The Eternal Triangle

Chapter 10 - Father, Dad and Harry

Hermione looked warily at Draco as she walked into the library and sat further down the table from where he was still standing at the head of the table. He too was watching her intently, with an unreadable expression in his cold, grey eyes.

She had been in a meeting with Remus earlier when Draco had turned up at headquarters with a report for Remus. Remus had decided, now that Hermione had returned, the Order would work closely with Hermione and the Morgan Foundation to find a way to defeat Voldemort. Therefore, Remus wanted her to sit in on every Order meeting and discussion, especially if Snape or Draco had a report.

Hermione didn't mind this arrangement, but she'd had a moment of panic when Remus told her that Draco had arrived. She hadn't seen him since that night seven years ago. After she got back from her parents', Draco had never come to Headquarters, sending in his reports via correspondence only - and she was apprehensive on how their first meeting would go.

Thankfully, after giving her an intent, searching look, he had ignored her altogether and concentrated on Remus. Which was fine with her. She had no desire for Draco to set eyes on Ronnie. As soon as she found a house, she was leaving Headquarters and ensuring that Draco did not find out anything about her son. She hoped that nobody in the Order who'd seen Ronnie would say anything to Draco either but she wasn't too worried about it. Draco and Snape were playing a vital role in the war against the Dark Lord but neither had endeared themselves to the rest of the Order members and she doubted anybody spent time with them on social chit chats.

That plan, unfortunately, had gone to hell and major damage control was now needed - because no way was she letting Malfoy near her son.

The spell tracking Ronnie since his birth had abruptly stopped about a year ago, the same time as Lucius Malfoy's death. After she contacted the Morgan Foundation, they had cast a charm on Ronnie so that the tracking spell was diverted away from him. Another spell had also been cast in tandem with the first one so that if the tracking spell was strengthened to overcome the diversion, it would subtly drain away the potency of the magic without the caster being aware of it.

She had suspected that Draco was unaware of the tracking spell Lucius Malfoy had cast on Ronnie as the spell had not been re-activated after Lucius's death. And based on Draco's shock upon seeing Ronnie, it looked like her suspicions were right.

"So, the weasel still playing the role of big, bad protector, I see. And as ineffective as ever," Draco sneered, sauntering nearer to where she was sitting.

Hermione gripped her wand hard under the table, taking deep breaths to calm herself. Looking up calmly at him, she said derisively, "You never change do you? Still as petty and childish as ever?"

She had the satisfaction of seeing him flush. "Be nice to me - Hermione," he said silkily. "It wouldn't do for our son to see his parents fighting."

This time, it was Hermione who flushed but in anger, not embarrassment. "Let's get one thing straight here, Malfoy. He is not our son, he's mine! You were merely the sperm donor - and that's all you'll ever be," she stated in a hard, determined voice.

"You may wish it so, Granger," he laughed mockingly. "But he is my son and I have every right to him." He was now standing less than a foot away from her and he leaned down and whispered menacingly, "Rest assured that I shall be exercising my fatherly rights."

Hermione gripped her wand tighter at his proximity, fighting to remain calm. She was not letting him intimidate her. "And where would your illegitimate son fit in your life? Your life with your pureblood wife and daughter?" she taunted.

He straightened and looked at her consideringly. "As well informed as ever, I see."

"And why shouldn't I be?" she mocked, giving him a fake smile.

He didn't reply but walked away, going to the other side of the table and sitting down opposite her. Looking at her, he asked seriously, without his usual cold and arrogant inflection, "Why didn't you tell me? I only married Pansy three years ago and our son's already six, isn't he?"

She snorted and said sarcastically, "What? If I'd told you, you'd have married me? I'm sure that would've gone down very well with your father." And Draco flushed again.

"Remus called him Ronnie," he replied instead, in a slightly strained voice. "So you named him after Weasley?"

Hermione smiled wickedly, feeling perverse pleasure telling him Ronnie's full name. "I named him - Ronald Harry Granger."

Draco looked at her in horror and sputtered, "He - he - how could you? He's a Malfoy!"

"He's a Granger," she insisted heatedly, glaring at him. And they glared at each other for long minutes, until they both looked uncomfortably away.

"So, we have a son," Draco muttered, not looking at her.

"No, I have a son. You - do - not. You have a daughter," she insisted stubbornly.

"Damn you, Granger!" he burst out. "I don't care what you think of me but you have no right to keep me away from my son!"

"And damn you too, Malfoy! You have no rights - not after what you did to me," she hissed venomously. The anger that she'd kept hidden and suppressed for seven years over what he'd done to her finally boiling over.

"You think I'm going to just hand him over to you because you say he's a Malfoy? Because of what you did, I had to stay away from my family, my friends for seven bloody years! Because of you I nearly lost my two best friends. Ronnie is the only good thing to come from this whole horrible mess and you are never getting him. Never!" she raged bitterly.

"Don't blame me if those idiots you call best friends can't be depended on to support you when you're in trouble!" he snapped back coldly. "You didn't run away because of what I did, you ran away because you knew how those would react if they found out!"

"I hate you!" she cried furiously.

"Sounds familiar," he mocked with a twisted smile. "Don't you want to finish the sentence?"

She just glared at him.

"Look - Hermione," he ground out. "What's happened, happened. It's too late to do anything about it now and we've just got to deal with it.

"Yes, I'm married - but it was not my choice. It was something I had to do because it was expected and to refuse would be very suspicious, considering the role I have to play. And the only good thing that came out of that is Octavia. I don't give a damn what you or other people think of me - but I do care for my children. And no matter how much you want to deny it, Ronnie is my child and I will not allow you to keep him away from me any longer," he said vehemently, his eyes boring into her.

"You don't care for anybody but yourself," she said accusingly.

"Do not assume that I'm incapable of caring just because I'm not like you Gryffindors, wearing your hearts on your sleeves."

"Are you?" she asked derisively.

"Yes!" he insisted heatedly, glaring at her. "You said I have not changed, well you're a fine one to talk," he sneered. "You're still judging me by your preconceived notions about Slytherins.

"I admit I was a spoilt little bastard at school but I was merely a product of my upbringing. But when I was old enough to make a choice, I chose the Order rather than align myself with the Dark Lord.

"You, Potter and Weasley are all the same. You claim to be open minded and tolerant of everyone but you have never gotten over your own prejudice regarding Slytherins - and me. And that makes you just as bad as those who champion pureblood supremacy!" he said, looking at her in disgust.

"You judge me by what you see, never bothering to look beneath the surface and never bothering to question why I chose the Order instead of becoming a Death Eater. You have no idea what I'm like so do not presume to judge me!" he spat out.

Hermione was stunned by Draco's tirade and ashamed because his accusations made her realize her own prejudices - and the fact that she'd never bothered to question why he had chosen to join the Order.

Choices...

Perhaps she herself should have remembered Dumbledore's words which she had repeated to Harry earlier. Because she'd never questioned why Malfoy had decided to join the Order instead of Voldemort, the way he had been brought up to do. And she certainly never bothered to think about the implications of his choice and what that actually showed about the sort of person he was.

"'And remember Cedric'," she murmured softly. Because Malfoy had certainly chosen what was right, over what was easy.

"What?" Draco demanded, annoyed.

"Nothing," she replied quietly, looking at him. Hermione suddenly understood, perhaps for the first time, that Draco risked his life as much, if not more, than the other Order members, playing his role with Voldemort. And she suddenly realized that perhaps her son had a father he could be proud of.

And she now questioned whether she had the right to deny Ronnie the chance to know his father - no matter what her feelings on it were.

"Why did you do that to me?" she finally asked quietly, when the silence between them had stretched uncomfortably.

Draco knew she meant the lust charm and answered, looking rather uncomfortable, "I told you, I wanted you. And yes, I didn't care how I got you, just so I got you."

He looked up at her and seeming to steel himself, finally said, "I - I'm sorry." He looked quickly away.

Hermione gaped at him.

After a while, he turned to look at her and asked quietly, "Will you allow me to get to know my son?"

Hermione hesitated, then faltered out, "Yo-your father-"

"Is dead," Draco continued flatly.

"I know! That's not what I meant," she flared out. Taking a deep breath, she plunged right in. "You are what you are because of the values your father gave you, you admitted as much. I don't want that for Ronnie."

"And you think that's the sort of values I'll pass to him?" he asked incredulously. "Look, I know what my father was like and I know the way he looked at the world was somewhat skewered and I'm definitely not about to pass those beliefs down to my children!

"For Merlin's sake, I've been risking my life for the past eight years playing my role for the Order and you still think I'm like my father?!" he asked angrily, shaking his head in disgust. "Perhaps I need to get myself killed for the Order before you and your precious friends will finally trust me?"

Standing up abruptly and still looking disgusted, he spat out, "This is getting nowhere." Leaning towards her with his hands flat on the table, he continued coldly, "With or without your permission and whether you like it or not, I am going to see my son!" And with that, he stalked out of the library.

"Malfoy, wait!" she called out and he stopped and turned back to her, all cold eyed and arrogant with an eyebrow raised quizzically. "We - I'll follow you down and introduce you to Ronnie," she said quietly, not quite meeting his eyes.

His eyebrows went up higher in surprise and he smirked. "I've decided to allow you to get to know him, so stop looking at me like that!" she said in irritation.

"Thank you, Hermione," Draco replied sarcastically. She just glared and walked quickly past him. But he grabbed her arm and she jerked away in shock, her wand coming up in reflex.

He looked impatiently at her and the wand pointed at him. "I merely wanted to ask what you've told him about me," he said, deliberately pushing her wand away from him.

"Nothing," she replied with relish.

"So what am I supposed to say to him?" he asked in exasperation.

"You're the one who's so eager to see him - you figure that out," she answered with a mocking smile and turned to walk down the stairs.

She was halfway down before he said anything. "So you seduced me at that club and no matter how much I pushed you away, you refused to take 'no' for an answer. Then you dragged me back to your place and had your way with me again. Hmm, that sounds about right. And you didn't tell anybody about him, including me, because you were afraid Weasley'd kill you if he found out as you were engaged to him when you slept with me," he said calmly and Hermione almost exploded.

"You - you - evil liar!" she sputtered. "Don't you dare!" And this time it was Malfoy who smiled mockingly at her.

"Then I suggest you get back here and we get our stories straight before I see him," he bit out coldly.

Glaring murderously at him, she stalked back up the stairs and faced him grimly. "Fine," she finally snarled. "I told him that his father is Draco Malfoy and he read up about the Malfoys in 'Wizarding Families of Great Britain and Ireland'. I also told him that we - that we fell in love but your family refused to accept me because I'm not a pureblood," she finished in a rush, not meeting his eyes

"Ah, how romantic. Star-crossed lovers separated by prejudice. Very... appropriate," he drawled silkily.

"Would you rather I told him the truth?" she demanded bitterly and had the satisfaction of seeing him flush.

"Since that's settled, let's go down then," she said grimly, turning to walk down the stairs.

Draco took her hand before she stepped down and she flinched, snatching her hand away again, whirling to face him. "What-" she started to say with a glare.

"If we're supposed to be re-united lovers, shouldn't we act like it?" he said with an impatient bite to his voice. And he took her hand again, bringing it up to his mouth and kissing it lingeringly, staring intently into her eyes but with a mocking smile twisting his lips. She couldn't help the shiver that ran up her arm.

Clasping her hand securely in his, they descended together. Hermione closed her eyes apprehensively, imagining Ron's reaction to this.

And Ron didn't disappoint her.

When they entered together, hand in hand, Ron - who was apparently teaching Ronnie the rudiments of wizard chess - nearly combusted in rage. She sent him one lethal glare before quickly introducing Draco and Ronnie. Hermione then went to Ron, pulled him out into the hallway and tried to calm him down.

"He hasn't done anything, Ron. Will you calm down?" she said in an urgent whisper.

"What the hell was the hand-holding about?" he asked angrily.

She answered equally angrily, "Ronnie's meeting his father for the first time, I can't show him that Draco and I are enemies!"

"Oh, its Draco now? I thought you said he's to have nothing to do with Ronnie and now everything's cosy and you're introducing them? Did he put a Confundus Charm on you?" Ron demanded, his voice rising dangerously.

"Sshhh!" she hushed him urgently. "Ronnie'll hear you!"

"Then you better tell me what the hell is going on," Ron whispered furiously.

"I will - later," she hissed back at him. "I need to get back in there and make sure everything's alright." She turned to walk back into the parlour. "And he did not put a Confundus Charm on me," she said over her shoulder to him with a glare. "But if it'll make you feel better, then go ahead and do a Finite Incantatem!"

To her absolute annoyance, he took her up on it.

Over the next few days, Draco made it a point to stop by and see Ronnie every other day and she left them to it. She didn't want to intrude, but made sure Ronnie told her about the meetings and talks with his father. Ronnie called Draco 'Father' as he still insisted in calling Ron 'Dad'. She always laughed silently to herself over that fact and was sure Draco himself was furious about it.

But he never said anything about it to his son and Hermione was surprised and amazed when she heard the way Ronnie talked about his father. To Ronnie, Draco was the most perfect, loving father any little boy could ask for. And she had to bite her lips to prevent her laughter every time Ronnie boasted about his father to Ron and Harry and she could see them trying valiantly not to show their disgust.

She'd told Ron and Harry about what Draco had said in the library and it made them think, though Ron still stubbornly insisted that he couldn't be trusted.

"Ron, you're being unreasonable," she chided him.

"It's just words, Hermione," he'd said mulishly.

Exasperated, she'd replied, "Yes, but what about all he's done for the Order? You're the same with Professor Snape and neither of them has ever betrayed the Order, or us."

"Not yet," Ron insisted darkly.

"Oh, I give up!" she finally said, throwing her hands in the air and turning to appeal to Harry.

"I don't know, Hermione," Harry sighed. "I agree that they've been invaluable to the Order but - maybe it's just better to be cautious. After all, how can we guarantee that another Wormtail won't happen again? So its 'constant vigilance'," he said, shrugging wryly.

"Alright, fine!" she'd exhaled in frustration. "But please, for Ronnie's sake, don't show him that we can't get along. He's never had a father figure in his life - he's a growing boy and he needs one. Now he's got three and he looks up to the three of you so much."

"He does?" Harry asked incredulously.

She chuckled at Harry's reaction and replied, "Of course he does, Harry. Everything that comes out of his mouth nowadays is either Dad or Harry or Father. And I'm so happy he finally has that. So please, for Ronnie's sake, pretend we're all the best of friends?" she appealed to them.

They both looked extremely uncomfortable and Ron burst out, "It makes me want to hurl when I hear the way Ronnie speaks about the ferret!"

Hermione snorted with laughter. "I know! Your faces-" She collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"Yeah, yeah, very funny," said Ron annoyed. "Anyway, how're you coming along with your house hunting?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I'm not," she replied after getting over her giggling bout. Somehow, none of the houses she'd seen so far had appealed to her and she sometimes wondered whether her expectations were too high. But it was going to be their home, and she wanted it perfect.

"Why?" Harry asked. "What's wrong with the ones you've seen? And if it's about the price, I told you not to worry as I'm paying. And I can afford it even if you want a mansion."

She looked impatiently at him. "You are not paying Harry, I do have my own money!"

"Stubborn, that's what you are," he said flatly.

"Look who's talking," was her flippant reply.

~+~+~

"Mummy, mummy, Father wants to speak with you. C'mon." Ronnie rushed into the library like a little whirlwind and was now tugging on her arm.

Draco had arrived earlier for his usual visit to Ronnie and his son had dragged him up to see the hippogriff. Hermione had left them to it and settled in the library to do some research. She was leaving for the Foundation soon as she'd been going back and forth between the Foundation and Headquarters since she came back to England. It was Friday afternoon and she was planning to make it a weekend visit and taking Ronnie with her, so that she'd have a chance to catch up with her friends back in New York.

"Ronald, it's alright. Your mother does not have to go anywhere, I'll speak to her here," Draco said casually, sauntering into the library.

Despite the fact that Draco was often at Headquarters on his visits with Ronnie, Hermione seldom saw him, preferring to send Ronnie to him and making herself scarce. She saw him only if there were meetings and discussions and even then, they hardly talked to one another.

Ronnie turned to face Draco. "I thought you'd be staying with Beaky, Father. He's brilliant. Have you flown on him? Dad brought me on him the other day and it was wonderful! And he promised we'll do it again soon, I can't wait!" As usual, Ronnie's words tumbled over in his excitement. Her son was so enthusiastic about everything and now that he had Ron, Harry and Draco to entertain him, she sometimes felt like she was becoming redundant in her son's life, hence her plan on having the whole weekend with him in New York.

"I don't think Beaky likes me very much," was Draco's dry reply.

And Hermione couldn't help smirking when she remembered his first encounter with the hippogriff.

"I see you remembered," he said wryly, looking at her.

"Mummy, Father's got this brilliant plan. I told him we're looking for a house and he says we can stay at this cottage where there's a lake and acres of wood and there're horses and we can bring Beaky to stay as well and - please Mummy, can we stay there? And its Father's so you and Harry don't have to pay for it and - its brilliant, isn't it Mummy?" Ronnie said, almost all in one breath, finally winding down and grinning ecstatically at her.

Hermione's face had gotten darker and darker the longer Ronnie had rambled on and now she was positively glowering at Draco. "Ronnie," she said in a tightly controlled voice. "Why don't you go back to our room and read for a while. Let me discuss this with your father."

"Uh - okay Mummy," he said in a subdued voice, looking worriedly at her but he didn't leave immediately. Looking down at his toes scuffing the carpet, he asked in a small voice, "Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh darling, of course not!" she said reassuringly and pulled him into a hug. "I just need to speak to your father, alright?"

"But you never wanted to speak to him before," her son said in a slightly accusing voice.

She exhaled a quick shocked breath. "Of course not, whatever makes you say that?" she finally said lightly.

"Because you said-" Hermione's fingers on his lips stopped the rest of the sentence and she glared playfully at her son.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Ronnie said grinning and left the library, pulling the door closed behind him.

Draco was watching the interaction between mother and son with an amused smirk on his face and now he asked, "What did you say Hermione?"

"None of your business, Malfoy," she spat out. "You had no right getting Ronnie's hopes up about this cottage of yours. We don't need it! I never asked for your help, I just allowed you to get to know your son - not arrange our lives!" she raged. She couldn't believe his gall!

She had opened her mouth to continue her rant when he put up his hands to stop her and quickly said, "I'm not arranging your life. I'm merely offering you a solution. I know you never asked for my help and I'm well aware that you don't need it. But I'm offering it. I'm offering my son and his mother the option of staying in a cottage that I own, which has not been used in years and which I think would suit you admirably.

"Would you at least consider it before rejecting it right out just because it's from me?" he asked impatiently. "Oh, I forgot, Potter's buying the house for you isn't it. And his help's acceptable but not mine. Tell Potter," he almost spat it out with an ugly look twisting his features, "that my son does not need his help." He got up and stalked out the library.

Bugger, bugger, bugger! Men and their ego! She almost screamed in frustration - and nearly damned her son and his big mouth. And then was immediately contrite because Ronnie was just being himself and naturally tells his father everything.

Bugger, bugger, bugger!

Maybe it was a good thing she'd run away for seven years because now, between Ron, Harry and Draco, she often felt like she and Ronnie were being pulled apart in three different directions!

Draco was fiercely possessive of Ronnie and surprisingly, so was Ron. Even Harry was, though not as excessive as the other two. Then there's the situation between her, Ron and Harry. Yes, they've talked it out and an understanding had been reached but the tension still flared at unexpected moments. And Ron and Harry would go ballistic every time she and Draco pretended to be a happy couple for Ronnie's sake. Though in Draco's case, she was sure he purposely went overboard in the pretense to aggravate Ron and Harry and never lost the opportunity to rub in the fact that Ronnie was his and Hermione's child.

Bugger, bugger, bugger!

She had completely lost it. She never used to swear.

~+~+~

A whole week had passed since then and the subject had not come up again. Ronnie may be just six, but he was very sensitive to Hermione's moods and surprisingly mature about reading the emotional currents flying around. She tried her best not to make disparaging remarks about his father to him but sometimes, she just couldn't help it

And the frustrating thing about it was she still hadn't found the perfect house for them.

"Mummy?" Ronnie said to wake her up, perching on the side of her bed. She had returned to Headquarters late the previous night after a trip to the Foundation and had overslept this morning. When she made it to her room, Ronnie wasn't in his bed and she'd gone looking for him, finally finding him sleeping with Ron.

"Heeyy, you're up early," she said sleepily. Yawning, she noticed that he was already dressed neatly and rather surprised, asked, "Did you dress yourself?"

"Dad helped," he replied with a mischievous smile. "I slept with him last night 'cause you didn't come back."

"I'm sorry, darling." She yawned again and continued, "I was talking to Pietr and we just forgot the time." Pietr was the Foundation's artificer in the department of Magical Artifact & Creatures.

"That's okay." He was looking rather uncomfortable and didn't meet her eyes. "Mummy, Father wants me to spend the day with him, can I?" he asked hesitantly, finally looking up imploringly.

She sat up abruptly. "The whole day?" she asked and he nodded. "Here?"

"No," he replied in a small voice. "He's taking me out."

"Where?" and this time Hermione's tone was suspicious.

He just shrugged and looked down. By now, her suspicions were fully roused - that was the expression on his face when he was trying to keep something back from her.

"You are not going anywhere until you tell me what's this about," she said severely.

He looked mutinous for a second and she waited, frowning at him. "He's taking me to see the cottage," he finally said defiantly, his little chin lifted arrogantly - and looked so much like his father that her next words came out angrier than she intended.

"No! You are not going to see it. I absolutely forbid it. Your father has no right making such plans without telling me!" she fumed, glaring at Ronnie.

"Yes he has - he's my father. And I'm going!" he shouted rebelliously and ran out of the room.

She got off the bed and rushed after him yelling, "Ronald Harry Granger, get back here this instant!"

"Shan't!" was the infuriating reply she received.

Absolutely incensed now, Hermione barreled down the stairs after him. She stopped short when she reached the hallway downstairs and saw Ronnie standing beside his father.

She was too angry now to care and advanced towards Draco. "How dare you go behind my back and make plans with Ronnie? I never agreed to this cottage idea of yours and I absolutely forbid you to take him there. If this is how you abuse the privilege I've given you to see him, you are not seeing him ever again!" she screamed, not caring that she'll probably wake the portraits.

And sure enough, soon the shouts from the portraits only added to the pandemonium. She grabbed Ronnie's hand and tugged him towards her but he stubbornly dug in his heels and held on to his father's hand, refusing to go to her.

"No! I don't want to go with you. I want to go with Father," Ronnie said shrilly, tugging his hand away and glaring defiantly up at her.

Almost impotent with fury, she said, "Stop this nonsense at once, Ronald!" Hermione tried grabbing his hand again but he hid behind his father and stuck his tongue out at her.

She was left staring up at Draco's cold glare and she glared right back. "Get out! And don't ever come back."

"Calm yourself woman," he bit out coldly.

"Don't you tell me what to do," she replied harshly.

"You are being unreasonable."

"I'm being unreasonable?" she gasped in outrage. "You're the one who started this. You had no right telling Ronnie you'll take him to the cottage. He's my son!"

"I have every right because he's my son too!" Draco's rigid control had slipped and his voice rose.

"Damn you Malfoy - if you want a son so badly, go fuck Pansy until she gives you one!" She was so consumed by her rage now that she was past caring what was coming out of her mouth.

She heard a muffled sob and was jolted out of her rage. Hermione turned and saw Ronnie staring wide eyed at his parents screaming at each other and she blanched. Stretching her arms out to her son, she said beseechingly, "Ronnie, darling?"

Tears trickling down his cheeks, Ronnie turned and ran back upstairs. Hermione rounded on Draco and cried accusingly, "Look what you've done!"

"I haven't done anything!" he denied angrily but his words fell into empty air as Hermione had raced after her son.

He looked furiously up at Hermione's retreating back and noticed for the first time their fight had gathered quite an audience. Molly and Tonks were standing with shocked faces at the head of the stairs leading up from the basement kitchen while Remus and Harry were in the parlour's doorway.

Harry's eyes blazed with hatred behind his glasses and he said frostily, over the screams from the portraits, "I suggest you leave, Malfoy."

Sweeping a cold arrogant look at all of them, he left without a word.

Hermione heard Ronnie sobbing in their room and he'd locked the door. "Ronnie, please let me in," she said, knocking on the door.

"No. Go 'way," was the tearful reply.

"Darling, please," she pleaded.

"No! Go away, GO AWAY!" Ronnie screamed from the room.

"Ronnie..." Hermione wept quietly, leaning her forehead against the door. She took out her wand to unlock the door but before she could do so -

"Hermione, perhaps it's better to let him be for now?" Molly's quiet voice said.

She turned and saw Molly hovering near the stairs. "How could it be better? I need to explain to him what happened."

"And how're you going to do that?"

"I'll tell him that..." and Hermione's voice trailed off uncertainly.

"The truth?" Molly asked softly.

"Oh dear god, Molly, I can't tell him that," Hermione whispered brokenly. "He's only six."

"Come down to the kitchen dear. A cup of tea will clear your mind and you'll find a way to make this right. He may only be six - but don't underestimate him," Molly coaxed.

Shaking her head, she said, "I - I think I'll just wait up here - until he's ready to let me in."

A few minutes later, Harry walked up and stood close to her. She smiled tremulously at him and wordlessly he drew her into a hug. She just clung to him miserably.

"It's going to be alright, Hermione," he said soothingly, stroking her hair.

"Is it Harry?" she asked, searching his face for reassurance.

But Harry couldn't answer her.

When Ronnie finally let her in, her heart ached listening to his tearful words and she agreed that they'd go and see his father's cottage. It was a small thing to do for her son because she wasn't able to give him his dearest wish - to live together with his father and mother and be a family, just like everyone else.