Chapter Text
Tom stirred at the faint tracing of his chest. His hand slipped into her red hair as he let out a sleepy breath. Lily hummed as she traced the outlines of his chest. Looking up at the ceiling Tom muttered, “My daughter is married.”
Lily laughed. “She is probably waking up now and talking to her husband in their bed.”
This time Tom laughed. “Not Hermione. She is everything but a graceful riser.” Lily hummed. Silence falling over the two of them.
He looked down at the witch with her head on his chest. The witch who ethically shouldn’t even be in his apartment, let alone his bed. “You’re also married.” He spoke quietly.
Her hand stilled along his skin. “I’m married to a man fucking his best friend that I happen to see everyday during the school year.” Lily sat up, shifting her leg over Tom’s hips and straddling his waist. Tom’s brow quirked as she leaned down and kissed his chest. “They’re meeting in Hogsmead today, did you know that?” He shuddered under her breath as it pebbled his skin. Lily kissed his collarbone and moved up his neck. “James hasn’t even asked me how the kids are doing. No inquiries about Harry’s first week or his namesake and first born’s first week of his very impressive internship.”
“Then what will he say if he finds out about us?” Tom asked as Lily moved up his throat.
Lily pulled back, sitting up straighter as she looked at Tom. “Are we an us?” The words felt thick in her throat as she waited for his answer. She knew what she wanted, but he wasn’t sure where he was at.
She wasn’t ignorant that he hadn't left an unhappy marriage. His wife had died. Tom was a widow. Not that Lily believed Tom considered her a replacement for Phoebe, and not that Lily wanted that to be the case. She knew she’d never replace Phoebe and had enough respect for everyone involved that she wasn’t going to try and be that.
“I want it to be us.” Tom answered. He searched her face for some type of answer. When her smile appeared, he let out a relieved breath.
“Headmaster!”
Both looked toward the apartment door as the sudden shouting from his office. “Oh bloody hell—in the bathroom.” Tom directed as Lily pulled herself from the bed quickly. He Accio’d his clothes, pulling them on quickly before shutting his bedroom door behind him. Tom ran his fingers through his hair just before opening the apartment door.
“Headmaster! We’ve got trouble in the Great Hall! A student’s been attacked!”
Tom’s stomach churned at the announcement. “Who? What—what’s happened?” He demanded following behind the Professor and toward the Great Hall. His mind spun as his thoughts shifted to Hermione and his new son-in-law. The Prophet was surely to report on their union. Was this fallout of that? Had it been the Greengrass girl?
“Your son, sir. We used a slicing hex and sliced off Astoria Greengrass’ arm.”
Tom felt himself detach from his body. Theo? Theo did that? He anticipated Hermione being the one to use force, but Theo? Tom shook his head. No. It had to be in defense.
Just outside the hall, Theo sat on the ground, his back against the wall. His eyes darkened as he looked off absently. A couple Professors stood around him as they spoke in hushed whispers.
“Theo—” Tom pushed through the Professors and dropped in front of his son.
“She was going to kill her. Her wand...it was green. An Avada.” Theo spoke slowly and with no inflection. “I couldn’t watch her di—I couldn’t see that again.”
Tom brought his hand up, cupping Theo’s cheek. His skin was cold and eyes a familiar shade. “Theo, how high is the water?” A few of the Professors scoffed and then murmured to each other.
“The waters are still.” Theo commented. “It’s warm.”
“I know, Theo. You need to tell me how high is the water?” Tom forced the panic from his voice.
“It’s at my waist.” Theo blinked slowly before answering. “The water is at my waist.”
Tom nodded, brushing his thumb along his son’s cheek. “Okay. Make sure to stay right there. Not a step further, alright?” He watched Theo nod numbly.
“What happened?” Tom turned his attention to the Professors crowding behind him, his voice sharpening. He knew his children. They would never act unless provoked. He stood, keeping Theo directly behind him.
“We are still collecting statements, Sir.”
Tom sent a sharp glare toward the Professor, forcing him to swallow nervously.
“It is not a matter of collecting more testimonies, Professor Hawthorne.” Snape drawled. “Numerous of the same accounts have been recorded.” Tom looked to Snape expectantly. “What appears to have happened upon delivery of The Prophet was a psychotic break from Astoria Greengrass.” Snape turned his attention back to Tom.
“Your daughter, Mrs. Malfoy, used a shield charm to stop the youngest Greengrass’ advances. Which was when Miss Greengrass climbed onto the table and proceeded to begin casting an Unforgivable directed at both Malfoys.”
Snape’s gaze shifted toward Theo. “That was when your son used a slicing hex to prevent the other two students from being killed. This was self-defense.”
Tom looked back to Theo. He was protecting his sister. He cut a girl's arm off to prevent her casting an Unforgivable.
“What’s going on?” Lily demanded as she walked up to the crowd of Professors.
“Take Theo to my office, Professor Potter.” Tom instructed just before storming into the Great Hall.
Inside, the majority of the students were near the opposite side of the bare Slytherin House table. Dishes and plates were shattered and arranged in a disarray. Blood drenched the end of the table where most of the place settings were scattered on the floor and benches.
Blaise was holding Daphne firmly against his chest near the side wall. His head ducked down and whispered into her ear as he rubbed her back. Harry was in the midst of a hushed but clearly tense argument with Pansy just a few paces away. Pansy’s arm was jutted out behind her and directed toward the newlyweds standing as far from everyone else as possible.
Draco held the sides of Hermione’s face as he spoke to her barely above a whisper. Blood still splattered across her face, darkening as it was drying on her skin. Tom could see how terrified she looked.
“Headmaster!” Ginny’s voice pulled Tom to look beside him. “Is Theo okay?”
Tom blinked. “He should be alright.”
“Is he going to be in trouble? He was just defending Hermione and Draco!” Ginny spoke quickly, her voice shaking. She looked paler than normal, Tom thought. But given seeing her apparent crush slice a girl's arm off, Tom considered the physical reaction normal.
Tom cleared his throat. “All accounts seem to line up to the same conclusion of self defense, but a decision has not been made yet.”
Tom’s mind started to spiral. Was he even allowed to make this decision? Given the one in question was his son and the witch was attacking his daughter and son-in-law. Tom looked over to Draco. A faint amount of blood speckled his skin, his sole attention on the little witch between his hands.
“This is my fault!” Hermione sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks and along Draco's hands, keeping her focus on him. “She—she was going to—”
“Hermione, listen to me. She’s crazy—has lost the plot completely.” Draco repeated. “Some psychotic break or something. But this is not your fault.” He brushed her tears that wouldn’t stop coming.
Hermione hiccuped. “Theo—he—”
Draco shook his head. “Theo protected you and me.” Draco wanted desperately to scold her for stepping in front of him and how stupid of a decision that had been. But he knew now was not that time. And given the opportunity, he would have done the same for her.
“Oh God, Draco! What if he gets expelled?” Hermione’s eyes went wide.
Adrian chuckled from his seated spot on the floor. “Forget explosion—you can get sent to Azkaban for shit like this.” Draco kicked his leg back, smashing painfully into Adrian causing the wizard to shout.
“Azkaban? Prison? He could go to prison for this?” Hermione looked at Adrian, but her head was quickly pulled back to look at her husband.
“Hey, hey, hey...still waters. Still waters, Hermione.” Draco dropped his forehead to hers as she shuddered a loud cry. She was trembling violently between his hands. “Feel the water, love.” He begged as she sobbed again. He looked up quickly, feeling a hand on his shoulder.
Tom tilted his head toward the hallway. “Take her to my office.” He glanced at the rest of the group that had congregated nearby. “All of you to my office if you need a private space, alright?”
Draco didn’t waste any time pulling Hermione out of the hallway. Blaise quickly pulling Daphne beside them. Adrian groaned as he stood to his feet, his eyes settling on the progressively growing louder argument just ahead of them.
“He sliced her bloody arm off, Harry!” Pansy shouted, motioning her hand toward the bloody mess of the House table.
Harry threaded his fingers into his hair. “Gods Pans! Are you that bloody blind? She was casting an Avada! An Unforgivable—immeidate fucking death! Theo saved their lives!”
“You don’t know what she was casting!” Pansy snapped.
Harry shook his head, leaning back from his girlfriend that he wasn’t sure he could even consider that anymore. “She said the gods damned spell! Are you deaf too?” Pansy scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Oh gods...” Harry murmured, his eyes blowing wide. “I can’t keep making justification for how...how...how rotten you are!”
“What did you just say?” Pansy demanded.
Adrian’s brows rose up his forehead as he slid his hands into his trousers.
“It’s over. You’re a bloody heartless rotten bitch, Pans. You treat everyone like they are beneath you and this whole stupid blood purity shit is just so dumb.” Harry stepped forward, locking eyes with Pansy. “It’s over. We’re over.”
The raven haired witch’s eyes went wide. “Oh don’t you think you can even for a second—” Pansy’s voice rose, sneering.
“And that is our cue!” Adrian announced as he hooked arms with Harry and began dragging him into the hallway and to the Headmaster’s office.