Destination Unknown

Chapter 6

June 19^th, 2013

"Where are the kids?" asked Draco.

"I sent them over to Ginny's. Sylvia and her siblings are there as well. I wanted to talk to you in private," said Hermione.

"About?"

"Harry and Cory."

"Is something wrong, darling?"

Hermione nodded gravely.

"They've been having nightmares about Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort's lives...Harry has been dreaming of Privet Drive and how the Dursleys used to keep him locked in a cupboard...and Cory has been dreaming about a Muggle orphanage where Tom Riddle was beaten because he was different from the others...they woke up screaming, Draco. I don't know what to do!" she cried.

Draco was shocked, to say the least.

"When did this start?" he asked slowly.

"A week ago. Dreamless sleep potion does not have any effect on them. And it's getting worse day by day...yesterday night Harry woke up with bruises from Dudley's punches, and Cory...oh Draco, he had cuts from a whip on his back...he was bleeding horribly! I healed them, but...they're terrified, and so am I!"

"Holy Merlin," whispered Draco as he flopped down on the bed.

"Did you talk to Dumbledore?" he asked after a long period of silence.

Hermione nodded.

"He said it should stop in a few days," she said.

"Why didn't you tell me before? I'd have returned earlier from Germany."

"I didn't want to disturb you. It was a very important assignment for you, and Dumbledore told me that you wouldn't be able to do anything."

"That old coot! If something is ever wrong with my children, however trivial, I want to be informed immediately, no matter where I am or what I am doing, ok?"

"Ok," said Hermione timidly. They sat in silence for some time.

"The boys will soon be going to Hogwarts," said Draco. Hermione nodded.

"I talked to their teachers. They all said that both are way ahead compared to their contemporaries. They're brilliant. I think they'll top at Hogwarts."

Draco laughed. "Cory will, if not Harry. Potter was never that good a student."

"That's because he never studied. His relatives didn't let him study at home, and he was too busy surviving Voldemort at school. It's a wonder he passed his exams with good grades. I'd have failed in his place."

"You fail? Don't joke, Herm. That's as improbable as Luna and Ron having a blonde kid."

"Now that you say it, have you ever noticed that all Weasleys have red hair, no matter what their mothers' hair colour is. All of Ron's four are red haired. Even Ginny's two are, though they're only half Weasleys."

Draco laughed. "You know my Dad once told me that all Weasleys had red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford. The last's not true anymore, but the others are."

Hermione laughed.

"Let's get the kids," she said, "they'll be pleased to see you. Have you brought them gifts?"

"Of course I have. I've brought you one, too."

"What is it?"

He handed her a gift wrapped box. She opened it impatiently and gasped in surprise.

"It's beautiful, Draco."

"Like it?"

"Love it! Put it around my neck."

Draco lifted the chain with a single huge solitaire set in white gold and placed it around his wife's neck.

"Looks good on you," he said. Hermione blushed.

"Let's get the kids," she said and Disapparated. Draco followed.

As soon as Draco appeared at Ginny's house, he knew something was wrong. Hermione was running towards the garden. He ran after her. They found Harry bent over on the ground, clutching his head and screaming in pain. Hermione immediately put her arms around him and said gently, "Harry?"

Harry looked at her with terror in his eyes.

"Don't hurt me!" he cried, tears falling down his face, "I didn't do it!"

Hermione hugged him tightly and rocked him to and fro.

"Calm down, Harry, it's all right. It's only a dream, dear. Mum's here with you. Calm down, Harry," she muttered soothingly. Harry collapsed in her arms, sobbing violently. She picked up her ten year old son in her arms, motioned to Draco to bring the other two children back, and Apparated to Malfoy Manor. Draco flooed back with Cory and Ace, and Ginny tried to calm down the other children there.

Hermione took Harry to her own room and they sat on the bed, enveloped in a tight hug. Harry finally stopped crying and rubbed his eyes as they broke apart.

"Sorry, Mum."

Hermione stroked his back gently and said, "You have nothing to be sorry for, dear. Now tell me what happened."

"I don't know, Mum. Doug was teasing me about something and I was back in the middle of this nightmare, and there was this fat boy complaining to a woman and that woman was coming to hurt me...then you showed up and scared them away," said Harry, his voice shaking.

Hermione threw an arm around his shoulder and squeezed him reassuringly.

"Dad and I are always here to get rid of those nasty people in your and Cory's nightmares. I talked to an expert, he said these will stop soon. He also said that you have to try to resist these dreams, dear. Think of something happy when the nightmares come, ok?"

Harry nodded. Draco, Cory and Ace walked a few minutes later.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Draco asked. Harry nodded.

Hermione looked at Cory.

"Did you have something similar there?"

Cory hesitated. Ace spoke up, "Yes, Mum, he did. He put a hand to his head when he thought no one was looking and rubbed it. A few minutes later, he joined us, smiling again."

"Come here, Cory," said Hermione, patting the bed on her side. Cory came and sat there. She put her other arm around her other son.

"What happened, dear?" she asked gently.

"There was the same nasty man as usual. He hit me with a cane a few times and left me in a dark room. That's all," he said, trying to sound casual.

"Lift your shirt," said Hermione sharply. Cory sent her a hurt look and did as he was told. Sure enough, the angry red marks were visible against his skin. Draco healed them quickly. As Cory returned to his seat next to his mother, his eyes fell on his father's belt lying on the bed. A new nightmare began. The man was back again in the dark room, with a belt in his head. Cory's head felt on fire. He clutched his head and moaned.

Hermione threw Harry an apologetic look and threw both her arms around Cory. She muttered gently, "It's all right, Cory, Mum's here. It's all a bad dream. Calm down. He won't hurt you. Mum will scare him away."

Cory buried his head in her shoulder and sobbed. She rocked him slowly. He calmed down after a while, and wiped his eyes.

"Thanks, Mum. You scared him away!" he said gratefully.

"Come now, all of you. Wash your faces. I've brought presents!"

The children scooted off. Ten minutes later, they were all opening gifts happily.

Hermione decided to sleep with one arm around each of her boys for the next few days, while Ace insisted on sleeping with Daddy. Harry and Cory said that Hermione would scare away the people hurting them in their dreams when she held them. Draco and Hermione hoped that their nightmares would diminish until they stopped altogether within the next few days. They were right.