Domestic Wizardry (Dramione)

Chapter 8: Death follows in his wake

*A/N: This chapter contains a trigger warning for pregnancy loss. 

The scene is noted between the asterisks. (****) 

A loose summary of the passage is noted at the end of the section.*

Draco got a surprising amount of work done before 7am then showered and dressed before the kids and Hermione were up. By 8am, Draco had finished pretty much everything he needed to get done until Monday. Well- everything except for drafting requirements for a summer governess for Scorpius. He needed to get cracking on that if he didn't want to find himself having to beg Luna to watch him. Which he knew she'd gladly do, but she had her own children to care for, and her work with magical creatures as well. And if Draco were honest, he'd rather Scorpius be at home, not off somewhere else all summer.

He was just starting on the required qualifications when Scorpius came bouncing into his office. "Morning dad!" His boy flung himself into his arms,

"Good morning mate." Draco wrestled him round into his lap and pinned him at the desk. "Ah, now you can do the boring old work for me."

Scorpius laughed as he looked through the papers on the desk. "Hmmm." He put a hand to his chin, much like Lucius would. "Nana writes that the grapes are growing well. Plenty of rain." He picked up another paper, "bottling... The price of corks has gone up because of We-eev- bugs. We'll just say bugs." He was reading Draco's notes in the margins. Draco chuckled and Scorpius picked up another page "what's a gove-er-ness?"

"A Governess is a lady who takes care of and teaches children at home when their parents are at work."

"Like Mione? She said we were going to do lessons after breakfast." Scorpius asked, trying to understand better

"That's just until you and Rose can go back to school. Once Rose's dad signs the papers that make it so her parents aren't married anymore she can go back to school, and since she's home, we thought it would be good to have you home with her."

"So, why are you making a list for a governess?" Scorpius lifted the list closer to his face,

"Because you need one over the summer."

"But, Mione's here." he twisted in Draco's lap to face his father better.
"She has her own things she has to do. She won't stay with us forever."

"Why not?" Scorpius asked immediately,

Draco didn't have a good answer for his son that wouldn't raise more questions that would be harder to explain. Like 'because she might marry someone else and want to live with her new husband?' which then would probably lead to Scorpius innocently suggesting that the easiest most logical way to work around that would be for her to marry Draco and then he wouldn't need a governess because he'd have a mother instead and Hermione wouldn't have to leave. Draco sighed and pulled his mind back from the tangled web of conjecture that led him nowhere but picturing Hermione in the arms of some random dark haired wizard before remembering how she'd felt in his arms in the parlor the day before, clinging to him as she cried.

Tonley, the maid of all work, daughter of Maudsley and Gadsby, popped into Draco's office before he could find the words to answer his son. "Madame has sent for Master Scorpius to return to the kitchen. Breakfast is ready." she announced,

Scorpius distracted at the thought of food, wriggled his way free from his dad's arms, "thanks Ton! You coming dad?"

"In a bit. I have to finish this first. But you go eat and listen to instructions alright? Don't give Granger grief over your schoolwork."