All in the Family: Chapter Eleven
Title: All in the Family (11/?)
Rating: R (or M for mature)
Genre: Humor, romance, a hint of drama
Pairing(s): Draco/Harry, Draco/Hermione (implied), Ginny/Luna (implied)
Warning: While mostly canon-compliant, this fic boldly and blatantly ignores that the epilogue ever happened.
Summary: "I think, first of all, we shouldn't tell anyone. And secondly, we shouldn't talk about it. Most importantly, it's probably just a good idea if we pretend it never happened."
Something happened between Draco and Hermione, something that never should have even been considered . . .
Disclaimer: All characters within are not mine. The are the property of JKR and affiliates. I earn no profit from the process of writing and publishing this work.
Reviews accepted and appreciated. Feedback is love!
Draco wasn't nervous when he proposed to Harry. He wasn't too nervous when they broke the news to Hermione's parents. After a while, he wasn't even really nervous about the prospect of being a parent. But this, this made his palms sweat and his legs shake.
Draco had to tell his mother.
What was nerve-wracking for him was the complete lack of foreseeable outcome. His mother had never been the same after their possessions had been seized and his father sent to Azkaban. She lived now on a Ministry-owned farm in the English countryside, with charms protecting her and also monitoring her. Narcissa Malfoy was not allowed to leave the Ministry's property without written consent, and her submissive nature kept her from requesting the privilege too often. As a result, she only saw her relatives when they came to her.
He hadn't seen his mother for close to a year, since the previous Christmas. She'd asked for him to see her in her meek way, sending a Ministry owl to request his company. They'd had a small party for the two of them. He cooked and she sat, staring at the fire. He hadn't heard from her since, although she promised to keep in touch.
That was her way, though. Narcissa was a woman haunted by her past and engulfed by her demons. Draco felt terrible about giving her something else to be worried about, but such as it was he had no other option. He just had to suck it up and do it.
And that's why he was here now, walking up to her door and trying to muster up the courage to knock.
"Draco?" his mother's voice called, apparently from outside her home, which was something new for him. "Love, what you are doing here?"
Stumbling down the stoop toward the sound of Narcissa's voice, Draco replied, "I came to see you, Mother."
He saw her, then, just around the side of the house. She was stooped over and apparently tending a garden. Narcissa stood up and stretched her back, smiling at her son. She seemed almost . . . happy, and peaceful. Very strange, indeed. "Well, yes, I assumed you meant to see me," she said with a bit of her old bite. "But my question is, why?"
"Well, I hadn't really intended on just springing it on you like this," Draco started, but his mother cut him off.
"What did you intend to do, then? Dance around the subject all day, wine and dine me so that I would be dazzled by whatever stupid thing you'd done that you needed to discuss with me?" She patted his face affectionately. "No, darling, I'd rather you just come out and tell me so we can spend our time together in more productive ways."
Draco was flabbergasted. Narcissa was the last person he expected to be straight-forward and honest, particularly after so many hardships. Honestly, he'd expected her spirit to still be broken, the way it had been the last time he'd seen her. And yet here she was, gardening and speaking up for herself; in general, she was being strong.
"Can we maybe go inside for tea?" Draco asked, gesturing to the door.
Narcissa shook her head. "My garden is inside enough for us," she said, waving her hand at the table and chairs arranged on a small patio. They were surrounded by flowers of all varieties, and the garden she'd just been tending to seemed to be a vegetable garden, judging from the lack of flowers but abundance of greenery. It truly was a beautiful sight.
"Mother, when did you start all of this?" he asked, waiting for his mother to sit down and then gracefully positioning himself in a chair. "You weren't gardening the last time I was here. You weren't really doing anything at all the last time I was here."
Narcissa pursed her lips thoughtfully, tapping her chin with a long, graceful finger. The past few years had aged her considerably, but they'd also restored her humanity: She no longer seemed cold-hearted or cruel. The laughter and love that had always lived deep inside her had found their way to the surface. She'd become a human being again. "That's true, Draco," she said, clearly choosing her words carefully. "I wasn't. But there's a good reason for it.
"You see, when your father was taken, when our possessions were taken, I thought I'd lost everything. I'm sure you can sympathize." Draco nodded, and she continued. "I spent some time feeling sorry for myself, for Lucius, for you. I didn't think it was fair that we had been the victims of such heinous fate, such vicious persecution.
"But then I realized, Draco, that we earned it. We had made mistakes, yes, even you had made mistakes. It wasn't necessarily our fault that we were born into Dark Wizarding families, but it was entirely our fault that we did nothing to stop it, or to better ourselves. We allowed the trap to ensnare us and turned a blind eye to all that was happening in the name of pure blood.
"When my sentence was handed down and I was sent here, I saw it as an injustice that was dealt to me and I refused to see my good fortune in being saved the hell that is Azkaban. I'm sure you remember the way I was when it first began." Again, Draco nodded. His mother's retelling of the events of their lives was entirely true, painfully so. He wanted to ask her to stop, to avoid such taboo and tender subjects, but he was entirely engrossed and could do nothing but listen.
"It was after you left here the last time, at Christmas, that I had my second realization. I realized that I didn't have to be alone here, that I didn't have to hate every second. I asked Andromeda to visit one day, on a whim, and I can confess to you that at first she refused. But several days later, she admitted that she'd been thinking of me, particularly since the sentencing, and that it would be for the best if we reconnected. We'd both come to know loss, and we'd both realized that family is the most important gift we are given on this earth.
"So, she visited. She commented that they'd given me quite a nice little cottage, especially since I am technically imprisoned here, and that I should start a garden to spend my days with. She lent me some spell books and helped me file the paperwork to allow me the privilege to use magic in the garden. I seldom do, it makes the tasks go by far too quickly when I'd rather savor it, but it's quite handy if any of my plants are in need of a pick-me-up."
Draco didn't know what to say. He felt completely caught off-guard. The mother he'd expected was certainly not the mother he'd found, and he didn't know how to even broach the subjects that he needed to bring up. Finally, he grabbed hold of the concept of family and ran with it. "I'm glad you brought up the bit about family, Mother," he said, gulping down a cup of tea. "Because there are some very important family-related things I need to talk to you about."
"Oh?"
"Oh." He took a second cup of tea and downed that, as well. His throat was feeling raw and scratchy. "Well, for one thing, I'm getting married."
Narcissa's face broke in a wide grin and she clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, that's wonderful news, Draco! Who is she?"
"See, that's the funny part: It's actually a he. Harry Potter, to be specific."
Her lips pursed again, but this was a more familiar you've-done-something-to-displease-me purse. "Hmm. I see."
"That's all you have to say about it? 'Hmm, I see'?" Draco was moderately annoyed.
"No, of course not. But I'd rather you get through all you have to say before I start passing my judgments and giving you my advice."
Draco squirmed uncomfortably. "See, about the second bit I needed to tell you, it's going to be even more of a shock that me marrying Harry."
"I doubt that, but go on."
"I'm having a child."
"You're what? Draco, you can't be pregnant, that's not how our family does things! At the very least I hope you're not out parading about the fact that you're carrying - "
"I'm not, Mother," Draco said shortly, "Hermione Granger is."
At this, Narcissa actually smiled a true smile. "Oh, I see. That's fascinating." She folded her hands and rested her chin on them, smiling her bemused smile at her son. "That's very fascinating. So your fiancee is actually not the person you're procreating with? Good. Very good." Obviously noting Draco's confused expression, she continued, "Draco, it's not typically acceptable in pureblood society for two men to procreate. Marriage is one thing, but same-sex children just typically come out . . . off. Strange. There has been some indication that it can lead to Squib children, even. Not the sort of start you'd want to give a baby, is it?
"But the idea of you procreating with a woman - and an intelligent one at that! - is entirely different. Hermione Granger is a perfectly acceptable vessel for your child. Yes, that will do nicely." She smiled. "Well, since that's the case, I'm happy for you."
Draco stared at his mother, trying to keep his mouth closed. "So, you're okay with me marrying a man and having an illegitimate child?"
"In short, yes. They're both perfectly acceptable as long as you raise the child to uphold proper Wizard conduct. And invite me to the wedding, of course." Her eyes were twinkling and merry, and she couldn't seem to contain the wide grin that kept popping onto her face.
"So, what were you thinking for colors? How about silver and gold?"
Draco grinned. "Silver and gold sound perfect."
Chapter Ten
Rating: R (or M for mature)
Genre: Humor, romance, a hint of drama
Pairing(s): Draco/Harry, Draco/Hermione (implied), Ginny/Luna (implied)
Warning: While mostly canon-compliant, this fic boldly and blatantly ignores that the epilogue ever happened.
Summary: "I think, first of all, we shouldn't tell anyone. And secondly, we shouldn't talk about it. Most importantly, it's probably just a good idea if we pretend it never happened."
Something happened between Draco and Hermione, something that never should have even been considered . . .
Disclaimer: All characters within are not mine. The are the property of JKR and affiliates. I earn no profit from the process of writing and publishing this work.
Reviews accepted and appreciated. Feedback is love!
Draco wasn't nervous when he proposed to Harry. He wasn't too nervous when they broke the news to Hermione's parents. After a while, he wasn't even really nervous about the prospect of being a parent. But this, this made his palms sweat and his legs shake.
Draco had to tell his mother.
What was nerve-wracking for him was the complete lack of foreseeable outcome. His mother had never been the same after their possessions had been seized and his father sent to Azkaban. She lived now on a Ministry-owned farm in the English countryside, with charms protecting her and also monitoring her. Narcissa Malfoy was not allowed to leave the Ministry's property without written consent, and her submissive nature kept her from requesting the privilege too often. As a result, she only saw her relatives when they came to her.
He hadn't seen his mother for close to a year, since the previous Christmas. She'd asked for him to see her in her meek way, sending a Ministry owl to request his company. They'd had a small party for the two of them. He cooked and she sat, staring at the fire. He hadn't heard from her since, although she promised to keep in touch.
That was her way, though. Narcissa was a woman haunted by her past and engulfed by her demons. Draco felt terrible about giving her something else to be worried about, but such as it was he had no other option. He just had to suck it up and do it.
And that's why he was here now, walking up to her door and trying to muster up the courage to knock.
"Draco?" his mother's voice called, apparently from outside her home, which was something new for him. "Love, what you are doing here?"
Stumbling down the stoop toward the sound of Narcissa's voice, Draco replied, "I came to see you, Mother."
He saw her, then, just around the side of the house. She was stooped over and apparently tending a garden. Narcissa stood up and stretched her back, smiling at her son. She seemed almost . . . happy, and peaceful. Very strange, indeed. "Well, yes, I assumed you meant to see me," she said with a bit of her old bite. "But my question is, why?"
"Well, I hadn't really intended on just springing it on you like this," Draco started, but his mother cut him off.
"What did you intend to do, then? Dance around the subject all day, wine and dine me so that I would be dazzled by whatever stupid thing you'd done that you needed to discuss with me?" She patted his face affectionately. "No, darling, I'd rather you just come out and tell me so we can spend our time together in more productive ways."
Draco was flabbergasted. Narcissa was the last person he expected to be straight-forward and honest, particularly after so many hardships. Honestly, he'd expected her spirit to still be broken, the way it had been the last time he'd seen her. And yet here she was, gardening and speaking up for herself; in general, she was being strong.
"Can we maybe go inside for tea?" Draco asked, gesturing to the door.
Narcissa shook her head. "My garden is inside enough for us," she said, waving her hand at the table and chairs arranged on a small patio. They were surrounded by flowers of all varieties, and the garden she'd just been tending to seemed to be a vegetable garden, judging from the lack of flowers but abundance of greenery. It truly was a beautiful sight.
"Mother, when did you start all of this?" he asked, waiting for his mother to sit down and then gracefully positioning himself in a chair. "You weren't gardening the last time I was here. You weren't really doing anything at all the last time I was here."
Narcissa pursed her lips thoughtfully, tapping her chin with a long, graceful finger. The past few years had aged her considerably, but they'd also restored her humanity: She no longer seemed cold-hearted or cruel. The laughter and love that had always lived deep inside her had found their way to the surface. She'd become a human being again. "That's true, Draco," she said, clearly choosing her words carefully. "I wasn't. But there's a good reason for it.
"You see, when your father was taken, when our possessions were taken, I thought I'd lost everything. I'm sure you can sympathize." Draco nodded, and she continued. "I spent some time feeling sorry for myself, for Lucius, for you. I didn't think it was fair that we had been the victims of such heinous fate, such vicious persecution.
"But then I realized, Draco, that we earned it. We had made mistakes, yes, even you had made mistakes. It wasn't necessarily our fault that we were born into Dark Wizarding families, but it was entirely our fault that we did nothing to stop it, or to better ourselves. We allowed the trap to ensnare us and turned a blind eye to all that was happening in the name of pure blood.
"When my sentence was handed down and I was sent here, I saw it as an injustice that was dealt to me and I refused to see my good fortune in being saved the hell that is Azkaban. I'm sure you remember the way I was when it first began." Again, Draco nodded. His mother's retelling of the events of their lives was entirely true, painfully so. He wanted to ask her to stop, to avoid such taboo and tender subjects, but he was entirely engrossed and could do nothing but listen.
"It was after you left here the last time, at Christmas, that I had my second realization. I realized that I didn't have to be alone here, that I didn't have to hate every second. I asked Andromeda to visit one day, on a whim, and I can confess to you that at first she refused. But several days later, she admitted that she'd been thinking of me, particularly since the sentencing, and that it would be for the best if we reconnected. We'd both come to know loss, and we'd both realized that family is the most important gift we are given on this earth.
"So, she visited. She commented that they'd given me quite a nice little cottage, especially since I am technically imprisoned here, and that I should start a garden to spend my days with. She lent me some spell books and helped me file the paperwork to allow me the privilege to use magic in the garden. I seldom do, it makes the tasks go by far too quickly when I'd rather savor it, but it's quite handy if any of my plants are in need of a pick-me-up."
Draco didn't know what to say. He felt completely caught off-guard. The mother he'd expected was certainly not the mother he'd found, and he didn't know how to even broach the subjects that he needed to bring up. Finally, he grabbed hold of the concept of family and ran with it. "I'm glad you brought up the bit about family, Mother," he said, gulping down a cup of tea. "Because there are some very important family-related things I need to talk to you about."
"Oh?"
"Oh." He took a second cup of tea and downed that, as well. His throat was feeling raw and scratchy. "Well, for one thing, I'm getting married."
Narcissa's face broke in a wide grin and she clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, that's wonderful news, Draco! Who is she?"
"See, that's the funny part: It's actually a he. Harry Potter, to be specific."
Her lips pursed again, but this was a more familiar you've-done-something-to-displease-me purse. "Hmm. I see."
"That's all you have to say about it? 'Hmm, I see'?" Draco was moderately annoyed.
"No, of course not. But I'd rather you get through all you have to say before I start passing my judgments and giving you my advice."
Draco squirmed uncomfortably. "See, about the second bit I needed to tell you, it's going to be even more of a shock that me marrying Harry."
"I doubt that, but go on."
"I'm having a child."
"You're what? Draco, you can't be pregnant, that's not how our family does things! At the very least I hope you're not out parading about the fact that you're carrying - "
"I'm not, Mother," Draco said shortly, "Hermione Granger is."
At this, Narcissa actually smiled a true smile. "Oh, I see. That's fascinating." She folded her hands and rested her chin on them, smiling her bemused smile at her son. "That's very fascinating. So your fiancee is actually not the person you're procreating with? Good. Very good." Obviously noting Draco's confused expression, she continued, "Draco, it's not typically acceptable in pureblood society for two men to procreate. Marriage is one thing, but same-sex children just typically come out . . . off. Strange. There has been some indication that it can lead to Squib children, even. Not the sort of start you'd want to give a baby, is it?
"But the idea of you procreating with a woman - and an intelligent one at that! - is entirely different. Hermione Granger is a perfectly acceptable vessel for your child. Yes, that will do nicely." She smiled. "Well, since that's the case, I'm happy for you."
Draco stared at his mother, trying to keep his mouth closed. "So, you're okay with me marrying a man and having an illegitimate child?"
"In short, yes. They're both perfectly acceptable as long as you raise the child to uphold proper Wizard conduct. And invite me to the wedding, of course." Her eyes were twinkling and merry, and she couldn't seem to contain the wide grin that kept popping onto her face.
"So, what were you thinking for colors? How about silver and gold?"
Draco grinned. "Silver and gold sound perfect."
Chapter Ten