Dramione. Red and Green. Chapter Four.

Chapter Four; Owl number two, everyone’s looking peaky and planning ahead for Christmas.

Hermione got her wish, she slept all through the day and night, to wake up the next morning. She would’ve kept sleeping but a tapping at her window woke her up. Groggily she rolled over to see Malfoy’s owl at her window. Suddenly wide awake and filled with butterflies Hermione leapt out of bed and opened the door. The owl gracefully flew in and landed on Hermione’s bed, immediately sticking its leg out, showing Hermione the envelope attached to its leg. With fingers trembling from excitement Hermione removed the letter, then held her arm out for the owl, taking it across to her study so she could give it a treat and water, before finally opening the letter.

-Granger.
As I can see the top of the sun rising, I believe that counts as morning, so you cannot complain when my owl arrives to deliver this.

Hermione bit her lip, smiling to herself. Did that mean that Draco Malfoy actually willingly, wanted to talk to her?

Why have you chosen to allow Weasel to continue living with you? I’m surprised you wouldn’t want to kick him out of your house as soon as you possibly could.
You didn’t tell me you’re a healer now, too. I take it that’s why you didn’t take Lovegood to St. Mungo’s then?
I await your return owl with those many questions of yours, Miss Granger. I have told my owl he cannot return without a very long response from you.
Impatiently awaiting these promised questions,
Draco A. Malfoy
P.S. What does the ‘J’ in your name stand for?

Hermione sighed, sitting down at her desk and smiling at Malfoy’s letter. Hermione had a hunch that Malfoy was asking more questions than he’d intended when he’d started writing to her. Pulling out a fresh piece of parchment she began to think about what she’d say.
Malfoy,
Yes, I do believe that seeing the top of the sun counts as morning – but I did not expect you to take me so literally!
To answer your questions, I’ve offered for Ronald to continue living with me, because even though we are no longer in a relationship, we are still good friends, and him living under my roof allows me to keep an eye on him, so that when he finally does find his own house, I can be confident that he will be able to feed himself.
I’m not a qualified healer, I did complete the course to become a healer, but I decided at the last minute that it wasn’t for me. But I still know and remember everything, all the spells and all the potions and the procedures. That’s why I didn’t take Luna to St. Mungo’s – I’m capable of looking after her here.
As for my questions about your story …
What were your wife and son’s names? Did your wife go to Hogwarts? Was she a Slytherin like you? Was her family in league with Voldemort? What was the name of the muggle who took you in? Where did you live with the muggles? Why didn’t you come back sooner? What did you learn about the muggles? Why did you decide to come back at all? Did you enjoy being a muggle? Did you enjoy being a muggle actor? How did meeting the not so lucky muggles change your view on life? What was the biggest lesson you learnt from the muggle world?
Where are you living now? Are you with your parents or on your own?
Why did you help me, and then tell me your story? You must’ve known that I would ask you, and that I would ask these questions, so why did you allow that?
Eagerly awaiting your answers,
Hermione Jean Granger
P.S. What does the ‘A’ stand for?

As Hermione was watching Malfoy’s owl fly itself out of the window, Ron knocked and called through the door;
“Hermione, can you help me with breakfast?” Hermione smiled and opened the door to follow Ron downstairs, but he stopped her.
“Do you want to get into clothes, Hermione?” Hermione looked down at what she was wearing. It was her normal nightie, a plain oversized red singlet with green edgings. Hermione shrugged and walked into her bedroom.
“Sure, if it makes you feel better. I’ll be down in a minute! Get out what you want for breakfast.” Hermione threw on clean underwear, a pair of denim shorts, a red singlet and one of her old button up school shirts, leaving the buttons undone so that her singlet showed.
As Hermione entered the kitchen she was pleased to find Luna bustling around kitchen helping Ron. After a quick but thorough check-up, Hermione deemed Luna healthy, but warned her to take it easy and told Luna where her medicinal potions were – in there was a soothing and healing potion that would help with her bruising and soreness for her thighs and hips.    
After that Luna told Ron and Hermione to sit down, she wanted to make breakfast for them. Hermione just shrugged and sat down, but Ron hovered around Luna, worry and concern etched across his face.
It wasn’t long until Luna had breakfast on the table – thankfully she just stuck with plain bacon and eggs, rather than something strange like what her father served when Harry, Ron and Hermione visited him during the war. Hermione noticed that Luna had cooked enough for five people, at least. Luna noticed Hermione eyeing the food and smiled.
“I know how Ronald eats, I thought I’d better cook too much, rather than too little.” Luna explained, which made Hermione laugh. Her laugh was cut off by someone knocking on the door.
Who is it now? Hermione wondered as Luna went to answer the door.
“Oh, hello Mr and Mrs Weasley!” Hermione and Ron paled together, looking at each other with similar expressions of horror as Luna lead Ron’s parents through to the kitchen. Molly and Arthur Weasley entered the kitchen, and Hermione marvelled once again at how they were almost polar opposites – Arthur tall and lanky, Molly short and plump, Arthur relaxed and Molly always fussed over everything. But they both had bright, flaming red hair. Today they both wore similar looks of confusion and worry on their faces.
Well, we had to tell them sometime. Hermione figured.
No one moved. Finally Luna was the one to offer Mr and Mrs Weasley a seat, some food and a drink. Her doing that seemed to snap Ron and Hermione out of their paralysed state, they both smiled and greeted Mr and Mrs Weasley warmly, if not a little robotically.
But Molly Weasley knew something was wrong with the two.
“What’s going on? Ron? Hermione?” Molly asked with the practised calm but stern voice only mothers can achieve perfectly, staring the pair down. Ron broke first.
“I’msorrymum. ‘MioneandIhavebeenhavingtroublesforaLONGtimebutwedidn’thavethegutstotellyou. We’rejustfriendsnowand’mionewasniceenoughtonotkickmeoutandLunacameinseriouslyhurtlastnightandshe’sherebecause’Mioneislookingafterherbutweofferedforhertostayheresoshe’slivingheretoonowandsharingthetopfloorwithme.” Then Ron blushed as red as his hair and looked at his lap.
Molly blinked at her son, trying to figure out what he’d said. Arthur turned to Hermione, one eyebrow raised.
“Ron and I have been in a rough patch for quite some time now. We actually broke up a couple years back, but we didn’t want to tell anyone because you were all so happy that we were together. The day before yesterday we decided to finally give up, we planned on finally telling everyone, but I didn’t have the heart to kick Ron out, I was worried he wouldn’t be able to feed himself if I did that.” Ron somehow managed to blush even deeper at that.
“So, we’re sharing the house, and I’m teaching him to cook and clean. Luna’s here because her now ex-boyfriend hurt her, and she came here seeking help. So I patched her up and, realising that she had nowhere else to go, offered for her to stay here and live with us. So now she’s sharing the top floor with Ron, and also teaching him how to cook.” Hermione took a deep breath, waiting for Molly and Arthur’s reactions.
They sat in silence for a moment and looked at each other before sighing at the same time in, relief? Hermione wasn’t sure. Molly turned and looked from her son to Hermione a few times.
“Well, I won’t say I’m not disappointed, but I do wish you’d told us sooner you two! Everyone knew something was wrong, we’ve all just been waiting for you two to tell us! Of course, we thought it was something like a miscarriage at first.” Hermione blushed slightly at that, but Molly didn’t seem to notice.
“You’re still my children! I’m not mad, and I don’t love either of you any less.” Ron and Hermione visibly relaxed at the same time then, and Arthur laughed at the pair of them.
“You’re just like school kids expecting detention, only to find out you got off the hook!” Hermione laughed, she felt exactly like that.
“Well, everyone’s looking peaky, should we eat?”

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

Molly and Arthur left not long after breakfast was finished and the dishes cleaned, Ron and Hermione showed them out, while Luna went upstairs so that she could go have a bath. After hugging them both and reminding them that she still loves them, Molly seemed to remember something,
“Oh! We actually came here to ask if you two could host Christmas again this year. Would you two be OK with that?” Molly asked anxiously. Ron and Hermione glanced at each other. Hermione shrugged and nodded, Ron smiled and turned back to his mother.
“We’d love to Mum.” Molly smiled hugely.
“Thank you dears.” As she went to walk out the door with Arthur following, Hermione had a sudden thought.
“Molly, Arthur! If you could not tell anyone else about us yet, we’d appreciate it. We need to tell them ourselves.” Arthur nodded immediately, it was easy enough for him. Molly’s nod was less immediate, but it was there. Ron took one long stride towards his mother and wrapped her up in a hug, enfolding her in his arms.
“Thanks Mum. We’ll tell them as soon as we can so that you don’t have to sit on this secret for long, alright?” Molly nodded a little more enthusiastically this time as she hugged her youngest son back.

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

“So … any plans for what we can do to top last year’s Christmas decorations?” Hermione shook her head. Each year their decorations became more and more extravagant, this year should be no different.
“I’ll think about it. We’ve got six months yet Ronald. Plenty of time.” Ron smiled a small smile.
“That’s what we thought last year.” Hermione laughed at the memory. Last year they’d had a last minute crazy idea to coat the whole house with everlasting snow. They hadn’t realised what a job it would be, and wanted to surprise the children Christmas morning when they woke up, so they’d done it Christmas Eve … and gotten about 15 minutes sleep that night, by the time they were done.
“The clean-up afterwards was just as bad! I swear I still find snow in odd places around the house sometimes.” Ron shook his head in disbelief, laughing.
“I’m sure we’ll think of something great to do this year.” Ron put a hand on Hermione’s shoulder encouragingly.
“I’m going upstairs to check on Luna. I’ll see you later.” Ron turned and walked up the stairs. Hermione deliberated on what to do for a few minutes before also heading up the stairs to her study.
She found herself disappointed that Malfoy’s owl hadn’t returned yet, before picking up one of her new books she’d bought at Flourish and Blotts and settling herself down at her desk to begin reading.