Holy crap, I'm posting something new! I swear I'm still working on Eyes, but I'm having a timeline issue that I'm slowly but surely solving. So anyway, this story was supposed to be a PWP/Pure Fluff/Smut Fest as a birthday present for a friend, but it went and grew a plot, so now it's a Christmas present. I had a lot of fun writing this, please R&R. Live for the reviews!

Aurelia looked down at her watch and swore under her breath. She was going to be late. The Minister for Magic turned right at that moment and caught her eye. He had heard her. She smiled sheepishly at him. She liked Kingsley Shacklebolt. She hadn't been around when he was an Auror, that was before her time, but after he was elected Minister he had always kept a strong hand in the Aurors' affairs, holding, at minimum, monthly meetings. He had a strong but welcoming physical presence. He was a big black man, tall and broad, still in shape from his Auror days. His bald head only added to his physical power, but it was his warm, brown eyes that betrayed his kindness. But despite that, Aurelia never wanted to get on his bad side.

Thankfully, Shacklebolt smiled back at her and finally began to sum up the meeting.

It's not that it wasn't an interesting meeting, it was. After He-Who-Must-Still-Not-Be-Named was vanquished, he left behind a power vacuum. There had been a few Death Eaters who had attempted to step up but were quickly squashed by the Ministry. The concern that prompted today's meeting was neither a former Death Eater, nor anyone outright vying for power. Which is what made it so interesting. Rodion Petrovich was a Russian born pureblood who had gone to Durmstrang Institute during the first magical war. He wasn't using violence or threats or anything nefarious. He was using education. He was brilliant and he was teaching new ideas regarding old magic. It was terrifying how close to Dark Magic it looked.

Shacklebolt wrapped up the meeting, dividing the various leads to different investigators. Most key leads were delegated to The Boy Who Lived. The famous Harry Potter was very soft spoken, intelligent, kind and good looking, to boot. It was a thrill to work with him, at first, but the honeymoon waned by the third year. By that time, every good lead or case was assigned to the Potter team. Just like they knew where the cases would be assigned, almost everyone understood that it wasn't his doing. He didn't want the spotlight, but like becoming famous for simply surviving, it fell on him.

It didn't help that she was a woman either. It was still a man's world. She shrugged off not getting any juicy assignments and escaped the meeting as fast as she could once they were all dismissed. She quickly made her way from the Minister's office, where her meeting went far longer than it should have. She stopped off at her office, just long enough to grab her coat and purse.

"You're going to be late!" her assistant, Penny, called after her as she ran down the hall toward the Auror floo.

"I know!" Aurelia yelled back, but all she heard in response were her own heels echoing down the hall.

"You're going to be late," the low baritone sounded and Aurelia couldn't help but smile. She glanced up and saw James, the security guard, look up over the latest issue of the Daily Profit. James was a portly man with olive complexion, hazel eyes and greying hair. He was always wearing brown robes and a sincere smile. Aurelia loved him like a father. He had worked at the Ministry for decades and had been the first person Aurelia had met when she started. She was lost, wandering around a deserted corridor, late for her first meeting with the Minister of Magic, and it has been him who had pointed her in the right direction. From that point on, he had always been the one to look after her while at the Ministry.

"I know, I know," she said, throwing the floo powder in the fire. It glowed green. "Parking lot B."

She waved to James just before she was pulled into the fire. It deposited her out of the fireplace in the middle of the Ministry's parking lot. There weren't a lot of magic folk who used cars, but a few did. Usually the ones who lived in a Muggle neighborhood. Aurelia lived in a predominantly magical part of London so didn't need the vehicle to keep up appearances there. However, her mother, who was currently watching her daughter, lived in Warnham. The two thousand population was an even split of magical and Muggle inhabitants, and the wizards and witches of the area had decided to keep it that way by not allowing apperation, brooms, or floo to get into the city limits, therefore, car.

She pulled her keys out of her purse and beeped the alarm, unlocking the Audi Q7. She climbed in quickly, throwing her purse in the passenger's seat. She loved her car. Despite being the progeny of third generation witches and wizards, the Muggle staple was a weakness. Her father, who wouldn't have been caught dead with any other Muggle contraption, taught her how to drive. It had come in handy on more than one occasion. Besides it was fun to drive. The spacious sport utility vehicle kept her out of the elements, let her listen to music and travel easily with her daughter. Plus she didn't have to continuously buy fuel, since, after all, she was a witch.

She pulled out of the parking garage and made it out of London in record time. She hit the motorway and sped toward Warnham, trying desperately to make up for lost time. Even running the limit, she was going to be late.

Lucius Malfoy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was going to be late. His intention had been to apperate directly to his destination which was a small pub in the middle of Warnham. Instead, he found himself alongside a road on the outskirts of said town. Apparently a wizard could not apperate, floo or use any other magical means of transportation within the city limits. And apparently, no one was going to tell him this.

They were still laughing at him. Everyone. The entire wizarding world. They had been since he was sent to Azakaban all those years ago. Since his wife had finally acquired the balls he never had to stand up to the Dark Lord and get her son away from him. Since his side had lost. Since he had to rely on children he had hated to keep him from being put back in Azakaban. Since his wife had walked out on him. Since his own flesh and blood has betrayed him by going to work for the very people who had made their life's work to bring people like him down. They were always going to be laughing at him.

No. He would prove himself to them again. Prove that he was in fact worthy of the name Malfoy.

He squared his shoulders and pulled his cloak tighter around his neck. He wasn't going to miss his meeting, even if he was going to be late. He sighed audibly and began walking along the road toward the parish.

He wrinkled his nose as the sound of his feet crunching gravel rose to his ears. He hated mundane tasks. They took too long, gave him too much time to think. He didn't want to think. He was a man of action, not reflection. And walking, walking was a mundane task, plus it was going to ruin his favorite pair of shoes. There was a reason why a wizard was superior to a Muggle. They didn't have to perform those menial tasks. They could simply travel from one point in space to another. Magic.

That wasn't the only way wizards were superior. They were more open minded, knew more history, true history, not just the watered down bullox that cut out all of the magical occurrences like the Muggles were taught. They had no idea how they got to where they were, and therefore, no way to know where they were going.

Lucius sneered to himself. He was no longer allowed to voice any of those thoughts. It was part of his reform, seeing the unequal as equal. He couldn't even talk about his beliefs to his son. Draco.

He missed his son. After his mother left him, he had made a point to visit his old man. But as the years drew on, and after Astoria and then the Auror training he might have seen him once or twice a year. He had only met his grandson three times since his birth five years ago, or was it four? He couldn't remember. Time seemed irrelevant.

But this meeting, this would make a difference. If he ever made it there.

The sound of an approaching vehicle caught his attention, but he didn't look back. He knew the sight would mock him. The damned Muggles able to get somewhere faster than he, a pureblood, a superior being. A wizard.

Instead of simply passing him, which was what Lucius had expected, the sound of the engine became louder and lower. It slowed and stopped. He finally turned to the machine. For a moment, all he could see was his reflection, something he had come to resent, but then the tinted window lowered and he was greeted with a warm, smiling face. A woman's face.

"Nobody told you you can't apperate into the city limits, did they?" she said it with the smallest laugh that escaped through her nose.

Even she was laughing at him. But at least she wasn't a Muggle. Granted she couldn't have been a very self respecting witch to be driving a Muggle car. Or perhaps she was forced to because of the town's ban on magical entry.

"You want a lift?"

He looked at her suspiciously. She simply smiled and leaned over the passenger's seat and opened the door from the inside. Lucius stepped forward enough to get a good look inside the vehicle. It was very clean with leather seats, but the child seat in the back stood out. The pink floral pattern was in sharp contrast to the dark seats.

"I'm going to pick up my daughter. She's with my mother there," she gestured toward the city center.

"Is it safe?" It was the first question he voiced and he felt foolish as soon as it left his mouth.

She threw her head back and laughed out loud. But the sound didn't irk him like when the other's laughed at him. It actually made him warm. That was a weird response.

"Yes, it's safe."

With one last look around him for a better option, he climbed into the car, pulling his cloak around him so it didn't get shut in the door. It was more spacious than he had expected it to be. Anytime he had ever thought of a car he had pictured the occupants with their knees at their chests cramped side by side with about seven other people. This, he was pleased to find, was not the case. His legs were able to stretch out and the seat was comfortable. Despite feeling strangely at ease, he gripped his cane, which held his wand, tight. When the vehicle didn't move, he turned to her. She was looking at him expectantly.

"Safety belt."

He turned to the metal clasp attached near the back of the seat. Great. She was going to laugh at him again. He had no idea how to attach the safety belt. She didn't laugh, though, she simply leaned over him and grabbed the belt.

With her that close, he noticed for the first time how appealing she looked, and smelled. She had an oval face with a head of curly chestnut locks that framed her symmetrical features with big green eyes. She had a lithe frame that swelled at her chest and hips, but it was the aforementioned swell that was currently pressed against body. And he was anything but bothered by the invasion of his space.

Without so much as a blush she pulled the belt across his torso and clicked it into place, her hand brushing across his hip for just a fraction of a moment. She sat back, straight in her seat as if nothing strange had happened. She shifted the gear and the car lurched forward, picking up speed. He gripped his cane tighter.

They drove silently, the houses becoming more and more dense. Lucius found himself watching her feet as they pressed and released the pedals. It was less what she was doing, and more that she was doing it in heels. High heels. Those were made for showing off shapely legs, dancing, but not driving a Muggle vehicle. However, the fact that she could do it, and with ease, amused him.

It didn't take long for them to get to the center on the town, it wasn't that big. The buildings looked old, most of them made from stone or brick. The only thing that betrayed the inhabitants as Muggle were the cars that lined the narrow roads.

"So, where were you going?" she asked slowing at an intersection.

"The Owl."

She smiled fondly. She must have known it. Of course looking at the size of the area, she most likely knew every centimeter of the town. She turned down a side road and pulled up to the old pub.

"Can you let me out around the block?" He didn't want to be seen getting out of a Muggle vehicle.

She just smiled and crept around the corner. He placed his hand on the door handle and pulled, thankful the door fell open for him. He turned to the woman, realizing he didn't even know her name.

"I am glad I won't be as late as I had feared." It was as close to a 'thank you' as he was going to give. He climbed out of the car and straightened his cloak. She smiled and he shut the door.

"Mommy!"

Aurelia couldn't help the full grin that took over her face. She picked her daughter up and twirled her around.

"You're late, Rey." Aurelia turned to her mother who was putting her coat on. Manon Kassisus was the spitting image of her daughter, dark brown curly hair, oval face, pale complexion. The only real differences were the sharper angles of her bone structure and that she was a bit shorter.

Aurelia knew she wasn't too mad at her tardiness. She had called her Rey instead of her full name and her accent was always stronger when she was upset. When she was really angry she would start speaking in French without even knowing it, but that was usually reserved for politics and quidditch matches.

"I know, I know. I got held up in a meeting with the Minister."

"A new assignment?" she asked actually interested despite needing to leave. She threw her purse over her shoulder.

"No such luck."

She kissed her daughter on the top of her head. "Next time. There's some chicken and rice on the stove, pudding in the icebox. Ari's eaten," she said giving her granddaughter a hug. "Lock up when you go."

"Thanks mom. I'll see you tomorrow."

And then she disappeared out the front door. Aurelia turned back to her daughter, put her hands on her hips and smiled. Arianna looked less French than her mother and grandmother but more German like her grandfather. Her features, while still beautiful, were stronger and darker with deeper set eyes. However, those eyes, like her mother's were dark green.

"How was your day, little girly?" Aurelia asked kneeling in front of her.

"It was good mommy. I practiced braiding and coloring and I got a gold star for cleaning up the toys on the rug."

"That's my girl."

Then her face fell. "Owen, the boy who lost both his teeth, he said some mean stuff about you cause I don't have a dad."

Aurelia sighed, it wasn't the first time and unfortunately it wouldn't be the last. She put her hands on either shoulder and bowed her head their eyes were level. She knew that boy didn't come up with it on his own, it had to have been something he heard, probably from a parent.

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him he was stupid. Of course I had a dad. Everyone has a dad. Mine just doesn't live with us."

"Unless you were grown in a lab." They both laughed out loud. It was a good sound. It reminded Aurelia of when she was young, laughing in this very house with her mother and father. She missed her own father.

Once they stopped laughing, Aurelia smiled again, though it was a bit more strained. "You're very smart, you know that?" Arianna smiled up at her mom. "Come on girlfriend, I'm hungry. Let's get your mom something to eat."

They linked fingers and Arianna led Aurelia into the kitchen. "The rice was icky but the chicken was better. The pudding, though, that was delicious!"

Aurelia ate and packed them both up making sure to lock up her mother's house and within the hour and they set off out of town. She took a slightly diverted path so she passed the small pub. She knew why she did it, but she wasn't actually expecting to see the tall blonde wizard. So when she spotted him she couldn't stop her stomach from flip flopping.

She drove up next to where he was walking down the sidewalk and rolled the passenger window down.

"Don't suppose you need a ride back out of town, do you?"

He sighed but Aurelia caught the slight upturn of his lips. He crawled into the car and managed to fasten his own safety belt this time. It wasn't until they started moving that he looked back and noticed that the child seat in the back was now occupied.

"Hullo!" Arianna greeted.

He frowned. "Hello."

"Mommy, who is he and why is he in our car?"

She laughed at her daughter. "This is Mr. Lucius Malfoy."

"I'm Arianna Kassisus!" she exclaimed proudly.

Lucius nodded at Arianna and then turned to Aurelia. "I feel at a grave disadvantage."

"I'm sorry. My name is Aurelia Kassisus. I work at the Ministry of Magic. I've worked with your son a few times. He looks very much like you."

"You know Draco?" Lucius asked and he looked overly primed.

"Yeah. His office is just a couple down from mine. Despite what some people would have us believe, he's quite the brilliant Auror. Though, like me, he has trouble proving it with every case of substance going to Potter."

There was a long pause and Aurelia wasn't sure he was going to speak again. But finally, he spoke, "You're an Auror?"

"Four years now. Draco was already working there when I started."

It was strange. He looked like he wanted to say something more but hesitated, instead choosing to look out the window at the passing houses. The car fell silent and remained that way until they were out of the city limits. Aurelia slowed and pulled to the side of the road.

"We're out of the city now, you can apperate."

He nodded and opened the door. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Arianna.

"Bye Mr. Malfoy! It was good meeting you!"

Without any change in his expression he turned to Arianna in the back seat, "It was a pleasure meeting you as well Miss Kassisus." He turned back to Aurelia, nodded his head, and with a crack dissapperated.

Arianna gasped in the back seat and then let out a giggle. "He didn't say 'thank you!'"

Aurelia smiled and put the car into drive. "No he did not."