Blood and Whiskey
Hermione was furious. When Theodore returned to the table, blood dripping down the front of his white button shirt, and Harry was nowhere to be found, she knew that whoever Pansy had brought with her was not Harry Potter – Harry would not have hit Theo. Maybe hit him with a sectumsempra, sure. But the real Harry Potter would not have done this.
“Parkinson,” Nott greeted, sitting down at the table. He was using one of the white dinner napkins to clean his face, holding it gently to his nose. Hermione could see from her seat that it was broken.
“Teddy,” She said gently, shielding Willa's eyes from the blood, “we ought to go see a healer.”
Theo brushed her off, “Nonsense, you are the best healer at this table.”
Ginny stood up, “We have a room upstairs, let's take you up there and get you cleaned up.” Ginny’s pallor was snowy, the heat from the buzz she was working up drained from her face.
Hermione handed Willa to Blaise, who looked mildly uncomfortable, but she wasn't sure that Pansy was Pansy.
She lead them to some elevators, pressed the button for the top floor, and led them down the hall to a small but comfortable suite. “Do you want me to stay?” She asked after a moment, watching Hermione lead Theo to a chair.
“Some privacy is probably needed, thank you, Ginevra.” Theo said, winking at her. “I promise we won’t get up to any trouble on your bed.”
A ghost of a smile brushed Ginny's face, “By all means, Theodore.”
Hermione was quiet for a moment after she left, focusing on healing and using cleansing spells on Theo’s nose. “Do you want to explain to me what happened in the lavatory? I assume that was not Harry Potter.”
“Malfoy,” Theo spit out, blood dribbling down his chin. “He’s trying to get inside my head. I don’t know all his motivations, but I know we can’t stay here.”
Hermione quirked an eyebrow, “What do you mean? Legally, Willa and I can’t go anywhere.”
“I’ve been discussing with Minister Weasley – your safety is at risk. He thinks we should be able to get an emergency Wizengamot hearing. If they rule that your safety is at risk, we can legally have the trace removed and we can leave. Malfoy will still have custody rights, but he won’t have as many as he might if you start negotiating with him now.”
“Minister Weasley?" Hermione realized she still didn't know which Weasley he was referring to or why he was seeing the Minister at all, "Teddy,” Hermione’s voice sounded strained, “I will not go on the run with my daughter.”
“HJ, it’s not about going on the run," Tho replied, wincing as she set his nose, "– I’m worried for our safety.”
“How do you know it was him?” Hermione asked after a moment. “It looked like Harry, hell, it sounded like Harry. The person seemed to know things about Harry's childhood.”
“The Malfoy signet on his hand – and he wasn’t wearing his wedding ring. Quite unlike Potter to be without his platinum band, don’t you think?”
Hermione mulled the information over for a moment. She had a vague idea of what the Malfoy signet looked like, but didn’t recall looking at Harry’s hands. “We will start negotiations when Malfoy approaches, I will delay, I will shut down, I will do whatever I can to make sure our timer runs out. If we do not come to an agreeable understanding by the end of the thirty days…” She paused, tightening up the wandwork on Theo’s nose. “We don’t even know that he wants custody.”
After a moment, Theo whispered, “Malfoy men are proud.”
Hermione nodded, “I know this.”
“The last Malfoy will not let his dynasty crumble – not when he has a built-in, undeniable heir without any of the hindrances of having a simpering, Pureblood wife.” Theo closed his eyes as the bruises bloomed across his face. Like waters receding, the blueberry purple faded away.
Hermione did her best to conceal the blood on his shirt, though it looked like a simple scorgify was not enough. “Who says he isn’t seeing anyone? The Prophet last reported he was seeing Astoria Greengrass –,”
“Reading up on him, then?” Theo’s eyes opened slowly. She could see the pain there, mixing together with something else. Fear, maybe. Insecurity.
“Darling, I wanted to know who my daughter’s stepmother could be, this isn’t about him . None of this is about him!” Her voice raised an octave. Her lips were trembling. “Teddy, I will not actively put my daughter in a dangerous situation. If her stepmother were to be a cruel, blood supremacist, we would be discussing other options right now.”
“And what of her father, then?”
“I can’t do anything about the mistake I made, Teddy. I had his child. I wavered too long, thinking only of myself. I was not ready to let Willa be ours.” Her heart was racing, her hands shaking. “Teddy, I’m not sure how to ask you this–,”
Theo took her hand gently, lowering her wand, “Hermione, you can ask me anything. ”
“Why me?” Her voice was small. “Why not Pansy? I know you dated her on and off in sixth year.”
“Pansy was Draco’s,” Theo answered, his tone cool. “She was never a real option for me. She was his. In a way, he was never hers, and she soothed that pain by using me on and off until they finally broke it off. But you, HJ. I have had eyes for you ever since we met.”
“And what is it that I can give you that another witch cannot?” Hermione asked, “I know who I am – great war hero, swot extraordinaire. I am a single mother, I am married to my work and devoted to my child. I have little experience with happy, healthy relationships. After all, I conceived a baby with a man who hated me…thought so little of me that he didn’t think to write me afterwards–,” Hermione paused, thinking about that statement. Malfoy swore under veritaserum that he did write to her. "Besides, I know that you want a child of your own-,"
“Willa is mine and Malfoy is an idiot. He might be an Auror, but he’s been three steps behind since the news of Willa was dropped on him. He was skulking around the bushes at the manor for hours today, the elves were instructed to let him in if he tried anything, at any point. What I’m unsure of is what he thinks he will find at the Manor. I have nothing to hide from you, Hermione – but Malfoy is not entitled to my secrets, my life, or my family. You and Willa are my family, Hermione. Please stop fighting it with every turn – I’m not Weasley, I’m not Malfoy. I’m just Theo. ”
“I would really like that, Teddy.” Her voice rasped, tears welling up. “I just need a little more time. I am not ready to put my safety – or my daughter’s– on the line like that. You and Malfoy are so…volatile. If we come up with a custody arrangement, are you going to be able to be able to look past your differences? I have held myself back from this - from us -since she was born, Teddy.” She paused, swallowing, “You don’t know how much I have wanted – how much I want .” She met his gaze and she saw hunger in his eyes.
Theo gently cupped the space between her jaw and collarbone, pulling her down onto his lap. His lips pressed gently against hers, coaxing them open, peppering sweet kisses down her jaw and neck. Hermione’s blood thrummed under her skin, her hair crackled with soft sparks of magic.
He tasted like firewhiskey, the coppery traces of blood salty and unwelcome. She pressed her lips to his neck, sucking at the soft skin exposed by the unbuttoned collar of his shirt.
She pressed her hips into him, feeling where soft met hard under the fabric of his trousers. “Hermione,” He whispered, kissing her face, her jaw her eyelids. Gently pressing himself into her, his hands wandering up her thighs. “Hermione, I can’t wait any longer,” He said, scooping her off her lap and apparating them into the next room.
“Thank Merlin its empty,” He groaned. “Would hate to accidentally get arrested breaking the statute of secrecy.”
“Shut up,” Hermione murmured, unbuttoning his shirt.
Theo teased between breaths, “Anything for you, dear.”
Hermione hadn’t known that it could feel that good. With Ron, she was young, inexperienced. She recalled him being selfish, though, hindsight is why she labeled this as such. Hermione could hardly know what selfish meant in bed when she hadn’t known just how good it was supposed to feel. She hardly remembered the night she spent with Draco, just that she was sore the next day and desperate to leave town before Ron could find out about her night with his least favorite wizard alive.
They made their way back downstairs, promptly collected Willa from Ginny's arms, and fled the Ned.
Hermione waited to put Willa to sleep before climbing right back into Theo’s lap in the parlor, where he was working on scrolls pertaining to the estate.
After they redressed a second time, Hermione led Theo to bed. He tucked in closely behind her, falling asleep quickly.
Hermione was tired, the rise and fall of Theo’s chest against her back was rhythmic and most welcome. Her eyes popped open.
Her diary was gone.