Chapter 1

"So happy that you've arrived! We don't have a clue what to do," exclaimed the old woman who wore a bright green shawl across her broad shoulders. She was the assistant caretaker at the Hexverg Orphanage.

She had called in the little problem approximately a week prior and they had immediately scheduled an appointment with her.

The little problem was causing quite the bit of trouble. During bouts of extreme sadness and elation, immobile objects had been known to fly about. Lately though, the problems had gotten to be worst.

So, here they were to solve the problem.

"What is the problem, exactly?" questioned the young woman with big curly hair that seemed to move about with each word that she enunciated.

"Is it possible for you two to appear married?" the woman whispered loudly, the question just asked by the curly haired woman, lost to her.

"Absolutely not!" exclaimed the gentleman who was with the curly haired woman. But perhaps he wasn't very gentle at all, as his tone seemed to indicate.

"You must understand; the caretaker is not aware that I know what the child is. She doesn't believe in such 'nonsense'. She will not allow the child to leave the grounds of the orphanage lest she sees that she is adopted properly," she hurriedly explained.

The young woman, Hermione Granger, stood up straight with a poise of defiance that was most likely a common trait of hers.

"Fine, then we shall," she spoke on so as not to allow the young man a word in edgewise, "We will fill out the paperwork as if we are a couple. When we get back to the office, we will change things so that the department may be legal caretaker of the ward."

The old woman smiled in agreement and led the two inside the building. "The first order of business is to have you walk through to see all of the children. It's standard procedure when it comes down to picking and choosing."

"How cruel," muttered Hermione, as she shook her head and silently wished that she could singlehandedly change the way the system worked.

"I agree but alas, if a couple desires a child and they have the opportunity to choose who they will one day care for, they will," shook the grey head of the older woman.

The couple were led down a darkened hallway until they reached a rather plain door.

"Please appear married. Beyond this door is Ms. Beck and the children. She is aware that you two are here. They're in the lunch room sitting quietly. Ms. Beck doesn't like noise. Eliza is the girl you need. You'll know who she is," spoke the older woman. Even she could recognize the magic flow pulsing through the veins of Eliza. After all she was a squib, and although she had no magic of her own, she could feel that of others.

The old woman left the two at the plain door and they just stood there silently.

"Well, Wife, do you think we should go in?" came the snide remark of Hermione Granger's partner, Draco Malfoy.

Hermione jumped a bit and scowled at her partner. She had been deep in thought, curious about the muggleborn girl that they would soon adopt. What if they had another Tom Riddle on their hands?

Hermione reached out to twist the simple, silver knob on the plain door.

It was a bit dark in the dining area with the only light source being a few overhead lights that cast off an uncomfortable red glow. As the two walked in, eight heads turned their way.

Instantly Hermione felt the buzz of magic in the air. She looked at the group to determine the source. But none of the seven children were magical and of course, neither was the beaky looking caretaker, Ms. Beck.

"Children, excuse me," spoke Ms. Beck in a serious tone. She was seated in the center of the seven children with a large book upon her lap. Upon closer inspection, the curly-haired witch realized that it was a collective text regarding the lives of English poets. That was a bit drab, even for Hermione.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs...?"

"Malfoy," Draco spoke up. He tentatively placed his left hand atop Hermione's shoulder. Hermione nearly jumped at his touch. She was also a bit startled by the feeling of something being magically band around her left ring finger.

She looked down to see a simple, silver, knotted wedding band with a small green stone in the center. She glanced up at Draco and he resisted the urge to snicker. He was very skilled with using non-verbal spells; more so than she had realized.

"Well Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, You are looking to adopt?"

"Yes," Hermione said with a smile.

Ms. Beck did not smile back. To her, this was a business, not cordial tea-sipping. Instead, she inquired, "Boy or girl?"

"A girl," Hermione responded. While Hermione respected stern women like Mcgonnagal, she did not much enjoy those without a sense of laughter about them.

"How old? You're a relatively young couple. Do you care for a younger child? Aelsa here is five and very bright for her age, particularly in the subject of mathematics."

At this, the child named Aelsa stood up and curtsied. Hermione's heart ached for they could not adopt all of the orphans in the world.

"Perhaps you have someone a bit older? Maybe around age eleven?" Draco questioned. The Eliza girl was most likely school-aged if the old squib had only just realized her powers.

Ms. Beck's eyes quickly moved over to the only window in the room and then back to the couple. It was as if she didn't want them to notice where her gaze had landed.

And the couple realized why. Sitting on the floor, with her back to everyone, was the small frame of a girl. Her black hair was pulled back into a long braid that reached the floor. Instantly they knew that she was Eliza, the source of the magic that they had felt.

"Are you sure? Eliza comes with many problems. She thieves, continuously fibs, and frightens the other children. So I understand if you change your mind," Ms. Beck said loudly.

Hermione was offended that the woman was trying to embarrass the little girl in front of them. She was positive based upon the girl's meek appearance that she'd endured plenty of harassment from the other children and their caretaker.

Draco squeezed her shoulder. He could sense that Hermione was about to voice her opinion. He was all too used to it. Several times they had to alter memories of people when they were on assignments because of her temper.

Draco watched as his partner walked over to the girl and kneeled beside her instead of speaking. She began to whisper to the child.

"I believe that my wife has chosen a child," he spoke, "What paperwork must we fill out?"

"We must first perform a background ch—," Ms. Beck was silenced by the sound of the perforated edges of another type of check being separated from a checkbook. Draco had long since familiarized himself with muggle money.

He nonchalantly handed the check to the beaky looking woman. Ms. Beck's face took on a pinched look as she saw the numbers written on the small piece of paper.

"Very well," came the clipped tones of the caretaker.

xx

She was theirs. Legally, according to the current adoption laws that were in place, Eliza was their daughter. The partners had signed all of the necessary documents after Draco's 'considerate' donation and theirs she was, Eliza 'Malfoy'.

Generally, after doing so, they usually transferred 'ownership' of the wards to the Department of Adoption within the Ministry of Magic. This should have been the standard case but when Draco saw the way his partner had grasped onto Eliza's hand to bring her to the old caretaker and himself, he could see that things would be different.

And being a man of order, control, and meticulous planning, he did not like this one bit.

Eliza was very strange looking, even for a witch. She had narrow bottle-green eyes, a fairly long face and a light sprinkle of freckles across her nose that contrasted greatly with the paleness of her complexion. But, while strange looking, she was also very pretty.

Hermione grinned at Draco and they started to the door, intent on leaving before the voice of Ms. Beck could be heard.

"Eliza, you should get your things."

Draco and Hermione watched as the girl's narrow green eyes cut harshly over to her old caretaker.

"I own nothing here," she spoke. It was the first time that she had spoken in Draco's presence and he was impressed by the steel tone she held even with such a bright voice and so little words.

With that, Eliza pulled Hermione's hand toward the door leaving Draco to follow.

"Are you positive that you don't have any belongings here?" Hermione questioned once they were outside and near the sleek automobile owned by Draco.

Eliza nodded before casting her eyes downward.

Hermione gestured towards the car and watched as Eliza made her way in before climbing in herself.

"Why me?" came the child's voice after approximately ten minutes in the moving vehicle.

"Well, sweetheart, we knew you were there..." Hermione began, lamely.

Draco resisted snorting which did not go unnoticed by the frizzy haired woman who sat in the passenger seat beside him.

In response to her frown, he gave a slight shrug.

"Well it seems like you two are taking me to some sort of asylum. They all tell me that I'm bonkers," said Eliza.

Inwardly Draco smirked. She did not seem 'bonkers' but then again neither had Voldemort.

"Why did they speak to you like so?" questioned Hermione. She had turned in her seat to gaze at the girl.

"Whenever I'd be taunted, I'd tell the others about themselves," Eliza spoke slowly.

Draco was only half-way listening so he didn't immediately grasp the tone of defiance in the girl's words.

"Honey, that hardly constitutes being bonkers."

"I tell them things about themselves that they have not told anyone."