Domestic Wizardry (Dramione)

Chapter 12: End of the School Year

The next afternoon Draco came home from work early. They had fallen into a little routine- Draco would drop the kids off then go into the office for the day. Hermione would pick them up in the afternoon and Draco would be waiting in his home office when Hermione and the kids came through the floo. So him coming home just after lunch was unexpected.

"Hermione!" he called out as he entered the library where she was working.

"Up here!" she leaned over the banister of the upper level and waved down at him. She was pulling new texts to go through for the day's lesson plans. Teaching seven different levels was going to be a challenge. Draco glanced up and waved back, heading toward the spiral staircase by his office door. She watched him cross the room, he wore a dark well tailored suit under the more traditional robes. The fabric swirled about him as he took the circular stairs two steps at a time, one hand spinning round the center column. She'd have gone dizzy going up them that fast.

"You're home early." she commented as he made it to the level and started toward her. Her words made his heart skip and only the weight of the envelope in his hand kept him from leaning down and kissing her when he reached her. Salazar, he really needed to get a hold of himself.

"I thought you might like to have this before the kids got home." he said instead, holding up the thick manila envelope. He handed it to her and she adjusted her reading glasses. There was no direction on it. She glanced up at him, "It's already been checked. MacReynolds said everything is in order and taken care of." he reassured her.

"When?"

"Molly dropped it off yesterday- while we were at the ministry."

That meant Ronald had signed the papers and then attempted to kidnap her daughter- knowing full well he had no legal right to her any longer.

Hermione's hands began to shake as she opened the envelope. Inside, of course, were the divorce papers.

Signed.

Sealed.

And delivered to her solicitor.

Finally.

Hermione stared at the papers and Ronalds scrawled signature for a long time. She didn't know how she felt about this. She'd wanted to be free of him and now she was. She didn't regret leaving Ronald- not even for a second. It was the right choice, she was better off without him. Rose was better off without him. She had been blindingly angry the day before. But now... now she only felt the searing choking pain of loss.

"MacReynolds has already taken care of everything- He'll never be able to harm you or Rose again."

Draco watched her face go through a series of emotions. After a full minute of silence he spoke up. "You don't have to celebrate this," he said gently. "It's the death of something you've cared for for a rather long time and that deserves time to grieve." she finally looked up at him, her eyes glassy with tears.
"I–" she took a shattered breath, "Thank you for understanding." she looked back down at the papers in her hands. "I think I'd like to be alone for a bit." She said carefully after a moment.

"I can pick the kids up this afternoon and handle homework, you take all the time you need." he turned and headed back to the stairs. He forced himself to keep walking as he heard her hit her knees. But when she started sobbing he couldn't. He turned back, only to see her collapse in on herself, her face buried in her skirt. He was kneeling beside her before he realized he'd even started moving.

A gentle touch at her shoulder had her looking up at him, face splotchy and screwed up into ugly tears.

"Draco– I hate him. I hate him so much. I–" she choked on her words and sobbed into his chest as he settled against the bannister and pulled her into his arms "Why? Why does he hate me so much? I loved him."