Chapter 1
Twelve years. That's how long it had been. That's how long she had wondered. That's how long since she had hidden part of herself from almost everyone she knew.
Now, all of a sudden, out of the blue, from nowhere, here he was. Standing there in front of her face, saying "Hi Hermione" to her like he'd just said goodbye yesterday.
Her head was in a tailspin. Part of her had thought that perhaps he'd died. Perhaps he had been lured back into the life of darkness that he had fought so hard against.
But now...
Now he stood before her.
She had to hold it. She had to maintain her composure.
For her.
For Cass.
For her child.
"Mum, you're being weird" Cass said, looking from her to the man standing before them.
"Sorry, sweetheart, this is someone I went to school with, Draco" she said.
Cass put her hand out to shake. Always the extroverted, outspoken child who was never afraid to meet new people and ask the hard questions.
"Cassiopeia, although I go by Cass"
"How do you do?" he asked, looking from mother to daughter and shaking the latter's hand.
Hermione wanted to fall into a black hole.
Cass laughed.
"I'm well thank you"
Grey eyes bore into grey eyes. She wondered if he noticed. If she noticed.
Cass looked like the spitting image of Hermione at age eleven.
"Well Cass, I must say you look just like your mother when we were at school" he said.
"We get that a lot. She's starting first year next week" Hermione said, before the usual 'but her eyes are different' comment. He'd know then. He'd surely be putting it all together by now.
He looked up at Hermione and nodded.
"Well, good luck Cass, I hope you enjoy learning all there is to know about magic" he said.
"Oh I've already read all the books and have made every potion from the first year textbook" she said.
"Another book worm then?" he asked with a smile.
A smile.
Hermione wanted to run.
Far.
Far away.
Cass shrugged.
"I could probably start second year and still be ahead of them" Cass said.
Hermione nudged her daughter with her foot.
"You probably could. You know your mum was the top of every class" he said.
He knew.
He had to know.
How could he not?
Why was he conversing with her like this?
Grey eyes into grey.
He had to know.
Did he know?
Hermione thought it was obvious, but maybe only because it's all she had thought about for 12 years. Maybe because she hadn't been able to get those eyes out of her mind for years and then, when her infant daughter's blue eyes had settled into grey, they brought with them all the memories of the last week of Hogwarts in 1999.
"Are you well?" Hermione asked after an awkward moment of silence.
"I am. And you?" he asked her.
She tucked her hand behind her ear with her left hand. He looked. Looked at her left hand. For a wedding band? She noticed he wasn't wearing one either.
"I'm fine. I'm good actually" she said.
"Good. Great" he said.
Hermione kicked at an uneven stone in the alley.
"OK, this was fun, mum can we go now, I need a broom" she said.
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Hermione Granger, letting her child on a broom? I never" he said.
"Not by my choice, let me tell you" she said.
"Well, her father must be a good influence" he said.
Hermione flinched. That particular conversation always stung.
"Actually, Harry and Ron are to thank for that. It's just me and Cass" she said.
He looked to her.
He really looked.
He looked from Hermione to Cass and back.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Hermione..." he said.
"Uh, we have to go. We need to get going before the shops close" she said, turning away.
"Hermione... Hermione...! Granger!" he called after her.
She had Cass's hand in hers and she was walking away.
He had put it all together.
She had an 11-year-old daughter with grey eyes, smart as hell, great at potions and a love of flying. No father in the picture.
He knew.
How couldn't he know?
She turned to look at him and all she saw was shock and concern.
She hurried to Quality Quidditch Supplies where she spent far too much on the latest broom and all the accessories, just to avoid Cass asking questions about the man she just met.
The man who had the same eyes as her.
The man who was her father.