Domestic Wizardry (Dramione)

Chapter 13: Summer is for dancing

Hermione flopped face first onto the sofa in the common room after having finished putting the kids to bed. Draco sat heavily in the armchair he'd occupied during the reading that night.

"Well, that went better than I expected," he said finally. Hermione turned to look at him, her face smushed into the cushion.

"Your father asked me if I knew a french cursebreaker- purely because he was also a muggleborn," she said tiredly, "and your mother nearly choked on her wine she gasped so hard."

"But he did finally talk to you instead of skirting around like you'd bite him if he drew too much attention to himself." Draco pointed out, and Hermione sighed and rolled over, hanging her feet over the arm of the sofa and tucking one arm under her head.

"I couldn't help snatching my hand away from him! How was I supposed to know he was going to kiss it?" She moaned, and Draco couldn't help but chuckle at her.

"Did you think he was going to bite you?"

Hermione turned her head to shoot a glare at him before returning her gaze to the ceiling.

"At least Rose and Scorpius were having fun." she finished with a half yawn.

Draco slid down in his chair and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

"If you thought my mother went overboard with Rose- wait till Dad gets warmed up. He adored Stori, and the two of them were already planning for the next to be a little girl when we found out Scorp was a boy." He reminisced.

"Would you have chosen Lyra or Cassiopeia?" Hermione asked after a bit, remembering a conversation she'd had with Astoria before Rose and Scorpius were born. She had treasured the unlikely friendship she'd struck up with Astoria Malfoy during their pregnancies. And now she was here, where Stori ought to have been. Caring for her son, spending time with her husband and in-laws.

"How–" Draco's voice was breathless and Hermione turned her head to look at him. "Of course she told you." He finished, his blue grey eyes meeting her brown. Astoria's coloring had been cooler toned, she'd been silver. Pure and bright like the moon. She reflected back those best parts of him. Hermione was gold. Warm and dazzling like the sun. Burning brightly and lighting everything around her with that same passion. Hermione looked away first. Her cheeks flushed pink. Draco licked dry lips, swallowing and recentering himself. "Cassie. We had agreed to name a girl Cassiopeia. It was what she wanted and I could deny her nothing."

"You loved her very much." Hermione observed, not breaking eye contact with the ceiling.

"She- she was my other half." He ran his thumb across his naked ring finger. His ring had stopped fitting without magic only a few months prior, and he'd finally felt like it was time to stop wearing it. Not that he had felt like he was ready for a new relationship- just that he could put that reminder of her away. "We were supposed to grow old together."

"I wonder what she'd say if she could see us now." Hermione said, and Draco imagined Astoria sitting in the armchair across from him, but not smiling at him. In his mind's eye, she focused on Hermione on the couch. Her friend. She'd told him that Hermione was like a sister to her before she passed. She'd wished they could have been closer- but she didn't want to push, knowing how much pain Hermione had suffered in the war. If Astoria had lived, would their friendship have blossomed and continued to grow with their children? Born only hours apart, Rose and Scorpius no doubt would still have grown to be as close as they were. And along with them- the hours their mothers would have spent together.

Would Hermione have stayed in her marriage as long as she did? Astoria would have recognized the signs by Hermione's second miscarriage after Rose was born and Draco didn't doubt that Hermione would have left Ron as soon as she found out what he'd done.