A Gift of Love

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own HP, I make no money from this work.

A/N: Many thanks go to my lovely helpers, my beta and Brit-picker: talesofsnape, and my alpha: morethansirius, their help and input were invaluable.

Nov. 5, 2003

Lucius sat at his desk, waiting for his first appointment of the afternoon to arrive. Mac Fletcher was new to the case, and having someone who could look at things with a fresh eye gave Lucius renewed hope. Mac was the older brother of Mundungus Fletcher. After the war Mundungus had bartered his status as a member of the Order of the Phoenix into a full time profession, by opening his own business. Who better to handle the public's security issues or to find missing people or items than someone who knew the ins and outs first hand? His brother, Mac, after a successful career working in an elite investigative division of the MLE, had retired and recently joined his brother's business.

After being announced by a house-elf, Mac entered the study took a seat in the chair indicated before Lucius' desk. "Good day, Mr. Malfoy. My brother's reports for this month," he said, sliding the thin folder across the desk.

Lucius opened the folder and glanced at the two pages inside. "Nothing new then?"

Mac shook his head. He looked a bit doubtful, but then offered an opinion. "No. It's as if she simply disappeared from the face of the planet. Since I'm going to be taking over this investigation, I'd like to start from square one. It's very difficult to pick up a thread after nearly two years have passed, Mr Malfoy. I've read all the background files and I have a theory, but before we delve into that I'd like to get your input. I think I'll have a better feel for the case hearing your version of things first hand, rather than just reading what my brother may have thought was important. No offense to my brother, but Mundungus' skills lie in a direction other than investigation."

Lucius grimaced at the idea of having to go over the whole story again. "Is all this really necessary, Mr. Fletcher."

"Only if you really want to find Miss Desmond, or to learn why she left."

"She left because she decided to leave. I really don't care about the why of it. I merely want to know where she is now," declared Lucius.

"What if she's nowhere, sir?" Mac asked solemnly.

"What are you implying, Fletcher?"

"Has it never occurred to you that perhaps the reason Miss Desmond has not been found is because she may have met with foul play?"

Lucius' eyes widened in shock. Elise had stayed in his safe house for three years. From the night he had saved her, through the entire war, even while he was in Azkaban. It wasn't until after the war ended, however, that they had finally become lovers. They had been together for another three years, and then one day she was just gone. He'd been hurt, in the beginning, at the very idea of Elise's betrayal, and devastated that she had left him without so much as a note or an explanation. She had disappeared so effectively that he figured she must have planned it for quite a while. She'd even gone so far as to Obliviate Twink, the house-elf. Lucius assumed it was so that she could not reveal anything about Elise's plans or whereabouts.

Her defection had made him so bitter that he had tried for a time to deny that he even cared she was gone. At first he'd tried to convince himself that he was well rid of her, but after a year had gone by his doubts still plagued him and he'd hired an investigator to find her, telling himself he just wanted to know she was all right. But in all that time, he'd never once thought that she wasn't out there somewhere.

"I... dead? No, I'd never even considered that idea. Do you know something you aren't telling me? Because if I find out your brother has been stringing me along—"

"No, Mr. Malfoy. I don't know anything for sure. She could be alive, but very well hidden. She clearly learned very well from her activities during the war how to hide someone who didn't want to be found. I just have some theories I'd like to explore. But I'd like your personal recollections, if you don't mind."

After briefly considering it Lucius agreed. He spent the next couple of hours reviewing all the background information and answering all sorts of questions as the man took copious notes. During the course of the afternoon they'd dropped the formalities and begun using each other's first names.

Finally Lucius asked, "What is the nature of this theory?"

The man frowned. "I'm not sure how you're going to feel about what I think happened, Lucius. This witch we are looking for, your... errr... your..." He seemed to grope for a delicate term.

"My mistress, Mac. She was my mistress. We both know it. You needn't tiptoe around the issue."

"Yes. At any rate, bear with me through this. It is a rather long and convoluted theory, but I think it may have some merit.

"Firstly: you have told me yourself, that during the war she created a means to effectively hide and remove Muggle-borns and their Muggle families from the danger in this country. This was at great risk to herself. Miss Desmond was obviously very brave. Secondly: she then stayed with you after the war ended. Even when she no longer needed your protection, she stayed with you willingly and eventually became your mistress. Miss Desmond was fiercely loyal, but more than that, I believe she bore a strong affection for you. Thirdly: the house-elf, Twink, was devoted to her and she was equally devoted to Twink. Miss Desmond clearly was a defender of the weaker and the downtrodden."

"Yes—yes. Everything you've said is true. Elise was brave and loyal and she defended the underdog. What is your point in all this, Mac?"

"My point is this: why you are so willing to believe that this woman—this brave, loyal, fearless woman—would callously Obliviate the house-elf who served her faithfully for six years? Why? To cover her trail? Knowing of all the Muggle families she helped to hide away during the course of the war, I think she knew well enough how to cover her own trail. Was this the type of woman to leave you with no warning at all, a man she clearly cared for—cared for enough to flout convention by living as your mistress for nearly three years? I don't think it happened that way. I don't think so at all."

Lucius' eyes narrowed. "So what do you think happened?"

"I believe that someone may have confronted Miss Desmond at her cottage. I obviously don't know what was said, whether she was bribed or threatened... or worse; I have no way of knowing. The obvious person to have done this would be your wife, Lucius. I believe it was this event that caused Miss Desmond to flee. I simply cannot believe, knowing everything you've told me about this witch that she was the one to wipe that elf's memory. I think it far more likely that your wife, realizing the elf would have information you could use to find your mistress, was willing to Obliviate not just the memory of that day, but to scramble the poor creature's brains to the point that she could not provide you with any information at all."

Lucius considered the idea. It did make sense. "It's possible I suppose, as theories go. But I still don't see how this helps us find Elise."

"I guess it really depends on how far you want to take this. First, we need to determine if there really is anything to this theory. There are ways to question Madam Malfoy that would prevent her from lying."

"Veritaserum?"

"Are you willing to go that route?"

Lucius swallowed as he considered the consequences. He didn't love Cissy, didn't think he ever had, really. They had drifted apart years ago, but had stayed together simply for convention's sake. They had virtually lived separate lives since the end of the war. Still, she was Draco's mother, and he didn't want his son to be hurt in the cross-fire. But if she'd done something to Elise... "I need to know the truth. One way or the other, I need to know."

"Think carefully, Lucius. You may learn things you really don't want to know. While your wife is my first choice as prime suspect, your son would be a close second."

"Draco? Don't be ridiculous. Draco didn't even know of Elise."

"Not that you know of. But what if he'd learned that you had a mistress, and was worried that it might hurt his mother? Often a young man will go to great lengths to protect his mother."

Lucius didn't even want to contemplate that scenario. "Let's question Cissy first and see where that leads."

"Very well, I'll work on getting the Veritaserum. It may take a while. It's a controlled substance."

"Don't bother. I have my own sources. It still may take awhile, but I trust him implicitly. Once I have it, I can slip it into her tea. Help me determine what questions I need to ask her. This is one interrogation I don't want to botch up."

Feb. 2004

Lucius had of course contacted his old friend Severus, who agreed after some gentle coercion to brew a fresh batch of Veritaserum. The process took the full course of a lunar cycle, plus, as Mac had indicated, it was a controlled substance. Thus several of the ingredients were tricky to obtain. So it was mid-February by the time he was able to carry out the plan.

Severus had insisted on knowing what he wanted it for, and then also demanded that he be present for the questioning. Lucius figured that Severus was just worried that he would botch it up somehow or manage to overdose Cissy, thus revealing their illegal activity. Severus was such a straight arrow these days. Of course he didn't object to brewing the potion. He just wanted to ensure that they weren't caught at it.

Afterward, Lucius was relieved to learn that at least Cissy had not dispatched Elise in any violent or permanent manner. She had, however, confronted Elise personally, threatened her and then, once Elise had left, Cissy had gone back to the cottage and Obliviated Twink's memory. She admitted she'd done more damage than she had planned as the spell had been performed in a fit of anger. The house-elf defied Cissy outright when she gave her a command, telling her that she was bound to Miss Elise not to Mistress Malfoy. Cissy had meant to remove just the memories that showed proof of her duplicity, but had ended up scrambling all of Twink's memories of the last several years.

Once the Veritaserum had worn off, Cissy had left in a fit of outrage. Lucius poured a brandy and stood by the window staring out silently, seemingly lost in thought.

Severus sipped his own brandy for several minutes before he interrupted Lucius' thoughts. "Well, you've learned what you wanted to know. What now?"

Lucius looked surprised, as if he had completely forgotten that Severus was even there. With a sigh he walked over and sat in the wing chair opposite him and answered, "I think there are going to be a lot of changes in my life from this point forward. My marriage was never a love match, merely a duty to family. We've plodded along for nearly three decades, putting up with each other, but I really think this is the final straw." Lucius rubbed idly at the sleeve that covered his Dark Mark. "I'm done with duty to the old ways. It's brought me nothing but pain and suffering. Cissy's meddling has destroyed the only good thing I've ever had in my life, aside from Draco. I'm done with her as well. I'll contact my lawyers and file for divorce."

Severus seemed shocked. Divorce happened in the wizarding world, but amongst the old pureblood families it was very rare. "You actually intend to divorce Cissy over this?"

"Yes, surprisingly enough I do. The time I spent with Elise showed me what it is like to be truly happy with a woman. That's something I've never had with Cissy. Perhaps I can find that again with someone. I regret now that I never told Elise how much she meant to me. Even if I were to find her now... Well, it's likely too late for that. She's been gone nearly two and a half years and I'm sure she's started a new life. Still, I'd like to know that she's well and not in need of anything, so I suppose I will have Mac Fletcher continue the search. He seems more competent than his brother at least."

After sitting in contemplation for a bit Lucius mused, "I've learned beyond a shadow of a doubt, the supremacy of blood purity is a fallacy. Being Muggle-born didn't make Elise inferior. In fact, she was one of the strongest witches I've ever known in both magic and in character." Lucius paused to look at his friend, who was studying him with interest. "Severus, I know you took a lot of flack for your feelings toward Lily Evans. I'm sorry for any part I played in that—"

Severus interrupted with a wave of his hand. "In spite of all the romantic folderol bandied about after the war—blasted bloody Potter and his big mouth—I got over Lily Potter long ago. She was a good friend in my childhood and while I may have wished for something more once, it simply wasn't meant to be. Perhaps the same is true of you and your lady, Lucius, or perhaps someday you will find her and start anew. Who's to say?"

Lucius shook his head sadly. "I'd like to believe the latter is possible, but I don't think that's ever going to happen."

July 31, 2004

Hermione sat in Harry's yard and watched the festivities winding down around her as more of an observer than a participant. Harry's Birthday Bash was an annual event. The boy who'd never had a party or even a birthday present as a child was always showered with attention and gifts every year by his friends and family.

Most of the Weasleys were present, with the exception of Charlie and Ginny. The former had been unable to get away from the dragon reserve, and the latter was playing professional Quidditch and had an exhibition match in Portugal today. Minister Shacklebolt had stopped by, though he hadn't stayed long. Minerva, Hagrid and Filius had represented the Hogwarts contingent. Snape had shown up with his amour du jour. In the years since the war he had turned into a regular celebrity playboy. The rest of the crowd consisted of old friends from school and more recent acquaintances.

Harry's very pregnant wife waddled over to join Hermione. She eyed the low seat that Hermione sat on with a reluctant look. "Oh, please. Even if I did manage to get myself down there without injuring something, it would take more than magic to get me up. Be a love and help me out here, won't you, Granger?"

With a smile, Hermione nodded. All it took was a flick of her wand and the bench grew several inches taller, and then she summoned some cushions from some empty seats across the yard. She even stood and, holding the other woman's hands, helped to lower her gently into the seat. "Dear Merlin, Pans, do triplets run in the Potter or Parkinson genes? Are you sure there's not more than one in there? "

Pansy shook her head. "No, at least the Healer says not. But I think this baby must part hippogriff. I can't believe I let Harry talk me into this." She clutched her lower back and moaned.

"Are you okay, Pansy? Should I get Harry?" asked Hermione in concern.

Pansy grimaced but shook her head. "No. Spasms—they've been coming off and on all day. There's nothing he can do right now. Let Harry enjoy his party. I have a feeling it won't be much longer now, though, before the newest Potter decides to make her entrance into the world."

Hermione looked at her friend and asked curiously, "Are you scared? About the birthing part I mean?"

"Terrified," she admitted. "I mean we're magical beings for fuck's sake. Why can't the Healer just wave a wand and zap the kid out of there? But I guess some things just have to be done the natural way. That's what they keep telling me anyway," she concluded grumpily.

Hermione took in the crowd around the yard. Quite a few of their friends were already married, and some of them, like Harry and Pansy, had started families as well. Seeing the focus of Hermione's attention, Pansy asked, "Ever consider settling down yourself, love. Having a baby or two."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Sometimes, yeah, I think I'd like a baby some day, but by that time all my friends' kids will probably be finishing up at Hogwarts. Besides, there's no daddy type in sight in my life right now, and I don't really fancy the idea of raising a child all alone. I know you've heard me talk about my friend, Lisa; she lives near my parents. She's a single mum. You know her little girl, Orrie, is my goddaughter and I adore her, but I can't even begin to imagine how I would have coped in Lisa's situation."

Pansy smiled and patted Hermione's hand. "I think you'd make a stellar mum, Hermione, alone or not. If you don't find any good daddy material you could always go to one of those sperm donor places."

Hermione snorted. "Not likely. I'll just have to spend my time spoiling my friends' kids."

"Hey, what about Severus for a sperm donor, then? You should definitely do it the old fashioned way, though. I'll bet he'd be hot."

Hermione choked, nearly swallowing an ice cube from her glass of lemonade as Pansy pounded on her back. "Professor Snape? Are you nuts?"

Pansy giggled at Hermione's reaction. "Well, no. He needs to settle down sooner or later. All this playboy crap just isn't his style, you know? And don't you two work together? I'll bet you have a lot in common. You'd be perfect for each other."

"No, we don't work together. We collaborated on one project and we nearly killed each other numerous times. The man is impossible."

Hermione did independent research in both Charms and Potions, which suited her just fine, as she could pick and choose the projects she really wanted to work on. "He and I barely managed to get through six months working together. We'd never be able to survive as a couple."

"It was just an idea. I've always had a soft spot for Severus. I'd like to see him find some happiness in the end."

"Yes, I'd have to agree with you there, Pansy. If anyone deserves happiness it's Professor Snape, but he won't find it with me. One or both of us would end up in Azkaban."

"Ughhh!" Pansy clutched her tummy, and leaning forward, she lifted her long skirt to look at the puddle forming beneath her. "Shit! I think my water just broke. Go get your best friend, Granger. Tell him his wifey has an extra special birthday gift for him and it's going to be delivered at St. Mungo's."

They were all waiting at St. Mungo's for news of the birth. Hermione got a call on her mobile and stepped outside the building to take it. She'd managed to charm the thing to vibrate to alert her to incoming calls but she still didn't get a decent signal when surrounded by magic.

The call was from her mum, so she called her back, excited to tell her that Harry was going to become a dad at any moment. When her mum answered however, her voice was shaking badly between sobs. "Mum... Mum, what's wrong? What's happened? Is Daddy okay? Mum! Damn it! Calm down, I can't understand a word..." Hermione was near tears herself. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to find Ron there.

He'd followed her out, and when he'd heard her talking to her mum he could tell that something was seriously wrong. He wrapped Hermione in a hug and took the phone from her.

"Mrs. Granger, this is Ron Weasley," he said in his take charge Auror voice. "You're scaring Hermione here, ma'am. You need to calm down and tell me what's wrong. Is Mr. Granger all right?—Could you put him on, please?"

Hermione sagged in relief to know that her dad was okay. Ron kept his arm around Hermione and her head tucked close to his chest as he talked to her dad. He spoke quietly for several minutes before he concluded, "I'll tell her, sir. Yes, it is good that she's not alone just now. Thanks, sir, I'm sure she'll call you back soon."

Ron flipped the phone shut and led Hermione to a nearby bench. Seeing his wife, Lavender, standing in the doorway of the hospital, he motioned her over. Surprisingly, Lavender and Hermione had managed to become half-way decent friends in the years after the war. Once Lavender had come to the realization that what was between Ron and Hermione really was truly just friendship and nothing romantic, she'd been able to accept Hermione. He was happy she was here now. It never hurt to have a woman's comfort at times like this.

"Ron, what is it? What's happened? I know it's something bad," whispered Hermione.

Ron swallowed, glancing up at Lavender. He took Hermione's hands in his and said, "It's never easy to give someone this kind of news, love. I'm so sorry. Your friend Lisa is dead."

"No!" Hermione's hands convulsed in his. "That's not possible... How? She's only thirty-two. She has a two-year old little girl, who needs her mum. How can she be dead?"

"She was out with a group of her Muggle friends... There was a car crash. They were broadsided by a lorry at an intersection. They think the lorry's brakes failed."

"Oh dear gods." Hermione sobbed in Ron's arms as Lavender eased in on the bench next to her and patted her shoulder comfortingly. She dug around in her purse and offered Hermione a handful of tissues before hugging her, too, surrounding her in the comfort of her friends.

After a while Hermione said tearfully, "I can't go back in there like this. This should be a happy time for them."

Lavender took charge like a battlefield commander. "Don't you worry, sweetie. Harry and Pans will understand. Ron, you take her home. She's too shook up. It's not safe for her to Apparate right now. I'll go get a message to Harry about what's going on. Then I'll pop on over in a few minutes and make you a nice pot of tea and get you settled in at home. You can call your mum back when you feel up to it and make whatever plans you need to make."

True to her word, Lavender came and sat with Hermione, fixed her tea, and talked for quite a while. Hermione talked about her friendship with Lisa, who was someone few of her other friends had ever met; although they had heard of her and her daughter, Orrie, as Hermione was a proud godmother.

Lisa had first become friends with Hermione's parents, when she had moved to the small town in western Ireland where they lived. Despite the popular belief that Hermione had hidden her parents halfway around the world in Australia, that was a decoy location. As a ruse, she had put the information out there that they were in Australia, while she had actually sent them to Foxford, a small town in County Mayo, Ireland. In addition, rather than Monica and Wendell Wilkins, they had used the aliases Mary and Patrick Murphy. They had stayed in Ireland after the war, although they were Linda and John Granger again now.

Lisa had rented the small cottage at the back of their property and they knew her and loved her like a second daughter. Her daughter Orrie was like their own grandchild. Hermione had come to know Lisa through her parents, and although Lisa was seven years older than Hermione, the two had discovered they had a great deal in common, not least of which being that they were both Muggle-born witches.

Hermione traveled to Ireland for the funeral and stayed with her parents for a couple of weeks. Luckily Lisa had made arrangements for her daughter. She'd made a will naming Hermione the little girl's guardian and had requested that Hermione legally adopt Orrie. Since Lisa had no Muggle family left, if anything happened to her she'd wanted her daughter to be raised in a magical environment.

Looking back later on the conversation with Pansy at Harry's birthday party, Hermione couldn't help but reflect on the irony of the fact that, technically, she and the Potters had all became parents on the same day.

Sept. 2004

Lucius' divorce was final by the first of September. When you had money to grease the wheels of bureaucracy, it tended to speed up the process. Plus, Lucius had offered Cissy a generous settlement if she agreed not to contest the divorce. She had decided to cut her losses and start over in France. They had pushed it through the system at record speed, or at least record speed for the wizarding legal system, where the wheels moved slower than treacle on a cold day.

While Draco had not been happy to hear the news of their divorce, he also hadn't really been surprised either. He had admitted to Lucius that he'd always suspected there was no real love between his parents.

"As you are well aware, Draco, my marriage to your mother was arranged. That was the way things were done in pureblood circles, and we were both willing to do our familial duty. I had thought—hoped—that perhaps over time we would come to share an affection for each other..." Dear gods, how does one tell your only son that there was never any warm feelings at all between his parents. It seemed so cold, so wrong. "Well, at any rate, you, at least, will not have to deal with an arranged marriage. When you marry, it shall be someone of your own choosing."

"Right, as long as she's a pureblood," said Draco, sarcastically.

"That matters not, Draco. Things I was taught—things I taught you—much of it was wrong. I know that now, and I think you know it too. When you decide to marry, I assure you the choice will be yours, whether she be pureblood, halfblood, Muggle-born, or even a... a... M... Muggle." Dear gods, that last had been difficult to say. "The important thing is that you marry the woman of your choice, not mine or your mother's."

"And what if it ends up being the man of my choice, father?"

Lucius' eyes widened, "Is this your not-so-subtle way of telling me you're gay, son?"

Draco, burst out laughing. "No, father, I'm not. I'm just pulling your leg. You were being so very liberal about my choices, I just wanted to see if I could get a rise out of you."

"Very funny, Draco, very funny," Lucius responded between gritted teeth. "Will you have dinner with your lonely old father, or do you have other plans?"

Draco agreed to stay for dinner, which Lucius nearly came to regret when it turned out to be Twink who was on duty. Lucius had been trying to reintegrate Twink into the Manor staff.

She had been left on her own at the cottage which had been Elise's home for many years. It probably hadn't been a good thing that he had left Twink there as a sort of caretaker even after Elise left. Since Twink had been rather confused due to the botched memory charm, Lucius had thought she would be better off left by herself. But house-elves were meant to serve people and leaving Twink in isolation had just caused her to become even more disoriented. Finally realizing that, Lucius had ordered Twink to serve him at the Manor three afternoons each week, although she was still allowed to live at the cottage.

Though Twink's recent memories had been scrambled, her memories from the past remained crystal clear. Upon seeing Draco she immediately flew into a tizzy. "Oh, young master, you's is being all growed up now, and so handsome you is. A true Malfoy to be sure. Twink is so happy to be seeing the young master again after so many years." She proceeded to fuss over him, repeating how happy she was to see him and what a handsome young wizard he'd grown into.

"Twink?" responded Draco in shock. He was surprised to see the elf who had served in the nursery when Draco had been a toddler and then had continued to take care of him until he'd gone off to Hogwarts. "Twink, I can't believe it's really you." Draco looked suspiciously at his father, as he continued, "I was told that you went to serve some other family."

"Oh, no young master, Twink is a true Malfoy elf, she is. She would never go to some other family..." Twink paused in confusion. "Except... Twink did serves Miss Elise for many years and she was not a Malfoy." The elf turned to Lucius, "That is right, is it not, Master? Twink did serve Miss Elise, she served her well, she did."

Lucius nodded. "Yes, Twink. You served her at my command, even though she was not a Malfoy. You served her very well indeed."

"Who is..." Draco started to ask, but was cut off by a wave of Lucius hand as he observed Twink very closely.

Twink looked at Lucius with sad, teary eyes. "Miss Elise left us, didn't she, master?"

Half the time Twink didn't even remember that Elise was gone. "Yes, Twink, she did. Do you remember something? Do you know where she went? Did she tell you where she was going?"

Twink shook her head. "Did the Miss leave because of me? Was Twink a bad house-elf?" Her lip trembled and she looked to be on the verge of self-punishment.

"No, Twink, you were not a bad house-elf, you served Miss Elise loyally. You were more than a servant. You were a good friend to her when she most needed one." The little elf nodded but still looked very sad. Lucius had half a mind to send her home to the cottage, but figured that keeping her at the Manor to serve dinner to him and Draco would keep her better occupied. "It's your day to serve, Twink. Would you like to serve Draco and me?"

"Oh, yes, master. I would. Twink is a good house-elf, I is. I will serve you both and I will be showing yous what a good elf I am."

"That's fine, Twink, but please give us a bit of time before dinner. I think we both could use a drink and, unless I'm mistaken, Draco has some questions for me."

Draco did indeed have a great many questions which at first Lucius was wont to brush aside. But in the end he decided that Draco was an adult and he told him the truth of how he had met Elise and what she eventually came to mean to him. Lucius half expected Draco to storm off in a fit of anger but he reacted with surprising maturity, asking serious questions and making several astute observations. Lucius looked on his son with pride, realizing that the spoiled little boy he had known had grown up and become a rather admirable young man.

Father and son spent a companionable meal together, discussing events from the past to the present and possibilities for the future. Things were going too smoothly until near the end of the meal when Twink—who had commented continually throughout the meal on how happy she was to see Draco again—made a comment that brought all conversation to a standstill. "You was such a beautiful baby, you was, Master Draco. Twink thinks Miss Elise's baby, must be's a most beautiful baby, too."

Draco's fork, which was filled with a bite of treacle tart, stopped halfway to his mouth and he stared in disbelief at the elf, and then turned to his father who appeared to be choking in mid swallow. Draco leaned over to thump his father on the back as he coughed into his napkin.

Turning toward Twink, Lucius inquired, "Twink, are you talking about some theoretical baby or have you remembered something I should know about?"

Twink turned toward Lucius and opened her mouth to answer, then stopped and frowned in consternation. "A real baby, I thinks," replied Twink. "But I doesn't know why I be's thinking that."

Shortly after that, Lucius released Twink to go home to the cottage. He and Draco retired to his study to share a brandy. Lucius seemed inordinately distracted until Draco interrupted his thoughts.

"You are very quiet, Father. What are you thinking?"

"I am thinking that if Twink's memory flashes are true and not just figments of her imagination, there is a very good possibility that you may have a little brother somewhere out there in the world, Draco. I'm also remembering something, Mac Fletcher, my private investigator said. He implied that it seemed very out of character for Elise to just pack up and leave without any explanation."

"Considering the possibility that she may have been pregnant sheds a whole new light on the situation, though, don't you think?" asked Draco. "When mother threatened her, your lady may have been more concerned about a danger to her child than to herself."

"It might explain a lot of things I'd never understood," agreed Lucius. "If only we could find away to return Twink's memories, I'm sure that would provide the answer to many of them."

"Father, one thing has me puzzled. Why did you say I might have a little brother out there somewhere? Why not a little sister?"

"Because a female born to the Malfoy line is a very rare occurrence, Draco, as you would know if you ever paid attention to your family history. The last girl child born into this family was over three centuries ago. The odds are much more likely for a son."

It seemed providential that Mac Fletcher showed up for his monthly report a week later. When Lucius revealed what Twink had alluded to, Mac agreed that, if true, it may have been a factor in Elise's sudden departure.

"Although, the only way to know for sure, Lucius, is if we could somehow restore that elf's memories."

"That seems unlikely," responded Lucius with a frown.

"I'm not so sure. I was talking to Dung, and he recalled that one of his former Order associates was at one time working on a means of restoring memories through some kind of advance Charm work. It's possible it could be adapted to house-elves. Or another option, perhaps a skilled Legilimens could find the truth?"

"A Legilimens?' Lucius seemed to perk up a bit at that idea. "I've never heard of a wizard using Legilimency on a non human creature."

"Well, I don't actually know if it's a possibility; I'm no expert on Legilimency. I'm just throwing ideas out there," admitted Mac.

Tapping his quill on the desk, Lucius considered for a moment before replying, "I'm no expert on the matter either, but I know someone who is. Let me check with him and you talk to your brother and try to get some more information about this associate of his. Then we'll see where we stand."

Lucius' source was, of course, Severus, who when asked about the idea of using Legilimency on Twink was appalled.

"There is no way in hell that I am going to go mucking about into the mind of a house-elf, Lucius, not even for you," he snapped. "The very idea is..." Severus shuddered in distaste. "I honestly don't think it's a possibility. Their minds are wired completely differently from ours."

"Mac had another idea but that didn't work out from his angle. Although, it occurs to me you might be able to assist with that, Severus." Lucius went on to explain about Mundungus' claim about the Order member contact. But when Mac had requested his assistance, Dung revealed that despite his previous claims of having influence in high places, he wasn't exactly held in the highest esteem by that particular Order member. Something to do with missing items during the war, otherwise referred to as stolen goods. It was all a horrible misunderstanding according to Dung, but still some people did tend to hold a grudge.

"What has that to do with me?" asked Severus suspiciously.

"Obviously, you have personal ties to the Order. I thought that you could approach this witch and she would be more agreeable to a request from you than from Mac Fletcher, or from myself," explained Lucius patiently.

Severus glared at him with narrowed eyes. "Who exactly is this witch?" he asked suspiciously.

"That is what makes you the perfect choice to speak with her, as you know her personally. In fact, I seem to recall that you worked together on a project a while back. Hermione Granger"

Severus eyes flew wide and he sprung to his feet. "Granger!" he spat. "You can't be serious. The woman is impossible. That was the project from hell and I couldn't wait for it to be finished. I swear I nearly murdered her at least half a dozen time during the course of it, and I promised myself I would never, ever work with her again."

TBC