Chapter Song: Fix You
It had only been an hour since Mia left for the party. The house was calm. Too calm.
Hermione sat curled up on the couch with a book she hadn't quite read past the first page. Draco was across from her, going over Hogwarts lesson plans, but something unsettled him. A low hum throbbed in his chest — faint, eerie, and unfamiliar.
Then it hit them both.
Panic. Blistering. Raw.
A scream tore through the air — not out loud, but through the bond.
Mia.
Hermione dropped the book before she realized her hands were shaking. "Did you—?"
Draco was already on his feet, wand clenched. His face, pale. "I felt her. She's terrified."
Without another word, they Apparated.
The Rescue
They found her outside the manor hosting the party — not the front, where the laughter echoed, but near a hedge wall, away from the light.
Mia was curled in on herself, shivering. Her dress was torn. Her knees scraped. Her wand was gone.
Hermione ran first. "Mia!" she gasped, dropping to the ground, wrapping her arms tightly around her daughter. Mia didn't speak, didn't look up. She only collapsed into her mother's arms and sobbed.
Draco stood over them, white with rage and horror. His wand shook in his grip.
Behind them, footfalls sounded — a figure running off into the shadows, cloak fluttering in retreat. Draco didn't chase.
He chose her.
He dropped to his knees beside them, wrapping his arms around both Hermione and Mia, pulling them into his chest as if he could shield them from every dark corner of the world.
Mia's voice was broken when she finally managed a whisper.
"He touched me—he wouldn't stop—I said no—"
Hermione's heart shattered.
"You're safe now," she whispered, again and again, rocking her baby back and forth, pressing kisses into her hair.
"You're safe."
At Home
Back at the manor, Hermione cast every healing charm she could remember — some twice, hands shaking too hard to be sure they'd even worked. Ginny and Luna arrived within minutes, their faces grim, eyes full of fire. Ginny took Hermione's trembling hand.
"She'll need more than healing charms," Ginny whispered gently.
Draco paced like a caged dragon. His fury threatened to swallow him, but Mia needed calm, not rage. So when he finally sat beside her, he just reached for her hand.
"Mia," he said softly. "I've failed you in so many ways. But not tonight. You did nothing wrong. And I will do everything in my power to protect you."
Mia looked at him, eyes rimmed red. "Why do people still hate us?"
Draco swallowed hard. "Because they're afraid of the power you represent. Because you are stronger than they'll ever be."
The Next Days
Hermione slept beside Mia every night for the first week. Draco barely left the room. Ron and Harry silently patrolled the house, giving space without disappearing.
A healer from St. Mungo's came on Luna's recommendation — soft-spoken, kind-eyed, trauma-informed. She didn't ask questions on the first visit. She just sat on the floor and reminded Mia how to breathe.
By the fifth day, Mia said aloud, "I want to talk to someone."
And Hermione cried.
Hermione and Draco — Alone at Last
That night, Hermione stood in the doorway of Mia's room as she slept.
Draco came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"She's going to be okay," he whispered, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"I know," Hermione said. "But I hate that she had to feel this kind of pain."
"So did you," he said, "for most of your life."
Hermione turned to face him, eyes shining. "But I didn't have you back then."
He kissed her forehead. "She does."