3. Bedtime

Disclaimer: If you feel the need to say I am claiming ownership to Harry Potter you either A. need glasses or B. to kindly present me with J. K. Rowling's identity.

Parenting Class

Bedtime

The small trio made their way back to the portrait of the jolly jester, currently talking rather animatedly to a monk clad in a brown habit, Leviculus never noticing how the bald man kept having to dodge his wild hands.

"Parvulus," Hermione announced, watching the conversation with slight interest. The jester made no movement to open the portrait nor did he acknowledge the group. "Ummm, Leviculus?"

"Oh, silly me, didn't see you three there," Leviculus chuckled, turning to Hermione while the monk scurried away to the safety of his own portrait. "In you go." He swung open and the three entered into the oddly decorated room, the door closing behind them.

"It's only seven," mused Hermione aloud, flopping down onto one of the pumpkin colored couches. "We should probably do some homework now and then we can put Draco to bed," she addressed Harry, the emerald-eyed boy collapsing next to her.

"And what's he going to do?" asked Harry, jerking his head towards Draco, the young boy standing silently next to the couch, eyes trained on red carpeting. "We can't exactly just let him run loose, can we?"

"Draco, why don't you go get one of your books from your room?" suggested Hermione, smiling gently at the blond. "You can read it out here while Harry and I do our homework, okay?"

"Yes, Hermione," he said, slipping away from the couch and disappearing into his bedroom.

"I don't get it," wondered Harry, "it's our first day back and we already have tons of homework! Aren't the first days supposed to be easy?" To emphasize his point Harry dropped his current assignments on the table, a resounding thud sounding in the piles wake.

"Lighten up, Harry," laughed Hermione, her nose already in her charms book. "It isn't too much...and we'll have a free period everyday in place of Parenting Class, right? You can get it done in no time if you just concentrate."

Grumbling beneath his breath, the jet black haired boy settled himself into a more comfortable position on the couch and picked up his Divination book, a scowl already on his face. "It's kinda hard to find joy in predicting my death," he muttered, flipping the book open to reveal charts of sorts.

"Then why don't you drop the class? I'm sure you'd find Ancient Runes or Muggle Studies much more enjoyable. Who wants to put up with that fraud anyway?"

"You might want to try," the boy-who-lived chuckled. "Remember what Tobin said? Some of our classes our going to be changed around...I bet you that you get stuck in Divination with me for the time Malfoy's a kid."

"Fine," she agreed, eyes glittering with a challenge. "If I win you have to promise to buy me a book every month for the rest of the year. If you win I'll do your homework for a whole week, assuming you're not failing the class. Deal?"

She stuck out her hand and Harry shook it, a devious smirk on his face. "You're going to regret that Mione...I predict that you will be forced to come." She groaned at his rather lame attempt of impersonating Trelawny and went back to her book.

The girl felt the couch sag next to her and turned to see Draco curled up in the corner, a book in his lap. "What are you reading Draco?" He held up the cover and she read aloud, "The Fairy Princess and the Eight Imps. Sounds interesting..."

For the next few minutes the room was relatively silent, the only sounds those of pages turning and the fire, which had started once they'd entered the room, crackling merrily away at the logs.

A dull thud disrupted that silence and Hermione looked over her book to see Draco sitting on the couch, his eyes wide with his storybook lying open on the table, a large ball of fur on the boy's lap.

"He won't bite," the girl assured Draco, smiling at Crookshanks. The ginger cat gave a contented purr as it nuzzled its head against Draco, the tip of his tail brushing against the child's pale cheek. "His name is Crookshanks."

Tentatively, Draco brought his hand and brushed it lightly across the cat's side, the purr rising in pitch. Slightly encouraged the Slytherin began to scratch behind the fluffball's ears, his sweet laughter filling the room.

Even Harry had to smile at the outward display of happiness, dimples appearing in each of his cheeks. Draco's laughter, as Crookshanks began to tickle the small boy with his tail beneath the chin, was contagious and soon Hermione and Harry both found their homework abandoned and themselves rolling madly on the floor.

Hermione, her breath coming in large gasps, was the first to recover from her now aching ribs and stomach, her face feeling stretched with a huge grin still upon it. Stumbling to her feet, the brunette managed to pick her enormous pet off of Draco's stomach and set him on the floor, the cat giving her a scowl larger than normal (if that's even possible with the squashed appearance of Crookshanks face) and curled up in front of the fire.

Draco stopped laughing next and went to go sit by the cat, while Hermione helped Harry to regain his breath, the teen having trouble getting any air into his lungs with the force of his laughter.

"He's such a sweetie," Hermione murmured, picking up her book from where it had fallen and settling back on the couch. "I almost wish we could keep him this way."

"Malfoy's certainly easier to handle when he's this small," agreed Harry, pushing his glasses back up his nose and sitting down next to Hermione.

"Draco, Harry," she corrected, giving him a swat to the head. "His name is Draco. Now get back to your work...it's almost seven-thirty and we should get Draco in his bath by eight and then one of us can sing to him and read him a story before he falls asleep."

"You mean we have to give the kids a bath?"

"Umm...yeah...unless you want him to start turning black with dirt...he's a kid, Harry," she said with a sigh, his blank stare still trained on her. "He'll get dirty and need someone to clean him up."

"It isn't him I'm worried about," Harry muttered, cheeks turning slightly red.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well...you're a girl."

"So? He's a little boy for crying out loud!"

"But when you're a kid..."

"I," Hermione said haughtily, "will give myself a bath when I'm a child, understand Harry James Potter? No one is to enter the bathroom while I'm in it, savvy?"

"Completely understood," Harry chuckled, the blush fading. "But what the heck does 'savvy' mean?"

"Haven't you seen the movie Pirates of the Caribbean?" Harry shook his head. "It's this movie where Captain Jack Sparrow, he's a pirate, always says 'savvy.' It kinda means, 'got it?' or 'understand?'. I love the movie and kinda just picked up on it."

"Uh huh." The duo turned back to their homework, happy that they'd gotten an obedient child. They couldn't help but feel bad for Ron and Lavender...Terry didn't seem like the easiest kid to handle.

A few seconds later, the sounds of happy laughter once more filled the room as Draco chased after the large ginger cat, the animal running away with one of the boy's socks. "Give it back, Crookshanks!" The tone was still light though, so Hermione knew there was no cause for alarm. If he'd been in tears she would have grabbed her cat, but Draco seemed to be having fun.

"Oomph!" The Slytherin crashed smack into Harry as Crookshanks darted underneath the couch and the boy plowed straight into his guardian. Harry knelt down next to Draco, surprised by the boy's reaction.

He let out a low whimper and flinched, turning his head so he wasn't looking at the emerald eyed boy. "Draco? You okay?" Harry asked gently, reaching out and resting his hand lightly on the boy's shoulder. Draco didn't answer, his tiny shoulders shaking slightly with suppressed sobs.

"What's wrong Draco?" Hermione slid off of the couch and knelt on the other side of Draco, before the need to hug him won over and she pulled him into her arms, cradling his small form against her chest. "What hurts?"

The brunette gave Harry a puzzled look when Draco merely snuggled deeper into her embrace, the older boy giving a shrug. "Nothing hurts," Draco mumbled after a few seconds into Hermione's shirt. "I'm okay."

He pushed himself out of Hermione's arms and rubbed the sleeve of his robe across his eyes. "Malfoys' don't cry," he murmured softly, staring at the ground. "I'm sorry."

"There isn't anything to be sorry for, Draco," Hermione comforted. "Did Crookshanks scratch you? Where is that mangy cat anyway?" The ginger cat in question came out from beneath the couch and dropped a sock at Draco's foot before leaping into Hermione's arms.

"It's nothing, really," he said, placing a small smile on his face.

"Something is wrong," Hermione concluded, staring at the boy's face intently. "We just want to help, Draco."

"It has something to do with me, doesn't it?" asked Harry softly, his bright eyes peering into Draco's until the blond was forced to look down at the floor. "Did I do something wrong?"

"N-no," Draco hiccupped. "Can I go to bed? Please Hermione?" he begged, turning to look at the girl. "I'm really tired."

Hermione saw the act as a way of avoiding whatever was troubling the small boy, but she knew that they would figure it out in time. After all, he was going to be with them for two weeks...they were bound to find everything they had questions about then.

"All right then. But first you need a bath. Harry? Could you go get a pair of Draco's pajamas? Draco, you come with me." Without giving the boy a chance to protest, she picked him up and settle him on her him before turning and entering the bathroom.

No one had had a chance to look around the bathroom before, but it was quite obvious Leviculus hadn't decorated. Dark blue tiles formed a pattern with white across the floor and a lighter blue made up the wall paper border around the room.

A shower was in the corner of the room with a drain that closed so a bath was also possible. "How do you want the water?" Hermione queried, setting the boy on top of the toilet. "Warm, hot, or cold?"

"I don't want a bath," Draco said sullenly, swinging his feet. "Can't I just go to bed?"

"Sorry, but you're going to have a bath every night. It improves your hygiene to get into the habit and you also won't smell."

"But I don't want one."

Hermione blinked in confusion. Draco had been completely agreeable all day, but since that incident with her cat he'd been on his toes and quite evasive, strange for someone of his age.

"But you're going to get one," she said firmly, the bathtub now filling with warm water. "You can either get in the water agreeably or I'll put you in it myself. Which is it going to be?"

Like the stubborn brat he was acting like, Draco crossed his arms over his chest and stayed seated, the action reminding Hermione quite a bit of the Draco she knew of the present time.

"Looks like I'm going to you," she announced, rising from beside the tub. With purposeful steps she strode towards Draco and picked him up, the boy putting up quite a bit of fight.

First, he sunk his teeth into her arm and she yelped, dropping him to the floor to clamp a hand over her bleeding wrist. Draco took that moment to scramble for the door only to run smack into Harry for the second time that day as he came in carrying a pair of black pajamas.

"Get him, Harry!" cried Hermione, lunging for Draco. The boy backtracked from Harry and darted around Hermione, causing the two teens to crash into each other. "He won't take a bath!" the girl wailed over the sound of water sloshing over the edge of the tub as it reached its full capacity.

Draco skidded on the puddle of water and fell over into the water, a large spray of mist coating everyone. Slipping and sliding her way over to the bathtub, Hermione turned the faucet off and let out a sigh of relief.

The Slytherin remained silent in the bathtub, now just sitting silently in the corner, his head drooping onto his knees. Harry rose to his feet only to step on the bar of soap that had made its way onto the floor and down he went again.

Draco visibly shuddered as the ground shook with Harry's fall and Hermione once more wondered why the child seemed to be frightened of one of her best friends. Unsteadily, the boy-who-lived arrived at the bathtub, his hands grasping onto the towel rod for balance.

Dropping to his knees, Harry tentatively reached out and touched Draco on the head, a terrified shriek emitting from the child. "Since you're in the bathtub you may as well take a bath now," said Hermione quietly, pulling the drain to let some of the water leave the tub. "Let's get your clothes off," she said, reaching for the boy who only backed further into the corner.

Reaching out, Hermione forcefully dragged the tiny boy to her, now strangely subdued and quiet. Pulling the soaking wet robe off of his body, she let it drop into one of the puddles, the splash the only noise besides the gurgling of the drain.

The black tee shirt he wore beneath his robe was much harder to remove though, as it clung him like a second skin. After a few seconds of pulling and yanking, the garment came off, a startled gasp rising from the both teenagers.

A rather large blue and black bruise covered Draco's stomach where a smaller, healing yellow one was on his lower back. "What happened?" Hermione demanded, her voice as gentle as she could make it.

"I...I fell of out of the tree," Draco muttered. Both Gryffindors realized this wasn't true as their was a distinct image of a hand on the more recent bruise.

"Who did this to you, Draco?"

"I fell out of a tree," the boy repeated, his voice laced with tears.

"Your father did this, didn't he?" Harry mused aloud, eyes darkening. "The hand is too big to be Narcissa's...and it would explain why you're scared of me. You see me as your father at the minute, don't you?"

Hermione's eyes lit up as she realized she'd figured out the problem, but slowly they started to dim like Harry's, the honey orbs smoldering in unleashed anger at Lucius. "Is that true, Draco? Does your father really hit you?"

"He doesn't mean too!" Both Hermione and Harry were shocked at the sudden outburst of the small boy. "He was just angry and I got in the way," Draco said softer, eyes shimmering with tears. "My father loves me! I know he does!"

Giving Harry a sad smile, Hermione reached forward and plucked Draco out of the bathtub, the child automatically burying his face into her robes, the tears once more leaking from his eyes. "No bath tonight," Hermione whispered, rocking Draco in her arms. "Not tonight."

Rising carefully to her feet, the witch picked her way across the water strewn floor to the door, beckoning with her head for Harry to follow. The boy did so, picking up the pajamas where he'd dumped them on the counter, before exiting the room.

Hermione entered Draco's room and sat down on the bed, the small form still cradled protectively in her arms. Silently, she took the pajamas Harry handed her and dressed the boy, tears glistening in her own eyes.

"Neither of us will ever hurt you Draco," she said kindly, wrapping both arms around him in a hug as he leaned his head back against her, eyes warily watching Harry. "While you're with us we intend to make sure you're happy, okay?"

He gave a silent nod, followed by a tiny yawn. "Do you want to go to sleep now?" Another nod. Picking up the comforter, Hermione slid Draco beneath the blanket and tucked it in around him. "Good night, Draco," she murmured, placing a light kiss on his forehead.

"Good night," Harry echoed, flicking his wand at the waterfall. The water turned into a glowing silver as it fell, now a nightlight for Draco. The two left the room silently, leaving the door open a crack incase Draco needed them.

"Isn't it terrible?" Harry looked up and nodded, face in a frown.

"I thought living with the Dursleys' was bad...but they never hurt me like Lucius does. I mean, I did live in the cupboard but at least I wasn't beaten by someone you should be able to trust. Aunt Petunia always stepped in if things got to rough and Uncle Vernon would stop yelling."

"Do you think Lucius still does it?"

"I hope not...it's kinda strange, Mione. All our lives since we've met Malfoy we always wished he would possibly die or move away...but now that something terrible has happened, or had, I actually wish it hadn't."

"Me too...I guess Draco always just put up a barrier and that's why we've never been able to see what he's really like. Lucius probably made him do all of those mean things."

"Not meaning to change the subject, but can I see your Potions notes, Mione? Snape took mine when he found me doodling..."

"I think we should both go to bed and do homework in the morning." Harry looked at her, mouth agape. "What? I'm tired and we've had a long day."

"Never thought I'd see the day," Harry smiled, shaking his head. "Well, good night then." Rising from the couch he gave Hermione a hug and disappeared into his room.

Hermione followed shortly after, thankful to be sliding beneath her warm blankets to ward off the chill. "Tomorrow," she vowed, "we're all going to do something as a family...a real family."

A light knocking on the door sounded, and Hermione forced herself out of her coccon of blankets to open it. Draco was standing there, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Can I stay here, Hermione?" he asked, softly, hugging himself.

Without a word, the witch picked the child up in her arms and put him in her bed before snuggling up next to him. "Thank you, Hermione," Draco whispered, his hands clutching her nightshirt.

"You're very welcome, Draco. Good night."

"Good night, Hermione." After a split second, Draco gave her a hug and she hugged him tightly back. With a content smile on his face, the little boy fell asleep, wrapped securely in Hermione's arms, a place he knew would always be safe.

Author's Notes:

Gomen!!! I know, I know, I put in a small dosage of angst. Please don't hurt me! As said before, I naturally write dark! ::cowers::

I'm so happy! I got a B on my geometry quiz! n.n I'm in honors so this is pretty good! lol I also went back to my old hometown and saw so many of my friends this weekend! So I'm in a rather good mood!

Also, the POTC thing...I luv that movie and I keep saying 'savvy' around the house so I had to incorperate it somewhere, ne?

::huggles reviewers:: You guys are awesome! Hope you didn't mind the hug, I luv getting/receiving them! On Friday (when I saw all my old friends) I got hugged so many times I lost count! lol

Comments and feedback are greatly appreciated! Arigatou to you all! This is by far my most popular fic. But if you're looking for a good angst Harry Potter fic take a look at Black is Our World! It's a fave to write!

Reviewer's Comments:

valentines-hater Gomen! Looks like I updated before you reviewed! lol Thanks very much! Hope you enjoy the fic!

LishaChan Must we point those out? lol, although I seriously thought that was how you spelled chalice! Yep, who ever knew? Draco in red...that'd be interesting.

Ginny-W13 I feel so bad for Mrs. Norris. She got a dish of food dumped on her. ::shudders:: Betcha glad sunday is here, ne?

JeanMarie Arigatou! n.n I'm glad you like it.

thanx! Very interesting username choice!

Gertyke Uncle Sev is adorable! We should hopefully be seeing more of him shortly! I just think it is so cute too! lol

s n o g g i n g withdrawal He is a cute kid! Wish my brother was still like that...lol now I have a brat instead of the adorable angel.

BIGHARRYFAN The best thing I think about this fic is you can always count on it to be updated sunday! So it means everyone will only be waiting at max a week for the next chappie!

Elizabeth the 4rth Yep, quite odd. But at least it is unique! n.n And as you said, hilarious!

Ptrst Gotcha! n.n Of course Mione will give him a happy childhood! Or she'd better...sneaking cookies was always fun at my house. I have a twin so one of us would distract my mom and the other would get the snack we wanted. I was normally the one who came up with the plans....some call me the evil twin. ::shrugs:: It's actually kinda a kewl nickaname.

Spunx182 Thanx! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

excessivelyperky Kewl! I'll have to check your forum out. Nope, I'm not a member but I do suffer (I think) from short term memory loss. Kinda like Dory from Finding Nemo but not that bad. lol Luv your username btw!

Halownkougra Yep, every sunday! Other ficcies...what ficcies? I don't have any others...lol, I'll try to work on them when I have time. I should actually be cleaning my room right now...now writing this but I think writing is much more fun then cleaning.

raisa I like seeing the other side of Draco too. I've noticed that when they're kids (based on animes I've seen where we go into the character's past) they're generally a lot more sensitive and more open with everyone. Guess I'm just using that knowledge! Hope to see you again!

Noubliz Electric babies? I believe my health class is going to be doing loaves of bread, lucky me. lol Thanx! n.n I really liked Uncle Sev...I mean, he has to have a soft side for his godson, right?

DragonGirl-Chi318 I can assure you, friendship and more will be blooming when Draco comes back. I mean, I always try to make my fics DHr, a bad habit of mine. lol

JenniferJae ::gives you little Draco plushie:: That's the best I can do since I need the actual chibi here so I can write with him. lol

Serenity e-mail sent! n.n He is adorable!

RougePriest666 Well, here's more! Hope you like it as much as the other chapters!

ReeMarie Yukimo LeBeau Or else what? lol, I'll write! I think my career is either going to be in writing or drawing...depends on which college takes me. lol Japanese culture is awesome! I have a kimono but my parents won't let me get a kantana or kunai...for good reason I assume! lol

LatkeGirlie He does seem almost human, probably cuz he isn't acting all cold like he normally does. I'm glad you think it is original. I try to make all of my fics like that. n.n

KageYoukai Arigatou! What were you expecting exactly? And yes, I do think cameras would Creevy was running around the school with one all year in the Chamber of Secrets. n.n

samhaincat I can't wait for my own little bro to figure everything out...he's in fifth grade this year and that's when the sex ed. talk is given. I'm going to be lmao when he figures out what all the 'girl stuff' under the bathroom sink is. hehe Yep, I'm quite proud of my Uncle Sevvy. I know a lot of people make Snape a godfather of Draco but he's always been older. I'm going to have to add more Uncle Sevvy based on popular demand! lol Hermione is really going to get into the mommy bit soon...and hopefully Harry now that Draco kinda realizes Harry isn't Lucius. n.n See ya next chapter!

Wow! That's like a compliment from you! So I'm not as crazy as you thought...I guess that is a good thing, ne? As for your question in Come What May, YYH is an anime show...it stands for Yu Yu Hakusho.

ObsidianRaven The food reminds me of Thanksgiving dinner a few years back at my aunt's house...my little cousin, Alex, reached for the jell-o and knocked over my dad's wine and it got all the way down the table to the turkey before it was stopped.

Launigsiae lol, there you are! Thanx! I know this chappie wasn't as funny but I kinda had to clear up some past events, right?

Pia O'Leary I'm quite curious myself...lol and I'm supposed to know! Another one of my bad up with the story as I write it. I mean, I have a plot down but the stuff in the middle...all imagination. lol

sappjody Well, here's another chapter...is that what you meant? In any case, glad you like the fic and thanx for the review!

LosOjosDeLaVida I'm glad ya could 'see it' I try to make it seem visual...I normally picture the scene as I write it...Snape with a red face kinda blanked on my brain though...I guess I just can't picture it!

legesa I'm always going awww, don't feel bad about cooing! lol The clumsy gene? I'm not sure if I've ever seen that one before in biology class. lol No one in my family acts the same so I guess we all carry the unique gene. Or maybe the short temper gene since we're always blowing up. Actually, that would be me and my mom. lol

Irol Glad it made sense, I don't want to confuse anyone! What do you mean by flashbacks? Simialar incidents with you? I can relate to the food catastrophe! lol It does make him seem more human...probably cuz Snape doesn't exactly come off as a nice name, huh? See ya later today then!

rockslutgothpunk lol, glad I could make someone laugh! And by the sound of it...you laughed a lot. lol My friends call me crazy so I guess weird isn't too far off. I think it has something to do with my anime obsession or something...or maybe how I just get over excited when I'm happy.

scarlet-knight13 I wish my little brother was still that sweet...he's a ten year old brat now. Thanx for the review!

CircleOfStone Not Harry exactly, but Lucius would fit the position. I can so picture Draco with a 'what did I do' face too! He's so adorable I just want to huggle him and huggle him and huggle him and...

Smileystar04 I am so stupid! Yeah, self-critisicim is bad but it's true at the sec! I had the whole week to write this and what do I do, I write it on Saturday and today! O.o I'm terrible! But at least I got it up in time! So happy! A drastic change from BOW. I guess my profession should be humor...seems like a lot more people like this fic!

LiLbLueangeL1223 Thanx! n.n Tremendous, huh? A new word I can use! Yay! Thanx again!

blackrosebunny451 I updated as soon as I could! Every sunday you can expect an update! Yay! lol I'm glad you like it! See ya later!

Lulu LABs23 If you do, that would be awesome! The ferret- I mean Draco- hugging Snape! It'd be so kawaii! You are so right on with the Draco and his dad! Kinda of both situations in his life, abused and neglected. Poor, poor Draco-Chan. Hermione will make him feel loved though. n.n I loved the grape...my uncle choked on one once and my grandma was giving him the heimlich...quite odd to watch.

ilovetom Oki, not all of your email came through...so I sent it to that email at Yahoo, aol, comcast, and hotmail...hope it was one of those. If not, hope you can find the story!

Bronwen Look at my favorite stories list...Once Upon a Thyme is there! O.o I think the author was a bit full of herself in the summary when she said if you like reading good, long fics blah blah blah. But it was an excellent story! One of my first ones too! Well, I guess I've developed a talent for humor...a lot more people are reading this fic then BOW. Although the angst showed in this chappie...oops!

Jacquie Really? That's odd...the first chapter is always just introductory without much going on. But description is always going to be in every chapter! It helps to visualize everything for both authoress and reader!

Yokai Cesia and Chi Me too! I mean, I argue a lot with my mom but I seriously would have been a ton different if she didn't care for me. Here's the update!

coffeentoffee Took you a little while to review! then again, now you don't have to wait long at all for the next chappie, huh?

BlueBabyAquaGirl Silly witch, I don't think she should have taken a drink of anything in that short time, do you? lol Glad she's going back though! Can you imagine a child teaching class?

MokubaDoll I luv gobstoppers! Thanx for one! ::eats gobstopper:: Yum...a red one! I have a whole box in my room! O.o sugar high here I come!

Stormy Skies Yeah, I guess Harry was done pretty well in BOW. I mean, he sounded like himself up until the very end, right?