Breakfast at Natalie's

Three days later, Malfoy heard a quiet knock on his door as he was deciding what to eat for dinner. He left the box of spaghetti next to the sink and answered the door.

"Hi," said Natalie, looking embarrassed. She was holding two duffel bags. "You said I could stay, and I thought about it, and...um..."

"Of course," said Malfoy graciously. "Here, let me help you with those bags. They look heavy." He led her into his bedroom and set her bags down by the door. "Er, sorry about the mess..."

"It's no problem," she said brightly. She flicked her wand and the bed covers smoothed themselves out and the dirty clothes flew into the hamper.

"I've never gotten the hang of all those household spells," he admitted sheepishly. "Anyway, you can have my room."

"Where will you sleep?"

"On the sofa," said Malfoy, shrugging.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, I don't want to be too much trouble..."

"Nonsense," he said airily. "It's no trouble at all. And it doesn't really make a difference where I sleep. I don't sleep well anyway."

"Well, if you're sure then," she said reluctantly.

"I'm positive," he said, going back into the kitchen. "I was just trying to figure out what to eat for dinner when you came."

"Oh, I can cook. Do you want me to make something?"

"I haven't really got much," he said, peering into the refrigerator. "I need to go grocery shopping."

"Don't worry," said Natalie, rummaging in the pantry. "I'll think of something. Now you can go watch television or whatever. Leave this to me."

Malfoy shrugged and sank into the sofa with a stack of unopened mail, obediently turning on the television. He began tearing open envelopes. Soon, a delicious aroma brought him back into the kitchen.

"You're just in time," said Natalie, setting a dish of creamy pasta in front of him. "It's fettuccine alfredo, and I've got chocolate pudding as well."

"This looks excellent," said Malfoy, sitting down and inhaling deeply. "Smells great too." He began to eat with gusto, trying not to drip sauce on the envelope beside his plate.

"What's that?" asked Natalie, pointing to the scarlet envelope covered in glitter.

"Oh, that," said Malfoy, glancing at the letter. "It's an invitation to a Christmas party. Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"You have to learn how to do things when you live by yourself," she said modestly. "I used to cook for my father, but all he ever wanted was steak and potatoes. Ever since he...left, I've been experimenting. Some of the things I made were pretty awful." She laughed and took another bite. "But back to the Christmas invitation. Who is it from? I heard Emily saying she wanted to throw a party."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "It's not from Emily. It's from one of my old classmates. I'd forgotten that she wanted to throw a party. She told me about it a couple weeks ago. But really? Emily's throwing a party?"

"I don't know if she's having one for sure," said Natalie. "Why, did you want to go?"

"No," said Malfoy, blushing against his will.

"You know, I overheard them talking about us at work," said Natalie, taking a sip of water.

"What were they saying?" he asked, getting up to bring over the pudding.

"Emily thinks we look alike." She shrugged. "I don't really agree."

"I don't know," said Malfoy. "Maybe it's just the eyes and the hair. What else did they say?"

"Oh, nothing really," she said. "Just silly girl talk. You wouldn't want to know."

"Tell me," he said. "I'm curious."

"Emily thinks...she said...that we should go out," she blurted, burying her face in her hands.

"No offense," said Malfoy, rather surprised by this confession, "but I don't really think of you in that way."

"I don't either," said Natalie, relieved. "Especially seeing as we might be related."

"I keep wondering about that," he said, swirling the pudding around on his plate. "Could we be related?"

"You could ask your mother," she suggested.

"She's dead," he said bluntly. "Both my parents are dead."

"Oh," said Natalie, not really knowing what to say. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

"I saw an advertisement for a psychic," said Natalie, steering them away from the topic.

"Do you believe in that kind of stuff?" he asked, helping her clear away the dishes.

"Scourgify! Well, sort of," she confessed. "But this lady says she can talk to the dead. I think we should try it. What have we got to lose?"

"Yes, what have we got to lose?" he mused. "Who is this woman?"

"Her name is Madame Morisette. Apparently, she's one of the most renowned psychics in England," she said knowledgably, reminding him slightly of Hermione. "We could go this weekend. She's open on Saturdays."

"Do we need to make an appointment?"

"I'll check. Her information's posted on the café's bulletin board."

The two of them went off into separate rooms: she into his bedroom, and he into the living room to finish sorting the mail. He opened Pansy's invitation again:

Dear Honored Guest, it read,

We, Pansy and Gregory Goyle, would like to cordially invite you to our Christmas celebration on December the twenty-fourth, Christmas Eve. The party will be held at...

Their address and phone number were listed below, along with a plea to RSVP as soon as possible, and, to his amusement, a note about costumes: Most festive costume will win a fabulous prize!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Love,

Pansy & Greg

Chuckling, he tossed the glitter-encrusted envelope aside. A costume party...how typical of her. He already knew that she would be the one dressed most outrageously, and that poor Goyle would probably be forced into some ridiculous outfit that she came up with. However, he decided that he would go, and resolving to call Pansy later, he got up to wash the sparkles off his hands. When he came out of the bathroom, he stopped at the hall closet to retrieve a few extra blankets and pillows.

"Going to bed?" asked Natalie, popping her head out of the bedroom.

"Yeah," he said. "I have to work tomorrow."

"I can seep on the sofa--"

"No," said Malfoy firmly, dumping the blankets on the floor and rearranging the cushions.

"Good night, then."

"Good night."

---------------------------

The next day, Joseph Whittaker woke up early. He found Hermione already in the kitchen buttering a slice of toast.

"Where are you going?" she asked, gesturing at his suitcase.

"Business trip," he grunted. "Won't be back until Monday."

Without eating breakfast, he opened the door and left the apartment. For the past couple days, their conversations had all been like this: short and to the point. She didn't mind it, but she could tell that the children could sense that there was something wrong. There was a knock at the door, and she let old Mrs. Wilson in before leaving for St. Mungo's.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" asked Ellen, coming in to trade shifts in the afternoon. "You seem kind of spacey."

"It's nothing," she lied. "I'm just not feeling well."

"You look like you haven't slept in days," observed Ellen. "Maybe you need a vacation."

"Maybe," she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "See you Monday."

She got home around four thirty and thanked Mrs. Wilson for looking after her children.

"It's no trouble at all," said the old woman, tottering back to her apartment.

Hermione sat down at the kitchen table, her head in her hands.

I just can't take this anymore, she thought. I can't be with Joseph. He was so handsome and friendly when I met him, but now he's gained weight and he doesn't love me anymore. Oh, why did I ever marry him? I want to leave him, but what about Cassie and Riley? Joseph doesn't know how to take care of children. I'd have to take them with me. But where would we go? Would he find me?

She stood up and busied herself by making dinner. First things first.

"Cassie! Riley! Time to eat!"

"Coming, Mum!" they yelled in unison.

"Where's Daddy?" asked Cassie, as Hermione set a baked potato in front of her.

"He's on a business trip," answered Hermione calmly. "He'll come back on Monday."

They finished eating and Cassie helped stack the dishes in the sink. Hermione frowned at the stack of dirty cups and plates that were soaking in murky water. She retrieved her wand from her handbag.

"Scourgify!" said Hermione. The dishes were instantly clean.

"Wow!" exclaimed Cassie. "That was so cool!"

"What was cool?" asked Riley, carrying an armload of action figures and toy cars into the kitchen.

"Mummy did magic!"

"Can I see?" He dumped the toys on the floor.

"Remember, you can't tell anyone about magic," cautioned Hermione, feeling rebellious. "Promise?"

"We promise," they chimed.

"Okay then." She aimed her wand at one of the action figures. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The figurine of Batman soared into the air.

"Whoa," said Riley, his mouth hanging open.

"Mummy, can you make us fly?" asked Cassie. Hermione cast the spell on her children and let them float around the kitchen for a few minutes, laughing gleefully as they pushed off the ceiling like astronauts in a zero-gravity space shuttle.

"It's eight thirty," she said. "Time for bed."

"Aww, Mum," whined Riley in midair. "Can't we stay up a little later? We don't even have school tomorrow."

"You may stay up for another hour," she said, relenting.

"Yay!" squealed Cassie.

"Who wants to play a fun Wizarding game?" asked Hermione.

"Meeee!"

She gently let them down and went into her bedroom. She reached into her underwear drawer where she kept and assortment of wizard candy and a deck of cards for Exploding Snap.

"Okay," she said, placing the cards on the kitchen table. "I have some candy for you to taste and then we'll play Exploding Snap. It used to be my favorite game when I was at Hogwarts."

"What kind of candy?" asked Riley. "Chocolate bars? Jaw breakers?"

"No," said Hermione patiently. She looked on wistfully as her children fawned over the assortment of strange candies, thinking of the time she and Malfoy had played Exploding Snap and gone to Honeydukes afterward.

"Oh yuck," said Cassie, chewing one of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. "I think I got sardine."

"Mine tastes like...bananas," said Riley.

They played until nine thirty, and then reluctantly went to bed.

--------------------------

Hermione woke in the morning and realized that there was no one beside her in the bed. She was confused until she remembered that Joseph had gone on a business trip.

He's not going to be back until Monday, she said to herself. This is your chance to escape. It's now or never.

She kicked off the covers and quickly got dressed. As it was still, early, she didn't want to wake the kids, so she began packing her belongings into a magically enlarged duffel bag. Even after she had stuffed all of her clothes and valuables inside, the bag retained the same appearance, except that it was considerably heavier. She woke the children and told them to pack their favorite toys and three outfits each. She could buy new clothes for them later.

"Where are we going?" asked Riley, yawning as she served him toast and scrambled eggs.

"We're leaving," said Hermione.

"Are we coming back?" asked Cassie.

"No," said Hermione after a moment of deliberation. Cassie and Riley looked at each other, wide-eyed with curiosity, but they didn't ask any more questions.

When they finished breakfast, Hermione washed the dishes by magic again.

"Do you have all your stuff?" They nodded. "Okay, wait here. I'm going to make a phone call." She dialed Malfoy's number. He picked up after six rings.

"Hello?" he said groggily.

"Draco? This is Hermione."

"Oh, hi," he said, yawning.

"There's no time to explain, but I need directions to your apartment."

Aware of the urgency in her voice, he quickly told her how to get there.

"Thanks. I'm bringing Cassie and Riley with me." She hung up and scribbled a note to her husband:

Joseph,

I have taken Cassie and Riley with me.

I'm sorry.

--Hermione

"Are we ready then? Okay, each of you grab one of my hands and hold your backpack tight with the other. Hold on very, very tightly and don't let go, no matter what."

Cassie and Riley clutched their mother's hands. Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated hard. A moment later, they reappeared in an alleyway.

"This way," said Hermione, leading them out onto the street. They began walking toward Malfoy's apartment. Five minutes later, they were standing in front of his door.

"Can we let go now?" asked Riley, looking sick.

"Yes, you can let go." She pressed the doorbell and was immediately ushered into the apartment.

"Uncle D!" said Cassie, hugging him.

"Hi, Cassie," he said. "Hello, Riley."

Riley managed a weak "hello" before he threw up on the kitchen floor. Both adults rushed to clean it up.

"What's going on?" asked Malfoy, staring at Hermione, who looked to be on the verge of tears.

"I can't take it anymore," she said, tears trickling down her face.

"Don't cry, Mummy," said Cassie, tugging on her sleeve and climbing onto her lap. Hermione's bare shoulder was exposed for a moment, and she quickly covered herself up, but the damage was already done.

Malfoy crossed the kitchen in two strides and yanked the sleeve back down. She winced as he gently touched the dark bruise on her shoulder.

"Cassie, Riley, you can turn on the telly and watch movies or something." The children quietly slunk over to the sofa and were immersed in their favorite cartoons almost immediately. He turned to Hermione. "Come with me." She followed him into the bedroom, and he shut the door behind them, gesturing for her to sit down on the bed.

"Tell me what happened," he demanded, sitting down beside her. "Did he hit you?"

"He-he--" Too overcome with emotion to speak, she nodded.

"My God," said Malfoy, inhaling sharply. "That bastard. I swear I'm going to kill him if I ever see him again. How could he do this?"

"He c-came home drunk and he said he s-saw us together," she said, trembling. "I t-told him we were just f-friends, but he didn't believe me...he s-said that I had to l-learn my p-place...and he..." She couldn't go on, but Malfoy didn't need to hear the rest to know what had happened.

"Goddammit! I am going to kill--"

"Shh, Draco, the kids will hear you."

"Sorry," he said, lowering his voice. He put his arms around her protectively and she buried her face in his sweater. All these years, and he still smelled of coffee and crushed pine needles.

"I didn't know what to do. I knew I couldn't stay."

"You did the right thing," he said reassuringly. He stroked her hair. "You're not going back there. You're staying with me. But, er...I kind of already have someone staying with me."

"Who?" she said, sitting up abruptly.

"Natalie King. I think she might be related to me or something," he added, seeing the look on her face. "She's at work right now."

"Why is she staying with you?"

"Her father died and she doesn't want to stay in his house all by herself," he explained vaguely.

"You're really related?"

"Well, we don't know for sure. We actually have an appointment with a psychic at around three thirty today."

"A psychic?" she said incredulously. "And what's that going to do?"

"She can talk to the dead. I want to talk to my mother."

"You really think that's going to work?" she scoffed. She had never been a fan of Divination.

"Maybe, maybe not." He shrugged.

"Sounds like a waste of time to me," she said huffily.

"Are you just jealous?" he teased.

"I'm not jealous!"

"I think you are."

They looked into each other's eyes and a dormant flame was rekindled.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you," she said softly, tracing his smooth jaw line with her finger.

"Not more than I've missed you."

He kissed her ever so gently. He was surprised to find a salty taste in his mouth, and then he realized that she was crying. His hands slowly inched up her shirt. She shivered when his hands swept over her skin. As he shifted his weight on top of her, she placed a hand on his chest.

"I don't think we should do this," she said, her eyes dry.

"Why not?" he asked, puzzled.

"I just...I don't think I'm ready."

"Fine, whatever." He slid off her and scooted to the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry, Draco."

"It's fine."

"Don't be mad at me." She placed her hand on his forearm. "Please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad at you," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "See?"

"You're ridiculous," she said, giving him a playful shove.

"No, I'm Draco Malfoy."

Dreaming--OMD

If you were born in heaven girl
I'd understand so well
But ever since I met you child
You've made my life such hell
With every day that passes
I fall nearer to the ground
It seems that I've been looking for
Something that won't be found

I was only dreaming
I was only trying to catch your eye
I was only wishing you would notice me
Instead you said goodbye

Could this be the new answer then
To all the dreams we've made
Could there be some solution please
To rid me of this craze
But every single second that you
Hold me in your arms
You build me up you raise me up
You kill me with your charms

I was only dreaming
I was only trying to catch your eye
I was only wishing you would notice me
Instead you said goodbye

Won't you stay here tonight?
Won't you make these feelings last?
Can't we start this all again?
Would that be just too much to ask?

I was only dreaming
I was only trying to catch your eye
I was only wishing you would notice me
Instead you said goodbye

I was only dreaming
I was only trying to catch your eye
I was only wishing you would notice me
Instead you said goodbye