that the most innocent children are the ones that are hurt the most?" I asked with tears threatening to fall.

He sighs deeply before crouching down in front of me.

"I was once told that the loneliest people are the kindest, the saddest people smile the brightest, the most damaged people are the wisest, the prettiest eyes have cried the most tears, the prettiest smiles hide the deepest secrets, and the kindest hearts have felt the most pain. Some people claim to be unlucky if they are in one of those categories. Others say they are lucky if they aren't. But if you ask me, I think those have been hurt the most are the lucky ones because they know and have seen so much more than everyone else. They may hide the most, but that also has an advantage. They can help those who are going through the same thing. Hermione, stuff like this happens to the greatest people in the world. This stuff happens to people that you look up to whether you know it or not. The most innocent children are hurt the most because those who have done it to them think they are weak. If those people could see them now, they would wonder how they were made into the person they are. The truth is, it was because of them. Some people don't have the positive end of the rope but a lot of people do. I look up to you because you are one of those people. I want help but I don't know how to ask for it or whether or not you would give it to me. But I keep on through the next day because I feel like there is someone out there that has the heart and audacity to help me without question. That is why so many people look up to you, because you have probably seen unspeakable things, yet here you are acting as though nothing has happened. People admire you for that. Younger people admire you for that. Older people admire you for that. I admire you for that."

I just looked at the boy in front of me in disbelief.

"How can you admire someone that believes she is absolutely nothing? I am supposed to be your mudblood slave. Not someone you admire and look up to."

"Don't you dare call yourself that word again. You are many things, but a mudblood is not one of them. You may be a muggleborn but a mudblood is not a word that I would classify you as." He grabbed my hands and squeezed them reassuringly. "I would classify you as intelligent, witty, kind, gifted, likable, non-judgmental, compassionate, considerate, courageous, and beautiful. No matter what someone thinks of you, just remember that you are more than their insults. Those who insult you are jealous because you have something they don't. Whether it be your looks or your brains. They are jealous of something even if they don't let you know. I am going to be brutally honest to you and myself right now, I was jealous of you and your friends when we were in school."

"How could you be jealous of us when you had Theo, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy?"

"First of all, Pansy was latched onto me 24/7. I didn't actually start hanging out with her until sixth year. Second, I didn't start talking to Blaise or Theo until seventh year. Crabbe and Goyle, they weren't even friend material. They were more like bodyguards than anything. But you, Weasley and Potter were true friends. You were there for each other through the good and bad. When one of you needed help, someone was always there to help. None of you were the leader or a bodyguard, you were just friends. I admired that. I wish I had a friend like that through my childhood years. But I had Crabbe and Goyle, two people who wouldn't be able to tell one end of the broomstick from the other." He said.

I laughed quietly which caused a smile to form on his face, showing his perfectly straight teeth and making his grey eyes appear more blue. his hair was hanging down in front of his forehead and almost reached his eyebrows.

I looked away from him and out the bathroom door.

"Hermione, look at me." Draco said softly.

I looked into his eyes and noticed that they were back to their original grey color.

He reached up and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. He trailed his hand down my jawbone and to my neck. My breathing hitched as he slowly came closer. His eyes never left mine. Stopping right in front of me I could smell his breath. It smelled like spearmint. Why did that feel so familiar?

With a seconds pause, he leaned in and gently pushed his lips to mine.