Going Back to Hogwarts *REWRITING*

Chapter Three

Chapter Three: The Batter Battle

Draco was correct with his prediction that there would be a mess. He had been gone no less than five minutes before he heard the screams of laughter. 

And now, as he walked into the kitchen, he could see why. His wife was covered head to toe in pancake batter, as were the twins. The batter also managed to cover the ceiling and half of the wall.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on?" The children's laughter drowned out his question and only when they spotted him in the doorway did the family go quiet. 

"We're making pancakes," Hermione smiled sheepishly in response.
The kids held their hands behind their backs innocently and gave Draco those puppy dog eyes that they knew their father couldn't resist.

"This is why-" Draco kissed Hermione's nose lightly,"-I do the cooking." She laughed and wiped a touch of batter on his nose playfully.
Just like that, the batter war had begun, this time with Hugo and Draco in the mix. Before you could say 'Dumbledore's Army', the kitchen was even messier than before. 

By the end, everyone was in hysterics and completely covered in batter.
"Alright, love. I'll get this cleaned up while you take a shower," Draco said once he recovered from his laughter.

Hermione nodded and kissed him softly before heading back upstairs.

"Ewww! Mummy, Daddy!" the twins chorused in disgust.

Hermione rolled her eyes in amusement and made her way up to their room.

She came down half an hour later to find the kitchen spotless, the kids clean, and everyone happily munching on chocolate chip pancakes.

Hermione kissed her husband on the cheek gratefully.

"You truly are a lifesaver, you know that?" she whispered to him while helping herself to a pancake and some tea.

"You sound surprised," he smirked.

"So 'Mione, we never talked about what to do about the reunion," he reminded her.

After a moment of thought, she responded. "I think we should go," she said, sipping her tea slowly. 
"I couldn't agree more," he smiled at her.

"Go to what?" Evangeline wondered; her brothers equally as confused.

"We are going to go to Mummy and Daddy's Hogwarts reunion," Hermione announced.

"Hog-wawts?" Hugo asked.

"It's a special school we used to go to, and someday so will you," Draco explained to his son with a proud smile.

Hermione felt her stomach flutter. She hadn't been to Hogwarts since graduation and hadn't seen or spoken to her friends since she left for Australia.
She had owled them several times in Paris, but never received any response. She only owled them thrice more after that. Once, when she and Draco had invited them to their wedding. The second time when she had found out she was pregnant with the twins, and finally, when she had given birth to Hugo.
Never, not even once, had she received a response.

Once the kids had gone upstairs to get changed and Draco to shower, Hermione began to tidy up. She found herself frequently falling back into muggle habits, especially since her parents were gone.

Draco stopped to give her a kiss on the cheek before heading off to his office in Manhattan. He was having some trouble lately with a rival company, so he had to be at his best. Hermione would drop the kids off at Blaise and Pansy's before heading to work.

She finished the last touches to clean up their spacious flat and waited till the kids were ready. The twins went to private school in the city, and Hugo was due to go to daycare next year. Until then, Hermione entrusted Pansy Zabini to watch her kids on the days off. She had become great friends with Pansy and Blaise and was forever grateful to Pansy for looking after them while she was busy at work.

After gathering the children, Hermione caught sight of herself in the hallway mirror and adjusted her chestnut-colored curls. She never realized how much she had changed in those ten years.

She couldn't wait to show everyone Hermione Malfoy at the reunion.